Well, here you go, another chappie posted, just for you! I hope you like it! Though it wasn't one of my favorites, I really like the chapter that is coming up next! Thanks to all who reviewed!
Kyuubi no Tai- well, I hope your email stops acting up. C2 community huh? well, I'm interested. What would I have to do? Oh, I'm glad that the next chapter is almost done (or is up now, I might be a little behind, I don't check my emails enough).
XxCrimsonShadowsxX- thanks for reviewing! I'm glad your back! I'll email you k?
Princess Fey- you do have a nice life! I wish I could log on to everyday! You take Latin? I didn't even know that was a course anymore. I would love to take that! You're not the only one I wouldn't trust her either, but they didn't really have a choice. hehe, you're obviously not a Tyson fan. Thanks for reviewing!
Shezel- thanks! For more than one thing. I think that I'll need all the luck I can get!
Armith-Greenleaf- thanks. Your right. Kai is the perfect example, considering what he used to be like anyway.
Kai-Dranzer- thanks for reviewing! Of course he will! It's kinda coincidental that you'd ask that too, just read on.
EmI-cHaA aNd HeR 3 SpIrItS- thanks! Well, I am planning on making it that way eventually. But its not gonna be that romantic (at least I hope not. I'm no good at writing that anyway.)
Sharishima- hehe, thanks. I think a lot of people enjoyed that part. Yeah, I hate it when shows do that. Thanks for your reviews! Hehe, no problem, I do try to update when I can!
Kristy Himura- wow, thanks! Keep reading
Tigger- well, I'm glad that you enjoy my fic so much! yeah, sometimes I get caught up in the story too, and I'm the one who's writing it! hehe, thanks for reviewing!
Ch. 49- Frustration
Marina sighed heavily and turned the dial sharply to the left. The water burned her back as tendrils of steam writhed around her. She leaned back and let the hot water from the showerhead cascade through her long hair.
The previous day's excursion to the Beyblade Research Facility had been pointless for her, but Mr. Dickinson had gotten more information. And the Bladebreakers had gotten a good practice match. The stats had showed that they had improved, but she refused to think that it was because of her presence. All the talk with the chairman of the BBA had done was to remind her even more of the abbey and the other children that had been affected.
She turned and let the water splash her face. She was saddened when she thought about the Others. Their minds had become so twisted that they actually agreed with what Biovolt was doing. They even cooperated with testing done on them. Thinking of the Others made her remember a certain redhead.
A small smile crept across her face that was hidden in the water. She hadn't been close to him when she was in the abbey, but had contacted him when she went back to Russia for the World Championships after his team had lost. Tala. She figured that he was the closest she'd gotten to anyone, or allowed anyone to get to her. And even though she didn't completely trust Tala, she knew what he was like.
"Maybe I should contact him," she muttered softly, turning off the tap. "Saphira needs an upgrade."
Marina stepped out of the shower and wrapped a white towel around her torso. She wiped her hand across the foggy mirror to clear it. Staring into her own blue eyes she was satisfied to see that they betrayed no emotion. She plucked at her wet hair; it was just so long. She opened a few drawers until she found what she was looking for. Taking the scissors, she easily sliced through her hair. She now held a huge chunk of the silky, wet strands in her hand. She shook her head, flipping her hair. With it now hanging a few inches past her shoulders, her head felt lighter. She hoped that it wouldn't be in the way as much when she was fighting. She didn't really care what it looked like, it was all about convenience, and long hair was just too good a target for prying hands in battle.
She ran a small towel through her hair and got changed.
"You're up early m'girl," Mr. Granger senior said as she entered the kitchen to grab an orange. He eyed her warily. "Nihongo o hanashimasuka?"
"Hai," she replied stonily. They had obviously told him about her lingual abilities. She sighed mentally. Now she would probably be exercising her knowledge in that matter too. Not that it was all a bad thing. She did need the practice.
She bowed her head and left the kitchen. Her barefeet made no sound on the worn hardwood floors. She slid back the sliding door and stepped out onto the grass. The morning air was crisp and goosebumps stood out on her arms.
Marina walked by the pond, taking in the natural beauty around her, and entered the meditation room; a connected room that was part of the dojo, but only accessed from the outside. She settled herself by the far wall and sat cross-legged. She sat up straight, and closed her eyes, hands lying limply in her lap. She took a deep breath, and withdrew into her mind.
Ray yawned and blinked widely, stretching to wake himself up. The neko-jin glanced around to find Max and Tyson still asleep, and Kai's bed empty. No surprises there. He got out of bed quietly and walked down the silent corridor to the bathroom.
The room was still steamy and a little warm; indicating that someone had gotten up early enough to have a shower. He stood over the sink and splashed cold water over his face to wake up. Normally he would be wide-awake by now, but the excitement to competing the previous day had kept him up.
He left the dojo silently and leaped up onto one of the surrounding walls. Birds chirped in morning greetings as the dew on the grass sparkled. He just sat there, arms around knees, and watched the orange-yellow sun rise to kiss the horizon. The pink-tinted sky immediately reminded him of home in the White Tiger Village.
In his old village right now, the whole team would up and training, or practicing disciplinary activities to link the mind and body. He thought of his teammates: Lee, Mariah, Kevin and Gary. He missed them sometimes. The Bladebreakers were nice, but they would never understand him like his old team. And he couldn't forget his roots.
He rose to his feet slowly. He would see them soon hopefully. Mr. Dickinson had said that some of the old teams would be at the dinner/dance thing. Ray leaped off the wall, landing cat-like on his feet. He opened the sliding door to the meditation room to find it already occupied.
Ray froze for a moment (nobody was ever in the meditation room beside himself), entered, and closed the sliding door shut behind him.
"Sorry, I didn't know you would be here," he explained quietly.
Marina made no move to convey that she had heard him or even acknowledge his presence.
Ray settled himself across from her.
"Uh…Marina?" he asked, curious that she wasn't answering. He reached out a hand to touch her arm gently. He had never someone this deep in meditation.
She was stone cold. He jerked his hand back, surprised. As soon as his hand came into contact with her skin her eyes snapped open. She appeared confused for a moment, before regaining her composure. She took a deep breath and clenched her hands into fists to get the blood flowing again. She didn't dare stand up yet, knowing she'd just fall back down.
"What were you doing?" Ray asked, concern clearly showing in his golden eyes. "You were icy."
"I was meditating. What did it look like I was doing?" she replied sarcastically, stretching her arms above her head.
"Turning cold doesn't happen when you meditate."
"I slowed my heart," she explained tiredly. "But I wouldn't suggest that you try it."
"Slowed your heart?" he repeated, not sure if he had heard correctly. "Why did you do that?"
"It's personal," she replied tartly. By slowing her heart rate, she could go deeper into her meditation. Once that happened she could slowly come to terms with her power, and her past.
"Alright," he backed off and settled himself more comfortably. "I was just curious."
Marina looked away and concentrated on stretching her muscles so she could more naturally.
"I just have one question. Entirely unrelated."
She looked up and raised an eyebrow.
"What was that parchment about? he asked carefully, keeping his voice neutral. In truth, that piece of paper had been driving him mad, not knowing what it was about.
She narrowed her eyes, debating. She didn't have to tell him anything. But he had been kind to her when she'd had amnesia, and had asked Mr. Dickinson's question instead of one he had wanted to ask for the good of the team.
"It was given to me from a blind woman in China," she explained. "She stopped me on the streets, pushed it into my hands, and walked away."
Ray had no idea that she had ever been to his homeland, but contained the questions what wanted to spill out. "What does the prophecy mean?" he asked instead.
Marina stood up. "I have no idea."
She wasn't being entirely truthful. She did have a clue, but that was about it. She guessed that the dragon was Saphira, and she was her keeper, but how she was connected to her was anyone's guess. Marina sometimes thought that the blind woman had given it to the wrong person.
She left the meditation room and was almost bowled over by Hilary. She was surprised that the brunette was even up. But Marina had spent at least an hour in meditation, so she had no idea what time it was.
"Sorry," Hilary blushed. "I have to wake Tyson up. If I don't, then he'll sleep all day and yell about it later."
Marina followed her inside. She wanted to see what she do to wake the slumbering teen. She had heard his snores long enough to know that he was a deep sleeper. She leaned against the doorpost and crossed her arms over her chest as she watched with amusement.
Hilary yelled at him, but that didn't work. It only made him roll over and his snores even louder without a pillow to muffle the noise. Then she tried to take the blankets off of him, but he was clinging to them like a life preserver. She ended up succeeding only in dragging him halfway across the room until she gave up.
"Urgh! Tyson!" she wailed, irritated. "Wake up!"
He rolled onto his back and said very clearly, "I'll take the special. No onions." He smacked his lips together and drool dribbled from the corner of his mouth.
"Ew," the shorter brunette remarked. "Isn't there a time when you're not thinking about food?"
Hilary put her hands on her hips and glared. "Fine. Desperate times call for desperate measures."
She passed Marina and came back with a bucket of water. The Russian could already guess where this was heading and left before she was deaf. Sure enough, as soon as she'd settled into a chair in the living room there was a loud yell of outrage.
She rolled her eyes. She had an irresistible urge to pound the living daylights out of him.
After everyone had eaten breakfast, they went outside to train. Marina watched in silent studying as their beyblades collided, and sent sparks flying from the three-way match. Kai was nowhere in sight.
"Aren't you going to practice?" Hilary asked.
"No," she replied coldly.
"Why not?" she asked curiously, ignoring the tone in her voice.
"I don't practice," she stated stonily.
"Oh…"
Marina leaned back against one of the support beams to watch Tyson, Max and Ray duke it out in the dish. Kenny was analyzing their stats, as usual.
/They have improved, you know/ her bitbeast remarked suddenly.
'I suppose…'
/You could be a little more approachable./
'Why bother?' she gave a mental shrug.
/They trust you,/ her dragon began, /and they are being hospitable enough to allow you room and board…/
'I don't need 'the talk' Saphira,' she retorted tiredly. 'I know what they're doing for me.'
,' she retorted tiredly. e.'/But are you really comfortable with it?/ Saphira always ignored her keeper's moods.
Marina didn't answer. Instead she looked down to her barefeet. She needed to do something about that. But stealing was always so hard…Her eyes lit up. She couldn't believe that she had forgotten already. She did have her compensation from the government. She could use that and actually pay for what she needed.
"Where do you go to buy things?" she asked the brunette suddenly.
Hilary looked at her oddly. "What? Like the mall?"
"Yes, the mall. Where is it located?" Marina had explored a bit, but had purposely stayed out of town for good reasons.
A grin crept across the younger girl's face slowly. "Oow, do you want to go shopping?" She felt excited already.
"I guess…"
"Yeah!" she practically screeched with joy as she leapt to her feet. "Oh, this will be so awesome! I've been meaning to go to the mall lately. This will be great!" She clapped her hands together excitedly. "Oh! We can go right now!" She pulled Marina around the side of the dojo. "Oh, but we'll have to do something about your feet…I know! You can borrow some of my sandals okay? This is going to be so much fun!"
Marina allowed herself to be pulled along, wondering if bringing the topic up was actually a good idea. She hadn't considered the girl's obvious obsession with shopping.
'At least she seems happy,' she thought grimly, setting in for the worst. Maybe shopping wasn't such a good idea after all.
"What's up with them?" Max asked, noting their sudden departure.
The boys shrugged and went back to their mock beybattle.
A slight breeze blew across the green field, ruffling the slate-colored spikes of hair on the Russian's head. Kai stared across the sea of grass to the rocky outcrop, and the beach beyond it. The sun dazzled on the water, even at a distance.
He sighed deeply and fell back, resting his head on outstretched arms. The chill from the ground seeped through his clothes, but he didn't care. He was alone. Just the way he liked it. Free from everything.
Or so he liked to think. He just wanted one place where everything was perfect. A place where his shady past didn't matter and he could be free. He hated being connected, or even associated with his so-called grandfather.
"Voltaire…" he mumbled quietly, almost menacingly. His hands clenched into fists.
It was his fault that he had turned out this way. Trained to be a soldier. Once and forever. Just another pawn on his grandfather's chessboard of life. He wanted to be more. He was his own person after all. Marina seemed to have done it. Broken free of the façade under Biovolt. But as Kai thought about it more, her realized that she hadn't at all.
Just because she wasn't a soldier to Biovolt anymore, or didn't train under their roof, didn't mean that she was free. Sure, she was free in body. But in mind, they still controlled her. All the training that they had been forced to endure had had a lasting effect on their personalities, and way of thinking.
Kai doubted that he could ever be as happy or carefree as his teammates. His entire being refused to allow him that luxury that they didn't even know they had. Most people got to pick how they acted, and faced the consequences of their actions subsequently. But it was different for Kai. He was molded to seem harsh, uncaring, and ice cold.
Realizing this, Kai leapt to his feet. It wasn't his fault that he was unemotional all the time. Or was it? After all, he did choose to say things as though they didn't matter. It was his active decision to keep his mouth shut around almost everybody.
'I wonder if Marina ever feels this conflicted?' he mused. 'Or if she thinks about it at all.'
' he mused. .'He shook his head. It was a pointless topic to think about. He could never change, it was in his being.
He ran his hands through his spiky hair tiredly. There was a reason he was out there. He stretched his arms to the sky, and glanced around, expanding his senses, to check that he was truly alone. Kai launched Dranzer at an outstanding rock and prepared for a tough practice session. He looked behind him, at the forest. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.
A slender figure, shrouded in the shadow of a tree, peeked around to watch the Russian teen beyblade. Two spikes of dark hair fell into the greeny light cast by the thin foliage.
"That's it, Kai, practice," the figure hissed quietly. "Cause soon you'll need all you know."
The person couldn't afford to jeopardize the mission just yet. They had to be patient, they had to wait. Obedience would be rewarded, and infraction punished. When the boss said it was time, then it was time, and not a moment too soon. Besides, the figure still had to watch the target, and get to know every place where he was. It was his job, his duty to know where Kai was at all times. He couldn't afford to make a mistake now.
A satisfied smirk crept across the pale face.
"You're lucky I have my orders, otherwise I'd take you out right now."
The shadow turned, and swept off into the thickness of the trees.
"Hey, where were you all day?" asked Tyson as soon as Hilary and Marina entered the dojo. He was actually curious to why Marina would volunteer to spend the whole day with the bossy brunette. That, and he didn't think Marina was that friendly.
"We went shopping!" Hilary replied breathlessly, sitting down on a stool and dropping about ten bags around her.
"What did you do? Buy the whole mall?" Max joked.
"I wish!" Hilary sighed dreamily. "It was so busy there! There were sales everywhere! And I just had to show Marina around!"
The Russian girl in question stalked past them all wordlessly, her demeanor making them all on edge. It was obvious that she was not in a good mood.
'I thought it would be easy,' she moaned to her bitbeast. 'Get in, get what I need, get out. Simple really. But no, it can't be like that.'
She had been surprised at the overall variety and choices in the stores, and merchandise. But she hadn't liked the atmosphere there at all. They were too many people crammed into one place for her liking. And it hadn't been easy at all to find what she wanted.
And to make matters worse, they had had to go into every store while Hilary tried on multiple outfits, and 'powershopped' through the whole mall. Marina had surprised herself, being so lenient and cooperative through the whole ordeal.
'It would've been easier to steal,' she told herself as she placed her few bags on the futon that was her bed. 'I am never going shopping again.'
,' she told herself as she placed her few bags on the futon that was her bed.Saphira chose not to respond, sensing the mood she was in. The winged dragon had never felt her keeper so worked up about anything not involving Biovolt, or multiple 'bad guys.'
Marina pulled out her brand new CD player and popped in Linkin Park's 'Hybrid Theory.' At least she had found one thing that was of use. She let the pounding music take her as she postponed her need to pound someone to a pulp.
About an hour later Hilary had filled the Bladebreakers in on every little detail of their shopping trip. The guys were less-than thrilled about it.
"And I was going to pass right by," the brunette continued her monologue, "but then I remembered the dance we are invited to, and I really needed a dress, so I…"
"Ohh," Tyson moaned tiredly, banging his head on the table.
Max and Ray were wishing that they were Kai at the moment. He wasn't there to sit through everything.
"Didn't anything interesting happen?" the cap-clad teen asked finally, exasperated.
"Shopping is exciting!" Hilary replied cheerfully.
"Not to me, it isn't."
"Well, fine," she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.
There was silence for a total of two minutes (every second for which they were grateful) until Hilary's chocolate eyes lit up.
"Oh, a weird thing did happen," she spoke up suddenly. "Well, not so much weird as…"
"What?" Tyson asked tiredly.
"Well, I don't think Marina liked all the people at the mall," she replied.
"Who doesn't?" Max asked, shrugging.
"Yeah, I hate it when you can barely move through a throng of crazy shoppers," Tyson agreed.
"That's why I live in a remote village," Ray remarked.
"Yeah, but do you punch everyone who bumps into you?"
"What?" Tyson asked, eyes wide. "She did that?"
Hilary blushed. "Well, not exactly. It was just one time. Some guy bumped into her from behind," she explained, "and Marina, just…well…reacted, I guess. She turned and punched him in the jaw. It was like she thought he was her enemy."
"Well, she has been through a lot," Ray began.
"Or so she says," Tyson retorted, cutting Ray off. "Or doesn't tell us."
"Was he her enemy?" Max wondered.
Hilary shook her head. "No, I don't think so. Marina apologized after. I'm actually surprised that we didn't get kicked out of the mall," she added as an afterthought. "She seemed a little out of her league for once. She was so suspicious of everybody."
They nodded in understanding. They could see Marina doing that.
"What did she buy?" Ray asked curious, yet not wanting another hour-long monologue.
"Why don't you just ask her?" Hilary questioned.
"Do actually think she'll tell us?" Max asked in reply.
"Well, I guess you have a point," Hilary agreed. "You'll be sorely disappointed though, cause she didn't get much." She thought back. "Uh, a CD player, a few CD's, boots and some clothes I guess."
"That's all?"
"Oh, and some beyblade parts, " she added.
"What CD's?"
"Uh…I dunno, some rock-type ones," Hilary replied breezily. "She wouldn't even look at Hilary Duff…" (AN/ no offense meant to any of her fans!)
The Bladebreakers exchanged tired glances.
"Hilary, you only like her because you both have the same name," Tyson sighed.
"No I don't! I like her music too!"
"No you don't!"
"How would you even know what I like?" she retorted quickly. "All you care about is your precious beyblade!"
Ray and Max crept away quietly, not wanting to get dragged into another one of their pointless arguments.
'So I almost knocked a guy out,' Marina thought tiredly, 'no big deal. By rights he shoulda been out cold. I must be losing my touch…'
,' Marina thought tiredly, …'She pressed the play button and Linkin Park's 'Nobody's Listening' blared in her ears. She liked how the Japanese shakuhachi accented the rap-like lyrics. She punched and kicked to the beat of the music, working out with a dancer's grace, but her own deadly moves. She maneuvered carefully in the small room, preferring the closed doors of her quarters to the open practice room with an audience.
She combined what skills she had into one large collaboration of moves designed for both offense and defense. It helped to be well rounded against any opponent. But she often preferred the offensive technique, it was more her style.
After practicing a sequence of moves to make sure her body movement was perfect and went smoothly, she moved onto conditioning. Her body longed for a hard workout, she hadn't used a lot of her muscles doing nothing when she'd had amnesia. Working her body until it could work no more was how she got rid of any built-up frustration, something she had a lot of lately.
'At least I've had more control,' she thought, doing sit-ups against the wall. 'The memories don't hurt so much anymore.'
,' she thought, doing sit-ups against the wall. .'Over an hour passed quickly, and she didn't bother leaving her room once she was finished putting herself through the paces. She forced herself to stretch, so her muscles wouldn't cramp, and found her body unusually tight. She knew that the Bladebreakers would be eating dinner by now, but still she didn't leave her room. Her body was used to less food anyway, and eating a meal could effect her routine. Instead, she crawled under the thin covers, and went to sleep early for once.
Kai returned to the dojo after the Bladebreakers had eaten dinner. It was the first that they 'd seen of him all day. His teammates were curious to what their captain had been up to, but didn't push it as he stalked past them wordlessly and disappeared into the house.
Once out of their view, the Russian teen peered out of one of the windows. All was normal outside in the ever-darkening air.
He frowned. Kai's senses had been tingling all day, and he still couldn't shake that feeling that he was being watched. He turned away from the window and sat on a couch in the living room. He took out his dark blue and red beyblade and fingered the phoenix bitchip in the center.
He didn't like it at all. Dranzer was uneasy as well, and that was never a good sign.
As he watched over his blade, Kai was unaware of the dark, shadowy figure that had followed him home and taken up temporary residence in the thick foliage of a tree in the garden.
Whew, another chappie finished. Earlier than I thought too. As I mentioned before, these next few weeks are a little hectic for me, so updating or reading stories might take a little longer than expected. Please forgive me for the delay.
Oh, and I have a sort of poll for you. I will be pairing up most of the characters in my fic, but one particular person I haven't decided with whom to pair him. So I'm asking you, as the readers and reviewers, to please tell me who you would like the character to be paired with. My fic would be nothing without you, so I'm giving back to you. The character with the most votes will be paired. So, without further explanation, who would you like Ray to be paired with?
1)Mariah
2)Salima
3)An OC ( I would have to make up somebody), or perhaps one of your own characters?
4)a character not listed (just tell me their name and I will add it to the list of choices at the end of the next chappie)
So there are your choices, you can vote on whoever you'd like until I post the chapter where they will be paired. I will tell you when the deadline is, as soon as I know myself. Please, one vote per person. If you'd like to change your vote, then tell me in a review later.
