"…" Speech
'…' Thought
*…* Implied words

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade

'I never thought I could be wrong, never thought there was another way. Baby, it's been too long, so
please promise me that you'll stay.'

********

Chapter 7: Everyone thinks it over

(Ray's POV)

I can't really concentrate as I watch my beyblade spin in the dish. I'm still thinking about what just
happened a few hours ago. I can't believe she actually said that, why didn't I see it before? I guess it's
my fault, I was the one who wanted to know what was wrong. I hope she won't act awkwardly around
me but I wouldn't blame her if she did. Everyone else has gone, I tried to avoid Mariah, I hope I didn't
hurt her feelings, I just need some time alone to think.

(General POV)

Minako made her way through one of the lesser-known parks; the sunlight shone down through the tree
of the deserted area and the slight wind rustled the leaves. Everything was silent with the exception of
the faint rustling of leaves in the wind and the quiet bird song.

Minako's ears pricked at the sound of something louder than bird song, at the sound of people. She
hadn't expected anyone to be here, she presumed that everyone would be visiting the more famous
parks and botanic gardens.

"At least there's someone here to talk to," she muttered, she disliked being alone even if she had
nothing to say she still liked to have company. She smiled as she rounded the corner to see the familiar
faces of Kai, Tyson and Max.

"Hey, guys," she called cheerfully. "Why are you training here and not at the hotel?"

"Hotel's too packed," Max said.

"Mind if I join you?" Minako asked.

"Actually, we're done, Mr. Sour pants here is finally letting us go for a lunch break," Tyson indicated
Kai who just glared at Tyson. "You can come with us if you want," Tyson offered.

"Are you going too, Kai?" Minako asked. Kai, who saw leaning under a tree with his arms crossed
against his chest, shook his head. "Then I'll train with you!" she grinned. "I've gotten much better since
last time!"

"Who said I was training?" Kai rose from out of his usual position and began to walk in the opposite
direction from which Minako had came.

"Don't mind him, he's always like that," Max apologised but Minako wasn't listening. She ran after the
stoic boy.

"Kai! Hey, where are you going?" She ran up to him and tried to keep up as Kai's pace quickened.
"One quick battle won't hurt, are you scared?" She teased. Kai kept silent, his annoyance was clearly
etched on his face. "Come on, it's such a beautiful day, why don't you lighten up a bit?"

Kai continued walking, acting as if she wasn't there, she was probably the most annoying person he had
come across with the exception of Tyson.

"Huh, meanie," she pouted. "Well, I know how to cure that!" She made a grab for his arm but at that
precise second Kai grabbed her incoming hand and threw it away as if it would burn if it touched him.

"Go away, Minako!" He glared angrily at the rather scared girl. "Immature little brat!" He muttered but
Minako caught it and it stung. She lowered her head and let him walk past.

"Hey, you okay?" Tyson asked. "Yeesh, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed!"

"Nah, I'm okay, thanks Tyson," Minako sighed and walked away.

~ Hotel ~

Ami made her way to the Bladebreaker's hotel room, she didn't know why she was doing this she just
knew that she had to find out how Ray felt about her. He had been too shocked to react before but now
she had to know.

'You're crazy,' her mind told her. 'It's only been a few hours, he needs more time. He loves Mariah
anyway, why would he want to be with you when he's got someone like her? She's tough, pretty and
upbeat, what are you? You're a scrawny little girl who doesn't like fighting and is too scared of what
others think of you to do anything, you'll just get your heart ripped apart.'

Ami shook her head in an attempt to free herself of those negative thoughts, yes, she would probably
get her heart torn but anything had to be better than the slow, agonising dread she was currently
feeling. She had to get it over with. She took a deep breath as she approached that fateful door and
knocked three times.

"No turning back now, Ami," her mind told her.

The door opened but where she expected Ray to be there was a smaller boy about her age with brown
hair and thick glasses there instead.

"Err…Hello?" Ami smiled sheepishly. "Is Ray here?"

The boy shook his head. "I haven't seen Ray since this morning, I think he went down to train."

"Oh…" Ami wasn't sure if she was relieved or disappointed. "Well, if you see him can you please tell
him Ami was looking for him?"

'That'll probably drive him away," her brain said nastily.

"Ami Kagami? You're one of the Terrabladers right?"

"And you are…"

"Kenny, well the others call me chief," Kenny smiled and offered her a hand. "You were one of the
three girls that came here today, right?" Ami nodded and shook the hand uneasily.

"Hey, chief, I found the info you were looking for," another female voce rang out from inside.

"Oh, I didn't know you had company, sorry," Ami apologised.

"It's just my laptop, Dizzi," Kenny shook his head.

"A talking laptop?" Ami gasped.

"Hey, I happen to be a bitbeast, I just got trapped in here that's all." Dizzi said hotly. "Kenny would be
nothing without me!"

"Okay, I get the idea, you don't have to rub it in, Dizzi!" Kenny laughed.

"Err…" Ami began, she should just leave but her curiosity wouldn't let her move until she had found
out more about the mysterious laptop. "…So what were you looking for?"

"Info on other teams, I doesn't hurt to know about your opponents before a battle," Kenny replied.

"Hey, that's what I do!" Ami smiled a little, it was still hard to smile. "But I can never find much, do
you think you could do a scan on the Singapore Sensei?"

(Minako's POV)

I can't remember the last time I felt so down, I wish I had gone with Tyson and Max instead of trying to
get Kai to lighten up.

"Stupid!" I mutter trough mouthfuls of my hotdog, why do I always eat when I'm depressed? If it
wasn't for all that training I do I would have been fat ages ago.

I blink back tears as I watch the ducks swim across their filthy little pond and approach me with their
annoying quacks. Why does it hurt so much? Was it because Kai was telling the truth?

"What do you want? It's *my* food!" I tell the ducks, if only they could understand me but they keep
on quacking and making so much noise that I finally snap. "FINE! Have it!" I chuck the rest of my
hotdog at them and they disperse as it hits the water with a splash. I stand there panting at my own
rage, poor ducks; I shouldn't have done that.

"Sorry," I apologise. "I'm just in a bad mood." I don't know why I'm feeling so down. I've gotten loads
of crushes on other guys before and it never hurt so much. I never once felt like crying when they had
rejected me, gone out with other girls or called me names and believe me, I have been called worse
than 'immature brat' before and it had never once hurt so much.

'I bet you that by tomorrow you won't like him anymore…'

'Fuck off, Minako, you should take love more seriously!'

'Forget it, he's too good for a you…'

'You're such a bitch, you can't even fight!'

Yeah, they had all said that to me, all those guys from school. To tell the truth I did get crushes a lot
but it wasn't as bad as everyone thought, I didn't fall in love with every cute guy that crossed my path
and I wasn't as persistent as everyone thought I just liked the giddy feeling that comes with crushes. I
was lonely, that's all, and I just wanted to know what it felt like to have a relationship. I didn't need to
grow up, I was always very mature I just didn't like to show it 'cos that would mean I could no longer
fall into those little crushes I liked so much. I was never really serious, that's why it never hurt to hear
those things but now…

"But now it hurts…" my eyes widen as I realise why it hurts and it scares me. I love him. Love, I wince
inwardly, a crush is one thing but love is completely different. I can't love anyone! Love is completely
alien to me. I can't love. "It's not true!"

(Kai's POV)

I make my way through London pushing past anyone who gets in my way, my head bowed and my
hands in my pockets. I need answers, and the only one who seems to be able to give me them is Tori. I
know where Tori is, there's only one hospital around the area he could have gone to. Sam and
Tori…they're from my childhood. Wait a minute, what childhood? I never had a childhood. I'm sure
Tori will have the answers, but what if he's lying? I shake my head to get rid of all these contradicting
thoughts, something tells me that he would never lie to me but my training keeps telling me to never
trust anyone. I take a short cut through an alleyway, away from the noise and the disgusting smell of
traffic fumes but I can still sense the presence of others. Someone's here.

"Kai Hiwatari?"

"Yes?" I ask the shadows, I don't have to see him to know it's another one of my grandfather's
employees.

"I have been ordered by Mr. Hiwatari to bring you to him," the man emerges from the darkness in a
black suit and tie. Only one man? And he's not even an elite; I can take him out no problem. "I haven't
come here to fight," he tells me. I'm a bit shocked but I don't show it, what the hell is he thinking? That
I'll just go with him to see my insane bastard of a grandfather?

"Then get outta my way," I growl at him, I'm prepared to attack even if he won't.

"That won't be necessary," the man snaps. Who does he think he's talking to? "Mr. Hiwatari said you
would come co-operatively if I showed you this."

'Yeah, sure I'll go running back into his open arms,' I think sarcastically as the man hands me a folder. I
open it curiously, inside are papers on different experiments, statistics on bladers and beyblades, it's a
load of crap, I'm about to rip up the folder when something catches my eye. A photo of something I
thought I had forgotten.

"Fuck, that insane bastard really went ahead and did it," I murmur. I look up at the man who is
smirking, he knows he's won. Bastard, he'll get his soon but for now I nod and indicate to him to lead
the way. Visiting Tori can wait, this is much more important.

*********************
Mizu_Tenshi: Ahhhh! I don't know what I'm doing anymore! *Runs around in circles frantically*
Anyway, I hope no one minds some fantasy, it's necessary for the plot to start. M/R is winning by just
one vote! AHHHH! Thank you for all the reviews and…um…death threats I got. ^_^; Here are my
replies.

Fire Fenix - AHHH! *Hides behind couch* No pencils please!

anime4u2 - Thanks for reviewing. No R/M in this chapter but I think I'll have some up soon. Who am I
gonna pair Ami up with if I don't pair her up with Ray?

Kim - Aww! That's sweet the 'they're meant to be together' It might end up R/M since most people have
voted that way

Galux Kitty - Eep. I've already been threatened by demon pencils. How can you torture someone with
toothpicks and hairclips…actually, don't answer that. *Shudders*

heather - Please don't stop reading this fic but I have a bounty on my head if I make this R/A. STAY
AWAY EVIL PENCIL OF DOOM! Well, if enough people vote R/A then I'll make it R/A and just
deal with the toothpicks.

typical ME - Yeah, it would be a refreshing change but a lot of people seem to want it to be R/M.
Thanks for reviewing.

starwolf - Thanks, I'm glad you won't stop reading. I hope others won't stop R&R-ing either. I've
already written up chapter 9! And I've finished my B meets S fic. Yay!

matchmaker - Yes after many votes, death threats and beating from my friends it looks like this'll be an
R/M fic. Now I can't stop singing the Oompa lumpa song!

hikari-tenshi - Thank you, I'll continue as soon as I finish this dam case study. *Note: You can stop
reading, I'm just gonna continue rambling on about case studies* ARGH! Stupid baka of a case study!
Shi-ne!