Hey there, guys. So this is my first story for Beyblade and Paaring is Tala/Kai. Kai's 17 and Tala's 18 while the rest of the Bladebreakers are 16, just so you know :)

Fine, first things first. I'm going to say this just once for the whole story because I'm sure you won't like to hear it every chapter again - I don't own Beyblade or any of the characters or the Evanescence songs or lyrics. BUT the story is mine so no copying and such, 'kay? I'm really not kind on people who try to sell the work of others as their own. Thus just read, enjoy and have fun! So much for that, I think everything of what I said just now is self-evident anyhow =3

And one thing - yes, this story had been published in German on animexxdotde and I wanted to translate it in English because I got a lot of positive feedback from the German readers. So I have all the rights, and I'm not stealing from anybody *laughs*

I'm NOT perfect with my English but I try to keep mistakes at a minimum. If you still find some you can either keep them or point them out for me but please with a correction advice if its not a typing error. I'm trying hard to write as well as possible gramatically, but like said, I'm not perfect (sadly~)

As for the indications and stuff

"..." - someone speaks

- ...italic...- someone thinks

'...' - thoughts within a flashback (since flashbacks are also in italic)

(...) - Translation. There won't be much of it, just pieces then and there.

Anything for you

Prologue

I'd give anything to give me to you
Can you forget the world that you thought you knew
If you want me
Come and find me
Nothing's stopping you so please release me

I'll believe
All your lies
Just pretend you love me
Make believe
Close your eyes
I'll be anything for you

Nothing left to make me feel anymore
There's only you and everyday I need more
If you want me
Come and find me
I'll do anything you say just tell me

I'll believe
All your lies
Just pretend you love me
Make believe
Close your eyes
I'll be anything for you

Anything for you
I'll become your earth and sky
Forever never die
I'll be everything you need

I'll believe
All your lies
Just pretend you love me
Make believe
Close your eyes
I'll be anything for you

The World Championships had ended. It'd been easy, at least it was what Kai thought. Of course the Bladebreakers had won and of course that had been thanks to his hard drill. Well, they all were gifted Bladers and although he didn't like it, he had to give his team that. But since this one Championship, something had changed.

It had happened the moment he had seen him again. One of the very few human beings who Kai had ever missed in his entire life. He would never be able to see his parents another time, and his grandfather was a power-obsessed monster. But he... He'd been Kai's friend since the age of seven, and that quite a long time considering he was 17 now. When he'd seen him, his heart had started to ponder wildly, almost painfully. It'd been so long...

"Tala..." He sighed quietly. So many memories...

"Hey! Kai!" The knocking at his room door made him jump slightly. It was Tyson, who burst into the room a moment later without having waited for the usual 'Come in!' or in Kai's case 'What the hell do you want?' which would signal a permission to enter. His brown eyes shone with joy over their recent victory, a bright grin plastered in his face.

Kai just grumbled, staying put in his bed, arms crossed under his head atop the pillow and eyes closed as a sign for complete lack of interest but it didn't seem to bother or offend the younger blader whatsoever. He was used to such behaviour from their team captain and he knew very well whom they had to thank for their victory in the Championships. It had been pretty harsh but nonetheless it had been Kais training that got them as far.

"Oh, Kai, come on! Don't be a party pooper and come down. After all, we do have something to celebrate." The blue-haired boy walked up to the bed and hovered over the team captain whose face seemed frozen in a mask of indifference.

Good for you, but I don't feel like celebrating. Kai thought and let out a low, warning growl.

"I swear, if I didn't know better, I'd say you're a dog!" Tyson laughed and backed off as Kai's eyes opened abruptly to piece him with a sharp gaze that send an involuntary shiver down his spine. Didn't look like the other was in the mood for any joking... Then again, whenever was he?

"What did you call me?" Kai hissed, ruby-red eyes flaming up with authentic anger - A pretty intimidating image, if you asked Tyson.

"Whoa, that honestly hadn't been an insult! I just meant you sound like a dog 'cause you're always growling, you know..." He tried to explain himself, futilely, and fled the room upon seeing Kai make attempts to stand up while looking like he might have thrown the next best object at him.

"Moron!" Kai accused his team-mate quietly and sank back into the covers. Of course he knew the younger boy hadn't intended to irk him or piss him off with what he'd said, Kai had simply wanted to get rid of him quickly so that he could have back his peace and return to his musings. Those memories didn't let him wait for long before re-emerging in front of his inner eye.

He saw Tala's familiar figure in the long hallway, marching towards him on its way to the Beyarena. The redhead came to halt some distance away from him, his ice-blue orbs giving Kai an aloof look-over. Those eyes... they pulled him in right away. Mysterious, cold and hard in their scrutiny of him, they still had a unique beauty to them. He'd once seen those eyes unguarded and warm as well, and they had been even more captivating. But now they stared at him impassively, emotionless... and that hurt.

"Tala..." He spoke quietly, oddly pleased to be able to pronounce the dear name again. Yet his voice, nonchalant and sharp, did not show any of that joy.

"Kai." The redhead returned the standoffish... greeting if you desired to call it that, sounding not less nonchalant yet the intonation of his voice was much sharper.

"Давно не виделись." (Long time no see.) Kai continued in their native language; he'd missed this somehow... being able to use it. He was proficient in Japanese as much as he was in Russian, still he was thankful for any opportunity to speak his mother tongue if one presented itself.

"Ты прав." (You're right.) Tala replied dryly. He looked like he was about to add something but remained silent.

Then, they just looked at each other for a while. They hadn't seen each other in ages and who knew, maybe Tala had missed him, too... Kai would wish for that... very much so. But he saw no emotions in the reserved, icy sapphires, Tala's expression stony and unreadable. In fact though, that expression was not much different from Kai's own. To anybody else they would easily look like two strangers who happened to stare at each other for some inexplicable reason.

But it was so much more... Looking at Tala Kai was barely able to keep up his façade. He wanted to tell him so much. That he lacked him. That he had missed him. That he missed the time with him. That he...

Crimson eyes watched blankly how the older teen looked away and moved to proceed in his way to the Beystadium, seemingly having had enough of this wordless stare contest. As Tala was passing him, Kai felt an almost unbearable need to grab his arm and stop him. Touch him. Show the other, somehow, that this encounter wasn't meaningless to Kai. Show him that Tala himself wasn't meaningless to him. Yet he just stood there, leaned against the wall, motionless, his cold mask maintained and perfect while his mind screamed... screamed so loudly, he could barely bear it. 'Stop him! Stop him! Don't let him go just like that! Please...'

Tala walked away, Kai following that retreating back with his gaze until the redhead's silhouette was out of his vision. What was left was remorse... he regretted it so much. He should have said something. More that just "Long time no see." More that just the name. More... more... 'Damn it! Tala... if told you how very sorry I am... would you forgive me?'

That little question, echoed in his head ten times over. Would you? Kai turned onto his side and stared at the wall, not really seeing anything. Before his eyes stood Tala's image, so clear that, should he have had a pencil at hand, he would have been able to draw it. Every single detail.

This isn't leading me anywhere. Maybe I should really go down and play celebration party with that kindergarten group... Tala... I hope... I wish... Ah, what use is it to wish for something? That's never been of any good...

With that in mind, Kai got up and went downstairs. He needed to distract himself. Somehow. The thoughts about Tala made him restless and sad and... they hurt. Pretty damn much.

Oh, translation, right.

"Давно не виделись" - spoken -Daw'no ne widelis'- translated - Long time no see.

"Ты прав." - spoken - Ti' praw - and translated - You're right.

Hope I'm any good as a language teacher xD

About the Championships, don't ask me which one exactly I mean. But well, it's not really important for the story, anyway. It's definitely the season of Beyblade where Kai had beautiful crimson and Tala wonderful blue for eye colour. If I'm not mistaken, it was the last season.

Uff, much information you have to handle here but from my experience as a writer readers actually don't mind information as long as its important for the story. I just want to avoid as much confusion as possible, knowing which questions could probably arise after reading this prologue of mine. If you still got any - don't be afraid to ask, you can be sure I'll answer ^_^

Okay then. I'll be very grateful for reviews so if you read it and you like it, drop me one.

Thanks for reading and until the next chapter!

Kate

POSTUPDATE NOTE: This entire fiction is currently being FINE-BRUSHED. I'm re-uploading the improved chapters' contents before I'll be proceeding with the updates, but to the greater extent I'm leaving the author's notes as they were.