RTC: Hi everyone, hope you enjoy this chapter as I put more effort into it than the past few. I know they weren't up to scratch, I only got one review last time! (Sobs.) Oh, well, read and review! Disclaimer please!

Kai: If Ray-Tiger-Cat owned Beyblade, the world would have ended by now. Since we are all still alive, I guess she doesn't own it!

-----

Nothing Is Forever

"You were never my friend; you left me there to die!" Ryan shouted.

"But I couldn't do anything, I couldn't!" Alex protested.

"You left me to die!" Ryan repeated, before coming to attack Alex, who for some reason, was back in the abbey.

"It's all my fault!" Alex cried, as he was hit.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" Alex woke up screaming.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Dy asked. "Are you okay?" She moved closer and gave him a hug.

"Yeah, yeah," Alex said, trying to catch his breath, "It was just a dream."

"Want to tell me about it? You look as pale as a ghost."

"It's nothing."

"Then why were you screaming 'It's my fault, all my fault' for the past five minutes? Were you dreaming about your friends again?" Dy asked, hitting the nail on the head.

"Yes," Alex admitted.

"We've been over this, Alex," Dy said patiently, "It was not your fault. Ryan and Athrun would not want you to die for them."

"I know." It had been a week since Alex had learned Dy's secret, and, true to his word, he had not told a soul. Dy was a little better, but couldn't do any training. Fortunately, Stanley had bought the excuse that Dy had pulled a muscle and left it at that.

"So, captain, what are we doing for training today?" Dy asked, hoping to distract her friend.

"The usual, laps, practice matches, strength training... You know the drill. Why do you ask, I thought you were taking another week off?" Alex's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You are forbidden to train for another week, got that? I'm captain, and what I say goes. Now go back to bed, before I'm forced to drag you there myself." Dy groaned, it was impossible to get one past Alex, he was too suspicious, and clever.

"But the tournament starts in two days!" she protested.

"Read my lips: NO WAY! You aren't even supposed to be out of bed!" Dy gave into defeat, and Alex made sure she went back to bed. He didn't know what to think, that dream had thrown him for a loop. There was something different and his subconscious was going crazy trying to understand it all. He had no idea what would happen when the tournament would commence.

"Are you ready?!" screamed the announcer, "The tournament has officially begun today! You better not blink, 'cause there's going to be a lot of action coming you way! And here come the teams!"

Alex and his team mates, except for Dy, of course, came out, along with several other teams, all hoping to be the champions. Alex's instincts told him that something big was about to happen. But he couldn't find any danger, nor any signs of his father. The only thing that was slightly off was the fact that one of the teams had not shown up for the opening ceremonies.

"What kind of team would work so hard to get here, and then not show up from the start?" Josh was muttering.

Scott, however, was wiser to all of this. "Do you think he set it up?" he whispered to Alex.

"You think so? Because that's what I thought too, but is that true, or are we just being paranoid?"

"Let's go with the first option, never hurts to be cautious."

"Hn."

The first few rounds of the tournament went over well, with no further suspicious events. Alex's team quickly advanced, and were pretty soon facing a team that no one knew much about. Scott was first into battle.

The battle quickly heated up, and it was the most competition Alex's team had faced since entering the tournament. Every one of Scott's moves seemed to have been predicted and therefore blocked by his opponent.

"Why?" Scott muttered under his breath, as yet another attack failed.

"Haven't figured it out yet?" said the opponent, a slight smirk appearing on his face. He was wearing a cloak, which kept him hidden, and his eyes were in shadow, so it was impossible to see his entire face. "Go!" Scott commanded of his blade, and it blew the obstacles out of its way as it aimed for the other blade, causing smoke to be blown up. When the dust cleared, the figure standing across the dish was revealed.

"Athrun?" was all a chocked up Alex could mutter.

-----

RTC: Dun dun dun….. Cliffie! I love those things! Anyway, I shall quit rambling-have no time for it-and say bye now! See you when I update next!