165Disclaimer: I will say this once and no more. I don't own anything from the actual Beyblade show.
Star Horizons
Chapter 1: Dawning Genesis
Although it was autumn, it was a surprisingly jovial morning as the sun's warm rays shone through the crystalline windows of a conventional bedroom. The cool fall breeze graciously played with the scattered leaves outside as the branches swayed with the soft wind like the gentle currents of the ocean.
The tranquility came to an abrupt end as a resonant voice suddenly broke through the serenity. "Get up G-son! It's time for some early practicing!" declared an old (but certainly not feeble) man in a vibrant Hawaiian shirt.
A somnolent groan could be heard from underneath the covers of a bed just the size to fit a growing teenage boy. A crown of dark navy hair peeked through the top of the thin comforter as the sleeping figure sustained its immobility, occasionally showing curt signs of stirring. A pair of large feet poked through the opposite end of the slightly tangled blanket as the top half of the warm envelope moved up and down in a slow, rhythmical fashion.
"Come on little dude!" insisted the dynamic man. "You need an extra bright and early start today. Don't tell me you've already forgotten the important value of practice."
Again, a reluctant sound was heard beneath the Prussian sheets. A few seconds of restive movement occurred before the misshapen lump settled back into a still position.
The lance-carrying elder grinned despite himself. He glanced at the clock to find it three past eight; it was rather earlier than the usual time they got up. Rolling his eyes, he ruffled the teen's dark hair with a smile of contentment.
Three years later and his grandson still slept like a log. It seemed that some things just don't change, but regardless of its burden at times, there was still a warm comfort of consistency.
"Okay then, ten more minutes, but that's all your getting," stated the aged man sternly. "I know you can hear me kid, so I'm warning you now: if you're not up when the ten minutes is up, I'm bringing the hose in here. And that's a promise."
Another loath grunt sounded as the boy moved restlessly, burying himself deeper into his cocoon.
"Remember, I warned you," the grandfather repeated. "Don't be getting upset if you get soaked. TEN MINUTES," he stressed before finally retreating out the door.
"And here's your blade," smiled a boy with wild blonde hair.
His wide grin distended from ear to ear as he watched the young customer accept the metal object appreciatively. The dark-haired child thanked him as he carefully placed the Beyblade into a safe home in his gray backpack. He gave the blonde another round of continuous "thank you's" and with a gratifying smile and wave, he gaily departing through the exit.
The light-haired teen smiled to himself as he stared into the open space of the shop. The satisfied feeling of helping someone never ceased to entrance him. Aiding others was not just something he did; it was something he enjoyed.
Besides the feeling of fulfillment, working at the Hobby Shop had also expanded his wisdom concerning Beyblading. Knowledge about the sport he loved was something that he always wanted to acquire more of, and for the past few years, that's exactly what he's been doing.
"Well there goes another happy customer," came in a pleased voice. "I better be careful that you don't decide to run your own shop or else I'll be out of a business."
The blonde turned around to face an older man with brown hair and a bantam-matching beard. "Aw dad," he began with a modest smile, "you know I'm not that good yet."
"Oh really? You know I think maybe I should start asking you for tips on configuring Beyblades. Everyone's been asking for you so much lately, I began thinking that I was your assistant," he added teasingly.
Quiet laughter escaped the blonde's lips as he brought his attention down to the floor. A light tinge of embarrassment highlighted his freckled cheeks, while he instinctively put a hand behind his head.
"Come on dad," he blushed.
The kind-hearted father opened his mouth to give another comment, but closed it again as the front door began to widen. In came another young man in brown shorts carrying a laptop. His sorrel hair, decorated with pair of cobalt-rimmed glasses, hid his eyes as he casually sauntered towards them.
"OH WOW! HEY!" exclaimed the blonde. "I haven't seen you forever!"
The boy smiled back, nodding. "I know, it's been a while…I haven't seen much of any of the rest of the guys that often either."
"Yah…heh, I guess we've all been kinda busy, huh?"
The younger boy bobbed his head in agreement.
"Well I think I'll leave you two to do some catching up," proclaimed the older gentleman. "Call me if you need anything," he quickly added ere descending down the stairs.
"Thanks dad!" the teen yelled after him. "So anyway," he started, bringing his attention back to his old friend, "what brings you here anyway? The last time I checked, you were travelling around as Mr. Dickenson's apprentice."
"Well I am. He's in town too," explained the brunette. "I'm actually stopping by here because he asked me to get you."
The older boy's azure eyes looked back at his former teammate curiously, searching for an explanation. "Really? Why?" he asked while scratching the back of his head.
"I'll explain to you on the way there."
"I'm losing my patience," muttered a low voice.
"Calm down son, I'm sure they'll be here soon," responded an old, round-shaped man in formal attire. "How about you give your feet a rest and sit down while we wait?"
"I'd rather stand."
The white-whiskered gentleman chuckled inaudibly at his young companion's remark. It never ceased to amaze him at how stubborn adolescents could be, especially this particular individual.
This blue-haired teenager was none other than the former Bladebreaker captain. He had been, without doubt, an extremely skilled member of the group in the past, and even till this day, he had only continued to excel in the sport.
Unlike the rest of his teammates though, Beyblading remained as his initial priority. Perfection was still something he craved for; it was part of who he was. For that reason, his ascetic training persisted even after the Breakers had won the World Tournament.
The seventeen-year-old groaned impatiently, glancing at the automatic screen doors every so often. With arms crossed on his toned chest, he rested against the wall, a distant expression sketched on his face. Standing idle in an airport was not a particular past time that he favored much of, especially when he could be using this time for something more practical.
"There they are!" exclaimed an excited voice in the distance, finally bringing the wait to an end.
His crimson eyes darted in the direction it came from, finding a brunette with glasses and another boy in green overalls waving happily at him and the man beside him. The two teens advanced toward them, occasionally stopping to allow travelers with their carts to pass through.
"Ah, hello boys, you're finally here, and just in time too," greeted the kind elder warmly. "I take it that he explained to you why you're here, right?" he asked, addressing the question to the blonde.
The light-haired boy nodded with a smile.
"Excellent," he grinned, pleased. "Well in that case, why don't we start heading to the east gate so we can greet another old companion? His plane should be arriving in just a short time."
The three teenagers all acknowledged as the group soon began to proceed accordingly.
~*~
"Mama! Bobo fall!" squeaked a child pouting, while helplessly reaching out for his fallen teddy bear.
"Hold on honey, I'll get it," said the mother, beginning to lift herself out of her seat.
"It's okay, I've got it," cut in a boy's voice. He leaned over to pick up the soft toy. He smiled as he knelt down at the toddler's eye level. "Did you drop this?" he asked the child in a warm tone, offering him the plushy. The young boy bobbed his head up and down as he thankfully accepted the gift with a big smile spreading across his small, chubby face.
"Thank you," grinned the woman.
"No problem," he responded with a brief nod, before resuming his walk back to his seat.
The raven-haired teenager slid into his seat with ease. Quickly settling into the soft niche, he soon became transfixed with the scenery outside the clear pane. His golden eyes gazed upon the familiar landscape, as his mouth curved into a small smile. It had been a while since he's been to Japan, but he sure did remember it. How could he forget? It was the place where he first met his team, the Bladebreakers.
Following the team's victory in the Russian Tournament, the teen went back to China for a short period of time. Soon after, he was back on a plane flying across the ocean to different countries. He had been doing what he always wanted to do: traveling around the world meeting new bladers and learning more about their Bit Beasts and battle techniques.
Despite all of his new experiences, he never failed to recall everything that he and his friends went through. After hearing Mr. Dickenson's news, he was more than thrilled. Almost immediately after the call, he was on the next flight out of Spain to Japan.
"Please fasten your seatbelt," announced a voice from the PA. "The plane will be landing in just a few minutes."
As the Chinese boy secured his seatbelt firmly, the turbulence soon began. He leaned back against his seat, a faint smile playing onto his face as he caught sight of the airport.
"RAAAYY!" hollered Max, spotting of the dark-haired teen walking through the corridor. The blonde waved his arms frantically, determined to catch his friend's attention. "HEY BUDDY! OVER HERE!"
Mission accomplished. Ray smirked, heading towards his friends. He carefully eased his way through the crowd, making sure he didn't accidentally knock anyone over with his luggage.
Finally coming face to face with his old teammates, he grinned. "Hey guys, long time, no see," he greeted them, placing his bags down.
"You can say that again," smiled Kenny. "We heard that you've been practically all over the world."
"Heh, well I have been traveling," nodded Ray, glancing at each of them. "Hey, where's Tyson?" he asked, realizing they were one person short.
"He's battling in the regional tournament," Max chimed in. "You know what's weird? He wasn't too sure about competing at first! Can you believe that? I told him that I'd help him out and give some moral support. But man, is he gonna be surprised when he sees the rest of you too!" he laughed.
Ray nodded. "I see…so, does he know about…?"
Mr. Dickenson stepped in, shaking his head. "Nope, that's gonna be a little surprise," he said, chuckling. "Speaking of which, you boys better get going or else you'll miss the whole thing."
"You're not coming Sir?" asked Max.
"Well…I think it's best if I come later during his battle to be more discreet," he replied. "After all, I wouldn't want him to figure out just yet what exactly is going on. He needs tp focus on the match."
The others agreed before beginning to help Ray with his bags.
Bah.. i dislike this chappie.. XD hopefully it wasn't too bad n if u actually read the whole thing.. i am very impressed, LoL ~^