A.N. - Hi there! Sorry for for not updating this story for sooo long. You see I had written it once but then did not save it before exiting. Can you believe how stupid I am! This chapter is dedicated to awesome marchellv for her lovely message which got me off my lazy ass and got me typing. She writes some really cool stories, go check them out!
One thing I wanted to clear out that this is first season story. Which means Max is a bit hyper and gives lots of bear-hugs, Kai is more withdrawn and Tyson does not respect Kai that much (yet) and gets into arguments with him often. Also, let me know if people are way too OOC.
Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade, the starlight fact was found on the internet and the last sentence is Dan Brown's Book - Angels and Demons - I just thought it would be appropriate for the situation. On with the story!
"If we think he is a robot? No, we don't Tyson. You have asked that before hundreds of times." Ray said exasperated. Max chuckled.
"hehe no not that..." Tyson chuckled at that but then grew more serious," I wanted to ask you guys if you think he should be on the team."
There was an uncomfortable silence. Then Ray spoke "Tyson, you are making mountains out of molehills."
"yeah Ty, Kai is our friend. True, he can be really rude at times but he always speaks the truth."Max said, his eyes gazing thoughtfully at the moonlight coming in from the window.
"Right sorry, got a bit carried away."Tyson said in an uncomfortable and apologetic voice.
"You're right Max, although I do think that he is being a bit insensitive."Kenny said.
"Says the one who sabotaged the dinner working ON HIS wishes." Tyson teased.
"But it is for your own good!"
"Come on Chief! That was dreadful, "Max made a gagging gesture, remembering the awful taste of the veggies "You didn't even include mustard. I bet it is pretty healthy."
Tyson nodded his head energetically giving it his approval. Chief sighed, exasperated.
"It would be of no use as we don't have any of that here. Come on guys, we don't have it THAT bad." Ray smiled at their antics "Kai just wants us to win."
"Alrighty!Homies, enough talky-talky, now get snoring." Grandpa called.
"Why is Kai allowed to do what he wants and we are not?"
"Because I have enough brains to know what to do when to do." Kai's steely voice made everyone jump, "now got to sleep."
Everyone climbed inside their futons without a word.
Max rolled over to his other side. In spite of being dead tired from today's training, he just could not fall asleep for some reason. It was really quiet there; the silence only broken by occasional cricket or other insect's sound. Even Tyson was not snoring. "Too tired to even snore, eh Tyson?" He smiled in his head.
After some more tossing, turning, counting sheep and staring at the ceiling, he got up, careful to not to disturb others. He quietly closed the door and stepped into the hallway. "Dad always says that a glass of good warm milk gets you sleeping in no time." He said to himself.
Carefully, trying not to step on any creaky wood plank, the blonde reached the kitchen. He was about to enter when collided with something really hard and fell on the ground.
"Ow! Hey!"
"Ouch! Who is sitting on my leg?"
"Tyson?"Max asked, surprised.
"Max?"
"Yeah, what are you doing here?" Max asked, rubbing his head where he had been hit by his friend. Tyson only looked like he was plump; he was actually very bony when it comes to colliding with someone.
"I can ask the same question." He replied from under him.
" I couldn't sleep."
"Me neither." The boy replied and his stomach growled loudly. Max chuckled, Tyson let out a dry laugh.
Silence...
"Umm Max?"
"Yeah Ty?"
"Would you get off me? It is kinda painful."
"Ah! Sorry." Max said, embarrassed, quickly getting up and offering a hand to Tyson.
They entered the kitchen, turned on the light and closed the door so that the light won't wake someone up. Ray was a really light sleeper.
"Alright then, you search the containers over there; I'll raid the cupboards. I know Grandpa. He simply cannot survive without his panda-shaped chocolate chip cookies. They have to be somewhere here only."
"I wouldn't ask about his weird shape preference."
"You better not."
They began looking through the groceries and leftovers. After a while Max glanced at the clock- one in the morning, he sighed and called out, "found anything yet?"
"No but they must be here..." Tyson replied, glaring angrily at the cupboards. As if, it was their fault, he could not get the cookies. Suddenly his eyes fell on a little bag-like thing kept on top of the tall cupboard- High above two boys who hadn't had the growth spurt yet could reach.
"It has to be the cookies." Tyson said.
"But we can't reach."
"Here climb on my shoulders."
Tyson crouched down and Max climbed, first on his back and then on his shoulders.
"Okay, I'm ready, you can stand up."
Tyson straightened up slowly but was not anticipating Max to be that heavy and lost his balance.
"Woah, take it easy."
"I would... if you... were not this heavy." Tyson said from in between his clenched teeth. His eyes tightly shut as he tried to keep them both steady. Pain in his injured toe was stirring up. But he ignored it all for the sake of food.
"Okay," Max said in an low,calm tone, now move a little more forward, ... A bit more.. A little to the.. Woah!" Tyson had lost his balance and had begun wobbling dangerously. "Alright put me down." Max stated, " This is not working"
Tyson bent down and Max got down. There has to be another way...
"Okay, I'm climbing the countertop."
" Go for it but be careful with your toe."
Tyson was already climbing up using an open drawer as a platform. He climbed up and stood on his toes and outstretched his hand to get the bag.
He shook the bag and listened to the crumbling sound - yup definitely cookies but perhaps broken up. Maybe grandpa put in the bottom of the travelling bag. He opened it and devoured the smell.
"Aaahhhh! Heavens must smell like this."
"You say that for every food item.." Max said mockingly.
"Hey! It is my personal heaven," he stuck out his tongue," if I want it to smell cookie-sausage-chocolate-sushi-pizza flavour then it will. At least it is better than your heaven, smelling like mustard everywhere... Oh wow, tastes good." He said munching a cookie.
"Throw some down at me."
"..."
Tyson is busy munching away when Max climbs up the countertop and tries to take grab the bag. Tyson hides it behind him.
"Aw, Tyson be a pal. Share."
"Nu-uhh" he mockingly takes out more cookie bits (the cookies were broken) and stuffs his mouth, winking at Max teasingly. Max pouts and lunges at the bag. He wins in taking them out of his grasp. He took out a handful and put it in his mouth.
"Hey! I was just pulling your leg. I was gonna share." Tyson pleaded.
" Well I won't"
"You're mean."
"I'm hungry"
"Argh gimme that!"Tyson dived on Max. Max stepped back. They started kind of wrestling match. Now, remember they were standing on countertop so soon they were on the floor rubbing their limbs. Cookie bits having fallen everywhere on the floor.
"Uh oh.."
"This can't be good."
"This certainly is not good, in fact this is bad, pretty bad." Another voice said sternly from across the room.
"Ray!?"They both ask in unison.
"You better clean this up guys, if you don't want to die brutally at the hands of a furious Kai and an equally furious Grandpa."
"We can't throw the mess in trash; Gramps will know,
"Throw it out of the window then. Whatever you have to do, do it fast."
The two boys gathered up the fallen cookies in a dusting pan. Ray, seeing that they were doing their job, went back in to climb into his futon. Max opened the balcony door to throw out the stuff when he noticed how beautiful the night was. He could see the still water of the lake reflecting back the moonlight. It was a starry night.
"Wow.." He said out loud and walked outside to admire the night.
"Huh? Maxie?" Tyson went behind him.
"Wonderful." He caught up with Max."Hey look! if you join those stars there and the one down there..." He was pointing them out with his fingers," it would look like a beyblade!"
Max squinted, "Hmmmm yeah." he lit up,"Hey!Have I ever told you that the starlight is from different times, sometimes the stars are millions of lightyears apart. But it reaches our eyes at the same , when we look at the night sky, it is not just that moment but a patchwork of different times." He finished, looking proud of himself.
"I have no idea what you said but I'm impressed."Tyson said.
Max chuckled. They stared at the stars for a while in silence.
"You Should be.."Max thoughtfully said," I have been studying really hard to impress Mom."
"Oh right, ... about your mom... Are you okay with her being-"
"AAAAHHHh!"Before he could finish, someone had yelled inside the cabin.
They both ran back in towards where others were sleeping. Inside they found a frantic Kenny running around with something which looked like a cat perched on him. Ray was running after him trying to make him stop. Grandpa was looking confused and Kai was just standing there with a calm expression.
"It's about time you two showed up. Care to explain this?" He asked.
They both looked at each other with wide eyes, in the background; Ray had finally managed to calm the chief down and was trying to make him stand still in one place.
"We are not that bad ya know Kai..." Max said.
"Yeah, and if we did do it, I would've set the animal on you." Tyson said winking.
Right then the animal pounced on grandpa. Turns out, Ray had tried to catch it so it had panicked and left Kenny's shirt to perch on Grandpa but missed him so now clung desperately to one side of his long dangling moustache. Grandpa, who was known to sleep with his Kendo stick, promptly took it out and started bashing it in random directions in sheer panic. The animal ran around the room like crazy.
"In the name of all the kendo masters in history, I command you to fight like a warrior!" He bellowed.
The scared animal (no one knew what it was as no one had bothered to switch on the lights) wanted badly to escape. In a room full of hysterical people, it deeply regretted it's decision to enter the place in the search of food. Never again will it go night-hunting. Someone tried to hit it with a stick, survival instincts kicked in and-
"OH GOD! IT IS A SKUNK!" Kenny had switched on the lights.
"Quick! Throw it out! It is gonna spray!"Max yelled.
Tyson went to get it but stopped abruptly. He looked at Max with a confused expression, "Wait, how do you know it is gonna spray?"
"It happens like that on cartoons."
"Really? which one?"
"Oh, you know, the with- Whoa! Kai!"
Kai had knocked Tyson down, grabbed the animal; left it on the window porch and quickly closed the window. Luckily, Max source of information was wrong and the poor animal disappeared in the bushes without awarding them with a smelly spray.
Tyson stole a glance at Max who silently nodded.
"I have to go to the bathroom."Tyson announced to no one in particular.
"Aaand I will err escort you there." The blonde said.
"Wait. You two home dogs stay here and spill. This better not be a prank." Grandpa said to the youngest members of the team. (A.N. : I like to think that Kenny is older than the two but is short because well... he is vertically challenged)
"We really don't know anything about this Gramps. I swear."
"Yeah we were just looking for the cook-..mmrphhmm"
"Err... hehe. We were just looking for my Dragoon. I can't find it anywhere." Tyson tried to cover up.
"Yeah yeah, Tyson lost it while training."
"You are in the habit of keeping it under your pillow before you sleep."Kai says lazily. "The truth now."
Tyson opened his mouth, "why you-"
Ray, being too tired for another fight, intervened- third time that night... Or first time the next day... Whatever,"I assume you guys left the door open while you went for your stroll?" he emphasised on stroll.
"Yeah maybe we left it open... Why?" Max asked.
"Well our guest must've got in through the open door." He sighed, "can't you guys do anything without screwing up?"
He was not even scolding them- Just honestly asking them, which made them feel guilty as Ray seemed to have to have taken their side and hadn't mentioned anything about cookies.
"Sorry? I guess?" Max was the master of puppy face.
Kai sighed," Grow up you two. And fast."
Tyson decided it was better not to argue as a half-asleep, pissed off Kai seemed more dangerous than annoyed, grumpy usual Kai.
" Everyone back into your futons and get dreaming." Grandpa said.
Tyson immediately snatched the opportunity of distraction, and plopped inside the futon, covering the blanket up to his chin. Others also went to bed.
Shivers ran down his spine when Kai said, "next time you go cookie-hunting; at least take your brain along."
He didn't dare to reply.
"Oh not again!"
"I'll go get it."Ray said as he started to climb down the rocks on the waterfall. In fact it was all he was doing as the spare beyblade Kenny had given him had broken into pieces in just one fall down the slippery rocks. They were practising balancing on slippery and smooth surfaces.("You never know what terrain they'll give you in the beydish" - Kai had said.) It was already really difficult with the new launchers and now, the waterfall was spraying them with tiny droplets continuously, they had to be extra careful with their footing as they were standing on a protruding rock and one slip, they go down. Due to slippery ground, the beyblades were not getting enough friction so it was difficult to perform even simple moves. Kai was supervising them as he had mastered the challenge - He had finally let them sleep till their comfort due to protests,pleas and attempted bribery but had left to train at six a.m. sharp and had a two-hour head start on the other three.(Kenny stayed behind working on repairing Dizzie and on Drigger's new blade) Plus, Dranzer had this freaky power to get real hot and evaporate the water making it less slippery for the blade.
"Try to take help of your bit-beasts' element to put up with less friction. Concentrate harder and pull the ripcord a little faster to increase the rotation give it a try"
"Aye aye captain!" Max excitedly loaded his launcher and aim at the slippery rocks. "Concentrate Max," he mentally said to himself, "think of mom's proud face when we win the tourney."
"Three, two,one... Let It Rip!"
He sent Draciel spinning on the smooth surface. It was spinning quite swiftly and gracefully, Max was frowning in deep concentration. But, the blade took an abrupt turn. Max lost control and the blade went flying down the waterfall.
"Oops!"Max said.
"Hey Ray," Tyson called out, "you will find Draciel there too."
"Alright." Came a voice from down the falls.
They waited for Ray to come back. He was pretty quick at this, all his mountain climbing in his childhood paying off. He came back with their blades, drenched from all the diving and searching. "Here guys" he threw the blades to their respective owners. Max caught it. Tyson missed."Oh no!"
It had fallen down again.
Kai sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose - this is gonna take a while.
It was noon when they finally decided to return. Kai had announced that they would stop only when he was content with their performance. Ray was also training having borrowed 'd not been able to satisfy him - to impress him was beyond the capacity of any normal human. He wanted total perfection. But seeing that they'd skipped breakfast(which Tyson reminded them of every five minutes) and were dead tired they decided to return.
Grandpa had stuck to the diet chart but they were all too hungry to complain and started wolfing down what was in front of them.
After lunch they all sat down on the wooden floor and Kenny showed them his progress with Drigger. They then whined to him about how Kai trained them like dogs. Kai promptly snorted.
"let's go back. We have much to do before nightfall." Kai said.
"Come on Kai! We just got back!" Max whined.
"And how does that make your performance any better?"
"You were not this strict during the Asian Tournament." Tyson complained.
"Because the opponents we now face are stronger and we don't know much about them while they probably know our moves better than us. Ray was familiar with their moves which gave us an advantage." He paused, "You bunch of spoiled brats will only humiliate me if we continue at this pace. Better we don't take part at all." He had hit the wrong nerve now.
"Well don't then. It is not like you play anyway - Unless it is necessary." Kai flinched noticeably at Tyson's words.
"No need to get all heated up guys... this is just a tournament we're talking about." Ray intervened. ("Seriously!" he thought, "I should get a medal for this.")
"For you this might be 'just a tournament' Ray. But for me this is much, much bigger. I have to win and I can't do that unless you also win. And I don't see that happening without some tough training and guidance."
"It is always about winning is it not? Not about the teamwprk, bonds you form along the way or blading just for the love of let me tell you Mr. Kai-oh-so-perfect-Hiwatari, we can win without this drama. And we will." Tyson said but regretted those words as soon as they came out of his mouth.
Kai stood up and reached for the door. "Wait! where are you going Kai?"Kenny asked.
"Well, you all can obviously win without me." he said opening the door," So I guess I'm Luck."He walked out.
The silence that follows might as well have been thunder.
A.N: Thanks for reading guys! means a lot to me. A big thanks to Little A Granger and marchellv for their lovely reviews- love you guys!