Told ya I was giving you more than one chapter. ^^

Kai – Will you just get on with it? You have a lot more to do.

Whatever....Hiro, Kai's being mean, will you kindly do disclaimer?

Hiro – Kai, you need to be nice to her. She is the one writing the story.

Kai – Maybe, but I always do disclaimer, and she tortures me whether I am nice or not.

Hiro – True, but still....

(blinks) I hate to interrupt, but the sooner you do disclaimer, the sooner the story starts, the sooner you get to leave.

Kai and Hiro – Disclaimer: She doesn't own Beyblade.

Thank you! Enjoy!

-S-S-S-S-S-

A Ride Through the Storm

Chapter Two – Meet Your New Companions

-S-S-S-S-S-

Scenery rolled by like on a movie screen. Kai was nestled in the back of yet another bus, dozing, his head resting on the cool glass window, the slight bumps and motor vibrations of the glass against his skull was mesmerizing and hypnotic to someone who hadn't slept right for the past two weeks. To everyone else, he looked like he was being his indifferent self, which was the way he liked it.

Ray, Max, Tyson, and Kenny were all up front talking about the trip. Mr. Dickenson hadn't told them where they were going or what they were doing, but they were all excited. Hiro sat in the middle reading a book but occasionally glancing at Kai's sleeping form. Oh, he knew the phoenix was in an out of consciousness, but he didn't dare voice it aloud. Kai needed sleep if he was going to have to deal with the others on this "bonding trip," and Hiro didn't have the heart to wake him.

'Plus, he's cute when asleep,' the older male noted. He blinked. Did he just think that the bad ass captain of the Bladebreakers – now called G-Revolution – was cute?

'I must be going crazy. Next thing I'm going to think would be that Hillary will be the next president of both the US and Canada,' he thought, smacking his forehead. He stole another glance over at the sleeping teen. 'Then again...'

It was another thirty minutes before the bus finally pulled up a long, dirt driveway and stopped.

"Where are we?" Tyson asked, looking out the window with the others behind him.

Kai opened his eyes, having been woken up from the sudden stop of the vehicle. He gazed out his own window at the paddocks, stables, field, and forest. It was truly amazing to look at if you were one that enjoyed scenic views. There was a whole herd of horses in one of the paddocks lazing about and enjoying the sun and green grass.

"Looks like we're going riding," Hiro muttered, having come to look out the window next to Kai's.

The phoenix didn't say anything as he quirked an eyebrow, but the older male knew his answer. That's just the way that Kai was. He could say a whole conversation just by looking at you.

They made their way off the bus, noticing Mr. Dickenson and Bruce were already there waiting on them.

"Good morning, boys," Mr. Dickenson greeted, his trademark businessman-grandfather-like smile pasted on his lips. "I hope your trip was alright."

"It was great, Mr. D," Tyson stated for everyone with a big smile.

Kai sighed as the over-enthusiastic teammates of his related their "adventures" that morning. He quickly tuned them out, choosing to watch the horses in the field. Each one was a different color: brown, black, white, burgundy, mixed, spotted, painted, you name it. One, though, stood out from the rest, keeping a good distance from the group at the far end of the paddock gate. The phoenix could tell it was a stallion just by looking at him, but something seemed off. He wasn't acting like the others he shared the paddock with, standing as far from the crowd as he could. He was a beautiful full black stallion, Arabian descent, Kai's critique eye caught. The small, narrow head that stood out against a well-developed running body. Strong legs, a good hands high with muscles to match. He was in perfect form and would definitely be the alpha amongst the others should he have chosen to claim his status, but the slouch of the neck, the haunted eyes that would constantly shift ever so lazily, almost as if he was looking for something or someone, were definite features that kept him from relying on that strength and pride. Kai's eyes softened at the creature. He came to the conclusion that if the animal had not been abused in another home, then a master or friend that he had become close to had either disappeared and never returned or had died.

'I'll have to find out,' Kai mused slipping away from his still talking teammates to lean against the paddock gate. He folded his arms and put his full weight on the fence. Crimson eyes never left the great creature, studying him as though he were a new puzzle the world needed the answers to.

"Quite a beaut, isn't he?" a voice asked, causing the phoenix to jump slightly in surprise.

Kai turned to his left, seeing an older male wearing boots, jeans, work shirt, and a straw hat. Judging by the way he walked, with a slight bow-leg, and the horse whip on his hip as well as a halter in his hand, Kai realized that this was one of the horses' caretakers or riders, if not both.

Kai turned his head back to the stallion who had perked his ears up at the two figures and snorted.

The man leaned against the fence next to Kai. "Seems he's taken an interest in you," the older pointed out with a small smile. He turned to the teen.

"Hn," Kai started, "I'm sure it's just because he recognizes you."

The stable hand chuckled. "I doubt that. You see," he pointed, "no matter how many times I go around that fella, he never even acknowledges me until I've got the lead rope on his halter, and even then it's just until I unclip 'im." He glanced back at the teen. "No, I think he's taken an interest in you."

The phoenix just kept looking at the horse, and the stallion's dark gaze never left his. "What's his name?" he asked.

"Night Owl, but most of us call him Night."

"Night Owl?"

The man nodded. "Yep, Night because he's pitch black, and owl cause he's smarter than he looks. Could give you a run for your money, given the chance."

"Hn," Kai smirked. "Sure looks like it. He's got a stubborn streak, though could be contained given the right trainer."

The hand looked at him. "You know horses?"

The phoenix shrugged. "A little. I used to own one a while ago but had to give him up. He was getting old, and I wasn't able to give him the care he needed."

"Ah, money problems?"

Kai snorted. "No, not that. I just got busy and didn't have the time I used to have."

The hand nodded. "I understand. Sometimes that happens. So," he nodded to the stallion, "what you think of him?"

The phoenix let his eyes wander over the horse's form, while he felt the horse do the same. "Good runner, could probably win a few ribbons given the time and training. Arabian heritage, definitely, but height is definitely of a walker. Face is delicate, indicating he's got a good temperament, not bad, but there's a little hardness around the edges as well, giving his stubborn streak. Legs are well formed and muscle is greatly evened out throughout the body. Definitely been fed right and worked right. I don't know completely from here, but judging from what I see around the mouth area, he's soft, indicating only a small tug on the reins will get him to turn, which is good. Overall, he's a fine horse, and like I said, could win a lot of ribbons given the training and chance."

Kai looked over at the man standing next to him and quirked an eyebrow at the dumbfounded expression on his face.

"Damn, kid, you sure know your horses," the hand mumbled, trying to get over his shock. "That's exactly how he is, except a few minor flaws."

Kai nodded, turning back to the horse who had gone back to munching on the green grass, but still keeping an eye on him as well as an ear cocked. "Yes, I see. He seems to have suffered something recently. He's slightly depressed. Given his nature, he should be trotting around here like the boss of the place, but he's practically secluding himself from the pack."

The hand sighed and nodded. "Got that right. His rider, the owner's son, was very attached to him, but the kid died a few months ago from cancer. Poor horse hasn't been able to let anyone ride him since. It's like he knew the kid was dead, and he didn't want anyone else to ride him."

Kai nodded. He figured as much. "Animals have a way of knowing."

"That they do."

"Hey, Kai!" an annoyingly familiar voice called out, making the phoenix cringe.

He turned around to see his entire team, including Hiro, Mr. Dickenson, another man, and Bruce standing and staring at him.

"Come on! We're gonna get to go riding!" Tyson called.

"Yeah, Kai, the owner here said that we have to go get acquainted with our horses now," Max said, smiling widely.

Kai sighed and with one last look at the stallion, went back to his team.

The stable hand watched as the teen walked away. He glanced back at Night, noticing how the horse's head popped up as the teen started leaving. The man smiled. Maybe he could pull a few strings.

-S-S-S-S-S-

Kai sighed again for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past few minutes. They were walking around the stables, each person told to find a horse they liked. Kai had looked, but none of them seemed interesting to him, except that black one out in the paddocks. Oh, how he'd love to ride that one.

"Kai?"

The phoenix turned from looking at a painted mare. Hiro was standing beside him.

"Haven't you found a horse yet? Everyone else has," the older male asked, patting his own horse's neck with a firm but gentle hand.

Kai sighed and shook his head, opting to stroke Hiro's selected stallion's face along the white blaze that stood out against its burgundy coat. The animal wuffled, pushing his nose against the phoenix's hand affectionately. Hiro certainly chose a good-tempered horse.

Hiro just watched the teen pet his horse, a far away look in his crimson eyes. He knew that look. Kai was thinking hard about something, but what was anyone's guess.

Suddenly, a clearing of a throat brought the teens out of their musings. They both looked up to see the stable hand Kai had been speaking with earlier.

The man smiled. "Kai, was it?"

The phoenix nodded.

His smile grew wider. "I think I have a horse for you." He turned. "Follow me."

Kai quirked his eyebrow at the older man but followed him anyway. In fact, everyone did. Each horse was already tacked up and ready to ride; so, they decided to take them out.

The man led them out of the stables and there stood Night Owl already tacked and being held by another hand.

Kai stopped and gaped. There was no way. He looked over at the man.

The hand shrugged. "Hey, it's always worth a shot. Plus," he smiled, "I think he likes you."

Kai continued to gape at the male before he finally snapped out of it and walked over slowly to the animal.

Night Owl raised his head a bit higher, turning to where he could watch every movement of the teen approaching him. He snorted as Kai finally came face to face with him. The dark gaze lingered on the crimson one, never wavering, testing to see who would break first.

Kai inwardly smirked. The horse was trying to test his control on situations. If he looked away first, the animal would no doubt use that famous stubborn streak and pull every wool blanket known to man kind over his eyes. So, he stared, ignoring his friends' protests of just petting him so they could get on with their meeting.

Hiro watched closely to the two figures standing each other down like two cowboys would in an old western film. This intrigued him. He'd never seen Kai interact with animals except that one time when he first met the teen. Kai had been giving a small stray cat some milk. That was the only time that he had seen the phoenix even near animals, but just watching Kai play the horse's game, he knew that the teen definitely had some kind of experience with animals.

Kai and the horse stared at each other for a little longer before Night finally decided that the human wasn't going to budge. He turned his dark gaze a bit, lowering his head in offering of a pat or stroke of the ears. Kai smiled a little and complied, going up slowly and reaching a hand to fondle the soft black ears. Night wuffled a bit and nudged his nose into the phoenix's chest affectionately. Kai chuckled and opted to stroke the narrow face.

The stable hand that Kai had been speaking with before strode up quietly to the teen's side. "I told you he had an interest in you," he smirked. "Try getting in the saddle."

Kai pet the horse a little longer and then slowly moved his way to the side of the massive beast, pressing his hands down on the saddle before pressing the top half of his body down. It was a question. He wanted to know if he had the permission of the horse to ride him. Night was already broken in, that was for certain, but as for the fact of letting the human ride him, that was another matter.

Night snorted a little and twisted his neck so he could gaze at the teen leaning against him, silently asking permission to mount him. He snorted again, and as if he could understand what the phoenix wanted, nodded his head a few times.

Kai smiled openly at that while the others behind him had gone silent, even Tyson. Night Owl was going to let him ride him. He pulled back and inserted his foot into the stirrup. Then, balancing his weight, pulled himself up and slung his leg over to the other side, slipping that foot into the other stirrup. The stable hand that had been holding the horse strode up to the side and handed Kai the reins with a smile upon his lips.

"Walk him around for a bit," he said, gesturing to the paddock. "Let him get used to having someone up there again."

Kai nodded and then looked to his other side as another figure came into his peripheal vision. Hiro was there, riding his own horse, the walker snorting as he came a bit close to the other stallion.

"You mind if I ride with you a bit? I haven't ridden in a while and need to refresh my memory. The others are going and getting some beginner lessons," the older male asked.

Kai nodded and smirked as Night Owl nipped at the other stallion's neck as the horse got a little too close. Yep, this dark beast was definitely the alpha in the herd.

The phoenix applied a little pressure to the horse's sides with his knees, and Night Owl was quick to respond. Kai led them to the paddock gates which were waiting open for them, the two hands standing on each side.

"We'll open the gate back up in about fifteen. It'll take that long to teach your friends the basics, but since you both know how to ride, then you should be fine. We'll have someone keeping an eye on you, though up the hill a bit towards the stables. So, if you need him, just holler," the older one commented. "I knew he'd like you."

A faint blush adorned Kai's cheeks as he urged his stallion on into the grassy area.

Hiro bit his lip to keep the hate towards the hand down in his chest rather than out his mouth. 'What the hell?' he thought, trying to understand why he had felt a pang of jealousy at how the guy had made the phoenix blush. 'Why do I care whether someone makes Kai blush or not? I mean, he is cute when he does it, but why do I feel like I should be the only one allowed to see it and be able to make him blush like that? It doesn't make sense.'

He turned his gaze back to the teen who was riding in front of him. 'Kai Hiwatari, you are a mystery and are making my head hurt. I'm going to figure out why you're making me act this way, if it's the last thing I do.'

-S-S-S-S-S-

Highlights

A talk between teammates turns into a little game of "Let's see who can blush more."

Little do they know that a storm is brewing, and it's a doozy.

-S-S-S-S-S-

Yep, that chapter's done! I'll try and update this week! ^^

Don't forget to review!

Ja Ne