Hello to ya all!
Nise-angel: No, the story is not going to end with the finals...The story isn't that far away from being done, most likely by the end of next week...if I can get past my writer's block after this chappie...I have the general idea, I just can't get the details down. I got some MAJOR thinking to do before falling asleep tonight! Keep your fingers crossed!
0bss3ss0n: Wait and see...haha, I'm so evil! I know you're just dying, waiting for them to tell each other. Well, Ray already told Zarine in Chapter...let me check...22. Besides, it's so obvious that everyone knows Ray has feelings for her. It's up to Zarine to take the final step!
Chapter 28 – When Dreams Come True
The darkness on Will's side of the stadium was absolute, no one could see him. On the other hand, the light shinning from Xeora was so bright, people had to shield their eyes from it.
"This is crazy!" Jazzman yelled into his microphone. "One side of the stadium is pitch black while the other side is brighter than the rays from the sun!"
At first, it seemed like Shadow and Xeora were evenly matched, but Shadow's darkness began to swallow up the light slowly. Shadow and Will fought as one, while Xeora fought alone. Zarine's teammates could see that she was going to lose. They cheered her on.
"Come on, you can do it! Just concentrate!" they encouraged her.
Except, Zarine wasn't even focused on the battle. She was so wrapped up in her own torrent of thoughts and conflicting emotions, she didn't even hear them.
A voice cut across her thoughts, 'Zarine, snap out of it! You have to win this!'
'Xeora, what's the point? I'm all alone, the only person who is important to me, hates me now,' she thought in despair.
'You are not alone!' her bit-beast reminded her. 'You have your teammates!'
Ray, who saw that Zarine was not focused at all, was just going to go up to her, but someone put their hand on his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.
Kai said quietly, "Ray, you can't help her now. It is her fight, only she has the power to win this."
Ray knew that Kai was right, but it didn't stop his worry as he saw that the darkness was covering two-thirds of the stadium.
'Zarine, remember that no matter what, you'll always have me!' Xeora said. 'Hurry, help me to fight his bit-beast!'
'Thanks,' Zarine whispered. She let herself become one with her bit-beast. They fought as hard as they could, but Will and Shadow were still more powerful than they were. Soon, the whole stadium was swallowed up in darkness. Not even Xeora's brilliance could penetrate it. The memory of that dream the night before came back, clearer than that morning when she had been with Ray. She wished he was here now. She was spooked by the darkness. Soon, she felt the wind...the cold wind...and felt terror gripping her heart once more. She looked about her nervously, searching for Shadow.
'Zarine! Keep your eyes on me!' Xeora ordered, feeling Zarine's fear. She knew every single thought that goes through her head.
Zarine turned her eyes onto her beautiful bit-beast, who assumed the form of a tiger to remind her of Ray.
Zarine felt better as she saw her bit-beast. 'Concentrate on me, and my presence,' her bit-beast said in a soothing voice.
Will, who had been watching this at a distance, laughed at it. He could hear their conversation as clear as day. "You and your pathetic bit-beast," he declared, "are going down now."
Zarine noticed for the first time that Shadow was black griffon. 'He's a spirit, like me.' Xeora said warningly. 'We have to be careful.'
Shadow attacked, but instead of going for Xeora, Shadow lunged at Zarine. Xeora ran in front of her to protect her. Shadow scratched Xeora's side, and Zarine's side burned with pain too. When you're one with your bit- beast, you feel their pain as if it was your own, and likewise. The black griffon clawed and pecked endlessly at the glowing tiger. Xeora tried to fight back, but it was no use. Her light grew dimmer as her energy diminished. Shadow continued his assault on Xeora until she was lying motionless, in too much pain to move. Zarine collapsed along with her bit- beast. She got up, and started crawling slowly to her bit-beast, but before she got too far, something landed in front of her, blocking her way.
Zarine looked up, it was the black griffon. She looked up at him in terror, feeling his immense evil radiating off of him. He moved his wings and sent a cold chill into her bones. She couldn't see Xeora, for Shadow was blocking her view. She felt so alone and so cold. It was like an instant replay of that dream, but this was real, this was no dream...
Taking advantage of the darkness, Ray slipped away from his teammates. He had to see how Zarine was doing. He was worried, because he knew if Zarine was winning, the light would be banishing the darkness. He knew deep in his heart that Zarine was in trouble and needed him. Determined to help Zarine, he continued on through the darkness.
The black griffon stared at her wickedly. She felt frightened. What was he going to do to her? Was he going to kill her? Will walked over to her and lifted her chin up, so she could see him.
"Look at you and your bit-beast! You are pathetic!" Will sneered. Those words hurt Zarine so much, she thought knives were being driven into her heart.
'Don't listen to him, Zarine!' Xeora said weakly.
"You're all alone now! No one can help you!" Will said. Zarine believed him, what could her bit-beast do? They were both weakened, and could do nothing to stop him.
'Zarine, Ray is coming! Hang on!' Xeora sent the thought straight to Zarine's head, so Will wouldn't hear.
"Join the Dark Force. Jordan and I will love you forever," Will said. Ray was close enough to hear their voices, he pressed on, more determined than ever...
"No!" Zarine refused. "That would mean betraying the person that I love! It was your wish that I should never join the Dark Force."
"Bitch!" he said, slapping her hard across the face. "Shadow, destroy her!"
The griffon raised one of its claws and was lowering it slowly, no doubt relishing the moment of victory. Zarine was reminded of that knife in the dream...so that's what the dream was about! The cold wind, was the evil from Shadow. A man asking her to join the darkness was Will asking her to join the Dark Force, and the knife...it meant this...an end to...who knows? Her life?
"NO!" someone shouted. Will, Xeora, Shadow and Zarine all looked at the speaker. It was Ray, who was still some distance away. He saw the whole scene. He was running, but his legs felt like logs for some reason. He had to get to her...
"Shadow, finish her off quickly!" Will commanded.
Shadow brought his talons down to her, but something white flashed by, shielding Zarine. It was her bit-beast, who had summoned up her last strength to save Zarine. Shield or no shield, the impact of the blow had thrown Zarine back.
Will called Shadow back. Their job was done. Ray didn't notice the darkness fading away, and light replacing the stadium once more. All he saw was Zarine, lying beside the beydish, unconscious.
Jazzman said, confused, "Who won?" He looked at the dish and saw Zarine's blade, lying motionless on the ground beside her, and Will's blade, spinning as fast as ever. "The winner is Will!" he said excitedly.
Ray, who didn't hear any of that, picked Zarine's head up gently. She was as cold as marble, and her body was lifeless. Only her breathing assured Ray that she was still alive. But her breathing was shallow, as if she was holding onto the last threads of her life.
"Zarine, answer me, please!" he pleaded.
Still, Zarine remained unconscious.
"Don't waste your breath," Will smirked. "She's not going to wake up."
"What the hell did you do to her?" Ray demanded.
"Her bit-beast is trapped in the darkness, and since she was one with Xeora, she's trapped too, at least her mind is," her brother said.
The rest of the Bladebreakers got there in time to hear Will say that. "You're going to pay for this!" Tyson spat angrily.
Will only smirked, and walked off back toward his team. The Bladebreakers saw Jordan shaking his hand, no doubt congratulating him.
"Let's get her into the dressing room," Kai suggested, putting his hand on his devastated teammate's shoulder.
Ray nodded and picked Zarine up easily. He set her down gently on the couch in the dressing room. He kneeled down beside her, and took Zarine's cold hand in his, putting it against his cheek.
"Don't worry Ray, she'll make it through," Max said, in an attempt to comfort him.
"I'll win my round against Wilson, and try to find out how to get her back," Kai promised.
"Thanks," Ray sad in a low voice, staring at Zarine's still form. "Good luck. I'm going to stay here with her."
"But shouldn't you watch Kai's battle?" Tyson asked.
"Tyson, they need each other right now," Kai said. "I'll come back when it's your turn." If I win, he added silently.
Nise-angel: No, the story is not going to end with the finals...The story isn't that far away from being done, most likely by the end of next week...if I can get past my writer's block after this chappie...I have the general idea, I just can't get the details down. I got some MAJOR thinking to do before falling asleep tonight! Keep your fingers crossed!
0bss3ss0n: Wait and see...haha, I'm so evil! I know you're just dying, waiting for them to tell each other. Well, Ray already told Zarine in Chapter...let me check...22. Besides, it's so obvious that everyone knows Ray has feelings for her. It's up to Zarine to take the final step!
Chapter 28 – When Dreams Come True
The darkness on Will's side of the stadium was absolute, no one could see him. On the other hand, the light shinning from Xeora was so bright, people had to shield their eyes from it.
"This is crazy!" Jazzman yelled into his microphone. "One side of the stadium is pitch black while the other side is brighter than the rays from the sun!"
At first, it seemed like Shadow and Xeora were evenly matched, but Shadow's darkness began to swallow up the light slowly. Shadow and Will fought as one, while Xeora fought alone. Zarine's teammates could see that she was going to lose. They cheered her on.
"Come on, you can do it! Just concentrate!" they encouraged her.
Except, Zarine wasn't even focused on the battle. She was so wrapped up in her own torrent of thoughts and conflicting emotions, she didn't even hear them.
A voice cut across her thoughts, 'Zarine, snap out of it! You have to win this!'
'Xeora, what's the point? I'm all alone, the only person who is important to me, hates me now,' she thought in despair.
'You are not alone!' her bit-beast reminded her. 'You have your teammates!'
Ray, who saw that Zarine was not focused at all, was just going to go up to her, but someone put their hand on his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.
Kai said quietly, "Ray, you can't help her now. It is her fight, only she has the power to win this."
Ray knew that Kai was right, but it didn't stop his worry as he saw that the darkness was covering two-thirds of the stadium.
'Zarine, remember that no matter what, you'll always have me!' Xeora said. 'Hurry, help me to fight his bit-beast!'
'Thanks,' Zarine whispered. She let herself become one with her bit-beast. They fought as hard as they could, but Will and Shadow were still more powerful than they were. Soon, the whole stadium was swallowed up in darkness. Not even Xeora's brilliance could penetrate it. The memory of that dream the night before came back, clearer than that morning when she had been with Ray. She wished he was here now. She was spooked by the darkness. Soon, she felt the wind...the cold wind...and felt terror gripping her heart once more. She looked about her nervously, searching for Shadow.
'Zarine! Keep your eyes on me!' Xeora ordered, feeling Zarine's fear. She knew every single thought that goes through her head.
Zarine turned her eyes onto her beautiful bit-beast, who assumed the form of a tiger to remind her of Ray.
Zarine felt better as she saw her bit-beast. 'Concentrate on me, and my presence,' her bit-beast said in a soothing voice.
Will, who had been watching this at a distance, laughed at it. He could hear their conversation as clear as day. "You and your pathetic bit-beast," he declared, "are going down now."
Zarine noticed for the first time that Shadow was black griffon. 'He's a spirit, like me.' Xeora said warningly. 'We have to be careful.'
Shadow attacked, but instead of going for Xeora, Shadow lunged at Zarine. Xeora ran in front of her to protect her. Shadow scratched Xeora's side, and Zarine's side burned with pain too. When you're one with your bit- beast, you feel their pain as if it was your own, and likewise. The black griffon clawed and pecked endlessly at the glowing tiger. Xeora tried to fight back, but it was no use. Her light grew dimmer as her energy diminished. Shadow continued his assault on Xeora until she was lying motionless, in too much pain to move. Zarine collapsed along with her bit- beast. She got up, and started crawling slowly to her bit-beast, but before she got too far, something landed in front of her, blocking her way.
Zarine looked up, it was the black griffon. She looked up at him in terror, feeling his immense evil radiating off of him. He moved his wings and sent a cold chill into her bones. She couldn't see Xeora, for Shadow was blocking her view. She felt so alone and so cold. It was like an instant replay of that dream, but this was real, this was no dream...
Taking advantage of the darkness, Ray slipped away from his teammates. He had to see how Zarine was doing. He was worried, because he knew if Zarine was winning, the light would be banishing the darkness. He knew deep in his heart that Zarine was in trouble and needed him. Determined to help Zarine, he continued on through the darkness.
The black griffon stared at her wickedly. She felt frightened. What was he going to do to her? Was he going to kill her? Will walked over to her and lifted her chin up, so she could see him.
"Look at you and your bit-beast! You are pathetic!" Will sneered. Those words hurt Zarine so much, she thought knives were being driven into her heart.
'Don't listen to him, Zarine!' Xeora said weakly.
"You're all alone now! No one can help you!" Will said. Zarine believed him, what could her bit-beast do? They were both weakened, and could do nothing to stop him.
'Zarine, Ray is coming! Hang on!' Xeora sent the thought straight to Zarine's head, so Will wouldn't hear.
"Join the Dark Force. Jordan and I will love you forever," Will said. Ray was close enough to hear their voices, he pressed on, more determined than ever...
"No!" Zarine refused. "That would mean betraying the person that I love! It was your wish that I should never join the Dark Force."
"Bitch!" he said, slapping her hard across the face. "Shadow, destroy her!"
The griffon raised one of its claws and was lowering it slowly, no doubt relishing the moment of victory. Zarine was reminded of that knife in the dream...so that's what the dream was about! The cold wind, was the evil from Shadow. A man asking her to join the darkness was Will asking her to join the Dark Force, and the knife...it meant this...an end to...who knows? Her life?
"NO!" someone shouted. Will, Xeora, Shadow and Zarine all looked at the speaker. It was Ray, who was still some distance away. He saw the whole scene. He was running, but his legs felt like logs for some reason. He had to get to her...
"Shadow, finish her off quickly!" Will commanded.
Shadow brought his talons down to her, but something white flashed by, shielding Zarine. It was her bit-beast, who had summoned up her last strength to save Zarine. Shield or no shield, the impact of the blow had thrown Zarine back.
Will called Shadow back. Their job was done. Ray didn't notice the darkness fading away, and light replacing the stadium once more. All he saw was Zarine, lying beside the beydish, unconscious.
Jazzman said, confused, "Who won?" He looked at the dish and saw Zarine's blade, lying motionless on the ground beside her, and Will's blade, spinning as fast as ever. "The winner is Will!" he said excitedly.
Ray, who didn't hear any of that, picked Zarine's head up gently. She was as cold as marble, and her body was lifeless. Only her breathing assured Ray that she was still alive. But her breathing was shallow, as if she was holding onto the last threads of her life.
"Zarine, answer me, please!" he pleaded.
Still, Zarine remained unconscious.
"Don't waste your breath," Will smirked. "She's not going to wake up."
"What the hell did you do to her?" Ray demanded.
"Her bit-beast is trapped in the darkness, and since she was one with Xeora, she's trapped too, at least her mind is," her brother said.
The rest of the Bladebreakers got there in time to hear Will say that. "You're going to pay for this!" Tyson spat angrily.
Will only smirked, and walked off back toward his team. The Bladebreakers saw Jordan shaking his hand, no doubt congratulating him.
"Let's get her into the dressing room," Kai suggested, putting his hand on his devastated teammate's shoulder.
Ray nodded and picked Zarine up easily. He set her down gently on the couch in the dressing room. He kneeled down beside her, and took Zarine's cold hand in his, putting it against his cheek.
"Don't worry Ray, she'll make it through," Max said, in an attempt to comfort him.
"I'll win my round against Wilson, and try to find out how to get her back," Kai promised.
"Thanks," Ray sad in a low voice, staring at Zarine's still form. "Good luck. I'm going to stay here with her."
"But shouldn't you watch Kai's battle?" Tyson asked.
"Tyson, they need each other right now," Kai said. "I'll come back when it's your turn." If I win, he added silently.