I would like people who are reading this to know that this the 'Revised Version'. If anyone has read this story before I revised it, please note that there are many changes. If this is the first time you are reading this, then you're lucky, you wouldn't have seen the very bad first fourteen chapters. I have only this to say. This story was my first, and I plan to see it to the end. And I want you readers to come along with me as the characters struggle through this, in failure and in triumph. I hope my style is good enough now to portray this as it was intended to be.

Please enjoy The Heartless Soldier, in its new form.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade. My own created characters and the concept are mine, but everything else isn't.

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The Heartless Soldier

Prologue

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Five years ago, though it may seem much, much longer to some, a ruthless, powerful king made a law. This king, whose only fear was to lose his power and any of his kingdoms, made this law after the death of his only daughter. With both his children dead and wouldn't trust their spouses, he turned to his grandchildren to be his heirs. One had a quiet, kind strength, and he would never need protection for he was always by the king's side, though the other child was weak and lived in a different kingdom. Sickly, frail, and could not hurt anyone or thing, he needed protection more than any other child did in the whole world. And Voltaire, the king, was willing to do anything to make sure that that child was indeed protected.

Knowing he couldn't waste the lives of men, he sought to weaken the growing population of women by choosing young women and girls as his sacrificial lambs. While his younger, weaker grandson grew up he could have the protection of a maid, who was not only skilled in motherly duties. But what of when he became a man? This boy could not have a 'maid' forever. Though, he could have a wife. Voltaire surmised that if a maid could protect his grandson, then why couldn't a wife? Deciding at once, Voltaire made that law. This law forced any female, mostly of the low and lowest middle classes that couldn't afford to pay the fee, in his kingdoms between the ages of seven and twelve to go through an examination that was held at Voltaire's main castle.

The time before his younger grandson became a man would allow Voltaire to find a young woman to be his temporary bodyguard if the young woman that would become his grandson's 'wife' was not ready in time. And if a temporary bodyguard was not needed, the dent of the women's population would still be worth it. Though only the very few knew the real reason why these girls had to go through the examination, but the soldiers that gathered the girls, warned their families that there was a high chance of never seeing them again. The families hated King Voltaire for this, but feared him and his rein too greatly to start any riots or revolts.

Hundreds, maybe even a few thousands girls went through the examination. Since the law became into affect, no girl has ever returned. And some of the workers in the castle swear if they listen carefully enough, they can hear the screams of dying and tortured girls. Though no one, except his own mother, wondered about Prince Kai, Voltaire's grandson that never left his side. Voltaire visited the examination every day, so wouldn't Prince Kai as well? Wouldn't seeing countless girls die everyday, either through torture or suicide, scar the boy? No one could go through that without becoming insane or heartless. Would Prince Kai's young, kind heart freeze over with each day? Would he become a heartless soldier, just like his grand father?

Only time would tell…

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So? How do people like the new prologue? It's a lot longer than the original, and I really like it. Also, anyone who has reviewed this story before the revise, they will no longer be in the revised chapters. I will make a thank-you chapter for anyone who has reviewed me before I updated, the date not so sure about yet. So anyone who reads this and doesn't see that I acknowledge them for reviewing, no worries, I will do something that shows I acknowledge my readers. Especially since each reviewer deserves it.

Angel of the Fallen Stars