I'm sorry it took a long time to upload the chapter. I had to do some research for something I added in here.

Thank you, CitrusUnshiu, for helping me form both parts of the "The Blossoming Rose" chapters. It's been tricky, but I'm glad we managed to write this together.

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 81: The Blossoming Rose – Part 2

There was still time before the final exam, but I kept failing on the turnback maneuver Sherry showed me. When I thought I got it, everything would end up the same with me crashing on the course.

Sherry tried coming up with different methods to conquer the turnback, but none of them worked so far. Her words of becoming one with the Duel Runner were still a big question mark to me. I still didn't know how I could become one with the Runner. After all, I couldn't connect to it like a computer.

What was I missing?

It was now just two days before the exam. I decided to take a break and rest my aching body that was covered with bruises. I rested on my bed while reading a book about proper maintenance of Duel Runners. I didn't have my own Runner yet, but I was going to get one someday and I wanted to be prepared.

The quiet moment was shattered when my smartphone rang. I picked it up from the nightstand and saw it was Sherry. She knew I was taking a day off, so I wondered why was she calling.

Leaving the thought aside, I answered the call. "Hello?"

"Salut (Hi), Aki. How do you feel today?" Sherry asked.

"A little sore. Why do you ask?"

"I think I came up with a method that could help you out with the turnback as I figured out what the issue could be."

"Really?"

"Yes. And this one doesn't require a Duel Runner."

"What is this method?" I asked, excited to hear her suggestion.

"Ballet."

My excitement turned into confusion. "Ballet…? As in the dance ballet?"

"Exactement. (Exactly.)"

"Um… How does ballet get in the picture?"

"You'll see." I could partially hear the smile she must have had on her lips when she said that. "I found a place where you can rent a private dance studio for a couple of hours. Let's meet up there in an hour. I'll send you the address. Also, pack some clothes that feel comfortable to dance with."

I still didn't get it how dancing came into the picture, but if Sherry said it could be a method, maybe it was worth giving it a try.

"Okay. I'll see you soon."

XXXXXXXXXX

I had never been in a dance studio before, but I had seen documentaries about them on television. The studio was bigger than I thought it would be. There was an entire wall with mirrors and another wall had a railing from corner to corner with mirrors from floor to ceiling.

Both Sherry and I had changed into athletic outfits for the dance session. I was dressed in a relatively loose fitting black crop-top, dark blue (almost midnight-blue) leggings and a pair of running shoes. Sherry was mainly dressed in formfitting white clothes that had some accents of red on the side. Her hair was also tied up into a ponytail, which made her look like a different person. Mizoguchi was waiting outside of the studio, keeping guard.

Sherry held a two pairs of ballet slippers and handed the smaller pair to me. "Here. Put these on", she commanded while she leaned down to put her own pair on.

I switched shoes and got quite a surprise when I put on the slippers. "T-They seem to be too small."

"That's because they are pointe shoes", Sherry explained as she straightened herself up again, already wearing her pair, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "They are supposed to be small and tight by the toes."

"I-I don't think I can use these", I confessed hesitantly.

"Give it some time", Sherry said. "It will feel uncomfortable at first, but you'll get used to it. If it is too much, I'll ask Mizoguchi to fetch toe pads."

"Okay…", I nodded as I patted the tip of the shoes against the floor.

"Alright, first things first. We'll start with some stretching before getting into the dance itself."

"Ah, yes, just like in P.E. classes when we warm up our bodies", I nodded.

"Pretty much like that, oui (Yes.)", Sherry nodded. "I'll help you."

I sat down on the floor before Sherry helped me push my upper body forward as I stretched my arms forward to reach my feet. I grunted slightly as I still wasn't used to stretching, after all, it hasn't been that long since I've started to attend Duel Academy again.

I also got surprised when I saw how flexible Sherry's body was. She stretched it as if it was no big deal. She even stretched her legs wide open while resting on her stomach and stretched her arms forward!

"Doesn't that hurt?" I asked in surprise.

Sherry chuckled softly. "It did when I first started learning ballet back home, but the more I practiced the more I got used to it. I actually never stopped practicing when Mizoguchi and I were on the run. After all, it was the perfect way to make my body flexible to fight the enemy," she said, a smirk visible on her lips.

After a few minutes of stretching, Sherry led me to the wall with the railing. She demonstrated the different positions of the dance, for example the position with a 90-degree rotation of the leg from the hip joint while holding onto the railing for balance.

I tried doing some of the positions. I somewhat managed to do the first position. However, the second position caused pain to my twisted legs.

"O-Ow…", I hissed softly as I had no choice but to twist my legs back to normal.

"Don't overdo it", Sherry said as she stretched her right leg up in a straight line with the help of her right hand while using the other hand to hold onto the railing. "It takes many years of practice to achieve a flexible body."

"Okay, but I still don't know what ballet and Duel Runners have in common", I said as I massaged the right calf.

Sherry silently finished her stretch before she helped me with a movement. I held onto the railing as the blonde taught me how to rise, or to use the correct terminology: relevé. I lifted the heels high enough so I had my body weight on the balls of my feet.

"Make sure to not rest your weight on the tips of your toes", Sherry instructed me. "The pictures you might have seen are very deceiving. They're actually not balancing entirely on their toes."

"Really? I didn't know that."

"Now, try balancing on your left foot."

I stood next to the railing and did the relevé as Sherry instructed. She helped me push my upper body forward as much as I managed while holding onto the railing with my left hand. I lifted my right leg up behind me, but I couldn't make a straight line. The muscles in my body protested the more I forced myself.

Sherry held my right leg and helped me a little, but she stopped when I started grunting softly in discomfort. "Okay, I see your limit is around here. Not exactly the ideal, but it is a good start."

She lowered my leg down before I sighed in relief that the pain was over. "Let's take a short break here", she said.

I was sore by the stretching, so it felt nice with a break. I grabbed my water bottle and drank a little. However, I was still confused about this whole ordeal. "Sherry. Can you tell me what ballet and Duel Runners have in common? I still don't get it," I admitted, before taking a few more sips of the water.

Sherry wiped her neck with a towel before chuckling softly. "I've already given a few clues about it. It starts with 'B'."

"B…?" I mumbled confusedly as I rolled back my memories to figure out the b-word. "B…as in…balance?"

"Correct! One of the keys to drive a Runner is having a good sense of balance. It's the same with different kind of dances, but ballet is the best way to practice it. If you manage to find the correct balance between you and the Runner, you can do all kinds of maneuvers, including the turnback."

I think I was getting it now. I mentally face-palmed myself for not getting it sooner. It was all about balance! How could I forget something so basic?

"I didn't realize that. I feel like a fool for forgetting that", I said and smiled sheepishly at the taller woman.

"It's okay", Sherry chuckled. "It's easy to forget it when you're in the moment."

Now that I had found the key, I had to keep working. "Let's continue! I won't give up until the very end!" I said determinedly.

"That's the spirit."

XXXXXXXXXX

Today was the day I was going to have my certification Duel. I was a little nervous that I could barely eat. I managed to get some omelet in me when Yusei called me and asked if I could show up at the garage. I was curious to see what he wanted. He had recently returned from Crash Town with Estelle and Kalin after it was revealed they had been on a stealth mission to free the town from tyranny.

I asked Sherry to drive me to the garage, since her Runner was big enough to carry two people. Actually, I've never driven together with her, but it felt really nice to just feel the wind and not having to focus onto driving myself. I had a sports bag with me that contained my suit which I would change into at Duel Academy before the exam.

I pushed open the twin doors and stepped inside, getting greeted by the smell of oil. "Good morning", I called as Sherry walked behind me.

"Yo!" Crow waved with a big smile.

My eyes traveled to this new burgundy-colored Runner in the middle of the garage. "What is this?"

"Yes, we expect some thanks", Jack said with a half-sarcastic voice.

"It's your personal Duel Runner, Aki", Yusei explained, nodding at the Runner.

There were still some wires connected to the Runner as Bruno worked on his computer to make sure the CPU was okay and there were no bugs. "It's almost done and then you can bring it to the course", the super-mechanic spoke up.

"For me…?" I mumbled in disbelief.

I was touched that Yusei and everyone else had built my very own Duel Runner. It looked like a sleek and magnificent beast.

"I worked on the brakes", Crow said while he wiped his oily hands with a rag.

"I painted the exterior", Jack added, which I now noticed he was wearing a dirty white shirt that was stained by the same color as my Runner.

"You guys…", I almost cried a tear, but I quickly wiped it off.

"Say… Is the Runner based off of Estelle's Runner?" Sherry asked. "The bladewings resembles a lot of hers."

"That's right", Yusei confessed. "I asked her for the blueprints of her Crimson Starlight to use it as a base to design Aki's Runner."

I couldn't help but cry a little by everyone's kind gesture. They all have contributed on my Duel Runner and helped me with my studies and practice runs. I wiped my tears off as determination blossomed within me.

"I'll make sure to get my license!" I nodded.

That was a promise. I wasn't going to let my friends down after all the hard work they had put into my Duel Runner.

"Okay! All done!" Bruno called as he removed the wires. "Your Runner is ready to go, Aki."

"Thank you", I smiled widely.

"Say, do you have a good name for your Runner, Aki?" Crow asked curiously.

"Huh?" I blinked confusedly, not expecting that question. "No, not yet…"

"There's no rush to name your Runner, Aki", Yusei said. "You can come up with something after the certification Duel."

"I will", I nodded as I gently caressed the front of my Runner, briefly imagining I was patting a baby version of my Black Rose Dragon. "And I will take good care of it."

Because I still didn't have my license to drive a Runner on the streets, I called a tow truck company to bring my Runner to the Duel Academy's course.

XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV

It was time for the Aki's final exam. I had arrived early to not miss this big day. Itsuki, Ryuga, and Ish had come along to cheer for her. Yesterday, I had been busy with my foster sons to paint a cardboard that said "GO AKI!" with a cartoon-face Aki on it and some drawn rose petals. Itsuki was going to hold it up while cheering for her.

I didn't fail to notice the three men who tried bullying Aki. She had told me about them after the first practice day of the second exam. They sat at the far corner of the stands. I had a feeling they were going to pull up with the same dirty trick as in the anime.

"It's been a while since I've watched a Turbo Duel like this", Ish commented.

"You mean in real life and not through a screen?" I asked as I watched the first certification Turbo Duel with a young man and Trudge who was the proctor.

"Exactly", Ish nodded. "I've never been fond of motorcycles and I would rather prefer you don't have one, but time has changed with the years. The youngsters these days are quite adventurous."

"What does that mean, Grandma?" Itsuki asked.

Ever since Ish came to stay in the mansion, my foster sons had started calling her "Grandma". She was first very surprised by it, but then cried a little because she had dreamed out being called like that.

"Uncle Yushei!" Ryuga spoke up as he sat in my lap.

We all looked to our right and saw our friends hurrying to the stands. That included the Signers, Bruno, Carly, Sherry, Mizoguchi, Mei, and Sakura.

"Hi, guys", I waved my hand.

"Hey! Did we make it?" Crow asked.

"Aki haven't had her turn yet", Ish shook her head.

"Ah, good!" Sakura sighed in relief.

"What are you even doing here, Carly?" Jack asked.

"I was asked by Aki's parents to take pictures of the Turbo Duel for them", Carly replied as she held up her camera. "I've recently started my own business as a photographer, so I'm taking pictures at customer's orders."

"That's really cool", Mei smiled.

Carly grinned widely before she prepared her camera for the photoshoot. "I was taught a lot thanks to my special access to Misty's photoshoots. The cameramen are so nice!"

I swore I saw one of Jack's eyebrows twitch at Carly's last sentence. I giggled to myself as I had a feeling he was frustrated to hear how his crush was interacting with other men with a similar interest.

Everyone sat down around us and watched the first two Turbo Duelists failing the exam. The first guy lost in the Turbo Duel and the other one crashed by the sharp curve.

Trudge drove around the course and stopped by the start line before removing the helmet to reveal himself. "Geez, don't think a license-qualification Duel will be a piece of cake", he commented at the fallen Duelist.

Everyone, minus me, Ish and my foster sons, got surprised to see who the proctor was. "It's Trudge!" Crow exclaimed in surprise.

"Wasn't your cousin the proctor last time, Mei?" Yusei asked.

"Yes", Mei nodded. "But the proctors are changed from time to time, depending on how many manage to reach the qualification Duel."

"And this year, there's been a huge spike of Turbo aspirants with the World Racing Grand Prix coming up", I added.

"Well, aren't these a bunch of familiar faces!" Trudge smirked at us.

"Don't be too rough on Aki, please!" Luna called.

"No promises, little lady!" Trudge chuckled before turning to Aki with a playful smirk. "Well, Aki, luck sure wasn't on your side. More and more people have been trying to get their license as soon as they announced the Grand Prix would be held, y'see. This test is to weed them out. You need to beat me to pass. And don't think I'll go easy on you just 'cause we're acquaintances."

Aki smirked in return. "I never once thought of that, Trudge. Show me your worst."

"Go for it, Aki!" Itsuki yelled as he waved the cardboard left and right.

"Let us see your skills, Aki…", Sherry mumbled softly.

"Camera, check… Zooming, check… Ready!" Carly exclaimed joyfully as she finished the preparations with her camera on a tripod.

XXXXXXXXXX – Aki's POV

I almost made a fool out of myself when I temporary forgot I couldn't activate Speed Spells on the very first turn of a Turbo Duel because I didn't have any Speed Counters. Besides that mistake, I won the Turbo Duel that almost ended in a disaster when large iron bars next to the course almost fell on top of me. Thanks to all the training and Sherry's words from before, my determination grew bigger as I refused to give up. I managed to dodge the bars and defeat Trudge.

While it was announced I had passed the final exam, I heard a commotion from the stands. Both Trudge and I turned our attention at the commotion and I saw the three idiots who failed the second exam and made fun of me. They were being cornered by Jack, Estelle, and Sherry who looked very angry.

Trudge's colleagues hurried to the scene and handcuffed the three men before leading them away. "I wonder if those three have something to do with that stunt…", he commented.

I received the paperwork I needed to receive my driving license before I hurried to my friends who were waiting for me. "What happened?"

"Those three buffoons set up a trap for you with those iron bars", Mei explained.

"I overheard them talking about you when the iron bars fell onto the course, so I knew they were behind of it", Jack added as he crossed his arms.

"When we confronted them they denied it all, but I told them I had everything recorded with my spy glasses and I got the part when they used a small device to detonate the bombs they had planted onto the iron bars support", Estelle said. "They will now shake bars for their actions."

I was quite disappointed at the men that they took such extreme actions to get revenge for me passing the second exam. I snapped out of it when two tiny arms wrapped themselves around my legs.

"Congratulations, Aunt Aki!" Itsuki smiled widely. "You were so cool!"

"Cool!" Ryuga added with a big smile.

I giggled before I knelt down and hugged them both. "Thank you, you two. And thank you for cheering for me. Your sign gave me extra power to win the Turbo Duel."

"Yay!" the brothers cheered joyfully.

I let go of them and straightened up as Sherry walked to me. She held out a hand to me. "Congratulations, Aki. You're now officially a Turbo Duelist", she smiled.

I blushed at the statement before I held out my hand to her. "And it's all thanks to you, Sherry. I remembered your words and they pushed me forward to not give up."

Sherry chuckled before we shook hands. "You're welcome. I'm glad I was able to help you."

Sherry and I let go of each other's hands before Yusei walked to me and held out his hand. "Welcome to the world of Turbo Duels, Aki", he said.

"Thank you", I smiled and shook his hand. "Everyone, I'm so happy I can be part of your world as a Turbo Duelist."

"This means the Turbo team is finally complete!" Leo cheered. "We're ready for the World Racing Grand Prix!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Mom and Dad had prepared a large feast to celebrate my victory for passing the certification Duel, so I asked everyone to come and join the celebration in the evening. The ones who got happiest about it were Crow and Leo because they loved to eat.

It had been a while since my house was so lively, but I didn't mind that. I was glad to finally make some good memories instead of the lonely moments I had to endure when I was a child.

After mingling for a while, I felt a bit hot and had to step outside to get some fresh air. I walked out to the small garden to check the roses I took care of. I found the garden bench and sat down before releasing a soft sigh. I leaned back and looked at the night sky in solitude.

It still felt a bit unrealistic that I was now an official Turbo Duelist, but I was happy. Now, I could keep up with my friends and be part of their world. I felt more of an equal like this. Of course, I always felt like I was part of the group, but it still had hurt a little that I couldn't keep up with the same pace as the others. However, they stopped and reached out their hands to help me catch up to them.

"So this is where the hero of the day snuck out to."

I looked to my left and saw Sherry approach me with two glasses of iced tea. I giggled softly at her remark. "I just needed some fresh air", I explained as I took the glass Sherry held out to me. "Thank you."

Sherry sat down next to me before she took a gulp of her drink. "So…", she started slowly, "How does it feel to be a Turbo Duelist?"

"It still feels weird, but it's also a wonderful feeling at the same time", I replied as I looked at the sky. "I can't wait to challenge myself and sharpen my Dueling skills."

"We all saw how nervous you were at the beginning", Sherry commented. "Especially when you forgot about the Speed Counters", she added, teasing me a bit about my mistake with a small smile on her lips.

"Y-Yeah, I was so nervous to lose control if I let go of the handles that I fell into some kind of trance", I laughed sheepishly.

"That happens to the best of us. But you managed to recover and concentrate on the rest of the Turbo Duel. And you did a great job with the turnback."

"Thank you. The ballet sessions helped me out a lot…even though my muscles got sore."

She chuckled a bit at that. "It will get better if you keep practicing, but that is up to you whether you want to continue or not."

Both of us got silent as we looked up at the sky. I sipped my iced tea from time to time as I just enjoyed the nature and Sherry's company, even though there were some weak noises coming from downtown not far from home.

"Say, Aki…", Sherry spoke up after a while. "Have you even considered becoming a professional Duelist in the future?"

I got a bit caught off guard by the question. "No…? I actually haven't thought about it. Actually after joining Arcadia Movement, I never thought about my future again and even though this is all in the past now, I still didn't focus my thoughts on my future either," I confessed, slightly feeling unwell talking about my past again.

"I see," she nodded understandingly. Again after some silence she added, "Would you like to advance your Dueling skills by joining a team?"

I blinked confusedly. "A team? But I'm already part of Yusei's team for the World Racing Grand Prix."

Sherry didn't look too happy with my answer. "As a back-up Duelist or part of the pit crew?" she asked, averting her gaze.

"Pit crew… Why do you ask?" I wondered, not only because it was a weird question for her to ask, but also because she was acting a bit weird. She mumbled something in French that I didn't understand, before turning her head back to me, smiling softly.

"Would you like to join my team for the World Racing Grand Prix and be our third Turbo Duelist?" she asked with a certain tone that I couldn't pinpoint exactly. Was it hope? I wasn't so sure about it. Also, did she really just ask that?

"Uh… I… I don't know", I shook my head. "Wait… Why would you want to recruit me to your team? I've just become a Turbo Duelist and I don't want to betray my friends."

Her smile vanished yet again at my sentence, but Sherry tried to explain why I should join her team.

"You know, the best experience in Turbo Dueling comes from participating in tournaments", she said. "As for the part of you betraying your friends…" I swore I saw a small frown on her lips, but it soon was replaced by her perfect poker face. "Observe it from this point of view; you Signers and I have Iliaster as our common enemy. If more of us participates in the WRGP, we might be able to confront them in due time. It's like the saying; the more the merrier."

I guess Sherry had a good point with that, but there was still something I didn't get. "But why me?"

"Why not you?" Sherry retorted, chuckling a bit. "I told you before; you are an interesting character and I can see the potential within you. You managed to master one of the most advanced techniques in Turbo Dueling." I knew she was referring to the turnback here. "Without having much time to do so. You should be very proud of how far you've come."

I couldn't help but blush at the compliment. "It's all thanks to you and everyone else that I've come the far as that", I looked away as I twirled some strands of my front bangs around my finger.

Sherry smiled a bit before standing up. "Take some time to consider my offer, but I want to hear your answer by the end of May. If you're uncertain, I can talk to Yusei and tell him why I want you to join my team."

I gave her a nod as answer, which was enough for her. She then grabbed her empty glass and walked back to the house whereas I remained on the bench and released a soft sigh.

So much happened today and now I got an offer to join Sherry's team and be their third Turbo Duelist. Should I accept it? Was I really that good I could keep up with Sherry and Mizoguchi?

Then again, she said I could get lots of experience if I participated in the World Racing Grand Prix as a Duelist and not as a sidekick. Would it be selfish of me if I wanted to ride my Duel Runner and fight together with my Duel Monsters and Black Rose Dragon?

I had to think about it before making a decision that I wouldn't regret.