For those of you that don't know, I have another beyblade story on my joint account with my sisters, and this is a continuation of that story except it is focused Ray instead of Kai and Aoi, who will also be getting a story of their own on this account. I'm sure, for those who read that other story, that you've noticed the difference in the writing style how this story began, and that is because it isn't a one shot. I'm a Ray lover too and didn't feel like he should be left in a heart break, and I'm sure most of you agreed on that. Although, he wasn't the one for Aoi XD

Warnings: Smut, Lemon, Lime (This story will contain those because the original did, so don't read if you're going to bitch about the content. I'm serious, don't piss me off on that matter, and I see that most of the readers like the stuff anyway.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade.


In between center of the swaying bamboo trees, two children stood in front of the other with a look that could burn down the entire village below. One of those children was Ray, the other was a young girl two years younger than him with the reddest eyes he had ever seen, and the darkest hair to rival a demon's aura. Her skin was fair and gave away the fact that it had never been under the sun for a long period of time.

Beneath the light of the moon and center to the gentle breeze, she looked more like a spirit than an actual child, but Ray knew she was physically there. She was the girl from the temple-like building further north which was occupied by an old man and a couple of volunteer people from his village. She was the one person the villagers spoke about when something went wrong and called her an omen.

During this night, the night he had last laid eyes on her, she had shown him what she had been entrusted with. The spirit in the shrine her grandfather so dearly guarded, but of course he had not known yet that that particular spirit had been a bitbeast. A lion as dark as a moonless night, as black as her hair, with a set of four red eyes and four sharp blade like tails. She was brought to her grandfather's side to continue the guard the spirit by the name of Foshi, and she feared she wouldn't do a good job at it.

It was a feeling, she had told him, a feeling that also told her to mind her own business and stay away from him and the others that would one day become his teams. Of course she didn't phrase it like that, she simply said 'strong ties' that wouldn't be easily broken. She then walked back into the thicker greenery and disappeared. But it wasn't like he had ever went looking for her. She was just some weird kid that would grow up to be like that weird secluded old man in the north.

Zhu Lien-Hua was someone Ray had never expected to ever run into again, especially not at the center of Hong Kong surrounded by what he thought were officers not on duty. If they had been on duty, she would most likely have been flat on the floor and hand cuffed or something of the sort. But she wasn't and her arguing only became louder and louder until she threw her arms up in the air and walked away from them, but not before bowing respectively and apologizing for causing trouble for them.

He debated whether he should walk up to her and ask if something was wrong, because something had to be wrong for her to be in this large city. Zhu Lien-Hua lived near his village, but further North and in a large temple-like building, with an old man the same age as his sensei. The old man was Zhu Lien-Hua's grandfather whom she rarely left alone and if she did it was only for a second, but this was different. She would never leave her temple in the middle of the secluded bamboo forest unless it was absolutely necessary.

Ray studied her closely as she took in her surroundings, her face betraying nothing of what she was thinking or of her past argument with the law. She was taller than he remembered, her body solidly formed due to whatever training she had gone through during the past years. Her hair was long and straight and cascaded down her back and passed her waist. It was the same soulless black he had remembered. There was a new addition to her face that made his lips twitch into a smile. Her red eyes were no longer open to the public view and were covered by black-red rimmed glasses.

He thought it would be better to evade her and take the long way back home in fear that he would bump into her. No doubt were they headed the same way, but he didn't feel like having company with him. He didn't feel like speaking to anyone, especially not with someone who would remind him so much of his past. Of Aoi, because she had come into his life when Zhu Lien-Hua had left.

"Ray?" He felt the blood drain from his body. He hadn't seen her in years and right now wasn't the best moment to catch up. His ego was still wounded because Aoi, his heart a complete disaster. "Is that you or are these things making me see strange hallucinations?"

He laughed, but it was a hollow laugh, "You're not hallucinating, Zhu Lien-Hua. I'm back in China for a short while to resolve some small issues."

"Are those small issues relating to my grandfather and your village elder?" She asked, her vermillion eyes studying him from behind glass. "I can't seem to get used to these things on my face—how do I look?"

Ray studied her face, and the thought that she looked like a model may have crossed his mind, but he didn't voice it. All he could manage to say was, "You look fine," and then proceeded to asking, "What're you doing in Hong Kong and why do you know why I'm here?"

"Because I was given the privilege to come escort you," she said sarcastically, moving to walk beside him as they headed towards the taxi station. "It's been a long time, hasn't it? The last time we saw each other—"

"You could see properly."

"Don't be stupid. I always had trouble with my eyes, but we lacked the resources to fix them. Now," she moved her glasses further up her nose, "I managed to scrunch up enough money to get these, and just before you arrive too."

"How long have you been here?"

"About a week or so." She responded, "It's too crowded."

They walked down the crowded streets side by side and stopping at where she had been staying to pick up her luggage. Ray being the gentlemen he was offered to carry it for her and she didn't fuss over it. He was physically stronger, she told him, and she could admit that and wouldn't try to act all macho and do heavy lifting. He just responded that she was always the type to use a pack mule, which she had just turned him into.

At the taxi station, there was one particular man that approached them and offered to take them to the North Temple, as Zhu Lien-Hua put it, and the man agreed. Ray thought it odd, but said nothing about how the two seemed to know each other and that this was not his first time taking her back to her home. Why had she been out of her temple more than once?

"What?" She asked him, her dress riding up her thigh as she stepped into the back seat. Ray's eyes trailed over her milky legs, swallowing as he stepped into the car behind her. "You look terrible, you know. What happened, and why did you look like you wanted to ask something before?"

"I thought that this isn't the first time you've left the temple," he told her, his eye sneaking a peek at her legs as she folded one over the other. She didn't seem to notice his eyes on her. "Has your grandfather gotten worse?"

She sighed, leaning on a hand as the driver started the car and moved towards the secluded mountains. "My grandfather's old, that's all, and he refuses to take it easy and leave the temple to me. But his health is not the reason I leave the temple now a days, and it's actually something I need your help in. I managed to convince the elder of your village that it was grandfather that asked for the assistance, but in reality, it was me."

"What?" He tried to hide his anger. Why couldn't she asked him for help herself instead of getting his village involved? Was this girl always going to do unnecessary things and cause trouble for everyone, again. "What the hell did you do this time, and why bring my village into this?"

"Because," she looked over at him, "Your village holds the only people that know about Foshi and there was no way other would know of him unless your tongue slipped. Don't give me that look. Out of all of the people that know of him, you're the only one that has traveled the world and could've spread his legend."

"I haven't said anything of your damn legend!" He yelled at her, causing the driver to look at them through the rearview mirror. She glared at him and he quickly lowered his voice. "Did you fabricate this while problem to force me back to China? What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"I didn't make anything up." She said sternly as they neared the dropping point. A road had been made up the mountains, but there was no way of getting any further through car. "Listen to me closely, Ray. I need you to come with me to the temple. Don't ask anything until we get there and then I'll answer every one you make."

He sighed heavily, annoyed that he had to leave his teammates (one in particularly) to come to this psycho girl's aid who refused him any clear explanation of what was going on. Was she doing all of this on her own? Beside the village elder, did anyone knew he was back and that he would be at the North Temple with Zhu Huiliang and his psycho granddaughter Zhu Liean-Hua?

"Well," she turned to him once the taxi was out of sight and he hadn't move from his spot, "Come on, Ray, we haven't the time to spare with idle chitchat during a stroll through the park."

"We both know the way to the North Temple is no walk through the park, and chances are we're going to get stuck in there when night comes." He walked to stand beside her, looking over her at the entrance that lead to the temples. The greenery was vicious when it came to blocking anyone from finding the place, and he hadn't visit in a long time. Ray fear he had forgotten how to get there and that his physical strength might not be enough. "We should have waiting until early tomorrow morning."

"Are you scared?" she asked monotone, "I can assure you I will always find my way to the temple, even if it's surrounded by shadows. We also have no time for rest."

"Lien-Hua." He called after her, taking hold of her wrist to stop her from going down her path. "You can't be serious about going up and down those mountains in," his eyes trailed down her body and up again, "This."

"This is my usual attire and I've gone up and down these mountain perfectly fine, Ray. And like I keep saying, let's go, we have no time to waste in trivial things. Stay close and don't lose sight of me or you'll get lost. The bamboo has gotten thicker around the temple from the last time you visited, and it had been thick to begin with."

Ray groaned as he followed her into the thicket, making sure his eyes didn't trail below her shoulders as they began to go over and under objects, but it was a very hard thing to do. His eyes kept trailing down her exposed legs and to the hem of that short Chinese dress she wore. He could feel the flush on his face, the unwanted thoughts, and the horrible feeling that this was caused by the events of the previous months.

"This is going to be a long walk," he sighed, "I've walked out of one problem and into another."