Goddess: thank you readers for all your very nice reviews that make me feel sooo happy!! And also for your astounding patience, I haven't updated in a while...
Tala: You're right there...
Goddess: are you mocking me?!?!
Tala: of course not, now get on with the next chapter!!
Goddess: fine!! I do not own beyblade, here's chapter 9!
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Tala ran downstairs, his poker face giving nothing away as he grinned to himself. 'That showed her,' he thought, evilly. The crimson haired teen then slowed down, walking calmly into the kitchen where he saw Ray sipping at a glass of water.
"Where did you go, Tala?" Ray asked his boyfriend, seeing him walk in.
"Oh, nowhere important," he replied, wrapping his long, slim arms around the raven-haired neko-jin.
"Oh, okay," Ray then kissed his lover gently on the lips.
Ian and Spencer cringed at their behaviour from the other side of the kitchen, staring daggers at the two teens.
"Can't they leave each other alone for two minutes?!" Ian growled.
"Hey, don't get so rattled! Fine, it may be disgusting but Tala says they're in love, so we'd better get used to it," Spencer told him.
"Not if I can help it..." Ian replied, a sinister grin creeping across his face.
"What are you planning, Ian?"
"Never you mind, Spence. Hey, Tala!" he called.
The scarlet-haired boy turned to the shorter blader and replied a bland,
"Yeah?"
"You said you would battle me! So lets do this already!!"
Tala laughed slightly and let go of Ray, "whatever you say, but you'll be sorry!"
Both boys made their way to the beydish that was located downstairs in the basement, Ian adjusted his Wyborg blade into its gun-like launcher as they casually walked down each step, Tala expressionless as Spencer and Ray followed behind.
"Do you think they'll kill each other?" asked Ray to Spencer, not quite sure whether this battle should be going ahead. Spencer pushed back a lock of blonde hair and turned his gaze to the neko-jin.
"Probably, they're both very competitive," he joked, letting a small laugh pass his lips. "But hey, I wouldn't worry because Tala is bound to win..." he whispered that part so Ian couldn't hear and this made Ray smile, they finally got down to level ground and both Ian and Tala got ready to launch.
"You ready to feel pain, Tal?" Ian queried mockingly, holding his gun launcher on his shoulder and aiming the tip at the black stadium that lay before him.
Tala smirked and stepped up to the dish as well, his crimson bangs fiery like his spirit but his eyes an icy cerulean as he stared intently at his opponent. He locked his blade into his equally attacking launcher and passed his tongue along dry lips. "Yeah, ready to feel YOUR pain..." he answered as they waited for the signal to begin.
"Ok guys..." Spencer began, "3...2...1...LET IT RIP!" he called; an explosion of ferocity erupted between both boys as they shot their beyblades down into the dish, both spinning strong and Wolborg aiming it's first attack.
"Wolborg...ice spears!" Tala called, a growl of intensity roaming his voice as he watched both blades carefully; he waited until just the right moment when Wyborg was off guard to call his attack, and the white ice wolf's howl was heard throughout the room like a piercing cry from Bryan's Falborg.
Wolborg span rapidly, knocking into Wyborg with a gargantuan force before the wolf appeared above Tala's bey; it ran towards the opposing blade and smashed into it, knocking it off balance and coming at it from different sides. Wolborg was very fast and very strong, Tala knew that Ian would have to think fast to avoid another violent assault but he also enjoyed watching his teammates' facial expression as they fought.
"Aaarrgh...come on Ian, think.." the short teen pleaded to himself, deciding that he would have to call upon his beast. "Ok, Wyborg, attack him now!!" he shouted, watching as a glow emitted from the surface of his blade. It wobbled from side to side but suddenly a huge serpent discharged from the blade, a gaping mouth revealing rows of ivory fangs that didn't waste their time clamping into the body of the challenging creature. Ian smirked and Tala grimaced, realising he'd have to somehow attack Wyborg to regain his strength.
"I'll be back in a minute guys," Ray told them, smiling to Tala before walking back up the steps. Upon hearing this, the red head's ears twitched and his cerulean orbs widened and he remembered Aki upstairs.
"No, Ray!!" he called after his koi, but he was too late as the raven haired teen had already climbed the remaining steps; he panicked but Ian was becoming restless, he couldn't leave the battle so he decided he would try and finish this now. "Damn..." Tala cursed under his breath, returning to the match at hand.
"What's wrong, Tala? You afraid you're gonna lose?" Ian asked with a mocking tone to his voice. He smirked and awaited for Tala to lose his temper, he thought it quite amusing when he did.
"No...shut up and lets finish this!" Tala retorted, bearing his teeth and looking back to Wolborg who was howling from Wyborg's attack. "Wolborg, finish him!!" he commanded, but the ice wolf could hardly move and the serpent kept clamping its fangs into the flesh of the beast. Ian grinned, hoping for a drawn out battle.
Meanwhile, Ray walked through the upstairs hall of the house, he wanted to fetch a new base for Driger so next time when he fought he would win quicker and easier; he reached for the bedroom door handle and unlocked it, pushing the door open and stopping when he saw Aki slowly arranging sheets on the floor. They looked like they had been dropped and Ray could only see the back of her, he walked up to her smiling and knowing how clumsy she was.
"Hi Aki, do you need some help there?" he asked, politely. He strangely got no reply, and the azure haired girl kept piling sheets into her arms before a sniffling noise could be heard. "Uh...Aki? Are you ok?" he asked, peering down to her and taking a step closer. Suddenly he furrowed his brows as he vaguely saw a bruise across her once flawless cheek, and her face tear stained or so it seemed.
"Aki...what happened? Are you hurt?" he questioned, kneeling down beside her and watching as her trembling hands picked up pallid sheets and folded them, then placed them into her cradled arms. Strands of sapphire fell over her pained eyes as she turned her head away from the polite beyblader, she didn't want him to see her like this.
"Aki, please! Tell me what's wrong, I can help!" he whispered, raising a hand to her shoulder gently and trying to see what was wrong. Aki shrugged his hand off though, as if she was frightened of something and that something was Tala. She rose gradually off the floor, leaving a few sheets behind but she just wanted to leave as soon as she could to avoid further interrogation. Turning her back on Ray, she walked towards the door with her white apron crumpled and her face tear stricken. She must never speak to Ray again, no matter how much she wanted to. She walked out the door and closed it behind her, leaving Ray watching the entrance in a stupor with his golden orbs brimming with concern and curiosity.
"I wonder what's wrong...?" he whispered, hoisting himself off the floor and walking to the bedside table to search for that blade base; he rummaged around before pulling out a glimmering ice blue base, he'd bought it a while ago but had never used it and so now he decided he would put it to the test. Maybe he could beat Tala? This thought provoked a smile on the neko-jin's features and he shoved the base into his pocket, heading for the door.
Once he had returned to the venue of battle, he saw Tala leaning against a wall holding his blade and he immediately rushed to Ray when he entered. "Ray! You're back, so where did you go?" he asked quickly, hoping he didn't encounter Aki on his travels.
"Just upstairs to get a new base, so who won?" Ray replied, looking over to Ian who looked disheartened and a little angry. In fact, the answer was obvious but he wanted to make sure he was correct anyway.
"I did, of course!" Tala replied, wrapping his arms around the waist of his koi and leaning in to kiss him on the lips. A blush spread across Ray's cheeks and he kissed back, Spencer and Ian looking away and sighing.
"Why do they have to do that? It's so annoying, like we don't even exist..." Ian grumbled, analysing his blade for any major damage.
"I don't know, but lets not go into that again ok?" Spencer replied, leaning back and bringing out Seaborg from his pocket; he admired the bit chip and wondered what he should do to make his attacks more powerful and effective before the tournament. "Oh, that reminds me!" the blonde exclaimed, bolting upright and gaining everyone's attention. "I heard on the radio today the BBA are bringing the tournament forward, apparently because not enough teams are free on the scheduled date," he explained.
"Really?" Tala asked, pulling away from Ray. "How far forward?"
"I think they said a week or so, maybe less."
"A week! But that's not enough time to practice!" Ian yelled, staring intently at his team captain. "Is it, Tala?"
"Hmm...well it doesn't matter, does it? We're just going to have to practice harder now and work out a new schedule until we get the invitation to the play-offs..." he muttered, wondering whether the Bladebreakers had heard this news as well.
"Come on then, we'd better get practicing..." Ray commented, taking Driger from his pocket and adjusting the new base to see how well it would work. While Spencer and Ian worked together with their blades, the dark haired Chinese teen edged over to Tala and whispered something.
"I saw Aki upstairs..." he began, gaining the Russian's attention straight away. He looked anxious as he waited for a continuation. "And she seemed hurt...like physically hurt. I saw a big bruise on her face and it looked like she had been crying...do you know anything about that?" he asked, a hint of suspicion creeping into his words.
Tala paused. What would he say? Ray knows he went upstairs earlier but would he have seen Aki? He had to think of a reply and fast.
"Oh, yeah that. She was reaching for a full wash basket on that tall shelf in our room and it came crashing down...that's how she got the bruise and she was crying because it had hurt so much, I went up there and saw what had happened and I gave her some medicine. She should be ok now," he lied. Although he had to admit to himself, it was a rather convincing lie.
"Oh, I see...but she wouldn't talk to me while I was up there. She seemed scared somehow, do you know why that is?" Ray queried further, gazing intently at the crimson haired blader.
"Most probably embarrassment, you know how she is..." he fibbed, watching his lover's expression for any hint of mistrust. Luckily, there was none and Ray smiled.
"Poor girl, she shouldn't be embarrassed!" he answered, none the wiser.
"I know, but that's the way she is..."
"Fair enough, now lets get to training! My Driger's all worked up and ready to fight!" he exclaimed, dragging Tala to the stadium where he fit his blade into its launcher and smirked at his rival; Tala grinned equally and held his gun like launcher in a pale hand, Wolborg hopefully had some time to regain strength and he definitely wouldn't go easy on Ray, even if they were a couple.
The tournament wasn't far away now, and it was only a matter of time before Ray would face his former teammates in battle; would they go easy on each other after everything they'd been through together, or fight with vigour from pure betrayal? Only time would tell...
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Goddess: So, you like?Tala: I didn't know I could be so evil ''
Goddess: Well, if you would like a further instalment then please R&R!!
Tala: prays for no evil laugh
Goddess: .....MUAH HA HAAAA!!
Tala: I don't understand.... --;;