UniGirl: Okay, My computer I HATE VERY BADLY! Sorry this is a bit late…my computer first died, then froze, and then my internet died, and my father had to get a new modem, and then it went very, very slow, and I also got a virus. And, if things wouldn't get worse, my router stopped working…I HATE COMPUTERS! And also, the hot weather is making me very lazy.
::pants and pants and pants::
Yes, I'm evil for throwing you all off track. If it was not done on purpose, I wouldn't have done it in the first place. Now you know my writing style.
Disclaimer: I don't even want to think of how Beyblade would be like if UniGirl owned it.
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Flame walked back up onto the stadium. It was not like him to underestimate his opponents, so he was still tense.
Spencer walked up on the other side.
"3…2…1…LET IT RIP!"
The cords got pulled, and the blades flew in, nearly hitting the sound barrier.
At first, it was a wild goose chase. Spencer chased him around the stadium a few times, and then vice versa. When they made contact, sparks flew in the air.
Flame gritted his teeth. Hang on there… he thought silently to himself.
"SEABORG ATTACK" the whale bit beast sprouted from its chip.
Flame had to keep himself from stepping back. It had gotten stronger over these years. How was he ever going to defeat it without his last resort?
"What? Are you scared?"
"You wish." He said through gritted teeth.
It pushed him back toward the lip.
Okay, time to use a trick Wing taught me.
With a small backwards motion, his blade shot out of the way, and the force almost made Seaborg fall off the dish. Luckily for Spencer, it pulled back just in time.
Flame clenched his fists. He was giving everything he had. And that guy still didn't back down.
Spencer rammed against Flame's blade. He could practically feel it slowing down.
Flame weighed his choices. He was either to win this, or keep his secret safe. He had the ability to defeat Spencer. He knew it. But…the others wouldn't be so lucky. He was almost certain that Bryan, for one, wouldn't be defeated. He only had so much time.
Wing watched her teammate. She hoped he would make the best choice. Whatever it was, she would approve.
Flame scanned the crowd until he found what he was looking for.
"Tyson."
"What?"
"Can't you see? Flame's staring straight at us."
"Why would that be?"
"I don't know."
I hope they will understand. I know what being betrayed feels like. Then he looked back at Wing, who caught his eye and nodded.
"What are you doing?"
Flame looked down at his dish. His blade was almost pushed off.
"Plotting."
"What? How to walk out of here in shame?"
"No. How to get my revenge."
Spencer eyed him curiously.
Good, he's puzzled.
"Revenge? You do need grammar lessons. But after I'm done. SEABORG FINISH HIM!"
"Really? COUNTER!"
They met in the center of the dish, and Spencer started pushing him again.
"I don't fall for the same trick twice, let alone four times." He summoned all his strength inside his body, and called out his spirit. "You haven't changed. I would have thought you improved."
"What?"
"I'll show you. You might find him shockingly familiar. DRANZER FLAME SABRE ATTACK!"
And the phoenix rose out of the chip, and gave its all too familiar battle call.
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A Nasty Bite
Spencer stood there, cool as can be. "You really think that I'm going to fall for that? C'mon. You're more stupid than I gave you credit for."
Flame shrugged. "If you're not going to take it, then, don't. Just stand and watch while Dranzer takes out your blade."
"Yeah, right. Last time I battled Dranzer, he came off worse."
"Last time we battled, you had home field advantage."
"It wasn't an advantage. It was luck."
Flame used a lot of self restraint to keep himself from snorting. "Dranzer, show him what really is "Luck.""
Dranzer screeched, and dived towards the opponent's blade.
Spencer didn't even bother defending. It wasn't going to work. It was probably just a hologram.
Turned out, he was wrong.
"No…Seaborg…"
Flame smirked pleasantly as Dranzer rose up again, preparing herself for another attack.
"FINISH HIM!" Flame screamed.
Dranzer snorted. Oh, my pleasure. She thought to herself.
Time seemed to have slowed down as seconds ticked by and Seaborg landed at Spencer's feet.
Flame caught the blue blade in his right hand, and held it up to the shocked crowd.
Wing cursed silently. No. Not Hiwatari. I. DID. NOT. WANT. HIWATARI. The freak that calls himself a boy. Why him, of all people? Why couldn't it be someone respectable? And I'm supposed to mime as his sister? Give me a break. Yet, how can he blade so well? He's a totally different person. Does that matter? She hissed as Flame walked back to his seat. Never, ever, would I have ever thought to be fighting on the same team as him. It's déjà vu all over again.
Meanwhile, Storm and Aqua had their own thoughts on Flame's identity.
I was sure Wing could get any bit beast out, but I'm sure he can't. I'm not going to work with him. Does he know that? He probably thinks he doesn't know me. Thought Storm, Yet I know better. I hate that boy. As Carol always says, that devil's spawn of hell. Oh great, now I'm taking on Carolyn's personality. What has the world come to?
Aqua had a different way of looking at things. So, Kai Hiwatari hasn't really retired. Or dead. I wonder what's going on in that screwed up mind of his…Then again, I doubt he'd care. He is Kai Hiwatari. Wonder what Carol will say when I tell her Kai's still alive. She had even teamed up with Voltaire to try to kill him. Foolish thing to do, really. Tala will probably be shaking his fist at him when he finds out…and he had such a great hope that Kai was dead.
The Bladebreakers, too, were sceptical.
"How could that be him?"
"I don't know."
"If it really is Kai, then he's improved a lot."
"If it's really Kai, then he's been doing a lot of training lately."
"Why?" asked Tyson
"Just think about this. He practically smashed Max into pieces and he didn't even need to call out his bit beast."
"Tyson, listen to the chief. Whether he's Kai or not, we don't know. All we know is that he's stronger than us."
Tyson pouted, but saw the truth in Max's words.
Spencer walked back up to the stadium, ready for the final match. "I'm still not convinced you are who you say you are."
Flame showed no expression, but deep down, he cheered. All the better for me.
The two blades flew at each other, tearing the air apart. Spencer was the first to go on the offensive, "Seaborg," he called.
"DRANZER."
Both bit beasts lunged at each other, attacking from all angles. It was a sight to see, much like fireworks, but more destructive.
"SEABORG ATTACK" Spencer called out to his bit beast, willing with all his might to finish this guy off.
"DRANZER DEFENSE SHIELD!" Flame called.
"Wait a minute…Dranzer doesn't have that attack."
"We don't know anything, chief. For all we know, it could all be a hoax."
Seaborg grinded against its opponent, but with a little nudge, it was sent back.
Flame was ready to finish his opponent off. "DRANZER FINAL ATTACK!" he called out.
And the bit beast was ready too.
Spencer walked back out of the stadium in shame. The boy in the middle caught his blade and took a deep breath. Now came the hardest part of all. He started back towards the changing room.
Flame had not gone down a single corridor when the Bladebreakers caught up with him.
"Explain yourself," said Tyson, slightly out of breath.
He ignored them.
"I'm talking to you, mister," Ray said
He ignored them again.
Hilary ran up and rung the boy's neck. "Who do you think you are?" she asked
"No one that wants anything to do with you,"
"Tell me what's happening right now," said Ray.
"You'll find out soon, Hirilon. Very soon. Don't worry, we've got…"
Ray stepped back. Before he could control himself, he burst out "SHUT UP." Then he panted.
"What's happening?" asked Max.
"Leave him alone," said Lin.
Flame turned around to leave.
"You just wait," Lin muttered under her breath, "You're back, which means the Guardians are too."
Flame stopped. "I heard that, girl."
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Ray was in the training room with Lin, only Lin. Tyson and the others had gone out, after Ray had concluded he needed to be left alone.
"Lin?"
"Yes?"
"I've decided. That boy is not Kai."
"Why?"
"You didn't know him. He was cold and distant, but we all knew he felt a little something for us."
"I guess, but I'm not convinced."
"You don't have to be."
"True, but what makes you think that?"
"He's a Demon, that Flame. We should have guessed it a long time ago. Kane did guess that. We turned it down, thinking it was impossible. Kariey showed up at Ozuma's match with Bryan. The Demons are back. They've brought the Guardians along with them."
"I guess."
"There's something I forgot to tell you."
"What?"
"This morning, Max came up to me. Told me Eltila told him that there was something along the lines of "the worst traitor."
"Really?"
"What puzzles me is why she didn't tell us directly. She told Max she didn't want us asking questions, but she's told us a lot of unexplainable things before, and we didn't ask. Why?"
"That's not what bothers me. Why is it Max, of all people?"
"That's easy. I told him about her."
Lin looked out the window silently. "I don't think he's the only non-Mage that knows."
Ray looked up at the girl, waiting until she returned his gaze. When she looked back, he asked, "Why?"
"I'm pretty sure Kai knows."
Ray looked taken aback. "In the beginning, I, too, thought Kai was a Mage."
"Eltila told us otherwise."
"I know."
"I also think Boris and Voltaire know."
"Okay, Lin, don't be so pessimistic. We know they don't."
"They're after the bit beasts. If they didn't know, why would they want the bit beasts in the first place?"
"That's why you think Kai knows?"
Lin nodded silently.
Ray considered it for a while. "You know what?"
"What?"
"You may be right."
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Flame walked down the empty halls, fuming. Why was he so cowardly? Why couldn't he tell the Bladebreakers? They had every right to know.
But as the question popped into his head, he immediately knew the answer. He didn't want them to know.
Flame heard the announcer say something about the battle starting, and decided to walk back into the stadium.
Aqua looked back as her team mate walked into the stage and sat on the bench. She was glad shades kept her eyes hidden, so Flame could not see the intense glare she was giving him.
She walked up to the dish, her blue blade in hand. On the other side, Ian did the same.
If anyone could see Aqua's eyes at this point, they would have seen only determination. The determination to win.
"Let's do this," she said coldly.
Ian nodded.
"3…2…1… LET IT RIP!"
Ian had been expecting a lot. His eye twitched, and Wyborg closed in on the attack.
Aqua's blade rushed towards it, matching it's attack with equal strength. With a heavy nudge, Ian's blade was knocked off balance.
Aqua smirked.
Ian took this time to close in.
Aqua! Storm warned
It was too late. Aqua turned around. There was no escape. Her blue blade flew out of the dish. The teen caught it in mid air. In shame, she walked out of the stadium. She could practically taste Wing's presence behind her.
How could you? You lost focus at the exact time that…
Aqua whirled around. "Wing, leave me alone. I know exactly what I did."
Just telling you…consequences are consequences.
To think that you'd tire of your speech…
Aqua, I'm warning you.
I KNOW, WING!
With a final glare, Wing turned around.
Aqua sat down on a nearby bench. She knew exactly why she had lost concentration. She was thinking about something else. Something she had never given thought for many years.
She was thinking about Tala, her very first true friend.
She had betrayed him.
Aqua shook her head. She had other friends, she didn't need to think back at the red haired freak.
Yet as the thought came into her head, she knew it was wrong. No matter how good her friends were to her, none of them had ever filled the same space in her heart Tala had.
In many ways, he was much like her, rebellious in very subtle ways, dependant on other people, and easily hurt.
And then there was that tough hide.
She smiled at the memories, and, slowly, she walked back into the stadium.
She was welcomed by a generous round of applause.
Aqua held her blade up. "Ready?" she taunted.
Ian smirked.
"LET IT RIP!"
The blades flew into the stadium. Ian pounded rapidly on Aqua's blade, but it held strong.
The tables then turned as Aqua pushed the opponent into the side of the dish, sending sparks into the air.
Ian smirked. "WYBORG ATTACK"
Aqua stepped back as the huge cobra bit beast lunged at her blade, looking as if it were to tear her blade into shreds.
She had only one choice left. If Kai could do it, why can't I?
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Back in the stands, Ozuma watched the battles intensely. It was almost time. Anytime now, the Guardians would be back. He knew it.
Suddenly, beside him, Mariam stood up.
"What?"
She didn't reply as she walked down the steps and into the stadium.
Aqua shot a quick glance behind her. Good, she was coming.
As she reached the bottom, Mariam broke into a run just as Aqua was saying, "ESBYIAR ATTACK"
With a heavy pull, Mariam launched her blade into the dish.
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UniGirl: Yes, another cliffhanger. You'll be getting a lot of those. I'll try to update sooner next time, trust me, I really will try my best.
In the meantime, I can spend all my time reading your wonderful reviews! (hint hint)
Feya: Two words: Hurry up.
Phoenix the 1st: ;takes out an axe; DIE COMPUTER! DIE! On second thought, that wouldn't be such a good idea. Sorry for the slow updates, I'm working on it, I really am. This wasn't that bad of a cliffie, isn't it? Well it might be if you were an obsessed Mariam fan like yours truly, but…You can guess, but I'm not going to tell you why Kai did what he did.
Vampyre Neko: I don't think this counts as fast. What does "onegai" mean? Thanks for the compliment!
Britt: I like silly crush kind of love, I've had a lot of fun writing Ray/Lin. Thanks, I like being descriptive.
The Tigris: Um…could you put that in English please? That'd be appreciated.
Nessi: Yes, you were right. I threw you off track on purpose, shoot me. ;looks at review again: OOPS SORRY! Okay, you can look on Beyblade Spirit, I think they have it. Otherwise…there's Beyblade Fantasy…I know Destination Beyblade, Blader, and Off the Chain don't have it…BBIC also might. You can look them up on google, they're usually there, if not, find Destination Beyblade they're all in the affiliates section…I'm a major Icy fan.
Dranzen: Itty less confusing? Sorry, I can't do that, I like making people confused. I am such a bad person…hehehe
Give-me-a-hug: I try to update as fast as I can, though sometimes it's very hard for me. It's summer, I might be able to update sooner.