Hello Guys! 🌻 TD 🌼 back again but unfortunately I couldn't write one of my own creation maybe upcoming Christmas🎄?

Who knows... Mah poor life :'(

Anyway thanks Grayv! For letting me take your wonderful story ✨

✯✧★ｏ☆♡☆ｏ★✧✯♡✯✧★ｏ☆

Originally written by: Grayvere

Book- Of Love and Death

Cover photo also belongs to the original Author!

(TD: So I'm reading this book for a long time and the latest 4 chapters literally gave me goosebumps that I wanted to show it in my Shalt collection :D

So I'll probably take some Shalt moments mostly from the Present Chapters till now :) Hope y'all love the way I cut it here.

Well I don't mean to spoil the origin, please don't judge me :'( if I sounded awkward I'm sorry.

No spoilers, if you want you should check out The Author's original book. See you 🌟💓)

~*~

Short description about this book according to Grayv:

-This story taking place in three different times.

-The past, set from a few million years after the Big Bang progressing through time to a couple million years before the dinosaurs became a thing. Where you can see Fire and Mind, the past of Shu and Valt.

-The present, set a year or so after the end of Beyblade Burst Surge/ Sparking.

Grayv's version of Surge had a slightly different ending then the cannon one.

Essentially Honcho decided to train The Comets full time, Lain leaves the Raging Bulls to "find himself".

Wakiya is also the director of the WBBA and Trad's technically the owner of the Raging Bulls.

-The future, set around 20 or so years after the present. This is where you can see mostly Bell.

(Ok no more spoilers, let's start!)

—★*★—

The Present Chapter 1: A Rude Awakening

The boy in front of Shu smiled. It was an honest genuine smile. If Shu was being completely honest, it was one of his more treasured memories, this scene.

Why? He didn't know, it was so random! Valt had fallen into a bush and Shu had extended his hand to him. Then, the ringing started.

Ringing? Well, no, not ringing. More like... dinging? Shu didn't remember this, it wasn't normal.

Shu's eyes opened to darkness. It was pitch black in his bedroom. The dinging was real, it turned out.

But where was it coming from? Shu groped around on his bed table before hitting a button on his clock that showed the time: 2:48 am.

So not his alarm clock. He rolled over in his bed putting a pillow over his head.

It took shu five minutes total to wake up enough to realize that his doorbell was ringing.

And had been for all five minutes. With a groan, he rolled out of bed, landing on his feet.

Shu stumbled out his bedroom door, through the hallway of his small apartment, until he was finally at the apartment door.

"Who is it?" Shu sleeply muttered, wiping goop from his eyes.

"If you're some kind of vampire, please wait until morning for me to let you in. If you want to rob me, but want me to open the door for strange reasons, you will regret this."

Chuckling came from the other side of the door, chuckling that turned into all out laughing that someone was trying, and failing, to quiet.

"Right, so, if I got the apartment wrong, again, this will be awkward, Shu? You on the other side of that door?"

Valt? What in the Universe was he doing at Shu's door? It was three in the morning for crying out loud!

"Valt?" Shu asked his best friends name like a question.

"Yup!" Came a cheerful and very awake answer.

"You know it's three am, right?"

"Are you going to let me in or not?"

With an eye roll, Shu unlocked and opened the door, simultaneously flipping on a light.

The red-eyed man closed his eyes at the sudden brightness. After a few moments, Shu opened his eyes, and glared at a certain Valt Aoi.

"What are you doing here?" he asked plainly.

"Well..." Valt began as he pulled a suitcase in and looked around.

"I came to see you as a surprise, so that's why I didn't tell you. So I bought a plane ticket, forgot that it would land me here at 1:40 something in the morning and-"

"You forgot to book a hotel room?" Shu said, utterly exasperated.

Valt rubbed the back of his head with his hand, a sheepish chuckle coming from his mouth.

Without any words, Shu lead his friend through the kitchen, opened the door to his apartment's guest room, and went back to bed.

At five-thirty am, Shu got up for real. He grabbed some clothes and slipped into the bathroom, careful not to wake up Valt. Why, he wasn't exactly sure, it would have certainly been nice revenge.

Maybe it was because, if Shu was being honest, Valt could probably sleep through the Universe exploding. So why was he being careful again?

Once Shu was in the bathroom, he began to get ready. To start, he brushed his teeth, wanting to get rid of the most awful morning.

Sometimes being Jewish had its downsides. Like not being able to blade 1/7 of the time because you though it was a good idea to make it your job.

Finally, finally, finally did Shu hear footsteps. Valt stumbled out of the guest room and into the main area.

Valt grinned a bit at the sight of his friend. Shu's foot was tapping out of annoyance, probably about the fact that he couldn't go to the Bulls at 7:30 like he normally did.

Or, maybe, he was annoyed about the fact that Valt had come out of nowhere in the middle of the night, woken him up, and was now about to ask for breakfast.

"Are you mad at me?" Valt blurted out.

It surprised even himself that he had said it out of nowhere. Shu glanced up, his brow furrowed.

"Why on Earth would you think that?"

Valt suddenly blanked on what to say next. "Um...," he muttered. Why had he thought Shu might be mad at him?

"Oh! Because I barged in on you in the middle of the night and am about to ask you for breakfast. Can I have breakfast?"

Shu giggled a little. "Yes, I can give you breakfast. And," Shu said, his face turning more serious, "I'm not in any way mad at you. Your unpredictableness is one of the things I lo-like about you."

"Okay," Valt said.

Valt watched as Shu turned around from the island he was sitting at in the middle of his kitchen.

He reached for the refrigerator and opened it, pulling out some french toast he had made yesterday.

"Here," Shu said, popping it in the microwave, "this should work."

***

It was 8:30 or so this summer evening. Shu looked around the small park. It had a few trees here and there, with a small path running by a garden.

He was sitting on a bench over looking a drop to Main Street. His back was to the small bey stadium that Valt was currently training at.

Or, you know, battling one of his many admirers who happened to pass by. Shu, however, had a wonderful view of the sunset.

He'd always loved sunsets. They reminded Shu of peace. A time where darkness and light were both present.

Where neither the Sun of the day, nor the Shadows of the night ruled. Where you could see blue, purple, green, red, orange, black, white, pink, and yellow all at once.

Not to mention the amount of pleasant memories Shu had with sunsets. Eating ice cream with his parents, running around with his dog in the park. Hanging out with Valt.

He did have a few bad memories with sunsets though, but if there was not good to go with the bad, then it wouldn't have been so peaceful.

Footsteps dragged Shu out of his thoughts.

"What'cha thinking about?" Valt asked, sitting down next to Shu on the bench, his head looking forward. (Removed line because it was basically directly taken from Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood, and I don't need 500 credits for this. -Grayv)

Shu tilted his head in consideration. "Not sure how to explain it," he admitted.

"Makes sense," Valt said. He turned his head to face Shu. "Three, two, one."

"What are you counting down", Valt held up his phone, cracked and dirty from, well, Valt.

The screen was on night mode, signaling that the sun had officially set. "Now we can battle."

Shu grinned and took Spryzen out from his belt. With a smile that bordered on a smirk he walked to the bey stadium.

Valt stepped to the other side of the black circle. Both got into their respective launching positions.

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

"Let it, rip!"

(Grayv I swear your cliphangers killed meh XD)

***

The Future Chapter 2: Welcome to the Snake Pit, Enter if You Dare!

All of the sudden, Bel's dad darted out in front of the pyramid. His hands were clasped behind his back, and he was radiating excitement.

"It occurs to me that I have yet to introduce myself properly, sorry Denso I'm gonna do it now! My name is Valt Aoi-Kurenai, my husband is Shu. Here at the Snake Pit, I'm known as Ashtem and Shu is Mr. Kurenai. Or Mr. Aoi-Kurenai. Either work."

He paused for a moment, needing a breath after rapid fire listing off all that information.

"And," Ashtem continued, "without further ado, welcome to the Snake Pit! Enter cuz it's actually kind of cool!"

(Pfft- I bet I'm realising how Grayv felt while confusing us :D That's why no spoilers ;D)

***

The Future Chapter 3: Belfyre Vs Dragon!

Valt walked to the edge of the catwalk above the training area, resting his hands on the guardrail.

He smiled, a lot of paperwork had just been completed, and he had a half hour break to watch the battles. It was always nice when you thought you had more work than you did.

"What're you thinking about?" Shu asked, walking up next to him.

Valt turned to look at him through his Ashtem mask, having changed into the uniform he'd stored in his duffel bag when he and Shu had gone to pick up their kids.

"Relishing the fact that I'm on break. What are you doing up here?"

Shu smiled, his red eyes reflecting the overhead lights. He held up a tablet for Valt to see.

"I was looking for you. We just got word from the WBBA about the contestants for the Roar Tournament. And guess what? We're in it."

***

The Present Chapter 3: Awakening

(Note: There is a little bit of violence & implied being drunk (Not Shu or Valt) after the battle. You have been warned. Summary of the chapter at the end. -Grayv)

"Let it rip!" Shu and Valt shouted.

Spryzen landed in counter-clockwise attack mode, not wasting a second to charge at its opponent with Ultra Counter Break.

Shu saw Valt grin in the dim light. "Exactly what I thought you would do," Valt smirked.

Valtryek dodged out of the way in the nick of time, leaving a "v" shaped trail behind it, only to turn around and attack Spryzen from behind.

"Well look who actually has a plan for once," Shu teased before shouting, "Spryzen, get out of there!"

A rush of adrenaline pumping through Shu's veins, he felt a touch of acknowledgement from his partner as the bey spun away from his attacker.

"Now, attack!" Shu exclaimed.

Spryzen listed, crashing into Valtryek. Their roles were reversed and now Valtryek was the one on defense.

It is an attack type, but by no means weak on defense. Shu thought to his partner, "voicing" Valtryek's stats, something that both blader and bey had memorized.

I know that, Spryzen replied. Any bright ideas?

Shu smirked a tiny bit. I am glad you asked..."Spryzen go up the wall!"

"Wait, what?" Valt asked.

Shu felt Spryzen's devilish joy at the chance to finally try out the new strategy.

The bey broke off the clash with Valtryek to race away, climbing the wall of the stadium and leaping off it and into the air.

"Oh I see," Valt said. "Valtryek move and meet 'em head on!"

"Spryzen! Fire Fall!"

Spryzen and Valtryek collided. One midair, one angled up to meet the attack.

They held the clash for a couple seconds before bursting simultaneously.

Valt grinned. "Looks like you haven't been slacking off since the Ultimate Tag Series," he said.

Shu nodded, "Same to you. Go again?"

Valt leaned down to the stadium to pick up the pieces of their beys.

After a second, he tossed an un-bursted Spryzen back at Shu. "I'm pretty sure the score is still at zero/zero so...duh!"

"Three..."

***

Shu panted, wiping sweat off his chin. 18 ties...man, me and Valt really are matched.

"One more time?" Shu asked.

Valt nodded, panting as well. He help up Valtryek in a challenge. Shu got into his own launching stance.

Valt in his launch not a collection of strategy so much as a random thingamabobby that worked out.

Spinning around in a circle on one foot... it worked really well; but Valt had confessed to Shu once that he had only come up with the launch on a whim.

It was black out, save for the dim light of the street lamps and small glow of the moon.

Shu and Valt had been out here for a while; but the night vision they had built up could only take them so far.

"Hey wait," Shu called. Valt obtained a more natural standing position.

"What time is it?"

Valt thought for a moment. Hand on his chin and eyes looking off toward the ground.

Thinking is a good look on him, Shu thought. Then flushed a bit.

"Excellent question," Valt noted.

Shu raised his eyebrow, prompting Valt on, to which the blue-haired guy responded: "I assume you're raising your eyebrow, but I can't see your face."

"Oh really?" Shu asked smirking a bit. "I can see your face. That means I have better night vision than you."

"Noooooooo," Valt said in a drawn out cry, collapsing to his hands and knees.

After a second to recover from that crushing defeat and get off his knees, Valt pulled his phone out and opened it to the lock screen.

Splayed on top of a picture of him and Shu they had taken after their first ever battle was the time, 10:02 pm, as well as a message or two.

"Ten o'two," Valt relayed to Shu.

He turned off his phone only to be greeted by near total darkness, courtesy of losing his night vision to blue electronic light.

Turns out streetlights don't work that well sometimes.

"I assume you're going to try and be the responsible one and say we should stop blading since I can't see right now?" Valt asked his friend.

There was silence.

"Oh!" Shu said, "I was nodding and forgot you could not see me."

Valt started laughing his head off. Why in the Universe was this so funny? He doubled over gasping for breath, clutching his stomach as he laughed.

"Oh...pffffft...my.....how do you...ahahahahah!". Valt felt a hand on his back.

"Are," Shu chuckled, "are you okay?" Shu spit out, laughter in his voice as well. Valt looked up, Shu was close enough for him to be able to see, now.

Shu's hair was hanging off the side of his head, shaking a bit as he tried to contain his laughter.

"Hahahah, let me get this....hahah, straight: you ask me...pfff, to check the time..heheh, with my night-vision eliminating phone....oh, oh, word...and forget I couldn't see you?" Valt gasped.

They both lost it.

Honestly, completely, lost it.

It took five minutes for Shu and Valt to stop laughing enough to have a coherent conversation.

By that time, they had both collapsed on the grass, lying on their backs in the night.

There were not many able to be seen stars in New York City, but you could see the moon. It was waxing, and about halfway full.

"That should not have been that funny," Valt said, still a little breathless.

Shu turned over on his side to face Valt. "No," he agreed, "it shouldn't have."

"Hey ar'ya the idiots who wer making all that racket?" Someone said from the darkness. They sounded like they were on the street, maybe 10 yards away?

Aw crap (Sorry I can't curse), Shu thought. Next to him Valt rolled onto his knees, fluidly standing up in the same motion.

Shu stood up as well, his right hand was positioned slightly in front of Valt, his left balled up into a fist.

"Who are you?" Valt asked. They voice in the darkness.

"Ya shud ha said 'Who aar weh."," A different voice said.

Shu could see figures now, three of them, standing in front of a streetlight. All three were taller than both him and Valt.

None were holding anything, but two of them seemed kind of...off, one more than the other.

As for the third, if he had to guess, Shu would say something was up with them as well, but it wasn't as clear as the others.

Shu glanced at Valt, who nodded. "Okay then," Shu said, "Who are you all?"

"Well," said one of the people, "I be Gerald, that's Jackson, and we've got Jack's girl as well, Angela. What 'bout you folks? It's only fair you tell us who you are."

Valt answered, not too quick or too slow. "You're right! I'm Sc, and this is Theodore, nice to meet you."

Man, Valt can lie, Shu thought. And then, a second later as he realized what his friend had said, Really, Valt? Really?

Gerald frowned at these two. Sc and Theodore, perfectly fine names. But why the hell must they have been so loud with all their cackling?

He was trying to have a nice night out with his buddies, now they had to come and ruin it. And what did Sc even stand for? Actually, that name was kind of dumb.

Hey, wait a second, hadn't Gerald known a guy named Theodore once upon a time? Yeah, he had.

From where....oh yeah, from those blading matches where his nephew worked as an announcer on weekends.

Why Gerald's sister would make him pick up the squirt was beyond him. Right, Theodore was the leader of some big blading team.

They had talked a bit. Honestly, Gerald thought Theodore was a pretty cool dude. Cool enough to forgive for messing up his night? Maybe. Maybe not.

"Are you Theodore Glass?" Gerald asked the one.

Shu froze. He couldn't...no. He was Shu Kurenai, not...NO! "Yo' I'm talking to you," Gerald said.

SAY SOMETHING! Spryzen shouted at Shu mentally. TELL HIM YOU'RE ASHTEM!

Why? Shu asked.

Survival tactic.

"Yuh-yeah, I'm Theodore Glass," Shu stuttered. Okay. Now he wanted to tear his tongue out of his mouth. Cool.

Gerald spit on the ground. "No you aren't!" He shouted. "Theodore never stutters!"

Ah, Dang! Dang. Dang. Dang. Dang  Can I think something stronger than "dang"? Heck. Heck. Heck. Heck. Shu thought. It was an anthem in his head. (Sorry Grayvere I changed it)

Shu felt Valt tug his hand, pulling him back. The two backed up together.

Slowly at first, before Valt muttered a curse under his breath, and broke out into a run, unclasping their hands.

Shu turned around with him, and, following his friends lead, also started running.

Shu felt a blow on his left shoulder. A good blow too, not anything soft.

He'd felt worse, before Valt had even made it to the nationals the first time, Shu had occasionally felt Spryzen's pain (BTW, Humans should be very glad that they don't have to deal with dragon claws), but still!

He was a bit embarrassed to admit it, but the blow took Shu by surprise, causing him to tumble to the ground.

Shu fell to the ground, getting a mouthful of grass that had probably been a dog's bathroom at one point or another. Which, ew. Instinct took over in that moment.

He rolled, now facing up ward, just in time to see Gerald about to aim another blow and the jerk's friends a couple steps behind him.

Pushing up with his hands, Shu came up into a sitting position and then a standing one, barely dodging the second blow.

Shu tried to run away, but felt something grab his arms. He was panting hard now, Adrenaline was running through him and terror as well.

Shu turned his head behind him to see Gerald grinning evilly. Crap.

Crap. Crap. Crap. Shu thought. Looking back ahead, there was Valt...running back here?

What was that guy thinking?

Valt was ashamed to admit that he hadn't immediately realized shu had gone down.

It took about five seconds for Valt to realize that the panting of his best friend wasn't right next to him.

Valt had turned around to see Shu get grabbed. That sent him running toward the fight.

"LET HIM GO!" Valt shouted. He was charging at Gerald, with absolutely no plan mind you. Well, that was a lie, he did have a bit of a plan.

Maybe not a great one, seeing as it was "use all your abilities to try and figure out what Gerald was going to do next and act accordingly". Huh. Actually not the worst plan.

"Or what?" Gerald asked mockingly, adding a whiny tone to the mix.

Valt growled a bit.

"Let. Him. Go," Valt said, taking a step forward.

Then another. He saw Gerald blanch a bit, Valt didn't blame the guy, he knew he could be terrifying if he wanted to.

Valt felt a blow to the back of his head right then. He went tumbling.

It hurt like hell, and Valt was pretty sure that there was some kind of fluid running down the side of his head.

Strangely enough, the only two thoughts in his head were, Kris is going to kill me for this. Probably my mom too and, like, the entire Bey Club. And, I wonder what's up with Shu?

Valt heard someone scream his name.

Then, there was a blast of heat and light.

★*★

Okay, (Grayv's) the summary:

Valt and Shu have a battle, tying 18 times before they realize it's getting really late, they have a laugh about Shu forgetting Valt couldn't see him due to Valt's lack of nightvision after checking his phone.

Then, some guys, one of whom know Ashtem (How convenient for plot), get mad at how loud Shu and Valt were being.

They kind of attack the pair, and when Valt goes down, someone screams his name, and there is a blast of heat and light.

✯✧★ｏ☆♡☆ｏ★✧✯♡✯✧★ｏ☆

Well I made it till here... I literally add up 3 parts here :D

More confusion, more amazement now I get it :')

Ok thank you Grayv again!

~ 🌻 TD 🌼 Out ✨