Hey guys, it's been a while! ^^
I have been holding onto this story in my Google drive for quite some time and I always find myself coming back to this story. After a lot of back and forth with my thoughts, I decided to just dump the entire next section of the story. There are actually a lot more ideas and scenes that I have that I wanted to add - lots of changes that I wanted to make so that it would be more entertaining - fix some typos here and there.
but... I just got a little bit lazy.
Note: I did use names used from both the dubbed and subbed interchangably through pure preference because I referenced to both while writing (I think I also use both names sometimes - I am so sorry, I might update each chapter... When I feel like it and have time!). Naming of the subbed and dubbed are quite similar, you can probably use the wikia to reference (again... I am so sorry).
Example:
- Xhaka = Xander
- Daina = Daigo - I think I changed all the Daigo(s), but I am not entirely sure!
I actually have 11.5 chapters completed covering Turbo/Chouzetsu (8) and the beginning of Rise/Gachi (3.5). I am still writing this story from time to time and I have some future ideas that I want to cover. Let me know if you guys are interested in continuing to read!
I really hope everyone enjoys!
On the train, Aichi sat beside Shu. He looked fascinated riding the train for the first time. "We're going so fast," Aichi commented happily. Shu looked over at him with a smile.
"This must be your first time riding a train," Shu said.
"I'm sure the other me has ridden in these so many times. He asked Blaster Blade to cut off the small memory connection completely so that I can experience things on my own," Aichi explained. "He seems like a really good person," he added.
"He is," Shu agreed.
Aichi leaned his head on Shu's arm. "Shu is the best person I know… he always protects me…" Aichi muttered while dozing off. Shu noticed that Blaster Blade was glowing in Aichi's hand. Shu laid Aichi down so that his head was on his lap.
Nika and Toko stood on their seats and looked back to see Aichi sleeping on Shu's lap. "Nika, Toko. Be careful. You might fall if you stand on your seats," Shu scolded quietly.
"We're just fine!" Nika responded confidently. The train shook and they almost slipped. They both held onto the back of the chair to keep themselves standing.
"I told you, so sit down," Shu said. Nika and Toko sat down and giggled. Shu looked at Aichi and he patted his head when Aichi's expression changed to a pained face. "I'm here… calm down," he said soothingly. Aichi's expression soon turned back to normal.
"Shu…" Aichi said warmly.
When they were close to their destination, Aichi was still asleep. Shu shook Aichi's shoulder. "Aichi, we're almost there," Shu informed softly. Aichi slowly opened his eyes and looked up. He sat up rubbing his eyes.
The train soon stopped. Shu stood up first and brought down their bags. Aichi pulled on his bag. He held Shu's shirt as they walked out of the train. They took a limousine to a big house. They stood outside of the huge house in awe.
"What is this?"
"It's huge!"
"This is a villa…?"
Everyone walked inside. Aichi stayed very close to Shu when they entered. A butler was standing there bowing to the group. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting, Master Wakiya. I was preparing everything as per your instructions. The others have gone home, so I'm by myself," the butler informed.
"That's great. We won't be disturbed, then. Did that thing arrive?" Wakiya asked. Aichi and Shu looked at each other wondering what they were talking about.
"Yes, sir. It arrived yesterday, just in time for you to use it," the butler answered. "I will take you to your rooms." They walked up the stairs and turned to see a hallway of rooms.
"Wow! There are so many rooms!"
"Just choose where you want to stay," Wakiya said. Valt ran off trying to choose which room to stay in. Aichi looked at him confused before Shu held his hand. Aichi looked over at Shu who was smiling gently to him.
"Let's stay in this one," Shu suggested turning to the first room on the left.
"Okay," Aichi responded happily. They walked into the room together to see that it was a huge room with three beds inside. "It's so big," Aichi commented looking around. He seemed uneasy.
"Is something wrong?" Shu asked.
"I want you to be beside me… I get scared when you aren't beside me…" Aichi explained sadly.
Shu giggled a little which made Aichi jump. He looked down and looked like he was about to cry because Shu was laughing at him. Shu looked at him and patted his head. "I'm sorry. You're so worried about this. Here, we can sleep on this bed," he suggested. He put his bag on the bed beside them.
Aichi sniffled and smiled. He hugged Shu. "I want to be with you forever," he said happily. Shu patted his head knowing that they can't. Someone knocked on the door and opened it.
"Hey, Shu. Training is-" Hoji informed before seeing Aichi hugging Shu tightly. Shu turned to Hoji. "Am I intruding in something?" Hoji asked quietly.
Shu shook his head and gestured one of his head to tell him he'll go later. Hoji nodded and closed the door quietly. "You can tell me more about your nightmares. It might make you feel better if you talk about it," Shu suggested.
Aichi looked up. "But… most of them are about you…" he responded.
"It's okay. Tell me about them tonight," Shu assured.
Aichi looked down before putting his face in Shu's shirt. "Okay," he responded. Shu brushed his hand in Aichi's hair.
"Let's go. The team is having a practice," Shu informed. Aichi nodded and released him. They walked outside and turned to the hallway and Shu looked at both sides of the hallway.
Aichi looked at Shu nervously. "Shu… where do we go…?" He asked.
"I'm not sure…" Shu responded. He turned and saw Aichi panic a little. Shu ruffled his hair. "We'll be fine. We'll find the training room," he assured. He took Aichi's hand and they walked down the right side of the hallway. They kept walking and saw that none of the rooms was the one that they were looking for.
"Shu…" Aichi cried sadly. Shu was looking for someone to ask, but they didn't see a single person.
"Master Shu, the BeyClub is beginning the training regimen." Shu and Aichi turned around to see the butler from earlier.
"Sorry, we got lost," Shu apologized bowing his head. Aichi also bowed his head.
"Come this way," the butler said. He turned and guided Aichi and Shu to the training room. The butler opened the door and revealed the rest of the team waiting inside.
"Shu! Finally, how can going to the washroom take so long?!" Wakiya asked. Shu was a little confused.
"Come on! Let's Beyblade already!" Valt whined impatiently.
"Alright…! I have something really special here," Wakiya said as the butler pulled off a cloth revealing a Bey Stadium with four chompers. "What do you think? Looks pretty intense, right? It's called a fighting stadium, I brought it in from overseas just for this training camp," he explained. Aichi looked at it standing behind Shu.
"Shu… the spikes…" Aichi muttered afraid.
"What's with the claws and fangs on the side?"
"We don't know much about it, except it is a trap called a biting fang. I read up on it, but we haven't had the chance to battle in it yet," Hoji answered.
"What do you say? We should break this bad boy in?" Wakiya asked.
"I'll battle you in it to test it out. It's been a while since I battled Horusood after all" Daina challenged. Hoji agreed and everyone stood to the side. Aichi watched all the fights that day. Shu, Valt and Kiyama won the team event that day. Afterward, it got late, so everyone went to their rooms.
Aichi sat on the bed while Shu cleaned Spriggan. "Shu, you were amazing today," Aichi commented cheerfully.
"Thanks, but I want to practice with that stadium some more. You can come with me or stay here," Shu responded after he finished cleaning Spriggan.
"I want to come! Oh… and I really wanted to battle…" Aichi said shyly. Shu was a little surprised, he never wanted to battle before. "Shu… I want to be strong like you and the person inside of me," he explained with resolve.
Shu smiled and walked to the exit to their room. "Alright then. Let's battle then," he responded. Aichi got off of the bed and followed Shu gleefully. There was no one inside of the training room when they walked in.
"Alright, let's start the battle," Shu said. Aichi nodded before getting into position with Blaster Blade.
"3, 2, 1, let it rip!" Shu and Aichi shot their Beyblades. Shu noticed that Blaster Blade started quite stable with a small bounce. He was pretty impressed.
"You got better," Shu commented which made Aichi blush and scratch his cheek sheepishly. "But you shouldn't take your mind away from the battle," he added. Aichi jumped as Blaster Blade was knocked out of the stadium.
Aichi looked down sadly and picked up Blaster Blade. "It's alright. Your launch is getting better," Shu commented kindly. "Let's do it again," he suggested. Aichi nodded and got back into position.
An hour later, Valt opened the doors to the training room and found Shu at the stadium shooting alone. "Shu!" Valt exclaimed. Shu noticed him and put a finger in front of his face to tell him to be quiet. Valt turned his head and saw Aichi sleeping with a blanket over him to the side. He looked a little distressed.
In Aichi's dream, he was standing in front of someone with a mask on. "Red eyes… black mask… white hair… Shu…" he identified before leaning in to hug him. Red Eye pushed Aichi away to the ground and turned to walk away. "Shu! Wait! What will you leave me…?" He cried. He saw a dark shadow above him as he walked away. "Shu…"
A hand grabbed his wrist and he found himself in a tube wired up to a machine. "Where am I?!" He exclaimed. He banged on the glass, but it was to no avail. "Shu! Shu! Help me!" Aichi cried.
"Aichi…! Aichi, calm down…! I'm here… right beside you. You're okay." The voice pulled him out of his nightmare. He opened his eyes and saw Shu kneeling beside him, he was looking at him concerned. Aichi noticed that he was breathing heavily and sweating.
"Shu…!" Aichi cried. His hand was shaking.
"Another nightmare?" Shu asked. Aichi nodded sadly and sat up. They were still in the training room and Spriggan was spinning in the stadium. The sun was going down as well. Aichi stomach gurgled making him blush.
Shu laughed a little and patted his head. "We were just about to make food now," he assured. They stood up together and walked outside where a barbecue was set up and a large stack of logs. They saw that everyone was in a line in front of Wakiya. Aichi looked at Shu before joining the line.
"Alright! We're having a barbecue tonight and it is going to be fun. The team competition is going to be all about teamwork, got it?" Wakiya said.
"Wait! Who made you the team captain?" Kiyama asked.
"Hoji'll bring the ingredients here. Shu, Aichi, Toko, and Nika are in charge of cooking. And you three who are left, you're going to set up the campfire!" Wakiya informed.
"Yay! We get to cook with Shu!" Nika and Tono cheered with a smile. They held Shu's arms and swung them playfully as they walked to the cooking place. Shu looked at them with a smile. Aichi walked behind them by himself. While he was walking, he felt someone watching him. He began getting shivers and hugged himself. He looked around and search for the person watching him. Hoji caught up to him from behind with a box full of ingredients.
"Hey, what are you looking for?" Hoji asked. Aichi jumped from getting frightened. "I'm sorry for scaring you…! But what were you looking for?" Hoji asked panicked.
"Um…" Aichi said. Hoji tried to get Shu's attention while Aichi continued looking around. He soon got Shu's attention and Shu looked at Aichi looked around flustered. Shu walked to Hoji and Aichi, he knelt down to Aichi's height.
"What's wrong, Aichi?" Shu asked. Aichi looked at him and leaned in.
"Someone is watching us…" Aichi whispered. Shu was shocked and put his hands on Aichi's shoulders.
"It's okay. We should get started in cooking. Don't worry," Shu assured with a smile. Aichi nodded slightly as Shu stood up. Shu held Aichi's hand and took him to the cooking station.
"I need to get a few more boxes. You guys should get started," Hoki said before leaving.
"Alright, we should get ourselves organized. Nika, Toko, what do you want to do? It looks like we are grilling kabobs," Shu asked.
"Oh! Oh! We want to do the sticks!" Nika and Toko said together.
"Alright. Can you wash the vegetables?" Shu asked. Aichi nodded and took out the fruits. Shu was in charge of cutting the vegetables and meat. Shu started with cutting the meat as Aichi washed some vegetables. The entire time, Aichi felt the same eyes staring at him.
After finishing washing the vegetables, Aichi watched Shu cut. He was really fast and it mesmerized Aichi. "Shu… I want to help," Aichi said childishly while pointing at the knife.
Shu smiled and shook his head. "No, you might get hurt," he responded.
"But… what if you get hurt?" Aichi asked.
"I have done this a lot of times. It doesn't happen often anymore," Shu responded. He was quick and finished soon. Afterward, Shu moved on to grilling them. Nika, Toko and Aichi watched him.
Aichi looked over and saw Kiyama, Daina and Valt still struggling with the bonfire. Shu looked up from time to time and smiled when seeing them working so hard. The first batch of kabobs finished cooking.
"Here, you should eat some first," Shu said. He handed each of them one and put the others on a plate. He began cooking the next batch. Aichi sat on a chair beside Shu and watched him attentively. He held the kabob in front of him with two hands.
Shu heard Aichi's stomach grumble again. "You can eat. Don't wait for me," he informed. Aichi looked up and held out his kabob for Shu childishly. He wanted Shu to eat it. "Alright. Thank you, Aichi," Shu repeated before eating the kabob Aichi was holding for him.
Aichi smiled. "Shu, Blaster Blade told me that if I wanted to stay here forever, the person inside me will let me. I want to, but I feel bad when I think about it," he explained while looking down.
"It's your choice, Aichi. Just follow what you think is right," Shu responded. Aichi nodded.
"Shu! We want to do some grilling!" Nika volunteered.
Shu smiled and stepped aside. "Alright, but be careful," he responded. Nika and Toko took over. Shu stayed and supervised them. Aichi walked outside of the cooking area and stood on the grass sadly.
"If I stay here… will Shu end up like that…?" Aichi asked himself doubtfully. He took out Blaster Blade and held it tightly. The image of Shu from his nightmares appeared in his head. He screamed and held his head trying to erase the image.
Shu looked around nervously and saw Aichi. He ran to him and stood in front of him. "Aichi? What's wrong…?" He said passively. Aichi looked at him with scared eyes before he turned and ran into the forest. "Aichi! Wait!" Shu called. He held out his hand at the direction Aichi ran.
It caught everyone's attention. They all looked confused and surprised because Aichi would never leave Shu's side. "Shu? What happened?" Hoji asked.
"I don't know," Shu responded. He was shocked. "Let's find him," he said. He ran into the forest. "Aichi!"
Everyone else helped too. Soon, Shu found Aichi. He saw the back of his head and it looked like he was with someone. Aichi fell forward into the person's arms. "Aichi…" Shu called. He walked closer and saw a man with a mask holding onto Aichi. It was quite dark, but he was sure the man was wearing a mask.
"Who are you?" Shu asked. The man was excreting a dark aura similar to the Void's which made Shu extra cautious. The man disappeared when Shu got closer, making Aichi fall forward.
Shu ran to him and caught him. Aichi opened his eyes slowly and saw him. "Shu… what happened…?" Aichi asked.
"I was hoping you can tell me that," Shu responded while nudging Aichi's head with his hand. Aichi looked confused. "Why did you run off?" He asked.
Aichi looked around. "I ran off…?" He wondered. "Oh… we're in the forest. But, why?" He asked.
"You don't remember?" Shu asked. Aichi shook his head. Shu was worried, but he patted Aichi's head. "As long as you're back to normal now. You scared me you know?" Shu informed.
Aichi looked down. "I'm sorry," he apologized.
"It's fine. Let's go back," Shu said. He held Aichi's hand as they walked back. When they got back everyone was there.
"Oh! You found him! That's a relief!" Kiyama said. After dinner, everyone went back to their rooms. Aichi laid on the bed with Shu sitting beside him.
"What happened to you there?" Shu asked.
"Shu Kurenai," Aichi called in his sleep. Shu knew at that moment that it wasn't Aichi talking. "I knew earlier there was a dark force festering in this boy's fragile spirit. I would have never expected Void to plant a small seed of darkness inside the soul," he explained.
"Void? Wasn't he destroyed?" Shu asked.
"Correct, but a small seed of evil hid inside a deep part of this boy's soul. Somewhere I could not identify. It is not Void himself. It is for warping the mind of the host and amplifies the negative emotions as it did to my Vanguard," Aichi answered.
"Is he going to be okay?" Shu asked worried.
"He will be fine. The seed left his body and entered into a man wearing a mask," Aichi assured. "Be careful, Shu Kurenai. My Vanguard's nightmare can be a reality," he warned.
"I will," Shu responded. He watched Aichi's face with a soft smile. He stood up and walked outside. He turned and saw Daina walk outside of his room.
"Daina," Shu called. Daina looked up.
"Shu, did he fall asleep?" Daina asked.
"He fell asleep quickly. It seems everything is normal again. He stopped getting his nightmares," Shu explained. They stood outside of Shu's room leaning on the wall.
"That's good. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about the team," Daina said. Shu waited to hear what he had to say. "We are all strong bladers, there is no debating that the trouble is we haven't gelled as a team yet," Daina commented.
"That's true," Shu agreed.
"We're running out of time. We need to find a way to get everyone together. Any ideas?" Diana asked.
"I'll think of something. Hey, thanks for always watching out for us. It's cool to be able to talk to you about these things," Shu thanked. The door of Shu and Aichi's room opened quietly and Aichi peeked his head outside slightly.
"Shu…" Aichi called. Shu turned.
"What's wrong? It's really late, you should be sleeping," Shu asked.
"Um… the loud sounds…" Aichi asked timidly.
Shu laughed quietly. "Oh, that's just Valt's snoring. I'll cover your ears while you sleep," he said. He turned to Diana.
"Sorry, he is a light sleeper," Shu apologized. Aichi held onto Shu's shirt.
"It's okay. It's getting late anyways," Daina assured.
Aichi leaned to the side. "Good night," he said timidly.
Shu smiled and patted his head. "Let's get you back into bed. You'll be tired tomorrow," he suggested. Aichi nodded with a smile and walked inside. Shu followed along after Daina turned to go back to his room. Aichi laid on the bed facing Shu who laid beside him.
Aichi happily looked at Shu as he gently put his hands around his right ear that was not covered by the pillow. "I'm sorry for today, Shu. I worried you," he apologized quietly.
"It wasn't your fault. You said that you didn't remember what happened, that means it wasn't you," Shu assured.
"But… my other self. He wouldn't do it, would he?" Aichi asked sadly.
"I don't think he would do that either. You know, Blaster Blade told me that there was a seed inside you that gave you all those nightmares. It's gone now, so don't be scared anymore," Shu explained. He sounded relieved.
"Okay," Aichi responded cheerfully. "Good night, Shu," he said.
"Good night," Shu responded as Aichi closed his eyes to sleep. He soon closed his eyes and slept.
The next morning, Shu woke up really early. He gently took his hand off of Aichi and got changed to his running clothes. Aichi slowly opened his eyes and turned to see Shu changing. "Shu… are you going for a run…?" Aichi asked drowsily.
"Did I wake you up? Sorry," Shu apologized.
Aichi shook his head. "Be careful, Shu," he responded.
Shu smiled and patted Aichi's head while he was in bed. "I will. Get some more sleep while I'm gone, okay? Try to sleep through Valt's snoring, alright?" He said.
"Okay…" Aichi responded. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep. Shu pulled the blanket over his shoulders. Shu walked to the door and went outside.
In Aichi's mind, he found himself standing in front of his sealed other self. Blaster Blade appeared and stood beside him. "Blaster Blade, is he lonely in there?" He asked.
"This is not the first time he sealed himself, my Vanguard. I am quite sure he is not feeling much of anything right now. When he wakes up, he will feel like no time has passed," Blaster Blade assured.
"Blaster Blade, is it possible for him to go back to his world and let me stay here?" Aichi asked.
"That is impossible. You both must inhabit a body," Blaster Blade answered bluntly.
"Does that mean if we go to his world, I'll never get to see Shu again…?" Aichi asked sadly.
"No, you can return whenever you'd like. I am sure he will be happy to give you the chance to see Shu Kuranei again," Blaster Blade responded. Aichi seemed more at ease after hearing that.
"Blaster Blade… I'll let him go back after the solo competition is over," Aichi said surely.
"You understand that you do not have to, My Vanguard," Blaster Blade informed.
"I know… but it isn't fair for him. I'm just a soul created by Void, I'm not real… he shouldn't need to sacrifice his time for me to stay here," Aichi explained while looking at the sealed form. "That is my decision," Aichi said with resolve turning to Blaster Blade.
"As you wish, My Vanguard. Shu Kurenai has some of your power inside of him. You can remind him that he can call for you," Blaster Blade responded. He knelt on one leg in front of Aichi. When Aichi woke up, Shu was still not back. He sat up and stretched.
"Shu's not back yet…" Aichi said to himself while looking around. He sat up and changed out of his pajamas. He looked outside the window and saw Wakiya and Hoji beginning their run along a path. Aichi sat in the room alone waiting for Shu to come back. He began to worry after a while of waiting. "What if the man Shu was talking about did something to him?" Aichi asked himself worried.
When his worries were too much, Aichi ran out of the room down the hallway to the front doors. The butler just happened to walk through when Aichi reached the doors and he slipped through. "Mr. Aichi, where are you-?" The butler asked, but Aichi ran off so quickly.
"Shu… where are you…?" Aichi asked himself as he ran through the forest.
"My Vanguard, calm down! Shu Kurenai should be fine," Blaster Blade said to Aichi to try to calm him down. But it was to no avail, Aichi was still panicked.
"Shu! Shu! Where are you?!" Aichi cried. After running a while, he got to a river bank. He didn't encounter Shu even once. "Shu…" Aichi cried as he fell to the ground exhausted. He was really worried about Shu. He sat down and curled up. He knew he was lost and he never found Shu.
Meanwhile, at the cottage, Shu returned from his run. He walked to his room and opened the door saying, "hey, Aichi. I'm-" Shu said before seeing Aichi wasn't in the room. He checked the washroom, but he was nowhere.
He ran outside of the room and looked through the mansion. "Mr. Shu, why are you wandering around at this hour?" The butler asked. He was holding some bedsheets.
"Have you seen Aichi today?" Shu asked panicked.
"He ran outside in a rush. I don't know why particularly, but-" the butler said.
"Okay, thank you," Shu thanked before running off. He saw some tall grass that was leveled, so he guessed Aichi ran through there. "Aichi!" Shu called as he ran.
"Aichi! Aichi!" Shu called. After running a little while, following the flat grass trail, Aichi heard Shu's calls.
"Shu!" Aichi called back. Shu ran to the voice. "Shu!" Aichi called again. They soon ran into each other through a bush. Aichi bumped into Shu and fell into a bush. "Shu! You're okay!" Aichi exclaimed relieved and happily.
"I'm okay? I told you I was going for a run. Why did you leave the cottage?" Shu asked. He pulled Aichi up from the ground.
"I thought something happened to you… You were gone for so long. I tried to find you. I called your name, but I never found you," Aichi explained sadly.
Shu smiled and brushed some leaves off of his clothes and hair. "I was fine. The running trail was longer than I expected. Sorry, I guess I really made you worried," he apologized.
Aichi shook his head. "I shouldn't have run off," he said. "How did you find me?" He asked.
"I followed the flattened grass," Shu responded. "Let's go back. The morning battle will start soon," he said. He took Aichi's hand and walked with him back to the cottage.
"Shu… I decided that I'll give back this body to my other self after the solo tournament. I want to see you win before I leave," Aichi informed sadly.
Shu looked at him. He was happy he made a decision, but he didn't want him to leave. "As long as you're sure. You can always come back whenever you want," Shu assured. Aichi looked up at Shu and nodded with a smile.
"Blaster Blade said you can contact the other me while he is in the other world because you have a part of his power," Aichi informed. "If you ever need me, you can ask him to come back," he said happily.
Shu smiled and held onto Aichi's hand tighter. "Okay," he responded. "Once you leave, I'll try not to call you back. It'll only make it harder for you," he thought while looking at Aichi. Aichi turned to him and smiled childishly. When they got back, they walked to the training room. There wasn't anyone there yet, so they were glad they weren't late. "How about we have a match?" Shu asked.
"Okay!" Aichi agreed enthusiastically. He took out his launcher and Blaster Blade. "Let's try to beat Shu this time," he said happily to Blaster Blade. He smiled when he saw Blaster Blade glow in response.
"Are you ready?" Shu asked standing on one side of the Bey Stadium. Aichi ran to the opposite side and got ready to launch.
"Three, two, one! Let it rip!" Shu noticed that Blaster Blade was getting really stable after launching. Aichi looked intensely at the stadium as both Beyblades circled around together.
"Not bad, you definitely got better," Shu commented. Aichi looked happy and Blaster Blade was catching up to Spriggan from behind.
"Blaster Blade, let's do our best!" Aichi exclaimed. Blaster Blade glowed and hit Spriggan. Blaster Blade suddenly disappeared after making contact and Spriggan kept getting knocked around. Both of them were surprised at the movements of Blaster Blade.
No one could see Blaster Blade. Aichi just watched Spriggan get knocked around by something invisible. Spriggan couldn't move. "Shu, what is happening?" Aichi asked nervously.
"I guess it was your launch," Shu said.
Even when Spriggan stopped spinning, Blaster Blade didn't stop attacking. "Blaster Blade stop!" Aichi cried, but Blaster Blade didn't stop. "Shu! What do I do?" He asked nervously.
Shu knelt down and reached for Spriggan. He quickly grabbed Spriggan, but his fingers were scratched from Blaster Blade who was still attacking. "Shu!" Aichi cried as he ran over. Blaster Blade jumped to Shu aggressively. Aichi was so concerned for Shu that he didn't notice Blaster Blade.
"Watch out!" Shu exclaimed before he pulled Aichi in with his right arm and caught Blaster Blade with his left hand. It made Shu's hand hurt, but he was glad that it was stopped. "Are you alright?" Shu asked.
Aichi looked up looking surprised and nodded. He turned and saw Shu's hand to see them all red. "I'm sorry, Shu!" He apologized as he looked at Shu's hands.
"I'm alright. It doesn't hurt that much," Shu assured with a reassuring smile. He gently put Blaster Blade in Aichi's hand. "Let's figure out that launch of yours when we get home," Shu suggested. Aichi nodded shyly. Shu stood up and ruffled Aichi's hair with his right hand and a smile.
"I brought some bandages. We can go to our room before the morning training starts," Shu suggested after looking at his hand.
"Okay," Aichi agreed before following Shu back to their room. He held Shu's left hand with both hands and looked at it while they walked. He had a guilty look on his face. There were dark red scratches with some blood coming out. He held onto Blaster Blade tightly. "Why did you do this Blaster Blade…? What were you doing…?" Aichi asked.
"I apologize for my actions, My Vanguard. When you launched, something came over me and I could not control myself," Blaster Blade apologized as they entered their room.
"Something came over you…?" Aichi asked as his consciousness was taken to his mindspace.
"Aichi! Hey, Aichi!" Shu called as he caught him before he fell on the ground.
"Blaster Blade…" Aichi muttered. Shu calmed down and carried him onto the bed. He bandaged himself up and looked at the clock. It was almost time to meet, so he left Aichi alone in the room. He made sure the blinds were closed and Aichi was tucked in.
Aichi stood in front of Blaster Blade who was on his knees and head down. "Blaster Blade, what happened?" He asked.
"There was an external dark force that made me lose control of my form. It seemed like who ever was controlling my form at that time was targeting Shu Kurenai and his partner," Blaster Blade answered with his head still lowered.
"I didn't feel anything…" Aichi responded reluctantly.
"I understand your doubts. I am aware how important Shu Kurenai is to you. I would never go against your wishes. Please understand, my Vanguard," Blaster Blade explained. Aichi still looked doubtful and looked over at his sealed form.
"When did you feel the dark energy?" Aichi asked.
"The moment you began launching, my Vanguard," Blaster Blade answered.
"There's someone after Shu then?" Aichi thought to himself. "Blaster Blade, how quickly can you release this seal?" He asked while touching the seal.
"In a moment's notice," Blaster Blade answered.
"Can he protect Shu if he gets in trouble?" Aichi asked.
"I believe he can… I will release the seal if I ever feel a dark presence nearby. I will make sure to be on guard at all times," Blaster Blade promised. Aichi turned back and smiled. He walked to Blaster Blade before squatting down childishly.
"Alright. Thank you for everything, Blaster Blade. I know you did a lot for me, so I would never doubt you. Just promise me to protect Shu too," Aichi requested.
"As you wish, my Vanguard," Blaster Blade responded. His voice changed slightly into a relieved one. No one would be able to notice since it was so slight. Aichi nodded and held out his hand.
"Come on, raise your head. Let's go back. Shu must be worried," Aichi said with a smile while keeping his hand held out. Blaster Blade looked up and took Aichi's hand.
Aichi soon woke up inside their room. Shu wasn't with him which made him nervous. He looked at the time and saw that it was way past the meeting time for morning practice. "Oh no! Shu's battle must have ended already!" Aichi exclaimed before getting up from the bed. He ran outside and to the training room. He opened the door and found no one there.
"Oh no… I missed it…" Aichi said sadly. He heard laughter and voices, he ran to the window and saw everyone outside cooking. They all looked like they were having fun. "Shu…" he muttered while looking at Shu.
He was happy that Shu was happy, but he was a little sad that he wasn't with them. He went to the ground and curled up. "My Vanguard…" Blaster Blade muttered. He knelt in front of him. "Would you like to trade places?" Blaster Blade suggested.
Aichi's body began shining a bright light and when the light disappeared, the older Aichi immerged. He was still unconscious after being sealed for a while. It took him a few moments to regain consciousness. "I'm back…?" Aichi muttered before getting up from the ground. "Blaster Blade! What happened?" He called.
"The boy wanted to trade places, My Vanguard," Blaster Blade answered. Aichi looked outside and saw everyone having fun.
Aichi giggled. "Is this why he's upset…? You should have comforted him more, Blaster Blade," he said.
"My apologies, My Vanguard," Blaster Blade responded.
"Alright then, have him come back. Come back… Shu can't always be by your side," Aichi called. There was no response. "I'm sure that he should be able to hear me…" he muttered.
"His soul is too frail to seal up unlike yours my Vanguard. It will be too dangerous," Blaster Blade answered.
Aichi sighed. "Alright, I guess I'll stay for a little while. But I better leave here before someone notices," he said. He snuck out of the mansion and ran into the forest.
Shu felt a very strong aura and looked around. "Shu, what's wrong?" Valt asked.
"I'm going to go check on Aichi. Start eating without me," Shu responded before taking off his apron. He had just finished cooking food for everyone. He ran to his room and found it vacant. "Then that wasn't my imagination!" He exclaimed before running outside.
"I feel his presence, but why? It's usually not this strong," Shu said to himself before following the trail. He found himself at a riverbank and saw the older Aichi looking at the water. "Aichi…" he muttered.
Aichi turned and smiled. "Hello, Shu. Thank you for taking good care of the other me," he thanked happily.
"Why did you two change places…?" Shu asked sadly.
"Actually…" Aichi began awkwardly. "It seems that he gets jealous easily," he answered with a laugh.
"I didn't mean to cause you any trouble. I'm sorry," Shu apologized.
"Don't apologize, just make up. Though, I don't think that it will take much for him to forgive you," Aichi responded. He looked up at the sky. "I guess I should go back to sleep," he informed while savouring the sunlight.
"Thank you for doing this for us," Shu thanked. Aichi turned to him and smiled.
"I have you to thank for saving me. This is the least I can do," Aichi responded before closing his eyes. A powerful light radiated from Aichi and his body changed small again. Shu ran to Aichi once he saw Aichi fall forward.
"Aichi!" Shu called while shaking him. Aichi slowly woke up.
"Shu…" Aichi said before slowly hugging him.
"You should tell me when you're upset," Shu informed while patting his head.
"Okay…" Aichi responded.
"Alright, let's go back. Lunch is ready," Shu said. Aichi nodded but didn't let go. "Hey, if you don't let go, then we can't go back," he commented with a small giggle. Aichi pulled back and held onto Shu's arm as they walked back.
Later that day, team red fought team blue again. This time Shu, Daina and Hoji were on Team Blue and they looked like they were getting along while they were huddled. Aichi noticed that the twins weren't around. "Those two didn't come to watch…" Aichi thought as he looked outside of the window. "And it's going to start raining too… where could they be…?"
The first battle was Valt verses Hoji which ended with Valt getting a burst finish. The second battle was Kiyama verses Shu. Kiyama surprisingly held his own against Shu for quite a while which made Aichi nervous, but in the end, Shu ended with a burst finish. The final battle was Daina verses Wakiya which ended when Wakiya used shield crash right into the chompers.
When the battles were over, Aichi ran over to Shu. "Shu… the twins weren't here to watch the match…" he whispered.
"Valt, where did Toko and Nika go after lunch?" Shu asked.
"Not sure," Valt responded. Suddenly, it looked like Wakiya got an idea and ran out without telling anyone. "Why did he just run off like that?" He wondered.
"We should follow him," Shu suggested.
"Why should we? He should be fine," Kiyama responded sounding angry at Wakiya.
"We know that you two are not in good terms, but we're still a team and we need to make sure Toko, Nika and Wakiya are okay," Shu explained seriously. Kiyama grit his teeth knowing that he was right. "If you're not going, we are," Shu said while turning to the others and seeing them nod.
"Shu… it's raining so hard right now…" Aichi pointed out nervously.
"You stay here and wait for us to come back," Shu said with a smile. They walked to the front entrance of the mansion and Shu turned to the butler. "Please watch him while I'm gone," he requested.
"Of course, master Shu," the butler responded before they ran out into the rain.
"Be careful!" Aichi shouted as loudly as he could. Shu turned back and nodded before continuing to run. "I have a bad feeling about this…" he thought.
"Master Aichi, you should wait inside," the butler suggested, but Aichi just stood at the door looking longingly outside. He really did have a bad feeling.
"I'm going too…" Aichi said quietly before running off.
"Master Aichi!" The butler called, but Aichi had already run into the forest.
Aichi ran as fast as he could. When he was close to the river, he saw that the current was really fast and dangerous. He saw the broken small bridge that was the safer bridge to cross. He looked around and saw Wakiya with Nika and Toko walking on a bridge with a rope tied around Wakiya's waist. The rest were holding onto the rope that was tied to a tree behind them.
Aichi was at the bottom of the river, so he had to somehow get up. He ran back into the forest and up the shallow hill. When he got close, he heard a snap. "Blaster Blade! Let me switch with him!" Aichi shouted as he saw the tree that the rope was tied to fall.
Aichi switched into the older him. This time he was quick to wake up and caught the rope before everyone could fall. Shu was the one closest to the top and saw Aichi holding on with all his strength. "I'm going to try to pull you up, you need to get up by yourself, okay," Aichi said. Shu nodded as Aichi began pulling the rope.
"How did we not fall?" Wakiya asked before everyone looked at the top to see Shu pulling himself up.
"Wow! Shu! You're amazing!" Valt cheered happily as Shu got up to the top. When Hoji was pulled up, Shu gestured to Aichi to go hide before everyone saw him.
Aichi nodded and ran into the forest to trade back. When he was done turning back, Wakiya and the twins were getting pulled up. When they were done, Aichi ran to Shu and hugged him while crying. "Shu! You were going to-!" Aichi cried while hugging him tightly.
Everyone looked at the two as Shu patted his head. "We're okay now. If you hadn't come, we would have been goners," he assured calmingly. Everyone there was soaking wet. "Let's go back," he said after feeling Aichi shivering.
They all headed back. Shu kept his arm around Aichi to keep him warm. "You know, you made it sound like he was the reason why we didn't just fall down the cliff," Daina commented.
"Well, he is the reason," Shu responded honestly. They both turned to Aichi whose face was red. "He was the one that helped me pull myself up. But don't tell the others that," he added before kneeling down offering Aichi his back. Aichi shook his head, but Shu just simply got him on.
When he did, Aichi hugged him and leaned his head on his neck. "You're really burning up!" Shu exclaimed after feeling Aichi's forehead on his neck.
"We need to get him back now!" Daina exclaimed before they both began to run. Daina took off his jacket and put it around Aichi. They ran past the others which made all of them confused.
When they were getting closer, they noticed that Aichi was beginning to breath heavily. "Shu Kurenai, changing back and forth takes a lot of energy and strains the boy's body. Please keep that in mind," Blaster Blade explained to Shu.
When they got back, they saw the butler standing at the entrance with towels. "I apologize, master Shu. He ran out there suddenly and I had to prepare towels for all of you," the butler apologized.
"It's alright. He got a fever in the rain, so we need to get him dry," Shu responded while Daina took his jacket off of Aichi and wrapped a towel around him.
"Please take him to your room. A doctor will be there shortly," the butler said. Shu nodded before running to his room. He took off Aichi's wet clothes for him and put on dry ones before tucking him in. He didn't even bother changing his own because he heard Aichi repeating, "Shu" with a weak voice.
"I'm here… just hang in there," Shu said while brushing his still wet hair. He sat there as a doctor walked inside.
The doctor took out a thermometer and put it inside Aichi's mouth. Aichi opened his eyes weakly to see Shu. The doctor took out the thermometer and read 39.9. "He has a high fever right now. So just have him rest and have him take this medicine," the doctor said before giving Shu some medicine.
"Thank you," Shu thanked. He turned to Aichi to see that he was looking at him with dazed eyes. "Here, eat one and get some sleep," he said while holding one pill and a glass of water. Aichi took the medicine and went to sleep.
Shu got up from the chair and dried himself. He took a quick shower before checking on Aichi again. He looked fine and his head wasn't as warm as before. "If you hadn't come, we would've fallen down… thank you, Aichi," he said while looking at him.