Author's Note: Kai & Tala are 19; Kenny, Hillary and Airlana are 17; Tyson, Max & Ray are 18; Brain is 20. Story happens four years after the Russian Tournament!!!! Kougra: Now everyone listen as Shadow does the disclaimer Angel: How come I can't do the disclaimer? Kougra: 'Cause I want Shad. to. {Angel hits Kougra with a brick.} Shadow: SHE{points an accusing finger at a now unconsious Kougra}Don't own Beyblade though she would love to.^-^ She does, however, own Arilana Mazda. Angel(Whispers to fans): Sue if y'all want but she ain't got a red penny.

Chapter One: Changes For the Better

As he did every weekend, Tala left the Abby through his secret passage. Out his bedroom window, onto the neighboring spruce tree, and outside the gates. This method proved to be a somewhat difficult manouver at first but lessened the red-head's chances of getting caught in the act of leaving. Tala's rebelleous behaviour began after the Demolition Boys lost the World Tournament to the BladeBreakers. No one thought to check on the young boy's abnormal behaviour for they thought it was just a phase. But it wasn't 'just a phase'. No it was so much more than that. Tala began to remember things he'd been taught to forget by Boris and Voltair. The mind controlling drug they had been using on him was slowly but surely fading out of his system allowing him to make his own decisions. ~They only thought they had perfect control of me. Ha! The fools.~ Tala thought as he made his way towards the bright lights of the inner city. Little did he know, he would not see the light of day for a time to come....
*******

"TYSON!" Max, Kenny and Ray yelled at the top of their lungs at the sleeping boy. Tyson rolled over onto his side but did not wake. They had ben trying to wake him for two hours now and all three were getting pretty annoied. Ray let out an agitated sigh and poured his glass of cold water over the sleeping blader's head. Max let out a small giggle when they saw this did nothing to brighten their situation any. Kai growled and wraped his arms around his koi's waist.
"Still not up?Hn. Here I thought he wanted to go out tonight." They all knew the answer to Kai's question but only Kenny, who had not been acting like himself lately, had a come-back.
"Thank you, Captain Obvious." Kai smerked at the younger blader. Kenny turned sapphire eyes to the nearby window to avoid his captain's gaze of approval.He glared as a warm breeze blew into the room. He had grown eight inches in the last four years so he now reached 5'6". Just recently, he'd gone to get a haircut and purchased contacts instead of glasses for his eyes surprising his teammates with the sudden change in both appearance and attitude.
"Alright then. Everybody out cause I'm going to see if I still got what it takes." Kenny gulped as Max dragged him and Ray out of the room and toward the stairway.
"Let's go finish that birthday cake, guys. 'Cause I don't want to be around when Kai wakes up Tyson the way he usually do."
"I knew it would come to this. Ray! Where are the ear plugs?" Kenny said as he turned off Dizzy so Kai would not wake her as well. Moments later, one could hear Tyson screaming for his life as Kai yelled 'FIRE' into his ears. Three bladers waited with building antisapation for Kai in the kitchen. Kai laughed as he entered the room and saw their expectant faces.
"Don't worry, Arilana still has her 'Tysie'." He said and they all let out the breaths they were holding back and Kai smirked. "For now, at least." Two things happened then. Ray flicked a piece of cake at Kai hitting him on the face at the same time, Tyson entered the room to witness it.
"Hey! That was a waste of perfectly good food, Dude!" Tyson said in a mock tone of voice. "Hey Kenny are you joining us tonight at the Raven's Claw? They got DJ. McKay playin'." The Raven's Claw was a night club that was run by a few small-time business people on McAlester Street. It was also a regular hangout for a few big time gangs like the BladeBreakers.
"Naw. Think I'll stay home. 'Sides, I got some things to think about." Kenny replied quietly. ~Like the reason I'm still on this God foresaken Earth.~ Kai nodded in response.
"If you need anything Max and I will have our cell phones so don't hesitate to call." Kenny gave a lopsided grin and nodded to show he understood. Tyson smiled evily as he remembered a chant he use to use on Kai to get him going.
"Aye, aye, Captain Kai." Kai growled low.
"Tyson." He said menacingly as he glared daggars in the other teens direction. "If you want to live to see the light of tomorrow's sunrise and that girlfriend of yours I suggest-no. Let me rephrase that-I strongly suggest you hold your tounge." Tyson gulped at the thought of dying at the hands of Kai and gave a curt nod. The four BladeBreakers left then leaving a downtrodden Kenny in their wake. ~I wonder if they'll miss me when I'm gone?~ He thought as he left the house and began to walk in no certain direction. His hand came to touch the .45 Calibur I his left coat pocket. He continued to walk down the road and almost tripped over the lifeless form of Tala on the side of the road. Changing his mind once again, Kenny threw away the gun and proceeded to call an ambulance; the operator assured him that there was someone on the way and not to touch the body. That done he called Max's cell phone to let them know what his situation was.

******
After the Tyson and Max told their respective girlfriends the reason they were late Arilana scolded them. "Can't you find a better way of waking my Tysie? That was way crule." Arilana Mazda had moved to the town nearly two years ago and she and Tyson hit it off like they were old friends. She gave a toss of her auburn hair and pouted. Hilliary became edgy then.
"Yeah? Well your Tysie," she spoke the name with a venomous air. "Almost made my Maxie late for our date." Kai rested his head on his koi's shoulder and Ray leaned into him. They both had a grand ol' laugh at the argument in front of them. Fire burned in Arilana's eyes.
"Girls! Girls! Plenty of time to argue later, Ari. Let's go have a dance?" Tyson pleaded with his girlfriend and she agreed.
"Hey," Hillary said suddenly. "Where's Kenny tonight?" As if on cue Max's phone began to ring to the tune Numb by Linkin Park. "Speak of the Devil."
"Hello?" Max answered cheerfully but his tune soon changed for the worst. "The hospital?!? Who? Are you alright?" Max breathed a sigh of relief and the others followed the example. "Alright. No Kai an' Ray just left. 'K. Ja."
"WELL?!?" The girl's screamed at Max over the loud booming music.
"Yeah, Buddy. How is he?"
"Kenny is fine. But he went out for a walk and found Tala onside of the road. Poor guy. It looked like he was in a hit n' run." Tyson's face visibly went blood-red.
"Tysie, Sweety? Are you alright?"
"P-poor guy!?! Tala is the most unsensitive, uncaring, unforgiving, foul-mouthed, ruthless, self-centered guy in the universe! 'Poor guy' my foot." Hilliary stared dropped-jaw at Tyson.
"I can't believe you have that many words in your vocabulary, Tyson." She said sweetly. "And here I thought you were the stupidest guy in the world." Max laughed.
"He can be smart....Sometimes."

Kougra: How was it? Flames are more than welcomed. Now Shadow will do
the closing. Shadow:{Picks up chair and beats away authoress.} NO! Angel quick do the

closing! Angel: Um.... Please send respective reviews to Kougra or she won't feed
us.