Me: (Yawn) Good morning everybody!
Tsubasa: What's wrong with you?
Me: I was up until 2am last night!
Hyoma, Hikaru and Tsubasa: Why?
Me: Well until my Chemestry and Maths tests are over with next week, I'm stuck revising every night. And then there's the factor that my school is putting on a musical and I'm not gettig home until like six o'clock every night because of practises. When else am I supposed to write.
Hyoma: Pressure much?
Me: Not really, I just really like writting this.
Hyoma, Hikaru and Tsubasa: Oh how good for you!
Me: I don't know what you're stressing about, this is more a filler chapter I guess.
Hikaru: Please tell me that means that you're nto making us do really stupid and life-threatening things.
Me: (Giggles)
Hyoma, Hikaru and Tsbasa: AH! Oh no! Evil giggle!
Me: Don't worry, I'm not making you three do anything stupid. But some others, maybe.
Tsubasa: What have they done now? They've already redecorated Yu's room in the messiest way possible, burnt water and blown up my hairdryer.
Me: This is way funnier. I got the idea from Cheaper By The Dozen 2.
Hyoma: You get way too many weird ideas from weird movies.
Me: I'm not weird. No who's doing the disclaimer?
Ginga: Sharkey52 doesn't own Metal Fight Beyblade.
Me, Hyoma, Hikaru and Tsubasa: When did you get here?
Sora and Yu: Just now, with us.
Kenta: Upon Sharkey52's request.
Ginga: Sorry about the disclaimer! I just couldn't resist! I've never done a disclaimer before in this story! Please don't kill me!
Me: Urgh...it's getting way to crowded in here. Anyway, story...BEGIN!
The Light and Darkness Chronicles
Chapter Nine - Troublemakers
"You have got to be kidding me."
"Oh come on! It won't be for long!"
"You don't even know how long you'll be there!" Ryo countered, shuffling some papers on his desk. Hikaru sighed, leaning over the desk.
"It's just the two of us" she sighed "It's hardly the whole WBBA!"
"Yes, good point" Ryo nodded "But what am I suppose to do without my assistant? What will happen to the WBBA?"
"What will happen to the world may be the better question, leaving you alone in an office."
"Stay out of this Tsubasa!" Ryo and Hikaru glared at the third occupant of the office. Leaning against the wall, Tsubasa unfolded his arms to hold his hands up defensively to ward off the golden-brown and blue glares staring daggers in his direction. One thing he knew about his boss and Hikaru - if they're having a fight, don't get involved.
"Look" Hikaru sighed "Hyoma means a lot to us. He's a really close friend of ours. We just want to check if he's alright."
"Ever heard of a phone call?" Ryo snorted.
Hikaru bit back the urge to snap 'Ever heard of sarcasm?' "Hyoma's a skilled liar, that is unless you're face to face with him; then he can crack under the pressure. And he's too kind for his own good, he doesn't like other people getting involved in his problems. Trying to get him to admit something over a phone call is something nobody, accept maybe Hokuto and Ginga, can achieve. Your son grew up beside the kid, surely you must know this." Ryo sighed.
"Hyoma's changed a lot from the boy Ginga grew up with in Koma Village" was his reply.
"Maybe less than you think" Hikaru countered, but in less of a defensive tone.
She would have gone on, but at that moment they were interrupted. By interrupted they meant nearly being mowed over by four beys. Galaxy Pegasus, Flame Saggitario, Flame Libra and Cyber Pegasus all whizzed into the room followed by a hailstorm of paper airplanes. Ryo yelped and hid behind his desk, then leaping out the way as Cyber tried to run him over. Hikaru leapt backwards as Saggitario nearly knocked her off her feet, only to trip over Libra and get bombarded by the paper airplanes. Tsubasa fared the worst though. He bounded forwards onto one knee to avoid being bowled over by Pegasus, but was then blinded by the paper airplanes. This meant he couldn't see a thing as Pegasus and its black counterpart circled round to knock him over. Unfortunately, he fell right on top of Hikaru. Finally, the airplanes stopped and the beys, satisfied they'd caused enough damage, left the room. In the doorway though we're four very guilty faces.
"GINGA!" Ryo roared, his face going red with rage.
"YU!" Tsubasa got up from the floor, growling at his flat-mate and said flat-mate's new best friend "SORA!"
"KENTA!" Hikaru, now also angry, got to her feet and glared at the guiltiest-looking of the four. All four quickly ran away, howling something that sounded a bit like an apology, and the doors automatically closed.
The next ten minutes were spent putting the paper airplanes in the bin, restoring order to Ryo's office and attempting to find some plasters for Hikaru and Tsubasa's paper cuts. Unfortunately the only ones they could find we're some blue-and-white embarrassing Mr Bump plasters so decided to wait until the meeting was over to find some regular ones.
"I should've never agreed with Madoka to look after those four for the day" Tsubasa muttered "What was I thinking?"
"More like what were you forgetting" Hikaru chipped in "You knew our meeting was scheduled for today." She sighed and turned back to Ryo.
"Okay, here's my point" she said "Hyoma did us a favour by tracking down Ryuga. Now we have to repay that debt."
"Yeah" Tsubasa nodded "I owe Hyoma a lot for searching for Ryuga like he did. Hikaru's right when she says I owe him a debt." He wouldn't dare say it in front of Hikaru, but that wasn't the only reason he wasn't letting Hikaru travel to see Hyoma without him.
"Plus he helped me a lot before Battle Bladers" Hikaru continued "And whilst we're there we can look into those weird explosions. Don't say you'll send the police in there or someone instead of us because you know Hyoma will just turn them away in his own right. After all he..."
She stopped as the automatic doors opened. All three braced themselves for another raid, but as it turned out the only ones entering were the four trouble makers who had followed Tsubasa to work. They were running around with certain hospital items on their heads.
"Yu, what are you...?" Tsubasa looked so stunned he couldn't reach the end of the sentence. The smallest of the two gingers stopped in front of Tsubasa, using both hands to keep the blue hospital item on his head.
"Hi Tsubasa!" Yu beamed "These are so cool! You have to try one on!"
"Er...no thank you" was all Tsubasa could say.
"Hey Dad, look what we found!" Ginga beamed like an immature six-year-old.
"Wha'da ya think?" Sora asked, wearing a grin that make Ginga's look like it was from a hysterical child. Kenta was the only one that looked the slightest bit embarrassed, charging into the Director of the WBBA's office, even if he was your best friend's dad, wearing those on their heads. And he was the youngest.
"Um...Ginga" Ryo paled "Just...Just make sure you wash that thing."
"W-where did you get those?" Hikaru asked nervously.
"The sick bay downstairs" Kenta admitted.
"Why do they keep these cool hats in the sick bay by the way?" Sora asked "They should be the latest fashion!"
"These are like the coolest things ever!" Yu beamed "Don't you agree Tsubasa?"
"No" Tsubasa frankly responded "It's a bedpan Yu, please take it off your head." Yu though, plainly having no idea what a bedpan was, laughed:
"Never!" before running around the room laughing again. The others must have thought this was a sign to continue or something because they proceeded to do the exact same thing.
"ENOUGH!" Everyone looked at Hikaru who had finally snapped "THAT'S IT! If you wanna play games, go to the park! Now get out or I'm calling Madoka! NOW!" But by NOW, they had all left. Upon hearing Madoka's name, they had fled for their lives. Hikaru took a few deep breaths and turned to calmly face a plainly spooked and disturbed Ryo.
"So?" Hikaru asked "About that time off?" Ryo paused.
"How long?" he asked. Hikaru smiled as she sighed.
"Two weeks" she answered.
"And what about my assistant?" Ryo asked. He had a point. Ryo needed an assistant at all times in an office. He couldn't even start the coffee machine without blowing it up.
'Like father like son' Hikaru thought 'What about Madoka?"
"Madoka?" Ryo asked "An assistant?"
"Only temporarily" Hikaru shrugged "Besides, she'll want a break from those boys. They drive everyone crazy."
"Speaking of them, what will we do with him if Madoka will be working here?" Ryo asked.
"Just lock 'em in a room with a stadium all day and give them hamburgers for lunch and dinner" Tsubasa answered "Keeps 'em occupied for hours on end." Hikaru and Ryo stared at him "What? How do you think I achieved personal space and sanity whilst stuck travelling the world with Ginga, Masamune, Madoka AND Yu?" Hikaru and Ryo both agreed this was a sensible answer and finally Ryo gave a relenting sigh.
"Alright" he sighed "Just make sure Madoka agrees to this and notify me when you're going." Both bladers smiled with relief.
"Thank you sir!" They quickly darted out of the room and into the elevator before Ryo could change his mind. Once outside, they ran until they cornered another block and were sure they were safe. They found a cafe and ordered two coffees. It was still only 10am so they didn't have to wait very long.
"I can't believe you actually convinced him" Tsubasa commented "I mean, I've never seen you so angry when Ginga and co. walked in. I think he agreed because he actually feared for his life!" Hikaru laughed.
"I guess old habits die hard" she shrugged, stirring her coffee "Still feels like yesterday I was going around with Aquario defeating people left, right and centre with that temper."
"I'd be out of your path before you even challenged me if you had that attitude to everything" Tsubasa smiled "It appears I met you at a good time."
"Not really" Hikaru pointed out "The first time I saw you I thought you were a traitorous Dark Nebula scum." Tsubasa laughed.
"Yeah, I guess I didn't make a good impression to everyone" he said "So, this trip to Koma Village. When exactly are we going?"
"Well I guess as soon as possible and..." Hikaru began, but was cut off by a phone ringing out Galaxy Heart (the Japanese opening song for Metal Masters). She knew it wasn't her ringtone and so guessed it was Tsubasa's. The silver-haired blader must have come about the same realisation because he dug his mobile out of his pocket and answered it.
"Hello?" he answered "Oh, hi there!... You sound tired, what have you been doing?... Why doesn't that surprise me?" He said the last sentence dryly "...From who?...What?" His face fell and he bolted upright, plainly alarmed by something "Are you sure?... Argh, that kid is so stubborn!... Yes of course we're going, we were planning on going anyhow!... Okay, I'll call you back later." He flipped the mobile shut and put it back in his pocket.
"Okay, listen up" he said to Hikaru "Can you talk to Madoka about that temporary assistant thing for the next two weeks and notify Ryo? I need to talk to Kenta's parents about letting Yu stay with them for the next fortnight." He tried to finish his coffee as quickly as possible, but only succeeded on burning his tongue.
"Tsubasa, what's wrong?" Hikaru asked.
"We need to leave for Koma Village" was his answer "Today or tomorrow preferably."
"Tomorrow?" Hikaru asked "A bit sudden, don't you think?"
"Not really an option" Tsubasa explained "Hyoma's in trouble." The colour of Hikaru's face drained to snow-white, even though it was summer.
"Trouble?" she asked "What kind of trouble?"
"The kind of trouble that he's up to his neck in" Tsubasa answered, finishing his coffee, standing up and preparing to leave "Call me when you're ready. I think a train leaves at noon."
"Wait, Tsubasa!" Hikaru stood up, making him turn around "Was that Hyoma you just talked to on the phone?" Tsubasa shook his head "Then who was it?"
Tsubasa smiled and answered.