I know what you're thinkg: New chapter already? It's cause I have no life.
Red lightening flashed threateningly across the grey clouds as the group of bladers stood underneath, facing off silently.
"Is that really Ryuga?" Yu whispered. "He looks so different!"
"It's him alright," Gingka replied, staring evenly at Ryuga. "But there's something wrong…"
Ryuga's gaze swept over them menacingly. It wavered over Natsumi for a split second, and then landed on Rika.
"You," he growled, pointing at her. "You're the one!" Natsumi grabbed her sister and pulled her back.
"Don't lay a hand on her," she snapped. Ryuga took a step forward and stumbled, clenching his teeth.
"Ryuga, what's happening to you?" Gingka called. Ryuga ignored him and loomed over Rika threateningly. The little girl's eyes got big as something dawned on her.
"Energy drain…" she breathed. "But…but I don't have it…" Ryuga roared, pulling out L-Drago.
"Don't tell me that!" In a fit of rage, Ryuga launched his bey. A giant dragon beast of L-Drago rose into the air and attacked Rika. With a cry, she was thrown backwards, landing hard on her side.
"Stop it, Ryuga!" Kenta cried. "You'll hurt her!" Rika staggered to her feet, barely able to stand.
"I don't have it," she called hoarsely. "I mean, I do, but I didn't take it!"
"I don't have time for your explanations!" Ryuga snapped. "You will give me back my power! L-Drago!" L-Drago flew towards Rika again.
"No!" Natsumi impulsively launched her bey at Ryuga. Everyone else followed her, and soon a barrage of beys was flying towards L-Drago.
On impact, a huge explosion erupted, throwing everyone back. Tsubasa's ears roared and he fought to stay standing. Energy rushed outwards and dust whipped through the air, making it impossible to see. Tsubasa tried to search for his friends, to no avail. Suddenly, he felt a tiny hand being thrust into his own. "Look out for her," a voice hissed into his ear. "I'm counting on you." Slowly, the roaring died down and the dust cleared. Tsubasa managed to sit up, only to see that everyone had been blown away. Neither Natsumi nor Ryuga were anywhere to be seen. He looked down at Rika, who was lying beside him, barely conscious. "Rika?" The girl stirred, mumbling inaudibly.
"Natsumi…" she murmured.
"Do you know where she went?" he asked quietly. Rika's eyelids fluttered. Her energy was running out fast.
"Ryuto," she breathed. Then she turned over on the ground and passed out. Tsubasa picked her up in his arms and joined the others.
"Come on," he said. "There's nothing more we can do here." Everyone slowly got to their feet, grunting and groaning all the way, and headed back to the city.
"Wow, looks like the tournament was a little bit too intense." Rika laughed hoarsely as she lay in the hospital bed. Ryuto sat next to her, an intrigued look on his face. "That Ryuga," he said, shaking his head. "Always freaking out over everything. He needs to take a chill pill. Anyway, what did you want me for?"
"Well," Rika began slowly. "Remember when you said you would take me to go treasure hunting with you?" Ryuto stared at her, surprised.
"The tournament is still going," he reminded her. "Besides, you're in no shape to travel, Rika. You know that."
"This is important," she rasped. "I gotta find my sister. She could be in trouble. And I really could use your help." Ryuto shook his head slowly.
"I don't really understand what you're getting at," he sighed. "But you've never failed me before."
"I'll help you find the petrajadus," she offered.
"Deal," he grinned. "But I'm not sure they'll let you out of here. You were really beat up out there."
"It's okay, we'll just not tell them," she said. "Except Tsubasa's standing outside so he can probably hear everything we're saying."
"And I don't think this is a good idea." Tsubasa walked into the room. "Rika, you're badly hurt. You shouldn't be running off anywhere until you've recovered. I'll go with Ryuto. You stay here."
"No! I have to go!" Rika sat up, wincing from the pain. "No one knows those mountains better than I do! If Natsumi's there, then I can find her for sure!" She bit her lip, staring at Tsubasa fearfully. "But I can't face Ryuga on my own. I need your help. Both of you."
"You don't have to ask me again," said Ryuto.
"I'm coming too," Tsubasa put in. "Natsumi told me to look out for you."
"Great, I'm glad we all agree. Now let's go." Rika prepared to hop out of the bed.
"No." Tsubasa held out his hand. "Not until tomorrow. You need to rest, Rika." Rika sighed in annoyance.
"Fine," she muttered. "But no later than tomorrow. We have to find Natsumi!"
"Get some sleep, Rika." Ryuto patted her head. "You'll need all your strength if we're going to go treasure hunting." Tsubasa turned to the window, staring up at the sky. Keep your head up, Natsumi. We're coming.
Running.
Always…running.
The cities flew past.
The valley and lakes flew past.
Miles of nothingness flew past.
She didn't stop.
Not until the sun had long since slipped beneath the horizon.
Not until the stars speckled the sky like spilled milk over a black sheet.
Not until she was home.
The mountains loomed over her, a rock solid façade to the secrets it held. It's been a long time, she thought.
"I dub this…Mount Natsumi and Rika!" Rika planted a flag into the rock. Natsumi waved it off dismissively.
"Don't do that!" she told her. "Come on, let's look for a good place to make a stadium. We came out here so we could beyblade, so we should do it!"
"Good idea!" Rika scurried after her as she headed up the rocky mountain path. They ventured through the mountains until they came across a flat plain of rock.
"This is perfect." Natsumi pulled out her bey. "Go, Sky Lynx!"
"Go, Sky Fox!" The two girls launched their beys onto the rock, and together they created a smooth stadium to practice on. "Up for a battle, Rika?" said Natsumi with a grin.
"You know I am!" Rika jumped onto the nearest rock to match up to her sister's height. "Let's go!"
Natsumi slid down into the stadium, pain filling her chest. So many battles left behind…
"Natsumi! You'll never guess what I just found!" Rika dashed into the cave where Natsumi had made a fire.
"Rika, you've gotta stop running off," she scolded. "You could easily get lost up here!"
"But you have to come see this!" Rika grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the cave. "Come on, faster!" Natsumi followed Rika over the stream and up a hill to a rugged cliff face.
"What am I supposed to be seeing here?" asked Natsumi, looking around.
"Look!" Rika grabbed a large boulder that was piled up at the cliff face, and heaved it off. "It's a tunnel! It's just covered by the rocks!" Natsumi raised an eyebrow warily, but helped her sister clear the rocks. When they were finished, a dark opening stood in front of them. "Let's explore it!" Rika ran excitedly into the tunnel.
"Wait!" Natsumi ran after her. "It could be dangerous!"
"That makes it even cooler!" Rika called behind her shoulder. Natsumi stared in awe at the walls around here.
"These must have been here for a long, long time," she murmured to herself. "These mountains haven't changed a bit, even after hundreds of years, probably."
Always constant. Natsumi stood in front of the passage, unmoving. You never change. Taking a deep breath, she ran into the tunnel.
"Are you sure you know how to drive this thing, Ryuto?" Tsubasa asked, scratching his head. The three friends sat in a large motorboat that was floating in the water. The morning sun shone down over them as they prepared the first leg of their trip.
"Sure, I've driven a million of these before." Ryuto gripped the steering wheel of the motorboat, a look of either determination or craziness on his face. "Now let's get going!" Tsubasa was thrown back as the motorboat sped forward suddenly. He climbed slowly to his feet and joined Rika at the back of the boat.
"I feel like this is a recipe for failure," he muttered.
"You oughtta get out more," she replied. "Taking crazy risks is usually the best way to accomplish stuff."
"Right," he remarked. "You sound just like your sister."
"I know." Rika shot him her signature Cheshire Cat grin.
"So tell me," Tsubasa began, sitting down on the bench. "What exactly have you been doing since you and Natsumi split? Other than hanging around with Team Dungeon, I mean." Rika shrugged, staring out into the ocean.
"I don't know, running around, searching for treasure, stopping evildoers. What else is there to do?"
"I'm impressed," he said. "Is that how you got Ryuga's power?"
"It was an accident!" Her face darkened. "There were people. They were doing some weird thing with their beys to remotely drain Ryuga's power. I was trying to stop them, but some of L-Drago's energy was transferred to my bey." She pulled out Sky Fox and handed it to Tsubasa, who examined it closely.
"It's unpredictable right now," he mused. "But maybe it'll show its full power later on. What you have to do is continue to train."
"I will." Rika nodded with determination. "I never stop training." Tsubasa tossed the bey back to her.
"Good," he said. "Because you'll need it more than ever right now."
The tunnels wound through the mountains, an intricate network of passageways that cut through every corner. It was a maze, a labyrinth that would get you so lost that you wouldn't be able to tell up from down. But as she raced through the dark tunnels, she knew every turn, every path. And then at last, she reached her destination. She stepped out from the tunnel into a spacious cave. Shimmering green light reflected off the walls, and she slowly made her way to the far side of the cave. There, half embedded in a rock pedestal sat a large stone. It glowed green and emanated energy throughout the cave. Tears flowed freely from her eyes as she stared at it, horrible memories racing through her head. Stupid rock, she thought. Why'd you have to be here?
Suddenly, a roar sounded from down the tunnel. Her head snapped up to see a fearsome red dragon bursting through the entrance. The dragon circled around the entire cave, whipping its long tail. Then Ryuga stepped into the cave, gasping for breath. He crumbled to his knees and the dragon faded. "Power," he wailed. "I need…the power…"
"Stay away from it!" Natsumi stood in front of the stone, blocking his path. "I won't let you have it!"
"Get out…of my way!" L-Drago flew at her threateningly. In an instant, Natsumi launched her bey to meet it. The two beys clashed and flew backwards. Ryuga's eyes widened as another bout of pain struck him. "L-Drago!" he gasped. "Get…the power!"
"You're crazy!" Natsumi guided her bey towards L-Drago. "You're power-deprived and crazy! And I can't believe you followed me here!"
"Do not…interfere…" L-Drago slammed into Lynx, sending it flying. Lynx crashed into the cave wall, creating a large crack.
"No, Lynx!" Natsumi cried.
"Go, L-Drago!" yelled Ryuga. L-Drago powered up, although it didn't do much, and then launched itself at the stone. For a second, the bey and the stone made contact. Then, L-Drago was thrown back with a great force of energy, hitting the wall. Ryuga stared in disbelief. "Again, L-Drago!" he called. L-Drago tried again, to no avail. At this point, the dragon bey's spin power was decreasing fast.
"Lynx!" Natsumi called desperately. I've gotta defend this place… The two beys battled relentlessly in the cave, neither willing to give up. But L-Drago was running out of stamina, and Ryuga knew it. Along with L-Drago, he too was fading fast.
"Let's finish this, L-Drago!" L-Drago flew at Lynx again with all the energy it had left, but Ryuga's vision was beginning to blur and his aim was off. L-Drago smashed into Lynx at the wrong angle, sending it flying straight towards the stone.
"No!" Natsumi gasped. Fox struck the stone hard, spinning against it for a few moments. Then, the stone shattered, exploding into a giant ball of green light. Natsumi's mouth dropped as her bey was suspended in the powerful energy. The green light spiraled into the face bolt of the bey until it was all gone, and the bey fell with clink! on the ground. Natsumi ran over the retrieve it and held it in her hand. She could feel the power pulsing inside of the metal. She stared at it in disbelief, and then at Ryuga, who had collapsed on the ground, passed out. For a moment, she felt like fainting as well. But instead, she walked over and picked up L-Drago, a bit intimidated to hold such a legendary bey in her hand, and then dragged the unconscious Ryuga out of the tunnels.
"Are you two sure you know where we're going?" The three friends were trekking through the mountain trails. "We've been walking for hours now with no sign of change."
"Don't worry, Tsubasa, we're almost there," said Rika cheerfully. "Just keep your head up. I used to live here, remember? Now let me think." She pondered quietly to herself. "If I were Natsumi, where would I be?" She glanced up at the sky. "Look!" The other two followed her gaze to a stream of smoke rising in the distance. "I knew she'd be here! Come on!" They ran through the trees, over streams and rocks until they reached a tunnel. Without hesitating for even a second, Rika disappeared into the dark.
"Wait!" Tsubasa ran after her, Ryuto following close behind. "Are you sure this is safe?"
"Stop worrying, Tsubasa!" Rika's voice echoed down the tunnel. "We have to find Natsumi!" They followed her through one turn, two turns, three turns, until Tsubasa couldn't even remember how many turns they had made. After what seemed like forever, a light appeared ahead of them, and they ran out of the tunnel, finding themselves at a cliff overlooking the forest. A campfire had been set up in the middle of the small open space, and Natsumi sat on one side of the cliff, her head lowered. On the other side lay Ryuga, still unconscious.
"What the heck is going on here?" Ryuto stared at the setup in front of them. "Are they okay?"
"Natsumi!" Rika ran over to her sister, shaking her. Natsumi lifted her head wearily, her eyes widening as she noticed the presence of the newcomers.
"Rika?" she murmured. "Tsubasa? What are you guys doing here?"
"Did you really think we wouldn't come after you?" Tsubasa offered her a small smile, which she returned halfheartedly.
"What happened?" Rika asked her, looking around.
"The stone," Natsumi sighed. "It's gone now." Rika's eyebrows shot up.
"Did he take it?" she gasped, glancing at Ryuga. Natsumi shook her head and handed her sister her bey. Rika stared at the bey in disbelief. The normally cold metal was hot and glowing green. "It's in your bey?" Natsumi nodded slowly. "And what about him?"
"Out." Natsumi gazed calmly at Ryuga. "No more energy."
"But…he's alive?" Tsubasa asked.
"Yeah…" Natsumi took back her bey and slipped it into her bag. "For now, I guess."
"But where's it all gone?" Ryuto looked confused. "You can't possibly expect that much energy to just disappear."
"Is it in Sky Fox?" Tsubasa gestured to Rika, who shook her head.
"Only a fragment is in Sky Fox," she told him. "The rest of it…" She pulled out her laptop and started to type again, searching through the map. "Energy drain. Red amulet."
"It's in someone's possession," Natsumi guessed. "And that someone could use it for something really evil."
"Can you find them, Rika?" asked Ryuto.
"Yes." Rika closed her laptop and stared up at her friends. "But what about Ryuga? We can't just leave him here by himself!"
"Think of all the havoc he could wreak if he wakes up," Natsumi added.
"We'll bring him with us," Tsubasa decided. "We can leave him in the boat or something. I don't know, but he has to go somewhere.
"Alright then." Natsumi stood up. "Let's get going. I really want to be able to sleep again."
"Me too," said Rika, giving her sister a hug. "So what's our plan?"
"We find those cronies, and show them what happens when you mess with the dragon emperor!" Ryuto pumped his fist in the air. "His friends will come get you!"
"We're not his friends," Natsumi remarked. "But okay, whatever."
"Hey, I'm his friend!" Ryuto protested. Then he glanced at Ryuga and frowned. "Okay, I guess not, but still!"
"Let's move." Tsubasa threw dirt over the fire to put it out, and the four friends plus Ryuga headed back through the tunnels once again, ready to fight, both for Ryuga and for themselves.
YAY STUFF HAPPENING. Okay so Natsumi ran because once again, she didn't want to face Ryuga and running is what she does. Also she knew that Ryuga wouldn't stick around, but not that he would follow her. The stone/petrajadus has always repelled everything that touches it, so this was a first for Natsumi. And Rika asked Ryuto to take her treasure hunting because she knew that he was looking for the petrajadus and suspected that Natsumi had gone home. And Ryuga's super mega ultra bey spirit ahs been sucked out of him, along with all of L-Drago's power, so he's pretty much dead. But he's physically hanging on, so technically he's still alive. It's kinda like when he drained the souls of the bladers that he defeated. HOW DOES IT FEEL, RYUGA? Yes anyway hope you liked that chapter, and I also hoped that this cleared things up a bit. ^.^ Thanks for reading!