DISCLAIMER: I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.

Kyoya barely recognized them. But, heck yeah, it was them. "It's really you guys!" he said in awe before being sandwiched in a group hug composed of himself, Dan, Reiki, Benkei, Kenta, and Ryuga, who seemed to have developed a demonic look as he tried to struggle out of the hug. However, Benkei was doing most of the hugging, so it was no use trying to escape.

Better luck next time, Ryuga.

"What are you doing here?" Kenta asked. "How did you survive?"

The twins exchanged a sad glance. "Yeah..." Obviously, they didn't want to talk about it. Reiki picked up a large sack and slung it over his shoulder. "We're... living with our cousins. But they're leaving. Tomorrow." He fidgeted uncomfortably, avoiding their gazes. "So... we're going to the orchard to make last-minute harvests and stuff."

Sure enough, a burly teen with thick, spiked brown hair walked over to the group. "It's time to go, you guys," he said gruffly. A worn brown cloak with a hood was draped around his shoulders, over a blue-violet shirt with yellow trim, which had its sleeves torn off. He was also wearing dark blue pants, brown leather working boots, and a belt holding three money pouches.

Kyoya almost took a step back, slightly intimidated.

"This is our cousin, Aguma," Dan said. "Aguma, these are some of our friends from... from Ensis." He gave a tight-lipped smile, which seemed forced. "Kyoya, Benkei, Kenta, Ryuga, and Lord Hasama's daughter, Hikaru."

Reiki chimed in, squinting. "And... Gingka and Madoka... from... class... right?"

Madoka nodded. "That's me."

Kenta, Benkei, and Gingka grinned broadly and waved. Bozos.

"We heard about Ensis," Aguma said, adjusting his grip on the bags and walking stick that he held in his hands. Dan and Reiki popped out from behind Aguma. "Would you like to come with us?" they chorused.

"Where are you going?" Gingka asked.

"Sirius," Dan replied. "That's where everyone's going. As if they haven't taken in enough people," he muttered under his breath. Kyoya noticed that everyone seemed to be anxious to go. They were worried that Fortissimus would get to their village next.

But it seemed so... serene... from up on that cliff, Kyoya remembered, remembering Yu's pride as he was telling them about Goren. Suddenly, he looked around; where was Yu, anyway? The boy seemed to have vanished. "Where's Yu?" he asked. "He was here a second ago..."

"Yu?" Another voice chimed in. "As in, Yu Tendo? We have enough problems without him making our lives harder." A teenager with maroon hair, and wearing almost the same outfit as Aguma's—except with longer sleeves and brown fingerless gloves—scowled at them, his amber eyes flashing. There was an intelligence in those dark golden depths that made Kyoya wary of him.

"Why?" Kenta asked. "What's so bad about Yu?"

"He's been so helpful to us!" Madoka said, speaking for the first time since they arrived. Her eyebrows were furrowed with disapproval. "He was the one who led us here and treated our leech bites! See?" She pulled up her shirt sleeve to show a round bite mark on her wrist.

"That thief's been robbing us for the last two years!" the amber-eyed teen said. Thief? Yu? Really? Kyoya knew that there was something off about Yu, but seriously? The boy seemed too innocent to even step on a ant, let alone steal from other people.

Gingka seemed to be thinking the same thing. Unfortunately, she chose to ask the dumbest question of all time. "Which Yu Tendo are you talking about?" he asked, trying to play the bozo. Personally, Kyoya thought that he did a pretty good job. He already looks the part, he noted almost humorously. Of course, he didn't mean it... completely...

The young man rolled his eyes irritably. "Green eyes, blond hair, ye big—" Cue a hand being held level to his hip. "—talks a lot?"

"Oh, that Yu," Gingka looked mystified. Kyoya mentally applauded him. He's good...

"You stupid, or something?" the maroon-haired guy sneered.

Kyoya growled in defense for his friend, and he felt Benkei tense beside him.

"Don't you have someone else to bother, Bao?" Dan interjected, throwing the golden-eyed teen a dirty look. Reiki inched closer to his brother. Blue eyes met amber as the twins and Bao had an intense stare-down. Finally, Bao snorted and turned his head in disgust, clenching his eyes shut. "Come on, Aguma. Let's get to work."

Aguma nodded. "We'll meet you at the orchard," he told the twins.

"Sure," Reiki said.

As he watched the pair lope towards the fields, Benkei had to pipe up; "Bao's not very nice, is he?"

"Not our favorite cousin," Reiki grumbled.

"We'd better get going," Dan said.

"No way, brainless," his twin shot back. "I'm not about to get stung by bees!"

"Well, you'll have to, you lazy bum." Dan dragged his brother away as they bickered. They glanced over their shoulder at the group and chorused, "It was nice seeing you guys again!"

"Saburo Tategami." The messenger's face was stoic, emotionless as he announced the last name on his list.

"Uncle..." Kyoya muttered. He held back tears. He was frozen to the spot. The messenger's next words were muffled. Then, he rolled up his scroll and shoved through the crowd, nearly knocking Kyoya over. "Move it kid." His whisper was barely audible, but Kyoya could hear the disgust in it.

Which just made him even more upset.

"Come on." Benkei's familiar face appeared in front of him. "Wanna go get some cake?"

Sweets had always cheered Kyoya up. But not today. He shook his head sadly and felt Benkei's arms around him. Benkei was lucky. He'd never known his parents. He'd never known any relatives. He'd been adopted, picked up from the streets. He was as plump as a pigeon, and well-fed. He had a family—and adopted family, but a family, no less.

Kyoya didn't have anyone now—no one but Benkei.

His uncle had died, and he was alone. He caught the gaze of a golden-eyed boy; Ryuga was at least fourteen years old, two years older than Kyoya. His father had been announced as dead that same day. He turned away from the older boy.

Cornflower-blue eyes fluttered open. Kyoya sat up, panicked for a while. He couldn't see the stars above his head—he felt surprisingly warm. Then, he remembered—they were in the Sodos' house. He wasn't in the wilderness anymore—for the first time in two months, he was sleeping under a roof. He stood and nearly tripped over Ryuga, grasping his new hunting knife as he slept. Kyoya carefully maneuvered through the maze of sleeping bodies and through the archway.

He headed down the stairs, pulling on his cloak and turning the slender door handle and stepping outside, staring—not for the first time—at the arched doorway and curved architecture that was common amongst the houses in Goren. He closed the door behind him, relaxing at how peaceful the town was.

The only sounds were that of the laughter coming from a crowded bar and the surrounding animals. He pulled his cloak tighter around him. The night was chilly, but not as cold as Ensis evenings. A breeze was blowing. Suddenly, he spotted a sickly white glow dart out of an alley and behind a merchant cart.

It was the little ghost girl.

"Did you follow us from Ensis?" Kyoya asked warily. He tried to convince himself that she wouldn't hurt him—she was a ghost. But those sad eyes were unnerving, reminding him that he had failed to save all those children back then.

The girl nodded.

"What's your name?"

"Akane," she replied softly, shyly.

Akane—deep red. The name triggered a memory—a turquoise-haired man standing in front of a window, a house collapsing, a woman's screams. The little girl shrieking as the falling stones trapped her. She couldn't breathe... Then, she was dead.

HAH! Bet you guys weren't expecting Aguma and Bao in here! I told you about some characters, but I never said that they were the only ones showing up! This is strange... those two just popped in this story like the sneaky little weasels (Oh, who am I kidding? I love them!) they are! The other Legend Bladers and the Metal Fury characters probably won't be showing up until the second Gaelleon's War, if I ever get to writing that...