//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 - The Embassy Battle // Story: Beyblade: Metal Masters - New Harmony // by Mkchief34 //------------------------------// "So, we're just supposed to sit and wait around here?" Masamune moped, looking at the sealed gates of the Chinese Embassy with a raised eyebrow of frustration. "I thought this Chi-Yun guy or gal would be here to let us in by now." "I thought so too." Madoka shrugged, as she worked on laptop. "Guess we'll just keep waiting until they show up." Gingka, who sat on a bench nearby with his father, nodded in agreement. Ryo nudged Gingka in the side, and his son looked up at him. "I knew you could find the Legendary Bey. You make me so proud, Gingka." Ryo smiled.  "Thanks a million, dad." Gingka smiled, though he soon looked down at Galaxy Pegasus, which he held in his right hand, with a frown. Gingka could feel the power radiating off of it, but there was a certain...tinge to the feeling. It was best described as...unbridled. The power within was doing its best to escape from its confines and run wild. Which was not a good sign at all. Gingka had only launched Galaxy Pegasus twice, and only once in battle against Masamune, and each time, he had struggled to harness the wild Pegasus. "But…it's so weird..." "What is it, Gingka?" Ryo sounded surprised at his son's downcast tone. "I don't think I've fully gained control of it yet." Gingka sighed. "Back at Koma Village, I tried a few test launches, and Galaxy Pegasus totally ran wild. It seemed like it calmed down a bit when I battled Masamune yesterday. But I can feel the power inside Pegasus...and…I think you can figure the rest out." "...I see." Ryo nodded. "Well, it is a Legendary Bey, after all. It certainly seems correct to assume that after all that time it was turned to stone, it built up its power and is now seeking to release it as quickly as it can." The best I can say right now, is to be patient with it and yourself. Just as you mastered Storm Pegasus during the days leading into Battle Bladers, you'll get Galaxy Pegasus under control in due time." Gingka nodded happily, and he seemed much more like his normal, upbeat set. As he stood up to stretch, there was a rumbling sound, and the gates of the Embassy opened, revealing the inside of the Embassy grounds. Once again, Masamune rushed in, and was disappointed. "Come on!" he said, exasperated. "There's not even a stadium around here, and there's no food either!" "Yeah, just what's going on?" Gingka added as he walked up. Kenta, Benkei, Madoka, and Ryo came forward, and as Benkei was about to speak, he was interrupted. "The promise of food was not my intention in bringing you all here. However, I apologize if I misled you in any way." The group turned to the steps leading into the Embassy residence, and a small boy stepped out, wearing purple chinese robes with a lizard-like seal on his chest. His blue hair was done in a braid that trailed down his back. To his right was a girl in a pink chinese dress with hair of  a dark shade of green, in the Chinese ox-horn style. "So...which one of you is Chi-Yun?" Gingka asked. "That would be me." the boy replied, stepping forward. "I am Chi-Yun Li of Wang Hu Zhong. This is Mei-Mei, also of Wang Hu Zhong. I tasked her with sending our message to you, and it appears you were successful." "And if you're wondering about lunch for those who were interested…" Mei-Mei added. "There's a cafeteria inside the Embassy. Go on inside and help yourself. It's your first door on the right." Benkei was already gone, a trail of dust leading inside in his wake. Ryo followed, and nodded in thanks to Chi-Yun and Mei-Mei as he passed.  "So, what exactly is Wang Hu Zhong?" Madoka asked. "We shall tell you later." Chi-Yun replied. Gingka and Masamune were about to head inside and had just nearly reached the doors when Chi-Yun cleared his throat, stopping them in their tracks. "You aren't going anywhere, Gingka. Not until after we battle." he said in a commanding tone that made Gingka a look and feel more than a little flustered. Madoka flinched, realizing it was a challenge after all. "I have heard you are the Battle Bladers victor, and the strongest Blader in Japan." Gingka stepped back to his previous position as Chi-Yun and Mei-Mei moved off to the side. "I wish to put that claim and your skills to the test." he continued, placing some emphasis on the word "claim".  At that moment, a large gong above the entrance came free from the ropes that held it up, and landed upside down in front of Gingka, sending out a pounding note. Gingka, who had fallen to the floor in surprise, got back up and saw that the gong's underside was shaped quite like a BeyStadium. "So...whenever you are ready." Chi-Yun said, only she stopped at seeing Masamune come forward, and draw his Launcher. "Mind if I join in?" he smirked. "I tied with Gingka yesterday! Besides, I'm the world's strongest, Number One Blader! If Gingka can do anything, I can do better?" Mei-Mei turned to Chi-Yun, who was silently considering Masamune's own statement. "Hmm…" he murmured. "If you insist. The battle shall be two against two, however...if one Blader on either side loses, their teammate loses with them. Is that acceptable?" "Fine by me!" Gingka smirked. "You got a Bey, right Chi-Yun?" "Indeed I do." Chi-Yun brandished his Bey. "Possessing the power of the Lizard Constellation, my Bey, Thermal Lacerta!" The purple face bolt flashed in the air.  "That's the first time I've seen that Bey!" Madoka turned to Gingka. "It looks strong, too, so don't take this match lightly!" "We'll be fine!" Masamune waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry, Madoka!" Gingka added. "We've got this!" Madoka didn't seem convinced at that, but she nodded.  As both sides readied their Launchers, Ryo, Kenta, and Benkei turned their chairs towards the windows in order to watch the match. As they were seated on an elevated balcony only slightly above the courtyard, the three of them had a good view of the battle and were within speaking distance of Madoka, Gingka, and Masamune. "3...2...1…Let it Rip!" the four cried out as they launched their Beys. Galaxy Pegasus and Ray Striker landed across from Thermal Lacerta and Mei-Mei's Bey, an Attack-type Aquario 105F. As Pegasus and Striker raced across the surface of the gong towards their opponents' Beys, helped by the rubber of Pegasus's R2F and Striker's CS Performance Tips, Chi-Yun turned to Mei-Mei "Now, Mei-Mei! Heaven and Earth formation!" Chi-Yun called out. Lacerta and Aquario, who had been keeping their distance until this time, dove towards the center. Lacerta anchored itself in a central spot, while Aquario took a circular path around that spot. It was like the movement of the sky or the planets in space around the Earth. Madoka opened up her laptop and began to analyze the two opposing Beys. Aquario, akin to her first observations, was an Attack-type, using a Flat Performance Tip and a 105 Spin Track. Lacerta, however, was a Balance-Tye, using a Hole Flat Performance Tip, with a Wing Attack 130 Spin Track.  Madoka saw that the wings on the Spin Track, which were somewhat shaped like the fins on a jet plane, raised Lacerta's attack power, while the HF Tip and Thermal Fusion wheel provided increases to both its movement speed and Stamina.  It was likely not a match for both Striker and Pegasus in terms of attack strength, but it did have advantages of its own. Madoka knew that the two boys had to be careful, and she warned them accordingly. "Thanks a bunch!" Masamune replied. "You get that, Gingka?" Gingka nodded, then turned his attention back to the battle. "What are they up to?" he mused, then sharply turned and spoke quietly to Masamune. "You go for Aquario, I'll take Lacerta. Attack on my signal." "Okay, you got a plan?" Masamune replied. "Just follow my lead." Gingka said. A few moments later, they both called out to their Beys.  "Go now!" Pegasus hurtled forward towards Lacerta, with Striker not far behind. The attack was executed perfectly, and their targets were perfectly positioned. This attack should have worked under most circumstances that one would encounter while battling. Except for one particular factor, that Gingka had been thinking of earlier. Pegasus's face bolt flashed, and it blasted off in a different direction towards the edge of the stadium. At the last possible second, it began to circle around the rim of the gong with ever increasing speed, beginning to run wild. And in doing so, Pegasus had left Striker on its own, and when Striker attempted to attack Aquario, Lacerta easily intercepted it and repelled it using its Spin Track to sideswipe. Striker was sent reeling backwards, and soon began to be pulled in by the air current generated by Pegasus. "Pegasus!" Gingka called out with urgency. "Stop it! Get a hold of yourself!" "Striker, move! Dodge it now!" Masamune called. Striker, heeding its Blader's command, used its CS Performance Tip to pivot sharply and stop itself just short of Pegasus's circling rampage. Had it been done one moment too late, Striker would have been sent flying by Pegasus into  a Stadium Out, and the match would have been over. "What's going on out there?" Kenta asked Ryo upon seeing this. "Is something wrong with Pegasus?" "Yes and no, Kenta." Ryo replied. "Pegasus can't control the power it contains on its own, and Gingka also can't control Pegasus. All the energy that Pegasus contains needs to be released somehow, whether the Blader wants it to or not." "This isn't good for both of them." Benkei agreed. "If Pegasus keeps that up, it'll run out of Stamina in no time flat. That, or it'll knock out Striker and then they'll lose either way!" Chi-Yun raised his eyebrow before smiling widely, realizing himself that Gingka's Bey was running wild and its Blader currently had no control over it. Making a mental note to use that to his side's advantage, Chi-Yun called out another command to his partner. "Mei-Mei! Twin Comet Formation!"  "Ready!" Mei-Mei replied. Aquario and Lacerta broke apart and headed for the center of the stadium, where they began to circle around the central point, in a one-by-two position, with Lacerta next to Aquario. "Pegasus! Go now!" Gingka called, and this time, Pegasus banked sharply to the left and blasted towards the center and the opposing Beys, apparently heeding Gingka's commands again. "Striker, stay close behind!" Masamune called. Gingka turned to his partner in surprise. It seemed Masamune was up to something or was cooking up a plan of some kind. As Pegasus neared the two opposing Beys, Mei-Mei and Chi-Yun cried out. "HAH! Attack now!" The two Beys swiftly dodged Galaxy Pegasus's first attack as they passed around, and then they came back together to attack Pegasus together from behind.  As Gingka growled in frustration at realizing that he had been outmaneuvered, Masamune whispered to him to get his attention. "Gingka, I think I got a plan." he said. "It may seem crazy, but I think that it'll wear down Pegasus to the point where you can get a hold of it." "Well, what is it?" Gingka replied, as he was willing to do anything at this point to turn the match around and get control of his Bey. "Then have Pegasus attack Striker with everything you have." Masamune said. "What do you mean?" Gingka was quite confused for a second or two, then, he put the pieces together and nodded. Madoka, who heard their conversation, was about to chastise the two boys for not working together, but Gingka's response stopped her flurry of words in her throat. "Good thinking." he smirked to his partner, then he called out fiercely, his spirit renewed. "Pegasus!"  As Pegasus hurtled towards Striker, Chi-Yun and Mei-Mei turned to each other, shocked. Were they planning a self-destruct? A combo attack? Or something else entirely? Whatever it was, Chi-Yun was slightly annoyed  to admit he didn't know what was going on. As Striker and Pegasus collided, Pegasus hit Striker fiercely as sparks flashed between them. However, Striker was only attacking lightly as to not lower its own stamina and to not damage Pegasus as much as it would have been. Chi-Yun furrowed his brow and called to Mei-Mei for them both to attack. As Lacerta and Aquario charged, Masamune and Gingka knew this was their chance. "Charge, Ray Striker!"  "Go, Galaxy Pegasus!"  As the two Beys stopped attacking each other and went straight to meet their opponents, Gingka smiled at seeing Pegasus finally responding to his intentions. The feeling of wild energy that was present earlier was gone, or it diminished so much that it wasn't a factor anymore. Now, it was time to finish this, Gingka thought with a smile. The four Beys collided with their full power, and that sent out an explosion that hid the aftermath from view in a plume of dust. As the obstruction cleared, both sets of Bladers gasped. Striker, Pegasus, and Lacerta had endured the attack, but all three were on the brink of a Sleep out. Aquario, on the other hand...was not so lucky. Mei-Mei gasped as her Bey, which had been launched into the air, came down in front of her. "With Aquario's stadium out, Gingka's team wins!" Ryo called out. As the three surviving Beys returned to their Bladers, Chi-Yun turned to his partner. "I expect you to train harder, Mei-Mei. Learn from this." he said. Mei-Mei hastily agreed and headed inside, while Chi-Yun came forward to face Gingka and Masamune. "I won't say well fought, but I will say well won." Chi-Yun said. "I expect our teams to meet in the Beyblade World Championships. I look forward to that day." "Wait, World Championships?" Gingka asked, thoroughly surprised. "I get it." Masamune added. "Wang Hu Zhong is your team name, right?" "Yes, it is." Chi-Yun replied. "Shall we discuss the finer points over a meal?" As the three of them and Madoka headed inside, a figure sat on a nearby wall, with a bald eagle resting on a railing next to him.  Having overheard the sound of the battle and his friend Gingka's voice from some distance away, Tsubasa Otori had headed to the balcony of a nearby shop to watch. And what he had overheard made him quite curious. As he watched the group head inside and out of earshot, he turned and gave a smile. "Beyblade World Championships, huh?" he smiled to himself, after purchasing a small book of poems from the shopkeeper to read later. "That's very interesting…"   As he strode into the sunlight, carrying his Bey, Earth Eagle 145WD, he turned to head back to the center of town.