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Long Day Coming

Chapter 1: Find What You Think You've lost

A lone figure walked slowly down the path. He feet scuffed along the cemented ground. His baggy pants gave a shusch noise when they rubbed together as he walked. It had been a few months now since he had seen Rei and the rest of his old team, the Blade Breakers. He had managed to kick his grandfather out of his mansion, and fix it up a bit. Max had gone to visit his Mum again, who was in America working on some new project, and that was what caused the team to break up for a bit. Rei had gone back to China to visit his old gang and Tyson just went to stay with his grandfather. Kai had no idea what Kenny would have been doing. Probably checking out the local beybladers.

Once he had returned to his home, Kai had realised he didn't need his grandfather anymore. Sure, he was Kai's only blood relative, but they had never cared for each other. At one point, he had wondered if Voltaire wasn't holding him back.... But all that he was forced to do from his grandfather - he didn't need to take it anymore. With Dranzer's help, he threw his grandfather out and improved his life a little.

The first thing he did was try and destroy all the old plans for other kids at the abbey. And then he gave more pay to the servants, as well as freeing some from their duties (which had been owed to his grandfather for many years) He didn't feel like he needed as many around, that was all. He almost pitied the poor fools. He wasn't being a good friend and helper; he was just making things better for himself. He was surprised it had only been a few months.

So with no one to really talk to (except the servants) or beyblade against (he had greatly increased his and Dranzer's power), he was almost glad to see the rest of the Blade Breakers again.

As Kai rounded another corner, his feet padded closer to where they were supposed to meet. Some restaurant in the middle of town.

'Gober Grottins' -that was it. What a horrible name. He hoped the food was better. He gradually headed for the door, where he could see the flashing Gober Grottins' sign. He could make out the others now. It surprised him that he had looked forward to this. He could make out some familiar faces from this side of the pedestrian crossing. He searched for a certain feline-like teen.

His crimson eyes brushed over the other youth.

The jet-black hair was held up by a Yin/Yang band, as usual, signifying his Chinese background. He wore his traditional clothes still, the ones that never changed.

But Kai couldn't stop the feeling just above his stomach that something was different. He wasn't sure what it was, and it didn't feel like it was coming from Rei. Somewhere...else. Within himself.

He crossed the road and headed for the restaurant.

"Kai!" That familiar, annoying voice called. "Where've you been? We've been waiting here outside the restaurant for ages!"

"Tyson was trying to get in to eat all the food", Max added in, with a grin hanging off his mouth.

"So where were you?" Those golden orbs of Rei's were seeing him, piercing through everything, as though he was looking through to his very soul…

"Hn. Doesn't matter." Kai didn't like it He turned away from the only person he would listen to.

Silence followed, before Kenny stepped out from the restaurant, still carrying faithful Dizzy around inside his laptop. You'd think he would have tried to get his bitbeast out by now.

"Oh. Hi Kai. The waiter said our table is ready now. Do you want to go in?"

"Yeah! Alright! Food!" Tyson pumped his hand into the air and Max laughed. 'Same old Tyson' Kai grumbled inside his head.

After a somewhat embarrassing scene where Tyson charged to the all-you-can-eat buffet table, the others managed to sit down quietly at a table near the covered window and talk.

Kai wished they had the curtains pulled open. He wanted something that could distract him from the teen that was controlling his thoughts. There were dull lights, only a couple on the ceiling and one candle-like lamp on each table. Kai began to wonder if they had booked some kind of couples' cafe. He looked around. All the other people seemed to be very deeply engrossed in their partners. Kai shifted his weight uncomfortably.

"What are you guys going to order?"

"I think I'm gonna go for the all-you-can-eat. It looks better than a full ordered meal. Kai?" It felt so strange, when he heard his name come out of those lips, with that voice. It seemed to draw on something. Within himself again.

"Uhh... Kai?"

"Whatever. I'm going to get something from the menu. I don't want to have to touch that food, especially after Tyson has." Kai abruptly stood and headed for the serving/ordering people at the register. The others took this as a typical Kai-like answer. But Tyson, who had just sat down with five heaped piles of food, had to protest. Unfortunately with food in his mouth.

"Iw nah da bod!Ui wi id!" (Tyson translation: it's not that bad. I like it.) He gulped down a mouthful to speak clearly.

"They cook the meat properly here. Wait. Was he insulting me?" Anime sweatdrops all around.

"Rrrr!! Kai! I'm going to get him one day." He ripped the seasoned skin off some chicken with a huge bite.

"Just you see. Me an' Dragoon'll kick his ass!"

"Um. Tyson, can you not spit the food as much when you talk?" Kenny asked. He, Rei and Max were all covered in scraps of food that had come out of Tyson's mouth.

"Yuk." Rei scraped a bit of spit-drenched cheese out of his hair.

"Sorry. Guys. It's just that Mr Sourpants - you'd think that with a few months to himself he'd change a bit but nooo. He comes back, the same as ever. He'll never change. We're stuck with him as a grouchy know-it-all. "

That sparked some thoughts in Rei. Never change? He...wanted Kai to change, he realised. Not that much though. Just open up a little.

That was strange. Usually he just brushed their leader off as a pretty moody guy, that probably would've preferred not to hang around with them. But then Rei had always thought that maybe he'd eventually decide to act a little more relaxed around his teammates. He respected Kai for who he was, but it would be good if he could change, a little at least. He wondered why he would care if Kai was any different. It would just make things easier if he was nicer; Rei reasoned his thoughts to himself. That's all.

A/N Thanks for reading, if you have. I haven't worked on this chapter for that long. But all in one go. A bit more than an hour, I suppose (with a bit of working on it afterwards). I usually do it by hand first (at various times) then type it. I wrote this one all on the comp. Review if you want. But try and give me some advice. Flames: just deposit them in my non-meltable box. And I have a mini fire extinguisher ready.