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.

THIS CHAPTER TIES THE 2 SIDE STORY CHAPTERS BACK TO THE MAIN PLOT

Chapter 15: Akagi's Nightmare

Ten Days Later...

The phone at the Fujiwara Tofu shop rang yet again, for the 5th time this early afternoon, an anxious caller on the other end. The caller was Akiyuki Suzaki again, holding the earpiece up with his shoulder, sighing as he tapped his finger on the desk he was sitting at. On the 7th or 8th ring, he considered just waiting another hour, but just in time someone picked up on the other end, sounding like he was in a rush.

"Uhm, hello, this is the Fujiwara Tofu Shop, who's calling, please?" The voice was, to Suzaki's relief, Fujiwara, the younger Fujiwara.

"Ah, Fujiwara-san! It's Akiyuki. How's things?" Takumi blinked, not expecting this call on his agenda.

"Oh, uh, hi, I just got home from my job, Suzaki-san. Things have been okay. I'm still experimenting with a few things with the Trueno, but my faith in the car is slowly being restored to how it used to be. Aside from that, I'm still not sure exactly what to do. Ryousuke still hasn't said anything about if there's even going to be a Project D race beyond our encounter with Purple Shadow."

"Oh, is that so? I've been wondering, because I saw a pretty extreme-looking FC blasting down Akagi recently. I thought at first it was Ryousuke Takahashi's, but then I saw Ryousuke next to a Roadster RS at the hilltop after making a quick run."

"Eh? What were you doing at Akagi, anyways?"

"Merely seeing the home ground of the old Red Suns team. But I think something incredible is beginning to develop. New competition for Project D, perhaps?"

"I wouldn't know. I've been too busy working and doing tofu deliveries. For the time being, I'm working full-time."

"...I see. Takumi, there's somebody I'd like you to meet. One day in the future, you may be teammates with him."

"N... nani?"

"I myself was suprised at his driving ability. He reminds me of you in many ways."

"Ah... is that so? More than I remind you of yourself?"

"Yes, actually."

"Sounds interesting. But where would I meet him?"

"I'll pick you up in an hour if that's okay with you."

"That'll do."

"Alright, I'll talk to you later. Ja."

"Ja na!" -click-

-

Iketani stood under the hood of Mako's Sil-Eighty, attatching a metal hook to a mount on the engine specifically designed for this; pulling the engine. Originally, Iketani had zero plans on removing the engine, however, he decided maybe it was best for a complete rebuild. That as well, pulling the transmission out and keeping that in check, and replacing the clutch, as well, would be a cinch. It was a practical alternative to being hunched over the hood all day long, not to mention the fact that the days were getting shorter and sunlight would be a rare commodity by the time he got off from work.

Mako kept a close eye and did her part in removing the bolts that held the engine and transmission to the chasis of the car, and making sure every last wire was disconnected. It was, and the old CA18 was out in a very short period of time, without much trouble at all. Iketani and Mako together spent a lot of time making sure that everything was in order before the extraction, and it all came together, or, rather, out, flawlessly.

The engine's exterior looked suprisingly well-kept, despite the fact the car was approaching 18 years of age. Still, the Sil-Eighty never looked finer... until before her crash on Mt. Usui so long ago, maybe. That was back when Sayuki wasn't that into the racing scene just quite yet and Mako was still experimenting on her own. That was when she was simply known as "That 180SX girl". But today, it was a lot different. She was again on the road alone, but she had a reputation to upkeep, as she helped Sayuki conquer Usui in the other direction with her quirky, strange-behaving AW11.

And there she was. Looking more or less like a mess of hoses, covers, and disconnected wires than the actual engine that was extracted, the CA18 stood there in all of its aged glory, the writing on the valve cover nearly flawless. It was in much better condition than most engines that old on the outside, although it was more likely than not on her way out on the inside. The engine's compression was, after all, beginning to drop. All in all it was time for either a replacement or update... and replacement was definately not on Mako's options chart

"You know...", Iketani said, as he and Mako slowly pushed the hoisted engine into her small garage, "Change isn't always a bad thing. I know somebody who thought much the way you did about an engine change, although his engine damaged forced him to change engines." Mako glanced at Iketani with a bit of a curious stare. "Forced to change engines..." She held her breath, remembering the news from a year ago. "F-Fujiwara, you mean!?"

"Hai. Fujiwara blew his engine racing the Evo III on Akagi. His father replaced the engine, and at first... he didn't like it at all. But he grew to fall in love with it after racing an 86 Levin Turbo." Eyeing the CA18 as it was, She was aware that the engine was one that was beginning to fall behind the technology curve. It also beared the weight of being 200 cc smaller than its newer counterparts, and not bearing as large an aftermarket. Still... the one thing Mako disliked was being a follower, and Silvia owners left and right have started switching to the SR series engine.

"I understand that", Mako replied. "But I'm still iffy over the idea of an SR20 swap... I also believe, the appearance of that engine takes from the car's character." Iketani chuckled a little and nodded in repliance to Mako, understanding of where she was coming from. Although a few S13's came stock with SR20's, it is really more well known in the S14 culture... maily for the fact the engine recieved a few horsepower tweaks and the car got a pretty new face. "Well...", he started, in a bit of a reassuring voice...

"I'm sure we'll figure something out, Mako-chan."

-

Tokyo. Shinjuku, Tokyo, to be exact. This crowded district of the city is possibly the most populated district in Neo-Tokyo. It was home to all kinds of fashions, trends, and teenagers alike. It was a gathering center and also yet a center of transportation, thanks to the recently redesigned Shinjuku Station. And this is where one woman would step off of a train, taking her purse with her, and pacing her way through the crowd to the outside streets, eyeing up and down the sidewalk.

Nearby, a small hatchback car pulled to a halt just before the lady got off the train. The driver, looking bored, placed the shifter in neutral and pulled the handbrake, letting the car's rather noisy - but growly when provoked - engine idle, keeping the air conditioning on. It was an unusually hot September evening, the temperatures easily reaching into the 90's, despite the sun setting. The radio off, his eyes veered from face to face, trying to find the right person amidst the sea of people. It was such a strange and new environment to him, too, that he didn't know what to make of it.

Finally, as she neared the sidewalk, she saw the car... No, wait, that is his car, right? It looked different... the hood was black, and so were his headlights. And she couldn't see the person within from this distance. But still, her heart-rate increased. She felt a little heated, emotion already beginning to wrap its arms around her. She broke into a sprint, charging torwards the hatchback.

"Takumi! Takumi-kun, Takumi-kun!"

Seeing the driver slowly climb out and look at her with a bit of a confused expression on his face, she'd wrap her arms around him and practically pin him to the car in a tight hug, her emotions in the sky. "Takumi-kun! I've missed you. It's been so long, hans't it? 8 months? 9? Too many to count!"

"Mogi-chan... it's good to see you, too." Takumi chuckled a small bit as the hug broke, then blushed when Natsuki suprised him with a kiss on the lips. "Mou, Natsuki... that was sudden...", he said, rubbing his now red hot-feeling cheeks. Natsuki giggled in repliance, giving him a solid nod. "I couldn't help it, Ta-ku-mi", she want on, practically singing it. "How have you been, love? Enjoying your racing team, I hope. The news about it has made it all the way here to Tokyo, Takumi-kun. A friend of m- ... well, no. That's a lie. I found about it myself."

Takumi blinked for a second, cocking an eyebrow and tilting his head. "Found out about it yourself, Natsuki...?" Natsuki replied with the same vigorous nod that she just gave him, pinning him up against the door of the old Tofu Shop Trueno, not caring less if anyone were to watch the scene. "Hai, hai, Tak (Takumi)-kun! To be honest, I've been thinking about you for a while, and how you like cars... I didn't realise it at first, but I kinda like racing now. Your Trueno is FR, right?"

"I.. uhm... yes... yes, it is...", Takumi muttered, blushing again, and showing a face that appeared to be more embarassed than flattered. But he really was a little bit amazed. Before, Natsuki called his car just that, a car. Now she knew it not only by model name but she also knew its drivetrain layout. She wasn't exactly a Ryousuke Takahashi, but it was a step forward from the previous Mogi who knew nothing about cars.

"And the engine is a 4A-GE inline four... or was... but you changed the engine to a higher-revving one, didn't you? You had to install an aftermarket tachometer that went pretty high, if I remember correctly..." Whoa, whoa, whoa! One step at a time there, baby! Takumi slowly ran her feedback through his head and then nodded. "Uhm, yes. The new engine revs very high. I like the new engine. It's faster than I expected..." Takumi then sighed a small bit, thinking of how the WRX was superior in every way, shape, and form... but luckily...

"Never mind all that, though, Tak (Takumi)-kun. We should go out on a date, like, now! I mean, it's not like either of us are seeing anyone else, right?" Takumi blinked. Mogi definately changed. She seemed even more energetic than before, somehow, but... being at Tokyo U, with all those boys... "You really didn't find someone else, Mogi?", he asked, looking Natsuki straight in the eye. And Natsuki replied with a honest statement, not braking her gaze on his. "No, I didn't... ever since I left for here, you've been on my mind. Not as frequently now as before, but..." Although her emotion seemed down for a second, she perked right up on the spot. "I thought about us so often, sometimes it interfered with my studying. I've... I've turned down a lot of what other girls would call 'hotties'."

Takumi blinked again before proceeding to scratch his head as he tried to figure this all out. Takumi... he had a future. Hopefully. The guys at Tokyo U... practically had it made. Takumi... had a car of his own and practically nothing else but a supportive mentor. Well, two of them, actually. One now less than what he used to be, though. The guys at Tokyo U... probably had rich parents and maybe even a house of their own. What in any girl's right mind would not derail them from their Johnny Racer ex-boyfriend and focus on someone with a brighter future? And he thought this aloud, too. "But why would you turn down so many college guys? I mean, they probab-"

Natsuki cut off Takumi with a smile mid-sentance and a hush sign. "Because then I could never be yours", she said, with a happy smile.

-

At the beginning of the Akagi Uphill, a white Roadster RS gunned the gas, although the horsepower the little thing had only was enough to chirp its rear tires as it accelerated through the course's first wide hairpin, then onward to the second, third, fourth, and fifth hairpins, which were all practically copies of one another. Ripping through the mountain scenery, the white two-door had the finesse, the grace, the speed that was on par with only other other white machine... and that hatchback used to wear a Red Suns sticker on its quarter panel.

Behind the wheel was a man who's driving desire proved to be the contrary to what he said, his sheer technique blistering, even on the uphill. It was none other than Ryousuke Takahashi himself... and Akagi's White Comet didn't seem to lose its touch. He went all the way into fourth gear on the uphill's corners, only braking lightly for a wide hairpin-ish corner that lead to a more complex series of corners that ended with a real hairpin

"The more I drive you, the more you remind me of the FC... and with this latest modification, although it's a small one that only ups your horsepower to about a hundred and eighty, still adds to the feeling." From under the Roadster RS' hood, a small turbo spool that was primarily designed for response and not sheer power whirred away, the Roadster just seeming viscious, going up a grade or not.

"You've responded very well to the hardtop and suspension modifications, and you're also responding very well to the turbo, Roadster. You seem to be a car in love with mild modifications that slowly turn you into a more extreme machine. I don't deny it... Mazda modeled you well. You're an addictive driving machine. So like the FC yet so unlike it. The MX in MX-5 the European market stands for Piston Sports. You achieve Mazda's goal of sports car perfection." He beared a grin of excitement, enjoying the refreshing feeling of nirvana-like balance between engine, chasis, and suspension. Nothing seemed underdone or overdone. While it might not have been the fastest car... it was perfection.

Ryousuke's eyes then caught a glimpse of headlights as he charged up another straightaway, the chase car closing in, and fast. The gap was almost sealed by the gradual corner that lead to a very wide hairpin, and by that hairpin, the chase car was locked onto the NB8C's tail, Ryousuke blinking. A glance in his rearview mid-corner caused him to widen his eyes.

"Round headlights, and round markers!?" His eyes narrowed as he upped his driving rythm to 95... he was already making a hell of a blast uphill, but the presence of a unknown car caused his tension to rise.

"Let's see what kind of driving skill is behind the wheel of this car. It's got horsepower." More corners passed, the chase car not losing a spec of distance... only just a slight tad on the corners. They were on the course's last straightaway before the end straight, approaching an area known as the Butterfly Corners. Ryousuke blinked again as he heard the wail of the engine behind him. "ITB's...", he gasped lightly, changing his line to a full-on defensive attack.

"This guy isn't fucking around. He's serious. Whatever's powering that car is a piece of work."

Ryousuke would be taken by suprise as he held the inside line, drifting enough to think that he had the corner guarded. However. While he mastered the geometry of the Roadster, he forgot something that was simple yet easy to forget when you haven't battled in a new car. Its size. The NB8C was a small little car, and although he didn't get the greatest glance of it... the car that was behind him was just as small... if not smaller. Not hesitating for a moment, it snuck on the outside and began creeping around Ryousuke's white Roadster.

"From the outside!? That's very brave", Ryousuke mumured. And now, the car had the inside line for the next corner... and as it slowly crawled around the outside of the hardtop speedster of Akagi's famed White Comet, it bared its sheetmetal skin to Ryousuke. A very, very odd skin, that was, that actually broke his concentration.

"What...", he said, eyes narrowing again as he was now put in the chase position, though that leading car was now already gaining on the poor, by-comparison underpowered (although in Ryousuke's eyes its acceleration about matched the Project D. 86, if not just a tad quicker) sportster of Akagi's regular Downhill Specialast. "What kind of a car is that?" He tossed that subject aside for the moment as he listened to its engine, the driver shifting. "Short gear spacing, and a shift point at 8500 RPM...a very competitive, but possibly not completely race tuned, inline-four."

He then focused on the sheet metal of the car, as it drifted through the complex series of corners, Ryousuke only closing the gap by 10 meters before the short straight. "I've never seen a roofline like that before in my life. What an old car it must be... and foreign, too." He chuckled, admitting he was stumped on the model. "I can't believe I've never seen a machine like this before in my life. It's fast... and light. Has he come to challenge Project D?"

He didn't even continue the race any further. He gathered from that run all the information he needed to crunch in his head. Pulling to a slow stop near the uphill goal, he climbed out, giving the Roadster's 1.8 a chance to cool, and himself, a moment to think. Eventually, he blurted out something to himself. "This team was named Project D for a reason, and the meaning behind the D is the reason we continue to race. However, seeing an opponent like that, here on Akagi... in such an old car like that, that isn't even domestic. Something about it tickles me silly."

He grinned as he snuffed out his cigarette, climbing back into the cockpit of his Roadster RS. "I can't wait to see him again."