Disclaimer: Don't own Beyblade.
Author's Note: Um...no comments?
Chapter 1: The Halloween Party
The night of the great halloween party finally arrived. An expensive black limousine pulled over the parking lot of a newly constructed mansion. A group of handsome-looking young teenage boys emerged from the inside of the vehicle. With them, also emerged two girls of similar ages. One had long, pink hair and the other had orangish hair. All of them were in beautifully designed costumes, well, all expect for one. He was still the odd one out in the team, even after how much he bonded with them.
"Alright! We're here!" a member of the group with beautifully combed blonde hair shouted happily.
"That's right, Max. We're here! Whoa! It's even bigger thant he last time," another claimed.
"Tyson. What are you talking about? This had just been built," a brownish haired boy with a laptop asked.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Chief. Whatever," Tyson replied. "Please spare us a history lesson."
"How about a cheer? All for one, and one for all?" another boy, with long dark hair tied in a ponytail proposed, grinning. He pulled out a sword from the sheath on the belt around his waist.
"Yes. All for one, and one for all!" Max, Tyson, and the Chief declared enthusiastically as Max and Tyson pulled out their 'fake' swords.
"How about you, Kai? Aren't you going to join the group in the cheer?"
"I'm not a musketeer," Kai replied, chuckling as he looked at their ridiculous outfits. There was no way and now how he would ever dress like that, not even for Enrique's Halloween party in Japan.
"Emily, let's go inside. It's getting quite chilly out here," the pink-haired girl said. She was dressed like a fairy princess, with marvelous, glittery, butterfly wings sewn on a pinkish dress.
"Acutally, Mariah. I would like to stay to see Kai being forced to say the musketeer's motto," Emily stated, smirking. She was wearing a white coat, probably dressed as a professor.
"Come on. Let's go. Before we catch a cold and miss all the food," Tyson ordered and placed his sword back into the sheath, as he watched as all the other of Enrique's guests passed by them and entered the mansion itself.
"Alright," everyone, but Kai, replied.
'At least I won't freeze in there,' Kai thought to himself, and then followed his friends.
The moment they stepped into the room, they were welcomed by the Majestic: Robert, Oliver, Enrique and Johnny as well as music. As Kai anticipated, they were dressed as knights.
"Hey! Enrique!" Tyson greeted.
"Oliver!" Max yelled excitingly.
"Robert," Ray said.
"Johnny," Kai muttered. "Nice decorations," Kai complimented surprisingly. He noticed how spooky the halloween decorations were. The room was rather bewitching. There were spiderwebs, jack-o-lanterns, skeletons, coffins and many more scary ornaments. Even the lightning was used to create a somewhat creepy effect.
"Ah. I see you like them," Robet replied.
"Yes. I do. They're very impressive. They can really give your guests a fright. I won't want to miss that," Kai informed with a mischievous smile.
"Kai!" Kenny exclaimed, unamused by Kai's words.
"I don't think that'll happen, Kai," Johnny chuckled in amusement.
"And why not? This is supposed to be a halloween party in which we can scare everyone," Tyson commented with great interest.
"BOO!" Max shouted as he crept up on Tyson. Tyson jumped, startled.
"Max!" Tyson glared him. "Hmph!"
"Well, actually, the answer to your question, Tyson, is pretty complex," Oliver said.
"How complicated can it be?" Emily questioned.
"You see. This isn't exactly meant to be a halloween party," Enrique started to explain when he was interrupted.
"Then, what is it?" Ray asked, curious.
"I knew I should have just went trick and treating," Tyson whined.
"This 'halloween party,' is just a cover to get two people to meet before they get marry," Enrique revealed.
They were all shocked, practically unable to move a muscle.
"I'm getting out of here," Kai said, beginning to exit. He didn't want to be one of the two.
"Me too," Emily and Mariah said at the same time.
"Wait! Kai!" Johnny called out.
"Mariah!" Oliver yelled. "Emily!"
All three of them stopped and turned back.
"What is it?" Mariah asked.
"You don't have to leave. Neither one of us is one of the guest of honours," Enrique told.
"Is that a fact?" Emily questioned to make certain that Enrique said what she wanted him to say.
"Yes. It's my distant cousin who's going to meet her fiance," Enrique said.
"Unfortunatley, she doesn't know who it is or the fact that she's already engaged," Johnny added.
"Prearranged marriage? That's terrible," Kenny stated. "You don't even get to really know the person before you marry them."
"That's the worst part. I have a strong gut feeling that Enrique's cousin is not the type to just allow herself to be paired up with a stranger," Robert commented.
"I see she's still not here yet," Oliver pointed out.
"My cousin? Well, that's good news. I think."
"At least, she's not old enough to get marry just yet," Oliver added, trying to cheer Enrique up.
"Yes. Oh well," Enrique said, letting out a heavy sigh. "Enjoy the party! And keep this between us only."
"Don't worry. We won't tell a soul," Tyson assured.
"Let's party!" Max yelled merrily.
"How about a dance, Musketeer?" Mariah asked Ray.
"Certainly," Ray answered, slightly blushing. Ray took Mariah's hands, and they walked together onto the dance floor. Their faces glowed pink. Standing close to each other, they began to dance to the soft music.
The others watched as Mariah placed her head on Ray's shoulder. They saw Ray's face turning redder by the second until he rested his head on her shoulders.
"Look at the two love birds," Emily said, slightly teasing Mariah, and slightly happy for her friend.
"How about a dance?" Max asked Emily. His face began to glow pink too.
"You sure you even know how to dance?"
"Ummm...Of course," Max replied, somewhat uncertain of how good he was at dancing. "I had some practice with my mom."
"I see. Professor Judy, ah? Okay then. Let's dance," Emily answered, grabbing Max away from the rest of the group.
"Okay, just you, me, Enrique, Oliver, Robert, Johnny and Ka--" Kenny mumbled when Kai walked to a corner and leaned against the wall, folding his arms and shutting his eyes. "Or maybe not."
"Or maybe, no Enrique," Tyson added, when a girl dressed as a princess, grabbed Enrique.
"No Oliver either," Johnny chuckled. "Ahh--" Someone behind Johnny grabbed him too.
"Okay, Robert. Robert?" Kenny said, scanning the ballroom for Robert.
"There he is. With a bunch of girls," Tyson pointed out and their eyes narrowed in annoyance.
"Alright. It's just me and you, Chief."
"Actual--" Kenny said before he and Tyson were cut short and pulled away by two different crowds.
About fifteen minutes later, two girls, dressed for the party, sneaked in to join the fun.
"Sis. There's Enrique," one of the girl pointed out to the other. She had long, loose pitch black hair and greyish eyes. She was dressed as a ghost.
'He's the one,' the other girl said to herself thoughtfully when she scanned the room and saw a figure bracing his back against the walll in a corner, far away from the crowd. "I'll meet you back later, Mi [Me]," she said, about to walk to the corner.
"What about Enrique?" Mi questioned.
"Huh? Enrique? Ummm... Say hi for me."
"Okay, Mai [My]," Mi said, leaving her older sister behind to say hello to their distant cousin, Enrique.
Mai quietly walked closer towards Kai. When she was in range, she pullled on his scarf to get his attention.
Kai, coughing, yelled irritabily, "...(coughs)...Let go of ..(coughs)... my scarf, Girl!" He stared at the girl. She had short hair with streaks of reds, browns, oranges, as well as black. She had glitter on her hair too. She was dressed like a fortune teller, wearing a starry outfit. Around her neck was a pendant.
"Sure. Let's have a dance then," Mai proposed. Before Kai could refuse she grabbed his hands and dragged him quickly onto the dance floor.
When she placed her arms around him, he growled, "ARGH! Stop this!"
"Not yet," Mai said, staring straight into his eyes. "Just enjoy. The song's going to be over soon."
Kai tried glaring at her, but she only smiled back more dreamily. Soon Kai gave up, enchanted by her smile and the peculiar look in her purplish-blue amethyst eyes. He had never met anyone like her-- so wild and free, as well as impulsive. Well, he admitted that he met someone as impulsive as her--Tyson. But, someone who would just grab a stranger for a dance? Never.
"What's your name?" she asked sweetly and she delicatedly rested her head on his shoulder.
"Kai. My name's Kai Hiwatari," Kai, slightly blushing, answered impulsively. He felted a strange urge to answer her question. "Yours?"
Before she could answer, the music changed, and someone, dressed as a magician, pulled her away from him. "Ka--"
Kai tried to follow her, but the other couples dancing intervened fortuitously, and he lost sight of her. He started to make his way through the crowd in search of her.
Elsewhere, in the balcony, Mai was found with the magician who stood a metre or two away from her. "How about a dance?" he asked.
Mai shot a glare at him. She was furious with him for pulling her away from the guy that she felt strongly about. She stared at the figure dressed in medieval magician clothing. He had short, straight, black hair and green eyes. "Don't get mad. My name's Merlin. I just wanted a dance with you," he stated. "What do you say?"
"Just a dance, eh? Alright. One short one," Mai answered, easing up. She wasn't the type to decline a dance or stay angry forever.
Merlin bowed, and reached out for her hand. She took his, and they started to dance under the moonlight and starlight.
Although Mai was dancing with him, her mind was elsewhere. She was thinking about Kai. She was looking back to the dance floor for Kai. Unfortunately, Mai couldn't find him among the crowd dancing in the ballroom.
"What's the matter, Mai?" Merlin asked, alarming Mai.
"How did you know my name?" Mai questioned back and stopped dancing. She took several steps away from him. "I didn't tell you my name."
"Don't be afraid."
"Why shouldn't I? Is this a prank? Enrique!!! That cousin!"
"So, you're truly Enrique's cousin. You're more beautiful than I imagined," Merlin flattered.
"Huh? Enrique!!!" Mai screamed panicking, but no one from inside of the ballroom could hear her over the loud rock music.
"You don't know?"
"Know what?"
"I'll tell you then. I'm Merlin, your fiance."
"My fiance?! You're crazy!"
"Just crazy about you."
"ERRR!!! I can't be engaged! I never accepted! I'm not old enough for marriage! "
"Well, actually. It was decided among our parents."
"Prearranged marriages?" Mai questioned and he nodded. Her face turned pale. She was paralyzed at the thought. All the life energy in her seemed to have been drained from her body.
"Don't worry, the marriage isn't until valentine's day," Merlin assured.
"My birthday? When I turn eighteen," Mai said, even more shocked. "That's just about four months."
"Yes. It is too long."
"Well. You don't have to worry about that, Merlin 'cause there will be no marriage between us," Mai replied sternly.
"But, there will. You'll see."
"You don't understand. I don't love you, Merlin! I don't know you," Mai blurted out boldly. "I'm in love with someone else."
"I cannot accept that. I love you, and you will fall in love with me!" Merlin threatened.
Frightened by his words, Mai tried to run. But her legs were frozen. She couldn't move.
"You can't run away from this, Mai. I will not be denied! The one you claim to love cannot love you, for he shall never find you again," Merlin expressed strictly.
Mai laughed hysterically. "Like if you can do anything about it."
"Well, actually, I can," Merlin said deviously, alarming Mai. She stopped laughing and stared at him. "Since you claim that you don't love me because you don't know me, you will love me when you get to know me."
"Yeah, right," Mai answered sarcastically. "Like if I would ever go and live with you."
"You don't have a choice," Merlin stated with a smirk.
"HA! You're bluffing! You can't kidnap me! Enrique and the others will stop you."
"Not if they can't recognize you."
Mai gasped, tried to run, but still couldn't. Something weird was going on, besides the fact that Merlin admitted that he would kidnap her if he had to. "Why can't I move?"
"I'm not called Merlin for no reason. I'm a magician. A real magician."
"Yeah, right. As if. I probably just stepped on glue," Mai said and struggled to lift her feet from the floor.
"Well. Let me show you my magic."
Mai gasped, "Argh!"
Merlin closed his eyes. He began to chant a spell. Mai started screaming for help. No one could hear her. And even if they did, it was already too late, for something bizarre happened to Mai.
Mai and her clothes began to shrink in size as Merlin continued to chant. Her voice changed. Her appearance changed. Mai changed into a little child, around the age of four to six years old.
Merlin opened his eyes. He look at the child that stood in front of him. "Mai. My mini Mai."
"You will pay dearly for this!" Mai tried to bluffed, still struggling to lift her feet. But her voice was too cute to really threaten anyone.
Merlin ignored her weak bluff. He snapped his fingers. "Wahhh! Ouch!" Mai whimpered when she finally lifted on feet, but fell. Mai quickly sprang back up. She made a run for it. Merlin blocked her from the entry to the ballroom.
"No one can help you. The spell can only be broken when you and another confess love for one another. So, until you admit you love me, you're stuck as a child! And you better confess before our wedding, Mai!"
"NEVER!!!" Mai shrieked as she pulled a pendant from the necklace around her neck. It was similar to Max's pendant. It had a picture of a bit-beast. "Windra! BLIZZARD FURY!" Mai yelled.
A spirit of a dove, embodied by white light, emerged from the pendant in answer to her holder's call for help. Windra, the white dove, attacked, sending a small blizzard to freeze Merlin.
Merlin, overwhelmed by the power of the attack, was frozen, and Mai, taking advantage of the opportunity, recalled her bit-beast and started to run back into the ballroom. It was a narrow escape for Mai.
Mai, scared, ran around the ballroom. She, cutting through the crowd, searched for her help--Mi and Enrique while Merlin used his magic to shatter the ice. He dashed, in search for her.
"MI!!! MI!!!" Mai repeated, but no one could hear her over the loud music. Mai fell to the floor. Crying she whined, "Mi. Where are you?"
"Here I am," a voice from behind called out. Mai turned around and yelled her name again.
"Who are you?"
"It's me, Mi. It's Mai," Mai said, stopped crying. Mai showed her sister her dove bit-beast.
Mi replied by placing her hand around her own pendant. "Windra and Shadow. Oh, Mai. What happened to you?"
"This party is a set-up. I'm engaged to an evil magician. Merlin, cast a spell, changing me into a child when I told him that I would never love him. He's after me! Help me, Mi! Help me!"
"Calm down. I will help, Mai. How?"
"Take me home. We'll figure things out there," Mai suggested.
"Alright, Mai," Mi said before Merlin turned in the direction to where her sister was.
With great haste, Mai and Mi left the mansion. They hid in the shadows. "Shadow! I call forth you!" Mi's pendant glowed, and beamed out a spirt. Her bit-beast was the same size as Windra, the spirit of the dove. Shadow was the spirit of the black raven. "Shadow Flight," Mi commanded and Shadow obeyed.
Shadow Flight was a special ability that Mi's bit-beast had. It was a transportation command. Shadow, the black raven, spreaded out its wings and allowed Mai and Mi to climb on board its back. When Mai and Mi made a grip on Shadow, it soared into the air. "Shadow. Take us home."
Looking up into the sky, people on the streets, envisioned a moving cloud in the shape of a bird. Obviously, it was Shadow, Mi's bit-beast, flying.
Fifteen minutes later, Mai and Mi arrived home, in an apartment building. Mi opened the door with her keys, and Mai quickly ran in, sprawled out on her bed, crying.
Hastily, Mi closed the door, and ran to try to comfort her troubled older sister, who appeared to have become her younger sister.
"Mi. What am I supposed to do now?" Mai complained, weeping louder.
"Hush. Don't cry. Mai. We can figure this out. Tell me, is there a way to reverse the spell?" Mi asked.
"There is a way. I don't think it'll work," Mai said, continuing to cry.
"Still tell me, Mai. I can only help if you tell me."
"Alright, Mi," Mai replied and stopped sobbing. She went on to explaining how the spell can be reversed.
Elsewhere, back at Enrique's new mansion, the party continued even though some of the guests left. Merlin was conversing with Enrique. He wanted to find out where Mai could run off to. Fortunately, Enrique had no idea. Instead, Enrique said, "This was to be her home."
Elsewhere, on the streets, of Japan, Mariah and Emily followed the Bladebreakers to their house.
(A/N: That's right, all the Bladebreakers are living in the same house, with different rooms. A gift from Mr. Dickinson, so the team can remain as a team.)
*****
The next morning, the doorbell to the Bladebreakers' house rang. "I'll get it," Max offered happily and got up from his chair around the dining table.
"Alright. Breakfast's ready," Ray called out and he turned off the stove in the kitchen while Mariah and Emily placed the platters of food onto the dining/breakfast table. Kai and Tyson were seated opposite to each other, while Kenny sat beside Tyson. Tyson drooled as Emily placed food in front of him. "That looks YUMMY! ME EATING FIRST!"
Meanwhile, Max opened the door, and found a strange little kid, with a knapsack, standing in front of him. "Hi ya, little girl. What ya doing here without your mommy and daddy?"
The little girl was Mai. She had the pendant with her bit-beast around her neck. She handed him a note.
Max read it out loud. "Sorry to bother you. You must help me. Someone is after her, so take care of her for me. I'll be back sometime in February. Signed, a stranger in need."
Max, not knowing what to do, yelled, "GUYS!!!"
To be continued....