Just a pure fluff, um mixed with some angst, no plot, Tala x Mariah fic based on an art my friend Lilly-chan sent me for the Tala x Mariah shrine. Lilly-chan, this is for you, I hope you like it. Also, guys, if you are a fan of this couple, then perhaps you would like to join the fanlisting, or send stuff. Link is in my profile. Thank you so much for the art Lilly-chan, it's lovely.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bakuten Shoot Beyblade.

You're not Alone

By Kaz

It wasn't often she had a chance to get out of the White Tiger Village, so naturally when she did; she enjoyed it to her fullest. Coming from an isolated village, strong in culture and strict with rules, meant that the girls were not allowed to leave the village and more often than not, study the craft of bridal training. However, she was lucky; her village was very much into the sport of beyblading and since she had the talent to spin, she was allowed to join the team and go places. Though, that didn't mean that her parents, particularly her mother didn't complain about this. However, even though there were many fights and a few tense nights, it was worth it, for she got to see the world, what some girls back home could only dream about and also she got to beyblade. She wasn't interested in arranging flowers, or sitting at home and looking after the house, she wanted to blade, it's what she loved, what she was born to do and it was because of blading that she met some of her closest friends.

Which was why, she was currently sat on a window seat, located in her room, overlooking the gorgeous Hiwatari gardens. For as much as she could make out in the darkening sky, she could see lush Russian grass, lined with all kinds of different flowers and trees. Currently the gardens were also lined with various tents and ornaments of all shapes and sizes, for the upcoming event, which was still such a surprise to most people. The entire scenery was breathtaking, every single detail has been carefully designed and each flower arrangement on the tables had been cut to perfection, it was going to be a beautiful even tomorrow. Naturally, Kai Hiwatari did not care for things like flowers and pink flamingos; no this was the work and careful planning of his fiancée, Hilary. It was their engagement party tomorrow, though how that relationship came about was anyone's guess, it was still a mystery. Especially to Mariah, who giggled as she remembered when Hilary sat them all down and announced that she and Kai were an item.

She could remember how the entire house went silent as everyone tried to process exactly what Hilary had told them, as far as she could remember, Tyson had stopped breathing and gone deadly pale with his eyes wide open as Rei hit him on the back, his own eyes open wide with shock. Max and Kenny just stared at Hilary as if she had grown two heads, while Daichi looked around at everyone not really quite understanding. The other boys, her brother included, were painfully silent and in complete shock, however the girls were slightly more vocal. Emily had sprang up her chair screaming, "WHAT!", while Julia and Matilda looked at the other girls not really understanding, after all they hadn't witness the Russian tournament. MingMing, (yes, even she was there) for once didn't have anything to say, but it was she, Mariah who by far was the loudest.

She almost laughed aloud, when she remembered what she did, she jumped up from her chair, grabbed Hilary by the shoulders, shaking her, screaming something about being taken over by the devil himself, and what was she thinking and how that they would save her. Naturally, and almost surprisingly, Hilary calmly placed her hands on Mariah and said, "I love him."

They were never told how it happens and in all truth, it wasn't any of their business at all, so long as Hilary was happy that's all they needed to know. However, they did warn Kai that if he made her cry he would have to deal with them, of course he just huffed and turned his head. It was then when she was rolling her eyes, she caught a glance at Kai's friend, Tala from the corner of her eye. She thought that he would be indifferent, not really caring but there was something on his face his whole expression, which almost made her cry then and there, though he didn't realise it she had seen it, his character, it spelled out one thing, he was lonely. She had barley even had time to blink before it had gone and his face went back to it's normal scowl but it was from that moment her thoughts, heck her entire perspective of Tala had changed, even if she didn't realise it quite then.

Hilary was never one to do anything slowly and so after a whirlwind of a year, they announced that they were getting married, and that everyone was invited to stay for the engagement party then a month later the wedding. And so, here she was, sat on plush cushion resting on a marble window seat, looking out through an open French designed window towards the breathtaking view before her.

'It's so peaceful here, I just wish I could just stay here forever," she envisaged, as the breeze began to rise gently, lifting her hair, bringing a sweet smell of fresh flowers from below. A small noise grabbed her attention for a moment, looking to her left, just by the double patio entrance; she could see Hilary gesturing to something, shaking her head, while Kai only looked towards what she was pointing at and walk off, resulting in Hilary throwing her hands up in annoyance. Just behind them were a panicking Max, and a heavily pregnant Emily.

"Those two are just too cute for words," Mariah mumbled, as Max fretted around Emily, trying to get her to sit down, while feeding her pancakes. Slowly a pain arose in her heart, Hilary and Kai, Emily and Max, even Kenny and MingMing had found each other and she, "Was completely alone."

It hurt more than she realized. She kept it hidden when she saw the happy couples talking about their future and what not, she tried so hard to be happy for them and she was, she really was, but it still hurt so much. If she was honest with herself, she thought she would have been married by now, the Elders were constantly at her, they wanted the next generation and everyone thought that Rei and her…

"Rei," she whispered, now that was an even more painful subject. Rei had seen the world and wanted to discover it even more, so what could she have done? She knew that if she asked him to stay he would of but he wouldn't have been happy and she couldn't blame him. She had only seen a small part of the world and already she had changed, besides she would never have asked him to sacrifice his happiness. And so she told him to go, but there was sacrifice, their friendship, not intentionally though. They drifted apart, he was always somewhere new, and the letters got less frequent to the point were they were only coming on special occasions, but it was just something that happened. Life was a constant hurt and it was something like this, which reminded her.

But that subject was still a sore subject for her, she was happy for him but her heart did hold a, what if. Shaking her head, not wanting to think any more on that, she looked towards the soon to be married couple and her heart melted. Kai held Hilary in such a strong passionate embrace, while Hilary had her hands at the side of his face kissing him gently. 'They looked so happy together', she thought, her eyes closing as the pain became slightly too much. Her expression also changed into one that a certain someone only knew too well.

'I feel so alone.'

Tala found himself growling once again as he passed another lovesick couple, seriously this place was full of lovely dovey couples and it was making him sick. To the right of him, MingMing sat on Kenny's lap and he described various things he was fixing, while Daichi was showing of his beyblading skills to a blushing Matilda. He didn't even want to imagine what the other couples, Kai, Hilary, Max, and Emily were up too.

"I really need to get out of here," he thought as he spotted the doors leading to the garden. Stepping out, he closed the door firmly behind him, flinching slightly at the chilly air eating at him. "Should have worn another jumper," he mumbled as he walked a short way to where the stones ended and the grass began.

Sighing, he kicked a small lose stone from one of the many planters, before sitting down on one of the benches. Dropping his head in his hands, he growled and grabbed the side of his hair, pulling it tight. He knew he shouldn't have come, everyone around him happy and carefree and he hated it. It was a constant reminder of how much his life sucked. Of course, he didn't care about much and the thought of being with someone never really came to him much before but now looking at everyone with their smiling faces, it just made him feel something, which he had never experienced before, it was a sort of longing but what, he couldn't just place it.

'He really was pathetic,' he mused, and even Kai had managed to find happiness that thought made him feel even more smaller. Usually thoughts like this rarely entered his mind, after all, he had other things to think of but each time he got together with his friends … friends, yes, they were friends now the only good thing from the return of Boris, it reminded him.

Glancing up, he looked up at the now darkened sky, he liked it more when it was dark, it fitted his mood, and the darkness hid many things. Breathing out deeply, he got up to leave when a glint from above caught his eye. Turning around to follow the flash, he looked up towards the south wing windows, and stopped dead at what he saw.

He couldn't even try to hide the gasp of astonishment that left his mouth. 'She is so beautiful,' he whispered, as he glanced at the pink haired beauty sat in the window. The way the moonlight just caught her hair and enhanced her face in a pure white light gave her an almost goddess look. Her eyes were closed, denying him of seeing those golden amber eyes, from that moment he was enchanted by her. Yet it wasn't her beauty, which enchanted him, though she was so beautiful that he could imagine himself being captivated by it, it was the look on her face. He had seen it before; it was oddly very familiar to him. Suddenly her eyes snapped open and he found himself having to turn away, her eyes, they spelt out everything, he knew that look, he felt it all the time, they were both alike and…

'Completely alone.'

The engagement party was going well, she noted as she sat down on a small white cedar two-seater garden swing, slightly isolated from the gathering. Nevertheless, that's how she liked it, everyone was in their own little groups, the couples were all sat down with their other halves, talking, and laughing quietly, while all the bachelors were sat around on the grass, many of them drooling at the girls, and just by them were Tyson and Daichi, finishing the never-ending buffet. Rolling her eyes at how after all this time they still hadn't changed, she laid back falling into the backrest of the swing, making it jolt slightly before returning to its normal sway. It was such a lovely day; true a bit cold, but then they were lucky that Hilary wanted it all to happen in the summer, she could remember her muttering something like, "You except me to fall flat on my face in my wedding dress because of all the ice?" Yet, even though the weather was slightly warm, it didn't have a positive effect on the girl.

No matter how much she tried not too, she couldn't stop thinking about last night. The pain, for some reason it was becoming unbearable. Usually she was in the village, busy with her chores, so thoughts like these only arose in the deep night, when everyone was asleep. Still, since it wasn't shoved in her face it she could usually get over it but now… Sighing and closing her eyes, she began to swing, not really wanting to face reality just right now. Shutting out the world, she lost herself in the sweet smelling warm breeze, and the sound of the chatter drawing from the crowd below.

He really wanted to get out of here, he thought, as he tried to get away from another conversation with Michael and Enrique going on as if they were God's gift to women.

'Really,' he thought, 'Listening to those guys exchange pick up lines and techniques to get a woman, it was rather sickening at time, though,' he carried on thinking with a small smirk, 'Some of those stories were quite interesting.'

Mentally shaking himself, for being as perverted as those two for a moment, he wandered around the grounds aimlessly, until a familiar sight met his eyes.

'It's her again,' he realized, as he glanced at the Chinese beauty, who looked content, sat on one of the garden swings. She looked great; he would have to be a fool to not admit to that. Dressed in a past the knee white dress, with pink cherry blossoms as a pattern all over, it really suited her. It was just off shoulder, in a gypsy style. Her hair was done up in a messy bun, and her face seemed to shine with an ethereal glow. He knew that all the girls had to wear dresses, Hilary had said something for practise when they would be her bridesmaids when they all seemed to complain. Naturally, no one wanted to upset the bride to be, since Kai's death glare was enough to even shut Tyson up.

He had two choices, he could carry on wandering around looking like a right idiot, or he could do something so completely out of character he might just actually frighten the girl. Raising his eyebrows at his inner conversation, he walked towards the girl, not even bothering to glance around to see if anyone else was paying attention. Stopping towards the side of the swing, he realized she hadn't sensed his presence, smirking, he waited till she swung forward before reaching out and holding the wooden block, stopping her dead.

He saw her eyes suddenly snap open in confusion, then turn even more confused as she looked around and saw him.

"… Tala?" she asked him, questionably, "What are you doing here?"

"I got slightly bored from listening to finding out how many women turned Enrique down," he said, gesturing to the overly talking blond who was rolling around on the ground in laugher.

She rolled her eyes at their childish antics before remembering he actually hadn't answered her true question.

"So what are you doing here?" she asked away, raising a perfectly shaped pink eyebrow at him.

"I told you, Michael and En…" He got no further as she shook her head and asked again, "I meant here, with me?"

He actually had to stop for a moment, he had no idea how or just why he was actually here. Naturally, he couldn't just say, I saw you in the window and you reminded me of a angel going through the same thing I was going through so I just had to come to speak to you because you intrigue me so, no, he opted for the second choice. Which was to basically shrug and say, "Dunno."

"Oh," she whispered softly, looking down at her hands, her bangs hiding her eyes.

He briefly caught a sad look upon her face and immediately cursed himself for being a complete and utter moron, especially when he could relate to that pain she was going through.

A deafening silence had fallen upon the two, leaving Tala to fidget and contemplate his actions. It was safe to say he felt like an idiot, who just walks up to someone they have hardly; if ever spoken to and just sit there.

Sighing, he was about to make some small talk, or anything to break the silence when he noticed she was staring at something, with an almost longing look on her face. Following her gaze, he saw she was staring at Kai and Hilary, who after a much death glare of her own had managed to get Kai to dance with her to a slow tune.

"What? You have a thing for Kai?" He asked, chucking at how she suddenly snapped out of her reverie and glared at him.

"Relax," he chuckled, holding his hands out, "I was only kidding," he carried on, realising that her eyes had turned into pure golden slits and were actually quite frightening, 'And not to mention it made her look sexy,' he subconsciously thought.

'The hell?' his mind immediately thought, once he realised what he had been thinking, 'Where in the entire regions of my mind did that come from?' He began to concentrate on this question so much that he hadn't noticed he was opening and closing his mouth in a comical fashion, leaving Mariah to stare at him.

"Tala?" She inquired, "Are you okay?" She raised an eyebrow, as his mouth snapped shut and jumped up nearly screaming "Yes!"

Clearing his throat, he replied again in a much more normal voice, "So Kai and Hilary huh?"

"Yeah," Mariah smiled, "Who would have thought, but they look so happy, I am really happy for them."

"Yeah, though it did take a while to actually believe Kai was in a relationship with something, especially Hilary." Looking down, he smirked before adding, "But you know all about that right Miss, I shall save my friend from the devil?"

Mariah blushed heavily before hiding her face in her hands and saying, "Oh my! I can't believe I said that."

Tala laughed before sitting next to her on the swing. Another short silence had fallen once again before Mariah asked, "So, what are you gunna do now that you leaders gone and got himself chained to a woman?" She finished off laughing.

"Probably be thankful I'm not whipped like he is!"

"Tala!" She exclaimed, lightly hitting him on the arm before adding, "It sure is funny though, seeing Kai give in to her every demand."

"He follows her around like a little puppy, it's pitiful." He looked at the smiling girl, and found himself smiling along with her.

Suddenly her face darkened before saying, "At least they have someone."

"Yeah," he mumbled, try to avoid that topic for as long as he could, he decided to try to lighten the mood by asking, "So when can we expect to see you dressed in white… um that is the colour you wear right?"

Laughing, Mariah shook her head at him before answering, "I'm not getting married, silly. Like they say, always the bridesmaid never the bride."

"Huh but I thought you and Rei…" He decided not to carry on with that sentence when he saw her expression change into one of pure hurt.

"Rei and I are just friends," she whispered, "Just friends."

"Well he's an idiot if you ask me," He replied, indicating that he knew what the real meaning behind that sentence was.

Her heart warmed slightly at that, it was nice to be appreciated even if it was by someone who didn't know her quite well, but then maybe he did.

"So," she asked, "When will we have the pleasure of meeting your other half?"

Chucking, he admitted, "I haven't found her yet. Though no doubt she is out there somewhere begging for me to come and rescue her." He added rather arrogantly, smirking to show it was a joke, somewhat.

Mariah laughed and tossed her hair over her should before adding with a slight mischievous look, "You never know, she might just be right under your nose and you would never know."

"Maybe she is," he added, drawing his face closer to Mariah.

They were very close now, she realized. His face hovering over hers, she could feel his breath lightly touching her face. Swallowing slight, she unintentionally drew even near, as random thoughts raced across their minds.

'Was he going to...?'

'She is so…'

'For some reason I feel so drawn to him, like he understand me but…'

'Why do I feel as if she knows my very soul? For some reason, I feel as if I can tell her anything.'

They were mere inches apart now, her heart had began to beat even faster, she was sure it could be heard from miles away.

"Tala, I…"

"Mariah…"

The world was slowly drifting away; she couldn't hear anything now but the beating of her own heart then suddenly,

"Hey guys what you up to?"

Spring apart, Tala nearly jumped up and spared Hilary a slight smile before wandering off. Hilary raised her eyebrow at Mariah, asking what that was about before sitting down besides Mariah.

"It was nothing," Mariah said, shaking her head trying to sound convincing. 'Of course it was nothing I mean, I've hardly spoken to the guy and I somehow feel as if I am drawn to him, sigh, I really need to get my thoughts straight.'

"And I can't believe that's she is going to sing!" Hilary screamed, not realizing that Mariah had been lost within her own thoughts.

"What? Who is going to sing?" Mariah asked, now interested.

"That blue haired brat that's who! I can't believe Kenny brought her, heck I can't believe they are together, she is nothing but a spoiled pop princess, who can't sing." Hilary added, making a sour face. Even now, Hilary hated MingMing with a passion.

"Oh Hilary, you know she's not that bad. At least not anymore, besides Kenny really likes her and they look cute together." Mariah replied, rolling her eyes at Hilary childish tantrum.

"Pfft, I would rather be alone than be with a spoiled brat like her." Hilary stated, turning her head to the side for an added effect.

"No you don't," whispered Mariah, looking off into the distance, "Trust me you don't."

"Oh Riah," Hilary cooed. The girls had become vast friends after the incident with BEGA, and even today, they remained close. Hilary was the only one who truly knew how Mariah felt and how hurt she was.

"So," Hilary asked after a while, "What was going on with you and Mister Valkov? From what I could see he was about to jump you and I am pretty sure you wouldn't have stopped him." She added while winking and the baffled and blushing girl.

"HILARY!"

"What? Oh come on Riah, he is very cute, now if only I didn't have Kai." She joked, before both girls looked at each other ands shrieked out laughing.

"Hm it is true though, Tala is very cute." Mariah answered, causing both girls to laugh again and leave the others around them to glance and shake their heads at the girls. Unknown to the girls, someone had heard their entire conversation, smiling the person turned and made their way into the house.

'You're not as alone as you think you are.'

Mariah sighed as Emily and MingMing exchanged yet another story, really now, those two were as bad as the boys and even Hilary! So far, she had found out just about everything of their sex lives and stuff she really didn't want to know about Max, Kai, and Kenny. Shaking her head, she made up an excuse to get a drink, hoping that they wouldn't tie her down and demand that she listen to them. Thankfully, they seemed to in a huge debate over whose boyfriend/husband was better, shuddering; she made her way towards the kitchen when she looked in towards the lounge and found herself captivated by the sight that met her.

Tala sat before the fireplace, a glass of wine in his hands, his posture his usual calm and arrogant aura, yet his eyes, they looked distant. He almost looked like a scared child to her. She knew that look all right, it was the look of fear of being alone, and she knew it well.

Walking up to him, she placed her hands upon his hair, stroking the silky rich strands, causing the male to look at her.

"You're not alone Tala," she whispered as the wine glass dropped from his hands before he fell to the floor hugging her waist.

"You're not alone." She repeated softly, running her hand through his mane, bending his bangs before burying her face in his hair, repeating, "You're not alone," over and over again.

From the doorway Kai sighed as he looked on at the two, he knew it would be only a matter of time before those two would finally find each other, and in all truth he didn't know what to think but from the looks of things, they seemed to finally realized what was in front of them all along. Feeling a pair wrap around his waist, he tilted his head slight as Hilary leaned in and whispered in his ear, "I knew those two would get together."

Giving his trademark scowl, he didn't let her carry on and he turned and pulled her into a kiss, forgetting all about the scene in the living room, all of them finally realizing one thing.

You're never alone.

The End

Before you all go but HUH? They weren't meant to actually be together that was done intentionally, this was just two people realizing how different, yet how similar they really are. Besides getting together is what a sequel are for, if I get enough feedback that is. :P Please read and review.

Cya