Chapter 13

Finally Famous and

Mastering the Moves

We saw a limousine parked and waiting for us. We started to walk towards it, but soon we were surrounded by a blur of black lenses, reporters, and questions. Three or four news crews had surrounded us and were taking pictures. A microphone was suddenly shoved in Robert's face.

"Robert," One of the reporters said, "as team captain, why did you decide to add a new member?"

"It was originally Enrique's idea." Robert said, "but as you all have seen, she is a great Blader and is a great addition to the team."

"She get along with anyone well?" another asked.

"Everyone." He said, "Enrique, a little more than the rest of us."

The microphone suddenly was swung in Enrique and my direction.

"Anything going on between you two?" a reporter asked.

We both turned red and looked at each other. We looked back at the reporter.

"No comment!" We both said at the same time.

The microphone was moved back towards Robert as we gave a sigh of relief.

"How do you hope to do in the next round of the tournament?"

"Well." He said, "we are good Bladers, but we always have room to improve."

"Very wise insight Robert." The reporter said as the crowd vanished, "We hope to speak with you again."

"Good thing that's over." I said with relief.

"It's not." Enrique said.

"What torture is there left to go through?" I asked.

"Fans." Enrique said.

Suddenly, I heard a faint scream. It got louder as I saw a large crowd of girls race toward us. They surrounded the team and began asking for autographs. The girls pushed me to the side and began barraging Enrique with questions. I caught a glimpse of one question.

"Who's that Ayia girl?"

I worked my way through the crowd and stood next to Enrique. I leaned over to him.

"Enrique, run for your life." I said softly, "if I don't make it, go on without me."

I swallowed hard before facing the fans.

"I'm Enrique's girlfriend." I said.

The girls suddenly gasped. I could see their painted nails extend like cat claws. They started to chase us as their high-heeled shoes clicked on the ground like angry bull hooves. We ran to the limousine and got in as quick as we could, but not before I felt their sharp nails dig into the skin of my left arm. I shut the door as the limousine sped off.

I held my arm that was burning from the scratches.

"Love hurts." I said as we laughed.

"You okay?" Enrique asked as he examined my arm, "those fans are terrible, but what can I say, can't keep them away from me."

"Ri-ght." I said.

The limousine pulled out of the city and into a bit of countryside where we saw a mansion, it must be Enrique's. It was huge!

"This-" started, "this is all yours!"

"Yeah." Enrique said.

The limousine pulled into his long driveway and dropped us off at the gates.

"Thanks Piddelsworth." I said as we got out of the limousine.

He nodded as he closed the door for us and drove off.

We walked into the mansion. It was about the same design of the Base's, but it seemed a bit more modern.

"Just find yourself a room and make yourself comfortable." Enrique said.

I walked down a long hallway and found a small room. The interior was a dark blue with white furniture. There was a laptop on a nearby desk with a small lamp. On the other pair of dressers sat a CD player and a TV. I set my bag down and walked back out into the hallway. I saw Robert and went to talk to him about the Engine Gears.

"Robert." I said walking up to him.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Will you be installing the Engine Gears?" I asked.

"Yes." He said, "The should be ready by the ceremony; we'll all take our blades with us incase we want to battle anyone."

"Thanks Robert." I said as I walked off down a hallway.

I walked a little farther down the hallway. Suddenly, I felt a pair of hands fall over my eyes and darken my vision.

"Guess who?" A voice asked. I instantly knew who it was.

"Oliver!" I said, "you scared me for a minute."

"Keep your eyes closed." He said, I have a surprise for you."

He took his hands off my eyes, but they remained closed. He lightly took my hands in his and led me through the mansion. I followed his steps trustingly. He led up what seemed like a staircase and I heard the creak of a door. I stepped forward to feel the sun on my face. We were outside.

"Open them." He said as I opened my eyes to see a huge blimp.

"Is it yours?" I asked.

"Yes, come on." He said,

He led me onto the blimp. I looked around to see a few small seats and a Captain's seat. Oliver sat in the Captain's seat.

"You know how to fly this thing?" I asked.

"Yeah." He said as he pulled a lever and the engine started and the blimp was lifted into the air, making me fall back in a seat.

The blimp soared through the air. I looked at the window to see Rome below us.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"You'll see." He said.

I sat back in my seat and relaxed.

After about an hour, Oliver spoke again.

"Close your eyes again." Oliver said as I closed them.

'What's he up to?' I asked myself as I felt him land the blimp and lead me out into the open air.

"Open them," He said as I opened my eyes to see a huge familiar building surrounded by plants and bushes of all sizes. The building itself was tall and pointed at the top and its outside was constructed of metal bars crisscrossing each other in a weaving pattern. The Louver!

"How did you--" I started, "get me here?"

"It didn't take that long through the air." He said, "do you know why we're here?"

"To see famous paintings of course!" I said.

"Not only that," He said, "follow me."

I followed him into the large building. I saw that it was connected to other chambers by long hallways.

"How large is it?" I asked.

"It's the size of a small city." Oliver said.

"Wow." I said, in awe of the great works that hung around us.

"Come on." He said, "I have something important to show you."

He led me down a long hallway and into a small room where a small crimson curtain hung in the center of the room.

"Surprise!" Oliver said as he opened the curtain to show the picture of Orelin I had painted earlier.

"It's—Orelin." I said, stammering, looking for any words to describe what I saw. My work here, in the most respected museum in the world. I was finally known about in the world of art. My dream had come true. My painting was finally here. I hugged Oliver, "Oliver! How did you do this?"

"The owners spotted it when they came to my mansion before we left." He said, "They wanted it, so I gave it to them to put here, if it's okay with you."

"Okay?" I said, "It's great! Thank you!"

"You deserved it." He said, "You have a talent, and it needs to be shown to the world."

"Thank you." I said, still staring at the painting, "so much."

"The owners said they'd like to see some of your other work." He said, "But I told them were would be moving around a lot an I gave them the date we'd be back."

"That's—great!" I said.

"Now, we'd better get back." He said, "The team will be expecting us."

"They knew about this?" I asked.

"Yeah." He said, "come on."

He turned to leave. But then I remembered my request to Enrique.

"Oliver, wait." I said.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I was thinking---about our next match," I started, "with the Windwakers."

"Yeah?" He said.

"I thought that two of our members, me and Enrique maybe," I started, "could challenge them to a tag-team match."

"What!" He said.

"When you think about it, it could work." I said, "Their Bitbeasts are the same type. We are strong, but if we make them battle individually, they will beat us."

"How are you so sure?" He asked.

"I just am." I said, "That's all I can say. I mean, it doesn't matter who will be, they just need some extensive training with me."

"Do you know anything about battling as a tag team?" Oliver asked.

"I used to blade that way all the time," I said, "with a partner of mine—so yeah, I know a lot."

" I don't see why not." Oliver said, "We just need Robert's permission."

"You think I should battle with Enrique?" I asked.

"Either that or--" Oliver started, "with Johnny."

"Johnny?" I said, with a laugh, "he's the last person I'd expect to tag team with, but why him?"

"You two disagree so much," He said, "your blades can't help but work together."

"Huh?" I asked.

"You two are more similar than you think," Oliver said, "and it's not only in your Blading style, but in your lifestyle, a little passive, a little aggressive. But, when you're around him, both of you are very competitive."

"I see your point." I said, "Well, I'll train both of them in a bit of a crash course, but I think we can pull it off."

"Well let's get back," He said, "we need to start as soon as possible."

"Yeah," I said, "Either one will do great, or they'll both do really bad, but it's worth seeing if it can happen."

"I think so too." He said as we walked out of the museum and back onto the blimp.

The flight back was pretty quiet. We both got back and walked into the main room where we had walked in. The rest of the team was there. Johnny was leaning on a nearby staircase, Robert was shining Griffolyon's surface, and Enrique was drinking a glass of water. Oliver nudged my shoulder, telling me it was a good time to make the announcement.

"Guys." I said as they looked at me, "I have an announcement about the battle with the Windwakers."

"Let's hear it." Johnny said.

"I think it should be a tag team match." I said. They all looked up at me, and Enrique spit out a bit of his water.

"What!" Robert said.

"I think it should be a tag team match." I said, "I've tag team battled most of my life, and I think that I and one other person should battle two of the Windwakers."

"What a stupid plan!" Johnny said.

"Just listen!" I yelled, "They're all strong individually, but together, they are weak because of their same type of Bitbeast, and different element. You guys said you wanted to be a team, so show me that you want to be! Blading together is a bond of not only blades, but your souls as well. Just focusing your entire soul into one thing, so hard, so much, that nothing else matters. That's what tag team Blading is."

"Who did you have in mind?" Robert asked.

"Me and Enrique," I said, "or me and---Johnny."

"What?" Johnny said, "me?"

"Yes." I said. I turned to Robert, "Please Robert?"

"----Alright." He said.

"Alright!" I said, "Let's start training, we haven't got a minute to lose!"

I grabbed Johnny and Enrique's arms and dragged them through the mansion to look for a training dish.

"Where's your Beyblade dishes Enrique?" I said as I dragged the two down the hallway.

"To the left." He said as I turned sharply to the left, dragging the boys with me.

"Ouch!" I heard Johnny yelled as I dragged him and Enrique into a room. The room had a large dish in the center with smaller ones around the outside. They're were dishes filled with water, others with ice, grass, and other elements.

"These are all yours?" I asked.

"Yeah." Enrique said.

I drug the two over to an open spot in the floor and set both of them down.

"Close your eyes." I said to the two. They looked at me with cocked heads, "Close your eyes!"

They both shivered and closed their eyes. I closed mine as well.

"We are Bladers now." I said, "We are more powerful with our blades, our Bitbeasts, our spirits, and hearts. We are all the same."

"Huh?" Johnny asked.

I put his hand on my wrist, "Don't focus on what you see," I said, "what do you feel?"

"A heartbeat." He answered.

"You have one, and so do I," I said, "We are the same."

I took his other hand and put it on his wrist.

"Now feel the separation of our heartbeats." I said.

"It's only a second off." Johnny said.

"They have to be the same," I said, "We need perfect rhythm to be able to blade together. You are only as good as your partner, remember that."

I turned to Enrique.

"Enrique." I said, "Why are you here?"

"Huh?" He asked.

"Answer." I said.

"---I'm here to be the Champion Beyblader." He said.

"You say that like you're unsure." I said, if I learned one thing from training in the Abbey is that the Bladers in the Abbey are strong, tough, unforgiving, uncaring, and will do anything it takes to claw their way to the top. You can't be unsure. You have to go into this knowing why you're here and what your doing or you won't make it as a Blader."

"Right." He said.

"Now," I said, "I will train you in individual sessions, a different person a day."

"Who's first?" Johnny asked.

"You are." I said, "I believe you need quite a bit of work, as do you Enrique."

"I'll see you later then, Ayia." Enrique said as he got up and left.

"Bye Enrique." I said.

"Bye." He said as I heard the door close.

"Johnny." I said.

"What?" He asked.

"I think you're going to be my partner." I said.

"What?" He asked, "But you--"

"Love Enrique I know." I said, "I do, but, I think we wouldn't be together in our strategies, they're too different. You and I are almost the same."

I picked up Johnny's Beyblade.

"Johnny," I said, "did you know that your Bitbeast has a heart and spirit of its own? It is a living creature just like you, and you need to listen to it."

I put it in his hand and put his hand to his ear.

"Listen to its heart beat," I said, "Your blade is more powerful than you think it is."

"I hear it." Johnny said.

"Now listen to Orelin's heart." I said, putting Orelin to his other ear.

"They are the same." He said.

"Exactly." I said, "We are more alike than both of us know, and our Bitbeasts show it, we need to let them work together."

"Okay." He said.

"Now, open your eyes." I said as he opened them, "Get your Launcher; that's our first task. We need to time our launch so precise; we will have the same spin amount, and the same rotation angle. Remember Rei's battle? His rotation caused him to be out of the dish, and we can't let that happen."

"Right." He said as we walked over to a dish. We held up our Launchers.

"3,2,1, Let it Rip!"