Disclaimer: Nope, don't own it. (£&?#!)
Reviewers:
Humaninspirations: Eh. Not really. She just likes seeing Kai squirm (hears Raven laughing in background). Yeah, I got your review for chapter sixteen. Twice. .' Me like Raven? … Maybe. I'm quite devious like her but… I don't have scars on my face (just one long one on my back). And sometimes I can be quite sadistic (when I watch horror movies, I keep shouting KILL KILL KILL! For example: Jaws. I wanted the Great White Shark to eat everyone. Mwa ha ha!). And I sort of have a soft spot for Tala… maybe. Does that mean you're a bit like 'Love'?
Lyrikkal: ((blushes)) Thank you so much. I HATE Mary Sues so I was a bit worried about putting in my OC. Just in case she seemed Mary-Sueish to other people but hopefully, she doesn't. (She's no way perfect, and she hates being nice).
m: Thanks! . Badabababa… I'm loving it!
NeoBlaze: Here's what Tala will do next (little bit of OOC) but I love Tala. He goes a bit psycho… ((sweatdrop))
GothicSabrina: TALATALATALATALATALATALA! I love Tala too! ((drools)) Uh… ANYWAY… Go Raven, it's your birthday… oh wait, in this, it's not her birthday. Poor Raven… Let's do the muffin dance!
Ray-is-sexy: Oh my gosh! You haven't reviewed in AGES! How have you been? Here's the next chapter! ((hugs Ray-is-sexy))
Bluestray: New reviewer! Yay! Mysterious? … Maybe… mwa ha ha! ((chokes)) ahem… yep. Behold! I have updated!
Thanks for reviewing, here's your Kai plushies! (And, in return for reviewing this chapter, you'll get a Tala plushie!) Kai… ((Drools))
Note: I got finals coming up soon so I won't be updating for a VERY long time (4-6 weeks probably). I might get one more chapter out but… eh.
Stupid exams.
Last time: Men attacked the girls. Raven managed to fight most of them off. One had a gun. Tala saved the day. Tala and Raven argued. The girls got a taxi home. The guys were protective. Kai was jealous of Ray (again!). Tala found Raven. They argued again. Then Tala pushed Raven against a wall.
Tala is a bit OOC (he's even more angry than usual), so I'm just warning you. I'm a BIG Tala fan so don't think that I'm bashing him. BECAUSE I'M NOT! I LOVE TALA!
((glomps Tala))
xxx
Chapter eighteen: Fear of Fury"And there were these men. Raven told us to go and get a taxi so we left and I guess she was fighting them. Then we saw Bryan and Spencer and they asked where Raven was. When we said she was back there they told us to show them. Then when we got there Raven and Tala were there. Apparently, the guy had the gun to her head but Tala saved her." Emily said.
"TALA?" Kai exclaimed, clenching his fists.
"And Tala said something about saving her life twice." Hilary stated.
"Raven said that Tala saved her from a pack of wolves." Lee said, remembering the late night conversation.
"Yeah, then they got in a big argument and Raven stormed off. Tala chased after her and we came here."
Kai grabbed his coat of a peg and put it on.
"Where are you going, Kai?" Mariah asked. She looked… concerned but Kai shrugged it off. He couldn't be distracted now.
"You think I'm going to let Tala get away with this?"
"Tala was just following orders."
"Him and Raven could be planning something."
"But Raven…"
"Works for Boris. She's a spy. That's why she doesn't have a beyblade."
"She's not a spy! She's our friend! She helped me escape!"
"It's just one of Boris' plans to capture you and I!"
"Then why is Boris in jail? Why did Raven tell the police about four of their bases?"
"How do you know that?"
"Tala said."
"Oh yeah, like I'm really going to believe that. Ok, even if Raven is 'good', Tala could persuade her to join him. Or pressure her for information. Either way, they're both bad news."
"They're not! Raven is our friend and Tala saved her life!"
Mariah's eyes were beginning to water. Kai felt the urge to comfort her but instead Ray hugged her close and kissed her hair.
Before he did something stupid, Kai walked out of his mansion and slammed the door behind him.
xxx
Raven swallowed the lump in her throat as Tala looked at her with pure fury. His hold on her wrists was bruising and the leg placed between hers and crossing her ankle meant she wouldn't be able to move her legs without tripping up.
And damn, the back of her head hurt like hell. She was having the mother of all headaches.
"Tala… you're hurting me…"
"So? Isn't it fair? You hurt me. I hurt you. Isn't that how the chain goes?"
He increased pressure on her wrists.
She wouldn't cry. She wouldn't. A coppery taste filled her mouth from when she had bitten her tongue and she felt blood trickle down her chin from the side of her mouth. She shut her eyes tightly. The headache was getting worse. She felt… tired…
"Please Tala… stop."
"Why should I do what you say? We hate each other, right? I don't care if you get hurt. I don't care if you die."
"I'm sorry for hurting you, ok? I'm sorry for saying those things. I'm sorry for…" She was exhausted. She couldn't open her eyes. She wanted to sleep. She was so goddamn tired. Where were a pillow, a mattress and a blanket when you needed one?
"I don't want to hear it, Raven. You've said enough. You've already hurt me. You can't erase it."
"Tala!" a voice shouted. Tala stepped back and Raven's body suddenly slumped to the ground. Her eyes shut, her skin pale, blood bleeding down her chin from the corner of her mouth, her wrists bruised, unconscious.
What had he done? Suddenly he was picked up by his collar and mahogany eyes were glaring at him.
"What the hell did you do that for?"
Tala was speechless. He couldn't even understand what Kai was saying.
"Look what you've done!"
Raven was on the floor. Raven was unconscious. Raven was hurt.
Tala… you're hurting me.
Please Tala… stop.
He crouched by her. What had he done?
xxx
Raven is not a spy! She's not!
And Tala is good! He is!
Kai's wrong!
But what if he was right?
Mariah put her head in her hands. Raven couldn't be a spy, could she? It was silly. And Tala had saved her life. He was good now. He was just following orders before.
Right?
Arg! It was so frustrating! She wanted to pull her hair out and run round the mansion screaming.
"Mariah?" A voice asked. Mariah turned to see Ray walking into her bedroom, looking concerned. Heck, he always looked concerned now. His gold eyes looking like he was going to start crying anytime soon.
"Hm?"
"Are you ok?"
"I'm fine." She did her best smile, she really did, but it ended up looking struggled.
"I'm sure Raven's fine. And I'm sure she's not a spy."
"I know that. It's just… I don't know. What if Kai's right? What if she is?"
Ray didn't say anything. He just hugged her tightly. "I won't let them take you away. I'd die first." And he meant those words. Mariah knew he did. Because he loved her. And she did love him. She just wasn't sure how.
Did she love him as a friend? Of course. As a lover? Sometimes. When she thought about just Ray, she did. But when she brought in her feelings for Kai…
Yes, she had finally admitted it. She had feelings for Kai. But it didn't make her feel better accepting it. It made her feel dirty. It made her feel like she wasn't good enough for either of them.
Perhaps that was true. Maybe Mariah wasn't good enough for either of them. Maybe…
The shrill ring of the phone made her jump. She clutched her chest as she tried to calm down its quick beats. Ray walked over to the phone placed on the wall and picked up the receiver.
"Kai Hiwatari residence. Ray Kon speaking."
"Ray, quick, tell the others to come to the local hospital." It was Kai. And he sounded… panicked? Frightened? Nervous? Stressed?
"Hospital? Kai? What's wrong?"
Mariah's amber eyes widened. From what she had gathered from Ray's end of the conversation, Kai was at a hospital. Why on Earth was Kai at a hospital? Had something happened? Was he injured? Who had…
Oh God… it is true. They ganged up on Kai and now he's in hospital! And I was stupid enough to trust them! I defended them!
She put her head in her hands. She shouldn't have let Kai go alone. She was so stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid!
"It's… Raven." Kai's voice said on the other line.
"Raven? What happened?"
Mariah looked up from her hands. Oh no! It was Raven! Raven was hurt! Now she felt bad about thinking Raven was a spy.
Ray paled and put the phone down shakily. He seemed to be looking out into the distance.
"Ray? Ray, what is it?" She shook his shoulders. "Ray! What's going on?"
"Raven… she's…"
"She's what? Ray! Tell me!"
Ray finally looked at Mariah, seeing her golden eyes fill with tears. She was clutching onto his shoulders desperately, wanting to know the answers to her questions.
"Raven… she's in a coma."
xxx
((whistles))
Ok, more randomness. Gee, I do a lot of that now, don't I? Everybody get random!
So sorry, Tala fans! ((hides)) Believe me, I love Tala but the dude's just been heartbroken, and he's one angry Russian! Don't worry, it won't happen again! I promise!
Next chapter: Hospital Visit
Quote: I live in my own little world. But it's okay, they know me here… or they would, if anyone else "lived" here.