ShiareiChan: hey hey. I'm sorry guys!!! (cries) It took me a while to do this, but I've been really busy with schoolwork and friends and plus I had to think of continuing this and ya, enough of the excuses. But I thanky all the reviewers, I'm very happy. And I've made it onto a few fave stories lists, so I'm extremely happy about that. Thankys Forfirith-on-a-sugar-high!!!! But ya, I shall get to the ficcie now.

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade; as much as I would LOVE to..damn copyrights...... --

Chapter 4: Hangin With the Beasts

It was after breakfast and everyone had all gone off in different directions to spend the morning with their bit-beasts. Kai lounged in a squishy armchair in the library. Dranzer sat across from his master in another squishy chair.

"So, I presume you are, ano, with Rei now, Master Kai?" Inquired the pheonix.

Kai looked at his partner and raised an eyebrow, "And this came from....?" Fire danced in his crimson orbs.

Dranzer merely blinked. "Just wondering Kai-Dono."(1)

At the mention of the suffix, the slate-haired teen sighed and shook his head. "Must you call me that Dranzer? I'm just...Kai."

"I'm sorry Master, er, Kai. But you are my wielder and master; it is only customary to do so." The redhead bowed, then looked pointedly at Kai; who gave up.

"Yes, if you want an answer Dranzer, I suppose I am... I guess.." He sank back into his chair, mulling over his thoughts.

Dranzer nodded knowledgeably and gave a small smile. "I thought so Master, it is, ah, only fate. But beware, even the cuddliest of kittens can turn out to be tigers. You two will have to deal with your pasts very soon." The pheonix also sat back in his chair, and began to admire his hands; tan and strong.

Kai looked up through his bangs, puzzled. "My..past? But Rei already knows about that, and I don't need help with my love life thank you." He stared coldly.

"Yes, yes. He knows that past Master Kai," replied Dranzer impatiently, taking no notice of the cold stare, "But it's been two years since the last Championships Master, what about in between then hmm?" The firebird looked down and continued to admire his hands.

Kai sat upright and gave a malicious glare to the pheonix. "Hn, that's my business Dranzer." His eyes burned darkly.

Dranzer's own eyes flashed and he bowed his head. "Of course Master Kai." His garnet eyes watched as his master sank back into the chair and his ever present thoughts. 'But beware, the past shall collide with the future shortly...'

(Max and Draciel in the hotel arcade)

"Wow Max!! I didn't know you humans had so many awesome things here!" the lilac-haired girl jumped up and down, receiving strange glances from passers-by.

"Calm down Draciel!" said Max, waving a hand, "You have to act, er, human-ish. Otherwise people will think you are crazy!" the blonde laughed at his friend.

"Well, this, vid-aeo game, or whatever you call it, is totally wicked!!" Draciel's emerald eyes sparkled like magic.

Max sighed. "Vid-eo game Draciel, vid-eo. You'll have to learn to fit in here. Although, we are in Paris, so accents shouldn't matter ne?" he mused. He watched Draciel hastily punch buttons (A/N yay!! buttons!!) and weaving the joystick around. Her tongue was out in concentration as she kicked virtual ass.

"Nothin like Street Fighter 2, eh Draciel?" Max asked.

"Oh yeah!" cried the bit-beast, "But I'm a bit, ano, what's the word, hungry. Can we get something to eat Maxie?" She batted her glittering eyes at the blonde.

"Alright, I'm hungry too Draciel. Lemme introduce you to pizza!!" Max suddenly had a burst of energy and grabbed the turtle's slender wrist as he pulled her out to one of the hotel restaurants. (A/N I didn't know what to call her! Draciel is a sort of turtle isn't it??)

When they were seated and served; with odd glances as well, Draciel looked down at her slices of pepperoni pizza and had an extremely non-plussed look gracing her face. "So this is piz-zah? How do you eat it??" She looked pleadingly at her master.

Max chuckled, "Pizza Draciel. All you do is pick up a slice in your hands and take a bite out of it on the smaller end. It's really good." He demonstrated for her with his own slice. "See? It's pie."

Draciel hesitantly picked up a slice and replied, "But I thought it was pizza?" She took a small bite and swallowed, before bursting into delight. "But whatever you call it, it's sure as hell good Max!!" She began to gnaw ravenously at the slice.

'Lucky we're in a private booth here,' thought Max, 'I guess they don't really know much about this era, and Draciel gets pretty excited...'

(Tyson and Dragoon at the swimming pool)

"Aww, c'mon Dragoon!!" a boisterous voice pierced through the air. "Just try it! It's lots of fun, I'll help you. Just stay in the shallow end!!"

The ice-haired dragon peered over the edge of the pool in his dark blue swim trunks, clearly hesitant and unsure of what Tyson was doing. He shook his head furiously and clutched his towel to his chin.

Tyson laughed heartily. "Dragoon! I didn't expect you of all people, to be afraid of anything!! C'mon, get yer ass in here and lemme show you how to swim!!" He jumped around a little and splashed a handful of water at the dragon.

Dragoon winced at the splash of water, but at his master's remark, he bared his teeth slightly and growled. "Me, afraid? I don't think so Master Tyson!!" He ran and jumped into the water beside Tyson, resulting in a huge splash that drenched the boy.

"Alright buddy! You did it! But why did you call me Master?" the brown-eyed boy looked quizzically at the dragon.

Dragoon stood up in the water and spluttered, then slicked his hair back. "Well you are my master, are you not?" He splashed happily around in the water, enjoying its coolness.

Tyson looked at his friend, then shook his head. "No Dragoon, I may use you as my bit-beast, but I'm not your master, I'm your friend, okay?" He held a hand out to his partner, "You shake my hand okay? It's for an agreement."

Dragoon stared at the outstretched hand for a few moments, then grasped it warmly. "Okay Tyson, thanks. Now, you were going to teach me how to er, swim?" His stormy eyes sparkled.

Tyson nodded. "All you have to do is go on your front and float. Then you stretch your arms out and sort of paddle them around, like a windmill. See?" He swam the width of the pool with ease and grace. (A/N Tyson? Graceful?? What am I saying??) He swam back to Dragoon's side and popped up. "Alright? Now you try buddy!"

Dragoon eyed the water, then dove into it, his streamlined figure gliding through the water like a water creature. His muscled arms carried him from the end of the pool and back to his master. He stood up and shook his head, smiling elatedly. "Wow! Is that how you do it Tyson? That was fun, I like this swimming thing."

Tyson gaped at his wet friend. The navy-haired blader couldn't believe Dragoon had caught on so easily to the technique of swimming. "Amazing Dragoon! You did it perfectly! Let's have a few races eh?" He laughed.

The dragon grinned and nodded. 'Wow, this is so much fun hanging out with Tyson. Who knew being human could be such a blast?' He then eagerly joined his partner at the edge of the pool getting ready to race.

(Rei and Driger in a park)

The wind blew gently on the two neko-jins' faces. Rei laid in content upon the soft grass on a hill knoll overlooking a park. Driger leaned against a tree of blooming cherry blossoms, its fragrant scent enveloping the two.

"Driger?"

"Yes Master Rei?" came the tiger's reply.

"What's it like being stuck inside a bit-piece for so long?" asked Rei as he propped himself up on his arms.

The tiger looked over at his partner, then his red-gold eyes stared at the sky. "It's...demanding, I suppose Master Rei. Why do you ask?"

The neko-jin shrugged. "I was wondering. It would be kinda tiring being commanded what to do all the time wouldn't it?" His amber orbs stared at his bit-beast.

"Yes, it is. But you get used to it I guess...Besides Master, you have been the best wielder of my power so far, I enjoy being in your company, human or not."

"Really Driger?" Rei asked. "But why do you call me Master?"

Driger shook his snowy head. "It's customary I suppose, but I respect you, so it is how I address you."

"Well thanks Driger..." the raven-haired teen laid back down on the grass, breathing in the smell of cherries contentedly.

The tiger nodded. "Perhaps I may ask you a question Master?"

Rei nodded, "Of course, any time. Go ahead."

"Are, you with Kai, Master Rei? I noticed you two exchanging glances quite often, and they weren't ordinary looks..."

A look of surprise crossed the teen's face, but he smiled. "I'm not sure you would call us together Driger, but I do have feelings for him. Shouldn't you know? I transfer my thoughts and feelings to you every now and then."

Driger nodded. "Yes of course, but I merely wondered. Quite clever with the ice cream I must say..." His eyes flashed humouredly.

Rei shot up and stared at the tiger. "Wha?" But he laughed and lay once again upon the grass. "Heh, I suppose Driger. I was getting tired of waiting, and besides, he stared at me like a million times every night at dinner, so I figured why the hell not eh?" He chuckled.

Driger stared, a little taken aback at his master's words, but nodded and smiled. "Of course Master. It is no surprise that you two would, er, be taken with each other I guess."

The Chinese boy nodded. "There, wouldn't happen to be anything between you and Dranzer would there Driger?" He grinned.

The tiger's mouth gaped. "Well, I guess you could say that...If it is alright with you first though Master." He averted his gaze to the sky once more.

Rei laughed. "It's totally alright with me Driger, after all, if I'm gonna be with Kai, then we shouldn't deny that option for you two ne? Go ahead; be human while you've got the chance."

The bit-beast flushed heavily and they lapsed into silence, enjoying the day.

(Chief and Dizzi in the garden)

Kenny and Dizzi sat on one of the numerous benches in the hotel's large, maze-like garden. There was a fountain nearby, a perfect scaled down model of the Eiffel Tower. Water spilled from the top down to the many basins around it and below, creating a wine glass effect. The smell of roses and lilacs hung in the air. The bushes were lush and green; everything was fresh and relaxing.

Dizzi stretched on the bench and lay back against the seat. "Boy, the French sure know how to live eh Chief? Everything is so beautiful." A deft hand reached out and plucked a sprig of lilac off a nearby bush. She breathed in the lovely scent.

"It is all rather beautiful isn't it?" replied Kenny, looking up from his laptop. He closed the lid. "It's so strange not to have you in my computer anymore Dizzi. I'm used to your entity in there, not here." He shifted his glasses and flexed his arms out; enjoying the sunshine.

"Aw, you miss me Chief?" cooed Dizzi. "How sweet! But I love it out here. Everything is so much more natural. I was tired of a digital environment. I'm so glad you finally finished that program." She continued to admire the lilac.

Kenny blushed lightly and smiled, "I couldn't have done it without you Dizzi, you were a big help."

The bit-beast's face lit up and her amethyst eyes shone. "Thanks Chief, that really means a lot." And she squeezed the teen into a big bear hug. "How do you think the others are doing?"

Kenny straightened up. "Everything should be alright. I'm sure that the other bit-beasts aren't totally ignorant to human reality. They may be missing the finer points, but the rest of the team should be able to handle them accordingly."

The other brunette nodded. "You're right Chief; I bet they are all having fun talking now." She flashed a brilliant smile.

"Yeah.....Hey Dizzi?" asked the Chief.

"What is it?"

"You don't think that the other bit-beasts would be having relationships would they? Like Dragoon and Draciel?"

The digital form smiled knowingly. "You could be right. I'm not sure about those two, but I do know about the others." She grinned.

The Chief faltered. "W-wait. Not Dragoon and Draciel? But that leaves Dranzer and Driger!"

Dizzi smiled, sniffing the lilac again. "Maybe Kenny, those two get along together pretty well."

Kenny stuttered, "D-dranzer and D-driger? Amazing! Imagine if Kai found out? Ehh, Kai...." He shuddered at the thought of the captain ever finding the fact.

"Ah relax Chief." Said Dizzi nonchalantly, "We may look young, but we bit-beasts have been alive for thousands of years! You think any of us, especially Dranzer, is gonna care about human standards? He wouldn't give a damn, even if Kai is his master. Believe me."

"What, you talk to them?" asked an astounded Chief.

"Of course. What did you think; I'd send emails to them or somethin'? Geeze." Laughed Dizzi.

"Then how come you never told me what goes through their minds sometime? If you guys are thousands of years old, why can't you help us out with some of the human mysteries?" spurted a slightly miffed Kenny.

"I'm sorry Kenny, I really would. But it's like we have a moral code of ethics; it's forbidden for us to reveal that sort of thing. Besides, I lost part of my memory when I got trapped in that thing, so I wouldn't remember anyway." She replied apologetically.

The brunette teen sighed. "Yeah I guess..."

"Whaddaya say that you buy me one of those milkshake thingys Chief? I've always wanted to try one!!" she mused excitedly and totally off topic.

Kenny almost fell off the bench (A/N insert anime sweat drop here!) "Alright Dizzi, let's go get one then."

"I'm going to go look around the place alright Master Rei? I'll be fine, you can stay here." Said the tiger as he got up and dusted off his pants.

Rei sat up. "Driger, it's my responsibility to look after you, I don't want you to get in trouble."

The bit-beast shook his head. "No Master, I will be alright, I may hook up with Dranzer later; and I don't want to interfere with the Master's alone time with his own friend ne? I won't get lost, I remember our expedition from the past few times here." And with that, Driger took off behind the trees.

The neko-jin blinked. 'Wow, that was quick. He's easy to talk to and eager to do things. I don't blame him for wanting to spend time with Dranzer either.' He smiled a toothy grin. A cherry blossom floated down in front of his face and he reached out to catch it. Its soft petals were light in his hand as he breathed in the scent. 'Aah, sakura....how nice..'

"Not to bluntly point anything out Rei, but I have a feeling you like cherries ne?" came a familiar voice.

Rei snapped his head around to find Kai sitting in the tree behind him. The bluenette was smirking. The raven teen then smiled and greeted his friend warmly. "Sure, I guess Kai. When did you appear here?"

Kai smiled. "A few minutes ago; I didn't want to disturb you enjoying your cherries. I saw Driger heading off, so I decided to come see you Kitty."

The neko-jin blushed. "Er, yeah. He went off to see Dranzer. And he wanted to check the place out." He fiddled with the petals.

The older teen raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Went to see Dranzer? Is there something between them or what?"

Rei looked up again. "Yeah, that's what he told me. It's not a problem is it Kai? After all, there is us too..." a light tinge appeared on his cheeks.

Kai merely looked taken aback. "Hn, I suppose. They have been around for ages, so why not ne? Hehe, if I was a bit-beast, I wouldn't mind it either." He gave a playful grin to the teen below and jumped off the branch to join him.

Rei laughed as Kai took his position beside him. "Yeah, they are pretty good looking eh? Nothing against you though, Kai-kun. You are very lovely yourself." He gave a wicked grin.

"Oh ho ho, the kitty wants to play does he?" mused Kai. "Then try this for fun." He leaned over to the younger boy and planted a passionate kiss on his pink lips. The boy smelled wonderfully of cherries. "Hm, you smell soo good Rei-chan," he said after enjoying the feel of his lips on Rei's.

Rei smirked. (A/N Yes!! Rei smirked!! Ahahaha) "Only for you Kai." He rolled on top of the teen and kissed him back. Cherry petals fell abundantly from the tree above them like snow, providing some cover for the two boys.

(1) Dono: is a formal way to address one's master. Used in samurai era.

Well? I'm sorry it took so long! The title sucks... But I made this a bit longer to make it up for you guys! And a little fun thrown in there for good measure too. Don't worry, next chappie will be better!! Please read and review. Pweeaase?? (puppy eyes)

Rei: aaww, how can you resist a face like that?

Kai: I can. Muahaha

Rei: not mine....(evil grin)

Max: aha, he got you there Kai!! (glomps Tyson)

Tyson: Xx

Dizzi: right. Anyhoo, reviews. NOW PLEASE!!!

Me: yesi yesi!! (huggys Rei)

Rei: aackkk...help ....

Kai: I will save you!! (beats up authoress)

Me: byyyee....Xx