Happy New Year! I'm here with a highly requested update- Tala Ivanov!
This chapter and many upcoming chapters connect to my not updated in centuries fic "The Shocking Truths". If I feel too lazy, I'm gonna spill the whole plot of that fic. But most likely I won't. Clue- This chapter picks up right after TST ends.
The Blitzerkeigs: Tala{'Talantlivyy' Yuri Ivanov}
When the Abbey shut down for the third time in three years( this time totally, and the new Hiwatari Hier was there to assure), and the documents we're being sorted, one name other than the Hiwataris' was at the top of every list in sight- Yuri Ivanov.
People engaged in the work couldn't stop wondering - How was that possible? BIOVOLT's standards we're pretty rough, and not to mention this boy seemed to have maintained his status all throughout seven years he seemed to have stayed there.
For those very reasons, Wright decided to stay late in the office to check out that legend's file. Wright was a government clerk, and presently the whole Russia was in an uproar. BIOVOLT, Hiwatari's biggest and most advanced project had been unravelled to be one of the evilest enterprises. How could someone do that to his own Grandchildren?
Presently, he was trying to find the file with 'Yuri Ivanov'. Torchlight circle moved along the shelves, occasionally moving down on the boxes. Wright squinted his eyes to see the batch no.s through his specs. As he saw a permanent marker "5" written on the shelf label, he stopped. Shifting the torchlight over the shelf. On the top was a board spelling 'BIOVOLT'.
He shifted the files left and right, carefully reading the first letter on each, but there was no kid with names starting with 'Y' in the batch 5 files.
So, he dumped a whole lot of files down and glanced at each one. Names stood out boldly in the spotlight. All files were the same colour- ochre. It was gonna be hard work.
This was the file. Taking the file Wright shifted a random box near him and making it his seat, he reclined on the nearest bookshelf. Tucking the torch in-between loads of files to get a comfortable light source, he glanced intently over the file. Below the BIOVOLT crest was written the batch name, the year of commencement, and then the name. The details were printed both in Russian and English, for purposes yet to be disclosed.
He flipped open the cover, and now he was glancing at the photo of the person whose photographs flashed om the TV screens number times during a day for the past few days, usually after the Hiwataris' had flashed a dozen times already. This was the boy, Tala Ivanov, the runner up of Beyblade World Championship five years ago, and the boy Garland Sebaild had sent to coma a couple of years back.
Breathing in deeply, he placed his hand over the photograph, concentrating hard. There was a flash and he was in the story.
(Wright is not a normal person. He has the power to know significant portions of the life story of a person by simply placing his hand over their photograph, or the entire story by holding their hand long enough. You'll see the Backstory of all Ruskies in this way.)
Wright opened his eyes calmly. He stood on a snow-covered street, contrasting strongly with the dark wood in the dawn. Beside him were old log cabins lining up the pavement on either side.
Wright closed his eyes, took in a deep breath, and disappeared. It always better to see things when you are invisible.
A lone man came walking lazily to one of the houses and banged heavily on the door.
"Radmila!" he shouted when no one answered.
"Radmila!" he banged again, more impatiently.
This went on for quite a while before the door opened and a feminine voice answered, "Have you seen the time Lukshoff?"
She was a young woman with rough rosy lips and fair skin, dressed ina full sleeve linen gown and an old blanket draped around her shoulders.
"Go back to that bitch you've been f***ing up last night!"
The man's face got more screwed.
"Let me in or else.."
"What or else? Huh?" Radmila stood at the door with both her arms sealing the entrance.
"Remember woman," said Lukshoff gripping her by the neck,
"This house mine, and so is your little son." Pushing her back he entered and banged the door shut with a resounding thud.
Inside the house, Radmila's voice continued in a hissy stream of insults and complaints punctuated by Lukshoff's threats.
Hours after this commotion the child, who his father had named Yuri, woke up in a heated but silent atmosphere. Sunshine outside made the snow glisten like diamonds. Young lovers were returning to their houses, throwing handfuls of snow at each other. Little children were messing around the houses, making snowmen and hiding in the snow, occasionally leaping ou to scare the elderly from their windows. Yuri quickly got involved in a conspiracy to steal hot chocolate from the Gruff( the old bakery master). The Main plan was being discussed in a confidential circle. One of the little chums excitedly produced a rat out of his pocket, which he suggested should be put in the cash drawer. Yuri disagreed.
"Tuopy! Money is not to be destroyed. Gruff's daughter's little son is sick. Don't you know?"
"Yeah Ivanov, but Gruff cheats us!"
"How?"
"He says five rouble gets you one big candy but gives only five for twenty-five roubles"
"And how many should we get?"
"Ten"
"And how is that possible?"
The whole group looked at that thin reedy child with steady eyes. He counted on his fingers many times, but each time he was getting different answers. The first time he got twenty, then three, then five, then again five and then once he even got 100. The group grew impatient and he sheepishly smiled," I got it that time but I think I was wrong" He laughed nervously with his hand behind his head, but others didn't seem to share the joy.
"Starshiy brat doesn't do the math, HE DOES MAGIC!" Behind them stood Lazurny, in their eyes the disgrace to womankind, the splinter in their foot on their adventurous journeys and unfortunately, a dear daughter to Joe's mother.
"Joe! tell your sister to go away." Yuri commanded with eyes closed and arms crossed.
Joe stared nervously at Lazurny. Wasn't it bad enough that he sucked at math?
"Dear Lazurny, please go away. Won't you obey your starshiy's command?"
"Lazurny doesn't listen to a Tuopy Starshiy!" The little girl leapt closer to the group of four, all older than her about two years. She was only five, but goddamn clever.
"Lazurny knows you brats are going to mess up the Gruff's shop," she said grinning and flocking her short black hair.
Everyone sighed in exparsation. It was the zillionth time Joe unknowingly leaked their plan to Lazurny.
"Now if you include Lazurny in your plan, she will help," Lazurny spoke with a wicked accent that really suited her, and Yuri and others knew exactly what to do next.
Suddenly mountains of snown rained down on the little girl who fell down. Shaking the snow off herself, she saw the boys running away in distance.
"You'll regret this Starshiy"
The plan had been a success- if you don't count the ending. They scared Gruff bad enough and had whisked down entire bottles of hot cocoa with a hunk of marshmallows, but in the Lazurny got them. She, being rejected again had waited for them to do something and then told Gruff's daughter everything, who had ran after the boys about a mile before she caught Joe and dragged him to the police station. Yuri and others came to the police themselves because they felt they would be betraying Joe if they hid, and thus they had a hard time with parents.
Yuri's mother held her head. She was done with his father and Yuri himself. That day she locked him out for an hour, as there was no wind blowing and enough lanterns around for a fire. After one hour she came back to take him in, but Yuri was asleep. Radmila took him in, regretting her action to leave Yuri outside. But she didn't know what had happened when she wasn't seeing.
After a few days, the atmosphere in Yuri's house had turned into the conch shell for battle. All had been well. Then his father arrived with his vodka bottles. Of course, his mom was bursting with anger but just then his father filled a punch of vodka in his Mom's mouth, who backed off covering her mouth so that the drink won't fall out.
When all was down her throat, she stood for a moment quite confused, for she couldn't decide what to do next. Her beauty really shone that time. Taking his chance Lukshoff entered, closing the door softly. He picked up the nearest glass and poured in some vodka and wine, offering it to her in a manner he might have offered her roses on Valentine's many years ago.
After that, Wright saw through the window Radmila and Lukshoff going inside a room and bolting it from inside, almost forgetting about their son. It was fine for Yuri. He just went out to play. They had fun tricking Lazurny. Yuri never knew how much he would be shocked when he would see her next#.
As the dusk set in, the swift winds turned to a colder, stormier visage. Everyone went back to their houses, all set for a hearty meal. But when Yuri came back, he found the house in a state of war being waged between his parents. Radmila hurled on Lukshoff anything in her reach and Lukshoff threatened her with a broken glass bottle. There was still one bottle in Radmila's hand she suckled between the insults and objects.
Surely enough, Radmila had drunk more than she could digest.
"You bloody Traitor!" And a shoe went in Lukshoff's direction.
"What do you think I am? Your little baby?" The bottle touched her lips once more.
"But I'm not,"
Lukshoff's murderous intent amplified and he darted to finish her off.
"Murder me you bastard! You'll rot in jail and I'll be like," she laughed madly, rather unsteady on her feet.
This drama went on and on before Yuri broke in nervously.
"Mom! I'm hungry" Radmila looked at him like she noticed him for the first time.
"Hungry? What a completely nonsense child I've got!" She didn't look like his mother at all.
"Ask this * for food!" she momentarily paused to sip whatever liquor was in the bottle.
"But what will he give you? Didn't he shower all that on that bitch Cal...? Ohh! what was the name again?"
Lukshoff lost his patience and grabbed her by the hair.
"Radmila! Stay in your limits" he commanded giving her a good shake. She shoved him and freeing herself pointed her finger at him. Before she could continue, Yuri started speaking something, which Radmila didn't like at all.
"Shut up Yuri! It was better when you weren't here." And thus, Yuri was pushed out of the room, and as there was only one room in the house, he was out in the snowstorm.
He could but cry. Hugging his knees he sat in a corner, near a lamp, crying. What had he done to deserve that? All because of his Father's friend. Was she like Lazurny, who didn't know that people didn't want her?
It had been some time and Yuri was on the verge of freezing. The snow was swishing all around and often a freezing wave hit him hard, despite his efforts to shield himself. He had gone and banged the door, but after a long fight, Radmila slumped on a pile of quilts, blankets and rags, and Lukshofff fell asleep from overdrinking, with the pointed broken bottle still in his hand. No one answered, and though Wright wanted to help him, he couldn't. It was something he could only watch. It had already happened.
Yuri had a feeling he would die from cold, but then he saw someone in distance- Mr Balkov, probably the kindest person on Earth. Last time when his mother locked him out he gave him some big biscuit-like cakes: doughnuts as he called them. Often he gave the children here treats on Sundays. Yuri's face lit up at his sight, even though he was numb.
" Is it really Yuri or am I mistaken?" asked the man, getting closer.
"It is sir." The sentence came so broken, so weak and inaudible in the storm, that Boris just took those words to be what the boy meant.
"But son, what are you doing out in this deadly weather?" He held the fainting boy firmly.
"Here. Have a cookie" said the purple-haired man, offering the little boy a warm cookie, which he conjured from his coat.
Boris sat down beside Yuri, and putting his overcoat over a trembling, numb and almost gone Yuri, he took off one glove and felt Yuri's forehead, which was enough to give him an iceburn. Yuri was gasping for breath, and Boris efforts to warm him by rubbing his hands between his palms weren't working.
Boris stood up, and taking the boy on his shoulder, he said to him," Don't worry son. I'll take you to my place. They won't let you die."
Yuri could only make an invisible effort to reply, and Boris went off dashing to the Abbey at top speed. Yuri never knew when he totally fainted. But he remembered Boris running against the winds for him.
The next morning when he woke up, he was in a soft bed, under warm quilts. Looking around, there was someone working on a table of medicines in a long dress and veil. The small room seemed to be made up entirely of cement and stone, for there was no paint over them. The door was open and the lamps were still burning. Soon the person turned around, whom Yuri later found out to be a woman- Madam Agafa.
Boris came in soon after Madam Agafa saw him awake.
"Where am I, Mr Balkov?" Yuri asked, sitting upright.
"You are at my place, son."
"Where is Mother?"
"Yuri, I would have dropped you home right away, and given your mother a good scolding for leaving you outside in the cold. But the storm last night has jammed the roads, so you'll have to wait for a few days"
"But my mother?" Yuri panicked.
"Oh, don't worry my boy! Madam Agafa is here, and I've many children. You'll have many friends"
Yuri was listening carefully. So Boris continued," This is actually an Abbey. There's an Orphanage too, and the Monks here share their knowledge with the Kids. I'm one of them. We have a lot of fun here."
Madam Agafa had thrown back her veil and gave one of her especially motherly smiles, which had come in really handy at this job. Boris had bent down to Yuri's level.
Just then a kid came running to Boris in a state of panic. Before the poor kid could say something, Boris pulled him closer and said," See Yuri! This is Bryan, one of the many kids here."
Both Yuri and Bryan looked at each other.
"Bryan, this is Yuri. He'll be here for a few days." Boris took their hands and joint them, and thus Yuri and Bryan's friendship started, both of them unaware of the utility this alliance was to provide in future.
Soon a week had passed and Yuri was quite happy here, for he seemed to be the best at Beyblading. It was a spinning tops game everyone played at the Abbey, so YUri had joined them, and by the looks of it, Boris was pretty impressed with him. He even nicknamed him the "Talantlivyy Boy".
So, everyone here had been calling him Tala. And he liked the name.
After one week, Boris called him. He said to him,' Tala, I went to your mother."
Tala's face lit up at her mention. Boris had requested him not to ask much about his mother and father, because that could make the orphanage kids feel bad.
" But what she said, I can't repeat" and that's why I got her record this," said Boris pointing to an audiotape, but Tala had never seen anything like that before.
"When you put it in a machine it repeats what you said to it. Like this" And Boris showed TAla a player. First, he put in a music tape, which sung some Russian Folk song. Tala was fascinated. THen Boris gave him a mike and asked him o say something. Tala spoke "I am Talantlivyy Yuri Ivanov, the best Beyblader in the World"
Boris pressed a few buttons, and soon an identical tape stood before him. Boris played it. Tala heard his voice, along with Boris's initial dialogue. Tala said," Is that my voice?"
Boris just smiled. He handed him over the tape he claimed to be his mother's.
Tala played it. It began " Oh, Mr Balkov! Take away that boy forever. I'm fed up of him and his father, He's given me only tension and nothing more. I don't want to see him ever again. Don't come back, Yuri!" Tala stood frozen. How could she! How? Tala cried, and Boris consoled him.
That day, Boris officially admitted him to BIOVOLT. Little did he know, what his life would become.
After that, you know what it became. You can read a certain chapter of "The Shocking Truths" to read Tala's experience in the abbey. It's not good though. And that'#' represents a sort of spoiler for TST too. And '*' represents the random insults Radmila throws at Lukshoff( She got pretty hysterical when she couldn't find her son the next day. And soon went into Depression when Lukshoff divorced her, for a woman named Calorina). And that list in my Author's note is pretty outdated don't follow it.
Read and Review. Next in line are all Russians. I'll love to hear your predictions about what will happen in TST based on the evidence in this chapter.