Sorry for the weight everyone! This week has been chaos and it's only going to get crazier from here. We are moving to a new house just the other side of town within the next few weeks, so it's going to be hit or miss with anything I'm doing nowadays!

Anyways, enjoy!

~Silverleone

"Where is my child?!" I flinched when I heard the awfully familiar voice of my mother hurrying through the halls. I looked up when the door was thrown open, and my mom rushed in, my dad following closely behind. I stood up and blocked her path.

"Mom."

"James, where is he? I need to see-! ...James?" I looked miserable. My eyes were shadowed, and I had bags under them. I hadn't slept since I had gotten to the hospital, staying up out of worry. Ryan had suffered second and third degree burns all over his back. The doctors had quickly knocked him unconscious so he wouldn't be in pain anymore. "James, why is Ryan in the hospital?" I stepped to the side, showing Ryan laying on his stomach. His back was still exposed, and he was under anesthesia. Her hands went up to her mouth as she gasped, tears swelling up in her eyes. My dad wrapped her in a hug, turning her away from the horrendous sight.

"What happened?" He said, the cold tone used to mask his worry.

"...It was my fault." He was confused, his brows nearly meeting as his face went stone cold. I would have normally flinched at the look, seeing the fire behind his eyes, but I wasn't feeling anything at the moment.

"What?"

"My Bey got too strong for me to control. It...It wouldn't listen to me...I couldn't...I wasn't strong enough to save...tch!" I ducked my head, turning away. I glared at Hades Leone, who was sitting on the table in the corner, as far away from Ryan as possible. "Why didn't you listen to me? Do you know what you've done?" The Bey sat there, but I could feel its Spirit shrink by just the smallest fraction, almost like it was cowering. "You should be scared! You're lucky I don't smash you to pieces right here and now! You almost KILLED HIM!" I shouted, a tear running freely down my face.

"Tell us what happened." My dad said. I couldn't stay.

"I-! Just." I fled from the room. I ran down the halls as I could hear my father chasing me, calling for me to stop. I dodged around a nurse pushing a cart and slammed the doors open, not stopping once I got outside. I couldn't stand to see Ryan in that condition anymore. Knowing I was why it happened made me feel sick.

I made it to the forest edge before collapsing. My body heaved as the images of Ryan's injured body finally sunk in. I threw my head back and screamed to the sky as my Blader's Spirit exploded.

"GAHAHAAaaa!" My energy quickly depleted and I fell to my side. Tears fell as I sobbed on the ground. I heard footsteps approaching at a run.

"James!" My father dropped to my side, checking me over. He picked me up and wrapped me in a hug as I tried to get any words out around the tears.

"It's, it's all, my fault! If I had *sniff* only been, stronger! Ryan wouldn't be hurt!" My dad stayed silent as I cried eventually myself to exhaustion. Once I had passed out, he picked me up and carried me back to the hospital.

My mom was silently watching Ryan when my dad stepped into the room. He laid me carefully on the couch and dropped into a chair. He rubbed his face as he tried to sort through his thoughts. My mom spoke up.

"What do we do?" My dad tried to think of the proper words to say.

"...They are both going to suffer through this. You know how much James cares about Ryan. They are both going to be hurting for a long time." My mother sighed.

"I knew you were going to say that. Is there any way we can help?" My dad looked at both of us in turn.

"...Just be a shoulder for them."

««{{Hours Later}}»»

I slowly woke up to a steady beeping noise, and it brought back the memories of being in the hospital. I blinked myself awake and looked around. It was dark, and there was only a single light glowing gently on the other side of the room. I sat up and saw my mom and dad both passed out in chairs, holding hands. I looked at Ryan's face and sighed, guilt crushing me. His face still held a glimmer of pain.

"I am so, so, sorry Ryan. I wasn't strong enough to protect you..." I whispered. I brushed a single tear away and put my feet on the floor. I picked Leone up, determination glowing in my eyes. "I'm going to break you for what you've done." I said quietly as I glared at the Bey. I walked out of the room, gently latching the door shut.

My parents would wake up to a simple note.

I am sorry Ryan had to be hurt because of me. I will be back and I will be strong enough to protect him from anything. Don't wait up for me.

~James

««{{¤}}»»

I calmly walked into a clearing in the trees. I had been traveling for about a week, just trying to think. I couldn't be around anyone. It just wasn't safe for them. Hades Leone was too strong. I couldn't control it. But I knew what I had to do. I loaded it onto my launcher and took a deep breath.

"Let It Rip!" Leone landed in front of me and sat still. "Come out here." Leone hesitated, but the purple flames jumped up, forming the green lion. He stared calmly at me, matching my gaze. "Why did you do it?" Leone shocked me by raising his head up in a gutsy move. "Why?! Why did you hurt Ryan?!" He didn't move. "Answer me!" He stayed put. I stomped up to him, and before either of us realized what had happened, his cheek flared in pain as my open hit it with enough force to turn his head. "ANSWER ME!" Leone let out a loud roar as he glared at me, the flames erupting from him throwing me back. I rolled to my hands and knees as he growled at me. I huffed and got up. "Alright. You wanna fight? Here's one you'll never forget."

««{{¤}}»»

I stood in the middle of the desert, the blazing sun scorching my exposed skin as I controlled my breathing. My lungs were aching due to the heat, but I ignored it. I opened my eyes and Leone was standing there, watching me. I was actually asleep, and Leone had pulled me into a desert scape. I guess he wanted to show his power in his own domain.

"This isn't so bad." He growled when I said that, and I cried out at a pillar of fire erupted from below me. The fire stopped and I fell to my side, my clothes smoking. Leone walked up to me and pushed me onto my back with a paw, then planted that paw on my chest, the pressure shoving the air out of my lungs. He raised his chains, a low growl rumbling from his throat. I pushed his paw back and weakly myself up, one of my eyes closed in pain. "Yeah, not so bad." He roared and the chains lashed out, knocking me away. I rolled to a stop on the hot sand. He stomped over and growled over my still form. He tilted his head when a light started glowing under my hand, and armor appeared around it. The armor fully encased my body and I stood up. "So. You wanna play?" My sword appeared in front of me and I grabbed it. "Let's play."

««{{4 months later}}»»

I slammed against a tree, gasping for air. My hair was singed and my skin was slightly red. I dropped to the ground, my arms falling to my sides as I tried to get oxygen into my lungs. Hades Leone stood in front of me, his chains covered in purple fire. He stared, a now common look. I pushed myself to my feet, leaning against the tree.

"That all you got?" It growled and shot a fireball. I rolled to the side as it took out the tree. "Why don't you listen to me anymore?! We've never had this trouble before you evolved!" I ducked away from another attack. "You were always so willing to listen to me, even when you knew how inexperienced I was." He just stared, and I gritted my teeth while turning away. "Tch. I miss the weaker Leone." I heard a loud roar and he fired again. I leapt to the side and spun just in time to duck under a paw. I brought a fist up and slammed it into his jaw. He grunted and took a step back, scowling at me. "You heard me right! I wish I had Burn Leone back! Because then I could battle for fun! Then I could enjoy Beyblading! Then, I could actually live without constant fear!" Leone paused. "Yeah. Haven't picked it up yet? I'm scared, Leone. I'm scared that I will never be strong enough to control you. You want to hurt my friends? My family? My brother? Then it's over. For the both of us. No more battles, no more Beyblade. Nothing. Because I am not willing to put my family or friends at risk because you are too prideful to listen to me!" Leone set his paw down slowly.

"I'm sorry I'm not strong enough to make you respect me, but have you forgotten the times we've had? The battles and adventures we've already experienced? It hadn't even been a year, and we were so close as Bey and Blader! Gingka himself said so!" A thoughtful look came over Leone, and his poised chains lowered slightly. "I wanted us to be the best! I wanted us to be the strongest! But not like this! Because this isn't us, Leone! This is just you!" My leg flared in pain from an earlier fight and I lowered myself to a knee. "I wanted us to do this together. But we can't." I dropped my head. "I want my old friend back." A single tear fell onto the grass and I took a deep breath. This was going to hurt. I had been putting it off in hopes I could convince him otherwise, but he wouldn't listen. "I can't do this anymore." I stood up, more tears in my eyes. "I can't be your Blader." Leone's eyes widened. "I can't keep fighting you, Leone. So I'm done." I turned away. "You have plenty of stamina left. Go find a Blader you deem worthy." I limped off, heading back in the direction of my town. It was going to be harder getting back, as it was safer with a Bey, even one that didn't listen to me. I shoved down my sadness. I had to be strong. I couldn't crack. I had gone too far to crack. I slowed down to a stop when I heard footsteps behind me, and sighed without turning around.

"Are we really going to make this more painful than needed? I don't deserve you as a Bey, so go find someone who does." I started to take a step, when chains wrapped around my waist, jerking me backwards. I fell onto my back and rolled to my feet. "Don't touch me!" Leone took a step back as my Spirit flared, shattering his chains in an instant. Leone stared in shock as my Spirit grew in size. "I'm going to give you one final chance. Leave." Leone roared at me, a bit of fear in his eyes. "Don't play your games with me. I'm no fool! I won't be bullied by the thing that nearly killed my brother! HRAAAH!" I knocked him back with my Spirit, taking myself to my knees at the expended energy. Leone slowly got up, looking in what had to be true fear and concern for me. I did my best to deny it. He had to be faking it. One of his sick games he had been playing over the past few months.

My body was on the point of collapsing, but I endured it. There was no way I could fall in front of him now. I had been strong this whole time. I ducked my head as I gathered any bit of energy I could, forcing my body past its limits I thought I had passed a long time ago. I heard metal clinking and expected chains to lash out and strike me down. But they wrapped around my waist and gently lifted me to my feet. I looked at him through my grown out hair as the chains retreated. Leone was standing there with a somber look.

"...So. What's it going to be...?" Leone closed his eyes and bowed his head to me. I didn't move for a minute. "...Good..."

««{{¤}}»»

I woke up to a gently burning fire. I slowly sat up and saw Leone sitting across the fire from me, staring. Again.

"Have we made our choice then?" Leone stood up and stepped through the fire. He walked around behind me and laid down, curling around me. He laid his head on his paws and groaned. I laid down, pressing into his side. "It's good to have my friend back." He lifted his head and bumped me with his nose. I wrapped my arms around him, burying my face in his mane. "...Thank you Leone."

««{{¤}}»»

Leone was finally working with me, and it made traveling so much easier. I could really feel our bond growing back. Granted, there were going to be the scars. But, we both felt like they would help us grow stronger in the end. I was walking through the forest, and having officially no idea where I was, sighed.

"Great. How am I going to get home when I've got nothing to show me where to go?" I kept on walking, until I saw a Bey sitting in the middle of the trail. I immediately grew tense and looked around. I noticed a Blader's Spirit off to my left, but kept my eyes on the Bey. I crouched down and looked at it. It couldn't have been spinning long, as it had plenty of energy. "Hey little guy, what are you doing out here?" It gleamed as a simple response. I stood up and walked around it. "Alright, have fun on your own then." I smirked when I could tell the Blader was shocked. No one rejects the chance to battle a wide open Bey.

"Hey! Stop right there!" I turned as the Blader stepped out of the brush. Blond hair, blue eyes, with a blue shirt and an orange vest and blue jeans, he looked like a regular Blader.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."

"Don't play that with me! You totally just spoke to my Orion!"

"Oh, that? Nah, I'm just not in the mood to battle, that's all." He caught his Bey.

"Not in the mood? Tch. Well how about I get you in the mood?!" He loaded his Bey onto his launcher and I sighed.

"Dude, I'm sorry, but I don't have time for this." He gritted his teeth.

"You little! Let It Rip!" I ducked underneath the Bey as it flew at me. I spun while slapping Leone onto my launcher, flinging my arm out and throwing Leone right at the Bey. An explosion rocked the forest and I smirked.

"Okay, now I'm in the mood! Leone!" The other guy's Bey dashed around me, settling in between us Bladers. Leone bum rushed the Bey, and an explosion went off. I widened my stance, and noticed Leone was still grinding against the Bey, but it wasn't moving. "Huh?"

"Orion can't be stopped! With the Bearing Drive, there is no friction, meaning it can spin forever!" Orion sat there as Leone beat the snot out of it. Powerful hit after hit rocked the ground. Nothing. I leaned back a little.

"What the? Even a powerful Defense type would move from that. Leone!" Leone backed away and slammed into it, pushing harder. The Blader grinned.

"Not even an attack like that will stop it! Orion is unbeatable!" I smirked.

"I've heard that before. Must be a common thing among cocky Bladers!"

"Why you!" He looked angry, but he didn't attack. Leone kept up the assault, but it's like the other Bey was never touched.

"Okay, maybe there is some validity to your statement, but every Bey has a weakness!" Leone dashed away, leaping up and bouncing off a tree. It smashed into the Bey, and explosion whipping my clothes around. "Geez! What's with this guy?!" The smoke cleared to show the Bey untouched. Leone pulled backed and spun warily. Leone gleamed and I glanced at it. "You really think?" I nodded. "Time to test that theory." Leone began gathering up wind energy.

"What are you up to? Huh punk?"

"Punk? You're the one with the bandana around his ankle like some sort of hippie." He held up a fist.

"Hey! Watch it!"

"Well go on, fight me then." He gritted his teeth and swung his arm out.

"Fine! Orion!" I noticed the Bey didn't move like other Beys. It was hard to describe, but it was strange, that's for sure. Leone dodged around the attack.

"Leone, upper!" Leone's Spin Track extended, giving him a better chance of dodging. Orion ran around, and it obviously was a Stamina Type, with how slow it was. "Come on, hit me!"

"Orion!" It doubled in speed unexpectedly and I yelped, throwing my hand out to the side. Leone leaned around Orion, smacking it away. "Gr! Hold still!" Orion flipped around on a dime and smashed into Leone. A loud saw-like sound echoed through the forest, and a large explosion made me take a step back.

"What the?!" Leone landed near my feet and regained its balance. I glared at the Blader. "Alright, so you pack a punch too. I'm officially impressed."

"Took you long enough. Orion can't be stopped. I've battled in harder places than a simple forest trail. Mud, rain, ice, desert. This is nothing."

"What? Do you just battle anyone you see?"

"Hah! No, I'm a Blader for hire. I take out my target for a price."

"Did someone send you to take me out?" I mentally thought of who would hate me enough for that.

'No one comes to mind...Unless Ryan suddenly developed a taste for blood after what Leone did…'

"No. I've been following you for the past day. You seem like a strong Blader, so I wanted to test your skills." I grunted.

'How did I not notice him? I'm getting sloppy.'

"Well, Leone did just evolve a few months ago." I nodded, "But there is something different about you. I've only seen it a few other times."

"Huh? What's that?" I quickly thought back to when Gingka and Madoka were telling me about the Star Fragments. Gingka, Kyoya, and Ryuga all had one, and they were searching for the rest.

"Ever have a light from space hit your Bey?" He gasped.

"How did you know about that?"

"I've met a few Bladers that can explain it to you. Because they've had the same thing happen." He looked at his Bey, which was spinning calmly in place.

"The glowing light? Hah! And for a second I believed you!" I squinted my eyes at him.

"Then why did you hesitate?" He stopped laughing as I leveled a look at him. He shifted his stance.

"What's your game?" I pointed at Orion.

"That Bey has a power only a few select others have. I've met three others. That power is needed to stop a monster from taking over this world." He pointed a thumb at himself.

"Hah! For a price, I'll take out anyone. Name it."

"This power wasn't given to you to play with. You were entrusted with it."

"Whatever. Are we going to finish this or what?" I sighed.

"Fine. I'll make you listen." I widened my stance. "Hades Leone, let him have it! All of it!" Leone began whining from the pressure it had built up, and it gave one final push. "Special Move: Royal Flame Hurricane!" The energy built up spiraled into the sky, and Leone roared as a fire ignited the funnel. The hot fire pulled in and up, whipping our clothes around. The Blader put his arms up, his eyes squinting at the bright flames.

"Woah!" The fire grew hotter as oxygen was pulled into it, and Leone moved closer to Orion.

"Let's see that strength kid! Let's see the power of the Star Fragment!" He gritted his teeth as I grinned. "Leone had been building up this energy for a good minute now, so we can do this all day!" I smirked. "What are you going to do now?!"

"Grrr! I won't lose to a pathetic weakling like you! Orion!" The Bey pulled back to his feet, turned, and shot towards the fire at high speeds. It collided with the spinning wall and grinded into it. It kept pushing, and I could tell the flames were having some sort of effect on it. "Go Orion! Raaaaahh!" He threw his head back and shouted, his Spirit erupting. I stepped back as Orion exploded, driving the wind and flames away. The whole forest was quiet, and I looked down to see Leone barely spinning. Orion looked fresh as ever, and the Blader had energy flowing off of him as he breathed heavily. I smiled.

"So it's true then. You really do have the power." I held my hand up and caught Leone, wincing at the almost too hot metal. The kid glared at me and caught Orion.

"It's been a while since I've used that much strength. You're not half bad yourself."

"Well, a Beyblade that doesn't stop spinning is near impossible to beat." He grinned in an almost sadistic manner.

"That's why I'm the world's Strongest Blader!"

"Well, I don't know about that." I waved off the comment.

"What? You lost buddy!"

"Never said I was. There are a few people you need to get through in order to say that. Including one Gingka Hagane."

"Gingka huh? Sounds like a strong Blader."

"Oh, believe me, he'll put up a fight you'll never forget."