The Other Side of the Story
Summary: After the BEGA incident, Reine finds herself unable to cope with the blind side of the world which turning away from all that's been done and will happen with the sport of beyblade. As a new BBA program was set into action, she finds herself, along with her beyblade-hating town, stuck as the proto-type. The BBA program was made to help blader-haters all over the world to cope and even get to love beyblading as a sport. Reine finds herself in the middle of things when the bladers chose her school for their first experiment? What would happen when you throw beybladers at blader-hating mobs? Nothing pretty.
Disclaimer: I don't earn Beyblade. I do own my OC's as well as the plot.
Pairings: I've got one pairing worked out and the drama is on its way. xD I'm still work the rest. If you want to find out, just keep reading. ;-D
Rating: T for mild swearing
Quick AN: This story is told in multiple point-of-views so the key below should help to determine what's being said. I hope it's not too confusing.
(action)
'thoughts'
"talking"
/talking with bitbeast via mind link/
Chapter 8 – Clash of the Ancients (Part I)
Reine's POVI found myself heading for the principal's office Wednesday morning, the day after we figured out the kinks out of my plan. Suppressing a yawn, I knocked on the door.
'How the hell did I get stuck doing this again?'
"Come in," came a kind voice as I pushed open the door. The office was painted a pale yellow, looking extremely inviting due to the sunlight filtering through the window and lighting up the room.
"Oh! Ms. Tanaka! How may I help you?" the principal asked kindly, folding his hands in front of him on his mahogany desk.
"Um…Sir, my charge, Max Mizuhara, came up with a great idea to help the new beta-testing program. His group of friends and him are setting up a tournament in the city fair and he thought it would be a good idea if the members of gym classes participate. The winner of the tournament their guests will get a fully paid trip to a place of their choice curtsey of the BBA, as well a place of the BBA's choosing as a sort of vacation."
The principal massaged his chin thoughtfully as he pondered this preposition.
"The school would be given 50 dollars for every blader they get to join the tournament," I quickly added, hoping to tilt the decision in their favor. It didn't take long for the principal to make up his mind. Even though the wishes of town weighed heavily on his mind, he found this preposition harmless.
"Alright. I agree that we will send in students but only if they're willing. The coaches can place stakes as they see fit. I shall inform them shortly. Thanks for bringing me this preposition, Ms. Tanaka. You're dismissed."
Releasing a sigh of relief, I walked out of the office.
'Step one, persuade the principal, complete!' I cheered mentally, 'Time for step two.'
As lunch rolled around, I found myself surrounded by Eris, Toji, and Tamayo, two of which were whispering excitedly while the third smiled smugly.
"Hey Reiniki! Did you hear about the tournament? You get a trip to anyplace of your choice! Imagine where we can go if you win! Maybe Hawaii? How about New York City? I've always wanted to see the Big Apple! Skiing sounds good too! Oh I can't choose!" Eris rattled excitedly. I held up my hand to stop her rambling.
"That's only if I win. I really doubt that because I've got a lot of competition. Did you forget that there might be rogue bladers joining the tournament not to mention some of the professional bladers? There are also the people in gym to consider. It's rather uncertain right now."
Eris pouted cutely before turning to Tamayo.
"Reine will win, right? Tell her Tama-chan!"
"Hm…I don't know, Eris. She's right, there are tough competition out there, including me," she added the last part with a twinkle in her eyes.
"How will you match her bitbeast?" Eris asked desperately, not wanting to give up her trip proposition.
"With mine of course, silly," Tamayo teased her, relishing in Eris' surprised look.
"Y-you have a bi-bitbeast! When did you get it?" Eris asked, stupefied.
"We'll tell you later," I whispered quietly, "Now hush. People are starting to listen to our conversation. Just keep passing on the information about the tournament. That's a part of our plan. We'll tell you everything later."
Eris just looked me curiously before turning back and gossiping with Toji about the tournament. I smirked widely, glad to have at twin that talks a lot for once.
'I guess it does have its perks.'
As the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, I headed towards gym. Passing Max, I gave him thumbs up when no one was looking. He returned with one of his own as he hurried off to tell the others. After changing into the gym uniform, I walked out of the changing room only to bump into Coach Kukasaki.
"Ah! Ms. Tanaka, just the person I was looking for," he said, steering me away from everyone else.
"What is it, sensei?" I asked curiously.
'Probably something to do with the tournament.'
He looked uncomfortable for a moment before turning to scan the gym.
"I was wondering if you will enter the tournament and be one of the representatives for our school. I know it's a lot of pressure and you don't even like the sport, at least I don't think, but will you please consider?" he asked quickly, turning to me with pleading eyes, "I just want to know before I announce it to the rest of the students."
I pretended to think for a minute when in truth, I was going to enter the tournament whether or not anyone asked me specifically. Shrugging in reply, I said, "Sure Sensei. I will be one of the school's representatives. It'll be my honor. I guess the sport isn't that bad, I mean, nothing's happened so far."
Coach Kukasaki looked relieved at my answer.
"Thanks Tanaka. You'll be getting extra points for doing this, of course," he quickly added, flashing me a brilliant smile. I nodded dumbly as I watched him waltz off.
'What was that about?'
My train of thought was interrupted by a sharp rap on my head.
"Ow! What the fuck was that for?" I swore loudly at my perpetrator.
"Get your arse moving, Tanaka. You need to warm up before I start training you," came the reply as Kai stalked off. Flipping the bird at his retreating back, I started to run around the gym, joining the mass of excited students whispering about the upcoming tournament.
"OMG! Did you hear? You get a paid trip for you and your guests, no limit, to a place of your choice! Can you believe it? I guess these guys aren't so bad. I'm definitely entering!"
"Yeah! Totally!"
"I'll beat you both! Just you guys watch! I'll be the winner of the prize!"
I smirked to myself.
'The plan's working perfectly! Step two, getting publicity, complete!'
"How's it going?" came a familiar voice. Falling back, I joined Tamayo as she jogged.
"According to plan," I said casually, staring at bladers, who were running separately on the other side of the gym, catching Robert's gaze, I gave a slight nod indicating phase two has been complete and it's up to him to complete phase three.
"Awesome!" cried Tamayo, "I hope you're ready to loose! I'll be wiping the floor with your sorry ass!"
"You wish Tama-chan," I teased, a challenge glinting in my eyes, "Although you may be stronger than you were before, I still have the upper hand with both a strong bitbeast and more experience. You sure you want to keep talking? You'll only force me to make you to eat them later."
Tamayo stuck her tongue out at me before running ahead. I shook my head at her childish antics.
'We have to win this tournament. I will work if Tamayo wins too, so I'm not concerned there, but what I'm concerned about are Tamayo's parents forcing her to take others instead of us. Then the plan will go off track.'
/Don't worry so much, little one. If she happens to win, she will come through for us just as we've come through for her. Have some faith and trust in your friend/ replied Esilé soothingly.
'You're right, as always, Esilé. Where would I be without you?'
I vaguely felt Esilé hum lowly in her seven throats, reassuring me that she would never leave me. A shrill whistle broke my concentration as I disconnected my mind from Esilé's.
"Alright everyone! Listen up!" called Coach Kukasaki as everyone stopped running and gathered around him, forming a small semi-circle, "I'm sure that all of you have heard about the tournament by now. I'm going to confirm that yes, you do get a paid trip to a place of your choosing as well as a place of BBA's choosing. Secondly, if you decide to join the tournament, sign your name here to register. Whoever enters the tournament will get extra points added onto their semester final, so if you're interested, line up here and sign on this sheet of paper."
Murmurs went up in the crowd as gossip spread. Some bold students stepped up and signed before hurrying back and gossiping with their friends. I watched as Tamayo went up and signed her name. Surprisingly, I saw Yume, Osaka, Yami, and even Sai sign their names. Slowly, I made my way up to Coach Kukasaki. He eyed me carefully as I signed my name underneath Sai's. Nodding in my direction, he turned to the person next in line, indicating that they can sign now. I watched, surprised as Kai stepped up and roughly scrawled his name in the space underneath mine.
"I'll have my rematch," he said coldly before turning and walking away.
'This will be harder than I originally thought. Kai will be a tough nut to crack. I guess we have our work cut out for us, eh Esilé?'
Esilé hummed in reply.
/Do not worry, we will win./
'I hope you're right otherwise, we're going to be stuck in a hard place.'
Durby told us about the locations of various headquarters last night. They were scattered all over the world and this trip will be significant if we can destroy one.'If we win the trip, we'll head to Switzerland,' I planned, mentally ticking through my list of known headquarter locations, 'Their headquarter is one of the biggest located in the capital city of Bern.'
Another shrill whistle pierced my thoughts, bringing me back to my senses. I watched Yume, Osaka, Yami, and Sai make their way over to me followed by Kai.
"I guess we're all competing, eh?" Yume piped, shifting her gaze from all of our faces. Sai shrugged in answer as everyone else nodded and Kai grunted.
"Well, all I want to say is may the best blader win."
We all lapsed into silence, deep in thought, pondering if we were the best or if there's someone out there who's better.
"Enough fooling around, we have to train if you guys want to make it past the first round," Kai commanded, "We'll start with 5 sets of 20 push-ups and 10 sets of 20 sit-ups. Then we'll run one mile before we actually blade."
Quietly following his instructions, we got down to business for the next hour and half.
Halfway through my mile, Kai caught up with me.
"What?" I snapped, irritated. It's hot and I haven't had a break from the sweltering heat; it's making me cranky.
"Nothing really," he shrugged only to stare at me intently again five seconds later.
"I believe we've been through this routine before. You keep your eyes to yourself unless there's something on my face, which I doubt, and then you tell me instead of staring nonstop."
"Do me a favor and shut up Tanaka," he snapped before picking up pace and running past me.
"What the hell is up with him?" I muttered to myself.
"He has a stick up his ass," came the reply as Sai ran up to me, sweating as much as me from the heat.
"I was considering that option," I said seriously before smirking at her. She snorted at me before looking serious.
"I have a bad feeling about this tournament. I know it might seem innocent enough and the prize is really good not to mention what the school will get for sending students to compete, I just know that something bad is going to happen during the tournament."
I nodded, silently agreeing with her.
'There's a high chance that something bad will happen if the Skullz send their bladers as well as various rogue bladers competing. It's a risk we have to take to get them out of hiding.'
"Hey Reine, let me ask you this. You seem to know more about this tournament than anyone else, is it an open tournament citywide?"
"Yeah. It's an open tournament that's being held during the city fair so there will probably be a large audience."
Sai looked thoughtful.
"Thanks Reine," she called as she picked up her speed.
'That's strange. Why would she want to know? Is there something she's hiding?'
Shrugging in confusion, I finished my last lap just as Kai and Sai finished setting up the blading equipment.
'Maybe she has a bitbeast, too. She seemed so sure about her observation that it was unnerving, as if she was warning us about what was going to happen or telling us she was planning something, but she wouldn't do that, would she? I don't' know much about her. She's pretty much a mystery since she keeps to herself so much.'
/Her aura is very distorted. It's very hard to read so it's hard to say anything for sure. Sorry, little one, I can't help you this time/ Esilé said sadly.
'Don't worry, Esilé. You tried your best.'
To say that I was surprised is an understatement. This had never happened before in all my history as a blader, which wasn't very long but long enough to identify something abnormal.
"Hurry your lazy arse over here, Tanaka," Kai called gruffly as he completed his round on the obstacle course. Rolling my eyes, I sent my blade quickly and efficiently through the course in record time, making sure no one but Kai saw. He grunted in answer before calling Yume over to try it. Smirking triumphantly, I returned to my musings.
'There's a little something I've been meaning to ask you, Esilé.'
/Ask away./
'Do you sense an attraction between the two redheads? You know, Tamayo and Tala.'
/There's something there but its too weak to tell. Why/
'Oh, I just have a feeling, that's all. Thanks for clearing that up.'
/You're welcome, little one./
Ha! So I was right! There's something there, even though it's weak. They look so cute together, but there's the matter of Brooklyn. If I'm not mistaken, he's smitten with Tamayo, even though it's hard to tell with him hiding his emotions under his happy mask. He's worse than Kai when it comes to emotions. It exasperates me to no end.
'He should just tell her!' I thought, frustrated, 'He'll loose her to Tala at this rate!'
I looked over at Tala's group. As usual, Tamayo was bickering with Tala and annoying him to no end.
'Sometimes I actually feel bad for the guy. He shouldn't rile her up like that.'
Suddenly I heard the bell ring, signaling the end of the school day.
'Well, wasn't today productive?' I thought sarcastically as I headed towards the changing rooms. Quickly changing into a forest green short-sleeve shirt and a pair of black jeans, I was ready to go. Pulling on a gray hoodie over my green shirt, I slung my black bag carelessly over my right shoulder and across my chest.
'It's starting to get cold now and it's only August.'
/Winter's coming early this year./
'Oh goody. Just what I've wanted, an early Christmas.'
Esilé snorted in amusement, sending her waves of amusement through our link.
A Week Later – Saturday
Reine's POV
Well, this is it. The day to see if our plan will work. The city fair was bustling with activity and I found myself being dragged by a pair of over-enthusiastic girls.
'Someone save me!' I thought desperately, failing to free myself from their iron grip. All the bladers were busy with setting up the equipment for the tournament as well as safety precautions. Surprisingly, Mr. Dickenson, the head of the BBA, showed up to watch the tournament today.
'I guess he's looking for promising talent in this city to see if the program was worth the effort.'
"Oh! Isn't that just the most adorable plushie?" Tamayo gushed, pointing at a gray bobcat doll in a shooting stall.
"Do you want it?" asked a familiar voice as a group crept up behind us.
"Uh huh," said Tamayo absently, continuing to stare at it adoringly.
"I guess I can try to get it for you," the same voice mused, laughing at her antics.
"Would you really?" Tamayo asked excitedly, breaking out of her reverie to catch Brooklyn's amused grin, "Thanks Brooky! You're the best!"
'Finally! He makes a move!'
"Out of the way, Carrot-top!" a voice snarled as Brooklyn was pushed aside. (AN: I got Brooklyn's nickname from whyamidoingthis01.)
Tala strode forward, to Tamayo's annoyance, and turned towards her.
"Which one is it, brat?" he asked gruffly, eyeing all the toys distastefully.
"Why do you care? Brooky's already getting it for me," Tamayo responded icily.
"Just tell me," Tala grunted, glaring at Tamayo.
"That one," Tamayo said reluctantly, pointing at the gray bobcat plushie. Placing some money on the counter, Tala was handed the shotgun. Suddenly, another hand slammed some money down on the counter just as Tala was about to shoot, causing him to pause.
"I'll go for the same one as well," came Brooklyn's smooth voice as he stood calmly beside the glowering Russian. Both bladers took aim and shot. With a clang, two cans were knocked down at the same time.
"Here're your prizes," the stall keeper said cheerfully as she handed the boys the bobcat plushies.
'Well, that was interesting.' I thought mildly as I watched this unpredicted situation unravel, 'Oh boy, this isn't good. It seems like they both like her. She's so thick that she doesn't even realize. This is going to be one hell of a drama.'
"Here, take it," they said simultaneously causing Tala to turn and glare at Brooklyn as Tamayo took both plushies.
"Thanks guys!" she chirped happily as she hugged both plushies, "They are adorable! I guess they can be Siamese twins since they look the same."
She beamed brightly at both boys causing them to flush slightly.
"Well that was stupid and a waste of money," a cold voice said coming from behind me. I turned around only to find myself staring into crimson orbs. Startled by how close Kai was, I jumped back a good couple of feet. He just raised an eyebrow at my reaction. I clutched my heart as I breathed deeply.
'In and out. In and out.'
"Jesus Hiwatari! You could've given me a heart attack! Did you ever hear about something called 'personal space'?"
"Whatever," he muttered before turning away. Just then, I caught sight of an adorable phoenix plushie.
"That's cute," I said to no one in particular as I gazed at the plushie. It was hanging on the wall in another shooting booth, only in this one you have to knock over a certain number of cans with a tennis ball to get a certain prize.
I vaguely notice Kai leave my side a couple of seconds later. Taking one last wistful look at the plushie, I turned and walked away with Eris and Tamayo.
"Where is Toji?" I asked, noticing our missing member.
"He's coming later," came Eris' reply as she looked around idly, "He'll be here to see the tournament this afternoon. He had to run some kind of errand for his parents or something like that."
"Oh, okay."
"I wonder why Tala's being so nice," Tamayo suddenly piped up, looking thoughtful.
"You mean you don't know?" asked Eris, surprised.
"Know what?" Tamayo asked innocently, completely oblivious to the two boys' feelings. Eris smacked her forehead in response.
"Never mind Tama-chan. Forget I said anything. When you finally realize, then we'll talk about it," came her pained response as she tried to restrain herself from chucking something at the clueless girl.
The rest of our morning passed swiftly. I found myself sitting with Sai, Yume, Osaka, Yami, Tamayo, and Eris as we ate our lunch in a small fast-food joint. They had joined us when we bumped into them an hour ago.
"I love the city fair!" cried Yume happily as she munched on her french-fries.
"I know! All the toys are so adorable," gushed an enthusiastic Tamayo as she cuddled both her plushies, who she nicknamed TenTen and Bean. (AN: I don't know why she called her bobcat plushies TenTen and Bean. She's a strange girl, but take note that the names of the plushies start with the same letter as the boys who gave them to her.)
"What I'm looking forward to is the tournament," Eris said excitedly, "I want to see how good all of you are! We're not blading in Athletics. You can look at it as either as a good thing or a misfortune, but I feel like I missed an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
"You shouldn't worry so much. Reine can teach you if you want to learn so badly," suggested Yami as he sipped his Dr. Pepper. (AN: Personally I can't stand Dr. Pepper but that doesn't mean it's not a good drink.)
"I'll be happy to. Just tell me when you want your lessons to start," I said as I took a bite of my burger. As everyone else chatted amiably, Sai sat quietly, slightly isolating herself. When she finished her food, she propped her head on her hand and stared out the window boredly.
"What's up with you, Sai? You're more quiet than usual," Osaka asked worriedly.
"I just have a very bad feeling about the tournament this afternoon," came Sai's simple reply as she kept looking out the window.
"You're such a worrywart!" Yume teased, laughing at her paranoia. I hate to say it but I agree with Sai. There was something ominous in the air and it was getting thicker as the tournament drew near.
/I'm feeling uneasy, little one/ Esilé said softly, her fin rustling restlessly, /Be on guard. Something's going to happen today, something big./
'I will, don't worry Esilé.'
Turning my attention back to the conversation, it had turned from the tournament to where we will travel to if we win.
"I want to go to Hawaii!" came Yume's excited answer.
"That's such a common choice," Tamayo replied, "You should do something more exotic such as India to see the Taj Mahal."
"There's nothing wrong with Hawaii!" Eris said defensively, "It's a pretty place. That's why it's such a popular choice."
"You girls have no imagination," Yami said lazily, "If you want to go somewhere cool, you would go to Las Vegas in America to see all the clubs and casinos!"
At his answer, everyone snorted and broke out into uncontainable laughter with the exception of Sai.
"Las Vegas? Oh please!" Yume choked out as she doubled-over with laughter.
"Where would you go, Reine?" Tamayo asked as she caught her breath and wiped away her tears of mirth, shooting me a look to show me she hasn't forgotten our plan.
"Hm? Oh, Bern, Switzerland."
"Switzerland, uh?" Yume said thoughtfully, "That's not such a bad idea. It's great to ski there, at least that's what I've heard."
"I would want to see the Big Apple," Osaka added shyly, adding her two cents to the conversation.
"Me too!" cried Eris, "Finally someone else besides me that want to see New York City, but when it comes down to it, I would rather go skiing in Switzerland."
Eris shot me a secretive look. I had filled her in on the events that had occurred at Tamayo's job and the plan we cooked up after Mathilda's attack. I nodded slightly showing her I understood her meaning.
"It's time," Sai said suddenly, interrupting our conversation.
"Time for what?" Yami asked stupidly.
"Time for the tournament stupid!" Yume said exasperatedly as she stood up and headed to the garbage can to throw away her trash.
"Finally!" Tamayo sighed as she stretched.
'It's time for reckoning. I just hope that the ominous feeling in the air is a part of my imagination stemmed from my nervousness, but I knew better. Something was horribly wrong.'
Making our way through the crowd, we found ourselves facing the dome-like building that was hosting the tournament. Crowds of people were wheeling around aimlessly outside, some bubbling in excitement while others stood protesting.
"Looks like we got more publicity than we bargained for," Tamayo muttered to me under her breath. I shrugged nonchalantly as I scanned the raging crowds. It looks as if some people were from out of town while the main bulk of the crowd was from around here. Familiar faces showed up here and there in the gaps of the crowd.
'It's perfect,' I grinned inwardly, 'The outcome was much better than I anticipated.'
"Wow! Yume exclaimed, "It looks like all the booths shut down so the people will come to this event! All the more pressure on the bladers, ne?"
"Wonderful," Sai said dryly as she headed towards the doors leading to the front lobby. Following Sai absently, I pondered about how well my plan was working
'Will they take the bait and actually show up and reveal themselves? If I know them, they will enter. They wouldn't pass up a golden opportunity like this.'
"Hey guys!" someone shouted cheerfully as I saw a blonde bob hurtle towards us.
"Max!" Tamayo shouted back, oblivious of the uneasy looks on Yume, Osaka, and Yami's faces. Sai's remained neutral, not letting anything slip past her vacant mask.
"You guys ready? We're about to call the first block. The good news is there are a lot more bladers than we originally thought, and Mr. Dickenson thought ahead and brought specialized dishes. It will be like the world championships all over again except the dishes are even more awesome than last time. Apparently the theme this year is exotic places. I think they're roulette options starting in quarterfinals for both your opponent and the dish. I think you get to choose a dish of your choice in the finals if you are lucky enough to get chosen first by the computer system. I also heard that there are all sorts of landscapes to choose from so this'll be a wickedly awesome tournament!"
"Really?" Yume squeaked excitedly, "I can't wait! I would like to point out that I personally feel beyblade isn't so bad. Sue me if you think otherwise."
"That's awesome to hear!" Max encouraged enthusiastically, "It'll be even better when you get a bitbeast!"
Max and Yume started to talk about the positive aspects of beyblading as we made our way to the locker rooms. Osaka and Yami seemed to loose their uneasiness as soon as Yume declared her opinion on the sport. They listened on, interested.
"Draciel is the best! His awesome defense helps my blading so much! I don't think I would've made it so far without his support."
"I wonder when I will get a bitbeast. I hope I can get one. Even if I don't get one, I will still like the sport. I guess it's addicting in a strange way. Who would've thought a game involving spinning tops can be so fun?"
They broke out into laughter as everyone else looked on. As we stopped in front of the hallway door leading to the separate locker rooms for each block, Max pointed out a list posted on the wall beside the wooden doors.
"Well, this is where I leave you. Look for your name and room number on the list and enter the room with the same corresponding letter and number. Good luck guys!"
Max turned and ran away to help prepare for the opening ceremony.
"Well, I guess I'll go and grab a seat. Don't want all the good seats taken by the time I get there, ne?"
"See you later, Eris," Tamayo called as she prepared to head into the hallway.
"I'll be cheering for you! I'll make sure Toji-kun will be there to cheer guys on, too!" she called over her shoulder as she headed over to the stadium. Quickly scanning the list, I found my name under the block C2. Tamayo was in A2 while Osaka was in A1 and Yami in D2. Sai was stuck by herself in B2. Looking through the list, I noted the competition. Most were small fries while a couple were pro bladers. Kai was in D1 while Tyson was in C1. I saw Mariah's name under A1, Brooklyn's name under D2, and Garland's name in block B1. A name suddenly caught my attention. It seemed familiar, but I couldn't place where I saw it before.
"Loréndoz – B1"
Brushing off my unease, I headed towards my assigned locker room. Stepping inside, I saw many unfamiliar faces. A few were quite innocent while others looked arrogant. A few rough looking faces caught my eyes.
'So the rogue bladers did join the tournament. That means that more than likely, the Skullz sent a blader or bladers of their own.'
Sitting down tentatively, I meditated, waiting for my turn.
"Will the bladers in block A1 please head to the stadium?" the P.A announced. Silently wishing Osaka and Mariah luck, I returned to my meditating. Fifteen minutes later, I heard the P.A. click on again.
"Will the bladers in block A2 please head to the stadium?" the P.A. announced. Once again, silent reigned over the room as we waited tensely for the battles to be over.
'Tamayo's in the block. I know that she can beat any bladers thrown her way.'
After another fifteen minutes, the P.A. clicked on again to call for the bladers of B1.
'This is the block Loréndoz is in. I wonder how Garland is fairing against him.'
For some mysterious reason, I felt an uneasy as the fifteen minutes dragged by. Like for the past thirty minutes, the P.A. clicked on to ask for the bladers in block B2.
'I guess I'll have to wait for the quarter finals to see.'
Another thirty minutes dragged by until the P.A. clicked on once more.
"Will the bladers in block C2 please head to the stadium?"
Taking a deep breath, I followed the line of bladers exiting the room. Some were fidgeting nervously while others sauntered confidently. Emerging from the dark hallway into the bright lights of the stadium temporarily blinded me. Shielding my eyes from the intense light, I squinted at the cheering crowd.
'Yume was right. There are a lot of people.'
"Alright bladers! Please take your positions!" came a familiar voice boomed from the speakers overhead. Looking up at the raised platform, I caught sight of Max acting as a referee. Discreetly giving me a thumbs-up and mouthing 'Good Luck!' he turned to speak to the audience.
"This match is a battle royal between all the competitors in the block. If a winner is not determined after fifteen minutes, there will be a sudden-death match between the remaining bladers. Bladers! Step up to the dish!"
I walked up and took my position along a plain, red stadium-sized dish. Slipping my ripcord through my launcher and quickly attaching my blade, I noticed a variety of launchers being pulled out and even a greater variety of blades.
'This should be interesting. Are you ready for some action, Esilé? I don't think you will be needed for this battle but be prepared.'
/No need to tell me. I know, young one./
"Bladers ready?"
Everyone fell into launching position, some more awkwardly than others.
"Three! Two! One! Let it rip!"
Blades of different class, color, and design entered the dish and started to slam into each other. After five minutes, most of the rookies were out. Five blades remained, spinning as vigorously as when the countdown started. I watched as the four enemy blades circled dangerously around my immobile blade.
"You should leave the sport to the big boys, little girl," one of them sneered menacingly.
'Great, I'm stuck battling four rogue bladers at once.'
/Don't worry. I'm here to back you up, youngling./ Esilé said protectively, rearing her seven heads.
Suddenly the four blades simultaneously slammed into mine, making it wobble before righting itself again. Gritting my teeth in concentration, I willed my blade to evade all their attacks.
"And now they are four-teaming the unfortunate blader!" Max said intensely into the mike, his eyes taking in the scene worriedly.
"Attack!" the four rogue bladers shouted as their multi-colored blades headed for mine.
"NOW!" I commanded Esilé as the four blades zoomed at me from four different directions. Leaping up, Esilé dodged their attacks just as they slammed into each other, "Roundabout!"
Esilé spun quickly around the four blades, forcing them together by continuously slamming into their sides. The four bladers glowered at me as I continued my attack. Slowly, one by one their blades stopped spinning.
"And the winner is Reine Tanaka!" Max shouted into his mike. The crowd cheered enthusiastically. Looking up, I saw that the people cheering were the only younger generations. The older citizens looked on unhappily, not liking the tournament one bit. The hate they harbor prevents them from enjoying the sport.
"Give it up for her outstanding sportsmanship!"
The crowd broke out into cheers again. I caught sight of Tamayo, Eris, and Toji cheering for me in the front row. I followed the group of bladers leaving the stadium only to double-back and enter the stadium through the back doors at the top of the stadium rows. Making my way down to my friends, I saw them waving frantically at me.
"Good job Reine! You kicked their sorry arses!" Tamayo shouted cheerfully, pumping her fist into the air. I shrugged as if it was a no big deal, which it really wasn't. The quarter-finals was what mattered.
"So who won the blocks A1 – C1? I couldn't watch because I was stuck in the back"
"Let's see, Mariah won in A1. Poor Osaka didn't have a chance," Eris said thoughtfully, remembering the matches, "And Tamayo obviously won in A2."
Tamayo grinned proudly.
"Guess I'll be facing you soon! I hope lady luck is on my side so that I can face you!"
"Why do you need luck? Doesn't the winner of A1 face A2?" I asked curiously.
'What there something I missed?'
"They're doing it roulette style for the quarter-finals. The computer will choose your opponent so anything can happen."
'Well, that's different. I just hope I'm not the one facing Kai in the quarter-finals, that's if he wins, which is an obvious no-brainer.'
Remembering the matches, I asked Eris, "So who won B1, B2, and C1?"
Eris looked troubled as she continued her report, "Well, Garland got creamed in a sudden-death match against this one dude called Loréndoz."
'Who is this Loréndoz? I have a bad feeling about him.'
"Sai won in B2 and Tyson won, obviously being the world-champion beyblader, in C1. That leaves you as the winner in C2."
Thinking about the chances that I will face Loréndoz, I vaguely notice D1 start. Catching sight of a familiar dual-haired blader, I snapped back to attention, analyzing my opponent.
"Bladers ready? Three! Two! One! Let it rip!"
Kai's blade entered the dish as a blue blur, quickly knocking blades out left and right. In a record of 3 minutes, he had eliminated all the bladers in his block.
"And the winner is Kai! Give it up for him, folks!"
An explosion of applause broke the astonished silence. With a flourish, he caught his blade as it flew into his hand.
'Well, that proves my earlier thought. It's a no-brainer for Kai to get into the quarterfinals. I'm hoping I'm not the one stuck battling him. He might actually make me show my bitbeast, even though her Mist of Illusion can hide her, her element will be exposed.'
"Will the bladers of block D2 please step up to the dish?" Max called out as the final member of the group stepped out of the dark hall and into the bright light of the stadium.
"Go Brooky!" Tamayo shouted encouragingly just as I spotted a familiar ginger-head.
'Well, Brooklyn's obviously going to win. He's one of the few people to ever defeat Kai.'
My suspicion was confirmed when Brooklyn creamed his opponents in less time than Kai.
"And your winner is Brooklyn Kingston!" Max announced happily, practically jumping off his raised platform, "Folks! You have your eight quarter-finalists! Please give it up for Mao Chou, otherwise known as Mariah, Tamayo Miyagi, Loréndoz, Sai Okayama, Tyson Kinomyia, Reine Tanaka, Kai Hiwatari, and Brooklyn Kingston!"
A loud cheer shook the stadium.
"Now please give it up for our BBA chairman, Mr. Stanley A. Dickenson!"
Polite applause filled the stadium as a portly, elderly man walked into the middle of the stadium floor. Max climbed down his lifted platform and handed him his mike.
"Thank you for coming to this impromptu tournament. I was very pleased with the results of our program. I'm happy to say that it is successful. Just as planned, the bladers will remain here for the remainder of the year. Now I'm going to discuss how the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals will work. We will be choosing the opponents roulette style using the computer. The computer will also choose the special dish that they will blade in. In the finals, the computer will choose the blader, who will be given the choice to choose the dish type of their choice while we choose the dish design. The theme this year is exotic places. Please sit back and enjoy the show. We, of the BBA, assure that all safety precautions will be kept. If there is any sign of danger, we will immediately switch to emergency plans. Thank you for coming," he finished pleasantly before handing the mike back to Max.
"There will be a brief intermission for our bladers to gather their wits and get ready for the semi-finals. Please use the restrooms or get food at this time," with that said, Max placed the mike back onto the mike before jogging off the stadium floor and into the dark hallway.
"I guess this is our cue to get our asses into the quarter-finals locker room Tamayo," I said as I got up.
"Right!" she said excitedly before hopping off her seat and following me out the door and down the hall. Max met us halfway there and congratulated us.
"You guys are awesome! I haven't seen battles that good for a long time!"
"Thanks Maxy," Tamayo said happily, eager to get rolling.
"Well, I guess I'll see you guys later as I referee your matches. I'll leave you guys here! See ya!" and with that, Max ran off.
"Guess it's just you and me, eh Reine?" Tamayo asked cheerfully.
"Not really, we're here. That's why Max left," I pointed out, nervous about the quarterfinal match.
'I hope I don't have to face Loréndoz soon. I wouldn't mind facing Sai, Tamayo, or even Mariah.'
Opening the door tentatively, the locker room light fell out into the hallway. I saw Sai sitting silently by herself on a bench near the back of the room as well as Kai leaning on the wall near the door. Brooklyn lounged languidly on another bench near the front the middle of the room as Tyson talked excitedly with Mariah. A dirty-blonde haired teen was leaning into the shadows in the far right corner of the room, watching us with a keen eye.
'That must be Loréndoz.'
He was dressed in a black trench coat that concealed what he was wearing except for a pair of black, leather combat boots. He was wearing a black choker with an orange gem in the middle, looking eerily like an eye of some kind of animal. His piercing green gaze landed on me for a moment before moving on to a bouncy Tamayo beside me. He narrowed his eyes threateningly when he noticed me watching him. I returned his glare before joining Sai on her bench. She looked at me briefly before returning to study the blank wall. Tamayo sat down with Tyson and Mariah, joining their conversation.
"Do you still have a bad feeling about this tournament?" I asked casually, watching her for any signs of what she was feeling. She slowly tore her eyes off the wall to stare me straight into my eyes.
"You should know. I know that you can feel what I'm feeling."
It was true. The ominous feeling was heavier than before. It's weighing heavily on my mind, screaming that something was going to happen. Esilé was shifting restlessly throughout the tournament, getting more fidgety with every passing second. Our short conversation lapsed into silence as we pondered the situation. The P.A. cut the short-lived peace. I had the deja vu feeling of the calm before the storm as we entered the stadium. The audience rocked the building with their cheering and applause as we lined up, waiting for the computer to choose our opponents. Our pictured rolled off the screen at incredible speeds until the computer stopped to show the two bladers that would be battling first.
"And the first two bladers will be Reine Tanaka and Tamayo Miyagi!" came Max's enthusiastic shout. We glanced at each other before stepping forward onto the stadium floor. The computer's screen flashed again as images of dishes flashed across the surface of the screen before finally stopping on the picture of a tropical beach.
"This will be a sudden death match!" Max said into the mike, "There will be no time limit. If there are no more questions, let's reveal the dish!"
The floor of the stadium opened to reveal the chosen dish. I sighed in relief at my obvious advantage.
"Beware this particular dish. It is said that the waters are whirlpool prone! There are also patches of quick sand on the beach not to mention that the friction caused by the sand will slow down the blades a lot faster than the normal dish so the bladers better be prepared! Bladers ready?"
Tamayo and I took our positions, steadying our launchers, looking intently at each other. Suddenly a huge whirlpool appeared in the water, dragging water inside its vortex before spitting it out again, calming the waters once again.
"Whoa! Now that's a display of the dish's abilities! Now let's get this game started! Three! Two! One! Let it rip!"
I yanked on my ripcord, a plan forming itself in my head. Esilé landed smoothly on the surface of water, bringing on many shouts of awe. Tamayo's blade landed a little clumsily on the sand, wobbling slightly on the unfamiliar surface.
"Let's show Reine what we can do! Ciatra! Attack!" called Tamayo as her gray blade headed for the water.
"Bad move Tamayo! Move out Esilé!"
Esilé moved with grace only a sea serpent can manage, sliding smoothly over the water's surface, barely leaving a ripple. Tamayo's beyblade landed clumsily in the water, sinking slightly before proceeding to spray water everywhere as it chased mine.
"I might not have the dish advantage, but my skill and power makes up for it!" Tamayo called, "Ciatra!"
Suddenly, her blade sped up until it was in the middle of the water. Without warning another whirlpool appeared.
"Ciatra!" Tamayo cried, distressed at her current dilemma when a strike of inspiration gave her an idea.
Shouting at the top of her lungs Tamayo called on Ciatra's power.
"CRY OF THE WILDBEAST!"
With a gray light, Ciatra appeared out of blade. The crowd watched on with stunned silence as the magnificent bobcat roared. Suddenly bitbeasts started appearing out of thin air.
"Whoa! What is going on here?" Max cried, surprised, "I've never seen anything like folks! This is a real treat to see!"
The only one in the audience who wasn't fazed at all by her show of power was Tala, he leaned back comfortably into the stadium's seat.
"The wench is getting good," he muttered to himself as a lavender-haired boy looked over. As sudden as Ciatra's cry came, it died. Instead her roar was resonated by several other cries as free spirits appeared to help her out of the whirlpool. Schools of trout created a raft with their bodies to keep her afloat as the birds flew and grabbed her fur with their claws, flapping their wings furiously.
"I'm not out of the game yet!" Tamayo cried determinedly. The water calmed once more as the spirits gathered for an attack on Esilé.
'Hmm, she's better than I thought. Let's see if she can take this attack on full water. Ready Esilé?'
/As ready as I'll ever be, little one/ came her calm reply.
"I hope you're ready for this Tamayo. I've been holding back, but I won't anymore. I don't even need Esilé to defeat you! SERPENT'S TWISTER!"
The water started to gather around my orange blade as it spun quicker. The intimidating water structure started to build up pressure as the water swirled around the spinning blade. As the towering twister hit each spirit, they vaporized, returning to where they came from. Soon Ciatra was the only bitbeast left standing, fur bristled as the twister headed for her.
"It's been fun, Tamayo, but it's time to end it! Esilé! Send the twister at Ciatra!"
The twister was suddenly released from its confines as it flew quickly at Ciatra. She roared in pain upon contact with the deadly column of water, disintegrating back into her blade in defeat. Tamayo's granite-colored beyblade slowly came to a stop, sinking into the water.
"And the winner is Reine! Give it up for both the bladers for the awesome battle!"
The audience cheered appreciatively at the display of power on both our parts. I called Esilé back into my hand as Tamayo climbed carefully into the dish to pull her blade from the water. As she stepped out, I strode forward and clasped Tamayo's hand in a handshake.
"I hope we can battle again someday."
"Yeah," Tamayo answered cheerfully as she returned the handshake, "Me too."
Walking back to the remaining group of bladers, Mariah stepped forward to congratulate me on my win.
"Great job Reine! You're getting powerful! You were awesome, too, Tamayo! If we aren't careful, one of you guys might replace Tyson as the world champion!"
We broke out laughing as the others looked on amused; Tyson was shouting indignantly in the background.
"Now we'll choose our second pair of bladers!" Max called as he turned everyone's attention back to the flashing screen. Pictures flew through the screened, only resonating as a colored blur. After a few seconds, it stopped and indicated the next two bladers.
"The next two battle are Mao Chou, otherwise known as Mariah, and Kai Hiwatari!"
The crowd cheered enthusiastically, shouting encouraging comments at their favorite blader. The computer started choosing the dish, the pictures zooming quickly across the black background of the screen before stopping on what seemed to be the top of a mountain.
"It appears they have to battle it out on top of a secluded mountain top! The snow and ice will be hard to maneuver in not to mention the hidden rocks under all that white slush! Bladers ready? Three! Two! One! Let it rip!"
Author's Note:
I know that a lot of you want to kill me now with all my cliffies. xD It makes you look forward to the next chapter, no? Since these chapters are a lot longer than my usual ones, it might take me more time to whip something up. This chapter took me two days (with rest of course) to finish writing and editing. A combined total of 8-10 hours I would estimate. --;
So can you see the budding relationship? –nudge nudge– The romance and drama isn't going to be the dominant genre in this story but there will plenty fluff scenes later on. :D I hope I satisfy those fluff fans out there who look forward to some BladerxOC fluff. I'm only setting up the relationships for later. x3 Stay tuned for more!
I have over 400 hits and only 18 reviews.. D: That's makes me really sad… –sniff–
Thank you whyamidoingthis01 for confirming Miguel's ethnicity. :) I really appreciate it!
Ms. Controversy – I can't reply to your awesome reviews so I'm going to say it here. I appreciate the time you put into my fic and review! Thanks for the support and I think your fic is one of the best! I'm waiting for the next update of "Dirty Little Secret". ;D
I would like to thank the following reviewers for being totally cool and awesome!
Saber Ice, whyamidoingthis01, Ms. Controversy, DaCow Takao, soldier4Christ, and last but not least Tennisgurl!
You guys make me feel so warm and fuzzy inside! Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Please R&R!
Rand-chan