Song Of Hope: I love Hikaru! She's one of my favorite characters in the show!
Sorry for this being so so late! A lot of thing happened since the last time I updated this story but I'm ready to try and update it as much as possible. So, first thing's first, I managed to move out of my parent's house. I'm a manager at a fast food restaurant, so while I work about 40+ hours a week, I'm making some serious bank so I'm relatively financially stable. I've also really improved my writing and I'm working on an original story! I hope you guys are still in this fandom and are willing to read!
Another thing, I also changed Ai's last name from Minasan to Minamoto, which I think gives it a unique meaning without sounding like a completely fake name (let's be real, Minasan would never be a real family name anyway)! I researched new last names for a while and already went and fixed it in previous chapters. Minasan is just going to be her cover name for the first few chapters.
Last note, I went and reformatted the previous chapters. Aside from fixing some slight errors though, I didn't change anything else. All the changes are just as I said. I wanted to be able to go back and read this and see the visible improvement in my writing. With that being said, please enjoy this long overdue update! R&R
Blue Shirt, Black Vest, Dew Rag, and Short Dude were standing in front of a girl with spiked light blue hair, violet eyes, tanned skin, wearing a red jacket over a white and blue vest with silver buttons, a black shirt underneath the vest, tan shorts, two crisscrossing brown belts, brown boots, a black choker with a tilted yellow pendant on her left side, and white fingerless gloves that went a little past her wrists and were rolled up. She was holding a blue pack, and looked pretty ticked. Benkei was sitting and observing not far away.
"I don't know what you guys think you're doing, but I've got things to do, so move along." Blue Shirt smirked.
"Not so fast." Dew Rag nodded.
'Yeah, if you want to enter this town, you've gotta pay the toll." Short Dude nodded.
"To us Face Hunters. Or to the Energy Amazons, but trust me, our toll is far better than theirs, unless you like broken Beys." She glared at them.
"Is that a threat?" Black Vest shook his head.
"Not at all. The Energy Amazons can be some pretty nasty chicks. If you pay our toll, we can keep them away, but you can't enter without paying said toll. It's our way of saying, 'welcome to Metal City,' and 'we've got your back,' understand?" She threw her pack to the side and got out her Bey and Launcher.
"Fine, but hurry up and lose you amateurs!" She launched her Bey at them with an irritate noise as they countered by launching theirs. Their Beys started going towards hers, but her Bey disappeared. They were all in shock, especially Benkei.
"It disappeared?!" The Face Hunters ended up attacking each other. The Bey then reappeared and attacked the other Beys, sending them flying and making them stop spinning. She smirked and held her hand close to her chest, catching her Beyblade. Benkei was shocked at her skills, but smiled, rubbing his nose.
"Interesting." She picked her pack back up.
"There, consider me welcomed, and not in need of your protection. Now out of my way!" They separated so she could get through, but Benkei got in her way. She put down her pack and held out her Bey. "What, you wanna battle me too?!" Benkei held up his hands in panic.
"No, wait, sorry!" He put one fist on his hip and the other one down. "That battle was, we were just testing your skills!" She narrowed her eyes.
"Testing?" He nodded.
"Yeah. You're okay. So what's your name?" She gave him a plain look, like she was annoyed.
"Hikaru Hasama." She held up her Bey. "And this is Storm Aquario, otherwise known as my most trusted friend." Benkei smiled.
"Hikaru Hasama and Storm Aquario?" She nodded.
"Yeah, what are you, a parrot?" He forced himself to laugh.
"That's funny. How would you like to try battling not one, but two really strong opponents?" She gasped a little and her eyes widened. It was clear that Benkei managed to peak her interests.
"Two really strong opponents?"
There were a bunch of battles going on at Bey Park. Kenta was battling Takashi, Ginga was battling an unknown boy, and Ai was battling a really scared looking little girl. Takashi was calling out to his Bey that was repeatedly attacking Sagittario.
"Take him down! You can do it!" Osamu was cheering on Takashi.
"You've got him!" Akira was cheering him on as well.
"Heads up Takashi!" Takashi's Bey was wobbling a lot, but it was trying its hardest to hold on.
"Come on now," called out Kenta, "let's go Sagittario!" Sagittario struck Takashi's Bey hard, sending it out of the stadium as Takashi cried out.
"Alright," cheered Kenta, holding out his Pointer to bring it up to 2150 points.
"Oh man," lamented Takashi as he sighed in defeat, "you're so strong lately Kenta!"
"Well it's not surprising," said Osamu as he crossed his arms over his chest, "since you had such an epic battle with Ginga." Kenta rubbed his nose, chuckling proudly with a smile on his face.
"Well, yeah."
Not far away, Ginga was battling another kid, who was trying his hardest but just couldn't overcome Ginga's Bey.
"Go Pegasis!" With one final strike, the opponent Bey was sent flying out of the stadium. He smiled confidently as he held his hand out for his Bey.
"Of course Ginga moved up to the B Block," said Akira.
"And I already won my battle," said Ai with a smirk as she walked up behind them, holding out Heart Andromeda. "So, who gets the honor of loosing to my Beyblade?!" She sneezed, chuckling after that as she rubbed her nose. "I bet someone's talking about how I'm going to win right now! I'll beat you Ginga, you and Kenta!"
"I won't loose!" Ginga made a fist, pumping it into the air. "I'll win against you and Kenta too!" Kenta and Ginga moved over to their stadium.
"Ginga, I won't loose this time." Kenta held out his Bey. "I'll beat you and then I'll beat Ai too and show her that I'm as strong of a rival as you are!"
"You're gonna make me blush," giggled Ai, throwing out a hand. "You can do this Kenta! I believe in you!"
"Make me proud Kenta," said Ginga with a smile. The two held out their Beys, starting to count down.
"3-!"
"2-!"
"1-!" Before they could even say it, Ginga's face went red and he started wobbling, shouting nonsense before falling down. Everyone except for Ai started freaking out, to which she just sighed.
"I had a feeling," she said as everyone gathered around Ginga.
Ginga was laying down on a bed at the B-Pit, groaning in discomfort with a thermometer sticking out of his mouth and an ice pack on his head. Madoka was sitting at his bedside, with Kenta and Ai standing by him.
"Hey Ginga," please speak to me," said Kenta worriedly. Ginga tried to give him a small smile.
"I'm alright," he insisted, "alright?" Madoka went to grab the thermometer, while Ai shook her head.
"This is what you get for constantly eating hamburgers," she chided. "You don't have a healthy body and you get sick."
"I'm not sick," he protested. "I just got a little hot that's all!"
"She's right," said Madoka as she showed him the thermometer. "You have a really high fever." She gave him a small, concerned glare. "Why didn't you tell us you weren't feeling well Ginga?"
"I wanted to battle," he pouted, pushing his index fingers together. "I knew you guys wouldn't let me if I said anything. Besides, I'm fine."
"If you're fine then I'm the daughter of the director of the WBBA," Ai joked. "Come on, you can't lie to me. You know you're not fine. Your nose is twitching."
"Curse my twitchy nose!" Ginga sneezed very hard.
"Get some rest," said Madoka, replacing his ice pack with a fresher one. "The doctor's going to be here soon."
"Huh?" Ginga blinked twice. "Did you say doctor?"
"Don't worry," said Ai with a small cough, "Dad's paying for it. He knows you don't have any money right now."
"I'm sure you'll feel better once the doctor give you some medicine," said Madoka, causing Ginga's face to go blue.
"M-Medicine?!" He curled up under the covers, hiding from the doctor that wasn't there yet as he whimpered.
"What's wrong Ginga," asked Kenta, worried and confused as Ai just sighed.
"I don't need a doctor," he insisted, a voice full of fear.
"Yes you do," insisted Madoka. "You're sick!"
"Forget it!" The blanket started shaking. "I hate medicine, okay?" Ai rolled her eyes, putting her hands on Madoka and Kenta's backs.
"Look," she said as she pushed them out the door, "you let me deal with Ginga. Send the doctor up whenever they get here." She started to close the door, a serious look on her face. "Trust me, this could take a while." She shut the door, leaving Madoka and Kenta in confusion as they looked at each other.
"What was that," asked Kenta as Madoka sighed, her hands both held out at chin level.
"Beats me," she replied. "I'm almost scared of what she's going to do to him." They both heard what sounded like fighting and yelling. Both of their faces went blue as it started to settle down.
"It's getting quiet," Kenta said as his head and Madoka's slowly turned towards the door. Ai came out of there, smiling like there were hearts and flowers floating around her face.
"Alright, he's asleep," said Ai with a smile before coughing a little. "It took a bit longer than normal but he'll be out like a light until the doctor gets here and then he'll have no choice but to get checked out."
"You can be really scary sometimes Ai," said Madoka.
"Hm." Ginga was grumbling as the doctor listened to Ginga's breathing. "Irritated lungs, sore throat, runny nose and a cough." She smiled, taking off her stethoscope. "Looks like it's just a small cold. It got bad but if he rests for the next few days and takes some medicine, he should be fine."
"Well that's good," said Ai with a small cough. "I'm glad I called you."
"Huh." The doctor walked over to Ai, placing her stethoscope on Ai's back. "That was a bit of a juicy cough."
"Well she did have to physically fight Ginga to get this to happen," said Kenta.
"It doesn't sound like that kind of a cough though," said the doctor with a frown. "Take a deep breath for me."
"Easy." Ai smiled and took a deep breath, but then started coughing. The doctor pulled away, smiling.
"Looks like you managed to catch your friend's cold." She looked and Madoka and Kenta. "It seems contagious, so be careful not to share drinks and make sure to wash your hands."
"Great," said Ai, giving Ginga a side glare, "you got me sick."
"Well last time you got me sick," he shot back, giving her the same look. "Remember when you gave me the flu?"
"Remember when you gave me chicken pox?"
"Remember when you gave me pneumonia?!
"Remember when-"
"Enough," said the doctor, glaring at the two. "You both need to get some rest!" She handed them both two pieces of paper. "I recommend this medicine. Ginga, you should make a full recovery within a few days. Ai, you should manage to beat it back before it gets bad if you take care of yourself. Still, it is just a cold so there's really nothing to worry about."
"That's good," said Kenta with a smile. "You'll both be Blading again soon!"
"I can still Blade," argued Ai, holding out her Launcher. "I'll prove it." The doctor snatched it out of her hand.
"No Blading until you recover," she ordered. "Beyblade can be stressful on your body. It shouldn't take long, you can survive a week without Beyblade, both of you."
"A week?!"
Ginga and Ai were both asleep in a couple of beds upstairs, while Madoka was in the kitchen.
"What are you making Madoka," asked Kenta, leaning towards the stove to look in the pot Madoka was stirring.
"Well, my mom used to always make me soup when I was sick," said Madoka, "so I'm gonna make some for dinner. I think Ai was right that Ginga's diet really hasn't been helping him. It's probably why Ai didn't get so sick."
"Well, Ginga also has had a lot harder of battles than her," said Kenta. "They both had that 100 Bey battle, but Ginga also had to fight Kyoya and Wataragani."
"Yeah, but Ai's had her own battles," said Madoka, frowning as she put down the spoon. "I don't know if she mentioned anything, but she battled against two of the Energy Amazons. Plus right after that she had her battle with Dark Bull and Benkei. She's probably been in just as bad of a shape as him lately."
"Wait, she fought the Energy Amazons?!" His eyes were wide, a little awe filled and a little scared at the same time. "Did she win?!"
"Yes she did," said Madoka. "Apparently she fought Dengen and Tsuyo."
"But those are the two strongest next to Naga!" Kenta sat down on a nearby stool, processing the information. "I can't believe Ai was strong enough to beat those two. They're the worst ones next to their leader."
"She definitely hasn't had it easy," said Madoka as she looked up towards where the two would be. "I'm afraid they might come around looking for revenge. Not to mention the Face Hunters still have it out for Ginga too. What are we going to do when they're sick like this?"
"If that happens," said Kenta thoughtfully as he looked down. "If that happens…"
Hikaru was launching Storm Aquario at three already knocked down pillars, but when her Bey hit them with all its power, the three pillars were completely shattered, turned into nothing but pebbles. She smirked and summoned her Bey back to her hand.
"Ginga Hagane and Ai Minasan, huh," she asked herself, filled with excitement as she looked at her Bey. "I'm really looking forward to battling the both of you." She looked up at the setting sun, memories filling her mind. "I want to win against strong opponents… I want to fulfill that dream for her…"
Hikaru was just a little girl, battling hard against opponents in a tournament, but within the first round, her Bey was knocked right out of the stadium. She could help but sink to her knees and start crying. She took her Bey and ran home, going to her mother's bedroom and started crying on her bed.
"What's wrong sweetheart," asked her mother, her face full of worry.
"I lost again," she cried. "I didn't even get past the first round!"
"Don't cry," said her mother, rubbing her daughter's back. "If loosing makes you sad, then the next time you must try to win."
"But, but," she stuttered out, sniffling and holding her head up to look at her mother, "everyone in the stadium is bigger and stronger than me."
"But that's good." Her mother gave her daughter a knowing smile. "If you want to be strong, you must battle with opponents stronger than yourself."
"I have to battle with strong opponents," asked Hikaru.
"Yes," her mother replied. "There's no point in battling weak opponents. You must battle those who are stronger than you if you hope to be a better Blader. Learn from them, watch how they fight, and take in those techniques for yourself, while shedding those tactics that you don't want to use. Keep facing off with the top Bladers, and don't back down. Then you'll win. Fight hard until you win, and then you'll become the best Blader in the world."
"Is that what you did when you were a Blader," asked Hikaru with a tilt of her head, which earned her a smile from her mother.
"Exactly." She gently rubbed the top of her daughter's head. "I'm glad you gained my love of Beyblade. If this is the path you've chosen, then I'll help you in any way I can, until the very end."
"No matter who my opponent is," declared Hikaru as she clutched Aquario, "I will not loose." She held up Aquario, remembering her mother. "I'll win for her, and I'll become the world's strongest Blader!" She put Aquario back in her Launcher. "LET IT RIP!" From the top of the stadium, Hikaru was being watched from behind from a girl in a yellow cloak and a girl in an orange cloak. The two of them watched Hikaru practice, observing her.
"She's fast," said the one in yellow. "Her Bey has a unique power for sure."
"You always focus on their speed Hayameru," said the one in orange. "The important thing is their power, and their ability to hold on."
"At the very least she seems incredibly strong," said Hayameru. "Do you want to keep tabs on her Tairyoku?"
"I will," she said with a smile. "Hikaru Hasama, can we count on you?"
"Wow Kenta, when did you get so many points?!" Ginga looked impressed at Kenta's Bey Pointer numbers, with Kenta beaming at him from Ginga's bedside.
"Well it was so frustrating when I lost to you," said Kenta with a smile, "so since then, I've been working really hard!"
"At this rate, you'll probably catch up to me soon enough," he said as he handed back Kenta's pointer.
"Really?!" Kenta's face lit up with excitement. "If I did, maybe I could beat you and Ai! Until then, I won't loose to anyone, not even the two of you!"
"Just don't forget that feeling," Ginga advised. "If you have that desire to win," he clenched his fist, holding it up as a show of determination, "you can do your best no matter how difficult it is!"
"Right!" He nodded as he turned around. "I'm gonna show Ai my points now!"
"Alright," said Ginga with a smile, giving him a wave as Kenta left the room. He went to the room at the end of the hall, hand on the doorknob.
"Hey Ai," said Kenta as he slowly opened the door, "can I come in?"
"Of course," she said with a smile, sitting on her bed over the covers, her feet hanging from the side. "What's on your mind?"
"Nothing serious," he said with a smile as he sat down next to her, showing off his Pointer. "I just wanted to show you my Bey Points!" Ai took the Pointer, looking clearly impressed at the numbers.
"Wow, you got a lot of points," she praised with a smile, handing it back. "It's because you're so determined and strong, and because you love Sagittario so much."
"Huh?" Kenta blinked. "Because I love Sagittario?" Ai nodded.
"Uh huh." She pulled out her Andromeda and smiled at the Bey. "Ginga is always talking about the Blader's Spirit and the want to win. While that's incredibly important, something Ginga tends to forget a lot is loving your Beyblade. If you don't love your partner, you'll never be able to win. His love of Pegasis comes naturally though, he always knew it would be his."
"Always knew?" Kenta tilted his head, a questioning look on his face. "What do you mean he'd always known?"
"It's nothing important," she dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand. "The point is, when you love your Beyblade and care for it deeply, your Bey loves you back and it makes both of you stronger. Knowing your Bey, and knowing how to battle best with them is just an important part of Beyblade, as well as knowing your opponent's Bey and how they work too. You can't be an Attack Type and work with a stamina strategy. You work with your Bey, and when the two of your work together," she held up her free fist and clenched it, smiling at Kenta, "you and your partner can become unstoppable!" Her face frowned, her mind drifting towards the Energy Amazons. "And yet those girls were incredibly strong. I barely managed to win against them, and it was only because of Andromeda's unique Performance Tip. If we weren't near a brick wall I would've lost." She clenched her Bey. "I have to get stronger, to stop those girls."
"Are you okay," asked a worried Kenta.
"It's alright," she said, trying to smile for him as she put away Andromeda. "I'm good. Not worried at all."
"Is it about the Energy Amazons," he asked, getting a shocked reaction from her. "Madoka told me about your fight with Tsuyo and Dengen. I'm really impressed. They're the strongest ones next to Naga!"
"You are?" She looked at Kenta's beaming face as he nodded.
"They're big bullies who like to hurt other people," said Kenta, "and you stood up to them, and even beat them! Not just one though, you beat two of them! That's amazing! You really are cool Ai, and strong!"
"Oh stop," she said with a laugh and a blush. "I was just doing the right thing. It doesn't need to be praised!"
"Yeah but credit should be given where credit is due," said Kenta. "Besides, it must've been a really tough battle. Thankfully, I've never fought them but aside from Kyoya, I've never heard about anyone winning against any of them."
"Kyoya?" Ai blinked. "Kyoya's won against them?"
"Only against the others," said Kenta, "never against Naga. They're bitter rivals and neither of them has ever beaten the other. I hear that Naga's holding back, but I don't think it's true or else she wouldn't keep tying with him."
"It sounds like it," said Ai with a chuckle. "I only met her for long enough to battle two of her lackeys, but she was just so cocky and a real braggart. I get the feeling she can't handle not being the strongest, and would totally lie to preserve her ego."
"That's what I've heard," said Kenta with a smile. "I used to be scared of them, but I'm not anymore. You and Ginga are so strong, I'm not scared of them or the Face Hunters like I used to be, and it's because you're both here."
"I…" Ai looked down, her hands clenching on her lap as her bangs hid her face. "I'm glad you think so highly Kenta… I really am." She looked back up at him, smiling as if nothing was wrong. "But don't forget about becoming stronger yourself! Keep growing stronger and learning more about Beyblade and your Bey, and you're sure to become an incredible Blader!"
"Ai…" Kenta's face fell a little. He could tell something was off, but not what. "Are you-"
"Coming in," said Ginga loudly as he opened the door, shutting it behind him.
"What are you doing," asked Ai, raising an eyebrow at him as she put her hands on the bed on either side of her so she could lean forward.
"Well the window in my room was too high up but yours is right by a roof," said Ginga excitedly, acting like a giddy child. "I'm gonna jump to the roof next door and go to Bey Park!"
"You can't do that Ginga," Kenta exclaimed, jumping off the bed. "The doctor said you needed to rest!"
"I can't just sit here," he whined. "I'm going crazy with boredom! If you could die from it I'd be nothing but a skeleton."
"Typical," sighed Ai, having that classical anime sweat drop. "You never could sit still." She gave him a sideways smile. "Let me guess, Madoka's still downstairs and you don't want her to catch you?"
"She's gonna make me drink more medicine," he replied as his face turned blue. "I don't wanna take more medicine." Kenta and Ai had matching sweat drops as they looked at their friend.
"Does he always act like this," asked Kenta.
"You should see how he acts when his mom has medicine for him," said Ai, shooting Ginga that friend "I'm going to embarrass you" smile that only siblings and long childhood friends were allowed to use. "Sometimes he starts crying and begging on his knees so that his mom won't make him take it."
"Stop," begged Ginga, putting his hands together. "Please stop Ai, I'm literally begging you!"
"Ginga!" He gulped and turned around to see Madoka, wearing a frilly yellow apron with a red apple on it and holding a cake on a platter as she gave him a glare. "What are you doing?! You still need to rest!"
"But I'm feeling fine!" He started stretching. "One two, one two, see, I'm good!"
"He was gonna jump onto the roof next door," said Ai with the same smile, now directed towards Madoka before she leaned towards Ginga. "He thought he'd be able to go down to Bey Park." Ginga's face went from pleading to betrayed in an instant, turning towards her with a glare.
"Traitor!"
"Well then, I guess you don't want any cake," said Madoka, turning around. "If you're just gonna run off when you're sick then you're not gonna be able to stomach this cake! We'll just eat the whole thing without you!"
"Wait, cake?!" Finally, Ginga looked towards Madoka and peaked over her shoulder, seeing the delicious yellow cake with a caramel top on it. His face lit up as he stared at it with hunger. "Man, that looks delicious!"
"Are you gonna behave," she asked, turning a little towards him. "If not then all you're getting is soup if you won't rest and get some more sleep!" He put his palms together in a pleading motion.
"I'll behave, I'll behave!"
They were all sitting downstairs and eating their cake together, Ai smiling brightly.
"Man, even some of my dad's patissiers aren't this good," said Ai with a bright smile. "I never expected you to be so good at baking!"
"Yeah. I've never thought of you as one," said Ginga. "I've always thought of you as more of a mechanic in your workshop. I'd never thought of you as a baker."
"I can be more than one kind of person," said Madoka with a smile. "I'm also a bit of a cook, a baker, a mechanic, and I even dabble a bit in writing. A lot of people have multiple interests."
"Not Ginga," teased Ai. "He's just focused on two things. Burgers and Beyblade."
"Well I can't help it if my passions are limited," he shot back before taking another bite of cake. "Whenever I think about Beyblade, I just get so fired up!"
"Still, this cake is impressive," said Kenta, smiling at Madoka. "It's really sweet and fluffy."
"And it's incredibly soft," added Ai. "It's hard to make a cake like this."
"It's fluffy because I didn't use too much granulated sugar," said Madoka with a smile.
"Then how's it so sweet," asked Kenta.
"I used a pinch of salt and added honey." She gave him a wink and held up her pointer finger. "You can make anything if you're creative. If you have the right combination of things, you can make anything incredible! Beyblades are the same way, you follow?"
"Not really," he replied, a little confused as he moved a little closer. "Could you explain?"
"Well, sometimes you have to mix and match your Bey until you find the kind of Bey that's right for you," said Madoka as she smiled at him. "Premade Beys exist, sure, and some people love using them like boxed cake mix, but sometimes it's best to make it yourself depending on what you're looking for."
"I think I get it," said Kenta. "Hey Madoka, can we talk a little later?"
"Huh?" She blinked at him.
"Your Special Move," asked Madoka with a questioning look. She was sitting at her computer, turned towards Kenta.
"Uh huh," he confirmed, a serious look on his face. "Yeah, for example, Pegasis has his Shooting Star Blast Attack, Andromeda has her Spiral Chain Assault, Leone has his Lion Gale Force Wall, and even Bull has his Red Horn Uppercut! I was wondering whether or not I could create my own Special Move like that so that Sagittario can reach the upper limits of his strength."
"That's really interesting." She turned towards her computer and started typing into it. "Actually, after having done repairs on Sagittario, I've noticed something about your Spin Track. Pull out Sagittario so I can show you."
"Huh?" He started to dig into his pocket. "Okay." Madoka brought up plans for Sagittario, moving aside a little bit as the 3D model on her computer turned upside down.
"See these three claw like protrusions on your Spin Track," she asked, pointing towards them.
"Oh yeah," he said with a smile. "When I picked out the Spin Track I chose this Spin Track because it had good stamina due to the weight of the claws."
"Well it's not just that," said Madoka, typing her keys. "The claws are really good for keeping your stamina up, that's true and it's definitely one of their strong points, but that's not the only thing they're good for. Apparently, these claws can actually come out, not just increasing the spinning force by holding themselves out further, but also giving you more attack power. But, try to pull them out."
"Okay." Kenta tried to pull it out, but to his surprise it didn't budge. "Huh, they won't move."
"Exactly," she said with an excited smile, turning back towards the computer. "Something's keeping them in place, probably a mechanism so they don't randomly pop out, you follow?"
"So then I have to figure out how to get the claws out myself," he asked, getting him a nod in return from Madoka.
"It's probably something you'd be able to figure out with training." She stopped typing and turned towards him, smiling as she placed her hands in her lap. "Beys respond to their partners, so if you can get the power to use those claws, your Bey might let you and it could give you your very own Special Move!"
"So I could use those claws if I get stronger, and learn to connect with my Bey," asked Kenta, to which Madoka gave him a nod. His face lit up, putting Sagittario away and clenching his hands. "Alright, it seems like Ai would be the perfect person to help me learn how to do this," his face fell, "but she's still sick."
"Well, you can always train," suggested Madoka. "Right now Sagittario is in top condition, perfect for some training. Take the time to learn more about him and how he fights."
"I will, he said excitedly as he ran off. "Thanks Madoka!"
It was dusk outside by the river. Kenta stood in front of a stone target, pointing his Launcher at it, practicing as the light kept fading from the sky. His face was filled with determination as he firmly held his Launcher, staring at the target.
"Let it rip Sagittario!" He launched his Bey at it, hitting the target right in the center, but right after it did, his Bey stopped spinning. Kenta looked down at it, his face filled with disappointment. "Aw, that stinks." He went to pick up his Bey, look down at it thoughtfully. "But Madoka's right, I know I can create my own Special Move!" He put the Bey in his Launcher. "I just can't give up yet! I have to keep practicing!"
"Hey kid!" Kenta looked up and saw Benkei smirking down at him. "What's the matter? Your babysitter Beyblade friends don't wanna play and protect you anymore? Where are Ginga Hagane and Ai Minamoto?"
"Ginga and Ai?" Kenta instantly went on the defensive, clutching his Launcher tightly and holding his hands up a bit. "What do you want them for this time?!"
"Well what do you think," Benkei shot back. "I've come to challenge them both to a battle, and this time I want Ai to fight!"
"Are you still mad that she didn't fight last time," asked Kenta with a roll of his eyes. "You weren't even fighting! You sent in a proxy that you couldn't even stand!"
"This time is different," Benkei laughed. "This time I've found an honest and really strong Blader who's looking forward to fighting the both of them! Her name is Hikaru Hasama, and she's going to defeat the two of them!"
"Hikaru Hasama," repeated Kenta.
"What are you, a parrot? Now go tell them! Tomorrow at noon, we'll be waiting for them at the Bey Coliseum outside of town!" He laughed as he turned around, starting to walk away. "See you tomorrow! Better get to bed tike!" While Benkei was laughing and walking, Kenta was still on what he had said about Hikaru Hasama.
"An incredibly strong opponent?" He looked down at his Bey. "What should I do? Ginga isn't in any shape to battle, and if Ai goes into a fight, she might get really sick like Ginga did." He clenched his Bey. "I haven't figured out my Special Move yet, but…"
Benkei laughed, waiting in the stands for Ginga and Ai as Hikaru stood in the stadium below.
"Come on Ginga and Ai," Benkei complained. "Where are you two?"
"Hikaru Hasama," said Tairyoku, standing at the very top of the stadium and watching, "and Ai Minasan. This'll be a very interesting battle." Hikaru, down below, was getting very impatient.
"I didn't stay two whole nights in this town just to waste it waiting for some poser," she said in annoyance as she crossed her arms over her chest. "If they don't show up soon, I'm leaving."
"I'm right here," rang out Kenta's voice. Benkei made a noise and took a couple steps down to get a better view of the person entering the stadium.
"That doesn't sound like Ginga," he said.
"Are you Ginga Hagane," asked Hikaru as Kenta walked towards her.
"That's my name," he lied, standing as tall and proud as he possibly could. "I am Ginga Hagane!"
"Why is he lying," Benkei asked as he started to run down. "What's that kid doing here?! What is he thinking?!"
"Where's your friend Ai Minasan," she asked, looking around, much to Kenta's shock.
"Minasan?" He reached into his pocket, pulling out his Launcher and Bey. "So Benkei didn't tell her about who Ai really was. But why?" He shook his head. "It doesn't matter, Ginga and Ai can't compete, so I have to, for them, or else it'll look like they were too scared to fight! I've got to win this battle for the both of them! I can do this, I've been getting stronger every day!" He put his Bey in his Launcher. "It doesn't matter. All you need to know is she couldn't come today. Now are we gonna battle or what?"
"Oh it's on!" She pulled out her Launcher and Bey.
"Let it rip," they both yelled out.
"The match has already started," said Benkei as he stopped running down, still too far for either of them to hear him. "I'll just have to tell her after the match is over. But why did Ginga send a proxy instead of fighting himself? And Ai would never pass up a chance like this!" He shook his head, hitting himself on the head on both sides. "Don't talk like they're your friends Benkei!"
"Kick it," Kenta called out as he threw out his arm. "Go Sagittario!"
"Make your move!" Hikaru smirked as their Beys clashed, with hers pushing his back a few skips.
"It's got amazing speed and power," Kenta realized.
"It looks like this is an attack type Bey," Tairyoku said as she watched. "Such strong power." She held her hand up, clenching her fist. "We could use a Blader like her!"
"Now now," said Hayameru as she came over the side, "wait and see Tairyoku."
"I suppose you're right," said Tairyoku. "I still like her though."
"She's really strong," said Kenta with a little worry.
"If you're worried about my warm up then you're really gonna get worried when I get serious," said Hikaru as she threw a commanding arm to the side. "Go Aquario!" Aquario sped up, heading right towards Sagittario.
"In a head on face off, I'm at a disadvantage," Kenta realized. "Sagittario!" Sagittario moved out of the way, letting Aquario go right past it.
"Trying to run are you?" She glared out at the battle, watching how Sagittario moved. "No way, that's not gonna work!" Her Bey turned around, speeding right towards Sagittario and clashing with him. When Aquario pulled away, Sagittario was still spinning strong.
"Oh yeah, looking good," Kenta cheered. "You're doing great Sagittario!"
"Did you just say "looking good"?" Hikaru was in total disbelief, all tension in her pose gone as she just stared at Kenta before tensing back up in anger. "You're joking! Taking a strong attack and getting through it is not looking good, it's just surviving!" Aquario went in for another attack, but every time she tried, Sagittario masterfully dodged her, much to Hikaru's annoyance. "You can't run away forever! Man up and fight Ginga!"
"I am fight," he said, his posture getting defensive. "Sagittario is a Stamina Type. We have our own way of battling. There's no one right way to battle!"
"You're gonna try to draw out the battle and then launch an attack when I run out of power." She sighed, the disappointment clear on her face. "How boring." She threw out her arm, sending her Bey forward. "Do you really think that tired old strategy would be able to defeat Aquario? This isn't my first rodeo kid!"
"Here it comes!" Kenta waited in anticipation for Aquario to get close enough before shouting out "dodge her Sagittario!" Hikaru scoffed as her Bey disappeared.
"Huh?!" Kenta's face went into a mix of fear and shock as he watched the Bey disappear. "It disappeared!" Aquario reappeared, far too quickly and too close for Sagittario to dodge, sending the Bey flying and making Kenta feel panicked. "Ah! Sagittario!"
"Interesting move," said Tairyoku. "She made her Bey disappear."
"I'm starting to like this girl too," said Hayameru. "She's got a good strategy."
"Sweet move," said Benkei with a smile. "That'll show him for lying about who he is!"
Aquario disappeared again, with Kenta looking around to try and find the Bey.
"Where did it go?" It reappeared right next to Sagittario, ramming right into the Bey.
"If you can't judge the angle of my attack," she said with a smirk, "then you can't dodge it." Her smirk grew bigger, and more confident. "I wonder how long you can last." Kenta growled in frustration as he watched the battle, Aquario constantly disappearing and reappearing to strike Sagittario, causing the Bey to start loosing his balance. Kenta started to make panicked noises, loosing his head.
"What's wrong Ginga Hagane," Hikaru mocked as she pointed at him. "Don't tell me that's all you've got!"
"It's no good," Kenta thought. "I can't read my opponent's movements!" Sagittario continued to get hit with a barrage of attacks, Kenta's face falling more and more with every attack. "I'm sorry Ginga… I'm sorry Ai… You both believed in me so much and I'm letting you down." Suddenly, Ginga's word and Ai's word both filled his head.
"If you have the desire to win, you can do your best no matter how difficult the battle is!"
"When you love your Beyblade and care for it deeply, your Bey loves you back and it makes both of you stronger. Knowing your Bey, and knowing how to battle best with them is just an important part of Beyblade, as well as knowing your opponent's Bey and how they work too."
"That's right," Kenta realized, looking down at his open palm before clenching his fist. "I do have the desire to win, and I'm learning more and more about my partner every day! I'm battling for the both of them right now, not just for Ginga, but for Ai too!" He clenched his fist. I can't loose." He brought his eyes back to the battle, watching Aquario disappear and reappear. "I have to win no matter what! There must be some secret as to how Aquario can disappear." Kenta eyes moved back and forth, noticing where Aquario disappeared and reappeared. "If I could just figure it out." The next time Aquario disappeared, Kenta noticed a sound. "There! Just for a moment I heard a sound." He closed his eyes, listening hard. He heard the same sound when Aquario disappeared, but not when it reappeared. "I get it!"
"Oh I see," chuckled Hayameru. "It's got to be the HF:S Performance Tip. It's a tall Performance Tip, and it's the only one that allows a Bey to do that. Granted that it only works if the Fusion Wheel is heavy enough but not too heavy, and the Spin Track is low enough. The sudden change of the Performance Tip, provided by the weight and lowness of the Spin Track allows for it to change speed so quickly it seems to disappear for a second, but that only works when it changes."
"So that would mean that it wouldn't work well with specialized Spin Tracks because those are usually too high," said Tairyoku. "If it's too high, the sudden change in speed would make the Bey fall over and cause you to loose instantly. If the Fusion Wheel isn't heavy enough then the Performance Tip won't have much of a change in the speed, but if it's too heavy it'll slow down too much and be an automatic loss."
"Exactly," said Hayameru. "She's also using it at full advantage. The effect only lasts for a very specific amount of time, which means Hikaru learned to time that out perfectly. It takes a lot to master a Performance Tip like that. She's very good."
"So that's how she's doing it," thought Kenta, having come to the same conclusion as he watched Aquario charge. "In order to counter that unpredictable movement, her opponent could do is aim for the moment she switches Performance Tips and take advantage of the slight instability created by the change. Once it disappears, there's no way of telling where it'll reappear." He took a deep breath. "Breathe Kenta. Just keep calm and watch for that moment."
"With this it's over," Hikaru declared. Aquario's HF tip dropped down.
"Alright," shouted Kenta, throwing out his arm and pointing at Aquario. "Now Sagittario!" Sagittario clashed into Aquario right before it disappeared, much to Hikaru's shock.
"What?!" Aquario skidded a bit before finally stopping in one place to keep spinning stably. Kenta made a noise of completely frustration.
"So it's not weak enough from all those nonstop attacks to be stopped with one hit," he realized.
"She's still hanging on due to her tip," realized Hayameru. "The HF tip has more stamina, and that was the tip that was down when Sagittario attacked it."
"If he had gotten the Bey when it switched from the HF Tip to the S Tip he may have just won," said Tairyoku, "but he had bad timing, and was too weak."
"I congratulate you on figuring out the Performance Tip change," said Hikaru with a smirk, placing a hand on her hips with closed eyes. "You're a capable Blader, I'll give you that, but you're still not stronger than me Ginga Hagane." Her eyes opened, smirking at him. "I'll show you Storm Aquario's true power!"
"What are you talking about?!"
"There's still something more," asked Benkei in total shock.
"I'll show you what I'm talking about," Hikaru declared as she threw her hands out. "Keep your eyes peeled!" Aquario started to surround Sagittario, copying herself into multiple Beys.
"Whoa, the Bey multiplied!" Kenta's eyes were moving in circles, trying to figure out which Bey was the real one.
"Whoa, what is that," asked Benkei, leaning forward in shock.
"Can you try and figure out this Special Move," she scoffed.
"That Performance Tip change wasn't her real Special Move," Tairyoku realized. "It was just a trick, like Leone's natural repulsion isn't a Special Move, only the Lion Gale Force Wall."
"I think we've seen enough," said Hayameru. "Let's report this back to Lady Naga." With that, the two took their leave.
"There's only one things I can do now," Kenta realized, "get rid of them one Bey at a time! Go Sagittario!" Sagittario went right towards one of the Beys, but all it did was get rid of the illusion. "Shoot! One more time!" Kenta kept destroying the illusions, but never hit the actual Bey.
"Here's the real one," Hikaru called out as one of the Aquario illusions came out, hitting Sagittario head on before returning to the line up.
"It's no use," Kenta realized, tears creeping into his voice. "If I can't tell which Bey is the real one, how can I aim for the Performance Tip?"
"You've been a challenge," Hikaru admitted, "but you've been a really disappointing one. You've figured out one strategy and came up with a good counter, but that's it. You're still weak as a Blader. I have no use for weak opponents. I'm ending this battle now." She threw her arm out, her body changing posture like she was about to attack herself. "Aquario go! Infinite Assault!" It was like a wave from the ocean was surrounding them as the multiple Bey all came crashing down on Sagittario at once. Sagittario stopped spinning, landing at Kenta's feet as the boy fell to his knees.
"Oh Sagittario," Kenta uttered softly. Hikaru held out her hand, snatching her Bey from the air.
"Ginga Hagane," she said firmly, glaring at Kenta, "you've been a big disappointment. Now where is Ai Minasan? I demand the right to battle her! I was promised a battle with two strong Bladers!"
"Wow," said Benkei as he watched the scene, crossing his arms over his chest, "Hikaru Hasama is a lot stronger than I thought! And the kid," he looked down at the shell shocked Kenta, "using Ginga's name and battling Hikaru, what in the world was he thinking?!"
"What am I gonna do," Kenta asked himself. "The way it looks now, it looks like Ginga lost, not me! Not only that, but it's gonna look like Ai backed down from a challenge! I didn't think this out at all! I can't leave it like this! I have to do something!" He looked down at his Bey Pointer, an idea forming in his head.
"This is a mess," Benkei complained as he shook his head. "I've got to find Ginga and challenge him personally." He dropped his arms, turning to walk away. "That shouldn't be too hard."
"We're not done here!" Benkei turned around in confusion, with Hikaru being full of both annoyance and confusion. Kenta held out his Bey Pointer, showing the 2100 points he now had.
"I still have points left," he declared. "One more battle!"
"This battle has already been decided," said Hikaru.
"But the next one hasn't! I'll keep on fighting, as long as I have points left!" He, pointed at her as he issued his challenge. "I refuse to give up until I beat you!"
"In that case I'll show you no mercy," she said quickly as she launched Aquario. The two kept fighting time after time, with Kenta's points steadily dropping down further and further. Benkei watched as Kenta lost over and over again, continuing to loose more and more points to Hikaru as she won time and time again.
"Kenta, don't you know when you're licked," Benkei asked. Kenta lost again, but his eyes were filled with fire and determination as he stood back up.
"Again, again, again, again, again, again!" He stood firmly and launched his Bey.
"Those eyes," Benkei realized, "that look, I know how you feel! Kenta, you're," he remembered when Kyoya defeated him over and over again, and yet Benkei couldn't bring himself to give up. "Hey kid, you're just like me that time!"
"Again," declared Kenta, holding up his Bey, but instead Hikaru stood firmly in front of him, a bored look on her face. "What's wrong?"
"I don't have any reason to battle with you anymore Ginga." Her response was short and blunt, but it got the point across. Kenta looked down at his Pointer and yelled as he realized that he had used up all his points battling Hikaru. "You have potential, but you're nowhere near strong enough for me yet kid. If you want to battle with me again, improve your skills." She turned around and walked away. "I can't believe I wasted my time like this. I'll stick around for two more weeks for Ai Minasan to come and battle me, but no longer than that. If she doesn't show, then I'll assume she's backed down from my challenge." Kenta fell to his knees as Hikaru left, starting to cry at the realization of what he'd done.
"What am I going to do now," he asked himself as his tears started to fall. "What am I going to do?! Ginga, Ai, I'm so sorry! I've ruined both of your reputations! Why did I ever think I was strong enough to take her on?" He cried for a little bit until he realized someone had walked up to him. He sniffled and looked up, seeing Benkei staring down at him for a reason Kenta couldn't fathom. "Benkei?!"
"And that's our report." Naga sat on a pile of crates in their abandoned factory, lounging on them with a hand on her chin to support her head, the other gently tossing up and down what looked like pieces of a broken Bey. Hayameru and Tairyoku were in front of her.
"You say she has a Storm Aquario," asked Naga with a laugh. "Reminds me of my old partner, before she grew stronger."
"We could use her," suggested Tairyoku, lowering her hood to show her wild, curly black hair with orange streaks. "She's incredibly capable and strong, and knows how to bring out the hidden potential in her Bey."
"I think we could use her too," said Naga with a laugh. "Hm, where's Dengen?"
"Feeding strays again," said Hayameru, standing up and letting her hood fall to show her wavy black hair with yellow streaks. "You know how she is with animals."
"I do," chuckled Naga. "I want Dengen to keep tabs on her. I think that we could use her. At the very least, I think her abilities would compliment ours well."
"As you wish, Lady Naga," said the two girls at the same time.
Song Of Hope: I'm literally counting down the episodes until I can do my Energy Amazon actual arch! I'm excited and happy I finally finished this chapter!