Chapter 2 is here! Hope you guys like it. A few random OCs that I made up on the spot LOL. Enjoy!
"Where are we going?" Natsumi groaned. "We've been walking for hours..."
"We're going to visit an old friend of mine," Gingka told her. "Just try to hold your tongue, okay? He's a sensitive kid."
"Alright, whatever," she grumbled. "I don't see the point of this though."
"Tsubasa says you need to get your bey spirit up and running again! What better way to do that than to travel to cool places?"
"I don't really think that random rocky plains in the middle of nowhere is on my list of cool places to go." Natsumi shielded her eyes. The sun was setting directly in front of them. "Decent sunset though."
"Just you wait," said Gingka excitedly. A shadow appeared in the near distance, running towards them. Natsumi squinted as the shadow turned into a boy.
"Mr. Gingka!" he called, waving to them.
"Hey, Yuki!" Gingka called back. "It's been a long time!" The boy ran up to them, a big smile on his face.
"It's so great to see you!" he greeted breathlessly. "And you must be Miss Natsumi! It's nice to meet you." He dipped his head at her.
"Do you live out here?" she asked, looking around.
"Sometimes," he told her. "My observatory is here, so sometimes I stay out here."
"I see." She ran a hand through her hair. "But what exactly are we doing here?"
"I don't know," said Gingka. "Are you up for a battle?"
"Can we not?" she groaned. "It's getting dark."
"No big deal," he grinned. "Yuki?"
"Okay!" Yuki's eyes lit up. "It would be my honor!"
"Better take a few steps back, Natsumi," Gingka warned. "This one is gonna be big." Natsumi ran to take shelter behind a rock. "Alright, are you ready, Yuki?"
"As I'll ever be, Mr. Gingka," said Yuki excitedly. The two friends positioned their beys. "Three, two, one!"
As the battle began, the sun sank behind the horizon and a magnificent blanket of stars appeared above them. Natsumi gazed at the sky in awe. It's just like when we used to live in the mountains. Down in the rocks, two beys were engaged in a fiery battle.
"Go, Anubius!" Yuki navigated is bey accurately around rocks. "Don't let the rocks slow you down!"
"Pegasus!" Gingka yelled. "Go get him! Barrage Mode!" Pegasus expertly switched modes and whizzed towards Anubius, the impact throwing it into the air."
"No, Anubius!" said Yuki worriedly. Natsumi gaped as the clashing beys exerted powerful energy and bright sparks that lit up the sky. That is some battle. The beasts rose high into the air, in the middle of intense combat.
"Go, Pegasus, Final Drive Mode!" Pegasus burst into action, launching itself at Anubias. "Cosmic Tornado!"
"Anubius! Special move: Brave Impact!" The two beys flew at each other at top speed. Natsumi pressed herself to the rock, bracing for impact. With a huge explosion, lights flew off in every direction and the wind roared, blowing up the dust. When finally everything died down, it was Anubius that had stopped spinning. Natsumi ran out from behind the rock to meet them.
"That was awesome, Yuki!" exclaimed Gingka, his eyes shining. "What'd you think, Natsumi?"
"It was pretty cool," Natsumi agreed, nodding.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Miss Natsumi," said Yuki. "Would you like to come see the observatory?"
"Sure, why not?" Natsumi followed them across the barren rocky plain to the large observatory, belonging to Yuki.
"This is crazy," she sighed, shaking her head. "I can't believe this is yours, Yuki."
"You better believe it," said Gingka with a grin. "Yuki's way into astronomy. And he knows so much about it too! We all have a lot to learn from him."
"I think I learned way more from you, Mr. Gingka," Yuki objected. "You're the best blader in the world!"
"Hey, can I look?" asked Natsumi, pointing to the big lens.
"Sure, go ahead!" said Yuki. "It's pointed at the moon right now." Natsumi looked through the lens. The moon shone big and bright in the sky.
"That is so cool," she said. "Thanks, Yuki."
"You into stars too, Natsumi?" Gingka asked.
"Sort of," she replied. "It just reminds me of when my sister and I used to live in the mountains. The view of the sky was so amazing. We even saw meteor showers a few times."
"That's awesome!" Yuki exclaimed. "I would have loved to have been there."
"It's too nice out to stay in here," Gingka pointed out. "Let's go outside!" The three of them headed back out under the stars, settling down on the hard but surprisingly comfortable rocks. The night slowly drifted by, but they stayed awake till the sun came out.
The crisp smell of air freshener hung in the air as Natsumi walked through the clean hallways of the WBBA headquarters. A door stood open at the end of the hall, beckoning her. She walked into the room, knocking on the open door to signify her arrival. Tsubasa, who had been staring out the window down at the busy streets below, looked up as she walked over. "Oh, hey," he greeted. "How was stargazing?"
"Pretty fun, actually," she replied. "That Gingka is really intense, isn't he?"
"That he is," said Tsubasa with a smile. "Gingka is probably one of the best bladers I know. Not only is his skill and power off the charts, his bey spirit is beyond anything imaginable. We've all still got a lot to learn from him." Natsumi nodded slowly. "Think you'll get back into beyblading?" he asked her.
"I don't know," she sighed. "It just brings back bad memories. And I'd rather not have anything to do with Ryuga."
"Ryuga works in his own weird way," Tsubasa mused. "But he's not really a bad guy, you know?"
"Sure," she muttered. "Okay then."
"Anyway, the WBBA is hosting a one day tournament tomorrow," he informed her. "You can join if you like, or you can just come watch. Either one is good."
"Are you going to participate?" she asked.
"Of course I am," he grinned. "Gingka will be there too, and all our other friends."
"I'll probably just watch," she said. "But it sounds interesting."
"That's what I like to hear," he said with a smile. "Hopefully this will get your bey spirit fired up."
"Yeah, whatever," she said. "Don't you ever get claustrophobic up here?"
"Not really." Tsubasa glanced out the window. "As long as I've got a view of the big sky, I'm all good."
"Oh." She pressed her hand to the glass. "Is that all you do? Stare at the sky?" He laughed.
"No, I actually have to work," he said. "The director assigns me on a lot of missions all over the world. There hasn't been much going on lately, but if there's any suspicious bey activity going on, I'll be there. On top of that, every job involves paperwork." He gestured to the piles of paper on his desk. "Which I'm somehow always behind on."
"Sounds like a lot of work," she sighed. "I don't understand how you can be so relaxed."
"It's just important to keep an optimistic outlook," he told her. "Even though I have a lot of work to do, I love my job. And I have lots of friends to support me and help me. Plus, there's always those moments between missions that I'm free to do anything." He smiled. "When you have as little free time as I do, you learn to cherish those moments."
"How? By staring out windows?" she asked. He paused for a minute, looking at her.
"Ever wanted to touch the sky?"
Tsubasa and Natsumi made their way through the halls and up the elevators of the buildings, till the reached the door to the roof. Tsubasa opened the door and sunlight streamed into the dim hallway. The stepped out onto the roof and Natsumi ran to the edge, leaning over the railing. "Wow," she breathed. "You can see the whole city from here!"
"Still think staring at the sky is stupid?" Tsubasa said with a smirk.
"I never said that," she countered. "I just feel like that's all you ever do."
"I wouldn't mind if it was." Tsubasa gazed out at the clouds. "It just makes you feel so…limitless, you know? I just want to soar through the sky like the eagles, not bound by the laws of gravity or the land."
"I get it," she said, nodding. "It would be pretty amazing."
"What motivates you, Natsumi?" he asked, turning to her. She thought for a few moments, and then spoke up.
"I don't really know," she said. "In order to be motivated, you have to be aiming for something. And I don't really have any goals."
"You want to run away from Ryuga," he remarked. "What motivates you to keep running?"
"Fear, I guess," she sighed. "Fear of his power, fear of the power he could possess." She ran a hand through her hair. "I really just don't want anything to do with him, that's all."
"It's understandable," he said with a nod. "But you need to aspire for more. Like back when you lived in your village. You need to have drive, not just to run from your problems, but for yourself too. That's where the bey spirit comes from. The thirst to battle opponents and become stronger and stronger." He smiled down at her. "You've felt it before. I know you have."
"Maybe I have," she agreed. "But it's just…not there anymore. I don't feel any desire to get involved with beyblade and battle people. I just feel like it's not my thing."
"You may have lost your bey spirit," he told her. "But you're still here, aren't you? I suspect that even though you don't have the desire to battle, you do have the desire to get your bey spirit back. And that's what matters right now."
"I suppose you're right," she murmured. "Thanks." He didn't reply, and they stood on the roof of the WBBA headquarters, staring out at the sky in peaceful silence.
"Come one, come all, to the Beyblade One Day Tournament!" The announcer's voice was broadcasted through the streets of Metal City through large speakers. "Come see MetalCity's best bladers battle it out in the WBBA's official stadium!" Everywhere, kids and adults alike rushed down to the stadium, eager to witness the battles.
Up in the skybox, a few friends were sitting around. Hikaru was speaking with a businessman about professional stuff. Kenta and Madoka sat on the couch, discussing techniques. Gingka stood at the front of the room with Tsubasa and Natsumi, pressing himself to the glass with anticipation.
"Ooh, this is so exciting!" He stared out into the stadium as it filled up with spectators, his eyes shining brightly. "I want to start battling right now!"
"Calm down, Gingka," Tsubasa told him. "If you waste all your energy freaking out, then you won't be able to battle."
"I can't help it!" Gingka exclaimed. "I'm so excited! I can't even remember the last time I battled in a big tournament!"
"How's this thing going to work anyway?" Natsumi asked.
"The matches will be randomized." Hikaru walked over to them, holding a clipboard. "And the winners will battle each other in the second round. To make things interesting, we're starting things off with a tag team battle."
"A tag team battle?" Gingka whirled around. "Hikaru, why would you tell us this right before the tournament's about to start?" Hikaru looked confused.
"I thought you knew," she said. "I told the director to tell you."
"He didn't tell them," Tsubasa informed her. "You should've known that." Hikaru let out a frustrated sigh.
"Why am I not surprised?" she muttered. "Sorry, Gingka, but yes, there will be a tag team battle."
"All the better," said Gingka, flexing his fingers. "Hey, Kenta, wanna team up?" Kenta's eyes lit up.
"Do you really mean it?" he gasped.
"Sure, I do!" Gingka replied, grinning. "We're going to win for sure!" He and Kenta exchanged a high five.
"Hey, who are you going to team up with?" Natsumi asked Tsubasa.
"Well," he began. "There's this kid. He's about…this tall." He gestured with his hand. "Crazy hair, loves ice cream..." The door flew open.
"I'm heeeeere!" a voice called. Everyone turned as Yu stepped into the room, smiling from ear to ear.
"Yu!" Kenta exclaimed, running over to him.
"Heeeey, Ken-chi!" They exchanged a hug. "Long time no see, huh? Am I the only one who's pumped for this tournament?!"
"Yeah, let's see how pumped you are when I beat you!" Gingka held out a hand and Yu high-fived it enthusiastically.
"No way, Gingkie, this time we're going to beat you in the first round!" Yu shot back. "Right, Tsubasa?"
"He speaks the truth," said Tsubasa with a smile.
"See? Tsubasa agrees with me." Yu flopped down on the couch. "So when's this tournament gonna start, huh? I'm so excited, I could battle right now!"
"Soon," Hikaru told him. "Just keep it down, okay? We don't need everyone in the stadium to hear what's going on up here." She sighed. "I should go find the director."
"Better sit tight," Tsubasa told Natsumi. "It's going to get a little bit loud in here."
"Right," she replied quietly, staring out into the stadium. The crowd began to cheer loudly as Blader DJ came up on the big announcer screen.
"Welcome everyone, to the One Day Tournament!" he announced. "Today, bladers from all over the city will be participating in heated battles in this very stadium!"
"You guy better head down," Madoka told them. "The tournament is about to start!"
"You're right!" Gingka leaped to his feet. "Let's go, guys!" He ran out the door without looking back, Kenta and Madoka following close behind.
"Come on, Yu." Tsubasa held out his hand and Yu grabbed it, pulling himself up. Tsubasa glanced back at Natsumi, who was still standing at the window. "Feel like coming?" he asked her. She paused for a moment, considering it.
"I think I'll stay here," she said. "Seems a bit safer."
"Suit yourself," he replied. "Just don't run off or anything. At least until my battle is over." Natsumi pressed her lips together in a half smile. "Hikaru and the director will probably be up in a few minutes. Just hang tight." With that, he left with Yu and Natsumi was by herself again. She stared back out the window. All these people here to see people battle…why is that?
Energy radiated from the stadium as the battle was in full swing. Tsubasa and Yu were facing off against two strong bladers, Ike and Taro. Their beys had incredible speed and dodged all their attempts at attacking. "Go, Gasher!" called Ike. His bey whizzed up to Libra from behind, knocking it into the air. Yu stomped his foot, frustrated.
"What do we do, Tsubasa?" he asked.
"If they're going too fast…" Tsubasa mused. "Then I guess we better slow them down, huh?" Yu grinned.
"I catch your drift," he said excitedly. "Alright, let's get this show on the road! Go, Libra! Sonic Buster!" Libra sent out a series of sonic waves, turning the stadium into sand. Ike and Taro's beys instantly slowed down, unable to move over the sand.
"Go, Eagle!" Tsubasa called. Eagle glided across the sand and flew into the air. "Metal Wing Smash!" Ike and Taro's beys were thrown out of the stadium as Eagle rocketed down over them, causing a huge explosion. The beys clinked as they fell back to the ground, defeated. The crowd went wild. In the stands, Gingka, Kenta, and Madoka cheered loudly for their friends. "Yeah, Tsubasa!" Gingka yelled waving his hands. "You too, Yu!" Up in the skybox, Natsumi pressed her hands to the glass. What an intense battle…
"And Tsubasa and Yu are the winners!" Blader DJ called excitedly. "After a crrrrrazy battle of strength and strategy, Tsubasa and Yu have managed to come out on top and will move on to the next round!" Tsubasa held out his hand and Yu leaped up to high five it.
"Yeah, Tsubasa, we won!" he cheered. Tsubasa just smiled as they stepped down from the stadium.
"Looks like we're moving on to the next round," he said. "We're one step closer to facing Gingka!"
"You said it!" Yu laughed. "And I'm going to beat him for sure this time!"
"I'll believe it when I see it," Tsubasa remarked. "You just hope you'll even get the chance the battle Gingka, because I might just beat you too it!" The two of them headed back up to meet their friends.
"That was awesome, Tsubasa, Yu!" Gingka commended. "You guys did a great job!"
"The first round is over now," said Madoka. "The matches for the next round will probably be revealed in a few minutes. It's great that you guys all made it though!" Gingka and Kenta had also won their battle against Akira and Osamu.
"I hope I'll get to battle you Gingka," said Kenta enthusiastically.
"Me too, Kenta!" Gingka replied. Tsubasa turned to Natsumi.
"What'd you think of that?" he asked her.
"I have to agree with them," she said with a smile. "That was pretty exciting."
"Think you'll participate in any tournaments anytime soon?"
"Possibly." Natsumi sighed and sat down on the couch. "It all seems a little bit overwhelming, if you ask me."
"In a way, it is," he replied. "But it's the adrenaline and the exhilaration that makes it so exciting, and that's not something to miss out on." Hikaru walked over to them, with Ryo following close behind.
"Great job, kids," Ryo congratulated. "The second round is about to start. Go out there and show them who's boss!" They headed out and the battles started once more.
Hehe, once again I leave this ambiguous to romance. Don't get me wrong, I actually love writing romance. But I just feel like now isn't the time. So yeah. Whatever you guys choose to think is right :) Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Leave a review!