Recollections
-climb a tree-
A/N:
Inspired by AngelhearteD, chibi-lothlen, carzla, and a few other amazing writers who have laid down the vague foundations of Kai and Tala's childhood past spent in Balkov Abbey, I've decided to start a chaptered story featuring snippets of our beloved beybladers' past, taken from different times in their abbey years.
Named 'Recollections' for simple reasons, and future works, just like this one, will be totally fictional and imaginative, for Beyblade only started featuring Kai and Tala after their abbey days.
Mysterio000
Young Kai stared up, a good few feet beyond his height, and perhaps a little taller than he would like to tilt his head skywards. His neck hurt, and his cobalt eyes were widening into the eyes of saucers, incredulity hemming at its edges. He scowled.
"You want me to climb this tree?"
Beside him, his redhaired friend grinned, bouncing up and down on his feet excitedly. "Try it, Kai! It's going to be a real experience!"
Kai rolled his eyes, folding his arms and walking away. "You're mad, Tala. Let me guess: you woke me up in the middle of the night, disturbed my precious sleep, had us risked incurring the Balkov guards' wraths by sneaking along the abbey, just to come out here to climb a tree?"
Tala's grin never faltered. "Come on, Kai, just climb the tree!"
Kai was not a happy person when anyone - even someone known as Tala Ivanov, his only true friend of the abbey - interrupted his few peaceful hours he could find in bed. In response, he gave a full-fledge death glare that would have intimidated the likes of any mortal, but this was Tala, and Tala succumbed to not even a Hiwatari's descendant.
"Know what, Tala?" Kai was walking away. "I think you're out of your mind. And crazy."
One hand shot out to stop Kai. "C'mon, Kai, don't be a spoilsport! I promise it'll be the experience of your life! Unless you're telling me you can't climb trees and scale them?" It was a taunt that Tala knew would get to Kai. The latter hated anyone who dared undermine his moral courage, and Kai was not one who back down to challenges.
Tala hit the right spot, and Kai frowned, halting in his tracks.
"You're going to pay dearly after this, Tala."
Tala's lips curled into a boyish grin, though feral in its trademark style somehow that was typically the wolfish young boy. "Okay!"
Kai stepped up to the tall tree that he stood like a two-feet dwarf beside it, inferior in comparison of physical height. With a final, last glare shot at Tala, his hands felt for the bark of the tree, before his legs caught on to some crawling vines around. Expertly, he launched himself up perfectly, and within seconds, Kai had made his way up onto the highest branch where he sat, smirking down arrogantly.
"So? What's your point, Tala? I didn't do it just so I can sit up here and watch you dwarf in inferiority down there."
It was Tala's turn to glare, before springing up to the same branch primate-style. Both abbey-trained kids had been used to the tough trainings. This was no feat to them apparently.
"What's up, you idiot? You woke me up just to see if I could climb a tree faster than you? I know you are competitive, but till this extent is ridiculous." Kai scoffed.
Tala frowned, "C'mon, everyone knows I'm better in tree-scaling than you."
"Hn, you're delusional."
"Anyway," Tala chose to ignore the remark, pointing ahead with a faint smile touching his lips, "this view gives us an advantage, because look ahead!"
And Kai did, much to his astonishment, albeit keeping silent still. Now he knew why Tala had called him to tree climbing past midnight, especially choosing the tallest tree residing within abbey grounds. The sight before them was spectacular, and it offered a glorious expanse of view ahead.
For the first time, Kai saw what laid outside the abbey. The world before then had been dark and dingy, but now, he saw hope, just like he could see the city lights from this aerial point. The skies shimmered, mingling with the vibrancy of the city life a few distances up ahead. It was truly captivating; breathtaking.
Young Kai drew in a breath. Tala spoke beside him. "We've been locked up in here for so long that we certainly have missed out on the sunshine outside, huh, Kai?"
Both boys exchanged similar looks of longing and hope to roam as freely as birds one day.
"I guess." Kai admitted quietly, inhaling the midnight fresh air.
"Well, Kai," Tala grinned, "we're going to make it out of here someday no matter what."
Kai watched the scenery unfolded before him, and nodded. "Someday."
And Tala slung a friendly arm around his friend's shoulder, his grin softening into a true, honest smile, "We'll just have to endure all these trainings and stick together till then, huh, Kai."
"Hn," Kai elicited his trademark sound, but there was an accompanying smile on his face as he felt the friendly warmth embracing his heart, "Till then? You mean, forever, don't you, Tala."
Slightly taken aback by surprise, Tala's lips parted slightly, before recovering quickly, and offering Kai a huge grin.
"Yea, Kai, forever sounds good to me."
Owari
A/N:
End to the first chaptered snippet of their childhood, and will be continued with more future snippets in time to come! Cheers, review and make my day, even though you already know this fic is going to be continued!
mysterio000