By: Lady Sapphire
Chapter 10: Tender Hearts
It was around noon when the two teenagers stopped for a rest and lunch. They had decided to take their break near a river where Kai showed Mariah how to turn a leaf from a tree into a drinking utensil. Inspired by this, Mariah delightedly formed two drinking cones herself and gathered water for her and Kai to drink. They drank the water thirstily, for the long morning's walk had been very tiring and by now, their mouths were very arid.
Kai crumpled the leaf and idly threw it to the ground when he had finished his drink. He was busy contemplating the length of time it would take for them to reach the exit. Abruptly, his keen senses picked up on a distinct rustling sound behind them. Rising swiftly, he pounced at the noise, disappearing in some bushes.
Mariah jumped, surprised by his sudden action. She stared at the scene with a confused expression. What has gotten into him? "What's wrong, Kai?" she asked, worriedly.
All became clear when he emerged from behind with a self-satisfied smirk on his face, clutching a snow-white rabbit by the ears in his hand. "Looks like we won't have to eat berries and mushrooms for lunch," he replied.
Stunned by the sight, Mariah just stared at the rabbit, struggling for dear life to escape the grasps of death, but to no avail, for Kai's strong grip was inexorable. She winced. Poor rabbit, it is just an innocent victim. It was not doing harm to them so why take away its life? Besides, judging by the size, it was only a baby. What mother deserved to be deprived of her child? The mother would be heart-broken. Kai couldn't do this, he just couldn't! Even if it was just a rabbit, it was still a living, breathing thing. "Kai! Stop, please stop!" she cried out, unable to bear the scene unfolding before her.
He was about to bring a final strike to the furry animal, when Mariah cried out his name, forcing him to stop in his tracks. The sound of his name sounded foreign to his ears coming from her lips. Every time she had called out to her, it was either out of anger or uncertainty, but now, it wasn't the same. The tone in her voice sounded so desperate, so pleading…he couldn't ignore it. A rueful look in her eyes implored him to cease movement. Tilting his head sideways, he glanced at her questioningly.
Wavering slightly, she stood with the aid of the stick and ambled over to Kai. Leaning on the stick, she took the rabbit from his rough grasps and cradled it in her chest, stroking its fur gently to calm down the frightened animal. It gradually stopped shaking.
Kai had willingly let go of the animal without a fight, although he was unsure of the reason why. When she had touched him, he could feel her gentle grace penetrate his skin and warm his heart. And now as he stood, watching dazedly at the scene unfolding before him, he could feel her emit an emotion he had never experienced before…compassion. And he didn't like it. It made him feel weak; it made him yield to her.
"Hand it over," he ordered, holding out his hand, "I'm sick and tired of eating berries and fungi all day long." Flustered, he tried to cover up his mistake.
"Please Kai, do not harm the rabbit. It has done nothing to us," she begged, holding the rabbit far away from Kai, in case he did not want to comply. "I beg of you. Rabbits too, are living creatures with life and families. It is wrong to destroy them."
He took a moment to think about what she said. It amazed him how anyone could show that much compassion to a mere animal. After all, animals were inferior to humans, so why should anyone care? His grandfather had always taught him that survival was the key. So what if a few animals died? As long as he survived, that was all that really mattered. Still, he was curious to the extent of her compassion. "If you were isolated in a place where the only source of food were animals, would you rather starve to death?" he challenged.
Mariah glanced up at him inquiringly, then back at the rabbit and nodded. "Yes, I would. I won't bear to see an animal get hurt. I couldn't…"
He was at a loss for words, so instead he just nodded, before promptly turning to face the other way and leaving. "Fine," he murmured. He would go collect berries, at least this would give him time to wonder this new feeling that made him succumb to her request.
Mariah gratefully thanked him and continued stroking the rabbit in her arms.
*~*~*
Kai walked pensively down the pathway in search for a bush of berries. Still bewildered by her compelling actions, he frowned, marring a crease across his forehead.
Never had he felt such strong emotions, such warm and welcoming ones too. Ever since his parents had passed on, all he could feel was pain, sorrow, and hatred. His grandfather was of no help either, with his cruel and harsh training. What was compassion? He didn't have an exact definition.
Whatever it was, it was powerful. It made him feel feeble against Mariah, knowing that he wouldn't be able to resist her pleas any longer. He felt a tinge of jealousy. Why couldn't he feel the same way? He was human too, after all…wasn't it only natural to feel compassion? He sighed, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"Could grandfather have been wrong?" he mused. Was it worth risking his own life to save another, even if it was just a rabbit? He thought about it, and what he would have done in her place. His mind ultimately came to rest upon a sole question, "Would I risk my life for her safety?" The query was sudden, unexpected, and completely irrelevant. The answer should have been an automatic "No", Kai knew, but the words absolutely refused to come out.
"I…I…" he faltered, but gave up, throwing his hands to the air. "Fine, YES, I would save her! Are you happy?" he shouted to plain air as if it were an enemy, taunting him. To an ordinary bystander, Kai would have been deemed "insane".
Breathing heavily, he narrowed his eyes, attempting to remain calm. He wanted to learn from her, learn how she was able to make him yield to her request. Making up his mind to question her about it, he arrived at his destination and began gathering their lunch.
*~*~*
A few minutes later, after Kai had done some thinking on this whole turn of events, he returned with two fistfuls of berries. Setting them down on the ground beside her, he resumed studying his task of studying her thoroughly.
"What?" she asked, noticing that Kai had fixed his eyes on her, and was staring intently.
"You really like that rabbit, don't you?" he asked curiously.
Mariah smiled and nodded. "Oh, yes. Ever since I was a young girl, back in the village, I used to raise all sorts of small furry animals: cats, dogs, rabbits, squirrels…I couldn't resist it," she giggled. Then a glazed look came over her eyes, "I miss those times. Now, I'm rarely ever home, so I had to let the animals go…" she said sadly.
Kai nodded to show that he understood. "But why did you even bother with such a past time anyway?" he asked.
She blinked, "Well for starters, they are great companions. When there is no one else around to talk to, there are always animals. Sure, they can't talk back, but it still helps, and you can be assured that any secrets are safe with them. Besides, they're adorable little creatures," she said, nuzzling the animal in her arms. She reached out for a berry and held it out in her hand in front of the rabbit to eat.
He stared, supposing she was right. He glanced at her, lingering for another moment before getting up from his seated position to crouch in front of her. There, he tentatively reached out and stroked the animal. What warmth it brought to his heart, she would never know, but assuredly, he was different.
The rabbit reacted to Kai's touch, tensing up, and then relaxing. Mariah grinned. "It likes you, Kai," she chirped.
Kai glanced at her cheerful expression. She was so beautiful when she laughed. Unconsciously, he reached out a hand to stroke Mariah's left cheek, seeking the same warmth he felt when he stroked the rabbit.
Mariah stiffened when she felt his fingers upon her skin. Blushing, her glee died down as she looked into his mysterious eyes for reasoning. What was he doing and why? She wanted to protest, but couldn't find her voice. Instead, she sat inanely still and waited for the scene to play out.
Kai trailed his fingers down her check and stopped to grasp her chin. His auburn eyes gazed deeply into her eyes. Slowly, he brought her face closer and closer to his own, unable to control his own actions or feelings. He was in his own world, and all that he desired at that moment was a sign, any sign, to show that he wasn't the impassionate jerk everyone thought he was.
Then it happened. Their lips touched. Lightly and tenderly, a kiss descended on her lips.
Mariah's eyes grew wide in shocked, but did not struggle. Just like her previous attempts, her body had frozen into a heavy mound of ice. The odd thing was that what Kai was doing was flaming up every part of her body. She closed her eyes and returned his gentle kiss.
It was a short kiss, simple, yet meaningful. Nonetheless it sent them both blushing as bright as a ruby red rose. The kiss broke apart and a moment's silence was used to compose themselves.
Kai felt different. He felt warmth in his heart that used to be hard and cold. Inwardly, he had liked the kiss, but he denied it. He wondered how she would react to this situation, but she wasn't doing anything. She just sat there; looking dazed, stunned, and flushed in the face. What did she think of it? Guilt panged through him. Should he have done that? Should he have invaded her personal space like that? He cursed himself for being curious and selfish. He cursed his impulse and lack of control.
Mariah was still trying to recover from her initial shock. Then it sunk in. Kai had kissed her. The hot, good-looking, but cold-hearted Kai had actually kissed her?! It was as next to as impossible as a flying elephant! 'How dare he try such a move without asking me first?!' she thought, but surprisingly enough, she wasn't angry. She was just confused by his bizarre behaviour.
Deciding that he would never lose control over his emotions again, he stood and walked past her, "I…I apologize, Mariah," he said softly. "We should get going now," he added, before starting for the path they were headed for this morning.
The pink-haired girl shakily pulled herself up and followed suit. Maybe it was best if she just pretended nothing happened at all…
*~*~*
AN: Another chapter done, yay! Hope you like this one! ^__^ Sorry for another long wait, but I'm busy nowadays so updates will be scarce, since I will only be able to write when I have spare time...*sigh* I can't wait for the spring break!
Disclaimer: Beyblade is mine! All mine!!! Just kidding...but I wish it were!