So, my daughter's birthday was an absolute success :) Makes me a very happy mama! It's funny because I woke up on the day, like 'why haven't I gotten my free starbucks drink in my email' for some reason thinking it was June already! (I turn 22 in June yay!)

Anywhoooo, let's get this chappie rolling shall we? Hope y'all enjoy!

The Journey

Chapter 6

There was a noticeable change in Kira, the rest of the Majestics certainly took note. She was definitely feeling better, and there was an extra hop in her step...like she was in... love? How was that possible? Every waking moment, she was with the guys. It wasn't like she was sneaking off for some secret rendezvous with some mysterious man... was she?

Enrique and Oliver one day had decided to investigate on behalf of the wellness of their teammate, and dear best friend Kira.

"It's just so weird how she did a complete one eighty. I mean... she seemed to be heartbroken over Ray, and then the next day she was perfectly fine." Oliver sighed, looking at Enrique who was admiring their teammate as she put in some daily training. "Will you pay attention and stop eyeing Ki?"

"I'm sorry! She just has this...glow about her, and those yoga shorts, my GOD!" Enrique took in a deep breath as Kira bent down with a weighted squat.

"You disgust me." Robert rolled his eyes.

"Hey guys, what's going on. If Kira catches you guys stopped, she'll freak." Johnny joined the small circle of guys.

"Nothin' man. We're just trying to figure out what's going on with Kira." Enrique shrugged.

"What do you mean?"

"Just how she seems like, she's in love or swept away by some knight in shining armor."

'Ki, intervention.' Johnny felt the pit of his stomach drop, and Kira stood back up in a squat and set the weights to the side and turned to look at her teammates.

"What's going on? We still have twenty five minutes left!" Kira sighed, pinching her temple. "You guys do realize just because you're not one of the main bladers, we need you just in case something happens to Johnny or myself."

"I'll keep working out when you tell us who you're sleeping with." Enrique smiled.

"Excuse me?" Kira laughed. "When would I have the time to do that? I've been with all of you since coming back to the Majestics."

"The only other time I've ever seen you this shiny and new was when you brought Ray to Paris." Oliver crossed his arms. "Are you two shacking up again? And behind Mariah's back? Oooh scandalous! I always voted for you two anyways."

"No! I haven't seen Ray since the night in the lobby, sheesh Olivier! Let's just... get back to practice, we've lost a lot of time and Johnny and I have to rehearse for the big day."

"Rehearse? Rehearse for what?"

"A performance that no one is going to forget." Kira smiled. There was a knock on the door to the training room, and everyone looked curiously to who it could be. "Oh Lucy...and Max! What a nice surprise!"

"Hey, no sworn enemies allowed!" Enrique stood in front of Kira crossing his arms. "You've already stolen our tech guru, we had to sort to Kira and Johnny trying to figure out how to upgrade their blades. Major fail."

"Sorry guys, I just couldn't get enough of her." Max put his arm around Lucy's waist and Kira's eyebrows raised with a smile.

"Wait, is what I think going on, actually... going on? This is fantastic!" Kira clapped her hands and ran forward to her old teammate. "Congrats you two!"

Kira's phone rang and she went to pick it up, hearing Enrique whisper as she walked by, "I still don't like him being here.."

"Why? Because he got to Lucy before you did? Get over it!" Kira slid her finger across the screen of her phone and answered.

"Helloooo, I thought we were doing lunch at E.A.T? Where are you?" Luna's voice rang over the phone and Kira sighed.

"Shoot, sorry I got caught up in practice. Umm, let me just change and I'll head over."

"Wait, where are you going?!" Johnny glared at her.

"Consider this your lucky day, you're getting a whole afternoon to go frolic in New York City." Kira picked up her bag and smiled at the team. "Just don't get into any trouble, or you'll wish you'd never met me." She ran out the door into the locker room to change into a short flowy dress and some sandals, and made her way to the restaurant. It didn't take her long to find her lavender haired cousin, sitting lonely at a table scrolling through her phone.

"Well well well, aren't you looking as glamorous as ever?" Kira asked, as she sat down. Luna's hair was pulled back into a slick ponytail with bangs on either side of her face. She had on a solid black crop top and white shorts with flats.

"Ki... I've missed you so much." Luna sighed, leaning back into her chair.

"What's the matter Lune? You look so depressed."

"I've tried not to let it get to me because I know he's busy with the tournament, I know how important it is to him, but you...he...I haven't heard from him in over a month and I'm worried."

"Lune, he absolutely loves you. That rock on your hand should prove it." Luna's right hand flew to her left and she pulled both to her chest.

Kai had proposed to Luna on Christmas Eve. It was beautiful and adorable because she had practically no idea. Of course, when Kai's nervous you can easily tell. He has the best poker face, except for when it comes to Luna.

"But I shouldn't feel abandoned like I do." Luna sighed looking down at the table as the waiter came over.

"Good afternoon ladies, ready to order?"

"Um, mimosa for me. Luna you want tea?" Luna silently nodded as Kira sighed and looked back to the waiter. "Hot green tea please."

"He didn't even tell me he was leaving. After you left he changed completely..he stopped socializing with Tyson and Kenny and would barely talk to me. Came to bed late and left before I woke up."

"Well he should be arriving in New York at any time. He'll probably be staying at the hotel with all of us, I'm sure you'll hear about it." Kira frowned. She didn't know things would be that bad... how would they be when everyone saw each other again? Things were terribly tense with Tyson, Max, and Ray the last time they had all been together. Being in a room with all of them again sent her nerves running ragged.

"Tyson is on another level with the tournament. You need to be careful if you all go up against BBA Revolution. Tyson's a lot stronger than he used to be and so is Daichi."

"Daichi.. I'm not too worried." The waiter brought the drinks over and left the girls' to talk a little bit more. "You know, Johnny's a lot stronger than he used to be as well."

"How is that, being back with him?" A smile crept up on Luna's face and a small blush came to Kira's cheeks.

"Oh you know, same old same old."

"Oh yeah? I'm sure. And what about that girl Amara? I'm sure she's enjoying sucking up all the fame being in your shadow."

"She's sucking on something, that's for sure." Kira rolled her eyes.

"Don't tell me you're actually jealous Kirana Dickenson!" Luna laughed and the girls placed their orders. After they finished with lunch they said their goodbyes. Kira sighed as the breeze hit her skin. She smiled and started walking back to the hotel. The guys would probably still be out, so she was going to get a nice long nap in while she could. As she walked past an alley, she felt a hand grab her wrist and pull her into an alley. The person was wearing a black hood and she couldn't make out the face. They had a hand over her mouth, and she could tell it was a man's hand.

Kira tried to mutter a muffled response, but even she couldn't make out what she was saying.

"We warned you to stay away. Now you will pay the consequences." He flipped open a knife that shone in the sun and Kira's eyes widened as she tried to wiggle free intensely. Her breathing grew ragged as she felt the metal strike her deep and hard in the same place she had been stabbed before, but this time, he dragged the gash across and made it deeper and wider. She screamed out in pain, but thanks to his hand, almost no sound emitted from her mouth. "Now, go back to Japan and don't let us see you near a beyblade arena again." The man seemed to dissipate into nothing and Kira fell to the ground from the loss of support, and her body shook. The adrenaline was gone and the pain really set in. She shakingly reached for her phone and dialed 9-1-1.

"Where the hell is she!?" Johnny and his teammates bursted into the emergency room feeling anxiety running through their bodies. Who were these people attacking Kira? What did they want with her?

"Sir, you need to calm down..and give us a name." The head nurse at the desk stood up as the guys' rushed over to them. Enrique sighed and put his hand on his hip.

"Do you not watch BeyBlade? Obviously not since you have no idea who our beloved teammate is!" Enrique was practically yelling and Oliver sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, as his Italian friend starting cursing in his native language, and pacing in the waiting room.

"Excuse him, he has a temper. We're looking for Kirana Dickenson." Oliver sighed.

"Ah yes," the nurse sat down at the desk and typed in some information. "I'm sorry but she's not taking any visitors right now, she's still asleep from the pain meds the doctor's had to give her."

"Pain meds? It couldn't have been that bad could it?" Robert frowned.

"I apologize, I can't give any information out right now." The nurse shook her head and Enrique fumed. He was spouting out gibberish and Johnny slouched down in a nearby chair in disbelief.

How was this possible? There were two days until the first day of the tournament.

And now, this.

"Guys, you aren't going to believe this!" Mariah ran into the gym room that the guys' were using and pulled out her phone, going to a local news website and pulling up the first video they saw.

"BeyBlade star Kirana Dickenson has been transported to St. Luke's Emergency Hospital for a reported stabbing after lunch with her cousin Luna Takeyama. No details except the leaked 9-1-1 phone call have been given."

"9-1-1 What's your emergency?"

"I...I'm on Madison Avenue... I..'ve been attacked."

"I'm sorry miss, what's your name?"

"Ki...rana... Dick...ens..on." You could hear some coughing and then the phone went dead.

"We will be giving more details as they come in."

"Woah... I can't believe she was attacked! This gives us such an advantage!" Kevin cheered.

"Kevin!" Ray glared at his green haired teammate as he stood and went for his shirt.

"Wait Ray, where are you going?" Lee stood and watched as Ray started to walk to the door.

"I may not be on the same team as her anymore, but I still love her. I need to make sure she's okay."

"You just heard that she's at the hospital. Obviously she's fine." Mariah rolled her eyes. "I showed you this so you and Lee could be reassured that we would be fine at the tournament!"

"What the hell is wrong with you guys? Kira could have been killed. Did you not hear what the reporter said? She was stabbed."

"What happened to your loyalty?! If you head over there, everyone's going to know that we lied about you and Mariah."

"You guys may not understand what loyalty is, but I do. Kira and the BladeBreakers was my life for a while and I still love and care about her, as hard as that may be for you all to comprehend. I have to go." Ray threw on a jacket and slammed the door behind him." He silently hurried to the hospital, and felt his heart grow heavier and heavier as he got closer. He knew Kira was going to be upset about the whole Mariah engagement thing, but he still loved and cared about her immensely.

Once he got there, press was going crazy at the doors of the hospital. Of course. Word of Kira Dickenson being injured and possibly on the brink of death sent everyone into a whirlwind.

There was no one who didn't know, and there was no one in the BeyBlade world who wasn't freaking out about it.

Kira's eyes slowly blinked open and she felt pain radiating through her body.

"Ki! Oh thank God you're alright." She heard Johnny's voice through her ears and saw a gleaming smile come from her as she tried to sit up.

"Don't try to sit, the doctor had to load you up with stitches. Seventy two to be exact." Kira winced as Robert explained to her and she lifted her shirt.

The skin around the stab wound was bruised and there was a long gash in the same place as before.

"Kira...?" A soft, but manly voice rang in the room and everyone looked to the doorway to see Ray standing there.

"How the hell did you get past security? We said no one except our team and BBA officials." Johnny stood up, glaring and Kira sighed.

"He's like a ninja when he wants to be. It's okay... Can you give us a minute?"

"Are you sure Kira? I can have someone escort him out." Johnny glared at his old arch nemesis. The only other person who really stood at the door of Kira's heart.

"We should give them some time, guys." Lucy spoke up and started walking to the door, patted Ray on the arm. "Don't make me regret this. I know where you live...for the time being."

The others followed her out, and that left Kira and Ray sitting in her dark hospital room. The lights were dimmed and the only sounds that touched their ears were the bustle of the nurses outside her door, the buzzing of the machines and the drip from the IV in her arm. "I can't believe this happened..." He whispered.

"Why? It's happened to me before. Or do you not remember that now because your whole life is centered around The White Tigers and Mariah."

"Kira.."

"You could have told me, Ray." Tears brimmed at her eyes and her voice shook. Her bottom lip trembled and he was at her bedside in a second. "Don't."

"I didn't mean for this to hurt you..." Kira's glossy eyes looked up at him and she huffed softly.

"You've never been a good liar, Ray. I know you stopped caring for me a long time ago, but I didn't think that meant you would do this to me... You wanna know what hurt worse? This," she pulled up her shirt and showed him the scar that dragged across her body. "Or the one person I've loved stabbing me in the back and heart..."

"I'm sorry. If I would have stayed with the BladeBreakers, I would have never let this happen to you."

"Please, even with my bodyguards Johnny and Robert, it happened. There's no going back from what anyone did or what has happened." Ray frowned and felt as if that was a jab at him.

"I just wanted to come and check, make sure you were still alive. Maybe you should think about staying out of the first round of the tournament so you can heal properly."

"What I decide to do will be between my teammates and myself. You can see yourself out, Ray. I..have nothing else to say to you." Kira's eyes drifted away from her ex as he sighed heavily and shook his head. He stopped at the door and turned to look at her.

"No matter what you think, Ki...I still love and care about you. I always will." Kira felt a pang in her heart as Ray opened and shut the door behind him. She brushed and few tears away and sighed, painfully sliding down into the bed.

Kira had drifted off into sleep sometime after Ray left her room and woke up to the sound of the door closing. Figuring it was a nurse or doctor, she attempted to roll over, but whimpered at the pain.

"You know, after being attacked... I would have figured you would be a little bit more cautious and alert." Kira groaned and turned her head.

"Kai...what are you doing here? If anyone sees you, it's going to be all over the news. Especially if they see you with me..."

"That's why I'm visiting now. Ki, it's two in the morning."

"How the hell did you even get in here?!" Kira slowly rolled back over to see her old teammate and one of her best friends. He has definitely put on some muscle since she last saw him. It was only a few months ago, but he certainly aged and looked more mature. More handsome, definitely. Luna would probably swoon when she saw him.

"Don't question it, just accept it. I had to come make sure you were okay..."

"Oh, so the big bad Kai has a heart." Kira smirked. "Let me alert the media." Kai rolled his eyes. "So why are you here? I should ring your neck after what you did to my cousin."

"You did the same thing, don't act so innocent."

"But Tyson, Lune, and Kenny weren't madly in love with me... You just disappeared on her, with no knowledge that you were okay."

"It had to be done. She would have never understood why I had to go. It just made it easier on her to cope if she had a reason to hate me."

"You're lucky I understand, and that I can barely move." Kira laughed softly. Kai reached towards her and looked up at her.

"May I?"

"Sure. Everyone else on this planet has surely seen my abdomen by now." Kai lifted her shirt to see her wound and she winced as the cold air hit her skin. Kira could tell by the look on Kai's face, though stoic, she knew him well enough that he was livid.

"This couldn't have been the same people as before.. They have no reason to go after you now. Who would do this to you?"

"Someone who would want me out of the competition. They told me to head back to Japan and forget about beyblading."

"But we know everyone going into this tournament. None of the guys would do this to you."

"Not everyone. We tied in the European Preliminaries, remember?" Kai shook his head.

"I haven't seen any footage. I've been in Siberia training up until yesterday. Ki, you could have died from this. Usually I would never suggest this, but you need to return to Japan."

"I am not giving up on my team or this tournament because of a threat, Kai! This is my last chance to prove to the world who I am, and I'm not going out without a bang." Kai smirked and shook his head.

"There's that fire from when you were a kid. I was wondering where the Kira I knew had gone. Just...please..be careful. You're the only family I have left and I...can't lose you too." Kai placed his hand on her shoulder and stood. "What's the name of that team you tied with?"

"Barthez Battalion. They have a creepy coach named Barthez.." Kai nodded and walked to the door.

"I'll see you Monday, Ki. I expect you to be on your best game." Kira smiled as Kai disappeared from her sight and she closed her eyes.

Nothing was going to keep her from this tournament. Even if she had to die getting to the finals.

Thank y'all for reading :) sorry about the long delay! Don't forget to review, next chap will be the first part of the actual tournament! Eeee excitement!