Twist of Fate
Chapter 3

-Sunset; Just After Topaz Ran Off-

'What were you thinking?!' Max was reflecting on the events from earlier. He had met Kira in the Beystadium down the street. She had seemed nice, but she was obsessed with him. He had remained loyal to Topaz until Kira had followed him to the hotel. He didn't have the heart to make her leave. The next thing he knew, she had seduced him into making out with her. That's where Topaz came in.

"I made a mistake, Topaz!" he shouted. It echoed off the hotel roof. He didn't care. He knew she wouldn't hear him. He'd shout it off the Grand Canyon if it would help her hear him. But she didn't want to. "Forgive me," he whispered, close to tears. For the first time, he felt like crying, and over a girl. He went back inside to find Kenny. Instead, he found Ray.

"You alright, Max?"

"Yeah," he lied, not able to look Ray in the eyes. He tried to walk around him, but Ray put his hand out, hindering Max's escape attempt. Max sighed. Apparently, he was going to have to tell him what had happened. Ray was sharp. You couldn't easily pull the wool over his eyes.

"Max, what happened? Is it about Topaz again?" What on earth had happened to his buddy now?

"In a way." Max kept his answer short and to the point. It was painful enough to talk about it, but the more details, the more it hurt.

"Max, tell me. I wanna help." And he meant it, too.

"Well..."

"I know Topaz didn't leave you. She wouldn't."

"She did."

"Why?!" Ray couldn't believe what he had heard. Topaz? She wasn't like that!

"It was my fault. She caught me with another girl," Max explained. Seeing the look on Ray's face, he corrected the impression. "It's not what you think! The girl tried to seduce me. She told me one kiss and she'd leave. I thought imagining she was Topaz would help, but then the real Topaz showed up."

"Max..." Ray said in that that's-not-like-you-you-made-a-stupid-mistake tone. Then he shook his head. Max had already been punished enough. He didn't need a lecture to add to the pain. "Maybe you should talk to her about it."

"I tried. She wouldn't listen, and she ran off. I couldn't find her. I looked everywhere she'd be."

"Maybe that's your problem," Ray told him wisely. Max looked confused. Ray cleared up his point, "If she was trying to get away from you, would she go somewhere you knew where she would be?"

"I dunno. Maybe." Max clearly had not thought the whole thing out.

"Well, you already found out that she didn't."

"Good point," Max sighed. Silence followed for a few seconds, both lost in thought. Then Ray broke the awkward pause.

"I'll talk to her for you," he offered.

"Really?" Max couldn't conceal his excitement. Topaz wouldn't listen to him, but maybe she'd hear Ray out.

"Yeah," Ray answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "What're friends for? After all, someone has to save your relationship, and if you can't, shouldn't we step in?"

"Thanks, Ray," Max said gratefully.

"No prob." He went to wait for Topaz. Why go to the target when you can just let it come to you?

-Just After Topaz Ran From Kai-

"What were you thinking?!" Kai chastised himself. He was alone in the alley behind the hotel, so it was okay to talk to himself. Nobody would hear him, he'd clear his thoughts, and everyone would be none the wiser.

"She would never love you, Kai. She belongs to Max."

"But women aren't possessions. And he did hurt her."

"What would she want with me, anyway?"

"Nobody knows why people love."

"She doesn't love me. She's loyal to Max. You saw how hurt she was. And besides, I'm not supposed to love. I was trained to reject all such emotions."

"Yet, this girl made me reject my childhood training, instead. When I'm with her, I feel like the greatest blader in the world. I can surpass my own limits. If I could, I'd abandon everything to be with her. Even Dranzer. Oh, what am I thinking now? It's impossible. I can't love her, and she can't love me. Max'll get ticked if it does happen. And that'll throw off his game. Not something we need to happen right before the tournament."

"That didn't stop you."

"Yeah? Well, it won't happen again."

"I hope."