Hello. This is a Kai/Max fic! Woohoo! Its taken me long enough to do another one, ja? It has nothing to do with Odd 2 though, I think it would be too hard for me to do a follow up for that fic I'm afraid, due to the fact that I put the championships somewhere else!! How was I to know? So, anyway, this is after the World Championships, and its got nothing to do with The Cruise!

Winning is not everything, I have learned that now. Having been defeated by Spencer, and never managed to defeat him once, then lose Dranzer, it was a lesson that I had to learn. It was a harsh lesson, but anything less and I would not have paid any attention to. Needless to say, I am glad that I have Dranzer back in my blade, although I am not powerless with him, I feel stronger with him. The sea breeze gently touched my face, I watched the sun set, and the reflection of it on the water. It appeared that the sea was swallowing the sun, but the sun would survive and come back again, kind of like how Dranzer survived Seaborg's attacks. The whale could swallow the phoenix, but the phoenix would always survive. I just never wanted to return home, although my grandfather would be taken to court in Russia, I doubt if they would put him into jail. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, I was ment to be relaxing, Mr Dickinson told us that we should chill out on this cruise ship before we arrived home, and here I am stressing out!

'Kai?' A voice said behind me.

Only one person on our team would sound like that.

'Max?' I said, sounding slightly cold. I wasn't going to change completely, I want these guy's to stay on there toes.

'Are you coming inside? Its kinda cold, and Tyson says that your trying to kill yourself,' Max added.

'Remind me to throw him over board,' I told Max, sounding serious, but Max just smiled.

'I'm sure Rei would join you with that too,' Max told me with a small laugh.

'Oh god, what's he doing now?' I asked Max as we walked inside, I never noticed before, but it really was cold!

'Rei was saying that Tyson kept attacking his hair like a demented cat,' Max informed me, and I raised an eyebrow; 'We think there might have been some alcohol in the food,'

'Ah, I'm glad I'm not the one sharing a room with him,' I told Max, who nodded.

'Er, Kai?' Max said, and I looked at him as we made our way downstairs to the resturant; 'I have to ask, but you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but, why did you join the Demolition Boy's? Didn't you know what your grandfather was planning?'

'When I first became part of the Bladebreaker's I did not want to go with you guy's. I just wanted to be alone, but my grandfather told me to steal bit beast's, so I had to go,'

'He forced you to go?' Max looked shocked, I nodded and continued.

'I went with you lot to Asia, I was not happy about it, as you could tell when I left the restruant in Hong Kong. In any case I did not steal any bit beast's, though I did inquire about the White Tiger's bit beasts with Rei, but they weren't anything special. When we went on to America I wasn't interested in there bit beast's either, they weren't official bit beast's, to me anyway. If machines made them, and machines gave them information to tell them how to battle, then there were not real bit beasts. And I still stand to that,' I told Max, who nodded his understanding, and we sat down at a table for two; 'Then there was the Majestic's, nothing special there either, sure they had power, but they treated there own bit beast's like slaves, servents, and so there bit beast's don't show there full potential. Besides, they were passed down from generation to generation, I would not dishonour myself like that,'

'So you went to the Demolition Boy's because...........' Max never finished.

'They had power. And my first bit beast, Black Dranzer. Though memory lane back in the abbey was not the happiest time in my life, but I couldn't complain, I was everything that is expected of a blader,' I informed Max, who shook his head.

'That's not true. A blader needs to know when to get serious and when to have fun, you lost that in the abbey Kai, I don't think the abbey is a good place for anyone to grow up in, or even live in. All you do is train, train, train, train, and just for a change, train,' Max said to me.

'You forgot train,' I added, jokingly.

'See, I think your better off forgetting the abbey, and come out of your shell a bit,' Max told me with a smile.

Now that I thought of it, Max looks kinda cute when he's smiling......... And his blue eyes, like the ocean........... His hair is like gold................ I will just snap out of it.

Once dinner was over, Max and myself decided to wander around the ship, staying inside at all times. Though there was nothing interesting going on, a few kids wanted to battle Max and myself, but we turned them down, we had bit beast's, and they did not, plus there were still inexperienced to beybattle us.

'Well, I never expected people to ask us to battle them, or for us to turn them down for that matter,' Max said thoughtfully.

'We would have won without trying,' I said, dismissing the subject.

'True, but it would be kind cool to see how well we could battle without our bit beast's,' Max said with a slight nod.

'Max, you managed to defeat me once without you bit beast, remember?' I said and Max nodded.

'Yea, but it was your spin fire attack that made it obvious Kai, I just had to move the other way,' Max told me with a shrug, as if it was no big deal.

'Tomorrow then, we'll beybattle, without our bit beast's,' I told Max, who accepted my challenege.

'Your on,' Max said, and we noticed we had walked all the way to our room; 'This is a whole lot better than Tyson challenging me. If he won I would have to buy him lunch,'

I had to smirk, it was so Tyson like it was unreal! I mean come on! Make there best friend pay for lunch? And yet know how much he would eat? I would have had Dranzer attack Tyson instead of Dragoon.

'Its only to see if we're really as good as we think we are,' I told him, and he nodded.

'Yup, you know, I hope Chief will sleep on this trip, I think he might have insomia,' Max confided to me.

'Its his own fault, even Dizzy has told him to rest, and he won't listen,' I reminded Max who nodded.

Max is always worried about a team mate, no matter who it is, Rei, Tyson, Kenny, or even me. He appears to care for us all, and yet for me, caring is something that does scare me. I have fears, but that is why I keep away from everyone, I like this wall that I have built around myself, I feel safe, untouched. No one can hurt me. But when I see Max, and see how he care's about everyone, no matter who they are, it makes me want to demolish my wall, and yet I don't think I could take the pain, the hurt, if someone should betray me. It would take so long, and maybe I will never make it, so what will I do? Its like that song from Vertical Horizon; Its taken so long to get it right Could it be so wrong To maybe find someone A miracle Sounds so much like me, doesn't it? But who would want to help me?