I ALWAYS THOUGHT I'D SEE YOU AGAIN

Mariah wandered the compound, looking for Ray. She had a horrible feeling that something had gone wrong for him. And she knew it had something to do with Driger. Call it intuition, but being from the same village... it just seemed like a hindrance in the back of her mind at first but soon grew into nauseating worry for her best friend and secret loved one. Ever since he had taught her how to beyblade she'd loved him. He was the only one willing to do so. Lee had said he was too busy with more important stuff than 'his dorky little sister', Kevin said that girls couldn't beyblade (which had infuriated her further and gave her an even better reason to learn rather than just wanting to play with the boys) and she couldn't find Gary, so he was her only option. And as they spent more time together over those few weeks while he was tutoring her, she realized how nice and caring and cute he really was. However it had never appeared that he had ever felt the same way about her, so she kept it to herself.

When he'd left she hadn't minded all that much at first- he had constantly disappeared from town for a few days and then come back when he felt like it- she had never actually found out what he had been doing, but now she knew- he was visiting the BBA, trying to get a position on a team... why? Why did he want to do that? She knew Lee was getting a little too jealous and controlling after Ray had gotten Driger instead of him, but was that the real reason? She sat down on one of the benches in the compound, and withdrew Galux from her pocket.

"You know it too, don't you Galux?" asked Mariah. The bit chip of the blade glowed a soft pink colour, assuring its master that it also knew that Driger had absconded. Mariah sighed and nodded.

"Thank you. You are truly a good friend, Galux."

'Ray was once your 'good friend' also, Mistress,' commented Galux. Its voice sounded soft- almost sad.

"Don't remind me, Galux. Those days are long gone..." Mariah sighed, wondering what was bothering her bit beast.

Suddenly, she saw a bright green coming from above her head, and looked up to see...

"Driger?"

The great white tiger looked at her, and dropped from its flight. It padded over to her, staring into her eyes. Mariah felt herself stiffen in fright, wouldn't you be frightened if a giant white tiger was staring you in the face? Then suddenly Driger's face looked calmer and friendlier (if that was at all possible for a bit beast). Mariah smiled and bowed to the bit beast, who made a sort of purring sound in response. (AN: Tigers can't roar, m'kay? Not many people know that- they can meow and purr and snarl and the like but they can't roar, only lions can) Suddenly Mariah felt her own beyblade move in her hand. She looked at it, surprised, and the bit chip glowed pink and the mountain cat emerged from the blade. Mariah stared at the two bits beasts that were now sitting side by side, nuzzling each other in a loving way. Mariah smiled, how cute! Her and Ray's bit beasts were in love! Suddenly she felt sick... what about her and Ray? She sat down again, and the two big cats eyed her curiously. She smiled to reassure them and sighed. Galux stood up and walked over to its mistress and looked at her in question. Mariah smiled and touched her bit beast, and was surprised by the feel- warm and smooth, and it made her fingers tingle.

Suddenly, Driger flinched and stood up. Galux walked back over to it, and Driger gave it one last nuzzle before jumping back into the sky and dashing off. Galux looked after it with sad eyes, before turning back around to its mistress and returning to her beyblade.

"Galux, what happened?"

'Driger's old master is coming... he is searching for him...' Galux answered, before falling silent. Mariah's eyes widened- Ray was coming here? She spun around in the seat- she was now facing the garden behind her, and sure enough, she heard a sound coming from the brush.

Meanwhile, Ray had been chasing his bit beast, having sighted it near the White Tigers quarters... Mariah would have been there probably... sigh, he couldn't face her now... he didn't really know what it had been looking for, but as soon as it had seen him it had taken off again. Ray and given chase, only to get lost in the thick foliage near the quarters. He had been looking for his bit beast ever since. However, now he had no idea where he was. He sighed and continued to search. Suddenly, he tripped over, and went flying through the brush, finally landing out of it and on top of someone.

"Ouch! Damnit..." Ray muttered before realizing whom he was on top of. "Mariah?" he squeaked, gulping and blushing like an idiot. However, he shouldn't have felt so stupid because she was blushing just as hard.

"Umm... err... umm..." Ray said, still blushing. Mariah laughed.

"So... what are you doing here, Ray?" she said, her eyes dancing in the silvery moonlight. Finally gathering enough courage to look Mariah in the face, he sighed.

"I was looking for Driger, he left my blade because I lost to Kevin..."

"I knew that. Driger was here a moment ago with Galux," Mariah stated, remembering how right they had looked together.

"Galux? Why?"

"Umm... no reason," whispered Mariah before mentally slapping herself. 'Damn it, that would have been the perfect opportunity to tell him how I feel! God I'm an idiot!'

The two stayed silent for a while before Ray felt Mariah shift underneath him and groan a bit.

"Ray, do you think you could possibly get off me?"

"Yeah, sure," Ray said, unsure of himself, before sitting up so she could liberate herself from underneath him. As she sat up, she shook her head and started combing her thin fingers through her hair. Ray noticed a leaf stuck in her hair, and it immediately started irritating him- the color of the leaf and the color of her hair did not look good together. He decided to ignore it for the moment, however, because he knew she was lying about not knowing what the bit beasts had been doing together. Mariah had always been a terrible liar-especially when she was trying to lie to him.

"I know what you said to me before was a lie, Mariah." His voice was flat and emotionless and nerves made Mariah's stomach jump.

"How?"

"Because you've always been a terrible liar," chuckled Ray, before standing and clasping her small hand in his to help her up. She looked up at him unsurely before letting him help her. They both sat on the bench Mariah had been sitting on a few minutes prior to Ray tripping and knocking her off it.

"So what were they really doing, Mariah?" he asked gently, and reached up to pull the leaf out of her hair, but after he had done so, his hand stayed on her hair, stroking it softly. She didn't look especially comfortable but Ray didn't care.

"They were... nuzzling each other and just being happy to be together..." Mariah started, and sighed before continuing, "I think they're in love..."

Ray froze and turned a bright red. Mariah giggled nervously, and then started talking again.

"After Driger realized you were coming this way, he took off- running away from his problems... like you did. And Galux looked sad... like I felt."

'God... she knows how to make a guy feel guilty...' thought Ray, before realizing that Mariah was still talking, but now tears were welling up in her beautiful eyes also.

"I loved you Ray, and I still do. Didn't you know that?" she asked, looking up at him, her eyes shimmering.

"I knew that..."

"Well why didn't you show it? You just acted like nothing was wrong! And when you left, I thought it was my fault! Do you know how awful I felt after you left?" and with those last words she broke down into tears, sobbing into the tops of her knees. When Mariah lifted her head for breath, she felt a soft hand touch her shoulder. She looked up, and found herself staring into Ray's eyes. He immediately ducked his head and brushed his lips against hers. Mariah's first reaction was shock- she wasn't exactly expecting this- but eventually she gave into him and loosely wrapped her arms around his neck. In response Ray lifted his left hand and placed it on her cheek, while holding her close with his right. When they broke away, they were both short of breath, but Ray rested his forehead against hers, his sweet mint smell overcoming her senses.

"Now do you know, Mariah?" he smiled, kissing her gently on the lips again. Mariah nodded and hugged him close.

"I'm sorry for hurting you Mariah. I should have told you why I left... I was such an idiot. Please forgive me?" he asked, giving the puppy-dog eyes he knew she couldn't refuse.

"Mmm-hmm." Mariah mumbled before looking at her watch. It was late- so late it was early.

"I'd better go Ray, but we'll see you in the tournament finals, I know we will."

"I'm counting on it," he smiled, before kissing her once more, and with that she gave him one last squeeze and ran off. As she ran off, Mariah smiled and thought, 'I knew I'd see him again...'