Chapter 1: Day one!

The sound of the alarm clock was unbearable as the sound screamed, cutting through the silence that lay like a blanket across the large room. The piercing sound was enough to get any thirteen year old boy, and Alex was no exception as he thumped the bed and sat up sharply, his duvet falling forwards from his chest.

"GOD DAMMIT!" He swore loudly and was greeted with a thump on the wall.

"Shurrup!" Came a muffled reply from his sisters bedroom. He slammed his hand down on the still screaming alarm clock until it went silent. Alex was the normal kind of kid, blonde hair with the common short back and sides style, however with a relatively long top. His eyes were grey and his skin quite pale…though that was his own fault, he hadn't been in the sun in a while.

If it wasn't for the school work he hadn't been keeping up with, he'd probably look a little more healthy but for now…he did not. He clambered out of bed, he wasn't a fat kid, but he wasn't scrawny either. He was often medium height, yet he considered himself shorter than the rest…weird because some considered him shorter too…

He opened his door to see a mousy blonde haired mass swing into the bathroom down the hall. He thumped the door post and turned back into his room, his head still hung in tiredness, he wasn't destructive per se but that alarm clock really hadn't helped matters.

"Alex! Breakfast! Now!" His mother called up from downstairs. His shoulders slumped, he'd barely turned around…he was going to get dizzy at this rate, he turned back around and still clad only in his grey shorts and t-shirt that he used as bed wear, he began his slow traipse down stairs. His mind was filled with that heavy grogginess that some get on most mornings that they go to bed late…point was…he still had half a math text book imprinted on his face.

He walked into the kitchen, "Mo-," He was cut off by a loud shriek and his mother turned around sharply.

"Don't do that to me…you scared me half to death," She scolded, his face turning to an expression of some sort of annoyance. His mother was five foot five inches tall, and around seven stone. She looked like an older version of his sister, mousy blonde hair, grey eyes…except the eyes, he had those. Those ghostly grey eyes, "What are you doing, stop staring at me and…wait…you haven't had a wash." She grabbed his chin, "Or brushed your teeth, combed your hair have you? No didn't think so…get to it, or no breakfast!" She said. Alex stumbled in a slight daze, why did his mother have to be so forceful in a morning…he knew that it was school, but geeze…the teachers were at school not here…

He climbed the stairs as a streak of mousy hair swung past him. He blinked, "Sophie…how many times have I told you not to ride the banister down stairs!" Their mother called. Sophie groaned as she headed into the kitchen. Alex grinned, nice to see someone else getting it in the neck.

"And wipe that smile off your face Alex," His mother called loudly. He growled as his sister laughed…loudly as if rubbing it in. He sulked and stomped off upstairs, how did she know he was smiling? Upstairs seemed quiet again, as the blanket of silence had resumed its place, quietly Alex padded off to the bathroom to sort himself out…after of course, taking a set of clothes from his draws.

He emerged from the bathroom fully refreshed, dressed and ready to face the day. He wasn't a morning person, but after he'd sorted himself out, he couldn't care less. Just as he had walked half way down the stairs a mousy streak rushed past him…and stopped. Alex's hand was on his sisters collar.

"Hasn't mom already told you not to go up the stairs when someone's coming down?" He let her go and she fell up the stairs.

"Dammit I'm gonna shred you to pieces!" She stormed into her room, she as about twelve, not really much younger but enough, she was as tall as he was, she was good though, her grades were nothing special, but they weren't bad either, she scored pretty average, just a little above. Just like him, but he'd still be able to outsmart her on every occasion…unless it was a morning.

He calmly swung around the end of the banister and headed quietly into the kitchen.

"Breakfast is on the table," A voice called and Alex looked to the table and saw it, pancakes. Awesome, a smile plastered over his face as he sat down to eat, "And when you've done that, you can get to school." Already half way through his pancakes, he thought about a number of things, his education yes…his friends…yes…but there was also one other. He wiped his mouth as he finished, grabbed a shadowed object from out of a glass cabinet followed by his bag and set off.

"Later!" He hadn't always been bouncy, but he was always relaxed and friendly enough. His sister scrambled down after him performed a roll as she tripped on the last step, grabbing her bag on the way out she stood up just as he shut the door. It had been a while, but it was back to school now after the holidays, he wondered just what school would be like now, whether anyone had changed or not. Sophie headed out in front, she had dressed herself in a pair of baggy jeans and a tight fitting top, probably for the movement, she wasn't exactly the type to stay still, and she loved sports.

"Oniisan..." She called him her elder brother in Japanese, she didn't normally use the honorific term but either way…

"Yes?" Alex called as he caught up to her a little more.

"How good have you gotten?" Sophie asked, Alex smiled and walked on that wasn't for her to find out later. The streets had stayed the same of course, the cracked pavements, the wooden houses, the spacious gardens, the barking dogs, the fences, no nothing had changed here except the trees had leaves on them. He sighed as Sophie walked next to him, they didn't normally talk…and normally…they didn't have to. They knew each other quite well, though their mother didn't know about it, she always thought they were at each others throats…and they were…in the house. Neither of them liked being inside all that much but alas there was little they could do about it.

"So you think schools changed any?" Alex asked his sister to break the silence. Sophie beamed.

"Maybe…it's the people in it I'm bothered about!" She was eager, it was evident in her face and she was most likely already ready for the playground.

The noise of the school could be heard a few blocks away, the screaming, the shouting, the laughter, the cheering, the wailing…just the noise of school. He smiled as he heard the screaming…the screeching and the grating. Though, it the sound wasn't human it was mechanic, there would be sparks flying already. He set off at a run suddenly breaking step from his sister.

"Come on!" He called loudly, "It's already begun!" Sophie gave a small jump for joy and took off after her brother. Alex used to hate it, he used to think it was stupid and pointless, but then he'd gotten hooked when Sophie had asked him for help, he'd had a little knack for it although no one knew quite what to make of this knack, since it was a truly pointless game really. Then again…was it?

They rushed through the gates of the school not only had the crowds gathered but they'd already crowded into two distinct rings, the teachers wouldn't be able to do anything about it, not that they'd want to for another hour. They started school earlier than most to let students have fun before they started the real lessons, even some of the teachers helped.

Alex and Sophie looked at the crowds.

"She's in that one…" Alex said cryptically. Sophie looked at him puzzled.

"She who?" Sophie questioned, she had her suspicions but Alex was already making his way in there, the girl was one of the top players. He didn't actually compete with the rest of them,, not normally at least, and no one knew he was even into it, let alone any good.

"Elisa Greyhorn," Alex confirmed and pushed some of the crowd out of his way, "Come on guys, sis wants a look." Sophie was known as a good strong player so people naturally parted when they heard Alex's words. The crowd parted, but it was still shadowed towards the centre, sparks flying every so often as the started closer. He grabbed his sister by the collar and pulled her up front, in front of him.

Then there was a sudden flash of light as two objects suddenly came together and Sophie's eyes lit up.

Although there was no point in the sport, the two participants usually competed for pure strength and style of tool to win rather than any sort of strategy that might help…that's why Alex didn't compete, it wasn't enough of a puzzle for him. Yet he felt his sister tremble underneath him, this strength was astonishing and the battle ended with a spectacular climax as one grey blur sliced straight through the other.

"Finished…" Alex said, but he knew that from the start, "Elisa will be declared the winner…"

Sophie looked up confused.

"How can you…?" She couldn't tell the objects apart they were near identical…just ordinary conical shaped objects, one was lying on the ground in half, the other, still spinning. However, the announcement came.

"Elisa Greyhorn…Wins!" The crowd cheered at the announcement and then the crowd intensified on one side before a group of boys started ushering people away. Alex grinned as the loser picked up his blade. He used to be the top in the school, but now…he walked away lonely, the crowd still being pushed back from Elisa. A voice interrupted him from his Reverie.

"I heard your prediction…you managed to tell who's blade was who's even during the battle," It was a female voice and he turned around to see the brown haired girl standing tall, "Only the experienced can do that…even I can't half the time."

Alex shrugged lightly, "I don't have any time for it myself, but it was the way your attacks ended, they're always the same and the opponent ends up trapped within five spins of the circuit." He shoved his hands into his pockets as the girl stood slightly confused, she knew something wasn't right, but she couldn't say exactly what it was.

"So Elisa…thinking about entering the national tournament?" Sophie piped up, she knew all about this stuff, and that was the type of thing that he kept well away from, he didn't like getting involved with publicity. Elisa turned her attention to the girl, she'd get to Alex later.

"Actually yes I am…wanna battle?" She asked and Sophie almost bounced off the wall with glee. He, Alex laughed, thankful that earth had gravity, Sophie was the most hyped up girl he knew. The two made their way to the dish and held out an object each that looked almost like a gun with a long piece of wire coming out of the end closest to the user. Something strange was connected to the bottom.

"3…2…1…." The two girls called out loudly attracting a little attention from the crowds of people again, "LET'S BEYBLADE!" After all that is what the sport was, a world wide sport of spin tops something so low level it was unbelievable, it had hit some decades ago when it had just suffered a huge downfall and Beyblading was near ruined. However, now…now it was coming back harder than ever with the simple spin top toys. Back to the old design, made from metal and came in four parts, the core, the base, the defence disk and the offence disk. His mother had told him stories about it, about just how powerful it was. Not that he believed her. Yet it wasn't hard to believe that something more came about, but her wild stories were too far fetched for him to believe. Perhaps when he was younger.

Inside the two beyblades launched at each other randomly, one was pink the other grey and they kept coming together and bouncing apart. The ground with sheer strength in the centre to start with fighting for the middle, but now…now it was case of who had the strongest blade, the most endurance.

He sat down at the edge and watched, the hypnotic dance was indeed entrancing and it led one to believe they were actually in control, but the actual fight lasted only a few minutes and already a crowd had gathered watching the fight. Normally there were three rounds per battle but this fight wasn't going to be three rounds.

Some of the crowd ooh'ed and aah'ed at the fight as Sophie had set up her blade quite well, it was set up for maximum speed and endurance rather than attacking, so if she kept away she could perhaps out endure the girl. That wasn't to be, a final unlucky, yet fatal blow set Sophie's toy flying out of the stadium and into Alex's hand as he caught it in mid air before it hit someone in the crowd. Elisa looked like she had a little sweat on, had she been worried?

Alex stood up brushing his trousers off from the playground gravel that stuck to him, then he handed the blade back to Sophie, "Looks like you got thrashed." He said lightly, though it wasn't down to the strategy, it was just down to luck this time and she'd drawn the short straw.

"So are you going to battle me now?" Elisa said pointedly at Alex, her real reason for battling was so that Alex might feel some disgrace and want to up hold the family name. She was in for a big disappointment.

"No chance, I've no blade," He lied, "And you'd wipe the floor with me." Which was probably true but he didn't really want to say anything that might big him up, he just didn't want to battle her, he beamed to reassure her, but it didn't look like it was washing.

"You're lying." She stated and walked away. Alex scratched the back of his head with a smile. She was right. His blade was in his back pocket right at this moment and his launcher in his bag. He shook his head as the crowd dispersed.

"Why is it, that I say something and everyone wants to battle me?" He laughed and Sophie looked at him quizzically, "I thought you said you'd give me some pointers…" Alex licked his finger and hung it in the air for a moment while considering his reply to that.

"Alright, give me your blade and launcher." Now she really was confused, he had his own didn't he? She didn't mind though, he'd used it often enough just to show her how to launch much, much faster than she could before, and a few techniques to allow her blade to go faster upon launch, "Watch this…" Alex murmured as he launched the blade at a certain angle, he handed the launcher back to her as the blade launched along the gravel not even caring that it was bumpy or so it seemed, and it was heading to a brick wall.

"What! My blade!" She said racing towards it, Alex took only two steps forward as the blade wobbled and altered its angle taking in maximum air under it and lifting it slightly. The blade spun at the base for a moment trying to figure out what to do before shooting up the wall. Aerodynamics were a useful tool if you knew how to use them. The blade launched up the wall and then shot backwards when the wall ended and it had nowhere else to go.

"Reverse polarization…" Alex said. Because of the built up air pressure when it released as the wall ran out, the blade would be slung backwards and into his hand. He caught it deftly. There was now a little crowd watching, "Hey Sophie, watch what you're doing with your blade!" He called out. Sophie turned on her heels.

"HEY!" Then she realized she was holding the launcher…she was slow…but not that slow, "Eheh…" She laughed and came back. Alex handed back her blade just as the school bell rang loudly. If it wasn't for the cold air coming straight down the wall, and then at him, he doubted whether he'd be able to use that technique again. Perhaps there was a way to do something that would eliminate these requirements? That was something to think about sure, but what? Well it was time for school either way so he headed in.