Beyblade Fan Fiction ❯ Flight of the Black Dragon ❯ Surprises ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3

Surprises

Ray sat on the couch in the room Ella had shown them, staring at the clock for a minute. It was late afternoon and Kai still hadn't come back from his exploration of the mansion that he had started several hours ago. Not that he was worried; Kai could take care of himself. Ray just wondered why he was taking so long.

Tyson had stayed in the kitchen when Ella had shown it to them, which didn't surprise Ray in the least. Kenny and Max were in the practice room, trying new strategies. From what Ella had said, the tournament started officially tomorrow, which gave each team a chance to get to know the mansion and the other Bladers participating in it. It also gave everyone a chance to relax and catch up on some sleep they might have lost. Ray was grateful for the respite and he switched off the TV, sighing. Where's Kai?

As if on cue, Kai opened the door and came in, Dranzer in his hand as he shut the door behind him with his foot. His gaze swept through the room before they rested on Ray. "Hey, Kai. Where've you been?"

Kai ignored his question. "Where are the others?"

"Tyson's in the kitchen and Max and Chief are in the practice room," Ray said. He tossed the TV remote onto the couch and stood up. "You missed the tour."

"So?" Kai opened the four doors and saw that each of them were taken. So he had to take the couch. "I get the couch?"

Ray shrugged. "First come first serve, Kai. Unless you want to share." Kai's response was to move his duffel bag to the couch, which was good enough an answer for Ray. "What do you think of what we've heard of the Shadow Team?"

It took longer than Ray would have expected for Kai to answer. "I met their leader," he said after a while. He pocketed his Blade and began rooting through his duffel bag, searching for something. Ray waited patiently for Kai to go on, and he wasn't disappointed. "They're good."

"You saw him battle?"

"No, I saw his Bit Beast."

"Oh." Ray frowned. "But Ella said that you rarely ever see their Bit Beasts. Who was he battling?"

"No one. It was just there." Kai answered this question like it was the dumbest one ever asked.

Ray blinked in surprise. "Are you saying we can call upon our Bit Beasts without having a battle?"

Kai straightened and gave Ray a look that suggested he thought that question was just as stupid as the first. "Yes."

~*~*~*~*~

Late that night Ray tossed and turned, unable to sleep. For some reason he just couldn't bring himself to close his eyes. He sat up in bed and slid out, getting dressed. So much for a good night's sleep, he thought sadly as he slipped out of his room and tiptoed through the main room. He cast a glance over to the couch and saw Kai lying on his back, one arm hanging off the couch and the other resting on the back of it, almost seeming to be falling off of it. It was rather strange seeing their team leader like this, and Ray would have laughed if he hadn't wanted to stay silent.

Ray slipped out of the room and shut the door, walking through the dark hallways until he reached the stairs. What he needed now was fresh air, and he wasn't going to get it in the huge mansion. His footsteps went unheard as he walked down the spiraling driveway, hands in his pockets. Then out on the streets, he kept his eyes in front of him, walking aimlessly.

"Ray?"

He looked up suddenly and saw a girl his age with long pink hair and yellow eyes. The cat ears she had on her head accentuated her feline features, and once again Ray was struck by her feline beauty. "Mariah! What are you doing here?" he asked as she rushed into his arms, burying her face in his shoulder.

"I was staying here for the American tournament," she explained, her voice slightly muffled against his shirt. "I couldn't sleep."

"Me neither," Ray admitted, pulling away from her and giving her a smile. "How are you?"

Mariah smiled, her eyes softening as she looked up into his. "I'm okay. You?"

"Great." He slipped his arm around her waist and steered her into the park, sitting down on a bench. Mariah sat beside him and leaned against his shoulder, staring at the ground before her.

"Lee wouldn't like this, you know," she said finally, her voice soft.

"Yeah, but Lee isn't here, is he?" Ray asked with a grin. Mariah looked up at him and grinned back, seeming relieved. "Kai wouldn't like this either."

"But Kai isn't here, is he?" Mariah said, her grin broadening when Ray laughed. "Are you staying here long?"

Ray shrugged and kissed the top of her head, making her close her eyes and smile in a very feline way. "Two weeks or so, I think. We've been invited to a private tournament here. So we'll be here for a while. What about you?"

Mariah mimicked his shrug. "I don't know, but I'll stay as long as I can. Can you meet me here again?"

"Think so, but it better be at night. If Kai finds out he'd kill me," Ray said, sighing.

"Same with Lee," Mariah said regretfully. "What those two need are girlfriends to keep them busy."

"Or just to give them a piece of their own medicine." Ray grinned and began to laugh. "I can see Lee possibly having one, but Kai? I don't know, it just doesn't fit. I don't think he's realized girls exist yet." Then he thought back to the way Kai had been looking at Sara the day before. Or maybe it isn't that impossible. But that wasn't exactly a look of attraction. Then again, I'm not sure what it was. Ray looked up at the sky and sighed. It was getting even later and he needed his sleep. Kai would wake them early in the morning to start training again like he always did, and he hated being tired during practice. "I'd better get going. See you this time tomorrow night?"

Mariah smiled and stood with him, nodding. "Yeah, I'll meet you here. Good luck at your tournament!"

"Thanks." Ray bit his lip and looked over her shoulder a second before he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, hearing her surprised gasp. His gaze quickly flickered to hers as he felt her wrap her arms around his neck. Without realizing what was happening, Ray's lips found hers as he pulled her into a passionate embrace, his tongue briefly touching hers before moving away again, almost shyly. Mariah seemed to hesitate before she allowed him to catch her like that again and he felt the electric feeling course through his entire body before he let go, gasping for breath.

Both of them stared at each other for a long time, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Ray stared into her eyes, unable to voice what feelings were running through his mind. There was no way of explaining the way his blood coursed through his veins with a new fervor whenever she was around. He had never felt this way about a girl before, and he knew that he never would again. No words needed to pass between them before he kissed her again, this time with an air of experience that swallowed them both.

If it were at all possible, he pulled her closer and breathed in her scent, closing his eyes then he felt her accept his embrace and lean against him. When they finally came up for breath again, her cheeks were flushed and both of them felt like they had just run several miles, but were ready for more. "Guess I should leave..." Ray slowly let go of her, knowing that he wanted her more than ever now and he saw that emotion reflected in her eyes. "See ya tomorrow, Mariah."

"Yeah..." Mariah waved as he backed off toward the street again. "See ya tomorrow, Ray."