By: Lady Sapphire
AN: I hate myself for working on this instead of my other story! It's just that these ideas are so fresh in my head, I just had to write them down before they dissolve! Oh well, on the brighter side, you guys get an early update! I just want to point out again that this fic was started *before* I had seen the whole Beyblade series. Some of the facts you find in this story are completely made up (i.e. Kai's past...). So if you doubt something is true, then don't go taking my word for it. And trust me, I don't know anything about herbs and berries...those are just made up! You'll see...
Chapter 5: Falling Into You
Walking was a most daunting task for Mariah and for Kai. They had to choose the path with the least obstacles, so that tripping wouldn't be an issue. Limping on one foot, while hanging over the shoulders of someone, was not the most effective way to travel. As for Kai, he didn't mind supporting her weight, for she was nothing compared to the weight he had been trained to carry when he was young. However, he did feel uncomfortable holding another being (and of the opposite gender, nonetheless) so close to him. Of course, he didn't show it; he never showed his emotions. Time seemed to drag on, and pretty soon, the sun began to set below the horizon.
Finally, after what seemed like hours of walking, they stumbled upon an area of the forest that seemed suitable for the night. The land had been relatively cleared, and conveniently, a large fallen log lay decaying on the forest floor. Ambling over to the log, Kai helped Mariah sit on it without putting too much pressure on her wounded foot. Relieved to finally take weight off her working foot, she sat down, stretching out both feet in front of her.
"Listen, I'm going to go scout out the area for awhile and look for some food. Stay here, and don't move until I get back," he informed, turning to disappear into the darkening forest.
"Okay…" replied Mariah, tentatively. She had felt so safe and warm when he was around, she didn't want him to leave her so soon. On the other hand, she was hungry, and he was the only one she could depend on for food right now. A chill wind blew past her, sending a tingling feeling down her spine. 'Just come back soon…' she added silently, shivering slightly.
*~*~*
"Blue is safe, while red is poisonous…or is it the other way around?" muttered Kai to himself, as he struggled to remember. Frowning, he plucked the blue berry from the bush and turned it over in his hands, examining it. He heaved a sigh as memories from his brutal childhood flooded through his brain.
He could see himself, a young Kai, about the age of six or seven. His grandfather had always believed that the strength of the Beyblade, depended on the strength of the one who wielded it. Therefore, as part of his training, he had been forced to read and memorize everything he needed to know about survival. Then as a test, he was deserted in an isolated forest along with some supplies for two weeks, and was ordered to survive.
Kai made a face as he recalled the pain-staking two weeks he had to live through. Cuts, scratches, and bruises appeared all over his body and stung with every movement. Every corner the young boy turned, danger seemed to grasp at him. Once, he had eaten the wrong coloured berry and broke out into a rash that itched uncontrollably. The further he wandered, the more he became lost, until finally, he would just break down and cry, like a normal child would in a time of confusion and loss. A desperate plea from a lonely child, a cry for help…but there was no one to aid him. He was alone.
Closing his eyes, he pushed away all emotions he had and tried to focus on the question at hand. Deciding on his first instincts, he popped the blue berry into his mouth and chewed it for a minute. Opening his eyes, he found himself still alive and breathing. Working quickly, he laid down the coat he had brought with him and started collecting more of the blue berries.
"I guess I should really thank grandfather for that survival course he made me go through. Who would have thought I'd end up in the same situation ten years later?" he scoffed sadistically.
Rising from his crouched position, he tied his coat so that it formed a sac, and hung it around his shoulders. He decided he would explore the area a bit more before heading back. Making his way freely through the forest, without the attachment of an injured person, he carefully examined his surroundings. The forest at night was dark and dank, hardly a welcoming place.
As he strolled, a thought occurred to him. Why was he doing this? Why was he offering to help that little brat after she had deliberately taken his most prized possession? She was of no importance to him, and was not of his responsibility anyway. So, why is it that he was still here offering his assistance? He could take all this food, find a place to sleep for the night elsewhere, and wake up bright and early the next morning to search for an exit route. That way, he would get out much faster, and she wouldn't be a burden to him.
Sighing, he hung his head in defeat. No matter how much he desired to do so, his guilty conscience just wouldn't let him. He just couldn't leave a defenceless person behind in a potentially dangerous place. Not when he knew he could help.
"There's something about her…" he murmured softly to himself, "I don't know why, but I just can't help feeling the need to protect her." His mind drifted, and suddenly it stopped at a particular thought that made him freeze in his tracks. His grandfather's mission…could she be the one? The one who can help him succeed in this mission? "Could these feelings I feel be…love?" he asked out loud, widening his eyes in shock. The thought had never crossed his mind before, nor did he realize how love felt. He had lost all emotions, especially emotions of love, ever since his childhood days.
However, as quick as the thought came to mind, it was dismissed before it could even be processed. "No, it can't be. There's no way on this planet will I "love" such an insolent girl," he muttered indignantly. "I am only looking after her because she is injured and needs help. I am only taking care of her for Ray. She is only the friend of a friend. Nothing more, nothing less," he declared, shutting out any other thoughts he had on the subject.
He desperately tried to concentrate on something else so that he wouldn't have to think about her and his motive for rescuing her. Racking his brain, he soon remembered something that he should have remembered a long time ago. When he had studied for the big "survival" test, he had come across an article about a mysterious herb. What was so special about this particular herb, was that it had healing properties that could cure, or at least help, almost any type of injury. He didn't know if this would apply for a sprained ankle, but as far as he remembered, there was no harm in trying.
Wasting no time, he hurried over to a nearby river in search for the herb. He recalled that the article described the herb as a "long, dark green, leafy plant that grew near rivers and other bodies of water." The only way to distinguish it was the single pale pink and blue flower that grew at the end of each stem of the herb.
It wasn't hard to find, but it did take Kai a while in the almost completely dark atmosphere. Quickly, he pulled out a few stems and adding it to his collection of berries, he turned to head back to where Mariah was waiting.
*~*~*
"Brrrr…it's cold," shivered Mariah, hugging herself and rubbing her arms to keep warm. It had been a while now since Kai had left and still he had not yet returned. In her subconscious mind, she began to worry. "Why is he taking so long? Did he get lost? I do hope nothing has happened…" she said apprehensively. Her voice drifted at the last word.
Sighing, she propped her chin on her hands and leaned forward on her knees. This day has been a horrible, disastrous day for her. First, she was yelled at by Lee, and then she had that fateful confrontation with Kai. Next, she just had to trap herself at the edge of a crumbling cliff and fallen to what would have been her doom, if it weren't for Kai. And finally, now she was stuck in this forest, alone with Kai.
Thinking back, she remembered the hatred she had for him when he first interrupted her training session. But now, her views have been altered. She no longer thought of him as cold and heartless anymore. Not after all that he had done for her. He could have left her in the forest, but no, he came back. He came back to help her with her sprained ankle.
She smiled at the thought of Kai's fingers slowly intertwining the material of his scarf over her leg. After that, her leg didn't hurt as much as it did before. Mariah felt a faint blush creep into her cheeks and thanked God that Kai wasn't around.
'Once you get to know him better, he really isn't all that bad,' thought Mariah, 'and plus, he's quite handsome too!'
Mariah stopped short. Did she just call Kai "handsome"? Quickly, she denied it, and blamed it upon a surge of female hormones. There was no way she was going to start falling for someone, especially someone as impassive as Kai. It was just too farfetched. 'He must be lonely, always hanging around by the shadows by himself. He always seemed like the outcast of the team. All I want to do is be his friend and only his friend,' she told herself firmly, closing the subject. Shaking her head vigourously, she cleared her mind of thoughts of Kai.
"That's it! I've had enough of waiting!" she declared out loud, slamming both hands on the log. She didn't want to sit around like a bump on a log, while Kai did all the work. She wanted to do something to help out too. Looking around, she saw towers of trees around the border of the area. This gave her an idea.
"Since Kai is gathering food, I might as well start up a fire so we can keep warm at night!" she exclaimed. Grinning proudly, she took out her pink Beyblade and launched it forcefully.
"Galux go! Cut down some branches from those trees! Cat Scratch Attack!" she called out and the pink blade obediently climbed up a tree. The pink mountain cat spirit emerged from the centre of the blade and let out a cat-like cry, before scraping through the wood. Within a matter of seconds, sticks of wood came tumbling down.
Once she had enough, she called back her bit-beast and safely stored away her Beyblade equipment. 'Now how do I gather them all to one place?' she wondered. Struggling, she stood on one foot and carefully hopped over to the pieces of wood. She managed to travel on one foot, but when she tried to bend down to pick up the wood, that's where she lost her balance.
Screaming, she closed her eyes and waited for her body to come into contact with the hard ground. But, it never came. It was as if she was suspended in time. Then she realized that someone was holding her up by the waist. Puzzled and embarrassed, she slowly opened her eyes to see who had stopped her fall. Golden met auburn, as she gazed into deep, beautiful eyes, which in turn, gazed back. Strong arms encircled tightly around her petite figure, preventing her fall. Seconds seemed like minutes, and minutes seemed like hours, as they stood, frozen in time, neither one able to move or speak.
Mariah could feel her cheeks burning up from the realization of her current position. Breaking the silence, she managed to stutter, "K-Kai…?"
*~*~*
Notes: I'm so evil...semi-cliffhanger here! ^__^ Hey don't glare at me that way! I was going to put it a complete cliffhanger by ending it a few lines earlier and using this as the last line: "She opened her eyes and saw..." and end it right there! Then you'd have to wait to find out who it was! You would have really killed me then, right? So that's why I changed it so that it at least mentioned who this person was. So be happy! ^__^ Now we'll just wait and see how they react next time!
Disclaimer: Beyblade is not mine. If it were, then why would I be writing fanfiction?