Rim: Well, the long road has finally come to an end. The final chapter of Scars, and there's a few things that will be covered to tie in this story. So sit back and enjoy the last pieces of the puzzle being fit in place for a great ending. And thanks to all the reviewers that supported this story.

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"Kenny?" Tala walked up to the brunette who stood outside looking up at the sky, his soft blue eyes studying something upwards. Eventually, Kenny lowered his head, his gaze falling on Tala. "What are you doing out here?"

Puffs of air rose through the air with each breath they both took. Kenny wore a thick coat to cover his body the last thing that he wanted was to worry the others by catching pneumonia after just coming out the hospital. A light wind swirled up, teasing wisps of his hair before he pushed them behind his ear. Seeing the curious look in Tala's eyes, he smiled lightly, raising a hand to point to the sky. "The stars."

"The stars? What about the stars?" Tala inquired, closing the distance between them. Pulling Kenny's body close to his, he wrapped his arms around the slender waist and looked up at the sky where the twinkling stars were.

"I kept wonder, which stars are her tears for me?" Kenny said. "Long ago, I remember asking my mother why stars exist, she told me they were the tears of mothers who watched over their children once they were gone. I think she knew she wasn't going to see me grow up."

"I understand, so now you're trying to figure out which stars would represent the tears she's shed for you over all these years?" Tala asked.

"Yeah," Kenny nodded. Looking up at Tala, he found the red head looking up at the sky, his eyes shifting from one star to another before finally resting on a spot. "Tala?"

"I think I know which stars are hers," he said. Raising his hand, he pointed to a grouping of the brightest stars in the sky that night. "The brightest ones above us, those are hers."

"How can you be sure?" Kenny asked looking up at the group Tala was talking about.

"Because, those stars feel like they were placed there to watch over you," Tala smiled. Kenny let out a short laugh, hearing what Tala was saying. Tala lowered his eyes from the stars to look down at the teen laughing in his arms. "And what is it you find so funny?"

"I'm still wondering who do I like better, that Tala I knew nothing about whose sappiness I questioned, or the one that I know now whose sappiness I still question," Kenny chuckled. Looking up at Tala, he found a light pout crossing that beautiful face that he loved and admired.

"I am not sappy," Tala argued.

"Yes you are. When you're with me, you're different, but not in a bad way. You finally let your mask down too and showed me the real you," Kenny said quietly. "You're a very passionate person who cares a lot for others. It was different when I first met you. I didn't think you were…"

"Sweet?" Tala grinned.

"If you say so," Kenny laughed. "But, you were…well…I suppose you had a glow about you that I've never seen before. It got me off guard and I haven't been able to straighten myself out since."

"Do you really want to straighten yourself out?" Tala murmured.

"No…I suppose not. So, Tala…I want to know, what now? Now that I'm better, what is next for us? I'm going to be leaving Russia soon to go back to Japan," Kenny stated.

"I know," Tala nodded. "But I can't come with you. There are a few things that I have to do while I'm still here. And you need to go back to mend things with your foster parents."

"I know, but after that, do I just forget about you?" Kenny questioned.

"Of course not, once I straighten things out with the others, then I'll send you a letter saying it's okay to come back," Tala said.

"What do you have to do considering the others? I'm assuming you mean your team?" Kenny looked up at the stars once more.

"Well, remember when I told you that I didn't think they understood me and that I didn't think I could confide in them?" Tala remarked. Kenny only gave a short nod, listening to what the red head had to say. "Well, it seems that I was wrong. Maybe I can repair the ties between us and things will be fine."

"There's no reason you shouldn't try," Kenny stated. "You told me that I should place more trust in those around me, and I think following your own piece of advice wouldn't hurt."

"Oh, now you want to be a smart aleck," Tala laughed. "I see how you are now that you're better."

"I learned from you after all," Kenny smiled. "You only have yourself to blame for how I'm turning out, Tala." Kenny heard Tala laugh again, shaking his head back and forth before silence fell over them. "Tala…after you settle things with your team mates, and I settle things with my aunt and uncle, will I really be ready to move on. My father is still alive, and…"

"Don't worry about that step for now. Just think of one thing at a time," Tala murmured. "If you want to show your father that his hold on you has finally broken, we'll do that later. For now, just think about showing the world that smile you were forced to hide away."

"As long as you'll be with me to help me show it," Kenny stated.

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-2 years later-

Kenny knelt down in front of the smooth slate slab of concrete that made up the tombstone. Running his hand lightly over the material, he read the name engraved on it out loud. Lowering his eyes, he said a silent prayer, hoping that indeed his mother was still looking over him from heaven. The soft footsteps with crunch of gravel under their feet made Kenny look up to find his aunt. The woman had a short smile on her face, but her eyes held tears.

The brunette, now the age of fifteen stood up from the grave, turning to face the woman that stood no more than a foot away. She said nothing, allowing her eyes to lower to the grave behind him, before lifting back up to study his face. More tears rolled down her face before she walked up to him and hugged Kenny.

"Can't I do anything to stop you? You know I'm going to miss you so much, and so will your uncle," she murmured into his hair.

"It's okay, I'm not leaving forever," Kenny smiled. "But I need to make this trip. Allow me to go, and don't worry, I promise to write and call you plenty."

"And there's nothing I can do to stop you, is there Kenny?" His aunt pulled back, brushing wisps of burnt sienna out of his face, staring deep into his eyes. He really wasn't the same boy that left for Russia two years ago his eyes were much lighter, as if the past did not matter any more. Whatever or whoever happened to him, she was thankful.

"No, I told you, I have to do this," Kenny said softly. No more than a week ago, he received a letter from Tala stating that everything had been settled and he and the other Demolition Boys were living in a house supporting themselves with the help of Boris or the abbey. Tala also asked Kenny if he still wanted to come back. Kenny had hurriedly packed his bags.

He never told his aunt and uncle the truth about what happened in Russia, the only thing he mentioned was finding a guardian angel his mother thought he needed tremendously. One day he promised himself that he would tell them everything. And hopefully they would understand the choice he made in life. He had yet to confront his father over the past, but he figured eventually he would do so, before it was too late above all.

"Will you at least tell me…about this guardian angel, the one that sent you the letter?" the woman questioned.

"My guardian angel, well…there's not much to say. I promise that tell you everything about them when I return in a few months. I should get going auntie. I had to see mother before I leave. Don't worry my friends in Russia will take care of me. I will call the minute I get there."

"All right," his aunt sighed, knowing she wasn't going to win the battle. Kenny gave the woman a light kiss on the cheek before walking towards the car that was pulling up to the curb. Reaching down and grabbing his suitcase, Kenny smiled once more at her before walking towards the car. Max, Kai, Tyson, and Rei were in the back seat, driving was Max's mother and sitting up front with her was Tyson's father.

"Hi guys," Kenny said softly, once reaching the car. Max opened the door for his friend and grabbed the suitcase.

"All aboard for the next stop to the airport to take the plane to Russia," Tyson grinned, imitating a conductor.

"Are you ready Kenny?" Kai inquired, ignoring his boyfriend's remark with a slight shake of his head.

"As ready as I can be," Kenny said to his "brother". Kai gave him a short smile which Kenny returned. He really didn't know if he could have been as open towards his aunt and uncle about how he felt and what went on when he was younger if Kai hadn't been there. Well, not just Kai alone, but Kai was really the brother he never got to have.

"You know we're going to miss you, you better write as much as you possibly can," Rei said. "Or I'm sure that a lot of people will have to come kill you."

"Like me!" Tyson chimed.

"I promise I won't forget to write or call," Kenny said, climbing into the backseat of the car with his team mates. But they were more than team mates now.

"And if you don't write, we're going to come to Russia and have to scold you thoroughly about it," Max said in a teasing tone.

"And don't you and Tala…" Tyson was about to say something when Kai put a hand over his mouth, shutting him up.

"Thank you for shutting him up," Max said. That earned a mumbled response from Tyson who struggled to pull free from Kai until Kai leaned over and mumbled something into the dark haired teen's ear. Tyson went crimson, sitting back while Kai pulled his hand away with a triumphant smirk.

"Much better," Kai said to Tyson.

"I don't want to know," Max shook his head.

"Well, at least he was stopped from saying what he was going to say," Rei remarked.

"True," Max agreed.

"I think I'm going to miss you all too much," Kenny admitted. "But I know it's going to be for just a few months, and Tala and the other Demolition Boys will be there. Maybe it will be like having you all there."

"I'm pretty sure that you will find some similarities between us and them," Kai said. "I know from experience that Ian can be as worrisome as Tyson use to be."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Tyson demanded with a light pout.

"Nothing," Kai said. "Remember what I told you Tyson."

"You're mean."

"I know," Kai smiled. As Kenny sat back listening to the others while he let his mind drift away just a little from his team mates…no…that wasn't correct anymore. They were his friends, and like a family to him. He didn't really know what he would have done if they hadn't been there for him. He owed them a lot for sticking by his side, and for listening to his untold story.

He also owed a certain red head Russian captain of a certain Russian beyblade team a lot. Maybe just a little bit more than the rest, Tala had after all, given him a reason to survive in this world. A world he would have locked himself away in and disappeared from sight. But soon, he was going to show Tala that his efforts were going to pay off. All he had to do was wait a few hours, Kenny thought with a smile, he had a feeling would stay on his lips for a long time to come if Tala had a saying in it.

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Rim: And there we go! An ending you really can't beat, well you probably could but I think it sets the story on an even pace for your imaginations to work their own magic. Thanks for enjoying this story. Until another time and story!