Chapter 2: Turning Sorry into Determination

The following day after Akiuro dropped of Kanshi without her being late, Kanshi decided to take a walk around the city, this time being a little more careful. She had a bag in her hands. She had short, brown hair. She wasn't much of a street dress or a fancy dresser. She seemed like an ordinary girl. It was autumn.

Kanshi seemed to be looking for something, or someone. She remembered what happened when Akiuro dropped her off that night.

The sounds of ATs riding through across the buildings and on top of the small ones as Akiuro and Kanshi rushed to the city hall. They were close. A few seconds later, they saw a man outside waiting.

"That's him! That's my father!" Kanshi pointed out and told her. Akiuro nodded and he stopped in front of the man. "Father! She yelled as she got off Akiuro and ran toward him."

"Kanshi!" the man yelled back and hugged her as she came. "Just in time too!"

"I'm sorry I wasn't early like before. I was on my way here from the park and I ran into an area that was territory to some Storm Riders…"

"It's alright. But are you hurt? Are you injured?"

"No, I am not. It was thanks to him that I am safe." Kanshi pointed at Akiuro, who was just standing there looking at the sky.

The man walked up to Akiuro. Akiuro turned to look at him.

"Thank you for helping Kanshi. I owe you one…" He looked down and seen Akiuro's ATs. "You… you are a Storm Rider, aren't you?" He said starting to be startled.

"Father, please, he saved me, he-"

The man turned and started walking to the building and grabbed Kanshi's hand. "Let's go. Now!" He stormed in.

"Good-bye… Akiuro…"

Kanshi thought to herself as she walked. "How am I supposed to find him?" She started to get worried. Once she lost hope, she decided to go where she always went. She went to the large hill that overlooks the city. She sits under the tallest tree on that here. There, she signed since she could not find Akiuro. She sat down and put her bag to the side. The sky was calm and blue. The weather was nice, and the wind was blowing gently. It was so nice; she decided to lie down against the tree. As she did, she saw something on the tree's branches. She got up and squinted. It looked like a person.

"Hey!!!" Kanshi called out to it. To her surprise, it moved. But not only that it moved, but it fell off.

"Ahh!" The figure yelled as it fell and hit the ground so hard that the dead leaves started to fall off the tree. When the figure collapsed with the ground, Kanshi kind of looked away and closed one of her eyes. After she opened it again, she looked at it. To her surprise, it was Akiuro. He seemed ok.

"Akiuro!" She ran up to him. "Are you alright? I didn't mean to make you fall."

Akiuro sat up and put his hand on his head. "Yea…" he said with ill.

"What were you doing up there anyway?"

"What else? That's where I sleep."

"In a tree?"

"Yea… I don't have a home, so I sleep here since this tree is the biggest one here and away from the people."

Kanshi looked at the city. She thought about what happened last night.

"I'm sorry for how my father acted…he doesn't care about Storm Riders very well… that is why he snapped.

"He has a right to hate Storm Riders…" Akiuro said looking down.

"You're…you're different from last night… you're more… quiet…"

"It's nothing." Akiuro looked away.

Kanshi helped him up and he dusted himself off.

"Oh!" Kanshi ran back to her bag and ran back to Akiuro to show him.

"What's this?" Akiuro asked.

"Well… last night… it was sort of cool about how you raced against that team… so…" She opened the bag. "I bought myself some Air Treks!"

Akiuro was surprised for a few seconds, and then he went to his down dark mood. "Why? Doesn't your father hate Storm riders?"

"Yes… he does… but you saved me and that would not let him thank you truly for saving me… so I was thinking… being his only daughter… if I became one… he could truly thank you, and loosen his grudge on Storm Riders…"

"You know what level Storm Riders are."

"I know, but…"

Akiuro turned away. "Things like this are too dangerous for people like you." He said coldly. Kanshi frowned and looked down.

"I just…wanted to stop… my father's grudge…" Kanshi started to shed tears.

Akiuro looked up at the sky. The wind was blowing and things were going through his mind. Suddenly a little boy flashed before his mind. "How far are you willing to stop it?" He asked.

"I-…" Kanshi stopped shedding tears. There were still some on her face. She looked up with a face of determination. Akiuro turned and seen her eyes. He was shocked. "I am willing to give up anything to stop my father and his policemen and Storm Riders from fighting ruthlessly!" She said. Akiuro was surprised even more. But then he turned around again. Kanshi looked at him with worry, worry about what he could say.

"If you are willing to go that far into it…" He turned his head again, but this time with a more serious look. "Then there is no doubt about it. Its troublesome, but I guess I have no choice than to teach you how to become a Storm Rider.