Tract Two

"Persistence"

I am Ray Striker. . .

The great unicorn who bears great power within my horn. . .

My mysterious, high speed, and précise power is the stuff of legends.

. . .

AND I'M THE NUMBER ONE HORSE OF THE BEY SPIRIT WORLD!

Oh, who were you expecting? Pegasus? Really? That fluffy winged dragon bucking pony?!

Be serious! If I hadn't been held up with. . .the stuff I was doing. . .I would've scored an easy win for my Master in that tournament those humans had, and jammed my horn right through L'Drago's black heart!

What, you think I'm kidding? Do you? I am the ultimate! I know it! My Master sure knows it! And now you know it! Get it? Get it? GET IT!? YOU HEAR ME!?

. . .

Good.

So you imagine how ticked off I was when I finally come up to Pegasus in the mountains of the Bey Spirit World, and he acts like I don't even matter.

"You really wouldn't be worth my time. You are far too arrogant," that pompous Pegasus says to me.

Then he turns his tail to me and starts to walk away.

THAT HIGH AND MIGHTY- ! Ooooooh! No one turns their tail on me!

"You think you're really something, don't you? Is it because you have a pair of wings! You do realize how feminine they make you look, right!"

I smile as my words cause Pegasus to stop walking. Aha, I got him by his pride! Just a little more and he'll agree to battle me.

"Look at the power I bare within my horn! I'll strike you down with it! I'll pull those dainty wings right off of you! It should have been me to defeat L'Drago, and I'll prove it."

Pegasus turns to me, looking visibly annoyed, "You have no idea what you are saying! L'Drago and the Dark Power are concepts you couldn't bare to grasp! If you desire a battle, then fine. I will teach you humility!"

That hypocrite!

So our battle begins. The chance to prove myself begins. . .

. . .

And that Pegasus. . .grandstands! Flying in every direction, breaking rocks, spawning a tornado! But what enrages me more than anything was that final he trick he played.

There he stood, a massive boulder on his back, weighing him down. I think, "this is my chance to win." But he thought, "here is my chance to humiliate Striker! I'll make him looks like an inept fool! LIKE A WEAK NOTHING! LIKE AN INSECT!"

. . .

Yeah. . .

Um. . .so along with the tiny atoms that once made up that boulder, I was sent blasting off.

. . .

I'VE ONLY BEGUN TO FIGHT!

I will hunt Pegasus down! My Master will hunt his Master down! He and I have been fired up!

Again and again and again! I will not let him beat me!

How many times have I been sent blasting off by Pegasus? I've lost count. But it doesn't matter. I'm wearing him down. How could Pegasus win? He's not even truly of one heart and mind with his Master! Not like I am with my Master! I sense no bound! There is none! That's why I'm better! All that high and mighty horse can do is run wild like he owns the battlefield! Ha!

Oh, you don't believe me? Ask Sagittario! He's not half bad for a half-equine. We met up during one of my secret dodging training regimens in my territory of the Bey Spirit Woods. Couple of other forest spirits helped me set the course up. If you ask me the woods are better than the Galaxy Realms Pegasus hangs out in sometimes. Just a bunch of stars and pretty colors and black space, seriously, what's so great about that anyway?

Anyways, about Sagittario, he's alright. He gave his word not to reveal my training techniques, and he quickly caught on to my plan to memorize all of Pegasus' moves! Even he knows that his Galactic friend is doomed!

And lo and behold, our battle after that was his end! I decided to have the battle in a field of gravel. Heh. Something to give me a little extra edge. . .

"Why are you so obsessed with getting thrown into the distance over and over again? Do you enjoy it? Do you wish to fly like me, is that it?" he says to me with a smile.

His remarks didn't bother me this time., cause I knew he'd end up eating his words this time. I saw how agitated he became as I kept dodging his fancy attacks. I'm sure he was starting to realize how out of sync he was with his Master. And you have no idea how gratifying it was to see how shocked he was when I used my Teleport ability to pop up right behind him. That was gloriou- NO! No, that wasn't glorious! You know what was glorious?

Smashing him right into the earth and watching as his precious wings were buried by the avalanche that followed.

. . . .

YES!

For you, my Master! Masamunae! With one heart and mind, we put this so called Legend in his place, haven't we! Together. I made you proud, didn't I Master? We did each other well.

So, I waited for this lesser horse to crawl out from under the rock, and smiled as he shook the debris out of his now gray dusty wings.

"Acknowledge me! As the strongest Bey Spirit!" I declared.

"Impossible. . ." Pegasus said, to himself I presumed.

"Oh, it's very possible!" I laughed as I pranced around the grounded Pegasus, "My Master and I are one! All we needed was to do a little training, come up with a strategy, and then we both take you down!"

Pegasus didn't move to get up, he lay where he was. "But. . .Gingka and I-"

"Aren't even close!" I said, cutting him off as I bowed down to his level and held my horn to his forehead. "Gingka must not care about your spirit at all! The whole time he's just been making you flap your wings really hard to blow whatever crosses his path away. You call that battling? Ha! Well my Master and I have power, strategy, control, and a bond that you probably won't ever understand."

"But we did-" he began, but I just flicked his mane with my horn and pranced off.

"LISTEN TO ME, WORLD! I AM THE STRONGEST BEY SPIRIT! MY MASTER IS THE FIRST! I AM ALL POWERFUL!"

Yeah, yeah, maybe I can go a little too far from time to time. But when you defeat the "famous" Pegasus, maybe you've earned to write to boast a bit!

So that's how I totally humiliated that Pegasus and proved that I, Ray Striker, am the most powerful Bey Spirit in the world. So, if you ever want to see me in action, maybe try your luck against me so you can say that you had a battles with the world's strongest, just stop by the Forests Realm and I'll-

"Gingka. . ."

Huh? Who's Pegasus talking to?

". . .Of course I forgive you, Master. Part of the blame is mine as well. I was just so thrilled at being free, I neglected to revitalize our connection. My true friend. . .I should have made it easier for you to feel my spirit."

Um. . .my horn is starting to tingle. . .

"Yes, Gingka. . .Let us finally, and truly. . .FEEL EACH OTHER'S SPIRITS!"

Did I mention Sagittario was there to watch the battle? Well, he was, and he shared the observation I was having. . .THAT PEGASUS SUDDENLY GOT SUPERCHARGED! He was practically glowing with power!

I . . .was afraid! The dust was thrown off of Pegasus' body as his wings unfurled, and he just flew off in circles, faster than any tornado. Blue fire trailed behind him! And then he suddenly took off into the sky, straight up! At practically light speed!

What happened next. . .I can only describe with three words.

"Star Booster Attack!"

Well, I was blown back yet again. And when I got up, Pegasus was sanding proudly, looking very happy and fulfilled as Sagittario got up from where he was thrown and congratulated him.

As I looked at Pegasus, I realize how he was feeling just then.

Complete.

So, I guess he's one with his Master now. Great.

Well. . .I did already beat him. . .so. . .

"Striker! Where are you going! Get back here! Don't you run from me! Coward! Stop running, right now! Striker! STRIKER!"

-Ray Striker

Beyblade Metal Masters: Episode 2 The Persistent Challenger