Bittersweet Melody
Second Arc: Act Four
"Who are they going against?"
Takao moved both of his arms behind his head before letting out a loud yawn. The sound of Kyoujyu tapping away at his laptop echoed through his ears. No doubt he looking up the latest stats and information he had on The Saint Shields. He then turned to the lone female, Hiromi. She sat with her arms crossed over her small bust while Daichi sat on the floor. The redhead had one leg crossed over the other. One hand was lifted to his eye, it was apparent that someone had just woken him from his afternoon nap.
A set of footsteps snapped Takao out of his thoughts; Hitoshi had been pacing back and forth for a while now. Hiromi watched as the grown man walked in a straight line, his hand cupping his chin. He was lost in a deep thought. What could he be thinking? Something must have been bothering him; the look on his face didn't appear to be a good sign.
"Well?" Takao asked, closing one eye and yawning once again.
Hitoshi's feet came to a halt. He lifted his hand to his forehead and sighed. Confused, he narrowed his eyes at his older brother and removed his arms from behind his head. He leaned in to see his brother's expression clearer. The tapping from Kyoujyu also stopped. The boy lifted his head to see what was the cause for all the silence. Hiromi fluttered her eyes in surprise. What could the oldest male be so worried about?
"What's the matter?" Takao asked.
"The Saint Shields are going to battle Neo Borg."
"What?!" Takao and Kyoujyu shouted at once.
"What's with all the noise?!" Daichi whined, moving his right hand to his ear.
"That's impossible!" He leaped from his seat and glared at his older half.
"Is it?" Hitoshi frowned. "They are set to battle now." He then stepped out of his field of pacing to walk over to the TV screen on the locker room wall. "And we're going to watch."
"How can we just sit here and watch?!" Takao shouted again.
"Why are you shouting?!" Daichi pushed his tiny body from the floor to meet his partner.
"You're both shouting!" Hiromi snarled as she too lifted herself from the couch. "Now," She continued in a calmer voice. "Takao, what's the big deal?" She lifted her arms and shrugged her shoulders. "They were going to have to battle eventually."
"But you don't understand!" Kyoujyu lifted his laptop from his lap and placed it to one side. "Cat and Ozuma have never faced anything like Neo Borg before!"
"I don't know if they can do it." Takao lowered his head.
"Hiromi's right." Hitoshi spoke to his team with a low voice. "Eventually The Saint Shields were going to have to face someone. If it wasn't Neo Borg, it could have been us."
"What?" Takao's head jerked upward to face his brother.
"Eventually," Hitoshi approached his younger brother with a blank look on his face. "You two are going to fight."
"I know that!" He grunted, shooting a glare at his brother. "Ozuma and I have battled before."
"I'm not talking about Ozuma."
"What?" He jerked backward in shock. "You mean Cat?" A nervous laugh left his mouth. "What's the big deal about that? I know I can win."
"Then why are your hands shaking?"
His eyes snapped open. He looked down at his gripped fists to see that they were indeed shaking. He gasped and relaxed his hands, letting them fall to his sides. He looked back to see Hiromi and Kyoujyu with looks of concern littering their faces.
Slowly, he turned his head to see Daichi below him with a look of confusion in his eyes. He could feel himself grinding his teeth together, what was with the sudden silence? Why was everyone looking at him so…so strangely? He let out a loud gulp before biting down on his lower lip. A few beads of sweat tumbled down his forehead and cheeks. Why was he sweating? Was he nervous? The thought of battling anyone never caused anything but pure excitement but at the mention of fighting Cat…he felt his whole body become numb. He couldn't be nervous, could he? Apprehensive perhaps? But why?
"Takao, are you okay?" Hiromi took a few silent steps toward the shaken boy and placed her hand on his tense shoulder.
Takao jumped at the female's touch, causing both teens to separate from one another. He swirled around to see Hiromi with big, worried eyes. What was she concerned about? It wasn't her out there fighting! He grunted before turning back to face his older brother. His eyes traveled up Hitoshi's body until they landed on his face. The manager stood serious as ever, his eyes sending daggers in his direction.
"You need to prepare yourself for this." Hitoshi's words hit his eardrum like a ton of bricks. "You are compromising yourself if you don't."
"I still don't see what the big deal is," Daichi lifted his shoulders and let out a loud laugh.
"What did you say?" Takao's eyes darted down to Daichi's level.
"Takao," The monkey boy stopped mid-laugh and lifted a single finger into the air. "What's the matter? Max, Rei and Kai are on separate teams and you don't seem to care. Why is it such a big deal when it's a girl?"
"Ugh!" The champ threw his arms over his chest and turned away from the redhead. "You wouldn't understand!"
"You're worried about beating her, aren't you?"
Takao gasped. What? That couldn't be right. He turned to look over his shoulder at his older brother. What was he saying? Could this be the weakness they talked about the day before? His eyes widened as he looked at Hitoshi. This couldn't be true. There were many times in the past when he battled Cat without a problem so why…why now did it make a difference? He felt his arms unfold and fall down to hit his sides. He had never been afraid to defeat anyone before so why now? Why with Cat?
"You don't know what you're talking about!" Takao went on the defensive, throwing his balled fist into the air.
"All right," Hitoshi closed his eyes and turned away from his younger brother. "But think about it, Takao. Don't let it hold you back."
He growled as he glared at Hitoshi's back, "Don't worry, I won't."
XoXoX
"Congratulations!"
POP!
A small white flash blinded the team for a moment. When they reopened their eyes, the saw a large gathering of bright streamers fill the air. Yumi had set off her own set of poppers in celebration. The blue-haired female stood in front of The Saint Shields, Rumi and Yuki with a look of excitement on her face. A few seconds passed before all the streamers and confetti dropped to the locker room floor. Ozuma, Dunga, Mariam and Yusuf stood in shock, what was with the sudden celebration? They hadn't won anything yet.
"What's with the poppers?" Dunga lifted his hand to his head and plucked off any remaining confetti.
"Congratulations!" Yumi yipped with pleasure, her two hands pressed together in front of her chest. "It's your first battle!"
"Is that the reason?" Yusuf narrowed his eyes as he stared at the strange, younger female.
"Yumi, you're overdoing it again." Rumi sighed, as she ran her slender pale fingers through her orange-colored hair. "Calm down."
"We should be celebrating!" Yumi closed her eyes and smiled. "This will be a day we remember forever!"
"But we haven't won yet," Cat laughed as a small droplet of sweat ran down her cheeks.
"Hell, you guys might not even win!" Rumi lifted her hand to her cheek and snickered.
"HEY!" Dunga jerked his fist forward and began to shake it at Rumi. "What's with that attitude?!"
Ozuma's thick brow twitched with frustration. Where they at it again? He opened one of his closed eyes to see Dunga in the corner of the room with a look of pure anger on his face. Hm, it seemed that the tanned male was also anxious about this battle.
Ozuma's look then shifted over to his partner, Cat. The girl stood in the center of the room, sweating bullets. The female had an uneasy look on her face that caused her eyebrows to point downward on her forehead. He could almost see her teeth grinding in her mouth. So the thought of fighting Neo Borg worried her that much? Was it the actual battle that worried her, or was it Kai that caused her to be so apprehensive?
"Don't get cocky out there, princess."
Ozuma's attention shifted to Dunga once again. The oldest member had addressed Cat with a stern voice. The taller teammate's voice caused the singer to jump and throw her hands over her chest. She gulped loudly before moving her forearm to her head. She then wiped away any excess sweat and sighed.
"I'm not!" She replied in a nervous tone.
"What's got you so flustered?"
Cat blinked a few times before turning to her team captain. The shorter male was looking at her with a blank expression. Cat took a deep breath and shut her eyes tight. She held the air in her lungs for a moment or two before releasing it loud enough for the rest of the team to acknowledge.
"Nothing!" She threw both hands up and shook her head from side to side.
"This is your first time in a tournament, isn't it?" Mariam cocked her head to one side and smiled at the new team member. "Don't worry. You'll do fine."
"It's not that!" She pouted.
"Then what is it?" Rumi said from across the room.
"Nothing!" She repeated herself before releasing a nervous laugh.
"Cat?"
Ozuma and his teammates looked behind the pop star to see her boyfriend calling to her. The white-haired boy stepped toward Cat with both hands open and smile equipped. He then proceeded to wrap both arms around her, embracing her in a warm hug. He nuzzled his face in her neck and hummed. Cat's eyes widened as her arms remained in the air.
Obviously taken back by the sudden act of affection, she let out another set of nervous giggles. She looked over her left shoulder to see her teammates along with Rumi Yumi, and the rest of her team watching her. True, this boy was her boyfriend but what was with the sudden hug? No doubt feeling awkward, she pushed her body away from Yuki's and placed both of her hands on his shoulders. The shorter female looked at him straight in the eye and smiled.
"We'll be fine."
"I know." Yuki's arms fell to his sides. "Do your best."
Cat moved away from Yuki and turned her body toward Ozuma. She stepped up to the smaller boy and lifted her clenched fist to eye-level. With a determined grin, she nodded her head at him. Ozuma managed to crack a smile and nodded his head in reply. It was time to fight. Fight for their team. The captain straightened out his back and stood strong beside his female partner. The two then walked beside one another to the locker room exit. He pressed his hand against the cold door and forced it open. A white light pierced their eyes and caused the remaining team members to shield their faces. It was time to face Neo Borg, whether they were ready or not.
XoXoX
"New York brings us a new day and a new Beybattle!" Blader DJ's voice echoed through the air as he spoke into his microphone. "Today The Saint Shields take on Neo Borg!" The crowd roared as the DJ stood on stage.
In front of Blader DJ sat the Beydish in which the battle would engage in. The blue dish was deep, deeper than anything Cat had even seen before. She stood alongside her male partner at their corner of the stadium, launchers in hand. Ozuma looked at her shaking hands and sighed. She was more nervous now than ever before! He lifted his hand and placed it on her upper arm. The female looked down to see her teammate with an unusual smile on his face. Cat puffed up her cheeks and grunted, she had to stand strong!
Across the stage sat Neo Borg. Boris, Sergei, Yuriy and Kai sat beside one another, each with a look of aggravation on their faces. Typical. She squinted her eyes at the sight of Boris, Sergei and Yuriy; she hadn't seen them in two whole years. They hadn't changed much at all! She felt a small bit of warmth in her heart; perhaps this wouldn't be as hard as she thought. Her eyes then landed on Kai. The boy was as cool and calm as ever. He sat with his eyes shut and arms crossed over his chest. Same 'ol Kai.
"First up, Ozuma versus Yuriy!"
Cat broke from her thoughts at Blader DJ's announcement. She looked up to see that Ozuma had left her side and began his walk up the steps to the Beydish. Hearing his name being called, Yuriy slowly rose from his seat and ascended the short flight of stairs to meet the Beydish. The crowd yipped and shouted in joy as the two boys stared one another down. Ozuma fixated his glare directly into Yuriy's eyes. The cold set of ice blue eyes stared back at him with emptiness. Ozuma lifted his launcher to his chest in silence.
This wouldn't be easy… for either of them.
Clicking the proper parts into place, Yuriy moved his launcher upward. He set his blade into the gun-style launcher and prepared himself. No words passed the boys as they tensed up for the fight. Blader DJ looked back and forth at each boy, he had never seen a stare as cold as Yuriy's or Ozuma's. Clearing his throat, Blader DJ threw is arm into the arm to begin the match.
"3," He began, "2," Ozuma looped his finger through his Beyblade ripcord, "1! GO SHOOT!"
Both boys shot out their blades at once. The tops hit the dish at maximum speed, causing the dish to shake and shimmy. Finding his own proper speed, Ozuma zipped to the left then to the right, zigzagging in the Beydish. Yuriy's blade rotated in a small circle before finding its balance; it then stayed in one solid spot.
Cat watched with a set of wide, curious eyes, what was this some kind of taunt toward her partner? Why did Ozuma have to make the first move? Yuriy stood at the other end of the Beydish with a smirk on his face. This was a trap obviously.
She watched as Ozuma bit down on his lower lip before throwing arm outward, commanding his blade to shoot forward. The black blade sped forward, gaining speed at every second. Yuriy stood at his end of the stage with his eyes shut; he had something up his sleeve for sure.
Just as Ozuma's blade hit Yuriy's blade, the redhead's blade darted to one side, evading Ozuma's strong attack. Her partner grunted, his eyes moving up from the Beydish to look at his opponent. Yuriy stood with his arms crossed over his chest, the cocky grin still stuck on his face. What was this? Trickery? Trying to show off?
Cat lifted her head to look at the New York crowd around them. The crowd was cheering and roaring with excitement and enthusiasm. No, her partner couldn't let the roaring crowd get to him. Ozuma ducked his neck into his shoulders and commanded his blade once again to go on the attack. But this time, it would be different.
Ozuma called for his Holy Beast, he would end this quickly. He punched the air, and commanded his blade to shoot forward. The black blade spun forward, only to once again be evaded by Yuriy. The redhead laughed, as if the shorter male's move was predictable.
But just before Yuriy could open his mouth to speak, he watched as Ozuma's black blade spun up the side of the dish. The blade flew into the air, high above both of their heads. Yuriy was taken back for a moment, his mouth wide open as he stared at the black blade. Ozuma's top spun in midair for what seemed to be minutes. The crowd became quiet, what would happen next?
Ozuma shouted and called out his Holy Beast. The black blade shown in a white light as his leopard became visible. This was it! A large sly grin cracked across Yuriy's face. This was the moment. Yuriy's eyes studied the black blade as he plummeted back to the Beydish. Moments before Ozuma's blade could make contact with Yuriy's, the former solider threw his head back and shouted.
"NOVEA ROGE!"
Within an instant a white light broke out from Yuriy's blade. The blinding light caused Ozuma to throw his arms over his face. It was then that the shorter boy's blade became frozen. Yuriy's blade then shot forward, slamming into Ozuma's blade at full force. After the collision of the two blades only one blade stood. The Saint Shield's captain watched as his blade tumbled out of the ring and landed at his feet. The small blade toppled to one side and shined in the sun.
"The win goes to Neo Borg!" Blader DJ announced with excitement as the crowd hollered in joy.
Ozuma's mouth dropped open and his knees buckle beneath him, and he fell to the ground. He looked down to see his black blade sitting on the ground, beaten to a pulp. How could things have gotten sour so fast? Ozuma lifted his blade up from the floor and pulled it toward his chest. He let out a sigh before pushing himself up on his feet.
Cat bit her tongue, what was she supposed to say to her defeated partner? What would she say to Yuriy? She turned her attention to the slender redhead as he whirled around on his heel and retreated to his seat on the bleachers with the remaining members of his team.
Before she knew it, Ozuma approached her. "It's your turn." He said stepping passed her, his eyes still shut tight. "Good luck." He then placed a single hand on her left shoulder before leaving for the bleachers.
"Ozuma…" Cat watched as her teammate took his seat on the lone white bleacher.
"It's time for the second battle!" Blader DJ announced as both sides met at the Beydish. "This round its Cat versus Kai!"
The fan shouted and cheered around them. Cat looked up to see her female fans up from their seats, waving and applauding. So her music fans had followed her to the tournament? Cat lifted her arm into the air and began to wave in return. Cat closed her eyes and giggled as she continued to wave to her fans. Kai stood feet away with a displeased frown on his face. He uncrossed his arms and glared at the female in front of him.
"You better give me your all." He spoke, his scarf flapping in the wind.
Cat opened her eyes to see the older male with his eyes still shut tight. "Kai?" She whispered to herself.
"It's time to fight!" Blader DJ lifted his arm into the air before speaking.
"3," Cat lifted her launcher and her shoulders became tense. "2," Kai silently lifted his launcher to his chest and opened his eyes. "1! GO SHOOT!"
The two ripped out their cords at the same seconds, sending their blades crashing down into the blue Beydish. The stadium vibrated beneath their feet and the crowd cheered at their loudest. Cat's white blade spun forward, immediately going on the attack. The small blade was vigorous in its attack on Kai's blade. While her blade proceeded to slam into Kai's blade, he stood with a smug look on his face. He wouldn't move an inch, his blade mimicking his stillness.
"Why aren't my attacks fazing him?" She hissed under her breath, both fists clenched.
"So have you decided to tell me why you continue to come back?"
She flinched. She looked up to see the taller male standing straight with his eyes shut. Cat narrowed her stare at the boy and cocked an eyebrow. What was he talking about? She hunched over, trying her best to ignore anything Kai had to say.
"Answer me!" He shouted, his blade reflecting his anger by making its first move and slamming into her blade.
"What are you talking about?!" She finally snapped, removing her eyes from the battlefield and glaring at Kai.
"You never answered me," He spoke now in a calmer, smoother voice. "Tell me why you continue to come back."
"Come back where?" Cat asked, now more confused than ever.
"Back into our lives." Kai answered. "Every time you leave, you always have a habit of bouncing right back. I asked you back then…" He lowered his head, "And you never answered."
"Why did you decide to come back?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Cat shook her head from side to side in denial.
"You said the same thing back then." Kai's voice entered her ears like a melody. "But I think I know why now."
"If you know everything, then why do I need to answer?!" She snapped, her blade zigzagging back and forth in the Beydish below.
Cat grunted, this wasn't good, she watched as her blade flew from side to side, slamming against the walls of the Beydish. Was she distracted? No, she wouldn't let Kai get the better of her now! She stamped her foot down and groaned, she had to regain control over her blade. She couldn't lose to Kai, not like this. Her wobbling top made fragile attempts at attacking him, only to end in failure. What could she do now?
XoXoX
"What is she doing?!"
Takao watched the large screen TV with wide eyes. He had long jumped from his seat on the couch in the locker room and was now standing, leaned in toward the television. Kyoujyu, Hiromi and Daichi sat on the couch watching with all their might. What was going on here? What was wrong with Cat's blade? He couldn't believe his eyes; Kai had to be saying something to her to cause her to attack so poorly. What could he have said to her? He wanted so much to shout at Cat, to tell her to stay on her toes, to tell her to try harder! But he couldn't, not locked inside of locker room he couldn't.
"It looks like Kai's got the better hand!" Kyoujyu observed from his seat.
"He's talking to her," Takao spoke aloud, "What are you saying Kai?!" He threw his arms over his capped head and growled. "Come on!"
"He's really into this, isn't he?" Daichi blinked once or twice before looking over his shoulder to Hiromi and Kyoujyu.
"Yes," Hiromi's eyes focused in on the television on the wall in front of her. "He is…"
XoXoX
"I need you to tell me," Kai lifted his head to face Cat. "Tell me, is that the reason why you came back?"
She gripped her fists in frustration. "What reason?! I don't know what you're talking about!" She shouted, her blade making another failed attempt to attack.
"You," Kai's voice lowered into a whisper just loud enough for the girl to hear. "You came back for him."
"What?" Her mouth dropped open with shock.
"You came back for him!" Kai shouted, loud enough for the crowd around him to hear. "You LOVE him!"
Cat's body became stiff. She could no longer feel her hands or feet. Everything seemed to become numb. She felt her jaw lock open and her eyes widen. Her legs felt the weight of her entire body and she buckled beneath the weight. She collapsed onto her knees. Just as she hit the ground, a buzzing sound passed her ear.
She hardly noticed her blade being knocked out of the dish. It flew passed her face at top speed and hit the wall behind her. Her hair dangled in the warm New York wind. She felt her hand lift to her face and touch her soft cheek. Her cheeks were warmer than they should be; could she be blushing? Cat then looked down to her knees and the world around her became silent. Sounds and voices muffled, her vision cloudy.
"And that means Neo Borg wins!" Blader DJ saluted his arm and pointed in Kai's direction.
Her head darted upward to see Kai leaving the arena. She felt her whole body become warm. What did he just say? No, she must have heard wrong. She gulped and rubbed her hand against her cheek. Love?
A warm hand touched Cat's shoulder. She whirled her head around to see Ozuma and the rest of her team standing behind her. He removed his hand from her shoulder and placed it on his hip. He gave her a stern look and sighed. Cat's eyes then moved to the others behind him.
Mariam, Dunga and Yusuf stood shocked at what they had just seen and heard. What was this all about? She returned her gaze to the floor beneath her. How shameful. Not only did Kai accuse her of loving someone other than her boyfriend, she lost. She hadn't put up her best; she hadn't worked for her loss. She hadn't even tried. The shock of it all had been her defeat.
"Get up," Ozuma finally broke his silence.
Without a word, she lifted her fallen body from the floor. She looked up to see her fans in the audience around her staring at her in shock. What had they just heard? Surely they hadn't heard everything…right? Cat shut her eyes and gripped her fists. No, this couldn't be happening. She again felt a hand touch her shoulder. She peered over her shoulder to see Ozuma. He looked deep into her eyes and tightened his grip on her shoulder. She bit her bottom lip and exhaled.
"I'm so-"
Ozuma lifted his hand to the female. "Don't."
"We'll get 'em next time." Mariam's sweet voice entered the air. "It's only one loss."
"We can still make it." Yusuf joined, standing beside his sister.
"Thanks." Cat managed to smile for her teammates. "I'll do better next time."
Act End.