Disclaimer: Me + Ownership to Beyblade Happy Flowerperson. Me – Ownership to Beyblade Unhappy Flowerperson. I'm an unhappy Flowerperson.

Reviewers:

Bluestray: Sorry, just a bit more about Raven but I added a little bit on the end, just for you!

Humaninspirations: Hooray for laziness… yep, Raven and Tyson are related. Yay for Mokko! ((pats Mokko on the head)) I wish I had a cute OC like that… Raven: Ha! I'm not cute! Huzzah! FP: . Oooooooooook…

Tigerrelly: 2 days a week? That sounds like a good deal. Yep, I'm evil and yep, Kai has a problem. So does Raven but anyhoo… Go Tala! WOOO! ((waving a Tala flag and jumping up and down)) I wuv Tala! ((glomps Tala plushie))

Dark wolf: Wahoo! I updated! I'm so happy that you're happy and I hope that you continue to be happy because then I'll be happy! I agree, if I was related to Tyson I'd rather go up for adoption. Oh, I really shouldn't say that but this is TYSON we're talking about. Believe me; Raven hit her head repeatedly against the wall when I wrote that. Raven: ((Still banging head against wall))

m: I think that Raven and Tala should work it out, its only fair but Tala is emotionless and Raven is… Raven. I suppose that is why Raven and Kai fight so much. By the way, Raven and Kai have a fight scene in about two chapter (28, I think) so look out for that!

Anibots: Ah, oops. Oh well, it turns out that Black Dranzer didn't play that much of a part in this story, only as part of the ransom but then Boris got double-crossed by his own favourite experiment: Raven. Shame, Boris. But he deserved it. Yep, after being informed on this matter, I realised that the Japanese version it is Ivanov. I suppose that is my fault for reading other stories, seeing Tala's different surnames and getting confused. ((sweatdrop)) I get confused easily… I hope that you continue to read and I really do appreciate you pointing out my errors. I would ask you to be my beta-tester for this story, but there are only three to four chapters left and I do not really need much beyblade information for that. However, I am planning a sequel called Nightmares, which I have already started. I would really like it if you could be my beta-tester for that.

NeoBlaze: I hope so too! ((pushes Raven and Tala together so they hug)) Aw... As for Mariah's decision, you'll just have to wait and see!

Cortnee: Hopefully you received my email that I sent you. Thank you for your review!

Thanks also to the people that have Dreams on story alert!

GothicSabrina
humaninspirations
Moon Phases
morjonse
shadowdragonlady

Don't be scared to review!

I owe you lot a Mystel plushie, right? Here you are! Now you can have a Boris punching bag! Enjoy!

Last time: Flashback of Raven when she ran away. Met Hiro. Found out she was Tyson and Hiro's half sister. Argued with Kai. Punched Kai. Walked out. Saw Tala.

Xxx

Chapter Twenty-Six: Love or Hate?

She looked up to face him. "I've always been a heartless bitch, Kai. You should know that. People can't change. I can't change and you can't change. Once a bitch, always a bitch. I was wrong in coming here."

Kai almost wanted to apologise.

Almost.

Raven turned to leave and opened the front door to Tyson's house to see a certain red head Russian there.

"Raven?"

Raven's brain refused to operate. There were too many thoughts, too many feelings, and too much unknown territory. For a second she got lost in his lavender eyes – they symbolised the harshness yet beauty of winter. She wanted just for him to wrap his arms around her and tell her that everything would be all right.

She craved it. She needed it. She needed him.

So many thoughts. So many memories. So many feelings. So much pain. So much love. So much confusion.

Why wasn't anything simple?

"Tala." Kai said. He did not say it in a friendly manner, but it was not spat out like it had been before. Tala had changed. He had noticed. They all had changed. Tala, Raven, Kai and even Mariah had changed somehow.

All because of a cold-hearted man called Boris Balkov. That was all. They shared nothing else. Tala, Kai and Raven were short-fused, but Mariah was not. Tala, Kai and Mariah could beyblade; Raven (as far as they knew) could not. She had never touched a beyblade.

How long had it been? A month? A month and a half? When did they all change? When did they all begin to 'feel'?

"You're back." Tala said, not even glancing to Kai but staring at Raven. She was staring back at him. Hiro coughed and Raven looked away quickly.

The room was silent. No one said a word, not even Kai or Tyson. Hilary secretly wished for Tyson to do something stupid, just to take away this awkward silence.

Raven looked at Tala's chest, she could not stand to look at his eyes yet. She was scared. Scared of what she might feel when she looked back into those icy depths of amethyst.

"Tala." She whispered. It was quiet and gentle. Far too gentle for Raven's liking. This was affecting her too much.

"Raven." He said again. Something was about to happen. A decision was about to be made. Their lives were about to change even more. This would either shatter their hearts, or shatter their guards.

The blue haired girl looked back to the others. They were staring in anticipation – even Kai. She cast her eyes downwards before tugging on Tala's sleeve, still not meeting his gaze.

"Let's talk outside. Somewhere private."

They walked out and Raven shut the door behind them. She was wearing a black t-shirt and black leather trousers with her usual navy elbow fingerless gloves. However, instead of boots she was wearing dark blue plain trainers.

She shivered. She had been used to cold temperatures before but she was freezing. She was really regretting not grabbing her trench coat before she left, but she said nothing.

Rubbing her hands together, she felt something on her shoulders. She looked to the side and saw that Tala had taken off his blue duster and had put it on her shoulders. She slipped in her arms gratefully, wrapped it around her then realised how out of character she was being.

"Why," she began, finally turning to him, "Why did you come back?"

Tala shifted uncomfortably, his gaze focused on the floor. "I… don't know. What about you?"

Smirking slightly, Raven thought of the look of Tyson's face when he had found out who she was. She also thought of the look on Boris' face, unless… did he know that she was a Granger?

The red head Russian looked in confusion at the blue haired girl. She was smirking and staring into the distance as if thinking about something. Sensing that Tala was staring at her, she coughed.

"I finally found my family," she replied simply.

Tala's eyebrow rose as he thought of whom she could be related to. It then clicked. The blue hair… The chocolate brown eyes…

"TYSON?" he exclaimed. How was it possible? They were so different…

You have feelings for a girl that is related to Tyson. You idiot.

As repulsive as the thought was, Tala still felt his heart-strings tug as she finally looked up into his eyes and he got lost in her chocolate orbs. How did she affect him this way? How did she make everything else non-existent?

Meanwhile, the same things were going through Raven's mind. She had eventually looked him in the eye only to be entranced by his lavender depths. 'Love' was the only word that entered her thoughts. No 'fear', no 'hate' and no 'envy'. Just 'love'. And how she found herself craving more. Much more.

"I am happy for you," he said, but his voice was quieter. Huskier.

"So am I," she whispered. Neither of them noticed each other moving closer and closer every second, beginning to close the gap.

'Love'.

That word again. Neither of them knew the precise meaning, but they both felt a strong feeling of it inside them, begging to be let out and beginning to control all their actions.

'Hate'.

This word did not enter their thoughts. It was skipped. It was ignored. It was thrown out of their vocabulary as their lips finally met and her arms went around his neck and his hands settled past his coat onto her waist.

Time seemed to stand still. Nothing mattered to this fortunate pair. Nothing could ruin this fantastic moment.

"Hey! You! Get your hands off my sister!"

Well, almost nothing. Then again, that blue haired little scab always ruins every romantic moment. The red head and the blue head separated and… SHOCK HORROR! A faint blush was on their faces as they scowled.

"That's disgusting!" Kai shouted out, "You two should be ashamed of yourselves. Doing that in public."

"Whatever, Kai. You kissed that pink haired bimbo." Tala returned, the blush fading into non-existence. The same for Raven.

"What did you say?" Ray countered.

Raven rolled her eyes and took off Tala's coat. She then passed it to him.

"Strip tease. Ooh." Tala said with a smirk, quiet enough so that the others (still standing nosily by the doorway) did not hear. Raven scowled and stared at the floor, allowing her dark blue hair to cover the faint blush returning.

Great. Look what this boy was doing to her. She didn't like change. Not one bit. But as she thought about it… the more she realised that for him, she would change. Only for him. No one else.

"Keep your perverted thoughts to yourself, Valkov." Raven said. Tala grinned. "Where are you staying?"

"Bryan knows someone that has an apartment in Tokyo so we're renting it."

She kissed Tala on the cheek. "Come back tomorrow. We can go out somewhere. Talk."

Tala nodded, then began to walk away.

Raven cringed at the sudden "Aw…" from the others behind her. Man, her reputation was going down the drain.

But for him… anything.

She ignored their comments, looks and questions as she walked back inside. She just thought of three words over and over again.

I love him.

And she did. No longer was it 'hate', now she was certain that it was 'love'. All she needed now was his returned love. And then her life would be complete. Her and Tala's lives, which had been damaged by Boris, would finally be healed. Finally. And they would heal each other. Finally. And they will be whole.

Finally.

Xxx

Mariah sighed as she got in the taxi. She was leaving Tokyo airport, and was on her way to Tyson's house where Hilary stayed. Though she had made her decision, she wasn't ready to face them just yet. Hilary was a girl, and after being cooped up with her brother, Gary and Kevin for just over a month, she was looking forward to talking to a member of the same gender.

However, Hilary and Emily weren't that close with Mariah. Really, the only girl that Mariah could trust and knew about her situation was Raven.

But it was impossible. Raven had run away, without even turning back. Mariah supposed that was why she ran away too. If Raven could escape, why couldn't she? So she left. But then she realised how selfish she had been to Ray and Kai whom she both loved, but in different ways.

Mariah smiled slightly as she gazed out of the window at the silver moon. It seemed to have a face and it looked like the face was smiling. It knew what Mariah also knew.

She had chosen.

Xxx

Ooh! I wonder whom Mariah chose…

By the way people, I'm considering a sequel called 'Nightmares'. It will probably have more angst so be warned!

Shameless Plug: I have put up a brand new story (AU) called 'Apocalypse I: Blood Thirst'. I would really appreciate if people would review the prologue! The pairings are very similar to this story (Kai-Mariah-Ray. Raven-Tala. Hilary-Tyson). There are also two new OC's: Sekhmet and Kara. I'm not as happy with them as I am with Raven, however.

Review please!

Next Chapter: Return of the Pink One

Quote:

April: I'm a really good impersonator.
Me: Are you really? Go on then. Impersonate me.
April: 'Hi, I'm Daisy and I'm really easy to get along with – once you learn to worship me like the Queen I am.'
Me: XP
April: XD

RRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVVVVVVVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!