PILLS
Recently cured, thanks to the relentless efforts and sacrifices made by his good friend Zeo, Toby prepares for his last operation and to move out of the hospital. When Masamune Kadoya returns after seven long years, though, how will the bitter feelings of Zeo Abyss and Toby's joy at this news clash? If that wasn't enough, Masamune has brought more friends from Japan with him, and more drama along with it. In Toby's final months at the hospital, everyone around him finds that they, as a family, might need more repairing than even a hospital or medicine can offer.
Hello... I'm not entirely sure how to start this off. It's my first fanfic. How about with a few warnings?
This fanfic is rated T due to the involvement of drugs, blood, mental illness, a teensy bit of violence at one point, and swearing. (I know some of us are sensitive to bad words. I'm sorry. TT TT)
Seeing as this is my first fanfic...reviews would be nice! Long and detailed if you can, and preferably constructive criticism, but I appreciate the "good job!"s just as much.
There's a couple of things you ought to take note of for the setting in this story.
First of all, the Ziggurat fiasco NEVER HAPPENED. There was nothing to do with Zeo ever joining Team Star Breaker, or any of that complicated stuff to do with the arrangement. However, the World Championships did happen, proceeding mostly according to the original series: Japan won and met a bunch of cool people, blah, blah, blah.
Secondly, I know that Sophie and Wales are supposedly siblings, but this fanfic... THEY'RE NOT! Okay? I can understand if it feels weird, though.
Lastly, as for whether the Metal Fury series ever took place... I don't know. I don't think it would have. I can't decide but it doesn't really matter...it's not relevant to the story.
Thank you! Review! Enjoy! PM me if you want a response- I simply don't have the time to spare with reviews. Sorry!
Chapter One~ Ill Will
Zeo was hesitant. He couldn't simply let Masamune just leave. What would they do? Zeo's family certainly didn't have the money to pay for Toby's medical needs. Sure, all three of their familes combined could only chip in for a fraction of the cost, but he and Masamune were both working part-time jobs in the hope of raising enough money for their sick friend.
For a moment, one tenacious moment, Zeo wondered if he should reveal Toby's true condition to his clueless friend; the bloodstained sheets, the medical reports, the oxygen mask he wore when he slept, the painkillers they hid from him in the drawer...
He swallowed. "Masamune, wait." He tried to force the words to form at his lips. 'There's something I've got to tell you about Toby's condition... The doctors are saying he won't pull through... Masamune, I need you to stay. Toby needs you...' The words all died at his throat. He couldn't seem to make a single sound.
"Got to. I have to find this Ginga guy..."
Something about hearing those words plunged Zeo into paralysis. Masamune, yet again, making a stupid decision: flying halfway across the world to challenge a stranger from television when their friend needed him most...no. It wasn't stupid, it was reckless. What was he thinking? The timing was absolutely terrible.
Masamune was already running off before he knew it, before he got to say even a word of what he wanted. "Masamune, wait!"
His old friend didn't wait. He never did. As always, as usual, he plunged into the crowd and disappeared. Zeo would never see him again, and with so many things left unsaid. But those unspoken words were the last thing on his mind, for all he could worry about...
'...Toby.'
Zeo awoke with a start. He glanced around warily. It was night. Faint orange light pooled through the window from a street lamp.
He was sitting on a stool; as he roused and stretched he felt his spine crack.
Rolling his head around in counter-clockwise circles, he massaged it with a stiff hand. 'I must have slept on it kinda funny.'
Standing, he walked over to the window and stared outside. The hospital lawn was bathed in orange and white, and not a single speck of white light shone in the sky. This was, after all, the city. When in New York, Zeo had learned to never look for the stars. If you wanted to see pretty colours in the sky, you'd have to wait until New Year's Eve.
He kept his footsteps light and stealthy, as to not wake Toby. Seldom was his friend so sound asleep ever since the sickness took such a terrible grip on his life. Zeo figured he must have fallen asleep with the other boy earlier, when they were still talking. Peeking over, he saw creases in the sheets were his head had lain, and rubbing his face, felt marks on his cheek.
Leaning on the windowsill, he watched his friend's limp, sleeping figure while he brooded to himself silently.
He dreamt The Dream again tonight.
The memory of seven years past still burned inside him. Really, it was amazing how long he could make a grudge last. Still, he couldn't decide whether it was his grudge that fuelled The Dream, or if The Dream was what always brought his grudge back to life.
Why did he even bother trying to remember this kid? As far as he was concerned, Masamune Kadoya was nothing more than a relic of the past; a symbol of betrayal. He thought back to his blustery, loud, bossy voice. His annoying habit of acting like a know-it-all. The ridiculously insatiable appetite that he couldn't ever bother to restrain from eating Toby's food when their ill friend needed his strength most. Why was he ever friends with that guy in the first place?
Twenty years old, and in his fifth year of high school. Most people would be surprised, and he was too. Zeo had always been a good student. Even throughout family, financial and friendship strains, he'd been known for scoring straight A's.
But after his third year at Dungeon High, he had to get a job instead. His parents had understood. He had to take care of Toby. That guy still meant the world to him, even if Masamune had left them both for good. That rat could go back to Japan for all Zeo cared. Let him skulk in the sewers, he fumed, but I'll still take care of Toby.
Bang!
He couldn't help it. It was a reflex; he had to hit something. Just thinking of that guy...it made him... So mad!
Toby jumped, awoken from his sleep. "H-huh?" He rubbed his eyes, glancing around timidly. "Who's there?"
All hatred and anger Zeo felt instantly melted when he saw the lost look on his friend's tired face. Already, he felt guilty for thinking about the issue so selfishly. If anyone was suffering, it was Toby.
"Toby." He rushed over to his bedside. "It's just me. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."
Toby just gave a tired smile and yawned. "N-nah... It's okay. I haven't slept so well in ages."
Zeo allowed a smile to crack his composure. "Well, it means the treatment's finally starting to pay off."
"Yeah." Toby gave a good-natured grumble. "About time, too." Zeo's laugh was more out of relief than humour.
He glanced down at his watch. It was past three in the morning, and he'd come here on his bike. Good thing it was a Sunday- he still had to catch up on an essay for Philosophy, and his Calculus homework was due tomorrow. The trains weren't open, so it'd take him at least half an hour to get home. It was dark outside, but Zeo knew that if anyone found him here he might get in trouble for staying so long after visiting hours. Anyway, his parents would be worried, though they were probably asleep by now.
He snatched his keys from the night-stand and patted the still-sleepy Toby's hand. "Rest up, bud. I gotta get moving. It's pretty darn late." He was headed for the door, sneaking by as quietly as he could, when the croak made him stop. "Zeo..."
He turned. "Yeah, Toby?" He asked softly. "What is it?"
Toby's breathing was clear, for a change, but Zeo could still remember how, barely two months ago, he couldn't even breathe without an oxygen mask doing it for him. The sheets had been stained with blood, and dirty strands of long, pale brown hair were scattered amongst the stains.
"Zeo..." He looked out the window and shook his head. "I just really wanted to say...thank you."
Zeo blinked, a bit surprised by this sudden turn in conversation. He walked back to his friend with a sigh, and pressed his hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "Look, I told you this million times before: you don't owe me anything."
"No, Zeo." Toby's voice was strangely dreamy and distant; he wondered he was feeling okay. "I just wanted to thank you...for everything. I mean, working jobs for a year...just because I was sick...taking care of me..." He drew in a slow, shaky breath. "I really appreciate it, Zeo. I mean, you could have gone to a good college with that money." His voice cracked. "Your grades, you would've gotten a scholarship..."
"Ssshh." Zeo did his best to ease his sentimental friend. It'd been so long since he made the decision, but Toby still couldn't let the matter drop. "Just try and go to sleep. You need to rest up. You're getting out of this hospital soon, Toby. You can go to college too."
Toby relaxed, lying back with his head comfortably snuggled in the pillow. "You know, Zeo..." His eyes glistened sadly as he spoke. "I told you I'm waking up just 'cuz I'm sick..." He gave a bitter laugh, only pausing once for a light cough. "But I've been having these dreams, Zeo." The pillow rustled as he shook his head sadly.
Zeo tensed. "What...kind of dreams?" He asked cautiously.
"Oh, you know..." Toby's eyes had drawn back into that distant and faraway look again. "Me, you, Masamune...all of us wanting to become beybladers... We were a good team, you know." He gave a hoarse chuckle. "And we went to movies together... Masamune would always eat all the popcorn."
When his friend didn't respond, he glanced up at him worriedly. "What's wrong? Don't you remember, Zeo?"
Zeo couldn't give a proper answer. "Yeah, I remember." He gave Toby's hand a light squeeze and stepped to the doorway. "Like I said, I gotta go...but sleep tight, Toby. I'll visit tomorrow, if I can."
"Okay..." Toby's voice was clear of suspicion, but still sounded genuinely puzzled.
Zeo propped up his bike from where it lay by the door, pushing up the kickstand. He grabbed his backpack from the ground and shouldered it onto his back. "Oh yeah, and Toby..." His friend looked up, seeming surprised.
Zeo swallowed, but forced his voice to go through. "It's no problem. All of it, really. I'm going to HD Academy next year. You can go back to school once you're out of the hospital. Everything's going to be fine."
Toby stared at him for a while, his violet-blue eyes gleaming curiously. Finally, in a quavering voice, he spoke. "Thanks, Zeo."
It only took minutes for his friend's soft breathing to lapse back into snores before Zeo guided his bike, with some difficulty, out the hospital room.
The rattling sound of the spinning chain echoed through the hallways. Hoping he hadn't disturbed anyone, he took the elevator downstairs. But not before he noticed the symptom.
He reached for the button, and pressed. The button didn't respond. He tried again.
Grumbling to himself about crappy elevator maintenance, he reached over, but this time, he realized, his fingers just brushed uselessly over the buttons.
Slowly, he lifted his hand. His finger quivered more than a frightened old man.
"Dammit!" This time using his right hand, he punched the button and the elevator doors closed with a small ding.
As he rode home, he thought about what Toby said.
Remember the good old days?
He might as well have been asking Zeo how nice it was to cut your tongue out and eat it for dinner.
Toby was different. He was just fragile, was all, and too delicate to realize Masamune was nothing more than a reminder of their childhood. For Zeo, a painful reminder. Once he got out of the hospital and regained his confidence, Zeo could start explaining everything- starting with the fact that Masamune Kadoya was never coming back. He hadn't written a letter, or called, emailed, texted, nothing. Not even a small shout-out on an interview.
As far as Zeo was concerned, he didn't know a Masamune Kadoya. Or at least he didn't know the person Masamune Kadoya had become.
"Cheers!"
Glasses clinked and a few whoops flew up as they all toasted to a brand-new retirement and promotion.
"Congratulations," Madouka chirped happily, eyeing the prideful Tsubasa beside her, "to the new president of the WBBA!"
"Not to mention," Hikaru chimed in with a rueful glance towards Ryo, "our old president's retirement."
Everyone released a herd of small 'aww's of sentiment.
The guests broke off into smaller groups of conversation: Tsubasa with Hikaru, Ryo and Ginga; Kenta worriedly asking Yu to help him study for a test; Madouka chatted with MeiMei and Sophie, seeming very pleased to see other girls at the party; Klaus and Wales, now free of their normally cool demeanour, laughed at some of the jokes Benkei told them; Julian Konzern stood quietly at side, waiting to congratulate Tsubasa and watching with distaste as Masamune ravaged the snack bar.
Ginga, of course, was a bit sad that his father had retired. After all, retirement basically was like admitting you were getting old. He didn't dare say as much to Ryo, of course. Especially since this little party was in his dedication as well as Tsubasa's. But soon he found out his father had more plans than that.
"Hah!" Ryo slapped his knee and chuckled the moment the words "quiet retirement" flew from Hikaru's mouth.
"No way! I'll just to climb Everest or something?"
"Really?" Dry sarcasm dripped from Ginga's words. "You know that there's a whole process for just getting into Tibet. You need special passports or something, and even after that you've got to train...get the right gear..or find Sherpas, or something..."
Ryo shrugged. "Hey, hey, hey. Who ever said retiring would be easy."
A clinking glass made them all turn. Tsubasa was standing in the middle of the room, glass in hand and looking around, Julian beside him. The twenty-two year old's silver curtain of hair glowed even in the dim lamplight.
"I was hoping to say this later," he began, "but Julian and Wales have to leave soon..." He waited as several groans of mock complaint flew up. "...so I'll say it now."
Clearing his throat, he continued. "Anyway, soon after my promotion, the WBBA headquarters are moving to America." He gave time to let the message sink in. "And, following it... I'm moving to America."
The outburst was a pure cacophony; Benkei and Yu the most of it.
"What!"
"America? When!?"
"Why didn't you say so!"
Tsubasa tried not to look embarrassed as they screeched and hollered. "Well, I only received the news...not too long ago..."
The only one amongst who didn't look surprised was Ryo. He stood calmly to the side, chuckling at the full-sized reaction. Ginga glanced at his father in confusion and disbelief, but Ryo simply smiled and winked.
"Where will you be going?" Ginga could just barely hear Julian's polite, quieter inquiry.
Tsubasa lowered his head. "New York," he mumbled, scratching his glass awkwardly.
"New York?" Masamune sprung to his feet, a wild look in his eyes. "No way! You mean the one with Times Square? The Statue of Liberty? The-"
"Empire State building," Tsubasa cut in, "where the new WBBA headquarters will be."
Masamune relaxed and gave a sigh. "Oh, man... NY... Haven't been there since I was what, thirteen?"
Everyone stared at him in disbelief. "You've been to New York, Masamune?" Kenta asked quietly.
Masamune's eyes bulged. "Been to? I lived in New York!"
Madouka scoffed. "No way! In all the seven years you've been in Japan, you never told us you lived in New York City!"
Masamune scratched his head and gave a sheepish grin. "Yeah, well..." He gave a small, knowing sigh and stared at the ceiling. "Do you remember all the way back to when we were still kids-"
"Some of us," Julian interrupted abruptly.
"Yeah, well, it just means you're getting old, Julian," Masamune shot back, though seemingly unbothered. A few chuckles flew up.
"But anyway, when the Beyblade World Championships seven years back was going on, and... I met all of you..." He gestured around the room, at the sinking faces that were slowly melting into shared nostalgia.
"I was best buds with these two kids, Toby and Zeo. Real close. I mean, you couldn't see us going anywhere without one another. We all trained together at elementary school, with the Phys. Ed teacher Coach Steels." He gave a light, warmhearted chuckle. "That guy really knew his stuff when it came to beyblade and breaking your arms- so we were in good hands for not getting bullied. Anyway, point is, we were tight." His brows creased with sudden worry. "Something was wrong with Toby, though... He collapsed one day, not too long after I saw Ginga on television. And...because of that, I had to leave."
"Leave?" Madouka echoed. "Why?"
Masamune's face surged back with pride just as quickly. "To fight Ginga, of course! I had to do it, for Toby's sake. Once I won..." He pumped his fist. "Toby would get better! I know it!"
"And so, did he?" Yu inquired.
Masamune shrugged. "Of course! I don't need him to come tell me!"
At those words, everyone froze. "You...mean..." Klaus choked, "you haven't even contacted them ever since?"
Masamune shrugged. "The World Championships were on! I kind of...got swept up in the excitement!"
"Years later?" Madouka put in drily. Everyone laughed.
"Hey! I have a great idea!" Ginga's eyes were sparkling. "We should all go to New York and help Tsubasa move in!"
"It's a nice idea," Benkei grumbled, "But a certain someone here has a job of flipping hamburgers that won't really allow that financial freedom."
"Yeah, and Kenji and I still have to go to school," sixteen-year old Yu added glumly.
Half of them, by now, weren't even listening to either explanation.
"Remember those World Championships?" MeiMei whispered. She shot a shy glance towards the former EU representatives. "Team Excalibur was incredible..."
"And Dashan," Julian sighed. "An incredible man...he really taught me something, with that temple behind his back."
"Desert Blaze..."
"The Garcias..."
"I sure as hell don't miss that nasty bunch." Amused murmurs rippled through the group.
"Wild Fang..." Ginga had spoken louder than he meant to; everyone turned at the sound of his voice. "Kyoya."
Masamune breathed deeply. "And Nile..."
"Not to mention, Demure..." Tsubasa cast an exasperated glance to the bulky, bawling man beside him. "... And of course their most valuable member, the Bull."
"Man..." Yu's voice was quiet. "I haven't seen any of those three in ages."
"Yeah. They never called..." Madouka sighed heavily.
"Just disappeared after the World Championships."
"What happened to them, I can only imagine..."
"Great bladers; wasted talent."
Silence passed between them all as they reminisced about the days from seven years past. Only a small sniffle or scratch would occasionally break the silence.
Surprisingly, it was Julian who broke through the ice. "I have a mansion out in New York. Anyone who wants to go can stay there a while, I suppose. Tickets are up to you, though."
"Really?" Masamune's eyes lit up. "You're actually in for this, Julian? You'd be willing?"
Julian gave a shrug. "I have some business in New York. And besides, I think it's a neat idea." He glanced over towards his close friends. "What will you do?"
Wales's gaze flew straight to Sophie, who shrugged and smiled. "Sure. Sounds interesting." She tossed a lock of white-blue hair over her shoulder, one of the many enviable qualities of hers.
Klaus gave a curt nod. "If the rest of you are going, then I will too." He gave a roguish grin. "I don't plan on staying behind to house-sit."
Madouka smiled brightly. "Sounds like a plan."
"Okay!" Masamune's voice was the most cheerful of them all. "It's decided. We should organize more details later!"
"I couldn't agree more," Wales yawned. "Julian and I really ought to get going."
"Yu and I should tuck in too," Kenta agreed regretfully. "We have school tomorrow."
MeiMei stretched from where she was lounging on the couch. "Mmm. I'm tired. I think I'll get going, too."
"Okay." Ginga gave a determined nod. "Just make sure the details get passed around."
After the first five departed, the rest of them disappeared like flies. Another hour led to Ryo and Benkei's departure, and Klaus soon afterwards. Hikaru and Sophie left together, which left four former members of team GanGan Galaxy: Masamune, Madouka, Ginga and their host Tsubasa to talk about their days in the World Championships.
By now, Ginga was half-asleep due to his warm, full belly and the late hour. "Remember Kyoya?" He sighed dreamily. "We tied...that match..." He closed his eyes. "Had to be the best of my life."
Masamune was in a state similar to his. "You know," he mumbled, "all you've been talking about is Kyoya."
"Same to you," Madouka giggled, giddy from the wine. "You can't stop talking about your friends Zeo or Toby."
"Yeah, funny, isn't it?" He sighed. "Strange...to still remember so much about them...even though I haven't seen them in forever..."
The first few chapters will seem to pass by a bit quickly though they're kind of boring, I know, but I want to jump straight into the gist of it. There will be minimal violence where I can manage, but some of the mental images in this story may grow...somewhat concerning. There won't be any dying, though, so don't worry.
