Never Stop My Heart

By Mishi-chan

A/N: Hey everybody! I'm back on time with this update. I'm glad some of you enjoyed my NejiTen one-shot. Thanks for the support, guys! This chappie's shorter than my others, but I hope you all will find it just as good. Not much to say this time around.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, but I do own Tenshi and the Winged Guardians' bit-beasts. Invisible Love and MuraSakura own Hiniku and Sakura respectively. My associate owns Kaze and I finally realized that I also own the Shinigamiz. XD

This month's update goes to my good friend, Kaze-kun. One as a birthday gift (HAPPY BIRTHDAY!) and the other because of your absolutely hilarious review for the last chappie. I give you props for that one. You've been a great friend.

Now, on with the infamous Chappie 9!


"Snap!"

Tenshi's words hissed through gritted teeth. Her russet eyes shot to glance at her teammate, who was currently still sleeping peacefully. After reassuring Sakura was not awakened, Tenshi continued out of the room, closing the door behind her. She massaged her toe; why did Sakura's bag have to be right by the door where it could so easily be tripped over? After jotting a quick note to her team, slipping on her shoes, and closing the suite door, Tenshi was out of there. Soon stepping out into the sunny streets of New York, she checked herself. Cell phone? Check. Earphones? After fitting them into the crannies of her ears, Tenshi thought to herself with a smile, 'Check.'

Dressed in athletic shorts and a hoodie, Tenshi turned on some upbeat tunes and began jogging down the street. Weaving through people, cars, and streetlights, she found herself at her destination: the park. Fixated, her gaze found the path she'd run into when searching for Sakura and Hiniku the other day. Tenshi started down the worn path, humming along to "New World" by BACK-ON, the rock pumping the blood to her brain and awakening her senses.

Although it was only seven in the morning, the life-giving beams from above fluttered through trees and shone upon her. A cool breeze blew by her, but with the combined force of her hoodie and knee-length socks, Tenshi felt unaffected. Squirrels scurried among the bushes, find solace in one of the only green areas in the city. She jogged along on a crystal path, dewdrops shimmering in the light. Crisp northern air went in and out of her. Inhale. Exhale.

Song after song played while though after thought plagued. The Shinigamiz. Their captain. Something felt familiar about them. Why else would she not pull away?

FLASHBACK

No one was around. It was dark. Her muscles were tight from sleep. Thinking fast, she braced herself to lash out and run if necessary. The chains that closed his cloak clanged as he moved. The Shinigami kneeled down, eye to eye with Tenshi. Her wary eyes widened as he reached for her. Just as she was about to slap him away, his gloved hand brushed her face. Tenshi's heart stopped. Further, the shadow moved a strand of her hair out of her face.

Tenshi's instincts were screaming for her to kick him in the gut and get the heck out of there. But her mind was telling a different story. The brief touch was almost… familiar. Like a requiem of her past. Her face furrowed. "Who are you…?" she heard herself mutter.

END FLASHBACK

"Who are you, indeed," Tenshi felt herself muttered. This is exactly why she needed to jog: to clear her head. A morning run helped her release the stress of night and rid her mind of any distractions. And what was she berated with? Distractions. She shook her head from side to side, as if to begin the cleansing process. Unfortunately, a loose strand of hair from her messy bun fell in front of her face instead. As she reached to brush it from her eyes, her hand jostled the earphone and began to hang limply at her side. But that was when she first heard it: the soft trotting of footsteps behind her. Glancing downwards, Tenshi found a large shadow coming steadily upon her own. Out of courtesy, she edged towards the right, in case the person wanted to pass. However, she did not expect it to be Kai Hiwatari.

A peek at the enclosing male showed his scarf had been discarded, as he was just running in his shirt, jacket, and usual pants. Surges of that night in the hallway exploded in her mind, raising little red warning flags. 'I have got to get out of here!' Tenshi thought to herself. Deciding it was better to get out before he started the questions, she picked up her pace, edging ahead of Kai.

Meanwhile, Kai finally took in the appearance of the person beside him. What had triggered his awareness were the icy blue bangs tucked behind the jogger's ears. With one survey, Kai confirmed it was Tenshi. And from what he could tell, she wasn't surrounded by her teammates. He saw an opportunity, and he was going to take it. However subtle it was, Kai noticed her sudden rigid posture and how she began to slowly pull ahead. To him, that just screamed of someone hiding something. Picking up his speed as well, Kai closed the gap between them, keeping himself in pace with Tenshi.

But when Kai got closer, all Tenshi wanted to do was get farther. She quickened her step, now running. Much to her dismay, Kai did the same. When he began to gain a lead over her, Tenshi saw Kai's crimson eye shoot her a look. A look that she quickly averted. A look that seemed as though it were going into her mind, unlocking. This went on for some time, their movements consistently growing faster. Faster to a point where Tenshi knew she couldn't win. Tenshi moved off the beaten path to venture a ways into the woods. Kai, predictably, followed with victory in sight. And there she found it. As she pulled up to the clearing, the sun reflected off a small pool of quiet waters. The animals drinking at the watering hole quickly fled, leaving Kai and Tenshi with no audience. With a soft plop, she seated herself, her back to Kai. "You're persistent, I'll give you that," she stated calmly. Her gaze refused to meet his own when he sat down an arms-length away. "But that doesn't explain why you're so persistent."

"If there's any information that can help me beat those nut-jobs, I want it," he replied through his stoic mask.

"I suppose that's true," Tenshi said softly. Silence hung in-between, like a draping curtain. The melody of the animals was sung in the air. It would've been easy to get lost in her thoughts if not for the males seated near her. "But I told the truth the first time: I don't know anything."

It didn't go unacknowledged that her tone became more confident, certain. Slowly Kai start to accept that as the truth. However, it was his doubts that showed through. "Then what was that little scene in the hallway the other night?" Kai questioned. His eyes took in her aggravated reaction, how her face suddenly grimaced in an annoyed confusion, how her hand seemed to reach up to run through her hair, and how it was denied since it was already pulled back.

"I don't know!" Tenshi growled. Her head was spinning with that same question, the answer elusive. "I'm just as lost as you are," she confessed with an irritable sigh. "Trust me, if I knew, I'd tell you. I still owe you one."

Kai knew what she meant. She meant the time when she fainted. The time when he helped her. He wanted to tell her to forget about it, but what he wanted more was information of the Shinigamiz. "I'm going to hold you to that," Kai guaranteed her. She nodded in agreement. The two sat in another silence, this one not as tense. Flipping open her cell phone, her eyes viewed the time. With a snap of her cell phone, she was on her feet.

"Is that all then?" Tenshi queried, finally risking a look at Kai. The soft breeze ruffled his slate hair as Kai looked to meet her gaze. Although his grunt of reply told her no, there was turmoil swirling in the abyss of his eyes. They were searching for a question, making sure he had no more before his interrogation ended and his witness left. Tenshi's own eyes drifted to the serene pool once more, but then she put her earphones back in and jogged out of sight without another word.

Kai lingered there, finding solace in the woods amongst the industrial calamity. Out from the bushes, a cat crept out, wary. Moving sluggishly towards Kai, the stray took a couple sniffs of Kai before settling at his side. Kai welcomed the distraction by gently stroking the cat's head, his mind elsewhere. And his somewhat peace of mind wouldn't return until he found a way to beat the Shinigamiz.

N E V E R

Tenshi stepped out of the bathroom, showered, dressed, and hair dry. Sidestepping Sakura's bag this time, she left the room and closed the door behind her. As Tenshi reached for an apple off of the counter, she realized she wasn't the only one awake anymore. "Kaze? Awake before noon on a day without matches? Pinch me, I'm dreaming."

Kaze yawned a laugh. "Yeah, a miracle. I promised Max I'd come to the All-Starz' match today," she explained, trying to tie her shoes through half-lidded eyes. "Hiniku's still sleeping."

"So is Sakura."

"I'm guessing they're not gonna go; it was an invitation for the whole team," Kaze said, stifling another yawn. Once her shoes were firmly planted, Kaze stood, stretching. Eyeballing her munching teammate, she asked, "Are you going to come?"

Tenshi swallowed the bite of her apple and grinned. "Sure," she answered. "Who else is going to make sure you get there without hitting every single door frame possible?" Kaze cracked a smile. Throwing away the apple's core, Tenshi slipped her sneakers back on.

"Geez, Tenshi. Are apples all you eat?" Kaze queried with an exasperated glance.

Tenshi smiled. "An apple a day keeps the doctor away," she clichéd. "And we all know how much I hate doctors."

Slipping out of the hotel and into the street, they walked in sunshine. Air was warm against Tenshi's bare arms, yet cool as to which Kaze kept her jacket on. Upon reaching the stadium, the female bladers were immediately admitted and seated in the row closest to the pit of the arena. "Oh, the perks of being a blader," Kaze stated, comfortably settling into her seat. Tenshi nodded in agreement.

"Who are they facing?"

"No idea," Kaze confessed, shameless in her absence of knowledge. Rolling her eyes good naturedly, Tenshi centered her attention at the dish beneath them.

Jazzman had appeared, ready as ever. "Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to day two of the American stage of the Beyblading World Championships!!" Undetered by the cheers of hundreds of fans, Jazzman continued. "For the first match, pleace welcome the homes team: the PPB All-Starz!" By the noise level in the stadium, an outsider would think they all had won the lottery.

Out they came, one by one. When Kaze caught Max's view, she waved, which he returned. Following Max's line of sight, a smirk quickly spread across Eddie's face. He tapped on Michael's shoulder and pointed up to the stands. The same smirk broadened Michael's lips. If Tenshi was more definitive in lip-read, then would've been more than certain that when Michael spoke, he was saying, "Shortie." All the same, she scowled, knowing internally what Michael had said as he waved at her. Receiving her sour look, Michael appeared to laugh, walking up to the dish.

"But will they be dethroned in their home-town? Facing America's team will be the mystery of the tournament! Put your hands together for the Shinigamiz!"

However, Jazzman's words had a reverse effect on the crowd. As the cloaks walked into the arena, cheers ceased and desisted and blood ran cold. Tenshi, like her blood, was frozen.

"No…" she mumbled. It didn't rake a glance to know that Kaze was a statue. "Crap, no…" Tenshi swore. Cloaked footsteps stopped opposite of Michael. His blade was drawn. Michael's face held no laughter as it once did. Stealing a look at the masses, Michael sent up a reassuring smirk. But Tenshi's apprehension only gripped her tighter. The crowd was on pins and needles. And once the battle started, the routine began. Darkness rolled across the dish, swallowing the blades and their masters. Seconds, minutes passed. Clashes like thunder could be heard. A shout of protest. It was over. Entrance was granted the Sun, revealing a broken, pale Michael. He was similar to his blade in that respect.

When the Shinigami was declared victor, not a soul clapped, cheered or did anything of the sort. There was hardly a shred of recognition for the winning blader. Once he had departed from the dish, another Shinigami replaced him. As Michael stood, he stared long and hard at his antagonists before returning to the All-Starz' bench. Once glance at Michael's coach told Tenshi everthing. "His blade totaled."

Kaze nodded sympathetically. "They all are after these matches. I just wanna know what goes on in there," she sighed. Down at the bench, Max's face was clouded, grim. It as to Kaze's relief that he wasn't to blade the next match, but Rick instead. Rick, irritable as ever, stepped up to the dish, .

"Well, folks, this could be the end of the line for the All-Starz. Should they lose this match, then they are out of the Championships!" Jazzman stressed. But as he counted down, the crowd knew there was no 'if' about it. "Let it rip!"

And just like that, shadows returned. Spectators watched with bated breath. Time ticked away slowly, seconds like hours. A roar. A shatter. And it was done. Rick's blade was dispersed around the dish, chipped, decimated. Like the others, Rick was considerably paler. But unlike the others, while his spirit might've been broken, his ego and his pride were not. He held no connection to his blade, but to winning. Pride wounded, eyes ablaze, Rick was infuriated.

"You freak: what the heck?!" Rick bellowed, the tenacity echoing in his tenor. "I'm not done with you yet!" Paying him no heed, the Shinigami turned away; that motion alone set Rick off. Bull on a rampage, Rick charged up to him, forced him around, and lifted him up the by the hood. With Rick's fists shaking him, the tremors sent the Shinigami's hood flying…

Everyone grew silent, a face revealed. A face Tenshi knew. The hazel eyes. The honey-nut hair. The masculine face that was darkened with annoyance and competitive sting. "Kyogi," Tenshi breathed, her voice so low Kaze couldn't hear. Flash of black—the hood was back on. But as the fight broke apart and the Shinigamiz slipped away, Tenshi was out of the stands and running—sprinting, to be more accurate. In the caves of her mind, she heard Kaze call after her, but she disregarded it. Memories surfaced, swirling out of control. Kyogi. Kyogi was competitive, hardheaded. Only one person could lead him to do anything, ever. In that moment, she knew who the captain was. In her heart, it was right. In her head, it had to be wrong.

Skidding into the desolate team halls, she stopped, waited, watched as the billowing cloaks moved closer still. As predicted, Kyogi was being scolded, their captain at their steed. Smothering the doubt that welled in her chest, Tenshi mustered as much stability as possible. "Spartan," she intimated, tone hiding her anxiety. The whole group froze. Snicker came from the unknown ones.

"Go," their leader commanded. The voice came so quickly from her past that her doubts were erased. With just a word, the cloaks broke from formation, waving past her to leave them be. As Kyogi passed Tenshi, he avoided her gaze with conviction. Thus soon they were alone in the dim corridor.

"Spartan," Tenshi repeated, trying to convince herself. A chuckle followed, a requiem of a distant time. Slowly the hood disappeared, revealing one of the faces that had haunted her. "So it is you." Chestnut met with gray, but then proceeded to take in the rest of his face. It was thin, pale, but his eyes still held a flicker of light. His hair, like rosewood, was fair, yet obscure. A smirk rested upon his once-encouraging lips.

"Once Kyogi was blown, I knew it was only a matter of time." Tenshi was rooted, torn between so many emotions and reactions. He sniggered and opened his arms wide. "What," Spartan sneered, "no hug?"

Tenshi's expression glazed over, steeled. "I thought you were dead." Her words were spoken through tight lips and gritted teeth. This only served to spur him on.

"Funny thing about death: it can be so easily manipulated," Spartan snickered, enjoying his jest.

"Two years." Tenshi's voice was saturated with reminiscence. A couple steps and she was before him, eyes ablaze. "I've thought you were dead for TWO FREAKIN' YEARS!" Much to her irritation, he kept simpering.

Reaching to her brunette locks, Spartan stated, "Still so angry; you haven't changed a bit." Tenshi deftly smacked his hand away with a snarl.

"Don't touch me!"

An ember ignited in his eyes, and suddenly Tenshi found herself pinned to the wall. His forearm across her throat, she savored the air given to her in allowance. The tall face leaned into her own, leering, sneering, satisfied. "I always was the stronger one." Spartan's breath floated across her cheeks, a passing ghost. Betrayal rose up in her throat, almost seeping out as tears in her eyes. No. She wouldn't cry. Not here. Not now. His mouth moving to her ear, he added, "Because you were always weak."

That word set a forest fire inside her. Rallying her strength, Tenshi raised a leg and successfully kicked Spartan in the gut. Muscle forcing him to gasp for breath, Tenshi leapt away. She wanted to punch him, but if she did, she didn't know if she'd be able to stop. With one last piercing glance at him, Tenshi spat, "Not anymore." Before her mind knew it, she was flying away. Through blurred vision, Tenshi ran face-first into someone. Trying to force close the dams of her eyes, she kept on running, sparing no glance back.

Kai was startled as Tenshi came hurling at him. Her face was blood-shot, her body a ghost. Crystals in her eyes, she shoved past him without a word, leaving Kai to watch her retreating figure. His attention was redirected, however, by a dark chuckle. Spartan stood up, humor going rippling through him in tremors. With a cynical brow raised, Kai saw his opponent for the first time. Between the Shinigami's sadistic grin and Tenshi's plight, Kai could only guess that their meeting wasn't their first.

As if noticing Kai at last, Spartan stopped, but his lip remained furled. He pulled up his hood, as if Kai hadn't already committed his face to memory, and proceeded down the corridor. However, in passing, Spartan spoke with a sense of foreboding. "Good luck, Kai. We'll be watching." His sneer was audible to Kai, who glared. A swish of his cloak and a couple steps later, Spartan was gone, leaving Kai to stand there. It was moments later when Kai's gaze shifted away from Spartan's departure.

'Looks like I've just gotten some more questions,' he thought. The reminder of a promise tingled inside of him; he would get his answers. But in the meantime, Kai went on to his locker room. After all, he had a match to win.

S T O P

Afternoon turned to evening, the only indication being the Sun's fading light. It shrunk behind the treetops, the shadows creeping across the grass. Leaves and twigs crunched quietly beneath Kai's feet. Creatures of the day snuggled up to sleep whilst the night prowlers roamed. A shout of frustration could be heard in the distance, accompanied by the melody of a beyblade. His path, lit by the waning moon, led him to the clearing. Originally, Kai had gone there for isolation, for training. But yet, from the sounds of it, the person providing the company was the person he needed to talk to.

Lying on the ground, draped by silver light, was Tenshi. Trees held the scars of her fallen blade, Her hair strung out, as was her body, she panted. Tenshi breathed a sigh and closed her eyes. "His name is Spartan Sotou," she said, knowing full well it was Kai and what he wanted. As she forced herself upright, Tenshi could see Kai set himself on the grass, much like they were that morning.

"So you do know him." It wasn't a question.

Slowly, she nodded. "I didn't figure it out till after we talked," Tenshi defensively confessed. "Not until I saw his teammate, Kyogi Arakaki. I still don't know who the other two are, but it's a start."

Taking a minute to process the information, Kai remained silent. Tenshi took the opportunity to put her blade in its holder and take a swig of water from her bottle. "How well do you know them?"

"Pretty well," Tenshi told him bitterly. "We used to all hang out together, but then Kyogi moved and left us behind. I guess the two must've kept in touch. And Spartan…."

Kai's stare drifted to look at her as her voice trailed. Tenshi had hardened her eyes, her lax muscles now clenched. Taking a deep breath of the crisp night, she relaxed, but her eyes remained the same. "Spartan is irritable and focused. He's a great competitor because he hates to lose. Same with Kyogi, but it takes a bit more to actually anger him, but he's a bit . AS for their blades, I haven't a clue as to what's up with them. They didn't blade until now, as far as I know."

Stillness filled the space between them. An owl hooted in the distance, the crickets and frogs joining in the medley and drowning out the hustle of the city. "I don't know why he's doing this." Her tone came much softer, almost vulnerable. "He was encouraging, fun, and a great friend." Tenshi paused. "When my family was killed, Spartan was on vacation. As soon as he found out, he came right back to be there for me and help me out…. Spartan is—no, was the big brother I never had and the little brother that I lost." With a shake of her head, Tenshi chuckled weakly. "Man, I must sound pathetic."

"The past can come back and bite you," Kai input. His sudden voice grabbed Tenshi's attention, her eyes wide as they whipped towards him. As for Kai, his gaze never shifted from the rippling waters. "And when it does, sometimes the bite reopens old wounds. But," he stated, "you're only pathetic if you let it get the best of you. So don't let it get to you."

Another chuckle rose from Tenshi's throat. "Easier said than done," she told him sardonically. "I mean, how would you deal with someone who's supposed to be dead?" Judging from his expression, Tenshi guessed Kai was perplexed. "Spartan—he died about two years ago, or at least, I had thought so. I still don't see how he could've survived. That accident scorched and fried him; even after they had salvaged enough DNA to prove it was him, I still saw his corpse. I saw how bad the damage was; broken bones from the car hitting him, skin melted off by the flames when a second car slammed into the first—there was no way that he could've survived. No way."

"And this was after the death of your family?"

"Yeah, so it was hard. It's still hard." A thoughtful silence. "But I guess that's why you have to push through it. It's kind of like training. If you don't push yourself, you won't get any stronger."

Clouds moved in the night sky and across the moon, shading them in darkness. A hush fell upon the animals and for just a moment, everything was silent. The city rush seemed so far away. Just peace. Tranquility. And them. Tenshi couldn't remember the last time she just talked with a guy. No sports. No school. Just talk.

"Why?"

Tenshi was shaken from her thoughts by Kai's question. "Hm?" she hummed, unclear.

Kai spoke again. "Why? Why are you telling me this?"

The question struck her. "Well," Tenshi began, choosing her words carefully. "Someone once told me that talking about things can help you move on. I never talked about it; my team gets the gist, but I never told them too much. It hurt. But, it's easy to talk to you. It's almost as if…." Tilting her head to look at him with a knowing grin, tinged with grief, Tenshi faced him fully. "…As if you know what it's like."

With crimson eyes, Kai stared back at her wordlessly. Her soft words had connected them. As the clouds glided away from the moon, silver rained down upon them and Kai saw her for the first time. Locks of ice framed her face, her brown eyes tender. And yet, she still held a bit of her tough gait. Her grin had merged into a smirk and her hair a bit messy from training before he'd reached her.

And they sat there for a moment, basking in the nightlight. Tenshi could feel Kai's scrutiny, piercing her own. His jaw was lax, his expression guarded. The painted triangles on his face defined his lips, which were pursed with thought. After a time, she sighed and stood, breaking the silence with her yawning stretch. Her voice came light-heartedly, as if the past few minutes had never happened.

"If I figure anything else out, I'll tell you. Now that I have a start, I should be able to get some more info." Tenshi double-checked to make sure she had her blade and moved to the edge of the clearing before regarding him again. "And thanks again."

Nothing needed to be said as she left. When her footsteps had long since faded, Kai focused upwards at the waning moon, with a lop-sided smirk on his lips.

M Y

"I'm back," Tenshi announced as normally as she could, entering the main living arrangement of the team suite. No arguing voices called back to her. A note sat propped up on the counter. "Kaze at a captain's meeting; we're out shopping. Will bring back dinner. Sakura," she read aloud. That explained the abnormal quietness. Crumbling up the note, Tenshi trashed it and proceeded to the shower. Twenty minutes later and she was dressed in sweats and a tank top, her hair sobbing wet.

With closed eyes, she fell back onto her bed. Tenshi ran her hand across the nightstand to grab her iPod. Slipping her earphones in, she curled up against the pillows, still wishing she were wrong.

I remember when we used to laugh about nothing at all
It was better than going mad
From trying to solve all the problems we're going through
Forget 'em all

"OHMYGOSH!" Spartan yelled into her ear, grabbing her shoulders from behind and giving them an abrupt shake. Tenshi yelped in shock, whirling around with a closed fist to hit her attacker. Spartan jumped back, laughing hysterically. Tenshi's eyes widened as she sighed a relief.

"Spartan! I'm gonna kill you!" Tenshi informed him in false anger, proceeding to chase him across the schoolyard. He ran, yelling all the way with a broad grin. Tenshi lunged to grab him, only to find he'd dodged her and she'd fallen flat on the grass. Spartan loomed over her, laughing. She found herself laughing good-naturedly. And they just couldn't stop.

Cause on those nights we would stand and never fall
Together we faced it all
Remember when we'd

Stay up late and we'd talk all night
In the dark room lit by the TV light
Through all the hard times in my life
Those nights kept me alive

The front door flew open, revealing a haggard Spartan. He quickly made his way to Tenshi, who sat on her couch in shock, clutching her arms as if they'd disappear if she let go. "Tensh, I'm sorry!" were his first words, slightly muffled as Tenshi wrapped her arms around him desperately. His arms wrapped around her sobbing form. "So I guess it's true… I would ask how you're holding up, but I can guess not so well."

Tenshi nodded her head, wiping her tears on his shoulder. "They're gone," she hiccupped, her voice giving way to her sorrow. "All of them. Gone…"

"I'm right here, Tensh. I'm here for you."

We'd listen to the radio play all night
Didn't want to go home to another fight
Through all the hard times in my life
Those nights kept me alive

"Do you have a place to stay?" he asked Tenshi, bringing her a drink from the kitchen. She sipped the water wearily, her energy gone with the tears.

"Sakura's staying the night with me, and then I'll probably move in with her. Her parents were talking about it to the cops earlier," she replied. Spartan stood up.

"I'll stay with you until Sakura gets here, but then I've got to get home. But until then…" Spartan pulled two DVDs from his bag, grinning weakly. "Wanna watch a movie? A good comedy never hurt anybody."

I remember when we used to drive anywhere but here
As long as we'd forget our lives
We were so young and confused
That we didn't know to laugh or cry

Tenshi came bounding out of the house, her heart lighter than it'd been in weeks. Spartan was there to greet her, seated on a bike with another at his side. "You decided to come after all; took you long enough," he joked as Tenshi mounted her bike. As they headed down the street, Spartan shot her grin. "So, where shall we go, Birthday Girl?"

"Anywhere but here," she responded, smiling back.

"To the beach, it is! Race ya!" Spartan yelled, pedaling past her.

"HEY! Get back here, you loser!"

Those nights were ours
They will live and never die
Together we'd stand forever
Remember when we'd

"Thank-you!" she sang as Spartan handed her an ice-cream cone and seated himself next to her. The cold waves licked their feet at the shoreline. Tenshi knew she was going to have a sand rash the next day. "Yummay!" Tenshi commented as her face indulged in the ice-cream. Spartan chuckled.

"You got something on your face," he told her. Just when she faced him, a splatter of Spartan's ice-cream hit her in the face. Alongside her yelp, she shoved some of her own into his face.

Fireworks lit up the summer night, showering them with reds and blues and greens. "Thanks, Spartan. This has been a great birthday."

He grinned back at her. "Duh. What else are best friends for?"

Stay up late and we'd talk all night
In the dark room lit by the TV light
Through all the hard times in my life
Those nights kept me alive

"Spartan?" Tenshi questioned, movie credits scrolling down the screen. Her eyes moved to the guy sleeping upright on the couch. "Spartan, you've got to wake up." Tenshi nudged his shoulder. He let out an inhumane snore and fell to rest his head on her shoulder. "Spartan!" she persisted, trying to push the deadweight off of her, but her pushed back, grinning through lidded eyes.

"No!" Spartan retorted, refusing to move. So, Tenshi tried a different approach and got off the couch. She giggled in spite of herself when his body fell and he hit his head on the arm of the couch. "Geez! And you call ME mean…"

We'd listen to the radio play all night
Didn't want to go home to another fight

"So, you and Sakura are having a fight?" Spartan asked, offering her a cookie. She refused, nodding.

"I think all of the stress of her parents offering to adopt me and us living without them now has just put both of us at our wit's end."

Leaning against the counter, Spartan took a swig of his soda before setting it on the counter. "Well, you can stay here tonight then. It'll give you two a night apart and we can hang out, watch movies, play cards. Siblings need a break from each other every once and a while."

"But Sakura and I aren't even siblings," Tenshi pointed out, pouring herself a glass of milk. Spartan shrugged.

"Same situation; best friends stuck with each other day in and day out. Sometimes you just need a little break so you can look at things more clearly and with more patience." Spartan eyeballed Tenshi pointedly. She promptly stuck her tongue out at him. "But what d'you say? Sound good?"

"Are you sure, Spartan?"

"Positive."

Tenshi grinned, setting her glass on the counter. "Then yeah, it sounds good."

Through all the hard times in my life
Those nights kept me alive

The rest of the song fell upon deaf ears with Tenshi drowning in her mind. No matter how hard she tried, the question 'why?' kept turning up.

"Why? Why are you telling me this?"

A reminiscent of Kai's voice shattered her trance. Kai. 'Man, I was so stupid, blurting out stuff like that,' Tenshi thought. Her problems were her own, not anybody else's. But at the same time, Kai had answered her. "Careful, Tensh. You're going to get burned again," she mumbled, clutching a pillow tighter. She could the music fade to silence and a door slammed nearby.

"Tensh? We're back!"

Tenshi sat up and slid off the bed, discarding her iPod. Tiptoeing to the doorframe, she watched with slight amusement as Sakura and Hiniku came back with bags and bags of apparel. "Buy enough to clothe a third-world country, did ya?" she commented. Sakura shot her a look of exasperation.

"Speak to Hiniku! Only this one's mine!" she retorted, holding up a small bag. Both girls glanced pointedly at their Korean friend.

"WHAT?! You couldn't expect me not to shop thoroughly when I actually have money!" she attempted to justify her actions.

"Sure, whatever Hiniku."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

Sakura faced her sister, her brows furrowing. "Are you okay, Tensh? You seem a bit out of it," she inquired, taking in her lazy state of appearance and lack of customary smirk. Not to mention, on normal circumstances, she would've annoyed Hiniku more so than just one offhand comment. Even her vibrant eyes seemed duller, weary.

Tenshi's mind raced. No. She wouldn't tell them about the Shinigamiz. Not until she knew exactly what was going on. They couldn't afford to be distracted from the upcoming semi-finals. "I'm fine, why do you ask?" she responded, carefully controlling her feigned surprise of the question.

With hesitance Sakura gave her another once-over before answering. "Just curious," she told her, wary. But before more could be said, the door opened and closed again as Kaze entered.

"Hey guys! Guess what these are!" she told them, flashing four little slips of paper at them. The room was silenced by the hum of thought.

"Um… coupons for a restaurant?" Hiniku ventured to guess, shrugging naively.

Kaze pointed at her with a broad grin. "Wrong! Anybody else?" Tenshi shook her head and Sakura sighed.

"No, so what are they?" Sakura said.

"You guys are no fun. These," Kaze gestured to the slips in her hand, "are unlimited day passes to the beach and boardwalk nearby, exclusive for bladers in the World Championships!"

"Seriously?" Hiniku marveled, reaching greedily for them.

Kaze promptly pulled them from her grasp. "Yep! Mr. Dickinson continues to shower us with glad tidings of a break. All of the teams are going tomorrow since there are no matches and we leave the day after. So, are we going?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Sakura reprimanded her, grinning from ear to ear. When Kaze surveyed them with a smile, her eyes landed on Tenshi and her eyes became soft with concern.

"Hey, are you okay, Tenshi?"

Sighing, vexed, Tenshi snapped, "Yes. All of you, I'm fine. I'm just tired and I'm going to bed early tonight. Goodnight." She shut the suite door and flipped off the lights. Curling up under her covers, the voices in the other room reached her, now much softer.

"What do you think is wrong?"

"I don't know Hiniku. Even if it was because she was tired, that doesn't explain why she ran out of the stadium earlier."

"She did that?"

"Yeah, Saku. I have no idea what happened. We watching the match and all of the sudden she was running out of there like a bat out of Hell. I hope she'll be okay."

"It's Tenshi. She'll tell us when she's ready."

"Well, let's hope that's before she bites our heads off, Sakura."

"Hiniku…."

"Just sayin'."

Inside the dark bedroom, Tenshi clamped a pillow over her ears, dreading any more. "Why?" she asked her self. The answer eluded her. She had to figure it out soon, otherwise she might lose more people close to her, and this wouldn't be Death's fault. Turning over to evade the moonlight seeping through the curtains, Tenshi closed her eyes, seeking solace in her sleep.

H E A R T

Well, there you have it. Not much to say here but thanks for the reviews and the feedback and the support. It's appreciated more than you might know. I'll be back hopefully next month with another chappie. By the way, the song in the chappie is "Those Nights" by Skillet, one of my favorite songs of all time. Sadly, I do not own it, Skillet does. Well, that's all for now. BEWII!

Mishi-chan