XP: A short one shot of Kai and Tala. (: Cheese. And review.

How does Kai find the resolve to keep going, no matter how beaten down he was, no matter how much everyone looked down on him and insulted him? How does Kai manage to last till the end, how did he manage to be one of the best? How did he manage to be so calm and collected, no matter what the situation?

The answer is Tala.

As beybladers, they had a promise to fight each other at the championships, in the finals. The screaming crowd, the booming loud voice of the DJ, their supporting teammates, only helped them to fight at their best. A promise made when they were young to fight till the very end, a pinkie promise that would last forever. To never give up, no matter what the circumstance.

Two young kids, in the dark abbey, when all was dark, when there was no hope to cling onto, made this promise. "We will become the best beybladers and fight in the finals, and nothing will get in our way!" A childhood promise that stood against time.

When Kai felt like giving up, when he was exhausted, Tala would send him a snide look that said, 'What, you're gonna give up now? Are you that weak?' Kai would feel indignant and anger at that, and he would get back up and work even harder so he could get to Tala. They both would smile inwardly, knowing what the other would do, predictably.

"If it's too painful to continue, to walk on, can I stop?" Kai had asked once, when he was badly beaten, almost too tired to stand. Tala glanced at him coldly and pulled him up forcefully. "No, you can't stop. You can't stop because I'm continuing on, and if I die you're going down with me." But Kai knew Tala's unspoken words were "There would no meaning if you're not there with me in the end."

"Do you hate me too?" Kai asked, looking up at the sky, when he had been insulted by almost every single beyblader. Tala snorted and replied, "Yeah, just look at you, you're pathetic." Kai glanced at Tala and continued, "I'm a traitor." Tala rolled his eyes. "Who cares?" Perhaps it was better if Kai was on the other team, because Tala wanted to fight against Kai. He wanted to have the best fight ever, and if that meant Kai had to be a 'traitor', who cares?

When Tala was hurt, Kai felt rage that he had never felt before, one that made him able to do anything and everything. And he beat the person who dared to hurt Tala half to death. And yet when asked if he did that for Tala, he would reply, "Hn, who would do that for a guy like him?" But he knew, and Tala knew, the feelings that they both had.

Kai liked it when Tala insulted Tyson, calling him a pig and such. He liked watching Tyson's face turn red with fume coming out of his ears. When the Bladebreakers got on his nerves, watching Tala insult them was seriously the best stress relief, watching them get angry. "Haha, now you know how I feel!" Kai would cheer inwardly, and Tala would send him a look. Kai would do a half shrug at that, and Tala would give the tiniest of smiles.

To be calm and collected every single time was hard, especially if you were the captain of the Bladebreakers. But he and Tala had a bet, that if Kai could manage to be so, Tala had to keep the two horns on his head. Tala actually hated it, because Kai used to tease him that he was a red bull. Now all Kai had to do was to think about those two horns and he would control himself, from both anger and laughter.

When they fought together, while everyone thought that two cold, arrogant and mean Russians together wouldn't work out, both Tala and Kai didn't think so. After all, the could basically predict each other's moves, and they would send little glances at each other when they felt it was a wrong move. They understood each other so well, that they were always in perfect synchrony, able to beat any opponent they faced. They were invincible together.

No one could understand the relationship between Tala and Kai, except the two of them. They both knew their relationship was strange and rare, and yet it was as precious as treasure. And because of Tala there, he would never give up.

He couldn't give up, afterall, Tala was waiting for him.

XP: Review! (: