Disclaimer: Er… If I owned Beyblade, Kai, Tala and Brooklyn would be ruling the world (crazy guys) Oh, and Raven would have a part in the show because she kicks ASS!
Reviewers:
Lyrikkal: Uh, yeah. I decided to be random. I do that a lot. One day, I just decided to go on a hunger strike, for no reason. And just last month I tried to see how long I could go without talking. I'm weird like that. ((sweatdrop)) Yeah, it was short and I didn't really like it. Yep, Raven's a 'Kinomiya' or as the dubbed version (which I am familiar with) puts it, a 'Granger'. I feel so sorry for her…
Dark wolf: I wanted to be random, and as I said to Lyrikkal, I do that a lot. I'm VERY strange. Heck, I made a Kai-Mariah so I MUST be strange. A comedian? No… I hate crowds and when I'm up on stage, I'd just say corny stuff. I may be slightly funny, but I just have a very freaky brain. Lol.
Bluestray: Yep, scary, huh? What about Mariah? ((shrugs)) Why would I know? Wait a second… I'm the author, right? Dang, I really need to plan ahead…
Tigerrelly: You work? My inner self is telling me to go 'HA! SHAME!' but I'm sort of looking for work since I'm always broke… Yeah, Muttley rocks. My sister watches Boomerang A LOT, but now she watches Nickelodeon and not even the good programs (E.g. Zoey 101… ((shudder)) Nasty…). Twirling around? Perhaps. Raven's pretty unpredictable. I'm a tease? COOL! Hmmm… I may have decided what I'm going to do with Tala.
Humaninspirations: Lollipop? Where? What flavour? I am Flowerperson OR Psycho Killer With Issues. Sims 2? Yay! Oh, and for the answer to the comment you left at my website, YES! RAVEN IS HIRO AND TYSON'S SISTER! ACK!
GothicSabrina: Yay for hilariousity! Is that even a word? Aw, Muttley's cute. Yeah, I liked the song too! XD. And I LOVED your song! One of your faves? YAY! This chapter isn't really funny, more angsty (again, that's not a word. ;-;). Don't ask me what Tyson was doing there, because I think my hyper side put that in. Plushies! Muffins! Ack! Not the blueberry, dear God, not the blueberry!
Skydragonofserrus: Like I said to Lyrikkal and Dark Wolf, I'm very random. I'm kind of freaky when I'm hyper and when I wrote that, I was hyper on chocolate cookies. Thank you for your review.
Catseyes77: Lol, yeah. I have updated! Thanks for your review!
M: It's the same with me. I've had to move some of my stories to my family's computer because it has two viruses on there. CURSE YOU BLOODHOUND, CURSE YOU! Here's the next chapter! Huzzah!
Yeah. Well. Erm… what's next again? Oh right, yes. The story. Duh.
This is a FLASHBACK. When it is not a FLASHBACK, there will be an Authoress Note before. E.g. (AN: Flashback ends)
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Chapter Twenty-Five: Thoughts of a Runaway RavenRaven looked out of the window, the trees and bushes passing her by as well as the occasional house. Many people were staring at her – after all, she was only wearing a hospital gown with a white lab coat. Her feet were still bare, and her arm had been bleeding from when she tore the IV out.
She had had bandages around her forehead but had untied them, she knew they kind of made her stick out like a sore thumb, even with the blue hair, scars, hospital gown, bare feet and lab coat already did that.
Sighing, Raven closed her eyes, only to see lavender eyes. She opened her eyes and shook her head. Why did she keep thinking about him? Why?
The blue haired teen had already made her decision. She knew she was incapable for love. She knew Tala was emotionless. She knew they would not work out. She knew that she was destined to be alone.
But it did not stop this ache in her chest, that made her want to get off this train and get another train back to him. To try and love. To fight her fate. To not be alone.
A tear trickled down her cheek and Raven quickly wiped it away. She had to be strong now. If she was going to be alone, she had to be strong. It was just her. All alone.
Me, Myself and I. Forget about Tala. He's in the past now. And I don't give a damn about the past, remember?
Raven saw a man with glasses glance at her. He caught sight of her legs that were barely covered by the hospital gown and lab coat and blushed a deep shade of red. His gaze lingered before he caught her cold glare and turned immediately, coughing in embarrassment.
Scowling, she sent him one last evil look before looking back out the window.
Tree… tree… bush… bush… bush… pole… tree… pole… tree… cow… bush… tree… bush… Tala…
TALA? She blinked a few times and realised that it was just her imagination.
I'm doing a great job forgetting about him, all right.
She sighed, running a hand through her hair but wincing as she reached the back of her head. It still hurt like hell, but she was used to pain. At least, that sort of pain. She knew physical pain. But this emotional pain confused her. And it seemed more painful. More deep. And she knew it would take longer to heal, if it ever did.
Someone sat next to her. But she didn't pay much attention.
"You hurt me. I hurt you."
"We hate each other, right?"
"I don't care if you get hurt."
"I don't care if you die."
She shook her head. Stop thinking about it. Stop thinking about it. Stop…
"You refuse to accept that maybe you need help."
"You would have died."
"I would have cared."
"Isn't that how the chain goes?"
"There's… something I need to tell you."
Why couldn't she get the Russian out of her head? It was all his fault. He made her this way. He screwed up her head. However, she was the one that initiated the kiss in the first place… It didn't matter. He messed her up. It was so much easier to place the blame on him. So much easier.
"You think that running away is going to accomplish anything?"
Raven turned to the side and noticed that someone had sat next to her. He had wild, blue hair tied back into a ponytail and chocolate eyes that were similar to hers. He was wearing a yellow shirt and jeans.
"You talking to me?" she asked in her usual cold voice. That sounded good. Maybe she was strong. Maybe she would forget about Tala. Eventually.
"What do you think, Raven?"
He was not looking at her directly, but at her reflection in the window. How did he know her name? How did he somehow remind her of her? How did he know that she was running away?
"First of all, the hospital gown and lab coat is quite obvious. Second of all, I know much more than your name."
Raven opened her mouth to speak, but words faltered her. Could he be a spy of Boris'? Could he be part of the police or something sent to fetch her? Could he be part of another organisation that wanted to take over Boris'?
"Relax. I'm not here to drag you off anywhere. I'm just here to talk."
"How… how do you know so much?"
"I've known about you for a while, but never been able to get close because you were working for Boris. My name is Hiro Granger."
"Tyson Granger's brother?"
Hiro nodded. He took out a pair of brown sunglasses and put them on. Raven could tell that he was now looking at her directly.
"How do you know me?"
"I'm gonna say this once. Just to get it over and done with. You understand?"
Her head bobbed up and down to its own accord. Her brain was wondering what Tyson's brother had to do with her so was unable to process any thoughts and her body was dying of curiosity. She had to know.
He said one sentence, and it made her brain feel light-headed. It made her eyes widen and her mouth open in shock. No… it couldn't be true. It wasn't. It was all a lie.
She couldn't be related to TYSON! No way! Hiro was lying!
But the resemblance was uncanny. The blue hair. The chocolate brown eyes. Raven didn't know how she didn't see it before.
"You're lying." She blurted out. It seemed to be the only thing she could say.
"Believe what you must. But you are Raven Granger. I know you've gone through a lot, with Boris and Tala. I know you were in hospital. It was pretty obvious. However, you're stronger than this. Running is not going to change your past."
"And what do you know of my past, huh? You can't even begin to imagine what I went through. You think having these scars ripped into my flesh by wolves was fun? Do you think just having an empty gap for all your memories is entertaining? Well, it's not. So don't pretend that you know me? Blood means nothing to me. Family means nothing to me. None of this," she gestured around her, "Means anything to me. I have nothing. And I don't really give a damn whether or not it stays this way. Go back to where you came from, brother. You are not wanted here."
With that, she crossed her arms and stared out of the window. She ignored his reflection. She ignored the feeling she had as if he was staring at her, which he probably was.
"How do you think Tala feels?"
She flinched, but did not turn to him. "I don't give a damn. Stay out of my business, Hiro."
"You refuse to accept that maybe you need help."
A lone tear made its trail down her cheek, but she did not wipe it away. She closed her eyes and Tala's face once again haunted her. It was the same thing he had said. Maybe she did need help. Maybe they were right.
Maybe she wasn't strong.
"You don't have to go back now, but… at one point, you'll have to face them."
"Hiro…" she sobbed as she hugged him close. Raven had never hugged someone before. Never. Hiro naturally felt like her big brother. And she believed that he was going to be there. She somehow knew that he was going to protect her.
That was what family did.
xxx
(AN: End of flashback .)
"Huh? So, I'm your brother?" Tyson asked, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. He just… couldn't comprehend this.
"Don't remind me. I think I'm going to need therapy."
Hilary agreed with the girl entirely. Sure, she was going out with Tyson. She loved Tyson. But… she wouldn't want to be related to him. Well, at least Tyson had nice hair. Not as nice as hers of course but good enough.
Hiro noticed Raven glance around the room, as if checking for someone. Hiro knew whom. He had been on her mind ever since Hiro met her on the train. He knew about their relationship. Observation was useful. It wasn't 'spying'. Ok, maybe it was but at least he knew what was going on.
"Where's Tala?" he asked. She obviously was not going to ask, so he would for her.
They looked at each other warily. "Tala left shortly after you ran away. He told me that you had left and then I didn't see him again," Kai said, "What was going on with you two anyway?"
"I fail to see how that's any of your business." Raven spat, clearly touchy on this subject. But Kai would not let it drop.
"What do you mean? Was he planning to take you back to Boris?"
"Boris is in prison, dumb-ass."
"Was he trying to kill you?"
"You really think he would sit by my bedside if he was trying to kill me?"
"Are you trying to say that he loved you? Is that why you ran away? Because he loved you? Did you want to cause him pain by rejecting him? Or maybe you love him too."
There was silence. Nothing was said by Raven, or any of the others so Kai continued. He wasn't sure why he was doing this. It was just that ever since Mariah left he had been edgy. He wanted an argument, something to relieve him of all this stress.
Because, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it was beginning to get to the young Hiwatari. The cold, calm Russian was beginning to break down. All he had now was his anger. His fury at the world because the one thing he cared for, might never come back. And if she did, she might go off with another man.
His best friend, who had been officially dating her.
"So is it true? Are you a coward or a heartless bitch? Which is it, Raven?" He said her last name just to make sure he wasn't speaking to himself.
Would Mariah come back? Would she ever return? What if she chose Ray? What if on the plane to Japan, it crashed and she died? What if…
Raven punched him. He staggered back a few steps as his nose began to bleed again. He could see tears on Raven's cheeks, travelling down and dripping off her chin. She was staring at the floor.
"Do you feel better now?" he asked. He certainly did. That jolt put him back in reality. Yes, Mariah would return. Eventually. And he was just being paranoid about the aeroplane crash.
She looked up to face him. "I've always been a heartless bitch, Kai. You should know that. People can't change. I can't change and you can't change. Once a bitch, always a bitch. I was wrong in coming here."
Kai almost wanted to apologise.
Almost.
Raven turned to leave and opened the front door to Tyson's house to see a certain red head Russian there.
"Raven?"
xxx
Yay! Tala and Raven are back! But will they confess their love to each other? Ok, well Tala already has but… will Raven confess her feelings? Will Ray and Kai sort their argument out? Will Raven and Kai sort their argument out? And will I ever leave a chapter not on a cliffhanger?
Er…
Next Chapter: Love or Hate?
Quote:
April: I'm filthy, stinking rich.
Me: Well, two out of three isn't bad.
April: XO
Me:)
BYE!