Here's the sequel to Birth of a Friendship. I don't wanna put any1 off of reading it or anything but I think it's a let down compared to the 1st one. Hopefully you guys won't be as harsh as I am to me but if you feel u gotta criticise then fair enough, I'll jst make it betr 2 prove yous rong (in the cutest way possible of course he he )

Italics - thoughts

… … … - new scene

Growing Together

The rain pattered down on the ground as the puddles sparkled underneath the gloomy sunlight. Daichi jumped up and down in the middle of a puddle giggling while Hiro stood watching him with his grey hood over his head. Takao sat in a huff on the patio as his big brother picked Daichi up and began smiling and joking with him. My Hiwo…not Daichi's…mine… He felt his baby brown eyes nip with tears as they welled up with jealousy. Daichi's face was shining like his used to when he and Hiro had brotherly moments but now Daichi had pinched them from right under his nose. The rain trickled out of the gutter making a low plucking noise as it sprang onto the paving stones while Takao stood when Hiro came walking towards him with Daichi in his arms. He pulled at Hiro's worn out jeans reaching up to him.

"Hiwo…?"

"Mmm." Hiro laughed as Daichi tried to pull at his nose. Takao pouted giving puppy dog eyes as a tear fell down his face. Hiro looked down at his little brother and gave a small pitying laugh, "Aw! Come here!" He scooped Takao up into his arms giving him a tight hug that made Daichi cross his arms as Takao reclaimed Hiro's attention. "You little guys hungry?" Takao glared at Daichi as he pulled at Hiro's face.

"Pizza!" Daichi said excitedly making Hiro laugh and set them both down on the ground.

"Ok I'll race you both in. Last one there's a rotten egg." As he finished the last word of his sentence Takao and Daichi sped into the house leaving him walking in behind them. They both bounced on the couch hitting each other with pillows as the scent of pizza wafted in from the kitchen where Hiro had disappeared a few seconds ago. Takao stopped playing with Daichi as music blared from the TV.

"YAY! Hiwo! Turtle time turtle time!" Takao jumped off the couch and scrambled over to his toy box that sat neatly in the corner of the room. Daichi glanced over at him as he dived in front of the TV with a Michelangelo blanket and a plastic green figurine that had been kept in pristine condition in honour of his favourite character. Daichi thudded down beside him pulling at the blanket. "No!" Takao pulled it back.

"But I'm cold!" Daichi thrust his arm out in front of Takao's nose, "See I have goose pimples!" Daichi smirked, "If you don't give me the blanket I'll turn into a goose!"

"No you won't." Takao edged himself away for security clutching onto his figurine.

"Uh huh!" Daichi pulled at the blanket.

"Nu uh!" Takao yanked it back making a small rip appear across the centre of the blanket. "That's your fault!" He yelled angrily flinging his toy at Daichi who gave a yell of pain as it hit him in the eye. Takao panicked as he heard Hiro come through. He had to think fast or Hiro really would like Daichi better than him. When Hiro entered the room Takao flung himself to the floor and bawled his eyes out.

"Huh? Hey what's happened?" Hiro asked picking Takao up who screeched and covered his eyes faking an injury. Hiro looked down at Daichi who was screaming just as loudly as Takao Why couldn't they wait half an hour for gramps to get home? "Come on guys calm down, tell me what happened." Hiro put Takao down and stroked his soft ruffled hair before picking an out of control Daichi up and rubbing his back to try induce some form of calmness to him.

"I can't see!" He screamed kicking the floor. Takao stopped his false tears for a second as guilt made his face redden and burn. He really wanted to cry as the guilt nibbled away at his ability to hide what had really happened. He began to bawl his eyes out once more.

I am never babysitting again! Hiro thought hearing his little brother scream ten times louder than he had been before. "Let me see Daichi." He pulled Daichi's hand away from his eye and Hiro gave a sympathetic smile. "Your eyes just a bit watery, blurring your vision, you'll be alright. What happened anyway?" Takao gave a loud thump on the ground raising the volume of his yells so Daichi couldn't answer. "Hey hey!" Hiro picked Takao up rubbing his back. Over Hiro's shoulder Takao watched Daichi stick his tongue out at him. Takao reciprocated as Hiro turned around to face Daichi who still had his tongue hanging out. "Oi! Don't be so rude!" Takao sniggered underneath his pretend sobs irritating Daichi to the core.

"Mr Hiro is Takao in?" Takao looked up at the door to see a timid Kenny and drenched Ray standing at the front door Hiro had accidentally left open.

"Kenny! Ray!" Takao waved cheerfully forgetting about his phoney tears now that two of his best friends were there. Hiro raised his eyebrow and held Takao at arms length.

"Someone got better very quickly." Hiro smirked feeling quite proud at his brother's devious yet talented display. Takao giggled nervously and jumped away to his friends leaving Daichi sitting in a huff for a second longer before being captivated by the turtle's adventure.

… … …

Hiro was amused at the show the four little guys put on as they wore ripped tea clothes across their eyes with random utensils as their weapons. Daichi bounded over to Hiro handing him a colander. Hiro smiled Guess I'm Shredder He put the colander down by his side receiving a nasty blow to the shin from the forks Daichi used to replicate Raphael's syes.(AN: I no wat they r I jst cant spell it so gimme a litl help here peepl)

"That's your helmet thingy!" He said running of half blind with the red tea towel he'd knotted around his head.

Man he's getting way way too excited about this! Hiro rubbed his shin refusing to put something he had to use for cooking on top of his head. Ray walked out of the kitchen looking at the mop Takao had thrust into his hand with misery. Kenny followed excitedly with two swords Takao had got for him out in the dojo.

"Prepare to die Shredder!" Kenny lunged forward with the swords making Hiro leap out of the way as Kenny ran after him slicing through the curtains as he went.

"WOAH!" Hiro ran three stairs at a time up to the first bedroom he could get to slamming the door shut behind him.

"Where'd he go Leo?" Takao asked thundering up the stairs to Kenny's side. Hiro smirked as he opened the door and looked down at the two little kids in front of him. What would be the harm in playing along?

"Go foot clan!" He yelled in a raspy voice as he started to throw a storm of cuddly toys down on them making them run off down the stairs. Hiro laughed as he followed them down a few moments later to hear Ray telling a story.

"So God asked that all the animals come back the next day so they could be the zodiac animals. But the mouse didn't like the cat so he lied to her and told her it was the day after-"

"Why didn't he like the cat?" Kenny asked.

"Maybe because his mouse brother was eaten by the kitty cat. I saw Snuggles eat mices!" Takao said proudly making Ray wince at the thought of Snuggles dining on fresh mouse.

"Uh…who knows," Ray shook the image out of his head and finished the story. "So that's why cats should be on the zodiac but aren't."

"Who likes cats anyway?" Daichi sneered.

"I do!" Ray pounded his own chest a little too hard. Daichi rolled his eyes as Takao shot up,

"AH HA! A conspinary!"

"A conspinary?" Hiro mumbled scratching his head. Ah maybe he means conspiracy….eh what's he on about? Takao scuttled over to Hiro hitting onto his already injured shin ready to answer his unspoken question.

"The mices! They lureded Snuggles out onto the road so he couldn't be in the zodiac!" Hiro laughed at Takao's theory and patted his head as Takao punched his small fist in his hand. "We must stop their evil ploy!"

"Sure, we'll do it tomorrow." Hiro lifted Takao up grinning to himself as he heard his little brother mumble a plan of attack on the "dreaded mouses."

… … …

The blood rushed to Ray's head as he and Takao waited for the other to fall down. Daichi's neck was stiff as he tilted it to watch Takao's face go beetroot red as he unconsciously held his breath. Ray smirked at his opponent's weakening state and started to show off by walking around on his hands. Takao spluttered as he tried to get Ray to stop but forgot how to breathe. Hiro jogged down the stairs with his head full of plans for the coming holidays as he walked past them both. He snapped back as he saw Takao's bloated face.

"Takao breathe!" Hiro yelled at him picking him up by the ankles to take the weight of his wrists.

"Need…to…stay up..side down…longer." He gasped. Hiro looked at Ray who was happily walking around on his hand and then at his brother who was finding the basic task of breathing and being upside down very difficult. He sighed and walked over to Ray gently pushing him down so he tumbled down onto Daichi before flipping Takao the right side up and onto his feet.

"EURGH! Ray your ass is in my face!" Daichi screeched. Takao giggled,

"Oh ah cha cha cha Daichi said the a word!" Hiro shook his head trying not to show his amusement at Takao's innocent sing song response to a word that seemed pretty ordinary and acceptable to him.

"It's Hiwo's fault! He said it today!" Daichi defended himself as Ray eventually got of off him. Hiro reddened as he remembered saying it in front of Daichi and began to pray he didn't tell his mum who he learnt it from.

"Don't call him Hiwo!" Takao bawled, "His name's Hiro to you! He's only my Hiwo!"

"He's big enough for me to have too!" Daichi yelled clinging at Hiro's leg.

"No! He's mine!" Takao grabbed the other leg making Hiro stumble as he became dangerously close to being able to perform the splits.

"You know I'm used to this from women of all ages but not boys." Hiro joked pulling them apart as they both snarled at each other flinging their legs and arms about only to stop when they heard a grunt of disapproval from the front door. Ray smiled.

"Kai."

"KAI!" Takao loped over to Kai grabbing him by the waist. "I knew I'd see you again! One of my bestest best friends!" He tried to pull Kai into the house. "You can be Splinter when we play ninja turtles again!"

"I don't play." Kai said as Takao tripped himself up in his own craze of excitement. Hiro looked at him disapprovingly pulling Takao back up. "Ray come on we're gonna be late."

"Alright. I'll see yous later." Ray grabbed his jacket giving everyone a quick wave before following Kai out. Takao looked up at Hiro pleadingly getting a reluctant approving roll of the eyes from his big brother. Takao jumped up in excitement shoving his trainers on speeding after them.

"Me here!" He exclaimed jumping on Kai's back. Ray smirked as Kai struggled to get him off. "He he, you're funny Kai!" Takao put his feet onto Kai's shoulders and jumped off of him.

"What in the hell are you playing at?" Kai's voice was filled with fury at the memory of being used as a human diving board.

"Ooo! We're playing? What we playing? Tig? Hide and seek? Treasure hunt? Blind man's bluff?" He looked up at Kai who hadn't blinked since he started his list of games. "Uh…you don't play tea party do you?" Ray went burgundy as he tried to hold in the biggest laugh he had ever done in his life at the image of Kai holding a plastic pink teapot surrounded by dollies and matching pick tea cups.

"I told you, I-don't-play." Kai gritted his teeth together trying to not let Takao get to him.

"Don't you know how?" Takao thought it a reasonable question to ask as he stared up at Kai's hardened face. He smiled as he looked at the blade in Kai's hand. "You do play! I remember with your blade! You know one day I'll be number one at blading! Hiro's let me practise with him! I'm good!" Kai closed his eyes and gave a deep breath.

"If you think blading's a game you won't ever be anything but a rookie with a big mouth." Kai strode past Takao who received an accidental whip in the face from his flowing white scarf. Ray gave a friendly smile that disconnected Takao from the slight stinging on his face as he watched both his friends walk away. For one of the first times Takao felt the energy of a challenge flow through his veins.

"One day it's gonna be me and you Kai! I'll show you I can be the best!" He watched Kai and Ray disappear into the slight mists that hovered in the street before thumping back to his home leaving Kai with the first real impression of his potential strength.

… … …

Takao scrunched up his eyes as the tension that filled the atmosphere strangled his cool nature making his heart palpitate painfully. He put his head in his hands breathing deeply trying to clear his head and defend his soul from the onslaught of nerves that tried to control him. This is it. He pulled Dragoon out of his pocket and looked down at it noticing his greenish blue veins throbbing through his wrists as the adrenaline rushed through him. Daichi's done his part…now it's my turn. Takao stood up sharply letting his knees give a crack as they shook off the stiffness from his three hours of solitude. The glass window drew the picture of the sensational feelings that filled the stadium. Soon I'll be part of that. He gazed down at the dish that shook with the pounding feet and hearts of the fans that lived and breathed their blading icons every match and new technique.

"Takao?" Daichi's voice came cold and distant as he clutched at Strata Dragoon. Takao looked over at him waiting for his next words that never came.

"I know." Takao smiled secretly putting Dragoon back into his pocket.

"…Kai will be more of a problem than Tala." Daichi paused gaining the courage to be nice to Takao for the first time in a long long time. "But you're stronger than me so you'll…this is your match." He turned his back and left making Takao proud to have been his team mate through out all of this. The compliment took a while to sink into his heart and mind but when they did the anxiety left and he knew what the result would be. He looked out the window at his legion of fans and Kai's relentless mass of soldiers that were all joined by the one thing that grew stronger in his heart each and everyday.

This one's for them. His eyes gave a shine And the true spirit of Beyblade.

-- Yeah I no that's not exactly what happened when Kai and Takao battled in G-Rev at the finals of the world Championships but hey I'm reritin history cos I am --