DISCLAIMER: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade belongs to its manga author, Aoki Takao.

I'd like to begin by saying many thanks again to Needle Point for reviewing the third chapter! Thank you thank you! Here's a Max plushie for you! -gives plushie- To the rest, please read and review! I hope you enjoy this. Speaking of which, here we go!

WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW CAN'T HURT YOU

ChApTeR 4

"You mean you had been to the Himalayas before?" Elijah turned sideways to face Rei, his face a picture of awe.

Rei answered with a nod. Both beybladers had started to head back to the hotel, so they had decided to trade stories in order to kill time. Currently their topic had moved to the Chinese blader's travels.

"That is so cool!" Pale blue eyes widened even more.

"What is?"

"The Himalayas trip along with the rest of your other journeys. As a beyblader who wants to earn more knowledge you get to travel around the world! Do you realize what a lucky guy you are, Kon?"

"I wouldn't exactly say lucky. I just sometimes get help from Chairman Daitenji." Maybe I really just am, he considered, realizing Elijah was right. Not all people had the chance or even the time to pack their bags and explore. "You seem interested about the rest of the world. You mean you never or at least sometimes travel?"

Elijah shook his head. "Not like the way you do, to be more precise. I had gone to a few places here and there but never outside America. Sometimes I wonder how the North Pole is like. Or how living in tropical countries feels like. But without sufficient time and money, learning those kinds of stuff is next to impossible. Sure, books can provide you pictures and all but nothing beats going to the real place."

"Ah." Rei nodded in understanding. He could completely relate to Elijah's curiosity, only it was in terms of beyblades and holy beasts. "If that's the case, then you must be really psyched about our trip. After all, we get to visit at least eleven countries, not to mention we're free from financial burden thanks to Chairman Daitenji."

"Not really." Elijah seemed distracted, eyeing a crooked stick lying ahead of them. As he neared it, his right foot kicked it out of the way. "The visits are just a bonus."

Rei cast him a strange look. "What do you mean?"

The shorter boy blinked at him. "Huh? Oh, that was nothing. It's… just that the objective of this trip is to find the Twelve Signs, and it happens that we have to circle around the globe to know where they are. Coincidence but I'm not complaining." He suddenly pointed at a poster on a brick wall. "Hey, I think it's this way."

Continuing to follow him, the raven-haired boy gave a sidelong glance at him. Elijah wasn't such a bad person after all; in fact, he was nice and an amiable guy. The more Rei conversed with the American, the more certain he became that Max had been wrong about his impression.

"Especially if the world-famous BBA Team is going to help me," Elijah added, grinning easily.

Rei found himself grinning back. Man, this guy's grin could be so infectious. "I normally do not ask this to a total stranger but how do you find us BBA guys?" If they would be together for quite a long time, then it would be better if he and his friends made Elijah feel welcome instead of out of place.

"Hmm… BBA guys? Let's see. If I begin with you… I'd say you're one friendly beyblader."

"Thank you," Rei uttered warmly. That compliment was one step closer to his goal.

"Sure," he returned. "Although I had to ask about Kinomiya, no offense or anything, but is he really like that?"

Rei's eyebrows were raised. "Like what?"

"I don't know… outspoken?"

Rei suppressed a wide smile but he couldn't keep his amusement from being reflected on his face. Elijah's choice of the word was a bull's eye. "Takao's really like that but he's also a good guy, so don't get him wrong. When he's on your side, he's a loyal friend 'til the end and will fight for what he believe is right with all his will and strength."

Elijah's face grew thoughtful. "I'll remember that. Anyway, I could also see that Kinomiya possesses a lot of fighting spirit. Then he really isn't half bad, in my opinion. Well, so far."

It's a refreshing change to see a stranger view Takao in a new light. For a while he recalled all their previous opponents who had underestimated Takao for his unstoppable mouth. "If Takao isn't half bad, then how about Max?"

At the mention of the name, Elijah suddenly halted, causing Rei to be in advance by four steps. But when Rei stopped walking as well, the American boy started moving forward again, all traces of happiness from his features gone.

"Ookay," Rei said slowly, puzzled at his companion's sudden switch of mood. So maybe the misunderstanding between the two with American blood wasn't as ironed out as he had thought. Why else would Elijah be acting this way?

"He… I think Mizuhara hates me," the brown-haired boy blurted out.

"What?" Rei cast him a surprised look. Misunderstand, he'd agree but hate? Max, of all people? "I don't think Max does."

"Come on, Kon, you heard it from him. He thinks I'm the one who stoned him at the beach days ago."

Rei's face screwed with a slight frown. "I'm sure Max just mistook you for that kid. Besides, Max isn't the type of guy who would hold something against someone for so long. In fact, he's practically the friendliest among us."

"Well, he certainly isn't showing it to me. And all the while I thought we're okay now." Elijah gave him an I-want-to-make-things-clear expression. "Look, when I was looking for help for the Twelve Signs, I had no idea I would be directed by all those people I asked to Chairman Daitenji, let alone recruit all of you to provide that help. If Mizuhara was just forced to join me, then I guess I shouldn't push him to do something that he obviously had no intention of accomplishing from the start."

"No, you're wrong. Max joined this trip on his own free will." Although he had to admit, some of Elijah's words held truth. Hadn't Rei noticed the blond sneaking glances at Elijah in uncertainty and staying away from him during most of the trip to Mexico? "I guess he still hadn't gotten over that beach scene. But trust me, Elijah; Max really is a great guy."

Elijah stared ahead of them. "I hope you're right, Kon. I really want to get along with him; it will make both our lives easier." He let out a silent sigh.

Rei's focus in vision shifted to the road before them. It was unusual for Max to quickly judge someone he just met, and Rei had expected his blond friend to be the very last person to do so. I wonder what's eating him up?

Wait a sec. His amber eyes flicking from one side to the other, he halted.

"What's wrong?" Elijah stopped walking as well.

Rei's eyes continued to survey the row of houses aligned at their sides. His head moved to glance behind him and back. "This isn't the road we took earlier."

"No, this has to be it." Elijah's blue eyes swept its gaze across their surroundings. "I remember that red poster just blocks from the plaza. When we reach the plaza we know that the hotel is just near, right?"

Should we move forward or go back? Rei's mind tried to weigh the two options carefully. Finally he came to a decision. "Let's go back."

Elijah nodded in agreement.

A few minutes later, they saw the poster Elijah had pointed out.

Elijah gave the wall an up-and-down stare before facing the splitting street. "If the right road that we took isn't the correct one, then that leaves us the left one." He turned to Rei expectantly.

He nodded. "We don't have much of a choice. We go to the left then. Come on."

For the next thirteen minutes, they continued to travel by foot but Rei was starting to feel a layer of uneasiness settle at his stomach. "This is weird. We should be at the plaza by now." The large cracks forming along the paintless walls and the heaps of destroyed ceramics scattered everywhere were definitely not the landmarks he recalled. Were they in an alley?

"Kon," Elijah said, his voice with a touch of uneasiness as well. "I hate to tell you this but I think we're…"

Lost. We're both lost. "I know."

The smaller boy frowned, trying to think hard. "I don't get it. I'm sure we had to get past that poster and before that we just…" The frown evaporated and his face turned blank. "Was that left turn at the last street we passed or was it before that street before taking the right turn and go straight ahead?" Suddenly his right palm smacked his forehead. "Argh, why couldn't I remember! I should have known better than to trust my instincts about some place I've just been to the first time! When will I ever learn?"

If there was anything else Rei learned about Elijah today, it was the fact that the American couldn't go anywhere alone with his poor memory of unfamiliar places. Which completely explained why Elijah had kept on insisting against Takao's wishes to scout for the Signs by pairs when they were still at the hotel. "Don't blame yourself. We can't take anything back."

"I know that but I wish we could. Because right now…" As he looked at the edges of the street, he seemed kind of troubled.

"We shouldn't panic." But while looking at the fading glow of the setting sun, Rei was getting a little worried too. Aside from the fact that they indeed were lost, it was starting to get dark, and who knew what kind of danger awaited them while they were inside this completely unfamiliar street? Then he noticed Elijah backing away from the sides of the streets where the majority of the shattered ceramics lay. "Don't worry, we'll get out of here but we should remain calm."

"I'm not that worried about finding our way out of here except…" Elijah was obviously trying to present a calm front but he was now eyeing the crooked walls with much discomfort he failed to conceal. "Those damaged walls are a little taller than us. Don't you think they might fall on us or something?"

Rei stepped nearer, examining the damage. "No, these cracks aren't long enough to make them collapse." He stared at the shorter boy. "Is that what you're so afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid," Elijah shot back. "I just don't like to see ruins, that's all. I don't know why… heck, I just don't." He grabbed Rei's arm as though to drag him out, wherever "out" was. "Come on, let's just go back again."

Suddenly Rei felt odd. Frowning, he tried to define that weird feeling when Elijah grabbed his arm but he couldn't tell if it was a good thing or a bad one. It's the same feeling I got the first time we shook hands back in America. But it had been a very faint feeling, a practically ignorable one. So what is this supposed to mean?

"Hey, Kon." Elijah dropped his arm as he spoke. "Look."

Rei looked up, and all thoughts about that unexplainable feeling were completely forgotten, breath caught on his throat. Catlike eyes widened, taking in the sight of a tall young lady donned in an azure dress approaching them, her skin a smooth brown. He felt his face heat up as he watched her hand run to smoothen her waist-long dark tresses and land on her shoulder bag. He hadn't felt like this about a female adult since he got Catty Gloria's autograph.

"I don't think this is the best time for a blushing session, Kon." Elijah's voice cut through Rei's admiration, causing the latter to snap out of his trance. "Our best chance of getting out of this ruined place is if we ask that lady at least where we are."

"Yeah." Rei shook his head free of admiring thoughts. His priority was to be able to get back to the hotel or at least reach the plaza, and to do that they had to leave this place. Wherever "this place" is.

"You do the asking," Elijah whispered as they neared the brunette.

But before Rei could even reply, the lady spoke first with a look of surprise. Her words that seemed to come in the form of a question and an exclamation were spoken in her native tongue.

"Huh?" Elijah looked confused.

The lady repeated her words but slowly this time, and Rei strained to catch what she was saying. Of course despite his world-traveling experiences before, he knew he wasn't exactly the world's best language translator but maybe he could make the best out of the foreign words he could recall. He heard the lady talk stuff that sounded like lugar and los niños. Let's see, lugar would be place, I think, and los niños—did she say los or las? Las didn't seem to be right. Hm, something about—children? Or is it boys? Rei sighed inwardly. At this rate they would never be able to understand each other properly. "Um, we're sorry miss, but I—I mean we—I mean…" Why do I have to stutter when I see her? He cleared his throat. "We can't understand Spanish." There, he said it. And in the other language that he knew best. Hopefully she understood.

The young lady blinked before understanding dawned on her beautiful face. "Ah, you're not Mexican children!"

Elijah blinked. "You're bilingual?" The lady nodded, and he sighed in relief. "Thank God." He looked meaningfully at Rei, a signal that it was his turn to speak.

"Uh, we're kind of lost, actually," he explained, "and we thought of asking you if you can help us find our way back to the plaza. What is this place anyway?"

"…I see," she replied, a thoughtful look on her face. "I'm afraid it is impossible for both of you to reach the plaza. We're already too far from it, and it's becoming nighttime already. It's not safe for you to venture out."

Rei craned his head. She was right; it was getting dark already. "But we need to go back immediately! Our friends don't know where we are. Please, can you at least give us the directions?"

She shook her head. "You have to understand my words, young man. You don't know the kind of danger the streets possess during the night. Even if I tell you how to get there, it would take you at least an hour."

Elijah's eyes darted to Rei. "What now?"

"Wait. I have it." The lady clapped her hands once. "Why don't you stay at my house tonight? I still have extra rooms for two."

Rei shifted his weight. "But won't we be a burden to you?"

"I don't mind."A friendly smile. "Besides, it would be great for me to have some company tonight."

"Have some company?" Elijah repeated. "So you're living alone?"

"Yes."

The American turned to Rei. "Maybe we should accept. She seems nice anyway."

The brunet tried to think of another alternative but came up with none. "All right, we accept, Miss… um, how do I call you?"

"Tia," she supplied. "Just plain Tia would be enough. Now, just follow me." And with that, she started to walk forward. Elijah followed on her left side while Rei took the right.

What can I say? He really felt like wanting to talk to Tia more, but what topic could he give without making it so obvious? "You're too kind to strangers like us?" Nah. His eyes traveled around before landing on her right arm. "What happened to your elbow? Why is it bandaged?"

"It's broken."

"Ouch." Elijah pretended to wince.

Tia laughed in a dismissive manner. "Don't worry about it. But you haven't told me who you are even if I had already given you my name."

"Oh, sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Elijah, by the way."

"Elijah." Tia repeated before turning to Rei. "And you?"

"My name is Rei Kon."

"Rei. Hmm…" She gave a smile while her eyes were on the road. "I like the sound of that."

"You do?" The surprised yet pleased words came out of Rei's mouth before he knew it. Get over it, Rei Kon, he told himself firmly, kicking himself mentally in the process. She's way older than you and she's not your priority, got that?

But he noticed Tia's smile vanish while she halted, and as he followed the direction of her gaze, he knew why. Ahead of them were a group of young men with sneers on their faces. Their eyes stared at Tia from head to toe and then at her bag before letting out a string of words Rei couldn't understand.

"Oh no," Tia whispered as two guys appeared behind them. "We have to outrun them to get past them."

Rei nodded, although his eyes couldn't find an opening they could use. Unless… The idea suddenly struck him and it made him bring out his shooter and his beyblade. This just might work.

"They're advancing," Elijah whispered back. "How can we outrun all of them when they're so many?"

"We can," Rei stated confidently before launching his beyblade. "Go, Driger!"

Driger quickly shot forward before flying upward to slam at the attackers on the hands. The young men tried to catch it, some throwing themselves to the ground, while letting out another string of words that Rei guessed must be curses but that didn't matter.

Because this is just what we need. "Now!" he commanded Tia and Elijah, and they took advantage of the distraction.

But before they could completely get past them, one of the goons caught Elijah's ankle and the American landed on his stomach. Before Rei knew what was happening, two more had already grabbed Tia, dragging her away.

"Tia!" Rei evaded just in time the rest of the guys who were after him.

"Rei—!" Tia's eyes widened in horror as one of her captors clamped a hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming further. Swiftly she was hoisted on his shoulder before he started to escape.

"Tia!" Rei's amber eyes darted between Tia and Elijah's direction. How can I rescue them both?

"Kon!" Elijah yelled in response to Rei's unspoken question while being tackled. "Save Tia first! Don't worry about me!"

"But what about you?" he yelled back.

"Just go! I'll find my way out of these jerks!"

"Elijah…" He's right. Tia was more in danger right now. "Come on, Driger!"

"Hn." Tia's second captor blocked Rei's path, a knife in one hand. With a move so fast he made a slash at Rei, who narrowly missed it.

"Get out of my way," the Chinese blader growled. To make the order more effective, he let Driger knock the knife out of his attacker's hand, and he literally jumped over him. Being a member of the White Tiger tribe did have its advantages.

After much running he soon reached Tia and the young man. "Let's go, Driger!" At the command Driger spun forward and struck the back of the guy's knees, causing the latter to lose stability in his legs and collapse forward. Tia fell along with him.

"Tia, get out of there!" Rei shouted as Driger knocked down the wall next to the two Mexicans. Tia got up and jumped out of the way just in time as the shattered debris rained on her captor and he got buried under the pile.

"Tia!" Rei was immediately at her side, kneeling beside her. "Are you all right?"

Slowly Tia sat up, looking a bit dazed. "I... think so. What just happened?"

"It's quite a long story but everything's all right now. You're safe."

Tears started to form in her eyes and she enfolded Rei in a tight hug.

"Thank you," she whispered, crying silently. "For saving me. You're too young but you did it."

Rei couldn't breathe. "It's nothing, really." He expected Tia to let him go but she didn't move. "Um, Tia…?"

"Please stay with me. Even just for tonight. They might come back for me and I need someone like you."

"I—I'd like to but…" I can't. I have to get back to Elijah right now! He couldn't just leave his companion with all those Mexican jerks.

"Do you know that you strongly remind me of my younger brother who ran away?" Tia asked softly. "Are you going to run away too?"

"No! It's just—" There he went again. Not being able to form a coherent sentence. Really, what was he supposed to do when an older girl was crying on his shoulder with her arms around him for security and comfort—

Wait a minute. A new thought entered him and his heart stopped as Tia broke away from him. His gaze fell below her neck and suddenly everything became clear to him. Closing his eyes, he laughed to himself.

"Rei?"

"It's really believable," he said. "For a minute you nearly had me fooled."

Tia gazed at him in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Everything seemed so real. But." Catlike eyes opened as he grabbed Tia's pendant. "Not real enough!"

Then suddenly everything washed away into black.

"Come on now and show yourself," Rei whispered. "If it's as powerful as I heard it to be, then this Sign shouldn't be afraid to face me."

Kai: Well, what do you know? Another cliffhanger. Why am I not surprised.

Rei: Hey, how could I get tongue-tied? And I hadn't blushed like that since I got the autograph of that blonde from the charity match?

Kai: Because, neko-jin, that's what we're here for. Act like pawns for the making of this fic. Fortunately my turn will only come somewhere in Chapter 15 or later. Right?

Actually, it's sooner than you think. And man, do I have great things in stored for you.

Kai: -slaps his forehead with his hand- I knew I shouldn't have asked.

Elijah: Great things, you say? -absolutely curious- Will Hiwatari get tortured or something like that? And when?

I can't say anything yet. But considering that it's Kai…

Kai: Enough of this. -turns to the reader- Just review this work, okay?

Now Kai, that's not the way to do it. It wouldn't hurt to throw in a "please" you know. Make that triple plus the sincere thanks and I may shorten your drama in the future.

Kai:……. Fine. Please, please, please leave a review, people. Thanks. :) (Why am I doing this again!)