AN: Story name is subject to change. Not sure if the song I named it after (Red's Glass House) suits it.

First off, I'd lay to say a HUGE thank you to Julia Fernandez Hiwatari, Newborn Hope, Hilary Granger and a few Guest users for their kind reviews on the prequel. Originally I wasn't going to write this but I keep finding myself going back and reading Together Forever. I'm hoping that writing this will help me to stop going back. It probably won't.

Anywho! Please don't kill me for the path this has taken. In all honesty, it's killing me inside to write each paragraph (I've broken them down into manageable parts for you readers having received numerous requests to do so in other fics I've done.)

Glass House

1

Memories

Snow falls heavily almost obscuring my vision. It's been a few months since papa told me how I came to be. I'm the reincarnation of his father who died trying to rescue him. Today we're burying Grandma Julia. About a week ago I'd found her seemingly asleep in bed but upon closer inspection, I discovered my grandmother and former wife had passed away. The doctor said she died of a broken heart after ten years. All the family is here to pay their respects and give their support. Although he doesn't show it, I know papa is grateful to them. I'm too busy lost in my own mind to hear the priest's ramblings.

Memories I never knew I had have been flooding back to me. Dranzer says that seeing my Grandma in a dreamless sleep triggered the most agonising memories of my previous incarnation. Uncle Ray told me things my papa would not. Grandma had been in a coma for 13 years after giving birth to papa, leaving grandfather…me…to raise him alone. Life had been hard for them but they'd carried on with heads held high. I'm not sure if anybody else knows that I'm the reincarnation of a once feared beyblader. Most people chalk my uncanny resemblance to THE Kai Hiwatari a simple coincidence as my papa is his twin.

A harsh nudge of the shoulder draws me from my musings. I look up to see papa staring down at me, his eyes clouded by sorrow. The funeral had finished some minutes ago and we stood alone in the crypt. When had we gone in? Papa gingerly steps forwards and places a bouquet of red, yellow and orange roses on Grandma's final resting place.

After a few more moments of silent prayer papa and me head off to the wake held at one of the many foreign homes he owned. They were mine once…in my former life. A butler took our coats on arrival and escorted us to the large hall. Looking around I see my siblings scattered across the room.

My oldest brother Connor is stood having a conversation with Uncle Tyson. Sasha is sat in Uncle Leon's arms crying quietly so not to cause a scene. Lastly my eyes rest on Trinity. She's not much older than me, a month at the most. Sometimes I really hate how weird my family is. I have one father but two mothers. Goodness knows how papa even had the energy to court two women at once. Anyway, back to my siblings. Trinity is closest to me in both age and bond. When papa is too busy or tired to spend time with me Trinity is always the one to take his place. Connor despises my very existence. I'm not entirely sure why. Uncle Raul said it might be because papa shunned everyone but me after my birth. Papa's gotten better but he still doesn't talk to the others much.

Tearing my eyes away from Trinity I see Takao Granger, my rival since kindergarten. He's Tyson Granger's grandson and Dragoon's next master. Takao has an unidentical twin brother called Rei for his grandfather. We would've been the junior guardians but Connor wants nothing to do with beyblading and Trinity prefers horse riding and to be a team, we need Draciel. Mom doesn't have any siblings to my knowledge and goodness knows where my uncle Daichi is. Nobody has seen him in over ten years and he's not here today.

Until he spontaneously returns with an heir or mom reveals cousins I'm unaware of, Draciel and Strata Dragoon are masterless. Metal Driger can't help because uncle Lazlo is gay and has no children and aunt Cyan died of a hospital bug leaving no heirs so uncle Hiro hasn't been able to pass him to the next generation. Thunder and Torch Pegasus are in a similar situation. Maybe I'll enter as a solo blader in the future, who knows.

Two weeks have passed since Grandma's funeral. Papa has cried himself to sleep every night since then and I'm the only one who knows about the tears he sheds because he refuses to go to mother weeping. Although papa hadn't shown it over recent years, his mother meant the world to him. My dreams are constantly plagued by memories of grandfather's life and not all of them have been pleasant to say the least.

The first unpleasant memory revealed itself when Connor had made to strike me for no reason. Papa put himself between us and walloped Connor real good, telling my brother that if he harms even a hair on my head he'll kill him. I wager Connor will seek to move out of the mansion soon as he's old enough to do so. Uncle Raul doesn't think I've seen the looks of sadness on his face as he watches the family fall apart. He's cried a lot too, not just because Grandma has left us and joined grandfather on the other side of the rainbow bridge. His family is destroying itself from the inside and there's nothing he can do to stop it.

One night I caught him in his room writing some kind of note, tears falling from his eyes forming rivers down pale cheeks. I'd gone to my mothers the next day and they swarmed him with affection. Papa found out somehow, explaining to me that Uncle Raul had planned on ending his life, to join the family we'd lost on the other side. Couldn't Uncle Raul see that doing so would hurt us more? Papa made him aware of that fact after a scuffle in the kitchen. The family members not related by blood have also showered Uncle Raul with support. Times are tough enough for my parents without having another dead relative to bury. I fear that losing somebody else will push papa beyond the point of no return. If he lost me…people would surely get hurt. I've seen papa's more dangerous side several times, his body swathed in angry flames. Luckily nobody has been seriously hurt yet. Hopefully nobody ever will. I can't lose my papa. He's the only one who truly understands me.

It's been a long day at school and I step into the mansion expecting my mom to kiss and cuddle me like she always did but today papa was stood in the lobby, his eyes seemingly glazed over. I've never seen him like this before. Why was he glaring at me with such hatred? I go to ask him what's wrong but before any form of sound could be made, papa's hand came down on my head like a wrecking ball. Never before had he raised a hand to me, not even when I misbehaved. Papa would only tell me I'd done wrong and make me apologise for my behaviour. I couldn't make sense of his slurred rambling as he tossed me effortlessly across the room, my yowls of pain falling on deaf ears. I beg for papa to stop, that he's hurting me so much my bones might break but the pain doesn't stop. He strikes me again and again until somebody grabs his bloodied wrist.

"Gou stop it! Kai hasn't done anything to deserve being beaten!"

It was Aunty Cleo coming my rescue, her green eyes lashed with concern and scolding. She was Grandma's twin from looks to temper and papa quickly made himself scarce, leaving me in a bloodied heap on the floor. Without a word she carried me upstairs to my room and cleaned the wounds papa inflicted. I simply couldn't understand it. Why had he done this to me? Did I do something to upset him? Thinking back, before the stench of my own blood filled the air there was a strange aroma coming from papa's clothes. Not long after Aunty Cleo finished bandaging my beaten body mom comes barrelling into the room sobbing tears of regret.

I feel my eyes getting heavy as my mother says something about my father not being himself tonight, that he'd been drinking all day. Drinking what? And why? Was father trying to find other ways to ease his emotional turmoil? That night my dreams were plagued by nightmares. In them I looked through grandfather's eyes as men assaulted him and pumped unknown substances into his body, a man with short purple hair leering with sadistic glee.

Father grovelled at my side the following morning, apologising for what he'd done to me. Aunty Cleo explained that father had been drinking something called alcohol all day yesterday and had gotten severely drunk as a result. He was far scarier under the influence of a beverage than when of his own mind. Mother scolded him too. I forgave my father on the condition he promise to never reduce himself to nothing but a primitive beast ever again. We spent all day snuggled up in bed as my injuries meant I couldn't go to school. Father stayed with me overnight too. He seemed truly sorry about beating me up for no logical reason.

Uncle Raul kicked father out to work the following day and took over nursing my wounds himself. While we were alone, I asked him if my grandfather was a violent drunk. He couldn't recall a time where grandfather ever drank too much. Uncle Tala stopped by after dinner. He was currently visiting from Russia with his sons Tybault and Raziel. I didn't see my foreign uncles very often so Uncle Tala, or Uncle Wolfie as I'd apparently dubbed him 5 years ago, spent the afternoon by my side. I told him what father did to me, that he'd gone mad with drink. A look of pity showed in Uncle Tala's blue eyes. He knew grandfather better than anybody else, confessing that my previous incarnation was indeed violent when under the influence. Very violent. So much so he'd almost killed people on several occasions.

Father obviously inherited grandfather's drunken rage. And it's possible I have too. Unsure if it was safe to, I didn't tell my uncle what father told me a few months ago. He left before father came home, saying he'd beat him senseless otherwise. I'm warmed to know my family cares so much for me. Even the relatives I see so little of. The rest of my day is spent in father's arms. He came to my room looking almost as bad as me so I figured Uncle Tala had run into him. In the dark of night I lay awake in father's arms unable to sleep through the nightmares. Off to one side of my room I see two glowing orbs floating not too far away, one blue and the other orange.

Sweat drips down my face as I wake from yet another nightmare. Three months have drifted by after I learned that alcohol reduced my father to a monstrous being. He'd kept his promise to stay sober for about two weeks before hitting the bottle again. Uncle Raul has left us now. He's joined Grandma and grandfather beyond the pearly gates. He'd gone missing for several days and park rangers found his body washed up downriver. We just buried him last month next to Grandma and grandfather. It's getting hard for me to hide the bruises and cuts left behind from the beatings my father gives me. Mom is starting to fear I'll end up dead if things carry on this way.

Everyone has tried to stop father from getting drunk but with no success. He doesn't stay with me overnight anymore because mom is worried he'll kill me in my sleep. I can hear them fighting every few nights as I try to drift off. Occasionally my dreams are filled with sweet memories of when my father was gentle and loving. Other times I see the love grandfather drowned him in. And the rest…are plagued with death. Sometimes I see through grandfather's eyes as he watched his parents die at a young age. He'd suffered so much loss and hardship it's a miracle my aunts and uncles were able to open his heart at all. The remainder of my dreams are haunted by the sight of me, my siblings and our moms all lying dead at father's feet as his body burns out of control.

Tonight had been no different. I'd woken up just as a knife plunged into my chest in the nightmare. I don't recall screaming so my mother bursting into the room and hugging me comes as a surprise. Deep down I'm scared these night terrors will come true and I'll lose somebody else I care dearly for. Moms sways gently as she hums a song, stroking my matted bed hair to soothe my fears. She tells me every thing will be all right as she lays me back down to sleep.

And there you have it, chapter 1. HOPEFULLY that was easy to understand and I didn't shift too much between Kai's "Personalities". Chapter 2 is on its way so please be patient (I might even have it done by the time I get to upload this so possible double upload!)

I'm aiming for this to be around as long as Together Forever, so 6 chapters. But it could end up going a bit further depending how much inspiration my brain gets.

This is not a side to Gou I'm used to writing. In fact it's very rare I have any of the beybladers or their children be abusive to their kids/relatives.