Ozuma followed Mariam to the hospital doors, and watched as the now-hyper brunette flew out the double doors and into a collision course with Mariam's arms. She looked to be giddy with excitement. What had she been in the hospital for anyway? Ozuma didn't really care. But with Hilary around Mariam, he couldn't get the chance to 'talk' with Mariam alone. He would have to continue following them, and wait for the time when Mariam headed for home to ambush her. He cracked his knuckles in anticipation.

"Oh, I'm so happy to be out of there!!!" Hilary grinned. Mariam shook her head at her hyper friend before smiling warmly.

"Do you feel better?"

"Well what do you think?" Mariam giggled slightly, and threw her arms around Hilary who was surprised, but happy to receive the hug. Both girls continued to stroll, Hilary carrying her backpack with all her hospital possessions in it. But soon, the jolly aura around the two lasses began to fade away as the sun began to set. Sadly, Hilary sighed as she supported herself using the metal guard rails fencing off the long drop down to the ocean below.

"I've missed my freedom so much... But I was, uh, wondering..." Mariam looked at Hilary vaguely as a blush began to tint her cheeks, "Did Tyson ask about me today?" Mariam 's stare turned into laughing eyes, but with a heart-felt smile.

"How could he ask about you Hil? He can't talk." Hilary smiled, and even forced a laugh. But as she turned away to stare at the sun setting beyond the horizon again, her smile was replaced by a frown. Mariam also didn't mean to upset her like that... Mariam turned to look at the sunset as well. "But I can tell he's worried." Hilary looked back to Mariam in a flash with a gaping mouth. The SaintShield was wearing a small smile, and Hilary watched as Mariam raised her arms and released her hair from it's hold. The violet strands flew out in all beautiful directions, and Hilary watched amazingly as Mariam's hair seemed to blend in with the ocean crashing below them. Hilary brought one of her own hands to her own hair, and felt the silky soft chocolate strands wrestling between her fingers, all the while being tousled by the sea wind. But Hilary's mind soon snapped back to normal as what Mariam said registered in her still mind.

"You're just saying that." Mariam looked at Hilary out of the corner of her eye.

"Sure, that's why Tyson walks around the room like a zombie, and only eats three times as much as the other animals." Hilary cracked a smile at that one, and once more, her smile turned to a frown as Mariam's smile went upside down.

"And how have you been?" Mariam's eyes scanned the horizon, as if waiting for the legendary Black Pearl to appear. (Hey, the guys turned into animals. Why not a ghost pirate ship?) Mariam didn't answer, she just rolled up the sleeve of her coat, shirt with it. Hilary's eyes bulged.

Her arm was nothing but red lines, some more vibrant than others. They were seeming to be cut left to right, straight. Hilary covered her mouth with her hands, especially at the newest one. It was red, the skin around it even more ghostly pale than Mariam's whole body. The wound was open, and it looked so painful.

"Please, tell me why!? I know Ozuma's been mean, but that's no reason to-"

"You have no idea! Don't talk about which you know nothing!" Mariam began to walk away quickly. Hilary flinched at her painful words but followed anyway.

"Please, I need to know! I care about you, everyone does! Especially Max!" Mariam looked at her. But Hilary covered her mouth in shock at her own words.

"...What?" Hilary threw her arms to her sides in anguish.

"Why are you so blind?! It's so obvious, Mariam! So obvious... Just like I know Tyson loves me! And I love Tyson, there, I said it! Hope the whole world hears it!" Mariam watched Hilary with still eyes, before springing to life.

"FUCK LOVE! I don't need it! What do you think life is, some magical fairytale? Oh, Hilary, let me tell you, that's not how it works! Love... Love stinks." Mariam finished. Hilary gulped slightly and looked away before returning her attention back to Mariam.

"Let me tell you something; My mom said she loved me, she said she loved my father and then she left us! She left us for some other man, and because of her leaving, she died..." Hilary's voice quailed down at that last syllable, but soon flared up again. "But I guess that's just the way it is, and love doesn't always work!" She looked confused, but at the same time sad. Hilary huffed and walked over to the guard rail once again. Mariam followed.

"I don't understand."

"That's Love. I guess when you find Love it's really beautiful and I don't know much about it besides what I've heard in music, but I know there's a reason why everybody wants it so much! Love may not be a fairytale,... But it's the closest thing we have to magic." Mariam was slightly open mouthed, and was now facing the just-about-set sun. "Please don't give up yet."

Mariam faced Hilary with an unsure look in her eyes. But she nodded.

"Come on. The boys will be wanting to see you. Tyson might have worn a hole in the floor by now." Hilary smiled a toothy smile and followed Mariam at a leisurely jog back to the SaintShields' place.

Ozuma took a deep breath as he struggled to take in all the sudden information. Mariam was a cutter? Hilary's mother was dead? And the BladeBreakers were at his place? What the hell???!!! Ozuma shook his head quickly. Things were so fucked up these days... And what, like it was his fault Mariam was a cutter?!.... Was it?... The boy shook his head roughly, getting all the sad feelings out and replacing them with a positive (in his case) thought. Mariam.... , the girl has problems up to ying yang, there's nothing really wrong with her at all! She's just being her emo self! Ozuma growled as he rose out of the bushes and watched the duo run to his home. The sun's last light bathed the grumbling boy in an orange glow. But his eyes were seeing more red as he started a slow walk in the same direction.

Mariam and Hilary slipped off their shoes (allowing a couple minutes for Mariam to untie her Converse), since Hilary was wearing flip flops. Dunga looked up with a start as Mariam and Hilary joined arms and ran into her bedroom, slamming the door behind them.

"SAVE THE DOOR!" Dunga yelled.

Once inside, Mariam faced the closed cianwood door, and stuck her tongue out in an immature giggled before turning on her heel and looking into four pairs of glittering eyes.

The excited creatures bounded off the bed and onto Hilary with such force that she fell backwards, hitting her head in the wall.

"Oh god dammit, the animals are raping people again!" Joseph said, closing his magazine and walking out into the kitchen to grab a drink of water. Dunga followed the olive-haired boy with crazy eyes.

Hilary smiled and rubbed the bump growing on her head as Mariam laughed hysterically.

"Enough hits in the head for a life time, thanks!" She giggled and smiled. Tyson had nestled his little body in Hilary's hands as she raised the guinea pig to eye level. "You know, when you turn back into a human, I think we have a lot of things to talk about." Hilary placed a small kiss on Tyson's head, and the guinea pig's fur turned a cherry red. Mariam smiled sadly, and she walked over to her bed and sat down. Hilary continued being showered with loving licks and messy tongues, until she finally got the strength to push the ecstatic critters off. And,almost all of them gae her loving looks. Then just sat in her lap approvingly.

An hour passed, and there was a lot of discussing going on (between Hilary and Mariam anyway). Until the time came for Hilary to go... Home. The clock struck 12. Hilary's heart stopped, and it was clear to Tyson that tears were beginning to form in her ruby eyes.

"Where are you going?!" Mariam said, standing up as soon as Hilary headed for the door. Ray and Max leapt off the bed in effect also. Hilary turned to look at her friends with teary eyes.

"I have to go back. I have to make things right." Mariam nodded, and Hilary stepped a toe out the door before poking her head back in. "You know, I learned something. It's not where you are in life, or what your situtation is.... It's who you're with." Mariam nodded, and twirled a strand of her hair. Hilary smiled her toothy smile, and took off at a run. Mariam looked down and headed after her, pausing at the main door. Hilary was on the ground, and running for home. Mariam smiled as Hilary's voice rang out again.

"Meet me at Kenny's tomorrow at twelve sharp! Goodbye!" Mariam laughed and waved Hilary off with her whole arm before turning to walk back into the house. She slowly made her way back to her room, and shut her door easily this time.

Ozuma stepped out of the shadows of the spare room, and watched the dark red door close slowly.

Hilary crept into her house, looking for any and all signs of her father's being. There came a groan from the living room. Hilary turned slightly, and took a deep breath. The brunette stepped forward into the dim light of her kitchen. Her drunk father was there, slouched over the kitchen table, cigarette in one hand, beer in the other.

"Daddy, I'm home." The man looked up suddenly, but still drunkily, he gazed at the new person in his home.

"Agnis? Agnis! I'm so happy you're-you're home!" her father began walking over to her, and wrapped Hilary in a hug. The crude smell of alcohol and smoke hurt her nose. She grumbled and pushed the old man off her, him falling to the floor without a fight. "What are you doing Ag-oh, Hilary... What the fuck are you doing up? And where have you been these last few days? The place is a fuckin' mess!" He yelled, now using the table to pull himself up on shaky legs. Before he was back on his feet, he made a grab for the front of Hilary's shirt. Not this time.

Hilary quickly moved, and grabbed his arm, twisting it at a painful angle. He yelped in pain, and tried to pull his arm away. Hilary held fast.

"I'm tired of this, Dad. You have a problem. A serious problem, and it's hurting everyone around you! Dad, you haven't worked in weeks, and you wonder why we don't have money so you can buy more beer. Beer you don't fucking need by the way. Mom is gone, Dad, mom is gone. And it's about time you figured that out. I'm going to call the police now, Dad, and you'll spend the night in jail. Just so I can make my point." Hilary's father continued to pull backwards, but when Hilary let go to head for the phone, he tumbled over in a crash and a painful boom.

The beyblading co-trainer walked into the living room, stepping over broken beer bottle glass in her flip flops that she had 'forgotten' to take off. But the police, Hilary would say that she had an alcoholic family member who was a public disturbance and a harm to himself and others ... Success! The police would come as soon as they could. By the time Hilary turned around, her father was standing in the entry way.

"Why are you doing this? We're fine, blame your fucking mother for everything else!" he attempted to say. Hilary shook her head, and bent over to pick up the remnants of broken glass. She heard him sigh, and then she smiled upon hearing sweet, sweet police sirens.

"Your ride's here Dad." Hilary gave her father a victorious smirk. A knock at the door. Hilary whistled a refreshing tune and walked to the waiting policemen at the door. About five minutes later, her father has his angry face pressed to the window glass of a squad car as Hilary waved a cheery goodbye.

No more more pain. It felt good, she felt... Safe. The police had agreed to hold him longer if he was not sobered up and talking sense to their questions by the next day. The only thing Hilary didn't look forward to now was the mess she had to clean up in her 'house' if you could call it that. The glass, the sour aroma of alcohol and cigarette smoke, dishes that more than doubled Tyson's usual supper plates in the sink, and the house was just plain horrible. The brunette sighed, and set to work.

An hour later, around two in the morning, Hilary collapsed on the green sofa in exhaustion, but tonight was life changing. The memories were painful, but now, perhaps they would change to good. When her mother's new family was killed in a car accident things were bad enough. Her father had started drinking back then, and she guessed it pained him, or angered him, to see his daughter looking so much like the woman who broke his heart. But now, as Hilary thought about it, that gave her Dad no reason to break hers'. And now, with Hilary's anger and her friends' support, she found a new fuel, a new drive to make things better. That was all thanks to them. She could even be dead right now if it weren't for them,... Tyson. Hilary found herself blushing with a happy smile. The problems had been solved that quickly. Hilary knew her father was being taken care of, and she also knew she was loved... By none-other-than Champ. I guess suicide really wasn't the way. Things were brightening up now... BANG! Yes, her journal! The thought hit her like a bolt from the blue. She sat up suddenly, Hil parted the pillows on the couch and removed her CD for a new addition;

October 26,2006

It's all over! Everything! I'm so relieved! Dad is finally getting the help he needs, my house looks liveable, and my song is almost complete! Tonight, I will finish the remaining verses. I have them all here, right in my head. I had to search hard. There were so many words I wanted to say to make it right, I did! I actually did! Now I only have one problem... I can't sing for shit, so who's going to actually bring my song to life? Well, I'll find way, oh, today is such a glorious day to be alive! Oh, and guess what? I GOT OUT OF THE HOSPITAL! YEAHHHHH! Wo0t! I'm very happy! It should be obvious, Mariam and Tyson stood by me the whole time. They did. I'm so happy. Now I can't believe I ever thought about suicide. Never again. Never again. Now, I only have one last thing to say before I finish my final, that's right, final, journal entry: It's two weeks from October twelveth, the day Tyson, Kai, Ray and Max became their animal counterparts... WELCOME HOME KENNY!

Hilary smiled and placed the slip of paper into the CD case before closing it, then walking out to the kitchen and dumping it into the trash can.

Mariam gave a pained yelp as Ozuma pushed her into the wall outside their house.

"Start explaining." The angered leader said as he pulled Mariam's sleeve up her arm, letting her cuts get acquainted with the cold night air. The night was cold indeed, and besides the rustling noise being caused by those two, the night was still and peaceful.

"Please, stop, I'm sorry for whatever I did!" Mariam turned her head away from him, and Ozuma lost sight of her emerald eyes. Then, something snapped. Ozuma's gaze softened as he heard Mariam's sadness. In pure shock, Ozuma stepped back, letting go of her gently. She sank to the ground, obviously scared and gulped.

'I only thought pushing her harder and keeping her brother away from her would inspire her to do better...' Ozuma cringed at Mariam's crying. He'd never seen his teammate so broken, so defeated. He gulped once. It really was his fault. Why she grew so away and distant... He thought maybe being harder on the team would inspire them. It worked for Dunga, and even Joseph was improving. But no, for Mariam, things just kept getting worse and worse. He thought she was going through a rebellious faze, just didn't want to take training. So,as punishment, he layed it on thicker than normal. All those threats of removal from the team, that stuff was all false! He'd never really do that.. To his friend. He closed his eyes, and sank to his knees, now facing Mariam's quivering form in the soft grass.

"I'm sorry." Mariam refused to look at him; She just kept her gaze looking away, somewhere toward the ocean, where maybe magic did exist? She resisted the urge to shake her head. Mariam's leather tie-up vest was draped over one shoulder now, and her emo locks covered her eyes. Good. She didn't want Ozuma to see her cry... But it was a little too late, as another tear fell onto a blade of grass, and Mariam found Ozuma's regretful arms around her. "I'm sorry..."

Hilary relaxed on the couch again, and placed the new song on the coffee table in front of her. The brunette wiped her forehead and sighed. You ever heard of someone getting exhausted writing a song? She sighed, she had been working hard all day...

There came a knock at the door for the second time that night. Hilary looked toward the door curiously before arising off the couch and heading to answer it. She pulled open the door.

"Hey."

"Hey! Come in, come in, don't stand around in the cold!" Hilary scooted Mariam into the house quickly, and put on a victorious smile as Mariam's eyes quickly adjusted to the new 'clean' surroundings.

"Hilary, wow, the place looks great!" Mariam said happily. Hilary smiled and nodded, before patting the couch for Mariam to sit down.

"I hope you know I can tell you've been crying." Hilary said, her smile fading almost instantly. Mariam's did too, and the SaintShield sighed.

"Yeah, I'm not explaining everything." Mariam and Hilary sat and talked for the next hour or so, neither minding the time. Mariam would have to spend the night. Hilary was soon lost in deep yawns and her eyes were fluttering shut. Mariam smiled.

"Lay down if you're so tired." Hilary smiled gratefully, and stretched out comfortably on her sofa.

"I probably won't be able to sleep anyway." She said, a bright smile still on her features.

"Excited? Me too!" Mariam laughed, but Hilary's laugh turned out to be more of a yawn. "Well get some sleep. I'll be fine. I think I'll just watch some TV or something." Mariam said, reaching across the coffee table for the remote control. Hilary grumbled.

"I can't sleep. Sing me a lullaby." Mariam looked up quickly. She blushed, but Hilary didn't retract her sentence. "Please?" Mariam sighed, and leant back into the love seat.

"What should I sing?" Hilary's tired eyes sparkled.

"Anything you want." Mariam thought for a moment before she began to sing. And Hilary had never heard something so beautiful in her life.

"I'll be your dream I'll be your wish I'll be your fantasy,
I'll be your hope I'll be your love be everything that you need.
I'll love you more with every breath truly, madly, deeply too.
I will be strong I will be faithful; because I'm counting on a new beginning,
A reason for living, a deeper meaning yeah...

I wanna stand with you on a mountain,
I wanna bathe with you in the sea.
I wanna lay like this forever,
until the sky falls down on me.

And when the stars are shining brightly in the velvet sky,
I'll make a wish send it to heaven, that'll make you want to cry.
The tears of joy for all the pleasure and the certainty, that we're surrounded by the comfort and protection
Of the highest power, and lonely hours,
The tears divide you.

I wanna stand with you on a mountain,
I wanna bathe with you in the sea.
I wanna lay like this forever,
Until the sky falls down on me.

Oh, can't you see it baby?
Don't have to close your eyes,
Cause it's standing right before you.
All that you need will surely come."

Mariam stopped singing and smiled at Hilary's sleeping form before quietly turning on the television and watching it. Looking forward to tomorrow, when everything would be normal again.