A/N : I just wanted to thank all my reviewers for their great... well, reviews ! Thanks everyone, you rock !
OK, now on with the fic...
.: Sweet tragedy :.
by cherry fantasy
Chapter five : Old friends and remembrance
At the hotel, 5h34 p.m.
The dinner room was totally packed out, full of bladers Kai knew and others he didn't. Luckily, the place was huge and there was more than enough space for everyone. Kai was standing at the entrance, not really wanting to go sit in that cheerful crowd.
Kai hadn't met or spoke with anyone he knew yet, except Tala, but everybody probably knew he was here by now. Tala had surely told Garland and Mystel, who had told someone else, who had told someone else, etc, etc... Kai knew how it worked. The whole building was probably informed of his presence now. It's not that he wanted to avoid people, in fact he was suppose to do the opposite... But then again, Kai had never been very sociable, even before...
He sighed and turned his gaze to the dinner room again. Tonight was the first day of their stay and Mr. Dickinson was to make some sort of speech after they had eaten, so everyone was requested to be there. Kai only hoped that it wouldn't be too long...
He turned his head and glanced in the now empty main hall, trying to find something interesting to look at... And that's when he saw it.
Before him, but at the far end of the hall, just beside an elegant couch, was standing... someone. Kai really couldn't be more precise. The strange figure was just as tall as him, but it was wrapped in a long black cape with a large hood on its head that was hiding the person's face. Kai couldn't say if it was male or female, just that it wore black baggy pants and some leather boots, the only thing that wasn't hid by the cape.
The figure was just standing there, not moving. For some unknown reason, Kai found himself totally fascinated by that strange personage, not being able to tear his gaze away from it. The figure suddenly turned its head in his direction and, even though he couldn't see its eyes, Kai could almost feel it stare at him, looking deep into his soul... It wasn't frightening, it was more like... mesmerizing...
"Kai ?" a voice called from behind him.
Kai jumped and whirled around, coming face to face with...
"Ray ?" he said unbelievingly.
And it was indeed Ray standing there, with none other than Max and Kenny at his sides. The three stared at him with the same expression of shock, not knowing what to say. Finally Ray asked :
"Hum... what were you looking at just then ?"
"Well it was..." Kai started but stopped when he turned to look in the hall again : the figure had vanished.
He turned back to his friends with a confused frown and said :
"It was nothing, I was just... thinking"
"Oh..." Ray said nervously, not knowing what to add.
They stayed in an awkward silence for a moment before Max decided to break it by asking :
"So Kai... when did you arrive ?"
"Around 3 p.m. this afternoon. I met Tala already, he told me you and him had taken the same plane ?"
"Yes" answered Max, "along with my mom and the members of the PPB All Starz. Did he also told you that we were working at the same place, now ?"
"He did. In fact he informed me on many things, including that you two were together since a while"
Max and Ray blushed, and Kai was forced to make a little grin.
"You OK with that ?" asked Ray.
"Of course"
They smiled and the atmosphere relaxed a bit. Then Kenny, who hadn't spoken yet, told them :
"I think we should head to our table now guys. Dinner will be served soon and Hilary'll grow angry if we make her wait for us any longer"
Max and Ray sweat-dropped.
"You're right chief" Max said precipitately, "we better go now !"
"Wanna join us, Kai ?" Ray asked.
Kai just nodded and followed. If he absolutely had to sit with someone, he'd much rather sit with them than with anyone else. They were the closest friends he'd ever had, after all... And he had to admit that it was... good, to see them again.
While he was following Ray, Kai thought about that mysterious stranger he had seen in the main hall. He knew he had seen it, it wasn't his imagination... But who could it have been ? He really didn't have a clue.
They stopped at a round table where a furious Hilary was waiting. Kai couldn't help but note that her hair was longer and that her curves were a lot more... hum... defined than what he remembered.
When they were close enough, Hilary got up and started ranting (apparently her temper was the same as before...) :
"Where were you, anyway ? I must've been waiting for a good twenty minutes by now ! So what I agreed to keep your places, doesn't mean you can leave me here sitting alone and look pretty ! Where are your manners anyway ? Really, some things never change !"
She stopped to get her breath back and that's when she spotted Kai at the back of the group.
"Kai ?" she gasped.
"Hilary" he greeted her calmly.
The others quickly sat around the table seeing as Hilary's attention wasn't on them anymore. She didn't even notice as she asked Kai :
"When... when did you get here ?"
"This afternoon" Kai answered while sitting beside Kenny.
"Oh... well... I... didn't think you would come..." she said a bit hesitantly.
Kai raised a questioning eyebrow at her while saying :
"Why not ?"
Hilary suddenly seemed very uncomfortable, as if she really didn't want to answer that question. That's when it clicked in Kai's mind and he knew exactly what she was talking about. He tried to stop her but before he could she said in a trembling voice :
"Just because... you know... this place... these people... as much as I try not to think about it... it reminds me so much of him... and of how he would've liked to be here..."
By now, Kai wasn't the only one frozen on his chair, Ray, Max and Kenny were too. They didn't utter a word as Hilary continued softly, glancing at Kai :
"I just thought that... if it was hard for us... it would be so much harder for you..."
She paused a minute, then she added a bit more firmly :
"And besides, you didn't give us any news for so long that I just didn't hope to see you here"
At that, Kai felt a little guilty.
"Yes, hum, about that..." he sarted before being interrupted by Ray :
"It's OK Kai. We understand"
Kai gave him a surprised look ; Ray just smiled and so as Max and Kenny. Hilary pouted for a second before sighing and declaring :
"Yes well I suppose the important thing is that you're here now..."
"Exactly !" Max approved cheerfuly.
Kai stayed mute, but inwardly he felt very grateful toward his friends for accepting his reasons so easily.
Suddenly Max made a sad smile and said :
"Hilary was right about one thing though : he would've loved to be here..."
None of them had anything to answer to that.
o0o
Later, 9h12 p.m.
Dinner had passed rather quickly. The food was delicious and Mr. Dickinson's speech hadn't been long at all. He had just greeted them and talked about the activities, then he had reminded them once again about the surprise that was planned for the third day. Finally he had told them the few basic rules they would have to follow and had concluded his monologue.
It wasn't long before he was over and everybody had exited the dinner room to go do whatever they wanted to do. Some had even went to bed despite the early hour.
Kai and his friends had found a cosy resting room and had installed themselves in it to chat a little. Although Kai wasn't talking a lot... But he was listening. And so he learned that Ray and Max indeed lived together in a large apartment at New-York since a couple of years. Ray was completing his studies to become a veterinarian, and Kenny was a computer analyst right here in Kyoto. Hilary was the editor of a very popular magazine and she had gotten married with a guy named Jason about a year ago.
Kai was baffled at how much he had missed in his friend's lives and he felt a bit ashamed. But he decided not to linger on it any further, after all the past was the past, and he couldn't change it. Now if he could only apply that same philosophy to another one of his painful memories...
"I wonder what's this big surprise we're getting in two days..." suddenly asked Max.
"Yes, I'm pretty curious too" added Kenny. "I really have no idea of what it could be..."
Hilary chuckled and said :
"Well that's the thing with surprises, Kenny. You're not supposed to know what it'll be !"
Kenny blushed and Max and Ray sniggered. Kai grinned a little, then he asked casually :
"So, Ray, why did you suddenly choose to become a veterinarian ? Weren't you teaching little kids to beyblade back in China ?"
"Well, yes" answered Ray, "but then me and Max started... going out together, and at first it was OK to just see each other occasionally. We would phone each other every day or so and we could also use Internet to send messages. But after a while it became obvious that we couldn't pursue our relationship with the two of us living in two different countries, and so we had to make a decision. Finally I chose to move with Max at New-York. We took an apartment and I started studying. If I wanted to live in the big city I needed a job, it wasn't like in my small chinese village. I decided to become a veterinarian simply because I love all kinds of animals and that I would like to work with them. I'm almost finished now, I only have one year left to study and then I can go look for work ! I already have good recommendations !"
He smiled and put an arm around Max's shoulders. This one beamed and cuddled up to him. Kai asked again :
"What about the kids you were teaching before ?"
"Sadly I had to transfer them to someone else, since I was moving. But... (his voice lowered and he said the rest in a whisper) I would've probably transfered them anyway... I don't know if I would've been able to continue... I... (he hesitated) I don't beyblade much anymore..."
Everyone fell silent. They knew the hidden meaning behind Ray's words, there was no need to elaborate more.
No one talked for a couple of minutes. Snuggling in Ray's embrace, Max finally broke the silence by saying quietly :
"He wanted to become a teacher..."
They held their breath, not daring to interrupt, their hearts suddenly pounding in their chests... They were alone in the room so no one else could hear what they were saying, but Max spoke in a low voice nonetheless, as if telling them a secret :
"I'm sure he would've been great... If there was ever anyone that could turn any situation in a successful one, it was him... I always envied his determination a little... From where he was getting it, I never knew... But more than envy, I had admiration for him. I was under the impression that he could make anything happen, that when you were with him nothing was impossible anymore... He always had that strange force in him, that faith in things and in people... He was strong in every ways possible and he taught me to be strong too. He taught me to never give up even when everything seems bad and to never abandon those I cared about... He taught me so many things without even realizing it... He would definitely have made a good teacher..."
A silent tear rolled down his cheek but Max ignored it. He smiled and finished quietly :
"I'm glad I got to know a person like him... One day I told him playfully that I was happy to be his friend, and you know what he answered me ? He got all serious and he said with a smile : «I'm also very happy that you're my friend, Max, as well as the others. It's good not being alone and actually having someone that will remember you when you're gone...»"
Another tear fell and Max whiped it away with his sleeve. Hilary raised her hand and rubbed her own eyes. Kenny had lowered his gaze and Ray was just holding Max tightly, his chin resting on the blond's head. Kai's expression hadn't changed but he had a lump in his throat and he didn't trust his voice one bit at the moment...
They had all known that they would bring him up eventually, it was almost inevitable... Now that they were all together, among all those people they knew from the beyblade world... His absence was even more obvious and heavy on their hearts... Though the pain had diminished a great deal during the pass five years, it was still there...
They shared a sad but comfortable silence for a moment, then Hilary cleared her throat and said softly :
"Well guys, I think we should hit the sack now"
"Yeah let's do that" agreed Ray while the others just nodded.
o0o
Kai exited the elavator with a sigh, heading for his room. He was alone since the other's rooms were all on the fifth floor, just above him.
Thinking back on what Max had said Kai felt his eyes beginning to sting, but he willed himself to keep it in. The pain was back again, weaker than before but still very much alive within his heart... Tearing it into pieces... That was his first test, Kai knew it. He had to go through it. But it was so hard...
Sighing again, Kai stopped before his door and searched his pocket for the key. He grabbed it but just as he was about to unlock the door he heard a faint noise coming from his left ; turning his head, Kai almost froze on the spot.
At the far end of the hallway, right where it was making a 90 degrees turn (forming something like a L), was standing the black caped stranger Kai had seen in the main hall. Once again, the figure was just standing there, not moving, apparently looking at him. It was still wearing its hood so Kai couldn't see its face, although he tried... Not daring to move, he just stared at the other and waited. What was troubling Kai the most was that he wasn't wary at all of this person, despite their odd appearance. Really, how many people do you see running around in a cape ? For all Kai knew, this could be some dangerous criminal or something...
But that was the weird thing : Kai trusted this stranger, whoever it was. There was just something inside of him telling him that this person was no threat, to him or to anyone. Call it... an intuition.
Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, the figure whirled around and disappeared at the winding of the hallway.
"Hey, wait !" Kai said.
He ran after it, but when he reached the spot where the figure had stood a moment ago and looked around the corner, he was faced with an empty hallway. The stranger had vanished again.
A/N : Well, that's about it for now. So, good or bad ? Just review !
See you in the next chapter !
