Alright! You guys are actually getting two chapters today because I'm terrible at updating my sister's story... Heh heh... Sorry! Enjoy the story anyways!
I lay back on my pillow, watching the darkness around me fade to blue-hued light. Several times now I had startled awake, facing flames reaching for my face. Every time I had woken up, I was breathing hard and struggling to remember where I was.
A lone light flickered on in the Bladebreakers' kitchen and soft movements swished about. I decided if someone else was up, I should be too. Quietly keeping an eye out for stirring from the other sleeping shapes around me, I got up and ready. The light in the kitchen winked out, plunging the room into darkness. A shadow slid toward the door and I crept over to it. I caught a glimpse of spikey, dark hair and hard, narrowed eyes.
Kai glanced in my direction – perhaps in shock, if he was capable of that – and I soundlessly inquired where he was going. Kai merely swept past me to open the door and I threw out a hand to touch his shoulder. He turned to give me an impatient glare.
"Can I come?" I asked carefully.
"I'm no one's babysitter," Kai muttered. Without another word or look, he walked out the door. The comment stung, but I brushed it off with a shrug. I shouldn't have expected anything less. I grabbed my backpack and began walking in the opposite direction Kai had, the door swinging shut behind me.
Over the next few days, I practiced launching with my left hand until I could barely tell which hand was the injured one. Pale bruises surfaced and vanished where the attack ring shrapnel had hit me. Fortunately, my efforts weren't wasted and Nyclix was starting to spin on most of my attempts. My movements were getting quicker and the power behind my strikes was growing.
I had been steadily increasing the time spent practicing until there wasn't a lot of time left between eating, practicing, and sleeping. As grateful as I was to the Bladebreakers, I didn't see them other than at meals or team practice. Talking to them reminded me too much of what they were sacrificing to let a newbie on their team, that I needed to be practicing harder. It also didn't help that whenever I saw them, fire raged just out of sight. I barely spent time with any of them at all. Though this changed when Hiro announced we were leaving.
"It's time our team travelled to the location of the tournament finals," Hiro said over breakfast.
"Where're we goin'?" Tyson asked through mouthfuls of food. Both he and Daichi were locked in the fierce competition of who could eat the most. I frowned as one of them picked an uneaten piece of toast off my plate. I sighed softly, before acknowledging that I hadn't really wanted to eat it. Not badly, anyway.
"New York," He answered. Max looked up in surprise, a delighted expression lighting his face.
"No way!" He exclaimed, excitedly. "Will we have time to see my mom?"
"Actually, Max, your mom is one of the people helping organize the finals. I'm sure you'll be seeing her a lot," Hiro said. Max jumped out of his seat, throwing his fist in the air.
"This is so great! Sandy, you live in the United States too, right?" Max said, turning to me eagerly. My eyes widened in shock at suddenly being addressed.
"Technically, yes, but I'm on the opposite coast," I said. I laughed, a little bit ruefully. "To me, New York is almost as foreign as Japan." Max looked a little bit crestfallen and I added hastily, "But I'm excited to meet your mom and it will be great to be back in my country." The blond-haired boy smiled and regained his enthusiasm.
"This will be the best tournament ever!" He shouted. I smiled happily, trying not to let the empty feeling inside spoil the moment.
"We'll be flying in the afternoon," Hiro said. "Everyone needs to be ready to depart by twelve thirty." The Bladebreakers chatted excitedly – except for Kai – with Max the most eager of all. My lips gently curved upward as I watched them, before I dropped back into my serious expression; the one that didn't require a lot of effort from me. After a few moments, I quietly snagged my backpack and exited the scene.
We all milled about the airport a couple of hours later. Hiro unwisely left us alone so he could attend to last minute preparations. The group continued to talk and my fingers itched to draw out my beyblade. Unfortunately, there was nowhere to go with the crowds and the upcoming plane trip. This fact was made clear after I attempted to work around the people and almost lost Nyclix permanently.
"Are you sure this is where we're supposed to be?" Kenny asked, fidgeting with his glasses.
"I think so," Tyson said. I withheld a groan as I heard him hesitate. The Bladebreakers looked around uncertainly. I sighed softly. We were definitely lost. A group of people to the left caught my attention, the gleam of hard plastic flashing from their belts. Beybladers. I turned to follow them with my eyes, inhaling sharply as the group suddenly wheeled to face us.
"It can't be," a boy said. "Are you guys the Bladebreakers?" The boy immediately came closer, two boys and a girl following him. He had smooth, brown hair and a charming smile, but I noticed it never reached his eyes. His eyes were cold and dark.
I frowned as he stopped in front of Tyson. Tyson grinned, placing a hand on the back of his head. He responded cheerfully, "That's us." The boy's smile grew wider.
"It's always nice to meet opponents." Tyson's eyes widened and Max stepped in.
"What do you mean?" Max asked.
"Didn't you know? We're in the tournament too," the boy said. His eyes glittered darkly for a second, but returned to normal. "We're part of the Whitney Warriors."
"Oh!" Kenny exclaimed in recognition. "I've heard of you. You guys did fantastic in the qualifying rounds!" Rei and Max glanced over at Kenny and then at the Warriors, seeming impressed. Daichi harrumphed, rather uninspired by the news. Kai crossed his arms, but he wasn't ignoring the exchange.
"You must be really good then," Hilary said. The boy glanced at her and walked over, his smile growing wider still. I forced myself not to step in front of her.
"We are," he said, smugly. "And who might this beautiful young lady be?" Tyson suddenly looked unhappy for some reason. Hilary blushed at the attention and her voice was a bit shy.
"Hilary Tachibana." The boy bowed slightly, his charming smile never wavering.
"Will Smithwright." I glanced over at Kai who had suddenly taken a step back. His face was unusually pale. I studied him inquiringly, but was forced to turn away when Will spoke again.
"Well, it was nice talking to you, but I'm afraid we have to go. See you at the tournament, Bladebreakers." Daichi glared at the boy's back as he and his team walked off.
"I don't like that guy," he muttered.
"Me neither," Tyson said, sounding annoyed. "The guy's head was too big if you ask me." Hilary let out a short laugh.
"Remind you of anyone?" She asked slyly.
"I don't have a big head!" Tyson exclaimed indignantly. Both of them broke into fierce argument, Kenny trying in vain to interfere.
"You guys, focus on the bigger issue at hand!" Kenny called in exasperation. "We're lost, remember?"