AUTHOR'S NOTES: Yey! My second B.B fic around! And after I victimized the pairing Tyson/Kenny, this time it's… KAI/MAX! Anyway, o+ne more time, just read and enjoy, for the sake of fandom.
DISCLAIMER: May I repeat, I don't own Beyblade, but I own the toy!
ANNUALLY
"Where is everybody?" Max called out inside their hotel room as soon as he realized that he's already alone in there, sleeping. He wiped his eyes out of any dirt and stood up to get his flip-flops.
"Oh, they're just so… so… cruel. They left me alone in here without even waking me up. Oh boy…" He managed to get dressed up and sat down on the chair. He looked up at the clock. 10:56 in the morning, it says. He had wakened up very late, for he slept late last night thinking of somebody… his mother.
"I miss her." He mumbled under his breath. "I wonder where she is but even though she's away, I am happy for her." He simply sighed and beamed. He ate his breakfast and wondered what to do next. He vaulted back to the bed where he found a scrap of paper, saying:
"We'll be away, roaming around. We didn't wake you up because you're deeply sleeping"
"This is the first time the y left me a note like this." He folded it and tucked it away in his jumper. "Wonder what to do next." He sat there in deep thinking until an idea, just like lightning, crossed his mind. His face lit up upon the thought.
"I'll call Kai." He beamed.
~o~o~o~o~o~
On the other hand, Kai was there in the park, training his skills. He gratefully beamed with every powerful spin and turn his precious Dranzer makes, but he wanted to be stronger than ever, so he'll repeat the routine again and again.
:I'll be the strongest Blade Breaker in the world!" His thought rushed as took hold of his Bye, and it replied with a glint. He smirked but then he felt someone coming behind him.
"Hi Kai. You up early, huh?" Max greeted cheerfully.
"Stop bugging me." He replied in the usual cold tone of his.
"What are you doing?" He searched around.
"Can't you see?" He snapped at him, looking away.
"Oh, practicing. Hey, if you're only practicing all throughout your life, it'll be boring. You need to set back for a while. Good thing, there's the carnival in town."
"Who cares?" This time, Kai faced him, thinking that he's stopped Max's inquiring already. Instead, he just saw the boy there, standing with a smile spreading on his face.
"W-why are you smiling like that? You're freaking me out." Kai asked, annoyed.
"Nothing. Have you seen Tyson and all the others?"
"I don't care about them." Kai frowned as he looked around. "Why are you pestering me by the way?"
"I… I just want to have… company. You see, they left me in the hotel and all without even waking me up."
"Oh come on, I am not your lousy baby-sitter. And besides, you can go to hell all alone, don't force me to go with you. You're old enough." He replied roughly in a hostile voice of his.
Max then turned sad, "I just wanted to have company for the annual carnival later this afternoon since no one is around. I--- I just want you to go with me. Come on, it'll be fun, I promise. You need to relax for some time." His voice turned into a pleading tone. "Please, Kai?"
"Hmph!" he turned away, "Don't mess around with me!" And with that, he walked away towards a wall leading to the park's exit. And Max was left alone standing in disappointment. He is as if about to cry. He fought his tears and stated, "FINE! I'll go there on my own. It'll be only once in a year." With those words stated, he ran away. A few minutes later, Kai turned back to the direction Max had taken.
~o~o~o~o~o~
The cheery aura inside the carnival stormed in Max's senses. He's just so happy to be there, with all those laughter, enjoyment, rides, booths, games, jesters and stuff. Truly, he'd never seen anything as colorful and as happy as that all his life. Really, an annual carnival can really get that exciting. He walked around, trying to decide over which ride he'll go to first or which booth he'll enter into. He roamed, with a beam on his face but it'll just disappear upon the thought of being alone in there, in a crowd that he doesn't know.
"Mother, how I wish you were here." He mumbled under his sigh. But then, it's just replaced by another grin as soon as he saw people laughing over a puppet show nearby. He simply ran towards it to have a look.
~o~o~o~o~o~
The show was about to end, so he practically stood up and went away. His mind drifted to Tyson and all the others. He's back to the blues. He's wondering where they really are in that vicinity. His mind drifted away that he didn't notice that he bumped onto somebody.
"OH, I am so sorry." He raised his line of vision. From the baggy blue pants, he already recognized who it was.
"KAI!" His face turned red in childish glee. "Thought you weren't coming."
Kai simply turned away without even a single word of greeting.
"I am not here for you." He then replied.
"I am not saying and insisting that you're here for me!" Max chuckled upon Kai's reply. Kai's cheek turned into a light hue of pink.
"Then why are you here, may I know?" He politely asked.
"I just… uh…" He thought of an answer, "Just got lost and walking around."
"Yeah right, I believe every word that you have just said." Max stated sarcastically and Kai frowned at him.
"Oh, but never mind the question. What's important is that you're here." He again beamed…
"Why can't he stop smiling?" Kai thought deep inside.
He's taken by surprise when Max held his hand.
"Come on. I'll show you the carnival!"
He tapped it away, "I'll never go with you!"
Max just stared at him, "Fine, but aren't you scared that you don't know the way around? Aren't you scared that you're in a faceless crowd?" he asked.
Kai bit back all his words, "Y-yeah…" he stuttered.
"Then go with me. At least if you got lost, you got yourself a guide." Max beamed again.
"I may even get myself a REASON to get lost." Kai for the first time joked but in a sarcastic manner. Max just smiled, and he looked away upon knowing that he's isn't irked with that.
~o~o~o~o~o~
"LET'S GO TO THAT ROLLER COASTER! IT'LL BE SUCH FUN!" Max beamed at Kai as he pointed up at the coaster. Kai then gulped.
"Why? Are you afraid of heights?" Max then turned back at him.
"Of course no! Are you making me laugh? I'm not afraid of ANYTHING!" Kai disagreed.
"Yeah, anything. Okay, so go with me there!" once more he pointed.
"O---okay…" Kai's voice faltered.
"YES!" Max beamed as he ran in line. Kai can't do anything but gulp.
~o~o~o~o~o~
"YES! THAT WAS GREAT! The loops and all!" He energetically leapt out of the ride.
"Hey Kai, are you okay?" He turned back and gasped.
"Kai! You've turned pale violet already! You really okay?"
"I---I---I'm o-kay…" He's trying to control the urge of vomiting while he held his head.
"Come on, I'll help you out!" He reached out for his hand.
"I can do this on my own, unlike you who is so childish!" He tried to stand up but then he just sat back down.
"Hurry, the next round's going to start." He reached put for his hand and he obliged this time. Max had his arm over Kai's back to support him while Kai had his hand over Max's nape. Together, they walked away from the ride and searched for something to sit on to.
~o~o~o~o~o~
Kai stirred. He peeped with his left eye and saw Max eagerly waiting for him to gain sanity. He stirred again and looked around. He then realized that all those times he's sleeping on Max's lap.
"Good morning!" He greeted. Kai stared at him blankly. "You've been sleeping for ten minutes. I thought you'll sleep for about eight hours more or so." He kidded.
"Where am we?"
"Still in the carnival."
"What time is it?"
"Ten past one."
They spent silent and undisturbed moments under the shade of the tree. Then, Max broke it all.
"Let's buy ice cream. I am getting hungry already. What do you think, Kai?"
Kai simply nodded and stood up.
~o~o~o~o~o~
They sat there, eating waffles, ice creams and cotton candies. Max had a pink cotton candy on one hand and three layers of ice cream with a cherry on top on the other while Kai had a blue cotton candy and five layers of ice cream with sprinkles on the other.
"Hey Kai, I didn't know that you're a ravenous eater." Max kidded… again.
"SHUT UP." Kai snapped as he started to eat.
Max just beamed and also ate quietly. For a few minutes they grew so silent until…
"Hey Kai, where are your parents?"
Kai looked up upon the question, and bowed down low.
"It's okay if you don't answer, but you know what? I kind of miss my mom right now. You know, going to this annual carnival with her."
Kai looked up, his eyes posing a million questions even Max himself couldn't pick one and answer. Max stayed there eating waffles, then sighed.
"I really just miss her."
"Well, good for you." Kai spoke, and Max was surprised that he spoke.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Lucky that you have your mother… or our parents."
"Hmmm… why, Kai?"
"I... I…" He paused, "Never mind. Hey, your ice cream's melting.
"Max, startled, fixed it and proceeded to eat.
"Hey, you got ice cream on your face." He pointed.
"Where?" Kai kept on reaching out but he just spread the cream all the more. Max chuckled.
"Here…" He stood up, got a tissue, went towards him, held his chin up and cleaned the yellow speckles upon Kai's right cheek. Kai just blushed as he saw Max's innocent face hovering in front of him.
"There, all cleaned up. You eat like a child." Max chided and smiled.
Kai stared at him, speechless. "T----" He was stopped by…
"Now that we're done, LET'S GO!" Max beamed again, and again.
"Please stop smiling. Is there anything to be happy about?" Kai asked, annoyed.
~o~o~o~o~o~
They were walking down the festive booths with Kai leading the way, until.
"GET THEM!" Somebody cried. "RUUUNNN!"
"Huh? W-what the hell was tha---- HEY!" Max exclaimed as Kai who was then already running fast pulled him.
"They're chasing us." Kai whispered.
"GET THEM!" The shouts were clearly heard. They ran faster.
"Uh-oh…" Max warned as they were being surrounded by a troop of teenagers about one to two years their senior in white tees.
"What do you want?" Kai asked them, making Max stand behind him, as if protecting him.
Some one in the troop said, "They're cute."
"Hmmm…?" Max stared in the scene in question.
Suddenly, they were chained together on one leg.
"Huh!? What's this? Let us go! Set us free!"
But then, the troop left.
"What's this supposed to mean?" Kai gritted.
"You have to stay like that for an hour." A member simply explained.
"AN HOUR?" Max exclaimed. "But WHY?"
The guy went away without further notice.
"Heck, we're stuck."
"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Max bellowed, "If you didn't lead me here, then this won't be happening.
"BLAME ME ONCE MORE FOR ALL I CARE! In the first place, I didn't want to go with you. You just forced me!"
"I STOPPED FORCING YOU BUT STILL YOU FOLLOWED!"
"THE ONLY REASON I FOLLOWED IS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU CAN'T DO IT ALONE IN HERE!"
Max's statement then softened as soon as he realized that he's already fighting with Kai and the words he just said were understood.
"What do you mean that I can't do it?" he asked in a fit of inquiry.
"I mean, I know you're too childish to be left alone. And besides…" he paused, "It's hard to be alone." His emotion of anger slowly disappeared and was replaced by disappointment.
"W-what do you mean?"
"I've been alone all my life, with no parents to attend to my needs. I've been left alone in this cruel world, so I followed a wrong path. I am alone, with no one who cares, who is concerned… I am all alone."
"Kai…" Max felt sympathy bugging his heart for the poor lad.
They managed to walk together in caution not to let the other stumble to the ground.
"Sorry, I just told you something that even you might not understand."
Max then held Kai's hand.
"No, you didn't. I understand you." Max beamed but Kai can see traces of disappointment present on his face.
"I've been also alone. You guys don't know how sad I am feeling whenever I'm left behind. You only don't know how sad it is to be always left by a mother, even though she's still alive. I hide it all in my childish laughter and actions. You only don't know how much pain I feel…"
Kai noticed something falling down Max's cheeks. Tears…
"Yeah, you're right. Maybe I am just really childish." Max tried to wipe it all away, but it just flowed down all the more.
They headed to the same bench they sat on earlier and Kai offered his kerchief to Max. The latter looked back, reassuring the action, and Kai nodded.
Max gently wiped his tears. Kai just can't imagine that the certain boy who he sees as very annoying due to his childish ways and remarks can sometimes be mature… and cry… well, like a child.
"Thanks…" He returned the kerchief to its rightful owner.
Kai simply nodded. He just watched Max in his soliloquy. He just found out that he's envious of him, for he can express himself through crying childishly unlike him who bottles it all up.
"Hey Kai…" Max stated.
"W-what?" He replied, startled.
"After this, let's ride the carousel, okay?" Max was back to his happy state.
"CHILDISH." Kai kidded.
~o~o~o~o~o~
After about one hour of waiting, the troop who cornered them came back and released them.
"YES! WE'RE FREE. Can we go now?"
"No, not yet?"
"Why?" Kai asked.
"Follow us."
They're lead to a booth named----
"MARRIAGE BOOTH?!?! But---but…" Max cried out in hysterics.
Kai had this sheepish look on his face.
"Yeah, this is the marriage booth, where you'll be MARRIED!"
"But… but…"
Max had run out of time to explain as they were pulled apart from each other. The girls gave him a wedding gown.
"But… but… I- I am… I CAN'T WEAR THIS!"
"Silly, we'll just put it on top of your clothes." The lass chuckled.
On the other hand…
"Hey, we got a cute groom in here!" A teenager cried out. "If only we could remove his face paint…"
Kai blushed, "But…. But…" he just stayed there, speechless.
And finally, the "bride" went down the makeshift aisle, in plain view of the people.
"Isn't she so pretty?" The teenager named Ren nudged Kai at his side. Kai was so shocked to see Max wearing a wedding dress. He just looked so girly… BEAUTIFUL.
Max felt like crying on the torture they had put on "her".
~o~o~o~o~o~
Finally, the exchange of vow part ensued…
"Kai, would you accept… what your name?" The guy pretending to be the priest asked.
"Max, why?" Max replied.
"State your whole name, please."
"Yeah, is it something like… Maxine or Maxie?"
"No, it's Max and I am a…"
"WHAAAAAAT?" The voice echoed.
"But… but… y-you look like… a girl…"
"Honest to God."
"We swear."
"Well, you're wrong. See you!" Max ran away and Kai follows after taking their makeshift dresses off.
~o~o~o~o~o~
"Do I really look like a girl?" Max cried, "Do I, Kai?"
"Yes, you REALLY look like a girl." Kai simply replied.
"WHAT?"
"Yes, you really do. Actually if you're really one then…"
"THEN WHAT?"
Kai smirked, "Oh, never mind. Let's go to the carousel, as you wished."
"YEY!" Max cheered and followed.
~o~o~o~o~o~
It about five in the afternoon when the carousel was available to everyone in the carnival.
"It's worth the wait!" Max exclaimed as he ran towards it. Kai walked.
They picked out a seat close to each other.
"Only few people ride here." Max noticed.
"OF course, because it's only for children." Kai replied.
"But, we are STILL children, right?"
Kai stopped to ponder. Right, he's still a child--- at heart, even as time passes by. He still needs to learn a lot of things. He's still afraid of being left alone, a childish trauma. And Max made him feel like a child, young at heart again… and it's far from what he feels before.
This feeling is just so… GOOD.
"LOOK! IT'S OPERATING!" Max cried out.
"YEAH!" Kai also exclaimed.
The bright lights stand out more than any other rides in the carnival. The lights of red, blue, green, and yellow dance before them like a million fireflies. Then, the music started playing and encompassing their senses. It's the sound of a jolly band playing a jolly song, perfect for heightening the mood.
"HERE WE GO!" Max exclaimed like an excited toddler as the rides began to operate. Even Kai himself went thrilled. It just came faster until it came to a speed so soothing, perfect for viewing the people around.
"YES!" Max cried out in childish joy. Kai can't help but to notice how juvenile and innocent Max was. The million lights shining brightly in his eyes as if he's always happy, the babyish grin spreading from ear to ear
his golden hair tossed by the cool afternoon winds. Even he himself can't deny that Max was so happy, the type of happiness that is so contagious.
"THIS IS SO COOL, KAI!" Max stated.
"Yes!" Kai agreed, and before he knew it, he was already smiling himself. The happy feeling is spreading fast in the air, and he just can't resist it anymore.
"Hey Kai…" Max called out. Kai had a hard time hearing him because he himself was already amused of that child-like merriment.
"Kai…"
"What?" He replied at last.
"Thank you very, very much."
"F-for what?"
"For simply accompanying me here, and for keeping me safe."
He can't reply for he himself was very jolly at that time, the feeling he never felt before. Each revolution of the carousel, each twinkling of the dancing lights and each repetition of the song made his childish side set back. Maybe this is what Max call "setting back for a while". The music reminds him that he's never alone, and to be always happy.
An eternity passed them by until the ride came to a full halt.
"THAT WAS SOOOO MUCH FUN!" Max happily cried out, "Right, Kai?"
"Yes, Indeed! It was!" Kai still can't control the urge to laugh and to smile… well yes, he did.
"I'm so happy for you, Kai."
"Hmmm..?"
"You know, this is the first time I saw you smile like that, and you're so cute!" Max stated in childish amusement, and it sent Kai into happy spirits.
Just then, everything that's going on around them seemed to stop as max felt Kai's being closing in on him. Soon, he realized that Kai hugged him tight. He flushed like a tomato upon the thought.
"Look, sorry if you didn't enjoy the carnival very well. I know that I've spoiled everything that you have planned upon my arrival. All I did was to make you sad and make you cry. But I really thank you for inviting me in this annual carnival for it's in here that I realized that I am not alone and I experienced to be a child again… innocent, simple, pure and most of all, full of wonder and laughter. I think it'll be a shame if I'll tell you that this is my first time riding a merry-go-round."
Max felt Kai's sturdy yet nervous heartbeats thudding in his chest. Max then returned the hug with much more fervor, which made Kai gasp in surprise.
"Don't worry, Kai. Actually, I've been so happy going in here with you. As a matter of fact, I know that I'll be lost and terribly bored without you here and also it's through that I felt that I'm not alone. There are friends who will guide me all the way. And besides, what makes this annual carnival all the more rare is that you learned how to speak your mind and also learned to be happy for a while which I such a rare moment indeed…"
He hugged him tighter than ever
"I am so happy for you, Kai…"
Tears wet Kai's shirt, but he didn't mind because what's important is that the little guy who taught him a lot of things is right there in his arms, within his reach.
"Stop crying, Max. There's one more ANNUAL event going on right now…"
"Huh?" Max's tear-filled eyes looked up.
"Happy Birthday…" Kai smiled lovingly.
"Y-you remembered it? I-I am really supposed to hide everything all about it…"
"Yes, we remembered it…" A voice called.
"Tyson, Kenny, Rei… you're all here…" Max stated their names as they appeared.
"Enough of that mushy stuff. You're sending us to tears, you know…" Rei wiped his eyes.
"Yeah, like we're watching a soap opera or something…" Kenny followed.
Max wiped his tears and beamed, "Thank you all…"
"OKAY, now let's celebrate Max's birthday… LET'S EAT!!" Tyson shouted.
"TYSON! Your mind's all empty except when the topic's food!" Kenny discouraged and Rei chuckled.
"So, everything that has happened were planned?" Max asked.
"Yes, but Kai was not included. We just happened to drop by here…" Rei explained.
"Seems as if Kai had plans ON HIS OWN!" Tyson fooled.
"Hmph!" Kai returned to his usual attitude, then obliviously winked at Max. The latter chuckled and hugged them all.
Everyone smiled at each other then hugged as one. It was one happy group hug in front of the lights and music of the carousel and beneath the sights and sounds of the firecrackers lighting up the newly-darkened sky… a promise that is to be made has formed…
FRIENDS AND TEAM, TILL THE END!
~THE END! REVIEWS, PLEASE!~