AN: *grins* Ha! Someone asked about the Lake of Draciel! Hehehe. I swear,
it really exists, I didn't make it up. It is this famous lake in the city
of Nanjing, called Xuan Wu Lake. Xuan Wu in Chinese is the sacred beast of
south, the great tortoise. Yeah, and that's Draciel. *dance around* I know,
I love that too!
Thanks for the reviews, everyone! Here is another chapter. It's almost the end. Enjoy!
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"Don't forget about me just yet, Lee!" Tyson shouted, "Dragoon! Storm Attack!"
"Galleon! Black Lightning Attack!" Lee roared in return, his black blade hissed with jolts of electricity, black and sinister.
In the dish the two blades rammed again and again. A storm was gathering, complete with a twisting and turning tornado and flashes of black and grim lighting that threatened to shock the wind out of its existence. The battle was tense, yet Mariah breathed a sigh of relief. At least the exchange of glares between Ray and Lee was stopped, even if only temporarily.
The day began on a melancholic note, Mariah remembered sadly. How could this final be on such an insensitive day? The audience didn't seem half as excited as they should be, the competitors downcast but spiteful, and the entire city sullen in mourning. The competitions began amidst the sounds of foghorns, and the first match was announced with the first sounding of the sirens, bleak and weary. It was at the sound of that sirens Lee became unbearably angry, Mariah decided. He had started glaring at Ray, as if questioning his mere presence across from them, on the bench of the opposing team. Lee glared daggers, and there was nothing else but rage and hatred in his eyes. Ray had returned his looks steadily. The cold calm in his eyes was enough to free an ocean. But Mariah had caught something else there. The faintest hint of pain, and of plead, a plead to be understood.
Gary won the first match, and Lee seemed to loosen just the slightest at that. The second match was between Ray and Mariah. It was a wonderful match, for it was no longer competition, but a game. They had relived the old times when they were the closest of playmates, and everything was done in the spirit of fun. The second ring of the sirens accompanied the announcing of Ray's victory, and to Mariah, the intermingling of the two sounds was beautiful. Even the wailing siren sounded happier. But that was the point when Lee's raged flamed so bright that it threatened to consume them all, and Ray watched still with that cold calm enough to freeze an ocean.
Lee was pitted against Tyson, and they fought relentlessly against each other. So far, they were tied one a piece. The last round was the deciding factor for everything, and Lee gathered his thoughts, and concentrated on Tyson. His death glares towards Ray stopped for the time. Ray too turned his gaze to Tyson. There was a joy and pride in his eyes, but also a solemnity.
And in a storm of sand and wind and lightning, the match ended in a draw. So much for hoping for a fast end, Mariah thought bitterly. The minutes passed agonizingly slow. The entire stadium was covered with a hushed silence, broken only by the occasional ripple of murmurs, faint and tense, before they were drowned again by the deafening silence. Finally, the silence was broken by the loud voice amplified by the microphone. "And the panel of judges have decided it is a tie!" The voice rang in the stadium. "A sudden-death match will be played, determining today's winner!"
At that the audience began to mutter, and there was wave upon wave of voice before they were hushed again. Lee stood up immediately from his bench, and walked towards the dish with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Alright!" Tyson shouted, punched the air with his fist, and made ready towards the dish as well. But suddenly Ray stood up and stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Tyson, if you don't mind, let me battle this one." Ray said quietly.
"What?" Tyson looked at his teammate, a little confused. "Are you sure, Ray?"
"Please, Tyson." Ray said softly yet firmly, and his grasp tightened ever so slightly. "I own all of them an explanation. I have to make them understand, I have to try at least."
Tyson grinned and clapped the Chinese youth on the back, "Go do what you have to, buddy. This is all yours."
"But Ray!" Kenny said hurriedly. "Tyson has a better chance! According to the data, Tyson is on a roll..."
He was cut short, for Ray had shut his laptop firmly, signalling the end of all arguments. He asked gently, "Do you have faith, Chief?"
Kenny pushed his glasses back against his messy hair, and then he sighed, "When you put it like that... Just go, Ray."
Both competitors stepped up to the dish. At the sight of Ray standing before him Lee fumed, his jet black eyes smouldering. And Ray looked calm still, and there was a steel light of determination in his golden eyes. At the signal both blades flew into the dish, one inky black, the other pearl white. For the first few seconds they merely circled the dish, the ominously tranquil beginning to a raging storm.
"I cannot believe you, Ray Kon." Lee said in a voice, cold and barely contained, "You dare stand here, on this day, in this city?"
"I want to show you something Lee." Ray answered in an equally quite voice.
Lee raised his voice and interrupted forcefully, "Save the lecture and presentation for later! I will defeat you and make you realize your mistake first. Galleon, attack!"
"Drigger! Tiger claws attack!" Ray shouted in return.
The two blades in the dish charged, swerved, rammed and turned, battling for supremacy. Lee glared at Ray, and shouted enraged, "You dare insult me!?"
In the dish the black blade manifested its owner's anger. Its speed and power increased tenfold, and it wove fantastic attack patterns not too hard to recognize. "Gary's Bear Axe attack!" Kenny shouted from the bench.
"And that was Mariah's Scratch Attack." Max exclaimed as well.
Ray watched in silence as the black blade rammed again and again relentlessly into his own. His blade was on the defence, weaving in and out, using its agility and speed to avoid the oncoming attacks. Yet not all attacks missed. Many were on the mark, slowing down and wearying his blade. "Scared?" Lee taunted with a strange light in his eyes. "It's not over. I am not done making you sorry yet!" Again there was a torrent of attacks, ruthless and raw in its primitive fury. And still Ray was silent and unmoved.
"Ray! Hold on!" From the sideline Kenny shouted, worry in his voice.
Tyson stood up and cried loudly, "Don't let him get to you, Ray! Just stick to your game plan. Remember everything we have learned!"
"And don't worry about winning and losing." Max yelled his suggestion as well. "It's not important. Just do your best!"
And finally there was a smile on Ray's face. He smiled at his wrathful opponent and said in a clear voice, "This is what I wanted you to see, Lee."
"What?" Lee asked in an unbelieving voice.
Ray continued, "Those people, those are my friends. They have faith in me, they care about me, they love me like a brother. Like you once did, Lee, before you were clouded by your prejudice and bear me in your hatred. I will never regret becoming part of them. Nothing you can do will change that, understand."
"How dare you!" Lee hollered. "How dare you say that? You betrayed us, you are fighting allied with those who are suppose to be your enemy!"
"I did not betray anyone." Ray answered calmly. "Nor am I fighting against my nation. This is a competitive game, Lee, not the frontlines of the battlefield. Listen to your own words and theirs. Can you not hear the difference? They don't care about victory, or some ambiguous message some may perceive. This is a bey-stadium, where people gather to enjoy themselves, and in the process things are learnt and taught. If you don't understand that at least, you do not deserve to be here."
And this time it was Lee who was silent.
"I did not join the Japanese team because I don't love my motherland, nor is it a treacherous betrayal you seem to think." Ray continued. "I merely wanted to expand my horizon, to share my knowledge and experiences and to gain new ones, and indeed these are what I have achieved. Don't cling to the past, Lee. Sometimes you have to learn to accept new things."
"Then you have made the wrong decision, Ray." Lee snarled through gritted teeth. "Nothing can be better than what the past has to offer, not here at least."
Ray looked at him steadily, and spoke, his clear voice echoed in the stadium. "I am here to prove you wrong, Lee."
"Tiger claws attack!" He shouted.
In the dish there was an explosion of silver light. The form of the tiger emerged, roaring, glorious and mighty. It charged and melted back into a flood of light, devouring everything inside the dish. Another thick beam of light shot up the sky, breaking the layers of thick grey clouds. The match was over in merely seconds, with Lee's black blade flying out of the dish.
"And the victory goes to the Blade Breakers!" The announcer shouted.
Just then the sirens rang for the third time. Its long, monotonous note resounded, like the calling of horns. The usual sorrow and urgency had left its tone, and it sounded happier. There was uncertainty in its voice, maybe, but more importantly, there was a note of hope.
Ray tilted his head and listened the sirens attentively. Even though his golden eyes were hidden in the shadow of his raven-black hair, his smile was plain to see.
Thanks for the reviews, everyone! Here is another chapter. It's almost the end. Enjoy!
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"Don't forget about me just yet, Lee!" Tyson shouted, "Dragoon! Storm Attack!"
"Galleon! Black Lightning Attack!" Lee roared in return, his black blade hissed with jolts of electricity, black and sinister.
In the dish the two blades rammed again and again. A storm was gathering, complete with a twisting and turning tornado and flashes of black and grim lighting that threatened to shock the wind out of its existence. The battle was tense, yet Mariah breathed a sigh of relief. At least the exchange of glares between Ray and Lee was stopped, even if only temporarily.
The day began on a melancholic note, Mariah remembered sadly. How could this final be on such an insensitive day? The audience didn't seem half as excited as they should be, the competitors downcast but spiteful, and the entire city sullen in mourning. The competitions began amidst the sounds of foghorns, and the first match was announced with the first sounding of the sirens, bleak and weary. It was at the sound of that sirens Lee became unbearably angry, Mariah decided. He had started glaring at Ray, as if questioning his mere presence across from them, on the bench of the opposing team. Lee glared daggers, and there was nothing else but rage and hatred in his eyes. Ray had returned his looks steadily. The cold calm in his eyes was enough to free an ocean. But Mariah had caught something else there. The faintest hint of pain, and of plead, a plead to be understood.
Gary won the first match, and Lee seemed to loosen just the slightest at that. The second match was between Ray and Mariah. It was a wonderful match, for it was no longer competition, but a game. They had relived the old times when they were the closest of playmates, and everything was done in the spirit of fun. The second ring of the sirens accompanied the announcing of Ray's victory, and to Mariah, the intermingling of the two sounds was beautiful. Even the wailing siren sounded happier. But that was the point when Lee's raged flamed so bright that it threatened to consume them all, and Ray watched still with that cold calm enough to freeze an ocean.
Lee was pitted against Tyson, and they fought relentlessly against each other. So far, they were tied one a piece. The last round was the deciding factor for everything, and Lee gathered his thoughts, and concentrated on Tyson. His death glares towards Ray stopped for the time. Ray too turned his gaze to Tyson. There was a joy and pride in his eyes, but also a solemnity.
And in a storm of sand and wind and lightning, the match ended in a draw. So much for hoping for a fast end, Mariah thought bitterly. The minutes passed agonizingly slow. The entire stadium was covered with a hushed silence, broken only by the occasional ripple of murmurs, faint and tense, before they were drowned again by the deafening silence. Finally, the silence was broken by the loud voice amplified by the microphone. "And the panel of judges have decided it is a tie!" The voice rang in the stadium. "A sudden-death match will be played, determining today's winner!"
At that the audience began to mutter, and there was wave upon wave of voice before they were hushed again. Lee stood up immediately from his bench, and walked towards the dish with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Alright!" Tyson shouted, punched the air with his fist, and made ready towards the dish as well. But suddenly Ray stood up and stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Tyson, if you don't mind, let me battle this one." Ray said quietly.
"What?" Tyson looked at his teammate, a little confused. "Are you sure, Ray?"
"Please, Tyson." Ray said softly yet firmly, and his grasp tightened ever so slightly. "I own all of them an explanation. I have to make them understand, I have to try at least."
Tyson grinned and clapped the Chinese youth on the back, "Go do what you have to, buddy. This is all yours."
"But Ray!" Kenny said hurriedly. "Tyson has a better chance! According to the data, Tyson is on a roll..."
He was cut short, for Ray had shut his laptop firmly, signalling the end of all arguments. He asked gently, "Do you have faith, Chief?"
Kenny pushed his glasses back against his messy hair, and then he sighed, "When you put it like that... Just go, Ray."
Both competitors stepped up to the dish. At the sight of Ray standing before him Lee fumed, his jet black eyes smouldering. And Ray looked calm still, and there was a steel light of determination in his golden eyes. At the signal both blades flew into the dish, one inky black, the other pearl white. For the first few seconds they merely circled the dish, the ominously tranquil beginning to a raging storm.
"I cannot believe you, Ray Kon." Lee said in a voice, cold and barely contained, "You dare stand here, on this day, in this city?"
"I want to show you something Lee." Ray answered in an equally quite voice.
Lee raised his voice and interrupted forcefully, "Save the lecture and presentation for later! I will defeat you and make you realize your mistake first. Galleon, attack!"
"Drigger! Tiger claws attack!" Ray shouted in return.
The two blades in the dish charged, swerved, rammed and turned, battling for supremacy. Lee glared at Ray, and shouted enraged, "You dare insult me!?"
In the dish the black blade manifested its owner's anger. Its speed and power increased tenfold, and it wove fantastic attack patterns not too hard to recognize. "Gary's Bear Axe attack!" Kenny shouted from the bench.
"And that was Mariah's Scratch Attack." Max exclaimed as well.
Ray watched in silence as the black blade rammed again and again relentlessly into his own. His blade was on the defence, weaving in and out, using its agility and speed to avoid the oncoming attacks. Yet not all attacks missed. Many were on the mark, slowing down and wearying his blade. "Scared?" Lee taunted with a strange light in his eyes. "It's not over. I am not done making you sorry yet!" Again there was a torrent of attacks, ruthless and raw in its primitive fury. And still Ray was silent and unmoved.
"Ray! Hold on!" From the sideline Kenny shouted, worry in his voice.
Tyson stood up and cried loudly, "Don't let him get to you, Ray! Just stick to your game plan. Remember everything we have learned!"
"And don't worry about winning and losing." Max yelled his suggestion as well. "It's not important. Just do your best!"
And finally there was a smile on Ray's face. He smiled at his wrathful opponent and said in a clear voice, "This is what I wanted you to see, Lee."
"What?" Lee asked in an unbelieving voice.
Ray continued, "Those people, those are my friends. They have faith in me, they care about me, they love me like a brother. Like you once did, Lee, before you were clouded by your prejudice and bear me in your hatred. I will never regret becoming part of them. Nothing you can do will change that, understand."
"How dare you!" Lee hollered. "How dare you say that? You betrayed us, you are fighting allied with those who are suppose to be your enemy!"
"I did not betray anyone." Ray answered calmly. "Nor am I fighting against my nation. This is a competitive game, Lee, not the frontlines of the battlefield. Listen to your own words and theirs. Can you not hear the difference? They don't care about victory, or some ambiguous message some may perceive. This is a bey-stadium, where people gather to enjoy themselves, and in the process things are learnt and taught. If you don't understand that at least, you do not deserve to be here."
And this time it was Lee who was silent.
"I did not join the Japanese team because I don't love my motherland, nor is it a treacherous betrayal you seem to think." Ray continued. "I merely wanted to expand my horizon, to share my knowledge and experiences and to gain new ones, and indeed these are what I have achieved. Don't cling to the past, Lee. Sometimes you have to learn to accept new things."
"Then you have made the wrong decision, Ray." Lee snarled through gritted teeth. "Nothing can be better than what the past has to offer, not here at least."
Ray looked at him steadily, and spoke, his clear voice echoed in the stadium. "I am here to prove you wrong, Lee."
"Tiger claws attack!" He shouted.
In the dish there was an explosion of silver light. The form of the tiger emerged, roaring, glorious and mighty. It charged and melted back into a flood of light, devouring everything inside the dish. Another thick beam of light shot up the sky, breaking the layers of thick grey clouds. The match was over in merely seconds, with Lee's black blade flying out of the dish.
"And the victory goes to the Blade Breakers!" The announcer shouted.
Just then the sirens rang for the third time. Its long, monotonous note resounded, like the calling of horns. The usual sorrow and urgency had left its tone, and it sounded happier. There was uncertainty in its voice, maybe, but more importantly, there was a note of hope.
Ray tilted his head and listened the sirens attentively. Even though his golden eyes were hidden in the shadow of his raven-black hair, his smile was plain to see.