Beyblade 1. Prequel

**Prequel**

**Disclaimer: Don't own. Will never own. Story is mine and mine alone.  
Note: There are some elements/situations in the story that border on the AU, so don;t freak out if things are slightly different to the anime.**

All things have to come to an end, whether good or bad, and it is often that these things are let go of with the most reluctance. It is a part of human nature that often expresses discomfort and loss, fear and aggression, hope and acceptance at the inevitability of change. Comfortable and secure in the now, change is a thing that most people prefer to stay clear of, while others welcome it.

Change was a key part in the story of one beyblader, and while some of it was for good, it could be said that much if not all the changes that occurred held little joy or peace. It was change that destroyed, killed and acted as a catalyst for conflict between allies, families and friends.

It was a normal sunny afternoon, children just dispersing from the school grounds as they rushed off to more exciting things. A boy, or rather, a young man was amongst them, although by the looks of him he was not in a very happy mood. His face was set in a frown, his shoulders slumping more than usual as if it was more than a bag full of books he was carrying on his back. Perhaps it was just the Monday blues, but anyone who knew this boy would have told you that his behaviour was all together strange.

However as it was, little attention was paid to him as he walked down the streets, heading to what he called home, the dojo. Slipping off his shoes before entering, Tyson sneaked to his room, hoping that he would avoid the attention of his eccentric grandfather. He loved the man, but really, he was in no mood to deal with him today.

As he plopped down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling, Tyson couldn't help but admit, even to himself, that he was a little depressed. Just recently he had survived a battle that had taken more out of him than any had ever before. He had survived, and came out victorious. However, that victory had started a change that Tyson did not feel ready for. The battle had caused a near invisible rift between Tyson and the others. There was no reason for this rift, apart from the exhaustion that had taken over him since then.

Yes, perhaps he wasn't so cheerful any more, but he was still recovering after all from a mental and physical war. However, Tyson knew that that was his last beyblade battle ever, his last victory. Now he was living a normal life, school in the mornings, kendo practice after school, homework and then bed. It was a boring life when compared to the last couple of years, but what else did he have? His former teammates had returned to their respective countries, promising to keep in touch. However as such things often do, contact was lost, and Tyson could confess that he knew nothing of their current situations.

His friends had returned to normal life as well, Kenny having been accepted into a prestigious new school due to his high intelligence quotient. Hilary moved away with her parents to a destination Tyson hadn't bothered to make note of. All he cared about was the fact that in the short space of three months, his whole life had returned to a point in the past before he acquired Dragoon as his bit beast, when he was still a nameless face in the crowd, an ordinary guy. As he reminisced about the not too distant past, his mind slowly drifted into sleep.

For some time now, Tyson's dreams have been filled with scenes from his last battle with Brooklyn. Each time he would wake up sweaty, and more exhausted than when he went to bed. Why the memory continued to pester him, he didn't know. Perhaps it was a side-effect that would fade eventually as he regained the energy and stamina he had lost. What plagued him also was the memory of his brother. He had not seen Hiro since after that day, had not heard from him. Just like the old times.

When the incessant whining of his alarm clock finally managed to break through the fog in his mind, Tyson groaned, feeling too tired to get up. His limbs felt heavy and when he finally managed to open his eyes he found that he had slept in his school uniform. Getting out of bed was almost too hard a task, his tired body not really registering his brain's commands.

Tuesday. Damn. It was only the start of the week and already he was in need of a weekend. With a groan he managed to right himself, and started on his morning routine starting with a shower and ending with breakfast. Unfortunately breakfast had to be skipped in favour of being at school on time. Tyson was not a punctual guy, but his home-room teacher was enough of a monster for him to make an effort. With an empty stomach Tyson began his daily walk to school, with only his memories as company.

Wrapped up in memories, Tyon failed to pay attention to his surroundings. It was hardly noticeable really. It was just an old man with a walking stick in hand that trailed after the oblivious dragon. The man did not look lost, nor was he looking much of anything. An old man out for a stroll, not a strange sight at all. He looked normal, dressed normal and acted normal. Who could have guessed?

It was at a particular stretch of road, where houses were few and far in between, run down and generally empty that Tyson was made known of the old man's presence. It was a rather rude wake-up call as well, even though he fell unconscious only a moment later, the old hand still held over his mouth, the cloth keeping fresh clean air from entering his lungs.

It was a kidnapping that was rather cliché, but if it works, why bother to devise some other wicked plan? As it was, Tyson was thrown into the back seat of a car, blissfully unaware of the changes that awaited him at the car's destination. He remained unaware through the whole trip and longer, dead to the world and it's cruel promises.

It would be later that night that the first questions of his whereabouts were to be asked by his grandfather. By then it would be too late off course, but who would really miss him but the old man who raised him. It really was shame though, because his grandfather never did find Tyson, his grandson and friendly companion. He was old after all, and so had little to enjoy about life, having lost his wife and being estranged from his son.

He died a year after Tyson's disappearance, an old warrior defeated by age. It was also during this time that another discovered the dragon's disappearance, only the explanations varied and none would be confirmed for some time. Hiro, who inherited his grandfather's dojo, had thought at first that Tyson had left to grieve for a little while, or that he was on a trip or holiday or something of that sort. He learned differently from the neighbourhood who often prided themselves in knowing everybody else's business. What could be done? Tyson was dead and lost.

The changes had been made and things were changing still, as Tyson found when he did wake after being so rudely kidnapped, and he was helpless to it all. Weak at the hands of marble faces and glass eyes. His would be the first big change, and painful it would be. Like a pet sold to a new owner, Tyson lost the ability to take his life into his own hands and was subjected to the rules of a new life.

**A/N: The story really begins from here on, so it should get more interesting. There will be no pairings in this fic, so no romance or anything of the sort. Also OOC and AU elements may occur in the story, I can almost guarantee it.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade. I don't own the characters. I do own plot.**

**Warnings: This story is a dark story so please be aware of it. Also OOC will happen as well as AU elements in some places. No pairings in this story.**

**)O(**

It was a small village, nestled in the arms of a silent mountain and away from the advances of technology. Under the moonlight the village looked no more than a memory of a distant past, yet life breathed here, oblivious to the outside world as they slept. A sanctuary of peace where the people worked hard for an honest living and where everybody knew everybody else's name. It was a small friendly community that enjoyed the pleasures of a simple life.

It was the arrival of a shadow that haunted the place that night. It walked through the fields, unmindful of the crops growing there, and into the village. The shadow was very much out of place in the peace of this setting; it did not belong there. Yet it walked through the village with such purpose that it appeared as if it had lived there all it's life and it was to the centre of the village that it travelled. At the heart of the village stood a temple, a relic of the village's past. It was here that the shadow paused, sparing a moment to contemplate the ancient and holy structure.

Moving soundlessly the shadow entered the temple, finding its way through the dark without problem. It did not take long before it left the temple again, a cloth-wrapped item clutched to its side. The shadow left the village at a leisurely pace, turning around to look back as it passed the village boundaries. A thunderous crash was heard, followed by a quickly spreading inferno that consumed the temple and al the houses. The village was thrown into hell, leaving no survivors, just as it was meant to be.

The fate of this village was not an isolated one. Many a villages had suffered the presence of the same shadow, and had met the same fiery grave, and every time that shadow would watch impassively only to slip back into the night. No one would know the fate of this village, as very few even knew it existed, and this allowed the shadow phantom much freedom to travel and steal as it will. The destruction of these isolated villages were not its main goal however, it acted only as a stepping stone to much greater things.

_)O(_

The disappearance of Takao Kinomiya, otherwise known as Tyson Granger, was not really big news. Yes, perhaps he had been famed once, but people often disappeared, and his case was dealt with locally, not internationally. Thus it was that when Hiro returned to Japan, he did not know of his younger brother's fate. Grandpa had died not too long ago and had left his property and possessions to Hiro, as he was the eldest.

When there was no Tyson to greet him, nor any sign of another person besides his grandpa having lived here, Hiro got suspicious. It was by accident that he learned of his grandfather's death, not having any form of communication on him during his travels, and now this. There could be a hundred reasons for Tyson's absence; perhaps he was at a friend's house, on a holiday or trip. It was from the neighbours that he first got the feeling that something was horribly wrong, and he took time to research Tyson's last known movements.

In an old newspaper he found the article that turned his blood cold. It told of Tyson's disappearance, the investigations that followed and the eventual conclusion that Tyson was dead. The conclusion had no hard proof that he was dead, but neither could they prove that he was still amongst the living either. The article was printed two years ago, which was much like a physical blow to Hiro. He had not known, otherwise he would have certainly gone looking for his younger brother. Hiro was admittedly not very close to Tyson, but the brotherly instinct present in most, if not all, older brothers was always there. He only expressed it differently.

He sat back in the chair, thankful that the library was relatively empty. He wondered who else knew of this, if any of the other beybladers knew. Two names came to mind, Kenny and Hilary. They were supposed to live nearby and would most certainly know about Tyson's case. Tracking them down was somewhat harder, but what he found was that Kenny had been accepted into a top notch Computer Information Technology school, situated on the other side of Japan. Hilary had moved to another city with her parents, but was still close enough to have heard something at least.

Jotting down Hilary's address, Hiro left the library feeling troubled. Tyson had gained many enemies during the Beyblade Tournaments, Boris being the better known villain. Without Tyson in the picture, Boris would almost certainly be able to take control of the Beyblading world again, and if not him, then some other sly minded protagonist. Only Boris would be the obvious choice, so it would have been foolish to kidnap Tyson so soon after the tournament. Conclusions could be drawn another time, firstly he had to talk to Hilary.

_)O(_

It was late afternoon, the following day that Hiro came to Hilary's door. It had been three years since he saw her last, and when she opened the door, he could see that she had matured rather nicely. Exchanging greetings she let him in, asking if he would like a drink and to take a seat. They chatted politely for a few minutes until Hilary placed a cup of hot coffee in front of Hiro, on the table, warming her hands on her own mug.

They sat silently for a few minutes, Hilary seeming to have caught on earlier what the subject was about. Hiro would certainly not have come to see her for any other reason but for Tyson, and that was a sobering thought.

"When did you find out?" She asked softly, her eyes lowered to the table. There was a short pause as Hiro placed the mug on the table, turning his attention fully to the subject at hand.

"I have had suspicions since I returned to Japan only a week ago, but I only found out yesterday." He answered simply, his eyes watching her face intently.

Hilary nodded slightly, more to herself than to signify that she had heard. She let out a soft sigh and put down her mug. She put her hands in her lap, where her hands started to play with the hem of the blue jacket she wore. It was a nervous gesture, one that indicated the feelings of agitation. Hilary's face had also lost the cheer that had been there previous.

"Well round about two months after BEGA, Kenny started attending that new school and so moved away. All the other beybladers had returned home off course, so you can imagine how depressed Tyson got. Well about a month later my parents said we were moving, I had no choice off course but to go with them as well, but at least it wasn't too far. Tyson and I could keep contact and visit each other regularly. Still it didn't really improve Tyson's mood any. Tyson might not act like it but I guess he was uncomfortable wit the fact that I was the last of the Beybladers to go, though technically I wasn't a beyblader myself."

Hilary paused to take a sip of her cooling coffee. Truth be told, she kind of missed the rest of the team as well, and now with Tyson missing, it seemed all the more lonesome.

"It took us about a week to settle in here, so I couldn't really keep in contact with him until our phone lines were set up and all that. I phoned the Kinomiya residence as soon as I could and heard from your Grandfather that Tyson had gone missing that week. I turned the T.V on and sure enough, his disappearance was mentioned. Naturally I wanted to tell you guys, but well, I didn't have any of their details and so could not contact them. I did manage to tell Kenny, and perhaps he got word out to the old team, but I'm not sure. Kenny and I kind of fell out of touch soon after Tyson's disappearance."

Hiro sat looking at her with a frown, although she was sure that it wasn't directed at her. The coffee in her cup had long since cooled down, and she imagined that his did as well.

"Do you know anything about the investigation? What they found? Who they interviewed?"

Hilary thought back to two years ago. She had followed the investigation sure enough, not that there was much to it.

"Nobody had seen anything, no trail was left to follow. No ransom notes, no bodies, no strange telephone cards. Nothing. Either Tyson was kidnapped, or he ran away, there just wasn't much to go on. They interviewed and investigated Boris off course, but he came off clean. After about a year Tyson was declared dead, the case closed and unsolved."

That was apparently not what Hiro had wanted to hear, but Hilary could give him nothing else. They sat silently for a little while longer when Hilary took the cups to the kitchen. She cleaned up what little mess she made, lost in her own thoughts.

"What do you think happened to him?"

The question was one she had asked herself more than once, but she had long ago found her answer.

"I think he was kidnapped." She admitted.

"I know that Tyson could be irresponsible, but I don't think he would just leave like that and not tell anyone. Maybe for a little while yes, but it has been over two years since then, he should have let someone know, unless he couldn't."

"Do you think he's dead?"

She bit her lip at the question. Did she think he was dead?

"I…I don't know." She sighed heavily and turned to Hiro. She was struck by how similar Tyson and Hiro looked and how different they were in personality. She blinked back a tear. She had harboured a crush for the loud-mouthed boy for a long time, and when he disappeared, well, she was heart-broken to say the least.

She had moved on however and had a wonderful boyfriend, but secretly she still mourned for Tyson.

"I'm sorry, Hiro. There's nothing else I can tell you."

Hiro nodded.

"Thank you." He said politely and headed for the door.

Hilary followed and watched him from the doorway as he got into his car and drove off. Only then did she allow a small tear to escape. However, the past was the past and she had happiness now. She had learned to let go and though Hiro's visit was a bit of an emotional setback, she would get past it. She shut the door and returned to the kitchen where she prepared hot chocolate for herself. Perhaps there was an interesting show on T.V that would take her mind of Tyson.

_)O(_

Hiro's thoughts were far from settled. Hilary hadn't really given him any new information, so he wasn't any closer to finding Tyson. Perhaps he should let it rest, accept that Tyson is dead and move on, but nobody was really sure and he could not live with that uncertainty. Perhaps a visit with Kenny was in order, but what would the computer genius really be able to tell him? For all he knew, he could have been too late in any case, the likelihood of Tyson being dead by now was just too high.

So it was that Hiro continued his search for a couple of months before he had to admit to himself that he was chasing a dead man. He spent another couple of months tracking down the other BladeBreakers, as some were particularly hard to find, namely Kai. Perhaps they had been in contact with Tyson before or after his disappearance. It was unlikely that they would be of help, but then again, you never know.

**)O(**

**A/N: Read and review.**


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