Ian: I know, I know, you didn't ask, but here goes: Purra doesn't own the Bladebreakers, their bitbeasts or their beyblades. She also doesn't own Mariah, the White Tigers, and any of the other characters seen on the show. She does, however, own the tournament and all of its contestants.
Purra: *is shocked* Wow, Ian! And I didn't even ask you for that!
Ian: Yeah, well, I thought I'd be nice. *scuffs foot on the ground*
Purra: *frowns* He wants something. *shrugs* Oh well, I'll find out later. I hope you like this chappie! Serpent, eh? *grins* You'll see!
Enter Keturah
Kai lay awake on the couch for a long time, his mahogany eyes gazing up at the ceiling without seeing it. Nearby the clock chimed five in the morning and it reminded him that yet another damn day was starting. He knew that he should get up, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to do so. At long last he lifted a hand to rub the sleep from his eyes and took a deep breath, closing his eyes and fingering his beyblade beside him. Something had happened during the night, but he wasn't sure what it was. Someone had come in and left, but two had left instead of one. Instinctively he knew that Ray had left, but who had woken him up to take him? He had fallen back asleep at that point and had woken up again when the door had opened a second time. This time two entered and one left. It was aggravating to know that someone was walking past him while he tried to sleep, especially when he couldn't see who it was without them knowing he was awake. They were obviously being as quiet as they could just so he wouldn't wake, but the mere opening of the door brought him back to wakefulness. He wouldn't bother telling anyone that, but next time he would do something about it instead of just wake up the next morning mildly annoyed and then simply let it go a few minutes later.
At long last Kai opened his eyes again and sat up, grabbing the clothes he wanted to wear for the day and shutting the bathroom door behind him. Today was a match that he couldn't miss. The Shadow Team was competing and he wanted to know if they were as good as everyone said they were. Casey had done a good job the day before, her technique nearly mirrored Tasha's, and in that way it nearly mirrored his own. Although Casey tended to prolong the battle a bit longer than Kai would have, it was still the same basic principle.
Kai sighed as the warm water ran in rivulets down his bare chest. His hair clung to his face but he ignored it, closing his eyes momentarily as more thoughts passed through his mind unbound. At first he wasn't paying attention to what he was thinking. Thoughts were simply background noises as he concentrated on the sound of the water spilling from the showerhead and the feel of water droplets dripping off his nose, hair, and lips. After a while he blew the water from his mouth and lifted his head, brushing the droplets from his eyes. A few dropped from his lashes but he ignored them. The water was cleansing, even at the heat he had put it on. Ten minutes later he stepped out, his skin pink from the heat and he quickly dried himself off and dressed, pulling on his shirt as he stepped out and came face-to-face with Tyson. Chikushou, just my luck. It has to be Tyson. He ignored Tyson as he ran his fingers through his still wet hair and sent several water droplets toward Tyson. Bangs now momentarily enabling him full sight, Kai tied his scarf around his neck, sitting down on the couch to pull on his sneakers.
"Wake up the others," he said finally. He ran his fingers through his hair again, shaking the remaining droplets of water out before he stood up again, fully dressed. "We start training in a half hour."
Tyson looked at him in confusion a moment before he seemed to wake up. "Aw, come on, Kai! It's only five-"
"Go." The force of Kai's voice was enough to send a chill down Tyson's spine and he hastened to do as he was told. Kai stared after him as he went to Kenny's room to wake him up. What's Tyson doing up so early, anyway? He dug through his duffel bag for his launcher and then pocketed it with Dranzer, ignoring the flash from the bit chip. He was well aware of Dranzer's desire to fight, for it was reflected in his mind as well. He hadn't fought in a while, and he needed to soon, but that would come.
"Kai!" Tyson yelled from his room. Apparently he had finally woken up completely and had realized what he was doing. "This is too early! I'm tired, and I'm going back to bed."
Kai pretended not to hear him and sat down, watching as first Kenny, then Max and Ray emerge from their rooms, all rubbing the sleep out of their eyes and yawning tiredly. He kept his gaze on Ray, wondering if the White Tiger would notice. When he did, Ray stopped abruptly and blinked. Then he bit his lip and seemed to realize that Kai knew something had happened. Ray opened his mouth to say something but Kai moved his gaze elsewhere, silencing him. The White Tiger gazed at his team leader in confusion, but decided to leave it at that for the time being. If Kai wasn't going to say anything, neither was he. Max, however, wasn't going to stay quiet. "Kai, why do we have to get up now?" he whined, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "It's so early, and you said we wouldn't train today!"
"Yeah, Kai," Tyson said from inside his room. "What gives?"
"I changed my mind." Kai gave no other explanation and began walking toward the door.
"Oh yeah!" Max piped up, suddenly remembering something. "Paige was looking for you yesterday. She said she wanted to tell you something. You want to talk to her?"
"That's a rhetorical question, Max." Ray looked at Kai a moment before he went back into his room to grab Driger and his launcher. He ran his fingers through his raven black hair and was momentarily reminded of what had happened that night. I never would have thought to see Mariah here at the tournament. But why is Tasha doing this? It's not like I don't like the idea of seeing Mariah every night, I love it. But why is she doing this? She said that she didn't know, but that's not true. She does know, but why? "What changed your mind?"
Kai was quiet a moment, his mahogany eyes flashing before he turned to the door again. "It came to me around midnight." He gave Ray as pointed a look as he would ever give and then left.
Ray gulped unconsciously and didn't notice Max giving him a strange look. Kai knows! But how, and why isn't he doing anything about it? Usually he would just come in and break us apart, but this time he isn't doing anything. Why not?
"Well, now that Sergeant Cranky has us up, why not?" Tyson asked, rubbing the back of his head in frustration. His stomach growled and he grinned sheepishly. "After we eat of course." The rest of the team sweatdropped and heaved large sighs. This was going to be a long day.
"And here's the moment you've all been waiting for, ladies and gentlemen!" the announcer yelled into his headset. The people in the stands were rather quiet as far as crowds went, which annoyed the announcer a bit, but he went on with gusto. "It's the Trihorns versus the Shadow Team! Now let's see the standings here...First up for the Trihorns is Akiba against Melody from the Shadow Team! Then is Brent from the Trihorns against Draco from the Shadow Team! And lastly is Jenna from the Trihorns against the one and only, Tasha from the Shadow Team! Hang onto your hats, kids, this is going to be one crazy match! The first match will take place in ten minutes, so don't move!"
The Bladebreakers sat in their usual places, Kai a row behind his team, but this time his eyes were open and gazing at the two teams that approached the bowl in the center of the arena. This was a match he would not miss. He would watch all three members of the Shadow Team carefully, but Melody Krista most of all if Tasha's words were true. She had said that he would battle Melody first, if they made it from the qualifying rounds. So now that the real tournament was starting, he would watch Melody's every move to see just what she was made of. He should have no problem defeating her, but even still, he wanted to make sure that he took her out quickly. A prolonged battle wasn't something he was looking for right now.
Ten minutes later the announcer stepped back onto the platform and called for the two starting contestants to come up. "First off is Akiba! She's a real tough competitor even without her bitbeast Shaharazad to back her up! Don't take her innocent looks for granted, this girl is no push over!" The announcer then turned to Melody, who tossed her head to send a curtain of chocolate brown hair over her shoulder. Her hair fell down her back and she gave her opponent a confident, but not unkind smile. "And then there's Melody! Don't take her sweet attitude for her beyblading style, she's one tough cookie, and with her bitbeast Keziah, she'll send all of her competitors packing!" Melody adjusted her red spaghetti-strap tank and gave a tug on her form-fitting jeans before she pulled out her red beyblade and launcher, pushing in the ripcord as she set the beyblade onto it.
Draco said to keep the battle short. Making sure no one knows what our bitbeasts look like will become an advantage for us. Melody set herself in a ready position as the announcer made ready for the match to start. Akiba was in a similar stance, her short black hair falling in her eyes to mask part of her expression of concentration. This will be a cinch.
"Three... Two... One!"
"Let it rip!" Akiba cried as her yellow blade flew into the bowl, spinning swiftly around the outer rim.
You know what to do, Keziah. Melody silently let her beyblade into the bowl, watching it become a red streak that immediately struck the yellow blade almost the moment it touched the bowl. Akiba's eyes widened, but she called for her blade to counterattack anyway. Melody's eyes stayed on the red streak as she silently told it to dodge, swerve and bash, finally hitting Akiba's blade hard enough to start it wobbling.
"Shaharazad!" Akiba called suddenly. The yellow blade glowed slightly and a bitbeast rose from the bit chip, taking form as a beautiful yellow and gold horse with three horns on its forehead, two toward the side and the other in the center, set higher on its forelock than the other two, creating a sort of triangle. "Trample!"
"Keziah, Nine Lives Attack!" Melody's voice rose through the arena like a sort of mist as the bit chip began to glow and a flame-colored cat the size of a horse rose from the beyblade, roaring loudly in defiance. Her three tails swirled around behind her like actual flames and the tiger stripes on her body seemed to be part of the flames because they were never the same shape. Fiery feathering coated the cat's paws, tail, and neck, giving her the overall illusion of being on fire. The crowd was nearly silent in awe for a moment before they erupted in loud cheering as the great cat bitbeast charged and suddenly leaped upward, landing on the horse's back and shoving it to the ground. At the same time, the red beyblade shot forward, tilted at the last second and hit the very bottom of the yellow beyblade, knocking it with lightning speed out of the bowl to land at the blader's feet on the other side.
Satisfied, Melody watched as the bitbeast went back into the beyblade and she lifted her hand to catch it as it flew back. She wrapped her fingers around the warm blade and then pocketed it, knowing that the only glimpse the audience had of her bitbeast was that it was the color of flames. With a look from Draco she knew that the battle had been too quick for anyone to tell what her bitbeast looked like, but when she looked into the stands to see Kai, she saw differently. Hmm... He knows. Oh well, it doesn't matter. He still can't defeat my Keziah. Melody passed by Draco as they exchanged places and he cast his glance to her, his silver-blue eyes glinting in approval. He gave her a small smile and she gave him the same in return, rubbing her shoulder against his for luck as they passed.
Draco stepped up to the bowl and took out his blue and silver beyblade, launcher and ripcord. He set the beyblade on the launcher and then pushed the ripcord through even before he stood at the lip of the bowl, his designated place of action. The leader of the Shadow Team brushed his silver hair out of his eyes and gave his competitor, Brent, a confident smile. Brent, a tow-headed boy with bright green eyes gave him the same smile and lifted his green beyblade and launcher, showing that his blade was a special make. Draco studied it a moment before he turned his attention to the announcer.
"And next up for the Trihorns is Brent! Now he may look shy, but Brent's got a fierce edge and his bitbeast Venre is no different. He's the leader of his team, and for good reason. And then we have Draco, leader of the Shadow Team with a solid background that says he's never yet been defeated. He's got a quick and merciless style and his bitbeast Kryl leaves no room for competition! Now let's get things started, bladers ready?"
Both boys gave the announcer a small nod, arms out with their launchers, one finger in the ring of the ripcord, anxious to begin the battle.
"Then Three... Two... One!"
"Let it rip!" Brent cried, his green beyblade shooting into the bowl.
You know what I expect, Kryl. Draco watched his silver and blue beyblade fly into the bowl and heard a soft growl from within, knowing that Kryl wouldn't fail him. Let's make this quick. Brent opened his mouth to call out his bitbeast as the two blades clashed in the bowl, but Draco was quicker. He whipped his arm back, shouting the name of his bitbeast and another word that was inaudible. "Seven Claws Attack!"
The bit chip began to glow blue and silver and a bitbeast rose from the depths, bracing its paws and howling defiance to the arena. A large wolf, the same size as Keziah, with enormous wings stood before his master, silver-blue eyes sparkling as he heeded his master's call. Moving too swiftly to be recognized as anything more than a silver-blue blur, Kryl dodged left and right, ignoring the fact that the green dragon with three horns on its head was rising from the opposition's beyblade. The wolf dodged when the dragon snapped its head toward him, the silver-blue beyblade moving with him as he circled around and bashed the blade so swiftly that the dragon was too confused to do anything about it. And suddenly the wolf was gone. Draco's lips pulled into a tiny smile and he flicked his wrist upward in a command. A second later the wolf was back, jaws fastened around the dragon's neck, the beyblades clashing in the center and then it was over. The green blade stopped spinning at its blader's feet and the wolf howled one more time before he disappeared into the beyblade. Draco lifted his hand and caught his blade as it flew toward him. He looked at the clock and his smile grew in satisfaction. Twelve seconds. Could have done better... But what's done is done. You did well, Kryl.
You make it sound like you expected me to do otherwise, the wolf said in a mock-indignant tone.
Draco laughed softly as he descended the steps and nearly stopped as he watched Tasha walk up to meet him. The girl's ocean blue eyes were sparkling with a fire that he recognized, but he wondered what had changed within her. She was different, calmer, but quieter. But what had changed her? She wasn't wallowing in sorrow anymore, but it was evident that she was still afraid, still scared of what had happened. He thought about putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder but then thought better of it. As they passed, he gave her a small, reassuring and kind smile and he almost laughed when she seemed to ignore it completely.
Tasha tightened her fingers around her beyblade, knowing without looking that the bit chip was flashing in anticipation. Each step up to the bowl felt like it took an eternity and took all of her will power to lift her foot and set it down on the next step. With all the eyes on her and the silence of the other teams even after the explosive win by Draco, she knew that they were all waiting for her to start. It felt strange to know that she was the one they had come to see, she was the one that they wanted to figure out. She lifted her blade and looked at the bit chip, watching as it flashed again and warmth flowed through the blade to her fingers, which then went through her entire body. I am here for you, little one, Keturah whispered in her mind. We will not lose.
"And last but not least, we have Jenna for the Trihorns! She has a strong defense, but an even stronger offense and she has a take-no-prisoners attitude that wins her every match. With her bitbeast Talia, she won't be forgotten in a million years! And then we have our mysterious blader from the Shadow Team, Tasha. We don't really know much about her secretive and lightning-quick style, but we do know that her bitbeast Keturah is definitely something from a nightmare of opponents!" The announcer paused for effect as both bladers got themselves ready. "Bladers ready?"
Tasha's eyes swept through the crowd until they settled on Kai. She had expected him to have his eyes closed, but instead they were wide open and the mahogany depths were looking straight at her. Instead of looking away, she locked her gaze on him until she nodded once and then turned back to the bowl, knowing that he would watch the entire match.
"Three... Two... One!"
"Let it rip!" Jenna cried as her maroon beyblade shot into the bowl and swirled around the lip before it went into the center.
Keturah...
I know, little one. Keturah gave a soft roar in her mistress's mind as the blade was launched and the black joined the maroon with a clash of sparks that showered both bladers. Tasha lifted her arm to protect her eyes, but kept her gaze on her beyblade, watching as it faded and came back, clashing with the maroon blade for a few seconds before she made her move.
"Keturah! Firebolt!" Tasha's voice rang out through the arena and a second later her bitbeast emerged with a burst of light, her roar splitting through the arena like a bolt of lightning.
The bitbeast moved too swiftly to be seen as more than a black, silver and purple streak, but Tasha knew that form better than she knew the back of her hand. She could trace the streamlined body and the pattern of the black scales that grew smaller at the tip of her tail and created a faceplate of bone and hard eyeridges that shadowed her glowing purple eyes. Keturah's vast black wings with purple tints spread, the silver bone structure of those wings glistening as she shot forward, her long, serpentine neck holding her elegant head as she opened her mouth to roar again and wrap around the bitbeast that was now emerging from the maroon blade. The silver teeth and claws flashed as the great black dragon, which in many ways resembled Tyson's Dragoon, beat her wings and opened her mouth to reveal a burst of flame that swirled around both blades, encompassing them both in a blazing inferno.
Used to the heat of her bitbeast's fires, Tasha ignored it and watched as Keturah rendered the maroon lion bitbeast helpless in seconds before she wrapped her tail around the bitbeast's midsection and tossed it into the air. Her opponent was unable to do anything as the black blade clashed with the maroon and suddenly sent it flying out of the bowl to land on the ground behind Jenna.
The black dragon roared in triumph before she beat her wings twice and folded them, turning her beautiful head back to her mistress and dissolving back into the beyblade. Tasha lifted her hand without realizing it to catch it was it flew past and she stared at the bowl, not seeing the scorch marks that covered it. It took her a few seconds to remember where she was and when she turned to head back to her team, she almost didn't recognize the roaring in her ears as the ecstatic applause of the other teams. She blinked in surprise and looked up into the stands, seeing that everyone was clapping and whistling, waving to her in excitement. Tasha stared at them, too stunned to say a word as her gaze swept over the crowd and then caught on a certain mahogany gaze that refused to let hers go. The breath caught in her throat when she saw that he wasn't clapping, but suddenly she saw the tiniest smile on his lips and he lifted his chin slightly, bringing his hands up to clap slowly at first, and then faster, but never very loud.
Shock ran through her and her mouth dropped open, but she quickly closed it again and shook her head violently, nearly falling down the steps as she walked back to her team, beyblade still in hand. The heat of the blade soothed her and she slowly began to calm down, but the shock of Kai's acceptance was strange to her.
You did the same to him, not so long ago, Keturah pointed out in a soft whisper in the back of her mind. Is it really so different?
No... Tasha shook her head again and blinked when she saw Melody and Draco come up to her with big grins on their faces.
"Great match, Tasha!" Melody said excitedly, giving her a swift hug. Tasha flinched inwardly, but said nothing as she looked to Draco for his approval.
Draco gave her a brilliant smile and a broad wink. "You were awesome!"
Tasha blinked and inclined her head slightly, but more words went through her mind than what was said to her. They're so proud of me! But why? Did they expect me to lose? I've always won my matches.
Yes, but have you always been so withdrawn, so fearful? Keturah asked, her ageless voice taking on a gentle tone. They weren't sure if you were going to be all right. They know what happened, little one. They both know.
But how? I only told Melody! Without realizing it, anger flared in Tasha's blood, but it was quick to die when Keturah spoke again.
Because you are a little sister to her. She was concerned about you and thought Draco should know. They love you, little one. They always have, and they always will.
Tasha was silent a long time as she, Draco, and Melody walked out of the arena together and went back to their rooms. Tasha shut herself in her room and sat down on the bed, staring out the window without seeing the garden that spilled out before her. At long last she found the words she wanted to say, although they were so obvious that she wondered why it had taken her so long to think of them. Thank you.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
*grins wickedly* Not a serpent, dragon! Bwahahahahahaha! Thus the title to this ficcie! Ohh, I'm so evil! *cackles evilly* I'm so proud of myself! *laughs hysterically and topples out of her chair*
Next chappie! Tasha goes out at night despite all of the warnings given by both Draco and Melody, but this time she takes someone with her! Who is it, and is she safe for now? Is that person enough to save her, or is she doomed, this time destined to not get up again? Find out next chappie! *frowns* You're right, I sound like a bloody soap opera. Damn. *shrugs* Meh, oh well. While you're waiting, you can always write a lovely, lovely review! Those are excellent Christmas presents!!!!!! And remember, just one more chappie!