I know! To those of you who read the other version of this chapter, I'm sorry for the confusion. I didn't like my older version..so I wrote another one. Anyways, here it is, the revised version...hope you enjoy!

These are replies to those who reviewed to the previous version of the story:

Zoea: I'm glad that you understood it, thanks for reading!

Lady Blade WarAngel: *grins* Hope you like the second chapter.you're going to have to wait a tiny bit for the finding Kai part..it's not going to be an easy business.

.. : Thanks for the review. I was rushing a bit when I was writing this and I mispelt quite a few words. (One of the reasons why I wrote another version) *sheepish* Hope it didn't make the reading too unbearable. And sure, I would like to know your name if you're willing to tell me.Lol.

MysticDragon01: Thank you for your review.

Kai Fan: Thanks for the compliment.here's the revised version.

Now that's done! Here we go....let's get on with the story, shall we?

Chapter 1:

It was exactly four years ago from this day. There were no signs - no warnings. I never got a chance to ask him why. I struggled to find answers, and for weeks I was in denial.

Now, I'm still searching for those lost answers - and for him. He told me, you see. That he and I would never be seperated. That he would never leave me like our parents did, from before I could even remember. That promise was important to me, and I would often need to recall upon the memory to reassure myself.

I stared up at the sky and smiled, the stars were bright tonight. I guess I could deal with spending a few nights up in one of the trees in the park until I finish searching this area. The park was only a few blocks away and so I took my time - I had plenty of it to spare anyways. Halting by the sidewalk, I glanced carefully at the moon.

I am Kesumi Hiwatari, I told the moon, lifting up my chin defiantly, and I am going to find my brother.

Where are you, Kai? Where are you?

*~*~*~*~*

Tenchi blew air through her teeth landing a firm kick onto the limp punch bag, statisfied as the leather material finally yielded and ripped apart. She frowned, cheap junk. She gave it no further thought and moved towards another one.

"Tenchi?"

She didn't respond, too immersed in her attacks to notice the intruder.

"Tenchi."

She sighed, "Yes Tala."

Tenchi turned towards the corner from where the voice had come from, waiting expectantly for the speaker to continue.

"What's wrong?" He slowly came into view, the dim lamps throwing oppressively dark shadows against his face.

She ignored that also, firmly tugging at her hair into a bun before restarting her kicks and punches.

"Tenchi!" Tala intercepted her next kick, wincing as the blow struck him across the chest. "Tala!" Tenchi grimaced, "What the hell did you do that for?"

"Got you to stop, didn't it? You were hurting yourself." He staggered back before regaining unstable balance, allowing Tenchi to help prop him up against the wall.

She shook her head, "Stupid idiot! I could've broken your ribcage or at least fractured it! Who knows if I haven't?"

"But look at this." Tala reached for her hands, nudging them up against the light. Her knuckles were covered with blood and she looked down on them, surprised. "You failed to notice that you were hurting yourself?"

His voice sounded so stern and worried that she bowed her head, feeling sheepish. "I was just.angry."

"Doesn't take a genius to figure that out, now does it?"

They slid down to the floor, Tenchi curling up into a ball on his lap as he placed his arms comfortably around her. She snuggled against him, shifting carefully so she wouldn't make contact with where he had been kicked. Tenchi winced, she shouldn't have been kicking so hard. "'M sorry."

He nodded, "Don't worry about it." Pausing, Tala continued softly, hesitation laced heavily in his tone. "Tell me Tenchi. You know....what Boris said to you this morning?"

She bit her lip, she hated keeping things from her brother..but if she told him the truth....

Tenchi sighed into his shoulder; she already had too many things to worry about, and now this! But most importantly, how was Kesumi...or rather, did her search succeed? She cringed, if only if....he hadn't left. Kesumi would be here and he would be too. Maybe if he was here, then she wouldn't be facing this problem in the first place!

But who was she kidding? Even if he was, what would he be able to do? Tala could probably do something. Tala and he were the favoured ones..the chosen two of Voltaire's classic diabolical scheme to take over the world. Biovolt needed Tala - especially now that they shamefully lost the World Championships..and him.

She resented him for leaving them - Tala, her and Kesumi. He was Tala's best friend, Kesumi's brother.her secret crush. It was painful to think of that time..that day..the very last day that they saw him.....

"I'm so tired! 11 laps around the Abbey is like - torture!" Kesumi moaned as she bent over her legs, rubbing a sore spot with her index and middle fingers pressed together.

"Hey, you had 11 laps. But Kai and I had 13. What do you think about that?"

Kesumi stuck out her tongue, "Then it's all the better for me."

From behind her, Kai eneterd through the double doors leading towards the rec room, a damp towel strewn around his neck. Tenchi followed close behind, flinging at her long, auburn hair. "Arguing already? It's not even 8:00 in the morning."

Kai flung himself down onto the armchair by Kesumi's, thwacking her playfully with his towel before grinning at her, impishly. "11 laps is nothing. You try that extra 2, it'll kill you."

Tenchi shook her head from beside her brother, crossing her arms decidedly, "Kai, what are you whining about? You and Tala were grinning by the end of your 13th lap today. 13 laps isn't even a big deal, Boris always makes us do at least 20 if we need to be punished."

Tala shrugged, "Kai and I said that it'll kill Kesumi, not the three of us."

Kesumi pouted, "Hey!"

"Well, you're the youngest, obviously. It makes sense!"

"No it doesn't! I'm only two years younger than you two! And there's only one year difference between me and Tenchi!" A determined scowl knitted her brows as she poked the nearest person, "Kai! You big bully. And you too, Tala!"

"Yeah Tala!" Tenchi swatted her older brother.

Tala rolled his eyes dramatically, "Oh the simplicity of the mind when one is 11."

"And what is that supposed to mean?!" Kesumi huffed, taking a long sip from her lemonade before putting it back down onto the coffee table arranged in front of them.

"Who's idea was it to increase the amounts of laps by age anyways?"

"One of the scientists down at the lab." Tenchi said, "Although, it's really stupid. I mean what were they thinking?"

"That just proves the theory that scientists are really not above the average IQ as they all allegedly point out." Kai and Tala had moved towards the foosball table and were furiously going about their game while Kesumi watched with mild boredom. Tenchi wrinkled her nose in disdain, "Foosball? Grow up, guys!"

On precise schedule, the breakfast bell gave a soft bling, alerting all trainees and members of the Demolition boys to head towards the main cafeteria. Kai, Tala, Tenchi and Kesumi took their time on deserting their current source of occupation before taking the flight of stairs to the private dining hall.

Boris, Voltaire as well as Tala and Tenchi's uncle sat primly at their usual positions on the huge and quite obsolete size for a dining table. Boris positioned himself at the right of Voltaire as he sat on the northern end of the table, with Tala and Tenchi's uncle on the other.

Tenchi walked gracefully upto her uncle, curtsied, and placed a gentle kiss on his temple. "Good morning." She said stiffly and waited as a servant drew her chair out for her. Tala stepped forward, gruffly nodding his head and quickly following his sister's example.

Kai and Kesumi trailed in after them, paying their respects to their grandfather before taking to their chairs. On cue their private schedule managers stalked forward, announcing which classes and training they had first thing in the morning. "Master Kai: 9:00, Beyblade. Mathematics after a half an hour break."

Kai rolled his eyes, tuning out James' droning voice. He remembered his Tuesday schedule like the back of his hand. Instead he let his gaze wander around the room, and he struggled to keep his chuckles under his breath. Tala was making faces at his schedule manager as he always did, occasionally blinking innocently as she stared down at him. Kesumi, on the other hand was conversing animatedly with her schedule manager.

"Why do we have to take physical stuff? I mean I just had it already..running's enough, right?"

"Training, Mistress Kesumi, is a - "

"I've heard it before Maria! But then think about it this way, I could be using that time to do more useful things! Like...oh! How about drawing? Doesn't that sound nice?"

Good thing that Voltaire was sitting far enough to make a distance between the stuttering woman and Kesumi. If his grandfather had heard such "nonsense" then Kesumi would've had her neck on a platter.

Tenchi, as was expected, was listening respectively, nodding curtly every once in a while to show her attention hadn't yet wavered. She sighed, thrumming her fingers quietly over the surface of the oak table. Looking up, her eyes locked with Kai's and she smiled bashfully before turning away to hide the warmth in her cheeks.

He watched her some more, cocking his head to the side to observe her secretly through the corners of his eyes. Slowly hiding his smile into his cup, Kai slid out of his seat and disappeared through the dining room doors - he didn't dare wave at his friends in front of his grandfather and Tala's uncle.

Unnoticed to him was the pair of steel gray eyes that trailed him out the door, its owner's face stern and drawn. Voltaire drew his lips into a firm line as he paused a moment to survey the Tenchi girl. She was going to be trouble..Kai couldn't have any..distractions. No. He allowed himself a soft smirk, but there was a way. There was a way, indeed.

~*~

"English was quite interesting this morning. My tutour had a lot to say about the works Edgar Allan Poe. Math wasn't too bad either. I started algebra today."

Kesumi cringed her nose, "Algebra? Not bad? What planet have you been on? And since when did Edgar Ellen Poe become interesting?"

"Edgar Allan Poe, Kesumi. Not Ellen. Besides, I like English!"

"Same thing! And sure you like English! You also like math, science, social - wait a minute! You like all the subjects!"

Tenchi smiled, "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do."

Kesumi gave a frustrated moan as she buryed her face into the pillows littering her bed sheets. Upon hearing Tenchi giggle, she looked up, perturbed. "I hate math."

Her frown only deepened as Tenchi began laughing - she found Kesumi's sarcastic tone quite amusing.

"Hey, girls!"

"Tala! How were your classes?"

"Easy. Fun. Boring. Dull. Basically the same as everyday. But," He paused, "Kai wasn't there."

Tala's words had a sobering affect, and Tenchi blinked with curiousity, "What? Are you sure?"

"Yeah. His absence wasn't hard to miss, considering the fact that he is the only one I take lessons with."

Kesumi propped herself up on her elbows, "Where could he have gone?"

"Well, since our boundries are restricted - or rather, we're not allowed to go out of the abbey wall, the only choice would be...in the courtyard, training grounds or swimming pool."

"Probably training grounds? Or he could be beyblading. Hm, or maybe grandfather asked to meet with him or something." Kesumi suggested, lifting out of her position and heading towards the door.

"Where you going?"

"To Kai. C'mon guys, let's go."

The three maneuvered their way along the twisted corridors with ease, having to memorize all 73 halls as well as the 94 rooms and laboratories occupying the abbey's interior.

"So where are we heading to?"

Tenchi shrugged, "To Boris?"

Tala nodded, taking a sharp turn to his left at the fork and raced up the next flight of stairs. Fewer doors littered along the walls as they went further down the halls, until finally they reached their destination.

Reaching hesitantly up to the door, Kesumi placed three uncertain knocks onto the wooden surface, backing up quickly in case the door opened unexpectedly.

"Come in." Kesumi jumped at the muffled reply, carefully turning the knob and peeking her head in. "Boris."

"Ah, yes, Mistress Kesumi, how may I be of service to you today?"

She flung open the door to its widest extent, admitting Tenchi and Tala in with her. Before she could continue, Tala cut in, "Kai. We're looking for Kai, do you have any idea where he is?"

"Master Kai? Now, I wonder..where could he be?" He seemed to be toying with the idea of whether to keep a secret or to let it out. He was certainly enjoying this. Eventually, the latter choice had won and he began to speak again, "He seems to have left the abbey."

The three gaped, eyes widening as the words suddenly began to slowly sink in. "Leave?" Kesumi repeated, she was flabbergasted, and bewildered, she could not believe what was being said to her. None of it.

"Yes, I'm sure he mentioned something about it just this morning. I was wondering whether he had at least informed Master Tala, apparently not." Boris smiled, although crooked and cold; his eyes twinkled with a seemingly victorious glint that they swore wasn't there the day before.

Tenchi bristled, seeing the stricken expression across her brother's face and spat, "You will need to elaborate on the details, Boris."

"There's none left to say."

Tala snarled, sending one last accusing glare in Boris' direction and stormed out of the office.

"Oh my, Master Tala seems to be in distress."

Kesumi bit her lip and squeezed the tears from her eyes as she weakly stumbled out of the room, in desperate search for any signs of Kai. She left; very much unaware of the fact that she had left Tenchi standing there alone, still very much rigid and unmoving. "Where? How? When?"

He gave her a hard stare and replied, "Perhaps we may never know, now I'm sure that Mistress has some training and important activites she must participate in, than stay cooped up in my office all morning." He bowed, "Good day, Mistress Tenchi."

She backed away towards the entrance - she knew a dismissal when she heard one, and she thrust her head in a regal stance. I will be back for more details later Boris, she thought to herself and took off down the hall.

This couldn't be happening! Tomorrow would be Kai's birthday..why did he leave today? Why did he ever want to leave? Oh why? Why did he leave her, Kesumi and Tala?

Amidst her distress, Tenchi managed to find her way back to her room, and flung herself carelessly onto her bed. She felt like a rag doll, with no power left in her to move with her own free will - as if controlled by strings that was firm and tight.

She shuddered violently, and realized that she was crying.

Kai Hiwatari, I'm going to find you, and I'm going to make you pay for making me cry.

But even with a vengeful thought ringing like a vivid echo in her mind, Tenchi let out a helpless sob - I miss you Kai, and I hate you also. I hate you for making me like you, an I hate myself for liking you.

Come back, Kai. Come back soon...........

"Tenchi?" She lifted her eyes, cocking her head to the side to motion her brother to continue.

"You okay?"

She gazed at him fondly, nodding as she smiled. Tala will always be Tala. Sure he had grown taller, the centre of attraction to all girls whenever he went out of the Abbey, and a tad bit wiser, but he was still the same older brother she could depend on, and she liked that.

Tenchi sighed wistfully, if only Kesumi could find Kai...if only she could get a chance to see him just one more time before...

No, she had gotten over him years ago, years ago! That's right. "Well, then. I'm kinda tired so I'm uh going to lie down, okay?" She wriggled out of their comforting embrace to head for the door, only to be stopped by Tala's firm grip.

"You still have to tell me."

She sighed resingedly, glaring down at him with a mixture of annoyance and depression. "It's nothi - "

"Tell me."

Tenchi looked at him with her unwavering gaze, "Are you sure you can handle it?"

His brows furrowed into a scowl as he nodded immediately. She looked away, "But the question is, if I will be able to handle it or not." His brows further deepened; the pain in his chest seemingly forgotten. "Of course you can. It can't be anything that serious - "

"I'm betrothed."

He blinked, "What?"

"Betrothed, you know." She replied dryly, looking straight ahead and out through the window. Tala gaped: he'd never heard a more ridiculous statement before. Surely, she had to be kidding. He gave her expression a scrutinzing stare and realized with great shock that she was serious.

"But you're - But you're only 16!" He exclaimed, his mouth unceremoniously opening and closing in succession. She bobbed her head to show her agreement as she hid her face from his view. For lingering minutes they didn't speak, too weary, and too devastated.

"It's not fair, is it?" She asked, smiling meekly.

"No. But it doesn't matter because I'm not letting that happen. I won't let them take you away, I promise."

Tenchi looked up, flinging her arms around his neck, "I can't go."

"You won't." He sounded so earnest, that she couldn't dare to be pessimsstic. Somehow, strange as it was, she felt - even for the briefest second - safe. Even though she knew her brother really couldn't do much about the situation, she believed.

"I promise."

She grinned into his shoulder, "Thanks Tala." With that, she let her head droop. Softly closing her eyes, she fell into a short, restless sleep.

Tala stroked her hair affectionately, occasionally taking glimpses at her peaceful face and smiling grimly to himself. "Not you. They may have taken our parents away, Tenchi, but not you. You're my sister, and I don't know how I can bear living without you too."

There, all done! Thanks for reading this chapter *looks at the chapter with disdain* I don't really like it so much, but REVIEW! Please, and tell me what you think! XD