Of Boys and Blades

Part Two

Chapter 25

xXx

Kai

xXx

The view was breathtaking. I could see why Tyson would pick this place. The unpredictable waves crashing against rocks worn down by time. Severe. Strong. I wondered what he wanted. I knew it was him. I recognized the handwriting. Messy and slanted, written by a mind that was going too fast to be neat.

The time has come. "Tyson," his name slipped from my lips as I leaned against a sundial, my eyes on the horizon. The end of the tournament was in sight. If we won tomorrow we were definitely in the finals. Every other team but Bathez Battallion was tied, so even if we lost we'd be tied with whoever ended up with three wins.

I felt eyes on my back. I glanced behind me. I would recognize that long black ponytail anywhere. "Rei."

"You're here for Tyson?"

"I don't think so."

With a grin, Rei shook his head. "That's a heck of a coincidence."

So Tyson invited all of us.

Rei stood beside me. "This place is beautiful. Are you ready for tomorrow, Kai?"

I felt my lips curl in a small smile. "It'll be fun."

He chuckled. "So did you apologize to Tyson?" he asked after a moment.

"Not exactly."

"But you did talk to him?"

"Yeah."

Rei nodded. "I'm glad. I don't want this to destroy our friendship. You guys mean too much to me."

I really wasn't in the mood for sentiment. But then, wasn't that why I was here?

Rei was quiet after that. He and I weren't particularly talkative people, and we were fine with that. I'd always been comfortable in his silence.

We'd both been early. Max arrived closer to four. He smiled as he approached us. "Hey, guys. Fancy meeting you here."

"Hey, Max."

I nodded in acknowledgement.

He looked around. "No Tyson yet?"

I shook my head.

Nodding, he took a seat on the ground, looking towards the sunset. "So how's everything going with your teams?"

"Good," Rei told him. "Lee and I have been training hard. You know, we had a few hurdles to climb, but we've really come together as a team over the last month. How about yours?"

Max smiled. "Rick and I are getting along better now and that's really brought us all together more as a team. Not perfect, but a huge improvement from where we started. What about your team, Kai?"

"We sort of get along."

"You and Tala seemed like you were getting on alright that night I saw you guys."

"We have our moments." I shrugged.

We talked a bit, mostly Rei and Max as we waited. Four o'clock came and went and Tyson was nowhere to be seen. Was the prospect of facing us too much for him?

Max let out a sigh as the sun began to set. "I came here to meet Tyson, too, but I guess he's not coming. I suppose he has too much to worry about as champion to meet with us anymore."

"I don't know what's wrong with him," Rei commented. "I wanted him in top condition."

"Yes, but I'm sure he'll be fine." Max looked at Rei.

He nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Tyson will get over this in his own way."

"If he's a true champion, he will," I told him.

Tyson, where are you?

xXx

Tyson

xXx

I was walking around aimlessly. I didn't know what I was doing or where I was going. That interview was horrible. My performance even worse. Why couldn't I just shake this? This cloud over my head at every moment of the fucking day.

"Attention all beyblade fans!"

I looked up into DJ Jazzman's face on the bigscreen that was on the front of the BBA building.

"Tomorrow is the big day! Welcome to the Australian tournament. Leading the pack are the Blitzkrieg Boys, with three big wins. Next up is BBA Revolution, White Tiger X, along with PPB All Starz and F Dynasty. All four of these teams are tied with two wins and two losses. Join us tomorrow, when only two teams will advance to the final game. Check it out!"

I wasn't sure if I would be one of those teams going to the finals. I'd never felt this hopeless about a match. With my hands in my pockets, I walked away, my head down. I've got to shake this off and fight like a champion.

I headed to the stadium next door. Maybe seeing it in person would help. I can't let my team down. But... But... the pressure is getting to me. The crowd. The fans. Everyone expects too much.

I stood before the beydish, where I would fight tomorrow and probably lose. Max knew everything about me. He had a good chance of beating me. Fighting Max tomorrow. Losing to Rei. Kai leaving me. Then kissing me. I could hear all their voices in my head. It choked me, suffocated me. I couldn't breath! Drowning in an ocean of memories. I couldn't think. My head was too full of doubt.

"I can't! I can't! Leave me alone!"

"Tyson!" a voice cut through my soul.

A familiar redhead stood before me. "Oh. Daichi. It's you."

"What's up with you, anyway?" he asked. "You're acting weird. You're all by yourself and you're shouting at the top of your lungs."

"Back off, Daichi."

"Don't tell me to back off!"

I didn't want to deal with him right now. He was the last person I wanted to see. "Look, Daichi, did you come here to give me a lesson in manners, huh?"

"No. I came to give you this," he said, tossing my blade.

Dragoon.

"You know, Tyson, you've been a real drag all week. I don't know what's up, but you're acting like a child. "

"Child?" I scoffed.

"You heard me. I used to think you were so cool, but I'll bring out the old Tyson!" Pulling out his launcher, he shot his blade into the dish.

"I don't think so." I launched Dragoon into the dish wish his, screwing up every move. It wasn't my fault! I wasn't my fault!

"Tyson! Are you gonna beyblade or are you just gonna make fun of me?" he taunted. "Where's the big bad champion?"

"Stop it! Stop saying that! You don't understand the pressure of being champion!" I yelled at him. "You have no idea what it's like, Daichi! You will never know!"

"What do you mean?"

"A champion has to fight against his friends. Kai, Rei, and Max used to be the people I could always count on!" I screamed, voicing the thoughts that had haunted me. "But now I'm all alone, and winning is all that matters—" I stopped, realizing what I was saying. Had I not just a week ago told Miguel to play his own way, with his heart and soul, and then challenged F Dynasty to a battle on their terms?

"I forgot what it was that made me a champion," I told him. "I forgot what matters. I need to be true to myself to win again. I am the champion. And it's time I started bladed like one."

Daichi went on the attack and it was like something clicked back on inside me. I deflected him effortlessly with a smile. This is what it's about. Me and Dragoon blading together against all odds.

Daichi and I continued our battle and I felt like myself again. I don't have to beyblade like a champion. I just need to beyblade like Tyson. This is the feeling I've forgotten. All I have to do is be myself. That's always been good enough for me.

I caught my blade in my hand. "Thank you, Daichi!" I ran out of there, leaving Daichi calling after me. Glancing at a clock I saw it was four-thirty. I can still make it. They should know by now I'm always late.

I took a cab to the cliff and ran up the trail toward the top. I saw a familiar silver head. They're still here! I was so relieved. I finally stopped running when I reached them. "There's something I need to tell you guys, okay?" Three sets of eyes watched me. "I am a blader first, a champion second. Rei, Kai, Max, from now on, I'm the challenger. Just like you guys."

I launched my blade to prove to them I had myself under control. That I was myself again. I looked up, meeting their eyes. Max and Rei were happy to see me.

Kai held my gaze. He gave me a small smile. I smiled back. He looked gorgeous in the yellow light of the setting sun. I could get lost in those eyes.

Max turned to Rei. "Nothing to worry about."

Rei nodded. "Nope. Nothing."

Kai broke our stare.

"Why here?" Max asked.

I shrugged with a laugh "Thought it looked cool."

We talked for a bit, keeping the subject off the tournament. Mostly Max and me, with Rei chiming in occasionally and Kai looking bored. Just like old times. It made me ache for them. The sun was getting low and we agreed we should probably get going.

"Here," Kai said, handing me something.

"What's this?" I asked, taking a small glass bottle from him. "Rum?"

He handed each of us a little bottle.

Max laughed. "The last time I drank I had really weird dreams."

"Did you miss us or something?" Rei asked.

"I've been reminded not to take things for granted."

"We should do a toast," I suggested.

Max looked to Kai. "Aren't Russian's famous for toasts?"

"Well, I'm not really very Russian, but I guess the most appropriate one would be za nashu druzhbu. It means to our friendship."

"I like that," Rei said.

"Me, too," I agreed. "How do you say it?"

We did our toast and took our drinks, the alcohol burning my throat. I really wished I had a chaser. I laughed. Max did, too. It was nice to be with them again.

The sun was going down fast.

"As far as I'm concerned, any one of us can win this championship, but you'd better bring your best, because you're going to have to go through me to get it." Our eyes met in acknowledgement. It was time to go. We went back down the path together, then split up to go back to the hotel.

"The real battle starts now," I whispered to myself.

xXx

Kai

xXx

When I returned Tala, Spencer, and Bryan were seated around the small table having dinner. A bottle of vodka sat on the table along with three shot glasses. Tala looked over as I shut the door. "We're talking about blading order for tomorrow. Do you—"

"I want Rei."

"I figured that."

Crossing the room, I snatched Tala's glass out of his hand. "We have a tournament tomorrow."

Tala moaned. "Come on, Kai, we've drank the night before tons of times."

"You lost your matches against Daichi and Rick. Lee is strong. It can wait until after the match."

Spencer smirked. "Kai has a point."

I took the bottle along with the remaining glasses.

"Um... Kai..." Bryan started. "Me and Spencer aren't playing."

"If something happens to us you will be. You are alternates." I dumped their glasses in the sink.

"That was expensive," Spencer muttered.

"Mommy, Daddy took away my vodka!"

"I'm not Mommy!"

Fucking children.

xXx

AN: This chapter's kind of short. It was supposed to be part of the last chapter but it got too long. I'm trying to keep the chapters around 3000 words. So anyway, Ayer's Rock. I agonized over this. This stressed me out. Why am I letting a fricken fanfiction stress me out? So yeah, Ayer's Rock is a 3-4 day drive from Sydney. The closest city is Alice Springs, which is still five hours away, too far for a day trip. The closest town is Yulara, which is about half an hour away. It's a tourist town. There's a lot more there now, but in 2003 there wasn't much. So, in the end I decided to keep it in Sydney and change Ayer's Rock to the Gap. Why do I have to overthink these things?

I love the scene where they're all just standing there not saying anything, then go off in different directions, but seriously, where the hell are they going? There's nothing around and they're all going back to the same hotel. They're just being extra. Bonus info you never knew you wanted to know: you can no longer climb Ayer's Rock as of 2019.