Mei: I finally updated this thing n.nI'm so proud of myself! Well, not really. I think I could have done better… it's kind of short and the beginning wasn't as fluffy as I wanted it to be – it wasn't fluffy at all -.-;; But at least I updated, ne? n.n

(random moment from beta-reader: ::pouts:: you said you'd make it fluffy ::continues with the pouting:: /random moment)

Kai: You have no outline for this fic. All you know about it is that one chapter near the end where I get-

Mei: Don't give it away! You're going spoil the whole plot! ::glares::

Kai: That's my point. You don't have a plot!

(She might… I think.)

Disclaimer – If you honestly believe that I own beyblade then you have serious issues. (In other words I don't – so all you sue-happy peoples can go away :P)

Warning – If X is equal to Y and Y is equal to X then what is the value of X plus Y plus X plus Y? (It's yaoi – don't like gay boys? Then don't read)

Tyson: You really are getting bored of writing those Warnings, aren't you?

Mei: Whatever gives you that idea?

When the Snow Falls

Chapter Two

They landed in Moscow around noon. Hilary had moaned and complained that the plane ride had made her feel sick, and Max had quickly volunteered to take her to the washroom – earning a disapproving look from the Chief.

The remaining four boys now sat at a bench waiting for their friends to return. Kenny was getting edgy,

"What's taking them so long?" he asked anxiously, gazing at the airport's clock. He had been pacing back and forth in front of the bench the others were sitting at (save for Kai who seemed to prefer leaning against the wall) ever since Max had left with Hilary.

"Geez Chief," Ray chuckled, "They've only been gone for a few minutes."

"Yeah well, anything could have happened," Kenny replied nervously, "The airport's a big place! They could have been abducted or something and we wouldn't even know about it! Hilary's never been traveling before, she would know-"

"Calm down, Kenny," said Tyson reassuringly, "Maxie's a good guy, he'll look after Hil'."

"That's what I'm afraid of," muttered Kenny darkly.

It didn't take long for them to travel to the hotel, once Max and Hilary had returned. Tyson and Ray had taken turns sitting beside Hilary, in the hopes of preventing any glaring matches between Max and the Chief. Hilary herself was completely oblivious to all this; as she was too busy staring out the window in awe.

Tyson really didn't see what she found so fascinating about all of this, the first time he'd been to Russia, he'd only been interested in the food, but his classmate was rambling on about culture and history. It was all lost on her navy-haired friend, as he never paid any attention in those classes.

"…and have you ever heard of Ivan the Terrible? He even killed his own son! Can you believe that?"

Tyson blinked, not really paying attention, "Why would he kill his son?"

"I don't know, he was evil," said Hilary shuddering.

"He wasn't evil – he was insane, but not evil."

Tyson jumped, "Kai! When did you get here?" he laughed nervously, "Haven't I ever told you not to sneak up on me like that?"

The elder boy cast him an amused look, "Kinomiya, I've been sitting here the whole time."

"Oh! Yeah… I knew that," replied Tyson, feeling incredibly stupid, That explains why I didn't see him at the back of the bus.

Hilary frowned, "Well if he wasn't evil, then why did he beat his own son to death?"

"They had an argument," Kai stated calmly.

"Oh, well that's a lovely reason," the brunette muttered sarcastically.

Kai shrugged, "He was mentally unstable."

"Gee, you think?"

The bus screeched to a halt.

"Hey, we made it!" said Ray, hopping up immediately. Tyson could understand the Chinese teen's relief – Ray had been stuck sitting in an uncomfortable silence between Kenny and Max. Needless to say, anyone would find it unnerving. Yet, Tyson felt there were other reasons that his friend was being so cheerful…

"Yeah Ray… I hear Mariah is staying at the same hotel," the world champion grinned as he watched an interesting shade of pink spread across the neko-jin's features.

"Well- you- I…" Tyson watched with satisfaction as Ray fumed at his inability to think up and come backs, "Just wait until I get my revenge," he said in mock threat.

Tyson followed his friend off of the bus, his feet sinking into the snow and causing him to shiver. He could have sworn he saw a little gleam of triumph in Kai's eyes that seemed to be saying "I told you so!" but if it was ever there, it was gone in a flash.

"Okay… Let's see here," Kenny was squinting behind his large thick glasses at a small piece of paper, "It says here that Mr. Dickenson rented us three rooms, one with three beds, one with two beds and one with only one bed."

"That one's Hilary's, I guess," said Ray.

"So… That leaves the rest of us to share the other two rooms, right?" said Max slowly.

Ray grinned mischieviously, "Tyson can bunk with Kai!"

The champion blader could feel himself doing a goldfish impression, "Why me?! You always shared a room with him before!"

Something seemed to flicker deep inside those crimson depths, but before Tyson could figure out what it was Kai spoke, and they vanished, "He's right Ray, we should stick to what we're used to."

"Well, no offense Kai, but I think some change would be… refreshing," said Ray calmly, "You never know, something good might come out of it. You and Tyson might actually get to know each other…" he paused and added slyly, "Really well…"

Tyson felt like screaming. The older boy was doing this on purpose! Just for the sake of humiliating him – and worse, it was working! What poor Tyson didn't realize, was that while he and the others understood what Ray was implying, Kai didn't.

"Whatever."

Ray gave a satisfied smile, saying his next words softly so that their captain wouldn't hear, "That, Tyson, was my revenge."

"Yeah well… You just wait until… um… until I get my revenge!" retorted the younger boy lamely.

The neko-jin chuckled, and cast Tyson an evil grin, "Well… You never know. You and the old sourpuss might end up having some fun after all."

Tyson raised a puzzled eyebrow at this comment… but a few minutes late his stormy blue eyes widened and his cheeks turned a bright shade of red, "Hentai!!"

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Mariah growled, she was not going to lose this match. Too much depended on it, her team was at stake. Kevin and Gary… They were counting on her. Galux was counting on her…

She couldn't lose, not again.

She remembered Ray telling her about him, how he had always been – for lack of a better word – a jerk. Despite that, he and the other boys – the Bladebreakers – had always trusted him. He was their captain, their leader… but not anymore.

She remembered when he had betrayed them, the looks of shock on their faces. They hadn't a chance of winning without him, had they?

She remembered one of them running over and trying to talk to him, only to be brushed aside.

But most of all, she remembered Emily, she remembered the look on Emily's face when she and the other All Stars had lost.

Now she was losing, like Gary had before her.

Galux was losing…

It wouldn't happen again.

"Galux! Attack!" she could do this, she knew she could. She was stronger now than she had been then – and this wasn't the Black Dranzer…

"Wolborg!"

Shards of ice were flying everywhere, and she could hear Kevin somewhere far off, screaming her name worriedly. It didn't matter, she wouldn't lose… not this time.

The wind was blowing so hard that it stung her cheeks, and ripped her silken pink ribbon from her hair. Kevin's faint voice had been drowned out completely, and she couldn't hear anything – except for the howl of the wind and the distant clashing of their battle.

She heard the boy chuckle, somewhere on the other side of the snowstorm, and barely had time to register his faded words as a block of ice shattered in front of her, spraying tiny, sharp, glass-like pieces into her face. A pink beyblade flew from the dish as the blizzard died down.

She blinked, stunned. In the background she could hear Lee, raging against her opponent, vowing to avenge his teammates. She could faintly hear Kevin and Gary asking her if she was alright…

Galux was gone…

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Mariah bolted upright in bed, bright pink hair plastered to her face, feline eyes wide and fearful. She forced herself to calm down as she took in her surroundings. Sunlight shone dimly through the curtains on the far side of the room, casting intricate patterns of light and shadow across the beds. The boys were still fast asleep, Gary snoring loudly and Kevin making the occasional grunt.

It was all a dream… Mariah stood up, dazedly and walked over to the window. The tournament was starting tomorrow, and she and the other White Tigers were battling in the second round… but first there was going to be a party, which all the teams were invited to. This was mainly so that Mr. Dickenson could make some minor announcements.

She smiled, Ray would be there. It had been a while since she had seen him. He'd left their village near the start of summer to visit his friends in Japan. She turned cheerfully and walked back to her bed, when she noticed something odd. Her beyblade sat on the table beside her bed, glimmering faintly in the morning sunlight. She could have sworn she had left it in her bag. Similarly, Lee's Kevin's and Gary's blades all sat on the table beside it, lined up in a neat little row.

We didn't leave them like that… Mariah walked over to the table cautiously picking up Galux and examining it closely, and that was when she noticed. The very center of the blade, where the bit-piece should have been, was missing. Galux was gone.

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Kai watched the snow fall from the roof of the building, feeling the wind whip the small specks of ice into his face and watching it toy with his slowly dampening scarf out of the corner of his eye. He didn't know what had possessed him to come up here. He told himself that it was probably the letter, but a voice in the back of his mind whispered something else.

He didn't want to be here, but he was never sure of what he wanted these days. He wanted the sweet things, and sometimes he felt a craving for the bitter things, but he never felt that he deserved either of them. Apathy could be both a curse and a gift, but Kai never had the right timing for it. Whenever his emotions became too much to handle, he wished for it and it never came – and when it was cold, indifferent and detached he felt himself wishing he could feel, and he never did.

What Kai did know, was that whatever it was that had brought him up here could go to hell, and Boris Balkov could go with it.

"So Kai, I trust you understand what your task is?"

Kai said nothing. He could remember the days when his grandfather would give him assignments in person, instead of sending his lackey to do it. Oh, he hated being used either way, but at least it was less insulting to be ordered around directly. Not that he didn't have a choice – he didn't have to be up here, but he was. He didn't know why. That same voice was still whispering, taunting him because it knew, and he didn't.

"Well, Kai? I haven't got all day to wait for a spoiled brat to make up his mind," even though his back was turned to the man, Kai could see the smirk planted on Balkov's face, "I could always use someone else…"

Somehow that struck a nerve. And again that little voice snickered, chanting I know, I know... and Kai nearly shouted, "Then shut up and tell me!" but he didn't. The voice receded into a thin whisper before disappearing completely, leaving him out in the cold like it always did.

The point was, despite his disgust at what he was being assigned to do, it seemed thousands of times worse to think of his grandfather using someone else. It felt like being replaced, cast aside. He didn't know why he should care, but he did. He didn't want to be replaced.

"Fine," he replied softly.

"Ah, good," again, Kai could just see the twisted grin spreading across the man's face, "I knew you'd come around, Kai," he heard Boris turn to leave, pronounced heavy steps crunching into the thin layer of snow that had built up on the rooftop, "Oh, and I trust there will be no failures?"

"None."

"That's a good boy. It's a simple enough task, don't you agree? Tala and the others have already taken care of the other teams – all you need to worry about is the Bladebreakers."

Kai watched the snowflakes silently as they coated the city in a thick, white blanket. He wondered faintly if the grass was kept warm beneath that icy quilt, or if it was just as frozen as it's crystal surface…

"You know what to do, don't you, Kai?"

"…Yes."

Mei: It's too short! ::cries:: Why can't I write any more? Why? ::bangs head on desk:: X.X

Tyson: Are you going to make Kai leave the team again? Isn't that kinda cliché?

Mei: No, I wouldn't make him leave… It have other torture in mind for him! MUAHAHAHAHA!!

Tyson: Riiiiiight….

Reviews:

Glay – Thanks n.n No, Kai won't hurt himself. I'm not saying he won't get hurt though n.n Being evil is so much fun!

Sunny – Yeah, I know what's gonna happen too! Um, sort of… n.n;;

YamikaiemiBlackAngelMaritamai – Me too! I need to figure that out O.o

Flamable-Devil – Hehe… I ish going to be very evil. Very very evil… those bishies won't know what hit them! MUAHAHA!! ::winks::

Maxie's Cute – I'm sorry I took so long to update. n.n;; I didn't plan out this fic very well. But yes – tyka rules!!! n-n

Hutchy – Kai probably is. -.-;; I have a bad habit of making them OOC especially him. No, but Kenny will get his turn to be jealous ::evil grin::

Fireie Gurl – I updated! It wasn't exactly soon.. but yeah… n.n;;

Kai-Lovr – Kai is stressed… but I'll try not to make him too angsty, unless of course people want him to be angsty, but I never liked fics that were too angsty and… well, I'm rambling now n.n;;

(random note from the beta-reader: She ish always rambling. /random moment)

Galux Kitty – Thanks for reviewing my story n-n Ray and Mariah are one of my favourite pairings but I never write about them for some odd reason… I blame the sugar n.n

Midnight Raven 3 – Unfortunatley, updating is not my storng point… n.n;; But I'm glad you like it!

Bey-bygurl – I'm sorry Kai, but you're wrong: You are Tyson's baby, whether you like it or not, so nyah! and… I have a fan? Really? n-n YAY! n.n;;

Kiina – Thankies! n-n Kai cutting is overused… Heck, Kai-angst is overused, but I still like it n.n;;

Ms. Hobgoblin – Thanks n-n Glad you like it :)

Bra-Two – You read it twice? You're kidding. I couldn't even stand reading it once – I had to get my friend to proof-read it for me n.n;; Lol. I updated now, n-n;;

(And I'm still the one proof-reading!)

Mei: Thanks for reviewing everyone! Makes me feel really special! n.n

Tyson: ::snorts:: You're not special… you're a freak.

(And you are? ::Gets hucked out door by Muses cause there's no more beta-ing for now:: Owie? Update Mei.)

Mei: Yes… updates n.n;; I know what and update is. n-n

Kai: No, you're a baka who doesn't even know her math.

Mei: That was mean T.T

Kai: You're mean to me.

Mei: True. Review please!! n-n