Hi, guys! ^^ I'm so glad that the start of this new fav has really taken off well. I'm glad to hear such positive things and responses from you guys and it just makes me happy to know that you guys are looking forward to more c: So thanks to all of you who left a review or joined along in following the story! Now to stop wasting time, here's the new chapter! Let's get this chapter rolling!

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights over Initial D. All rights go to Shuichi Shigeno. All I own is the cover art.

Race 2: The Ghost of Akina

"And this should be the place," As easily as she could, Inari parked her S-13 at the side of the road, taking a moment to enjoy the mountain air. One of the reasons she loved driving on the mountain was how close it was to nature. The fresh air and smell of moss that hit her nose got her as excited as her time behind the wheel. But tonight, she didn't come out here for that, or even racing. "Dad said he should pop out here around now, just a little after 4:00 AM." Yuichi used to tell her these tales when she was a child, stories that would get her to sleep because she couldn't understand all the technical terms. But now that she was older, she wanted to test out those tales for sure. She wanted to see the legendary Ghost of Akina herself.

'And if it's as crazy as dad says, then I gotta keep my eyes open for that 86,' How coincidental. Itsuki was busting his chops about a Trueno non-stop this week. How could such an old car be bought up so much? There was nothing special to them at all, at least to her class. S-13s and FDs were the way to go these days. Anything below them were laughing stocks. Shaking her head and deciding to wait a little longer, the SpeedStars' leader leaned back and kept her eyes on the path ahead. Time seemed to pass by slowly and Inari could feel her eyes become heavier. Now she knew how Takimi felt everyday.

Before her head could even touch her steering well, the roar of an engine startled her. As her eyes blinked open, she barely had time to see a blur of white and black zip past her as if it were on fire. Or maybe it was on fire, judging by the bright trail of light it left in its wake. In a race of the moment, she jumped out of her car and stood frozen on the ground as the phantom vehicle raced down the mountain path like a comet. Her legs were starting to tremble and she released the breath she had been holding in, stunned to see the 86 disappear into thin air. Inari could hardly believe what she had just saw, or thought she saw. She wasn't even sure if that was real at all. But within her, she knew it had happened. Her father's stories were right.

Akina's fastest driver was a ghost. A ghost who drove a Trueno.

Takimi grabbed a pillow she dropped on the floor and chucked it at the doorframe. It barely grazed Bunta's leg.

"Fail."

"Don't care," Came a sleepy reply from the bundle of blankets. "Leave now."

"Not until you tell that friend of yours to stop snooping around." Said Bunta as he left the room. "She's scaring away customers."

"We have customers?" Thinking that her father might not have gotten his morning coffee, Takimi sat up and crawled out of bed, wrapping her blanket around her shoulders and throwing open her bedroom window. "Inari?" She asked in surprise, making the older girl below jump.

Inari looked just as shocked as she did. Takimi was the last person she'd expect to see here. "Takimi? What are you doing up there?"

"Not getting those spare twenty minutes of sleep I was looking forward to," Yawned the brunette, wiping the sleep from her eyes. "I live here. This is my old man's shop. Hold on, I'll be there in a sec." The younger girl disappeared from view, scrambling around to find some good clothes.

Inari returned her gaze to the 86 that was parked right in the garage next to the tofu shop. She nearly passed it on her way home and she almost crashed when she did spot it. Sure enough, it looked like the one she saw last night and the one her father described in his stories. But if it was the real one, then who was the driver?

"So, uh, you like hanging out the front of my house?" Inari shook away from her ideas and looked at Takimi as she walked over, looking as if she had somewhere to be.

"Oh, no. I was just passing by, honest. Didn't even know you lived around here." She said as she slipped her hands into her pockets, looking at Takimi's backpack. "Going out?"

"Morning shift at the diner," The brunette yawned once more. "I was gonna head out later but, since I'm up, you know?" She shrugged. Inari had to smile a little. Even when she didn't sound or look it, Takimi was a hard worker at heart. Inari admired that about her.

"That's cool. Hey, how about I give you a ride there?" She asked. "I'm the one who made you wake up early, right? C'mon, I was on my way home, anyway." Takimi shrugged.

"OK. Let me let my old man know first." The younger girl returned shortly after and relaxed as Inari started up the road. At this sort of speed, she could keep calm and not worry about the older girl driving off the side of the road like before. "Thanks for the ride."

"Don't mention it. It's the least I could do," At a stoplight, Inari looked over to her passenger. "Hey, Takimi, if you don't mind me asking, is this whole, 'I don't know jack about cars' just an act?" She guessed it wasn't, judging by the head tilt she got in response. "I mean, Itsuki's been going on and on about buying an 86 while you stare into space and act as if you don't know what it is, but then there's one parked in your garage? What's up with that?"

"I stare off into space?"

"Takimi!"

"And what do you mean, 'there's an 86 parked in my garage'?" Takimi raised an eyebrow. "That piece of junk isn't an 86. I'm pretty sure that is says, 'True-ee-eno' on the back of it." She enunciated with difficulty.

"You're kidding, right?" Inari deadpanned. "Girl, a Trueno and an 86 are the same thing. They're both marked as the same based on model, engine, and some paint jobs. Totally the same." At this point, it looked like she broke the younger girl, judging by her bewilder look. "I just lost you, didn't I?"

At least she got a nod in return. "Yep."

"WHAT?!"

"Itsuki!" Takimi's finger flew to her lips, signaling her friend to be quiet. "Keep the noise down. You scare off anymore customers and Miss. Hana will fire me."

"But you have an 86!" Itsuki whispered harshly, throwing a look at Takimi as she slid a milkshake to him and oolong tea to Inari. "And you didn't tell me?! Your best friend?!"

"If I knew you would have reacted like this, then I now have a perfectly good reason," With a huff, Takimi quickly went to an empty table and picked up a few used plates with a platter, making sure not to stain her waitress uniform. Hana, her boss, had specifically said that it was the only small one she could give to the petite girl, so she was advised not to get it too dirty. Besides her second boss being a littler stern, Takimi liked being a waitress. She enjoyed this job because the diner was small, quaint, and had a few regular customers almost everyday, so she had no worry about anyone looking at her. "Besides, I had no idea it was an 86 until Inari told me. If it's an 86, they should put that on the back instead of 'Trueno,' or whatever. Makes it less confusing."

"You're the confusing one here," However, her heavy friend's personality switched as he threw a cheeky grin at the waitress, the latter preparing to use her platter as a shield. "But that's besides the point! The point here is that we've been friends since the fourth grade and that dictates that you'll lend me that old panda of your's this Saturday, right?" He chimed.

"86, Trueno, panda? Can't you guys just call it a car to spare me a headache?" Sighed the high schooler as she handed the platter to a waiter by the counter. "Besides, why would you need it this Saturday?" She asked with her hands on her hips.

"So that I could look like a badass as I drive in to see the SpeedStars duke it out with the RedSuns!" Defended Itsuki, placing his hand over his heart. "I've been swept up by the racing scene since last night. It's consumed my life!" He grasped Takimi's hands and looked at her tearfully. "Don't you want to see the legendary Takahashi brothers get dusted?!"

"Takahashi?" Keisuke Takahashi flashed back into her mind, from that excited grin he gave her at their escape to how confident he sounded last night. Realizing she was turning hazy-eyed, the brunette shook her head as she blushed. "No, not really." Why was she suddenly thinking of him like that? She was hoping she wasn't turning into one of those love-sick groupies that hung out around concerts and high school games. She couldn't stand how obsessive they acted and she did not want to become that herself. Talking about this sort of thing with her friends while half-asleep wasn't doing her any good. "Look, I'm getting off my shift soon to catch up with some sleep at home. I'm gonna go change." She left for the back room before the pair could protest.

"What's up with her all of a sudden?" Asked Itsuki.

"Dude, you gotta stop getting in her face like that before-" When the diner's bell dinged, Inari clamped her lecture shut and watched as the RedStars themselves walked over to their table, Keisuke leading the pack.

"Well, fancy meeting the leader of the SpeedStars here while she's on a date," He said as Inari looked up at him coolly. Itsuki was too terrified and star-struck to speak. "Saw your S-13 in the front. You take good care of it real well, huh?"

"I do what I can," Inari said as she sat back in her seat, knowing fully-well how rich the Takahashis were and how they could treat their cars with the finest equipment. She acknowledged that their father's wealthy money helped them out, but that didn't mean she liked it. "I just hope to impress you with it while it's driving instead of when it's parked."

"Geez, no need to get so hostile," The blonde raised his hands in defense. "You act as if I'm a bad guy. What, been listening to too many fairytales?"

"Keisuke." Ryosuke sent him a warning look.

"Speaking of which," Keisuke ignored his brother completely, looking serious. "I was wondering if I could ask you about a local legend I just heard. Something called, 'The Ghost of Akina," He knew he had her when her fingers twitched. "Legend says that around 4:00 AM, a mysterious, white and black Trueno drives almost all over Akina, passing by every hairpin and drop as if the driver were some kind of phantom. You know anything about that?"

The SpeedStars' head racer sipped on her tea and met Keisuke's gaze. "I'm sorry, but I don't respond well to sarcasm." She said flatly, her eyebrow twitching as another smirk played on the boy's lips.

"I wasn't trying to be sarcastic. What I'm talking about is a Trueno; looks like your ordinary, piece-of-crap from the outside but whoever's behind the wheel is a demon." Inari looked the other way as he spoke. "There's no way a local like you hasn't heard of it." She briefly met his eyes before looking away again. "Fine, play dumb. But just so you know, if that urban legend of yours is your secret weapon for Saturday's race, you'll be doing me a favor." A flash of excitement swiped across the professional's eyes. "You can tell that ghost friend of yours that I'm onto his game. Keisuke Takahashi doesn't loose to the same guy twice."

'He lost a race?!' Now Inari was stunned along with Itsuki. To hear that a Takahashi brother lost a race was unthinkable, even more so if he lost to an 86.

"Now that I'm more familiar with the pass, the SpeedStars' can kiss any hope of victory goodbye." Pulling away from the table, the RedSuns went off to find their own table in the back, leaving the two at the other table stupefied.

"Hey, I'm-" Takimi pulled over to their table, noticing how frightened they both looked. "Uh… You guys OK? You're acting as if you've seen a ghost." Noticing how pale the two of them began to turn, she made a grab for the remote on the counter. "H-Hold on, you guys. You just, um… Well…" In a fit of panicking, she surfed to the sports' channel on one of the diner's televisions, and actually felt relived to see it was on racing. "There, guys. Look, racing! You guys are crazy about this, right? Itsuki? Inari?"

"Huh?" Inari snapped her head about and whipped it to a worried brunette as Itsuki looked at the TV, beginning to calm down from his mini heart-attack. "Oh, yeah, uh, sure. Thanks, Takimi". She said in an absent-minded way, reeling herself back on her seat and tugging on a few hair strands caught in her bangs. The lead racer of the SpeedStars looked over to Takimi and felt her cheeks loose even more pigment as she remember the Trueno parked in Takimi's garage. Even though she could hardly believe, Inari came to the conclusion that the Ghost of Akina was real, and he had beaten one of the Rotary Brothers in a race.

The waitress stared at the both of them, concern stirring in her before she decided to sit down next to Itsuki. "I think I'll just stay with you guys a little longer. I can get some more sleep later." She said as the drift racing went on. That awkward silence was soon replaced with Itsuki hollering off the top of his lungs in order to cheer for the racer on the TV. Takimi was starting to think that maybe now was a good time to make her escape, considering that her friends looked to be in a good mood again.

"You see what I mean now, Takimi?"

"Hm?" Hummed the brunette, already looking lost.

"The race! Doesn't it get your blood boiling?!" Itsuki asked with a wicked grin.

Takimi nodded like a pet performing a trick, barely paying attention. "Uh-huh. It practically evaporated from my veins."

"Takimi!" Whined her childhood friend, lightly flopping at her like a fish. "You aren't even looking! Do you even know what a drift is!" At the light but transparent nod, he gave her a look. "Alright, then what is it?"

"Ah…" Brown eyes crinkled in concentration and pink lips were worried on. "Well, on a curve you-"

"OK, first of all," Itsuki stopped her without even trying. "Don't call it a curve. People in the know call it a corner."

"Yeah," Takimi continued. "OK, fine. When you're in a corner, you make the front tire slide when the car's not facing the inside when you turn." She motioned steering with her hands while her co-workers looked at her in disbelief. "Otherwise, you're toast."

It only took the both of them a second before they burst into laughter. Takimi stood up with a sigh. At least the both of them didn't look like they were about to croak, though she almost wished that were the case right now.

"You gotta do stand-up, man! Explaining understeering like that, oh, my god!"

"You use the back tires for a drift, not the front! Everyone knows that!"

"Huh, sorry if I'm not everyone," While a little annoyed at the commentary, she was glad that the two of them weren't upset anymore. She'd rather have them laughing at her instead of sulking. The young driver threw the hood of her jacket over her head to keep the sun out of her eyes as she walked to the door. "You guys look alright so I'm leaving. Later. See you next shift, Miss. Hana!" As her friends still giggled during her leave, her commentary did not go unheard of.

"Keisuke," The younger brother was already one step ahead of Ryosuke as he stood up and walked as quickly and calmly as he could outside. The both of them could tell that, that girl knew what she was talking about, even though she didn't know herself. In her own words, she had described a perfect, four-wheel drift. Only someone who had mastered the mountain their whole lives could have described it as thoroughly as that. Someone like the ghost.

Keisuke ran outside and looked every way for the ghost, peeking over heads and searching around corners, but unable to spot her. True to her title, the ghost was gone.

"Owner wouldn't tell me anything about her," Ryosuke came out before Keisuke could walk back inside, pushing his dark hair back. "Said that it was part of an employee-owner trust fine. I understand that, but still…" The older brother sighed. "That doesn't help our case." When Keisuke had told him about the beat-up 86 that passed him on the mountain, he grew just as interested as his brother. A person with such skills needed to be observed and tested. He needed to know every last thing about the racer, right down to how their car's tires' squealed. This ghost was their only reason for staying in this town, after all.

"Well, we do know one thing, at least," Ryosuke gave a curious look at the dirty-blonde as the latter cracked a grin his way. "We got a princess driving with us in the hairpins. Question is, how are we gonna find her when her pumpkin becomes a carriage?"

Today was the second time Takimi wanted to rip her hair out of someone waking her up. These few precious hours of sleep meant a lot to her, so to her that was no exaggerating. But when she saw it was her usual alarm screaming at her, she sighed, lugged herself off the futon, and turned it off. She made her bed and took out her delivery clothes, feeling a pinch more active once she washed her face and changed. As she hopped herself into the 86 a while later, she touched the shift stick, tested the gas pedal, and tried to make herself comfortable in the leather seat. She thought if she got a better feel of the car, maybe she could understand what her friends kept badgering on about cars. But after a few minutes of this, her lips curled and she rolled her eyes.

"They're crazy." She concluded, looking up at her father as he handed her the usual cup of water. It was a little method Bunta came up with after observing his daughter drive for a while; keep the water in the cup while driving. If no water spills, the tofu packed in the back will be fine and dandy. Albeit, the honey-brunette found it ridiculous at first, it worked. No less expected from her old speed racer of a father. But when she took the styrofoam cup, Takimi noticed something odd. "Isn't there a lot more water in here than usual?"

"Excellent observation," Commented Bunta with a nicotine stick in his mouth. "But the same rules apply."

Takimi sighed. Less questions, more results. Odd but it worked in her father's favor. "Yeah, yeah." She started the engine, watching the cup before looking at her dad. "See you." She said as she drove off into the night, still trying to look for that feeling even as she charged down the hill. Was it suppose to burn a feeling in her gut or did it short-circuit itself into her brain? Was she suppose to know it was coming or did it just pop up unexpectedly? The young driver shook her head. She was getting warped into this, roped by Itsuki's hopes and Inari's promises, and just about everyone else's two cents about the whole subject. It started to consume her, fill her thoughts almost everyday. Takimi was starting to think that she was the crazy one.

'And I shouldn't be thinking this,' She thought as she turned a corner, easing her shift as the water danced a little near the rim of the cup. 'It has nothing to do with me. I only drive to deliver the old man's tofu, plain and-' Loud, blaring lights cut off her train of thought as they bordered her vision. Was she being pulled over?

But as she stopped at the side of the road, the cop cars and ambulance following them flew past her. Takimi tilted her head. Had there been an accident on the mountain? Since she was going the same way, she decide to just drive by and see what had happened. She followed after the red and blue lights and looked around the broken railing. It definitely was an accident. Nothing too bad but the car there looked pretty damaged. Brown-grey eyes widen as she caught the chipped, silver coat of an S-13, and Takimi stopped her car and ran over to the scene.

"Excuse me!" The cops there didn't let her pass. "Please, let me see who the driver is! I know her! Inari!"

"Miss, you will need to step back. We do not need any pedestrians interfering with our work," Said the cop as he held Takimi back. "The paramedics are putting your friend in the ambulance right now. Please, return to your car."

"At least let me call her dad," Takimi was shaking, her throat going dry. While she rarely cried in her lifetime, she couldn't help but feel frightened. Inari was just as much as a best friend to her as Itsuki was. She worried about what would happen. "Please, if you have a phone or something on you, let me call her dad. He lives right down the mountain and should at least know."

After a little more talking and with a few minutes to let the poor girl calm down, the cops agreed to lend her a phone in the car. Takimi quickly dialed Yuichi to let him know what happened and was relieved to hear that he was heading straight for the hospital to go check on her. She didn't call her own father, though. At first, she'd thought to call him and ask if she could drive to the hospital herself to check on Inari, too. But would he even let her, with the deliveries she had to carry out? She asked Yuichi for his advice.

"Kiddo, your dad's not a heartless monster," He said over the call. "But I'm sure he wouldn't want you to worry too much either. Inari's a tough girl, Takimi. I know my own daughter and I know she's going to be OK. I'll send in Haku to watch over you and the others at work while I'll stay with Inari in the hospital." She could almost feel him patting her shoulder reassuringly. "I'll keep you guys up to date with how she's going. Till then, finish your deliveries and head on home. Don't worry. Everything's going to be fine."

"That was boss," Haku, Yuichi's stand in, placed the phone down and looked at Takimi, Itsuki, and Inari's second-in-command, Kenji. All three of them looked worried in their own ways and it almost broke his heart. "Guys, c'mon, Inari's not dying." He smiled a little at how relieved they looked at that. "She's just a little roughed up. Bruises, whiplash, the works. She can still walk, too, but she'll be taking a few days off of work for some recovery."

"But what about the race against the RedSuns?" Itsuki looked at Kenji. "Man, don't you have any sub-ins for her?"

Kenji pushed his dark brown hair back with a sigh. "No, not yet. We need someone with a car, though. I heard her S-13 got really banged up. It's in the shop right now."

Takimi felt her stomach clench as she watched her friends go on. If only she had been there sooner, maybe by just a few minutes, she could have prevented the crash. She had no idea how she could have done it, but just something could have possibly made a difference.

"Takimi?" Itsuki notice his childhood friend going quiet. "Hey, c'mon, say something. You've never been quiet like this, man. Takimi?!" He gasped as Takimi simply ran inside, looking distraught. "Takimi-!"

"Itsuki, let her go," Said Haku before the drifting fan could go after the brunette. "Give her some space. I think the shock must've hit her a little too hard." All three of them silently agreed, a worrying air there.

The tofu shop's door gave a ding. Inari scanned the tofu on display as best as she could with her neck brace. While she was happy to be well enough to get out of the hospital, all she worried about was the race against the RedSuns. She couldn't drive with her body this banged up or her S-13 in worse shape than herself. The SpeedStars needed a replacement, and fast.

The young racer looked around the shop. The place was fairly clean, a table set here and there with blue and white tiles decorating the place. Not even a family picture was hanging on the wall, looking as if Takimi didn't live there at all. The shop was as simple and quiet as a tofu shop could be. It was not entirely what she had envisioned for an infamous ghost to hang about. "Excuse me!" She called out. "I'd like some fried-tofu, please!"

"Be out there-" Bunta pulled back the curtain and raised his eyebrow at the beat-up girl in his shop. She was Yuichi's kid. He remembered when his wife would arrange small play dates for her and Takimi when she was just a baby. It had been so long that Takimi must have forgotten all about them. "You alright?"

"Just a little accident," The teen gave a small smile, a hair cut into a neat bob to make room for the bandages. "Thanks for your concern, Mr. Fujiwara."

"Fried-tofu, right?" Bunta was already filling the container, dodging the thanks. He could never accept those well. "So, I heard from Takimi's loud-mouth friend that you'll be racing some 'hot-shots' from Agaki or something. I don't know half the things that kid shouts."

Leave to Itsuki to run his mouth off about everything, including the race. "That's Itsuki for you," Giggled Inari, dropping the smile for a professional look. "Actually, that's why I'm here. I wanted to ask you a favor." She didn't give Bunta a second to ask. "The battle's on Saturday. Please, sir, drive in my place."

Bunta nearly dropped his cigarette. Was this girl serious?

"I'm begging you! I need your help!" Yeah, she was serious. By the way she was trying to bow and shrieking as her back started to hurt, she was dead-serious. "Ah! My friggin' neck!"

"Don't die here." She died, then Yuichi would be sure that Bunta die if Inari kicked the bucket in his shop.

"Don't plan to. Not unless you drive for me, sir!" The young racer stood back on her feet, holding the back of her neck with strain. "Please, you have to do this! My father told Takimi and I all about your races when you were younger! You just have to understand what's at stake!"

"Just because all that stuff was back then, it doesn't mean I don't understand what you mean, kid," Bunta wrapped up the tofu neatly and weighed it. "But if I go up there with all those teens hanging around, they'll think I'm senile.

Inari cursed under her breath. Why did he and Takimi both have to have a phobia of crowds' judgement? "None of that will matter once you beat Keisuke Takahashi again! If you did it once, then you could do it once more! I know you can!"

'Again?' It happened again. People were mistaking him for Takimi again. Did they really drive in the same style? And if so, that could mean that his daughter was getting better behind the wheel than he thought. This was starting to sound more and more interesting. "Fine."

Inari blinked in surprise. "H-Huh?"

"I don't like repeating myself," He did it anyway. "Fine. It might race for you. Might. I'm not making any guarantees."

She was going to cry. Bunta couldn't handle crying, not even when Takimi was little. But now Inari was sobbing in front of him, thanking him one-too many times and laying the whole race information straight. As she rambled on, he couldn't help but draw his thoughts back to Takimi, remembering how perplexed she looked when she was first given the car keys. It was such a dumbfounded expression, like a silly face carved on a piece of wood. Simply too out of place.

He almost chuckled, wondering if she would wear that same expression next Saturday.

Right as the lights of the gas station flickered off, Yuichi nearly jumped when a car honked right in front of the station.

"Can't you see that the lights were off?" He asked as the car parked by the gas pumps. He hoped it wasn't some street racer punk. Having one for a daughter gave him enough grey hairs. "We're closed."

"Aw, shut up, grease monkey." There was only one person in the world who could get away with saying that. "Fill 'er up with your highest octane."

The owner nearly laughed as Bunta patted the panda's door. Even to this day, this car was special to his old friend.

"You're crazy to think that I'll dump good octane into this old 86."

The pair had somehow wounded up having a smoke despite the situation. The faint, nicotine clouds disappeared into the dark night as fat moths fluttered around the lamp lights.

Quiet nights like these reminded Bunta of his younger years. He and Yuichi were just like any other wayward race fans on the street back in the day. They were at the prime of their youths, their whole lives ahead of them with endless possibilities. They were both determined to sopend their lives thoroughly and were the perfect tag-team. Well, Yuichi tagged along and scouted for girls while Bunta bought them in with his driving skills, but there was still effort in that. In a sense, that was how Kaname had stumbled into their lives. The both of them even fought for her until she had enough, and proved to them one day that she had the choice of who she'd love. That faithful day was a good one. At the end of it, she was sitting right by Bunta's side as they drove down the mountain.

Bunta remembered that drive well. The way Kaname would lean overb and smile up at him as they drove. For a quiet girl, she hardly said anything. But when she spoke, Bunta felt like he wasn't driving anymore. Just listening to her soft voice as she rested her head on his shoulder was amazing. Bunta loved the sound of her voice so much, he could even hear it while the wind blew right into the car.

"Penny for you thoughts?"

"My thoughts are gonna cost you more." Yuichi chuckled at the response. Classic Bunta.

"Had to be you," The younger man cocked his head to Bunta. "Whenever Kaname bought Takimi for a play date, you told her and Inari those stories, didn't you?"

"Hey, you try getting two toddlers to take a nap," The gas station owner threw a smile. "I think Takimi wasn't interested in them, but Inari was. I think you might have been the one to inspire her to race, all those stories about a Trueno charging like a shooting star and whatnot," That thought kinda made him a little sad. Never did he think his daughter's hero would be this lazy bum. "And she liked them, and nothing means more to me than seeing my family smile."

"She came into my store today," Bunta dropped the family subject like a hot potato. Yuichi didn't blame him. "All banged up and begging me to take her place in a big race this Saturday. Gotta say, I was a little flattered."

Yuichi cracked a teasing grin. "If you were flattered, go for it. Not like you have other plans."

A puff of smoke was released after a short pause. "I said maybe, but now I'm thinking I shouldn't. A bunch of brats staring at me like I'm some sort of Big Foot? Sticking your nose into these kiddie fights? That's not how I roll, Yuichi."

"Bunta," Something of a glare made its way to the boss' face. "This is my kid you're going to let down. She loves racing as much as life itself and she needs someone to drive for her, or else she might do it herself and injure herself again. I don't want to see her hurt again. You crush her, I crush you."

"I thought threatening was beneath you, Yuichi."

"I'm not saying you're the one who should race." There was that grin again. Now Bunta was curious. "I'm saying that someone who races like you could do it." His grin widened a bit as it dawned on his old friend.

"You mean Takimi?"

"That's right. The kid's developing some real skill."

Bunta shook his head even as he thought about it. "Yeah, but she still gots ways to go. If it's for Akina's downhill, then she could pull it off, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. She can cream anyone without even thinking,"He couldn't help but chuckle. "Except for me, of course."

"Always the competitive one, even with your own daughter," But Yuichi was smiling. He hadn't seen this kind of smugness or pride from Bunta in a long time.

"Takimi's the same way." Well, this was new. Yuichi was sure that his employee was almost every bit like her mother; mellowed out, rule-abiding, shy and awkward in all respects. Competitive didn't fit her. "She won't go out there and race unless it's for herself, and she sure as Hell won't go if I tell her to." There it was. One quirk that connected the two puzzle pieces. Both Bunta and Takimi were rebels by heart, even with such plain faces masking their true colors. "And she's only ever drove to deliver tofu. Hm…"

"Did you think of something?"

"Yeah," Bunta snuffed out the cigarette on the ground. "And it involves tofu."

Yuichi snorted. "Since when doesn't it?"

"Hey, I got a delivery I need you to handle."

"Huh?" Takimi looked up from the book she was reading. "Dad, is Saturday. I get my day off on the weekend, remember?" At least, that was the agreement they made. And Bunta (mostly) kept to his word.

"Thought you might say that," Takimi caught the envelope before it smacked her on the forehead. "I just need you to handle this one delivery for tonight. Do it, you can have all that."

"This?" Takimi opened the envelope, her eyes widening at the fat stack of yen there. "Th-This-"

"Spending money for a vacation." Bunta crossed his arms over his chest as the young girl counted the money. It was the equivalent of five-months' pay from the shop, tips included. "Plus a full tank of gas on a certain day. You always said you wanted to see the ocean, right? Do this delivery and next month, you and your friends can go goof off and do whatever… Well, not whatever. I don't want to be a grandpa yet so don't have too much fun." He warned, hiding a smirk when a pert nose went pink. He still got it.

Takimi couldn't believe what she was seeing. Though her father wasn't tight with her on money, she never kept this much of it before. And it wouldn't go to buying lunch from school or getting work done for the 86, or even gas money. A legit vacation was in her sites. The brunette had always longed to see the ocean, or at least something other than mountains. And while she loved her quaint, little mountain town, she did remember Yuichi telling her how her mother had come from the coastal region before she came to Akina.

As much as she tried to hide it, she did long to know more about Kaname. All she had was one photo she knew Bunta kept in his pillow. It was of her mother sitting on her father's lap when they were younger, her father sitting on the hood of the 86. It was taken after Bunta had one a race. But in the black and white picture, the finish line, the car, and not even the prize was what Bunta eyeing. He was only looking at her mother, something of a twinkle in his eyes. Her mother caused that twinkle, and with her gone, the light left from Bunta's eyes. It was sad. It made Takimi sad. She wanted to know more about Kaname. More about the woman that was adored in the photograph.

Her head shot up with a raised brow. "What's the catch?"

"No catch. Just head up to the place at exactly 10:00, and don't crash the car." Bunta turned and made his way down the steps, calling over his shoulder. "And no water cup. Just drive up there and get the job done."

"Old man?" Asked Takimi to herself, looking at the envelope in her hand then back to the door. It would be 10:00 in two hours or so. No water cup meant that she could go as fast as she wanted. A chill ran down her spine. Strange, she got excited from that. Was the water cup the only thing holding her back from experiencing what the others were talking about? Couldn't be. And yet her spine still tingled straight down, heat pooling into her stomach. And it felt good.

"Old man… Dad." She almost hid her smile, and hurried down the steps to get the directions from her father.

"Ryo," Keisuke popped his head from the crack of the door, sighing as he already heard the clacking noises of his brother's computer. "You know, your millions of fans would be pretty disappointed to see you acting like a computer hermit."

"Just as disappointed to hear that you collected FelineHero Z action figures when you were twelve, I'm sure."

"I-I'm saving those for when they're worth something!"

"I'm sure some other grown-man will appreciate a PantherBoy figurine as much as you do in the future," The blonde grumbled at the remark, taking a seat on Ryosuke's bed. "Anyway, you just came at the right time. There's something I've been meaning to discuss with you before we go to the race."

"Sure, what is it?" Ryosuke's spun around to his little brother, folding his hands on his lap.

"Tell me; that 86 you saw in the mountain a while ago, can you could describe the speed of the car? Theoretically speaking, of course." He said. Keisuke visibly flinched. "That fast, then? And here I am always saying that this," He tapped his head. "Is the most important tool when it comes to racing."

"I can't come up with calculations as fast as you, Ryo," Keisuke sighed. He wasn't ashamed of it. His brother was smart, books and race-wise. It was a simple fact of life. "All I know is that you can learn anything about a driver by just watching them from behind. You can get a good gage on their habits, their weaknesses, even how their suspension is set up. How you get that out of all your computer simulations, I'll never know." He shrugged.

Ryosuke laughed softly, his computer glowing along with the lamp lights in the room. "In my opinion, the fact that you can get out there and drive the way you do without thinking about it and keeping up with me makes you the scary one." He leaned back in his seat. "If you could apply theories to your skills, your racing would change dramatically." His brother had potential that was locked up, and the older Takahashi was itching to get it out.

"Hey, I only lost because I was careless and I didn't know how the road went," Ah, and there was that short temper Ryosuke was used to. From times when the boy would throw a tantrum as a child, to this. Ryosuke always saw when they came. A glint in the blonde's eye and the anger brewed until it would burst. "I've never been embarrassed like that before. I'm telling you, that 86 has some sort of monster under the hood."

"Now, now, didn't you already theorized that we have a damsel driving her own coach?" Asked Ryosuke as he went back to the computer, gliding his fingers across the keys. "Now that we're on that topic, I've been working on trying to identify her. So far, not much luck. You wouldn't believe how many registered drivers licenses I've looked through thanks to father's records."

"Wouldn't surprise me if this chick didn't have one," Keisuke laid back on the bed as he stated at the ceiling, the night he lost still flashing through his mind. "If she had one, we would be finding her at a police station. Bat-shit crazy driving like that could end you in a cell, or a morgue." Still, his own chest was starting to swell, the flashes soon replaced with thoughts on who this crazy chick could be.

"Hold on, won't the tofu get crushed if I don't have the cup helping me?"

"You'll do fine without it," Bunta blew out a puff of smoke. "Just drive up there and get home soon after."

"That's another thing," Takimi tilted her head one way, the Trueno rumbling, ready to take off. "Who wants tofu at the top of Mount. Akina at 10:00 at night?"

"Crazy people."

'And yet you send your daughter out to meet them,' Takimi was already revving up the engine. 'You're really shooting for "Father of the Year" this time, eh old man?' She looked back at Bunta and pursed her lips. "Remember. You promised a vacation with gas and spending money."

"Keep talking like that, and you can forget it." Her lips pursed further but she nodded and drove off with a farewell, Bunta watching right in front of the shop until the white and black car was gone. "And trust me, kid. By the end of this, that vacation is gonna be far off from your mind." He said as he snuffed out the cigarette, the last of the smoke disappearing like the car.

The mountain top at night felt so much more cold than usual. Maybe Inari was starting to have actual cold feet. Or maybe she could already sense her impending doom. The guys and Itsuki would tell her she was probably going nuts, but as it drew close to ten, she was sure that the others would be feeling like her real soon.

At almost every second, she would take a look at her wrist watch or ask one of the guys for the time. And every second that passed, her stomach wriggled and turned over more. This was madness. Crazy, even. Why did she have to go and believe that this was possible? Pinning all her hopes, her reputation, her skills, all on just one fledging of a thought that a miracle racer would pop up and save the day? Mr. Fujiwara wasn't coming. She had to accept that. All the spectators were there, the SpeedStars and RedSuns were almost done preparing, and each second drew closer to ten.

"Alright, it's time start!" Inari wanted to throw up. That would be less humiliating than what was to come. She slowly walked over to the team, gulping down what was left of her dignity, and gave a nervous smile at Kenji.

"Tag in, man." She said. Now Kenji looked ready to throw up. Inari straighten out. She needed to be the leader she was. "C'mon, man, I know you can do this! Your time almost matches mine!"

"And someone needs to race them, or else the SpeedStars will be the laughing stock of the mountains!" Itsuki's commentary was in no way helpful. Shaking off the words, Inari guided the wobbling Kenji to his 180 and followed him with the rest of the SpeedStars and Itsuki to the starting line. From his FD, Keisuke scowled.

"What? You expect me to race this loser?"

"Just ignore him," Inari squeezed Kenji's shoulder from out the window. "And calm down, Ken. You look as white as a sheet." Then again, she would be the same if she were in his state. She felt horrible for putting him up to do this.

"You gotta toughen up!" Cheered Itsuki. "Get mean, bro!"

"I'll try." Sighed the brunette. The duo's worry only escalated.

"Attention! Everyone back away from the inside of the grind rail! The race is about to start!" The man in red was cheered on by everyone there, the voices spreading out as far to the next small hills over. "We're starting the countdown!" He said, taking his position at the middle of the road, right between the two drifters. Everyone cleared out of the way and the man raised one hand. "Alright, in ten-" A blare of static interrupted him.

"Hold on, guys. Finish line here." Said the scouter on the walkie-talkie the man had. "We got a regular car on the road, just passed us. You don't want this guy getting caught up in the race. Should we wait until it passes the mountain?"

"It's a public road!" Keisuke shouted from his car, growing annoyed. "What does he think was gonna happen? We'll pass this guy without any trouble, no friggin' problem! Damn."

"No, wait!" Inari ran over to the man in red, a lump forming in her throat. They might have been grasping at straws, but maybe a miracle had pulled through. "Please, hold on. Can you call back down and ask what the make of that car was? Color, speed, anything!" People were staring at her but Inari didn't care. This surprise guest meant more to her than them.

The guy in red sympathized with her. "Hey, did you guys see the make of the car that passed you?"

"Hard to tell. It went by pretty fast but I was able to notice it had some flip-up headlights. Maybe an 86? Like a Trueno?"

Inari squeaked. Keisuke twitched in his seat.

"Toss it," He commanded, catching the walking-talkie and calling in. "An 86? Better not be shittin' with me, man. What color was it? White?"

"What color? I don't know why it matters so much to you guys but it was black and white, right? Yeah, a panda Trueno."

"He actually came…" Inari sighed with relief, almost stumbling in place. Her teammates caught her before she fell. Keisuke looked pleased himself, but for his own reasons.

"Guys, let's wait until that 86 gets here." His eyes began to gleam, a sly look reflecting off his rearview mirror. "This night isn't going to be a complete waste after all." Hearing that, Inari got back on her feet and raced over to Kenji's side, grinning.

"Get outta there, man. You're not racing tonight." She said, yelping when Kenji lept at her and squeezed her tightly. She would have blushed had not her friend was trembling and smiling against her shoulder. "Geez, you crying? Not like you at all, man."

"S-Shut it. I could say the same for you, Inari."

"Hey, I'm not ashamed of it," Tears were already falling down her face. "I don't even care who wins tonight. Just as long as the race is fair and gives our team some hope." She pulled away from Kenji and wiped her face, looking positive as ever. "C'mon, we gotta get ready to greet a legend! I promised we'd cheer him on all the way. What he needs now is a proper welcome."

As Takimi sped up the mountain, she noticed all the little bundles and gatherings of people that grew larger as she got closer to the top. This was something you usually didn't see on an average night.

'Maybe they're all here for the tofu?' Fads. She would never understand them. She looked over to the back seat and saw a few wrinkles and bunched in corners on the tofu boxes. Nothing too damaging, so the tofu would still be good. 'Hope the old man packed enough, or else I'll need to spend that money he promised me on refunds… I swear I'll kick him in the gut if that's the reason why he sent me up alone.' Disregarding that thought, she kicked into the next gear as she drew closer to the top, not knowing that she was stealing the awed breath of hundreds of spectators. Clueless to the fact that outsiders of both Akina and Akagi were surveying her. Unaware that she was turning a legend into reality.

As she could hear the roar of a familiar engine draw close, Inari felt her pulse began to quicken, her palms becoming sweaty. This was exactly how she felt the night she first witnessed the Ghost of Akina. This kind of excitement was the proof she needed to know that things were going to be alright.

'Almost here. The fastest racer to ever run Akina's downhill is backing us tonight. The legend who created technique,' She glanced over to the Rotary Brothers, noticing the anticipation crossing the younger one's features. 'Time to show those Takahashi Brothers the real strength Akina's packing.'

Meanwhile, Keisuke was getting excited himself, his arms crossing tightly over his chest as he smirked at the darkened road. 'C'mon, 86. I wanna see just what kind of lunatic of a chick is driving you. Man, I haven't been this excited to race since high school!'

Ryosuke could see the glee that was bubbling up in his brother. He would have smiled, but he was all too interested himself. 'You kept us waiting for a while,' He thought as the wind picked up, the currents strong and promising as something shined from the horizon on the slope. He smiled a touch. 'Don't think I'll fall for a rookie tactic like that. I got my eye on you…'

No one knew what to expect as the panda parked right in front of the finish line. Some were expecting a hero straight out of a comic. The brothers were willing to bet that some hard-boiled, ace of a racer would pop out of the driver's seat. Inari was only hoping, waiting for Bunta to walk out of the car like he owned the place. No one expected to see a stack of white, slightly busted-up boxes marked with Fujiwara Tofu in black marker being carried out. The plain, yet polite voice that accompanied them stunned everyone in the area.

"Hello?" Takimi peeked her head from behind the stack. "Fujiwara Tofu. If it's not our tofu, it's no good."

To Be Continued!

And that's where that chapter will be left off ^^ The next chapter won't come as late as this one had, but I can't say it will come as soon since I've just started working and I've been having trouble trying to find where to watch the dubs of Initial D. If anyone knows some good sites, please PM me them. I'd appreciate it ^_^ Thanks so much for all of your support again, guys! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you all next time. Bye for now!

This is me saying, Peace!