Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Dr. Leimrey does not seem quite that gentle person he seems to be. Could Kai's mysterious past be known once and for all? And who is the REAL wolf in sheep's clothing? More on Lei and Lee and Llewelyn.
Lei was just absolutely quiet when they went home to their hotel room a little while later. Max and Takao were talking loudly among themselves, Professor was busy typing something on his laptop, Kai was quiet, Tsukiyo was sighing about something, and Asaya was writing something on her small Palm Pilot.
It looked like a pretty normal sighting of 5 young men and 2 lovely ladies just back from a very happening night from Paris' night strip.
Except that it was quite a "show".
Asaya and Tsukiyo retired to their rooms as soon as they stepped in through the door, while Max headed straight to the kitchen to scavenge for something sweet to nibble on. He returned to the living room a little while later, where all the BBA Team members were seated.
"Gee, I wonder what Mr. Kon's up to," Takao mused. "He, Chairman Daitenji, Lee, and Llewelyn didn't return to the gardens as the maid said they would."
"Maybe they're talking about something important, Takao," Max told him, as he pulled off the plastic wrapper of the cinnamon roll he was fortunate enough to rescue under Takao's very nose. "Mr. Kon looked especially grave about something a while ago."
"So how does it feel to know that you have an older brother NOW, Lei?" Kai asked.
"Weird." Lei blinked. "I always used to think that I was so alone in this world. The elders didn't say anything about it."
"They must have their own reasons for not telling you, but at LEAST you met him now. I mean, it's been a long while since Lee saw you last," Professor told him, looking up from his laptop. "Right?"
Lei nodded.
"And to think they've been living in France the whole while," Takao said softly. "I mean, we've been to France 4 years ago and we NEVER had any inkling your older brother and your grandfather were here."
"..." Lei looked down at his lap. "I never really knew my parents that much; they died when I was just a baby. The elders didn't say anything much about it...but..."
"But what?"
Lei was just quiet.
A deep gray flashback came back to him, looking like some old home movie.
Lei was around 3 years old at the time, and he lived with the White Tiger village chief elder where he got his 1st Driger training. Rai and Mao lived with their parents then, and he won't be meeting them until he turned 5.
The chief elder was talking in hushed tones with somebody inside the main hall of the house. Although Lei was his adopted grandson, he was quick to go out of the chief elder's way whenever he had visitors inside the house. Mostly they were peddlers, and some wandering mendicant monks on their way to shrines and places he only heard about from Cook. What he knew of the outside world was a precious tiny thing, and he didn't tell the chief elder about it because it was that time when the whole village was under self-seclusion from the rest from the outside world.
Little Lei was playing with his toy dragon boat and toy imperial guards when he hears the sharp whap of the bamboo cane the chief elder always took with him on long walks on the cold unforgiving stone floor.
He looked quizzically up at Cook, who was busy chopping vegetables and pork and chicken for their evening meal. ***What is that...? G'anpa angry again?***
***Always so persistent, those fools...*** Cook muttered under his breath. ***Better keep out of sight, little tiger, or else your grandfather would get angry again.***
***I know.*** Lei stood up. ***I'll see to the chickens out back, they're getting noisy again.***
***Don't stray too far off, and please put your toys away first before doing so.***
***Yes, Uncle Cook.***
Lei toddled, wearing a dark blue trouser-cheongsam set and all (which was edged with white braid and had white frog closures) as he made his way to the backyard. The harsh voice of the chief elder made him drop the basket of corn kernels he was about to the feed to the chickens; it was the first time he heard the chief elder so angry.
***You will NOT be getting anything from ME. That boy belongs here and you can't just take him anywhere you want to!***
***B-but...Master Kon...h-he...***
***I would NOT hear ANYTHING about that TRAITOR! He's nothing but a disgrace to the entire White Tiger tribe!***
***B-but...***
The chief elder whaps his cane again. ***They're all traitors! Even his SON! It's a good thing they were killed in that conflict 3 years ago; Lei was saved from their cruel fates!***
***Master Fei...he WASN'T...***
***Just GO! And don't come back AGAIN!*** The chief elder was breathing very heavily. ***And don't you EVER utter that damnable name under my roof AGAIN! You HEAR?!***
There were hurried footsteps, and Lei hears the doors slam. He winced.
A group of cloaked men were gathered outside the doors, whispering among themselves. One of them blinked upon seeing tiny Lei staring at them with wide amber yellow eyes from behind the house.
***By Byakko! Is it you, little master?!*** The cloaked man had tears in his eyes. ***Master Kon always thought of you...little master...he was so very worried...***
***OUT~~~!!!*** Chief elder was VERY angry. ***Don't come BACK! You're all BANISHED From this VILLAGE! OUT~~~!!!***
The cloaked men were about to say something, but the villagers had already become murderous. They hurried off.
The chief elder looks over at Lei, who was shaking terribly. ***Lei. Promise me you won't talk to those strangers if they even try to speak to you. Is that clear?***
***Who were they?***
***Traitors to the White Tiger tribe. Traitors who shouldn't be allowed to even come by the trees that surround this village.*** The chief elder walks off. ***Let's go.***
It was the first time Lei saw how much the White Tiger tribe highly valued their traditions and how they frowned upon radical "traitors". Lei wanted so much to know who they were and that question never really found an answer until now.
"...Lei?"
"O-oh." Lei shook his head. "I'm...sorry. Were you saying something?"
"..." SD Max was wide-eyed. "I don't know Lei. You were like SO spaced out a while ago. Are you sure you're OK now?"
"Uh...y-yes."
"OK."
Kai was just quiet.
"Well, let's get some sleep, we have Bey practice first thing in the morning." Professor closed his laptop. "It's been one long tiring day."
"..." Llewelyn had his arms crossed over his chest as he frowned. "The path to the broken winged Goddess..."
"Dr. Leirmey always told us stories about THAT, but I never really imagined it as something that was REAL." Lee shook his head. "I knew Grandfather was into something, but I never guessed how complicated it was until Dr. Ninomiya died all those many years ago and left us 'that' treasure."
"The most powerful -Holy Beast- to have ever lived. No wonder it was sealed." Llewelyn was quiet. "If that is the case then, Lei..."
"That -Holy Beast- needs 2 -Aurans- to be called forth. But Asaya's aether readings are so way off the scale; she is that legendary -Auran- Dr. Leimrey's been waiting for so long. She could easily summon that -Edain- and throw all of us into chaos. The Guild is just waiting for the right time to tap it and extract the -Aetherions- that guard it. Lei...I was always afraid for him. The White Tiger tribe has been known to be extremely powerful among all the clans that opposed it...and there was that '7 only' ruling among those -Aurans- who get born. It is enough for me to bear that burden, but...does Lei have to be burdened by it, too? I mean, all the things that HAPPENED to him...he still can't quite grasp the totality of it all just yet."
"And he has the 'symptoms' of being a 'specimen' like us. GOD forbid. I hope Dr. Leimrey doesn't find anything about him, which I highly doubt. He must be doing cartwheels all over the place by now."
"..." Lee was sad. "I hope I didn't meet him, not this way. If Lei totally lost it, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself."
"We don't have to worry about anything, Lee. He has his 'reason' to live. But I sure hope he wouldn't get too devastated when he finds out Asaya's true meaning and purpose to this world. Or of what he means to her."
"Yeah, you're so absolutely RIGHT." Lee raised a bottle of gin and lemon juice. "Care for a little nightcap before you head on home, you bastard?"
"Sure thing, slow-pokey tiger. Nothing but a cool drink to calm one's frazzled nerves." Llewelyn grinned. "By the way, do you have any Wild Turkey?"
"...and in the end, there's always DARKNESS." A man smiled. "Sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite. Oh, and have a little prayer stuck somewhere in the deep recesses of your heart because all of you would have their times cut drastically short. Starting with the little -Auran-."
He threw his head back again and laughed, his laughter bouncing off the cold stone walls of the building.
Yes, it was great to be ALIVE.