C.M.- I'm back to finally present to you the second (or third, depending on who you're asking) part of the CT series: Crouching Tiger II: Yin and Yang! [Insert sound of applause here]. I have a lot planned for this story and I can't wait to see what you all think of it. I know I said I would get the sequel up back in August but school had gotten in the way and I wanted to make some headway on my Narnia stories (which I've neglected for so long). So I want to take the time and thank you all for being so patient with me.

This story is the starting point of shifting themes. It will be a bit darker than what I had already showed you (for example, Max getting struck by lighting in Summer Paradise). Not only will it deal with strict rules and traditions but it will also include things that touch on the brink of adult matters such as disease, arranged marriages, abuse, exploration in relationships, and graphic depictions of beybattle consequences to name a few. Basically the T rating will be hard hitting this time around.

Alternate Summary: -Seq to Crouching Tiger- She planned on going back to the White Tiger Village only to witness a wedding. After that she would start her new life. But she forgot one thing: no matter how hard you try and sever ties, tradition follows you around. And this is one tradition that she would rather die than to follow. She's about to get her wish.

Full Plot: Crystal didn't want to go back to the White Tiger Village initially. She only planned on going back so she could witness her friend's wedding. After that she would jump on a plane straight for Japan to start her new life. Easy. But, as she learned, life doesn't work the way that she wants it to. The one thing she forgot is that, no matter how hard you try and sever ties, tradition follows you around. It shapes you into who you are, no matter how much you want to turn your back on it.

All Crystal wants is to have control of her own life, to make her own choices and suffer the consequences should they arise. She wants to go against everything she's learned in the village and break away from the ties that hold her down. But the White Tiger Village has a stronger hold on her than she thought.

A dark force lurks within the village, waiting to latch onto those who are weak and drag them down. The time has come for G Revolution to come together as a team to defeat the darkness of the world once and for all. Friendships will be tested amidst a repetition of the past that can make even the strongest sort crumble under the pressure. A journey of self discovery, an opening of hearts, and a simple wish may be the key to restoring balance and fixing a rift that grew too large over time.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Romance

OC Warning: To those who avoid stories with OCs, this story isn't running rampant with them. The only "major" OC is Crystal; however there are other OCs included as minor characters needed to push the story forward.

Note: Part of the story of the Tiger is an actual part of Chinese folklore called the Nodding Tiger. Also, FF only displays the first two characters chosen out of four for who the story is about. The four I chose were OC, Ray, Lee, and Mariah. But it should be five 'cause Kai needs to be added in there. Also, this story is the third in a series. While you don't necessarily have to read the other stories to understand what is going on in this one it is recommended.

Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own Beyblade. Anything that is related to the Beyblade franchise belongs to Takao Aoki. I, however, do own Crystal, Dricen, and other people/places/bitbeasts belong to me.

Crouching Tiger II: Yin and Yang
Prologue

The tiger is a very important facet of Chinese culture and folklore. It is widely believed that the tiger kills evil men and protects good men. Because of that belief Tiger charms are used to keep away disease and evil. Babies are usually given embroidered tiger shoes for protection in their infant years. A tiger claw amulet is believed to ward off sudden fright and give the wearer the courage of the tiger.

And those that go hunting for the tiger that has been rumored to prowl around the forest nearby the White Tiger Village stock up on every tiger charm they can find. Whether it's to protect themselves from the lurking evil in the forest or to draw the tiger out, no one knows. But no one went against the tradition either. Why risk it when those who have gone in with the charms came right back out unscathed? They came up empty handed when it came to finding the elusive tiger as well.

Rumor has it that anyone who can catch the Tiger, who can pet its fur, will get a wish. Any wish. Anything that the catcher can come up with, anything their heart desires. But no one has been able to catch the elusive Tiger.

Except for one person.

Long ago lived an old woman and her son. They lived in a shack in the mountains and were poor, but they were happy. They had each other and that was all they needed. The young son would leave in the early morning to gather food for himself and his mother. Every day he would head off to the mountains and come back when the sun began to die as the mother went on trying to sell anything she could to get them money.

One day the son went off, armed with an axe, like any normal day. Only it wasn't. The woman waited and waited for her son to come back as the sun slowly died. When it set her worries began to take over. She went along the mountain trail to find him. When nothing came to light she went to her neighbor to tell of her woes. The neighbor, feeling sorry for the old woman, decided to go looking for the son himself. He worried that the son had been eaten by a wild beast on the mountain but he went in search for the young boy anyway.

He searched the mountains and, halfway up the slope, spotted the blood stained clothes of the young boy near the axe that he had carried up the mountain. There was no mistake; the young son had been eaten, much as the neighbor feared. With a heavy heart the neighbor returned to the woman and told her the unfortunate news. She fell to the ground, screaming for her lost son.

After a day of grieving she went to the city to demand justice for her fallen son. The city held onto the idea of a life for a life—the tiger was to be brought to the city to be executed. Weeks went by and the woman still suffered from the loss of her son. There was no sign of the tiger.

One day the tiger was found and brought into the village to face his punishment. He was asked about his wrong doings, admitting to being the one that killed the young boy. The woman screamed for the tiger to be killed as punishment for taking her only son away from her.

The judge in charge of the tiger's sentence wasn't a cruel judge and therefore made a deal with the tiger: because the woman was old and frail the tiger was to take the place of the son and care for the woman. The woman was outraged. She wanted to see the tiger punished for taking her son away from her instead of the tiger being set free.

The next day she was surprised to see that a newly killed deer was placed on her doorstep. The tiger had begun the process of keeping his promise. She could see its claw marks in the hide of the young deer. The woman took the deer and prepared it for the market, selling the flesh and skin of the deer for a profit. The woman went home with enough money to keep her satisfied for a couple of days.

A week later the tiger returned this time with cloth and money. The tiger ran away before the woman could thank him. Before long she stopped grieving for her dead son and opened her heart for the large animal that had taken her son's place. The tiger, in turn, grew attached to the woman. It even went so far as letting her pet him and stroke his fur.

Time went on and the woman's time came to pass on. Those of her village laid her to rest at the foot of the mountain. The tiger mourned the passing of his mistress. He lay by her grave and wailed as if it had lost its own mother. There were times where the tiger would look for the missing woman but it was all in vain. She was gone forever.

One night the tiger vanished from the mountain. No one from the village had ever laid eyes on the tiger again. Some say it went off to the mountain to pass in peace. Others say the Tiger simply found a new home in the forest, taking on a position of protecting those with malicious intents and continuing to honor his promise to aid the mother in her time of need, also including those of pure hearts.

Since then people have claimed to spy the eyes of the Tiger in the forest leading them when they got lost. But that is all that can be seen of the Tiger. No one has gotten close enough to touch the snow-white fur. No one was deemed worthy enough to get close enough to the Tiger. No one had the purest heart for the Tiger to reveal itself.

Until now.