The Generation

Notes: I don't own Heaven. I wish I did, because it was a very good song, however, neither does DJ Sammy. Bryan Adams, an old school light rock artist, sang it when most of the people on ff.net were in diapers, including myself. I also do not own 'Complicated', 'Coming Clean' or 'Meant to Live.' They are owned by Avril Lavigne, Hillary Duff, and Switchfoot.

Chapter 20- Max

We landed outside of the BBA regional headquarters, demorphing in an alleyway a block down. Johnny handed us our badges and tickets in advance and "Team Hawk" and the Blade Breakers pulled on their outfits. We walked the block down to the convention center and flashed our badges at the door.

The announcer called out. "BLADE BREAKERS, TEAM HAWK," at the door.

The club was overwhelming! Perfume, sweat and body odors surrounded a seething mass of humanity. Over to the right a group of tables were set out near a buffet. I saw Robert entertaining a mass of girls with some kind of story (totally in character.) But at the same time I knew he was acting, because I saw Tala's hand on his thigh under the table.

"Care for a grind Max?" Tyson asked cheerfully.

"Sure!" I grinned.

In we went! Jostling bodies, Tyson and I ground, taking comfort in the rhythmic contact between our bodies. The song would have been obscene by any other standard, except that this was America, this was an American Club, and the international teams were all ready to cut loose.

J-Kwon, Snoop dog, Ludacris, the closest the big boys would have been able to get to the door was their jams being played in the DJ booth, because this was our party! Now how was the whole kareoke thing supposed to work?

Selima answered my question for me when the DJ said. "Y'all listen up, listen up! Selima from Team Psykick here is gonna sing 'Heaven' for us! By Bryan Adams and redone by DJ Sammy! So listen up ya'll you know how this go down!"

"YEEEEEEEEAAAAHHHHH" Was the response.

Selima singing kareoke! I saw Kane closest the stage in full uniform, grinning like an idiot up at her.

"Baby you're all that I want
When you're lying here in my arms
I'm finding it hard to believe
we're in heaven
And love is all that I need
And I found it there in your heart
It isn't too hard to see
We're In Heaven"

The floor cleared for slow dances, and I saw just as many gay and lesbian couples as straight. Even better, I saw Kai and Rei. Rei had his head leaned against Kai's chest. Tyson pulled me onto the dance floor, our faces less than an inch apart. I shivered. It was one of those times that we weren't just with each other, we were of each other. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the Animorphs getting into position. They were going to sing as soon as this was over. Then it would be my turn.

"Okay ya'll we have at least one more kareoke. The newest local team, Team Hawk, and their friends Phillip and Tobias are going to sing "Meant to Live" by Switchfoot!"

"Fumbling his confidence
And wondering why the world has passed him by"

The Animorphs had blocked it so that they would sing two at a time. Marco loved the stage, so he and Jake would go first. They had formed into a half circle in order to not upstage each other. Rachel and Oliver had worked on the blocking and voice with them.


Hoping that he's meant for more than arguments
And failed attempts to fly, fly

Tobias and Ax sang that, as a joke. Because while most attempts by ordinary humans to fly outside a jet would fail, Tobias really could fly.

And together, because together they fought, the Animorphs sang…

"We were meant to live for so much more

Have we lost ourselves?

Somewhere we live inside

Somewhere we live inside

We were meant to live for so much more

Have we lost ourselves?

Somewhere we live inside"

More than almost any other song, this one caught the spirit of the fight. The battle we fought was as much inside of us as out, because in order to deal with our outer demons, we had to deal with the inner ones as well.

"Dreaming about providence

And whether mice and men have second tries."

Jake followed Marco's boy soprano with a tenor. Their voices were a sharp contrast between them. It only made the song more poignant.

"Maybe we've been living with our eyes half open

Maybe we're bent and broken."

Cassie was radiant. Of the original Animorphs, she was changed the most by this experience. About two or three weeks ago she had had no idea what a beyblade was. Now she was captain of her own team. She was determined to earn her place. Rachel's flexible voice soared around hers.

"We were meant to live for so much more

Have we lost ourselves?

Somewhere we live inside

Somewhere we live inside

We were meant to live for so much more

Have we lost ourselves?

Somewhere we live inside"

All together they sang, every voice lifted. As part of the Blade Breakers, the only joy that I'd found that topped beyblading was the joy of music, of harmony in music. Music had given me comfort and strength during the dark days before the world championship. And when things looked down, when I was angry, upset, or afraid, music had been what soothed me.

"We want more than this world's got to offer." Jake and Marco.

"We want more than this world's got to offer." Rachel and Cassie.

"We want more than the wars of our fathers." Tobias and Ax.

Then all together, "And everything inside screams for second life."

As one they sang, the song was fading out now, diminishing in volume as if the singer were moving off.

"We were meant to live for so much more

Have we lost ourselves?

We were meant to live for so much more

Have we lost ourselves?

We were meant to live for so much more

Have we lost ourselves?

We were meant to live

We were meant to live."

It was my turn now. I took strength from the fact that the Animorphs had done it. Selima had done it. I was sure that I wouldn't look like a total fool. I stepped up back stage. Rachel gave me an underhand high five and said, "Go for it."

Then the DJ said. "Hey ya'll. We've got a special singer tonight. Max from the Blade Breakers is going to sing 'Come Clean' by Hillary Duff and 'Complicated' by Avril Lavigne."

There was a total uproar when I walked on stage. I was trembling inward. It was so funny, because I could face down hork bajir. I could brave a raging inferno and being trapped in morph for a friend, but I was too scared to sing on a stage.

Then the music began, and I lost myself in it.

"Let's go back

Back to the beginning

Back to when the earth, the sun, the stars all aligned

'Cause perfect didn't feel so perfect

Trying to fit a square into a circle

Was no lie

I defy."

I fell into the music. Suddenly, I wasn't in the crowded convention center. I was thinking back, thinking back to the beginning of this whole adventure three weeks ago.

"Let the rain fall down

And wake my dreams

Let it wash away

My sanity

'Cause I wanna feel the thunder

I wanna scream

Let the rain fall down

I'm coming clean"

Three weeks of being an animorph, of having the power to fly on my own wings, to run with the wind. I thought back on all that I had done. Had I truly been strong? There was something that I'd missed. It was three weeks of finding myself.

"I'm shedding

Shedding every color

Trying to find a pigment of truth

Beneath my skin

'Cause different

Doesn't feel so different

And going out is better

Than always staying in

Feel the wind!"

In a way it was what I wished for myself, to find myself. That was what I needed, what I wanted most as an Animorph, to find myself.

"Let the rain fall down

And wake my dreams

Let it wash away my sanity

Cause I wanna feel the thunder

I wanna scream

Let the rain fall down

I'm coming clean!"

I was, that night when I came home I would come clean. I would never lie to my mother again.

"I'm coming clean
Let the rain fall

Let the rain fall

I'm coming clean

Let the rain fall down

And wake my dreams

Let it wash away

My sanity

Cause I wanna feel the thunder

I wanna scream

Let the rain fall down

I'm coming clean

Let's go back

Back to the beginning"

The opening chords sounded for Avril Lavigne, and suddenly, the entire dance hall was blown out of my mind.

I saw her watching me from across the room.

She'd found the note.

She'd found the diary I'd planted.

My mother stared back at me from across the crowded club.