Battle of the Masters
Chapter Eleven
by Shadou-sama

Shadra walked down the gravel road, heading back to the cabin. The moon was out, lighting the scenery with silvery light and the stars shone in the sky. Everything was peaceful.
She absent-mindedly rubbed the newly forming bruise on her cheek. Mariah packed quite a punch. There was no need to say that she was seriously ticked off at the black-haired girl. Shadra unconsciously filed away the self-preserving idea of never ever get Mariah mad. Or at least have Ray handy to use as a human shield.
While Shadra was walking back, Mariah was probably having fun with Ray. That had been the deal. It was either that or having Mariah beat her to a pulp. Shadra had definitely preferred the first choice.
It wasn't that Mariah was so overwhelmingly strong that Shadra wouldn't be able to fight back, oh no. Shadra could have turned the tables on the pink-haired girl. She had an understanding, an almost mature understanding, that whether Ray was her akki or not, he loved Mariah more and she loved him. Best to leave them alone.
And she was starting to feel guilty. Leaving Kai all alone (even if he did like his 'me time') was not cool. Who knows what could happen to him? She still held fresh in her mind the memory of him going crazy over the power of Black Drunzer. Great power and her akki do not mix very well. Plus she kind of missed him…
Then it happened: a vision came.
The world around her turned black. No moonlight, no starlight, no light at all. But eerily, Shadra could still see herself. Her key glowed from its black magic.
Shadra turned her head left and right, searching the darkness for anything. Usually, she saw it right away, something right out of the past that was long forgotten. But this time… she couldn't see anything.
Maybe she had to walk to where whatever it is was waiting. She took a tentative step. She could walk! Never in her visions had she been able to walk. Did that mean it wasn't a vision at all? Could it be one of the other Masters' trapping her in some other dimension?
"Come out, Master!" Shadra yelled.
Silence.
"I know you're there!"
More silence.
So maybe it was a vision. A very, very strange vision. She took a few more steps.
BING, Bing, bing. Shadra spun around. A translucent ball was bouncing towards her. She kneeled to pick it up. It was heavy for such a small ball, which fit nicely in her cupped hand. She looked closer at it.
"The Earth?" Light blue lines traced the continents on the ball. A light grew in the center of the Earth, steadily beaming brighter. Warmth spread across the surface, and it grew hotter at the same rate the light got brighter. Shadra couldn't see anymore, the light sending needle pricks into her eyes. The Earth got hotter and hotter—it was burning her hands! She had to let go. It was too hot!
The sound of breaking glass coupled the sudden extinguishing of the light. Shadra knelt down. The Earth was shattered. Tears pricked her eyes.
"So you broke the Earth." Shadra spun around, still on her knees. She looked up to see Kai. Her breath caught in her throat.
"I-I d-d-didn't m-mean to," she stuttered. But Kai wasn't even looking at her. He was looking at something behind her.
She stood and turned to see.
A wood cross-stood straight. Wires criss-crossed, from every which way to squeeze a girl tight to the wood. Shadra looked up at the girl's face. She gasped. It was her own, the expression placid.
She looked back at Kai. He raised a silver sword, her sword, and jumped incredibly high up onto the wooden cross. He crouched down, the sword held lazily with both hands in front of him, the blade swinging in front of the doppelganger's face.
"Kai…" Shadra whispered, anxiously watching the blade. What was he going to do?
Kai smirked. The doppelganger mutely screamed as the blade was plunged deeply into her.
Blood poured out of the wound. Kai kept on smirking.
Shadra fell with the pouring blood. Down, down, down in the unknown. She bit her lip to keep from screaming.
She groaned from the impact when she hit the ground. The crimson blood pooled before her. Only drops now fell into the pool.
Clack, clack. Shadra jerked up at the new sound.
A dark figure walked toward her, cloaked in shadow. It stopped at the pool of blood and knelt there. Its hands skimmed over the top. It was grinning, an expression that filled her with forbidding. It pulled its hand back and looked at the red blood that ran down its hand. It turned its head to look at her.
Shadra knew who it was. She had always known this--this thing. It was the dark evil that had killed her sister and many other innocent people. It was what little children cowered from when the lights go out, the terror that makes people avoid walking down dark alleys. It was the thing that vampires and werewolves were based on. "You," she whispered darkly.
It smirked again and nodded, slowly getting up. Shadra got up as well, not wanting to be at a disadvantage. It pulled out from behind it's back Milaenay-di. Shadra stepped back, anxiety running through her.
It struck at her. She fell back, slamming into the ground.
"Hey, are you okay?"
Shadra opened her eyes. Moonlight shone down, illuminating the land. Somehow she had fallen into the ditch by the road, and looking up, she saw a tomboyish dark-haired girl.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine." She stood up, steadying herself on the steep hill.
"You're not a druggie, are you? 'Cause you were all spaced out and then you fell off the side of the road…"
"No, I'm not. It's just a… err… mental problem."
Shadra started the journey back to the road. A jump would've got her up there but that girl was there. And besides, she felt dizzy and light headed and a big jump might make it worse. The tomboy just stood there, watching Shadra struggle. Some help.
"I'm Darcie, by the way," the tomboy said as Shadra reached the top, and sat panting.
"Shadra."
"Of the Bladebreakers?"
"The one – huff-- and only."
"I'm a beyblader too, but I don't hand out with teams. It's an individual sport, if you ask me."
"No one asked," Shadra muttered.
"Huh?"
"Nothing."
"Do you know where the Prairieland Tournament is being held? I'm heading there to check out the action."
"I'm heading there right now."
"Mind if I tag along?"
Yes. "No, not at all." Darn.

To be continued...