Hey Guys! Sorry, I took so long in updating again. Writer's block just seems to stick sometimes. Well, to those who reviewed, thanks. You guys are great! I can tell that many of you are waiting to see what happens next. So, here is another new chapter for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!

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Chapter 11- Up to the Next Level

The dish Kasha and Sanka were battling in was a hilly, wilderness area, with trees and a steam. Sanka found it difficult to maneuver in it, and so did Kasha. Though, Kasha was doing a little better.

For the longest time, it looked like neither wanted to do much of anything. They just stood glaring at each other, waiting. Tyson wondered if Kasha and Sanka were both trying to physc each other out or just stall for time as long as possible. He could feel the tension mounting as Icies and Peggal were still waiting for their commands.

"What's going on? Why aren't they doing anything?" Tyson asked impatiently.

Kenny shrugged. "You got me, 'cause I don't know. But I hope they do something soon. My nerves can't stand the suspense."

Next to him, Max giggled. "Your nerves can't much of anything at all, huh Chief."

It was more of a statement than a question, but Kenny nodded nonetheless. Suddenly, their attention was caught back to the match as the stadium shook hard. Peggal had gone on the attack, galloping up a hill, to jump at Icies. Sanka knew she had to think fast or her bit-beast would get creamed. Alex had always taught her to use things to her advantage. She looked around for an idea and then she had it!

"Icies, Ice Daggers!" Sanka commanded.

Icies obeyed immediately and a dozen daggers of ice were fired at the top of the hill. A trail of ice flowed from them and down toward Peggal. The pegasus neighed in panic as his feet were frozen to the path. Icies screeched at him and prepared to attack again.

"It's all right, Peggal," Kasha assured her bit-beast. "Let's Go! Galvant Earthquake!"

Peggal pounded his hooves into the ground, which caused the ice to crack, and he was able to free himself. Then, using his large crystal wings, he flew head on at Icies, ramming into her chest. The ice phoenix gave a pain filled cry and striked back with Ice Daggers again. Peggal reared on his hind feet and stomped on them.

Sanka looked down at the dish and saw that her beyblade was losing momentum and Icies was taking quite a pounding from Peggal. She wondered if she should commanded Recover and have Icies heal herself. But what if Kasha had a way to turn it against her? Sanka frowned determinedly. She'd have to chance it.

"Quick Icies, recover!" she shouted.

Her blade flashed a bright blue and some of the damages on it were repaired. Icies gave her owner a grateful look before quickly flying out of reach from Peggal. Sanka smiled. As long as she could keep using Recover, she knew that she could stay in this match.

"Nice try Kasha," Sanka called, "but it's going to a lot more than that to bring down my Icies and I."

Kasha glared at her. "Ok then, you asked for it! Peggal, Diamond Crystals!!"

Peggal neighed viciously. His wings flashed a blue-silvery colour and out whished thousands of diamond-shaped crystals, sharp ones. A few got Icies in her talons and some hit her wings. White feathers were flying everywhere. The ice phoenix managed to freeze up the rest with a quick blizzard. She flew out reach and watched to see how Peggal would get out of this. The pegasus flapped his wings vigorously and the storm subsided. Sanka and Kasha were both breathing heavily and they were right back where they started.

Kenny sighed worriedly. "How can Sanka win? She and Kasha are too evenly matched."

"Don't look so down, Chief." Dizzi put in cheerfully. "It's not over yet."

Kenny smiled slightly. "And how do you know that?"

Dizzi giggled. "Simple really. I may be a bit-beast and I may be stuck in a computer, but I'm also still a girl. We girls are a determined bunch, Chief. Sanka still has some tricks up her sleeve, you wait and see."

Kenny glanced unsurely at his friends. They didn't seem to notice though, as they were all (minus Kai) busy cheering Sanka on to a win. He looked over at the dish and saw Sanka turn around to look at them. She smiled confidently at them, gave a quick thumbs up and faced the dish again. Kenny smiled too and he and the other BladeBreakers returned the gesture. Dizzi was right. Sanka wasn't done just yet. But then again, neither was Kasha.

Peggal was still dominating the match with his just strong, majestic attacks. Icies was growing tired from dodging so many of them. It was really wearing her down.

Sanka glared over at her rival. She needed a plan for a comeback and fast. She sighed; none came to mind. Icies screeched as she got in the way of another assault of Peggal's Diamond Crystals. Sanka knew the BladeBreakers were counting on her to bring up the win of the match for them. She couldn't disappoint them. She wouldn't! Suddenly a loud pounding noise was heard. Peggal was on the attack again, charging for a final blow at her ice phoenix.

"Here I come," Kasha taunted. "Go Peggal! Galvant Earthquake!!"

Peggal jumped in the air and then came back down again, landing with a thunderous boom that shook the whole stadium. Sanka found it very difficult to keep her balance, but she did. She looked up at her bit-beast, only to see that Icies wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Icies!" Sanka yelled frantically. "Where are you?! Icies, come back!"

A faint screeching sound came from down the abyss of the earthquake crack in reply. Followed by the flapping and rush of wings. It grew steadily louder until in a whoosh of wind, sending dirt everywhere, out came Icies.

The ice phoenix gave a loud vicious cry and dived at Peggal. She clawed at him with her strong talons as a snow tornado started to form around them. Peggal was in a panic. Rearing his head back and flapping his crystal wings furiously, the pegasus tried to break free of Icies's grasp. Icies held on tight, digging her claws deep into his back. Finally, she let go, flew out of reach, and prepared to strike at him again.

Kasha and Sanka could only watch in dumb suspense as their bit-beasts battled it out. Neither knew it they should cheer them on, shout out attack commands, or just watch. Snow, ice, dirt, feathers, and fur were everywhere.

Sanka shielded her eyes from it and looked at the dish where she saw hers and Kasha's beyblades battling just as viciously in a now flattened down stadium landscape. Pieces of attack-rings and blade-bases littered the place. Sanka frowned worriedly as Peggal caused Icies to crash into the lights on the ceiling. Where were Kasha and Peggal getting this power? Icies screeched again and caused another snowstorm to form, which she shot at Peggal, surrounding him in it. Sanka stared at her bit-beast in shock. And where was Icies getting her new power? Icies paused and looked at her owner. Suddenly, Sanka heard this strong, kind voice in her head.

'Sanka, my friend, it's me Icies. I heard you calling my name when I fell into Peggal's huge abyss of an earthquake. Your voice sounded one of concern for a friend and that you needed me by your side. So, I came back, just like you wanted.'

Sanka blinked, still a bit dumbstruck and confused. 'Icies, you did come back. Your new strength and power is amazing, and you can talk.'

'Not talk,' Icies corrected, 'it's just telepathy. You cared for me so much, that our bond developed to the next level.'

'Like Tyson and Dragoon's?' Sanka asked.

Icies nodded, giving a chirping sound. 'Exactly. Now what do you say we end this battle?'

Sanka nodded confidently back. 'Yes, lets.' Snapping out of the world between dazed and wide-awake, she yelled, "Icies, Super Sonic Blizzard!!"

Icies obeyed instantly. Glowing a bright blue, she caused sharp, jagged ice picks to form and twist around in a hurricane-like wind, snow flurries mixed in with it as well. The ice phoenix gathered it all up under her wings and then shot it all at Peggal. The pegasus never really suspected a thing until he was surrounded in wind, snow, and ice.

Now it was Kasha's turn to panic. What was going on? "Peggal!" she cried desperately. "You have to fight back!"

Peggal tried. The furious blizzard was freezing him up and this time, not even his Galvant Earthquake could break him out. Soon, he was completely frozen over. Kasha sank to her knees, staring sadly at her bit-beast. A look of defeated shock crossed her face, as Icies ended it with a quick shot of her Ice Daggers. Peggal was free and returned to his beyblade as it was tossed out of the dish. Icies gave a victorious screech and headed into her beyblade too, which promptly returned to Sanka's hand.

"And there you have it folks," the announcer told the crowd, "Sanka is the winner of round three. The BladeBreakers win!"

The crowd erupted in cheers. The BladeBreakers and Sanka had won the challenge. Sanka picked up Kasha's scratched up beyblade and walked over to her. Kasha hardly even noticed. Absentmindedly, she held out her hand and watched as Peggal was dropped into it.

"I lost," she muttered. "I wanted so badly to win and prove that I could do just as well as the champs. It's not fair. I tried so hard."

Sanka smiled warmly at her. "Yeah, you did try hard. That's why so did I. You really forced me to try my very hardest. Actually, there was quite a few times that I was sure you almost had me."

Kasha raised her head slowly and stared. "Really?"

Sanka nodded and showed her beaten up blade. "Yup. Believe me, I know what it's like to want to win at any cost, but then it doesn't give you the satisfaction that a hard-earned victory does. And when you do lose, the most important thing to do is to get up, practice hard, and try again. You'll be in the champ circle one day, Kasha, you'll see."

Kasha was surprised. Why was Sanka now being so nice to her? Only a few minutes ago, they were at each other's throats in battle. And now here was Sanka giving her hints to improve. Finally, Kasha smiled back and said, "Yeah, I will. And we will battle again!"

"Of course! You can count on it." Sanka held forth her hand and Kasha accepted it.

Tyson ran over and clapped them both heartily on the back. He laughed. "I couldn't have said it better myself. Way to go, Sanka. You too, Kasha. That battle was awesome!"

Their teammates joined them and wholeheartedly agreed with Tyson's comment. He was right. That was a great match well done and they all couldn't wait to do it again another day.

Awhile later, they met up again out front of the BBA Headquarters. The two teams walked off, going their separate ways and calling back cheerful advice and farewells.

"I didn't even get a chance to battle. No one got to see my Krazen in action."

"Oh, don't be so down, Kallo. Maybe you'll get to next time we fight them."

"Yeah, and it'll be fun to whoop you guys again."

"Haha. We'll see who beats who next time we meet, Tyson. Take care now."

"You take care of yourself too. And tell Kasha to take proper care of Peggal, all right?"

"Don't worry, the first thing I'm going to do is give my Peggal a serious tune-up."

"Well, bye, guys. And remember to practice, ok?"

"We will, and then we'll be back for that rematch."

Once the Buster Bladers were out of sight, Tyson wrapped his arms around his friends (much to Kai's discomfort) and said, "Well, I've worked up an appetite. Who wants to go and eat at my house?"

"Sure, count us in!" Ray and Max both agreed.

"Actually, that match made me really tired," Sanka said, trying to stifle a yawn. Then, she smiled brightly. "But I'll come too. And so will Kai."

Kai raised his eyebrows at her. "I will?" he asked.

Sanka nodded and grabbed onto his arm with hers, giving him a mock-strict look. "Yep. Of course you will. Not accepting would be rude, and besides you do need to lighten up and have some fun. Now let's go!" With that, she pulled him away down the sidewalk, ignoring his protesting complaints.

"Boy, " Max commented, "I thought Kai didn't let anyone order and pull him around. When we try to talk and get close to him, he yells at us. I wonder how Sanka does it."

Tyson shrugged. "I don't know. But we can ask her later. Right now, I just want to fill myself up with some grub." And he ran after Sanka and Kai.

Max gave a laugh and chased after him, calling back, "C'mon Ray, last one there gets to steal Tyson's dessert!"

Ray smiled and ran after his friends. "Hey, wait for me! No head starts, you guys!"

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Well, there you have it. What do you think? Should I keep going? I have a good feeling that the writer's block is really gone this time. Hopefully I'll be able to update again soon. Boris'll be back in the next chapter, and he has his sights on capturing Kai by force. Well, see you next time. Bye!