Show me the meaning
By EpitomeOfMisery
Chapter III: Facing the world alone
Green, orange, blue, red, green, orange, blue, red, green, orange… The string of Christmas lights kept up the same pattern, not one flashing out of time beside those which didn't work. The warm colour reflected in cold crimson eyes, making the twin orbs look even more unearthly.
The sun was just starting to set outside and it was snowing lightly. In just under an hour the ice cold winds would once again freeze the stoic Russian for another night.
…Dranzer. Kai spoke to the phoenix in his mind.
Yes master.
Kai sat silently for a moment. …What are my team doing?
They are all still at Tyson's house, master. They have finished their earlier activity and are now making paper snowflakes. The loyal fire bird replied.
Kai nodded slowly. Have they noticed I'm gone?
I do not think so, master.
Kai looked down. Good. He said with determination.
Kai, please. I know you well. Do not try to hide your feelings from me, I can sense what you feel deep down. Dranzer said quietly. I know it really does bother you.
No it doesn't. I'm fine.
Master, they care for you. You're not alone, you have friends. And you will always have me.
Kai's eyes narrowed. I don't care. They don't notice whether I'm there or not. It doesn't matter to me. It doesn't.
But it does, master. You can go to them for help. Dranzer said.
I don't need help. They wouldn't help anyway. I'm fine on my own. Kai argued.
He felt Dranzer glow in his mind and his body relaxed at the heat she gave him. It was the only thing that had ever made him feel safe.
…Dranzer. I'm fine, really.
Kai, I know you are upset about Christmas.
I don't care about Christmas. It's just another day to me.
Your surroundings say otherwise. Dranzer defended.
Kai looked up at the decorations he'd hung. Even so. I don't mind spending Christmas alone.
Dranzer sighed at her master's stubbornness. If you say so, master.
Kai lay down on his old mattress, deciding to go to bed early. As he closed his eyes he whispered to his bit-beast. "…I don't care if I'm alone." He said it with determination, but as the words left his mouth a pale hand slipped out from under the covers and pulled his blade to him, clutching Dranzer as if she were his lifeline.
"Mum!" Max cried, running through the crowded airport.
"My little Max." Judy smiled, hugging her son as he ran up to her.
"I missed you so much, mum. I've been counting the days till you came home." Max beamed, standing back as his father caught up.
"Aw, you're sweet, Max. Shall we get home where it's warm." Judy suggested. "And there might be a special present for you in this bag." She winked at the grinning blonde, tapping her suitcase.
"For me? Great! I've got so much to tell you!" Max said.
Judy smiled brightly. "Tell me on the way home. C'mon let's go."
Max stood in the middle of his parents, talking endlessly about everything that had happened to him in the past few weeks and how much he was looking forward to Christmas and how much he had missed his mum and so on.
Kai woke up at six am the next morning. It was still freezing and he was instantly alerted to the cold wind.
He outstretched his fingers and blinked at the red marks his blade had imprinted from how tightly he had been holding it in his sleep. Dranzer glowed brightly in greeting.
Good morning. Dranzer said.
Whatever. Kai replied, pulling himself to his feet. He headed outside to practice, launching Dranzer onto the thin ice that coated the roads.
Kai frowned as his blade skidded and slipped on the ice. I don't have to put up with this. He thought. "Dranzer, BLAZING GIG!"
Dranzer skidded back before charging forward in a burst of blue flames, melting the surrounding ice with the intense heat. Dranzer circled her master, sending the warmth up his body.
Kai sat down on the cold ground, calling Dranzer to him. He picked the blade up as it stopped before him, subconsciously squeezing it tightly. He lay back on the snow, staring at the sky. It was white, yet dark as the snow fell lightly around him, slowly recovering the wet concrete Dranzer's heat had cleared.
The wet snow soaked into his back and the concrete was hard and uncomfortable, yet he still did not move. His eyes closed and he lay there, not moving, just thinking. The wind blew his hair around but his body stayed still. He was frozen, the cold pierced him and paled his skin. It stung, but at the same time it numbed him and took the pain away. He felt sort of… calm. At peace.
Several minutes later, his forehead twitched as the cold snow fell onto his face. Reluctantly he opened his eyes, staring once again at the sky. It was slightly lighter than before and by now half six.
Another cold gust of wind swept at him. Sighing he pushed himself to sit up, shaking his slightly damp hair free of snowflakes. His body was stiff to move and there were even small bits of ice between his fingers.
Standing on weak limbs he kept Dranzer clutched tightly in the palm of his hand, never wanting to let her go.
He ignored the stiffness of his joints and walked up the road and on. There was no one around, as expected at just after half six on a cold December morning. He was glad, he hated to be surrounded with bustling groups of people with barely any room to breathe. Yet still… he wished someone was there, with him.
I'm here, master. Dranzer spoke to him.
Kai clutched the blade even tighter. I know… Thank you.
Max opened his eyes and looked at the illuminated alarm clock on his bedside table. The digits read 7:39am. He sat up and stretched, swinging his legs out of bed and heading into the other room for breakfast.
"Morning Max." Judy greeted, standing at the stove, cooking pancakes.
"Hi mum. Ummm pancakes, my favourite." Max drooled, sitting at the table. "Hey, where's dad?"
"Downstairs, opening up the shop. It's the last day before we're closed for Christmas, so it's going to be busy."
"Oh yeah, I remember the rush last year." Max agreed.
Judy smiled, placing a plate of pancakes in front of her son. "Dig in."
"Great." Max said, reaching for the syrup.
At that moment Mr Tate came up the stairs. "Right, all ready to be opened at eight. Until then, I'm having breakfast." He said, sitting down next to Judy and placing the post on the table. "I think there are a few cards in there for you, Max."
"Oh wow." Max said, reaching out and grabbing the pile of envelopes. He sorted through them, separating the ones with his name.
Max arranged the cards on the windowsill, there were eight in total. One from Tyson, another from Kenny and Hillary, one from Ray, one from Daichi with a teddy bear on the front, two from different sets of Grandparents, both with money in and two more from other relatives.
His sea blue eyes looked all the cards over. There wasn't one from Kai. He had sent cards back to all his friends, except Kai, as no one seemed to know where Kai lived. Even Mr Dickenson wasn't too sure. His records were very vague and the information on Kai's personal life was limited.
Max wandered over to the seat by the window, gazing out through the glass. It looked pretty as everywhere was white and sparkly and it seemed to shine in the light.
Max straightened up as he thought he saw something. He blinked and looked over the street below. His eyes stopped on a tall figure over the road, kneeling down in a snow covered driveway.
"Hey Mum," Max called. "Can I go out for a little while?"
"Where on earth are you going to go in this weather? I thought you said Tyson was busy today?" Mr Tate replied.
"Yeah, he is. But I'm not going to Tyson's. I just want to go see something across the road." Max explained, pointing out the window.
"What across the road?" Judy asked, standing next to her son.
Max gestured toward the figure. "I think that's Kai. I want to go and talk to him, if it is." He slid back of the window seat. "I'll come straight back if it isn't."
"Well okay, then. See if he wants to come in for a while, it can't be very warm out there." Judy glanced out the window. "Does he live far from here?"
"No one seems to know, mum." Max said, reaching for his coat. "You know Kai, he's a mystery."
"He certainly doesn't give much away, does he?" Max's dad agreed. "Yes, invite him in, Max."
"I will. Kai's never been round before, unlike the others." Max headed toward the door. "Bye, I'll be back in a while."
"Try not to get too cold." Judy called as the door closed.
Max ran down the stairs and pushed the door to the shop open, having to force it against the wind. He looked both ways before crossing the street and headed toward the person.
A smile spread across his face as his thoughts were confirmed and it indeed was Kai. "Hey, KAI!" He called, running up the road.
Kai's headshot up and the cat he was feeding turned and ran, jumping over the fence and out of sight. Kai stood up and turned, only to see Max coming down the road.
"Hi Kai." Max greeted, skidding to a stop before the taller blader. "How are you? What are you doing way out here in this weather? Shouldn't you be at home getting ready for Christmas?"
Kai just blinked at him, not answering any of the blonde's questions.
Max smiled, used to Kai giving everyone, including him, the silent treatment. "So Kai, my house is just there, we live above the hobby shop my dad owns, do you want to come in?"
Kai stayed silent for a minute. "I really shouldn't." He said eventually.
"No really, it's fine. My mum and dad won't mind, we love having company."
"Well, I don't know." Kai replied, looking away.
Max tugged at his arm. "Please Kai, you can come and see our huge Christmas tree."
Kai studied Max's happy face carefully. He looks so excited, just at the mention of the word. He opened his mouth to speak but Max cut him off.
"And we've got lots of other decorations up. Me and dad spent hours getting them down from the loft and putting them up in the shop and our house. Please come and see."
"Well…" Kai began.
"Great! Come on." Max said in an overly cheery voice, pulling him over the road and into the front door of the shop.
Kai pulled his arm out of Max's grip, instead walking just behind him.
"Heh, sorry." Max laughed sheepishly, stopping in the middle of the shop, realizing he'd been a bit too forceful. It was then that he realised what Kai was wearing. It was only his usual attire with the short sleeved jacket. "How come you were out like that, Kai? You must have been freezing. It's nearly zero degrees out there, y'know."
"You point being?" Kai said rashly.
"Well, I didn't mean that you're odd or anything. I'm just saying its really cold out there and you'd be a lot warmer if you wore a jumper or a coat or something." Max explained, turning and starting walking again.
Kai followed with his hands in his pockets.
Once they got to the top of the stairs, Max opened the door and let them both in. "I'm back. And I brought Kai with me."
Judy came up to them. "There you are, Max. I'm glad you weren't out there too long." She turned to Kai. "Hello Kai, how are you?"
"Fine." Kai mumbled.
Judy smiled, just like Max. "Good, good. Come in." She gestured him into the apartment.
"Hey Kai, look at our Christmas tree, it's huge isn't it?" Max said, pointing towards a large, dark green tree smothered in tinsel, baubles, flashing lights and with a gold star on top. "I bet your isn't that big." Max said.
Not even as tall as the bottom branch. Kai thought, but just shook his head.
Max knelt down next to the tree. "I've got loads of presents! I can't wait to open all of them! Dad's brought me loads of new Beyblade parts and a new launcher and loads of other stuff." He stood back up next to Kai. "Do you know what you're getting for Christmas?"
Kai just shrugged.
Max carried on rambling about how many presents he was getting until Judy stopped him.
"I know you're excited, Max, but we've heard quite enough about what you're getting for Christmas." Judy laughed.
Max raised a hand sheepishly to his blonde head. "Heh, sorry. Just excited, that's all."
"Yeah." Kai muttered. "I really should be going."
"Oh come on, Kai. You can stay a bit longer." Max protested.
"I don't think so." Kai said, starting to head toward the door.
Max ran after him. "Hey Kai, why don't I walk back to your place with you?"
Kai's eyes widened, suddenly fearful. "No, that's not a good idea."
"Why not? Please Kai, you don't always have to go everywhere on your own."
Judy stood beside Max. "So Kai, who are you living with at the moment?"
Kai shrugged.
Judy gave him a confused look. "Are you going to any family for Christmas?"
"Don't have any to go to." Kai said quietly, looking away.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Judy apologized.
"Don't be."
Max blinked at Kai. "So what are you doing for Christmas?"
Kai shrugged again.
"Where are you living, Kai?" Max asked.
Kai shrugged yet again.
"How long have you been there?"
Kai glanced at him. "A while." He said vaguely.
Max smiled, trying to be cheerful. "What's the address? I want to send you a Christmas card."
Kai looked around longingly. "I've got to go." He said, turning on his heel and leaving, completely ignoring the blonde's question.
"But Kai! Wait! What's the rush?!" Max called, running forward to try and catch Kai up, only to have the door closed in his face.
"What happened there?" Judy asked, totally confused, just as Max was.
"I don't know. But I'm going to find out." Max announced, heading out the door and running after Kai.
A/N: I made this chapter extra long as a (late) Christmas present to all my wonderful reviewers! Hope you enjoyed it and please review otherwise I won't update!