A/N: I just checked the reviews for this story, and, to tell you the truth, I'm a little depressed at the results: only five reviews. That's like one review for each chapter that's been posted so far. Oh, well... you can't blame people for not being interested in reading about Beyblade tournaments and battles; you already get that in the anime, so why read more about it?

But, honestly, I was hoping for something more, but then, there you are. Ah, well...

Oh, for those of you who've read the previous chapters, from this chapter onwards, I'll be referring to the bit beasts as 'Suzaku', 'Seiryuu', 'Byakko', and 'Genbu'; this is to prevent confusion between the blade and the beast.

Disclaimer - Mei: Hikari-chan doesn't own Beyblade, but she owns all the OCs.

Chapter 5: The New Guardians

"Alright, people, settle down!" Rei called. Immediately, the four trainees – Chiaki, Taichi, Kaito, and Kumiko – fell silent. It was two days after the finals, and the group had finished the fourth, and last, group session around five minutes ago, and they had been waiting for the 'results'. That is to say, who would be each one's 'personal trainer'. They all glanced at Kyouju expectedly – he had been the analyzer, and so it would be obvious that he would be the one to make the announcement.

Kyouju adjusted his glasses, took a deep breath, and spoke. "As you all know, you've already finished the last session. I have here with me the summary report. In the Attack Session, Chiaki performed the best among the four of you; in Defense, Taichi outclassed you all; in Endurance, I have to say it was Kumiko who fared better; and in Speed, Kaito nearly ran you all off the track."

I think I can see where this is going…Kumiko thought. She threw a discreet glance in Kai's direction, but he wasn't looking at her. She breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't looking at me…Thank goodness!

"At any rate, I know you guys are waiting for the 'results'…" Kyouju continued, adjusting his glasses once more. "And so, here they are. Taichi, you'll be training under Max."

"I knew I'd end up training you!" Max exclaimed, grinning widely. "I felt it the minute you were the only one left spinning in the stadium during the session on defense!" He flashed his signature thumbs-up at the olive-eyed teen, who returned the gesture. "You're defensive tactics need a little work, but don't worry! You'll get better, now that you have me to guide you!"

Max went up to the younger teen, put an arm around his shoulder, and then guided him towards a dish in the eastern corner of the room.

Takao grinned. Max was acting up again. He recalled the day they'd gotten their MG cores and tried them out. Both he and Rei had struck out. And then Max hade stepped up, confident that he could pull it off. The brunette could still recall his friend's words.

"Let me show you how it's done, guys. Its just that you don't have 'The Touch'."

Takao chuckles slightly at the memory. Apparently, that time, Max didn't have 'The Touch' either, for he, too, went down seconds later.

"Takao! Aren't you listening?" Kyouju's shrill voice interrupted his thoughts, and he looked up.

"Sorry, Chief; just…thinking 'bout something." He grinned sheepishly. "What was that again?"

The brown-haired teen sighed and ran a hand through his hair, exasperated. "I said: Chiaki would be training under you." He gestured towards where Max and Taichi had already begun training. "Now go get started, before the half hour is up."

"Right, Chief." Takao made a mock salute, before approaching Chiaki. Just when he was about to guide her away, he stopped short, and his eyes widened in shock.

"Hold on a minute…I'm training a GIRL?" he asked, his voice rising. The stormy-eyed teen's price for that remark was a throbbing, reddening cheek, courtesy of Chiaki. "OW!"

The ash blonde only glared at him.

Takao grinned sheepishly again. "Sorry 'bout that, Chiaki. I guess…it just slipped out?" he offered. He held out a hand.

Chiaki glared at him for a few moments, and then she sighed. "Forget it…let's just get on with the training…" she looked up at him, and then grinned. "I bet you I'll knock you out on my first try!"

Takao looked taken aback. He searched her emerald gaze for anything amiss, but there were none. She truly wanted to pit her skills against him. When she's not trying to outdo others, she can be pretty nice…He grinned back. "You sure you want to do that?"

Chiaki didn't answer; instead, she turned and then ran towards a dish in the opposite corner of the room. "Race ya!"

Takao stood stock-still. "What the-?" he blinked. The girl's a competition freak! And then he smiled. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to train her. After all, she already had that passion to blade…and to win. He began to run after her. "You're on!"

Kyouju shook his head, and then turned back to his laptop. "All right…Rei, you'll be training Kaito, since he did so well in the session on speed."

"That's fine with me." Rei said, grinning. He turned to the teal-eyed blader. "Kaito? I'd appreciate it if you just called me 'Rei'. I don't feel very comfortable being called 'sensei'…"

"Okay." Kaito smiled. "If that makes you happy, Rei."

"Let's get started then." Rei turned and made his way over towards a dish in the northern corner of the room, Kaito close on his heels. Kaito's height helped him to keep up with his mentor; being rather tall for his age, he had a longer stride than any other student in his year.

"Kai, why don't you get started with Kumiko?" Kyouju asked, as he typed in a series of keystrokes on his laptop. It bleeped, and the bespectacled teen looked up at his former captain. "I'll be going around to see how the trainees are doing. I'll just tell you guys when the thirty minutes have passed."

Kai merely nodded in reply. He waited for Kyouju to move away before leading Kumiko towards the exercise corner.

"Hiwatari-sensei?" Kumiko was puzzled. What were they doing among the exercise equipment? "Aren't we going to train now?"

"We are." Kai said simply, dropping the small satchel he'd been carrying. It fell with a muffled thump; whatever was inside had to be heavy! The crimson-eyed teen gestured towards the weight rack. "Let's see you lift ten pounds – in each hand."

"Wha-?" Kumiko was startled. Ten pounds in each hand? The heaviest she'd been able to lift with one hand had been only five pounds, and even then she'd experienced some difficulty. She cleared her throat and tried her best to sound calm. "Why, sir, am I to lift weights?"

Kai simply picked up the satchel. "Because I'm training you now, and what I want is that you have enough – hopefully, more than enough – upper body strength so that, when you enter the Championships, you'll be using these." He opened up the satchel and brought out two gleaming red armguards, the ones he'd been wearing when he first met Takao and the others.

Kumiko gaped. "You…you want me to wear these?" She knew that the armguards weren't ordinary; they were weighted, each one of them, and Kai only took them off when he was planning to use his full strength. For the slate-haired blader, they were some form of self-handicap. She reached out a hand and took one of the armguards. She nearly dropped it; it was so heavy! She used both her hands to lift up, as though to examine it. The red material felt smooth on her palms, and at the elbow clasp was a thick, lethal-looking shark's fin-like projection. She glanced back up at Kai. To her surprise, he was grinning; it was a very small one, but it was there, nonetheless. "But, why?"

"Fujiwara, do you know that I liked what I saw in you during your battles?" he approached her, and then took the armguard from her. He replaced it in the bag. "You have what it takes to become a great Beyblader, but you need a little work."

"Doesn't everyone?" Kumiko asked, nearly rolling her eyes. She caught herself; she didn't want to get on Kai's bad side.

Kai glanced up. "At any rate, I saw how you also don't play to your full potential, except when it's absolutely necessary. However, how you do that is, unfortunately, highly obvious. That's why you need to use these. Not everyone knows they're weights; they think they're mere accessories, but you know better, don't you?"

"H-hai…" the amethyst-eyed teen replied slowly.

"And from what I've seen, we are of the same spirit, Fujiwara." Kai leaned closer. "I'm right, aren't I?" The slate-haired teen grinned at the dumbfounded look on Kumiko's face.

"…Yes." Kumiko glanced down, her glasses nearly hanging off her nose. "Is it that obvious?"

"For one who looks carefully, yes, it is. And you, like your friend Chiaki, have the passion for blading, which is rare. Its no wonder that Suzaku was drawn to you."

Kumiko looked up suddenly. "Suzaku? What do you mean?"

Kai's eyes widened. He'd given it away! He waved his hand as a gesture to let the matter alone. "Never mind that. Just…lift those weights, like I instructed you to."

The raven-haired teen sighed inaudibly and walked over to the rack. Carefully, she took a ten-pound weight in each hand – and nearly fell forward from the weight. Kai noticed this.

"Try to keep your back as straight as possible, and then bend your knees slightly. That way, you won't strain your back." Kumiko did as he suggested; she found she could lift them a little, but only a little.

"How…how many times, sensei?" she asked, gritting her teeth as she tried to remain upright.

"We'll start off with fifteen."

Kumiko's eyes widened. Fifteen? I'm dead…She took a deep breath, and then struggled to lift. She knew how to do it – elbows at the sides and the fists coming in towards the shoulder – but she couldn't seem to lift. This is going to take a long time…


"What could be taking her so long?" Yuujin wondered out loud. She was standing outside the door to the gymnasium, waiting for Kumiko to come out. Kaito had been the first to leave the gym, followed by Chiaki, and then Taichi. That had been around fifteen minutes, and Yuujin was starting to get tired of waiting. C'mon, Kumiko…hurry up!

Suddenly, the gym door creaked open once more, and Yuujin perked up. Perhaps…

"Finally!" she exclaimed. She darted from where she had been leaning against the wall and approached her friend. "What took you so long, anyway?" she demanded of the amethyst-eyed teen. She stepped back, looking her friend from head to foot. "At least you didn't forget your coat this time! I wouldn't want that to happen again…"

Kumiko smiled wanly as she remembered the time she'd forgotten her coat, and had to spend around thirty minutes freezing while waiting for the bus that would take her to the street near her subdivision. She was glad she'd packed her light gray coat; it was perfect, given what she had had to wear on her arms. She didn't want to startle anyone just yet. "Let's just say I had to train under Kai himself…"

"And…?"

"Well, he's very thorough…" Kumiko continued vaguely, rubbing her left shoulder.

"What's happened to your arm?"

Kumiko rolled her eyes good-naturedly. Typical. Perhaps that was what made Yuujin so endearing; she truly cared for her friends, whether they'd been friends a long time or not. No wonder she – Yuujin – had tons of friends. "It's…nothing, Yuujin. I…injured it during training…"

"Kumiko, I need more details!" Yuujin stopped walking, causing the raven-haired teen to stop walking, too.

"Fine…just calm down, okay?" Kumiko ran a hand through her hair, albeit a little too slowly for Yuujin, and then continued. "I had to lift weights earlier. It's part of the training program Kai formulated for me because of my battle style and-"

"What's this?" Yuujin grabbed her friend's hand. She'd spotted something red flashing on the brunette's middle finger. She grabbed the arm and held it up – eyes widening at how heavy it had become all of a sudden – and then gasped. The gray sleeve had gone down a little, revealing a bit more of the red material.

"Oops…" Kumiko muttered. "Maybe I should have just taken these things off when he wasn't looking…"

"Kumiko! What are you doing?" Yuujin fairly shrieked. Her eyes were wide. She, too, knew of Kai's armbands, but she'd never thought she actually see her friend wearing them.

"Kai…gave them to me…" Kumiko mumbled, glancing away. "It's…hard to explain…"

"Well, then, take them off! Yuujin said, gesturing wildly. "Now I know why your were rubbing your shoulder! You didn't injure it during training; it's hurting because of the sudden weight you've put on it! And I bet the other one's hurting, too!"

"Bingo…"

"So why don't you take them off?"

"Kai told me not to, okay?" Kumiko shot back, a little too harshly. Yuujin gasped, and then fell silent. She said nothing, but the look on her face was enough. Kumiko sighed.

"I…I'm sorry, Yuujin…" the raven-haired girl said. With some difficulty, she brought an arm up and around the auburn-haired teen's shoulder. "I shouldn't have snapped at you. It's just that…"

"You want to impress him, don't you?" Yuujin asked quietly, smiling slightly.

"Yeah…partly…"

"What do you mean 'partly'?" Yuujin was puzzled. For the whole time she'd known Kumiko, whenever the subject of blading came up, the purple-eyed teen had talked of nothing but meeting Kai one day, and possibly impressing him.

"Well, Kai said something about the two of us being 'of the same spirit' – meaning we sort of feel the same towards a certain thing. And then he said that the way I hold back at the beginning of a battle and only show my true strength towards the end was similar to what he usually does; my technique, however, is kind of predictable, so he wants me to start wearing these…" For emphasis, she brought up an arm again and pulled down the sleeve to show the sleek red material and gleaming metal band around the wrist. "He said that, in time, I'd grow used to them, and that lifting like…thirty pounds would be a cinch…and whenever I'd take these off, my launches would be more…powerful and the blade would have more speed, and all that stuff that happens whenever he himself would take them off…back when he was wearing them, anyway." She had been babbling, but managed to stop herself. She herself wasn't able to understand why exactly she agreed to wear the red armguards.

"Uh…so why are you wearing them again?" Yuujin asked. She wanted a direct answer, not an explanation on why Kumiko had been given the armguards to wear.

"Because, Yuujin, for some strange reason, I feel as though he's right; I should wear them. And he said something about Suzaku…"

"Okay…" Yuujin muttered, still not quite getting it.

After a few minutes of uneasy silence, Yuujin looked up again and smiled at her friend. "So, where to?"

"Kai! What were you thinking?" Takao exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

"Calm down, Kinomiya…" Kai replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "I believe Kumiko is perfectly capable of…what I've instructed her to do."

"Well, I think you've gone too far!" Takao shot back, reaching upwards to readjust his baseball cap. "I mean…she's just a rookie! She won't be able to walk around properly with those armguards of yours clinging to her arms-"

"She was walking just fine-"

"And besides, she hasn't had any proper training, remember? How can you expect her to pull this one off?"

"Takao, unlike you, I can tell whether or not a blader has the true passion. Kumiko – and her friends, for that matter – is one of those rare ones. Also, she didn't complain when I strapped them onto her for the first time. That means she doesn't object, and it also shows she has yet another trait that is essential to become one of the best bladers around."

"Oh?" A slim, blue eyebrow shot up in disbelief. "And that would be-?"

"Determination. Just as in the finals, she was determined to fight to the end, even when she had made peace with her enemy, I could feel that she was determined to fulfill the tasks I had set out for her."

"And what would those be?" Takao asked scornfully. He, for one, thought that Kai was asking too much of the girl. He thought that it was a good thing Kai wasn't put in charge of training all four members of the new team. "To slowly tear her arms out of their sockets? 'Cause that's what I imagine wearing those armbands of yours are like…"

"In fact, Takao, that's what it feels like for the first few days."

"What?" Max exclaimed, his eyes wide. He had no idea… "But…that's got to hurt!"

"Indeed it does, Max." Kai replied. A small grin played across his lips. "However, recall the saying 'No pain, no gain'. In case you four haven't noticed, it's quite easy to tell when she's about to pull an all-out battle. Whoever their opponents are going to be in the Championships, they're bound to pick up on that, and so they won't be caught off guard during the battle."

"You have a point…" Rei said quietly. "But, still…I don't think you should do it, Kai…"

"And why not?" Kai asked, turning his head to gaze calmly at the neko-jin.

"What if she gets hurt in the process?" Rei asked, looking at the floor. "The BBA will have to answer to that…"

"She won't get hurt…"

"How are you so sure?" Takao asked, skeptical.

"Believe me, I know…I saw the look on her face…" Kai closed his eyes and then leaned against the wall. "And wearing those armbands are necessary…for the day Suzaku finally leaves me for her."

"Why?" Takao calmed down upon being reminded that they were about to lose their bit beasts.

"Neither of you have handled Suzaku before. She's not as powerful as Kuro Suzaku…" Kai was referring to an evil version of his beloved bit beast. Team BBA had seen its power once before – an enormous power that only Kai had been able to control, and even then, not entirely, for it had very nearly taken over him. "But, believe me, Suzaku is powerful,nonetheless; she, too feeds off the strength of the blader."

"So its not just Kuro Suzaku who does that?" Kyouju asked. He stopped encoding the date he'd been typing in and listened, interested now.

"Of course not. In case you haven't noticed, all bit beasts feed off their masters' strength. In any case, if Kumiko keeps doing what she's been doing, Suzaku will be too powerful to control. Remember if you will the time when I first took off my armguards when I was against Takao."

"Yeah! I remember!" Takao exclaimed, his eyes widening at the memory. "The attacks were so…strong! And the vibrations could be felt throughout the stadium!"

"Exactly." Kai stated, opening his eyes. "Kumiko hasn't realized that she's been using her full strength the whole time; the Fury launch only adds to the endurance and attack power, but her strength is, essentially, unchanged throughout. Now do you see why she needs this?

"If she gets used to wearing the armbands – and continues to build up her strength using them – she will gradually be able to get powerful launches even while wearing them, and her full strength will only show when she takes them off. Her strength will be under control, and so will Suzaku."

"Uh…okay…" Takao muttered, unsure of whether he really understood his captain's explanation or not.

There was silence for several minutes as each blader was lost in his own thoughts, and Kyouju resumed typing. And then Max broke the silence.

"So…how exactly do you plan to train our little 'protégées'?"

The sky was a clear cerulean blue. Sunlight filtered in through the frosted glass. Everything was quiet except for the chirping of birds in the trees.

Amethyst pools flickered open, blinking once, twice, three times as they adjusted to the sudden brightness. A slim, pale hand reached up, brushing several stray strands of jet-black hair from her face.

Kumiko yawned loudly and stretched, wondering why her arms ached. They were throbbing, to be sure, but in a pleasant sort of way.

Last night, she and Yuujin had gone to a department store; it had been a Friday, and they had no classes to attend the next day, so decided to just relax a bit. It had been nice to just kick back, enjoying their free time not having to worry about schoolwork. She decided that she was going to have to do this more often.

She sat up and rubbed her eyes once more. She turned her head from side to side, allowing her gaze to glide over everything, as was her 'ritual' in the mornings before she 'officially' got up from bed.

And then she remembered why her arms were throbbing. Kai had given her his red armguards during training, and she had worn them the whole time she and Yuujin were at the department store. Whenever you get a chance, wear them…Kai's voice floated through her mind.

She sighed, and then reached for the bathroom doorknob. No wonder…she thought, casting a sideward glance at the two armbands. I'll deal with them later, after a nice, warm bath…

"Chief? What is the meaning of this?" Takao murmured. He was still quite sleepy, so it came out as "Sheefuh? Wha's th'meang ofis?"

Kyouju shook his friend frantically. "Takao, Kai's called a practice session at the local gymnasium. He said he wants all of us to come, including the four trainees!"

"But why?" the blue-haired teen asked, wide awake this time. "It's a Saturday, for crying out loud! The students need a break!"

"I don't know…" Kyouju replied. "I'm just as puzzled as you are, but I guess we'll find out when we get there."

Takao swung his legs off the bed and onto the floor. He stood up, and then reached for his gray trousers. "Would you mind waiting a few minutes, Kyouju? I still have to change…"

The bespectacled teen grinned. "Sure, Takao. Don't take too long, though; I don't want Kai to chew us out for being late…"

"Don't worry, Chief!" Takao said, grinning as he stepped out into the hallway. "Oh, yeah…how are we going to contact Chiaki and the others?"

"I have a feeling Kai's already done it…" Kyouju looked thoughtful. "He called me first thing this morning, and then asked for their phone numbers."

"Okay…"

"Someone remind me again why we're here?" Taichi asked. He yawned slightly and stretched his arms out to get the kinks out of them.

Kumiko rubbed her forearm worriedly. She hadn't worn the armguards on her way here; she didn't see any sense in walking down the street with them. But she had brought them along, nonetheless, and she was contemplating whether to put them on now, while Kai wasn't there yet, or later on when they were about to start…whatever it was they were here for.

"I've a feeling it's training of some sort…" the amethyst-eyed teen replied. "Kai was the one who phoned me earlier this morning; its bound to be training if it's Kai who calls the meeting."

"Oh, boy…" Chiaki muttered. She sat down on a nearby bench. "What a waste of a perfectly good weekend…"

"Better suck it up, Mikage…" a familiar monotone interrupted from behind them. All four teens whirled around to find Kai already standing at the gymnasium door. Apparently, he'd been inside the whole time and had waited for the four of them to arrive. "Otherwise, you won't last the entire day."

Slowly yet deliberately, he approached Kumiko…and he did not look happy.

Uh, oh…Kaito thought. This doesn't look good…

The three teens could only watch as the slate-haired blader stopped right in front of Kumiko, his penetrating gaze riveted solely on her.

"Fujiwara, why aren't you wearing the armguards?" Kai's voice was dangerously quiet, almost making the raven-haired teen shrink back in fear. Was he going to punish her for disobeying him? She'd heard stories of how strict he could be, and was suddenly wondering why she hadn't put them on when she left the house.

"Sensei, I…thought it would seems strange to walk all the way here wearing them. I brought them with me though, so I can put them on before training starts…"

Instead of replying, Kai nodded his head curtly and then made his way back to the gym entrance, a sign that they should follow him inside now.

Kaito shot a puzzled glance at Kumiko, who glanced back and shrugged, indicating that she herself had no idea why Kai was acting that way. Nevertheless, the four teens followed him into the gymnasium.

Just when they were about to shut the door, a loud cry erupted from behind them. "Matte!"

They all turned around to see Takao barreling towards the gym door at full speed, with Kyouju in tow. Taichi, who was closest to the door, quickly grabbed it and held it open for the two teens.

Takao stopped short when he was past the threshold. He leaned against the wall, panting for breath, while beside him, Kyouju adjusted his necktie, which had no doubt come loose while he was being dragged by his friend.

"You were supposed to come immediately, Kinomiya." Kai said. He'd no doubt witnessed their arrival, and he knew that Kyouju was not to blame for their being late. Ever since they had become a team, Takao had been frequently late for meetings and at the airport. It was already a habit; one Kai hoped the blue-haired teen would break soon. "Max and Rei are already here."

"Wha-? How could they get the message before me?" Takao was puzzled.

Kyouju answered this one. "I called Max first and asked him to call Rei for me. I saved you for last because I knew you'd be the hardest to wake."

"Hey, Takao, Kyouju! What took you guys so long?" Another voice joined the conversation. Takao glanced sideways to see Max seated on a bench nearby. The blonde was, as usual, grinning in his cheery way. Max had never been one to be fazed by extra training, seeing it as a chance to hone his already-devastating defensive moves and improve on his newly added offensive ones.

"Hey, Max!" Takao grinned back, not bothering to answer his friend's question.

"Enough with the chitchat." Kai interrupted. He was standing by the door that led to one of the many training rooms within the gym, waiting for the others to catch up. "C'mon, everyone inside. Rei's already in there."

The four teens, who still hadn't said anything, glanced at each other again. What was so important that all four of them, as well as the five members of Team BBA had to be there?

Kai's going too fast on this one…Rei thought as he fiddled with his bandanna. He and Max had been left in the training room to wait for Kai, who had gone outside to watch for the arrival of the four trainees. After a few minutes of waiting, though, Max, too, had gone outside, leaving Rei alone with his thoughts.

Why Kai would want to show them the bit beasts, I'll never know… Rei's hands dropped to his sides, and he reached into his belt pouch, where he usually kept his Driger MS. His fingers brushed against the cold metal, and he brought out the silver gray blade to examine it.

Byakko. His faithful bit beast had served him well over the years he'd had him. Though Byakko had left him willingly on one occasion, Rei knew that that incident had been his fault, but that did nothing to ease the pain of the brief separation. The neko-jin had taken it in stride, though, and in the end, Byakko had returned to him. Would he be able to take this?

The door creaked open, and Rei looked up. In stepped Kai, followed by Takao and Kyouju, and then Max, and then the four trainees.

"Well, it's about time…" Rei grinned as he turned to face them, tucking the Driger MS back into the pouch.

Takao waved. "Hey, Rei. What time did you get here?"

Rei shrugged, grinning. "Around the same time as Max; I'm not entirely sure." He turned to the Kyouju. "Did Sleepyhead here give you a hard time?" he asked. Takao was known to be quite a heavy sleeper; everyone usually had a hard time waking him up, one of the reasons why he – and anyone who had been tasked to rouse him – was late for almost anything.

Kyouju grinned back. "Not really. When I mentioned Kai's name, he nearly bolted out of bed!"

Max chuckled. "Well, at least now we know what to do next time we're trying to wake him…"

Takao pouted. "Gee, thanks, Max."

"If you're all done flapping your lips, we can get started." Kai said, interrupting the conversation once again. Everyone stopped laughing

None of the four trainees had joined the repartee, but they had been holding their sides in silent laughter. When they heard the crimson-eyed teen's hard voice, they stopped and stood erect once more, Taichi clearing his throat nervously.

Kai allowed his eyes to roam over the group, briefly taking in that, at the back, Kumiko had snapped shut the last buckle on her armguards. Apparently, he was satisfied.

"Now, I know you're all wondering why I've called you here today."

"Gee, you're so smart…" Takao muttered. He would have said more, but a sharp glance from Kai shut him up instantly.

"A few days ago – the day the training program started, to be precise – my companions and I noticed that each our bit beasts were acting strange, to say the least."

"What do you mean, 'strange'?" Chiaki called out, curious.

"The blades began vibrating, or the bit chips would glow," Kai replied simply. "Whatever it was, this wasn't their usual behavior, so Kyouju did some research."

"And…?" Kaito prompted. He wasn't usually interested in bit beasts, but he had to admit, this was getting interesting.

Kyouju picked up the conversation from here. "I found out that the bit beasts, for some strange reason, had already chosen their next masters."

"'Their next masters'?" Taichi was the next one to ask. He couldn't keep quiet anymore; the question just flew out of his mouth.

"Simply put, the ones who will be able to tap into their abilities and use them to power up their blades." Rei answered this time. He suddenly knew where this was going, and he didn't like it one bit. However, he tried not to show it too much. One glance at Max told him that the blonde had also out the purpose of this 'meeting'.

"Wow…" Kumiko commented, her voice almost a breathless whisper.

"Amazing indeed…" Kai added, walking over to her. He stopped right in front of her, much like he had outside when he confronted her about not wearing the armguards. "Especially since the four of you were the ones chosen to wield them."

There was silence for several moments, and then everyone – at least, the four trainees – began talking at once.

"What do you mean 'we'?"

"You mean…we are the…chosen ones?"

"A…bit beast? But…I…"

"Impossible…"

Max walked over to Takao and whispered. "They don't look too happy…" he commented, gesturing towards the four teens.

Takao grinned, but his eyes showed confusion. "And here I thought they'd be overjoyed at the news…"

Kyouju had enough sense to try to bring about order. "Everyone! Please! Just…calm down! That's why you're here!"

"Excuse me?" Kumiko asked. The second she heard the bespectacled teen say that that was the reason they had been called to the meeting, she stopped muttering over and over about how impossible it was to be chosen to wield a bit beast.

"Kai's going to explain now why you're here; the bit beast part was just an introduction." Kyouju explained. He understood her distress; he felt almost the same way when he learned that he had made it to the semi-finals two years back.

"Okay."

When everyone else had calmed down, Kai immediately picked up where he'd left off. "Now that everyone's had a chance to express themselves," he began, his voice showing more than a hint of impatience, "allow me to continue. The reason I've called you here is so that we can know for sure whether or not you have been chosen by the beast, and if so, which beast claims you for itself."

"The beast claims us?" Kaito asked contemptuously. He wasn't too keen on the notion that he was only going to be a 'possession'.

Kai didn't waste time answering the question. "What we'll be doing now is: each one of us – Takao, Max, Rei, and I – will release our beast. And then, one of you will approach each beast in turn. If the beast is about to react in a…less than favorable manner, we'll let you know. However, if he – or she, in Suzaku's case-"

"Hang on a second," Chiaki interrupted. "You mean your bit beast is a girl?"

"Yes." Kai replied, gritting his teeth to keep from shouting. He really hated having to admit that fact, but not because of the fact itself. He was proud of her really, seeing as she was as powerful, if not more, than her companions (the three other legendary bit beasts); it was the reactions of people that got on his nerves. "Now," he continued, emphasizing the word. "When the beast reacts in a good way – or doesn't react at all – then it's a sign that he or she has chosen you. Any questions?" he looked at each young trainee in turn. No one showed signs of speaking. "Good."

Kyouju, who had taken a seat on the nearby stool, called out, "Ready, everyone?"

"Raring to go, Chief!" Takao exclaimed, grinning widely.

"Ditto for me!" Max piped up, flashing a thumb's-up. Rei grinned and followed suit; Kai merely nodded.

Kyouju was silent as he tapped in the name of the file he was looking for; in a few seconds – thanks to his powerful laptop – the program was up and running. "Okay! Release the bit beasts!"

Almost simultaneously, the four Blade Breakers pulled out their blades and called out their loyal beasts.

"Seiryuu!"

"Genbu!"

"Byakko!"

"Suzaku!"

One by one, as they were summoned, the four majestic beasts slowly rose out their containers. Seiryuu emerged first, a lovely, glimmering sapphire, roaring as he did so. Next came Genbu, alight with an amethyst fire that shimmered pleasantly, several protective spikes protruding from its tail, much like an ancient ankylosaur's. It answered the azure dragon with a call of it's own.

Next to emerge was Byakko, glowing a lovely jade green, its teeth glinting slightly as it growled, acknowledging its might, and the presence of its fellows.

Last, but certainly not the least, was Suzaku. It burst out of it prison with a mighty screech, shrouded in crimson flames portraying its magnificence.

The four majestic beasts turned to face the four 'chosen ones', each one reacting differently. Seiryuu lifted its snout into the air, as if to breathe in, if it could breathe at all, the new scents; Genbu merely cocked its head curiously; Byakko took a step towards the four young ones and growled softly; while Suzaku flexed its wings in impatience.

"Taichi, I suggest you go first." Kyouju said from his seat, his eyes riveted on the screen. "Approach Seiryuu first, then Genbu, Byakko, and Suzaku, in that order."

"But what if Seiryuu…attacks or something?" Taichi asked, trying to keep the trembling out of his voice.

"I'm running a scan that will tell me how Seiryuu – and the others – will react to you. If, as stated before, it will be in a less than friendly manner, I'll warn you. If not, Takao knows his bit beast well enough; he'll be sure to warn you. The same goes for Max, Rei, and Kai."

"Right!" Takao said, rubbing his nose, as was his habit. "Don't worry, Taichi; I won't let Seiryuu hurt you!"

"Thanks…I feel so much better…" The copper-haired teen rolled his eyes, but cautiously approached the shimmering cobalt dragon. "Hey there, Seiryuu…"

Seiryuu swung his head around to face this strange teen, and tasted the air once again. He snorted.

"I think it's best if you move on to Genbu now, Taichi…" Kyouju called.

"Sure, I'll do that…" Taichi muttered. He, too, had seen the look in the great dragon's eye, a look that clearly said 'Beat it, kid!' He turned to face the giant tortoise 1.

Genbu's reaction was different from Seiryuu's. As Taichi approached him, Genbu also moved slowly to meet him. His tail stuck straight out behind him, quivering.

Wonder what that means? Taichi wondered as he gazed into the gentle face of Genbu.

Suddenly, Genbu gave a roar; the image of the turtle distorted until it was nothing more than a lavender light, which arced upward and then dived straight towards the olive-eyed teen. Genbu disappeared into the center of Taichi's blade, which he had been clutching tightly in his palm; only a shower of glittering shards remained where the bit beast had been 'standing'.

"Well, that wouldn't surprise me," Max spoke from his spot on the floor as he watched the display. "You were the one with the highest defensive abilities, Taichi…"

"Er, thanks…" he said, smiling sheepishly. "But I never thought I'd actually get a bit beast to call my own…"

"Well, now you do!" Max said cheerily. He was still trying to come to terms with the fact that he'd be separated from his other best friend – he often referred to Genbu as one of his friends – but he didn't want that to ruin the day.

"Kaito, you're up next." Kyouju said. He still hadn't looked up from his screen. "I want you to approach the bit beasts in the same order, all right?"

"Hai…" Kaito quickly got up from his sitting position and slowly approached Seiryuu.

Needless to say, he had to back off quickly; Seiryuu gave a little snort, much like he had with Taichi. Kaito didn't need to be told twice. He moved on to Byakko.

The emerald tiger stared his squarely in the air, before growling twice and leaping into the air, where he dissolved – like Genbu – into pure light and dived downward, coming to rest in the teal blue-eyed teen's blade.

"There are only two bit beasts left…" Rei commented. He noted that it would be hard to pinpoint which one between the two girls Seiryuu would choose. With Genbu and Byakko, it had been pretty easy to tell; as mentioned earlier, Taichi had the highest defensive ratings, and Kaito's blade had been pretty fast. However, Chiaki and Kumiko were nearly matched in stats.

"Chiaki, it's your turn." Kyouju said simply. This time he looked up and seemed pretty surprised to see two of the bit beasts gone; he didn't comment on this, however, but said simply, "Remember, approach Seiryuu first; Suzaku is a little more wary of strangers."

"If you say so…" The ash blonde slowly approached the enormous reptile, her eyes taking in the lethal spikes along its back, its sharp claws. She wondered what would happen if she were caught on the wrong side of those claws and shivered slightly.

Suddenly, she let out a small gasp as Seiryuu stretched out a clawed forearm towards her. She shut her eyes shut and froze in place, almost afraid to move. The great beast breathed out slowly, and then let out a roar, disappearing in the same way as its companions.

Chiaki blinked once, twice, and then opened her eyes. She sighed in relief; she was still in one piece. Seiryuu hadn't been trying to attack her after all. She glanced down at her gleaming white blade and gasped again; the bit chip displayed an imposing cobalt dragon. The center shimmered, as if to give her assurance that everything would be fine.

"Cool." She smiled.

"Well, I guess that clears things up." Kyouju smiled as he shut off the laptop. He was pleased with the results; the bit beasts had reacted as expected. "Kumiko, its safe to approach Suzaku now."

The amethyst-eyed teen took a deep breath to calm herself, and then stepped forward, towards the towering firebird. Suzaku swiveled its head to gaze at its previous master, and then discreetly nodded, as though trying to assure Kai that their separation would not be permanent.

Kai did nothing, but his eyes said it all as he locked gazes with his bit beast. The phoenix turned its head back again towards Kumiko. Meanwhile, the raven-haired teen stood stock-still, as though afraid to startle the bit beast. Then, Suzaku gave a loud screech of approval, stretched out her wings, and flew directly at the girl. Out of pure instinct, Kumiko took a step back.

"No!" Kai called, suddenly afraid. He knew what Suzaku could do to those it deemed unworthy of controlling her. "It's a test, Fujiwara! Suzaku's testing you!"

Hearing this, Kumiko immediately stood straight. Though a look of calm descended upon the teen's face, inside, she was trembling. What's going to happen?

Suddenly there was a flash of scarlet light, and Kumiko closed her eyes; it was so bright!

After a few moments, she opened her eyes and glanced at the blade she held in her hand. The phoenix now lay nestled in her bit chip; in fact, Suzaku seemed right at home there, for the beyblade was similar to the one her previous master had used before.

Rei stood up and faced the group. "Well, congratulations, guys!" he said, grinning. He never thought it would work out so well! "You now have your individual bit beasts!"

Takao, whom Kyouju had informed on their way their, now joined the amber-eyed teen in front. "Yeah! That brings us to the other reason you're here. You see-"

Max, who had no desire to just watch the proceedings, joined in. "Now that you have bit beasts, you have to learn to control them. Their power will be useless if you don't know how to use it, right?"

"Yeah…" Chiaki and Taichi answered in unison. They glanced at each other and chuckled. It was as though the timing of their reply had been well rehearsed!

"So what you're saying is…" Kaito began, looking thoughtful as he mulled over what had just happened to them. He still wasn't secure about having a bit beast, even though the idea was exciting.

"You called us here…to help us learn how to control them?" Kumiko finished. She had finally figured it out.

Kai smiled. The trainees caught on fast. "Bingo. Now take out your blades."

"What?" The four teens exclaimed.

"You heard me." Kai said, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Take out your blades."

"Sensei, may we know why?" Kumiko asked. She still fingered her blade, and she was gazing at it softly.

"Very well, Fujiwara…" Kai smiled, but it wasn't a pleasant one. "You shall be the first one to launch your blade."

"Where, sir?" the amethyst-eyed teen inquired, reaching into her pocket for her launcher as she spoke.

The slate-haired blader gestured towards a nearby dish. "You shall launch here."

"Okay…and who's going to be my opponent?" Kumiko attached her blue blade to the launcher, a grin playing across her features.

"You will face me." Kai said, smirking. He couldn't wait to witness this battle. He didn't like the tone he heard in the young girl's voice. It was one of overconfidence, something that would have to be changed if she were to be able to handle Suzaku. One match would be all he needed to prove his point.

Kumiko said nothing as she approached the dish and faced Kai. Without saying a word, both bladers moved, Kumiko into her 'Fury Launch' position; Kai in the usual stance.

"Do you think its okay for her to face off against Kai?" Max leaned towards Kyouju, who was staring fixedly at the pair.

"I honestly don't know, Max…" the mousy-haired teen replied, turning to face his sapphire-eyed friend. "But Kai wouldn't challenge her if it wasn't necessary…he has something in mind, I'm sure."

"Yeah, that's all fine and dandy, Chief…" Takao cut in, scowling. "But he could have picked any one of us to battle Kumiko; why him alone?"

"Perhaps its because of the fact that he used to control Suzaku," Rei said, abruptly joining the conversation. "I can't explain it very well, but I can feel that it has something to do with the bit beast."

"And how do you know that, Rei?" Takao turned his face towards the neko-jin.

"Because of that." Rei said, pointing a finger towards the dish where Kai and Kumiko were now battling.

"Huh?" Takao turned around again. To his surprise, he could see Kai's blade spinning steadily in the center of the dish, and the slate-haired teen seemed completely at ease, even though he didn't have his bit beast anymore.

On the other hand, Kumiko's blade was running circles around the stadium, sometimes moving from side to side rather jerkily. Kumiko herself seemed to be having a hard time. Her face was scrunched up in concentration as she tried to control the blade.

"C'mon, Suzaku!" she said, frustrated. "Attack!" Though the jet black-haired girl said it as forcefully and as confidently as she could, the blade refused to budge.

"Do you see now, Fujiwara?" Kai asked quietly, his gaze fixed upon the dish and his blade. "You're only halfway there. You have the skills, yes, but you don't have the ability or the knowledge to be able to control the blade with a bit beast residing in it." Suddenly, Kai's blade, the Dranzer MS, moved from its spot at lightning speed and shot towards Kumiko's.

"Ah!" Kumiko's eyes widened as her blade wobbled dangerously close to the edge. I can't lose this one, she thought, frantic. Not in front of the team!

"Let this be a lesson, Fujiwara!" Kai was saying as his blade dealt out a flurry of powerful attacks, pushing the Dranzer F closer and closer to the edge of the dish. "Just because you have a bit beast doesn't mean that it will instantly fall under your control; you need to learn how to respond to it. You must also know what it expects from you."

"What…it expects…from me?" Kumiko mumbled faintly. And then she narrowed her eyes and smiled. "I think I get what you're trying to say, sensei…"

Suddenly, Kumiko's blade stopped moving aimlessly around the dish, being pushed by Kai's blade. In fact, it gave a little push of its own!

"What the-?" Chiaki exclaimed, her eyes wide. The Dranzer F had just responded accordingly to Kumiko's will!

"Unbelievable!" Max exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with happiness. "She learned how to control it, just like that!"

Takao's eyes were wide, too, and he stood still, unable to believe. "How…how'd that happen?"

"That's what I'd like to know!" Kyouju added as he opened his laptop. He quickly turned on the power and ran another program. "It seems that Kumiko's somehow been able to tap into Suzaku's spiritual vibrations, allowing her to control the blade and the beast!"

"But…so soon?" Rei was incredulous. It seemed there was no end to the surprises this rookie blader held!

"I'm still trying to find the explanation, Rei…" Kyouju immediately closed the program he was running and opened yet another one.

At the dish, Kai was also taken aback at what had happened. However, he recovered fairly quickly and began to fight back.

"Well, Fujiwara, I must admit, I am impressed," he said, taking his eyes off the battling blades for a few moments. "Not many bladers at your level would be able to at least partially control a newly-acquired bit beast as quickly as you seem to have…"

"Arigato gozaimasu, sensei…" Kumiko replied, smiling back at him.

"But I doubt you have what it takes to finish the job!" Kai continued. At that the Dranzer MS shot straight up, and then dived towards the F-series blade.

"No! Dranzer F, move!" Kumiko attempted to get her blade to avoid the would-be devastating attack, but to no avail. There was a loud thwack, and then her blue blade went spinning into the air, to land silently at her feet, as though willingly admitting defeat.

"I…I lost?" Kumiko whispered, half to herself. She though she'd gotten it! Only moments ago she had managed to make Suzaku obey her! What had gone wrong? She bent down to pick up her Dranzer, and then moved to tuck it back into her pocket along with her launcher.

"I didn't say you could put those away…" Kai said suddently. Kumiko glanced up, puzzled.

"Nani?"

Kai threw her a long, hard look. "We're not yet finished, Fujiwara," he turned to address the group. "Now you've all seen what happens when one isn't trained to handle a bit beast properly…"

"Hai…" the three teens answered in unison, looking apprehensive. Were they next?

"Now, I want the three of you to pair off with your personal trainers. They will be the ones to instruct you on how to tap into your bit beasts. Understood?" He gazed at each of them in turn, as though daring them to respond. When none did, he nodded curtly, and then turned to face the opposite direction. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Max, Takao, and Rei going off in different directions, their respective trainees close on their heels. He turned his attention back to the amethyst-eyed girl.

"Well, Fujiwara?" He stopped walking when he was once more on the opposite side of the dish from her. "Shall we begin your lesson?"

"Hai!" Kumiko replied, a determined grin on her face. I'll do whatever it takes...to prove that I'm worthy!

A/N: No parting message for this chapter, guys! I've got other stuff to do! Read and review, minna! Peace out! Dewa matta!