Chapter Nine

The trees were getting nearer and nearer together and made walking through the wood harder and harder. Kenny found his top was getting snagged on the sharp tree branches and twigs every few metres and he was finding it increasingly annoying. At one point his glasses even fell from his head onto the grassy floor below his stomping feet. Kenny bent down, picked them up, slotted them back on his head and continued, with only one thought in his mind. Even now something felt different like he should have his laptop with him, but it was absent from his person having been stolen by the Mystical Warriors. Kenny knew there was only one thing to do and that was to continue through the wood with its trees that looked like hooded figures staring menacingly across him. It was a truly unnerving situation especially when Kenny nearly slipped down into a rabbit hole, narrowly avoiding twisting his ankle. It was only determination that kept him walking quickly, dodging between trees and avoiding the odd woodland animal that dashed across his path. Sweat was pouring from his head and dripping onto the twigs below. But soon he was at where he wanted to be; the edge of an ancient stone temple with moss growing out of every one of the many cracks in the stonework. Kenny could hear the sound of trickling water coming from somewhere but he couldn't place the noise; the area was just too echoey.

This didn't bother him much though. He was here and 'here' was the salvation of Dizzi for within the walls of the temple was secured the fifth Opal Beyblade; the Beyblade Kenny needed to make sure Dizzi would never leave him again, something that made him very happy. So why then was he feeling slightly deflated and had a sick feeling in his stomach? Kenny shook these thoughts from his head and walked over to the two large ornate doors, pushing one open with all his strength. The load creaking noise echoed all around the wooded area causing a flutter of feathers as a bird flew for safety from one of the trees. Kenny rolled his eyes and entered the temple through the narrow opening the stiff door had given him…

Whilst Kenny was searching for the fruits of his research, Tyson, closely followed by Max, Ray and Kai, was hot on the trail of the Mystical Warriors, following their fresh footprints in the mud, hoping to catch up with them shortly. His face was a picture; a picture of a gargoyle contorted in anger. His pupils barely moved; he did not blink. His mouth was curled up. Tyson wanted the laptop back – and thus Dizzi – else all his hard work had been for nothing. His chest felt tight and he realised that it was love that was spurring him on; Tyson had felt nothing like it before and realised what caring for another individual meant. It meant he would do anything to get her back even if that meant taking on every one of the Mystical Warriors in a hand-to-hand fight. Tyson was that determined.

The mud path that they were following ultimately faded into a trail of broken leaves and twigs. The path that the Mystical Warriors had followed, however, was still clear from the snapped branches off the trees. Tyson grazed his elbow on some particularly rough bark and snagged his hair on more than one occasion but he didn't care; the thought of what could happen to Dizzi was having an anaesthetising effect on him. Max, Ray and Kai could only follow behind, pulling their clothes tightly to keep out the cold, wondering just what their friend and team mate was planning to do, not that Tyson even knew himself. All he knew was that he had to continue and get to Dizzi. It was only a few more footsteps until he was there. The trees began getting less regular and soon the wood began to fade, opening into a grassy area. As Tyson left he was hit by a sudden gust of wind that blew his hat off into the trees. He didn't have the time to pick it up.

Tyson took several steps away from the nearest tree as his friends emerged from the gloom of the wood, pointing angrily at the Mystical Warriors. He quickly realised that they were stood on the edge of a cliff, the wind coming up from the sea below blowing their clothing about which was already damp from the fret. Tyson bellowed at them:

'What was the bloody point in that? In stealing the laptop? Just 'cos you lost the battle?'

Tyson could feel his blood pressure rising as he stood there; his heart rate had already increased dramatically. Hisa, who Tyson had finished battling only five minutes previously, stepped forward and laughed, pointing back at Tyson.

'We had orders to get that laptop.'

'Who from?'

'That's none of your business.'

Tyson bit his lip. The fist of the hand that was still by his side, clenched.

'I think you'll find it is my business. Inside that laptop is a good friend… maybe more… and you have dared take that from another friend. Friendship might mean nothing to you four but it does to us. Now admit defeat gracefully and hand me back that laptop.'

Hisa just laughed.

'Aw… the kid's in love.'

The other four joined in the laughter, their faces infuriating an already red-faced Tyson even more.

'I don't suppose he'd appreciate us throwing the laptop over the cliff then, would he?' mused Kano. The other four laughed. Tyson's anger dissipated quickly, his face just showing horror.

'You wouldn't dare…'

'Try us.'

Tyson opened his mouth to reply but closed it again, thinking better of himself. He needed a plan and quickly but he daren't look back to his friends who were stood like statues behind him letting Tyson fight his own battle. In truth they were worried about the outcome. Tyson took another two steps forward.

'This ends now. Give me back that laptop. I need to speak to Dizzi…'

'And it's precisely that reaction that has got you into this trouble in the first place.'

A figure had emerged from another section of the trees, walking forward and turning to face Tyson. Their face, and much of their body, was obscured by a thick cowl. The Mystical Warriors all bowed their heads.

'Leader.'

Tyson's worried face turned to a perplexed one. He looked from the man in the cowl to the four bowing warriors and back to 'the leader' just as the men lifted their heads once more. The leader gave a sinister laugh.

'For three years I've been training these men and others to use the Opal Blades to take over this pathetic country and then the whole pointless world to try and turn it into something useful but none of them seem to manage it. Now that you four have stolen the 'blades from the current warriors they are no use to me and should just jump off that cliff and be done with it. Now I'd like to recruit you four to be the next generation of 'Opal Beybladers'.

Tyson just scoffed, a gesture repeated by the three Beybladers behind him.

'We would never join your regime.'

The leader sighed.

'That's a pity; you are four excellent Beybladers. You'd do well. In that case I'll have to go back to my original aim before world domination came into my sights…'

'And what would that be?' Tyson asked, the sick feeling in his stomach returning as he feared the man's response.

'To finally make sure you and your 'friend' – and I use the word with my tongue firmly in cheek – never meet again. Boys… you have one more use. I don't really want to say this but it seems I have no choice. I have to commit the ultimate sacrifice. Over the cliff the laptop has to go…'

'Anything you say, leader.'

Kano turned to throw the laptop into the bubbling waters below. If the sound of the waves crashing on the cliff below hadn't been as loud as they were, he would have heard a slight whimper coming from Dizzi. But Kano had no emotions that way so would have dismissed it if he had. Tyson, however, was overcome with his emotions.

'Kano! No!'

He ran forward at Kano. The leader thrust out his arm and shouted:

'Kano! Do it!'

Kano pushed his arm back and was about to throw it when Tyson reached him and yanked at his jacket, pulling him to the ground, punching him once in the head and trying to wrestle the laptop from him. Tyson and Kano began rolling across the ground exchanging punches and hits, all the time getting covered in mud and staining their clothes with the green of the grass. Max let out a squeal of panic as they neared the cliff edge; Tyson pushed Kano the other way and once more tried to take the laptop but Kano's grip was too strong. Tyson bubbled over with anger and began being much more forceful with Kano but whereas he would have outclassed him in the Beyblade stadium he was no match for his muscles. Kano threw Tyson off him and he landed on his back dazed at the edge of the cliff. With the ground crumbling by his side Tyson got back onto his feet, dusted down his trousers as best he could and challenged Kano.

'Come on then. If you think you're so good, push me over the cliff.'

'Don't mind if I do.'

Kano proceeded to charge at Tyson, whose narrow eyes and distant pupils told of the fear inside. Tyson swallowed hard and rolled out the way, watching Kano – who was clearly all brawn and no brain – try to stop but slipping over the edge, twisting just in time to grab hold of the edge. Now he was dangling from the eroding edge of the cliff, one hand securely holding on, digging into the earth, the other holding the laptop on the surface. Everyone else around was frozen to whichever spot they were standing on, unable to move to help. Even the leader seemed transfixed by the evolving circumstances. Tyson was jubilant though, bending down to pick up the laptop, securing it in his right hand. He turned to face the three Mystical Warriors and the leader.

'You should have just left the laptop with us and avoided all of this.'

Tyson was about to walk away when he suddenly felt something grasp his ankle; it was Kano's free hand that had, up to now, been preoccupied with securing the laptop. Now it was free to do his life's last piece of dirty work. Tyson turned his head and torso to see Kano's other hand struggling to hold on. Sweat was pouring off Kano's face and a sense of inevitability was etched into his face.

'If I'm going to go, I'm taking you with me.'

Kano's other hand finally lost grip and he slipped from the edge of the cliff, his eyes distant and empty, his falling weight pulling Tyson with him who had no recourse to the unfolding events but to slip off the edge. A last minute tug managed to free his ankle from Kano's grip but it was too late; Tyson was off the cliff. He twisted his body and grabbed onto the edge of the cliff, dropping the laptop. There was a splash but it wasn't the laptop; it was Kano's body landing on the rocks below and then slipping into the sea to drift away to his final resting place.

'Tyson!' screamed Max, running towards the edge with Ray and Kai. Their path was blocked, however, by the three Mystical Warriors, separating them from Tyson… and the leader, who had beaten them to the edge to stare down at a worried Tyson to laugh.

'Well well well. Who'd have thought it would end up like this? One of the best Beybladers ever to walk the earth hanging on to life like this. Oh, and with your love down there. Crushed on the rocks below.'

Tyson gritted his teeth. He couldn't see that the laptop had got wedged in the cliff and not destroyed. He wasn't to know the leader wasn't telling the truth, not that the leader was aware of this chance fact either.

'I'm sorry about this Tyson but we can't help how our lives pan out. Some of are destined for greatness; to become famous; to do something. Others just find themselves skirting greatness and ultimately preparing for a fall.

'There is just one thing I would like to say to you though before you die, Tyson.'

The leader grasped the edges of his hood and pulled it back, exposing his face to Tyson for the first time. Tyson's eyes quickly widened and he gasped.

'No. No. It's not possible. It can't be… you… you…'

The edge of the cliff began to give away and Tyson could feel his grip loosening as the earth crumbled away. He took one last shot at salvation by using the muscles in his arms to lift himself back up but with the leader there preventing him from clambering back up it was hopeless. Tyson made a half-hearted attempt at grabbing the cowl of the leader but failed to get a good enough grip, not even managing to topple the leader over. His hands came away and he fell back, a silent scream etched into his face. He felt something in his hand as he fell… fell out of view of the leader. There was a splash. The leader laughed.

He put his hood back up and turned to join the three remaining Mystical Warriors.

'Sorry my friends. But that's the end of Tyson. He should not have messed with things he couldn't handle.'

The leader and the three warriors walked slowly away back into the woods, disappearing into the trees. Only the other three heard his final words.

'But don't think you three have escaped justice. Your fates will just be as bad as Kano's…'

The faces of the Mystical Warriors all paled at the same time as they realised, just like the last few generations of their kind, that they too had failed and would face the ultimate punishment. Some power had been stopping them, like the Warriors before them, from taking on the leader… a power that they could feel fading… they decided to act…

Max, Ray and Kai all walked to the edge of the cliff but there was nothing to see but the water swirling and gushing over the rocks. There was just nothing to see. Max raised his hand to his mouth and stifled a sob. Even Kai, ever solid, felt his lip quiver and his heart rate quicken. A lump appeared in his throat and he found himself having to turn away from the edge and walk towards the wood where he spotted Tyson's cap, blown from his head by the coastal wind as they had left the wood what seemed like hours earlier though it had only been five minutes, if that. Kai picked up the cap, turned it over in his hands, and closed his eyes, looking up to the sky. He'd never felt like this before, his hard exterior cracking. He shed a tear for the first time in many many years.

To be continued…