Kaierella

by Soriya

Think of Kai in a cinderella moment and not willing to play prince Charming. Just a bit of fun.

-1Kai is dreading this ball that's supposed to determine who he is to marry. He feels like he is in a bad Cinderella sequence and doesn't want to be prince charming. But then he sees someone and thinks it might not be so bad after all. But when he finds out she is in love with someone else how will he react?

Eighteen years I have lived and can't remember how to love. But did I care for such a thing? My grandfather had beaten any love I had for him out of me when I was a very small boy. How I recall so well the moment my love died for this man.

I tried my best to learn with a private tutor but to no avail. So as punishment he took a cane and led me to a small dark room in the attic of this house. He switched on a single light hanging from the ceiling with no shade to shield me from its unforgiving light. There was no escape apart from the small door with pealing paint he pulled me through. He grabbed the only chair in that room which was just as plain as the space it stood in. He placed one foot on the chair whilst leaving the other on the floor. I begged and pleaded for him to let me go. I lost count of how many times I must've apologised for not being able to learn fast enough. My strength was minimal in comparison to his own. He placed me over his raised knee as if I weighed nothing. Then he beat me like he would beat a dog and didn't relent his attack when I cried out in pain. It was as if he thought I were possessed by the spirit of disobedience. Only when he thought I learned my lesson did he let me fall to the floor crying like a baby.

After that there was an evil silence. The hate I felt for my tormentor welled up inside of me like a wild animal trying to claw its way out of me. I was never beaten again and that smirk on his face told me he had won…for now. I made myself a solemn promise from that day. As soon as that bastard dies I'll dance on his grave with joy for being finally free.

Even though I wasn't beaten again after that he had other ways to make my hate for him grow. He sent me to a Russian Abbey run by a man named Boris. I never thought I could hate anyone worse than my grandfather. It was hard to choose which I hated most after training in that hell designed for young bladers such as myself. Then he ordered me to steal bit beasts from people whom I considered friends shortly after my battle using black Dranzer. But what he has planned now is bound to drive me to the point of insanity. "WHAT!"

"Yes a ball Kai. It is to be held here so you can acquire yourself a respectable and satisfactory wife. Do try and control your temper it really is embarrassing to watch you make a scene like this." I sat down with anger pulsing through my veins. I was only eighteen and he was thinking of marrying me off to someone I would meet at this charade of a ball.

I should voice my opinions now but nothing came to mind and I remained silently seething in my seat. "It will be held in the main hall tonight. I expect you to be punctual and on your best behaviour. There will be people coming from all over the country with very powerful positions." I knew he was talking about money and royal connections but it didn't interest me in the slightest. In fact this whole idea made me feel incline to wretch. I was eighteen now and had the power to make my own choices in life. But I think in his eyes I was still that strong willed boy he had beaten in to submission. "Yes grandfather."

How I wish I'd spoken my true feelings in that room. Had I known he'd posted the invitations a month ago and secretly been planning everything before he told me then…what would I have done? Probably doing the same thing I am now. Laying on my bed staring at the ceiling in my black tie outfit thinking about the ever looming prospect of being surrounded by maidens with no way out. That thought alone was enough to put me in a very deep state of depression.

"Get up master Kai! You'll ruin your new clothes!" Voltaire's personal butler roused me from my sanity. I looked in to his face wrinkled from time and his thinning hair no doubt caused by my grandfather. I may feel sorry for myself but at least I didn't have to wait on my grandfather hand and foot unlike the unfortunate being standing in front of me.

I did as he asked and waited for the embarrassment to begin. I had to stand by the door with the butler bowing to each young lady in turn as they came in. Most of them giggled and curtseyed in return whilst others smiled sweetly. But some didn't even look at me like they didn't want to be here in the first place. If my back didn't give out first then my sanity would.

I felt the urge to go mad with each passing second and may do something I was likely to regret unless I got away and soon.

But that's when I saw her. Her shoulder length black hair melted in to her long, black dress underneath her delicate looking hood from the black travelling cloak she wore about herself. The skin attached to her was as white as snow as if sunlight had not touched it and her lips were blood red. This strange beast's eyes bore in to my heart making it beat even faster. They were a strong blue colour but seemed to be broken in appearance from light blue cracks as if someone took a hammer to them. She was elegant and strong in every step she came towards me as though she were taught to be this way. She showed a strong and delicate posture at the same time looking wilful and dignified. Whatever had enchanted me to be in the same room as this lovely creature rendered me unable to look away from her face.

Her father on the other hand was a stout and portly man with thinning grey hair. He seemed more like a fat cat than a powerful man. He wore the stereotypical top hat as I had seen on so many of the other guests. This image they had to present was getting quite tiresome.

She was last to come towards me and looked just as miserable as I felt. I bowed for what I hoped would be the last time and she just looked at me. "Well, come on Tema. Say hello to the young gentlemen." She looked back at me and said in a very flat tone. "Hello young gentlemen." Then she walked away with her father in hot pursuit.

My hour of bowing to what seemed like every family in the country was now at an end. I turned to my fate in the great hall where the maidens were waiting for me. It didn't take long before several asked me to dance. Some of them were pushed in to it by their fathers and they couldn't protest. I knew how those few felt but took them by the hand anyway.

I must've danced with every girl in that room until I could finally leave. I thought training or battling against my most powerful opponent was exhausting. But nothing on this earth I have experienced came close to this. By the end of it I was mentally and physically exhausted with all I had done.

The ball was no where near to finishing and my grandfather was pestering me constantly about who I had chosen. I escaped my grandfather and the maidens by going out on to the balcony over looking the garden. I spied some maidens underneath giggling and using those contraptions known as mobiles. "How do you spell quaint?" This girl was surrounded by admirers more than friends but had as much idea about how to spell quaint as she did. I sighed at this site of stupidity from a girl who must've been the same age as I if not older. Her hair was obviously died as her eyebrows were clearly brown.

How long I stood there watching this drama unfold I did not know. I looked to my right to see her looking at the same sight as I. She rolled her eyes and her face said it all. "God forbid they should be politicians." I said looking at her hoping for a response. She looked at me and nodded in agreement to my statement. "I'd be very surprised if they could spell that." She said in her emotionless way like she did at the door.

We stood there for a while as the useless air heads tried their best to spell quaint. It really was embarrassing for girls their age to take what seemed like an hour to spell a five letter word. I still looked at the lovely creature a few feet away looking down on the pitiful scene. "I'm Kai Hiwatari and you are?"

"I know who you are. You should know my first name already because my father said it in front of you. Or had you already forgotten that?" She said in a cold sort of way sending a chill down my spine. I didn't know what to say and whished I hadn't blurted out the first thing that came to mind. At that moment I felt all hope leave me and sorely hoped this would be a dream. I didn't say anything else to her, I felt too embarrassed and fought down the flush of blood threatening to invade my cheeks. But then she sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry if I seemed rude but this beauty pageant is not my idea of fun. My name is Tema Avalon and I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk to me about getting married." What else could I do but agree to her request?

"K w a i n t? K w a y n t? Q w a e n t? Come on give me a clue." This blond haired idiot was really starting to annoy me. But that was nothing compared to the look of supreme anger on Tema's face. I'm sure she found it insulting of the very idea how someone of her age was unable to spell such a simple word. I wondered how long it would take before this magnificent creature exploded with rage. I found I didn't have long to wait.

"IT'S Q U A I N T YOU BLOCK HEADS!" She yelled from the balcony causing the girl and her supporters to turn and address the one who insulted them. "Well if it isn't the rude little urchin I had the misfortune of bumping in to earlier."

"Oh no, the misfortune is all mine." I loved her way with words. "Why you little-" I knew why she stopped short and I hated where her gaze fell in an instant. Her eyes locked on to mine and I felt a strong urge to run away from this moment in time.

"Hi Kai." She gushed making me feel nauseous at the mere sight of her cheery disposition as if seeing me for the first time. I glared at her but she didn't even batter an eyelid at my attempts to repel her hungry gaze. I felt dirty as her eyes flicked up and down my person, it was as if her very eyes were undressing me out of my suffocating clothing. "You were saying something? Or are you too busy being a slut to remember?" The blond turned from looking nauseating to downright dangerous in a second. "Say that again and you'll be sorry."

"Will you remember such a thing? Or should I write it down for future reference?" Tema was not only a lovely creature but was now my saviour. All that blond could do was stammer and make idle threats whereas Tema had so many things to say with so little time to say them. "I'll…I'll…"

"What? Go running to daddy?" The blond walked off close to tears and her supporters followed without delay. Tema breathed a sigh of relief and sat on the wall running along the edge of the balcony. "Be careful ." I gasped without thinking and she gave me a very odd look I'll never forget. "What concern is it of yours if I get hurt or not?" She was trying to tell me she wasn't interested but I already knew it. But there was just something about her I couldn't walk away from. "I'm not concerned. But my grandfather will kill me if anything were to happen to one of his guests when I could've done something about it."

"His guests?" She seemed to love finding out mysteries behind things and I have just made it so with the words that had left my mouth.

What had I just brought upon myself? As long as I was with her I didn't seem to care about anything else. "I didn't know about this stupid ball before this morning. If he told me earlier then I could've escaped and come back a day or two later." But thinking about that made me realise I wouldn't have met Tema. "Same here. My father knew I would run a mile if he told me about this. So he got me on the plane saying we were going to visit grandmother. But then he whipped out a dress, locked me in the bathroom until I put it on and then he told me where we were really going." I couldn't help but smirk at this tale. But Tema didn't see the funny side of her story at all. "It's not funny!" She scolded me making my smirk disappear. "Sorry."

"I never wanted to come to this stupid thing but my father had other ideas. He wanted someone who could provide me with the high life he thinks I'm used to."

"Your not?" She shook her head and glared at the sky. "I love to live free in the streets, the park and run around like no one can catch me. But at home I'm expected to act like a princess or something. People tell you where to go and how to dress, sometimes I just feel so trapped." To a certain extent I understood how she felt. But then her mood changed and she looked confused. "Why am I telling you all this anyway? I must be going out of my mind."

"I don't know, you brought it up."

"Whatever." She said sighing deeply as if to keep a hold on her own sanity. "So I take it this party isn't to your liking as well Kai?" I shook my head at her observation wishing I could say something, anything to make her register me as a human being. But with this bad version of Cinderella's ball going on how could she think anything decent of me? "Things like this make me wish I was a boy."

"No you don't. My back is aching from having to bow to everyone at the door." A look of pity entered her face and she saw me…really saw me. Not for being that rich bastard's grandson but a young man caught in the middle of this nightmare. "I'm sorry for coming. One more girl to bow to coming through the door."

"No need to apologise Tema. One person can't make a difference to an hour."

"Yes they can." The look of pity had faded from her face to be replaced with a great sadness. "May I confide in you Kai?" Her face said she needed to get something off her chest. I nodded and she took a deep breath trying to find the words. "There is someone who made a difference in my life and I've known him for such a short time." Was she? Is she? Could she be talking about me? I was taught never to get my hopes up but this was something I couldn't let go. My heart was racing as I waited for her next sentence to come out. "He made me realise that life was worth living no matter who you are."

I felt my heart drop like a lead weight to the bottom of my stomach. She wasn't describing me at all and I felt sick. I learned a lesson from all of this…never get your hopes up no matter what. I looked at her as relief flooded her face so I let her continue. "He beat me in a bey battle the first time I met him. He has such talent and yet doesn't go the full length to show off his power until the end."

"You blade?" She nodded and took out a jet black blade with an equally dark looking bit beast in the middle of it. "Shadow and I have only been friends for a week and yet I'm already connected to him. He's boosted my power enough to beat him."

"Wanna put your blade where you mouth is?" I asked taking out my Dranzer looking at her hopefully. Anything would be better than this situation where I am experiencing great discomfort. "Anytime." Never have I met anyone with such confidence in themselves...except Tyson that is. How I wished I could've invited him and the team to relieve myself from some of this torture.

We went to my training dish in the middle of a hedge maze situated in the middle of the garden. We took our positions and faced one another. She still had that strong and elegant look about her even now as she took a stance and got ready to fire.

Then a black shadow surrounded her and her clothes changed. She was now standing before me in what I could assume were her battle clothes. Her dress turned in to ninja style clothes and shoes with a long black cloak on her shoulders. The bottom half of her face was covered in what appeared to be a black sash. The ends of which were reaching down her back stopping just above her waist. They were moving lazily in the breeze as was her cloak. There was a black head band tied around her forehead rather like Rei's style. I thought this was to keep her hair out of her eyes. Her arms and legs were bound in long, thin black straps of material on her shins and forearms for extra strength.

Her eyes shone making her look even more formidable and mysterious in the moonlight. But past experience has served me well and I knew that looks weren't everything. I took off my jacket and took my place facing her in our first battle.

"Will you do the honours or shall I?" She sounded bored and irritated so I did the countdown to get this show on the road. "3…2…1…Let it rip!" We launched simultaneously and our battle began.

My first thought was this battle would be easy but I soon found I was wrong…very wrong. Tema was a good opponent and proving to be quite a challenge. I underestimated her and was soon battling even harder as the battle wore on. We were both equally matched in strength and agility but how much power she had was what I really wanted to know. She fought with such style and grace at times I could hardly touch her. "I'm getting tired with this gentle fighting!"

"Then why not make it more interesting? GO DRANZER!" I watched as the splendour of my old friend the red phoenix left the blade in a dazzle of red light. I think Tema was impressed as she gazed upon his radiant plumage. But that quickly passed and she called out her own bit beast. "Shadow, come and say hello to our opponent." She barely raised her voice I wondered if it would come out at all. But the spirit did hear her call and came out with gusto. Black flames erupted around her blade and a black leopard came out pouncing on Dranzer like a cat would a bird. There were dark flames coming out of its shoulder symbolising wings and it flew up to match Dranzer's height so as not to be caught off guard. Now I knew where Tema got her grace and wilfulness, she was just like her bit beast. "How do you like my bit beast?"

"Not bad for a girl." I had to admit I was impressed by this thing that came out of her blade. It moved so swiftly Dranzer could hardly keep up and every time he missed the panther struck him. I watched him move with amazement at his speed clear on my face. Even Drigger might have a bit of trouble keeping up with Shadow.

Now our bit beats were out and dazzling lights were shining in to the sky the battle wasn't going unnoticed. I looked behind me to hear the blond girl and her admirers standing around her giggling and smiling at me. They didn't seem to care about the battle and edged closer to me. Never have I ever felt the urge to run so badly in my life.

But then they were stopped by a dark glass like force which surrounded Tema and I like a shield. "NO INTERFERING IN THE MATCH!" She yelled at the party of whores behind me. "THIS IS A BALL NOT A PLACE FOR FIGHTING!" The blond yelled back. I could see Tema was loosing patients fast with the blond she couldn't concentrate and was loosing the battle. We put our game on pause for a moment by making our blades stay on either side of the dish. "No it's not, it's a shameless beauty pageant to get him married to the stupidest and richest girl aka you!" The blond looked ready to explode and took out a sickly coloured pink beyblade. She then proceeded to fire it at Tema. But the dark shield was far too strong and made the blonds shatter in to tiny pieces. The girl's were impressed and the blond stared at the remains of her beyblade. "NOW GO AWAY! Kai, let's continue our battle." The blond picked up the broken pieces of metal and ran away.

"That was a bit much." I said and she sighed in agreement with my observation. "I know but people like her get me so…so…" She couldn't find the word so I decided to help her out. "Riled?" She nodded and we got back to our match.

By now quite a crowd had formed around us and were cheering for me. Tema didn't care and besides, no one knew who she was with her disguise. Even her own father was clueless as to who it could be. At some point he even said 'Tema would've loved to watch this, I wonder where she could be?' he looked around for his daughter unaware she was right in front of him. I heard Tema's quiet cry of mirth through our battle and I had never heard a sound so sweet. My thoughts were quickly interrupted when she hit me with full force almost sending me flying out of the dish. It took all my concentration to get back in to the centre of the dish. I wouldn't let my guard down like that again.

"That was very sloppy Kai." My grandfather was standing by the dark glass looking down on me with great disappointment clear on his face. But did I care? I was having a great battle with one of very few people I actually liked. Dare I say it I was actually having fun and that's something the old goat could never take away form me. "Hey! No interfering in the match!"

"How dare you talk to me like that!" Voltaire was shaking with rage at the impertinence of Tema but all she did was shrug and continued as if nothing ever happened. "Kai don't let her win!" Another tiresome order from my tormentor and all I could do was act as if I understood him. But his request was something of an impossibility, Tema and I were so equally matched neither of us could knock the other out of the dish. We were getting pretty tired now and were hunched over trying to stand up straight. "This is pointless." Tema gasped. I agreed but neither of us wanted to loose now. "What can we do?"

"Declare this match a draw?" It sounded like a good idea but the old bastard had other ideas. "Don't you dare give up Kai!"

"He doesn't have to kill himself over a match that is just a bit of fun. It's not even in the stadium so what's the matter with declaring our match a draw?" My grandfather still wasn't budging and really hated Tema by the looks of things. "It's a matter of family honour, we never give up!"

"You sound like a child! This match is not important don't you understand that? And besides, this is Kai's battle so it's his decision not yours!" How I wish I could stand up to that man like she can. He looked dangerous but I didn't want to carry on…I don't think I could carry on even if I tried. I looked to Tema who didn't seem to care what I said, she wouldn't have allowed herself to give up but was on her last legs the same as I. "Quits?"

"Finally!" She gasped. We caught our blades and the shield came down around us. "I am sorely disappointed in you Kai." I didn't care and looked at Tema as she sat down on the ground opposite me. "I don't know who you are but I don't recall inviting you."

"Oh no?" She took off her face mask and the crowd around us gasped. "Remember me? You wouldn't throw out one of your own guests now would you?" My grandfather was so angry he didn't say anything and just left. But her father had something to say alright. "Tema! I thought I told you to leave your beyblade and those clothes on the plane!"

"Can I have some choices in my life? I didn't want to come here in the first place! This is worse than a second rate Miss. World 2005 show!"

"That may be so but you've just insulted the host-"

"I thought he was the host." Tema said in a dull way thumbing at me. "-and ruined any chance of an alliance!" She shrugged. "Good, you'd have to be crazy or desperate to form any kind of alliance with a man like that." Her father stormed away from us like he was ready to kill something. "That's my pop for you. Always looking for a big fish in a little pond known as the power struggle."

"I thought my grandfather invited those who were more powerful than himself."

"He has some power my father has some power and when joined together they have even more power. What a waste of perfectly good brain cells worrying about who has the upper hand all the time. If that's my future then life won't be worth living as far as I'm concerned." She sighed and turned her clothes back in to the dignified dress she wore to this thing I have to put up with. She looked at her watch and became thoroughly depressed by the look on her flawless features. "We don't leave until morning. What shall we do now to kill time? That battle only lasted ten minutes."

"We could go to my room and kill time on my games consoles." Tema yawned and stretched to her fullest extent. I got a chance to see her athletic physic before she relaxed and nodded her head. "That sound like a great idea. Our match has worn me out to meet and greet anymore rich whores and their fathers. Not all of them are like that mind you but the brainless out weigh those that do have more brain cells."

So we went to my room through the back way avoiding the main hall and the party guests. Mainly because I didn't want the fathers pushing their daughters on to me like a fresh bit of meat ready to be jumped upon when given the chance.

We finally arrived in to my room with dark blue paint and black bed with drapes hung around it. My room was just the same as the rest of the house, grand and large. But Tema also lived in a place like this and didn't seem at all impressed. We sat on my couch facing my entertainment station with a 46 inch plasma screen TV and an assortment of consoles. We chose various games where one would fight the other and we beat each other equally. I never lost a game to anyone before and yet here she was beating me just as badly as I beat her.

The night wore on and I noticed Tema's character had stopped moving.

I turned off the TV and console before gently taking the controller out of her hands. However she proved to be quite a light sleeper. She woke as soon as I touched it and she looked at me through half open eyes threatening to fall asleep again. "Did I fall asleep?" She asked rubbing her eyes gently and yawning slightly to keep herself awake. "You can sleep here if you like." I spoke without thinking again, what if she thought my intentions were impure? But she just shook her head and looked at me wearily. "No, I'm leaving in the morning and it's already the middle of the night. So what would be the point? I'll only be woken up again if dad tries to move me." She did have a point. "So what do you want to do now?" She looked up at the ceiling trying to think of an idea, and for once she didn't have the slightest inkling of what we should do. But then again neither did I.

She soon fell asleep again and looked so peaceful just sitting there a temptation grew inside of me. I stared at her beauty and soon began to loose my head. Her gentle breathing ran through my hair as I edged nearer to her face until we were inches apart. My heart beat became faster with every passing second as I inched closer and closer towards her. Then our lips came in to contact and I felt something I've never felt before. At first she deepened the kiss through her sleep not realising it was happening in the real world. But it soon came to an end when I was flying over my couch. Tema had flipped me off her by thrusting her legs in such a way as to propel me over herself and the couch.

"OW!" I said rubbing my behind; I had landed on it most painfully. "Next time you ask my permission!" What did she mean by that? Wasn't she already taken by someone else? She glared at me for a minute before storming out my room. 'Nice going Kai! Well done!' I thought in a most angry way to myself cursing my mistake.

I decided to go and find her to apologise for my actions but I took a wrong turn to end all wrong turns. Voltaire and some of the fathers were walking my way. The only place to hide was the closet next to me. I dived in there and closed the door waiting for them to pass. My heart was in my throat as they slowly edged past me completely unaware of my presence. They were talking about who I should marry by comparing money and powerful contacts. I felt like I was in auction and the winner would get more than myself. I stuffed my fingers in my ears so as not to listen anymore.

It was then I noticed someone moving in the closet beside me. I saw Tema glaring at me with a finger on her lips telling me to shut my trap as it were. Her father was one of the men outside talking about me. "I think our alliance would be best." His oily voice rang in my ears and my hate grew for this man. I hoped that I could go deaf at that moment realising Tema was probably thinking the same thing. The other men argued about who had the most power as they passed us. My grandfather had a most disgusting smug look upon his face at being so popular amongst them.

They finally passed and Tema made a hasty exit. "Wait!" I called and she stopped but did not turn to look at me. I could still feel her anger from where I stood and chose my words very carefully. "I'm sorry if I offended you."

"Hmm." She said thoughtfully before slowly turning around to look at me. "Kai. I heard you were supposed to be an emotionless bastard who ignored everyone." I smirked, she had the same point of view as everyone else. But then again, most of the time they were right, and I think she knew that. "So then why are you being so nice to me? And that kiss? This doesn't make any sense to me Kai. Are you or are you not Kai Hiwatari?" Was she trying to be funny? I looked at her for a second and burst out laughing with how ridiculous this situation was. "So you do have a sense of humour."

"You make it sound as thought I'm not human." I smirked and so did she. "Well I did hear a rumour or two that you were a cyborg or an alien or a-"

"Hey!" I tried to look threatening as what she said irritated me. But she just smiled and walked off. "That's what you get for kissing me!" She called turning at the end of the corridor and disappearing around the corner. How I wished she was interested in me instead of someone else.

Later I found her outside sitting by the garden hedge maze holding her beyblade looking distant. "Is this spot taken or can anyone sit here?"

"Knock yourself out funny man." She didn't sound very happy. "Did I do something wrong?" She smirked and shook her head at me. "I'm just remembering my past matches…and my dad has settled a wedding agreement to you with Voltaire." Tema glared at the sky and stuck her middle finger up as though she was swearing at god. "I didn't know you believed in him."

"I don't. God can take a fucking jump for all I care. He's never done anything for me and it seems my life is about to enter the shit hole again. So fuck god, fuck the world!"

"Is it that bad to be married to me?" I said it without thinking, and she looked at me like I was crazed or something. I could've really kicked myself at that point just to turn back time. But nothing in the for of time going backwards cam. "What the hell is wrong with you? I don't want to get married…are you saying you do?" What a situation this has become. "N-no, of course not." She looked at me and laughed. "Holy shit…you do" I sat there in silence as her laughter rang through my head, it was torture. "You have got to be kidding me, Kai Hiwatari wants to marry me. Shit!" Her body shook with the laughter. I felt heat rise within me, you could fry an egg on my face at that moment. But then she stopped and sighed to steady herself. "So why do you want to marry me?"

"I…" What could I say? My face was burning and I glared at the ground hoping it would swallow me up. "...would rather end up with you than any of the whores that have turned up here tonight." She had a look on her face that i couldn't read. Was she disappointed? Angry? Hurt? She just looked at me for a moment before raising an eyebrow. "Fair enough Kai."

"Hmm?" That was way too easy. I was half expecting her to say something like 'I'm your only option?' or 'I'm worth much more than that!' But instead she comes out with something I didn't expect her to say. "So when's this wedding day?"

"My father said it'll take place in two months. Ample for people to receive invitations if sent out by next week." She sighed looking like she was about to cry. But she clenched her fists and glared at the ground fighting the will to let them go. "You really don't want to get married do you?"

"NO!" She yelled and the tears started to fall in silence. She turned from me as though hoping I didn't notice so I pretended I didn't. "Not now anyway, in the future who knows…but I want to live my life free and easy now not hitched up to someone. My father thinks he can run my life an arrange me to marry who he thinks is right for me. It's like we're living in the middle ages were fathers pick their daughters husbands." She said with the tears still falling. I could her the dulls thuds they were making on her dress but I still pretended she wasn't crying. "And you're not like those daughters." I said in an understanding way keeping the sound of burning disappointment out of my voice. I wanted her, but I didn't want her to feel like I was something she had tolerate for her father's sake.

After a couple of minutes if silence I couldn't wake it anymore. I turned her around and gently wiped the tears from her face. "You don't have to marry me, we could run away together and never come back by getting jobs in far away places." She stopped crying and smiled. "That sounds wonderful."

"Well then let's go now." I said but she shook her head and smiled. "I have something to tell you Kai and by the way you kissed me I think you'll like what I have to say."

"Hmm?"

"You really don't remember me do you?" I racked my brains trying to think back through my life. But I never really paid attention to anyone's faces beside my team mates before. "Should I?"

"Give that kid back his blade or I'll knock you in to next week! Remember now?" She said smiling at me. I dove in to my memories trying to remember. It was only until after she poked her tongue out at me did I recall the day I first met her.

Flashback

Two weeks before I met Tyson I was going around as usual looking for the strongest beyblade. There was a particular boy about the same age who had a rather powerful beyblade by the river with a group of friends. The make and design was perfect for my Dranzer. I asked him where he got it and he said it was one of a kind because he made it with his father. I beat him and won leaving the poor kid on his knees with tears in his eyes.

"GIVE THAT KID BACK HIS BLADE OR I'LL KNOCK YOU IN TO NEXT WEEK!" I turned to see the voice had come from a girl dressed in a black t-shirt, a black yin/yang headband, black trousers and black trousers with long black hair. Her beyblade and launcher were the same colour. "Sorry kid, but I do my fighting with the big boys."

"Ooh, Kai's afraid to go against a girl." She jeered making them laugh. "Ok you asked for it, but don't say I didn't warn you. But don't think for a moment I'll go easy on you!"

"I don't intend to either." She smirked and got ready to launch. She was trying to get a rise out of me but I just stayed calm, I wasn't about to make a mistake now. "3...2...1...LET IT RIP!" I yelled and we launched simultaneously. "Why don't you just go out the dish and quit wasting my time? WHA!" She had struck me so hard I was nearly sent flying out the dish. "Stop flapping your gums you cocky jerk and fight! GO SHADOW! SHOW HIM WHAT WE'RE MADE OF!" Black flames erupted around her blade. Dranzer followed suit and soon black and red flames were colliding one trying to overpower the other.

I hated to admit it but this girl was making me sweat, I'd never faced such a tough opponent. She was almost as strong as I was back then…almost. The battle lasted a good ten minutes before we started spinning down. We called to our bit bests but her blade spun down a second before mine. She was the closest opponent to ever stand a chance of beating me. We were both breathless and exhausted after that battle and yet didn't fall to her knees. In fact the girl looked angry and clenched her fists. "Better luck next time kid."

"I'm counting on it." She growled and I turned my back. "That was a good battle, if we ever meet again we should have a rematch. Then I can beat you again."

"Say what?" A kid said stepping up to her friends side. "You were so close to getting beaten yourself you have no right to say that." But the girl stopped her friend. "Just leave it ok."

"But-"

"Leave it. Ok Mr. Cocky I accept your proposal and will gladly leave you kissing the dirt when I win." She said with amusement hanging off her voice. "As if." As I walked away I could hear her turning to the boy and apologising for not getting his blade back. But the kid just thanked her for trying.

End of Flashback

"You were that girl by the river." I said and she smiled." Guilty as charged." But then she looked serious for a moment as the sun started to rise over the trees. "Remember when I told you someone made a difference in my life on the balcony?" I felt my heart sink again so I just nodded. "Well he made me feel alive and I enjoyed that battle very much when we were battling with our bit beasts. I never saw him again until today and I got my rematch after all. I didn't get to beat you this time but you didn't beat me either."

"You mean-" I couldn't finish and she just nodded with a smile on her face. "You're the one that made me feel that way. I'm just glad you've changed and aren't that same cocky son of a bitch I once knew. I saw you changing Kai from the tournaments you've been through with the Bladebreakers. I guess all you needed were some friends to make you see that."

Then she suddenly closed the gap between us and we kissed. "TEMA!" I heard her father calling in that oily voice of his. We broke apart for air and I smiled as did she. "The ball's over Kai, next stop marriage. Oh boy what a day that'll be…if you still want to or we can run away like you said. Either way I don't mind anymore and it'll get my father off my back about potential suitors."

"TEMA!"

"To spend the rest of my life with you?" I said looking at her. "Sounds good to me." She gave me a swift kiss on the lips and ran to her father. I watched Tema until I could no longer see her before sitting back on the ground and laying against the bush.

I was tired but happy. I got the girl of my dreams and was about to be married and go somewhere without Voltaire. In two months I will be married but have another freedom I never expected until that old monster died. I guess this charade of a ball wasn't such a bad idea after all. But it's not like I'm going to let him know that, am I.

THE END