Chapter 18

I blinked open my eyes and stared at the ceiling of the dojo. In the next instant everything from the previous night went slamming into focus. The party was fun and filled with friendly competition. Tyson challenged Lee, Michael, and Miguel to a beybattle all at once and he won, of course, gloating to everyone who would listen to him. He was taken down a peg, however, when Hilary challenged him to a one-on-one basketball game. Who knew she was such a great ball player? You should've seen Tyson's face. Let's just say he was hurting.

Hanging out with Max put my mind at ease but I couldn't get over the guilt I was feeling. He was being so sweet to me that night, like he knew what was wrong, but I couldn't tell if it was because that's just who he is or if he was just flirting like Hilary said he does. I rubbed my forehead as I sat up. That's it, I will tell him today, definitely. No more beating around the bush.

I tilted my head to the side when Hilary stirred. "Can't sleep either?" I guessed.

"No," she replied and then sat up. She brought her hands to her knees and sighed. "I keep thinking about these battles; about what would happen if you all didn't win."

"Don't start being a pessimist," I said in a warning tone.

"I'm being realistic," she replied. "If you don't win then blaybading or whatever would be turned into a paid sport. Then what would Tyson and the others do? A big part of their lives would be taken away just like that and they wouldn't be happy anymore. I mean, this is what they live for. I mean, you all train months out of the year for a tournament that lasts…for two months? Two and a half? If that's all taken away…" she shook her head and let out a sigh. "It's just a game…"

"It is a game," I agreed. "But at the same time it's pure and something that doesn't need to be touched by corporations and sponsors and stuff." I paused and squinted at her.

Her eyes shifted as she laughed nervously. "What?"

"Since when do you care about Beyblading anway?" I questioned, lifting my eyebrow.

"Waddya mean? I don't care."

"I'm being serious, Hil. From what Tyson has been telling me you really did care. So much that you made fun for them for it but now you actually sympathize."

She shrugged. "I'm just trying to be supportive."

"Uh-huh. Which one are you trying to support the most?" I asked with a teasing grin. She grabbed her pillow and threw it at me. I managed to block it but it left my hands stinging slightly. For a girly girl she had a good arm. "No need to tell me. I all ready know you're crushing on Tyson."

Hilary sighed. "Tyson has matured and he's easier to talk to now but he's still a big-headed, pompous, chauvinistic….boy."

"Nice to know you pay attention to his anatomy." I ducked and dodged the other pillow that was thrown at me and laughed. "I'm just teasing you, geeze."

"Tyson and I just understand each other better now, that's all," she replied.

"Oh, so you're still crushing on Kai then."

A small smile formed on Hilary's face. "Kai's interesting. I would like to get to know him better. We all would. They've known him longer than me and even they don't know much about him." Her smile faded and a faraway look came to her eyes. "It just makes me wonder why he's hiding and why he's so afraid to join his friends."

"I think its more pride than fear," I replied. "Kai is built on pride, it's what stops him from doing most things that are deemed…reasonable to us. I mean, I don't blame him, but he has to come to terms on his own that his pride is holding him back from being the very best he can be. We can't force him to come back."

Hilary sighed. "You're right."

"And he will come back. I know it. So stop worrying about him." Hilary glared at me. "I can see through you like a window. You're smitten. I just thank the Lord that you're not like one of his fangirls."

"Psh," Hilary scoffed and waved her hand. "You can't even compare me to those pom-pom wielding air-heads." She paused. "Ray's goin' today. How do you think he'll do?"

"It'll be close," I said honestly. "As long as his confidence doesn't sky rocket he'll be fine."

Hilary blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Ray can be extremely cocky," I replied. "So cocky that it's been his downfall a couple of times. But, at the same time, if he sympathizes with his opponent too much than he, subconsciously, goes easy on them. You heard about Crusher's reason to fight, if it gets to Ray we're done. As long as he gets in the zone and stays focused it'll be a pretty interesting match." I pushed back my covers and swung my feet to the floor, arching my back to stretch. Why did the mornings have to come so early?

"Yeah," Hilary agreed. "Come in," she called when she heard a knock on the door.

"I didn't think you'd be awake," Tyson commented, leaning in through the doorway.

"We didn't think you'd be awake," Hilary shot back.

"Yeah. We didn't think you knew what six a.m. looked like," I agreed.

"We're going to get in some extra training before the match," Tyson explained. "You want in?"

"Nah, I'm good. I'll practice later on," I replied with a wave of my hand.

"Are you sure?" Tyson asked in a way that the look he was giving me spoke volumes about what he really wanted to ask.

"Yeah, Ty, I'm sure." I flashed him a smile. "Gotta see what tricks Boris has up his sleeve before I make my battle plan."

He paused. "You could be going up against Brooklyn or Garland and they're good. Scary good. Remember what happened to Tala?"

I shivered at the image of him lying helpless in the hospital bed that filled my head. "I better hope I get Mystel then, yeah?"

Tyson sighed. "Better hope Kai gets here in time."

By the time we got to the strategy room of the stadium the tension surrounding us practically suffocated me. I stepped into the hall to clear my head and shake the nerves that suddenly had me seized. What if I had to go against Garland or Brooklyn? I've never fought anyone as strong as them before and they were scary good. They not only totaled Wolborg but they thrashed Tala. If they could do that to him, they could probably put me in a shiny black box.

"You ok?" I almost jumped out of my skin as Mariah laughed. I looked up and saw Kevin, Gary, and Lee walk down the hall. "What's up?"

"The tension in the room," I replied, jerking my head back in the direction of the room. "Everyone's putting pressure on Ray without actually saying anything but it's enough to get them all nervous."

"I'm sure Ray will be fine," Mariah stated. I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

"Well, he must've heard Crusher's sob-story by now," Kevin sighed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What does that have anything to do with it?" Mariah hissed.

"Chill, 'Riah," I told her, putting a hand on my hip. "You know Ray as well as we do. Any sob story that reaches his ears and he instantly feels bad for the person. It's human nature for him but it also effects his beyblading. I mean, he always went easy on us whenever we bladed him until we told him to take us seriously."

"She's right. Crusher's story could get to his head," Lee agreed.

"Have some faith in him!" Mariah snapped, clenching her hands into fists. "Ray wouldn't let something like that get to him. Don't forget he's a White Tiger and we White Tigers know how to blade with the odds stacked against us."

"Are you sure you're not the president of his fanclub?" I asked, squinting at her.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Ray needs our support now more than ever and we should give it to him."

"Yeah, you're right," Gary agreed.

"We're just worried about him, that's all," Kevin sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "He's going against such a huge guy. The odds are stacked against him all ready."

"He's gotten out of trickier situations," Lee pointed out.

"You see? Ray will do his best," Mariah said happily while winking. "And that's all we can ask from him."

"Thank you for the support, Mariah," Ray commented as he left the room.

She beamed and nodded. "Sure."

"You're like a little puppy, I swear," I told her, poking her in the side.

"At least I'm not a scaredy-cat," she shot back out of the corner of her mouth.

"Low blow, Wong, low blow."

"We should get to our seats. Good luck, man," Lee said to Ray.

Ray nodded. "Thanks, my friend."

Everyone else left the room and we walked down a separate hall to get to the floor. The voices of the audience got louder and louder as we got closer to the doors. Tyson paused and I almost ran into him. A few security guards lifted his eyebrows at Tyson but they didn't say anything.

"I feel like we're betting our lives," Tyson muttered.

"More like our souls," I corrected him. Ray shot me a fierce look. "What? I was just joking, geeze."

"It's all for a good cause, dude," Ray told him.

"Yeah. I'd rather lose than let them walk on by and change everything," Max agreed.

"Max is right, we're doing the right thing," Kenny said as she adjusted his glasses on top of his head.

"What're we standing here blabbering about? Let's get this beybattle started!" Daichi said as she punched his fist into the air.

Tyson smiled and, with that, he pushed open the doors and we walked out onto the stadium floor. Our ears were met with cheers and jeers as we walked over to our bench. Almost automatically Ray went into meditation mode and Kenny set up his laptop. I cringed when I recognized the Ming-Ming song that was playing over the loudspeakers and it obviously didn't only bother me.

"I knew I should've entered the competition! Only a girl could beat that blue haired, baby-voiced brat!" Hilary yelled as she attacked the towel that was in her hands. I laughed as Max sighed.

"Give it a rest, Hilary. Just face the facts that Ming-Ming and Daichi fought an awesome fight and she won the match fair and square."

"What!?" Hilary cried out.

"Yeah, Ty. I mean, before you were spewing out some stuff about Boris cheating," I agreed.

"He hasn't shown any signs of cheating yet," he sighed.

"Aside from getting robots to fight for him?"

Just then DJ Jazzman started speaking up about Crusher's abilities and why he got into beyblading and stuff. It was then that I realized how big the guy actually was.

"I'd be terrified to go against that guy," Hilary said as she looked over at him, practically voicing my own thoughts. "He's so big. He could snap me like a toothpick if he wanted to."

"Guys like that are all big softies," I said as I shook my head. I turned to Ray and added, "But that shouldn't be a reason for you to easy on him."

"What kind of blader do you take me for?" He asked in an offended tone finally opening his eyes. "I don't go easy on anyone."

"I know what she means though, dude," Tyson said slowly. "Sometimes you do let your feelings get in the way of Beyblading."

"When we were younger you used to always go easy on me just because I wasn't that experienced," I added. "Well, you did that until I threatened to hurt you."

"Trust me on this one, guys," Ray said in a calm tone. "I won't go easy on him or any of the other BEGA bladers or Boris. I won't be able to accept the fact that he's trying to turn Beyblade form a sport of hobby to a paid sport."

As Tyson and Max spoke to Ray to prepare him for his match I just sat there, listening to them, and admiring how much Ray had grown over the years as a person and as a blader. Ever since we were younger he's been the first one to start training and the last one to come in for dinner. He trained hard every day as long as he had time and he didn't hold back in his battles. He was one fierce competitor and he's only gotten more fierce, wise, and skilled as he grew up.

When we were younger he was always the first one to help a new batch of beybladers get started and to love the sport as he much as he did. He was the one who got me to love Beyblading. Not because I liked the feeling of being able to defeat opponents and learn from them, but because I vowed to beat him one day because to me, ever since we were young, he's been my rival of sorts.

"Crystal." I looked up when Ray addressed me and saw that he was standing in front of me. "If I lose…" he started. "Don't think any less of me."

"I would never," I said as I shook my head at his statement. "And don't talk like that. You have to believe in yourself, Kon. If you don't, then Driger won't, then you might as well kiss your bitbeast goodbye."

I saw him flinch slightly and I knew I struck a nerve. Ray lost Driger twice and I knew that he wasn't ready to lose him again. To Ray, Driger wasn't just his bitbeast, he was his partner and one of Ray's best friends, if that makes sense. The two have been together through a lot of things and Driger always has Ray's back. It only proves that bitbeasts are more human than we think.

"I'll keep that in mind," he said. Tyson and the others gave him encouragement and he walked up to the dish. I scanned over the others that sat on the bench and fear weighed down on my heart at the bladders that were left.

Please, Kai, please come.

All of us were on the edge of our seats as we watched the match. With Ray's strategy he kept absorbing Crusher's power and sending it right back at him. I was surprised each and every time Crusher came out unscathed. Even Dricen would be limping by now, there was no way Crusher could survive those attacks but he came out stronger than before.

Tyson tensed next to me as Ray and Crusher continued to fight, giving it all they had. His knuckles started to turn white from clenching the bench so hard. I was afraid his head was going to explode 'cause it didn't seem like he was breathing.

The beydish crumbled as Ray and Crusher gave it their all and in the end Crusher won. I could feel my heart breaking a bit. Ray fought well and that should be the only thing that mattered but…it was getting close and the pressure that Max must be feeling now should've been thick. But I needed to know who he was up against to see if we even stood a chance should I have to fight.

"It looks like the matchup is Max and…Mystel," Kenny announced.

Max and Hilary gasped and my heart rammed against my chest. "Which means I'm against either Garland or Brooklyn," I summed up with a sigh.

"W…We can switch, right?" Max asked, looking at Kenny. "She should fight Mystel."

I glared. "Don't pity me, Tate. I can take care of either of 'em. As long as Dricen has my back."

"Are you sure?" Tyson asked.

I nodded and clutched Dricen tight in my palm, feeling the spikes on his attack ring pressing into my fingers. "Trust me."

Heh. If only I could convince myself.