//------------------------------// // 16. Aria! Time To Shine! // Story: Dazzling Bladers // by Joshua the Dragonslayer //------------------------------// The second match of Group B was currently underway. Joy and Bael were in a head-to-head collision with each other. Joker and Balkesh disperse from each other. Joy had a plan to beat Bael though and her plan was just beginning. "Now Joker! Use Fate's Judgement!" Joy yells. "Not on my watch! Balkesh use Dusk Wing!" Bael yells. Both Beys clash but the Bey that gets sent flying was Joker. Joker gets sent flying and hits the floor. "That's Dusk Balkesh with a Ring-Out Finish, that's one point rewarded to Bael! The score is now 1-0." The referee announces. Adagio looks at the battle with a bit of surprise. 'Balkesh's defense really is out of this world. It was able to withstand Joker's special attack. Joy needs to come up with something to beat Bael.' "Second Battle! Get ready and set!" The referee said. "Three! Two! One! Let it Rip!" Everyone yells. Joker and Balkesh land at the stadium, Joker begins with his erratic movements while Balkesh... starts crashing into the walls. 'What's going on Bael? You don't normally miss launch like that.' Aria thought. Balkesh continues to crash into the wall, Bael keeps watching as if he's waiting for something to happen. Just then Balkesh turns into a perfect circle. Bael smiles, 'Perfect!' Balkesh collides with Joker and takes the center. Joker gets sent flying onto the upper deck of the stadium. Bael then let out a battle cry. "Now Balkesh! Dusk Circle!" Joker launches from out of the upper deck and goes above Balkesh. Bael, Aria, Adagio, and Sonata all look in surprise at what Joy was planning. Joy smiled brightly. "Now Joker! Joker Flush!" Joker and Balkesh clash with one another. Both Beys get sent flying, Balkesh goes flying out of the ring while Joker goes flying toward the wall. 'If Joker hits the wall it'll burst due to all that rubber it has. Guess Bael wins, you put up a nice effort Joy.' Adagio thought. Just then Balkesh bursts in mid-air while Joker hits the walls of the stadium and bursts as well. Everyone looks in silence at what they just saw. "Judgement Joker with a Burst Finish! With a final score of 2-1, Joy is the winner of the match!" The crowd cheers for Joy's and Bael's match. Bael simply nods knowing that Joy beat him fair and square; while Joy is blissful for her victory against just then Aria stands up from her seat. 'Well guess it's my turn at last Save the best for last as they say, now let's go Apocalypse.' Aria smiles and walks over to the main stage. "Alright! Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! It's time for the last match of the first round. Our last Bladers rising to the stage are Phoebe and Aria!" Aria and Phoebe walk onto the stage and the crowd cheers for the two ladies. Aria and Phoebe stare at each other from across the room. "Phoebe! It's been a while, hasn't it? So tell me, do you think you have what it takes to defeat me and Apocalypse?" Aria asked as she showed off her Bey. "That's funny, I was going to ask the same exact thing. Hope you've improved somewhat after our last encounter." Phoebe fires back. Aria smirks. "You won't be saying that after I beat you." Meanwhile Adagio and Sonata look down at Aria. Sunset had her hands tight together, she wanted Aria to win this battle. "Adagio do you think Aria has what it takes to defeat someone like Phoebe?" Sonata asked Adagio. "Aria's Bey has the Type advantage in this situation. But that doesn't mean she shouldn't keep her guard up. This is going to be a fierce battle even for Aria." Adagio said as she looked down at the arena. Sunset looks down at Aria. 'Come on Aria win this thing for your sisters.' Aria and Phoebe attach their Beys to their launchers and wait for the ref to announce the match. "First battle! Get ready and set!" The referee announces. "Three! Two! One! Let it Rip!" Everyone in the room yells. Apocalypse and Pegasus land in the stadium, and Pegasus quickly claims center stage while Apocalypse rushes in for an attack. "Now Apocalypse! Use Omega Blast!" Aria yelled. Apocalypse hits Pegasus and Pegasus goes flying onto the upper deck. Apocalypse not wanting it to escape rushes after it, but Pegasus flees from its foe. Aria gritted her teeth. "Don't run away! Come at me with all you got Phoebe!" "I won't be running away for long! Now Pegasus, counterattack with Feather Storm!" Phoebe countered. Pegasus's storm lifts Apocalypse and carries it into the sky. "Now throw it out of the park Pegasus!" "Apocalypse gets thrown across the stadium, will this be a Ring-Out Finish!?" The announcer cried. Sunset, Adagio, and Sonata look in horror as Apocalypse made its way closer to the wall of the stadium. Before Apocalypse hits the wall it turns a dark black, Aria felt a little pain in her chest but it didn't matter. "Survive it Apocalypse!" Aria cried out to her Bey. Apocalypse hits the wall and lands back into the stadium, its stamina was starting to run low but it was still in the running. Adagio, Sonata, and Sunset let out a deep breath they didn't know they were holding. Phoebe however saw this and smirked. "It's all over Aria, finish this off Pegasus!" Pegasus comes in for a final attack, and Aria realizes that Apocalypse won't have enough time to dodge... but she had one last trick up her sleeve. "Now Apocalypse! Prime Reboot!" Apocalypse speeds up and collides with Pegasus, however with Pegasus having more momentum it's able to get the better of Apocalypse and sends it flying out of the stadium. Apocalypse hits the floor with a clang. "Harmony Pegasus with a Ring Out Finish, that's one point awarded to Phoebe. The score is now one to nothing." The crowd cheers as Aria picks up her Bey. Aria looks up towards the stands to see Adagio, Sonata, and her mom looking at her with a perturbed look. It made Aria feel sick knowing her family was worried for her, just then Apocalypse starts to shine blinding Aria. Aria wakes up to see that she's face to face with none other than Apocalypse itself. "A-Apocalypse is that really you?" Aria asked looking at the figure before her. "Yes, I am Apocalypse, your Bey. I see you're in quite the predicament, so tell me Aria do you want to win this battle?" Apocalypse asked. Aria nodded her head. "Of course! You don't even have to ask that!" Apocalypse opened its mouth. "Well if you want to win... then let me take assertive in the second match." "I'm not so sure... I'm having trouble with winning already." Aria looks down at the ground. "Do you want to win or lose?" Apocalypse asked Aria. Aria looks up at Apocalypse and nods her head with a fierce expression. What Aria didn't know was that she was making a terrible decision. Inside Aria was her heart which was starting to turn black. Aria opens up her eyes, her eyes flash a dark purple, Phoebe sees it and backs away in fear. "Heed my warning Phoebe, you will fall to me and Apocalypse!" Aria said as she held Apocalypse in her hand with a sinister smile. The crowd cheers at Aria's statement, as Sonata looks down at Aria in shock. 'She sure is serious about winning this thing.' Aria and Phoebe then got into position. "Bladers get ready and set!" The referee called. "Three! Two! One! Let it Rip!" Everyone yelled. Apocalypse and Pegasus take to the stadium, Apocalypse immediately strikes it down sending it crashing into the upper deck walls. The hit was so severe that Pegasus's yellow wings came out. "With just one hit and Pegasus is close to bursting?!" Sonata questioned. "Come on Aria, beat Phoebe!" Sunset yells. "Where did all that sudden power and speed come from all of a sudden?" Adagio asked surprised by the sudden increase in power. Apocalypse charges in to finish Pegasus but Phoebe used the attack to its advantage. "Now! Reverse Heal!" The yellow wings revert back into Pegasus, Apocalypse gets sent in the opposite direction. "Take them out!" Aria yelled. The battle goes the same for a while, Apocalypse gets close to bursting Pegasus but Pegasus was always able to recover with Reverse Heal. Apocalypse takes to the upper deck while Pegasus stayed on the lower deck waiting for Apocalypse to pounce on them. Aria's heart turned even more black than before, it was getting dangerously close to being fully enveloped in darkness. "This is what happens when you face off with the Princess of Beyblade!" Phoebe yelled. Aria's heart was now more than half consumed with the dark. Aria then looks at Phoebe directly in the eyes, Aria's eyes then shine with a dark purplish black. "Apocalypse is the strongest bey ever!! Now use Prime Reboot and Omega Blast!!" Apocalypse speeds up and heads towards Pegasus at full power a bit of black was shining behind Apocalypse. Phoebe looked at Aria, Aria had an evil grin on her face. Phoebe gasps seeing Aria so out of control. 'I must stop her before things get too vicious.' Phoebe thought. "I won't let you! Harmonic Thunder!" Apocalypse rushes down from the upper deck and collides with Pegasus in the center, Pegasus then starts to push Apocalypse back making it head to the stadium walls. Just then Apocalypse's center turned bright red, something that had never happened up until that point. At last Aria's heart was nothing more than pitch black... she was consumed by none other than her trusted partner, or so she thought; Apocalypse. "I'm going to win this match because I'm Apocalypse!!!" A dark black light emits from the stadium and then a huge explosion occurs. Everyone turns their heads away from the all they could hear was the sound of a Bey bursting. When the explosion and light fade away they see Apocalypse still in the stadium spinning as fast as ever and Pegasus on the floor in pieces. Phoebe falls to her knees, 'I failed to save you Aria... I'm sorry.' A small single tear escapes Phoebe's eye. 'So fragile, I would have liked more of a challenge.' Aria smiled as she looked at Phoebe on her knees in defeat. Aria simply grabs her Bey and looks down at Phoebe, she then starts to laugh. "Didn't I tell you to heed our warning? You're no 'Princess of Beyblade' your just a girl with a feeble mind!" The referee had yet to announce Aria as the winner due to him being in complete shock and fear. Aria looks at him in disgust and hatred. "Do you need glasses? Call the match! Everyone just saw me completely annihilate Phoebe and her pathetic excuse of a Bey Pegasus. Now call it!" Aria's eye shines a dark black scaring the referee even more. "T-That's a B-burst Finish with a f-final scoring of 2-1, A-Aria is the w-winner!" "Good job Aria!!" Sunset yells. Aria doesn't even acknowledge her mom's words and walks off the stage, Sonata and Sunset were happy for Aria but Adagio saw something else. 'Something more sinister was unleashed during their duel. It's as if Apocalypse awakened midway through their battle. Something... off is going on. And how am I the only one who saw an exponential change in Aria's behavior? But then again mom's probably excited seeing Aria win after me and Sonata totally tanked our battles and Sonata is well... Sonata. Unless I'm the one just seeing things... regardless I'm going to keep my eye on you Aria.' Adagio watched her sister completely leave the stadium and return back to her room. The first round of the tournament has ended but things already seem to be out of hand. What else will happen during the tournament? Will things change for the better or for the worst? Find out on Dazzling Bladers. Preview: The second round of the tournament begins, Gabby takes on Athena while Valex and Dean throw down. But the climax happens when Frizzle and Sonata's battle commences. Both wanting to get a point, they're giving this battle all they got. During the battle Sonata bonds with Spryzen. Next Time on Dazzling Bladers! Fafnir vs Spryzen!