Disclaimer - If you recoginize anything, then I don't own it. Do I look like Aoki Takao to you? If I was, I would be the happy owner of Brooklyn and there would be a 4th season of beyblade w/h Yaoi b/t the characters. I only claim Akane as my own.

Summary - This idea came to me as an AU storyline after Rei & Lei beat Takao & Daichi in the first round of the tournament. In my version, Takao feels so hurt & betrayed by his friends that instead of continuing w/h the tournament, he quits & runs away. Now Takao will be very OOC. I changed the BEGA episodes so the timeline is the same as in G-Revolution. I didn't think he could just disappear for a year or two.

(Author's Note - This is just a rewrite of the story I had before w/h the same title. I was not happy w/h the former & changed my OC's parentage & past. Also this story will either contain Yaoi or mentions of it before it is finished so you have been warned.)

The Dragon Master
by
Astera Snape

Prologue

Takao couldn't believe it. Rei and Lei had beat him in a match. How the hell had that happened? He glared at Daichi but knew the younger boy was not at fault. Losing had been exclusively his fault because of his overconfidence and arrogance. Rei's words stung but he felt betrayed by his friends.

They had all left the Bladebreakers for their own teams and selfish reasons. Takao had considered them family after everything they had gone through together like brothers. He was closer to some of them than even Hitoshi. They were just like the rest of them however. They wanted to challenge him and take away his title. He grasp Dragoon tightly in his right hand as he ground his teeth together in frustration.

Hiromi was saying something behind him but he tuned her out. Kyoujyu was gasping in disbelief and Hitoshi put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Why should he care about any of them? Hitoshi had left several years before; only to return now. Where was he when he had needed his older brother? Where was his father and all the others that he loved? They had all betrayed, no, left him and nothing would ease the pain in his heart.

He pulled away from Hitoshi's grasp as he glared at Rei and Lei. The stadium was quiet as he stood there with his fist tightly clenched. He looked up in the stands for Max and his team. His eyes then turned to Kai, who had been the last to betray him and pushed him over the edge. The Dragon master had dealt with enough.

He threw his launcher into the bey dish in frustration but kept a tight grip on Dragoon, his only true friend. "Are you happy, Rei!" he snapped, his eyes wide with fury, "well are you? I hope that Max and Kai feel the same way as you to see me defeated and humilated!" The captain of the White Tigers did not say a word as Takao clenched his free hand painfully, drawing blood in his palm from his fingernails. "I HAVE HAD IT!" he stormed as most of the crowd gasp including the BBA officials and DJ Jazzman, "I QUIT!"

He stormed away from the bey dish as his team called for him to stop. "They are not my team," he thought as he ran down the hall, "they were never my team. My team and friends are long gone." He ran because he did not want anyone to see the tears flowing freely down his face. He had never been so embarrassed or humilated before. He could never face any of them again.

He entered the parking area only to see a limosine sitting in front of him. The motor was running and there was a girl standing beside the open back door. "I saw what happened, Takao," she said, softly and looked familiar, "they do not deserve to be your friends if they leave you for a mere title. I can help you if you wish. We can mold you into an unbeatable blader."

Takao gasp as he finally recoginized the features and face since it had been nearly ten years since he had saw her last. Her blonde hair framed her face with emerald green orbs peering at him with sympathy from beneath the long bangs. She hadn't changed much since the forced separation by their father and grandfather. "Akane," he whispered as his eyes went wide with shock and disbelief. "It's nice to see you again, little brother," she stated with a smile, "how have you been?"

"What are you doing here?" he ask, simply since he was still in shock. He heard voices coming from the tunnel and knew that he had to leave before the others found him. He couldn't face them in his current state. "I know what it feels like to be betrayed by those you love," she replied with a shrug, "I just thought that I could help you. If you come with me, we can help you on your path to greatness if you so desire it. We will make you a force to be reckoned with."

Takao couldn't face Hitoshi at the moment as the car looked inviting. Surely he could trust his older sister. When the voices grew louder, he decided his fate and jumped into the open door of the car. Akane followed as the car sped off before the door was even shut properly. Takao was so preoccupied looking out the window at the fading image of his team that he failed to notice the other occupant in the backseat.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Takao," the familiar voice stated as he looked into the eyes of the former director of Balkov Abbey, "with my new enterprise, you will be better than any of my former students. I saw the greatness in you the day you stumbled into the Abbey. You have great potential that has not been properly tapped." "Balkov," he hissed as he made a move for the door and freedom. It seemed that he had decided to return after disappearing after the World Championships, two years before. Takao would rather face humilation than what he had planned for him.

"I can help you become the greatest beyblader this world has ever known," Balkov offered, "isn't that what you want? To show your old teammates that you are the best of all of them? They left you because they desire your title. They are not true friends if they believe that a title is more important than the friendship you shared. If you come with us, you shall be unmatched and unbeatable by all."

"That is what Kai wanted," Takao spat, "it is not what I want. How can I trust you after what happened in Russia? You were responsible for manipulating Kai into stealing other people's bit beasts. You helped create Black Dranzer. You are bent on taking over the world."

"I have changed, Takao," Boris stated, "I have great plans for beyblading. There are many bladers that are unable to compete in the tournaments that the BBA runs. I wish to bring the sport to the greatness that it deserves. I am offering you a chance to accomplish your destiny, Takao. You will receive the training that you need and you shall never lose another match."

"You will not have to do anything that you do not agree with," Akane reassured, "I agreed to join Balkov-san 's new enterprise along with many others. Do you not wish to show your friends how foolish they were for leaving you? Do you not desire to prove them all wrong?" Takao had to think their offer over since it did have merit. His anger and rage was clouding his judgement and he briefly forgot that this man was once his enemy. It was opening up an entirely new way of thinking and if his sister trusted Balkov, then why shouldn't he?

"What do I do?" he thought as he gripped his blade even tighter, "they are both right and I can't deny the truth of their words." As he argued with himself, Dragoon's bit chip lit up. The dragon wanted to speak to his master and offer his own advice. Takao, however, was not listening to his bit beast or his heart. For once in his life, he was thinking with his anger. He then made a decision that would change his life forever.

"I will go with you," he informed with a slight smirk, "and listen to what you have to offer. I trust my sister's judgement and she did not leave me by her own free will." "You are making the right decision, Takao," she replied with a smile, "when we are done with you, you won't even recoginize yourself." The car drove on and took Kinomiya Takao with it. What no one knew was that it would be several months before he was seen again and in a manner that would be most unexpected.

AS