As Different as the Seasons

Author's Note: Welcome, readers! So if you've followed my stories for any length of time, this one is probably my best achievement. And it recently dawned on me that it's over 10 years old now, and my writing style has changed and matured quite a bit since then. So while I'm still working on the sequel, Their Own Private Battles, I also wanted to take some time to update this fic as well. Consider this version the director's cut, with extra dialogue, new scenes, and an expansion of the Beyblade universe for these characters. Whether you're reading for the first time or not, I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters. I just own my OCs and their bit beasts.

Disclaimer 2: Any similarity in my OCs' names to those of another author is pure coincidence. I searched long and hard for names that matched my OCs' nationalities and do not steal names from other authors.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Together Again

Life is always changing.

Anyone who denies this simple truth has not lived long enough to experience the kind of unexpected curves that life can throw. For some people, their lives go through continual phases of change, while others reach their plateau early and are satisfied with the status quo. But no matter which path one takes, the simple fact is that people are always changing. With so many races, cultures, and personalities, each person is unique. And for some, even friends, they are as different from one another as the seasons.

For instance, some people are like spring, a time of rebirth and renewal. The plants and animals that had previously lain dormant come back to life and reach toward the warmth of the sun that has returned to melt away the ice of winter. Take Greece, for instance. Its coastal location by the Mediterranean Sea blesses the country with a pleasant climate year-round. Somewhere high in her scenic mountains overlooking a coastal fishing port, the silhouette of a silver dragon soared high in the sky, casting a massive shadow over the land below. Banking sharply on his left wing, he descended to land noiselessly next to his mistress.

Other people shine like the summer. This is when the sun beats down mercilessly on the land below, forcing most people to try and take shelter from the sweltering heat. Egypt is the epitome of such a climate. The Nile River provides the only land suitable for crops and the vast majority of the nation's water. However, one girl dared to venture out in the desert. Her raven-colored hair whipped in the hot breeze as she watched the aura of a great black cat race across the sandy dunes. With the Great Pyramids behind him, the creature looked as if he had stepped out of one of the ancient pharaoh's hieroglyphics. He suddenly skidded to a stop and roared at the sky, as if defying the heat of the sun despite the color of his coat.

Other people are the epitome of autumn, when the sun gives the world a respite from her sweltering heat and prepares to depart once again. The chaos of daily life gives way to a quiet, restful stillness in preparation for winter. Japan is no stranger to autumn either. As the first chill approaches, trees shed their leaves, many mammals go into hibernation, and birds fly to warmer lands. But one bird dared to defy the call of his instincts. High in a forest-covered mountain, far from the most isolated villages, the shadow of a massive white eagle melded into the clouds. With a shrill war cry, the eagle dived from the sky and landed behind his mistress, wrapping his wings around her protectively.

And finally, a few individuals embody the spirit of winter, the time of year when the land sleeps. Shrouded in snow and ice and deprived of the sun's warmth, life waits patiently for its time to rise again. This is the season that separates the weak from the strong, where those not fit to survive do not live to see the sun break through the clouds again. Few countries know this harsh lesson better than Russia. Only those with the strongest wills and the sharpest instincts can hope to survive in her frigid climate. Somewhere in the middle of the wilderness, miles away from civilization, lay a frozen lake surrounded by snow-covered mountains. Suddenly, without warning, a massive pillar of fire shot up from the lake's center. Slowly, the raging inferno morphed into the shape of a four-legged animal. The flames gradually receded to reveal the translucent aura of a red and orange wolf. Tufts of flame covered her paws, golden armor protected her chest, and a brilliant red ruby sat in the middle of her forehead. She hovered inches above a circle of ice floating in the middle of the steamy, thawed-out lake. Behind her on the shore stood a tall, female figure. Fingers of chilled, snow-laden wind played with her shoulder-length dark brown hair, hiding the smirk in her expression.

'Soon we'll be together again.'

Moscow, Russia

In the dead of night, a pair of boot-clad feet stalked silently up a flight of stairs in the two-story house. A dark, hooded cloak concealed the person's identity, while the winds howled their displeasure and flung waves of thick, white snow to the ground in a fierce blizzard. The extra noise suited the cloaked figure just fine, as it was all the better to conceal a break-in.

She was making this almost too easy. The silent alarms were child's play to disengage, and the fact that she lived alone was practically flirting with trouble. If she lived past the night, she would learn a valuable lesson in self-preservation.

Of course, the cloaked figure had no intentions of letting her live past the next five minutes.

A fully gloved hand reached out to turn the doorknob leading into the bedroom. The door hinges squeaked slightly in protest, but the howling of the blizzard concealed the minuscule noise. The figure strode noiselessly and purposefully across the room to stand in front of the bed, where a young brunette woman was sleeping soundly despite the tempest raging outside. Her back was against the wall, giving the cloaked figure a clear view of her pale face. Even after all these years, she hadn't changed much. Too bad this would be such a short reunion.

One of the gloved hands reached into the thick folds of the cloak and pulled out a loaded pistol. The safety had been switched off already to avoid any excess noise. The figure lifted the pistol and trained the black, gaping barrel at her head, and a finger tightened around the trigger, ready to deliver the deathblow.

Suddenly, a red light blazed to life beside the bed, spiking the temperature in the room, and materialized into the form of a red and orange wolf that crouched protectively in front of the bed, snarling savagely with her hackles raised. The woman awoke instantly at the sound of the wolf's distress and leaped to her feet, the sudden rush of adrenaline kick-starting her survival instincts.

Before either person could react, the wolf lunged for the cloaked figure, who barely dodged by side-stepping. The person pointed the gun at the window and pulled the trigger, temporarily drowning out the blizzard with the sound of shattering glass, before leaping from the second story. A deft movement of the hand managed to grasp the first-story windowsill and control the fall so the person could hit the ground running. The sounds of four padded feet tearing through the snow accompanied by enraged snarls reached the assassin's ears as the wolf gave chase.

Back in the house, the woman who had just narrowly escaped death stood in the middle of the bedroom, tense and poised in case the assassin had any accomplices that might drop by to finish the job. The chilly, snow-laden wind swept in through her open window, stealing away any warmth left in the house and emphasizing the lingering atmosphere of her near-death experience. After several long, agonizing minutes, a familiar female voice spoke in her mind.

He won't come back to bother you again, Mistress. Her voice sounded strained, as if she were disturbed by what she had just done to ensure the woman's safety.

The brunette slowly forced her muscles to relax. 'Thank you…' Despite her relief that wasn't about to die, a pit of dread started building in her gut. There was only one person who would seek her blood even after all these years, and, if her suspicions were true, then she wasn't the only target.

'I have to warn the others.'

Thessaloniki, Greece

The full moon cast her gentle silver beams upon the sleeping city from the clear, velvety tapestry of night, and a slight breeze carried the scent of salt water from the coast. Inside one house, a young woman with short, honey-colored hair slept peacefully. However, the silence of the night was abruptly shattered by the ring of a cell phone.

Forcing herself awake, the girl reached across the nightstand for the phone and checked the caller ID with bleary eyes. She unfolded the phone and answered in Greek, "What's wrong? It's three in the morning…" She listened to the speaker's words for a few moments and then snapped to full alertness, one hand flinging back the covers.

"I'm on my way."

Cairo, Egypt

"Aaaaahhh…I'm gonna be late!" a female voice cried in frustration without regard for who might hear her. A dark-haired girl of about sixteen dashed down the airport terminal, weaving and shoving through the crowds of people, as she looked around frantically for her boarding gate.

"Gate 34…35…ah-hah! Gate 36!" she exclaimed triumphantly. The airport officials were starting to close the door for passengers to board. "Wait, wait! Don't leave without me!" she called, wildly waving the arm that wasn't holding her carry-on bag. The officials gave her an annoyed look but paused to check her ticket and let her board.

"Thanks a million! I owe you!" she called back over her shoulder with a friendly wave before taking off down the ramp to board the airplane.

Osaka, Japan

The city of Osaka bustled with life, and people hurried to and fro, each one with a particular destination or purpose in mind. As a result, no one bothered to look up at the sound of yet another passenger jet taking off from the airport.

Inside, the airplane was crowded with passengers, each one lost in his or her own little world, including one teenage girl traveling alone. A stray lock of black hair fell free from its bun and drifted across her eyes as she rested her elbow on the armrest and propped her chin on her hand, gazing out the window as the ground fell away and the clouds hid the country of Japan from view.

'So, this is how it all begins,' she thought wistfully. 'I wonder what the future holds for us,' she glanced down at the Beyblade in her other hand, '…for all of us…'

Moscow, Russia

'Dangit, Ian. You just had to pick a late-night flight. It's already 2 AM,' Tala thought bitterly.

He would have been here much sooner had that sudden blizzard not caused a layover in Chelyabinsk, Wolborg pointed out.

'If you're trying to make me feel better, it's not working.'

You must be cranky from lack of sleep. Perhaps you should have brought a pillow from home, the ice wolf teased. Tala could almost hear the smirk in his bit beast's mental voice.

This was how Tala Volkov had spent the last four hours, stuck in an airport with a snarky bit beast for company. Ian was flying back from the other side of Russia after visiting some distant relatives, and Tala, being the responsible team captain, drove out to the airport to pick him up when his flight arrived at 10 PM. However, harsh weather had forced Ian's plane to land halfway along its course, which had resulted in major layovers. Four hours later, there was still no Ian, and he was still at the mercy of Wolborg's newly discovered talent for verbal banter.

At this late hour, the airport was largely deserted, and most of the lights were dimmed or shut off to conserve power. No one else was in the lobby where Tala was waiting, save for one girl who looked about his age. She stood about 5'9", which was only a few inches shorter than Tala's 6'2", and had shoulder-length dark brown hair, which contrasted sharply against her pale skin, that she kept back in a ponytail. She wore a green turtleneck that was cinched at the waist with a wide braided leather belt, a sterling silver wolf head pendant around her neck, black pants, and black snow boots. Her thick wool winter coat, which reached down to her mid-calf when worn, was draped on the chair behind her. She had entered the terminal about a half hour ago, sat down without acknowledging Tala, and had barely moved since then. Her arms were crossed over her chest, her eyes were closed in a light doze, and a set of wireless ear buds broadcast rock music in her ears from the smartphone in her pocket. Her current posture was actually slightly reminiscent of Kai's.

Wolborg's tone became serious. Tala, there's something about that girl that doesn't seem quite right.

Tala raised an eyebrow curiously. 'What is it?'

I sense a powerful presence surrounding her. I'm almost positive that it's a bit beast.

'So? There are plenty of Beybladers with bit beasts. Why should this one be any different?'

The power radiating from them is at a level comparable to ours. In his mind's eye, Tala watched as Wolborg lifted his noise, as though scenting the air. Another wolf. A female, based on her scent.

Tala smirked. 'Hmmm…interesting.'

Before Tala could continue his train of thought, the sound of a jet landing nearly made him want to faint with relief. 'About time. Now I can go home and sleep.' The next few minutes felt like an eternity, but finally the passengers started to disembark and crowd the lobby. He anxiously waited to see his short, purple-haired team mate walk out from the crowd, spewing his usual sarcasm, but he was nowhere to be found.

'Whatever sin I have committed, I hereby repent of it here and now. Just please make this torture end soon,' Tala prayed to whatever deity would listen. However, his interest was piqued as he noticed another girl walk up to the one that had been sitting in the lobby. This one was a couple inches shorter than the first girl, with honey-colored hair – a dye job, no doubt – that reached down to her chin and framed her heart-shaped face. She wore a simple gray sweater, khaki cargo pants, and brown combat boots. Her shoulders and arms were well muscled for a woman, as if she spent her free time rock-climbing or weight lifting. The first girl finally moved from her initial position and stood to acknowledge her friend. The two exchanged a hug and greetings in a language that Tala didn't understand.

I believe they're speaking…Greek? Wolborg mused.

'How did you know that?' Tala asked, wondering perhaps if his bit beast was some sort of linguistic genius.

I am the product of the pinnacle of scientific achievement, Wolborg replied smugly.

'Then can you tell what they're saying?'

Well…

'Yes?' Tala prodded.

I have no idea.

Tala resisted the urge to do an anime fall. A slight twitch was all that betrayed his utter frustration at the situation. He once again turned his icy-blue gaze to the two girls sitting across from him, who occasionally conversed quietly in Greek. Even though he could not understand the language, he managed to glean their names. The first girl's name was Eri, and her short-haired companion was Sonja. It made sense that Sonja was from Greece, considering her skin was tan, as if from exposure to the Mediterranean sun, which contrasted sharply with Eri's pale Russian complexion. Tala, Sonja has a bit beast as well. His presence shrouds her even as we speak, Wolborg said seriously. We should be on our guard.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the lobby, Tala's inconspicuous observations had not gone unnoticed. Mistress, that young man has been watching you ever since we arrived, a feminine voice spoke inside the young woman's head. Eri turned her mind's eye to focus on the image of her bit beast, a red and orange wolf named Pyrix.

'Ah yes, Tala Volkov. The pride and joy of Russia's Beybladers,' Eri replied mentally.

So you do know of him, Pyrix stated.

'Of course. Any Russian who's at least halfway acquainted with Beyblading knows of him,' Eri stated. 'He's very perceptive. Wolborg must have sensed your presence. Has he tried to contact you?'

Not yet. Shall I try to initiate a conversation? Pyrix inquired.

'No, I think we'll let them make the first move.'

Understood, Mistress.

Meanwhile, Sonja was mind-chatting with her own bit beast, a silver dragon called Lunash. Mistress, do you know why we have been summoned ahead of schedule? Lunash asked in a deep baritone.

'Unfortunately, I don't. Eri said that she's not revealing anything until the others arrive and we can talk privately,' Sonja replied. 'Whatever the reason, she's more on edge than usual. To be honest, I'm a little worried about what she's not telling us.'

The bladers' private mind-chats were cut short as the roar of engines outside indicated that another airplane was landing. Before Tala could start praying that Ian was on board, Wolborg put his mind at ease. Don't worry, Master Tala. I can sense Wyborg.

'Hmph. It's about time,' Tala replied grumpily. 'I'm going to have a nice long talk with the shrimp about booking flights EARLIER in the day.' Wolborg chuckled before retreating to the back of Tala's mind.

After a few minutes, the passengers flooded the lobby, eager to leave and put the experience of layovers and late-night flights behind them. Despite Ian's lack of height, Tala could still pick out his purple hair easily amidst the crown. He ducked and weaved through the crowd until he reached his captain's side. Tala smirked and ruffled the younger blader's hair. "You've got some explaining to do, shrimp. I've been waiting for hours."

"Sheesh, don't blame me. Blame the retarded airline. Or better yet, blame the weather," Ian replied grumpily, shoving Tala's hand away. "Next time, you can ride in a crowded airbus with two hundred grouchy, sleep-deprived people."

"Whatever," Tala said indifferently. He noticed that two more girls had joined Eri and Sonja. One was a Japanese girl with long, black hair gathered in a bun held in place by two light blue chopsticks. The other was much shorter than the first three, with deeply tanned skin and black hair with lighter, sun-kissed highlights.

Ian followed Tala's gaze to the group of four girls and stated, "Oh yeah, those two girls were sitting in front of me on the plane. Apparently, the taller one's named Hina and the shorter one's an Egyptian chic called Nakia. And get this: they have bit beasts too. Wyborg was restless for the whole flight. It was all I could do to keep him under control." Nakia wore the most winter attire of the girls. Her thick brown winter trench coat, red scarf, and red fleece hat concealed her outfit. Hina had the most feminine look of her companions. She wore a traditional blue Japanese button-down shirt with a mandarin collar and the image of a white eagle on the back and white feathers stitched on the back, front, and sleeves. She also wore black pants that hung closer to her legs and black non-athletic sneakers. She carried her coat in her arms.

Just then, the four girls turned to leave the airport. As they passed Tala and Ian, Eri glanced over at Tala with a hard stare. For a brief moment, his blue eyes locked with a pair of cold, jade green ones. As he watched them leave, Tala smirked and felt his competitive side kick into overdrive. 'We may have a decent opponent at last, Wolborg.'

Ian snapped him out his trance. He stood up on his tiptoes and waved a hand in front of his face. "Helloooo…earth to Tala. Anyone home?"

Tala blinked a few times and looked down to regard his teammate, who had his arms crossed and was giving him an impatient glare. "Huh? Oh yeah…sorry. Let's get out of here."

It was about a 40-minute drive from the airport to Eri's house on the outskirts of Moscow. She had no known family and lived in the medium-sized house by herself, courtesy of Mr. Dickenson. Once they arrived, the girls left their luggage in the foyer and settled down in the living room to chat. Unpacking could wait. Right now, they had more important matters to discuss, such as why Eri had summoned the rest of the team so suddenly and without explanation.

"So…the Temporal Knights are together again. However, Eri, I think it's time you explained your reasoning behind calling us now," Sonja inquired of her team captain.

"Yeah, I'm freezing over here!" Nakia complained, wrapping her arms around her body in a feeble attempt to warm herself. "I wanted to stay in Egypt as long as possible before coming here to train for tournaments."

"There's a simple reason for why I've called you three here," Eri replied. She paused to lean forward in her chair and look each of her teammates in the eye, one by one. Once she was certain she had their attention, she sighed and stated gravely, "Xhaiden's back."

That statement earned a collective gasp from her teammates, especially from Sonja. Xhaiden was an agent of BIOVOLT that had run a Beyblade training facility in the United States similar to Boris's Abbey, except this one was girls-only. It was also the place where Eri and her team had been forced to train in hellish conditions before finally escaping three years ago. They had destroyed Xhaiden's house on the way out and had assumed that he had burned to death, but they were wrong.

"But I…I mean…he should be dead," Sonja stammered.

"I know. I had assumed that as well, but he seems to have regrouped. The extent of his influence is unknown right now, but I had to bring you three here for your own protection," Eri explained. "We're safest when we're together."

"You mean we're not entering the qualifying tournaments for the World Championships?" Hina asked.

"Oh, we have to enter the tournaments, don't worry about that. It's the only way we'll be able to lure Xhaiden out into the open," Eri stated.

"Just one more question: How did you find out that he's back?" Nakia asked.

"Because," Eri said grimly, "last week one of his agents tried to murder me in my sleep."

Hope you enjoyed! Please review!