Family

Chapter one: The news

Shu's POV:

The worst day of my life was the day my eye was cut open. The day my faithful bey, Spryzen, hit me. But not just that. That day was also the day my mother died.

I remember walking home, clutching my eye with one hand, and my bike handle with the other. My parents were busy, but they had probably watched the battle on TV. I took comfort in knowing that they would be there for me when I got home.

As I walked into my house, I immediately sensed something was wrong. The interior seemed.....colder. Desolate. I ran into the living room and found my dad crying. My eyes widened. I had never seen him cry before. He had always been Hiroshi Kurenai, owner of the biggest Beyblade manufacturer in the world. Serious, but fun at times. He had never cried in front of me. But now he was. I ran over and asked what had happened, fearing the worst.

"Oh, Shu.....your mother wanted to come to cheer you on at the stadium, but.....there was an accident. I'm sorry, Shu. She's.....gone." His voice cracked, and he continued to sob.

I sank to the floor, my eye still dripping blood, but no tears came out. As I mindlessly stared at the ground, I made a promise to myself. I was going to be a better blader from now on. For myself, for my dad, for her. Kaori Kurenai. My mother.

Lui's POV:

My parents are divorced. I don't know why. I was only nine, and all I remember was my parents yelling, and a door slamming. That's it. From that day on, it was just me and my mom facing the world. I was fine with that. She didn't bombard me with stupid questions and didn't care less whether I had friends or not.

The only credit I can give to my dad is that he taught me how to blade when I was seven. He bought me my first bey. Other than that, he was no help at all.

I've never had any siblings. It was always just me at school, and I was too terrifying for any of the kids to play with. I've always wanted friends, but with my gravity-defying hair and shark teeth, I guess nobody was really up to playing with me.

My fourth national win was by far my most memorable. I steamrolled through everyone as usual, but my final opponent was a kid my age. He seemed nice. But of course, I had to screw it up. I ended up hitting him in the eye and ruining it. I wanted to apologize, wanted to say I regretted it, but the kid ran away before I could find him. Just like every other person in my life. Always running away.

Shu's POV:

Great. Just great. The wbba said I was "working myself too hard" and gave me a year off from managing the Raging Bulls. So now I'm stuck here in Japan again. I heard Valt was somewhere around here. Maybe I could visit him sometime.

My dad's here, too. His office building is being remodeled, so he's working from home. It's been five years since Mom died, and Dad mysteriously disappears at night sometimes. I wonder where he goes.

Lui's POV:

Wow. Just wow. Apparently I'm "spending too much time alone", so my mom forced me to stay in Japan for a year. She's never cared before, why now? It's not like I can visit Gabe or Katara or Shonki or whatever their names were. So I just mope around at home like a bored idiot.

Mom works during the day, and at night she either takes me somewhere or disappears to who knows where. It's not like I care.

Shu's POV:

I finally got to meet Valt! He's training some kid named Dante Koryu, this hyperactive dude that reminds me a lot of when Valt was younger. I walked home, and as usual, my dad wasn't home. I just shrugged it off and watched some random reruns of old battles on TV.

Then the door slammed open, and my dad ran in, his normally pale face red.

"SHU, I DID IT! I FINALLY DID IT!" He grabbed me and started shaking me in excitement.

"Dad....LET GO! What did you do?!" I asked.

"Oh my gosh. I never even told you." My dad scratched his head sheepishly. "Well, for the past two years, I've been seeing this wonderful lady. She's kind, sweet, and compassionate, and I FINALLY ASKED HER TO MARRY ME!"

I dropped the TV remote.

"What?!"

Lui's POV:

I yawned and sat on the couch. Today was just as uneventful as the rest. I walked down the street, bought coffee, avoided fangirls, and came back home. My mom still wasn't home, and it was almost 10:30 pm. Huh.

Then a heard a loud squeal. My instant reaction was to turn around and look for a fangirl that might have snuck in. There wasn't anyone. Then my eyes landed on my mother. Aiko Shirosagi, one of the most fearsome women in the world, was standing at the door, giggling like some kind of deranged fangirl. My face must have shown utter confusion, because my mom calmed herself and held out her hand. On it was an ornate diamond ring.

"Lui......I've been dating a great guy for almost two years, now, and...I'm..... getting married."

My jaw hit the floor.

Shu's POV:

I kept myself from shouting. "W-why didn't you tell me earlier?" I asked as calmly as I could.

"I guess it must have slipped my mind. After all, I'm busy at work and so are you, Shu," my dad said.

I sighed. "Okay, dad. As long as you're happy. What's her name?"

"Aiko. She's a wonderful woman, and I know you'll like her."

Aiko. That name sounded familiar.

"Oh, Shu? She has a son around your age. Apparently he blades too, maybe you guys can be friends!"

A son? So I was getting a brother. Great. At least I'd only have to deal with him for a year, and then I can go back to New York. Alone.

"What's his name?" I questioned.

"Lui. Lui Shirosagi."

Lui's POV:

"WHAT?! Tu te maries? (you're getting married?)" I asked in French.

"Oui, Lui. I'm so happy! You'll finally have a father you can look up to," my mother said excitedly.

I looked down, a raging battle going on in my head. I hated the idea of someone else living with us, but on the other hand, I hadn't seen my mom this happy in seven years. I eventually gave in. I can put up with someone for a year. I'll just ignore them- like I've done all my life.

My mom sensed my uneasiness. "Lui, this is a great chance for us both. I can finally have a husband again, and guess what? You're getting a brother too! He's a pretty well-known blader, so you two have something in common!"

A well-known blader, huh? Maybe I'd have heard of him.

"What's his name?"

My mom smiled.

"Shu. Shu Kurenai."

A/N: I've always imagined this happening. I don't know why. I hope you liked it, and as always, feel free to comment and post feedback! I love to hear what you guys have to say!

Word count: 1283 words (phew)