Beyblade Metal Arc: The Tale of the White Tigress (Under Editing)

Chapter Three: Byakko

By the next day, Hyoma and Gingka showed their friends around the forest places where they had both practiced their beyblade skills. Hyoma had tested Kyoya and the two other boys for their beyblade skills. But when Hyoma and Gingka were battling in the Green Hades, Hyoma had learnt that Gingka had become more clever and strong enough to be beaten by him.
But after the challenges were done, Gingka and his three friends were getting ready to head back to Bey City together. They were each waiting for the train to come to the station.
"I guess we will be going... But where is Sandra?" asked Gingka, which shocked the others.
"Now that you mentioned it, I didn't see her today..." But as Hyoma turned around, he saw Sandra coming fast with a basket on her hands.
"There you are... Did you wake up late or something?" Gingka asked her curiously as Sandra finally catches her breath.
"No, I was baking something for you guys for your trip back to the city." Sandra showed them what was in her basket, which were a lot of pouches. "I woke up earlier just to make cookies for you guys."
"Wow!" Gingka smiled at her warmly as she gave one of the pouches to him. "Thanks sis." He soon hugged her. "I'm going to miss you."
Sandra returned the embrace. "Same here." She soon pulled back to give the other pouches to Gingka's friends.
"You made these?" Kenta beamed brightly as Jenna gave one of the pouches to him. "Thank you so much, Sandra!"
"You're the best!" Madoka exclaimed with a smile.
"We owe you, Sandra!" said Benkei eagerly.
Sandra gave them a small smile at their compliments. But she has only one pouch was left and Kyoya was facing the other way around, searching for the train that'll take them back to the city.
"Kyoya..." Sandra's soft voice caught Kyoya's attention. He turned around and she handed him the last pouch. "Here..... You should have it too... This is my thanks for the talk we had a few days ago..."
"Uhh, Sandra?" Kenta started to ask Sandra nervously.
"Kyoya doesn't—" Madoka started to warn the other girl.
Kyoya took it and placed it in his satchel, which shocked the others and made them become speechless at the sight.
"GAH!!!" Both Kenta and Madoka were stunned at the sudden change of heart from Kyoya.
"Be quiet you two!" Kyoya gave the duo a slight glare, but his expression softened as he gazed at Sandra. "I will cherish it." His eyes gleamed with empathetic warmth. "Think about what I said... Because before facing Ryuga and your brother..." He started walking away. "You're facing me first..."
"You have my word, Kyoya." Sandra smiled warmly at Kyoya as he and his friends. "I hope I will see you again soon."

By the next day, Sandra was thinking deeply about the advice that Kyoya had given her. She encouraged Hyoma to go to a Blader's Tournament that's called a Survival Battle. Hyoma soon returned after the battle, telling her and Hukuto about a young kid named Yu Tendo winning the Survival Battle and joining the Dark Nebula while making Japan tournaments to reach fifty-five thousand points and enter Battle Bladers.
But Sandra was sitting on the roots of a tree at the outskirts of town, still thinking about Kyoya's advice and carefully holding Byakko in front of her.
What should I do Byakko?
Should I rejoin the Beyblade World?
She soon felt the twinge of the familiar pain in her shoulder, causing her to grit her teeth in pain.
But I'm not if I can do it. My arm still has the injury from the accident.
Sandra remembered what Kyoya had told her and reminded her not to give herself up just yet.
"What should I do, Byakko?" Sandra asked Byakko.
Emotions rolled around inside Sandra like a whirlwind. She doesn't know whether to feel curious or confused or nervous or uncertain. New feelings like lightning raced between them: trust, curiosity, hope, confusion, and empathy.
"Why have you not let your partner help you?" Hokuto asked her firmly, startling her at his sudden presence next to her.
Sandra frowned. "But won't Byakko be upset with me for giving up on my Blading career?"
"Sandra, I think Byakko is more worried about you than being upset with you," Hokuto implored to her gently. "Just try."

Sandra placed her beyblade over her heart, that's when she felt something happening. It was like entering an awakening dream of a sort. Surrounding her were soft colors of blue, gold, and white. It felt so unreal and magical at the same time, Sandra finally realized that she was standing as some misty clouds came and go from around her.
"Byakko, where are you?" Sandra's voice echoed in the strange space area when she saw a huge figure running towards her.
But something hurt deep in her chest — like a shard of glass, a thorn, the tip of a blade – and she could not carry it forever. When she came to a pool of dark water and a light drizzle of rain came down on her, Sandra sat down beside the pool.
"You've already done this part, Sandra." A clear, calm voice was soon heard echoing through the strange space, in which reminded Sandra of fresh summer rain. The voice is clearly a female and sounded human, but inhuman at the same time. "Don't you remember, mighty Queen of the Jungle?"
"I remember." Sandra turned to see the most magnificent creature she had ever seen in her whole entire life.
A tigress.
The tigress was big and strong, with a beautiful, shining pelt. Her pelt was in the stunning shade of fresh snow, streaked with dark blue stripes. There were light beige patches around her blue eyes like beige eyeshadow.
With fluid movements, her muscles churned underneath her pelt, the majestic animal walked towards Sandra with such elegance and strength with a hint of pride and cheekiness, her fur seemed to radiate with power. She nuzzled her leg and they both met each other's eyes, Sandra somehow knew that they were confirmed as equals.
Suddenly, Sandra lowered herself down to the tigress's level. The tigress nuzzled her again and made an end to the stream of instincts which made her feel dizzy. Sandra still barely understood what was going on. The animal that was standing next to her could eat her with one bite.
The tigress looked up to her with a confident and proud, but calm and determined expression. The animal was big and wild, but she seemed perfectly capable of controlling herself. Sandra found it rather impressive that such a feline predator treated her with so much respect. Behind these bright blue eyes seemed to hide more respect than seemed possible for any animal.
"You are stronger than this. All storms end!" rumbled Byakko, her blue eyes glowing with bold determination and empathetic compassion. "What lies at its heart?"
Without anymore hesitation, Sandra hugged Byakko around her neck. The spiritual tigress purred softly and did something that Sandra wasn't expecting. Byakko gently placed a paw on her injured arm. Sandra gasped in surprise when she felt a tingle of warmth going through her arm. She was immediately stunned as she felt the old pain in her arm had suddenly been healed by her beloved bey partner.
"Thank you partner," Sandra whispered into Byakko's ear.
Sandra had came back to reality and looked around curiously to see she was back on the tree's roots with her friend. Her choice has finally been made.
Sandra packed up her things into her backpack and put her beyblade equipment on her belt with her beyblade. She said her byes to both Hokuto and Hyoma. She jumped over ledges, climbed rickety fallen trees, and walked single file along narrow ridges. The hours passed quickly as she navigated the many obstacles, and by the time she reached a clearing halfway up the mountain, the day was ending and the night was beginning.
Sandra soon arrived to the train station and paid for the Bey City ticket. She finally found the strength and the encouragement that she needed to return to the Beyblade World.