Beyblade Fan Fiction ❯ Majesty ❯ Chapter 12 ( Chapter 12 )

Authoress' Notes: Ah…I'm just going to go hide someplace. *looks around nervously* There may be some rather angry people with me after this chapter… Oh, and just so you know, the updates/new fics may be a little more spaced out from now on. Why? Cause Kali's back in classes again. *sighs* Joy.

Warnings: Yaoi, language, violence, lemons, dramatic angst, etc. Need more? Too bad, 'cause there isn't any! Rated R - NC17.

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade or anything to do with it. Only this fic and its OC's (if any).

Pairs: TyKa, ReMa, Hilary/Tala? or Kenny?, Lee/Mariah, others to be decided.

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Chapter 12

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Kai finished talking and there was silence as he received twin looks of disbelief and pure shock from Bryan and Tala.

"I don't think they believe me, Tyson." Kai murmured to the bluenette.

"Well, can you blame them?"

"What do we do?"

"Uh…I'm not sure. I think a sudden noise will give them heart attacks."

"That would be bad."

"Just a little. Hilary would kill us for shocking Tala to death after all the work she did to keep him alive."

"That's worse."

At that point, Tala shook himself out of his daze and glowered at the two. "Do you mind? Seriously, Kai, you're making all that up, aren't you?"

"Tala…have you ever known me to be the type to make up stories? Especially something as fantastic as this?"

"No…but possibly you're lost your mind or something."

Kai groaned and buried his face in his hands. Tyson rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully.

"He's not crazy, Tala. I'm not crazy either." He looked up at the ceiling for a moment. {Dragoon, you and Dranzer may as well just show them because I don't think they'll believe us otherwise.}

{Why don't you transform, Takao?} The dragon God replied sleepily, raising his head from Tyson's shoulder and blinking owlishly.

{Because that just proves I'm a demi-human and nothing more.} Tyson explained, folding his arms over his chest as best he could over Dragoon's coils. {Quit being so lazy, Dragoon.}

Dranzer ruffled her feathers and hopped off Kai's shoulders to the floor. In a bright flash of red light, she took her human form and stared impatiently at Dragoon.

"The young dragon has a valid point, Dragoon. You're just being your typical, lazy self. Now come on!"

The dragon didn't even bother uncoiling himself from Tyson. There was a quick flash of blue light and he suddenly stood toe to toe with his lifemate.

"I am not lazy."

"And they call us children." Kai sighed and Tyson just nodded in agreement.

Tala and Bryan stared, wide-eyed, at them all.

"Now do you believe us?" Tyson hoped, giving them a pleading glance.

"Oh my…" Bryan slapped a hand over Tala's mouth before he could finish.

"Alright, already!" Kai got up and ushered the two deities out the door. "Come on, Tyson. Let's get going before Hilary comes back and kicks us out anyway, and let Tala rest. Don't be too long, Bryan."

"Right behind you, Kai!" Tyson hurried after him, not feeling like dealing with his cousin in her 'nurse' mode.

After they'd gone, Bryan shook his head and looked at his friend in wonder.

"Who knew?" He managed to say.

"Unbelievable. But I guess a lot of things make sense now." Tala yawned widely. "Sorry, Bry. I'm starting to get sleepy again."

"Not at all. You need your rest, Tala. I just…wanted to see for myself that you were okay. That's all…" the lavender haired teen plucked at the sheets absently.

Tala yawned again, his eyelids drooping. "I'm fine. Quit worrying. That Hilary may be a terror…but I'll admit she's taken good care of me." He gave the other warrior a slight grin. "It helps that she's cute, too."

Bryan rolled his eyes. "One of these days you're going to bite off more than you can chew if you persist in trying to screw everything with two legs that's human."

Pouting, Tala adjusted his covers. "I do not. Just because I managed to corner you one time…"

"And promptly turned around and chased after that new chambermaid, remember? Besides, we were a little wasted." Bryan snorted and frowned down at him. "I am so surprised she didn't end up pregnant - that none of them have."

"Hey! I'm always careful! I don't want or need kids at this stage of my life. Especially now."

"Yeah, yeah."

The redhead eyed Bryan critically. "We so have to find you a girl - or a guy. Whatever you prefer, my friend."

"Me? As if. It's you who needs someone to settle down with and put an end to your philandering ways, Tala."

While they continued to bicker good naturedly, Hilary stood outside in the hall beside the open door, shamelessly eavesdropping and trying really hard to contain the fit of giggles she wanted to burst into. They sounded an awful lot like Max and Tyson the way they argued.

Eventually, though, she decided she had better break it up and make Tala rest again. As Hilary pushed away from the wall, however, she froze upon hearing Bryan's sudden, softly asked question.

"You really like that Hilary girl, don't you?"

Said girl listened intently, holding her breath and waiting for the answer. There was a moment of heavy silence, then…

"I…" A pause and a reluctant sigh. "There's no point in trying to lie to you about it, is there?"

"None whatsoever. I know you too well, Tala."

"Yes, you do." Hilary could hear the annoyed scowl in his voice. "Fine. I do like her. I'm not entirely sure what that means or even in what sort of context, but it's there."

"So what makes this one so much different than all the others who have come and gone in your life - excluding me, of course." She heard Tala laugh at that self-assured tone in Bryan's voice.

"Of course. You are one of a kind, Bry." A short pause. "I've met very few women like her. She's…real. I don't really know how else to put it."

"Try."

"Well…looks aside, she's intelligent - the girl has a brain and she's not afraid to use it. She's kind, witty, stubborn, well spoken, and honest. She doesn't hide things from anyone, and she doesn't sugar coat the truth. I respect that. I've seen her courage, I've experienced her firm yet gentle commands - what with being laid up like this for so long now…"

"In other words, she's not one of those flirty, vapid servant girls you're used to." Bryan surmised. "She's a Lady."

"Yeah." Tala agreed softly. Hilary wished she could see their expressions.

"Well…" Bryan said after a moment. "She must be pretty strong to put up with your whining and bitching, Tala."

"Hey!"

"Oh please. You whine like a two-year old when you stub your toe. I can only imagine what a pain-in-the-ass you are like this." Hilary heard a deep chuckle and Tala cursing at him fluently in response.

"You are so lucky I can't move, you ass." The redhead grumbled.

"I know."

Deciding to move in now, Hilary fought back the blush that she could still feel staining her cheeks rosily from Tala's rather high praise of her. She took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and moved into the room.

"I hate to break up your reunion, boys, but Tala needs his rest. You can visit again later, Bryan, if you like."

"Okay." Bryan patted Tala's knee through the bed sheets and got up. "I'll see you later, Tala."

"Whatever."

Bryan just smiled and shook his head at the put out tone of the redhead's voice as he walked out.

"Quit scowling and take your medicine, my Lord." Hilary commanded briskly, holding out a glass of strange looking purple liquid. "That's for the pain and to fight off infection for some of your deeper, more serious wounds."

Tala took the glass, sniffed its contents, and sipped cautiously when he found it smelled like grape juice. "Blech." He screwed up his nose at it. "Doesn't taste as good as it smells."

"If it tasted good, it wouldn't work as well. Didn't you know that?" She teased. "Finish it off and you'll get desert with your supper tonight."

Tala drank the rest with a shudder and gave her back the glass. "That's called a bribe."

"So? It works." Hilary proceeded to tuck him in again. "There. Get some rest, okay? You're healing quite well and we don't want to slow the process, do we?"

"No." Tala mumbled, already slipping under. He let out a soft sigh when he felt her hand on his forehead, checking his temperature. Then she gently brushed locks of his red hair out of his face and stroked his cheek lightly, until he'd gone under completely, sleeping peacefully.

Even then, as drawn to him as she was, Hilary remained at his bedside, watching over him in his slumber.

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With Bryan's arrival, everything seemed a little more crowded. Since there wasn't any more room in the house to sleep, Tyson and Kenny joined forces to move around some of the furniture in the stable apartment, and then worked with Max to help create two sets of bunk beds - one for Kai and Tyson, and the other for Bryan and Kenny (who had been sleeping on the settee in the sitting room downstairs since giving up his bed to Tala).

Kai hadn't been particularly thrilled with the new sleeping arrangements, having gotten quite used to sleeping in his dragon's arms every night. However, he didn't say anything about it, since it was necessary.

Tyson wasn't really happy about the situation either, but put up with it without complaint. He, too, had gotten used to having Kai with him all night, every night by this time - and it worried him just a little. Because for Tyson, it meant a bond was already formed, and with the future so uncertain, that would just not be a good thing.

A few days more passed, and the Kinomiya began to notice some changes in himself that he attributed to his demi-human biology. For one thing, all his senses were sharper and clearer - more intense - than before. His sense of sight, for example, had gotten so acute that he could read in very low lighting quite clearly, and even see smaller objects perfectly from great distances (like birds flying high in the sky). His sense of smell, which had always been quite sharp, had changed enough that he found he could smell Rei's cooking from across the yard and inside the stable apartment - even apart from the usual stable smells.

But the most dramatic change was his sense of hearing. Tyson found he could, quite literally, hear a pin drop from a long way away - and it sounded a great deal like someone ringing a small bell next to his ear. This new change he found particularly amusing, because no matter how quietly Kai tried, Tyson discovered he could no longer sneak up on him - as the dual-haired prince was prone to do from time to time.

Tyson mentioned the changes to Rei, seeing as how he was the only other demi-human around, and asked about them.

"It sounds pretty normal to me, Tyson." Rei shrugged, glancing up from changing Tabitha on the table in the nursery. "Demi-humans have stronger senses than most humans do." Rei looked back down at his daughter, who had a teething ring stuffed in her mouth and was gnawing happily on it. "You say you've noticed the biggest change with your hearing?"

"Yeah. It's really incredible!" Tyson exclaimed, turning to go downstairs.

"Hmm…well, you were bound to discover at least one of your senses became more pronounced - even more than all the others. I think it'll just take a bit of getting used to, that's all." Rei picked up Tabitha and walked after Tyson, joining him in the sitting room as he spoke.

"I guess so." Tyson sighed. "It's all so new to me, Rei. I just don't know what I'm supposed to feel anymore."

The neko-jin gave him a sympathetic look. "I know. But then, you're not the only one who is new to it."

"What do you mean?"

"Have there ever been or are there any other dragon demi-humans out there?" Rei asked, nodding when Tyson frowned and shook his head. "Exactly. No one else knows what to expect out of you either. You are the first of your kind. Even the rest of us other demi-humans can only speculate on you and what you can do as a dragon based on dragons themselves and on what our own races are like."

Tyson slouched in his seat. "When you put it like that I feel really lonely all of a sudden."

"I'm sorry, my friend. I didn't mean to do that to you." Rei apologized. "But I want you to know, Tyson, that despite not having a clue, I'll always be here to listen and help you through what I can if you should ever need it."

The bluenette smiled. "I know. Thanks, Rei."

"Sure. That's what friends are for."

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Nearly three weeks after Tala had shown up battered and broken, there came a day that Tyson had not expected at all.

It began when Kai had awoken earlier than usual, and had gotten up, leaving Tyson alone in the stable apartment to continue sleeping. The prince went for a long walk that morning, thinking about everything.

The future isn't looking so bright. I don't know what I'm going to do about Boris, and I have no idea what Dranzer is expecting me to do about her sister. And what canI do anyway? I'm a mere human and Drisana is…not. Even with Tyson's help I don't see how we can accomplish anything.

Kai stopped walking, taking in the scenery with a tiny smile. It was an idyllic setting. He stood on top of a large hill, partially covered with trees and bushes. At the base of the hill was a small, sparkling stream, and in the distance Kai could see the mountains sitting majestically along the horizon. The sun blazed overhead and fluffy white clouds floated lazily along with the slight summer breeze.

Pretty. There aren't many places back home that are like this. He thought sadly. I'm sure there were many in Tyson's lands, though. Until the Empire swept through like a plague. I hope we can rebuild much of what was lost if I succeed in taking back my throne and country. There's so much that needs rebuilding.

Kai found a huge oak tree and deftly climbed up into the branches, finding a nice, thick, sturdy one to sit on, one knee bent and foot flat on it for balance and allowing him to let his other leg dangle in the air lazily as he leaned back against the trunk of the tree. For a long while, he simply sat quietly, enjoying the natural serenity around him.

But as his thoughts often did, they turned back on the Kinomiya. He cared for Tyson deeply, wanted nothing more than to be at his side for the rest of their lives, and to be able to truly call Tyson his. However, things rarely happen or go the way one wishes them to, and Kai felt a painful pang deep in his chest at the blankness he could see at the future.

Maybe…maybe it would be best to halt things between us now, before it gets too serious. It…would spare us both some pain if anything should happen to either one of us when we return to put things right again. And it's not like we couldn't still be friends and allies. Kai felt another, deeper pang and rubbed at his chest over his heart but otherwise ignored it. Yes. That's what I'll do. I'll just go back and tell him it's better this way, for now, and that maybe if everything turns out okay later, we can work something else out.

Having made his decision (and still trying to ignore the nagging ache in his chest that came with it), the dual-haired teen dropped agilely to the ground and made his way back to Max and Rei's to look for Tyson.

He found the bluenette in the house, chatting with Tala, Bryan, Dranzer, and Dragoon in the sitting room. Tala's presence downstairs was a bit of a surprise, since Hilary had still been insisting he wasn't ready to be out of bed yet.

"Tyson and Bryan snuck me down here while the hellion is out with Kenny, Rei, and his kitten." Tala explained, looking rather smug about it. "I feel so much better just getting out of that room, let me tell you, cousin."

"Uh huh. That's great, Tala." Kai said in a distracted voice. "Tyson, can I speak with you for a moment?"

"Sure." The bluenette got up and followed him into the kitchen. "Is there something wrong, beloved? You seem out of sorts. And where were you all morning, anyway?"

"I was restless so I went for a walk." Kai responded. "Um…listen, I thought about a few things, and…well…I think maybe we should just…" He stopped, taking a deep breath. He didn't know why but he was finding it very difficult to just say the words.

"We should do what, Kai?" Tyson angled his head at his lover, a bit confused and a little scared.

"I think we should…not have this relationship any longer." Kai blurted, his heart clenching painfully even as the words left his mouth. "I mean, we can still be friends and allies, but it would be best if we just…"

He stopped speaking abruptly, watching Tyson's expression go from surprise, to shock, and then to anger and hurt - deep, anguished hurt. Kai wanted to wince, having known Tyson wouldn't react so well at first, but he kept a careful, expressionless mask on his face to hide his emotions.

"You…that's it? Just like that, it's over?" Tyson demanded in a low, pain-filled voice. His heart was shattering into tiny little shards at his feet. "I thought…" He stopped, closing his eyes and swallowing thickly for a moment before continuing. "Whatever. I guess it doesn't matter what I thought." He opened his eyes again and Kai saw the furious blaze of anger, pain, and betrayal in those stormy blue gems. "Fine. You don't want me anymore? Then I'll try to stay away from you and out of your way, Your Highness." Tyson turned away, feeling tears begin to prick at his eyes and, with his spine ramrod straight, he walked quickly and stiffly from the kitchen.

Kai stood there, trembling with emotion, feeling as if a part of him had just died and knowing that it was entirely his fault. Didn't Tyson understand? Couldn't he see that things would be better, easier, if they remained friends? Just friends?

Even as Kai wondered why the dragon couldn't see it, a voice in his head was mocking him.

If I'm so sure about that, then why do I feel like my heart has been ripped in two, and why do I feel so empty now? Kai felt a single tear slip down his cheek and he hastily brushed it away, his feet moving him in the direction Tyson had gone before he even realized it.

As soon as he stepped into the sitting room, he was glared at by an angry, worried, confused Dragoon, and received a chastising gaze from Dranzer.

"What did you say to him, Hiwatari?" Dragoon demanded furiously. "Takao just ran out of here in tears and I want to know why!"

"I…I only suggested that maybe he and I shouldn't continue as we have been and wait for…everything to straighten out." Kai flinched as Dragoon's eyes, so very much like Tyson's, turned to crystal shards of slivery blue in pure fury. Then, quite suddenly, he just disappeared.

"Oh dear…" Dranzer closed her eyes and shook her head. When she opened them again, she got up and strode up to Kai, raising one hand to gently lay her palm against his cheek. "Tell me you didn't really say that to Takao, Kai."

The prince just looked at her helplessly. She sighed and took her hand away…only to raise it again and smack Kai quite forcefully upside the head.

"Ow!"

"Kai no baka!" She scolded, hands on hips. "Are you really so scared of your own emotions that you would come up with such a lame excuse as that too push away someone who could make everything in your life so much better? Are you such a coward that you're afraid of what you can't see tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after that and beyond?"

Kai rubbed the back of his head with a wince. "I'm not afraid!" He protested weakly. His thoughts were going wild. Could I have made a mistake, here? Is what Dranzer saying true? Maybe I have come up with excuses because maybe…I am scared of what I feel for Tyson.

Tala and Bryan exchanged looks and raised eyebrows. Neither was used to seeing their cold, impassive prince flounder or look like he was on the verge of tears - not to mention seeing him get scolded like a child by a woman that was half his size…even if she was a deity.

"Uh…forgive me, cousin, but is there something you might have forgotten to mention?" Tala asked, studying Kai with questioning ice blue eyes. Kai, to his surprise and Bryan's, hung his head and shuffled his feet sheepishly.

But not before they saw the blush spread across his face.

"Chibi, you sometimes amaze me. You're really quite intelligent but sometimes you're not very bright." Dranzer tipped his chin up with a finger and her expression softened. "I know this is all really new for you, and overwhelming, maybe even scary. But that's normal! It's a part of being in love with someone, and everyone goes through moments of doubt in any relationship. But most persevere and come through it stronger and more sure about it than anything else in their life."

"What do I do?" Kai asked huskily, voice full of uncertainty and confusion. "He's so mad at me now, probably, and…why would he accept an apology from me?" He met Dranzer's fiery red gaze with his own, darker crimson one. "I…I hurt him, didn't I?"

"Yes. You have done that, chibi ichi. But I don't think you're giving the young dragon enough credit. He loves you, Kai." She stated, and he felt a little dizzy, even though deep down he'd always known that. "And you love him. It's true you've goofed up today, but I think you're strong enough to go after him and make it up to him."

Kai nodded, turning to go to the front door and run after Tyson.

"Wait a minute!" Dranzer called after him, frowning. "Let me get Dragoon out of the way before you go. I really don't think you want to try to go though him to get to Takao."

"Is he with Tyson?" The crimson-eyed prince paled considerably at the thought.

"Indeed." The little female deity stamped her foot. "Oh, fudge! He's not talking to me either!" She grabbed Kai's arm and dragged him out the door in annoyance. "Come along, Kai. Let's go find those two and I'll run interference for you with Dragoon."

"Yes, ma'am." Unable to argue or defend himself, the prince followed her docilely, leaving two wide-eyed teens behind.

The front door slammed shut behind them and Tala stared at it.

"Hey, Bry?"

"Yeah?"

"Remind me to pester Hilary for the story behind this drama later, okay?"

"No kidding."

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Authoress' Notes: *leaves note for readers since Kali's in hiding* Okay! I know! But never fear, people! I'm not about to REALLY break up the bishies. I swear!!!! And in case some of you are getting the idea that this is turning into a Tala/Bryan or T/B/Hilary (in some way), I hate to burst your bubble but it's not going to…though the idea has crossed my mind. But I'll just save that for some other day. Anyway… Please R/R!