Disclaimer: Beybladeⓒ and all associated characters are the creative property of Takao Aoki.

Chapter One:

I am weightless.

Faint whispers surrounded me. They were distant and distorted, but audible. Soft murmurs became louder, as if they were nearing. I couldn't reach them. What are they saying? There is air here, but I cannot breathe. I inhaled, wishing for my lungs to fill with air. They only filled with further questions. It's the voices… They're talking again. They were muffled, as though underwater. Bubbles escaped my nostrils and floated above. I felt coated, yet unclothed- but with what? I listen closely, finely tuning my attention to the voices outside.

Outside?

My body ached. With struggle, I forced my eyes open against the dense weight that fell upon them. It was as if I had been sleeping for weeks. I squeezed my eyes shut as a burning sensation clouded my vision. Cold liquid engulfed my senses. It feels as though everything is closing in, yet expanding outward. I made a second attempt, enduring the sting. I exhaled shakily, but the air didn't make it far from my face. The moisture of my breath clung to my skin. I tried convincing my hand to reach for my face, but it would not obey my commands. My eyes lazily blinked and fought to open once more. I allowed my head the freedom to teeter forwards curiously. I squinted, trying to adjust to the haze in my eyes.

"He is waking, sir." My eyes shifted to the source of sound. It was a man. From what I could – barely – tell, he wasn't the only one in the room with me. However, it didn't appear as though I was in a room, per say. My eyes widened- I was submerged again. The surrounding glass provided enough of a reflection to see a mask wrapped tightly around my face. My eyes shot down to my disobedient arms. They were pierced by several tubes that connected myself to the ceiling. I looked up- it was the tank.

An older, all too familiar man approached the glass tube that contained me. His crooked smirk and crazed eyes were all I needed to understand this situation. It was another test. I was a caged animal. Exposable. Peering eyes surrounded me, staring deep into my very soul. They wore the same twisted smiles as the leader of these experiments. The asshole that always called the shots.

One of the white-coated men moved beside the older man. At a nod, he proceeded to empty a syringe of blue liquid into an open port on one of the protruding tubes. My body shook violently. 'Get me out of here!' I screamed, but my words were silent. I couldn't speak. I couldn't control my body. Panic consumed me and I felt my eyes roll to the back of my head as I was once again shrouded by darkness.

"Get up!" I groaned, feeling my body being shaken. I breathed inwardly, opening my wary eyes. I was lifted from the ground by the collar of my uniform and shoved against a cement wall adjacent to where I had woken. I squinted my eyes, glaring at the man before me. Man may not be the correct term for this situation. This kid was in the same situation I was, and he was not that much older than I. His untamed blonde hair blew with the force he now used to throw my body to the ground beneath him. The abbey tended to maintain a keen fondness to pitting kids like us against one another. It was easier that way- they needn't get their hands dirty and it roughed us up. The giant boy peering down at me held no emotion in his eyes. His eyebrow twitched. "Keh." He grabbed the front of my uniform again and lifted me high enough so we were eye-to-eye. "Listen, freak." Here we go again. The same good morning ritual I was welcomed with every damn time I opened my eyes. "Don't you for a second think you're better than us." He glanced back at the kids behind him, particularly at a kid I was conveniently put against just before lights out the previous night. I did what I had to do to survive, and the kid with a swollen face would have done the exact same, were he ambushed. "Know your place." He finished, glancing up at the men above the mezzanine. The first to speak was an older man with violet hair. "Bring him to me, Spencer." The big kid nodded and, while granting my feet access to the floor below, dragged me up the stairs to the group of onlookers.

He brought me to an empty room and tossed me onto the only chair sitting in the centre of the floor. I slumped into the chair, keeping my eyes closed. The last thing I needed was to initiate an encore of what just ensued. "Well done." I glared up at the purple haired man. "You may leave." He dismissed that Spencer kid and focused in on me. He advanced forward, standing in front of me. "I expected more of you, Ivanov." He tutted, waving his finger back and forth. "You shouldn't get yourself into these kinds of situations, you know. It isn't good for your health."

"Hn. Easy to say when you aren't subjected to this bullshit." Ah, I've done it again. I heard the cracking of his knuckles as they connected with my jaw. I remained in my seat, keeping my attention to the wall beside me. He grabbed the front of my hair and roughly turned my face to him. He spat as he threatened, "Any more of this and you're going back to the tubes." My eyes widened in fear. He smirked at my reaction. He spun on one heel and headed toward the door, nodding to two of the guards awaiting his next order. At a wave of his hand, the boys entered the room, allowing the door to pull to a full close on its own. One held me in place while the other tied me to the chair. They tightened the braided ropes around previous, albeit recent, bruises on my flesh. "Ensure our young soldier does not step out of line again." With that, he was gone and my morning assault continued until noon.

I was suddenly lying flat on my stomach. I groaned into the soft substance beneath me, pushing myself up with aching arms. Sitting upright, I lifted a listless hand to my throbbing skull while my exhausted eyes scanned the area. Nothing. Absolutely nothing but seemingly endless amounts of snow. I groaned once more, lifting my weight onto my tiny legs.

Wait, what?

I looked down to find that my legs did not hold me too far from the snow below. I took a better look at my hands that were wrapped in thick, fury mittens. 'What the hell…' I lifted one foot in front of the other with great discomfort and effort, trudging through the thick white. I was unsure of where I was going. It was cold. Actually, it would be better described as positively frigid. Figures when I finally felt my arms, they would be seconds away from succumbing to frostbite.

I wrapped my arms tightly around my torso, hugging myself from the blowing winds. My face stung with every breath winter had to offer. My legs were burning. I kept my eyes down to ensure momentum in my numbing limbs. I was unsure of whether it was due to the glacial Russian storms or fatigue. My eyes grew heavy with every quivering step.

A heavy, icy gush of wind danced wildly around my miniature body. I threw my hands up in front of my face against the monstrous gust and squeezed my eyes shut. It lasted seconds, but felt like hours as I started to feel my heartbeat behind my eyes. I slowly opened them after the winds died down, my hands still shielding myself from the sudden angry blow. To my surprise – and utmost appreciation to the gods – there was a rooftop peeking out from the mountains of snow up ahead. This discovery surged a newfound strength in my legs and I found myself moving at a faster pace. Running, even, in hopes of escaping this brewing storm.

Nearing my destination, my cheeks tingled the wider my smile grew. My legs were moving as fast as they possibly could, my heart pounding in my chest after every step. Staggering breaths escaped my happy smile as the house came into full view. I slowed my pace a few feet away from the front entrance of the small house before me. I was ecstatic to have finally made it, but there was a pull in the back of my mind trying to convince me to remain outside. It seemed oddly…familiar. Deciding against the warning of my conscience, I stepped forward and lightly pushed on the door.

'It's open!' Bowing, I entered the threshold of my saving grace. I quietly closed the door behind me and removed the drenched boots from my feet. Happy to be rid of the snow-filled mittens from my frozen hands, I tossed them onto the floor along with my thin coat. I rubbed my hands together hoping the friction would help the blood flow through my fingers and relieve me of the numbing pain surging through my limbs. A slight shiver ran up my spine- the transition from being out in that storm to the warmth of this house sent waves of relief throughout my little body. Stepping further into the house, I poked my head around each corner, taking in my newfound surroundings. This place really did look familiar. It even felt familiar. It was slightly unnerving.

And then I heard her.

"Are you home, honey?" That voice. Where have a heard it before? I cautiously moved closer to its source. "Where have you been? I warned you not to stay out too late! What if you got caught up in the worst of the storm?" Panic screamed in the recesses of my mind, begging for me to leave. Turning a corner, I found myself walking into a vast living space. The only light was from the warm fireplace, casting shadows from everything it touched. My jolted when I felt something grab my arms.

My frantic eyes widened and I whipped around, coming face-to-face with the voice that called out to me. There she was. Knelt before me with a knowing smile on her face. Her long, blonde hair cascaded down her back and framed her petite face. Her cerulean eyes smiling from her cheeks at me under a thick layer of black eyelashes. My breath hitched in my throat. It felt like my heart was going to bust out of my chest. 'M-mom…'

Tears welled up in my eyes and I threw myself into her arms. She held me close, a small chuckle escaping her lips. "Why don't you help me prepare dinner?" She pulled back to look at me. She smiled. "Your father will be home soon." Once again, seconds felt like hours as we prepared our evening meal together. I memorized every smile, every word she uttered being saved to memory. Her laugh was infectious and I found myself laughing wholeheartedly alongside her.

Euphoria.

There was a knock at the door. Mother knelt in front of my tiny form again, urging me to answer the door. "I bet this will be the best meal your father has ever eaten!" She smiled deeply once more. "It might even become a favourite. I know it'll be mine." I rushed to the door, my smile making my cheeks sore. I pulled it open and my heart dropped into my stomach.

A group of men dressed in heavy black coats and masks stood before me. One of the larger men from the back of the group stepped forward and dumped a large form in a heap before me. Looking down, I was numbed once more. My father's lifeless eyes stared back at me, blood staining the entirety of his face. That same blood pooled onto the floor by my feet, soaking into my socks.

"Who is it, Tal-" Mother dropped the plates we had cleaned earlier for our family meal onto the floor, gasping loudly. No. Don't come. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. She rushed over to me, grabbing my arm and pulling me behind her. The force had me fall to the ground, landing harshly on my back. One of the intruders at the door grabbed my mother by the throat and lifted her off the ground. Her feet kicked as she clawed at his hand trying to escape. I sat up and froze. Another man caught my eyes; I hadn't realized he'd been staring at me the entire time. He, too, walked through our door, stepping over my father's corpse. His stare never left mine. I shook uncontrollably. "Can we make this quick, I have places to be." The lone man on the other side of our door questioned, as if bored.

The man before me let out a menacing snicker, venom pouring from every syllable that left his mouth. "This one is mine." Tears streamed down my face. My body aggressively convulsed, bile rising in my throat. This was it. He approached me with knife in-hand, raising his arm hire to strike after every advance towards my still frame. Before I could process anything, he turned towards my mother with his raised hand and plunged the knife deep into her throat.

A blood curdling scream left my mother's lips and she was silenced. Her murderer's ferocious eyes never left mine. He maintained contact the entire time- his eyes smiling with the sinister grin under his mask. His partner that held her up dropped her lifeless body to the floor, her blood, too, soaking into the hardwood. Everything was numb. The piercing scream of my mother flooded my senses. I looked down, wide-eyed at my family lying at the feet of the monsters that invaded our home. The larger man stepped forward. My petrified, 6-year-old self, sat as still as my parents before me. He grabbed me by the scruff of my shirt and pulled his fist back, launching it at me.

Everything went black.

His eyes shot open. Tala panted heavily, clenching his chest. He was drenched in a thick sweat soaking into his sheets. It happened again. That same god-forsaken dream that has plagued him for the better half of his seventeen years. He sat up, raking his hand through his scarlet hair. He stretched his arm over to the side of his bed searching for his phone. When he found it, he squinted when the bright backlight blinded his sleepy eyes in his dark room. 'Got in two hours of sleep, huh.' He tossed his phone onto the bed beside him and flopped onto his back, his right arm over his eyes. 'It's going to be a long day.'

He reflected on the nightmares that consume his sleep for hours. Was there anything he could do to make them stop? He'd been haunted by his memories for so long- weren't they getting tired of harassing him all the time? He lifted his arm from his eyes, placing it behind his head. The sunlight rose from beyond the horizon, light peeking its way into his dark room. Tala sighed to himself. He supported himself on his elbows and swung his legs over his bed. 'Might as well get an early start to training.'

Since there weren't any tournaments scheduled for the next couple of years, he was staying in Bakuten supervising the younger bladers joining the BBA. It was a pain in the neck, granted, but it kept him busy enough to keep his mind off his night terrors. Rather than dress in his usual attire, he settled for some dark grey sweatpants, a black long-sleeve shirt and his black running shoes. Grabbing his headphones from atop his dresser, he made his way for the door. As odd as it was, he found running in the early mornings soothing. There were barely any people out this early in the morning, to his advantage. Less socializing, the better. He ran along his usual route while in the city; from his apartment, through the city, down to the ocean, along the shore, back through the city and back home. He ran his way down to the water and ran along the shore. The cool breeze of the ocean and the orange that kissed the sky from the rising sun calmed his nerves, allowing him to clear his mind. He closed his eyes, keeping up his momentum. If there was ever a moment where he genuinely felt at peace, this was it.

And it lasted for five whole seconds.

As he opened his eyes, he collided with another figure and toppled over them, sending them head first into the water. Tala sat up, angrily shaking sand out of his hair. He glowered at the person before him. He opened his mouth to accuse them of being in his way, but his victim beat him to the punch. "Watch where the hell you're going, idiot!" A glare was reciprocated back to him from the small frame squeezing out the bottom of their shirt in the water. Tala growled. Who did this cretin think they were? He stood to his feet with his arms folded over his chest. His scowl remained unmoved. Their stares lasted momentarily as the sun revealed itself from its slumber. The rays of light danced through the person's hair and reflected off the water surrounding her. She turned to face the rising sun, pushing a strand of hair behind her ears. She turned to Tala and beamed up at him. "Wow! Look how incredible this is!" He wasn't one to be shocked, but he was more or less startled by her sudden change in demeanor. He stared blankly at the small girl in front of him. He had to admit, with the natural ambiance created by the sun and the colours dancing off the water, the petite girl almost looked pret- "And you totally ruined it, stupid!"

What.

The girl stood facing him head on with her hands on his hips, the frown back on her face. Her chocolate hair fell in loose waves down to the centre of her back. Her ruby eyes glistening with anger. "What's your deal, man?" Tala stepped toward the girl, using his size over her to intimidate her. Little did he know, he was challenging the wrong girl. "I what?" He demanded an answer. How dare someone, especially a small girl, disrespect him at any given time. She scoffed in response, quirking an eyebrow. "I don't believe I stuttered." Tala's eyebrow twitched and he felt his blood boiling in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't help but feel as though he'd seen her before. Her angry stance and dirty looks felt familiar, but he couldn't place his finger on it. Needless to say, she wasn't one of his many fangirls.

She rolled her eyes to herself – uncaring of how the man before her might react – and pulled her hair into a high pony atop her head. She glanced at him sideways, maintaining her daggers. "Pay attention next time, would ya?" She walked out of the water, rolling the bottoms of her tights just under her knee once she reached the sand. She bent down to pick up her shoes from the shore, along with a small tote bag. She swung it over her shoulder in a huff and marched her way back up the hill to the main road. Tala's gaze remained on her until she vanished from his sight. He continued his usual route, but walked the rest of the way. He couldn't seem to hold back his smirk at the challenge – and audacity – demonstrated by the girl. She clouded his thoughts right up to his apartment, where he figured he'd never see the little wench again.

Well, for a few hours, at least.

A/N: And chapter one is complete! I was initially planning on this to be a one chapter story, but kind of fell in love with another idea that popped into my head. This was inspired after re-watching the G-Revolution season and inwardly dying for Tala to talk to Hilary during certain moments. I would argue with the screen like y u no talk? I'm a diehard KaixHilary fan, don't get me wrong, but there's just something about this pairing that makes my inner fangirl squeal with joy. I mean, it's pretty rare to find TalaxHilary stories anyway, so why not bless the site with one.

Reviews are always appreciated!

All my love,

Radix