Merry Christmas everyone! Sorry that I didn't update Stormflight this weekend, I had to find out if Zero won first so I could go with the canon there, so, next weekend, there will be an update! But, in the meantime, enjoy this story, written especially for Christmas!
Gingka:GalaxyPegasus14 does not own Metal Fight Beyblade, only her OC's that make their debut in this story!
Zero: -reading- you brought my family into this?
"Zero, would you hand me that tree topper please"?
Zero grabbed the gold star and carefully handed it to Madoka, who was carefully balanced on top of a ladder, decorating the top of the tree in the WBBA lobby. Maru and Eito were busy at the bottom of the tree, and Shinobu and Kaito were busy on short ladders with the middle section, some tinsel, and lights. Zero and Ren were busy keeping everyone supplied with lights, ornaments, and ribbons from Benkei, who was pulling them out of the supply closet. Tsubasa was upstairs in his office, finalizing preparations for a few tournaments that would be going on over the next few weeks all over the world, and was too busy to help. It had taken Tsubasa, Benkei, Zero, Shinobu, Kaito, and Madoka about an hour to get the tree in the front door and set it up earlier.
"Hey Zero, come help me get these lights untangled!" Benkei called.
"Coming! Zero replied, dropping the pile of lights he had been handing Shinobu and running to the aid of Benkei, who had gotten himself wrapped in lights.
Madoka chuckled as she climbed down the ladder from putting the star on top and picked up the pile of lights Zero had dropped and began passing them to Shinobu.
"Ahh! Those are hot!" Benkei yelled.
Everyone looked over to see a lit-up Benkei trying to get untangled so he could get at a grinning Zero, who quickly unplugged the lights and ran to actually help Benkei after snapping a picture with his phone and sending it to his parents with the message 'Having a great time here with friends, wish you were here!'
About an hour later, Tsubasa came downstairs to help, and found a group of grinning decorators standing back and looking at their work. "wow, great job guys! It looks amazing!" he said.
"Yeah, and it was almost as fun as that one year!" Madoka replied.
"What year?" Benkei asked, clueless.
"Remember the one year just before Gingka and Kyoya left? When they helped us decorate the tree?" Madoka said
"Oh yeah, that year…" Benkei rolled his eyes. "you mean the year I woke up and found myself tied up in lights and hanging from the tree myself?"
"Yup, that year!" Madoka laughed.
"Wha…?" Zero and his friends trailed off.
"It's a long story" Tsubasa said.
-flashback, five years before-
"Wait for me Kyoya!"
Seventeen-year-old Kyoya Tategami sighed and turned to wait for his rival, who soon came running up beside him. "what, cant keep up with me yourself?" he teased.
"Not if you are walking very fast and got a mile-long head start!" Gingka replied, punching Kyoya's arm.
"Whatever, lets just get to the WBBA, it's cold out here" Kyoya started walking.
"Yeah! I cant wait to start decorating! This is going to be so much fun!" Gingka exclaimed, punching the air.
"Plus, we get to see Madoka" Kyoya said.
Gingka blushed beet red. "Darn it, why did I ever tell you that I had a crush on her?" he muttered. "but don't forget about Hikaru"
Kyoya blushed beet red as well. "Ok, you got me back. Do you have your ornament?"
"Of course I do!" Gingka exclaimed, pulling a white ornament with the face design of Pegasus on it and holding it up, then turning it around and gazing at the picture of the winged horse engraved into the other side. "You have yours right?"
"Of course I do!" Kyoya replied, holding up his, which had the face design of Leone on one side and a lion engraved into the other side.
Both bladers put their ornaments back into their coat pockets and continued on without a word, their steamy breaths making clouds in the cold morning air. Once they got to the WBBA, they found Tsubasa and Ryo already pulling the tree out of the closet. By the time the four got the tree out of the closet, Madoka and Hikaru had arrived, bringing new tinsel to replace what had been destroyed by Gingka and Titi the year before.
Kyoya, keeping his cool as usual, merely fist bumped Hikaru, but, the moment Gingka saw Madoka, he ran over, hugged her, and spun her around in the air, then set her down carefully.
"Hey Madoka!" he greeted.
"Hi Gingka!" Madoka exclaimed, by now used to Gingka's typical new way of greeting her.
"Can I carry that for you?"
"Sure!" Madoka handed the large box she had dropped to Gingka, who carried it over to the center of the room, chatting with Madoka the whole way.
"Do you have your ornament Madoka?"
"Of course I do! It's right here!" Madoka replied, pulling her ornament out and holding it up. Hers had a pink snowflake on the inside, and a whole snow scene carved into the other side.
"Gingka! Benkei fell asleep in front of the supply closet! You remember what that means, right?" Kyoya suddenly exclaimed, rushing over to Gingka with a devious grin on his face.
Gingka grinned evilly. "Yup! Let's do it!" he set down the box he was carrying and followed Kyoya down the hall.
"That doesn't sound good, I wonder what they are planning that involved Benkei taking a nap." Hikaru said, walking over and hanging her white coat next to Madoka's pink one and Kyoya's green one.
"Me too, what did you get Kyoya?" Madoka asked, pulling off her hat and shoving it in her coat pocket.
Hikaru blushed slightly, then glanced around to make sure Kyoya wasn't looking. "I got him this" she pulled a small box out of her coat pocket and opened it. Inside lay a new bey launcher grip, green in color, with the face design of Leone and Kyoya's name engraved on it.
"That's funny, I got Gingka the same thing, except in blue with his name and Pegasus on it" Madoka showed Hikaru hers.
"Well, we know they will like it at least. Kyoya said he broke his a while ago battling Gingka when it got flung against a wall."
"Yeah, Gingka lost his once on a boat trip this summer, he was battling Kyoya and it fell into the water when he was trying to put it into his case. He couldn't find another one that fit his string launcher, but then the string on that broke from wear, so I got him this one" Madoka pulled out another box and opened it, pulling out a blue string launcher that fit perfectly into the grooves on the grip. "it is a Synchrom system launcher, but it should not matter"
"Yeah, since you are still 'repairing' his Pegasus anyway"
"Yeah, he was heartbroken when it shattered, but he does know that I am 'upgrading' it using the pieces of the original, so it should still have the Star Fragment's power."
"What are you going to make the crystal wheel into?"
"You mean what mold? I was going to create a whole new one, but that would take so long, he already hasn't battled in about two months because of the damage to his bey taking so long, he has been urging me to not stay up all night over it, saying it can wait, but I can tell he is just itching to battle. He almost cant even watch a battle anymore because he just cant hold it in and wants to go in there himself."
"Yeah, so what mold are you going to use?"
"I don't know yet, what do you think I should do?"
"Maybe plot and use the same one as that bey he gave to his 'heir'?"
"Hikaru! You are a genius! Thank you so much! Now I can go tell him!" Madoka ran down the hall, only to see Gingka and Kyoya lugging a large bundle of Christmas lights down the hall.
"What did you guys do, wrap Benkei in lights?" Madoka asked sarcastically. "I didn't know we had that many!"
Gingka grinned. "We don't, we actually did wrap Benkei in Christmas lights!" he replied triumphantly, pulling down some of the lights to reveal a section of purple hair. "but, we used the LED's, so it wont get hot in there"
"Too bad we were late decorating for Christmas this year, we just finished remodeling the lobby!" Ryo called, coming over and helping the two mischievous teens drag the light-covered Benkei over to the tree and hanging him from the top of it by some extra-strong light strands and ropes. Nearly an hour later, they heard yelling. Kyoya grinned, pulled his string launcher and Leone out of their cases at his belt, and launched, cutting through the ropes and freeing Benkei.
Gingka rolled his eyes. "Quit rubbing it in!" he said.
"Oh, Gingka! I figured out what mold I am going to use for your new Synchrom Pegasus!" Madoka exclaimed.
"Really? Madoka, you're the best!" Gingka ran over and spun her around in the air again, resisting the urge to kiss her.
-end flashback-
"Haha! that's so funny!" Zero exclaimed, rolling around on the floor.
"Wha- try being strung up yourself then!" Benkei yelled. "I freaked out! Especially when Kyoya cut me down with his Leone!"
"Ok guys, quit arguing" Madoka said. "oh, look at the time! I better get back to the B-Pit!" she turned, trying hard not to cry, put on her coat, and left. It had been nearly two years since that Christmas season, the last one she had spent with Gingka. A couple of months later, she had finished his new Pegasus, having compiled it from the fragments of the old one, which had shattered in battle with Leone. Gingka had left that summer, just a few weeks after his seventeenth birthday, coincidentally just after she had gotten a new boyfriend. She remembered him warning her about guys, just before he had left.
-flashback, one and a half years earlier-
"Alright Madoka, just be careful ok? I mean, I trust you to make your own decisions and all, but don't let him use you in any way whatsoever"
"I wont, have fun with your training!" Madoka replied, leaning on the arm of her new boyfriend.
"And you, you take good care of her" Gingka said, shaking the hand of the blue-haired other blader. Suddenly, the whistle of the train sounded. "bye guys!" Gingka waved and ran to catch his train.
-end flashback-
As the redhead had turned, Madoka suddenly remembered seeing a sort of sadness in his eyes, but shrugged it off. For the next two months, she was happy with her new boyfriend, and thought that it would all work out, but then, she found out that he had never really loved her, he just wanted to be able to say ha had a girlfriend, and once he found a girl he liked more than her, he left. Madoka's heart was broken, and she had suddenly realized why Gingka had warned her. She had talked to him on the phone that night, tears streaming from her face as she swore she would never love again. Gingka used his words to comfort her as best he could, then changed the subject to his training. After about another hour, he said that his dad's phone was low on battery, and that he had to go, leaving for China in a couple of hours. That was the last time she had contacted him, and as she thought back on it, he was more mature than she had thought he was before, and that she had really loved him all along. Now she understood, the reason for the sadness in his eyes as he had left was because ha cared about her, and loved her.
-one month later, a week before Christmas-
"Snowball fight!" Shinobu and Kaito suddenly found themselves ambushed by Zero and Ren, who pelted them with snowballs before diving into a makeshift fort in front of the B-Pit.
Hearing yelling, Madoka glanced up, only to see Shinobu and Kaito chasing Zero, who was trying to make more snowballs. Chaos erupted once Benkei, Eito and Maru joined the mix. Madoka grinned, pulled on her pink coat with its furred hood, and scrambled for the stairs with a shovel.
"Hey! You guys started a snowball fight without me?" Tsubasa called, nailing Benkei in the face with a snowball.
"Hey!" Benkei shouted, sending a flurry of snowballs at Tsubasa.
"Ha! You-" Tsubasa was interrupted as a whole pile of snow came tumbling off the roof, burying everyone in about three feet of it.
"Is it melting and sliding off already?" Zero asked, looking up.
"Even if it is melting, that was not the result of melted snow" Tsubasa muttered.
"It wasn't?" Ren seemed surprised.
"Madoka, you cheater! Come down here right now and face us fair and square!" Tsubasa yelled up.
In response, another three feet of snow came tumbling down. "no thanks, I'm having too much fun up here!" Madoka called down, peering over the edge and emptying her shovelful of snow on Tsubasa's head.
After about another hour of fighting, everyone was soaked through. Madoka came down and made them some hot chocolate, and they all sat around a portable heater together, trying to get warm. Ren insisted on sitting next to Zero, who was obviously trying his best not to blush every time she spoke.
"Almost reminds me of you and Gingka!" Benkei exclaimed from his seat across from Madoka.
The brunette gazed down at her feet. "Y-yeah, I know I said I would never love again, but if he asked me out or asked me to marry him right now, I would totally say yes."
"Why did you say you would never love again? Did something happen?" Ren asked.
"I-I don't want to talk about it" Madoka replied.
Zero opened his mouth to say something, but Tsubasa stopped him. "Don't" he mouthed, shaking his head.
Madoka got up and walked out of the room, tears streaming from her eyes.
"What happened?" Ren asked as soon as she was out of sight. "its rather a touchy subject, but in short, she had a boyfriend who she actually loved, and he deserted her for another girl, so don't mention anything about it" Tsubasa said shortly. "I think she realized after that that it was Gingka she had really loved all along."
Suddenly, they heard Madoka screech with excitement. A couple of seconds later, she ran downstairs and shoved a newspaper into Tsubasa's face. She then sat down, grinning, while Tsubasa read the headlines.
"Well, that explains everything" he said, handing the paper to Benkei.
"What? What does it say?" Zero asked. "and what is it?"
"It's this morning's paper" Benkei replied calmly, holding it up. The headlines on the front page read 'Legend Blader reported seen in Tokyo'
"Wow! That close? Which one?" Ren asked.
"Read it, read it!" Madoka said excitedly.
Zero took the paper and read it, his eyes widening. "Not just a Legend Blader, The Legend Blader!" he exclaimed, handing it to Shinobu.
"Wow, Gingka-san himself!" Eito said, reading over Shinobu's shoulder.
"But, it says might have been, it doesn't actually say he really was there" Shinobu pointed out as Madoka's phone started vibrating.
Madoka reached across to the table and picked it up. "Hold on a second" she said, getting up and answering it as she walked over to the corner. "hello?"
"Well, if it says he was seen, maybe it was him!" Zero exclaimed excitedly.
"Maybe, but it could have been-" Tsubasa was cut off by an excited squeal from Madoka, who dropped her phone before grabbing it and running out of the room.
"Gingka's dad… wow, that was weird" Tsubasa finished, looking at the door that Madoka had disappeared through.
Madoka, on the other side of the door, was racing up the stairs to her bedroom. She placed her phone on the bed and put it on speakerphone.
"Geez thanks for blowing my eardrums, Madoka…" the person on the other end of the line muttered.
"Sorry, I just got really excited when you called!" Madoka exclaimed, trying to calm herself down.
"What, missed me that much?" Gingka teased.
Madoka blushed. "Y-yeah. I need to tell you something"
"Fire away then!" Gingka replied.
Madoka blushed even deeper at his casual manner. "Well, you know how the last time we talked, I said I would never love again?"
"Yeah, I remember. don't tell me you are trying again and found someone who is probably even stupider than the first guy and will probably do the same thing" Gingka replied seriously.
"Y-you always actually loved me, didn't you?" Madoka asked.
"I-I…" Gingka sounded caught off guard.
"That's why you warned me about this whole thing, isn't it?" Madoka pressed.
"Yeah, I always did have a crush on you, ever since you first fixed Pegasus"
"All this time, and I was so blind. I'm so sorry Gingka!" Madoka said. "I should have seen it sooner, but you were really more mature than I gave you credit for! You were always there, ready to help! I- I didn't know it before, but I really think I loved you back, even though I didn't think that"
Gingka was silent for a moment "Thanks Madoka. Sorry I couldn't be there for you when that other guy broke up with you, I wanted to be, but I was in Koma Village and was catching a flight in Tokyo the next morning to go to Beijing. Oh, I have to go now, gotta catch another flight in an hour. I'm on a payphone right now, but I'm going to get a cell phone and ill call you so you can have my number!"
"Ok, I'll be waiting until then!"
"Bye Madoka!" Gingka said, then hung up.
Madoka sighed, then put her phone in her pocket and went back downstairs.
"Ok Madoka, explanation. Now." Tsubasa said seriously as soon as she came downstairs.
"None of your business Tsubasa" Madoka said, trying to keep her voice emotionless and her face its normal color. Benkei however, spied the pink flush on her cheeks.
"It was someone you know who's cute, isn't it?" he teased.
Madoka instantly flushed beet red.
"I knew it! Come on, who was it?" Benkei crowed.
"N-nobody in particular" Madoka stuttered, trying to hide her face.
"You like him, you just broke your promise!" Tsubasa teased.
"I-I don't care" Madoka replied.
This caught Benkei and Tsubasa off guard. "You don't? you are sure 'it' wont happen again?"
Madoka looked up and into their eyes defiantly. "No, I am one hundred percent sure that 'it' wont happen again. I don't plan on ever letting 'it' happen again."
"Ok Madoka, but be careful, just remember what you said Gingka told you before he left, don't let any guy use you or anything" Tsubasa said.
"I wont" Madoka replied. "hey, does anyone want to listen to Christmas music?
"Me!" Zero, Shinobu, Maru, Ren, Eito and Kaito all said, feeling a bit awkward about the whole topic.
The next day, Zero was battling Shinobu at the B-Pit when Madoka walked up behind Maru.
"How's it going?" she asked.
"Very well teacher, they are both improving a whole lot!" Maru replied, surprised to see Madoka there at this time of day.
"Aww yeah, I won! Who is going to challenge me next?" Zero asked. Almost instantly, a young boy leapt out of the shadows
"I am!" he said. He was wearing a blue t-shirt, black jeans, and a red coat. his hair was black, with an orange streak blazing down the left side of his head.
"Eiichi? What are you doing here? Weren't you not supposed to be by yourself going around battling until mom and dad said?" Zero asked.
"Yup! We all came! I found you first!" the young boy replied.
"Eiichi! Oh, there you are! Man, would I have been in trouble if mom and dad found that you had run off!" a girl exclaimed, rushing into the stadium. Suddenly, she caught sight of Zero. "Zero? Is that you?" she asked, brushing a strand of orange hair out of her face to look up at him.
"hey Kiari! Wow, are you guys really all here?" Zero replied, waving.
"You know them?" Ren asked, surprised.
"Well I should! Everyone, this is Eiichi, my little brother, and Kiari, my sister!" Zero introduced them all. "Eiichi, Kiari, this is Shinobu, Kaito, Eito, Maru, Madoka-chan, and… Ren!" he pointed at each one of them in turn as he gave their names.
"Well, nice to meet you all! Yeah, Zero, we thought we would come see you and have the whole family together again for this holiday season! Mom and dad are at the hotel, but they said that me and Eiichi could come try to find you. We were going to meet up here after they checked in." Kiari said.
"Zero! I see Kiari and Eiichi found you! We figured that you would be here!" a booming voice said.
"Dad!" Zero exclaimed, lowering his platform and running over to hug an older version of himself who had just entered. The only difference between the two was that Zero's father, Katsutoshi Kurogane, lacked the flaming streak of orange that his son had. "and mom!" he hugged his mother, who had just come out behind his father. "come meet my friends!" he pulled them over to the group, who was busy talking and getting to know his siblings. "Ren! Shinobu!" the two turned. "this is my mom and dad! Mom, dad, this is Ren and Shinobu." Zero again introduced them
"Nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Kurogane!" Shinobu said, shaking hands politely with them.
"You too Shinobu! Zero seems to think highly of you in battle, we have heard a lot about you! And Ren, you seem to be his favorite subject!" Shika, Zero's mom, replied.
"And this is Kaito and Eito" Zero continued.
"Nice to meet you guys" the Unbara brothers said.
"And Maru!" Zero finished.
"Hi! Your son is really strong according to my data!" Maru greeted. "Where did Madoka-chan go?"
"Right here! Madoka said, coming up behind them. "Hi, I'm Madoka, Madoka Amano"
"Madoka? Weren't you always by the side of the Legendary Bladers whenever they were battling? Nice to meet you!" Katsutoshi replied.
"Yup, that's me!" Madoka shook his hand. "Nice to meet you too! Guess I should plan for three more people at this weekend's Christmas party then!"
"Oh, yeah, its going to be fun! We are all going to the B-Pit to hang out on Christmas day with Madoka-chan and Benkei-san and Tsubasa-san!"
"Weren't they two of the Legendary Bladers too?" Shika asked.
"Actually, they weren't technically, but they did help out as much as they could by cheering the Legend Bladers on! A Legend Blader, to clear up any confusion, was anyone whose bey got hit by a piece of the Star Fragment, namely, these nine were Gingka, Kyoya, Chris, Ryuga, King, Aguma, Yuki, Titi, and Dunamis" Madoka replied.
"Ahh, I get it now, that makes sense! Nice job Zero, making friends with so many great bladers!" Katsutoshi exclaimed.
"Wow, is this a Kurogane party or something? Zero, you look just like your dad!" Tsubasa exclaimed, suddenly walking up behind them.
"Tsubasa-san! Is it really that obvious?" Zero asked, looking at his dad.
"Hey, I'm Katsutoshi, and this is my wife, Shika" Katsutoshi said, holding out a hand.
Tsubasa shook Katsutoshi's hand. "Tsubasa Otori, nice to meet you! I'm the director of the WBBA here, and Zero has been very helpful with assisting us in bringing back Beyblade for this generation"
"Nice to meet you too, Tsubasa" Katsutoshi replied.
"Hey, anyone want to go to my second favorite place in the city for some lunch and to meet Benkei-san?" Zero asked.
"Me!" all his friends and siblings shouted, following him out of the building. The adults followed close behind, Madoka chatting with Shika, and Tsubasa deep in conversation with Katsutoshi. After eating lunch and introducing his family to Benkei at Bull Burger, Zero and his friends went back to Bey Park to battle, and the adults all went to Tsubasa's office.
-Christmas Day-
Madoka had just finished pulling the sugar cookies out of the oven when Zero and his family arrived.
"Hey Madoka-chan!" Zero, Eiichi, and Kiari greeted.
"Bull! Anyone going to let me eat one of those cookies?" Benkei called, entering the room.
"Not until Tsubasa and the rest of the gang get here!" Madoka called back.
"Well then, looks like Benkei can have his cookie!" Tsubasa called, entering the room with everyone else.
"Alright, but just one Benkei!" Madoka said. "make sure you leave some for everyone else!"
"Of course I will!" Benkei replied, grabbing the biggest cookie on the plate. "I'm not a pig you know!"
Tsubasa rolled his eyes. "But you still sometimes act like one though" he muttered.
Zero was standing and talking with Ren. Madoka suddenly started laughing. "Alright you two," she said, "we know you like each other, you better look up!"
Zero glanced up "Darn it, she caught us with mistletoe" he muttered.
"Yeah… lets just get this over with, everyone is staring at us now" Ren whispered, pecking Zero on the cheek, then backing away to hide behind the tree, blushing furiously. Zero ran and hid behind his dad, his face a bright beet red.
"Anyone want some egg nog?" Madoka called, bringing a tray of the drink into the room.
"Me!" All the young bladers chorused, flocking around her.
"She got you guys as well" Tsubasa pointed out to Katsutoshi and Shika.
They glanced up, then rolled their eyes, seeing the mistletoe, and kissed.
For the next couple of hours, everyone sat around, exchanged presents, opened them, and chatted. Zero got Ren a necklace on a silver chain with a orange jeweled heart on it, and she got him a picture frame with a picture of him and her striking classic blader poses. Madoka got Tsubasa an organizer for his office, and he got her a new set of bey repair tools for on-the-go repairs. Benkei got a new spatula for Bull Burger, because his old one was cracked. Secretly, Madoka had gotten a present for Gingka, even though she had no way of getting it to him, she figured that she could give it to him the next time she saw him. Zero seemed really happy to be with his family this year, and everyone was having fun. Her thoughts naturally turned to Hikaru and Kyoya, who had called to say they were getting married, Kyoya had proposed to her on Christmas Eve. Tsubasa had recently found a girlfriend as well, and Benkei was still keeping an eye out for someone he liked. Madoka suddenly realized that she seemed to be the only one of her friends that did not have someone really special to spend the holidays with. She fingered her phone, wondering when Gingka would call her on his new cell phone, if he had even gotten it yet. As she sat there thinking about it, her phone started ringing, with an unfamiliar number. Madoka's heart was pounding as she answered.
"Hello?"
"Hey Madoka! Merry Christmas!"
"Gingka! Hi! I would love to talk right now, but I think Benkei wants to show me something, can I call you back later?"
"Umm, I guess, now you have my number. By the way, its cold out here"
"You should get inside somewhere warm then, so you don't freeze wherever you are. Talk to you later!" Madoka hung up and added Gingka to her contacts list.
"Gingka called you? How did he get your number?" Benkei asked as she walked over.
"I don't know, maybe from his dad" Madoka said as her phone started ringing again. "I said I would call you back later, Mr. crazy… hello?"
"I guess I should have just been straightforward with what I said. Now, what I really meant was MADOKA! COME UNLOCK THE FRONT DOOR BEFORE I FREEZE!"
"Oh! Im so sorry! I'll do that right now!" Madoka exclaimed, hanging up and running upstairs.
"He must have emailed her something" Tsubasa replied to the wondering glances.
After a couple of minutes of silence, they heard one of Madoka's excited shrieks. "Imissedyousomuchitwasntevenf unny!" she shouted.
"Whoa! Calm down there Madoka! I wasn't gone that long!" a deep voice exclaimed.
Tsubasa and Benkei took one look at each other and bolted upstairs. Once they got there, they saw Madoka, her arms wrapped around a familiar looking redheaded man tightly, crying because she was so happy and had missed him so much. Gingka had his arms around her shoulders, his chin resting gently on the top of her head.
Gingka grinned. "Surprised, Tsubasa?"
"Quite so, it was you who called and got your ear shrieked in about a week ago, wasn't it?" Tsubasa replied.
"Yeah, from a pay phone. She almost busted my eardrums!" Gingka brushed some of Madoka's hair out of her face.
"Come downstairs Gingka! We were having a Christmas party down there anyway!" Madoka grabbed Gingka's hand and led him downstairs. "guys! You will never guess who just got here!"
"Gingka-san!" Zero exclaimed, immediately rushing over to greet the Legend Blader.
"Hey, I know you!" Gingka exclaimed. "Didn't I give you that Synchrom? I don't think I got your name though"
"It's Zero, Zero Kurogane" Zero replied, shaking hands with Gingka.
"Alright then, we will just have to test your skills soon! Its been a while since I battled, think you're up to it?
"A-are you challenging me?"
"Of course!"
"Samurai Ifraid vs. Big Bang Pegasus, that will be interesting! I cant wait to see it!" Maru exclaimed.
"Well, yes it will be interesting, but it wont be Big Bang Pegasus that he will be battling" Gingka said, scratching the back of his head.
"It won't?" Zero was surprised.
"Uh yeah, Big Bang Pegasus kinda… shattered in a battle with Leone…" Madoka said.
"Oh, so what bey do you have now?" Shinobu asked.
"Well, thanks to the amazing work of this young woman right here, Pegasus was reborn as a Synchrom from the shattered fragments of the original" Gingka fumbled around at his belt. "Into this!" he whipped out his new bey and held it up. "Madoka used the Samurai crystal wheel mold she already had, then created a whole new mold to create the Synchrom Pegasus metal wheel, so you will be battling Samurai Pegasus Wing 105 Right Rubber Flat! But, that will have to wait until tomorrow"
"Wow, that's so cool!" all the younger bladers were fascinated.
Gingka placed Pegasus back in its case at his side. "Oh, I almost forgot! I got something for you Madoka!" he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box, wrapped in green wrapping paper, and handed it to her.
"Oh! I got one for you too!" Madoka ran over to the tree, reached under it, and pulled out her small box, then handed it to him and sat down on the couch to open hers.
"Cool! Thanks Madoka!" Gingka said, pulling out the rubber grip from the box Madoka had given him and his own grip launcher, then sliding the new rubber piece over it.
"You're welcome Gingka!" Madoka replied, carefully pulling the paper off. Gingka came and sat next to her as she opened the box to reveal a ring, studded with pink gemstones. "its beautiful!" she said.
"It's to remind you of what I said, and I got your name engraved on the inside of it" Gingka told her, turning it over and showing her the other side, which said 'True Love Waits' on it.
Madoka allowed him to slip it on her finger, then hugged him.
"Hey Madoka" Tsubasa called. "since you decorated, you should have remembered where you put all the mistletoe!"
Madoka glanced up and face palmed. "Darn it, why did I have to put so much?"
Gingka just stared up, seemingly in shock. "Yeah, why did you?" he teased, kissing her, then pulling away. "There, satisfied Tsubasa?"
"Nope, hold on, you have to do it again, I didn't get a picture!"
"WHAT?" Gingka and Madoka exclaimed.
"But I did get a picture of Madoka's red face and Gingka's mischievous grin right after he kissed her!" Tsubasa exclaimed.
"Wha- Tsubasa! Give me that!" Gingka yelled, jumping up and chasing Tsubasa around the room.
"Ok you guys, calm down!" Madoka called, stopping the two bladers in their tracks. "let's just take a group picture all together!"
"I have a better idea!" Benkei said. "Let's get all the couples to take a group picture!"
In response, Zero, Ren, Shinobu, Kiari, Gingka, and Madoka all flushed red.
"Yeah! Lets do it!" Eito exclaimed.
"But Eito, you have to do it with Maru, just because you guys look so cute together!"
Eito instantly turned bright red.
After about two more minutes, all five couples, including Zero's parents, were grouped together by the fireplace.
"Oh Tsubasa! Genius idea getting them there!" Benkei laughed.
"We're under mistletoe, aren't we." Gingka said.
"Yeah! Now do it on three!" Benkei called. "one!" Gingka leaned in and kissed Madoka.
"Two, three, go!" Tsubasa called, snapping a picture of all five. Eito was sweetly kissing Maru on the cheek, Zero got Ren on her cheek, Shinobu and Kiari somehow managed to get each other's cheeks at the same time, and Zero's parents were mirroring Gingka and Madoka, who pulled away three seconds after Tsubasa took the picture.
"Best Christmas ever!" Madoka said, hugging Gingka tightly.
Gingka: why did you do that to me?
Me: what?
Gingka: make me kiss Madoka!
Me: Oh come on, we all know here that you like her!
Madoka: yeah, that was awkward
Me: you are under mistletoe again!
Gingka: great… -kisses Madoka-