Disclaimer: none of us owns Beyblade or most of the OC in this story. Still, I own Stella, Corinna, Jane, Kyo and the plot, Candy owns Nastya and our best friend, Wiz, owns Madge.
And now the story…
The girls passed through the garden gate and to the house, Kyo leading the way. He took them to the first floor. As soon as they entered the house Kyo began, almost immediately, to distribute the rooms. Stella followed on the back of the line.
"This is your room," Kyo said to Jane.
Jane entered the room dragging her suitcase behind. It was a typical Japanese room. With all very tidy and clean, functional. The furniture had clean straight lines and was, essentially, made of a light wood. Some lamps and a silk screen decorated the room.
Jane seemed pleased and remained on her new room while Kyo showed the other girls their rooms.
Next was Corinna's, which was pretty similar to Jane's, only the main colors changed. Corinna made some remarks on the decoration of the room and then Kyo continued the tour.
Madge's room was next. Madge, who had never been on a true Japanese room, was incredibly happy with her own.
Nastya's room stayed right next to Madge's and immediately before Kyo's. Nastya seemed to like her room but made no special comment or remark. She dropped her suitcase and continued the tour on the house.
Before the others could join them Nastya took a good look at Stella. Usually she wore skater clothes always on dark shades, but today she was wearing hot pants, a long sleeve t-shirt and matching ballerina shoes.
"What happened to you, Stella?" asked Nastya turning to the black haired girl.
"What d'you mean?" Stella turned.
"You don't seem like yourself," Nastya added with a smile.
"Then I have no idea who else I may seem," Stella answered.
Kyo looked back at the two girls causing Jane to crash on him.
"Geez! Don't stop in the middle!" she complained.
"Sorry," Kyo apologized.
"You tell that to my nose," Jane continued.
"Well, lets move on," Kyo said smiling. "Here on the right there's the first bathroom, then…"
"Kyo?" Nastya interrupted. "Where's Stella's room?" Nastya was dying to know. She knew Stella had lived in that house before and she suspected Kyo had made her a special room. She betted it was twice bigger than hers and had a way nicer view.
"Why d'you want to know?" Kyo asked in reply.
"I don't know, if she's not anywhere in the house and we need to talk to her it's better for us to know where her room is. Maybe she's there sleeping or we could leave a message," explained Nastya.
"Straight ahead and up the stairs," Stella answered.
Nastya turned back to face Stella. She glared. She was hoping to force Kyo to excuse himself for Stella's better room.
Corinna noticed the mood was getting strange so she decided to break things.
"I need to talk to you all. I have a very important news for you," she said.
"Shoot," Jane challenged.
"No, I think it would be better if we were all sat together and… I really think you should sit," Corinna crossed her arms over her chest.
"Then lets go back to the living room," Kyo smiled. He led the girls through the corridor and to the fabulous living room. It was the most sumptuous room in the whole house. It had beige walls with fans decorating them and also some hand-painted scarves, then instead of sofas there were several huge squared silk cochins, some painted some embroidered. There were also three silk screens and dark wood tables, porcelain jars and many paintings but absolutely fabulous was the framed light blue kimono. The girls, all but Stella, were amazed.
"This room is B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!" commented Madge.
"Thank you," Kyo smiled at his friend approval.
"Absolutely marvelous," said Nastya.
"Can we touch it?" asked Jane. "It seems like we're in a museum."
Kyo couldn't avoid a smile.
"It's definitely amazing and very beautiful," said Corinna smiling. "Now I think we should sit." They went towards the giant cochins and sat. "Well, I've just been informed by Mr. Dickinson himself of certain changes on the tournament's usual organization."
"What d'you mean? Why are they changing things after having started the tournament already?" asked Jane. This sort of things always got pissed.
"Well, he didn't explain me the exact motives but it seems that he and the other BBA partners have found necessary the change," Corinna went on. "The original number of players entered in the beginning of the tournament has to remain the same until the end of it. You can add a new player or replace somebody but you can't lose one."
Madge and Jane were about to fall. "Was this all you had to tell us?" Madge said "That doesn't mean a thing to us."
"You know, you were starting to really worry us," said Jane smirking.
"And you have a reason to worry. Perhaps I haven't explained myself very well. This means that during the battle we have to be all together, all the time. No one can be ever late nor miss a single match. This is a real problem for us. Remember that last year you broke your foot, Jane, and we had to come all by ourselves because you were at home. That can never happen again," said Corinna.
She was right. They put their names on the tournaments list and then they never really showed up all together. Last year Jane had had to stay at home and the previous Madge had got sick and went to the doctor. Now they could never miss a match again, none of them.
"You mean we have to be there all in the bench?" asked Stella. Corinna nodded. "Then you forgot to mention our biggest problem, we can't go and watch the other teams play while any of us is battling."
"Precisely," Corinna concluded.
"It could be worst." And Stella walked away of the room heading to her own.
"I really hate when she does this," said Nastya.
Kyo took a look at his watch. "Well, go get yourselves at home that I'm going to cook dinner." And he too left the room.
"What are we still doing here?" asked Corinna. "Lets unpack." And they followed their leader's advice.
Soon the dinner was set on the table and everybody sat on the table eating. It can't be said that it was a very interesting moment, for everybody was silence except Madge or Nastya, who asked for the water twice.
After dinner Corinna obliged them all to go sleep and after many protests they went each to their room. Though as usual Stella's light just went down after three o'clock in the morning.
Next morning was chaos. "Corinna! Where is my pink dress?", "Kyo! Is there any milk in the fridge?", "Did anyone see my white ribbon?", "Where's the bathroom again?", "Stella! We're late!"
The funny thing about this was that Stella was the only one ready. She was sat on the kitchen, taking her cereals with milk and watching everybody running around looking for something, tying their hairs, helping someone… Everything.
Half an hour later they were all ready and no one could tell by their looks what had been running on that house just thirty minutes before. "We're all fine, right?" checked Corinna. And they entered the limo that was expecting them outside.
"I'm nervous," stated Madge. "Seriously nervous."
"Then it's a good thing that you aren't battling," replied Jane.
"I'm not nervous for me, I'm nervous for the team," said Madge, curling a lock of hair between two fingers. "And you're not blading either."
"I know. Crap!" Jane grimaced.
"I'm first," informed Stella.
"But you can't leave the team bench anymore," remembered Corinna. "So what's the point?"
"I don't care. I want Julia fresh and in her full power," said Stella.
"Then you'll be second. I heard Raul is going first," said Corinna.
"That's a stupid strategy. Julia is way better," Stella continued. "But if they want it that way then I'll wait." And she didn't say another word till they got to the stadium.
'X Bladers Squad vs. F Dynatsy', the posters in and outside the stadium showed that that was the main battle of the day. Some smaller posters informed that the BladeBreakers were facing the Saint Shields. In fact Stella and Corinna had already checked that they had a difficult round right here in Asia. DSM Power came first bringing nothing but a tie, then the Saint Shields followed, and then the mighty White Tigers. But it was right in the end of the round that the true challenge laid…
The girls and Kyo walked three steps into the stadium but soon they were pushed away by some hysterical reporters. "James! James! Look here James!" they were crying. "Konrad, is it true that you're going out with Mariah? James, how did it feel yesterday's victory?"
"Who are these?" asked Madge.
"The Knight's Legion," mumbled Stella. "The pride of Europe…"
Suddenly that James boy turned around showing his amazing emerald eyes. "Stella? Stella Lancaster? Can't be…" he said turning to the raven haired girl. A huge smirk was set on his features. "It's you, Stella."
"Stella, who is he?" asked Corinna putting her hand over Stella's shoulder.
"Buenos Aires… Five years ago…" Stella began. Her face was even more expressionless than usual. She was in shock.
"That was when you won your world championship," said Corinna, trying to help Stella.
"Of course it was," said James still smirking. "With us! But then you left, Stella, right before the finals you ran."
The press had been in state of shock too but was now summoned. This was just too good to be true! For years that they had been trying to invade the X Bladers Squad's life but with little success. Jane was the baby sister of former champion Johnny McGregor, big thing! And Kyo was the only son of an aristocrat industrial of Kyoto, great! If only the boy had crashed some Lamborghinis! That would have been interesting! But Stella had been interesting on the first three months, she seemed to be a total mystery, but eventually they had given up. But there it was their chance! Stella's past was finally coming up! And there's nothing more interesting to cheap press than someone's secret past.
Suddenly all flashes were over Stella and the X Bladers Squad. "Stella! Stella! Is it true? Have you had a common past with James? James! Have you dated? James! Stella! Corinna! Did you know about all this? Kyo, what's your reaction? Nastya! Madge! Jane! Over here!"
"Take me out of here," Stella whispered Kyo. It was like if the air was running out of oxygen, she felt like she was about to drown.
"Sure." He put his arm around Stella and took her inside where unauthorized pressed wasn't allowed. "We have to be fast or they'll call their authorized colleagues." The girls followed them but so did James.
"I don't think she'll want to see you," said Madge turning back to James.
"Who cares what she wants now! We have some unfinished business to take care of and I'm not delaying it any longer," answered James following right behind.
Kyo took Stella to their private room and slammed the door behind.
"Hey! You nearly hit my nose!" complained Jane who came behind. After her Nastya, Madge and Corinna entered.
"You wait outside," said Nastya to James.
Kyo sat Stella on a bench and kneeled in front of her. "Are you alright?" he asked.
"Yes, fine. Fine," she repeated. "I shouldn't have entered by the front door."
"I'm sorry I forgot that," apologized Corinna. "I know perfectly that you hate crowds."
"It's alright… It's alright," she said. More to herself than to the others.
"Uh… Stella…" Nastya really didn't know if it was a good time. "That guy who was talking to you is outside."
"James?" Stella asked, though she knew the answer.
"I think so," Nastya nodded.
"Okay…" Stella whispered.
"Stella, don't you wanna tell us who he is?" persuaded Jane.
"No," Stella answered.
"Okay…" Jane was disappointed. She was really curious about that handsome brunette.
"Do you want us to go away and send him in?" asked Madge.
"Please," answered Stella.
"Okay." And they headed to the door.
"Stay," Stella asked Kyo as he was leaving. "Please." Kyo went back and sat next to Stella.
A second later James entered with his usual smirk.
"Who could tell?" he began. "I've been trying to reach you for years and it had to be here, on Bey-Stadium." He looked at Kyo and then started to walk around the room.
"What d'you want James?" asked Stella.
"To talk. For five years that I've been trying to talk to you, but first you disappeared and then you became a star again. No one could touch you, no one could go any near you or they would be severely kicked by those closets you call body-guards," James said taking his hair of his face. "What still intrigues me is how were you able to absolutely vanish? To hide yourself. As far as I could understand none of those reporters recognized you. What happened to you?"
"What happened to you, James?" replied Stella.
James smirked, again. "Not much. When you disappeared in the airport you killed all our chances of winning the second championship. In a matter of minutes you threw away what seemed to be a granted prize."
"You hate me, don't you?"
"Well… Not anymore. Don't think yourself so important, Stella," he kept smirking. "It seems so long ago, doesn't it? We were kids, twelve years, we couldn't be more."
"Yes."
"Well, I'm going. Now that I know I can see you whenever I want I can go peacefully. Good-bye Stella." And James prepared to leave.
"You still haven't told me why did you decided to enter the tournament again," remembered Stella.
"And I won't tell you, at least not yet," he went to the door. "And Stella, a friend's advice: trust your instincts, cuz mine tell me you'll need to. Not everything that shines is gold." And James left.
"This was… strange," Stella said. She had the dreadful feeling that everybody knew something they didn't.
"Yes," agreed Kyo. "Are you okay?"
"Yes."
"You're right, this was strange. I thought he would come we a prepared speech and tell it all at once but it seems I was wrong," said Kyo. "But still I can't doubt he knew he would meet you."
"Yes, he knew. But he had to won the first game to get enough courage to face me," explained Stella.
"So you knew he was here?"
"No, I didn't. But it was clear he knew I was and I know him very well. That's exactly something James would do. He's very careful, he thought about it all."
"And what did you think of his advice?" Kyo said.
"I'm not sure. I think it will be useful but the thing is knowing why."
In that moment Corinna, Jane, Madge and Nastya returned.
"We saw James walk out so we figured it would be okay for us to come back," said Madge.
"How are you girl?" asked Jane.
"Fine, thank you. Don't worry, I'm not fragile," Stella answered.
"But you sure seemed shaken back in the entrance of the stadium," remembered Nastya.
"I don't like crowds, that's all," Stella said. Kyo put his arm around her shoulder. He was there for everything she could need.
"Stella," Corinna began. What followed wasn't pleasant. "D'you still wanna battle? I'm not sure if you should."
"But yes," she said, more than ever.
A/N: and this is chapter four. I'm sorry if it wasn't especially interesting but I had to give a little taste about the mystery surrounding Stella but it couldn't be too explored. Oh, and guess I forgot to tell you. I don't own most of the OCs in here but all due credits will be given after the final chapter. And this is a promise. Thank you all for having sent your OCs, we really appreciate it. Anyway, R&R please. I'm looking forward to hear from you and knowing what you thought about it. If you have any suggestions or advices please let me know. See ya on chapter 5!
