Beyblade; Time Rift

Chapter 3

Sun shone rudely through the nearly transparent curtains of the plain but nice hotel room where the beyblade girls had been staying for the past 3 days, it seemed it was finally time for the fateful reason they were there. They didn't even really want to compete anymore but they felt if they skipped out like their teammates did then they'd be no better than those cowards. Lord the curtains really didn't do their job!

Blue eyes opened disdainfully against the blinding white light made reddish-pink by the lightly shaded curtains and they glanced around the room readjusting to the light of the waking world, to her right her friend slept on and to her left the owner of the pair of eyes was told that it was not yet time to wake her and so she let her be.

With a quick stretch and a yawn Vera got to her feet slipping on comfortable clothing that she would change out of later, but for now they'd do. Reluctantly the green haired girl opened the curtains and squinted her eyes; how Lexi slept through such light she would never know. Anyway the pale Russian x Japanese girl walked out onto the balcony and could see the sun still low in the sky silloetting the city's buildings against its majesty.

In fact Vera was so distracted that when a simple "You're up early" nearly made her leap over the balcony's edge. She knew she had objected to the idea of an elevator the night before but leaping down 10 stories wasn't exactly the way to go either.

Looking over her shoulder Vera was surprised to see the greyish blue haired boy from yesterday that had disappeared before their romp in the city's night life.

"Good morning to you too, Kai, was it?" She said trying to sound calm

"Morning." He muttered and turned to ignore her, but Vera caught him in conversation again

"I thought your group was two doors down, not in the one right beside us." She said suspiciously, but Kai being Kai had the answer

"Mr. Dickenson is staying in this room with Tyson's grandfather; I didn't feel like listening to the little group squeal like school girls just because they met some other run-of-the-mill beybladers like they do every turnoment" He retorted, clearly he wasn't the type for company, but Vera wasn't one to take insult from words like that, he'd see how run-of-the-mill they were soon enough.

"Fair enough I suppose." She'd have said more, but it was early morning and she couldn't be bothered, her snake tongue hadn't woken up just yet.

The two teens didn't say anything else to each other for the rest of the morning, they just calmly stood on the balcony seeming to enjoy the surreal moment, like a modern dream, though the city wasn't really their favourite place it was best to feel peace where you could get it…

"Kai! You actually did come back last night!"

For as long as you could get it…

"Where else would I go, Tyson?" The irritated team captain said rolling his eyes irritably and exiting the balcony in between Tyson and Vera to hide inside again.

"Good morning Tyson." Vera said with a bubbly, amused, smile creased on her surprisingly feminine face, he was helpless against her and the rosy sun on her hair and face did not help. For once the blue haired boy was speechless, his checks reddening in embarrassment.

Vera wasn't a dense girl she knew what others were thinking most of the time, but she chose very well to ignore what was going on, he'd get bored of her intolerance soon enough. Or rather he'd see what she was really like and that would turn him away, it always did, she was too cold for other's liking. She hadn't made a real bond with anyone since she was a child really.

Hearing stirring inside the room Vera nodded her farewell to Tyson, who was still struck dumb on the balcony, and headed inside.

"come on Lexi, time to move out." Vera said gently shaking her friend's shoulder, but Lexi wasn't responsive, in fact she was quite anti-productive, She rolled over and grumbled a bit. Upon the second shake she spoke,

"Let me sleep Ve…"

"Get up Lexi!" Vera hissed and shook her again, never the less Lexi ignore her. "Alright, your way it is."

Well now you've never seen someone get out of bed and dressed so fast in your life! Lexi knew what that sentence meant, the last time Vera said that the green haired girl ripped the covers off of lexi and poured a freezing jug of ice water all over her… with the windows open… in the middle of the winter.

"That's what I thought." Vera said with a devilish smile waiting at the door for her friend to join her. In one hand she held her own beyblade and in the other she held Lexi's, "Ready?"

"Ready!" Lexi yelped excitedly, once she was awake she was wide awake, the only problem was getting her that way. There was no in-between for this girl! "Let the best blader win!"

By this Lexi was referring to how the tournament was a free-for-all and even Lexi and Vera may end up going against one another.

Finally getting to the meeting hall Lexi found she was in block D where she would first face a few no name people, she'd do fine but the place of concern was when they got to the semi finals. She would no doubt make it that far and likely so would her presumed opponent: Ray! That was quite the turn out! And on top of that she would face Kai or Max next even if she beat Ray!

Vera looked over at Lexi but the pretty black haired girl, with darker blue eyes than Vera's, showed no sign of being even remotely nervous, she was just excited.

Vera then turned her attention to her block, block A. She was going to be against a guy named Michel in the semi-finals and if she beat that twit she'd be up against Tyson if he could beat his opponent, a new comer named Cody.

The green haired girl looked a little concentrated until her friend put her arm around her and smiled as bright as ever, their bond couldn't be broken! They'd see each other in the championship and then they'd go on into the world finals in the same team!

"Hey look, Vera, the first match is starting, who is it?" She asked as Vera was holding the rocher for today's events, "And can we go watch?" She pleaded in curiosity.

"Oh alright we'll go look." Vera laughed, "our matches aren't until 1:00 and 3:00."

In this tournament their were matches, or rounds held every hour and Vera, being in block A, was to go at 1:00 and Lexi was to go at 3:00.

"Oh looky!" Lexi jumped excitedly pointing in a child like manner towards the blond American boy blading bellow, she'd already spotted Max and was running off towards him to watch from a closer vantage point

"Lexi!" Vera called after her fearing the worst, but she made her way their calmly.

At a higher vantage point Vera settled herself near a familiar black long-haired boy who was likewise watching the matches. From this point Vera could see: Max's match, Lexi and even the match on the far side… a short lived match dominated by a cool-looking teen with a stern face.

"You guys didn't call yourselves the blade breakers for nothing, I think kai just broke someone's blade." She muttered in Ray's general direction.

"He's the only one of us that would actually do something like that. I guess old habbits die hard."

"Old habbits?"

"Yeah Kai was once the leader of a bey-gang called the beysharks."

"He's THAT Kai? Yikes." Vera had heard stories about her friend's blades being stolen by the Beysharks and she'd even had a run-in with one of the goons, a run-in he wouldn't soon forget. In fact if he saw her today and didn't recognise her she'd be insulted.

A few hours passed and Vera was growing fond of Ray's company but it was her turn in the ring, so with a reluctant 'see you later' Vera was headed for the ring. Needless to say she had little to no trouble in dominating the compotition without the assistance of her bit-beast, something he wasn't pleased with, he'd have preferred to have his fun, but Vera reassured him that he would soon enough.

Exiting the arena Vera's triumph was met with an overly energetic glomp from Lexi.

"Hello and I love you too." Vera laughed in a good mood, "How about we go get some food while waiting for your match?" She added in a sweet suggesting tone when another voice bursted in

"Great idea!"

It was Tyson, he'd betten his block too, behind him Max shrugged and Kai followed behind, presumably trying to keep the duo out of trouble.

"You weren't exactly invited." Vera said selfishly, though she did have a good point.

"Vera don't be mean it's not like we have to pay for them, in fact you can come if you pay!" Lexi laughed in her usual manipulative voice.

"Alright our food bill's payed for by mr. Dickenson anyway." Max laughed and the three happier bladders were skipping off a head of Vera and Kai.

"We'd better follow them." Kai and Vera said in unison, looking at each other in slight alarm, their rivalry hadn't died down just yet and having the same thought was not something to be proud of at this point. With an awkward cough Kai took off first after the trio who'd already managed to pick out a nearby restaurant.

Catching up Vera looked at the place and gasped, "Are you trying to break poor mr. Dikenson?"

"I don't think that's possible." It was ray's voice, he hadn't been with them earlier due to a match of his own, but he'd caught up now.

"I see…" Vera was still uncomfortable using someone else's money but the others, even Lexi, didn't seem effected in the least, so she went with the flow, and, shockingly, I know, she enjoyed herself. For once she opened up slightly. Tyson seemed more interested than ever but she continued to ignore it, talking with Ray or Kai instead as Max's time was mostly occupied by Lexi's hundred thousand questions. It had started out as a game of 20 questions but now it was just Lexi blurting out questions that poor max didn't have time to answer.

Soon enough the lunch came to an end and it was finally Lexi's turn in the arena, one person gave her a very, very, slight difficulty but otherwise she dominated like the rest of the rag-tag team had in their matches. It was really like a surreal dream, but it all had to end soon, the finals were rapidly approaching… in fact the morning would bring Lexi's first match against Ray, how she'd do, no one could say, but one thing was certain, one thing that troubled Vera… Ray had his game face on the moment the sun fell, he wouldn't give up his title or his legacy that easily, even to a new found friend.