Of Love and Death.

The Future Chapter 13: Bonds of Bladers and Beys Pt. 2

     The Masked Blader walked along, leaning her hand against the wall. It was strange. Despite the fact that she didn't have her phone to use as a flashlight, she could see just fine. Maybe there was more residual light from the Underground Arena than she'd thought there was. She'd simply missed it when going to the place as the blader hadn't needed to rely on it.

     It was certainly a nice boon to be able to see. When the Masked Blader had started the return trip to the ladder out of this place, she'd feared that she would be stumbling around in total darkness. To be honest, she wasn't sure how far she'd have gotten if it had been blackness to her. As much as the mask wearing girl didn't want to admit it, there was a good chance she would have just collapsed right there.

      For some reason, the Masked Blader felt incredibly drained. It had been a long flight here, and she'd barely eaten before hopping around looking for the entrance to the Underground Arena. So that certainly hadn't helped matters. Still, she hadn't expected to be this tired. Then again, emotional stress could also take a lot out of a person.

     And she had certainly been through some emotional stress in the last hour. She'd thought she was going to enter into some safe and harmless fun battles with a blading club. Then had been forced to battle against her will, had her phone crushed in front of her, and nearly lost her closest partner.

      "But I didn't!" the Masked Blader declared triumphantly. She reached into her blading belt and pulled out her partner. Holding the bey that had won her the day up to the sky. With all of her golden battle glory. Man, evolving Spear Athena into Joint Athena had been one of her best ideas ever. In addition to all of the other benefits, the bey could also swap between it's two alter egos, just like her blader.

      The clockwise spinning Joint Athena. A calm and collected bey. A balance type unmatched in her defense and speed. Always able to endure what anyone threw at her. And Joint Minerva. The wild and wise counter-clockwise warrior. Able to attack and defend, but didn't hold out in long, drawn out battles. Either way, the bey's spirit was the same. But just with a different name.

     Perfect matches to the Masked Blader. Both her real identity, and her made up one. A calm and collected scholar who did all of her homework. And a slightly rebellious shadow, stalking the night and battling in secret. Athena/Minerva was really basically the Masked Blader's mirror image, and her best friend. Well, right next to her girlfriend. Not her brother though.

    Oh! That was right! The Masked Blader's family! How long had she been down here? Had the fact that she was no longer able to be tracked on her phone registered yet? Were they looking for her? I'm definitely getting an earful for this one, aren't I? The Masked Blader thought to her partner.

     For a few moments, the mysterious blader kept walking. After all, Minerva was probably just taking a moment to reply because she was thinking up the perfect plan to get them both out of trouble. Then it dawned on the Masked Blader. She didn't sense her partner. This caused her momentary panic. Had there been some special power that one of those bladers' beys had? Something that sucked away her partner's spirit?

     But then the Masked Blader calmed down. There was nothing for her to worry about. Minerva was probably resting after the long battle. After all, the Masked Blader was sore and exhausted herself. She felt like she'd been tossed through a hurricane and allergy season all at once. And she hadn't even battled!

     As the Masked Blader thought the words, a wave of tiredness washed over her. She groaned, and leaned against the wall, closing her eyes as she collapsed, sitting on the floor. "Oh, why does everything hurt?" the blader exclaimed. There was no reply from her partner, or the semi-lit world around her.