Prologue: Shattering Glass

A pair of bloodshot and watery eyes the color of glassy Mediterranean blue stared at its owner's reflection in the large wall mirror at the men's lavatory, eyes that belonged to one of the most prominent figures in the Orient in terms of Crush Gear Fighting. But the pain and anguish on the pale features of Kuroudo Marume were not brought about by their defeat in the Asian Cup finals against the Manganji Dream Team, disappointing as it was, but by something else that he himself wasn't completely sure of.

His moment of contemplation did not last long, however, for a force from his lower abdomen suddenly threw him forward, and resting against the sink with his two hands planted firmly on the tiles, he went through the unpleasant cycle of nausea once more. If the incident took place for the first time, he would've just whisked away the thought of it being something more complicated, throwing the blame on the food they had eaten at their last meal, but unfortunately, the situation wasn't that simple. And if it were, his companions would've been throwing up as well, alongside him in the quiet haven of the bathroom, missing the awarding ceremonies of the tournament they had participated in.

No, it was something more than squeamishness, and that was what the young man knew for certain. The attack began a few hours after his battle in the semi-final round against one of the members of the Four-Stars Team from China --- the match that was labeled as one of the most spectacular ones in the entire duration of the Asian Cup. But instead of celebrating in his victory and their team's advancement to the championship round, he spent the rest of the day inside his quarters, making up the excuse that he wanted to meditate. His teammates, used to the fact that he meditated all the time, left him without asking any more questions, not knowing that he had ended up on his knees, drenched with sweat, after an exhausting fit of nausea that lasted for who knew how long.

Kuroudo brought his eyes back up to look at his reflection, but instead of seeing the usual image of a composed, blond-haired Gear Fighter who appeared like there was nothing in the world that could trouble him and his ultra-unique Shooting Mirage, he saw a worn out boy that seemed to have been robbed of the energy that kept him going. Shaking his head, he turned the faucet on and splashed water on his face, hoping that it would make him look better. There was nothing he could do about feeling better; except, perhaps, consult a doctor.

Which would have to wait. He wanted to go back to Japan first, above everything else.

After wiping his face dry, he took a deep breath and headed back to where his friends were, hoping that they wouldn't notice the difference in his features. But he hadn't even stepped out when he cringed and took a step back, muttering a complaint to himself about the deafening noise that embraced the triumph of the Manganji Dream Team in the Asian Cup. Shortly after, however, he regained his composure and went on his way, smirking as a thought crossed his mind. If they, the Tobita Club, had become the Asian Cup champions, he definitely wouldn't have minded the hullabaloo at all.

"We'll get them next year," Kouya Marino whispered in a determined tone as he and his friends walked away from the crowd that gathered around the Asian Cup champions, the Manganji Dream Team, headed by his greatest rival, Takeshi Manganji. Although he was disappointed by their defeat --- just as everyone else in the Tobita Club was --- he knew that sulking over the matter would do them no good. Just as what he told Takeshi, their failure wasn't the end of their hopes and dreams. It was only the beginning of a greater honor that was yet to come, that they were yet to achieve.

They were halfway out of the stadium, however, when the captain of the Tobita Club realized that the fourth member of their fighting force was still nowhere to be found. "Where's Kuroudo?" the youth asked, looking at his companions with a bewildered expression on his face. He knew that the other Gear Fighter left to attend to his personal necessities, but he had been away for far too long, things were getting fishy. A frown then appeared on his ever-enthusiastic features. "Still in the bathroom? You don't think he's---"

"Crying?" came Jirou Oriza's suggestion, although it was evident in his eyes that he was rather amused by it. In fact, when Kouya's face showed nothing but concern about the welfare of their teammate, he let out a loud laugh. "Well, losing to a bunch of Gear Fighters under good 'ol Takeshi's wing would be something to cry about, and that would be fun to see that happen to an all-male team like ours, but Kuroudo Marume? Nah."

As if in response to their team captain's inquiry, Kuroudo emerged from one of the many corridors, smiling thinly and rather pale --- paler than he usually was, that is. He wasn't good at pretending that everything was fine, but it was nothing for him to worry about, for his companions weren't good at detecting that something was wrong either. "Sorry to keep you waiting," he quickly apologized, not wanting to be asked questions that would force him to divulge the truth. Putting on the seemingly always-cool demeanor that he was known for, he added, "I met a friend on the way out."

But Lilika Tobita wasn't so dense. "Is there something wrong, Kuroudo? I mean, you look pale."

The young Gear Fighter froze at that question, seeing it coming the moment he left the comfort room, but not expecting that it would actually be asked. But he had to give an answer, lie or not, for all eyes were then on him, making him feel uncomfortable by the second that passed. "It's nothing," he settled with a lie, looking away from his expectant comrades --- most especially from Kyousuke Jin who was staring at him intently --- then glanced up to indicate the fancy-looking bulbs that generated a bright yet rather eerie glow inside the chamber. "It's just the light."

---

Author's Notes: There's only one reason why I wrote this fic: I'm simply obsessed with the series. So even if I only saw a few episodes, and that I don't know much about anything else except the main characters and the names of their Gears, I'm still writing this. So please, bear with the insanity, bear with any mistakes, and be so kind to point them out to me. Anyway, I'd like to ask a couple of things because I have no idea about these: Is Jirou an only child? Is Kyousuke an only child? Are both of their parents, including Kuroudo and Kouya, present? I know that Kouya has a brother and that Kuroudo's an only child, but nothing else about their families. I started following the series closely in the middle of the Asian Cup. *slaps forehead*

I guess that basically wraps things up. Thanks in advance, everyone! If you want me to continue with this little fic of mine, please let me know by leaving a review. Suggestions, corrections and additional information will be very much appreciated by this deranged fangirl. *bows*