blackamber- Okay... so I realized a couple of things that I think I may need to clear up (ahem) BRYAN!
Bryan- For Christ's sake woman! You don't need to yell I'm right here!
blackamber- Hmmm, so you are...
Bryan- (annoyed) As I always am...
blackamber- Huh... read this (takes out note from the ever famous folder labeled We Will Fall Together Notes)
Bryan- (sigh) "blackamber has just gotten to the part where BEGA comes in while re-watching season 3 of Beyblade and realizes that in Move Along, she states that they- being the Silver Fangs- meet up with their family and the Blitzkrieg Boys in Australia. So... to make it make sense with the series- since BEGA is stationed in Japan- during the time jump between Move Along and We Will Fall Together was when the whole BEGA thing happened..."
blackamber- Another thing I noticed was that Tyson's blade was now called Dragoon Galaxy Turbo and Kai's was Dranzer Gigs Turbo... and which point I cleverly said to myself, "there seems to be a pattern here... (sigh) I guess I need to make new blades..." So I did, and with the help of my trusty Hurricane Twin, I managed to give them awesome names too!
Windy- (My Hurricane Twin) Recognition (sniff) so honored!
Amy- Who the hell is this?
blackamber- READ THE BRACKETS!
Amy- Riiiigghhtt...
Melissa- blackamber does not own anything to do with Beyblade or its characters...
Courtney- Nor does she own the moves Terrestrial Rage and Flame Wheel- Final Fantasy IX and Pokemon do.
Kaylie- On with the chapter!
"Alright," Kaylie said, standing up to address everyone in the room. All five teams- or rather twenty-five pairs of eyes when you counted Sadie and Lissa- were locked on her as she paced to the front of them. "Out of everyone here, only fourteen of you- myself included- know how to Duo Beybattle. So, we need to work really hard to get you all ready for what's to come. Remember, little kids lives are at stake here!"
"I'd rather not think of it that way, thanks," Amy muttered, leaning against Tala as her glasses wearing friend spoke.
"Max and Courtney explained to us the basics of it, so we're all ready to get started," Rick stated arrogantly.
"I highly doubt it," commented Kaylie, "there is no way you guys can fathom exactly what it is to balance and counter-balance elements just through explanation. I think a demonstration is needed. Amy, Brook, Courtney, Mel?"
The four teammates sighed, and the captain asked, "Usual set up?"
"If you would, oh, and this time, don't counter the others attack, we don't want a repeat of what happened at Ayers Rock," ordered Kaylie, pushing her glasses as they slid down her nose.
"Yeah, yeah," Amy sighed absent-mindedly, fetching the new home for her trusted bit-beast partner, her new Hein Firestorm X blade, courtesy of one Kaylie Alder. She had re-vamped the entire teams blades, replacing the black one's with something similar only this time with an engine gear installed. They were still all black, with a pattern corresponding with each of the team member's element.
Brook now had the Madeen Terra Maximum blade, Courtney Sohi Breaker Extreme, and Mel had the Voltier Vulcan Turbo blade- though she called it the Voltier Vulcan Max Turbo Extreme blade. Of course, Kaylie too had a new blade. Which was the Skart Cyclone Spire blade. So use to just calling their blades simply Hein, Sohi, Voltier, Skart, and Madeen, that the woman had to have an earlier practice just to get used to the new names.
The indoor dish was positioned in the basement of the house, which had been converted into a training style facility for Tala and the rest of the Blitzkrieg Boys. Amy led the guests to the basement, taking her stance on the far side of the dish, Brook at her side.
"Try not to blow up my house," Amy teased Mel as though it were just like old times. Don't get her wrong, she was worried sick for her children, but this training was so that they would get them back no questions asked- so she might as well make the best of it right?
"Amy and Brook will obviously be performing the counter-balance and Courtney and Melissa balance," Kaylie explained, "since their elements are fire and earth and water and lightning."
"But on Ayers Rock you had Amy and Courtney counter-balancing… why change it this time?" Ray asked.
"We usually have Amy tagged with Brook in Duo matches, their combined strength is remarkable," Kaylie said, starry-eyed. "If I could only harness half of their power-"
"And so you pin us against them, thanks," Courtney said jokingly.
Kaylie gave her a look that said 'don't interrupt me'. "Now, most importantly, with a new blade comes new moves. So, you four are forbidden from using your old specials. That means no Lightning Strike, no Blue Ice, no Scarlet Flame, and no Earth Homing. Got it?"
"Sometimes I wonder who the captain really is," Melissa muttered, getting ready to launch her blade.
"Did you say something Mel?" Kaylie asked innocently, her eyes blazing.
"Uhh… nope! C'mon let's get started!" she urged, nervously.
"Once you're delivered each of your new attacks, you guys can balance and counter-balance," instructed Kaylie.
"You know, one would think you have it in for us," commented Courtney, dryly.
"Let's just do this," growled Amy, readying her blade.
"Three… two… one…" the usual chorus was chanted, followed by a loud, "LET IT RIP!"
Amy howled, calling forth her wolf of fire. "Let's go! Hein Firestorm X!" The blade raced into the fray, locking with Courtney and Melissa's blades.
Brook laughed, "Hey, save some for us! Go, Madeen Terra Maximum!" The cougar bit-beast leapt forward with a loud roar, pushing back against Mel's blade as Amy and Hein focused on Courtney.
"Oh yeah! I want in on this action!" Daichi yelled, reaching for his Strata Dragoon.
"Daichi! You can't interfere with their battle! They're doing a demonstration!" Hilary scolded.
"But… it's no fun battling Tyson anymore! I want to fight Brook, or Amy or Courtney! They seem like a real challenge!" complained the youngest man.
"And what am I? Chop Suey?" demanded Mel, "Come on Voltier! Let's show them who's good! Spark Blast!" The stag powered up a ball of electric energy at the base of his twelve-pronged antlers.
"Oh no you don't!" yelled Brook, "Madeen! Terrestrial Rage!" The cougar roared again as rocks and various other forms of nature sprung forth from the dish.
"Oi! What did I say about-"
"I won't permanently damage anything," promised Brook as Madeen continued the attack, launching the newly grown terrain at the stag.
"Well, Aim, I'd hate to miss all the action," Courtney grinned, "Sohi, Hydro Jet!" The giant sting-ray created a pool of water beneath it; powering up to shoot streams of water at the fire wolf.
Amy smirked, "Is that the best you can do? Hein! Wolfsbane's Inferno!" The wolf howled, the dish beginning to rumble. The plastic began to glow magma red and shake with the force of the attack.
"And you were complaining to me about destroying the house," scoffed Brook.
"I didn't know hot the destructive power involved with this move," Amy shot back as the dish finally erupted in a small swell of fire.
"So coool!" Daichi and Sadie cheered at the same time, looking on in total awe.
"Let's end this," Courtney stated, "Sohi! Aqua Torrent!"
"Voltier! Electric Pulse!" ordered Melissa.
"Sohi-
"Voltier-
"Electric Torrent!" the two yelled together.
"Remember, Aim, no countering," Brook reminded as their blades took the hit in stride; sending them back against the far side of the partially destroyed dish. As the attack subsided, a small nod passed between captain and newly made second-stringer (or second in command).
"Hein! Flame Wheel!" ordered Amy.
"Madeen! Seismic Blast!"
"Hein-
"Madeen-
"FLAME BLAST!"
Thea's head spun as a rock hard fist connected with the back of her head for the seventh time, driving her teeth deeper into the man's hand, which she had bit in defense. The metallic taste of blood gushed into her mouth, making her feel even more sick. Salty tears trickled from her eyes as she fought back the sobs that tried to take control of her body.
Her parents should have been here by now… where were they?
She blanked out momentarily as the fist hit her for the eighth consecutive time and on the ninth she had lost all consciousness- slipping away from the ache that pounded at her head and returning to realm without pain. To a world where she, and her brother, were still with their parents- even uncle Kai was there with his girlfriend and what she imagined her future cousin to look like. Part of her four year old mind knew it wasn't real, but there was still that other part that hoped. The urged her that what she had been experiencing was just a really bad nightmare and she had finally woken up.
Her hopes were proven false though, when the bitter cold hit her and woke her from her stupor. She shivered against the brick wall of her containment cell, Dimitri still unconscious. Water dripped from the frosted ceiling, creating small puddles on the dirt floor- some of which were beginning to freeze over. She looked down at the puddle beside her, the swelling and bruising from her beating evident on her tiny features. Really, the only thing that she still recognized about herself was her father's trade-mark red hair and her mother's gorgeous silver-grey eyes- the Hiwatari eyes.
Her uncle had them, her mother had them, and now she had them.
Momma, where are you? Tears racked her body as she trembled in both fear and anguish. Realization dawned on her why her parents hadn't come yet, they didn't want to. They didn't care that they were in this God-forsaken place. When she thought about it, her mother had allowed them to be taken without much of a fight at all. Surely, their mother must have sensed that someone was coming up behind them; after all, whenever she or Dimitri were sneaking around behind her back she knew instantly and called them on it.
"Thea… are you okay?" Dimitri asked, his body shaking with cold, "you're shivewing."
Thea glanced over at where her brother lay; their eyes met and his sapphire ones widened considerably.
"Thea… your face! What happened?" Dimitri asked, then, growing angry, he corrected himself, "who did this to you!?"
Thea was silent, still shaking.
"Thea?"
"Momma and daddy aren't coming… are they?" she asked, trying to fight back more tears.
"Yeah, they are! You'll see. Mom's gonna come widing in at top speed on Indy and dad… he's gonna kick all the bad guys butts!" said Dimitri, encouragingly. "It's just taking a while 'cause they're not sure how to get to us, that's all."
"You sure?" questioned Thea, moving closer to her brother.
"I'm positive!" grinned he, sitting up and wrapping his sister into a gentle embrace to try and help keep both of them warm. "Hein and Wolborg will be with them too! Fighting along side to pwotect us!"
"Yeah," agreed Thea, suddenly hopeful again, "momma said he'd always watch over us."
"Exactwy!"
Thea had another thought, another sad thought. "If Hein is always watching over us… why didn't he stop us fwom being taken?"
Dimitri shrugged, "Maybe he couldn't… dad said that there were times when mom was in danger and Hein couldn't hewlp her."
"I weally miss them, Dimka," wailed Thea, "I wanna go home!"
Dimitri hugged his sister tighter, "I know, sis, I wanna go home too… but we gots ta stay stwong… for momma and dad!"
Thea nodded, burying her face in her brother's filthy shirt.
"And don't wowwy, Thea… until they come… I'll pwotect you," he promised as she slipped into an easier slumber- somewhat warmer and feeling a little more protected from the cold.
Amy caught her blade as the demonstration ended; Brook did likewise. The two friends watched in amusement as their two opponents hunted for their own blades that had flown out of what was once a bey-dish not moments before.
"Every time I see Duo Beyblading, I can't help think about how cool it is!" exclaimed Daichi, jumping up and down energetically, "let's get started with training right away!"
Daichi's words were readily backed by the equally enthusiastic Rick; both were eager for the chance to prove themselves in the dish.
"Well, there's no harm in getting started right away," Courtney mused, after finally retrieving her blade. "Rick, you're with me-"
"Outside," Tala stated, "since the dish is all but in pieces, we'll need to work with the sturdier ones outside."
"Will we still need to practice right now?" Bryan asked, "I mean, we know what we're doing and how our partners work and attack so-"
"We'll leave training today for those just learning," Hilary spoke up after discussing something with Lissa, Kenny, and Kaylie, "so you guys can either help out with those who aren't paired with a seasoned Duo Beyblader, or sit back and relax."
"Yeah, I highly doubt Tala and Amy are going to let us sit back and relax," muttered Ian as he followed Courtney and Rick up out of the basement and then outside. The others followed in suit and soon, it was only the Volkov couple left in the basement.
"Where'd that power come from?" Tala asked, in bemusement.
"Anger… frustration…" Amy replied stoically, putting Hein away.
"Is our attack still the same, or are we changing it to better suit those sweet moves you have now?" teased Tala.
"I've always had sweet moves," his wife countered, "and I was thinking of combining your Novae Rog with my Wolfsbane's Inferno."
"Soo, what? Wolfsbane's Rog?"
"You are really bad at coming up with attack names. Let's try, Novae Inferno."
Tala moved closer to Amy as she remained glued to her spot by the dish. He wrapped his arms possessively around her waist, pulling her to his chest- kissing what little skin he could reach at the base of her neck. "It's coming together now, eh love? You'll see… we'll be storming up to that damned abbey in no time."
"I know," she whispered, resting her hands over top of his, "but it's still not soon enough."
"Thea and Dimitri are tough, remember who they take after. They won't let Boris break them," assured Tala, resting his head at the nape of her neck.
"I hope you mean that they take after me in that sense, 'cause if they take after you they may already be his newest beyblading slaves," she mocked as her husband chuckled.
"I guess I set myself up for that one," he sighed, giving her one final kiss before backing off. "I'll meet you upstairs."
Amy simply nodded, waiting until she heard the basement door close firmly before falling to her knees, cursing herself. Why couldn't she have done something sooner? She had the power to do so, so why? She hugged herself, gazing disdainfully at the melted and shattered plastic of the dish that was scattered around her. I will get them back Boris, she vowed, and when I do, you are going to be sorry…
blackamber- Oh dear... an angry Amy...
Amy- Why am I always angry at some point another?
blackamber- I blame your blood
Kai- And what's that supposed to mean?
blackamber- Well... you are Mr. Grouchy so it's quite plausible that she gets it from you
Bryan- Ummm, wouldn't it make more sense for her to get it from one of her parents?
blackamber- ...
blackamber- I stand by what I said...
Tala- R&R