Hey everyone! The next chapter, and before I go on holidays! You people are lucky!
Orange: yeah, they're together, but whether Tyson stays with his brothers or not is something that I'm not going to answer just yet! ^_^ thanks for the review
White Dragon: The twins aren't really angry, more thankful that their brother is home, and alive. As for Ben, well….
Luki Dimension: That boy will be revealed in the next chapter. He has already been featured in the story though.
Beyblade fan: With the Royals, it's easiest to remember which order they go in by their names - Andre, Benjamin, Christopher, Daniel. So Andre, or Tyson is the eldest.
Jewel: How Ben responds is going to be fun to write, but that wont be for another couple of chapters. They manage to hide it from him for quite a while. ^_^
Lady Blade WarAngel: Thanks, Lady Blade. And thanks for your help with this chapter.
pinkdevil: I'm glad you like this! I'm really enjoying writing it, and having my readers like it too makes me want to write more.
Dead kitty: I'm still deciding on the slash issue, but thanks for your vote!
BladeBreaker Girl: Well, just scroll down and you'll see who it was! ~_^
Shinigami29: I like your cliffhangers! Hanging from cliffs is fun!
Wishful Thinker: *blushes* Are we talking about the same story? You really think it's that good? Thank you!!!!!
cc: thank you. I will continue!
Woodelf193: Thank you.
Kenren19: What happens when Ben finds out will be quite interesting, but I'm not sure you'll want it to happen after this chapter! ^_^
Man, that was a lot! If I missed anyone, I'm sorry.
Major thank you's to my Beta-Readers, Lady Blade WarAngel, and Shinigami29. Without their help, this would probably be a lot worse then it already is! Thanks, guys!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognise.
Now that all that's done, on with the fic!
Weeping Angel
Chapter 7
Tala hated surprises. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Surprises could serve their purpose, as long as the surprise wasn't on him.
He had received the instructions in the mail. The letter only said that if he wanted to witness the destruction of one of his enemies, and receive something he'd always wanted, to get on the plane, and follow the instructions. So, he got on the plane.
"Well, if it isn't the little Bladebreakers?" a smooth, slightly accented voice drawled. Tala glared at Kai, before his gaze passed over the other bladers on the plane. His gaze finally landed on Lee. "And groupie," he added disdainfully. Tala smirked when Lee growled softly, and couldn't help baiting the boy further. "Or would that be servant?" the look on Lee's face darkened as Tala continued, "Think you can carry my bags too?"
"What are you doing here, Tala?" Kai asked, acid dripping from his voice. "Did the Royals send you?"
"The Royals?" a minuscule degree of surprise slipped into Tala's voice, before he covered it again, maintaining his cold exterior, "No, we're not acquainted."
"And you think we are?" Ray spat.
"Actually, yes I did."
"How did you come to that conclusion?" Max asked, curiosity in his voice. Tala smirked, looking around, and then noticing that Tyson, the brat that had beaten him, was not there.
"Well, since you're losers, and so are they, I guessed you knew each other."
"If you remember, you were the one who lost," Ray pointed out, "Tyson beat you."
"He must have realised how much of a loser you guys were then, because he's not here now, is he?"
At that, Tala noticed Kai's eyes darken slightly, and he smirked internally, glad to have stuck a nerve in the cold boy.
"Shut up. You don't know what you're talking about, Tala," Max ground out angrily.
"Really?" Tala raised an eyebrow. "I thought I was giving a reason why Tyson isn't here. It seems I do know what I'm talking about."
"Tyson was kidnapped by the Royals. We're going to get him back," Lee explained before anyone else could say anything, "and it seems like you're being brought along too."
"Why are you here?" Kai asked, staring hard at the red haired boy.
"Please take your seats," came the voice of the airhostess over the intercom, "and fasten your seatbelts. The plane will be taking off momentarily."
Tala sat down in the only empty seat, next to Kenny, though the older boy sat as far away from the other as was possible. He gave the other boy a look that plainly said, 'talk to me, and I'll kill you'.
Once the plane took off, Kai repeated his question.
Tala smirked in reply, "personal gain. Nothing else."
"Really?" Kai replied, a matching smirk on his own face. "What are you gaining?"
Tala smirked again. "Wouldn't you like to know?" then the red haired boy closed his eyes, ignoring everyone on the plane.
Kai glared at Tala before turning back to Lee.
"I want you to tell me everything. Everything," Kai added when Lee began to protest, fixing the White Tiger with a glare.
"I promised Tyson I wouldn't say anything," Lee pointed out, ignoring the glare.
Kai pulled Lee closer, fisting a hand in his shirt. "Do you really think I care?" he hissed. "Tell me. Now."
Lee sighed, seeing that Kai wouldn't be distracted. "I first found out during the Asian Tournament. I had seen Andre – Tyson – in pictures before, especially around then, because he had only just gone missing. Even though he had changed his appearance, I still recognised him. I confronted him after the final match."
Kai was listening intently, slightly angry with himself. He still didn't understand how he could have missed it! But then, Tyson put on a good act. He always acted like a juvenile, so people would underestimate him, but now Kai didn't know how much of the Tyson he knew was the front, and how much of it was the real person.
"He denied it, of course, but I knew," Lee went on. "I could tell by his eyes that it was true. And he was scared. Obviously he was scared of being found out, but at the time I didn't know what of."
That caught Kai's interest. "What do you mean?"
Lee looked at him, disbelief in his eyes. "Kai, the Royals isn't just a name. It's them," he told the other boy quietly, "it's who they are."
"Well, isn't this a nice conversation," asked Tala from over by Kenny. Lee and Kai both glared at him.
"What do you want, Tala?" Kai asked. "I don't recall this conversation involving you."
"Move, Tiger," Tala commanded Lee. The Chinese boy just raised his eyebrow.
"Why?"
"Because I need to talk to Mr Personality over here," Tala said, pointing at Kai.
"And what makes you think I'll talk to you?" Kai shot over.
Tala smirked. "Because I can tell you all about the Royals. Everything you want to know."
"What if I already know whatever it is you want to tell me?" Kai asked.
"Trust me. You don't."
Kai scowled. "Fine. But it had better be worth it," he said, glaring at Tala.
Smirking, Tala rose from his seat, and sat down in the chair that Lee vacated, purposely bumping the other boy as he passed him. Lee growled softly, but didn't say anything.
"Tell me what you know," Kai commanded.
Tala smiled cruelly. "Do you really think you should be telling me what to do?"
"Just tell me," Kai repeated, finality in his tone.
"Whatever you say," Tala replied with a smirk. "The Royals are the princes of a small island population in the Philippines region of the Australasian area. There is currently no King, but the three remaining members of the team are all on the High Council to decide what happens to the country until a king is found."
"Why isn't there a king?" Max asked, listening in.
Kai looked questioningly at Max, before asking, "How long have you been listening?"
Max frowned. "Since just then."
Tala ignored the interruption, and continued talking, answering Max's question in the process. "The King died only a few years ago. It's said he went mad after his oldest son – that's Andre – disappeared. The old fool never believed that Andre was dead, but because he was gone, the line was finished."
"Finished?" Lee asked. "What do you mean?"
"Because of some troubles the king had a few generations back, a law was passed," surprisingly, it was Kenny who answered. "Only the eldest child could take the throne. No one else."
"But what if the eldest died?" Ray asked, taking interest in the conversation.
"Then the king needed to go a special court, with his son's body, to prove that it really is him. Nothing else would do," Kenny explained.
"But Andre disappeared…"
"Yes. So there was no body, which meant that in the eyes of the law, Andre is still the heir."
Lee and Kai exchanged looks. This was not looking good.
"But I heard that Benjamin, the leader, hates his brother for disappearing," Max pointed out. When everyone looked at him, the blonde boy elaborated, "Since we got the invitation, I decided to do a little bit of research on them. I spoke to Mum in America, and she said that the All Stars were challenged to a match by them, and the All Stars lost."
"Ben does hate Andre," Tala said after a minutes' pause, while everyone was taking in Max's information. "Ben always wanted to rule, and when Andre disappeared, he thought he would be able to, but the law said he couldn't."
"So, what would happen if Andre returned?" Lee asked carefully.
Tala smirked. "If Andre came back, and the Royals found out; well, I don't know about what the twins would do, but Ben would kill him."
"Kill him?"
"Of course. Ben would do anything to rule."
Daniel and Chris sat on Chris' bed in silence. Tyson had gone back to his room not long ago, escorted by the servant who had brought him up. They had decided, by mutual agreement to continue calling him Tyson. That way no one would find out, they hoped.
"I don't know what to do, Chris," Daniel said.
Chris nodded in agreement. "I know what you mean. We cant tell Ben. He'd kill Tyson if he found out." Silently, he added, 'But, if he finds out, he'll kill us for keeping it from him'.
"So what do we do know?" Daniel asked after a moment.
"We'll think of something," Chris replied, trying to reassure his younger brother. "We'll think of something."