Raindrops

AUTHOR'S NOTES: WOW has it been that LONG since I've uploaded this ficcie…?! ;; GOMEN to THAT, been plagued by writer's block for such a LONG, LONG time, and I'm actually hyperventilating over that trenchcoat clad gunslinger Dante from Devil May Cry…KIYAAAAAA!!! o Anyway, Cerridwen shows Luis Santillan a thing or two regarding the truth about being small and terrible, Shizue freezes the entire stadium over with Falcrest, and the BBA, Wing Blades, and Team Europe…Teams (;;) get caught in the rain. Why the heck did it suddenly get so HOT in HERE?! OO;; R/R PLEASE!!!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Bey Blade and all its characters, and some of the OC's portrayed herein, as they're owned by their respective authors. Some of the other OC's are mine, though. So NO SUING!!!

Cerridwen fitted Crescendo into her Shooter, looking over at Luis, who was nervously fitting his own Bey Blade after assembling it again into his own Shooter at the other side of the battle dish. She blinked.

Good form, if I do say so myself. His Bey Blade's defensive and offensive ratings are way above average, well within a 15 to 20% critical hit chance in the last 3.25 seconds of his average Bey match, usually lasting for 4.07 minutes. Spain has quite a formidable team in its ranks, but sad to say, I have to make this "death blow" of sorts short and very brutally sweet. Sorry about this, Luis.

She looked over at her team's dugout. Selenay was cheering her on; Kikka was still being hugged by Selenay, her eyes thin little slits with wavy tears pouring out in torrents; Ralf was just quiet; Giancarlo was scoping out the girls in the audience; Oliver was blinking; Medain and Shizue were still SD, a black cloud hovering above their heads; and Johnny was staring somewhere at the audience, his eyes narrowed. Cerridwen blinked, then followed his gaze.

She saw the BBA Team seated a few tiers above the main battle dish, and they were quite a circus in itself as well: Takao was inexplicably quiet, Max was blinking, Professor was furiously typing away at his laptop, Kai had a very haunted look on his face, Yuri was mumbling something, and the pink haired girl Kikka was angry about was talking to Lei.

Lei...

Cerridwen felt her heart suddenly jump for no apparent reason at all. She knew he wasn't him, but her heart was kind of hoping he was. She knew it was foolish, that Lei Kon was another person entirely, and she knew she had to stop herself from thinking that way or else she would only hurt herself. But it was too hard...

"Would both Bladers come forward?" DJ was saying a little while later.

"..." Cerridwen was just quiet, still looking at him. DJ blinked, then looked over to where Cerridwen was standing, still looking at Lei. Luis frowned. "Hey, are you zoning out on me, senorita?! We still have a match to finish!"

"H-huh....?" Cerridwen blinked.

"Uh...Miss Ascot-Elridge, are YOU alright...?" DJ was asking her.

"O-oh!" SD Cerridwen nodded, blushing furiously. "R-right! Sorry...so sorry about that...I...was just thinking of something...heh heh..."

"Are you sure you can continue on with the match, Miss Ascot-Elridge...?"

"Y-yes! Sorry, Mr. DJ..."

"Well, in that case...let's get this ball ROLLING!!! BLADERS, TAKE YOUR POSITIONS!!!"

Cerridwen aimed her Shooter at the battle dish, her expressive mint green eyes narrowed and set. Concentrate...what am I thinking! I mustn't let that get in my way...

Luis smirked. "Heh. Guess the ONLY way to defeat you is to make sure you'll NEVER be able to even fight back against me. Alright senorita, you're going DOWN!!!" He aimed his own Shooter at the battle dish. "This would be the last time you're seeing this stadium, and I'm going to make SURE you'll never be able to set foot on ANOTHER!!!"

"This is no time for idle banter...it is YOU who shall have need of that warning, not I." Cerridwen's eyes narrowed even further. "You'll regret this day when you foolishly chose to take light of ME!!!"

"ALRIGHT!!! 3...2...1...GOOOOOO....SSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTT!!!"

Crescendo shot like a speeding comet from Cerridwen's Shooter, hurtling straight towards Wyvern. Luis' eyes narrowed. "HAH!!! I KNEW you'd do THAT!!! Come on, partner, we'll show this bimbo a one way ticket out of this competition!!! WYVERN!!! METEO FURROW!!!"

The -Holy Beast- appeared, screeching in all its fury. A furious cyclone of fire surrounded the Bey Blade and shot towards Crescendo at the speed of a hurtling meteor. Takao's eyes widened, as he stood up, blinking. "What the HELL...what kind of attack was THAT?! Crescendo's TOAST!!!"

Wyvern hit its target, creating a huge explosion near where Cerridwen stood, sending shards of the broken battle dish flying in that area. DJ raised an arm to shield himself from the shards, and the audience let out a collective groan and gasps of surprise at what had just transpired barely a few seconds ago. Yuri clenched his fists, and he was worried sick about the young girl, while Kai was just staring at the battle dish; Max's eyes went wide, and Professor was beside himself, short of jumping into the battle dish with his laptop in tow. "NOO!!! IT CAN'T BE!!! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING" he yelled. "CERRIDWEN"

SD Mao reached out and grabbed him by his belt, a million sweatdrop explosions about her head. "What the HECK do you think you're DOING?! PROFESSOR!!! GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!!!" she yelled, her teeth miniscule fangs.

Lei stood up almost immediately, his gold amber eyes wide. That attack...nobody could've avoided that almost head-on collision...what was that Luis thinking...people could get seriously HURT...

Huge billowing clouds of smoke and flying debris filled that certain battle dish area, and DJ was alarmed that Cerridwen, having been almost struck point blank by a speeding Bey Blade at roughly 120 kph, was seriously hurt. He gripped the safety rails of his floating platform (;;). "Oh NO!!! What a very DEVASTATING attack from Luis Santillan...he wasn't called the Speeding Flame Devil for NOTHING!!! But...it seems that his Bey Blade has somehow come SHORT of Cerridwen Ascot-Elridge from the Wing Blades TEAM!!! And there are no signs of Crescendo ANYWHERE..."

"Heh. Idiot. You really thought something like that could bring Cerridwen down...?" Johnny's eyes narrowed. "She wasn't called the Angel Reaper for NOTHING..."

A strange breeze blew, along with it, several scattered glowing feathers. Cerridwen just stood there, the strange breeze making fine strands of her fiery hair play across her face, her face devoid of any emotion.

"..." A small, faint smile then appeared on Cerridwen's lips as she gazed at Luis. Her eyes were closed happily. "That was QUITE a surprise to say the least, and I am most impressed. But I am afraid THIS is where it all ends, Mr. Santillan. You should've taken your own threat to heart."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Luis asked, gritting his teeth.

DJ blinked, then pointed upwards. "Either my eyes are deceiving me, or that IS Crescendo soaring high up in the AIR!!! When did it manage to dodge that ferocious ATTACK from Wyvern is WAY beyond ME...but...HOLY COW!!! Is Crescendo coming down for its FINAL ATTACK?!"

Luis looked up, his eyes widening. For a while, it seemed, Crescendo indeed was floating and soaring way up in the air. Then it decides to dive towards the still spinning Wyvern on the hole it just created on the battle dish.

Ralf's eyes narrowed. "Checkmate."

"Of all the stereotypical things I abhor people say when referring to ME in particular is being called a BIMBO. And called useless and weak! Let me teach you the value of humility, Mr. Santillan, and I'll make you fall off your high horse for being the narrow-minded braggart you ARE!!!" Cerridwen swipes her arm, the glowing feathers scattering in a flurry. "CRESCENDO!!! REQUIEM!!!"

The central bit glowed, and the cat-dog (;;) -Holy Beast- sprung out again. A very intricate-looking sigil with flowing Hebrew script and 8 tinier seals all around the stained glass central one of the -Holy Beast- itself appeared beneath Wyvern, holding it fast; the Bey Blade wasn't able to move anywhere except dead-center of the central seal. Luis' eyes widened. "WYVERN!!!"

Luis' fiery -Holy Beast- screeched, trying to get away from the strange seal, but as was said earlier, it was rendered immobile. Tall pillars of different-colored light shot out from the tinier seals, as the entire backdrop of the battle suddenly turned inky black. Crescendo shot towards the helpless Bey Blade, the -Holy Beast- roaring for all its worth; it was surrounded by a brilliant white light which made onlookers cover their eyes then hurled itself towards Wyvern, as a loud booming noise was heard all throughout the stadium.

Max, Professor, Takao, Kai, Yuri and Mao forgot all their previous theatrics and stared at the battle dish in disbelief, their mouths small O's; Lei's gold amber eyes becoming wide and blank. A subliminal shot of Wyvern and Crescendo appeared in their mind's eye, so vivid it was they were all shocked out of their wits...Crescendo was biting Wyvern's neck and ripping through him with his claws as a furious cyclone of glowing purest white feathers scattered about in a flurry.

Wyvern was hurled out of the battle dish and stuck itself into DJ's floating platform; Luis could only follow it with his eyes, speechless and shocked. The force was so powerful it nearly knocked DJ off his feet; he only managed to reach out and grab onto the railings before he fell.

There was a deathly silence that followed. Cerridwen tossed her fiery hair over her shoulder, blown helter-skelter as it was with the winds that battered the battle dish earlier, then fixed her mint green gaze upon DJ, who was now shakily getting up to his feet. The announcer looked over the railings to see what happened to Wyvern; then, seeing it stuck beneath him, he looked over to where Crescendo was and amazingly enough, it was still spinning by itself right in that hole Wyvern created a while ago, spinning without a care in the world.

DJ swiped his left arm in the air. "Since Wyvern is well WAY out of the Blading range and thrown out of the battle dish...the winner, of this match..."

Wyvern cracked, then fell in pieces to the floor.

DJ blinked, then nodded. "Uh...as I was saying...the winner in this match...which gives them 2 points in their bid for their Zero Pre-Finals tourney...is CERRIDWEN ASCOT-ELRIDGE, FOR THE WING BLADES!!!"

The stadium, which was deathly quiet a while ago, now exploded with thunderous applause for the young girl, as there were also scattered cat calls and shrill whistles coming from the male part of the audience.

Professor was then waving his arms over his head in jubilation, tears pouring out in torrents from his eyes, as he cheered for Cerridwen. "CERRIDWEN!!! YEAH!!! I KNOW YOU'LL MAKE IT I KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO WIN"

"OUCH!!!"

SD Professor got his laptop from the man sitting in front of him, to which he dropped his laptop on top of his head while cheering for Cerridwen, then resumed his cheering. "CERRIDWEN!!!"

"Wow!" SD Max whistled. "I can SEE why the Wing Blades are a clear favorite in winning the tourney..."

SD Takao was miserably torn between defending their own team and giving a compliment on how well Cerridwen did for her team and the bane of his existence, the Wing Blades.

"They're not just a bunch of bimbos. I can also see clearly why Yuri has every reason to fear them." Kai looked over at Yuri, who was looking down at Cerridwen as she waved to the audience, her eyes closed happily as she did so. His red brown eyes narrowed. "Isn't it so, Yuri...?"

"..." Yuri gave a small nod. "THAT'S the team we're going up against. Now you know why Mr. Daitenji was adamant in making me join the BBA Team, Hiwatari. He knew it would come to this."

Kai's eyes narrowed even further. "So you think you're God's gift to the BBA, Ivanov...?"

"It's not as if I'm putting you all down on this, Hiwatari, as you've defeated us in the Russian Finals...as you ought to remember. Mr. Daitenji just wants you to succeed in this, as they're going to be our toughest opponents yet." Yuri looked over at Kai, his ice blue eyes cold and narrowed. "This is just one of Saint Dranzer's warnings, yes...? Those people who invited you over in this tourney knew of your potential as a team, that was why Saint Dranzer took flight. Did you honestly think I decided to join the BBA just because I'm BORED, Hiwatari...?"

Kai was just quiet. He turned to face the battle dish "I just want to know why Mr. Daitenji agreed to this. I don't want to think of him using us as his pawns. It's clear that he's not that kind of man...although, his friendship with that of the Abbey's 'Mother Superior' leaves much to be desired. It's very clear that we weren't just dragged here to Bey Blade."

Cerridwen then knelt and caught her spinning Bey Blade as it spun towards her. She looked over at Luis, who was still very shocked as he picked up the bits and pieces of what was left of his Bey Blade.

"Well, I DID say that I'm going to make this match short and very brutally sweet. But I was a little harsh on him." Cerridwen blinked. "OK, a little TOO harsh. I'll just offer my services in fixing his Bey Blade, then..."

She walked towards Team Spain's dugout. Both Selenay and Kikka turned SD, their eyes widely circular. "Don't tell ME she's going to do what I THINK she's going to DO?" SD Selenay asked, her eyes little beads.

SD Kikka blinked. "I think she's going to do what SHE'S about to do, Selenay."

"Oh for heaven's sake..." Medain forgot her mini-standoff with Shizue then stood up, glaring over at where Cerridwen was headed. "HEY!!! ELRIDGE!!! What do you THINK you're DOING?!"

SD Shizue started to twitch. "You really can't blame her, Medain, she's just too damn nice...you keep forgetting even Lady Celes has given up on her a long time ago..." she muttered, her arms crossed over her chest and her forehead exhibiting little spasms.

SD Medain held her hand to her forehead. "It's the reason WHY Ivanov became remotely human in the first place...sheesh, doesn't she even think about her status and privilege being a Guild Master at ALL?!"

SD Kikka blinked at the both of them. "Hey, is being nice THAT evil...? It's not as if Cerridwen's asking for royalties, as she's a Guild Master...she's in it just because she LOVES Bey Blading...she and Arthur Lancaster both..."

"And they're the BANE of the entire Guild Master GUILD'S existence." SD Medain looked really sick. "I think I need an aspirin..."

DJ blinked. "Well, after that VERY action-filled second Bey match...it's time for the next Bladers to strut their stuff!!! Would the next Bladers please step FORWARD!!!"

Shizue rolled her eyes, then stood up, frowning over at the battle dish. "It's no wonder why Cerridwen's becoming very confused...we're supposed to be the bane of every Bey Blader's existence, and there she goes, undoing all the destruction we caused. She's too nice to be a Wing Blade."

"Maybe it's why Lady Celes handpicked her from those hopefuls in the first place, and why Crescendo chose her to become his new mistress. It's for us not to lose our focus," Selenay said thoughtfully. She then sweatdropped. "Although, her kindness becomes a little too much sometimes..."

"Damn right you are..." SD Medain said with a murderous glare right over at Cerridwen.

Oliver blinked. "We keep forgetting we're in the lair of the world's iciest Bey Bladers right next to the Balkov Monastery's emotionless soldiers..."

"And they just happen to be beautiful young ladies." SD Giancarlo grinned then draped his arm over SD Medain. "I could thaw you right over, Countess Summer, and we'll both be sharing beautiful nights for the rest of our lives in each others' arms..."

SD Medain gave him a corkscrew punch to the jaw. "SHRIVEL UP AND DIE, DONATORE!!!"

Shizue then stepped right into the periphery of the Bey arena, coming up just as a new battle dish was slowly and automatically being fitted into place. Maria Santillan was glaring right at Shizue, her maroon eyes narrowed and set. "I don't know what you girls are playing at, but I'm going to make sure you're all going to pay for THIS!!!"

"Yeah, whatever." Shizue made a show of yawning, patting her hand daintily against her mouth. She then languidly looked over to where Maria was standing. "You say you're going to provide me with entertainment...? Then I'm looking forward to it. I'm getting really bored dreadfully fast."

"Why YOU"

"Alright Bladers, take your POSITIONS!!!" DJ was saying. "Are you READY?!"

"Perseides is going to take YOU DOWN!!!" Maria yelled.

"Make sure you make quick work of me, or I'll be sorely disappointed," Shizue said as she fitted Falcrest into her Shooter: it was an icy blue with unfurled falcon's wings in flight at the sides. She smiled, her lovely gray eyes becoming icy shards of silver. "Think you could hack it...?"

"3...2...1...GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO....SSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTT!!!"

Mr. Daitenji was slowly making his way towards the stadium. And from the noise he heard coming from inside the arena, he knew it was perfectly clear that a great match was happening right there and then, and he knew the boys were enjoying it tremendously. He had no regrets taking them one step further. It had been a long time since the Japanese Regional Bey Blade Championships, and the BBA Team has come a long way...he was always amazed as how they've all matured and became even much better with each battle they've faced. Meeting up with the world's most powerful teams definitely whipped them into shape, and they all have learned to trust in each other's skills and played each other's strengths as they surpassed each hurdle with flying colors. They were the best talents he had ever seen since that Zero Finals Bey Blade World Championships 20 years ago, when the original Wing Blades squared off against the original members of the Balkov Monastery Bey Blade Team...and now, by winning the Russian Finals, the BBA Team helped Bey Blading become an even more popular sport than before. Mr. Daitenji smiled ruefully. It was high time to give them a shot at big time Bey Blade...it was time to get rough, and time to play Bey Blade like all the big boys do. It's not just another pastime anymore. This was what he had all prepared them for.

Mr. Daitenji then made a turn right into the stadium's entrance. He blinked. Surely, he wasn't imagining things...?

But no. The entire stadium looked as if it was a scene from somewhere in the furthest regions of the Arctic Circle, on the topmost part of the world: everything, everyone, was covered in ice.

DJ's teeth was chattering as he tried gripping his microphone, his hand going numb as it was from the tiny icicles that had sprung from it. "H-h-how the h-heck did i-i-i-it suddenly g-get so F-F-F-FREEZING in H-H-H-HERE?! A-another devastating a-a-a-attack from S-Shizue, and s-she's showing NO s-s-s-signs of l-letting UP!!! Cripes, i-is she the one r-r-r-responsible for this s-sudden ICE AGE?!"

Maria held her arms closer to her body as she looked right over at Shizue, who was just standing there with a very bored look on her face. Maria gritted her teeth. "You F-F-F-FRIGGING ICE Q-QUEEN!!! Who t-t-t-the HECK do y-you think Y-Y-Y-YOU ARE?! Don't you P-P-P-PLAY with M-ME!!!"

"Hey, it's NOT my fault if you're just a tad bit too amateurish for this tourney, senorita." SD Shizue yawned again, this time having small beads of moisture at the corners of her eyes. "Oh MAN, I'm SO bored. Was that the best thing you ever DID already?!"

SD Max gripped his arms about him tighter, several sweatdrop explosions about his head. "W-W-What on E-E-E-EARTH is S-SHE, some F-F-FRIGGING I-ICE POPSICLE?! WHY T-T-THE H-HECK isn't SHE A-A-AFFECTED by this ICE STORM?!"

SD Takao sweatdropped, his teeth chattering. "N-n-n-no, Max, she's j-just the frigging A-A-Abominable S-S-S-Snowman."

"D-D-Damn, she makes Y-Y-Yuri's iceberg a-attack f-feel like a g-g-gentle summer b-b-b-breeze," SD Max said through chattering teeth.

Ralf was watching Shizue's match with a thoughtful look in his eyes.

"My, Lady Tsukigata's VERY bored today," Ralf mused. "Honestly, I haven't seen Falcrest's Arctic antics since Oliver's otherwise poor attempt on ozouni the other New Year's Day."

SD Oliver sweatdropped. "How was I supposed to know she prefers it WITHOUT vegetables...?"

Shizue yawned for the third time, then swipes her arm in a diagonal manner in front of her. "Well, since you've entertained me quite more than the average, I guess I have to repay your kindness for your...very thoughtful consideration. Frankly, my dear, I think you should go back to Bey Blade preschool, that was QUITE a joke, if I do say so myself...as I was HIGHLY amused."

Maria glared at her. "D-D-D-DON'T you L-LOOK down o-o-o-on M-M-ME!!! I'll m-make you E-E-E-EAT those W-W-W-WORDS"

"Like you've said for the last 17 times already...yeah." Shizue sighed then crossed her arms over her chest. "Falcrest, what do you think?"

Shizue's -Holy Beast-, an ice falcon, gave a resounding screech as it glared right at Perseides at the other end of the battle dish, wobbling dangerously at the edge.

"As I've thought so." Shizue's eyes narrowed. "It's the end of the road for you, dearie. Don't you worry though, I'll make sure I'll advertise your amusing antics to the other Bey Bladers out there...I'm sure they'll have their own fun with you. Falcrest...ICE BOLT!!!"

Falcrest the ice falcon -Holy Beast- screeched anew, sending a volley of deadly ice shafts towards Perseides with one flap of his great wings. The ice arrows froze everything it touched in its path of destruction, and several of these deadly bolts hit the Bey Blade with unnerving precision. Its -Holy Beast-, a barracuda, got frozen over with the devastating ice attack and the Bey Blade got thrown out of the battle dish, frozen neatly with glinting crystal ice.

Maria stared after it in disbelief. DJ was quiet for a few seconds as well as he stared after the frozen Bey Blade before the cameraman waved at him again to get his attention. He blinked, then swipes his left arm in the air. "T-the winner of this m-m-match...and assured a s-sure slot up the t-t-t-tourney rankings respectively...is S-Shizue Tsukigata for the W-W-WING B-BLADES!!!" he yells.

The audience erupted into thunderous applause. Shizue caught her spinning Bey Blade with one hand and, with a still bored look on her face, returned to her team's dugout. The ice suddenly vanished as mysteriously as it had come when Falcrest returned to its mistress, and left some of the spectators awestruck.

SD Max's eyes were little beads. "She's making me THINK that ice storm she conjured is nothing but a figment of our own imaginations..."

SD Professor's glasses tilted on top of his head. "Yuri, how the HECK did you all manage to survive the Wing Blades?!"

"Damn devil's luck," Yuri answered unflappably, still looking over at the battle dish. Kai broke into cold sweat.

We're going against those girls...?! How the hell...battling Team Russia was hell enough by itself, what more with THEM...

He saw Ana smiling benignly in his mind's eye, and he became even more frightened.

She KNEW about this all along...she knew I would be seeking power...and this is what I get. A slot at the Zero Pre-Finals. SHIT.

He saw Selenay walk over to where Shizue was, and his eyes narrowed. Damn it. I mustn't let myself panic...no way am I going to use the Black Dranzer...no frigging WAY...

Selenay met Shizue halfway, still holding SD Kikka in her arms and turned SD, her eyes closed happily. "That was quite a joyride, if I do say so myself, Shizue! That served that team RIGHT!"

"Yeah, whatever." Shizue was still looking bored. "Damn, and I thought I wasn't going to get BORED."

"Uh...and that concludes our action-filled opening match between the Wing Blades and Team SPAIN!!! I could definitely SEE why the Wing Blades are clear favorites in winning the Zero Pre-Finals Tournament...these girls are kicking serious butt, and are clearly not a bunch of pushovers at all...!!! WOW, and this is just the opening SALVO!!! I really can't wait for the upcoming battles...at the rate things are going, this is going to be the BEST Zero Pre-Finals YET!!!" DJ swipes his arm in the air. "And without much further ado (adieu?! Oo;;), I bring you the next teams up for action...Team Korea and Team IRELAND!!! Are you guys READY TO RIP IT?!"

The audience's roar was clear enough.

"That second match was WAY boring, if I do say so myself," Shizue was muttering as they made their way out the arena, as there was a recess before the upcoming third match, involving Team Brazil and the BBA Team. "Aside from giving the entire stadium a thoroughly needed makeover, there aren't enough scene stealers left to even warm up my buttered toast."

"Well, you have got to admit, those -Holy Beasts- those guys were using were astounding enough, to say the very least," Giancarlo said, nodding. He shuddered. "I didn't think I'd be seeing that MacKenzie idiot in this tourney, I thought his chimera ran out on him or something..."

"And I'm pretty SURE you've had lots of new friends after that match was over, Cerridwen," Medain growled. "Didn't take you 3 seconds to actually run up to those morons and offered to help them with their destroyed Bey Blades."

"W-well, it's the least I could do...I mean, their Bey Blades were beyond repair..." Cerridwen began.

"And ordinary Bey techs could've made even more serious damage than help to their owners, yeah. It was Guild Master level." Shizue shook her head. "When will you EVER learn that we're waging a battle in here, Cerridwen?! We're not here to come help those idiots and cry over their own spilled milk. If they can't repair their own Bey Blades, then let them worry about it! You're basically in this tourney to help us with our OWN problems, and not solve the problems of OTHERS. You really don't need to be damn nice to just about everybody..."

"Hey, hey! Come ON, it's finished ALREADY, and why don't we all get a needed BREAK?" Selenay said, clapping her hands to get their attention. "It's not Cerridwen's fault she's just too nice, so let's just forget about that and worry about our own hides for now. The BBA Team's up next, right...? And as what Kikka's been telling me, they're quite a handful more than what we expected..."

"The only other guy worth mentioning aside from Yuri is that guy you danced with, Selenay. Other than those 2, those left are not even worth so-so." Medain waved her hand in front of her face. "And that Arthur Lancaster look-alike was a let-down."

"No, he WASN'T!" SD Kikka protested vehemently. "He was GOOD! That pimply guy he was going up against then was just plain CHEAP and EVIL!!!"

"And we can expect no less from the leader of the White Tiger Clan," Ralf seconded his cousin. "He actually makes up one of the hard-hitters of that team...he and Kai Hiwatari, both. As for Takao Kinogu...he just has the damn devil's luck in everything he does."

Selenay blinked. "Hey, but wasn't he the one who defeated YURI?!"

"He has really questionable Bey Blade battle tactics and he doesn't even think about what he's doing, and he still needs the support of his friends to keep him focused on the match," Oliver said, nodding and wagging his finger. "A scatterbrained tactician, if ever there was such. But I have to admit that he's a GOOD scatterbrain."

"And noisy, too," Johnny put in. "VERY noisy."

"It's what endeared him to YOU, isn't it right, Medain...?" SD Shizue slyly commented.

"Shut UP, Tsukigata..."

"As for Max...he's the tactician of the group, weighing all his other options carefully before launching his Bey Blade into the Bey stadium. He works quietly." Ralf nodded. "And even if it's that hard to admit it, yes, they're just about the strongest Bey Blade team we've ever faced. Those -Holy Beasts- of theirs..."

Kikka bit her lip. "Come to think of it, Lady Celes did mention something about their -Holy Beasts-..."

"I don't give a DAMN even if they manage to tame a 50 foot Godzilla to fit in their Bey Blades. It's NOT as if they could get past US. Besides, inviting those retards here was just a BIG mistake. Why Lady Celes bothered to invite them here is just WAY beyond me." Medain frowned. "And I REALLY still can't get over that fact that they managed to defeat Team Russia and became frigging CHAMPIONS!!!"

"And I've been REALLY wondering how the heck you could STILL manage to spring your Bey Blade for a full charge attack with that huge head of yours getting in the way of your Shooter range," Takao snapped from right behind her, his forehead exhibiting little spasms.

The Wing Blades and Team Europe all turned to look. Sure enough, the BBA Team was right behind them, Takao in the lead, his arms crossed over his chest. He was still glaring at Medain. "Listen here, you flatchested tomboy, I'm NOT about to run from such a bigheaded brat like you. Your skills aren't up to par with MINE. So shove that thought right through that big empty head of YOURS!!!"

"F-flatchested....?!" SD Medain sprouted several gargantuan twitches on her head, then rounded up on Takao, becoming a huge fire-breathing ogre in the process. "Listen here you punched up little BRAT, I'm going to make SURE that your BEY BLADE'S going to EAT SOLEIDES' DUST!!! AND NOBODY CALLS ME EMPTY HEADED!!!"

SD Max sweatdropped. "Very amiable young lady, isn't she..."

Shizue frowned, her eyes narrowed. "I really can't see the logic behind you joining up with THEM, Ivanov. Have you really stooped down THAT low as to even BE with them...?"

SD Mao twitched. "And who's asking for YOUR opinion, you stuck up WITCH? Just BECAUSE you've won your first match doesn't MEAN you're already that UNTOUCHABLE!!!"

Giancarlo tried pacifying the now short of murderous groups. "Hey, hey, people, lay off the INSULTS, if you PLEASE? If you have to insult each other, THERE'S the Bey stadium..."

Shizue twitched. "And WHO was that one who managed to get her girly Bey Blade destroyed in the process for sticking her horridly pink head into other people's BUSINESS...?"

SD Mao's eyes became devilish little slits. "LEI'S business is MY BUSINESS!!!"

"..." SD Medain's eyes were thrown into shadow. "Funny, I DIDN'T ask your boyfriend to make a fool of himself...I asked YOU."

SD Mao rounded on her, her forehead exhibiting zillions of gargantuan twitches. "AND YOU WERE ASKING FOR IT!!!"

SD Lei's eyes became little beads. Ralf was holding his hand to his face. "Sometimes, there comes a point when their noble upbringing and rabid temperaments clash and the fine line between them is absolutely BLURRED..." he muttered.

There was a resounding clap of thunder, and soon enough, rain poured outside the arena in sheets.

"Somebody couldn't agree with you more, Jurgen." Johnny sighed, then looked disgruntled. "Geez, I've forgotten how Shizue and Medain become absolute war freak zealots concerning insult fests..."

SD Kai was frowning cutely. "And so he saves himself the LIBERTY of having someone else call him as SUCH," he muttered.

SD Johnny then had a very huge black aura hovering ominously about his person. "And what was THAT, Hiwatari...?"

Oliver sweatdropped. "And so I think we all ought to run for cover."

Giancarlo sweatdropped as well. "Problem is, where the hell are we supposed to run...?"

"..." Cerridwen was just looking at Lei, who was now trying to hold Takao back (along with Max and Professor) and prevent him from leaping at Medain. Medain was held back by Selenay and Kikka, millions of sweatdrop explosions about their heads. All of the mayhem sort of faded into the background, as she held her laptop closer to her chest and her eyes became expressive as she gazed at Lei.

But...would you even see me...Lei...?

The sound of the pouring rain was answer enough.

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AUTHOR'S NOTES: Eep, it's really hard fighting your own ghosts. Cerridwen must really get over the fact that Lei ONLY looks like Arthur, and he ISN'T him, FAST. Somebody hit her with a mallet, QUICK!!! Poor Yuri. Now he REALLY has to compete with a GHOST.