FOREWORD: I, HashiriyaGDB, am submitting this Initial D facfic on behalf of Midnight Dorifuta, the author of this fanfic and a fellow user on the Initial D World Forums. The only things I've done to this is correct some (if not all) the typos.

All trademarks are owned by their respective owners.

Chapter 13: A Spirit Among Us.
"Itsuki?"

Kazumi's eyes were still half shut as she came to, panning her head around and observing her surroundings. From what she could take in, she was in a car. No, not just any car, an AE86... either Trueno or Levin. She was buckled in, but they were at a stop at a senic overlook. It was early dawn, as well, the sun just beginning to break over the peak of Mt... Haruna. Yes, Haruna. They were in Itsuki's hometown, sort to speak.

"Hey... good morning, Kazumi." Itsuki gave a bit of a soft, reassuring smile to Kazumi, taking a yawn before glancing outside at the morning sky.

"You slept a very long time, Kazumi-chan... but of course, it's extremely understandable just exactly why..."

"Y... yes... that much is true..." Kazumi took a long sigh, looking at Itsuki Takeuchi in a completely new way. He was the savior?, she thought to herself. Eyeing him, and the way he was observing her closely to be doubly sure she was alright, she realised that it just had to be him.

"He... he didn't do anything awful to you... did he?" He asked Kazumi, looking her square in the eye.

"Well... he almost did... he got really close..."

"I see. I'm just glad I caught him in time. Thank God you're alright. Honestly... I don't know what I would do with myself if I came too late..."

Kasumi blinked, eyes widening slightly. Itsuki was on the verge of crying, and the tone he put into what he was saying... It sounded like he was still in love with her. He was sincere... like she still meant a lot to him.

"Uhm... Itsuki, you don't need to worry so much... I'm alright, honestly... it's not like we're still going out..." Baring a little bit of an embarassed smile, she nodded to Itsuki.

"But I'll admit...", she added, I'm pretty shaken... maybe more than I'll let myself reveal. That was scary."

Itsuki nodded. "That's alright", he replied, returning the smile. "The point is you'll never see him again, I don't think. Uhm... Wataru came right afte rI did. He siad he'd straighten your ex out so you never see him again."

"Wataru came as well? I... I see..." Kazumi was slightly suprised to find that out, at least timing wise. So he knew something was wrong as well? Talk about coincidences. "Well.. I just want to put this behind us. Behind me, anyways.", she added, her mind made up. "It's going to stay in the past, where it belongs... I'm never going to talk to him again."

"Say, uhm, Kazumi...", Itsuki asked Kazumi, looking a little unsure of himself, as if he was forcing himself to be confident enough... "You said you want to put the past behind you, right?"

"...yes...?"

"Well then, why not replace a bad memory with a good one?"

"Such as what...?", Kazumi asked Itsuki, lookng a little interested... excited, even.

"Going out on a date.", Itsuki gasped barely, trying to keep himself from having a heart attack.

-

"So, you didn't tell him the truth, did you?" A pair of elven ears twitched, a set of deep blue eyes staring over another elven figure, looking a little bit unamused."

"Just like any other prying wife, ain't yah, Karie?" It was Kealan that she was looking down at, as he test-fitted a few other pieces to his completely altered 2000GT; a new underbody diffuser design that was a little bit more radical than the last time, and a set of carbon fiber vortex generators on the roof of the car, in an attempt to route more air to this new, radical, GT-style wing that he had fabricated.

"As usual." Karie smirked a little, her arms crossed as she watched him drill the holes in the aluminum body of the 2000GT where the spoiler would mount, and placing rubber spacers so it wouldn't rub the metal.

"Naw, what would be the point? Besides... even if I told him that the Z beared a spirit force of its own, I doubt the kid would believe him. It's not a human force, anyways, after all... It's just... there... and if I could manipulate it while driving it... who knows what would happen."

"What about the Z kid himself? Is he unique like the car?", She asked, lighting up another cigarette casually.

"No. Not really. The Z kid is just a victim of the car's spirit force. It drew him in emotionally and caused him to be... well, the best way to put it is lethally attatched. Some day, that kid's going to get himself killed behind the wheel. And its all going to be the car's fault, not his. The myth about killer cars is a reality." Kealan began fastening the wing to the 2000GT's silver sheetmetal; it matched the color of the car, just like the front diffuser, reshaped and redesigned nose, fender flares, and other doodads.

"No shit? Heh... odd. I'll bet I could get that Z running faster than you'd think of making it.", she said, narrowing her eyes and grinning.

"Well consider I'm made from you, Karie, and you are the higher power... I wouldn't doubt it. Even if I'm half you, you're still 2 times greater than I am. Silly." Kealan started chuckling, moving in on Karie and pressing her against the door of the 2000GT, giving her a wild grin.

"Now you're just flattering me", she said in defense, knowing Kealan was at the very least, exaggerating just a little.

"Maybe I am...", he said with a chuckle, before pressing his lips against hers, temporarily forgetting about working on the 2000GT and placing all the focus on his wife...

-

Akiyuki Suzaki and Kasumi Suzaki both stood at a table in a Burger King within Tokyo, set in a calm manner of discussion between one another, catching up on the important things in life.

"It's good seeing you again, Kas."

"Same here, Aki-kun. How's life been treating you here in Japan?"

Akiyuki shrugged, then smiled a bit. "Fairly well", he said, in thought. "I've encountered a couple of drivers, and they all turned out to be interesting people!"

"Oh?", she asked Akiyuki, crossing her arms as she giggled a bit, picking at her meal. "That's unlike you, Aki-kun. You usually keep to yourself, and avoid racing at all costs. What changed that?"

Akiyuki smiled a little bit, leaning in closer to Kasumi, and changing his tone of voice, sounding truly excited. "Takumi Fujiwara-san did. His talent could exceed mine one day."

"Really!? ...that's quite a statement to come from your mouth, Akiyuki Suzaki. You're a living legend, despite your short career..." Kasumi dipped one of her fries in ketchup, then munched on it before taking a sip from her soda, moving the cup around a little and listening to the sound of the ice cubes clashing with one another. "You've grown quite a bit. You used to not want to be into racing... but I can see what you're thinking. You want Fujiwara as a driver, don't you?"

"Mmmh... perhaps, Kas. I'm not sure yet at the moment, but the prospect of having somebody behind the wheel for Suzaki Performance is a very tempting idea. Especially someone like Fujiwara. It could give our parts chain much more publicity, and maybe put us on the map as a dealer for restored Mitsubishi Starions and Chrysler Conquests."

Kasumi laughed a little, looking as cheerful and light as ever, despite her conditions or past. "You really do have a thing for my car, Aki-kun, don't you?", she asked, with a hint of delight. It was pretty awe-striking how lovingly he was attatched to that car, and the developments he already accomplished for it. What was left to be done with it was anyone's guess. Even Akiyuki himself wasn't sure how much further it could go. Such as the idea for SOHC in a 3-valve head and cam design, so the stock Starion timing belt could still be used, and still having some of the benefits of DOHC.

"Yeah... it's the automotive embodiment of you, Kasumi, after all. You've set dozens of autocross records in it back in '89 that still hold to this day. It's an amazing machine when tweaked right. And I intend to show the whole world how great it is.", he said, his eyes gleaming. Akiyuki - when it came to the Starion, he was truly happy about it, no matter what it was.

"Yeah, they did call me the Goddess of Starion, that was the truth." She let off a bit of a sigh, her mind feeling nostalgic. "Oh, how much fun I had behind the wheel then, able to work the clutch and shifter the way I did. It was second nature. It still is, if I could get my legs back somehow. I'll bet I could climb right in and show off a holeshot launch."

"I'm sure you could, too...", he replied, letting off a sign of agreement. "You, Kas-chan... you can do anything, and everything. I always looked up to you that way."

-

"By the way", Karie asked Kealan, laying on top of him in a naked and exposed form, exhausted from... activities... and still panting a little, "That kid Akyuki Suzaki... he doesn't know much about the truth of the city of Tokyo, does he? Its past... it's present, and its possbible future."

"Hmm?" What do you mean?" Kealan was just as undressed as Karie was, despite the fact they were both rested on the hood of Kealan's 2000GT - amazing how it hold up to about 325 pounds - and in a garage, of all places. He still couldn't help but tease her a little, although in this state he did feel amped enough to get back to work.

"I mean he's only used to normal people. You saw the reaction to us when he saw our ears. He was staring at mine more than anything else, probably wondering to himself if you acquired them from me." Karie got up, slowly picking up her garmets and sliding them on - amused by the fact Kealan usually enjoyed her reverse strip-show of this nature - as he also followed suit.

"Yeah, I did... but, I suppose, he'll find out sooner than later the truth that lies in this city. BEsides... with Dorothy Bricklin and Misato Katsuragi long dead, and NERV long disbanded, what's there to worry about? The City of Tokyo is safe. The Third Impact was prevented. Life goes on, both in me and in you, despite the pains that haunt our past. But the present, is so much more vivid, colorful, and cheery."

"Yeah, I guess you're right...", Karie went on, now up to the point of sliding her mechanic's gloves on, along with Kealan fitting his, and also throwing on his trucker-style hat, blank with no text but old, dirty, and greasy."Although it's funny the way me and you sit here working on cars the old fashioned way instead of taking the easy method, and the fact we both get a kick out of turning wrenches instead of just putting our minds to work."

-

Akiyuki's eyes traveled to the window of the Burger King, him then blinking as he could've swore he saw a blue-haired woman with angelic wings looking at the two with curiosity. But then, she just... disappeared! Literally, gone from plain sight into thin air.

"!? ...Who the hell was that?", Akiyuki though aloud to himself, a fry dropping from his mouth back onto the tray.

"Who, Aki-kun? Or rather, where?", Kasumi replied, suprised to see Akiyuki so suddenly startled.

"Behind you... in the window. There was a girl there, I saw her in the corner of her eye, but then, as I actually looked at her, she freaked out and..."

Kasumi canted her head to the side just a small bit, watching Akiyuki's lips tremble a little... seeing he wanted to say something, but couldn't believe what he was about to say.

"And what, Aki-kun? Just... disappeared?" Kasumi was holding her breath. It was a silly concept, but she believed every word Akiyuki ever said in his life to her, because they never kidded each other or talked sarcastically.

"Yeah... Wait! Hey, You!" Aki jumped up from the table as he saw her appear again, this time turning around and running off. The brown-haired man behind the counter, eyes narrowed, sighed, putting a palm to his forehead as the slight chaos began to unfold.

"There she goes again...", he mumbled to himself. "Dammit, Espirit, can't you keep your curious eyes out of other people's sight? You're bound to land someone in the asylum!"

Kasumi turned around as Akiyuki followed the girl out of the door, watching as he bolted through the glass door, running across the pavement. A car honked, damn near hittign Akiyuki as he crossed over the drive thru lane, the driver speeding on, fortunately. Because whatever he or she was about to see next, as Suzaki stumbled across the pavement, tripped, fell, and slammed his head on the bumper of a black sports car, would have disturbed them.

"Itai!", two voices said in unison. Akiyuki, and... some girl, possibly a 15 year older, with a very cute accent and a bit of a high pitch.

"Are you alright!?", the girl said in a panic, her bright sky-blue eyes looking worriedly at Akiyuki - apparently unaware she still wasn't completely 'seperate' from the car like this. Kasumi also was there by now, still on the sidewalk, standing on her own two... well, hands... her right eye twitching slightly... you'd think she was witnessing a ghost care for her younger brother. And in that retrospect, she wasn't too far off.

Akiyuki gasped as he stared up at the being. From the head to the waist, seemed to be the appearance of someone almost... supernatural looking. Her blue hair and eyes posessed a heavenly, innocent sheen to them, and she resembled in dress, an old-world countrywoman. But at the waist? The flesh seemed to merge with the deep blue metallic of the car's hood, the only thing that distrubed that wonderfl sheen being a green, white, and yellow Lotus emblem. Akiyuki finally was able to get a word out just after the figure shreiked, disappearing again... into the Lotus? Him and Kasumi said essentially the same thing at the same time.

"It's a girl!!!"
"She's a car!!!"

"Well, you blew that one, Espirit-chan. Might as well introduce yourself to these fine two citizens and hope they don't end up ultimately being in a straight-jacket." The frown-haired, blue-eyed boy of not much more height than Akiyuki, and bearing an almost hauntingly similar build and hair-style, stood next to Kasumi, eyes locked onto the wedge-looking car, him seeming utterly and completely unamused. Kasumi boldly inched torwards the car as Akiyuki stood there in a state of true awe.

"Uhm...", a voice seemed to mutter, from inside the car... just as the woman - looking much the same now, a young lady with small wings emerging from her back and short, bright blue hair and eyes, but now in a much more modern attire... seemed to walk straight out from the door of the Espirit... but this time, she was definately complete. She appeared to be sweating... as the surface of the hood of the car seemed to moisten a bit... and her cheeks were blushed rosy red, the girl looking unbelievably shy.

"Uhm... good day. My name is Espirit-chan, part girl, part Lotus Esprit... pleasure to... meet... you...?"

If there was any time to declare a scenario as 'awkward', now was the time for Akiyuki and Kasumi alike, who stared at the cargirl figure, or figures, in a completely dazed state.

-

In the town of Akagi, Keisuke was with Fuhimiro, workiing on his FD. The engine was getting its routine breakdown/inspection, most of the external parts being looked over, some replaced, including the turbochargers, which were to be rebuilt, and the intercooler, which was going to be changed for a larger one. The body was also being tested, the alignment checked... everything about the car was being looked over.

"I noticed the fuel mileage has dropped considerably... what gives?", he asked Fuhimiro, with a bit of an unamused look on his face. Fuhimiro looked down into the engine compartment, his eyes locked on a small plug connected to the exhaust panel. "Well", he said, reaching in and grabbing a wrench to unfasten the device, "Your O2 sensor could be fizzling out as well. It's been subjected to high temperatures up to now and I don't believe it's been replaced." Fuhimiro removed the O2 sensor, which was all black, choked out with carbon build-up. "Yep", he said, showing the part to Keisuke, who raised an eyebrow in that go figure kind of way, "The O2 sensor is kaput. Time for a new one. It might also explain why you're running so rich."

Keisuke and his brother's mechanic were both distracted, though, as they saw an unfamiliar white car pull in with a very familiar driver behind the wheel. And boy, it sure was new. New to the point the passenger's seat was still semi-wrapped in plastic, and there were still bits of white plastic wrap partially covering the body. It was new, new, and, oh yeah, new. Its engine idled as smoothly, quietly, and gracefully as a Rolex wrist-watch as the driver pulled up.

For the most part, this car wasn't exactly a model of sensuality. It wasn't the automotive erotica of, say, an Aston Martin DB7. But that didn't matter; it was definately well-heeled on its tires, carrying a bit of a poised stance. Yes, maybe not erotic, but definately pretty agressive in nature. The curvature of its body panels suggested it was eager, maybe even slightly cocky. Its engine seemed to have more potential lurking than its idle state might have suggested. And the car definately wasn't that spacious... but all in all, it was probably a wonderful compliment to its older bretheren, despite the fact its headlights weren't equipped with retractors.

"A….Aniki? That's... what happened to your FC!?" Keisuke started forward, eyes wide as he stared at him perplexedly. Ryousuke chuckled, as if expecting the reaction, arms crossed as Fuhimiro gently placed down the worn O2 sensor, standing up to face Ryousuke. "Ryousuke... you're officially retired, then? Is this really the end of your racing days? I mean - that's a great car you have, but compared to your FC!?"

Ryousuke took off his pair of half-rimmed shades, folding them and using an arm to hang them in the collar of his shirt, in a small state of disbelief. "Don't be so naive, the both of you", he said, in a rather put-down low tone. "This car fufills every need a street racer could possess. Light-weightedness, a confident suspension setup, a natural balanced weight bias, and a responsive engine. This car could defeat Fujiwara's hachi-roku before the engine change quite easily with an advanced multilink setup. Appearance isn't everything... it even has a six-speed transmission, with very close ratios. You're always in the power band."

"Yes, but... still...", Keisuke replied, finding it harder and harder to believe just what he was staring at.

Ryousuke set his head down, fishing through his pocket until he found the pack of cigarettes, then sliding one out, still looking at the pavement. "If I must be behind the wheel as a competing driver, then I've already got a car leaps and bounds ahead of the FC sitting right here in the garage. Neither of you should ignore the fact." Cigarette lit and placed between his lips, his eyes almost flashed with a small cunning brilliance as he looked Keisuke and Fuhimiro dead in the eye, certain of every word he spoke. "After all... I paid for it, didn't I?"

"Hai...", Keisuke slowly replied to Ryousuke, swallowing his pride and the truth that was before him; being the White Comet of Akagi was officially retired. "You can drive the FD whenever you please."

"Good. I'm glad you understand. I picked a car that was both practical and reliable, efficient to drive, but yet sacrificed nothing in the name of balance and performance, or light weightedness. When I go to Tokyo University, I'll be very glad I purchased this car. It's not a car to under-estimate."

"I'll agree to that...", Fuhimiro said, looking a lot less glum then before, as if having realised something very important. "There's no doubt about it. Even if the engine size and weight just went up, the Roadster RS is still a pure sports car and driver's car."