Beyblade Fan Fiction ❯ Silent Tears ❯ Protect her, never let her go ( Chapter 5 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: DarkFangs 
Anime/Manga: Beyblade Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 12.15.2007 | Pages: 5 | Words: 6.3K | Visits: 296 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Beyblade Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 12.15.2007 | Pages: 5 | Words: 6.3K | Visits: 296 | Status: Completed
Summary/Disclaimer: check the prologue, I don't repeat myself.
“...” speaking
`Italics' thoughts
:: … :: bit beast talking
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Chapter 4... Protect her, never let her go
“Ya know, the food here is reeeeeeeeally good!” Tyson happily commented between big forkfuls.
“I thought you'd like regional food. But what I like best is the smoked pork sausages. Mmm, best in the world!!" Iris chuckled softly, continuing her talk with Kenny and Dizzy.
Kai, having finished eating for about ten minutes, glanced briefly at the girl in front of him. She had too. `Good.' He got up quietly, heading for the exit.
“Where are you going?” Ray quirked an eyebrow at him.
“Out.” Was the simple reply.
Seeing him go out of the corner of her eye, Iris got up too a few minutes later, following Kai's example.
“And you?” once again the Chinese boy asked, even if he now had a slight idea.
“Going for a walk, need a bit of air.” She hurriedly lied. Which was almost a second nature to her. Lying to her own friends, to convince them she was ok. Since dinner, she felt anxious, she didn't know why. `Something's coming, and it's something good..' She smiled softly, passing the big doors and feeling the air outside. It was cold now. Portugal was like that, one day was sunny and hot as hell, and the next one was foggy and cold.
Ray snorted to himself, shaking his head, `What you do need is Kai's company.'
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When she came out, Kai pulled back from the wall he was leaning on, turning to look at her. He smirked lightly, remembering the face of the guy she battled earlier that day, “You did well today. I admit that I underestimated you greatly, in the first time we battled.”
The Portuguese girl smirked back, “Never judge a book by its cover. Even if the cover is made out of velvety leather.” A hand trailed down her own body, showing him what she meant.
“Very modest, aren't you?”
“I'm just being realistic.” The innocent tone she just used, as if he was being completely unfair to her, led to his chuckling. “What?”
“Let's go take a walk.”
“The lady is the one who should have the last word, you know.”
“Ah yes, will the mademoiselle grace me with her pompous presence or am I too much of a peasant for you?” he rolled his eyes at her.
“That's more like it. We shall go, my slave!”
An eyebrow quirked, “Don't push your luck.”
“I know, the bed is single.” She nodded.
“What?”
“Don't push your luck, for the bed is only single.” She waved her hand, “Don't mind me, it's a Portuguese saying.”
“Yeah, it had to be.”
“Hey!” knocking her hip against his, she pushed him, not having liked the comment. But right after, her head found his shoulder to lean on. “Meh, you're too much of a soft pillow to get rid of.” His chuckle was music to her ears.
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Deep turquoise blue orbs observed the couple in surprise. The teen, no older than the slate-haired boy he was just looking at, was sitting at a bench, his back to the big black deep waters of the Douro River, looking for five teenagers around these places. And he had found one of them.
Tala Ivanov, captain of the Demolition Boys, after being defeated by Tyson Granger, had changed a lot. Along with his team too. They rebelled against Boris, earning even worst punishments than they had before, but at the first chance they got, they escaped the Abbey. About time too.
The four of them separated, escaping through four different places. Soon, the guards had lost track on them. For what he heard, all of them found their families. Although, Tala was the only one who had no family whatsoever. Not that he knew about, that is. He had searched through his files back in the Abbey many, many times and had never found anything about any relative; that had to be something, right?
And just maybe that was the reason why he and Kai were friends since the moment they locked eyes the first time they saw each other. Alright, so not really close friends, but they did stand each other. But Kai was lucky. When he was nine, almost ten, he managed to run away from the Abbey. Even if his grandfather found him, instead of making him return, he sent him to Japan. Kai had promised them he would return though, and he did eventually. Even if he lost his memory along the way.
He now was wearing his usual shoes, a long sleeved shirt, black on the back and one stripe on each arm, the collar too, and the rest white. A pair of loose deep-red pants and brown fingerless gloves completed his attire. His hair was all spiked backwards, even if he let the normal two tresses over his eyes. As he was getting up, his sky-blue gaze rested on the girl that just rested her head on Kai's shoulder. His lips parted, eyes wide. `Can it be? Iris?'
:: It is, little one... :: Wolborg answered him, :: I feel Lady Lugiohan's presence. And of course, Lord Dranzer's. ::
`She changed a lot... But I'd recognize her features anywhere. I thought she had died..' a small smile made its way to his lips, as he remembered the little girl he once knew, now almost a woman before his eyes.
When they were training one day, approximately one week after Kai had escaped, a girl around their age appeared. Boris had said she had great potential, and it was their duty to inform her of the rules and train her. Since then, that same scared girl climbed her way through his emotional walls he always kept around his heart, walls that kept his true self away from the others, away from hurt, love, compassion, mercy and friendship. She had a place in his heart like no one had, she was the little sister he never had, his only family.
««Flashback»»< br> Four boys, no older than ten were training non-stop as per usual, until the door opened, slamming into the wall, startling them, revealing the man-who-lives-to-torment-them, Boris. Behind him, stood a little girl, head low, her long black and red hair covering half of her face. He pushed her to stand in front of him instead, making her lose her balance briefly at the rough and sudden movement.
“Her name is Iris Blanchett. You four will be responsible for her training and such. Her room is next to yours, Tala. She has a great power in her; she will be very useful to us once she's ready and trained. Now resume your training!” Boris snapped, turning around swiftly, closing the doors after pushing the female inside harshly once more. The boys let out a sigh of relief when he was gone.
“Hi. Iris, right? The name's Tala.” The red-haired child held his hand to her. The way he spoke was cold though, his eyes showing her nothing.
She just nodded, ignoring his hand (wasn't insecurity he just saw in her eyes?), and turning away from them. She launched her blade, as she stepped up to the stadium. Suddenly, another beyblade crashed onto the dish and touched hers slightly, sending it flying with no effort to the feet of its owner.
“Your beyblade needs more stamina, speed and balance. I can help you there if you'd like. I'm Bryan.” A lavender haired boy walked up to her side, catching the fallen blade from the bey-dish and putting it back into her smaller hand. He let his own hand place itself on her shoulder, where he noticed her tense partially.
“Relax, little one. We're nothing like him. Don't be afraid. My name's Spencer and the shorty here is Ian.” The slightly tall blonde smiled at her softly, ignoring the deep scowl his purple haired friend was giving him.
“Thanks.” A small hoarse whisper passed through her lips. The boys could only imagine just for how long she had screamed before, for her voice to be this damaged.
“I'll show you your room if you want. Follow me.” Tala beckoned her, heading for the door. The two kids made their way through the labyrinth-like corridors.
“What does he want.” Her rasping voice broke the silence between them.
“Dunno.” The boy replied, “All he ever demands is TRAIN, TRAIN, TRAIN!!!” he made a funny deeper voice, to ensemble Boris', making her laugh for the first time since he knew her, a sound he would look forward to hear in the future. “Why do you ask?”
“H-He hurts me.” She stopped walking, looking at him, silver hues shinning with tears, some already spilling, even if she didn't make a sound, as if they weren't even there. Crying silent tears, over her unfair life, over the pain of her lost family, over the man who had brought all this to her. And yet, those same silvery eyes begged for his comfort.
Tala didn't know what to do; she was the first girl he ever saw in the Abbey, and the first girl he ever saw crying right in front of him, “Don't cry... Please don't cry. I won't let him hurt you. I'll do everything I can to stop him.” He vowed at her ear, pulling her close in a protective way, as she cried, still not making a sound.
She lifted her head, her eyes hopeful, “Promise, Tala?”
“I promise.”
««End Flashback»»
And that was how he earned her trust; in exchange, he watched out for her, protecting her every time he could. And after some training, she became incredibly strong and the treasure of the four elite boys. The youngest of their team, and because of that, the most protected one.
The present Tala smiled sadly at the memory of the day when she confessed that Boris raped her, and the first time he actually punched him. He had probably broken Boris' nose, which resulted in fifty whips for two weeks every day, and almost no food. `But it was worth it...' he still thought it was.
««Flashback»»
Two pre-teens ran through the cold halls of the Valkov Abbey. One was a silver-eyed, tearful, but silent girl, running away from the red-haired boy chasing her. But this time, being shorter didn't went in her favour, as he finally grasped her shoulders, spinning her around, pushing her against a wall, as gently as he could in a situation such as this. There was a moment of silence as the two kids caught their breath.
“What... is... wrong... with... you…” the taller boy finally let out between gasps.
“I-I can't tell you...” she whispered, avoiding his stare. She knew she wasn't all that good at hiding her feelings. They always showed through her eyes. And Tala could read her like an open book, if he so wanted.
“But why?” he tilted her chin upwards, looking into her eyes, searching, searching for the reason for her sadness, “I thought you trusted me. Tell me what's wrong, please, maybe I can help-”
“That fucking BASTARD RAPES me!! That's what's wrong!” the female finally shouted, interrupting him, a sudden fire in her eyes, “You can't even stop the beatings he gives you, how can you say you can help me! I know you are concerned about me, but… You can't... You just can't, Tala. No one can. At least not yet, not until we're strong enough to defeat him.”
Saying that Tala was shocked was like saying that the sun is hot, “He… what?” the boy spun around on his heels and at a fast stride made his way to Boris' office. `It's time to do something I should've done a long time ago… To take this matter into my own hands... This time he has gone too far...' He kept walking, ignoring the girl struggling to keep up his pace and even his bit-beast's calls to let it go; he opened the wooden door and closed it fast, closing the girl outside too.
“What is it Tala? And what gives you the right to-” the purple haired man started walking towards him, obviously to say he should knock first, and blah blah blah, and beat him for such a small thing.
`I'll give him reason to beat me up today, alright...' the boy interrupted him in mid-sentence, keeping the eye-contact and frown in place, knowing perfectly well that it was strict not to lock stares with your superiors. “And what gives YOU the right to rape her? What! She doesn't deserve it, she lost her family, her cruddy happiness and you made her lose her innocence by abusing her!” Tala hissed in pure rage, advancing to his nemesis and punching him hard, right on the nose, where a trickle of blood started to ooze almost immediately. He couldn't hold back a smirk at that.
Boris, now completely furious, punched the boy in the jaw, hearing the sickening sound that signalized it had broken. He kicked the child's abdomen, making Tala curl into a ball, gasping for air. “And we're not finished yet! Does the word whip makes a light go on, on your little immature head?” the eldest grabbed him by the arm and dragged the softly whimpering boy to the torture room, the fiery youth locking his turquoise, pained hues one last time with hers, not to open them again until three days later, where he would awake in the nursery.
Iris was crouched at the exit of Boris' office, despair and guilt written all over her features as she mouthed, “I'm sorry… I'm so, so sorry...”
««End Flashback»»
In the evening she escaped, after being raped yet again, he found her in her room in a horrible state. That was the last time he ever saw her. If her wounds and state of mind were a sign, he never thought he'd ever see her alive again. Even though Tala had tried everything to make her stay, in the end, she eluded him and managed to run away.
««Flashback»»
Another training day was over. `Finally, I can get some rest...' was the thought of one turquoise-eyed red-haired young 13 year old. `Now, where the heck is the she-devil?'
Who didn't know them, would surely think they were brothers, by the way they looked out for each other. Well, they were, to a certain degree, just not by blood.
He entered her room, after knocking two times, his signal; her door was always open, and today was no different. Although her room was. It was empty... Bare. The only thing there was, was a photo frame of Miranda, her sister, and Iris herself in one of the nightstands.
Said girl was lying on her side in the small bed, knees pulled up to her chest, eyes closed. Her slightly tanned cheeks were tear-streaked and her clothes were put on in a hurry. `That bastard... What would I give to have the power to kill him?' He scowled at seeing her like this, this weak. This was nothing like her. Something was seriously wrong tonight.
Sitting on the bed and brushing a few black strands aside from her forehead, he whispered softly, “Rin?” He was probably the only one who ever dared to call her that. From her middle name Catherine (which she hated), he usually called her just Rin. So that she knew it was him who was speaking.
It was normal for her to snap her eyes open and move away from him, he knew. Then, she would say she was sorry. But today was different, as he came to realize. Those mystic silver blue hues of hers opened, locking with his clear blue ones, no emotion to read in them whatsoever. That was odd too. She wasn't like the normal kids outside; she knew all too well how to hide her emotions. But from an observant person, like himself, she couldn't. And yet, here she was doing that, right now.
“Hey..” She whispered as she sat up. Once more, her voice was a bit hoarse. `I see he wasn't anywhere near gentle this time. Not that he ever was to her.' “I've got something very important to tell you.”
“Shoot.”
She took a deep breath, but did not look at him, “I'm leaving.”
“What!” she had caught him off-guard. He may have expected many things, but nothing could have prepared him for that, “But-”
“No buts, Wolf, I'm sorry. I'll go mad if I don't. It's too much.. I am not his fucking whore or toy! I'm tired of all this! I can't go on!” her hands held her head, as her eyes shut tightly, more tears running down her cheeks. But no sound.
“Please don't cry... You know I hate seeing you like that...” he looked helplessly at her, wrapping an arm around her quivering shoulders, “What will I do without you? And the guys?”
“Boris won't leave me alone and I certainly won't give him Lugiohan. I have to get away… It's the only thing I have left. I'm sorry. I know you guys try everything you can to keep him away from me, but you aren't near strong enough to actually stop him. I have to go.. Tonight.”
“No!!” as she tried to catch his stare, it was his turn to look away as his own tears shed, “You're everything I have left too.. I don't have anyone else! Please, don't do this to me, to us… Don't leave.”
And instead of being him the one who comforted her, he ended up falling asleep on her lap, her hands threading through his hair, soothing and calming him down enough to put him into a light rest. By the time he woke up, all that was left was her scent, good and bad memories and one single note written in her precise calligraphy.
Wolf,
Don't worry about me, you taught me well... Too well, I guess.
I'm leaving, but this is not the last of me, I promise. We'll see each other again, I know we will. Yeah, what Ian calls `female intuition', I think.
Please give my apologies to them and to yourself.
But trust me, even while you're reading this, I'm thinking of you... All of you.
See you around, Yuriy, Bry, Spence and Ian...
~Iris C. Blanchett
(Rin)
As he read the first two sentences, over and over again, he realized he was crying once more. The only light in the darkness around him had been shut off, and for once, he couldn't find a way to turn it on once more.
««End Flashback»»
And right here and right now, there she was, in front of him, just like she promised in that note. With one of the few people he needed to find. The little money he had was shortening and he couldn't get much either. The last thing he needed was the police after him. He walked towards them.
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Kai slowed down their pace as he saw who was approaching them. He opened his mouth to speak, when Iris suddenly gasped, interrupting him.
“TALA!!!” the girl quickly swung her arms around the poor Russian's neck, hugging him tightly, as Tala hugged her back, patting her back gently.
“Yeah.. I'm back… But don't think I'm happy with the way you left, you know. I didn't forget it.”
“I swear I'll never ever leave you guys like that. Me promises. Happy now?”
“You two know each other?” Kai looked at them, quirking an eyebrow.
“Actually, we do, yeah. You see, she was in the Abbey too. A few days after you left.” Tala explained.
“She was?” Kai glanced at her, `So that's why her technique is so familiar... It's like the Demolition Boys'...'
“You mean you were there too?” Iris finally released the redhead (who behind her back rubbed his neck, grimacing slightly), glancing back at the maroon eyed teen.
“For most of my childhood, yes, but I managed to run away. According to Tala, a few days before you arrived.”
“I see.”
“Anyway, what exactly are you doing here, Wolf?”
“Duh, running away.” Tala rolled his eyes, “All of us are... We separated, just in case.”
“You seem thinner. Are you eating properly?” the black haired girl scolded him suddenly, making both males snicker a bit.
“We all are wanted, Rin. Boris is giving a good reward for those who find me, Ian, Spencer, Bryan... And even you. All of us need to be careful. But as I was saying, I can't spend much time in one place while I'm alone like I was. The authorities would know, and inform the Abbey. As I heard of a tournament here in Portugal, I came here looking for you guys." He glanced at Kai.
“About staying with us, there's no problem.”
“And help the team too!” Iris winked, “Just like the old times, eh?”
Bright blue eyes softened, “Yeah, like the old times.”
“We better go then. You two coming?” Kai nodded at the hotel. The three teens made their way back to it. “By the way, why did you call her `Rin'?”
“My second name is Catherine. And as I hate being called `Cathy', which Ian just loooves to call me, Yuriy here was a sweetheart and thought about `Rin' for me.”
“Yup.”
Once they arrived to their destination, none of the BladeBreakers actually looked at them or noticed the new comer.
And suddenly, Max noticed him, “Hey! IT'S TALA!!!”
“What are you doing around here?” Tyson waved at him, which earned him three raised eyebrows. Tala quickly explained them the same thing he had explained previously.
And the talking started from there. A couple of hours later, the seven teens soon made their way to their respective beds, Tala contenting himself with the couch, and soon fell asleep. Iris couldn't help but feel happy as her lips curved into a smile. Her instinct had been right, not once, but twice. She knew they would meet again, and they did; she felt something good was going to happen, and it did. With that thought in mind, she drifted on to a restful sleep.
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As she was half-asleep already, just seeing the horizon of tonight's dream, soft, feather-like cold lips grazed her neck. She wasn't scared; Lugiohan would have warned her, and her intuition wasn't making any signs of bad things coming, so she tilted her head up, giving him better access to her neck.
“Come to the balcony.” His breath on her neck was the last thing she felt, as he pulled away.
Stretching lazily on the bed, and grinning up at him as she noticed him staring, she followed him quietly. Kai was only on his pyjama bottoms, she noticed. Her own Pj's consisted in a white loose tee, and baby-blue shorts. Not that she minded being seen like this.
But she did mind when she felt that the air outside was cold, just as it was before. `Right. I forgot about that.' However, as his arms found her waist, pulling her close, the cold didn't seem to mind her in the least. As much of a shock as it came, she found she kind of liked being against his strong body, as her own moulded to it. Her head leaned against his chest, her eyes drifting close once more. She was used to go to bed late, but after having a taste of sleep, she felt a bit sleepy herself, if not a bit lazy. Most of her weight was supported by his arms. Not that she was heavy. On the contrary.
Being this close to him, she was able to pick up his scent. Beyond the soft cologne he used, she smelled the definitely male scent that was simply labelled `Kai'. “You smell good.”
“It wouldn't do if I didn't, don't you think?” she could almost see his slight smile.
Tilting her head up, Iris was surprised to feel his lips gently brushing against hers right after. And what surprised her even more, was when she started to respond as if she knew exactly what to do. Which, needless to say, she didn't.
It was his turn to be surprised as he felt the tip of her tongue trace his lower lip, pulling back only to do it again. Usually she was shy. But he parted his lips, giving her access anyway. He was the last one to complain about that.
For the few minutes, the young couple stayed in each other's arms, relishing in each other's presence, completely unaware of the softly smiling red-haired teen that had awoken to drink a cup of water.
“Who would have though.” he mouthed to himself, shaking his head, as he slipped out of sight, unseen.
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It was exactly 7.15am. The BladeBreakers, along with Tala, were having a calm breakfast at the moment. Kai's idea was to train before the second combat of the competition, (much to Tyson's displeasure of course) which started at 9.30am.
“Aww, c'mon, Kai!! Pleeeeeeeeaaase!!! We're battling in about… two hours!”
“So?” was the only response the navy-blue eyed teen got as they headed outside.
The morning passed quite fast, as their battle was in the morning and they intended on seeing the Majestic's as their combat was in the afternoon, at 16.30pm. This time, it was Ray, Max and then Iris who battled.
“I see you're still in top shape.” Tala winked at her, while they were leaving the bey-stadium to have lunch.
“Of course! What do you think I am?”
“Well, let me see, a lazy, full of yourself, girly-”
“Am not!” she started chasing him at the last comment.
“Are too!” the longer legs of the blue eyed boy gave him an advantage, as Tala avoided her easily.
“Am not!”
“Are too!”
“AM NOT!”
“Are too!!”
Tyson sweat-dropped, glancing at them, “And they call us childish, Maxie.”
The blond chuckled, “Ditto!”
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After a good lunch, Tala and Kai went over to the balcony unnoticed, as Iris was beating Tyson merciless at Tekken4, on the PlayStation2 the World Champion brought along, and the others were laughing at his astonished expression at her skill.
“Glad you guys managed to escape. I'm sorry if I couldn't help.”
“No hard feelings about that. You did all you could. That's what it counts.”
“So, what's the story behind you and Iris?” the blue eyed teen smirked; he suspected the other boy would ask something alone those lines.
“No words to describe what we have; it's just like a mutual understanding between us both. We know what the other might be feeling and needing by only a few glances. I was the one responsible for her trainings. Not only me, but we practised together.” His eyes hardened slightly as the next few words escaped his mouth, “Although I have a thin patience, it's not on my nature to simply resign to violence. But if anything or anyone EVER hurts her in my presence, or if she tells me about it, I'll kill the bastard right away. I don't want to see her get hurt.”
The slate haired teen nodded in agreement, “I'd feel the same way, if I was in your place, I'm sure.”
“Ah, yes...” Tala smirked lightly, glancing at him over his shoulder from his spot on the balcony's railings, “I can see how... close you two are.”
Kai's eyes narrowed slightly at that, “What do you mean.”
“Why, nothing...” he had his back turned, but the young phoenix could almost see the smirk still in place.
`He knows something....'
“But keep this in mind, Phoenix... I don't want to see her heart broken. She passed through too much already. She might be younger than us, but her punishments were, by far, worst and humiliating. And no matter what happens from now on, all I ask is for you to protect her; she needs all the help she can get. She's just too damn proud to admit it.”
All the other did was quirk an eyebrow at the sudden change of subject, but he kept quiet, simply nodding. Perhaps this way, he might find out a few more things about her. Maybe.
:: Do not rush things, young one. She will tell you in due time, when she is ready. Miss Blanchett needs space and time to ponder her options more than any other female does. ::
`Can't argue with that, Dranzer.'
“And one more thing...” the Demolition Boys' captain turned around to look at him in the eye, his own turquoise stare filled with an emotion Kai couldn't really identify, “Whatever you do, whatever happens, she'll need your support. Don't ever let her go, she needs a shoulder to lean on, even if she doesn't ask for one.” as he passed him to go inside, Tala placed one hand on his shoulder.
`That was... odd.'
“Ah-HA!! I won! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!” Iris suddenly shouted, while Tyson crossed his arms, frowning deeply.
“Meh, no fair!! You're not a novice after all!!”
“Yes I was! I had never played Tekken4 before!”
“Then… Then… You had the game bewitched or something!!” everyone sweat-dropped.
“Err, right… If you say so, Dragon.”
:: Iris is a very complicated female... :: was the only comment Dranzer left on his master's mind before he retreated, the flash of red light from the bit chip of the dark blue beyblade warming up his fingertips briefly. Which left him even more confused.
`What did really happen to you, Iris Blanchett?'
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“AAAAAANND THIS AFTERNOON, WE HAVE THE MAJESTIC'S AGAINST THE STARLIGHTS!!!”
“Tell me again why we gotta see these losers?" Iris asked in a bored tone. The seven bladers were sitting on the front row and since they arrived, the only female in the group hadn't stopped complaining yet.
“Look, that's really getting on my nerves, if you know what I mean...” Tala glanced at her as if in warning; they all them knew how his patience was thin. Especially herself.
“We're here to see this Rosemary. We never met her before and Dizzy doesn't have any statistics whatsoever about her.” Kenny quickly explained.
“That's not everything to win, you know. What counts is your technique and keeping a cool head. Not let your guard down nor let your anger take the best of you.” she pouted.
“Well, yes, in its essence, that's the key to victory. Although, it's better to know her style and bit-beast already. It will be easier to everybody that way.”
“She has a bit-beast?”
“Yes, she does, girl,” Dizzy replied, “The name's Raylyan (a/n:. read Raylayan) and she's a powerful fire dragon. Like her brother, she too relies on the element of fire. Never defeated... Yet.”
“Got that right. Hmph!” Iris kept sulking though. She didn't want to say her real reason for wanting to stay in the hotel; for quite some time she felt someone, something calling for her, as if longing for her own power. And she didn't like it one bit.
“And she's good?”
“That's what we're here to find out.” At that moment, the last of the five boys of the Starlights' team came towards one of the edges of the bey-dish as the tanned girl from the Majestic's moved to be right in front of him. As Tala's eyes rested upon her, it wasn't just a normal girl; it was one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen. Her strange eyes, wild hair, slim frame... Gorgeous. And only one more girl had had the honour of having that same adjective characterizing her. A girl from his childhood, from the Abbey. Tenebrae Rosa.
“AAAAANND 3.................... 2......................... 1!................... LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETTT IT RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Rosemary's shinny red beyblade was almost equal in design with Johnny's. She was fast and agile, her movements smooth and gracious. The boy didn't have any chance. The two first rounds weren't anything near special, quick, harsh and fast, but her last one...
“Now, Raylyan, show me your power! Arise!” she stretched her arm in front of her as her blade shone a bright red light. A mighty dragon came forward, similar to Dragoon, but in a red colour and looking slightly more feminine to all of them, god-knew-why. The opposite yellow blade went crashing to the floor, dismantled but luckily not broken, as the bit chip landed by his blader's right foot. Briefly, Rosemary's lavender stare looked their way. All of them saw she didn't have the arrogance her brother had. No, not at all.
The BladeBreakers waited for them, just to talk a bit, since Chief was really excited about Raylyan.
“I just HAVE to have more data on her!!!” he kept saying, hopping around, as his friends shook their heads and quirked their eyebrows at the young genius. Some minutes after, the Majestic's appeared, walking towards them.
“What are you doing here? Your battle was in the morning, if I'm not mistaken.” Enrique said, but he didn't bother looking away from Rosemary from the corner of his eye, let alone covering that up.
“Ah alre'dy told ya!! Stop wit' da starin'!! Ah don' lik' it!” her voice sounded for the first time, annoyed, as she glared at the blonde playboy while he simply grinned sheepishly. Her Scottish accent clear in almost every word.
As they were walking, Tyson was on the lead, along with Robert, talking about the victories and how much they improved, switching impressions, as were Ray and Oliver, and Max was laughing at Enrique's jokes. Kai and Johnny were glaring at each other, while Iris rolled her eyes once in a while, walking beside them.
As soon as Kenny slowed down, discussing with Dizzy after having talked to her, Rosemary noticed the redhead on the end of the group. She stopped for a few moments, before continuing to walk alongside of him.
“Yer on their team?” her tone just curious, but as soft as it was, it still made a shiver suddenly run up and down his spine.
“Actually no, I'm just a... friend. I decided to drop by, and pay them a visit.” He nodded at the teens in front of them casually, speaking coolly.
“Ah seey. An' yer name's?" she turned to look at him, her head tilting to the side slightly. `He's quite cute, in his own speci'l way...'
“Tala Ivanov.”
“Umm, sovietic, Ah s'pose?” she inquired, tilting her head to the side.
“Russian if you're that curious. Although, my first name in Russian is Yuriy.”
The girl giggled softly, “Ahhh, don' ask mey ta speak in otha languages; Robe't's always sayin' dat Ah don' know how ta speak English, let alone speak Russian. But Ah keep tellin' `im Ah speak Scottish!! Aww man, de othas ar' sayin' good-bye alre'dy. Guess Ah gotta go now..." She seemed a bit sad, for some reason. “Seey ya-” but she never got to finish that phrase...
...TBC...
“...” speaking
`Italics' thoughts
:: … :: bit beast talking
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* +* +*+*
Chapter 4... Protect her, never let her go
“Ya know, the food here is reeeeeeeeally good!” Tyson happily commented between big forkfuls.
“I thought you'd like regional food. But what I like best is the smoked pork sausages. Mmm, best in the world!!" Iris chuckled softly, continuing her talk with Kenny and Dizzy.
Kai, having finished eating for about ten minutes, glanced briefly at the girl in front of him. She had too. `Good.' He got up quietly, heading for the exit.
“Where are you going?” Ray quirked an eyebrow at him.
“Out.” Was the simple reply.
Seeing him go out of the corner of her eye, Iris got up too a few minutes later, following Kai's example.
“And you?” once again the Chinese boy asked, even if he now had a slight idea.
“Going for a walk, need a bit of air.” She hurriedly lied. Which was almost a second nature to her. Lying to her own friends, to convince them she was ok. Since dinner, she felt anxious, she didn't know why. `Something's coming, and it's something good..' She smiled softly, passing the big doors and feeling the air outside. It was cold now. Portugal was like that, one day was sunny and hot as hell, and the next one was foggy and cold.
Ray snorted to himself, shaking his head, `What you do need is Kai's company.'
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When she came out, Kai pulled back from the wall he was leaning on, turning to look at her. He smirked lightly, remembering the face of the guy she battled earlier that day, “You did well today. I admit that I underestimated you greatly, in the first time we battled.”
The Portuguese girl smirked back, “Never judge a book by its cover. Even if the cover is made out of velvety leather.” A hand trailed down her own body, showing him what she meant.
“Very modest, aren't you?”
“I'm just being realistic.” The innocent tone she just used, as if he was being completely unfair to her, led to his chuckling. “What?”
“Let's go take a walk.”
“The lady is the one who should have the last word, you know.”
“Ah yes, will the mademoiselle grace me with her pompous presence or am I too much of a peasant for you?” he rolled his eyes at her.
“That's more like it. We shall go, my slave!”
An eyebrow quirked, “Don't push your luck.”
“I know, the bed is single.” She nodded.
“What?”
“Don't push your luck, for the bed is only single.” She waved her hand, “Don't mind me, it's a Portuguese saying.”
“Yeah, it had to be.”
“Hey!” knocking her hip against his, she pushed him, not having liked the comment. But right after, her head found his shoulder to lean on. “Meh, you're too much of a soft pillow to get rid of.” His chuckle was music to her ears.
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Deep turquoise blue orbs observed the couple in surprise. The teen, no older than the slate-haired boy he was just looking at, was sitting at a bench, his back to the big black deep waters of the Douro River, looking for five teenagers around these places. And he had found one of them.
Tala Ivanov, captain of the Demolition Boys, after being defeated by Tyson Granger, had changed a lot. Along with his team too. They rebelled against Boris, earning even worst punishments than they had before, but at the first chance they got, they escaped the Abbey. About time too.
The four of them separated, escaping through four different places. Soon, the guards had lost track on them. For what he heard, all of them found their families. Although, Tala was the only one who had no family whatsoever. Not that he knew about, that is. He had searched through his files back in the Abbey many, many times and had never found anything about any relative; that had to be something, right?
And just maybe that was the reason why he and Kai were friends since the moment they locked eyes the first time they saw each other. Alright, so not really close friends, but they did stand each other. But Kai was lucky. When he was nine, almost ten, he managed to run away from the Abbey. Even if his grandfather found him, instead of making him return, he sent him to Japan. Kai had promised them he would return though, and he did eventually. Even if he lost his memory along the way.
He now was wearing his usual shoes, a long sleeved shirt, black on the back and one stripe on each arm, the collar too, and the rest white. A pair of loose deep-red pants and brown fingerless gloves completed his attire. His hair was all spiked backwards, even if he let the normal two tresses over his eyes. As he was getting up, his sky-blue gaze rested on the girl that just rested her head on Kai's shoulder. His lips parted, eyes wide. `Can it be? Iris?'
:: It is, little one... :: Wolborg answered him, :: I feel Lady Lugiohan's presence. And of course, Lord Dranzer's. ::
`She changed a lot... But I'd recognize her features anywhere. I thought she had died..' a small smile made its way to his lips, as he remembered the little girl he once knew, now almost a woman before his eyes.
When they were training one day, approximately one week after Kai had escaped, a girl around their age appeared. Boris had said she had great potential, and it was their duty to inform her of the rules and train her. Since then, that same scared girl climbed her way through his emotional walls he always kept around his heart, walls that kept his true self away from the others, away from hurt, love, compassion, mercy and friendship. She had a place in his heart like no one had, she was the little sister he never had, his only family.
««Flashback»»< br> Four boys, no older than ten were training non-stop as per usual, until the door opened, slamming into the wall, startling them, revealing the man-who-lives-to-torment-them, Boris. Behind him, stood a little girl, head low, her long black and red hair covering half of her face. He pushed her to stand in front of him instead, making her lose her balance briefly at the rough and sudden movement.
“Her name is Iris Blanchett. You four will be responsible for her training and such. Her room is next to yours, Tala. She has a great power in her; she will be very useful to us once she's ready and trained. Now resume your training!” Boris snapped, turning around swiftly, closing the doors after pushing the female inside harshly once more. The boys let out a sigh of relief when he was gone.
“Hi. Iris, right? The name's Tala.” The red-haired child held his hand to her. The way he spoke was cold though, his eyes showing her nothing.
She just nodded, ignoring his hand (wasn't insecurity he just saw in her eyes?), and turning away from them. She launched her blade, as she stepped up to the stadium. Suddenly, another beyblade crashed onto the dish and touched hers slightly, sending it flying with no effort to the feet of its owner.
“Your beyblade needs more stamina, speed and balance. I can help you there if you'd like. I'm Bryan.” A lavender haired boy walked up to her side, catching the fallen blade from the bey-dish and putting it back into her smaller hand. He let his own hand place itself on her shoulder, where he noticed her tense partially.
“Relax, little one. We're nothing like him. Don't be afraid. My name's Spencer and the shorty here is Ian.” The slightly tall blonde smiled at her softly, ignoring the deep scowl his purple haired friend was giving him.
“Thanks.” A small hoarse whisper passed through her lips. The boys could only imagine just for how long she had screamed before, for her voice to be this damaged.
“I'll show you your room if you want. Follow me.” Tala beckoned her, heading for the door. The two kids made their way through the labyrinth-like corridors.
“What does he want.” Her rasping voice broke the silence between them.
“Dunno.” The boy replied, “All he ever demands is TRAIN, TRAIN, TRAIN!!!” he made a funny deeper voice, to ensemble Boris', making her laugh for the first time since he knew her, a sound he would look forward to hear in the future. “Why do you ask?”
“H-He hurts me.” She stopped walking, looking at him, silver hues shinning with tears, some already spilling, even if she didn't make a sound, as if they weren't even there. Crying silent tears, over her unfair life, over the pain of her lost family, over the man who had brought all this to her. And yet, those same silvery eyes begged for his comfort.
Tala didn't know what to do; she was the first girl he ever saw in the Abbey, and the first girl he ever saw crying right in front of him, “Don't cry... Please don't cry. I won't let him hurt you. I'll do everything I can to stop him.” He vowed at her ear, pulling her close in a protective way, as she cried, still not making a sound.
She lifted her head, her eyes hopeful, “Promise, Tala?”
“I promise.”
««End Flashback»»
And that was how he earned her trust; in exchange, he watched out for her, protecting her every time he could. And after some training, she became incredibly strong and the treasure of the four elite boys. The youngest of their team, and because of that, the most protected one.
The present Tala smiled sadly at the memory of the day when she confessed that Boris raped her, and the first time he actually punched him. He had probably broken Boris' nose, which resulted in fifty whips for two weeks every day, and almost no food. `But it was worth it...' he still thought it was.
««Flashback»»
Two pre-teens ran through the cold halls of the Valkov Abbey. One was a silver-eyed, tearful, but silent girl, running away from the red-haired boy chasing her. But this time, being shorter didn't went in her favour, as he finally grasped her shoulders, spinning her around, pushing her against a wall, as gently as he could in a situation such as this. There was a moment of silence as the two kids caught their breath.
“What... is... wrong... with... you…” the taller boy finally let out between gasps.
“I-I can't tell you...” she whispered, avoiding his stare. She knew she wasn't all that good at hiding her feelings. They always showed through her eyes. And Tala could read her like an open book, if he so wanted.
“But why?” he tilted her chin upwards, looking into her eyes, searching, searching for the reason for her sadness, “I thought you trusted me. Tell me what's wrong, please, maybe I can help-”
“That fucking BASTARD RAPES me!! That's what's wrong!” the female finally shouted, interrupting him, a sudden fire in her eyes, “You can't even stop the beatings he gives you, how can you say you can help me! I know you are concerned about me, but… You can't... You just can't, Tala. No one can. At least not yet, not until we're strong enough to defeat him.”
Saying that Tala was shocked was like saying that the sun is hot, “He… what?” the boy spun around on his heels and at a fast stride made his way to Boris' office. `It's time to do something I should've done a long time ago… To take this matter into my own hands... This time he has gone too far...' He kept walking, ignoring the girl struggling to keep up his pace and even his bit-beast's calls to let it go; he opened the wooden door and closed it fast, closing the girl outside too.
“What is it Tala? And what gives you the right to-” the purple haired man started walking towards him, obviously to say he should knock first, and blah blah blah, and beat him for such a small thing.
`I'll give him reason to beat me up today, alright...' the boy interrupted him in mid-sentence, keeping the eye-contact and frown in place, knowing perfectly well that it was strict not to lock stares with your superiors. “And what gives YOU the right to rape her? What! She doesn't deserve it, she lost her family, her cruddy happiness and you made her lose her innocence by abusing her!” Tala hissed in pure rage, advancing to his nemesis and punching him hard, right on the nose, where a trickle of blood started to ooze almost immediately. He couldn't hold back a smirk at that.
Boris, now completely furious, punched the boy in the jaw, hearing the sickening sound that signalized it had broken. He kicked the child's abdomen, making Tala curl into a ball, gasping for air. “And we're not finished yet! Does the word whip makes a light go on, on your little immature head?” the eldest grabbed him by the arm and dragged the softly whimpering boy to the torture room, the fiery youth locking his turquoise, pained hues one last time with hers, not to open them again until three days later, where he would awake in the nursery.
Iris was crouched at the exit of Boris' office, despair and guilt written all over her features as she mouthed, “I'm sorry… I'm so, so sorry...”
««End Flashback»»
In the evening she escaped, after being raped yet again, he found her in her room in a horrible state. That was the last time he ever saw her. If her wounds and state of mind were a sign, he never thought he'd ever see her alive again. Even though Tala had tried everything to make her stay, in the end, she eluded him and managed to run away.
««Flashback»»
Another training day was over. `Finally, I can get some rest...' was the thought of one turquoise-eyed red-haired young 13 year old. `Now, where the heck is the she-devil?'
Who didn't know them, would surely think they were brothers, by the way they looked out for each other. Well, they were, to a certain degree, just not by blood.
He entered her room, after knocking two times, his signal; her door was always open, and today was no different. Although her room was. It was empty... Bare. The only thing there was, was a photo frame of Miranda, her sister, and Iris herself in one of the nightstands.
Said girl was lying on her side in the small bed, knees pulled up to her chest, eyes closed. Her slightly tanned cheeks were tear-streaked and her clothes were put on in a hurry. `That bastard... What would I give to have the power to kill him?' He scowled at seeing her like this, this weak. This was nothing like her. Something was seriously wrong tonight.
Sitting on the bed and brushing a few black strands aside from her forehead, he whispered softly, “Rin?” He was probably the only one who ever dared to call her that. From her middle name Catherine (which she hated), he usually called her just Rin. So that she knew it was him who was speaking.
It was normal for her to snap her eyes open and move away from him, he knew. Then, she would say she was sorry. But today was different, as he came to realize. Those mystic silver blue hues of hers opened, locking with his clear blue ones, no emotion to read in them whatsoever. That was odd too. She wasn't like the normal kids outside; she knew all too well how to hide her emotions. But from an observant person, like himself, she couldn't. And yet, here she was doing that, right now.
“Hey..” She whispered as she sat up. Once more, her voice was a bit hoarse. `I see he wasn't anywhere near gentle this time. Not that he ever was to her.' “I've got something very important to tell you.”
“Shoot.”
She took a deep breath, but did not look at him, “I'm leaving.”
“What!” she had caught him off-guard. He may have expected many things, but nothing could have prepared him for that, “But-”
“No buts, Wolf, I'm sorry. I'll go mad if I don't. It's too much.. I am not his fucking whore or toy! I'm tired of all this! I can't go on!” her hands held her head, as her eyes shut tightly, more tears running down her cheeks. But no sound.
“Please don't cry... You know I hate seeing you like that...” he looked helplessly at her, wrapping an arm around her quivering shoulders, “What will I do without you? And the guys?”
“Boris won't leave me alone and I certainly won't give him Lugiohan. I have to get away… It's the only thing I have left. I'm sorry. I know you guys try everything you can to keep him away from me, but you aren't near strong enough to actually stop him. I have to go.. Tonight.”
“No!!” as she tried to catch his stare, it was his turn to look away as his own tears shed, “You're everything I have left too.. I don't have anyone else! Please, don't do this to me, to us… Don't leave.”
And instead of being him the one who comforted her, he ended up falling asleep on her lap, her hands threading through his hair, soothing and calming him down enough to put him into a light rest. By the time he woke up, all that was left was her scent, good and bad memories and one single note written in her precise calligraphy.
Wolf,
Don't worry about me, you taught me well... Too well, I guess.
I'm leaving, but this is not the last of me, I promise. We'll see each other again, I know we will. Yeah, what Ian calls `female intuition', I think.
Please give my apologies to them and to yourself.
But trust me, even while you're reading this, I'm thinking of you... All of you.
See you around, Yuriy, Bry, Spence and Ian...
~Iris C. Blanchett
(Rin)
As he read the first two sentences, over and over again, he realized he was crying once more. The only light in the darkness around him had been shut off, and for once, he couldn't find a way to turn it on once more.
««End Flashback»»
And right here and right now, there she was, in front of him, just like she promised in that note. With one of the few people he needed to find. The little money he had was shortening and he couldn't get much either. The last thing he needed was the police after him. He walked towards them.
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Kai slowed down their pace as he saw who was approaching them. He opened his mouth to speak, when Iris suddenly gasped, interrupting him.
“TALA!!!” the girl quickly swung her arms around the poor Russian's neck, hugging him tightly, as Tala hugged her back, patting her back gently.
“Yeah.. I'm back… But don't think I'm happy with the way you left, you know. I didn't forget it.”
“I swear I'll never ever leave you guys like that. Me promises. Happy now?”
“You two know each other?” Kai looked at them, quirking an eyebrow.
“Actually, we do, yeah. You see, she was in the Abbey too. A few days after you left.” Tala explained.
“She was?” Kai glanced at her, `So that's why her technique is so familiar... It's like the Demolition Boys'...'
“You mean you were there too?” Iris finally released the redhead (who behind her back rubbed his neck, grimacing slightly), glancing back at the maroon eyed teen.
“For most of my childhood, yes, but I managed to run away. According to Tala, a few days before you arrived.”
“I see.”
“Anyway, what exactly are you doing here, Wolf?”
“Duh, running away.” Tala rolled his eyes, “All of us are... We separated, just in case.”
“You seem thinner. Are you eating properly?” the black haired girl scolded him suddenly, making both males snicker a bit.
“We all are wanted, Rin. Boris is giving a good reward for those who find me, Ian, Spencer, Bryan... And even you. All of us need to be careful. But as I was saying, I can't spend much time in one place while I'm alone like I was. The authorities would know, and inform the Abbey. As I heard of a tournament here in Portugal, I came here looking for you guys." He glanced at Kai.
“About staying with us, there's no problem.”
“And help the team too!” Iris winked, “Just like the old times, eh?”
Bright blue eyes softened, “Yeah, like the old times.”
“We better go then. You two coming?” Kai nodded at the hotel. The three teens made their way back to it. “By the way, why did you call her `Rin'?”
“My second name is Catherine. And as I hate being called `Cathy', which Ian just loooves to call me, Yuriy here was a sweetheart and thought about `Rin' for me.”
“Yup.”
Once they arrived to their destination, none of the BladeBreakers actually looked at them or noticed the new comer.
And suddenly, Max noticed him, “Hey! IT'S TALA!!!”
“What are you doing around here?” Tyson waved at him, which earned him three raised eyebrows. Tala quickly explained them the same thing he had explained previously.
And the talking started from there. A couple of hours later, the seven teens soon made their way to their respective beds, Tala contenting himself with the couch, and soon fell asleep. Iris couldn't help but feel happy as her lips curved into a smile. Her instinct had been right, not once, but twice. She knew they would meet again, and they did; she felt something good was going to happen, and it did. With that thought in mind, she drifted on to a restful sleep.
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As she was half-asleep already, just seeing the horizon of tonight's dream, soft, feather-like cold lips grazed her neck. She wasn't scared; Lugiohan would have warned her, and her intuition wasn't making any signs of bad things coming, so she tilted her head up, giving him better access to her neck.
“Come to the balcony.” His breath on her neck was the last thing she felt, as he pulled away.
Stretching lazily on the bed, and grinning up at him as she noticed him staring, she followed him quietly. Kai was only on his pyjama bottoms, she noticed. Her own Pj's consisted in a white loose tee, and baby-blue shorts. Not that she minded being seen like this.
But she did mind when she felt that the air outside was cold, just as it was before. `Right. I forgot about that.' However, as his arms found her waist, pulling her close, the cold didn't seem to mind her in the least. As much of a shock as it came, she found she kind of liked being against his strong body, as her own moulded to it. Her head leaned against his chest, her eyes drifting close once more. She was used to go to bed late, but after having a taste of sleep, she felt a bit sleepy herself, if not a bit lazy. Most of her weight was supported by his arms. Not that she was heavy. On the contrary.
Being this close to him, she was able to pick up his scent. Beyond the soft cologne he used, she smelled the definitely male scent that was simply labelled `Kai'. “You smell good.”
“It wouldn't do if I didn't, don't you think?” she could almost see his slight smile.
Tilting her head up, Iris was surprised to feel his lips gently brushing against hers right after. And what surprised her even more, was when she started to respond as if she knew exactly what to do. Which, needless to say, she didn't.
It was his turn to be surprised as he felt the tip of her tongue trace his lower lip, pulling back only to do it again. Usually she was shy. But he parted his lips, giving her access anyway. He was the last one to complain about that.
For the few minutes, the young couple stayed in each other's arms, relishing in each other's presence, completely unaware of the softly smiling red-haired teen that had awoken to drink a cup of water.
“Who would have though.” he mouthed to himself, shaking his head, as he slipped out of sight, unseen.
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It was exactly 7.15am. The BladeBreakers, along with Tala, were having a calm breakfast at the moment. Kai's idea was to train before the second combat of the competition, (much to Tyson's displeasure of course) which started at 9.30am.
“Aww, c'mon, Kai!! Pleeeeeeeeaaase!!! We're battling in about… two hours!”
“So?” was the only response the navy-blue eyed teen got as they headed outside.
The morning passed quite fast, as their battle was in the morning and they intended on seeing the Majestic's as their combat was in the afternoon, at 16.30pm. This time, it was Ray, Max and then Iris who battled.
“I see you're still in top shape.” Tala winked at her, while they were leaving the bey-stadium to have lunch.
“Of course! What do you think I am?”
“Well, let me see, a lazy, full of yourself, girly-”
“Am not!” she started chasing him at the last comment.
“Are too!” the longer legs of the blue eyed boy gave him an advantage, as Tala avoided her easily.
“Am not!”
“Are too!”
“AM NOT!”
“Are too!!”
Tyson sweat-dropped, glancing at them, “And they call us childish, Maxie.”
The blond chuckled, “Ditto!”
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After a good lunch, Tala and Kai went over to the balcony unnoticed, as Iris was beating Tyson merciless at Tekken4, on the PlayStation2 the World Champion brought along, and the others were laughing at his astonished expression at her skill.
“Glad you guys managed to escape. I'm sorry if I couldn't help.”
“No hard feelings about that. You did all you could. That's what it counts.”
“So, what's the story behind you and Iris?” the blue eyed teen smirked; he suspected the other boy would ask something alone those lines.
“No words to describe what we have; it's just like a mutual understanding between us both. We know what the other might be feeling and needing by only a few glances. I was the one responsible for her trainings. Not only me, but we practised together.” His eyes hardened slightly as the next few words escaped his mouth, “Although I have a thin patience, it's not on my nature to simply resign to violence. But if anything or anyone EVER hurts her in my presence, or if she tells me about it, I'll kill the bastard right away. I don't want to see her get hurt.”
The slate haired teen nodded in agreement, “I'd feel the same way, if I was in your place, I'm sure.”
“Ah, yes...” Tala smirked lightly, glancing at him over his shoulder from his spot on the balcony's railings, “I can see how... close you two are.”
Kai's eyes narrowed slightly at that, “What do you mean.”
“Why, nothing...” he had his back turned, but the young phoenix could almost see the smirk still in place.
`He knows something....'
“But keep this in mind, Phoenix... I don't want to see her heart broken. She passed through too much already. She might be younger than us, but her punishments were, by far, worst and humiliating. And no matter what happens from now on, all I ask is for you to protect her; she needs all the help she can get. She's just too damn proud to admit it.”
All the other did was quirk an eyebrow at the sudden change of subject, but he kept quiet, simply nodding. Perhaps this way, he might find out a few more things about her. Maybe.
:: Do not rush things, young one. She will tell you in due time, when she is ready. Miss Blanchett needs space and time to ponder her options more than any other female does. ::
`Can't argue with that, Dranzer.'
“And one more thing...” the Demolition Boys' captain turned around to look at him in the eye, his own turquoise stare filled with an emotion Kai couldn't really identify, “Whatever you do, whatever happens, she'll need your support. Don't ever let her go, she needs a shoulder to lean on, even if she doesn't ask for one.” as he passed him to go inside, Tala placed one hand on his shoulder.
`That was... odd.'
“Ah-HA!! I won! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!” Iris suddenly shouted, while Tyson crossed his arms, frowning deeply.
“Meh, no fair!! You're not a novice after all!!”
“Yes I was! I had never played Tekken4 before!”
“Then… Then… You had the game bewitched or something!!” everyone sweat-dropped.
“Err, right… If you say so, Dragon.”
:: Iris is a very complicated female... :: was the only comment Dranzer left on his master's mind before he retreated, the flash of red light from the bit chip of the dark blue beyblade warming up his fingertips briefly. Which left him even more confused.
`What did really happen to you, Iris Blanchett?'
«««««& #194;«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â« 4;«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â& #171;««««« 1;««««««& #194;«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â« 4;«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â& #171;«
“AAAAAANND THIS AFTERNOON, WE HAVE THE MAJESTIC'S AGAINST THE STARLIGHTS!!!”
“Tell me again why we gotta see these losers?" Iris asked in a bored tone. The seven bladers were sitting on the front row and since they arrived, the only female in the group hadn't stopped complaining yet.
“Look, that's really getting on my nerves, if you know what I mean...” Tala glanced at her as if in warning; they all them knew how his patience was thin. Especially herself.
“We're here to see this Rosemary. We never met her before and Dizzy doesn't have any statistics whatsoever about her.” Kenny quickly explained.
“That's not everything to win, you know. What counts is your technique and keeping a cool head. Not let your guard down nor let your anger take the best of you.” she pouted.
“Well, yes, in its essence, that's the key to victory. Although, it's better to know her style and bit-beast already. It will be easier to everybody that way.”
“She has a bit-beast?”
“Yes, she does, girl,” Dizzy replied, “The name's Raylyan (a/n:. read Raylayan) and she's a powerful fire dragon. Like her brother, she too relies on the element of fire. Never defeated... Yet.”
“Got that right. Hmph!” Iris kept sulking though. She didn't want to say her real reason for wanting to stay in the hotel; for quite some time she felt someone, something calling for her, as if longing for her own power. And she didn't like it one bit.
“And she's good?”
“That's what we're here to find out.” At that moment, the last of the five boys of the Starlights' team came towards one of the edges of the bey-dish as the tanned girl from the Majestic's moved to be right in front of him. As Tala's eyes rested upon her, it wasn't just a normal girl; it was one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen. Her strange eyes, wild hair, slim frame... Gorgeous. And only one more girl had had the honour of having that same adjective characterizing her. A girl from his childhood, from the Abbey. Tenebrae Rosa.
“AAAAANND 3.................... 2......................... 1!................... LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETTT IT RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Rosemary's shinny red beyblade was almost equal in design with Johnny's. She was fast and agile, her movements smooth and gracious. The boy didn't have any chance. The two first rounds weren't anything near special, quick, harsh and fast, but her last one...
“Now, Raylyan, show me your power! Arise!” she stretched her arm in front of her as her blade shone a bright red light. A mighty dragon came forward, similar to Dragoon, but in a red colour and looking slightly more feminine to all of them, god-knew-why. The opposite yellow blade went crashing to the floor, dismantled but luckily not broken, as the bit chip landed by his blader's right foot. Briefly, Rosemary's lavender stare looked their way. All of them saw she didn't have the arrogance her brother had. No, not at all.
The BladeBreakers waited for them, just to talk a bit, since Chief was really excited about Raylyan.
“I just HAVE to have more data on her!!!” he kept saying, hopping around, as his friends shook their heads and quirked their eyebrows at the young genius. Some minutes after, the Majestic's appeared, walking towards them.
“What are you doing here? Your battle was in the morning, if I'm not mistaken.” Enrique said, but he didn't bother looking away from Rosemary from the corner of his eye, let alone covering that up.
“Ah alre'dy told ya!! Stop wit' da starin'!! Ah don' lik' it!” her voice sounded for the first time, annoyed, as she glared at the blonde playboy while he simply grinned sheepishly. Her Scottish accent clear in almost every word.
As they were walking, Tyson was on the lead, along with Robert, talking about the victories and how much they improved, switching impressions, as were Ray and Oliver, and Max was laughing at Enrique's jokes. Kai and Johnny were glaring at each other, while Iris rolled her eyes once in a while, walking beside them.
As soon as Kenny slowed down, discussing with Dizzy after having talked to her, Rosemary noticed the redhead on the end of the group. She stopped for a few moments, before continuing to walk alongside of him.
“Yer on their team?” her tone just curious, but as soft as it was, it still made a shiver suddenly run up and down his spine.
“Actually no, I'm just a... friend. I decided to drop by, and pay them a visit.” He nodded at the teens in front of them casually, speaking coolly.
“Ah seey. An' yer name's?" she turned to look at him, her head tilting to the side slightly. `He's quite cute, in his own speci'l way...'
“Tala Ivanov.”
“Umm, sovietic, Ah s'pose?” she inquired, tilting her head to the side.
“Russian if you're that curious. Although, my first name in Russian is Yuriy.”
The girl giggled softly, “Ahhh, don' ask mey ta speak in otha languages; Robe't's always sayin' dat Ah don' know how ta speak English, let alone speak Russian. But Ah keep tellin' `im Ah speak Scottish!! Aww man, de othas ar' sayin' good-bye alre'dy. Guess Ah gotta go now..." She seemed a bit sad, for some reason. “Seey ya-” but she never got to finish that phrase...
...TBC...