Hi!
How are you all? I hope you are all comfortable and well awake because I have one last and final chapter for you! But before I pass you on to the story…
I must say a few words. We have come a long way together. You got to know more about me, I got to know more about you… It was an interesting and curious way that our paths crossed. I, through this story, gave you a message, perhaps even more than one, and I feel good about it. Because this is not fiction. This is real life situations, with real problems and real solutions. I can only hope that I changed (even if it just a teeny little bit) your lives, made them happier and easier, even if it was just for a second.
I loved getting to know more about you, especially LadyDiamond92, eroticlad11, Rainbowcastle, RedZeo4ever and MasterK166. It's impressing how our relationship evolved and turned into something beautiful. I really appreciate each and every time that you guys PM-ed me and asked about me and the fic, some even asked for spoils. The way you gave me extra ideas to expand my base plot, the way that you pushed me and told me to finish or start (that was the most common one) the frigging chapter.
And I thank you all for that. Because without you, I wouldn't had made it this far. I would have given up on chapter 21. Thank you for pushing me and telling me that I could do it, each and every compliment to my way of writing, to my personal vision of the world. And this is all for you. Because you guys are the true writers. You are the ones that make the story come true, you are the ones for whom I write. Now, let's clear some doubts…
Review answer time!
- MasterK166, kinda evil? Really? Dude, I'ma smack you in the face if you say that I was 'KINDA' evil again! Thank you for complementing my writing. Yes, you told me that you wanted the name of the girl to be Astoria. I'll tell Rya that. Thank you and read on!
- LadyDiamond92, I will write again in this fandom, do not worry. There's no way I'm leaving Kai without me! Thank you for your names, they are very beautiful! I love Katherine too, it's a very pretty name. I promise and I AM indeed thinking about a sequel. Let's see if I have material for that. I will PM you if I have any doubts, do not worry.
- RedZeo4ever, I do have to keep you in pins and needles. Because I love it! Seriously, it's just the way I like to write. Leaving the people hanging, expecting a new chapter that will clear their thoughts. I guess I'm just another drama queen… hehe. But without the 'queen' part. Leave the fanciness behind, let only the bitchiness remain. After you read this chapter, tell me if the winner is who you thought! :D And thank you for not being mad at me.
- nilanjanasm, hi! Welcome! It's a pleasure to meet you. It's fine that you never posted before, it's good to know that you're here with us! Oh and honey? I NEVER said that Brooklyn was stronger than Rya. Quite the contrary, she's badass motha frigging woman. Hehe. I see that you are unsure of who you want to win. Don't be disappointed, then. Read ahead!
If I don't stop now, I'ma start crying. ON THE FIC!
A couple walked slowly in the park. The man's arm was wrapped around the woman's shoulders, and hers was around his back. Their pace was calm, steady, determinate and soft, both watching the children that ran in front of them. Happy, delighted and excited. Those were the emotions that shown in the children's eyes. And the couple behind them followed them with their eyes, their touch on each other never disappearing. The two of them were relaxed, serene and comfortable, glad to see how much the children were enjoying themselves.
The man was tall, tanned and well-built. His hair was spiky and duo-colored, grey on the front and black on the back. The black part had grown slightly, reaching under the line that ended his neck. His eyes were crimson and cold, but each time he looked at the woman beside him, they glowed. He wore a sleeveless large turtleneck dark purple shirt underneath a black leather vest, showing the tribal tattoo on his right arm, a pair of dark skinny jeans and black combat boots.
The woman was medium height, and tanned, curvaceous to no end. Her hair was copper, and was tied in a high ponytail, letting the strands of hair fall over her chest. Her eyes were big, pupil-less and silver, standing out thanks to the smoky black eyeshadow and black eyeliner. She wore a sleeveless knitted lavender jacket over a sleeveless grey tube top, skinny jeans and a pair of high heeled dark brown knee-high boots, on her left wrist being tattooed two names, the names of the children in front of them.
In front of them ran a pair of twins. Twins not for the figure and semblance, but for the age and the parents. Both were born in the same day, almost at the same time, in the same year, but they looked nothing alike. They were both four years old, both with lightly tanned skin, both with proud and elegant movements, but no semblance whatsoever in their looks. Except perhaps the innocence in their eyes and the shape of their faces, that matched exactly with their mother.
The boy was tall and energetic. His hair was the color of copper, spiky and messy. His eyes were crimson colored, with a little shade of grey near the pupil. He wore a brown tee under a black and white sports jacket, a jeans corsaire and white and blue Air Max. The girl was short and very shy. Her hair was gray and wavy, falling limp over her chest. Her eyes were big and silver colored, just like her mother's. She wore a mid-thigh light grey dress with a white Peter Pan collar. On her feet a pair of white flats and on her right wrist a small golden bracelet.
"I missed this place." The woman said "I'm glad that Salima threw a fuss about wanting us to be there for the baby shower. "
"I guess. I just wished she hadn't yelled at me on the phone. I swear, Rya, she almost blew me an eardrum."
"Don't be so picky, Kai. You know she means the best. She's just mad at me for not being there when Mariam's baby was born."
"There was no way we could have made it, babe. You know that, at that time, the twins were sick."
"I do. So, let's get going, okay? Salima was very much precise about the time. Do you have the gift?" she asked, standing up.
"It's in the car. Can you call the kids?"
"Sure. ADRYAN! AHRI! Time to go!" she called out, watching the pair run back to her.
"Mommy, I want an ice cream!" the boy asked.
"You ain't getting ice cream now, Adryan. It's time to go to Aunt Salima's party. Dad will buy you both an ice cream later, okay?"
"But I want it NOW!" he yelled. Rya was about to answer him when the little girl beside him slapped him in the back of his head and said, in a calm and soft voice:
"Shut it, Adryan. Mommy said you ain't getting any ice cream now, so take it, eat it and shut it."
"Thank you Ahri." Rya said, picking the girl up and giving another hand to her boy "Let's go, daddy is waiting."
It didn't take long before the kids were in each chair, belts fastened and safe. Rya entered the passenger's side and looked over to Kai, before leaning down and kissing him softly. The two children immediately demonstrated their disgust over that image, making Kai chuckle and pull away, before starting the car and typing the address that Rya gave him on the screen, and receiving information on how to get there.
After a good half hour, the couple pulled over at a big house in the ends of the city. Rya knew that it wasn't Salima's house for two reasons. First, after the tournament, she had gone back to China with Ray and started living there. Second, because the house wasn't her style at all. It was cream colored and had a reasonably large yard in front of the house, surrounded by a white fence. Rya stepped out of the car and went to get her kids. She took Ahri out of the car and grabbed the gift while Kai grabbed Adryan and the dessert that Rya had cooked for them.
They walked calmly, with the twins getting on a fight, like it was usual. They picked on one another, or to be more correct, Adryan picked on Ahri. Because he loved it and Ahri was a really quiet and calm person. Until she burst. And she was about to. But Kai, seeing that coming, told Adryan he was going to ground him if he didn't shut up, with no TV privileges and games. Hearing such, the kid immediately shut up and hid his face on his father's neck. Rya chuckled and knocked on the door.
"Rya! OMG, it's been so long!" Hilary exclaimed, hugging her tight.
"Hey, Princess. How are you?"
"I'm good. Hey Kai! Come on in! Sal has been on pins and needles to see you again! And I believe that you're getting a handful of Mariam."
"Oh boy. Just got back from Russia and that girl wants to kick my ass? I'm turning around right now." She said, walking inside the house, patting Ahri's back when the girl hid herself from the voices and noises.
Rya placed the gift on the table and watched Kai go to the kitchen and come back few seconds later, without the dessert. She smiled and went to her friends, hugging them and kissing them. Then the boys, whom she hugged and tapped them on the back, soon sitting down on the sofa, with Ahri still on her arms. Salima sat next to her and so did Hilary, Mariam still missing. She talked and smiled, feeling happy that everyone was together again.
"So, Rya, tell me how you two have been! And please, introduce us to those cuties!" Salima exclaimed "I swear that I honestly thought that it was only one."
"So did I. In the echography's was always one baby. Imagine my surprise when I had two of them. Trust me, you do not want to see the video."
"Why not?" Hilary asked.
"Unless you want to be traumatized for life AND understand Russian, I advise you not to see."
"Lemme guess. Nothing but swears." A voice said, making the girls turn. It was Mariam. Rya smiled and stood up, walking to the bluenette and hugging her.
"Exactly. Right, let me introduce you. Kai! Where's Adryan?" she called out. Soon after the boy came running to his mom, smiling up to her.
"Hi mommy!" he said, in a very sweet voice.
"What did you do, Adryan?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. The kid blushed and started stammering, but Ahri looked over to him and frowned to, so he finally admitted "Kali has a pack of gums in Aunt Hilary's room and we ate them."
"Figured… Who's Kali?"
"That would be my son." Max said, smiling and kissing Rya on the cheek.
"Hey Max. How's Susie?"
"She's good. She's helping Tyson with the food." He told her, before going to Kai.
"So where was I? Oh right, the kids. This is Adryan and this is Ahri. Say hi, baby."
"Hi, Aunt Hilary and Aunt Salima." Both said, one shyer than the other. Salima smiled and Hilary giggled, patting both heads.
Everyone was at the table, talking and enjoying their time together. Every once in a while, Kai would look over to the kids table, to make sure that Ahri was okay. He worried about Adryan too, of course, but Ahri was a very delicate child to deal with. She wasn't good around people, just like himself. So he looked, to see if she wasn't being bothered, if she was feeling okay. Around her were three children, one of them being her brother. They were Kali, Max's and Susie's son and Katrina, Ozuma's and Mariam's daughter.
Kali was a short, two year old boy with blond hair and duo-colored brown and blue eyes. Katrina was a medium three year old girl with blueish black hair and apple green eyes. They were all talking about anything and everything, their parents, their possessions and their trophies, while Ahri remained mute, slowly eating the food her mom placed for her and ignoring what was going on around her.
"Salima, any names for the baby yet?" Ozuma asked, smiling.
"Yeah. Me and Ray were thinking and, if it is a boy Kevin or James and if it is a girl, Sasha or Amy Lin."
"Oh, so adorable!" Skye exclaimed, giggling and drinking her coffee.
"It is indeed. Say, Kitty, when are you going to open your presents?" Mariam asked.
"Good idea! But I'm sure men rather talk about whatever while we do that. Isn't it, Ray?" she asked, turning to her husband.
"Well, I don't mind sticking around and seeing the gifts, Sal. But I'd rather leave that to you."
"Okay, baby." She said, kissing him softly "Why don't you and Tyson take the males to the back and me and the girls open the gifts?"
"Sounds good."
~.~.
Salima was in the living room, with the presents around her and her female friends too. She had received all kinds of gifts, since clothes to all kind baby products, diapers, nursing bottles, wipes and creams. She was so happy that her friends had spared no expenses to give her soon coming baby what he/she needed. She thanked them all and placed them back on the bags, leaving them in the coffee table to join the men on the living room.
Each female sat next to the respective male, smiling and excusing themselves for the delay. They all forgave them and allowed them to become more comfortable in their arms. Soon, the chat began again, with the participation of the females as well, and few quick ideas exchanged later, a scream was heard and the kids ran down the stairs. Kali jumped to Susie's arms and Katrina went to Ozuma, both whimpering with fear. Adryan followed them soon after and went to Rya's lap, lowering his head.
"Adryan, where's your sister?" Kai asked, immediately scared.
"She's… She's upstairs. I…" he whispered, and Kai ran to his daughter's rescue. Coming back soon after with a very much pissed off and weeping Ahri, Kai was frowning and serious. He stood in the entrance of the room and asked, his voice cold and angry:
"Adryan, what did you do?"
"I done nothing, dad! I swear!"
"Oh really? That's not what Ahri is saying." The man answered back.
"Well, she's lying! That glupyy girl that you call my sister is lying!" he said, and Rya raised her voice:
"ADRYAN! She's not stupid! She's your sister!"
"Ona maneken!"
"Adryan!" Kai called, but soon forgot what he was going to say because Ahri jumped out of his arms and ran to her brother, ready to strangle him.
"Ahri!" Rya said, shielding Adryan from the attack. Kai picked her back up and tried to stop the girl, while she twisted and struggled in his arms.
"Kali, what happened?" Max asked.
"Nothing! We were just playing!" Kali told him.
"Katrina?" Ozuma called.
"We were just playing! Then Adryan started to pick on Ahri and she just snapped! I swear, daddy!" the girl said.
"Adryan…" Rya started "What did you say?"
"Nothing! I was trying to get her to be more sociable! I just shook her a little and played her!"
"You called her Shady, didn't you?" Kai asked, looking at the boy.
"Yeah, but…"
"Adryan, you know that your sister hates that nickname! Apologize now."
"But…"
"NOW!"
"Fine! Sorry, Ahri."
"Whatever…" she told him, snuggling into Kai's arms.
"Go play with Kali and Katrina. And leave your sister alone." Rya told him. Seeing the three kids leave and then the wondering eyes of her friends, she explained "They might be twins. But they have nothing in common. Adryan is an easy and outgoing person, but he's very bipolar. One moment he's happy and playing along and in the other he's mopping. Ahri is different. She's a quiet and calm kid, but she has my explosive temperament. And she's Russian. So she's like her mom."
"You mean a bitch?" Mariam asked, with a smirk.
"Exactly." Rya said, chuckling.
"You know… Here we are again, all together, reunited again, after we have been parted since the Championship, four years ago." Susie declared.
"True… Damn, that was a hardcore battle." Ozuma said "And we could never have predicted your actions."
"True." Salima said "It was a moment. And we wouldn't have it any other way."
"Still… I never forgot how it ended." Tyson declared, allowing the memories of their last match flooding his mind.
Flashback:
"Oh my god… Ladies and gentlemen, the winner is…"
Everyone in that stage was holding their breath, to see which of the champions had won. They were both down, Tyson spread on the floor and Rya on her knees. Both were trying to get up, Tyson supporting himself on his elbows and Rya on her hands, trying to get up. Both were trying hard, but none was accomplishing such. DJ was still frozen, looking at the dish, but speaking nothing. There was no visual because the fight had destroyed the cameras that were pointed at the bey-dish, leaving the fans out there clueless about the winner. Until one cameraman arrived with a camera on his hand and pointed at the dish.
Fire Cat was still spinning.
"Rya Johnson! Which means that Street Blade are our new champions!" DJ shouted, ripping an exploding cheer from the fans.
Rya tried to get up one more time, only to fail and fall down on her bottom. The attack took too much energy from her and the cries of her queen and Dragoon were too much for her to handle. She felt herself being pulled up and dropped on someone's shoulders. Looking down, she saw Nick under her, with a smile on his face and Mariam beside him, grinning like an idiot. Hilary was jumping around like a rabbit and Salima was fisting the air, both with huge smiles on their faces.
"Well, congratulations, Rya! It seems like you guys are the champions." DJ said, giving Nick the Championship cup.
The teen smiled and passed it to Mariam, whom gave it to Hilary, whom lent it to Salima, whom finally rose it to Rya. She smiled and looked at her teammates, the message in her eyes being very much clear. They all understood and agreed, and Rya nodded. And, after seeing DJ step back, the brunette dropped the cup, making it break when it touched the ground.
The crowd let out a sound of surprise, astonished by what she had done. DJ started stammering, telling that she just had slipped but Mariam rolled her eyes and took the microphone from him, glaring at the man. She told him to shut up, her voice magnified by the object and passed it to Salima, who said that the captain had a few words to say. Giving it to Rya, the brunette, that was still in Nick's shoulders, declared:
"Good morning everyone. As you all must now, my name is Rya Johnson, RJ or RA, as you prefer. I am the captain and a part of the very proud and very powerful Street Blade, the team that you just saw winning the Championship. And about that… I didn't drop this damned cup by mistake. It didn't slip, it didn't fell, it didn't nothing. I dropped it because I wanted to. Because I, as a champion, will not be able to proceed in this career anymore. You see… Beyblading has been my life. Literally. I grew up with it, I was born in the middle of it. Everything I've learned was thanks to beyblading. But that isn't what life is all about. Life is so much more, and I am regretted to say that I missed a lot. I'm not saying that you shouldn't beyblade. No. You should. But don't let that take your life away."
Nick placed her back down and stood beside her, with a serious face. Rya thanked him and continued "I am doing this not because I can, and not because I want. I'm doing this because I must. My teammates all agree, and they understand my decision as their captain. As a matter of fact, they support it and tell me to go through with it. So, this is why I'm saying that, as a Champion, the Street Blade are hanging up the launchers. We are NOT going to participate in any more professional or worldwide competitions. The Street Blade will remain forever Champions, as the guidance of this sport says, and nothing can get us out of that stand. It could be more Champions, of course, but Street Blade will always hold the truthful title. Thank you for understanding, ladies and gentlemen, and have a good day".
"And after that bomb, you guys just take off and leave the stadium." Skye said, smiling "I swear, I never saw it coming. There will be no more official champions, you guys hold the title and that is it."
"True. Oh, and the bureaucratic mess that came after that!" Hilary exclaimed "It was a nightmare! People trying to find a way to turn around that rule, but there was no way that could happen!"
"I did my homework." Rya stated "And Tyson, are you still mad at me?"
"No." he chuckled "I was for a long time, I must admit, but not anymore. I guess that what you told me finally entered my head."
"Good."
The rest of the afternoon passed calmly, with talking and laughing, stories being shared and experience being passed over. When the time came, everyone helped cleaning up, and taking the presents to Kai's car, whom had said that would drop the couple in the airport. One by one, the guests left and Hilary and Tyson said goodbye from Kai, Rya, Salima and Ray, before closing the doors of their house and watching their friends leave. Kai dropped the couple in the airport and left, driving back to the hotel they were currently staying on. Having a quick dinner and putting the kids in bed, Rya sighed when her head touched the pillow.
"Today was exhausting."
"It was." Kai agree, pulling his sweats up and laying down on the bed. Rya placed her head on his bare chest and asked:
"Kai, I'm so tired. Do you mind if we cut the fun for today?"
"Of course not, babe." He said, caressing her hair "Get some sleep. You need it."
"Thank you. Love you." She whispered, closing her eyes.
"I love you too, Rya."
And they drifted off to sleep, both tired but happy. They were together, had a family, Rya had a ring on her finger and they were well in life. Nothing else was needed. Their lives were busy, but had time for the kids and each other. Their home, in Russia, was big and wealthy, with everything they wanted. Their blades were safe, secure and highly protected, but Fire Cat was still around, in her physical version, Sakura. Everything was perfect.
What could ever go wrong?
A/N: Done! Finally! I wrote this in a day, why am I being picky? I'm an idiot. Anyway, this was the LAST chapter of Beyblade: New Adventures, New Loves. I hope you all like it, the time I spent with you was awesome, really. You made my days great, and each single PM that I exchanged with you was truthful, I actually want to be part of your lives, even if it's just a story.
About the translations, both Ahri and Adryan are Russian, so they speak both at the same time. About the translations of the Russian words, here they are! (roughly translated, by the way.)
Glupyy – stupid;
Ona maneken – She's a dummy;
Please read and review. If there's any fans out there that have been reading and not reviewing, make an effort and review here in this last chapter. I would really like to know all of you. And people, it is possible to write a review without having an account. Thank you all so much for putting up with me in this year (I think!) and I love you all so much, do never forget that!LoneeWolf :)