~ CHAPTER 9 ~

The curtains roll up

Tyson peeked out the curtains and felt his stomach wrench into knot. The auditorium was full. He wished Kai was here. Just the mere presence of the dual haired blader would be enough to ease his nerves, but he couldn't see him anywhere. His shoulders slumped.

Yesterday he went to Kai's place to make a last attempt to convince him to come and see the show. However, the visit turned out unexpectedly short and suspicious for Tyson. The uneasy look Kai gave him told that whether he wasn't expecting the bluenette to pop up at his door or he interrupted Kai at something. Strange enough, Kai acted more aloof than he used to, which wouldn't worry Tyson much, knowing he was Kai Hiwatari. However, when he declared that he wouldn't come to watch the show because he had lot of learning and cleaning duty to do Tyson seriously wondered if Kai was okay in the head. Since when did Mr. Surpuss Rebel turned to a workaholic bookworm?

Tyson didn't get the chance to peek inside the flat because the next moment the door was slammed shut to his face. He blinked baffled while rubbed his nose painfully. What the heck was going on? Was Kai rejecting him? If he didn't know Kai better, he would think the dual haired was actually doing something very dirty and wanted to keep Tyson out of it. He could feel that Kai was hiding something from him. But what?

Either way, all he wanted was to see Kai. He needed the uplifting support the dual haired teen's majestical presence gave him. Tyson remembered how did it feel like on his last match against Brooklyn. When Brooklyn's dark side, his hidden fears crashed to surface, blowing off the whole beystadium and engulfed the whole city into a whirling, dark current. He'd stood there not knowing how should he stop the chaos. He might have dropped the towel if Kai hadn't show up the last minute. He was like a guardian angel who was supporting for him, even despising his own serious injuries that the thick bandages covered. Tyson hadn't felt so strong before than at that moment. All of his doubts had vanished and were replaced by complete faith in himself and his friends' spirit.

Maybe Kai would still come. At least he hoped. Knowing his antisocial behaviour, the sourpuss would definitely search himself the most isolated, darkest corner where from he could see everything but stay unnoticed. Tyson's eyes scanned over the balconies and the roof while his heart fluttered agitatedly.

A hand came to rest on his tense shoulder.

"I doubt he is out there."

Tyson's head whirled around. Max smiled at him.

"What?"

"You're searching for Kai, right?"

Tyson felt his cheeks heat up.

"Oh, no… I just… I hope Gramps won't show up in that ridiculous Hawaii patterned shirt with a camera because I swear I'll dig my own grave in embarrassment."

Max chuckled. "Don't sweat about it, Ty. He wouldn't do such because he's proud of you… in his own silly way. But hey, no need to hide it from me. I know that whenever it comes about Kai, you always turn extremely fazed."

Tyson looked at him dumbfounded. Was he that obvious? "Um, how do you know?" he asked carefully.

Max gave a sly grin. "I saw you three times disappearing into the washroom which you usually do when you have a match against Kai and you're nervous."

This time Tyson's face took a very comical shade of red that Max nearly burst into laugh. "I can't help it if I need to pee so badly!" the bluenette defended himself.

"It would be funny to see the audience faces when the prince dashed out in the middle of the show because nature calls him." the blonde snickered.

"You know, at other circumstances I would laugh, too." Tyson toned him down with a grim face.

Max gave a comforting tap on his shoulder. "Relax. Try to imagine that everyone out there wears nappy. My grandma always said it helps to overcome your nervousness. Besides, you don't need to worry about your costume anymore."

Tyson blew out a deep breath, and nodded. That's right. The costume he was wearing right now, a dark blue one, was far more acceptable than anything he could imagine, and it was thanks for Rei. After he'd kicked out Hilary, well not literally because the girl stormed off peevishly when Tyson told his opinion. One thing was sure, he was done with women clothes once and for all. He was certain the producer would put him out of the play and they would cancel the whole show which would result to lay the blame on him, but somehow he couldn't care about the consequences anymore.

It was a big surprise for him when instead of Fujiko's angry face he found his friend, Rei, knocking on his door. The raven haired was holding a dark blue Chinese outfit. Rei had heard about the argument between Tyson and Hilary, and how close the blue haired teen had come to quit from the show. So Rei decided to find a solution for the problem that would please Tyson's wounded pride. Tyson didn't know how did Rei do it, but somehow he managed to convince the producer to change the scenario. He explained for the producer that the show wouldn't lose any reputation just because the princess actually wore pants. On the contrary, the fans wouldn't care the least, if they could see the World Champion spin his blade again.

Miraculously, the producer agreed with the new plan. Well, agreeing meant that Bryan and Spencer went with Rei, too, and the two terrifying Russians clenching his knuckles were more than enough to convince the producer's opinion. Though, Tyson didn't need to know that.

Tyson was so happy. He didn't know how could he thank it for Rei… wait, yes he did. He jumped on his friend's neck with a bone crushing hug. After a few minutes of hard squeezing, and turning blue on the face due to the lack of oxygen, Rei asked to be released. Tyson made himself a mental note to buy for him of those special, delicious teas they'd tasted in London at their tour. He knew Rei would love it for Christmas.

"Tyson, is that you?"

His thoughts were interrupted when a familiar, annoying voice called him. They turned around and saw their spiky, red haired friend staring up at them with crossed arms.

"Daichi!"

"Where have you been all this time?" Max asked demandingly.

Daichi's grin was mocking as always. "That's none of your business, but to tell you, I was in town bey-battling with some old gangs when I heard you guys were performing a show and they put Tyson as the princess. I thought it was some joke so I came back to see it with my own eyes." he took a critical look at the champion. "What happened to your hair? You look like my grandma in her sixties years."

Tyson growled irritated. "Screw off, Monkey boy! Can't you find some lunkhead who you can annoy?"

"Nope. You're the best of it." the dwarf's devilish grin reached to his ears.

Before Tyson could lunge at him, Max put himself between them.

"Now-now guys, this is not the right time. Anyway, Daichi, how did you get in here? The backside door is closed, only actors are allowed to come up here."

Daichi turned up his nose. "I found it open. I saw Kai snuck in, too, so what does it matter?"

Tyson suddenly forgot his anger and his eyes went wide. "You saw Kai?"

"Are you sure it was him?" Max frowned.

"Look Water-boy, I came from the jungle, my eyes are sharp as a jaguar. I would spot that flagrant sourpuss anywhere."

Tyson's face went dazed. Kai was here. Kai was really here! He'd come to see him. What a joy! He felt his confidence explode inside him with full force and made him unstoppable again. A giddy feeling floated through his whole being. He felt so light as if hundreds of little butterflies grabbed his soul and lifted him up…

Click.

White light flashed and blinded him. Tyson blinked foolishly before he realised what happened. Daichi was holding a camera and spread a huge grin. "Haha! You should have seen your face! You gushed like a lovesick school girl. I'll send this photo for everyone!" his fun didn't last long, however, because the next moment he had to make a quick dash when Tyson chased after him madly.

"Come back here you nasty little dwarf!"

"Don't run off Tyson, we are starting soon!" Max cried after him.

On the other side of the backstage a crimson eyed teen had been watching the whole scene, hidden in the shadow. He never took his gaze off from the bluenette beauty whom his heart was longing for. Outside he looked rigid and composed as always, but inside his nerves were rampaging. He felt a lump in his throat. "I can't do this." Kai rasped.

"Yes you can. Just do everything as we talked and it will be alright." Tala encouraged him while he was adjusting his own costume.

"After what happened yesterday I'm not sure he'll be pleased." Kai said dejected.

"You had no choice."

"Yeah, but was it really necessary to slam the door to his face?" Kai shot Tala a reproaching glare. He rubbed his temple worried. If he thought about what was he going to do soon and compared to how he'd acted when last time he met the bluenette, he was a complete ass to him, then he could only hope that Tyson wouldn't punch him on the face. He wondered what a complicated mess he was getting himself into.

"We couldn't let him see why was I there at your place, or he would have figured out our plan." Tala reasoned.

Kai grunted. He couldn't disagree with Tala but he still wouldn't thank for him. He pulled himself into a dark, purple waistcoat and placed on his mask to hide his identity. He checked his beyblade one more time. He had to replace his blue to a red-black shade one so the audience wouldn't recognize it. He placed his dear Phoenix's bit-chip on it but he was going to be careful to not summon Dranzer… unless it was necessary. He glanced up and from the dark corner his eyes met a pair of yellow-green. Dressed in a dark Chinese suit as the guardian warrior, Rei stared back at him. They shared a meaningful look with a small nod, then they took their position for the start.

Kai leant over to Tala and whispered. "You sure Brooklyn won't show up?"

There was that nasty wolfish grin again. "Oh you can bet on your blade he won't."

Kai raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "What did you do?"

"I asked Bryan and Spencer to keep him stuffed till tomorrow."

Tala didn't tell more. Kai had no idea what did he mean by that, but he was certain whatever those two gangster maniacs had done there was no escape for Brooklyn, which also meant once they set him free the orange haired teen sure would take his revenge on a vicious beybattle.

* ~ TK ~ *

Kai had no idea how right he was. Somewhere in a fancy hotel room, which was covered in darkness, a figure was wriggling desperately on the sofa. The curtains were pulled in and the door was locked. The said orange haired boy's hands and legs were tied together tightly with a thick rope, and his mouth was stuffed with a crumpled napkin. He looked like a pig that was ready to be roasted.

He tried to scream for help, but expect a few muffled sounds, nothing coherent left his mouth. Since he couldn't even sit up he banged his head over and over again on the sofa with wild frustration, chanting several mental curses at his capturers.

Outside, a maid walked past by his door with her cleaning cart and stopped. When she read the note on the door handle 'Don't disturb!', she shrugged, then continued her way to the next room.

* ~ TK ~ *

Soon everyone took their places and waited for the show to start. A group of girls began chatting eagerly.

"Did you hear it? Brooklyn got cancelled from the show because he is sick."

"No way! I was dying to see him play. He is so handsome and cute with that angelic face of his." a brown haired girl gushed with a dreaming face.

"Come on, Tyson is so much cuter. Remember Brooklyn nearly destroyed the whole city?"

"Yeah, but… still, Brooklyn is so innocent with that charming smile."

"Ugh Jane, you're hopeless."

"Hey girls, I heard the rumor that Tyson almost quit, too, because he wasn't willing to play the princess role."

"Yeah, and I heard they managed to solve the problem and the producer rewrote the scenario for his case."

"Honestly girls, I don't care if Tyson plays princess or prince, I just want to see him blade! He is so amazing!"

"You aren't any better Alison, you know that?"

"Does any of you know who is gonna play the other prince then?"

"They didn't tell." shrugged a blonde haired girl. "They only said they'd found someone better for the role but the person didn't want to give out his identity."

"Wow, how mysterious!"

"Then it's good I brought my spy-glass. Hopefully I can track him down with a closer look." she grinned wickedly.

"I wanna see it too!" the other girls cried in union and started wrestling for the object.

Finally, the background music started playing, the lights in the auditorium died off, and in the big area silence settled.

Kai took one last deep breath and braced himself for the unpredictable. This was his chance now. No turning back. He would grab his fate.

Slowly the long, red curtains rolled up and the fairytale began…

~ End of chapter ~