Chapter 2

"Tyson ... It wasn't what you thought."

That was the last thing she said before closing her eyes and embracing the still darkness.

Meanwhile, Seita was running towards the beach, which was near his neighborhood. He recalled someone once saying before that beyblades could wash up on shore, so this was his next bet on getting that beyblade. Though he feels as if he had heard it in a dream rather than in real life. Nonetheless, he follows his intuition leading him to the beach, where he began his search. Scanning the area, hopeful for that beyblade to appear in the sand. His anger from before was still there, and it was getting worse with each failed attempt. Seita dug through the sand, lifted rocks but still no luck. Letting out a heavy sigh, he decided that it's time to give up.

"It's no use, following something you think you heard Seita" He told himself.

He kicked at the ground, causing sand to fly in the air, but unfortunately for him, it was windy, and the sand was swiftly thrown in his face as if it were payback. "Ack!" He coughed. Walking to the peaceful ocean, to wash his face from the sand, he noted that it started to sting his eyes as he plopped down onto the ground. "Why did I use salt water? Think straight …" The boy groaned but eventually continued his search while seated. Glancing around his surroundings, he spotted a nearby wooden stick and began poking at the sand as his mind wandered off.

Seita needed to develop another plan to obtain a beyblade; he was supposed to face Gronk tomorrow morning. This was his last resort, but it failed. Slowly his thoughts started to drift over to his sister and their conversation; he couldn't understand why she would say no. "Why would she say no, if she was such good friends with the blade breakers?" his question echoed out to the empty air.

Back at home, Hilary had woken up from one of her plushies falling to the ground. Leaning down to pick it up, and set the two hamster plushies gently on her bed. Her eyes shifted in the direction of her window; she bit down on her lower lip, pensive as she could feel the tears swell up again.

Seita sat beside the sea on the beach, traveling deeper into his thoughts, till he reached a memory of his sister's smiling face returning home one day. Years ago. Each week she had something new to tell him, Hilary would immediately begin telling him of all the good time she had with them but also the bad. "Swwwlaashhh" A wave ended up coming far into shore that it almost touch his shoes. Looking out onto the sea as he quietly wished for a beyblade, hoping his wish would come true. Seita wanted to be like his idol that he admired so much, but he couldn't without a beyblade. His eyes shut to the sound of the waves as a breeze blows past, messing his hair up. He takes a deep breath as another memory enters.

"Okay, kids! Gather around cuz' I'm gonna teach ya!" the voice was so familiar that it brought out a bright smile from the boy. Glancing over towards the others to see them gathering around his idol, Tyson Granger. All the children looked up to him, wishing someday they would be like him. "Tyson! When are you going to enter competitions again?" one of the children asked with sparkles in his eyes. Tyson shook his head, "when I hear one of you kids have gotten just as good, if not better than me." He laughed loudly as the kids had determination in their eyes, "for now, I have my hands on kendo. And getting you kids into the groove! So come on!"

Tyson whipped the flap of his red long sleeve back and rubbed his finger across his nose. In a swift manoeuvre, he reached down and pulled his Dragoon blade up and clipped it in. He aimed it ahead and shouted out, "let it rip! "The dragoon flashed bouncing around the playground; it'd spun over circling them. Tyson quickly instructed the kids to turn on their augmented glasses. The children did as they were told, tapping the side of their glasses. Tyson whipped his finger up to the sky, and in a turbulent breeze, a flash sprung up and formed into a gigantic dragoon that roared, rising up into the clear sky. It gave off a radiant light that showed off its scales, causing all the children below to awe and coo in astonishment.

The boy remembered how giant the dragon was and the pure white scales with fiery red ruby-like gems around its body. He gazed at it as he felt someone pat his shoulder lightly; he glanced up as he felt something set on his head. It was a hat. The last thing he recalls was the smiling face of Tyson before everything went blank.

Seita opened his eyes, welcoming him back to reality. "That's right. She hasn't told me too many details except he went far away" the boy looked ahead into the distance. Suddenly his eyes caught something glimmering in the sand. The sea must have washed it up onshore. At first, he didn't know what it was, but as he got closer, he could see some sort of shape, yet he still didn't know what it was until he pulled it out. To his surprise, it was a beyblade. His wish had been answered.

A bright smile had painted across his face as his eyes couldn't leave the beyblade that was now in his hand. There was an image at its center, but he couldn't see it due to the sand. Brushing the sand away, an image of a starfish was revealed on the bit-chip. "ALLRIGHT!" Seita hopped up, laughing loudly as he couldn't believe his luck.

The boy hastily rushed home with a jump in his step, opening the door quietly, not to be loud but was caught out when Hilary stepped out from the living room with her arms crossed. Slipping the beyblade in one of his pockets before stepping past her and running up the stairs, "don't run," Hillary called out. Obeying her command as he began to slow down, finally opening his bedroom door. Another broad smile appeared on his face, unable to control the happiness that was exploding out of him.

Holding his beyblade above his head. "Finally! I found a B-" he began to shout out loud, with no thought that someone could hear him. Hillary stepped in, narrowing her eyes as she interrupted him, "you found what?" The unexpected appearance from his sister scared him, quickly wrapping his hand over the beyblade as he lowered his arm. "Found a binder! I couldn't find one yesterday," turning round to face her with the beyblade behind his back.

"That's what you're cheery about … uh, okay"

Nodding her head in understanding before looking at him weirdly, an awkward silence spread through the room as he held his breath. "My favorite drawings were in there sis"

"Go to sleep. You have school tomorrow" that was the last thing Hilary had to say before exiting his room and closing the door behind her. Seita let out a sigh of relief before turning off the lights and climbing into bed. The beyblade sat beside him under his pillow, hidden from any unwanted eyes.

Seita had been waiting for the morning for so long that he barely believed his eyes when the sunlight shone under the door like a ghoul's grin, yet gave the shutters a halo of golden rays. It was the day he would finally face the school bully, Gronk. However, the only issue was that he hasn't trained with his beyblade yet. "Can I really pull off a win?" Seita observed. Still, he has some beyblading skills when he used to practice with his old beyblade before losing it. Recalling back to all the videos he'd watch of Tyson and the old blade breakers, memorizing the way Tyson would release his blade, the particular angle it was shot in competitions. Hopefully, it would give him the edge he needed today.

He pushes his doubts away and quickly makes his way to school, preparing to face the tyrant. Most of the morning went by with Seita deep in thought until the bell rang. It was now break, and worries started to seep in Seita as it began to rain just as he arrived at the dome. "Gronk, we should postpone this match" Said one of the kids in his posse.

Gronk laughed and started to point his finger at Seita "What guys? We don't have to postpone anything. This match will be over in twenty seconds flat. The angels are weeping because they know Seita will lose." Others had joined Gronk in laughing at the newcomer. Seita persevered through the laughter and raised his beyblade launched to the dome as did Gronk. "You're not gonna run?" Gronk smirked, impressed if only by a small margin. Seita held his breath, feeling his heartbeat throb at the sound of the kids all chanting around them. "THREE, TWO, ONE-" "CHAYLES BEAR FINISH THIS FAST!" Gronk shouted as Seita let his beyblade rip and to the surprise of many, a bright flash shone high into the cloudy sky as Gronk's beyblade was repelled to the corner of the dish. A fierce wet wind forced Gronk to cover his face initially. From Seita's bey-blade, the kids placed their glasses on and saw a starfish bit-beast come out, surprising Gronk and everyone else with the new addition.

Seita recollected late night when he couldn't sleep in bed and decided to name his new beyblade "Squishy" Much like that, he called out. "SQUISHY, GO FOR IT!" Slinging his hand out.

"DREAM ON!" Gronk swung his hand out too as Chayles Bear came in, the brown beyblade tried striking the smaller blue beyblade but it dodged as though it were a type of soap. All of Chayles Bear's attempts at hitting the small starfish with its paws failed as Gronk cried "BOOST!" Chayles Bears claws glowed as it tried to slash with a focused wave but the starfish suddenly spun around Chayles Bear as if it were a fast car wheel spinning, practically completely fading Chayles Bear's attack.

Suddenly, the beyblade started spinning faster as Seita called out, giving his bit-beast a "boost!" This boost was 50%, electricity came out from a particular component in the ART (Augmented Reality Top). Therefore, Seita's beyblade used the boost ability to ripple and trigger its ability to emit droplets of water to mess with Gronk's beyblade stability, causing it to slip over. Seita looked at the scene with a smile as the small blue starfish spun forward and struck Chayles Bear's chest. That's where a small black spider-like lump had been latched and disappeared as Chayles bear lost more ground. "OHHHHWHHH" The bear bellowed, trying to keep it's balance but this caused the chubby little bear bit beast to be shot out of the stadium, claiming Seita as the winner and Gronk to lose his first match.

"Twenty seconds huh …" A kid near the dish uttered over the silenced crowd which couldn't believe what happened.

Just as history repeated itself, Gronks beyblade landed perfectly in Seita's palm. He glanced down at the abyss then towards Gronk, where he sat on the wet ground with his head down in embarrassment. He begged and pleaded, "please don't do it! That blade is special to me!" The sight of Gronk was just the same as the kids he won too. But lucky for Gronk, Seita was nothing like him; instead of throwing it down the abyss of the dome, he handed it over to Gronk.

"Here"

Gronk looked down at his hand to see his special blade in his possession once more. He peered up at Seita with pure shock, bewildered. He just couldn't believe he had lost to someone like Seita, a boy who didn't have a beyblade before. The bell rang, and Gronk stood up, "Thanks, and I'm sorry" Seita shakes his head before speaking, "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. Clam is the one you hurt, so go see him and don't forget to give him the beyblade that was promised for this match." With that, Seita turned away and ran off towards his class, not wanting to be late. Everyone's eyes were on him all through class as they whispered to each other in shock of the outcome. It hadn't taken long for the word to spread through the classes.

Seita stared at his beyblade tucked below his desk. "Squishy, turns out you aren't the only star around"

Seita couldn't control his smile by his fifth class. Even though he had just got this beyblade, he had won his first battle with it and defeated the famous bully that no one could beat. Meanwhile, Gronk was disappointed in himself, having skipped school early and decided that he would rechallenge Seita once he gets stronger. But first, he had to go to Clam's house to apologize.

Gronk went about finding someone who'd know where he lived, one of Clam's classmates upon finding out Clam hadn't made the choice to show up to school. Maybe out of embarrassment. Gronk found his way to the apartment and knocked on the door. The door opened to reveal Clam's shocked expression, "what are you doing here? I have no more beyblades for you to take" just as he was about to close the door on him, Gronk stopped him.

He shouted out loud, "I'm sorry!" Clam left the door open a little bit, listening to what the boy had to say, "I'll get you a new blade once I beat Chaz." Surprising Clam, it caused him to open his door fully, to stare at Gronk. Everyone knew who Chaz was; he was a notorious fellow that would give kids any new beyblade part they wanted only if they defeated him. Kids fall for the trick and go, only for them to lose their precious beyblades to the young man. Looking at Gronk, Clam could tell he wasn't lying as he held a confident gaze as if he would win and follow through with what he said.

"Don't go, it's fine, please! I'm over it already, it's enough that you feel bad about what you did" he pleads with him but still Gronk shakes his hand before glancing down to the ground, "I'm really sorry, I don't know why I threw your beyblade, but after Seita beat me, it's like I can see clearly now. Before I had such a cloudy mind." Giving Clam a gentle smile, Gronk turned towards the sun setting in the red sky and walked away from Clam.

"No, don't go there!" Clam yelled for him, but he just kept walking off into the sunset with some other guys following behind him. Clam falls to the ground in despair with his arm stretched out as if he was reaching for Gronk, but he had already disappeared from his sights.

"Gronk, please don't do this!"

While Gronk walked off to Chaz, Seita found himself in front of the display store he'd been to the previous day. "Now that I have a blade, I can use what I saved up for the glasses"

Snickering, he entered the store; moving by the jingling door and announced "Hi Gramps! I have money today!" Like that, he acquired a set of Augmented Glasses. Seita had just arrived home cheery, and the smile on his face hadn't left since he won. He felt as if he was floating; he was ecstatic. "I'm home, sis! Where's the grub?! Tekheheh" He shouted out, but to his shock, only silence replied back. "Ah, eh, is no one around?" he was too happy from his first win that he didn't give it much thought and immediately moved in the direction of the kitchen to make some food. He could hear his stomach rumble all throughout his journey home. Even in the store he'd been too, the old clerk wondered. "Have you been starving yourself for this, boy?" Seita's smile turned into a sigh. The battle had really taken all the energy out of him, leaving him to be exhausted.

Setting his beyblade down on the table in the living room, he sauntered into the kitchen. Hearing the door bang against the wall and a set of keys jingling. Hilary had arrived home and quickly called out for Seita as he prepared his meal. "Welcome home sis!" Slapping his hands together as he was just about to chow down his food but replied to his sister, "I'm in the kitchen!" he shouted back while licking his lips but suddenly remembered his beyblade that he wasn't supposed to have.

Seita eyes widen as he shoots out of his chair and into the living room to see his sister, Hilary, already holding his beyblade in her hand. Her face said it all. He was in big trouble.

"Where did you get this from?" She yelled, demanding to know the answer; she glared at the younger boy as he stood there like a deer in headlights. All Seita could even muster being a Pikachu face. Seita was panicking, not knowing what to say next, when he managed to come up with a believable lie, "I got it from a friend." Letting out a heavy sigh that he had been holding in since he saw her with his new beyblade. "What friend?" her eyes narrowed as the boy felt his hands begin to sweat. "Gronk" he was the last person on his mind, so it just happened to slip out.

"Return it to him immediately. I will not have my brother near one of these things," she spat out the words with anger hinted in her voice. "You are not going to blade under my care! You won't, Seita!" Hilary spoke with no room for discussion but surprising her was when Seita pointed over at his younger sister Hiyori who was next to Hilary, having made it into the room after taking her shoes off at the front entrance. He began screaming, causing Hilary to glance at Hiyori and Hiyori looked up at her, both completely confused. Thinking fast, Seita used that distraction as a moment to snatch the beyblade out of her hand and rushed for his room. 'ACKK! SEITA!"

'STOP RIGHT THERE!' Both took off all the while Hiyori finished taking off her jacket and stared silently where the stairs were.

She was on his heel, but he had slammed the door in her face just before she could grab him. "Open this door right now!" she shouted on the other side of the closed door. Seita backed up from the rattling doorknob. "The truth is that I found it on the beach. It's mine, and I won't let go of it!" he shouted back at her, telling her the truth instead of lying to her. "The beach?! That sounds even more suspicious, give me that thing!"

"Squishy is different! He has a unique holographic bit-chip! It's too cool! He's not evil!" Seita plopped on the ground, bringing out the Augmented Reality glasses from his pocket. He spaced out, not hearing what Hilary was saying. He put his AR glasses on and let his beyblade rip to realize his new friend, the little star that immediately jumped upon his face.

Hilary stepped back, letting out a sigh before glaring at his bedroom door "eventually, you'll come out for food, and when you do. I'll be waiting" just at that moment, Seita's stomach grumbled. For a few minutes, he sat silently until she came back and tried opening it, that made him snap enough to scream "YOU SHOULDN'T STOP ME FROM BLADING BECAUSE YOU CAUSED TYSON'S DEATH!"

His eyesight became too teary for him to see the floorboard he stared at. "This is all your fault. You caused it!" he yelled out. To Hilary, it was like knives being stabbed at her heart. It was like she couldn't breathe anymore. She stumbled back slightly having been caught off guard by her little brother's cried accusation. Stepping away from his bedroom, she decided to give him some space. Seita leaned against the door with his forehead pressed against the wood door. His blade was pushed tightly to his chest.

"You …"

If you're enjoying the story, please leave a comment and rate! This series will be a long one but we have to make sure it's being well received by our precious Beyblade community. It's meant to answer many unanswered questions and tie in all of the plots of the previous three seasons of the original series. Webtoon is coming soon for this, dependent on how much the community engages with this series over the next month.