Second chapter! :)

Next morning boys woke up by someone beating their door.

"Wake up! Wake up!" Hilary yelled from the other side. The beating went on.

Daichi rose from the blankets to see Kenny going to open the door.

"What is it?" he asked.

"That's what I'm about to find out", Kenny replied. He was fully dressed so he had probably been awake for already some time. Other three were still in their beds, though Max and Ryou showed some signs of awakening. Tyson was still snoring.

Kenny opened the door. Hilary and Rini rushed in.

"What's the big idea, you two?" asked Ryou with sleepy voice.

"We got us some program for today!" Rini hollered. "We'll tell more during breakfast."

"Did you bother Ray and Mariah too?" Max asked.

"We didn't need to; they were already awake when we got there", Hilary said. "Setsuna's waking Mira up –which won't be easy- so Tyson's only one asleep here."

"He's not for long", Daichi grinned. He got off his bed. "Wake up!" He jumped on Tyson's stomach.

"IAAAA!" Blue haired boy screamed. Daichi jumped back down.

"See?" He said to others.

"Daichiii", Tyson growled holding his stomach. Next second he chased his younger partner around the room. "Get back here you little…"

"Wow wow, a civilian in the way!" Ryou said and escaped to the bathroom away from their way.

Ray appeared to the open door. "Already up here?" He got out of his mouth and then he quickly jumped out of the way as two boys continued their tag-game to the corridor. "Forget I asked…"

Max laughed. "Let the kids play." He turned to two girls. "So, what did you say about today?"

"There's really beautiful nature here!" Rini explained. "Let's go for little hiking!"

Kenny cried out. "Hiking?"

Hilary grinned. "It'll make good to you."

Ray laughed. "Well, sounds good to me."

"Me too!" Called Mariah who had just appeared next to him.

"Yay! Hiking!" Daichi yelled as he and Tyson returned to others. Setsuna and Mira followed them, Mira looking very sleepy.

"Well, by plurality it's decided!" Rini told.

"What plurality?" Tyson asked. "Half of us haven't even voted."

"Ryou's on our side. Right, Ryou!"

"Sure, whatever", the boy called. Rini turned to Setsuna and Mira. Setsuna raised her shoulders. Mira was dozing, but snapped awake and looked around.

"Huh? Huh?"

Rini turned back to Tyson, smiling. Tyson showed long face.

After breakfast they stepped out into the sunlight.

"Good thing the rain stopped!" Hilary said.

"Yeah", Rini agreed.

They went to the sign which told the lengths of the nature trails.

"There's…" Mira quickly counted them, "eight of them. Which one we take?"

"The Spring of Good Luck. Witch Ridge. Wish cascade", Max read. "Who makes up these?"

Rini pointed the spring. "That? It has nice name."

"We choose it by name?" Tyson asked.

Rini raised her shoulders. "It's not too long either."

"I want to go there!" Daichi said and pointed the second name Max listed.

"That's the longest one!" Mira complained.

"No it's not. Second longest."

"Four kilometres here and there, almost the same."

"Well I'm going there, you guys do what you want", Daichi announced.

"Well, it's not like we have to go all to the same trail", Kenny said.

"Yeah", Ray agreed. "I'm up to Daichi's idea."

"Me too", Mariah said.

"Oh, well, you three are created for nature", Hilary laughed. "I'm going with Rini to the spring."

In the end they were split so that Tyson, Max, Kenny, Hilary and Rini went to the spring and Daichi, Ray, Mariah, Ryou and Setsuna went to the ridge. Since the spring would take shorter time they agreed they'd meet at the hotel.

When they separated, Mariah for some reason felt like being watched. She looked around, but only thing she saw besides her friends was a black bird that was sitting in the tree little further.

"What a weird looking bird", she thought. But then again, she didn't know every Japanese bird species.

"Come on, Mariah, or you'll be left behind", Ray called. They were already gotten far.

"Coming!" She rushed after them.

Same time elsewhere in underground room a shadowy figure looked at the big screen. He grinned.

"It is time, my children", he said. Five figures behind him waited for orders. "Go."

"Yes, my lord!" The Five bowed and left. When they got out of the cave, others nodded to one, who nodded back. That one jumped rushed away. Other four left to the forest.

...

"Let's have a little break."

"Good idea."

Ryou sat on the rock and took a bottle of water from his back bag. He took a gulp and gave it to Ray. "Here."
"Thanks." Ray also gulped some water. Setsuna offered her bottle to Mariah.

After about two hours of hiking in the forest they were now about at the half way of the high ridge. The trees had gotten lesser and there were more rocks and small bushes. Down they saw a swamp.

"We've come already pretty far", Mariah said. "Who could have known that another side of that beautiful place was something like this?"

"Everything has its ugly side", Ryou laughed.

"Mm-m. But this is also beautiful view in its own way", Ray said. Others agreed to that.

"What are you sitting there for? Come on!" Daichi's voice called. They looked up and saw he was already much higher.

"Where does he get all that energy?" Ryou wondered.

"I still don't know, but it never seems to be used up", Ray replied. "Oh well, let's go."

Daichi made it all way up first (of course). It was pretty high up and the edge of the ridge had gotten steep on the sides. There was a small shrine and a sign that told the distances on the ridge. The rocky road went on for some meters and then it started to turn and go down.

Daichi stepped near to the edge and admired the view while waiting for others. The wind blew to his face. He took a deep breath. There was really good smell in the air. But also he smelled that something was wrong.

"Wonder what?" Daichi thought. "Oh well, it doesn't have anything to do with me."

Others got to him soon. Setsuna looked at the sign.

"We're at the half way."

"Is it just me or is the wind getting stronger?" Mariah asked.

"Yeah", Ray answered. A very strong gust of wind hit them. Everyone covered their faces.

"Weird. The forecast said it would be sunny and warm day but there's clouds gathering to the sky", Ryou noted.

"But… there's clouds only on us", Setsuna added. And true, elsewhere the sky was clear. On them the clouds formed a swirl.

"That can't promise good", Daichi said. Wind got stronger and soon a tornado was formed. The five friends grabbed the sign so they wouldn't get pulled in.

"This isn't normal anymore!" Ryou commented.

Ray observed the tornado for a minute. "You're right. It's not. This is doing of a Bit-Beast!"

"What?"

"But if so, where's the blade and the blader then?" Mariah asked.

"I don't know. But they must be somewhere near."

Right on the cue the tornado started to subside, revealing two persons behind it. When it was completely disappeared they saw that another was maybe a boy little older than themselves with long, sandy brown hair on ponytail and wearing old-fashioned Japanese clothes. Another was little boy with brown hair and he was wearing t-shirt and shorts. Little one was smiling in pretty crazy way, tall one's face was expressionless. He picked a small object from the ground: a beyblade.

"That's them?" The little boy said, looking at the group under the sign. "Doesn't look too special."

"Do not underestimate them", the older one said.

Ray recovered first from confuse and got his mouth open. "You did that tornado?"

The older boy smirked. "Me."

"Hey, Suzaku, can we get on with this already?" The little boy asked. "Ru wants action!"

"You'll get it. Soon", the other one said. "But the formalities first. My name is Suzaku. This is Rudon."

"But just call me Ru!"

"You two." Suzaku looked at Ray and then to Daichi. "We have little business with you."

The two mentioned and stepped forward.

"Like what?" Daichi asked.

"What do you think?" Ru took out a beyblade launcher. Suzaku put his beyblade to his sword he had on his belt and got ready to draw. Daichi and Ray changed looks and both took out their own blades.

"Stay back", Ray said when Mariah was about to join in. The girl backed off back to the other two.

"Remember our purpose, Ru", Suzaku told to his small friend. "Don't go all over."

"Yes, yes…" Ru didn't sound too happy.

"Well are going to do this today or not?" Daichi asked. Their enemies smirked.

"Let's let it rip!" Ru yelled and launched his blade. Suzaku drew his sword and his blade started to move. Ray and Daichi followed their example.

"I don't know who you are or what you want, but you're going down!" Daichi shouted. "Go Strata Dragoon!" His blade charged towards Ru's.

Ru grinned. "Who's bringing who down? Empoleon!"

The blue spinning top dodged the attack and suddenly appeared behind the purple one. It attacked an attack after another.

"Aah!" Daichi yelled and growled. Ru laughed.

Ray ordered his blade to attack Suzaku's. His green blade took the attack and flew further, but showed no sign of even swaying. White Tiger launched another attack but this time he missed.

"What? Where did it-?"

"Look up", Suzaku said. Ray looked and saw Suzaku's balde in the air. But wasn't falling like it should. It actually stayed in air, spinning and moved normally. "My turn. Attack, Salamence!"

The blade rushed down to ground and hit Ray's blade. Driger swayed for a second but continued spinning.

"Your blade can… fly?"

Suzaku smirked. "Surprised?"

"Got to admit, I am", Ray replied

Same time Daichi had his hands full with Ru.

"Go, Strata Dragoon!" Purple hit blue.

"Hehee~ Think you can handle this?" Ru asked. His blade started to move quickly around Daichi's Strata Dragoon. It almost looked like there were five blades more.

Ru ordered an attack. Blue blade separated from the circle and hit Daichi's blade and like a flash returned to its place.

Daichi tried to follow the circle with his eyes. Again a hit. He started to lose his patience.

"Okay, calm down. There's only one real", he though. Again blue blade flashed out and back in from the circle. Then Daichi got an idea. He waited, watching blue circle sharply. When blue spot started to separate from it, he was ready.

"Now!" Strata Dragoon dashed towards the separated blade. And Daichi's idea worked! The blade flew back and the circle disappeared.

Now it was Ru's turn to growl and Daichi's turn to laugh.

"Finishing move! Strata Dragoon, Great Cutter!" His blade created a yellow circle around itself and charged towards Ru's blade. It hit and blue blade flew into the air. It fell back on the ground to Ru's legs swaying.

Ray dodged another air attack. "No way a beyblade can fly", he thought. "There must be some trick." Again dodge. "Maybe if I…"

"Driger, attack!" His blade rushed towards another one. Once again it jumped up.

"You still haven't noticed? That doesn't help!" Suzaku said.

"I know. That's why…" Driger also jumped up. Suzaku's eyes opened wide. "I'm trying something else. Driger, Gatling Claw!" White Tiger blade copied itself and whirled around Suzaku's blade, attacking from different directions. Both blades fell down.

"Hahahaa! You're not so happy anymore?" Daichi laughed.

"Why you…" Ru mumbled.

"Ru." Suzaku called him with reminding voice.

"I know, I know."

"We've seen enough for now", Suzaku said turning back to their opponents. He picked his beyblade. "Let's go."

"Aww… Okay." Ru took his blade.

"H-hey! You can leave! The battle isn't over yet!" Daichi complained.

"Let's say it's your victory", Suzaku suggested.

"You're giving up?" Ray asked.

Suzaku smirked. "For now", he replied. A strong gust of wind swept trough the area. Ray and Daichi covered their faces with their hands. When they could look again, their opponents had disappeared.

"Huh? They're gone?" Daichi looked around.

Their friends came to them.

"What a weird guys", Ryou commented.

"You said it." Ray turned to them.

"Wonder what they wanted from you", Mariah wondered.

"I don't know. But at least they don't have any good in mind."

"Yeah", Daichi agreed. "Not normal blades can fly."

"That's right. There must be something in that eye can't see", Ray said.

"You didn't figure it yet? Then how did you know to attack like that?" Ryou asked.

Ray smiled and raised his shoulders. "Improvised."

Others sweet dropped.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I just lost my hiking feeling", Mariah said.

"Me too", Ray agreed. "Why don't we go back? The others should be back soon too."

Everyone agreed and they started to make their way back the route they had came.

Yes, I know... their bit beasts are POKEMON! I was too lazy to start thinking any cool names of my own ;) Rest of the group has them too. So live with it. Sorry.

I really suck at battle parts -_- oh well.