Chapter Two: "Can Be Testing"
Later that day, when the Sun was setting and Jenny and Sam's complaints stopped, they made it to the top of a hill. The three gasped while Sarah smiled, remembering everything from her first visit.
Below them at the bottom of the hill, all the people that lived in the village were moving about since the Sun was high in the sky. Beyond the village, was a forest, and, beyond that was the ocean that separated Japan from China's coast.
Sarah sighed upon realizing how tired she was. All day, plus yesterday, she had led the three to here from the airport. They had walked the whole way. She turned towards the marveling trio.
"Okay, guys, we need to find Ray before the sun has completely set," she told them, formulating a plan. "I don't want you guys getting lost, though...So Robbie, Sam, you two go search that part of the village." She pointed eastward from their standing point. Then she switched her direction to West. "Jenny and I will search in this direction. We will meet back here at this spot after sunset."
Sam and Robbie nodded, but asked, "What does he look like?"
"Spikey raven hair, light brown - no, caramel colored - eyes, and is a little shorter than me." She thought, knowing she was forgetting one distinct feature. "Oh, and he has really long, spikey raven hair that is tied in a tail."
Robbie smirked. "You sure do remember him, huh? Even though you haven't seen him in three years."
Sarah set her mouth in a thin line. "Go look for him, and don't go getting yourself in trouble either."
They didn't respond, however, only raced eachother down the hill.
Sarah slapped her forehead, making a loud sound of flesh colliding with flesh. She turned towards her younger sister, exclaiming, "Boys!"
"We don't know them if they get themselves hated by the whole community before sundown, right?" she asked, knowing the drill.
"Right," Sarah replied. "Now let's go find Ray."
Unlike the two boys, Sarah and Jenny walked at their leisure. Why should they be in a rush - they had all the rest of the day after all. The west side of the village was bigger than the east side that Robbie and Sam were searching. Sarah and Jenny strolled along a few dirt streets lined with small huts, then a small building with a blue cross above the door. An hour turned to two hours and that turned into three.
Sarah and Jenny finally admitted that they needed a short break. They sat down under a leafy tree for some shade from the hot Sun in front of what seemed to be a variety of practice dishes. Little boys were all gathered around most of them, but there was one occupied with four small girls.
"Jenny, I will be right back," she said, standing up. "Stay here." Without waiting for her to argue, she headed over to the dish surrounded by the girls.
They all stopped their activities and stared at her with wide eyes. Then they all screamed in high-pitched tones for a few long seconds. When they finally settled down, Sarah unplugged her ears, instantly regretting it.
"You are Sarah Wright - the American from the Championship semifinals," a seven-year old stated.
"No, she's not," another, older one interrupted. "She's the American who dropped her team out just before the semifinals for unknown reasons. Then she, her two cousins, and sister were adopted by -"
"Okay, okay," Sarah shushed them before she heard his terrible name. "I didn't come here to hear my life's story." She raised her hands in a "don't shoot" kind of manner.
"Then what are you here for?" a nine-year old asked inquisitively.
Before Sarah could answer, someone spoke for her. "She came here to talk to me."
Three boys were walking up to her. One was Robbie and the shortest was Sam. Walking beside Robbie was a fifteen-year old boy with spikey black hair, amber eyes, and a red headband that had a yin-yang symbol on it. He was also dressed in a pair of black training pants and...no...shirt.
By appearance, he looked like he had been training - hard - since his headband was wet from sweat.
Sarah could've cared less, though because she literally almost squeezed the life from him when she hugged him. "Ray!" Hugging was a rare thing for her to do since she almost never gave one to anyone unless they really needed it, so she did not know how much she was actually hugging him.
The boy had to pull her away and hold her at arms' length to just breathe. He tilted his head at her and looked her over, taking in her appearance. "You've grown, Sarah."
Sarah smiled slightly. "Thankyou, Ray," she said. Indeed she had grown a great deal in the past few years.
An awkward silence fell over them.
Jenny joined the group by coming to stand beside Sarah. She studied him for a few moments then her jaw dropped. "You're...Y-you're Ray from the Blade Breakers...!"
"Former member," Ray corrected her, rubbing the back of his neck. "What are you here for?" he asked to change the subject.
"Jenny, Robbie, Sam why don't you guys show them..." She motioned towards the children. "...some of your moves?"
They nodded. Delighted squeals came from all the kids behind her.
"Ray come with me," Sarah told him.
He followed her over to the tree that she and Jenny had sat under.
"So, Sarah, it's been a while...How have you been?" Ray asked.
"These last few years have been..." She paused, unable to think of the right word. "...Rough," she finished with a sigh.
"I noticed that Travis wasn't with you," Ray started again after a short silence. "Where is he; did he quit the team?"
"Didn't you see it on the news?"
Ray shook his head.
"I banished him from the team shortly after we dropped from the finals two years ago," she explained. Knowing he was going to ask why, she added, "He slapped my sister across the face for beating him in a beyblade match."
"I guess that was for the good then," Ray said. "I never understood why he dropped you guys from that tournament...?"
Sarah turned her gaze from Jenny to him. "He wasn't the one who took us out; I was," she admitted.
"How -"
"By the time the semifinals rolled around, the Crescent Moons - exclude Travis - had decided that Travis had to go. I forged his signature on a document that said we were dropping ourselves from the tournament so we could tell him privately." Sarah's tone became darker, and she turned back to Jenny. "That is until he hit my sister, then I made it public so he would disappear quickly."
"That makes sense," he said. "Now why are you guys here?" he repeated his earlier question.
"Listen Ray," Sarah began. "I was wondering, do you think the Crescent Moons could stay here?"
A grin spread across his face as if he had known she was going to ask that. "Did you come all this way just to ask me that?" he answered her question with one of his own.
She looked him straight in the eye, replying, "Yes."
"Your teammates too?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure you want to?"
Sarah answered, using the same method Ray was using. ""Do you think I would have come all this way just to see you?" she asked him sarcastically.
"Maybe," he answered sarastically as well.
"So...?"
"I'll see what I can do," he answered serious again. "The elders will have to meet with you and your team and approve, though. I'm sure that once you tell them who you are exactly, they will jump at the chance to have you here."
Sarah smiled slightly. "Thanks Ray."
"No problem," he answered. "The next time you need to find me, though, come get me yourself. Your teammates over there nearly got there heads cut off by Driger."
She laughed at that. "So they scared you, did they."
"No, I didn't say that!" Ray said hastily.
"Yes, you did," she told him, standing up.
He stood up with her. "Whatever," he said, dismissing it. "Where will you be staying?"
Sarah thought for a moment. "At the lake you showed me when I last visited."
"You still remember that?"
"Of course," she replied. "It was beautiful!"
"Well I have to get back to training now," he said. "Just be ready when the elders are," he added, running off.
"He seems happy," Robbie said, coming over with Jenny and Sam. He was grinning.
"Shut up!" She walked away from them. "Come on. We are staying at the lake until Ray tells the elders about us."
II
They set up camp at the lake which was a mile, or so, outside the village. Everyone helps to set up the tent that Robbie has been carrying on his back. Almost instantly, the team falls asleep.
II
Sarah emerges from the flap of the tent at what she guessed was around five thirty that morning. While Robbie, Jenny, and Sam continue to sleep, she wonders off into the woods for her daily practice routine. Sarah traveled a ways away from the camp so she wouldn't get disturbed by anyone.
While you were practicing some flips, a familiar blade suddenly sliced through the bushes. It barely missed Sarah's shoe as it spun around her and then shot back into the bushes. Sarah's blade came back into her palm, and she waited for the person to come out.
Out walked Travis with a malicious grin on his face. He offered no explanation as he prepared to launch his blade again.
Sarah did the same.
"Three...Two...One..." A slight breeze ruffled Sarah's hair, covering her right eye. "...Release!" Travis finally called for the start.
His red blade hit the ground, making a mini dust storm hide it. Sarah's purple and gold blade perched on the top of a rock.
Travis got impatient quickly and started heading towards the rock at full speed.
"Are you crazy, Travis?" Sarah asked frantically. "You will destroy your blade!
Travis merely laughed. "We will see, Sarah."
She watched in horror as Travis let his blade go to its doom. That was one thing she couldn't bare to see. An irresponsible blader that cared nothing for his or her blade and bit beast didn't deserve to blade.
Sarah couldn't help but look away when it collided with the rock. When she looked back, she stared. There was Travis's blade - still spinning! She was speechless.
Travis laughed out loud at her.
"That's impossible...!" was all Sarah could say.
"Doesn't look like it to me," Travis mocked her, not laughing any longer.
Sarah snapped out of her daze and began looking for her blade. It was no where to be found.
"Lougra!" Sarah shouted, continuing to search. "Lougra, where are you?" She fell to her knees when only Travis's blade spinning was the answer she received. She clutched her head with her trembling hands.
She then noticed that Travis's mocking laughter had come to a sudden stop. She looked up at him from her kneeling position. He was staring at the pile of rocks beside her.
She twisted her head to look. Upon seeing a growing white light, she stood up, backing away. The light shined through the pile, and all the pieces of rock began to fall.