Chidsengan:So...here's a new story from perhaps the person who's the worst writer on fanfiction ever...me! Yet I still continue to torture all of you...I'm so sorry! Anyway, for this fanfic, I decided to turn to the wonderful world of Beyblade Metal Masters to base it upon...with a twist. See,after reading the fanfic 'Galleon's War' (by the ever-talented 's a great story!), I decided that I, too, wanted to delve into the depths of my insane mind and write a Beyblade M.M. fanfic that takes place back in Medieval times... with modern-day lingo, of course, since talking like Shakespeare kind of confuses me (no offense,Will...)! I suppose this is the part where I should say 'please review', but, instead, I'm going to say this... to everyone who reads this story, please, please, PLEASE... I beg of you... check out the stories written by these following authors:

FutureCharacterDesigner4Pixa r

dreamlily

DragonFang2011

SiOmniFicta

Chidsengan:If you don't review my story, that's fine (even though I'd really like for you to), but please do read and review the authors' stories listed above! I swear, you won't regret it! And also, I'd like to dedicate this story to dreamlily, my Beyblade buddy (not that it's good enough to be dedicated to such a talented author). Now... before I forget... time for the disclaimer! ZEO!

(Snaps fingers and Zeo appears from out of nowhere)

Zeo:What am I-?

Chidsengan:Zeo, say hi to everyone!

Zeo:Umm... hi... everyone ?

Chidsengan:

Now offer the disclaimer and the apology!

Zeo:Uh... well, Chidsengan doesn't own the characters used in this story. If she did, I'd be in trouble...

Chidsengan:*hugs him* You are! You're in the story!

Zeo:*raises eyebrows* I AM ?

(Chidsengan hands him the script, which he reads)

Chidsengan:Also, I'd like to apologize for my shabby writing skills and whatever mistakes may be in this story. It just so happens that this website tries to correct my mistakes and ends up riddling it with errors, instead. Also, if anyone would like to make any suggestions, please, go ahead! I'll try to use them all! I hope you enjoy!

Zeo:(horrified) I'M A PEASEANT ?!

(Chidsengan looks over at him, smiles briefly at audience, then lunges at Zeo to put duct tape over his mouth)

Chidsengan:SPOILERS! (credit for that idea goes to my BFF FutureCharacterDesigner4Pixa r)

Note:Some of the words in this story that don't sound English aren't. They're Greek. The meanings of the words are below:

Asteri-Star

Peproméno-Destiny

Metallo-Metal (duh)

Zitianos-Beggars

Epithymíes-Wishes

Thánatos-Death

Fonáxe-Cries

Ákardos-Heartless

Note:When these '*******' appear, it symbolizes a story tansition...

With great power comes great responsibility, so it's said.

One can only wonder, however, if those with great power are really those to take on that responsibility...

Who is to say that the king who lives in the castle with his maids and servants waiting on him hand and foot is more apt to handle responsibility than the poor tailor who lives not so very far away from the castle, who works day and night to make ends meet for his family ?

How is it to be known that a peasant who has worked all his life is more ready to handle responsibility than the princess sitting in her parlor room... the princess who's told of heroic knights who braved the worst of situations.

Would you rather trust your life to a knight, who would defend you for honor, or the baker, who's always treated you as if you were family and gives you free cookies whenever you visit his shop ? Or perhaps, maybe, both ?

These were the questions that were clouding the mind of the young Kenta , who was staring longingly at the gigantic castle that shimmered beneath the dimming sunlight of late afternoon as he sat on a large boulder just near the forest's edge.

The boy rested his elbows on his knees and gazed at it, chin in his hands, sighing dreamily.

The famed Asteri Palace was the pride and joy of the country of Peproméno...'the land of destiny', as it was known throughout other lands...

And Asteri Palace was a place that, just by looking at it, you could feel as if anything could and would happen...just like destiny.

Asteri Palace was sculpted from tons and tons of beautiful metallo crystal, a substance that's pure, crystalline form was overlaid with a clear, invisible, unbreakable metal... so when the rays of the sun hit it, it sparkled just like what it's name implied...thousands, no, millions, of beautiful stars.

The time of day it sparkled most was around 3:00 p.m...which was at that moment...and, needless to say, Asteri Palace was shimmering in all it's brilliance and beauty...making Kenta sigh with even more desire behind it to one day make it to the palace...even if it was as a servant to the royals.

"Kenta, what are you doing ?"a voice snapped him from his thoughts.

Kenta jumped slightly, then glanced over his shoulder to see his older friend, Gingka, standing behind him.

Gingka had bright brown eyes and hair as red as a flame... and a smile that was so bright that it could almost put Asteri Palace to shame... almost...

He had been one of Kenta's best friends for as far back as the younger boy could remember, and he had sort of come to view him as an older brother of sorts... even though anyone could tell you that Kenta acted more mature than Gingka did most of the time despite being the younger of the two.

"Umm... nothing..."Kenta answered his friends's question, tearing his eyes away from Asteri Palace and running a hand through his bright, green hair.

"Well, 'nothing' sure takes a lot of time..."Gingka said."You know, we're running late for it as it is..."Kenta sighed.

"Yes, Gingka..."he replied obediently."Well, then, let's go! The others are waiting for us!"

"Alright..."As Kenta turned to follow his friend to the place they were supposed to meet the others in their group, he took another, longing glance back at Asteri was he kidding ?A person like him would never have even made it past the front gates...

Kenta and Gingka walked through the forest to their rendezvous point, walking over mossy rocks, wading through streams, and crawling under bushes to get there.

Zitianos Forest was as well known for it's beauty as it was for its forest was known to house some of the most dangerous creatures to have ever been known, and, many said, mythological creatures, like pegasi, though Kenta and Gingka had yet to see any.

To them, Zitianos Forest was home to much stranger creatures... them and their group.

Their 'group' was a small one... only six of them were in it... all of them orphans who's parents had either died, been separated from them, or, in the case of one of them... had abandoned them as a baby.

Kenta was one of the youngest and, hence, was the one who was pitied the most because of it. Everyone always saw him as 'the poor dear' or 'the dear little Angel' who everyone felt sorry for because he was so good-natured and his parents had died when he was only four. Despite his past, however, Kenta was hardly one to be deterred. He had dreams... and big ones at that, too. He wanted to become a knight for the king, the brave ones that he had heard stories about, and dreamt of the day when he, too, would gain the praise of the people of Peproméno and the lands beyond... the day he would be able to ride into town on the most magnificent stallion with merits as plentiful as the stars in the gallexies (yeah, he kind of had a thing with stars).

Gingka, on the other hand, wanted none of that... the fortune nor the fame. To him, his wealth would be in him being, one day, able to help those that were poor live better lives. Unlike the rest of their little group, Gingka was the only one who had a parent... or so he thought. And that was his father, General Ryo, who was off fighting overseas. Ever since the general had been reported MIA seven years ago, however, Gingka had been classified as an orphan an had been brushed aside just like every orphan was in Peproméno. Gingka never once gave up hope that his father would be found, and when that day came, he planned to greet him as a son General Ryo would be proud of.

Yuu, Kenta's best friend, probably, and the other youngest in the group, was a high-spirited, optimistic boy who was always trying to keep his friends' spirits up. It was Yuu, also, who had first fueled Kenta's love of royalty and desire to be noble on day. Yuu, unlike his companions, had been born of royal blood. His family had been the rulers of a neighboring country, Epithymíes, until the country had been attacked and overtaken by their enemies, The Thánatos. The king and queen had fought valiantly, but, in the end, they died for their country, leaving Yuu alone in the world. Technically, though, Yuu was still a prince, and, really, the official heir to the throne of Epitymíes, so he had no plans of giving up any time soon... and planned to one day return to his home and rule it just like his parents had... justly and kindly.

Tsubasa was another story. Tsubasa was one of the older ones in the group, but he barely had relationships with his companions that one would call 'close'. And that was something everyone respected. Why was that ? Because, Tsubasa had been separated by war from his parents when he was three, and had been held captive by The Thánatos for five years before he managed to barely escape. He had almost lost his life many times after that before he one day arrived in Zitianos forest, exhausted, and was saved by, as he said, a Pegasus. Right... was everyone's disbelieving answer to that one. But nevertheless, they had no real qualms with Tsubasa... except when his darker side took over and he went ballistic. But that had only happened twice before, though... and no one expected it to happen again. That being because Tsubasa often spent his days by himself, talking with the gentler wildlife of the forest and trying to decide which path his life would one day take.

Masamune was the fifth member of the group. Like Tsubasa, he had been separated from his parents when the small village he had lived in had been taken over, and he had spent most of his life wandering the world. He was the most recent addition to the group, having only joined them not even a whole year earlier, but his unbroken enthusiasm and unquenchable thirst for the good life was something that no one could argue was refreshing. No matter what, Masamune never thought twice about his dream to be the best hero in the world... and he never backed down in the face of a battle, or anything else, for that matter. Sure, he was loud, proud, and maybe even a little obnoxious at times, but that was exactly why everyone loved him.

Masamune's personality couldn't have been more different, however, from that of the unofficial leader of the group...Kyoya.

Kyoya was one of the oldest of the group, but that was hardly the reason why he was the leader. He was the leader because no one on, many were willing to bet, on the face of the planet was more stubborn than he was. And while his stubbornness often got him in trouble, it was also the very thing that kept he and his little group alive. It was he who they relied on to feed them, to get clothes for them, and to find the safe spots to sleep for the night. Most of the time, that included stealing, but since Kyoya had never been taught the difference between right and wrong, his moral compass was slightly tilted. His parents had abandoned him as a baby, and the woman who had taken him in after finding him in an alleyway, was imprisoned, and he was taken to serve as a slave for The Thánatos when he was three. He escaped soon after and had spent his entire life on the run from authorities and the like. Other than that, however, the rest of them knew absolutely nothing about Kyoya's past... other than that he didn't want to talk about it... AT ALL.

They didn't question Kyoya's wishes.

Truth was, they wouldn't even know how to begin to question him, because they wouldn't even know how to begin to survive without him.

Even Tsubasa, who was probably the second most adept at survival, paled in comparison to their unofficial leader, and none of them wanted to think of what would happen to them without Kyoya around.

Yes, they may have feared him... but they also admired him... which meant they didn't ask questions when he made up his mind about something.

And, while they didn't know why they respected his wishes, be it from fear or admiration, all they knew was that they just did...

Because, more than anything, more than the fact that he was the one who fed, clothed, and protected them... it was the fact that Kyoya was Kyoya... and NOBODY went against Kyoya's wishes...

After what seemed like an eternity of walking, Kenta and Gingka finally arrived at the clearing where the rest their group was already gathered, each in their own little worlds.

Yuu was talking to Masamune, who seemed to be much more interested in the shapes of the clouds rolling by overhead, Tsubasa was feeding an injured eaglet he had been looking after since he'd found it had fallen from it's nest almost a week ago, and Kyoya was resting against the trunk of a tree, though the expression on his face made it clear he was anything but asleep.

"Sorry we're late, everybody!"Gingka exclaimed cheerfully as he and Kenta walked towards their companions.

Yuu was the first to greet them, per usual, and abandoned his sitting position to instead race and give Gingka and Kenta hugs.

"Gingky! Kenji!"he called them by his affectionate nicknames for them, throwing his arms around them fondly.

Masamune quirked an amused eyebrow as a small smirk played on his lips.

"Why so late ? You two get lost on the way here ?"he teased them, all of them well aware that each of them could easily find their way through the woods to their meeting spot blindfolded if they had to.

"Yeah, right..."Gingka laughed, prying Yuu off of his waist."The only kind of 'lost' either one of us got was getting lost in our own thoughts..."

"It was my fault..."Kenta said."I went to go look at Asteri Palace, and-"

Tsubasa glanced away from the eaglet in his hands and turned his attention to Kenta.

"Kenta, you know wandering too far from our group's dangerous..."he told his younger friend gently."We have to try and stick together, now more than ever with our enemies' numbers increasing and talks that the war's growing stronger each day..."

Kenta's eyes found the ground as he scuffed his foot against it.

"I know, Tsubasa..."he said quietly."It's just that-"

"Being on our own is hard enough as it is..."Tsubasa continued."Resources are scarce... Autumn's almost upon us... and we face danger everyday. Our lives hang in the balance every second... every breath we take could be our last..."

Masamune couldn't help but roll his eyes at that.

"Melodramatic much ?"he said flatly.

"I know, Tsubasa..."Kenta weakly protested."But, I-"

"Unless we stay together, we could very well end up in trouble..."Tsubasa went on."Or worse... we could end up at the mercy of Fonáxe..."

At Tsubasa's last statement, everyone froze in terror for a split second and a shudder was sent down everyone's spines.

Fonáxe...

Fonáxe was the second-in-command of the entire Thánatos Army, a former general to The Konzern Family, the royal family of Peproméno. A tragic accident had scarred Fonáxe, however, and he had switched sides... becoming a horrible enemy and one of the most esteemed of the enemies at that... second to only the leader of the entire army, Ákardos.

Either way, neither Fonáxe nor Ákardos were people you would use in conjunction with the word 'mercy'.

While Ákardos was the one who led the army, it was Fonáxe who did the dirtier part of the job... it was he who rounded up orphans and drove them like slaves for their army... it was he who provided them with torture and just enough food and water to keep them alive... it was he who had been both Kyoya and Tsubasa's superior in the terrible days of their pasts...

And it was he who they, or at least Tsubasa, still feared.

Kenta was quiet for a moment... silently debating how to address Tsubasa in a way that wouldn't send his friend into tremors as could very easily happen when Fonáxe was the topic.

As none came to mind, he decided to just bow out and put Tsubasa at ease.

"I'll be more careful, Tsubasa..."Kenta promised."I'm sorry..."

Tsubasa seemed to relax just a bit more as he smiled gently and turned his attention back to the eaglet, but there was still a look of uncertainty gleaming in his honey-brown eyes that showed his fears were far from assuaged.

"Are you done with the chit-chat, ladies ?"Kyoya's voice broke through the brief moment of awkward silence as everyone turned their attentions to him.

Their unofficial leader glanced at them.

"We're already running behind schedule enough as it is..."he reminded them.

Everyone nodded in agreement and pushed all thoughts of Fonáxe,The Thánatos, and Ákardos from their minds to focus on a more prominent issue at hand...

Their daily meeting.

Each day, the six of them would gather in the same place to tally up their food supply, share the latest news about town concerning the happenings about the lands, and, in instances like these when the changing of seasons was concerned, to talk over strategies of how to survive through them.

Most of the time, there wasn't much to report at the meetings, but no one argued with having them because, in a strange way that they couldn't describe, it provided them each with a feeling of stagnant security... and in the ever-turbulent world they lived in, any sense of security was one that was welcomed with open arms.

"It goes without saying..."Kyoya started."That Autumns are never easy in Peproméno..."

Everyone bit their lower lips worriedly.

That DID go without saying.

Autumns in Peproméno were just as bad as the Winters...

The days and nights were often filled with snow, and even if they weren't, they were always cold... freezing... miserable...

Not only was freezing to death an imminent danger, so was starvation... and it was also then that the shopkeepers and merchants of town started to keep higher security on those who looked to steal their goods to survive...

Which just happened to be their little group.

To put it simply, Autumns in Peproméno were the pits.

"So, how're we going to survive...?"Yuu asked innocently."We barely did last year..."

No one said a single word to answer that comment.

There wasn't a single one of them who wanted to remember the last Autumn... the Autumn where they had practically died from cold and starvation before an elderly lady who sold herbs in the village had taken them in before they could (that same lady had been severely punished for asissting them and was placed in prison and her house burned to the ground).

"Well, we're not going to survive with the rags we've got now..."Kyoya stated simply as they group glanced down at their clothing, which were threadbare and worn ragged."So, we're going to have to go 'shopping'. Tsubasa, any news ?"

Tsubasa nodded.

"I heard that a merchant's coming to town to sell his garments in town a little later today..."he said."Apparently, things for the Autumn weather..."

Kyoya nodded.

"Good..."he said, turning to the other."I'll going to head down to town to get some... Gingka, you keep watch from your post, tell me when he arrives the minute you see him ride into Peproméno..."

"Got it!"Gingka saluted in agreement.

"That should cover us for the clothing..."Kyoya mused."And now, for food..."-he poured out his small satchel onto the ground-"Let's see what we've got..."

The others did as they were told and dumped their own food satchels out.

The results weren't very good.

Between the six of them, they had only a couple berries, a stale crust of bread, a few walnuts, and what was left of what had been a stolen half-a-pound of cheese.

"We're almost out of food, Kyoya..."Masamune stated.

"I can see that, Masamune... I've got eyes, too, you know..."their unofficial leader spat back.

He breathed in a bit before coming to a conclusion.

"Alright... here's the deal... I'll score us some food from town..."he explained."But in the meantime, save what we've got. We're going to need to conserve all we can if we want to survive to see another Spring."

Everyone nodded as Kyoya got to his feet.

"Alright then. Suit up and let's get going. Gingka, keep watch. Kenta, Yuu, see if you can find anything else to eat in the forest. Masamune, go with them and make sure they don't get into trouble. Tsubasa, put that fuzzball (the eaglet) away already and look like you want to live. You're with me. As soon as the merchant gets here, we're heading out..."he ordered them.

Everyone stood and immediately set out to do what they had to.

Gingka climbed to his 'post'... the highest branch of the tallest tree in the forest which overlooked Peproméno and all the land around it.

Yuu held tightly to their satchels and told to Masamune to hurry up as the older boy fumbled to pull out a spiky bur that had gotten stuck to his foot.

Tsubasa placed the eaglet in a safe bed of grass and twigs that served as a makeshift nest in the knot of a tree before patting it on the head affectionately and getting ready to head into town, and Kyoya sat back and closed his eyes... once again, not sleeping, but thinking out a way to get what their group needed without getting caught.

And as Kenta watched his companions, he came to a decision on what he had been pondering before as he had gazed at Asteri Palace...

Which was that people in places that had no power weren't always so inept to take on great responsibility... because what him and his companions were all were doing to survive...

THAT was something Kenta couldn't picture ANY person in a place of power being able to do...

Chidsengan:Well, there's chapter one! I know, it was horrible and you hate me now, but I hope you all liked it! (thinks it over for a moment) Wait, that doesn't really make any sense, does it...? How can it be horrible and I still hold out hope that you liked it...oh, no! It must be so horrible that you DIDN'T like it!

(Zeo keeps reading the script for the fanfic)

Zeo:I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU MADE ME A PEASANT!

Chisengan:(stops panicking for a moment) Your point ?

Zeo:YOU MADE JULIAN KONZERN RICH!

Chidsengan:No...

Zeo:O.o

Chisengan:I made the whole of Team Excalibur rich!

Zeo:O.O

Chidsengan:(innocently) What ?

Zeo:YOU MADE THEM RICH BUT ME POOR ?! AND WHAT ABOUT RYUUGA ?! HOW COME HE'S-MMPHMMPHMMMPHMMPHMM!"

(Chidsengan hugs him hard and bury his head in her arms, muffling his voice)

Chidsengan:Well, everyone'll see soon enough! Thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoy, please! :)

(Zeo breaks free from her grasp)

Zeo:POOR ?! WHY ME ?! WHY ME ?! WHY ME-HEE-HEEEEEEEEE ?!