I removed the old version of this chapter to make a fresh one instead after receiving pointers of some mistakes I did. I hope you will like the new version. A huge thank you to CitrusUnshiu who helped me with the rewritten chapter, which will be split into two parts.
There will be lots of RoseKnightShipping scenes in this chapter, plus some Mei/Sakura. I've decided to name the pair CherryBudShipping.
The first part begins around the time of Chapter 67. I actually moved the part with Aki's scene from Chapter 67 to this chapter.
The chapter begins in Aki's point of view.
Disclaimer: I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!
Chapter 80: The Blossoming Rose – Part 1
The classes were done for the day, but not the studying itself for me. I had some homework to do along with the homework from the Turbo Duel classes. As a 12th grade student, I expected lots of homework, but this sure was a lot.
I had my nose down in a small manual about Duel Runners as I walked from the main building of Duel Academy with Sakura and Mei by my side. They partially acted as my eyes while I read the book, making sure I wouldn't trip or bump into someone.
"Aki, are you sure you want to concentrate on the Turbo Duels?" Sakura spoke up.
"What do you mean?" I asked, my eyes never leaving the manual.
"I mean, we've got lots of homework and things we need to memorize and you add one more thing on your to-do-list", Sakura explained. "I'm just worried it might be too much for you. You can take the Turbo Duel classes after the graduation."
"Leave her be, Sakura", Mei sighed. "If Aki feels like she can do everything at once, let her do it."
"Okay…", Sakura mumbled.
I looked up from the manual and gave her a smile. "I appreciate your concern, Sakura. But this is something I've decided to do. I want to see the world of Turbo Duels and what my friends feel when they're one with the wind."
"My cousin, Haruka, says it feels like freedom when she drives her Duel Runner", Mei mentioned. "I might take classes after graduation."
"I don't know if I want to yet…", Sakura mumbled.
"I'm sure you'll know in time", I said.
We were by the gate of the school property when I blinked in surprise. Sherry was leaning against the gate with one foot up against it and her arms crossed, dressed in casual clothes instead of her Turbo suit. Boys and girls alike looked at her in awe and wonder of her beauty. She ignored them, but her eyes shone up when she saw me.
"Aki", she called as I approached her.
"Sherry? What are you doing here?" I asked curiously.
"Someone you know, Aki?" Mei wondered.
"Whoa… She's pretty…", Sakura said in awe.
I swore I heard Mei grunt irritably at Sakura's comment.
"Bonjour (Hello), ladies", Sherry greeted. "I've come to speak with Aki, so may I ask for some privacy?"
"Speak with me…?" I mumbled confusedly.
"Sure!" Sakura nodded. "We'll leave right away. Let's go, Mei!"
"Wait, I-!" Mei said before the pinkette grabbed her arm and pulled her away from us. Sakura waved with a toothy smile and winked before they rounded a corner, leaving us alone.
"You've got some interesting friends", Sherry commented.
"Maybe, but I really enjoy their company", I smiled before turning to the blonde. "What did you want to talk about?"
Sherry looked around for a brief moment. "There are too many eyes and ears here. Do you mind we speak somewhere else?"
"Sure. There's a park close to school."
I led Sherry to a park where there were a few cherry trees. Some of them still had their flowers, but not as much as last week. We sat down on a bench in front of a fountain that looked like Sea Dragon Lord Gishilnodon.
"How have you been since last time we saw each other?" I asked.
"Good, thank you", Sherry nodded. "Mizoguchi and I have been practicing for the WRGP, and looking for information about Iliaster."
"I see", I replied.
"I heard from Yusei you've been taking Turbo Duel classes."
"Huh? When did you hear that?"
"In the cherry tree park last week, when you guys had that hanami."
I recalled the moment when Yusei left us. So that was why he went for a moment. "Did you try and persuade him to join your team again?" I asked, suddenly feeling a bit cautious.
"No", Sherry shook her head. "I came to get an answer from him."
"And…?"
"He declined the offer to join my team."
I let out a sigh of relief as my shoulders relaxed by the brief tension, but then I snapped my head up in realization. "Wait… Did you ask him about me?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Sherry chuckled softly. "I told you before, didn't I? I find you interesting, and not just because you're a psychic Duelist."
I couldn't help but blush slightly. Some have said I was interesting, but hearing it from Sherry felt different. I wonder why.
"Yusei told me you're currently studying to become a Turbo Duelist", Sherry continued.
"Y-Yes", I nodded, suddenly feeling a bit shy. "I was able to join the classes in time before they got full. Many got inspired to become Turbo Duelists because of the WRGP."
"I can imagine that", Sherry nodded before she got silent for a moment.
I could tell she was thinking deeply about something, so I waited until she was ready. "Are you asking your friends for help with the studying?"
"For the Turbo Duel classes? Yes, I've been asking Yusei, Jack, Crow and Estelle, but they're all busy now, so I try not to bother them so much."
"If you don't mind… Would you like my help?"
"What?" I blinked my eyes in slight disbelief.
Sherry stood up from the bench to stand in front of me. Her silhouette suddenly felt so powerful, but also gentle at the same time. She wasn't as intimidating as she was during the 2-VS.-1 Turbo Duel.
"I can tell you've got potential to reach the big leagues", Sherry smiled softly before she held out a hand. "I will teach you everything I know, and I'm certain Mizoguchi wouldn't mind helping out too."
I stared at her offering hand for a moment. Why was she being so kind to me? Did she want to use me to get close to Yusei and try persuading him again?
"Do you have any ulterior motives behind this offer?" I asked cautiously.
"Non (No.)", Sherry shook her head. "I merely wish to help and get to know you. But if you want to think about it, I'll give you my number."
I thought about it for a moment. Her voice sounded sincere and her eyes didn't show any signs of deception. Perhaps… I could trust her.
"I accept your offer", I nodded before I stood up and reached my hand out and grabbed hers for a handshake. "Thank you, Sherry."
"Excellent", Sherry smiled. "And you're welcome, mon ami. (My friend.)"
XXXXXXXXXX
After exchanging contact info and address, Sherry and Mizoguchi already showed up next day after school by my house. Mom was happy to meet my new friends and she got extra excited when she heard Sherry was going to teach me riding a Duel Runner. Mom quickly put together an outfit for me to use for the practice runs, consisting of a purple leather jacket, grey top, dark purple pants, and a pair of black boots.
We were going to practice outside of the house as a start. Sherry adjusted the handles on her Runner before she got off and gave me her helmet. I was a little nervous to get onto the large horse-framed Runner. For some reason, it felt more like an animal instead of a machine.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Sherry spoke up amusingly. "It's not going to bite you."
"I know that!" I retorted with a pout before putting on the helmet.
Mizoguchi chuckled softly in the background.
I lifted one leg over the Runner and settled down on the seat. Once I got comfortable, I looked at the instrument panel for a second to see what the numbers and charts said.
"Now, lean forward and grab the handles", Sherry instructed.
I leaned forward to reach the handles and grabbed them. This was a big Runner and my body was a little short, so I got surprised I could still reach the pedals. However, my legs were too short to touch the ground from the Runner.
"Hmm… As I suspected, my Runner is too large for you", Sherry pointed out. "This could get troublesome."
"Y-You think so?" I asked nervously.
"Yes, but we just have to see how well it will go", Sherry said, giving me a reassuring smile.
She then moved closer to me, which made me instinctively let go of the handles to sit up a bit. She then leaned over a bit, which for some reason made me even more nervous than I already was. She then began telling me the different parts of her Runner and pointed to all of the different parts to make sure I knew where everything was. After that she turned the Runner on, making its engine purr in delight and startled me at the same time as I was too focused on the blonde woman.
"Let's start driving in slow speed. To get into the first gear, you have to hold the hitch and push down the gear shift on the left side of the bike", Sherry said, moving to said side and showed me where it was, while holding the side of the Runner a bit to stabilize it more.
I did as she instructed, and saw that the small display now pointed out a small '1'.
"Now to get the Runner to move, you have to let slowly go of the hitch, but not too fast, otherwise you'll kill the motor," she said before adding that I should always have my right hand on the brake as well, in case the Runner got too fast for me. She then moved back a bit to give me enough room to try it out.
"O-Okay," I said, a bit overwhelmed with all the information the taller woman just told me in less than five minutes.
I couldn't help but cold sweat due to my nervousness. I slowly let go of the hitch and as I did, the Duel Runner moved a little forward. My body flinched by the sudden move, so I quickly pushed the brake, which caused the Runner to stop moving, and for some reason the motor also stopped.
"Ah", the blonde woman exclaimed suddenly, making me fear that I broke something. "I forgot to tell you that whenever you brake, you have to push the hitch as well, otherwise the motor stops as well." She scratched her temple while uncharacteristically smiling sheepishly at me.
I sighed a bit. "T-This is quite difficult…", I confessed, hearing my heartbeat in my ears, not sure whether it was from the fact that I messed up or the fact that Sherry was quite cute when she did that. I shook my head slightly to get those thoughts out of my head, while mentally asking myself what was wrong with me.
"I know. I felt the same when I tried a Duel Runner for the first time", Sherry nodded after she had composed herself again. "But don't worry; practice makes perfect. Try again and don't get frightened."
She started the motor again for me. I once again let go of the hitch and rolled forward as I tried keeping my balance. After all, I didn't want to crash and damage Sherry's Runner. I kept my eyes on the road as I slowly drove until the end of the road to brake in front of the house before I could run off the road. I sighed in relief as I had managed to drive in a straight line without losing my balance.
"Good job!" Sherry called as she walked to me. "Now… Reverse a bit so you can get some space to turn around. For this, you have to use the neutral gear. So hold the hitch and use the small gear shift on the left side and push it up slightly from the first gear."
After getting some detailed instructions, I was able to put the Runner into the neutral gear to go backwards, which certainly was difficult due to my short height.
"Splendid! Now, stop, and once again switch to the first gear by pushing the gear shift down hard."
I braked and switched to first gear. I tried moving the Runner so it would turn around. The Runner was heavy to move, but I somehow managed to stay on the tires without leaning too much to the side.
"Good. Now, do these steps in a loop while adding speed with the right handle until you get the hangs of it", Sherry instructed me. "Once you get the basics done, we'll move on to next step."
"O-Okay…", I nodded nervously.
XXXXXXXXXX
I was taking baby steps for each day with the practice runs until I felt more confident to drive properly on Sherry's Runner. Driving in a straight line worked, but I had problems with the curves. I ended up crashing more than five times until I got it.
I passed the writing exam for the license with flying colors, so I was now moving on to the second part of the exam, which consisted of several practice runs with a Duel Runner for a couple of weeks. The second exam was meant to happen around the time Paradox tried altering our planet's history. It got pushed up because of those events, but only for one week.
XXXXXXXXXX
Today was the first time I would start practicing on the Duel Academy's private course with four other people in my group, in which I was the only girl. I was dressed in a red riding suit while I sat on a bench and polished my helmet, waiting for the instructor to arrive.
"Here's our soon-to-be Turbo Duelist", a voice chuckled.
I looked up and saw Mei and Sakura standing in front of me with big smiles. I noticed right away Sakura had her arms wrapped around Mei's left arm and she rested her head against her shoulder.
"Hi, you two", I smiled.
Sakura let go of Mei's arm and sat down on my right. "Are you nervous to ride a Duel Runner?"
"No, not really", I shook my head. "I've practiced a lot with Sherry's Runner, so I feel ready for this."
"Sherry, huh…?" Mei mumbled with a soft grin.
"You've grown close to Sherry, right?" Sakura asked.
"Y-Yes", I nodded with a soft blush. "She's a really good friend. We not just practice riding the Duel Runner but also design different clothes. She's been a big help for Mom too."
"So she's interested in fashion?" Mei wondered.
"It looks like that", I nodded.
"Hi, Aki!"
I smiled as I saw Leo and Luna running to me while waving their hands in the air. "Leo, Luna!" I waved back.
"Thank God our last lesson was over before your first practice run!" Leo sighed in relief as he and his twin sister reached us.
"Does this mean you'll enter the WRGP too, Aki?" Luna asked before looking at my classmates. "Hi, Mei, Sakura."
"Hi, Luna", Mei nodded.
"Aww, you two are so cute!" Sakura smiled before hugging Leo.
"H-Hey, stop it! It's embarrassing!" Leo struggled as his cheeks grew red.
Luna giggled at her brother as she sat down on my left side. "So will you be Yusei, Jack and Crow's backup Turbo Duelist, Aki?"
"No", I shook my head. "Entering the WRGP isn't my intention. I want to ride with Sherry and the others. Even you two can now Turbo Duel with your Duel Boards. I want to feel the same wind, see the same things…"
"Meaning you want to expand your world and see what your friends see, right?" Mei asked.
Sakura cuddled with Leo before she let him go. "I still don't feel like I'm ready to try riding a Duel Runner, but I'll do my best to cheer for you, Aki."
"I'm sure you'll be okay, Aki", Luna nodded.
"Yeah, and it's an amazing feeling Turbo Dueling!" Leo nodded while he still had a soft blush on his cheeks after Sakura's cuddling. "I can't wait to grow up and ride my first Duel Runner! You think Yusei will build one for me?"
"If you ask him nicely, Leo", Luna giggled.
"Hey!" a new rude voice called.
We looked up and saw three young men approaching us with big smirks. They were dressed in riding suits like me, so they must've been students who were aiming to become Turbo Duelists. I could tell right away they were up to no good.
"You're one of the few gals who passed the first exam, right?" the man with dirty green hair asked.
"Yes", I nodded while keeping my poker face. "What about it?"
"This isn't a place for girls", the man replied.
"Turbo Duels are a man's world", the second man with black back-licked hair added. "You'd be better off playing with your dollies at home, missy."
"Hey!" Sakura exclaimed irritably as she stood up from the bench. "Don't talk like that to our friend!"
"Yeah, go and take your sexism somewhere else", Mei added as she kept her cool, but she still glared at the trio.
"Don't you have any shame?!" Luna growled at the men.
"Yeah, back off!" Leo added with a growl.
"Ooh, scary, scary", the dirty green-haired man said sarcastically, pretending to be scared of the twins.
"We're just giving you a warning", the third man with brown hair and red highlights spoke up. "Turbo Duels ain't as easy as you think, missy."
"I never thought they'd be easy", I responded with a monotone voice.
The trio looked stunned at my response, but then glared at me. I glared back in return, showing them I wasn't going to back down because of these morons. I had prepared myself for this, so I knew this wasn't going to be a child's play.
"Come on, move it! The course is starting!" our instructor called.
I hurried to the course where five standard Runners were waiting at the start line. The three morons who tried bullying me were part of my group, but I didn't pay attention to them. Now wasn't the time to start a war.
"The WRGP will be unlike anything before it, so the autopilots will be cut off!" the instructor told us. "Turbo Dueling depends solely on the Turbo Duelist's skills! Understood?! Begin!"
XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV
Mei, Sakura, Leo and Luna were by the stands to watch the practice run. Aki and the four men ran to their Duel Runners and got on them before putting on their helmets, waiting for their cue.
"Hi, guys!" a familiar voice called.
The group turned around to see Estelle, Itsuki and Sherry walk to them.
"Hi, Sherry!" Luna smiled.
"Hey, Estelle!" Leo greeted with a wide grin.
"Aww, little Itsuki is here too!" Sakura shrieked in joy.
"What are you three doing here?" Mei wondered.
"I came here to see how Aki will fare on her first day of the second exam", Sherry explained.
"I also came here to cheer for Aki and decided to bring along Itsuki to show him the Duel Academy", Estelle explained as she picked up her foster son in her arms. "I'm considering enrolling him here next year when he'll be six years old."
"I can't wait to go to school!" Itsuki smiled before looking at the course. "Is that Aunt Aki?"
"Yes. She's soon going to ride her Runner", Estelle nodded. "Let's cheer for her, okay?"
"Okay!" Itsuki nodded.
The first two men failed the first sharp curve by either going too fast or too slow. Aki was next. She drove forward as her friends cheered for her. She soon lost herself in the feeling of the wind and freedom that she failed the sharp curve as well.
XXXXXXXXXX – Aki's POV
It took lots of practice and efforts to conquer the Duel Academy's course as I kept practicing every single day after school. Weirdly, I was the only one who was on the course during the little time I had left to pass the second exam. The three fools from before never showed up to practice. I was willing to share the course and take turns with them.
Both Sherry and Yusei showed up from time to time and gave me advice whenever I failed the damn sharp curve or did something wrong. It had cost me more than a dozen bruises until I got it. By the time I managed to conquer the sharp curve, both Yusei and Estelle left New Domino City for some kind of mission, so I only had Sherry left to assist me with the maneuvers.
In the end, I was the only one in my group who passed the second exam.
I had less than a week to prepare myself for the graduation-certification Duel, but that didn't mean I could get lazy now. Sherry brought her Runner to the course to show me a few tricks she had learned throughout the years as a Turbo Duelist.
"While you've been taught the basics of riding a Duel Runner, there are still many tricks left for you to learn", Sherry told me as she sat on her Runner. "I'll show you one of the tricks I consider essential."
She drove off to the end of the straight line and turned around before driving back to me. Around the half-way of the course, she turned her Runner around and made it go backwards.
"A turnback…?" I mumbled hesitantly.
Sherry braked and got off her Runner before removing her helmet. "It may look hard, but once you learn this maneuver, you'll be able to dodge obstacles even better. Now, you try it."
I was a bit hesitant at first, but if Sherry said this turnback was important to learn, then I was going to try it. I got on my borrowed Runner and drove off. I felt a little stiff as I prepared myself for the turnback. Once I reached the middle, I forcefully steered my Runner around. I instinctively pushed the brake handle at the same time and that caused me to lose control. I crashed on the course again while my Runner bounced onto the grass.
"This might be kind of tough…", I mumbled to myself as I lied on the concrete.
I heard running footsteps as I remained on the ground. Sherry appeared within my eye sight as she looked worried. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah…", I nodded before I pushed myself up with my elbows, hissing slightly due to the pain in my back. "Ow… This will take some time to learn."
"Yeah, the maneuver was something I had to sacrifice lots of blood, sweat and tears for", Sherry nodded before she grabbed my hands and helped me up on my feet. "And even a broken arm."
"You actually broke your arm?!" I exclaimed in shock.
"Yes, but only once", Sherry nodded. "I had no time getting hurt while Mizoguchi and I were on the run and looking for Iliaster. We were once caught by a group of men sent by the rival company when my arm was broken, but we managed to beat them down without taking damage."
I couldn't help but get a little sad when I heard part of her life story. She had been on the run since she was a child and she and her guardian couldn't even take a break when one of them got hurt.
I shook my head to get rid of the sad thoughts before I walked to my fallen Runner. "I guess I have to practice a lot without trying breaking a bone or two."
Sherry helped me pick up the Runner. It had a few dents on its frame, but luckily it wasn't the aspirants' job to fix the wrecked Runners since they were Duel Academy's property.
"Just don't overdo it, Aki", the blonde told me. "The best idea is not forcing yourself. The feeling should come naturally; like you're one with the Runner."
"One with the Runner…?"
What did she mean by that? How could I become one with the Runner? What was it I was missing?