Ello y'all! I'm FINALLY back!!!

Vern: yes, we're all very proud of you...

Dusk: where's Pixie and Jock?

Ami: oh, they went to my joint Fic I'm writing with foreva-urz called Stealing My Heart. I encourage you to read it!

Dusk: or else...

Ami: DUSK!! They don't have to read it if they want!!

Vern: HEY! She can't help it! You're evil enough as it is! And she's supposed to be your darker side!! That IS why she's your Yami!!

Ami: I know, but she's supposed to kill Jock and help me with the darker parts of my story! Not scare the reader away!! *voices fade into the back round and everything else concentrates on Dusk*

Dusk: *sweat drops* um... they'll be awhile... I hope you enjoy the Fic!!
Surprise... and What the HELL was that Phoenix Thinking!!
Tyson aimlessly walked around the airport, not quite sure of a destination... heck, he didn't even know if he was in China, let alone at White Tiger Valley...

"Great," he sighed, slumping into a chair. "I have no clue where I am, I have the urge to kill Kai, who conveniently, isn't here, and worse of all, I don't know anyone..."

"You know me," someone said (Dusk: dun dun dun... *Vern and Ami still fighting in the back round, Ami attempting to write at the same time* um... me thinks I'll take over for a bit...). Tyson looked up, only to see Miranda. "And the only clue I have to where I am is that I'm in White Tiger Valley Airport; but I don't really know who Kai is."

"Don't worry 'bout it," Tyson smiled, pulling the small girl into his lap; surprisingly, she didn't object to his company, and settled peacefully down. Tyson then noticed his bag right where she used to be. "Did you bring that?"

"Yep," she said cheerily. "I noticed it in the seat next to yours, and when I checked the strap thingy majiggy, it had your name on it."

"Smart Little Princess," he said, surprised that she actually found all that out in such a short time; he lifted her up and put her into the chair next to him. "Would you mind if I drew a picture of you?"

"A picture?" she repeated, looking excited. "Yay!" she started dancing in her seat.

"Whoa, calm down, okay?"

"Okay," she settled down a bit, and Tyson pulled out his pencils, a new piece of paper, and a random book that Kai must have thrown in to write on. "What will it look like?"

"Like something magical," Tyson whispered, already drawing her cherub features. "Hey, what's your favourite animal?"

"A dove," she whispered back. "Why?"

"Just wanted to know."

The picture started out simple; she was sitting oh a tree stump, in the middle of the forest, with a baby dove cupped in her hands, looking up to the heavens. Then he started to colour. Her auburn hair danced in the wind around her, and her cinnamon eyes were closed. She wore a shimmering white dress, hemmed in a soft blue, matching the little blue flowers he drew in her hair. Behind her, the elements clashed and battled, but nothing but the sun and beautiful flowers fell upon her shoulders.

He did it quick, he knew, but it was still beautiful. The drawing only took about 2 minutes, and the colouring took about 18.

"Done," he announced, carefully putting his name in the corner; he gave it to her. "Here you go."

"No," she said simply, giving it back to him. "You keep it, to remember me by."

"T-thank you," the Little Dragon murmured, baffled. "I'll just put it in my bag." And the most unbelievable thing happened; when he reached out to take him bad, it tipped over, just a bit, and the contents of it fell out. "Oh great."

"Let me help!" Miranda chirped, jumping out of the chair, and picking up everything before Tyson could even think. She then pulled the bag and everything else onto the chair with her, and started to carefully place them all in, pausing now and then to look at some of the pictures; Tyson just closed his eyes, letting the little Princess do what ever she wanted. "OH, OH! I love this one!!"

The Little Dragon opened his eyes, knowing that he should explain it, and why he drew it; then he saw what it was...

"Oh um..." he was startled to see that picture; he just stared at it, saying everything automatically. "That picture is of my love Mariah, and her guardian. The mountain lion and the dragon represent our BitBeasts, Galux and Dragoon..."

"Your love?" Miranda repeated innocently, cocking her head to one side cutely.

"Yes..." he said, before realized what he had said. "I mean no. She's not my love! She's just a really good friend," he grabbed his bag, forgetting about the picture, "Now I have to go. I have a friend who lives here and who can help me out. Bye Little Princess!"

And he ran, practically kicking himself because he left a new friend sitting there, with a picture that he drew, telling her that the girl in it was his love.

"God," he murmured to himself, following the direction of a sign to White Tiger Valley. "What have I gotten myself into... and am I blind or what for not seeing that sign?"

He slowed down a bit, and looked at his surroundings. He was on a dirt trail, surrounded on either side with trees, random birds flying throughout the branches. Sighing, he walked into the tree line a bit, out of sight of other people.

"How am I going to find Ray?" he mumbled, cursing his stupid habit of sighing once again. "And how am I going to get payback on Kai..?" then he heard something, or rather someone, that he didn't expect to heard.

"LEE!! Slow down already!!"

"Come on Mariah!! I was supposed to be there to see the plane land! It landed about 20 minutes ago!!"

"WELL FINE!! I'M GOING BACK TO THE VALLEY!!"

"I'm slowing down!! I'm slowing down!!"

"Why thank you."

The Little Dragon stopped short, and peeked through the trees; sure enough, there was Mariah, slightly bent over, trying to catch her breath, and Lee, panting heavily, but refusing to let it wreck his composure.

"Come on Mariah," Lee said a little shakily. "We have to get going; now."

"Just give me a minute Lee," Mariah answered, peering up at him through her bangs. "We have a lot of time now; we're only a few minutes until we get there at walking speed. Let me catch my breath, and I'll catch up with you, okay?"

"Fine," Lee said in a monotone voice. "Just don't go 'daydreaming' about 'your little dragon', alright?"

"I can go daydreaming about anything or anyone I want to, Lee," she hissed at him, and Tyson was having a little trouble at keeping a straight face at Lee's expression. "Now, go pick up your cousin."

"What ever," he replied back to her, turning to head off. "Just remember, we are your friends, and you can trust us. I really don't understand why you don't."

"Just remember Lee," she whispered dangerously, in a tone that the Little Dragon noticed was much like the one he had first used on her. "You kicked me off the team, and that even if you guys are my friends, you still have to earn my trust, again. And *I* still don't understand why you don't understand that I'll never like you, or Ray for that matter."

"Hmphf," was all she got as an answer, as he started off, right to where the Little Dragon had come from. Now it was only Mariah; and Tyson nervously watching her...