A/N: College is...awesome!
May I pre-warn the readers of this fic that The Majestics is yaoi (GianOli and RobJohn) though romance is not the focus of the story.
...and again, before we start, aside from Melting the Butter, this shall be the second time I'm introducing my version of the McGregor Clan. Since they're OCs (and I don't like OCs that much), here are my simple rules for them:
One: Their mom is named Molly and their dad is named Arthur.
Two: There are 23 McGregor siblings. Johnny is smack in the middle.
Three: They have four dogs, namely Charlie, Mairi, Duncan and Ewan. They are St. Bernards.
Four: The McGregor siblings all have red hair and all their names start with the letter 'J'.
Five: (which I failed to add in my other story) Except Johnny, all the members of his family sport Scottish accents. You will find how to differentiate them shortly.
The Majestics
Chapter Three
Oliver sent sand flying in all directions as he jogged to the spot on the beach where Enrique was.
Flecks of cool salt water roused the blonde who was dozing under the sun. Summer blue eyes lazily opened to acknowledge his wet best friend.
"How was your swim?" he asked.
"The water's great, En," the French boy replied with a dazzling smile and plopped down beside him. "You should have a dip."
"I will," said the Italian. "...once the tide comes in so I could catch the waves."
Oliver laughed and looked about. The couple had found themselves a secluded spot hidden by a wall of eroded earth laden with overgrown plants. Not far off, Enrique's boat was tied to a huge boulder.
This little island beach, located thirty mintues away from the west of Napoli, was owned by Oliver's uncle, who's immense summer mansion rose above the surrounding nature. The beach was opene to anyone, which wasn't much because not many knew of the place's existence. That worked for both Oliver's uncle and the miniscule population of beach patrons, who did not enjoy a crowded waterfront.
The two younger Majestics had separated themselves from the main strip of the beach where most of the people were an enjoyed the solitude their spot offered.
Oliver grabbed a bottle of cold tea from their picnic basket, opened it with a merry crack of the plastic before taking a long drink and sighing in contentment. He gave a small yelp of surprise when he found himself being trapped between Enrique's legs. The blonde then attacked his neck with light kisses and nuzzles.
"Enrique...Inriqui!" he squealed between helpless giggles, trying to dodge te ticklish touch. "I am SO going to deflate your fat a-aaAH!"
A sudden distant scream jolted the pair from their playful antics. The other beach goers were crowding by the shore and panic slowly settled within the atmosphere.
"What's going on?" Enrique asked, standing up.
The French boy followed the suit. "I don't know..." was his reply.
"HELP!" A far of cry rang out on in the open air.
Summer blue eyes widened. "Holy crap! Someone's drowning!"
True enough, the flailing speck of a person could just be seen bobbing up and down by the horizon. On the shore, a few brave swimmers were jumping into the waters in the hopes to save a life.
Oliver and Enrique found themselves staring at the scene in shock, not knowing what they could possibly do to help.
"They..." the former began, watching the pseudo-rescuers. "They won't make it in time."
"What?!" the Italian beside him exclaimed in panic.
"They won't save him in time!" the greenette yelled ad without thinking, slammed his hand down on the sand with such bruising force.
It caused a seismic quake that ran like lightning through the earth, breaking exactly beneath the spot where the drowning man was. The force of the quake traveled through the water, bringing on a tidal wave and tossing the man in the air.
"Hoah!" said Enrique and raised his arms out in from of him in protection. The enormous wall of water momentarily stopped all motion before surging toward the shore.
The drowning man and his potential rescuers were washed gently on the sand, then the sea was calm once more.
A pregnant silence filled the air before cheers erupted on the beach. All of the swimmers were safe, shocked somewhat, but safe. The more sensible people in the crowd were bringing them to first aides to check for any sort of injury while doting others kept baraging them with questions like if they felt okay or if they needed anything.
The noise levels were rising once more as relief and beach vibes flooded back to all the vacationers save two.
Unseen and unnoticed, Oliver and Enrique watched as people slowly resumed their activities now that the man and the other swimmers were safe. The pair was still stupefied.
"Enrique?" the French boy said slowly. "Wh-what just happened?"
The blonde looked at his best friend and found him staring wide-eyed at his hands. Enrique looked out to sea. The blue expanse was flatter than a sidewalk.
He shook his head. "I...I don't know..."
- - - -
"JONATHAN!!" his father belowed. "Yer Ma, yer sisters and yer brothers and I are out to fix things with the neighboring glens. Ye are goin' to be left in charge around here..."
Johnny was halfway down the steps of the McGregor Castle in Glasgow when he heard his father's overly loud reminder.
"They're called conferences in estates, Da," he said with a smile. "But yeah, I'll be your man of the house."
Following a brash burst of laughter was the lilting voice of his mother. "Dinna be so hard on Emma, dearie," she said and Johnny pouted.
Emma was the only helper in the entire household and she was 78 years old.
"And dinna forget to feed the dogs!" called his eldest brother amongst a crowd of eleven other redhead siblings.
"Wait a sec!" said Johnny. "Exactly how long will you guys be gone?" he asked testily.
"As long as there be food for yer younger siblings, darling," said his mother.
"But there will always be food, Ma," the Majestic pointed out.
His mother beamed and pinched his cheek hard. "That's a good bairn," she said and turned to leave.
Johnny's eleven elder siblings bid goodbye to him as they walked out the double oak doors of the castle. He took a peek and saw that the largest sports car they owned was parked on the driveway. The roof was stacked with luggage.
- - - -
"Are Ma and Da gone?" July asked, peeking out from behind a pillar. In her wake were eleven boys and girls younger than her.
She was next in line after Johnny. who was, unfortunately, smack in the middle of the overwhelming number of Molly and Arthur McGregor's sons and daughters.
"Yes, Ma and Da have gone," was his stern reply. "But that doesn't mean you've all got the license to wreak havoc."
July sighed in relief as her brothers and sisters came out of their hiding place. Most of the ones below the age of ten had pleading looks. They knew Johnny was lenient.
"Oh please, John!" one for them said. "It isna like we'd make a mess. We'd clean it up, we promise! Just let us play!"
Johnny heaved a sigh. "Alright...go play. But don't disturb Emma!"
There was a collective cheer from the small group.
"I knew ye had a big heart, John," said his younger brother, second to July.
'Don't try and sway me with words, Jeff, or I'll tell Ma you were the one who shaved Mairi last week."
Mairi is one of the McGregors' four huge St. Bernards.
Jeffrey ran away screaming incoherent things and Johnny frowned. Those dogs needed to be fed. And right about now, it was hard to believe his younger brothers and sisters were any of their actual ages.
This was going to be a long afternoon.
- - - -
"Why is it raining?" Jerry whined.
The eleven McGregors were cooped up in some part of the castle, looking out at the gloomy, wet world through a large window. Their play had been cut short too early.
"Ye daft, lad," scolded Joe. "Dinna blame it..."
A sudden clap of thunder and the flash of lightning made them all scream. The power consequently went out and sent the younger ones screaming louder.
"Calm down!" Johnny roared over the noise. He cursed uner his breath as he couldn't see in the pitch black of the corridor. The sky was too dark to provide them with any sufficient light.
"Stick together, all of ye," came the calm voice of July, who was trying to herd all of her brothers and sisters. "Tha' way ye get nae hurt."
"Listen to your sister," Johnny said grumpily. "I'll just go find a damned light—oof!"
He hit a table and heard a couple of giggles.
"July, where's Jill?" he asked, suddenly remembering the youngest of the twenty-three, who was barely five.
"I've got a tight hold on her brother. She's fallen asleep. How? I dinna know."
Johnny snorted. "Good," he nevertheless said, speaking toward the general direction of their noise. "I'll just go find Emma then...EMMA!!" he unceremoniously called.
When there was no answer but more giggles, he bit back a crisp curse and let out his frustration in an angry sigh.
Damned weather! he thought and felt his emotions flare up inside him.
"Woah!"
The exclamation from his siblings made him look. He could see their faces clearly in this new orange glow and they were staring at him like he'd grown another set of legs...
...or like he was holding two brilliantly burning balls of fire in his hands.
Johnny's eyes widened in shock at their appearance. Though they were definitely real, they neither stung nor burnt.
"Brother's on fire!" one of younger redhead's screamed and a cup of cold drinking water was promptly splashed his way.
"Hey what--?!"
A large flame leapt up once more from Johnny's palm. This time, his sister's furious face met him and a thick blanket covered his form.
"This'll keep th' fire out! Stay still, John! Jessica, call Emma!"
"Emma! Emma!"
"Ju-July! I'm not on fire! St-STOP!"
- - - -
Robert Jurgen shivered slightly as he viewed Vienna's rich countryside from the balcony of his aunt's estate.
The weather was a bit chilly for the summer. He wondered how his friends were.
As of the afternoon, he had the mansion all to himself. His relatives had been called away for short business and he was free to use the pool, abuse the availability of servants not his own or whatever he saw fit for recreation.
Right now, though, the balcony suited him best.
Robert was brooding, that he could admit to himself. He was thinking of the loss of their bitbeasts, how unexpectedly lonely it was without Griffolyon. He thought of how he'd have no face to show to the other Beyblading teams, how they'd hear of their weakness and be either pitied or mocked: two things he immensely detested.
Having nothing to do after numerous weeks of sleepless nights and unforgiving training was quite boring yet soothing. He wasn't productive in any way yet that seemed to do him good, which struck Robert as odd because he was used to stress. He missed it, but he was glad to be without it.
The German sat down on a garden chair beside a matching desk. On its glass surface lay magazines, an ashtray and all sorts of small tirival ornaments. A gentle breeze blew as another sigh escape between his lips. He was immersed in his worries and absently fiddled with the reading materials in front of him.
His fingers were unconsciously dancing this way and that...
...and when Robert came to, almost everything in the veranda was airborne, hovering inches off the ground because of the wind.
He blinked in surprise and all of the things came crashing down. Robert frowned.
Did everything just...float? He shook his head, dismissing the prospect of such an impossible phenomenon.
Robert stood in the hopes of getting a drink and turned his back to the view outside. But, something in his gut stopped his foot from advancing and instead made him pivot.
A crazy idead just came into the man's head and even if he'd look like a total moron carrying it out, no one would be around to see him.
He raised his right hand, turned his palm skyward and waited for something to happen.
Gradually, a small whirlwind grew and became visible, like water being sucked down a drain, with the narrow tip on Robert's palm, as if the column of wind came from inside him. Such was the German's shock that he immediately balled his hand into a fist and the wind died down.
However, curiosity got the better of him and he opened his hand once again. This time, the wind came much faster than before and sat in a whirl on his palm, like some patient thing waiting for instruction. Robert looked out past the forest-garden surrounding the estate and to the sea and horizon.
He then raised his hand and, with a sort of push-throw motion, led the wind toward that direction.
A powerful gale followed shortly. Winds so strong it could uproot trees howled from the mountains and down to the sea, as if the sun was a large vaccum.
Robert yelped and tried to grab hold of his aunt's things before they were blown away.
"STOP!" was his almighty screech and the winds seemingly vanished. All was still hot and quiet.
Footfalls thundering up the steps made the purple-haired man turn around.
"Master Robert! Master Robert! Is anything the matter?" the butler of the household asked, clearly out of breath.
The teen could only stare at him and slowly shake his head.
- - - -
"Robert! Robert! Something WEIRD is going on!"
"Robert! What's HAPPENING?!"
"Hi Unca Wobewt!"
"Johnny? Is that Jill?"
"Yeah it is!"
"Oh hi, Jill! Remember me?"
"Unca Enrique!"
Robert sat back in his swivel chair and sighed. True, the multi-video communication wed camera he installed in his team's laptops took some time to get used to but he wished their enthusiasm over it wasn't so.
"Hello, Jill," he greeted the four-year old McGregor kindly. She was waving frantically at the screen, her flaming red hair obscuring most of the background of a now-brightly-lit house. "You're a good girl, aren't you?"
She jumped in Johnny's arms, nodding energentically. "Aye! As good as any lass!"
"Then run along and play with your sisters. You're older brother's got a lot of important things to do."
Jill's eyes went wide. She beamed, wriggled out of her brother's grip and ran out the monitor's viewing range, screaming shrilly. The Scot she left sported a most brotherly look none of his team mates had ever seen before and made Oliver and Enrique giggle.
"What's wrong?" Robert asked, facing the screen. One half showed sunny Naples while the other half showed Glasgow.
His three mates started speaking at the same time. A nerve popped up on the German's forehead.
"One at a time..." he said calmly. "Please."
"LOOK!" they said in loud unison.
Oliver, Enrique and Johnny had held their hands open. The awesome powers of earth, water and fire respectively jumped out at him. Robert effectively disguised his squeak of surprise into a manlier cough.
"You too?" Oliver asked Johnny as if they were merely talking face to face.
"Yeah!" the latter answered. "It just sort of...came up suddenly, but the funny thing is it's doesn't hurt or burn me or anything!"
They all turned their attention to their team captain, waiting for some God-send panacea.
Robert sighed, held out his hand and displayed his control of the wind in simple response. "It's happened to me too..." he said.
"It didn't surprise you at the least?" asked the Italian among them.
"Of course it did! But I don't know why...or how this happened," was his somewhat heated reply.
"Like a dream, eh?" Oliver said, looking at his best friend before turning his attention back at the screen. "Surely we should meet and figure this out. It's kind of awesome and scary at the same time, you know..."
"So soon?" Johnny asked the beaching pair. "Honestly, I'd like more time to get used to controlling this and see if it'd get me anywhere. I don't think what has happened just popped up without any good reason."
"Johnny's right," Robert said, rubbing his temples in sudden fatigue. "We don't know what we're dealing with or how to tackle it. I think it's best not to push things. For all we know, this might be a reaction to something we ate...like a new kind of cheese."
The redhead and the blonde among them ogled at the German in disbelief while the Frenchman looked at him with amusement on his features.
"You really DO need this vacation, Rob," he said kindly. "We all do. As this isn't exactly life threatening I guess it COULD wait till we're finished with our breaks."
"Don't go jumping into research on this, alright?" Enrique added.
Their captain nodded with understanding. "But I WILL contact any of you if something new comes up."
"My sentiments go with Enrique," said Johnny. "If I hear so much as you opening a book about this..." To show what would happen, flames engulfed his fist.
Robert held up his hands in calm surrender as there were cries of amazement from the two boys in Napoli.
"That fire is starting to look real awesome, John!" Enrique remarked.
"Why thank you," answered the redhead.
"Alright men," began the German. "Enjoy your vacations, all of you. As for...what's happened...well, I don't know. We'll talk about it soon."
TBC
A/N: Forgive typos! I'm sorry. It was quite a crappy way to end the chapter. How am I supposed to know how to react if you suddenly had the power to control one of the elements? In...a dignified I'm-a-Majestic-blader sort of way?! Well...yeah. More exciting bits to follow...sooner or later...
...enjoy!xD and ciAo...