Enter The Beyblade World

"Dranzer - Blazing Gig!" The dark blue blade suddenly span faster and faster, its Engine Gear kicking in. It slammed into the other Beyblade fiercely over and over until with one final strike, it hurled its opponent from the Beystadium. "I win again," I laughed, scooping up my Dranzer G Beyblade. "That's the sixth time in a row."

"Alright, you win!" James surrendered grudgingly. He straightened his glasses, before retrieving his fallen Dragoon G Beyblade. The brown-haired boy's eyes were bright with excitement like mine from the battle. I packed up the portable stadium we had been using, folding it up and putting it in my denim drawstring bag. James' cousin and friend, Ryan, who had watched the battle, gave me the thumbs-up.

"That was cool, Alana," he smiled. "You'll be a valuable member of the team. Only problem is, we still can't come up with a good name." He sighed sheepishly. James nodded, looking frustrated. It looked like they hadn't thought of a team name yet - I had tried to help, but none of my ides had seemed to be ideal for us. It was very annoying. I guess we'll just have to be patient, I thought. Maybe it'll come to us later on.

As we walked out of the park, I found myself wishing like I had on more than one occasion that there was a universe, a real world in which Beyblading really came to life. But Aoki Takao created Beyblade, a voice objected in my head. He's the one who drew the manga that spawned the TV series. Surely it's just all from his imagination?

No, I argued. That's not true because I can sense what my blade's going to do next in battle and use its Special Attack - which means Bit Beasts exist. They don't appear but it doesn't mean they're not there!

I was a friendly fourteen-year-old girl in Year Nine. Often ridiculed for my hobby of drawing anime, passion for Beyblading and generally for who I was, I didn't have many friends because most people wanted to bully me than get to know me. So I was alone.

These things flashed through my mind as I sat at my desk in my bedroom, doing homework half an hour after arriving home from the park. They'll never stop making fun of me, I thought glumly.

Sometimes I tried to be calm and take in my stride. It never worked. I always ended up trying to fight back - something which I failed miserably at, for the remarks directed at me would get more cutting and abusive.

This was the main reason why I believed that there had to be a Beyblade universe, a world in which I would be welcomed, not shut out.

I put my pen down. I just couldn't do any more homework without thinking about the terrible teenagers at school. Beyblading would take my mind off it, I decided, setting up the Beystadium and getting ready to launch my Dranzer G blade. "LET IT RIP!" I cried, releasing Dranzer, putting all the sorrow and pain I felt from the bullying into that one launch.

The moment it landed in the arena, a blinding energy filled my bedroom. I couldn't see, feel or hear anything else, just the dazzling blaze of strange light. All of a sudden, there was the sickening feeling of falling before I landed on my bottom with a dull thud. The light vanished.

I looked down at the Beystadium…to find that there was no Beystadium at all, but grass. Dranzer span where it should have been. Although, looking closely at it, it was a deep purple colour - and the decals were different! Hey, wait a minute, I thought, picking the blade up. The Bit Chip's different too! What's going on here?

Goldflame, the decals read. The Bit Chip, which had a golden phoenix in red armour, seemed to shine with a mystical energy as I looked at it. There was another thing that surprised me too. My hands were no longer bare but were covered with fingerless purple gloves…just like the gloves Beybladers wore. It…It can't be, I breathed silently, wordlessly feeling my waist which now sported a light blue skirt. Sure enough, belted around my waist, was a holster-style pocket in which a launcher - new and unique - was held. The ripcord was stowed away in the pocket of my skirt and a secret one on the inside of the red jacket I was wearing would contain my very own Beyblade - Goldflame.

I stood up to gaze at my reflection in the water of a rushing river nearby in wonder. Everything seemed more vivid. I was definitely not at home anymore, let alone in Britain.

Kids and teenagers alike were Beyblading all around me. Heart beating fast with excitement, I quickly slipped Goldflame into my coat's inside pocket. I wanted to leap for joy. This really was the world I had wanted to see for so long now.

My red trainers, like the clothes I wore, were blissfully comfortable as I walked down the path. Stones crunched and grated beneath my feet. I looked around, the sights I saw never ceasing to amaze me. This universe was similar yet different at the same time to the one I lived in. It was a place of such wonder and beauty; adventure and danger. A place where Beyblading was not just a game but a sport that came alive.

So lost in the splendour of the surroundings, I was hardly aware of someone walking toward me. I did not realize until it was too late and I had accidentally bumped into them.

We both picked ourselves up, dusting ourselves off. "Uh…sorry," I mumbled. Clearing my throat in embarrassment, I looked at the person sheepishly to gaze at...Kai.

He returned my gaze steadily, seeming to penetrate my very soul with those serious violet eyes. My heart pounded so fast I thought I wouldn't be able to breathe. The heat rose to my cheeks and I flushed bright scarlet.

Here was my favourite Beyblader, in flesh and blood, as real as the world around me. I heard him breathing, felt his gaze.

It seemed like ages before I found my voice. "I…uh…I'm sorry for bumping into you, Kai," I laughed ruefully. "I'll watch out next time."

"Hn." He swept silently past me.

I stood there, heart still racing. His voice had been so like the one from the anime. It was beginning to look as if Aoki Takao had been here before. His manga must have been inspired by this world.

I placed my hands to my hot face. Why did I have to blush in front of Kai? He was my favourite person but I also had a deep crush on him. I looked back at his distant figure. In time my friend, I told him silently. I'll tell you how I really feel. We would meet again, I was sure of it. But for the present, I decided to get down to some serious Beyblading.

I whooped with sheer joy as I defeated yet another Blader. This world was definitely the place for me. Here, I could unleash my Special Attack, which I had found out and called Sky Blaze. However, I had not released Goldflame itself yet. I called to my blade with my mind and Goldflame rebound into my gloved palm. Another player defeated, I thought, smiling triumphantly. It was fun to battle here. Everyone played for the pleasure of the game like I did. Unlike many Beybladers in my own universe, I was a dedicated Blader. Whether a tournament was on or not, I still practiced, whereas others only wanted to know when a competition was being held.

After putting Goldflame away, I headed down the path in the direction Kai had gone which led to the city this park was part of. Bay City. I was curious to see what it was like.

The city was vast with its numerous skyscrapers and large amount of traffic on the busy roads. The pavement was nearly filled to bursting with members of the public and I had to dodge past people if they came my way. Bay City had a lively, happy atmosphere despite its bustling occupants and I felt at ease there amongst the crowds as I made my way gradually to the edge of the city where Tyson's house would be. It was a likely possibility that it would be there, as this world was so similar to the anime.

Tyson's house came into view at last. A traditional wooden Japanese house, it had a veranda circling it. The martial art shouts coming from inside told me that Tyson and his grandpa were practicing kendo moves. In the background, the unmistakable sound of Beyblades spinning could be heard. I became aware of eyes on me and caught sight of Kai leaning against a wooden pillar on the veranda. I felt unnerved. He studied me. I turned slightly pink at this unexpected scrutunity. His eyes read every curve, every feature, every line.

While he did this, I took the chance to look at him closely too. Kai was tall, slim and athletically built. He had a strong physical presence. His silver and dark hair almost reached his shoulder blades, contrasting sharply with the long white scarf wrapped around his neck. He wore a short-sleeved black jacket with a dark purple t-shirt and matching trousers beneath, which were belted at the waist with a red belt. His hands bore black fingerless gloves and he had matching trainers. The familiar dark-blue triangular battle insignia was painted on his cheeks.

What he wore now was the attire he had worn in G-revolution. These clothes were my personal favourite. He looked so good in them.

Our eyes met. His violet eyes were a wonder to look at; such a beautiful colour. A slight stiff breath lifted my loose brown hair, making it flow with the wind. Kai's scarf streamed out. Pale pink cherry-blossom petals drifted on the breeze, some landing in my hair. I caught a floating blossom, inhaling its light scent and the sweet aroma it brought; the fresh smell of spring.

I took out my blade. Goldflame, I said silently, if you can hear me, please answer. I need your help…you're the only one I can turn to. I'm completely lost in this universe…maybe I don't belong here after all.

The phoenix flashed at me. Don't lose heart, it seemed to say. Everything will be alright.

I smiled at the creature thankfully. Goldflame was right. Things would be okay if I believed in myself. Perhaps I did have a place in the Beyblade world; I just hadn't discovered it yet. My Bit Beast would be by my side. The knowledge gave me confidence and I met Kai's gaze once again.

"You're from the park," Kai stated. "What was that flash?"

I glanced at Goldflame briefly. "My Beyblade," I replied casually. "Goldflame was reassuring me."

Kai's eyes narrowed slightly. "Goldflame…Bit Beast's name, maybe?"

"You could say that," I answered. "I'm new in town." Or rather new to this world, I added in my head. "I'm Alana," I continued, giving him a small pleasant smile. I held out my blade, the sunlight making the Bit Chip flash with mystical energy.

Kai briefly studied Goldflame before meeting my gaze again. His face remained calm. "What brings you here?"

I stared at the ground. My vision became blurred by tears again. Goldflame glowed sympathetically in my hand. What am I doing? I asked myself. I'm being foolish. It's not like he'll want anything to do with me anyway. It still looks like I'll never find someone who'll understand what I've been through…

I pocketed Goldflame and let go of the small blossom I had been holding, trying to stem the tears even though it was hopeless, for they kept on coming in seemingly endless floods.

Kai stood where he was, the vivid memory of the anguish and hurt on my face before I had started to cry etched in his mind. He didn't know what to do nor what to say.

I sensed Kai's presence as he stood before me. Before I knew it, I was pouring my heart out.

By the time I had recovered my composure, Kai knew all about why I was in his world. I flushed. "I…I'm sorry," I muttered, staring at my feet. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have let my emotions get the better of me. I shouldn't be bothering other people with my problems…"

This was the first time I had told anyone other than my parents the details of the terrible bullying I was going through at and even outside of school; the first time in a long while I had let out my hurt feelings, having kept them locked up inside in the hopes of losing the bullies' interest. The bullying had only worsened.

Oh great. I've really ruined my chances of us becoming friends. He probably thinks I'm a totally insecure idiot…

But he listened to you, a voice reminded me in my head. If he had of thought you were stupid, he would have just left you to it.

"I…I understand," Kai told me quietly, to my surprise. "I wish I could've done that and release the pain…I went through it too."

"I'm kind - and still people treat me harshly. I keep asking myself what's wrong but I can never find the answer, Kai!"

"It's because some people are just plain nasty!" a voice answered for him.

I whipped round. "T-Tyson!" I blurted, seeing the navy-haired fifteen-year-old.

Tyson smiled. "That's me!" Then he looked at me curiously. "So who are you?"

I introduced myself.

"What are you upset about?"

"She's new here," Kai responded. He did not mention what I had told him. I surreptitiously cast him a grateful glance.

Tyson nodded, before bounding toward the house to tell the rest of the team of the newcomer.

"Hey, wait!" I objected. He had already gone inside. I sighed deeply. The last thing I needed now were the G-revolutions to completely misunderstand me, the way almost everyone else did back in my own world.

The rest of Tyson's team came outside.

"Don't worry," Tyson reassured me. "We wanna help you - after all, you're new around here so we're gonna help you feel at home."

I was taken aback. "R-Really?"

Max and Ray smiled. "You bet!" they answered.

Kai gestured for me to follow as Tyson began walking out of the small courtyard.

Throughout the tour of the city given by Tyson, Kenny and Hilary, I was very aware of how close I was to Kai. It took my breath away having him so near; it was even more of a giveaway when I flushed if I felt his eyes on me. He was suspicious about the way I was acting. I was careful to stay beside him every minute of the tour, still quite wary of the others. Torment and mockery had lowered my self-confidence with other people to almost nothing.

Kai knew this. He watched me all the time and I was nearly never aware of it. He saw the reluctant, reserved way in which I acted whenever his team-mates spoke to me, heard the cautiousness in my voice when I answered their questions.

He himself had been like that before he had met Tyson and the team. The only different thing was that he had generally avoided involvement with other people because he had perceived them to be nuisances and a waste of time to get to know. I, on the other hand, was trying to get that confidence back. Kai had got his back through learning about teamwork and friendship when he and his team had strove to become Beyblade World Champions for the first time, which was almost three years ago now. It was because of this that he had grown to love Beyblading. All the same, he couldn't help but notice how much I had in common with him.

It's because I listened to her story, he realised. The Bit Beast on her blade looks so much like Dranzer…could it be that she and I will become partners like Tyson and Daichi did? I guess only time will tell.

Without warning, the ground beneath us began to tremble violently. Cracks spread everywhere. There was an ominous rumbling sound and shock waves pulsed through the air, rocking buildings on their foundations with their sheer power. A fierce gale ripped through the city, almost throwing people off their feet.

"Only a Bit Beast can do this," Kai said quietly.

"Yeah," Tyson nodded. "We gotta find it before the city's destroyed!"

Everyone yelled their agreement. We pelted at top speed toward the park, where the epicentre of the earthquake, according to Kenny's readings from Dizzi, was located.

Kai slipped down a back alley as we did so. I followed him. Having no idea where he was going, all I could do was shadow his moves. No one appeared to have noticed that we had gone, for nobody called our names or chased after us. The shaking of the earth seemed to be more excessive in the direction I followed Kai, which was strange. If the epicentre was at the park, then why would the earthquake be more violent here?

The alley opened up to a street and we emerged from the passage to witness a radio tower toppling down to crash through the petrol station nearby. Debris flew everywhere. The petrol pumps somehow became ignited - and Kai threw himself and me to the ground as an explosion rocked the area. The smell of fire and burning reached me and I looked up to see the buildings were blazing ruins. All around us, we heard people panicking and screaming. Alarms filled the air.

Kai stood up, pulling me to my feet. We ran past the burning remains of buildings and things that looked like people, but their features were charred beyond recognition and I did not dare to think who the corpses were. They struck fear and sorrow into my heart. Kai ran the other side of me, shielding them from view.

"Thank you," I whispered.

Kai shrugged. "Don't mention it."

The long alley we streaked through led to the harbour. The sea was extremely turbulent, nearly tossing moored boats out of the water. I swallowed hard. If things got any worse, there would be tidal waves next. The gale seemed much stronger here, the shock waves being hurled in every direction. Kai clenched his fists. "Show yourself, Beyblader!" he growled, glancing about angrily. His gaze flew to the far left as something rose out of the rough sea. We faced the masked, cloaked stranger.

The stranger chuckled nastily. "You're mine," she sneered. She whipped out a launcher, Beyblade and ripcord and had launched her blade in the blink of an eye. The blade shot straight for us.

I ran out of the way while Kai leaped clear of it. As quick as a flash, he had released Dranzer in mid-air. A shaft of black energy from the strange girl's blade rose up to form the dark, enormous shape of her Bit Beast, which lunged for Kai's Beyblade.

"Dranzer!" Kai shouted. Bright red light burst from his blade to beam skyward. The awesome form of his gold-armoured red phoenix appeared to confront its opponent. The fire-bird threw up its feathered head, beak opened wide as it let out a challenging cry. Dranzer swooped at the other Bit Beast but was stopped in its path when, as a beam of energy, the stranger's creature wrapped itself tightly around the phoenix's body. The great red bird struggled against its bindings, squawking furiously. It was snared fast.

Dranzer was plummeted forcefully into the ground, causing dust and smoke to fly up. The earth shook even more beneath the tremendous impact. The dust obscuring our view was suddenly gusted away as Dranzer burst out of the crater it had made when hitting the ground and drove the other Bit Beast against a nearby building, which collapsed immediately.

Shock and annoyance flickered across the strange girl's face when she saw that Dranzer had broken free. She gritted her teeth in frustration.

"Spiral Fireball!" Kai yelled. Dranzer burst into flame, shooting like a bullet straight through its opponent. Unable to handle Kai's power, the opposing Bit Beast was banished back into its Beyblade. His dark blue blade slammed into hers with such force that it was sent hurtling past the girl's ear.

Without warning, two more Beyblades zoomed seemingly out of nowhere to surround Kai's. Two figures, shrouded by cloaks, stood beside the person Kai had just defeated. Dark beams snaked around Dranzer from their Beyblades. The scarlet phoenix fought the secure bindings in vain. It was tied up so tightly, it could not move at all. Kai was also rooted to the spot, as if bound like his Bit Beast. His grunts of effort as he struggled mingled with his phoenix's squawks of anger. Below Dranzer, Kai's Beyblade was being hacked at by the other two blades.

My heart beat fast. Kai was in real trouble. I had to help him so I whipped out my launcher and ripcord, attaching my blade as quickly as I could. I launched Goldflame and it flew toward the captured Dranzer. The girl launched her Beyblade, which sent mine skittering across the ground with a single collision. As I battled hard against her, the bonds around Kai and Dranzer were getting tighter and tighter all the time. Kai was now battling to breathe rather than to break free, his hair dark and glistening with sweat from fighting to release himself and his Bit Beast from their captors.

Meanwhile, my mind raced as I desperately tried to think of a way to beating my opponent. She was strong and the only solution was releasing my Bit Beast as Kai had done. She always dodged my Special Attack but she would not be able to escape Goldflame itself.

With sudden strength, my Beyblade crashed into its opponent, hurling it skyward. A squawk resounded in my head. Goldflame and I had finally become connected. "Go, Goldflame!" my call rang out. A blazing shaft of energy rose up from my purple Beyblade to form the huge shape of the golden phoenix. Goldflame used its Special Attack, the sky becoming the colour of fire as the phoenix itself dived at its opponent as a bolt of flame. The other Beyblade was sent flying, defeated, into its owner's palm.

My determination to save Kai spurring us on, Goldflame and I, with incredible power hurtled into the two Beyblades enclosing Dranzer, throwing them aside as if they were nothing. The bonds snaring Dranzer vanished and the phoenix returned to its blade.

"Kai!" I just managed to catch him as he fell. My Bit Beast whirled around us while I supported him. Kai's Beyblade rebounded into my palm and I slipped it into the inside pocket of my red jacket.

"Kai, wake up," I whispered, gently shaking him. "Please, wake up!"

I didn't notice his eyes flicker open.

"He's the only person I can trust…" I told Goldflame. "I hope - "

"Alana."

"K-Kai!" I stammered. "Y-You…heard me?"

"I'm only one you trust."

"Uh, yeah!" I nodded quickly. "That's it. I'm a little shy of the others."

Kai saw the tears in my eyes, the deep concern on my face and was inwardly surprised. For the first time someone really cared about him. She's not like my fan girls, he thought. I could tell that from the start. Something warm and wet landed on his face. Blood. My lower lip had been cut and was bleeding freely. "You'rehurt," Kai pointed out, wiping away the red rivulet that flowed down my chin. It must've been a huge shock for her when the earthquake happened. No wonder she's upset.

I scooped up my blade as the phoenix disappeared back into its Bit Chip. Both Kai and I fought to stay conscious; I was drained from summoning Goldflame and he from struggling against the power of two Bit Beasts.

"I…I'm sorry…" were my last words before I sank to the ground and collapsed into darkness, Kai falling from my arms.