Beyblade Fan Fiction ❯ Legend of the Elemental Warriors ❯ Opposites Attract ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

The day after registration didn't go too well for a certain team. The Shadow Bladers were having a hard time, getting Danny out of the apartment and to the practice area. He kept complain on how Arian's neighbors were too loud. The team captain then snorted and told him to deal with it. He had to on a regular basis. Theo ended up refereeing the battles, while Rocky made sure that no one was injured. Finally, Arian conceded into letting Danny to take a nap while two of them train. There was only one dish so only two people could battle at one time. The three of them would alternate until Danny woke up. When he woke up, he would have to spend more time training than the others, because he missed the first part of it.

"I can't wait for the tournament to begin," a blonde haired boy cheered. That blonde boy happened to be the fourth member of the Shadow Bladers.

"Rocky, calm down," Arian said, trying to calm his hyper team mate down. "You should use that energy for the tournament not for training."

"I guess you're right," Rocky said sheepishly. "Maybe that's why we named you our team captain, eh?"

"Stop trying to get on his good side," Danny scowled. "It isn't working."

"You two stop it," Arian said, placing his hands on his hips and looking between the two boys. "We shouldn't be fighting each other when there are more important things to take care of. For instance, we need to know who we will be facing in the first round. I hope it isn't those Demolition Jerks, we met while ago."

"I bet you want to see Tala," Rocky teased his team captain.

"I SO DO NOT want to see his ugly mug," Arian scowled. He turned and stormed away from the rest of his team. He needed to spend some time by himself.

"That wasn't good," Theo stated the obvious. He watched their team captain disappear around the corner. By the looks of it, he knew that Arian needed some time to cool off and Rocky wasn't helping at all.

"No kidding," Danny said dryly. "Let him be for now. When he's ready, he'll come back. In the mean time, I suggest we all resume training. The tournament will start in a few days. If we want to make it to the final round, we need more training."

"I guess you're right on that part," Rocky agreed with him. Ever since he was injured, he wasn't training hard, because his body needed time to heal. "After that injury, I need to train harder than before. I was wondering if you guys don't mind me being the reserve for the first round. I want to get as much training done as possible between now and then."

"That sounds like a good plan to me," Theo more than happily agreed with his team mate. Secretly, he had a crush on the older boy, ever since they became a team two years ago. Even though they have been a team longer than the Bladebreakers, they didn't enter any tournaments or go to any competition. Instead they focused on training and becoming better, not to mention they had school and other activities in their lives besides beyblading. Theo played the piano. Danny liked weight lifting. Arian loved to ride his motorcycle and practice karate with Danny. Rocky was obsessed with sports and food. His favorite sport was soccer, because he was so good at it.

"At least you aren't like that Tyson from the Breakers team," Danny said turning his back to them. "Let's continue, shall we?"

A few blocks down, a furious Arian was storming. He wanted nothing to do with that red haired team captain. Stopping at a crosswalk, he glanced around his surroundings. He just took off in one direction that he didn't know which way he went, but at least, he knew the area. He wasn't lost. A flash of red caught his attention. 'I wonder if that's who I think it is. It had better not be, because if I see that ugly mug of his, I'm going to strangle him on sight, even if it is against the law.'

The team captain crossed the street when it was safe to. He padded along the crowded sidewalk, making sure that he didn't bump into anyone. Once he was in the clear area, he decided that he needed to meditate. 'I think I'll go to the park. The weather is lovely.'

He turned and walked towards another park. In truth, he secretly wanted to see that red haired boy, despite what his mind told him. He had been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice someone running towards him at a high rate of speed until it was too late. The force of the impact pushed him over the railing and into the river. He struggled against its currents, trying to reach the surface. As soon as he broke through, he could see several people running along the banks. Suddenly, he was pulled under again.

This time, he couldn't reach the surface as his muscles were aching. 'So this is it. This is the end of me. I would have never thought I was going to go out like this. I wanted to go out in style. Fate is so cruel to me.' He closed his eyes, awaiting death, when two strong arms grabbed his waist and hauled him up.

Reaching the surface, he coughed up the water from his lungs and gasped. He realized that this person was not only strong enough to swim to land by himself but he could carry another person. A few witnesses ran towards him to make sure that he was okay. He nodded his head politely and thanked them for their concern. As the fatigue was setting in, he couldn't clearly see who rescued him, but he wanted to thank that person. Arian closed his eyes and rested his head on his rescuer's shoulder.

"Why did you even bother rescuing him?" A cold voice asked the rescuer.

"Because it was out fault he was in that predicament in the first place, Spencer," Tala retorted. Besides, he felt that he should protect his silver haired boy. Wait a second, when did he think that Arian was his. He looked down at the peacefully sleeping boy and smiled a little one. 'He looks so peaceful and cute.' The red head pulled him closer to his body and sighed.

"Don't get too attached, Tala," Bryan warned his team mate. "Remember, we are on a mission here and it doesn't need to be compromised by your infatuation with him."

"I'm not infatuated," Tala huffed. In truth, he couldn't get Arian out of his mind ever since he first ran into the silver haired youth.

"That's what you say," Bryan smirked as he made that comment. Before Tala could hit him, he walked out of the red head's range.

Since the team captain didn't want to drop him, he decided to wait until they reached their hotel room before he did anything drastic to the Falborg owner. Ian walked in silence, noticing the strange looks his team captain was giving the new person. He wondered if there was anything going on between the two. Bryan seemed to be thinking along those lines. Spencer didn't seem to sure about it.

When they reached their hotel, Spencer and Ian hit the beyblading dishes nearby. Bryan wandered around, as he knew Tala wanted to spend time with the boy. The mentioned red head brought Arian to the hotel room he shared with the other Demolition Boys. He had to get his companion out of those wet clothes as he was shivering violently. The only problem was that he didn't know where Arian lived and didn't have any clothes here.

"Let's see," Tala said to himself, while going through his belongings. Everything he wore would be loose on the silver haired boy. He then remembered that he had an old outfit that he grown out of, but he didn't want to get rid of it. It had been one of his favorite outfits so he kept it. 'Maybe he would look good in it.' He widened his eyes when he realized what he had to do. 'I hope he doesn't become angry with me for this.'

Tala started to strip his companion down to his underwear. When he realized those were completely soaked, he blushed. He knew he should replace those with something dry. Sighing, he quickly went to retrieve something Arian could wear. He found that something, which had shrunk after several washes. Quickly he pulled down the boy's boxers and dried him completely. After doing so, he changed him into his old clothes and laid the silver haired boy in his bed. Tala pulled Arian closer to himself.

'I don't know why, but this feels right,' Tala thought to himself. 'I want to hold him in my arms forever, but why am I thinking those things? I have only met him yesterday; yet, I feel drawn to him. He can be childish at times, but then again, he was one serious beyblader, determined to win.'

Tala nuzzled the silver haired blader. 'How is he going to react to this? Oh well, I'll find out sooner or later. He smells nice. It reminds me of a grassy field.'

Being in this comfortable position made the red headed boy very sleepy. He yawned quietly as to not wake up the sleeping boy in his arms. Soon sleep claimed him as one of their own and he drifted off into slumber.

A few hours, the silver haired boy's eyes cracked opened. His mind was hazy from the previous events. He wondered what happened to him. The last thing he remembered was falling into the river and getting swept away. Then that must mean he was dead, but this didn't feel like heaven. He noticed a pair of strong arms, holding his waist. Those arms had muscles. He leaned against the owner of those, to find out that person also had a well toned body. Inwardly, he blushed at the thought. Since he was facing away from the person, he couldn't tell who saved him. He wondered if it could be one of his team mates, but then remembered none of them had muscles like this.

Arian glanced up to find red hair. The only four people he knew to have red hair were the following: Kenny, Emily, Johnny, and Tala. He certainly hoped it wasn't the last of them. The first two he could eliminate very easily. Kenny wasn't strong physically, but mentally he was a genius. Emily for the obvious reason was that she was a girl. His rescuer was a boy. That only left Johnny and Tala. When he looked at the shape of the hair, he realized that it was Tala.

'Why did he save me?' Arian thought as he tried to worm his way out of the red head's grasp, but Tala only tightened his grip. He sighed and used his strength to pry himself out. That caused Tala to further tighten his grip.

Icy blue eyes cracked opened to find a struggling silver haired boy in his arms. He smirked as Arian was caught in an embarrassing position. He moved his hand up towards the back of Arian's neck and started rubbing it.

The silver haired blader felt something warm rubbing against his skin in a soothing way. He acted on instinct and started to purr. 'Where did that come from?' He thought to himself. 'I normally don't react this way, but it feels so good.'

Tala heard a strange sound. He tilted his head to hear where it was coming from. Soon he discovered it was coming from a person currently in his arms. He smile a genuine one for the first time, since he joined the Abbey. For one thing, Boris didn't allow them to have any emotions. They were basically trained military style. Smiling, laughter, giggling, and basically anything that hindered them from their objectives was forbidden.

Arian nuzzled against the well toned chest as he purred. He closed the distance between their bodies to almost nothing. In fact, he was practically on top of Tala, though he didn't realize it at the time. He was content in being held by another person, instead of him holding someone else.

The red haired boy continued rubbing the smaller blader in his arms. Out of nowhere, his hand moved to underneath Arian's chin and lifted it up. Their eyes met, before Tala's lips pressed against his companion's lips. 'He has soft lips.' With that, he licked the bottom lip, wanting entrance.

Arian's eyes widened when he felt Tala's lips against his own. He nervously twitched, but then that kiss was gentle, yet firm. Before his mind could register what was going on, he was returning that kiss with equal passion. A tongue rubbed against his lower lip. He soon opened his mouth to allow Tala to explore. The feeling was nothing he ever experienced before. It was like his mouth was on fire. He moaned into the red head's mouth and gripped his shirt.

'Sweet,' Tala thought as he explored the younger boy's mouth. 'He's not a bad kisser.' He broke off their kiss as they needed to breathe.

The Shadow Blader's team captain took a few moments to catch his breath. His face was flushed as it was his first real kiss. He never kissed anyone like that. Sometimes, he would kiss their cheek or hand, but that was about it, never on the lips.

"Was that your first?" Tala asked him.

Arian nodded his head and rested it on his taller companion's chest. He purred very contently into his chest. Something was on his back. He discovered it was only Tala's hand rubbing him. "Are we together?" He wanted to know.

"I guess so," Tala said, nuzzling him. Suddenly, his head snapped up.

"What's wrong?" Arian asked softly. His voice was filled with concern.

"We shouldn't allow anyone to know about it," Tala informed him.

"Why?"

"Because Boris doesn't allow us to have any emotions," Tala explained. "I think I'm in love with you, even if we only met yesterday."

"I have a strange feeling that I am too, but I don't know how to describe the feeling," Arian sighed. "We'll have to meet in secret then and bad mouthed each other in public, especially around our team mates. They think we hate each other."

"You're right on that part," Tala agreed with him. "The others knew I rescued you, because they were there when it happened. It was partially my fault for allowing you to fall into the water. Bryan thinks that I'm infatuated with you. To tell you the truth, I think he's correct. Nevertheless, we need to be cautious around him as he suspects something between us."

Arian nodded his head in agreement. "We keep it to ourselves and keep up the charade." He then looked down at his clothing to find it had been completely changed from the one he was wearing today. "What happened to my clothes?"

"They were completely soaked and I didn't want you to get a cold so I changed them for you," Tala said nervously.

"You didn't change.... Well, you know?"

"That too."

The silver haired blader blushed a bright red, comparable to Tala's red hair. He wasn't expecting anyone to see him without his clothes, especially strangers.

"Don't worry," Tala assured him with a gentle hug. "You looked beautiful."

"Thanks," Arian managed to squeak out. "So now what?"

"We'll have to get you out of here before Boris comes back," Tala said before being interrupted by a growling sound. "It appears you are hungry. Let's go get some food. It's on me."

"Are you sure about it?" Arian asked, wanting to make sure.

"Yes, I'm positive," Tala said, getting out of bed. "Think of it as our first date."

Meanwhile, Bryan had been wandering around the hotel. He decided that he needed to get out of there and headed towards no place in particular. What was bothering him was his team captain's relationship with the other team captain. It not only jeopardized the mission, but it also placed Tala in serious trouble should they be discovered. Bryan felt disappointed when he first discovered it. He looked up to Tala as a role model, but when he failed to meet his expectations, he felt confused, hurt, and angry.

'Tala, what were you thinking?' Bryan thought to himself. 'You're not only going to get yourself into a world of trouble, you're going to get your new lover into trouble as well. Don't you see it is better off if the both of you remained distant. At least then, you will be both safe, but I don't know emotionally.'

The cold blader noticed a familiar person in the crowd. A flash of pink shone through the people as they walked. 'If Mariah is here, then that must mean the White Tigers have entered the tournament. I wonder how they feel after what we placed them through in the Russian tournament. Perhaps, it is better I not engage them in any conversation for now. The memories are still too fresh.'

He turned around and headed in the opposite direction, from where he saw the flash of pink. Sighing, he continued walking until a small object bumped into his leg, rather a small someone. He glanced down to find a green head.

'Is it Oliver or Kevin?' Bryan thought to himself. Those were the only two people he knew that had green hair and was short.

"KEVIN!!!" An angry Lee yelled, running down the street towards them. "You get back here this instant! You're in so trouble when I catch up to you."

Bryan glanced down at the sprawled out Kevin on the ground. He offered his hand to the confused boy. When the boy glanced up, he immediately backed off. He placed his hand over his chest, in more particular over his heart. His breathing became shallow and erratic. He looked like he was going to have a panic attack.

"I'm not going to injure or kill you," Bryan said in a cold voice.

"Then why did you nearly kill Rei?" An irritated voice called out. That voice belonged to none other than the owner of Galleon and the team captain of the White Tigers.

"I was ordered to," Bryan said in a serious voice. "If I hadn't been commanded to, I would have played fairly."

"Then why not disobey them?" Lee growled. His pupils became slits.

"Because I don't want to be 'punished' again," Bryan spoke, full of sorrow and regret. 'I remembered the last time I disobeyed Boris. I was beaten and nearly raped.' He shook his head to clear away those horrible memories.

Lee's face softened. "What do you mean 'be punished?'" Lee inquired as he stepped closer to him. Kevin just stood there, not drawing attention to himself. He was glad that Lee's attention had been placed on someone else.

"I can't tell you," Bryan said backing away, panic in his voice. "The last time someone spoke against him, he's now permanently swimming with the fishes. I seriously don't want to be the next person."

"He's a tyrant, you should stop him," Lee said with full determination.

"I can't," Bryan said, still moving away from him. He wanted to get out of there as fast as possible, before Lee began to think of ideas and drag him into them.

"Let us help you," Lee offered uncharacteristically. "You shouldn't be there."

"You can't help us," Bryan said softly. "No one can." He turned around and ran for all he was worth. He needed to get out of that situation. Loud footsteps followed him. He knew that Lee and Kevin were both following him, but he had to lose them. There was no way he was going to drag more people into his problem, especially when they wanted to help him out of it.

'I shouldn't let anyone into my world, because they only get hurt,' Bryan thought as he wandered away from the White Tigers. 'Tala, the only reason why I'm always on your case is because I don't want to see you getting hurt. I really do care, but not in a romantic way, more like a sibling kind of way. Please take care of yourself.'

Wandering around for some time, Bryan found himself at that very same park the Shadow Bladers were training. He tilted his head to hear three beyblades spinning and crashing into each other. Out of curiosity, he headed towards the source of the sound. 'I wonder which team is practicing or if it is some amateurs.'

The Demolition Boy turned the corner to find the rest of the Shadow Bladers training. Instead of going one on one, they were going all out against each other. He knew why there were only three members. Their team captain was currently with their team captain. Arian had fallen into a river, and Tala had saved him. The red head said it was their fault and they should correct that mistake, but he knew that Tala had a small crush on that boy.

"Have you come to spy on us?" Danny asked the distant Bryan very suspiciously.

"Why would I want to spy on a pathetic team as yours?" Bryan countered. He narrowed his eyes at the accusation. "We can defeat you even in our sleep."

"We aren't some pushover team," Danny growled at him. "You'd better watch out. The worst mistake you can ever make is underestimating your opponent. Don't say that I didn't warn you, because I did."

"As if I need a rookie giving me advice on beyblading," Bryan scoffed. "To me, you're nothing but an amateur."

"Just because we haven't been around the professional league doesn't mean we're amateurs," Danny scowled at him His other two team mates knew when not to interfere, especially at a time like this. The only person who could calm him down was gone. Despite their bickering, they were best friends and acted more like siblings rather than team mates.

"I still say you're amateurs," Bryan insisted. He crossed his arms. "You probably haven't faced anyone with bit beasts outside your own team. I would think that you don't even have bit beasts."

"Keep thinking that, and you'll make the biggest mistake of your life," Danny huffed. "All four of us possess powerful bit beasts. You haven't seen us in action. We haven't been in the professional league, because we have been training the entire time."

"Is that so?" Bryan said, trying to provoke the dark haired blader. "Prove it."

"I'll be more than glad to," Danny said, accepting the implicit challenge. He moved towards the abandoned dish. "Let's do it."

"My Falborg is no match for you," Bryan boasted as he stood in front of the dish, getting his beyblade ready. "Are you ready to lose?"

"Oh, don't you mean you?" Danny scowled. He soon had his launcher set up and aimed towards the dish.

Rocky and Theo thought it would be best if they didn't interfere. They knew Danny was a tough competitor and one that shouldn't be taken lightly. He and his bit beast made a great team. They weren't called the Shadow Bladers for nothing. His bit beast specialized in darkness. Kurashi was a black panther with lightning speed. He knew he could trust his bit beast to in. His team captain had Kurai, a hawk bit beast that specialized in light, though the hawk was the fastest out of the entire group. Theo had Kurin. It was a flying horse that was able to fly faster than the speed of sound and had powerful light attacks . Rocky had Kurigan, a powerful coyote bit beast that also specialized in dark based attacks. Their team was more known for their speed.

"Ever wondered what happened to your team captain?" Bryan asked as they stared each other, trying to locate any weaknesses.

"What about Arian?" Danny narrowed his eyes.

"He's currently with a certain red head," Bryan said, annoying his opponent.

"I don't think you're referring to Emily, Kenny, or Johnny," Danny said. "He's with your team captain. You kidnapped him!" He accused the Demolition Boys.

"We did no such thing!" Bryan growled at the black haired boy. "We only helped him out when he fell into the river. Well, I should say Tala helped him out. You should be thanking him rather than accusing him. If it weren't for him, your friend would have been fish food."

"I don't know whether you are telling the truth or a bunch of lies," Danny spat out with venom. "Let's get this done and over with. I can't stand looking at your ugly face for another second without hurling."

"You're too kind," Bryan said, dripping with sarcasm. They both launched their blades into the stadium, heading full speed at each other.

Falborg emerged sensing that his master wanted to win this battle and prove his point. He didn't need any order to know what his master desired. Kurashi also entered the battle. The black panther wanted to win for his master, who had rescued him. He wanted to repay the black haired boy for his kindness and generosity. Hardly anyone has seen this side to the boy, because he didn't allow others to come close to him. The only person who had come close to him was Arian. They were like family.

"Well, well, it seems you do have a bit beast," Bryan said with amusement. "And here, I thought you were all talk and no action."

"Actions speak louder than words," Danny said while glaring at his opponent. "I do my talking with my blade."

"That's fine with me," Bryan agreed with the black haired blader. "I rather battle than talk unlike some other bladers."

The both of them concentrated on the dish. Every once in awhile, they shouted commands to their bit beast, when they thought they had the advantage or could gain an edge, but somehow they always seemed to be evenly matched. Kurashi was doing his best against this flying bird of prey. After what seemed to be forever, both beyblades knocked each other out of the dish.

"I guess it's a tie," Rocky said sheepishly. "We'll be heading off." He pulled along his secret crush. Ever since he first laid eyes on the violet haired teen, he knew the was the one for him, but even though he was outgoing and confident, he was extremely nervous when it came to Theo.

"That takes care of the children," Bryan said, retrieving his beyblade from the ground.

Golden eyes turned to him and his pupils narrowed into slits. "I don't care if you diss me, but you aren't going to get away with dissing my team mates." He hissed at his opponent.

"Is that so?" Bryan asked teasingly. "What are you going to do about it?" He glanced down at the smaller boy.

Danny lunged at the taller boy, knocking him down. Soon both of them were rolling in the dirt. The black haired blader tried to separate himself from his opponent so he could use some of his karate moves against him. Unfortunately, he hadn't taken into account Bryan's strength or speed. Soon, he found himself being pinned to the ground with his hands over his head. Bryan was straddling his waist.

"Get off me!" Danny yelled really loud, loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear.

"Now, what did you say earlier? Ah, yes. Never underestimate your opponent."

Danny turned his head when he heard his own words being thrown at him. He didn't underestimate Bryan as he was so mad that he didn't even consider what the older teen was capable of.

"I thought so," Bryan said with a smirk.

"Just get off me," Danny said in a calm voice. Being in this position made Danny felt uncomfortable. He didn't like being the one under control. He liked being the one in control, except when it came to the team. Danny could care less. He cared about the other two members as if they were friends. He saw Arian more like a brother than a team mate.

Bryan studied the boy underneath him. He could feel muscles underneath those clothes, but they weren't as bulky as theirs. There were also some curves as well, giving him a sort of feminine feel to it. His hand roamed the other boy's arms. 'His skin is soft as silk. I wonder if his lips feel that way..... Just great. Tala has been rubbing off on me. I've become soft, but his lips are very tempting.' He closed the distance between their faces and kissed the boy passionately.

The black haired blader's eyes widened as he felt Bryan's lips on his. His opponent had the audacity to kiss him, but when Danny thought about it, the kiss seemed to be full of passion. When he came out of his thoughts, he found himself responding to that kiss. Something pressed against his lips. He opened his mouth to ask, but then found a soft pink item being inserted into his mouth.

Bryan pressed his tongue against the younger boy's lips. As soon as they parted, his wasted no time and plunged into his mouth. 'Wild and exotic.' He took his time exploring Danny's mouth. The next thing he knew, he was fighting for dominance in the smaller boy's mouth. When it was over, the blader underneath him became submissive and allowed the older blader to take his time exploring his mouth. They soon had to break, due to a need of oxygen.

Danny appeared to be flushed. He was trying to regain his breath.

"Was that your first kiss?" Bryan inquired with amusement.

The dark haired blader nodded his head. "It's my first real kiss. No one has been able to subdue me, except for Arian. He's an exception as he is our team captain. I wouldn't have joined the team if he wasn't."

"I understand," Bryan said. He was glad that he was able to be with the younger boy. Suddenly, he remembered something. "We have to keep this a secret. If Boris should ever discover it, both of us will end up in trouble. Believe me, you don't want him after you, especially with all the influence he has."

Danny nodded his head. "Would you mind getting off of me though? These rocks are annoying me to no ends."

Bryan laughed for the first time as he removed his body from Danny's. "I haven't laughed since I joined the Abbey."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Danny said regretfully. "I don't laugh out of choice, but you are forced to. It doesn't seem right."

"Yeah," Bryan sighed. "Lee tried to talk me into confessing."

"You should," Danny said, standing up. He placed his hand on his hips. "If this is happening, then most likely your team mates are receiving the same treatment."

Bryan panicked before calming himself down. "Not you too. You're not going to side with them?"

"Yes, I am," Danny said, poking his new lover in the chest. "I don't want you to be getting hurt. You could even die if you don't take care of yourself."

"I promise I won't do anything that would endanger my life or yours," Bryan assured him. He pulled the younger boy closer to himself and nuzzled him.

"I found you and I'm not going to let you go that easily," Danny mumbled into his chest.

"Now I know how Tala feels," Bryan chuckled.

"What do you mean by that?" Curious golden eyes looked up.

"I mean Tala is in love with your team captain," Bryan informed him.

"Well, it was bound to happen," Danny laughed softly. "Arian was in love with Tala, but he doesn't show it. The others are going to tease him mercilessly when they hear about this. The reason why he stormed off, was because they were saying that he has a crush on your team captain."

"No wonder why he was in deep thought when we saw him," Bryan mused out loud.

"Theo has a crush on Rocky and Rocky is in love with Theo," Danny informed his taller lover. "They don't know it yet. I know Arian will be doing something about it as they can't concentrate on the battle."

"True," Bryan agreed with him. "You know, we might have to face each other in the first rounds. They haven't posted who's going against who."

"I know," Danny sighed. "Promise me something."

"What is it?"

"If we go against each other, I want a fair battle. No cheating, no tricks."

"That I can personally guarantee," Bryan assured him.

"What's wrong, Lee?" Mariah asked, practically running behind her team captain.

"It's the Demolition Boys," Lee scowled.

"If they did anything wrong, I'll make sure they.." she didn't get to say the last part as her team captain interrupted her.

"They didn't do anything wrong. They are being punished severely by Boris. I told Bryan to speak out, but he refused to. Then I offered him my help, but he also refused it. Why wouldn't he accept our help?"

"Maybe because he can't," Mariah spoke softly. "He can't because he would get into trouble if he speaks or he doesn't want to endanger his team mates. Have you thought about that? I know you want to be noble like a lion, but sometimes the best moves aren't always the obvious ones."

"When have you become wise?" Lee teased her.

"Very funny," Mariah said sarcastically. "Seriously, I mean it. We can't be forcing them to accept our help. We can only offer it and hope they will accept it." She shook her head. "If we try to help them, we may only make things worse for them."

"I guess you're right," Lee sighed. "I'm so angry right now I could punch Boris in the face for what he done to them. Now, I know why they ended up the way they did. They were trained to be that way and 'punished' when they didn't according to the rules."

"There are two sides to every coin," Mariah quoted. "Just as there are two sides to every story. You shouldn't jump to conclusion when you only know one side of the story."

"I think you've been spending too much time with our elders," Lee teased her.

"I want to become wise," Mariah huffed. "That's all. I also wanted to ask a few questions, concerning love."

"What about it?" Lee raised a brow.

"I wanted to know if what I felt for Rei was love," Mariah replied innocently.

Lee could have sworn he felt his heart stop when he heard those words. 'She's in love with him. Rei, you seem to have more luck than I.'

"I do love him, but not in a way I thought I did. I love him like an older brother, someone to look up to and depend on when I'm in trouble."

"You're not joking around?" Lee wanted to make sure his ears weren't deceiving him.

"I'm not joking around," Mariah said with a serious voice. "In fact, though my discussions with the elder I have found out that I truly love someone else, enough to consider dating that person."

Lee felt his world crumble around him. She loved someone else. At least, she was happy or she will be. He wanted her to be his, but at the same time, he wanted her to be happy. His heart told him to keep her. His mind told him to let her go. "It's good that you know your feelings for this person. I know you'll make a great couple." He walked faster and hung his head down, like a cat with its tail between its legs.

Mariah immediately regretted saying those words as they hurt the one she loved. "Oh, Lee. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that in front of you when you were worried about the Demolition Boys. You have a lot on your shoulders."

"It's okay," Lee said in a composed manner. "I'm glad that you told me, instead of hearing it from someone else."

"You're the one I love," Mariah said, after getting the courage to tell him.

Lee turned around so quickly that it startled her. "You didn't say what I think you just said." His black eyes blinked.

"Does it look like I'm joking around?" Mariah said in her most serious tone. "I'm no joker when it comes to love. It shouldn't be taken lightly."

Lee's jaw dropped when he heard that. "You're in love with me?" The pink haired girl nodded her head. When he saw that, he felt as if he was on cloud 9. He immediately rushed towards her and hugged her, before spinning her around.

Mariah was caught completely off guard. She then giggled at his antics. The heavy weight had been lifted of his shoulders and she could tell by the way his eyes sparkle. She was glad she had been the one who made those eyes light up. She was even more glad that he returned the love she felt for him. "Should we tell the others?"

"I think they already know," Lee said, placing her down.

"You would think Gary knows?" Mariah gave him a questioning look.

"Then again, he does seem a bit slow when taking in information," Lee said with amusement. "I think we shall surprise them."

"I think some of us already found out," a certain green haired boy said from behind.

"Kevin, what are you doing here?" Lee nearly jumped out of his skin.

"I was looking for you two," Kevin replied with a smile on his face. He was swaying on his toes. "But you two seem to be busy at the moment so it can wait."

"What is it?" Lee asked.

"I heard that the Demolition Boys are going to be entering the tournament," Kevin informed him. "They aren't the only professional blading team to enter. The Bladebreakers, All Starz, and the Majestics will also be entering the competition. There are rumors a new blading team will be competing. They're called the Shadow Bladers."

"Do you know anything about them?" Lee inquired.

"I only know what the computer tells me," Kevin explained. He shifted to his other foot. "First of all, their team captain is Arian. He's one serious blader when he's in competition. He has a hawk bit beast called Kurai, who uses mainly light based attacks. Then there's Danny. He's the tough one out of the group. His black panther bit beast, Kurashi, is no push over. He uses darkness based attack. Theo's the youngest out of all of them, but don't let his age fool you. His winged horse, Kurin, packs a punch. His bit beast also uses light based attacks. Last but not least, there's Rocky. He's the sports enthusiast and joker of the group. His coyote bit beast also uses darkness based attacks. They all specialize in speed."

"That's good to know," Lee said thoughtfully. "We know what we're up against. I hope we don't have to against them first. I want to a chance against the Demolition Boys or the Bladebreakers for different reason, though I can assure you two it's not for revenge."

"Sure," Kevin teases his team captain.

"That's enough Kevin," Lee warned the short green haired boy. "I want to help the Demolition Boys, but they refuse our help. You were there when we were talking."

Kevin nodded his head. "There's nothing we can do."

"I know," Lee said, leaning against a nearby tree. "We can't do anything without jeopardizing them or us or both."

"I know it's hard for guys like you to stand around waiting," Mariah said softly. "We'll make sure this won't last for long, but we need to know what we're dealing with."

Both boys nodded their heads. What were they going to do about the Demolition Boys? Should they involve the other teams? Will they accept the White Tiger's help?