Hey People! Man, I am having trouble with my fics! I can't finish one chapter without getting bored! It took me more than five hours to finish this what with me getting distracted with other things, then I read a little and decided I didn't like it so I rewrote that part, then my computer started acting up, then I got distracted with another story but got bored of that too and forced myself back here. That's the curse of writer's block I suppose...

Still, here we are! I was nearly at screaming point but I finished this chapter! Woo! Hopefully it's ok but that's for you guys to tell me. Please say if there are any mistakes, I've been through this one so many times the words just blurred together; words that I spelt just didn't look right and by the end of it I just wanted to quit the chapter but I hope that doesn't show through the work.

By the way, thanks to everyone who has reviewed this fiction! May you continue to do so as you bring much joy and happiness! I love you all so thank you thank you thank you for your reviews!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade nor any of its characters. Any characters you do not recognise are most llikely mine which is a little pointless to say four chapters in but hey, better late than never.

So, please read the chapter and tell me your thoughts. Hope you enjoy reading it because, to be frank, it was a real bugger to write ;)

Enjoy!

Chapter Four

~ Ray's POV ~

And I sit in a club on my own at the bar while the rest of my friends are having a whale of a time…yippee. Even Kai's with someone, Tala and Bryan to be exact; they're sitting over there in the corner talking about something in Russian and Kai isn't even looking at me, hasn't looked at me all night. Tyson and Hilary are having a fight over there while Max and Kenny have a drinking competition to see who is the first to pass out. Looser has to do a handstand for two hours straight, how they're supposed to do a handstand while they're unconscious I don't know but I'm sure I'll find out soon enough. Lee and Mariah are at home, well Mariah's at home. The last time I checked Lee, he was fleeing from Butchie and the one and only Butchie slipper. I won't torture you with what Daichi is doing but put it this way if that girl doesn't run away to hang herself then I've seriously underestimated the opposite sex.

"Another one?" asks the guy at the bar pointing at my glass which isn't even empty yet, money grubbing bastard. I shake my head and rest my head in my hand with my elbow leaning on the bar. Watching Kai is what you would call a deadly occupation, usually he knows when someone is watching but in here it's so crowded not even his senses can feel anything. But while you're staring at Kai with a rather pathetic longing expression you're not watching the tiny space around and bam! I'm knocked off my stool by a huge guy with blonde hair; picture Brad Pitt with brown eyes and a fluorescent green top on matched with bright yellow trousers. Ouch? My feelings exactly.

The guy looks down at me "oh sorry man, didn't see you there" evidently.

I stand up and sit back on my stool (if I sit on it any longer I'll have to carve my name in to the side) while he sits on the one next to me and after ordering something sickly pink and downing it he turns to me.

"Bad night?" he enquires

"I prefer to see it as not my best" I answer glancing back over at Kai

"Same here" says the guy "man! Don't you just hate when the person you want doesn't want you?"

"Tell me about it" I say, I'm not actually listening to what he's saying but he doesn't strike me as the type of guy who cares whether you're actually listening, just as long as you're there.

"See, I've been seeing this girl or rather I've been trying to see this girl"

At last! Kai has looked over at me! … And seen me talking to a Brad Pitt look-alike, greeeeeaaaat timing Kon, Kai's just seen you with another guy who is good looking if a little scary when it comes to dress sense.

"Only thing is this girl is mad about another boy, one I could never compete against" continues the guy totally unaware that my ex is now under the impression that I like fluorescent green…oh the lord hates me.

"Why can't you compete against the guy?" I ask, maybe if I talk to this guy Kai will get insanely jealous and take me away…yeah, I know, it's a long shot but I'm running out of ideas.

"Because he's famous" answers the guy dully

"What do you mean famous? Who is he?" oh God, his girlfriend's going to turn out to be one of those freaky fans, the ones who throw their bras at you.

"His name's Ray Kon" hey I know someone called Ray Kon! Oh yeah, me, duh! I never knew there was another famous person called Ray Kon, thief! He stole my name.

"He's a top beyblader" and he's stolen what I do best, I tell you if this new Ray Kon lays one finger on Kai I'll rip him to shreds.

"Well if your girlfriend is just a fan then she'll get over it" I say comfortingly

"She's not a fan though," sighed the guy "she's his friend, she's a top blader too you see"

I wonder if I know her "really? Who is she?"

"She's called Mariah" wow! That is incredible, not only is there a guy called Ray Kon but he also has a friend called Mariah, you know, if I didn't know better I'd say this guy was talking about me…oh. I bet you never knew I could be so slow did you? My excuse is that concentrating on Kai usually numbs my senses, that and a couple of drinks which maybe I shouldn't have had.

"Does she say he feels the same?" I ask trying to hide my long plaited hair and failing

"She says he doesn't but she just can't give up on him"

"Oh" I say or rather squeak rather pathetically

"I swear if I ever meet Ray Kon, I'll punch his lights out!" growls the guy. Stay very still, if he doesn't notice the red bandana on your head that you're so famous for and if he doesn't notice you've got golden eyes and raven black hair then you'll be fine. This sounds like a long shot too doesn't it? I might as well just ask the guy to hit me. An angry look comes in his ice blue eyes and he slams down his glass.

"Fucking bastard! He isn't even worthy to lick the ground at Kai's feet!"

Kai? Where did that come from? Wait a minute; didn't I just say that this guy had brown eyes? Why are his eyes suddenly so blue? Blue? Almost like…

"Egan!" I gasp

The guy turns to me giving me a cruel smile that is unmistakably Egan's

"Like my new body Ray? I thought this guy was quite a catch, and don't you think it's really ironic that I found the father of Mariah's baby" his voice has changed, it sounds like Egan and his eyes are like Egan's.

"Give that guy his body back!" I growl "you have no right taking it from him!"

Egan shrugged, already there are more changes, his hair is now Egan's style and his body is less buff "I need to use him, he is strong"

"Let him go!" I get off my stool but backing away is fairly impossible, I glance around; Tyson and Hilary are still fighting, both Max and Kenny have passed out on their heads and Kai is still talking with Tala and Bryan and not looking at me and Daichi…don't make me go there! "What do you want Egan?"

"Interesting question" ponders Egan "simple answer: I want you dead" he gives me a long evil look which, I won't lie, is scaring me "you took away my chance of having a second life!" snarls Egan "you took away my chance of having a body!"

"It's my body!" I growl back, I've lost this body once and I am not loosing it again "and if you remember it wasn't me who got it back, Tyson helped remember?" you must all think I'm a coward to let Tyson get the brunt of Egan's fury but if Egan goes over to Tyson now he'll be torn in to shreds within seconds.

"Wrong!" Egan glares at me "none of them would have even tried to get your body back if you and Kai hadn't been so lovey dovey! If Kai wasn't head over heels for you I'd still be in that body! And if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have lost the knife!"

"Kai destroyed the knife, Kai got my body back with the help of Max" I say "all I did was do a little ghostly flirting and run around like a headless chicken"

"Max only did what Kai told him to do!" Egan answers back "and Kai only did what he did because he was mad about you!"

I stare at him "is that what this is all about? Communal garden jealousy? You want Kai but he wants me, is that why you hate me?"

"I don't even know what he sees in you!" snarls Egan, guess I'm right then

"Absolutely nothing at all" my heart hurts, is that normal? "You can have him, because I'm the last person he wants" why does saying that hurt so much? Surely I didn't love Kai that much? According to Kenny no one finds their true love until their three minutes from dieing (shows he's going to be virgin for the rest of his days doesn't it) so why does saying out loud that Kai doesn't want me hurt so much? Do I really want Kai back that much? Did I like being in his arms that much?

I'm answered by a fist diving in to my stomach and sending me crashing backwards in to the person behind me who naturally lets me fall to the ground like the nice kind caring person he is. Surprised I look up to see Egan towering above me, I don't even have time to move as he brings his boot (bright baby blue in colour) up and crushes it in to my rib cage. I try to fight back but the guy who Egan is borrowing the body from was a big guy and even though he's changing in to Egan all the time, he's still bigger and, I have to say it, stronger than me. I try to crawl away from the tirade of feet that Egan unleashes on me but people are everywhere and they're turning, cheering, jeering as the chant "FIGHT! FIGHT!" becomes louder. I manage to bring Egan crashing to the ground but he's up like a flash of light and sends me crashing in to the bar. Cold hard glass strikes around my head as Egan brings his glass against my temple so forcefully the glass smashes. Why is no one seeing that I'm in trouble? All I can see around me as I fight back is people laughing and placing bets, where's Kai gone? Does he really not even see us as friends? Has he really stopped caring about altogether? Tears well up in my eyes making it difficult to see and I don't even predict the fist that connects with my head sending me flying back.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" I hear Kai's voice and someone catches me as Bryan appears out of nowhere kicking Egan in the stomach and sending Egan flying.

"Come with me" Kai whispers in my ear and he puts me on my feet, a feeling of overwhelming dizziness fills my head and I fall back against him feeling sick.

I open my eyes to find I'm in Kai's car "where are we going?" I mumble as I clutch my head which, pardon my language, fucking well hurts!

"To the hospital" says Kai "I don't like the look of that gash on your temple"

I wince as my fingers connect with pain and blood on the side of my head. Oh boy, this really hasn't been my day, forget that; this hasn't been my month!

"How do you feel?" asks Kai

"Like my head has been crushed by the arse of an elephant" I answer, an overweight elephant at that. Dam, that Egan can pack a punch.

"We'll see what the doctor says"

We're silent as Kai drives; looking out the window it suddenly occurs to me that Kai probably thinks I've got involved in some kinda club brawl. Should I tell him it was Egan? He didn't believe me last time so why should he now? More to the point if Kai thinks it was a club brawl then why did he get involved? If we're not together anymore then why should Kai even care about me? I just have to know.

"Why did you get involved?" I ask quietly staring determinedly out the window

"I had to do something before Tyson got himself involved and became more of an idiot than you" answers Kai almost breaking my heart with his words. I'd forgotten he could be so cold and unfeeling, is that really the reason why he interfered? To stop Tyson getting hurt? What about me? Does he really not care about me at all? That's cold, even for Kai.

"Stop the car" I whisper

"What?"

"Stop the car" I say again trying not to keep the desperation out of my voice, if Kai really doesn't care about me anymore then I don't see any reason why I should bother him with my presence.

"Why?" asks Kai

"Because I don't want to jump out when it's still moving!" I snap unable to keep the hurt from my voice "just stop the dam car!"

Kai pulls up and I get out, walking up the street to where I think the hospital is.

"Where are you going?" Kai asks and I hear him get out and lock his car "Ray!"

"I don't want to be a bother to you!" I gabble, "I can make my way to the hospital just fine!"

"Ray! Ray!" Kai follows after me; grabbing my arm and spinning me round "just stop for a minute!"

I can't look at him, there's a lump in my throat but I will not show him I'm hurt! I'm stronger than that. Pulling myself together I say calmly "I don't need your help" turning round again I walk off in the direction of the hospital.

"Ray, get back in the car" Kai follows me

"I don't need your help!" huh usually it's Kai insisting he doesn't need help, how times change?

"Ray, you might not even make it to the hospital, we don't know the extent of the head injury"

"I'm fine!" I turn up at street and walk away

"Ray!"

"Go away Kai!"

"Just listen for two moments!"

"I don't need your help!"

"Ray! The hospital is the other way!"

Stopping I look at a sign and see that he is right and indeed the hospital is in other direction. Trust me to get something stupidly wrong when I want to act clever and strong. Sighing viciously I turn and walk doggedly past Kai but he stops me.

"Stay for a moment" he whispers and pulling out a tissue gently dabs the blood away from my temple. How can he be so heartless and then so tender? Talk about black and white, maybe he's the one who needs the ying and yang sign.

"Why are you even doing this?" I ask, "we're not together anymore, you…you don't need to care about me"

Kai ignores me (prick head) but checks a bruise I have obtained on my cheek, he lightly brushes his thumb against it like he used to do when he cared about me.

"You still need to see a doctor" he says quietly "but I don't think there's anything major injuries" oh sure! It's not like a broken heart is a big deal! Yeah, I'm just fan-bloody-tastic! Look! I can hop and jump and even do the shimmy! Therefore I'm in the peak of health! … Just to let you know I'm not actually doing the shimmy in the middle of a high street, that would just be strange.

"Good" I say, should I tell him it was Egan who did this to me? Will it only get us in to another fight? Why didn't he believe me before? I've never lied to him, well…never seriously lied to him anyway. So it was me who broke the very precious vase in his mansion in Russia but he need never know that, who needs vases anyway? I don't, Kai doesn't even put flowers in them, what's the point of them if he doesn't even us them? Anyway I digress. Can he really just stop believing me? Did I do something wrong? What was it?

What did I do wrong Kai? Did I make you angry?

"Are you coming back to the car?" asks Kai "or are you still determined to walk to the hospital?"

"I don't want to bother you" I mutter "I've already taken up most of your night, sorry"

Kai looks at me with finally some kind of expression on his face but what it is I have absolutely no idea. Maybe the knock on the head really did effect me because the look on his face is so expressive but I just can't read it. I can always read Kai's expressions, usually because it's nothing more than a small frown as he looks upon us all with a mixture of shame and embarrassment, that's when he wasn't trying to run away from us which was most of the time. I still remember the time Max and Tyson had competition to see who could snort out the most snot in the middle of town square; Kai didn't talk to any of us for a week. And then there was the time Max's mum Judy came round along with Emily. Max kept calling them mumsie and muffin cake; Kai spent the whole day outside in the rain and refused to even accept a drink of coffee from the 'mad one' as he named Max.

"You could never be a bother to me" whispers Kai so quietly I almost miss what he says. Suddenly I want him back so much I almost can't breathe, I don't care that he hurt me, I don't care that he doesn't want me, all I want is for him to kiss me and say it's alright, I want him to make me feel safe.

"Kai I-"

"Kai!" Tala comes out of nowhere and spectacularly ruins my entire speech "there you are"

"Where's Bryan?" asks Kai turning to Tala as if I no longer exist

"Getting arrested" answers Tala as if Bryan has merely popped off to the shop to get milk

"What for?" Kai looks slightly alarmed

"For almost killing someone" oh yeah, that's not serious at all. I don't even know why I'm worried…wait why am I worried? I hate Bryan. And if he's going to prison then yay! I will never have to set eyes on his ugly mug ever again!

"Is he ok?" asks Tala indicating me

Kai nods "he still needs to go to the hospital" oh don't mind me, I'll just stand here while you all decide my fate.

"Want me to take him?" asks Tala

Say no Kai "do you mind?" asks Kai, hello? I mind!

Tala shakes his head and says something Russian, Kai nods and Tala says something else. Has no one told them how rude it is to ignore someone?

Kai turns to me "Ray-"

"Oh! You've noticed I'm here! I am honoured!" seriously I have been going out with Kai too long! I never used to be so sarcastic before I met him.

"Tala's going to accompany you to the hospital-"

"Don't bother!" I snap, "why don't the pair of you go and visit Bryan in his little prison cell! Better still join him!" with that I turn on my heel and walk away…then turn round again to walk to the hospital. Tala says something in Russian which I'm sure wasn't how nice the weather has been lately. This angers me more and I turn back to snarl

"And while you're about it, go find Egan and invite him to rot in a cell along with you!"

This comment had two effects, one: Kai glares at me and two: Tala goes as white as a sheet.

"Ray shut up!" snaps Kai "I told you before! Egan hasn't come back! You were mistaken last time!"

Anger bubbles out of me and I shout "FUCK YOU HIWATARI! IT WAS EGAN AND I KNOW IT WAS! SO DON'T YOU DARE SUGGEST MY EYESIGHT NEEDS CHECKING!"

"Ray, it can't have been Egan because Egan is dead!" says Kai though gritted teeth

"HE WAS DEAD THE FIRST TIME I MET HIM!" I yell "I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE REASON HE TOOK MY BODY! REMEMBER THAT KAI?"

"Yes that was why Egan took your body! But he hasn't come back!" Kai's snarling now, that means he's really angry. You can always measure the level of anger by the way the person acts. So for example the louder I get the angrier I am whereas on the other hand whenever Kai is angry his voice turns to a hiss.

"WHY WON'T YOU BELIEVE ME?" I wasn't wrong! I know I wasn't wrong! And just now, in the club, that was definitely Egan. I know it was.

"You were wrong! I don't know why you can't accept that but you were wrong Ray!"

That does it. I fly at Kai driving my fist in to the first part of his body that comes in to contact. His chest. Not wise Kon, you know Kai's chest is harder than a diamond. My eyes fill with tears with pain from punching Kai but lets pretend it's because I'm heartbroken.

"Why don't you believe me?" I whisper and then I'm gone, running through the streets, past cars, past houses, people, dogs, cats, a clown? I don't stop; I just keep running. I don't know why I'm running and I have no idea where I'm running to but all I know is that I'm running. That old lady I've just ploughed in to also knows I'm running.

I think for a fleeting moment that I hear someone call my name but I ignore it and carry on running. I keep running until I can't breathe anymore and my legs are so dead they're not even keeping me upright, whoa! Like I said, they're not even keeping me upright.

I find myself by the river under the bridge; it's the one where we always used to come. Whenever we were training or wanted to talk we would always invade Tyson's house or here. I think Kai even fought with Dunga under this bridge, good times huh. When friends were friends and a burger was a burger and not an unhealthy slab of bread with fake meat shoved in the middle. When the most complicated thing we had to figure out was how to get Tyson out of bed in time for a beybattle. When the only thing I worried about was not getting my hair caught in the toaster. Good times, Kai and I were just friends and the only thing we did together was run away as fast as we could whenever grandpa brought the scissors out. We used to come here and sit down and talk for hours; I guess that's how we both fell in love with each other. Kai would always loosen up at little and we would talk about all sorts of things; how many different ways Kai could kill Tyson for example, or taking bets on who would find us first. Kai always said it would be Hilary and I always said it would be Max. As it turned out we were both wrong when half an hour later Tyson came over the hill bellowing for us, tripped over his own feet and came crashing down on top of us. I remember Kai talked about the Abbey once, it's not something you can usually get him to talk about but that day he did.

He never spoke of the violence they must have endured in that place but he spoke of the things Boris had drilled in to them. That loosing was a sign of weakness, that showing feelings and emotions only meant that people could control you. Love didn't exist; the only good emotion was hate. Even anger was forbidden because when in the heat of anger you could loose control. You didn't have friends in that place you just had teammates who all followed the team captain. I remember he went very quiet after that as if surprised he'd said so much, I remember wanting to say something that would…ease the emotion that was swirling around his brain. And I came up with something really good but was unable to tell Kai because at that point Tyson poured a bucket of water on us.

The one time we both let our guard down, needless to say Tyson paid dearly for his moment of sneakiness. But he still maintained that it was worth it even when he hung upside down from the roof with a bunch of grapes just out of reach.

I remember thinking on that day (as I carefully cut Tyson down well I tried to anyway, he ended up falling on his head and spent a week in hospital with concussion. I swear Kai has never been so proud of me), I remember thinking on that day that it must have taken a lot for Kai to open up to me like that and I wanted to tell him that I appreciated his trust in me…but that was when Tyson fell on his head and obviously after that I was a little panicky that I'd killed Tyson Granger one and only world champion for three years running. I sat in the hospital for almost two days with my hands together in silent prayer and nothing and no one would move me. One of the doctors became so used to me being here he hung his coat on me and used me as his umbrella stand…until Kai put a stop to that. I believe the doctor is still in an institute but I don't think it's long before he's released.

Footsteps behind me bring me out of my reverie and I turn to see Tala coming towards me, surprised I wait for him to reach me. He stands in front of me for a moment.

"I want you to promise me something" he says

"What?" I ask completely at a loss as to what he wants with me

"I want you to promise that the answer you give to my question will be the truth and nothing but the truth" does he want me to appear in court in the case of attempted murder by Bryan Kuznetsov? Ooh I would love to tell the judge that I saw Bryan seriously hurt someone, gruesome of me isn't it?

"Alright" I agree feeling there's a reason why I shouldn't be agreeing to this

"I want you to promise" says Tala

"Ok I-"

"Tala!" Kai appears over the hill, the side of his face is bleeding and it looks like he's trying not to limp. That wasn't me was it? I think I hurt myself more than I hurt Kai. I look back at Tala, there's a cold look in his eyes that reminds me of Egan and for the first time I can believe that Egan is the younger brother of Tala. I take a step back.

"Leave him alone Tala!" says Kai "it's not his fault!"

"Promise me!" hisses Tala

"What am I promising to Tala?" I ask taking a step back but I walk in to something hard. Looking round I see Bryan standing there blocking my escape, evidently the authorities didn't have enough evidence to keep him "Kai!" I don't feel safe, I felt safer when Egan was trying to kill me in the club.

"Leave him alone!" Kai walks slowly towards us "it's not his fault!"

"Was that Egan who tried to kill you in the club?" demands Tala

"I thought you didn't believe me!" I say. I glance back at Kai who is coming up behind Tala. What happened to him? Who hurt him? Surely it wasn't Tala and Bryan, I know they're violent towards others but they would never hurt Kai…would they?

"Just answer the question Kon!" snarls Tala

"Yes!" I say "alright! Yes it was Egan! I told you before but you wouldn't listen!" as Kai comes closer I realise that the only reason he's going so slow is because he's barely conscious "WHAT DID YOU DO TO KAI?"

"We did nothing," snarls Bryan suddenly grabbing me and slamming me against the wall "it was you!"

"Bryan leave him alone!" shouts Kai putting a hand to his forehead as he sways slightly.

"Kai!" I turn back to Bryan "what do you mean it was me who did that to Kai?"

"Egan is out to get you" Tala steps up to me while Bryan crushes me against the wall "while you were shouting blue murder in the street Egan was right behind you raising a knife ready to strike you down, when you ran Egan made to go after you but Kai jumped him so you could get away!" Tala glares at me but I look back at Kai, he knew Egan was there. Was that why he didn't want me to leave the car? Why he kept following me? To protect me?

"So we figure if we get rid of you then Egan can fuck off to rest in peace and Kai won't die protecting you" finishes Bryan who of course when he says 'we' actually means him. Like he'd let Tala go to prison.

"You need to see to Kai first!" I shout at him "he needs help!" in answer to my words Kai stumbles and Tala immediately goes to his side helping him stand.

"Let him go Tala" Kai's voice is weak but firm "it's not his fault"

"If he wasn't here you wouldn't be hurt!" snarls Tala and Bryan pushes his arm against my neck, I don't care about me but please someone help Kai! Please! Someone! If anyone is out there please let Kai be ok!

Annnnd that chapter is officially done! Whoop! Whoop! Poor Kai, and lets not forget what Ray is suffering also.

Please Review!

Kiki