k, I'm leaving for seven days starting tomorrow. For the readers of Sinful Perfection, sorry. I have a writer's block for that series. (Sad C.B.C.) oh, yeah. I now have a xanga! (Happy C.B.C.) it's BlackCherryCat. It's been there for a while, and, if I can, I'll try to write posts about my vacation. Bye!

Chapter 44: Battling, children, and squirrels

Tysa woke up groggily the next day. She couldn't understand why she was so tired, but the mistake of turning on the cold water woke her up just fine. After a bit of grumbling, Tysa changed into her normal clothes and looked at the clock in her room and widened her eyes. It was 5:00. Fifteen minutes after sunrise. She may be the first to get up in her family, but she never got up this early. She groaned and thought she might as well take a walk while waiting for her brother and grandfather to get up. The walk through the woods was nice, awakening, and, for the moment, stress-free. Until, of course, she saw the two other boys that weren't seen yesterday. They apparently, just noticed each other too, and turned their backs.

"Uh…come on, you guys." Tysa said, trying to console the two. "Whatever you fought about, you can forgive each other, right?" Please… Neither Ray or Kai answered. Tysa then started to get really frustrated, her fuse gone. (3…2…1…) "Ok, that is it!" The two stared alarmed at Tysa, surprised by her sudden explosion. "You two are acting like children! In fact, children are smarter and more mature than you! You are idiots, idiots, IDIOTS!" There was a moment of silence in the no longer peaceful forest as Tysa glared at the two boys and panted. "I'll give you five seconds to apologize to each other." She growled. The two blinked at Tysa for a while. "Five…four…"

"Er…sorry, Kai." Ray muttered, although not sorry at all.

"Sorry, Ray." Kai muttered as well, and equally not sorry. Satisfied, Tysa took a deep breath.

For some reason…I feel better. She thought. Even though those were the fakest apologies ever… Then, Tysa thought of an idea.

"Take out your beyblades." She said.

"Huh?" Ray asked. Kai just blinked.

"Well, you two missed practice yesterday, so, you're gonna battle each other." Even though I missed practice too, they don't need to know that…."And I'm gonna referee." Who knows what's going on in their small little minds right now… (and I'm not going to write it, because I don't even know)… although I think Ray's is slightly bigger… For some reason, battling each other made the two eager, making the gullible side of Tysa believe they had forgiven each other. (Tysa, you gullible, unsocial fool…)

"Alright…3…2…" Before Tysa finished Ray shot out his beyblade, causing Kai to dodge.

"Sorry, Kai. Accident." Ray said, smiling on the outside, cursing Kai's fast reactions on the inside. Kai glared at Ray.

"Let's try again…3…" Kai then shot his beyblade at Ray, making him dodge as well. Kai narrowed his eyes.

"Sorry, Ray." Kai said, tonelessly. Tysa rolled her eyes.

They are children…Tysa thought, even though when she explodes, she often doesn't mean it. "Ok, now let's do two things. First, let's wait until I finish the countdown. Second, aim for the ground in the middle of the two of you, ok?"

"Yes, Tysa…" the two boys grumbled.

"Ok!"

"Yes, Tysa!" they said fearfully.

"Good. Ok, 3…2…1…Let it Rip!" The two fiercely released their beyblades on the ground. As if sensing their owner's frustration towards the other, the beyblades relentlessly attacked each other. Tysa watched with an 'oh no…' face.

It's like they want the other dead…sure, that would make life easier for me, but murder's wrong…probably fun…but wrong. Yeah…very wrong. Although…nah. Murder: Probably fun, but wrong.

"Too much for you?" Kai asked when Dranzer took the advantage.

"I'm just getting started, Kai!" Ray said, unleashing a series of hard attacks. Tysa's face developed a more concerned look.

They're going to destroy the trees at that rate…Tysa thought, obviously caring less about the battle. Pretty soon, Tysa started to hear insults thrown across the battle. Ah…now they're going to name-calling…sounds just like second grade… Giving a swift glance at the beyblades, she noticed something. There was a squirrel lying on the ground, and the two beyblades started heading straight towards it while attacking each other. (No! Not the squirrel!) Of course, Ray and Kai were too busy arguing to notice and/or care.

"Watch out you guys!" Tysa yelled while shooting her beyblade at the two. The Kairi hit the two 'blades just when they hit each other, waking up the squirrel and, ironically, the two 'blades flew to each of their owners heads, making hard contact. Tysa made a goofy-looking grin, trying to hold in her laughter, but it didn't work, and she was soon laughing in tears.

"Waaa ha ha ha ha haaa! Ah ha ha ha…he he…" she sniffed away the tears caused by her laughter as she collapsed to the ground. "Ah ha…you guys are idiots…"

"You're the one who aimed them at us!" Kai snapped.

"But…ha ha…you tried…to hit each other…ha ha ha…and you got hit…he he…by your own beyblades…Ah ha ha ha ha!"

"Great, you got her laughing again." Ray said over Tysa howls of laughter. "You know, it's not really that funny, Tysa…"

"Yes…ha ha ha…yes it is—sss! Waa ha ha ha!" As Tysa laughed, Ray and Kai became more and more annoyed. "Ha ha ha—waa!" Tysa yelped as she dodged two beyblades. "Yeee!" she cried as she started to run from Ray and Kai. Even though her life was in danger, Tysa couldn't help smiling.

"I wonder where those three are now?" Tyson asked as it was time for practice.

"We're here…" Tysa groaned as the three entered the yard, having various injuries.

"What happened to you guys?" Max asked, worried.

"A squirrel." Was the unanimous response. (If there was no squirrel, Tysa wouldn't have shot her 'blade and hit Ray and Kai which caused Tysa to laugh which, in turn, caused Ray and Kai to chase her, which caused Tysa to execute self-defense when they got to close, which caused them to use self-defense until everyone was to injured to move. It's all the squirrel's fault!)

"You provoked a squirrel?" Kenny asked.

"No…the squirrel made me laugh." Tysa said, trying to hold in her new fit of laughter.

"Don't hurt yourself trying…" Kai said as he glared at Tysa.

"He he…ah…"

"What was so funny…ah…" Tyson asked, but then received angry glares from both Ray and Kai while Tysa still tried to hold in laughter. From a tree, a squirrel looked at the people, then silently transformed into Shui.

"Not the help I was expecting to give, but…it might be better this way. For now." A bird then took Shui's place and flew off.

It took me a while because me and Tysa have the same disease: it's hard to stop laughing once started...

Mizuki Sakura