blackamber- I'm really sorry... I'm late AND this chapter starts off very slowly!
Amy- It could be worse
Sadie- Yeah, you could have not updated at all.
Thea- Umm... bwackamber doesn't own beyblade...
Dimitri- But she does own our mom and us
blackamber- Oh, a note! I realized that Thea and Dimitri didn't really sound like 4/5 year olds... so I attempted to make them sound like their age in this one... I apologize if it's horrible
Amy hummed gently as she tacked her black gelding, lifting the mahogany colored saddle onto the saddle pad. She settled it with a steady hands positioned on the saddle horn and the pommel. Keeping her left hand on Indy at all times, she walked around him, adjusting the leather cinch, and then moving back to her original position she fastened it.
"Mom, you sure you don't need hewlp?" Dimitri asked, watching her work with interest.
"I'm sure, besides, you're not tall enough to reach all the way up here," she smiled at him, patting the seat of the saddle.
"Can't I do somefing?" he asked, almost pleading.
"Alright, can you grab his breastplate and his bridle for me?"
Dimitri nodded excitedly running to get the tack.
Indy snorted, nudging his head into her.
"Yeah, I know," she murmured, "but it's not going to be long now until he'll be doing all this and riding you around town." She stroked his face gently, "Of course, you'll be older then and he won't be working you as hard as I do, but he'll be riding you all on his own."
The horse nudged her again, nickering.
"Don't worry," she mused, rubbing the spot on his face that he liked the most, "you'll always be my boy."
"I gots 'em mom!" Dimitri cheered, running up to her.
"Slow down kiddo, you can't run around horses, remember, you might spook them," Amy scolded.
"I know… but this is Indy, he doesn't get scarwed by anyfing," Dimitri countered, patting the horses' shoulder after handing the tack off to his mother.
Amy shook her head slowly, fastening the breastplate and then slipping the bit of the bridle into his mouth and sliding the bridle over his ears. "Hey, Dimka, do you want to ride him out of the stable? Show daddy how good of a rider you are?" Amy asked, winking at her son.
"YEAH!" Dimitri cheered excitedly.
Amy smiled, tightening Indy's cinch. "Okay," she said, lifting her son up into her arms and carrying him towards the horse's back. "Grab the saddle horn, okay Dimitri?"
"'Kay mom," Dimitri nodded, grasping it tightly with his two, small hands. Them together barely fit around the saddle horn.
She placed him gently in the saddle, "Tell me when you're settled and I'll lead Indy out, okay?"
Dimitri nodded shifting in the saddle; trying to get comfortable. "I'm weady," Dimitri grinned, eagerness shifting through his veins.
"O-kay," Amy smiled, clicking her tongue and getting Indy to walk forward a few steps. "You still okay by yourself up there?" she asked, stealing a glance behind her.
Dimitri had never thought he would be so high-up and hadn't noticed until Indy had started walking. He shakily nodded his head, hoping they'd get outside and his mom would join him soon.
"If you're sure. 'Cause you can always come down and then I can put you back up when we're outside," she tempted, noticing how much her son was shaking.
"I-I'm okay, momma."
Amy wanted to smile at her son, encouragingly, but he only ever called her momma when he was really scared. She stopped Indy, moving beside him. She lifted a hand up to him, brushing his hair lightly. "It's okay baby, if you want to come down. No one will think less of you," her voice was soothing.
Dimitri looked at her, his sapphire eyes a little wider than normal.
"Do you wanna come down?" she asked again, gently.
Dimitri nodded, reaching for her.
She hefted him out of the saddle, cradling him to her. "I know it's scary the first time by yourself," she whispered, kissing the top of his head, "I was scared the first time I rode a horse by myself."
"Weally?" her son asked, his voice muffled by her jacket.
"Yup," she nodded, "it was very scary for me. So, that's why we're going to ride Indy together, right?"
Dimitri looked up at her and nodded, his excitement returning.
"And if he's going to fast for your comfort, just tell me and I'll slow him down."
"Okay," Dimitri agreed as his mother put him down. "Can I wead him outside?"
"Of course you can." She had often let Dimitri lead Indy around since she knew the horse would never do anything to hurt him. "Just remember what I told you about holding the reins."
"Yeah, I know. Wike an eight in one hand, and the other bewow the bit," Dimitri grinned at her, taking the reins just as she had showed him once. "Come on Indy," he said, leading the horse forward.
Tala grinned at his son as he led Indy to the entrance of the courtyard. "Did you tack that horse all by yourself, cowboy?" he asked, winking at Amy.
"Nope, mom did. But I helwped," he beamed, stroking Indy's head.
"Oh yeah, such a big help too. Pretty soon I'm going to be the one begging to help him tack," Amy teased, walking over to Tala and giving him a quick kiss. "We won't be gone long."
"I know, the kid doesn't have your stamina in the saddle yet," Tala said, and then added, "neither do I. Thea and I will just practice here. She's determined to beat her brother."
"Alright. Hey Thea, you show your daddy how fierce we Volkov girl's are in the bey-stadium," she winked at her daughter before strutting towards Dimitri and Indy.
"I will, momma!" Thea said with zeal, waving at her.
Amy picked her son up, placing him back in the saddle and waited for him to get settled. Once she was sure he was, she placed her left foot in the stirrup and hoisted herself into the saddle. Taking the reins in her left hand and wrapping her right arm protectively around her son, she sent Indy into a lazy walk out into the Russian streets.
Once they were a good distance away from the estate she asked, "Are you ready to go a bit faster?"
With his mother with him, Dimitri felt a lot braver in the saddle, almost relaxed even as though this wasn't the first time he was on a horse. He nodded, "Yeah, let's go fast!"
Amy grinned at his enthusiasm, "Alright, you want to go fast, then we'll go fast." She squeezed Indy's side, making a kissing sound with her lips and sent him into a steady lope. (A/N: that's a canter for anyone who doesn't know western lingo)
Dimtri gripped the saddle horn like his life depended on it, not expecting such a drastic change in gait.
"Too fast?" Amy asked, noticing how her son reacted.
Dimitri started laughing, "No, mom, this is gweat!"
"Alright then, shall we go faster?" she asked,
"There's a faster?" Dimitri looked at her in surprise.
"Oh, yes."
"Relax Thea, you're not going to beat your brother with your launch alone," Tala instructed.
"Sowwy, daddy," pouted Thea, picking up her blade.
Tala smiled gently at his daughter- his little girl whose striking eyes reminded him so much of her mother.
"Hey, daddy?"
"What is it?"
"Do you think Dimka and I will be gweat bey-shooters wike you and momma?" Thea launched her blade again, this time not as roughly.
"Perhaps, if you work at it." Tala made no promises, after all, being a good bey-shooter required people to give up almost everything, or at least the way he learned did. Heck, he didn't really know what hormones were until he had seen Amy again back in Australia when they had been partners for Duo Bey-shooting.
"I'll work weally hard at it then! You'll see, I'll be the best just wike you and momma!"
Tala chuckled at his daughter's enthusiasm, "You know, your mom and I weren't the best. Tyson Granger was the best."
"Momma and you could whip him any day," insisted Thea.
Tala shook his head, "Whatever you say, princess."
"Ne, daddy?"
Tala sighed, giving her a look that said 'I'm listening'.
"Why did you and momma not tell Dimitri what wove making was wast night?"
Tala paled, "W-Well… we…. That is… uhh… you see-
"It's not that difficult, is it? When I saw you, you wooked wike you were just pwaying a game. What were you sick with wast night? And how come momma is immoon? I told Dimka that it may be because your wove protects her, and that's what wove making does… but I wanna know more." Thea looked up at him with puppy-dog eyes.
"If your dad was sick last night, it was just with lust for your mom," Bryan joked walking into the courtyard.
"Wust?" Thea asked.
"You," Tala growled darkly rounding on his friend.
"What?" Bryan questioned, cowering slightly.
"Where do you get off teaching my four-year old children words like that, huh?" Tala demanded, "they're too young for that!"
"Hey, don't blame me!"
"Who am I suppose to blame then!?"
"Look, I keep forgetting that they're little kids. I'm not used to using kiddie lingo alright."
Tala sighed, "Just don't say stuff like that around them, alright."
"Alright, I get it."
"Daddy? What's wust?" Thea asked.
"Ask your mother," was Tala's response.
"Hey, you think that was the right move… I mean what's Amy going to say when Thea walks up to her with a question like that, saying that 'Daddy' told her to ask you." Bryan grinned at the expression that crossed Tala's face as he groaned in frustration.
"Uncle Bwyan… where's Lissa?" Thea asked, noticing that the girl that was with Bryan the other day wasn't with him today.
Tala's expression changed as he grinned at his friend. "Don't tell me she dumped you already."
Bryan narrowed his eyes in annoyance, "She didn't dump me, alright! She has a family thing today."
"And she didn't invite you?"
"Shuddap," Bryan growled as Tala laughed at him.
"Hey, you know Kai's gonna be a father," Tala stated.
"No way? And he complains about you and Amy."
"Well, he didn't get his girl pregnant at seventeen mind you, but-"
"Bet Amy's excited," Bryan commented, interrupting Tala, "she kinda went… crazy when the twins were born eh?"
"She didn't go crazy, her personality just did a 180 on us," corrected Tala.
"And she's never reverted back," Bryan said thoughtfully, then caught Tala's glare and added, "not that it's a bad thing." He then chuckled lightly, "Oh, I can't wait till the mood-swings start with Kai."
Tala smirked, "They already have, his girl is five months in already. Amy found out 'cause he all but panicked at called her about it."
"I almost feel sorry for him," Bryan mused.
Tala nodded as he laughed lightly at Kai's fate, I told you, you won't be laughing when you got a woman pregnant Kai.
"Easy, Indy," Amy murmured, bringing the gelding back to a light jog and then to a walk.
"That was awesome mom!" Dimitri cheered, now sitting comfortably in the saddle, not gripping the horn as tightly as before.
"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it." Amy leant down, kissing her son's head.
"Can we go fast again? Pwease!" begged Dimitri, taking one hand off the saddle horn and stroking what he could reach of Indy's neck.
Amy smiled at her son's eagerness. She kept Indy's pace slow in this area; with the snow covered streets and not near to the fields, it was quite possible that there was ice beneath the snow. "Wait till we reach the field near the old abbey, okay sweetie, then we'll go fast."
She listened to the slushy clops that sounded every time Indy took a step. He snorted, giving his jet black head a small toss; air from his nostrils rising into the bitter air. His head bobbed up and down and swayed lightly as he walked, the reins in a lose loop against his neck.
Amy's hand remained firmly around her son's waist, keeping him safe.
"Mom, how wong have you been widing?" Dimitri asked, looking up at his mother.
"Hmm… since I started living with the Carters' why?" Amy asked, as the sound of Indy's hooves turned from clops to a gently padding- signaling they had hit grass. She squeezed her legs gently against his side, pushing him back up into a lope.
"How wong was that?"
"Hmmm, about fourteen… maybe fifteen years," responded Amy.
"Wow," Dimitri gasped, "no wonder you're so good."
Amy giggled slightly, "There are plenty of riders out there who are better than me, Dimka."
"Nu-uh," Dimitri shook his head, "no one's better than you, mom."
Amy hugged her son against her, "Aww, thanks baby. Now, we should probably get back, your daddy might be wondering where we-" She froze at the turn off, stopping Indy suddenly. There it was again; the smoke from the abbey.
"Mom? What's wrong?"
Amy didn't respond, spurring Indy back into a lope towards the abbey.
"Momma?" Dimitri's voice was laced with worry.
"I just need to check something out," Amy told him, trying to hide the fear in her voice. She brought Indy back to a halt a couple of meters away from the abbey and dismounted.
"Momma, I don't wike this," Dimitri whimpered, "this pwace is scary."
"I know sweetie," murmured Amy, soothingly, "but I need you to stay here with Indy while I check this out, okay?"
Dimitri nodded slowly, his hands grasping the saddle horn in a death-grip once more.
Amy gave Indy a gentle pat. "Stand, boy," she ordered, moving towards the abbey cautiously. She slunk past the old gates, careful not to move them incase they were to creak and strode across the abandoned courtyard. She examined the old abbey, some of the walls crumbling due to neglect. The doors were battered and had definitely seen better days. The air around it was eerie and had a sense that almost seemed like the building itself was alive.
Strange sounds were coming from the interior, and she knew for a fact it was not caused by the building or acts of nature. One of the beaten doors was left ajar, the lock clearly broken. She slipped through the opening and nearly gagged at the musky smell that hit her upon entering the dank halls.
Water dripped from the pipes in an unsettling fashion and Amy couldn't help but wince as her footsteps echoed through the dark, empty halls. Her gaze flew upwards to the old surveillance cameras- now covered in cobwebs- the red light dim meaning that they weren't on. She continued on her given path, keeping both her eyes and ears alert.
A cold draft caused her to shiver slightly, or maybe it was a shudder from the memories that haunted these halls. Old and discarded beyblades lay scattered everywhere, some broken, some not. She stopped momentarily outside a room. There was no sound from the room, but it was always a room that made her freeze.
The screams that once occupied that room would make anyone freeze. The metal door was hanging by on hinge and opened without protest- minus the tiny squeak of that one rusty hinge. The walls were singed with soot the years past. The burnt smell was still heavy in the room on top of the pungent smell that covered the rest of the abbey. She rested one hand against one of the walls and immediately recoiled as though burned; a slim-like film sticking to her hand.
She wiped her hand off and exited the room, shaking her head slowly. Voices, male, began to drift towards her and she followed them like a woman possessed. The old saying 'curiosity killed the cat' traveled through her mind briefly, but she ignored it. She needed to know.
She paused outside of a room where the soft glow of a fire seeped out. Pressed against one of the double doors she listened to the conversation taking place within the room. However, because of the heavy doors, the voices were too muffled for her to actually make out what was being said, all she could determine was that there were two speakers.
She cursed mentally and moved to peek through the tiny crack between the two doors. Her eyes widened at what she saw. I knew it, she thought, catching sight of the purple-haired, although it was starting to go grey now, abbey-master. However, who she saw next, the second speaker, really made her shake in fear. She moved away from the door, shaking her head and slumping against the far wall. Not him too… not him…
She was terrified now, for the other speaker was Cole's father. Not caring if she was heard anymore, she turned and ran back down the abandoned halls; past the scorched room and old beyblades. Running back out into the Russian snow and out of the courtyard. She only slowed down when Indy and her son came into view.
"Mom, what's wrong?" Dimitri noticing the expression on her face.
"Nothing," Amy responded, jumping into the saddle and turning Indy back in the direction they had initially come from. "We're going home," she stated, giving Indy an urgent kick, sending him into a gallop and bypassing a pedestrian walking along the old road.
The black haired man looked over his shoulder at the rider, recognizing the horse immediately. How could he not, after seeing it, riding along side it so many times. So… Amy, this is where you disappeared too… Cole thought with a dark smile. The child riding with her hadn't escaped his gaze and now a plan formed in his mind. Oh, father will be very pleased about this.
Amy spurred Indy into the front yard of the house, stopping only inches in front of Tala, Bryan and Thea.
Tala sensed the urgency coming from his wife as she jumped from the saddle. "What's wrong?"
"Bryan, can you please get Dimitri down and take him and Thea elsewhere?" Amy asked, trying to collect her thoughts.
Bryan sensed the urgency and did as she asked.
"Aim? "
"I saw more smoke from the abbey."
Tala sighed, "Amy, I told you he can't-
"He is!"
"Amy," Tala's voice was calm and gentle, "there's no way he could be-"
"I SAW HIM!" Amy shrieked.
Tala froze, "You… saw him?"
Amy nodded, "I went into the abbey… and I saw him."
Tala searched Amy's face, noticing immediately that that wasn't all she had to say. "Do you know what he was up to?"
"No, I couldn't here what he was saying," Amy turned away, shuddering at the thought of the other man.
"He was talking to someone?"
Amy nodded, not facing him.
"Who?"
"Cole's father," Amy mumbled, knowing full well that her voice was barely audible.
"What?"
"He was talking to… Cole's father," she repeated more clearly.
Tala said nothing in response but merely wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to his chest. "It'll be alright, I promise. He won't hurt you."
"I'm not worried about me," Amy stated, trembling.
"I swear, he'll have to kill me to get at the twins. I won't go down easy," he whispered, kissing her hair, "nothing will happen to them."
"I'd be more at ease if those two weren't here," Amy spat venomously.
"I know," Tala murmured to her, "but there's nothing we can do right now, so you'll just have to trust me."
Amy laughed lightly, "You know I do."
Tala captured her lips with her own and then moved to kiss her forehead. "пойдите внутри и нагрейтесь, любовь." (Go inside and get warmed up, love)
"I really wish you would speak to me in Russian," Amy smirked, backing up slightly.
"Oh? And why not?" Tala grinned.
"It really turns me on." Amy winked, sauntering into the house. She felt a little better, but her fears were not quenched. She knew something was wrong.
blackamber- I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter... (oh and about the Russian... I don't actually speak or read it I just went to an online translator so the grammar of it is prolly not right)
Sadie- I kinda did
Amy- (eyebrow twitches in annoyance) You... brought him back...
blackamber- Uh-oh... RUN AWAY!!!
Tala- R&R