Twenty-Eight
The sun was high in the seemingly endless blue sky which was a richer blue than I've seen in the past couple of days. There wasn't a single cloud in sight and the screams of laughter from children filled the air. I tried to ignore them as I walked down the street in the direction of Tyson's dojo but it was too hard. I envied them. Their lives were so simple, being able to run around and not worry about their lives changing just yet. I just hoped they didn't have to grow up too fast.
Not like me.
Shaking my head, I continued on my way to Tyson's dojo, not really knowing what to expect. I didn't really know how the guys acted under pressure and if I was feeling it then I knew that they'd be feeling it as well, if not stronger than me.
I took a short cut down a street lined with cherry blossom trees that hung over me like a canopy which let sunlight in in little streaks. How could something so beautiful exist in a world that could possibly be changed for the rest of our lives? It didn't seem possible and yet, it was still here. I closed my eyes and tried to keep the soak in everything, trying to keep in the memory of simpler times while telling myself to stay as calm as possible. Panicking or worrying wasn't going to do much to help today. I just had to put all my faith in Tyson and hope that everything would come out the way we wanted it to happen.
Turning the corner, I finally found myself walking down the street that held Tyson's place. His large dojo loomed in the close distance and towered over me as I walked through the very large space where the double doors usually remained open. I was glad that Grandpa didn't try and surprise me with an attack with his kendo stick this time. My nerves were so on edge I didn't think I'd be responsible for my actions in response to his attack.
Remembering to kick off my shoes before entering the Granger dojo, I pulled open the door to the vast training room that we held our meetings in. I was surprised to see that Ray, Daichi, Kenny, Max, and Tyson were still fast asleep.
If Kai were here he would've had them up at the crack of dawn, I mused while tucking my hair behind my ears. I placed my hands on my hips and twisted my mouth to the side while debating whether or not I should wake them up or let them continue to sleep. Knowing them they stayed up all night thinking of ever possible outcome for this battle and how they had a plan to cover every situation.
I decided to leave them so they could sleep in a little bit longer. It was better to be well rested, after all. I walked quietly as I could to the kitchen to prepare the pancakes that Tyson wanted. As I was getting out the ingredients for breakfast Grandpa walked in, carrying his kendo stick, like always.
"Well good morning, dudette. Didn't expect you here bright and early," Grandpa commented.
"I'm usually up with the sun," I replied. "And Tyson asked for his good luck pancakes so I figured I might as well humor him since it's an important day today."
"I don't think you dawgs have anything to worry about," Grandpa stated.
"Oh? And why's that?"
"Because you homies have the spirit!" He replied with a laugh. "And, sometimes, that's all you need." I didn't even get a chance to say anything as he left the room, most likely to chop some wood or to practice his kendo moves.
I smiled at his words. It was amazing how alike he and Tyson really were, they both had the passion and positive mentality that helped them go far. It was very endearing. I brushed my hair behind my ears and got to work on breakfast. I put kept my concentration on the pancakes so I wouldn't think about the upcoming mat too much but it didn't work that well. I was just too worried. Boris was about to take away the only thing I had left that reminds me of my parents. How could one not worry?
While I mixed the batter in a bowl I felt the hair on my neck stand up. A second later the familiar scent of lilacs reached her nose. "Hey guys, what brings you here so early?" I asked while turning around, tucking the bowl under my arm. "Huh?" I muttered when I noticed the White Tigers standing behind me. Lee's jaw was set, Gary was holding Kevin over his shoulder, and Mariah was shuffling from foot to foot while looking at the ground. "What's going on?"
"Gary." That's all Lee said but he said it in a way that we all knew meant he meant business. I lifted an eyebrow and my mixing slowed down a little as Gary set Kevin down on the ground and I saw the disgruntled look on the kid's face.
"What did Kevin do this time?" I asked.
"Tell her, Kevin," Lee ordered. Kevin looked up from the floor. He turned his violet eyes to me, then to Lee, back at me, and then to the ground again while shaking his head. "Kevin, tell her before I make you!" Lee growled.
"Lee, your tone's not needed!" I said firmly, glancing in his direction.
"I'm not the bad guy, here," Lee protested. "Don't get upset with me."
"I'm not upset with anyone, I just want to know what's going on," I explained.
"Lee, just calm down," Mariah said while lightly grabbing her brother's arm. "There's no point in getting upset." Lee grumbled something under his breath and crossed his arms over his chest. I shook my head. He got too riled up too fast over nothing. If he wants to be a captain one day he has to learn to calm down.
"Now, Kevin, what is it that you did?" I asked as kindly as possible. Being patient with him was the only way you could go or else he'd just take whatever information he had and run away with it. He was a sneaky little fellow who lived to get on others' nerves. If only Lee would remember that.
"I…mhmmfm," Kevin muttered.
I blinked. "What'd you say?"
"I took…mhmffmm."
"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."
"He took your diary!" Lee practically exploded. He roughly grabbed Kevin by his upper arm and yanked a leather-bound book out from behind his back and then tossed it to me. "He had it this morning. I caught him reading it."
"I would've told her!" Kevin argued, trying to pull his arm out of Lee's grasp.
"Yeah, on your death bed!"
"Lee, let him go!" I ordered.
"You're not even going to punish him at all?" Lee asked in disbelief.
"Kevin deserves a punishment for taking what doesn't belong to him but you can't react in such a way," I explained, putting the bowl and my diary down. Lee let out a growl, much like a lion's growl. I rolled my eyes. He was being such a drama queen about the whole thing. Turning to Kevin I looked him in the eye. "Kevin, you know taking what isn't yours is wrong, right?" I asked slowly but firmly, making sure he took in what I was saying. He nodded and turned his head away from me.
"Talking to him isn't going to make a difference," Lee spoke up and then he rounded on Kevin. "Did the Whiter Tiger Code of Conduct completely drop from your mind?" he demanded, towering over Kevin. "You know it's not how we operate, it's against our morals."
"I know!" Kevin seethed, balling his hands into fists.
"You're a disgrace to the White Tiger name!"
"That's enough, Lee!" I pushed my way in between Lee and Kevin, shielding the younger boy from him. I held onto Lee's angry gaze with a hard stare of my own, letting him know I wouldn't back down from him. "Lee, you have to stop."
"Stop protecting him," Lee snarled.
"He's a kid, Lee!" I pointed out. "A kid! Raising your voice at him isn't going to help matters!" I looked past his shoulder at Mariah who looked as if she had been yelled at herself. "Are you really going to stand there and let Lee talk to Kevin like that?" I demanded.
"I, uh…" Mariah muttered, looking lost as to what to do. I didn't blame her, really. Lee was a big presence and hard to go against but she needed to learn to stand up to him sometimes.
"Kevin, give me your blade," I told him while holding out my hand. He sighed and reached into his pockets, revealing his purple blade. He placed it in my palm but still refused to look at me. "You can't blade for a week and I want you to write a letter of apology to me for stealing."
"That's it?" Lee demanded.
I snapped my fingers and smiled at Kevin. "Would you like something to eat?" I added.
"Yeah," he muttered, finally looking up at me.
"You're going to offer him something to eat after he stole from you?" Lee asked.
"Lee, just because my ways of discipline are different than yours doesn't mean they aren't effective. He didn't kill anyone; he stole my diary, that's all. I have nothing embarrassing in it so it's not like there's anything he can tell people that they'd actually care about," I replied, reaching into a bowl and handing Kevin an apple. At his frown I said, "It's an apple or nothing."
"Thank you, Crystal," he said somewhat begrudgingly.
"Gary, you can have one too," I said while grabbing another one and holding it out to him.
"Gary's going to need a whole bushel of apples to fill that stomach of his," Kevin said with a laugh, lightly elbowing his large friend in the side.
"Do me a favor and get the newspaper," I said while shooing him away. As soon as he and Gary left the room I turned to Lee. "You have to relax," I told him. "Kevin likes to push buttons and—"
"I think I know Kevin more than you do so I don't need your advice," Lee growled.
"I've known Kevin just as long as you have, Einstein," I pointed out, placing my hands on my hips. "What's wrong with him this morning?" I asked Mariah who had stayed unusually quiet. She didn't say anything but looked at Lee. If it were possible I swear his eyes would burst into flames by how angry he looked.
"Don't talk about me as if I'm not here," Lee spat.
"You're getting so worked up over something that doesn't even involve you," I pointed out. "It was my diary which Kevin stole so I should be the one who punish him in any way I see fit. Raising my voice isn't going to do anything to him but resent me. He wouldn't get the point. Why do you think he always defies you?"
"Do you dare to insinuate that I can't handle my own team?"
"Lee, that's enough!" Mariah scolded. "She wasn't saying that. She was just saying that you have to realize that being abrasive isn't always the answer to dealing with the things Kevin does."
"Back off, Mariah! This has nothing to do with you!" Lee said to his sister.
"She's right, though. The elders taught us that—" I started.
"Don't you dare shove what the elders say in my face!"
"What is going on here?" Ray's stern voice came from my right. Lee, Mariah, and I all turned to see him standing in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest and a stern gaze to match his tone. "Can you please keep it down?" He continued, walking into the room. "Tyson had a late night and I'd rather he get a full night's sleep than to wake up to your bellyaching."
"Ray, you don't—" Lee started but stopped at the look that Ray had given him. Lee let out a soft growl and bit his lip.
"What is it that's so important that you two can't talk it out later and that you have to fight about it now?" Ray asked. I started to open my mouth but Ray held up his hand, silencing me. I hated the power he had over me sometimes but I knew it wasn't worth having him mad at me either. "Mariah, could you please explain what happened?"
"Y'see, Ray, sometime yesterday Kevin had stolen something of Crystal's. We didn't find out about it until this morning," Mariah babbled, looking at him with big eyes as if silently pleading for him not to be angry with him as well. "Crys told him that he can't blade for a week and he had to write a letter for her, which upset Lee. He wanted Kevin to have a worse punishment. He got angry when Crys tried to tell him that yelling and, figuratively, bringing down the hammer wouldn't help with Kevin. Lee got a little hot around the collar and here we are."
Ray sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. I didn't think he'd say anything so it was a bit of a surprise to me when he spoke. "This fight is petty. Lee, it was Crystal's possession that Kevin took so it was up to her to make a punishment for him. Leader or not while I'm part of the BBA team, you shouldn't have gotten involved. And Crys, you know how Lee can get if provoked or if he feels personally attacked." He sighed. "Your fighting is stemming from the pressure of today. Added pressure that Tyson doesn't need so I'd appreciate it if you two could bury the hatchet and just be there for Tyson, okay?"
"Ray's right, guys," Mariah spoke up. I felt my eye twitch at bit. Of course she'd agree with him. If she weren't engaged herself it wouldn't surprise me if she were jumping him about now, I mused as I turned back to the breakfast that I had been preparing. "And everything's over and done with. Crys, you got your diary back and that's all that matters." She let out a little laugh and said, "You two are fighting like you're married already. I can't wait to see the kind of fights you'll get into once we get back home."
"You'll be thinking that for a while because I'm not going back to the village, once this is all over," I replied as I poured the batter into equal sized circles onto the hotplate.
"What do you mean you're not going back?" Ray asked.
"I mean I'm not going back," I replied, slowly pronouncing each word while setting the container down and turning to rest my back near the stove.
"Good riddance," Lee muttered. I flipped him off.
"You have to come back," Mariah said.
"I don't have to do anything," I pointed out.
"Why don't you want to come back with us?" Ray asked looking at me in such a way that I knew he was trying to read my face for something.
I shrugged. "There's nothing for me back there, now is there? Except for a marriage I don't even want to go through and people who constantly judge the ground I walk on. Not really the group of people I want to spend the rest of my life around."
Mariah made a huffing sound as if she were offended. Lee made a scoffing sound but otherwise stayed silent. Ray, of course, was the one to grill me. "You have nowhere else to go. Where would you stay?"
I shrugged again. "I didn't think that far ahead. I guess I'd just stay here with Tyson for a bit before I think of something."
"What would you do?"
"Go to school somehow. I don't know how just yet but I'll figure out a way." I scrunched up my nose a little bit. "How come you're not trying to make me go back?" I asked.
His eyebrows twitched a little bit. "Because if you want to come back I want you to make that decision on your own. If you don't want to, that's your decision too. I'm not going to force you."
"Wh…what's going on?" Max asked sleepily as he, Tyson, and Kenny walked into the kitchen. Max was yawning and rubbing his eyes, trying to rub the sleep off of his face. Kenny seemed far more awake than the others but Tyson had a sort of look of determination in his eyes.
"Nothing," I said in a tone that should signal the end of the conversation. "I just started your pancakes, Ty, but if you'd like to battle me before hand—"
Suddenly Tyson was awake. "I could use a wake-up battle. Count me in!"
"Ha, I win again," Tyson said triumphantly while lightly rubbing underneath his nose. I let out a growl of frustration while picking up Dricen who had rolled to a stop by my foot. "But don't get too discouraged. It takes a lot of natural talent and a little bit of practice to get on my level."
"You better be careful. If your head gets any bigger you'll float away. It has a bit too much hot air," I commented as I brushed dirt off of my beyblade. "I'd take you on again but—"
"You don't want to suffer another crushing defeat?" Tyson interrupted me. "I was thinking the same thing. I'll spare whatever's left of your pride."
I crossed my arms over my chest. "One day I will beat you Tyson—"
"Keep dreaming, sister!"
"—but I was going to say I don't want to throttle Dragoon enough that you don't win today's battle. I don't think I have to remind you how crucial this battle is and I don't want Kenny to work too hard to fix Dragoon before this match," I finally finished, my teeth clenched so hard I could feel a vein in my jaw pumping. I loved Tyson to death but his cockiness will be the death of him one day, I swear.
"She has a point, Tyson, let me give Dragoon a look over to make sure there's not too much structural damage," Kenny called from where he was sitting, his trusty laptop was open on his lap like usual. Tyson, a bit reluctantly, went over to Kenny and handed over Dragoon.
"Okay, who wants to battle me next?" I asked while looking from Max to the White Tigers who were all lounging around, having watched Tyson's and my battle with a lot of interest. I loaded Dricen onto my launcher and shoved the ripcord into the hole while waiting. "No takers?" I asked with a lift of my eyebrows. "Where's the White Tiger courage? I promise I won't beat you all too much," I teased. If it would get any of them to blade so be it. Just as I expected, Lee was the first one to get hot under his collar. He had jumped up to face me but Mariah stopped him and took his place on the other side of the dish. "I'm surprised you want to take me on, Wong," I commented with a slow clap. "I have to say, I'm going to miss this."
Mariah glared at me. "I didn't take you for being such a coward," he said while loading her pink blade onto her launcher. At the confused look on my face she sighed. "Same ol' Crystal, always running away instead of facing her problems. You're more of a coward than I thought."
"I'm not a coward!" I hissed. "How dare you lie?"
"It's not a lie when it's the truth!" She used her beyblade to point at me. "What're you going to do once this tournament is over? Run away again?" She sneered. "I shouldn't be surprised; you're so used to that. What happens if you make more friends wherever you go? Are you going to ditch them to?"
"Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about!"
She smirked. "Oh don't I? You know, you and Ray are a lot alike. You both run away instead of facing your problems head on. At least, he used to be like that. Now he knows that sometimes facing your fears head on is the only way to go in life. Unlike you. You're just going to keep running, aren't you?"
"Are you going to blade or are you going to talk yourself hoarse?" I asked, holding Dricen up. I got into my ready position. After a few seconds Mariah did the same.
"On one," Max said as he stepped up to the dish, acting as a referee. "Three…two…one…"
"Let it rip!" Mariah and I called in unison while launching our beyblades. Galux landed in the dish and immediately started to circle it while Dricen spun in the center.
"Come on, fight me!" Mariah ordered. "That's what you want, isn't it? To fight away anyone who dares to get close to you. Am I right?"
"Will you just shut up and blade already?" I asked, trying to focus. I could feel everyone's eyes on us and it left a strange crawling sensation on my skin. I wanted to get his battle with over already but I couldn't get too drastic with my moves. That'd surely end up in my losing and I wasn't going to let that happen. Not to her. What was she playing at anyway? I had to keep her from getting under my skin but it was so tough with her.
"What's…going on here?" Max muttered.
"I don't think this is about beyblading anymore," Tyson replied.
"Heh. You're scared of getting close to anyone, that's it isn't it? Look, if you come back we can forget about the past and start over."
"I can't start over, Mariah!" I yelled. "Dricen, attack! Show no mercy!" I ordered. Dricen shot forward at the perfect time to smash into Galux. As they spun around the dish he tried to push her out but Galux pushed back. I was slightly impressed. It was obvious that she had been practicing. "C'mon, Tiger Claw!"
"Cat Scratch!"
Sparks flew and the distinct smell of burning parts filled the air. In a beam of pink and blue light Galux and Dricen both revealed themselves and started swiping at each other. They bounced up on their hind legs and scratched with their sharp claws, trying to land a hit on the other one.
"So you can fight head on in the dish but not out of it, huh?" Mariah taunted.
"My decision about not going back has nothing to do with you, Mariah!"
"That's where you're wrong! It has to do with all of us!" Mariah shot back. I let out a little gasp. I was taken aback by the conviction in her voice and the glare that was being thrown my way. I've never seen her so furious before. "That's what you have to remember about being a White Tiger! If one of us is hurt, all of us are! We're a team. A family!"
"Some family!" I bit back. "One that turns their back on their members when they leave for personal reasons or when they don't have a choice! If anyone was a traitor it was you all for thinking we were the enemies when we left!"
"We apologized for that but you keep throwing it in our faces! We're trying to move on from it but you keep bringing it back like the coward that you are! Galux!"
"Dricen!"
It seemed as if the more Mariah and I yelled at each other the more vicious Galux and Dricen got at attacking each other. Claws dug and clung into the opponents, jaws clamped down on any limb that was reachable. Hind legs were extended to try and catch the other off guard. No matter how many hits, how many times the holder of power shifted they wouldn't give up fighting.
"Don't act like you know what I'm going through, Mariah!" I yelled over the sounds of the fighting bit beasts. "Your family is still intact! You don't understand what I've been through!"
"I would if you'd just let me in!"
"Hey Ray, you're just going to let them fight each other like that?" Tyson asked. Out of the corner of my eye I could see that Ray was in his normal stance: eyes closed, head down, one leg crossed over the other. It was a stance he reverted to whenever he felt he needed to go to meditation for strength.
"It's best they work out their problems in any way that they can," he replied without opening his eyes. "For those two, beyblading is the way to go."
"You just don't get it," I continued, clenching my hands into fists. My adrenaline was pumping, much like my heart and I could hear the blood rushing in my ears. "Beyblading is…it's my life! This is it for me. I don't have the…the opportunities that the rest of you have."
"It's a game! I know beyblading is the only thing you have left to remind you of your parents—I remember Dricen used to belong to your mother—but you have to remember that as long as you have your beyblade with you your parents are with you as well! Winning battles…it's not going to bring them back no matter how hard you try! They can't come back, Crys! They can't! You have to stop blaming yourself for their deaths because it wasn't your fault."
"Enough! Dricen, Arctic Strike!"
"Galux, Lynx Claw Attack!"
Both blades reared back and charged at each other at high spinning speeds. As soon as they clashed together there was a large wave of energy coupled with a loud explosion and bright beam of light. I brought my arms up to my face to shield my eyes from the light and felt my stomach turn from the energy waves that were moving through me. I brought my arms down in time to see a blade flying at my face so I grabbed it in midair.
Pink.
What? I had Mariah's blade in my hand. I looked across the dish to see Mariah holding my blade in her hands. So it ended in a draw. I closed my hand into a fist and felt the edges of her attack ring poking in my fingers. I felt more drained than I expected. I had to say I was impressed; she put up a really good fight this time. Usually I could beat her in about five minutes. I took a deep breath to ease my heavy breathing and then walked over to her, holding out my hand.
"Thanks," Mariah said with a small smile as she took Galux and held out Dricen. I accepted him silently. "I thought I had you this time." Her words were guarded as if she expected me to blow up at her or something. I gave a little laugh. I had done that before so I didn't blame her at all.
"Heh. You're going to have to work a little bit harder to take Dricen down," I told her. "But I'm sure you can do it one day."
"You mean it?"
I shrugged. "Yeah." Then I lifted my finger in a mock warning way. "But I'm not going to make it easy for you."
"I wouldn't want it any other way."
I nodded and then cleared my throat at the silence. It was very stifling and it made me uncomfortable, as if the others were waiting to see who would speak first. I beat them to the punch. "Uh, Tyson, we better get going. Don't want to be late.
Tyson punched his fist into the air. "Oh yeah! BEGA is going down!"
I just want to take the time to thank all of my readers, those who review and those anonymous readers. Without you all I wouldn't have kept my inspiration for this story. While I do enjoy writing it you're the reason why I keep updating as soon as I possibly can. I especially want to thank Aldamonburst and Shiningheart of ThunderClan for being my faithful and loyal reviewers. I appreciate you two so much! Thank you all and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
~C.M.
