A/N: I'm just amazed at my speed nowadays...two chapters in one update...Ah, well; it must be because I'm in a Merit English class(that's the highest possible class to get into in your freshman year) and I'm probably inspired to write...
Okay, I won't take up your time with my pointless ramble, beloved readers! On to the story!
Disclaimer: If I owned Beyblade, Balkov would have died in the third season...
Chapter 7: An Old Flame Rekindled
"Kumiko! Where've you been?" Kaito jumped up as he saw the phoenix wielder approaching. Kumiko grinned apologetically.
"Sorry, guys. I got bored, so I went around the compound a bit."
"Well, at least you got here in time," Taichi added, looking away from the center stadium. "Our match is coming up, and we-"
Kumiko held up a hand. "I already know whom we're going up against, Taichi; it's Team Sphinx."
"Uh, right. Team Sphinx." The coppery-haired male looked nonplussed; how could she have known?
"Anyway, Kumiko, who do you suppose we send in first?" Chiaki asked, looking serious. "You know this championship is important for the school."
"I'm aware of that." Kumiko replied, taking her seat and staring fixedly at the stadium, where the Leviathan-Minotaur match was coming to an end. "However, we can't jump to conclusions and decide whom to field first without seeing who the opposing team will send in."
"But how can seeing their representative help us decide on ours?" Taichi asked, waving his hands around wildly. "I mean, no one can tell what their opponent's fighting style is just by staring at them!"
"Just sit still, guys. I know what I'm doing." Kumiko replied calmly, seemingly not bothered by the olive-eyed teen's outburst.
The three other members of Team Phoenix gave each other looks that had 'I think being the team captain has gone to her head,' written all over them, and then sat down, each one giving the ebony-haired teen quizzical looks from time to time; Kumiko seemed not to notice.
"And what a finish, folks!" DJ Jazzman was saying. "With a surprise tactic, Shizuka snatches the victory out from under Team Minotaur's nose!" The applause was less deafening this time around, which was a relief for the wielders of the sacred beasts.
"Thank you, Team Leviathan, Team Minotaur," the announcer continued. The screen changed to show the members of the two teams lined up on opposite sides of the stadium. "You may now return to your team rooms, or stay and watch the last preliminary match – the last match for the day, in fact." Protests could be heard from several members of the audience, but the energetic announcer paid no attention to these. "And now, we have…Team Phoenix versus Team Sphinx!" Applause broke out as the two teams stood up and made their way over to the stadium. Then DJ Jazzman continued with his spiel. "Teams, please decide on your competitor for the first round!"
A hush fell over the audience as they watched the two teams discuss their choices – rather, Team Phoenix only pretended to discuss; they were waiting for Kumiko's decision. Finally, on the opposite end of the stadium, three of the members of Team Sphinx stepped off the platform, leaving a lanky, slim-built, mousy-haired teen – their first competitor.
Kumiko smirked. "Just as I thought. Okay, Kaito, you go in first."
"Huh?" Kaito looked bemused. "Why me?"
"You specialize in speed, right?" Kumiko asked. The teal-eyed teen nodded in reply, and Kumiko went on. "The one representing Team Sphinx isn't so hot at speed and relies more on strength to get the job done. Taichi," she added, turning to the coppery-haired teen, "I could have sent you in, but we might need you later. Right now, speed is our best bet."
"How do you know all this, Fujiwara?" Chiaki asked, folding her arms across her chest. Yes, she and Kumiko had finally buried the hatchet, but she couldn't help but feel jealous sometimes, especially in this situation where the raven-haired teen seemed so sure of herself.
"Remember when I said that I'd gone around a bit? Well, I was actually gathering data on the other teams, and I was able to formulate a strategy against two of the teams; this team is one of them. I observed them training earlier, so I was able to see the playing styles of its members."
"I see…"
"Team Phoenix, have you decided who your representative will be?" DJ Jazzman broke into the conversation. Kumiko glanced towards the announcer's platform and smiled.
"Yes, we have. I apologize if we took quite long." She motioned for Taichi and Chiaki to leave the platform, but lingered a while longer.
"Kaito, remember: utilize the speed training Rei gave you," she whispered in the boy's ear. "Lure him into the center, and then that's when you can get him."
"If you say so…" Kaito looked uncertain, but he gripped his launcher securely. Kumiko took this as a good sign; she stepped down from the platform and joined her teammates at the bench.
"Bladers ready? 3…2…1…Go, shoot!"
Kaito pulled hard on his ripcord, giving it a little tweak just before the entire length of it could exit the launcher. His blade was a silver streak as it launched into the dish. As soon as it hit the surface, the Driger began to scream around the dish in dizzyingly rapid spirals.
"Woah!" the lanky teen at the opposite end exclaimed. "That's fast!" And for a moment, he looked uncertain and was frozen to the spot
"Never mind his speed, Seiji!"
The boy called Seiji glanced over his shoulder at the sound; it was one of his teammates, specifically, what looked to be their team captain. He looked to be a stern sort, with his dark brown hair cut quite short and dangerous-looking pale green eyes.
"It's just a trick to get you unsettled!" he continued, green eyes flashing. "Just remember your training!"
At this, Seiji seemed to brighten up, and he grinned. "Thanks, Oujirou!" he called before turning back to the dish.
Meanwhile, Kaito had been building up his speed, keeping his breathing slow and even, just as Rei had taught him in order to be more 'in tune' with Byakko. He was quite pleased with himself at how far he'd come in just a short time. Where there had been just a blank void in his consciousness – in the part of him where the neko-jin had said the bit beast's thoughts and feelings could be felt – now there seemed to be a rhythm unique unto itself, one he had to tap into and synchronize with if they were to pull through. Right now, he knew, the white tiger was only waiting for the command to attack, and victory would be swift; the chocolate-haired teen reassured him it wouldn't be long now.
Suddenly, the dark blue blade – Seiji's – began to zigzag crazily, but only in the middle.
What now? Kaito thought. Kumiko had told him that his opponent relied heavily on offense, but that didn't seem the case. He glanced towards his team, confusion and worry in his face.
Kumiko stood up when she saw that the teal-eyed teen was having doubts now. She felt the urge to shout at him for being so senseless and for having so little trust in her, but she shoved it down and told herself, instead, that this was a first for all of them; they were bound to have uncertainties at one point or another. She made her way towards the stadium, close enough for her to be heard without having to raise her voice too much.
"Kaito, it's a trick!" she said as soon as she caught her teammate's eye. "You have to see past that! He's actually waiting for you to make the first move before he brings on the offense. And that's what you have to do."
"But…won't that be playing into their hands?" Kaito was utterly confused now. If he did as Kumiko asked of him, it would be like granting his opponent's request that he lose!
"It may seem as if we're playing into their hands, but in reality, it's the other way around," the raven-haired teen explained, smiling as though to reassure the wielder of the white tiger. "Remember what I told you: lure him into the center, then finish him." With that, she turned around and made her way back to the bench. Around halfway there, she stopped and glanced back at Kaito. "Oh, and remember Newton's laws of motion and use them to your advantage."
That was all she had to say. She knew that, in order to keep her team on top of things, she couldn't tell them the solution to every battle, no matter how tempting it was; she would give them tips or clues, that was it. They had to figure it out for themselves.
Unknown to Kumiko, her voice hadn't reached Team Phoenix's opponents, but it had reached Takao and his companions. When they heard her cryptic clues, Takao nearly fell off his chair with surprise, and then laughter.
"What's so funny?" Kai asked. He'd found the raven-haired teen's tactic practical and sensible – you couldn't hand your team everything they needed on a silver platter.
"S-sorry, Kai," Takao replied, wiping away a few tears of mirth, "but she reminds me of you!"
"He's right, Kai." Max added, twisting in his seat to glance at the slate-haired teen. "She's doing the exact same thing for her team as you did during tournaments."
"And is something wrong with that?"
"Oh, nothing much…" Takao said, slumping back in his seat. "Just that, for some strange reason, Kumiko's turning out to be an almost perfect copy of you! What have you been teaching her?"
"I only trained her to be the best blader she could possibly be, Kinomiya." Kai answered, purposely addressing the stormy-eyed teen by his last name. "I never told her what I did with you guys when I was captain."
"So what you're saying is she already held the same principles as you do when in a tournament, that nothing comes easy?"
"Precisely. Kumiko isn't like other rookie bladers I've trained with," Kai said, his arms across his chest as usual. He'd left the team for around a year to offer his services at a small-town training center. "I'd set up an obstacle course for one of our training sessions, and she was having trouble getting through the last section of it – the same place where all my previous trainees had problems. I offered to give her a hint. While her predecessors had jumped at the chance for an easy way out, in order to finish the session, Kumiko refused flat-out. You guys were there; she was the last trainee out of the room because she wanted to finish the course by herself."
"Which she did," Rei said. He remembered that day. The four chosen ones had just gotten the hang of controlling their blades, and they were working on fine-tuning the different aspects of their respective beasts. It was already rather late when Kumiko finished, and by that time, her teammates – plus Yuujin, who always waited for them to finish their sessions – had already eaten and were waiting for her outside. He didn't quite recall how the girl had finished the obstacle course, but that didn't matter to him.
The group was silent for a few more moments, and then Takao spoke up.
"Kai? Are you sure you and Kumiko aren't long-lostsiblings or something?"
Kai smirked and gave the stormy-eyed teen a good whack across the back of his head.
"Shut up."
"No way!" Seiji exclaimed as he watched his blade spin through the air, as though in slow motion, and land with a clatter at his feet.
Kaito grinned as he called his blade back to him. It had taken him around two minutes to figure out what Kumiko had meant by her advice. When he thought about it, it was ridiculously simple, yet required split-second timing and precision – which explained why he'd been chosen to go first. He'd done exactly as Kumiko told him: he lured his opponent into the center of the stadium, allowing Seiji to hit him only twice – before he sent the silent command out to Byakko. The white tiger responded immediately; at the last moment before Seiji could deliver his finishing blow, the silver blade had seemingly vanished, only reappear behind the dark blue blade and give it a good hit. And that was all it took to knock him out.
"What a spectacular blader, folks!" DJ Jazzman yelled into the microphone. "Kaito of Team Phoenix knocks Seiji out with almost no effort at all!" The crowd yelled and clapped its approval as Kaito made his way back to the team bench, grinning.
Kumiko glanced at him and smiled. "Glad you pulled through, Kaito," she said, getting up off the bench to congratulate him. "You kept your cool, and you thought things through, just as we knew you would. We're that much closer to the title thanks to your efforts."
"Uh, yeah…thanks, I guess…" The chocolate-haired teen looked embarrassed at the praise his captain was conferring on him. He sank down on the bench quite heavily; he was both relieved that his match was over and shocked that he'd actually been in an official Beyblade match in front of a HUGE audience!
"Glad to see your team captain isn't cheap with the praise, unlike ours…" A familiar voice broke through, and the members of Team Phoenix turned around to see Takao and his friends standing behind them.
"Kinomiya-sensei!" Chiaki sat up straight, surprised. "What – I thought you guys were staying in the trainers' box upstairs?"
"Yeah, well, we wanted to stay somewhere I bit closer to the action," Max replied, grinning. "From what we can see, your team's matches seem to be quite interesting."
"Yeah," the dark blue-haired teen added, making himself comfortable on the opposite end of the bench – the part that was still unoccupied. "Have you heard the applause?"
"Well, we-" Taichi started, but DJ Jazzman's voice cut him off.
"Will the next competitors please approach the dish?"
"So…who's up next?" Taichi asked. He turned to Kumiko as he said this, and fell silent when she held up a hand. She stood up and gazed at the center stadium.
After a few moments, she smiled. The one from Team Sphinx was the only girl in the group. She threw Chiaki a glance, and then nodded towards the stadium.
"Huh?" the ash blonde looked confused. "Kumiko, you want me to battle this girl?"
"Just use you attack power, Chiaki; that's your advantage." Kumiko said simply. Chiaki shrugged, picked up her launcher – which she'd lain on the bench – and approached the stadium.
"Okay, folks. Representing Team Sphinx is Takano Mizumi, and battling for Team Phoenix is Mikage Chiaki!"
As soon as the match began, it became clear to the team members on the sidelines why Chiaki had been chosen for this battle. The girl, Mizumi, was a good tactician, but she got upset and rattled easily whenever she was attacked, which in turn threw her strategy off-track. It was easy to see where this battle would go.
"And a wonderful finish for Chiaki, ladies and gentlemen!" DJ Jazzman exclaimed, not even three minutes later, throwing his free hand up in the air for emphasis. "Looks like Mizumi wasn't able to keep pace with this girl's fiery attacks!"
Chiaki approached, only to be tackled by Takao. "That was great, Chiaki!" the steel blue-eyed teen exclaimed gleefully. "You're the best student I ever had!"
"She's the only student you ever had…" Max said, grinning good-naturedly.
Kumiko wasn't paying attention to their banter; in fact, she'd moved a little further away in order to see – and hear – more clearly what was going on at Team Sphinx's end.
"You idiots!" The green-eyed teen, Oujirou, was saying, directing his tirade at Seiji and Mizumi. "How could you let yourselves be beaten so easily?"
"Oujirou-san, we-" Mizumi began, but the dark brown-haired captain cut her off with an irate wave of his hand. He turned towards the only team member who was still seated. "Makoto, is it all right with you if I take your place?"
Kumiko gasped. "They're twins!"
Indeed, Oujirou and Makoto looked almost exactly alike, except the latter's hairstyle was longer in comparison to that of the former.
Makoto grinned and leaned back against the wall. "I imagine you want to save face for the school, huh?
Oujirou nodded. "Exactly."
"Well, go ahead, then," Makoto continued, placing his arms behind his head and closed his eyes. "I didn't think I'd get over my being lazy in time to compete when it was my turn, anyway…"
"Whatever…" With that, Oujirou made his way over to the platform, standing ready for the announcement to move up the stadium.
Kumiko rushed back to her team. "Guys, change of plans…" she said as soon as she rejoined the circle.
"What's wrong?" Taichi asked. The amethyst-eyed teen looked at him apologetically.
"I'm really sorry, Taichi, but you're going to have to wait to participate in a match," she said, "but something's come up. Team Sphinx is sending in their team captain. Now, I'm not implying anything about your skills, Taichi, but I think it would be better if I went in, just to balance them out."
She took a deep breath and continued. "I know I'm only supposed to go in if it's an emergency, or because a team member's missing, but I…I just wanted to teach the guy a lesson by going against him. I saw how he treats his teammates, and I can't let him get away with that! And then he said something about 'saving face' for his school, and-"
"Wait…you said 'he', right?" Chiaki asked, smiling.
"Yeah, I did."
"Well, in that case, Kumiko, then go ahead; battle him. I know you've got something up your sleeve, and I can already guess that Team Sphinx's captain is a guy who's still got some issues about 'girl power'…"
"So if he wants to save face for his school…" Rei looked thoughtful.
"And he goes against a member of the opposite sex…" Taichi added, a wide grin spreading across his features.
"And then he loses…" Chiaki finished, grinning too.
"Get in there, Captain!" Kaito said, giving Kumiko a slight push towards the stadium. She caught herself before she could stumble, turned to face her friends, and grinned.
"Thanks, guys. Oh, and Taichi? In the next round – you know, the Quarter Finals? Well, you're going first, so you'd better prepare." And she, too, approached the dish.
"Nice to see some team camaraderie…" Takao commented, leaning towards Max.
"Yeah…what I still can't get over is how Kumiko is two different people. She's nice, kind, sweet, friendly – all that stuff – under normal circumstances. I mean, she's trying to defend, somehow, those people not even on her own team. But when she's in a Beybattle, it's a whole new story!" the blonde replied, not taking his eyes off the raven-haired teen as she made her way up the platform and took her place across from her opponent. Takao remained mute, only nodding in agreement; he didn't know how to answer to his friend's observation, but he, too, had noticed this.
"Oh, looks like it's going to be a heated battle, fans!" DJ Jazzman said as he took notice of the bladers in front of the dish. "For the third match, both teams have sent in their respective captains to battle it out. And I believe the captain for Team Sphinx, Oujirou, is trying to regain some honor for their school by volunteering. Will Team Phoenix's Fujiwara Kumiko manage? That's what were about to find out!"
The announcer pressed a button on the railing in front of him, causing the platform to move downwards for several feet. "Bladers, take your positions!"
Kumiko stretched her arms out in front of her, gripping her launcher securely. Across from her, Oujirou did the same. Then he noticed the armguards.
"Nice armbands," he commented smirking. "What are you, a die-hard fan of Hiwatari Kai's?"
Kumiko returned the smirk. Oh, she was going to enjoy this! "No, I'm a student of his."
"Well, whatever he's taught you, it isn't going to help you any," the brown-haired teen's smirked widened even further. "And if you think you're going to scare me by wearing those cheap copies of Hiwatari's armbands, it's not working."
"Bladers, 3…2…1…Go, shoot!" came the command.
Almost in tandem, the two teens wrenched the ripcords out of their launchers. The two blades – Kumiko's blue and and Oujirou's red one – sped towards each other…
There was silence for a few moments, and then the audience burst out in a raucous round of applause. DJ Jazzman had to put the microphone close to his face in order for his voice to be heard above the hullabaloo.
"AMAZING!" he exclaimed, blinking hard as though to assure himself that he was indeed awake and that what he'd just seen was real. "Whoever said 'don't blink; you might miss something' must have had Fujiwara Kumiko in mind! The battle had barely started and she's already finished her opponent off! That must be quite a blow for Oujirou."
Kumiko glared at Oujirou, who sat on the platform floor in shock. With one hand she pocketed her blade, and with the other, threw something at her opponent. Oujirou yelped and held up hand. To his surprise, it was his own blade the amethyst-eyed teen had thrown at him, and he had caught it without meaning to. He gazed at her questioningly.
"How…how'd you knock me out…so quickly?" he asked, stumbling over his words.
Kumiko glared daggers at him. "I think that's none of your concern. Meanwhile, think about this: your teammates battled against members of their own sex and lost. What about you? Also, I think you should reflect on how you treat your teammates; your attitude towards them really needs work."
She turned on her heel and descended the platform, trying to keep her face straight. She'd actually managed to pull it off! She hadn't even thought that she was ready to imitate Kai's move – the one he used during his one match in the Asian Tournament – but she'd done it!
"Kumiko!"
The ebony-haired teen looked up to see her teammates – as well as Takao and Max – running towards her, and she stopped in her tracks. She didn't want to be tackled by such a big group!
"Oof!" Too late. Max and Takao practically jumped on her, almost knocking her to the floor for the second time that day (the first one was caused by Yuujin).
"That was awesome!" Max exclaimed.
"I didn't think anyone would be able to pull that move off aside from Kai!" the stormy-eyed teen added, squeezing Kumiko even tighter around the neck.
"Ki-kinomiya…sensei…" The purple-eyed teen gasped, fighting to free herself from the 'hug'. "I still…need… to breathe…you know…"
"Huh? Oh, sorry 'bout that…" Takao released his hold on her, and Kumiko stumbled away, holding her neck and wheezing.
"Geez…"
"You were fantastic, Kumiko," Chiaki said, smiling as she shook the girl's hand. Kumiko blushed.
"It was nothing; I just felt the guy needed to be put in his place…"
"You call that match nothing?" Kaito was incredulous. "No need to be so modest, Kumiko…"
"But I-"
"Isn't that the move Hiwatari-sensei pulled off during the Asian Championships a few years back?" Taichi interrupted, gesturing vaguely towards the slate-haired teen, who was still seated at the team bench.
Kumiko nodded. "I saw the video in slow motion – I'd recorded some of Team BBA's more salient battles – and I decided to try it out. I just didn't know if it would be as effective as his or not."
"Well, now you know the answer." Takao said.
"Uh, yeah…I guess…" Kumiko looked down at her feet. "Let's go back to the team room, guys," she said, glancing at her teammates. "Perhaps we could discuss tactics for the quarter finals?"
"That would be good," Chiaki nodded her head in agreement. "And I suppose you'll be wanting us to train with you?"
Kumiko smiled. "Not this time. You guys did fine in your matches earlier. But if I can think of something I think you guys will need to master, then I'll tell you so we can work on it."
Takao glanced at Max and mouthed: "Now this is the kind of team captain I would have wanted!"
The blonde chuckled inwardly at that. "Well, there's no helping that, bud." He said, throwing his arm around his friend's shoulders. "She's their captain, not ours. Now, c'mon, let's get back to the others."
"So, is the line-up for tomorrow's Quarter Finals settled?" Kumiko asked, glancing up at her teammates.
Taichi nodded. "Yup! Now I can't wait for our next match!"
"And Chiaki and I both agree that the two of us can switch places if the situation calls for it." Kaito added, grinning.
"Well, then, that's that. Our first team meeting is adjourned." Kumiko stood up, rubbing her shoulder. "Oh, and Yuujin?"
The auburn-haired teen looked up from the comic book she was reading. "Huh?"
"Next time when the team wins a battle, please refrain from knocking me – or anyone else for that matter – to the floor?" A few minutes before the 'team meeting' had begun, just when Kumiko set foot in the room, Yuujin had pounced on her from seemingly out of nowhere, causing her to bang her shoulder first on the doorknob, and then on the floor. "I can understand your enthusiasm, but please, don't injure us in the process…"
Yuujin giggled nervously. "Um…oops?"
Kumiko waved the comment away. "It doesn't matter. This is the first match we've won, so I guess it's okay…for now. Besides, I don't think my shoulder's drastically injured…"
She turned to her teammates, who were still seated at the table. "What are you waiting for? You can go now."
"So you weren't kidding when you said 'meeting adjourned'?" Chiaki asked, throwing a puzzled glance at Takao. "But Kinomiya-sensei said that team meetings were rarely brief, and usually the team captain was a lot more strict."
Kumiko raised an eyebrow. "Really? I wonder where he got that idea…" she rolled her eyes good-naturedly, noting that Kai was the only one from Team BBA who wasn't there, and decided then and there to go look for him.
"Well, I'm off. I suggest you guys inquire in which room each of you will be sleeping, and then take a nap or something before dinner later tonight. See you!" And she was out the door and down the hallway.
"I must say, she exceeds my expectations…"
The white-coated lab assistant turned towards the source of the voice. "S-sir?"
A soft chuckle, a short yet chilling sound. "It won't be long now…"
"Once again, Fujiwara, impressive performance."
Kumiko turned around and gave a small smirk as she watched Kai come out of his hiding place. "If you thought to surprise me, Hiwatari-sensei, you were wrong; I heard you breathing, so I wasn't surprised to find you here."
"So you've honed your senses as well…" Kai held out a hand. The amethyst-eyed teen glanced at it, then back up at Kai, looking puzzled. The slate-haired boy gave a short, yet pleasant bark of laughter. "You've never seen a handshake before, Kumiko?"
The girl frowned. "It's not that, Hi-"
"Kai."
"Excuse me?"
The crimson-eyed teen gave a genuine smile, the blood-red gaze softening somewhat. "It's Kai. I see no use in your referring to me as 'sensei', because, from what I can see of your blading skills, we are somewhat on par with each other. We are no longer student and teacher, but, for lack of a better term, partners."
"I…see…" Kumiko shook the hand held in front of her, then let go. When they had touched, it was as though a jolt of electricity had jumped from Kai's hand into hers. What was that? She thought, still puzzled by Kai's sudden change in attitude towards her. What had happened to the ice-cold act?
"You're wondering if there's a catch to my sudden 'personality change', aren't you?"
Kumiko looked up, startled. "Wha-?" How did he know!
"I can read your face like an open book. I assure you, Kumiko, there's no catch. You've put up with me for this long and never once complained about my 'attitude problem', as Takao calls it; add to that your steady progress in blading. Simply put, Kumiko, you've earned my respect."
The raven-haired teen blinked in surprise. I've…earned his respect? This soon? She smiled up at the crimson-eyed teen, saying, "I'm glad to hear that, Kai-san." Inside, though, she couldn't help but wonder if there was another reason aside from what her mentor had given.
"By the way, about the stunt you pulled off during your match…"
"Kumiko! Over here!"
Kumiko glanced left and right; she was sure she'd heard Miyuri's voice. So where was she?
Suddenly, a hand landed on her shoulder, and she nearly dropped the glass of juice she was carrying. She whipped around, about to give the 'perpetrator' a talking-to, but stopped.
"Miyuri! There you are!" she exclaimed, breaking into a grin.
"I thought I'd never find you in this crowd," Miyuri indicated, with a nod of her head, the throng of people milling around them. Since this was the first Junior Championships, the BBA decided to host a dinner for not just the participants, but also the spectators – but just on the first night. For the rest of the event, it would be only the participants – even those who'd been eliminated – and their trainers who would enjoy these 'free meals'.
"C'mon, I've already saved us an out-of-the-way table." Miyuri added, pulling her friend along with her.
"H-hey! Not so fast! You'll make me spill my drink!" Kumiko protested, trying her best to keep the hand that held the juice steady.
Soon, the two girls were seated at the table Miyuri had chosen, and were preparing to dig into the meal.
"So, how's Shiritsu Daitou?" Kumiko asked after taking a bite of the chicken fillet.
The smoke blue-eyed teen chewed thoughtfully, and then swallowed. "Not too bad, but one of my teachers could use a nose job. How about you?"
"Same here, except that I don't have any teachers that need plastic surgery."
Miyuri snorted in laughter. "Good one. Anyway, I'm curious. How'd you end up as your team's captain? Was it a vote or something?"
The raven-haired teen took a sip of juice and shook her head. "It was one of the 'prizes' at stake."
"'Prizes'?" Miyuri leaned forward. "Elaborate, please."
"I think you should know, Miyuri," The amethyst-eyed girl looked perplexed at her friend's 'lack' of knowledge. "In the mini-tournament to determine the four bladers who'd represent the school, whoever emerged as the championship in that tournament would be designated as team captain, remember?"
"What mini-tournament? Our school didn't have one…"
Kumiko blanched. "You…didn't have one? Then…why did-"
"So you're saying you're the champion of your school's Beyblade tournament?"
"Um, it wasn't a school event, but it was sponsored by the school, so-"
"It wasn't a school event?"
"Yeah. Remember I told you that my teammates and I were trained by the members of Team BBA? Well, they were the ones who proposed the mini-tournament thing; they said it would make things more interesting…"
"Whatever. It's still pretty cool that you won the title of School Beyblade Champion out of how many students in your grade." Miyuri grinned, and then gestured towards a nearby table. "Better not mention that in front of Shizuka, or she's bound to get even more incensed towards you."
Kumiko glanced towards the table her friend had indicated; Shizuka and three other teens – her teammates, apparently – were seated there, and it looked like they were discussing something.
"Discussing team tactics over dinner…I think the minute she saw your match against Team Sphinx, she got all competitive again…" Miyuri commented, turning her attention to the half-eaten chicken fillet and veggies on her plate.
"Do you think we'll ever find out why she's so competitive with me?" Kumiko asked, spooning the last of her vegetables into her mouth.
The charcoal-haired girl across from her wiped her lips with a napkin and shrugged. "I've no idea…Oh, are you up for a game of Tekken Five after dinner?"
"You're on!"
"This is incredible, folks!" DJ Jazzman exclaimed. "It's been only a few minutes, and already Team Phoenix has ensured their slot in the Semi-finals! I'm just as awed as you, fans; this team is blazing! We're about to go into the semi-finals and Team Phoenix has yet to lose a match!
It was the next day, nearing lunchtime, and Chiaki had just defeated Team Phoenix's last opponent – the representative from Team Dragon.
"Nice tactic, Chiaki," Kumiko commented. "A very good adaptation of the Fortress Defence."
"Well, Taichi did tell me that sometimes, the best defense is the best offense…"
Kumiko, Taichi, Kaito, and Chiaki were on their way to the team room, where they knew their trainers and the two tag-alongs would be waiting for them.
Sure enough…
"Congratulations!"
Kumiko and her companions had barely set foot into the room when everyone – except for Kai – popped their heads into the doorway, holding up a hastily made banner that said 'Congratulations!'
"So, you guys are unbeatable, eh?" Takao said, grinning widely as Team Phoenix stepped in, Chiaki brushing the banner aside and causing Kyouju – who was the only one left holding it – to drop in onto the floor.
"That's something that's kind of hard to achieve, isn't it guys?" Max asked, glancing at his teammates.
Rei nodded, smiling. "Yeah, it is. Keep up the good work."
"Your blades' stats have improved, too." Kyouju added.
Kumiko took a seat at one end of the table. "But we've a long way to go if we want the championship title for the school," she commented. "And from here on end, the matches will only get harder."
"We'll be ready, Kumiko; don't worry," Chiaki said, also sitting down.
"Hey, you guys!" Yuujin suddenly piped up. "We haven't celebrated your achievement yet; how about we go out somewhere for lunch?"
"Great idea!" Takao agreed instantly; anything concerning food would catch his attention. "So when do we leave?"
"Hmmm…" Yuujin pretended to look thoughtful. "We haven't decided where we'll eat yet, and eating will take some time since this is a celebration meal. Since the Semi-Finals won't be starting until half past two o'clock…"
"We read you, Yuujin," Kaito broke in, half-laughing. He went to the coat rack near the door and retrieved his denim jacket before turning to his companions. "Well? C'mon, guys, let's get going!"
"…And there you have it, folks!" DJ Jazzman was saying as Kumiko and her companions entered the arena; Team BBA, Yuujin, and Shun had remained in the team room. "In a surprise finish, Team Basilisk leaves Team Griffin in the dust. Team Basilisk is going on to the Finals!"
The group had returned from their 'celebration' at around three in the afternoon, and there had been much worrying about disqualification because of tardiness. But they calmed down soon enough; Taichi had spotted the team name still on the list of participants in the Quarter Finals, and that had been enough to reassure them.
Kumiko stopped short when she heard what the announcer had said. "Miyuri's team was eliminated?" She had a right to be shocked. The night before, after the girls' Tekken Five showdown, they'd had a friendly match, just to pass the time; Kumiko discovered that Miyuri had become a skilled blader since they'd parted ways.
"Looks like our match is up next…" Chiaki said, taking a seat on the team bench.
"Aw, man…" Kaito groaned. "Don't we even get a break or something? We just came back from an excursion!"
"The break will have to wait, Kaito," Kumiko said, glancing at the announcement screen for the line-up. Just as I suspected… she thought. She saw that Shizuka had placed herself last in the line-up, probably hoping to 'show me a thing or two'… Kumiko shook her head. "Well, she's got another thing coming. Kaito, you're all set to – Kaito!" The amethyst-eyed teen stared blankly at her teammate; the wielder of Byakko had passed out on the bench.
"Ohmigod, what's wrong with Kaito?" Chiaki asked, rushing over when she heard Kumiko call out."
The raven-haired teen was silent for a while as she felt for the unconscious teen's pulse, and then felt his forehead. She shook her head.
"He's come down with a fever, and it's a high one; it was probably caused by exhaustion." Kumiko stated solemnly. "Taichi, could you please call for medics to bring him to the infirmary? The BBA usually has a team on call for cases such as this."
"Right!"
As the olive-eyed teen ran off to find an official, Kumiko took her seat and forced herself to take deep breaths. She couldn't help thinking that there was some foul play involved in Kaito's sudden illness. He'd been perfectly fine the day before, and she knew, deep inside, that the chocolate-haired teen had exerted him more during training then he had during this tournament.
Was someone out to get them?
"All right, ladies and gentlemen, I believe we've had enough of a break!" DJ Jazzman, silencing the chattering crowd. "However, I've just been informed that a member of Team Phoenix, Matsuo Kaito, has just taken ill; that means, their line-up will be changed."
On the announcement screen, Kaito's picture – which had been next to Shizuka's, his opponent – was instantly replaced with Kumiko's.
"Kumiko, will this affect the team strategy in any way?" Chiaki asked anxiously. Her captain shook her head defiantly.
"No, it won't. Don't worry about it, Chiaki; just concentrate on your match and whatever strategy you've formulated, and you'll be fine."
"Remember: for the Semi-Finals, each pair will battle it out in three rounds; that's nine rounds a match, ladies and gents. So…first up, for Team Leviathan, we have Sadame Hikitsu!" The audience clapped as an average-built, golden brown-haired teen with green eyes and what looked to be a dragon tattoo on one side of his neck approached the stadium.
"And, representing Team Phoenix, we have Mikage Chiaki!" Once more the crowd applauded, and Chiaki made her way over to the dish.
"Without further ado…Bladers! 3…2…1…Go, shoot!"
"This is it, folks!" DJ Jazzman said, pushing the button that would send the platform closer to the dish. "Both teams are tied with one round each; this is the third round, and it looks like both bladers are raring to 3…2…1…Go, shoot!"
At the signal, both teens pulled on the ripcords, their respective blades mere blurs upon entrance into the dish. There was a whirlwind of color – toxic violet and white – as the blades raced around the stadium, trying to find an opening.
Suddenly, Hikitsu smirked, looking like a sneaky kid who'd somehow managed to steal an entire candy store. "Wyborg, finish this! Sand Bind!"
In the team room, Takao shot up when he heard Hikitsu call on his bit beast. "Wyborg!" The steel blue-eyed teen was incredulous. "So it wasn't just our bit beasts that chose new masters?"
"That's possible…" Max said, still staring at the TV screen, where a purple pit viper with lethal spikes down its length had materialized out of Hikitsu's blade.
"Let's not jump to conclusions," Rei reasoned. "It could be only Wyborg – out of the four belonging to Team NeoBorg – that had chosen a new master…Let's just wait and see what happens…"
"What an amazing turn of events, folks!" DJ Jazzman exclaimed. "It seems we're suddenly watching a bit beast match here, and Chiaki looks to be in a bind, if you'll pardon the pun. I guess she wasn't counting on her opponent having a bit beast of his own!"
Chiaki stared, a mixture of awe and horror on her face as the violet snake took form in front of her. She was close to panic now; her white blade was having trouble finding an opening to counter its opponent's attack, and she feared that it would fall apart before her eyes.
"Chiaki, remember your training!" Kumiko called from the sidelines. Chiaki glanced over her shoulder at her captain, who was smiling encouragingly.
"Don't let him get to you, Chiaki!" Taichi added, giving her the thumbs-up and grinning. "We're here for you!"
Chiaki gave a small smile, and then turned back to the battle, mentally shaking her head to get rid of any negative thoughts. She observed the enemy blade's movements for a few moments, trying to come up with a new angle.
"Whatsamatter?" Hikitsu asked mockingly. "Giving up so soon? I thought your team was supposed to be unbeatable!"
The ash blonde teen glared at him. "You'd better watch what you say, Sadame…" she threatened, keeping the battle in the stadium within her peripheral vision. "I'm just getting warmed up…"
She closed her eyes, feeling within her consciousness for the dragon's presence. There's no other recourse… she thought, latching on to her bit beast's 'vibrations'. He's released his bit beast; I might as well do the same…
She remained still for a few more moments, as though waiting for something. And then, a silent roar resounded in her head.
The emerald orbs flew open; it was time.
"Seiryuu!" Chiaki cried, her hair beginning to flow around her face; the blue dragon's spirit aura had caused the wind to pick up as it left the confines of the bit chip, towering a few feet taller than the snake it now faced..
"What's this?" DJ Jazzman commented, barely catching himself as he nearly fell out of the movable platform. He'd leaned over to get a better look; he could hardly believe his eyes. "Looks like Hikitsu isn't the only rookie here with a bit beast, fans; Chiaki has one, too, and it looks like Kinomiya Takao's Seiryuu!"
Murmurs spread throughout the audience. This was only the Junior Championships, after all; no one expected mere students to have their own bit beasts, let alone one of the legendary four.
In the dish, the white blade belonging to Chiaki began to blow away the 'sand' created by Hikitsu's Wyborg – as part of his Sand Bind attack - and the air seemed to fill with grunts, roars, and hisses as the two beasts battled for supremacy.
"What are you waiting for, Wyborg? Finish her!" the golden brown-haired teen fairly screamed, visibly upset that the easy victory he'd been counting on was suddenly whisked away from him. The amethyst snake, sensing its master's distress, instantly entwined itself around Seiryuu and began to squeeze.
"Seiryuu!" Chiaki called out, seeing her bit beast in trouble; the dragon roared in reply, its voice strong. Chiaki could see otherwise; the snake's grip was tightening rapidly, and it wouldn't be long before Seiryuu would retreat back into its container to regain its strength.
"Chiaki!"
The emerald-eyed teen turned at the sound of her name being called, and locked gazes with Kumiko.
"Think, Chiaki!" her captain commanded, the slim brows knitted in consternation. "Your bit beast is a dragon, and it's battling a snake. What can a dragon do that a snake can't?"
"What can a dragon do…that a snake can't…?" Chiaki muttered to herself. Once more, she turned back to the battle, and was horrified to see that the azure dragon was slowly falling to its knees.
"No! Seiryuu!" Jade green orbs widened with shock at the rapidity of events. Damn you, Fujiwara, she cursed savagely in her head. Damn you for distracting me and giving me a stupid riddle! She couldn't even think straight, let alone figure out what the raven-haired teen meant by her 'advice'.
Then, suddenly, realization dawned, and Chiaki gave a small grin. Perhaps the riddle wasn't stupid, after all…
"Seiryuu, listen to me! You have to jump! Jump as high as you can!" Chiaki called to her bit beast. The azure dragon's eyes, which had slowly been losing their luster, seemed to light up at the sound of its master's voice, and gave an earth-shattering roar, as though to assert its power.
"Now what?" Hikitsu started to chuckle. "You're telling your bit beast to play jump rope?"
"Just watch me!" Chiaki said, her eyes narrowing. The great dragon tensed, and then took a great leap.
What happened was more than expected. Since snakes are earth-bound creatures – not all of them were meant to fly – as soon as Seiryuu had jumped, Wyborg lost its grip somewhat. Taking this as the signal, the cerulean dragon gave one push with its huge claws, and its adversary fell, hitting the stadium with a resounding crash.
"Yes!" Chiaki exclaimed, pumping her fist into the air. "Alright, Seiryuu! Let's finish this! Dragon's Fury!"
"No! Wyborg, counter!"
As Seiryuu landed, upon the command from its master, it rushed towards the opposing snake, who was poised to strike back; at the same time, the white blade circled closer and closer to the violet one. As soon as the two blades came in contact, Chiaki's began to attack from all sides, leaving no opportunity for Hikitsu to counter-attack. A few moments later, Seiryuu gave one last swipe, Chiaki's blade closed in for the final hit. There was a loud thwack! and Hikitsu's blade was airborne.
Silence reigned as the toxic purple blade came to rest at its owner's feet, Wyborg retreated into its bit, defeated, and then, the crowd burst into rousing cheers, whoops, and applause.
"A brilliant battle, folks!" DJ Jazzman had to yell louder now. "Thanks to Chiaki and her partner Seiryuu, Team Phoenix manages to hold on to their winning streak!"
"You did it!" Kumiko exclaimed as Chiaki approached.
"But not without difficulty," the emerald-eyed teen returned, flopping down onto the bench.
"Still, you managed to make sense of what I said," the raven-haired girl smiled. "And you figured it out so quickly!"
"Congratulations on your win, Chiaki," Taichi said, sitting down beside the girl and laying a hand on her shoulder. "It was quite a battle, and you pulled through!"
"Do you need anything? A glass of water, perhaps, or something to eat?" Kumiko offered. She could see how tired her teammate was from the match; her connection to Seiryuu was now apparent. "Or maybe you'd like me to get a medical kit to clean up those cuts,"
"Huh?" Chiaki started when she heard she'd been injured and then spotted the scratches on her upper arms. "Where-"
"Kai told me about it," Kumiko explained gently, reading her friend's expression correctly. "When the blader is in tune with their beast, and the beast is injured in battle, so is the blader. However, the injury sustained by the blader is relative to injury suffered by the bit beast. For example, the bit beast suffers a fall; in this case, the blader would feel weak in the knees, or even get a banged-up shoulder or some other similar injury. In any case, there haven't been any cases in which someone died because of a bit beast bond, so you needn't worry," the amethyst-eyed teen added the last part in order to reassure the girl.
"Sou ka…" Chiaki fell silent. Kumiko sat down beside her, staring blankly at the dish.
"Uh, Chiaki?" Taichi broke in hesitantly, seeing that both girls were deep in thought. The ash blonde looked up.
"Hai?"
"Maybe you should go to the infirmary; you know, get those cuts cleaned up…"
Chiaki was about to protest, saying that she wanted to stay for Taichi's match, but Kumiko interrupted. "He's right, Chiaki; the sooner you get those cleaned up, the better."
Chiaki was silent for a while, and then she stood up and stretched. "I'll see you in a bit, then…"
The two remaining members of Team Phoenix watched as the girl walked off in search of the infirmary. Then Kumiko turned to address the holder of Genbu. "Are you ready?"
"Oh…! This hasmust be upsetting for Team Phoenix, boys and girls; this is the first time they've lost a match, and that has got to hurt…" DJ Jazzman commented, eyeing with dismay the scene before him. Taichi was lying down on the ground, breathing hard with the exhaustion of battle, while the green blade that was Draciel lay a few feet away, unmoving. Across from him, on the other side of the stadium, stood his opponent, Ishida Tetsuro, a loud and brash young man with flaxen hair and pale blue eyes.
Taichi's match had looked promising at the beginning. He'd used a new blade, which he'd upgraded – with help from Kyouju – from his old Draei to a customized Draciel. It's name had no attachments whatsoever to show which series it was a part of – it was a unique blade, built to suit Taichi's tastes and playing style, making it completely different from Max's blade. The first round had gone to Team Phoenix; Taichi had pulled off a defensive trick that made Max – who was watching from the comfort of the Team Room – to cry out in jubilation when it had proved successful.
But it had gone downhill from there. Halfway through the second round, Team Leviathan's representative had chosen to unveil his 'trump card' – his own bit beast. It was only then that Kumiko had begun to worry, but didn't let any of it show. She was quite familiar with the beast Tetsuro now sported; it was a great falcon – hence it's name of Falborg – that had previously belonged to Team NeoBorg's most ruthless, cold-hearted blader: Boris Kuznetsov. Yes, the lilac-haired Russian had made a change for the better – as had the rest of his teammates – but that didn't change the fact that Falborg was a formidable beast to face; it held power over the wind, just like Seiryuu, but it used that power in a more dangerous way. For instance, it could turn the air around it into invisible daggers that injured not only the bit beast, but the blader as well.
Needless to say, the second round had gone to Team Leviathan. The beginning of the third match was a riveting event. Taichi and Tetsuro had matched each other blow for blow – for Taichi had also chosen to unleash the mighty Genbu to even the odds. At first, it seemed that Genbu would prevail, being of a very high defense type, but Falborg had somehow managed to pierce the armor – even Max, its previous owner, knew not how. From that point on, victory seemed to grow further and further away, until it was just an infinitesimal speck on the horizon for Taichi.
And now here he was, alive, yes, but defeated. And with each breath he drew, he could swear he could also hear – and feel – his bit beast's agonized breathing as well. Perhaps this was the bond his captain spoke of? Was it this agonizing to be connected – physically, mentally, and spiritually – to a legendary spirit? And these were only the Semi-Finals! He dared not think what might happen – to him or to any of his teammates – should they make it to the finals.
Suddenly, he felt someone take hold of his arm and lift him up. Without stopping to see who it was, the copper-haired teen forced himself to use his remaining strength to help this person raise him to his feet. Hazily he noted that they were walking not towards the team bench, but towards the corridor he knew led to the infirmary; he'd been there when they took Kaito in, and so had memorized it should any of his teammates need medical attention later on, and he smiled at the irony that it was he, not his friends, who needed it now.
"Taichi?" Kumiko's voice broke the silence, and it occured Taichi that it was his captain who carried him and not some other person. "Can you hear me?" The olive-eyed boy gave a small nod, and Kumiko continued. "I just wanted you to know that it was great battle. Though you lost, you did your best, and that's what counts. Okay?"
"Y-yeah…" Taichi replied, offering the girl a small grin to reassure her. The raven-haired teen smiled back.
"We're at the infirmary now, and I'll be leaving you soon. I have to get back to the competition ground; they'll be calling me for my match in a matter of minutes."
Taichi groaned inwardly as he sat down slowly on a comfortable armchair; by Kami, it hurt to move! However, the hurt was soon forgotten as the darkness closed in – his vision had been growing darker for some time after the match – and Genbu's master finally gave in. His labored breathing became less pained and fell to the gentle rhythm of slumber.
Kumiko smiled sadly; she should have warned him about the dangers involved in releasing the bit beast; anyone could have told him, actually, but she felt that it was her fault, somehow. She was their captain, and she had a duty, she supposed, to protect her teammates to her utmost capacity. She barely noticed that a medical team had started to tend to Taichi, and she slowly walked away from the room and back to the stadium.
Blindly she let her feet lead her, not even looking up to see if she was going to right way; nonetheless, she made it to the competition area just in time for her match.
"It's the moment you've been waiting for, folks: the big showdown!" DJ Jazzman shouted into the mic as Kumiko stepped up to the stadium; her opponent, Shizuka, was already there. "It all comes down to this final match, folks! Whoever wins this will advance to the Finals!"
Once more, the crowd cheered, but Kumiko paid no attention. She was focused on Shizuka – her blue black-haired rival from junior high – and how it was her – Shizuka – and her teammates that had brought this pain upon her friends.
"For the final round: Team Leviathan's Takenori Shizuka goes against Fuijiwara Kumiko of Team Phoenix! Who will prevail?"
A/N: Okay, another cliffie there. I know I might be boring some (of maybe all) of you with this tournament thing, but, like I said, I based it on a kooky dream I had one night, and also on some of my experiences - yes, someone did challenge me to a Beybattle in school... Anyway, I wanted to see if I could carry this all the way through to the end, so, yeah...But don't worry! the tournament is only a 'prequel' of sorts; I'm still trying to tie up a few loose ends for the rest of the fic.
R&R, dears! Dewa matta! Peace out and God bless!