Your POV 

I remember my first time watching Shu beyblade in a battle. 

I remember how cool I thought he was, how in awe I was with his strategizing and his strength. To the past me, Shu Kurenai was the strongest. 

I also remember watching Shu beyblade against Lui, just after the International Team battles. 

I remember how his mask was ripped of his face, how that action seemed to expose his weakness and his shame. I remember how shocked I was, but how I was so ready to welcome him back into my arms. Seeing him tremble and break down only made me want to hug him, hug him until he felt whole again.

And then I remember watching Shu blade against Valt in the God Blader's Cup.

He was consumed with anger and rage, the very emotions I failed to save both him and myself from. The very emotions I was feeling a few days ago. He was too powerful against Valt, and destroyed Valtryek's performance tip. 

At that moment, Shu Kurenai was the strongest.

Years passed, changes occurred, and I'm standing on the sidelines again, watching Shu Kurenai beyblade seriously for the first time in a while. At first I was worried that he would be taken down by the terrifying dark aura.

But he won.

Again and again. 

Burst finish after burst finish.

Then I remembered that he was the strongest, after all.

Turbo Spriggan was so strong, too. As Spriggan swerved across the stadium, I could sense how hard Shu had worked, and I could feel his overwhelming emotions. It wasn't just the fact that Spriggan was the perfect balance type or that Aiga had never seen Shu battle properly. It was their resonance.

Their resonance truly was something else.

The third battle ended with yet another burst finish in Shu's favour. The albino grinned smugly and pushed his hand up to lift his white hair, something I hadn't seen in ages. "Like my turbo blades?"

Not to exaggerate or anything, but I think I almost died. 

Next to me, Fubuki muttered, "Don't faint on us now, (y/n)."

"Ehh?" I turned and blinked. "How did you know that? Well, you know me really well after all."

"Nah, your face is just redder than a tomato."

"S-Shut up!" I huffed before focusing onto the match again.

Aiga only angrily challenged Shu to another battle, which Shu accepted to. As the battle progressed, Aiga flinched more and more in the pain that both him and Achilles felt. His resonance was getting out of hand.

I felt bad, because, really, this was my fault. I drove Aiga to this point, I focused the attention on myself instead of Aiga. I nearly starting hating myself and my actions again, but then I remembered Gingka's words. Then they vanished.

"Look closely Aiga!" Shu shouted, bringing my back to the present. He had activated his aura, the legendary beast of Spriggan standing behind him. "This is true resonance. Turbo Spriggan Whip!"

Aiga's Turbo Whip had had absolutely no affect on Spriggan, but is was the opposite when Spriggan hit Achilles. The latter bey flew into the air as lightning crackled, then it split into three parts. A yellow blinding light filled the stadium, and the fierce wind knocked back everyone except for Shu.

I gazed up from my spot on the ground to see Shu standing amidst the smoke, his back straight and his eyes fiery just like a winner's should be.

Then he turned to me and his gaze softened as he offered his hand. Suddenly, he was no longer the winner but my friend. No, not friend. 'Friend' is such an outdated term for our relationship. He wasn't my friend, but rather the person I'm in love with. 

I accepted his hand, and once I took it he gestured towards Aiga. Aiga was fallen on the ground, in shock about his loss. A month ago this would've been all I wanted, to have Aiga at his weakest point. I wanted to be the one who put him there. Now I want to help him escape from there. 

We walked up to Aiga and Shu spoke, "Hey Fubuki, Ranjiro. I'd like some alone time with Aiga."

"Sure, go ahead," Fubuki responded and Ranjiro nodded. 

I glanced at Aiga, and then realized I shouldn't be part of Shu and Aiga's conversation too. Aiga just didn't trust me, and honestly, I blame myself for that. "I think I'll join them, Shu."

His eyes locked onto mine, and then he nodded in understanding. I left to join Fubuki and Ranjiro. I sat on the polished stones besides them and looked up into the sky of purple. I wondered when Valt would get here.

"Is he serious?" Ranjiro suddenly gaped. I looked over, and then realized that he probably just found out that beys in their Turbo mode were impossible to burst.

"Are you saying that there's no bond between me and Achilles?" Aiga was shouting. "Give me a break! That's a load of Turbo garbage, and I'll show you by taking out the trash!"

Ranjiro ran up and restrained Aiga from moving. "That's enough!"

"Let me go! Bring it on! Battle me again, Shu!"

"Aiga, listen up," Shu didn't waver at all from Aiga's shouting.

"I'll listen after the battle!"

Shu shouted, "Listen!"

I froze. The last time Shu had raised his voice like this was when the cracks of our relationship began to emerge. I hated that moment, no matter how much I drove away the negativity. The sight of Shu being angry still remained.

"There was once a time I went by the name Red Eye," he said, his voice quiet and sombre.  He's talking about that time.

"Yeah, so what?" Aiga retorted, and I swear that I could've punched him. But I let go of that thought. 

Shu continued. "I wanted to be the strongest, so I tossed away the blader called Shu Kurenai. And I also tossed away many people."

Our eyes met again and a moment passed before he continued telling the story filled with suffering.

I blocked my ears. I didn't want to hear that story. I didn't want to experience it all over again. But I was still watch Shu Kurenai, and I could still see his lips move.

"My perception was warped," he was saying. "I thought power was gained from destroying beys."

I closed my eyes, and memories flashed. Shu destroying Valt's performance tip, destroying Norman Tarver's bey, destroying Lui's bey, wanting to destroy my bey and I. 

And then the memories shifted and suddenly it was me with the longing for destruction in my gaze, battling against Phi and Aiga.

What Shu was saying, it was like that for me too. Except, I only wanted to destroy specific beys for a stupid reason. That in itself makes me worse. 

I opened my eyes and stopped blocking my ears. Shu was still talking, "If I kept on being like that, I'm positive that I would have been completely ruined as a blader."

I would've blocked off all my senses again. But Shu looked so sad and crestfallen, I realized that I wasn't the only one hurting at that time. He was too. And now he needed me.

I walked up to him and gave him a reassuring smile and intertwined my hand in his. When my voice spoke it came out as a whisper that only he could hear. "But you didn't. And that's what matters."

"I know," he smiled, and then his voice grew louder. "I was lucky enough to have people that dragged me out of the darkness and show me the truth. They put every emotion they had into their bey, and used every bit of strength to show me exactly what true strength and true resonance was."

I looked down. "I had those people too. No matter how much I wanted them to go away, they would keep on pushing and eventually succeeded."

Then I realized, that for once, Shu and I weren't saying 'sorry' to each other. We were thanking each other. Not focusing on the mistakes, but the solution we had found after that. A tender smile formed on my face thinking that maybe, just maybe, Shu was my solution. I hope I was his.

"I've heard enough," Aiga's harsh voice cut my thoughts short. He turned around, only to be blocked by Fubuki and Ranjiro.

Ranjiro frowned. "Hang on. Where are you going?"

"Just listen," Fubuki advised.

"I'm not Red Eye or (y/n), if that's what you're saying."

"Huh?" Fubuki blinked.

Aiga scowled. "I'm still the same me! Just watch as Achilles and I resonate even more and then become the strongest team around! Don't forget we're going to be the best in the world!"

Ranjiro grabbed Aiga, stopping him from running away. "Hey, come on, Aiga! Chill out!"

Aiga continued to push his way through, struggling to free himself. "You'll never be able to understand the way I feel!"

"Yeah, I don't understand!" Ranjiro snapped back. "So explain it to me!"

"Why would I waste my time?" sneered Aiga. "Anything I say won't get through that hair!"

"My hair might be big, but at least there's a brain behind it!"

"Oh yeah? Could've fooled me, broom-head!"

"Take that back- huh?!"

Suddenly, there was a loud rumbling noise. The arguing stopped and everyone turned to face a large stone wall with a gargoyle for décor. At least, everybody thought it was a door. It had now slid up, bright light infiltrating the gloomy area. A silhouette of somebody stood there. I grinned. He's finally here.

There stood the familiar underdog, my best friend, Valt Aoi.

Aiga gasped. "It's Valt!"

Valt grinned. "What's up? How's it going?"

That's a lot more friendlier than what I would've said to the person who destroyed my bey. But then again, Valt is a pure child at heart.

"The Valt Aoi?" Ranjiro said incredulously. "Why's he here?"

"You're here!" Shu exclaimed before running over to meet Valt. I followed suit, my grin only growing bigger.

"I sure am!" the two fist-bumped. "Long time no see, huh?"

"It's only been like, three days," I said after exchanging hugs with Valt. But then I guess these two were so used to seeing each other so often before the International Cup. 

"Oh yeah!" Valt eye's lit up and he bent down to get something out of his backpack. "I bet you guys must be starving!" He presented some beybread. "Tada! I brought beybread!"

"Wow!" Aiga's eyes transformed into stars. "It looks tasty!"

I bit into my own and smiled. "And it sure is."

"I haven't had these in ages," Shu bit on his own beybread version of Spriggan. 

I laughed and playfully elbowed Shu. "Yeah, Shu's been starving without them. He's such a sucker for beybread."

a/n beyblade chatfic readers did you see what i did there ;) 

"Valt," Shu's eyes shone as he realized something. "The fact that you're here must mean that Xcalius and Valtryek are finished."

"Yup!" he said, popping the 'p'. He outstretched his hand, the two beys lying on his palm. "Now they have turbo blades."

"Wow," I breathed as I took the bey and held it closer to my eyes for closer inspection. "Aiga's dad is one heck of a bey maker."

"Yeah, he sure is," Aiga said proudly. Our conversation was cut short as Hyde's laughter filled the room, cackles echoing down the stony hallways. I tensed up, ready for a battle at any second.

A flying purple device was in front of us, one of Hyde's cameras. His taunting voice echoed out from the device. "The best performers around has graced the 'Dread Tower Show' with their appearance!"

Suddenly, there was another rumble, this time much more stronger. Is this an earthquake? 

Another stone wall slid back to reveal a passageway. Hyde spoke, and I could almost hear his smirk. "Welcome, Valt Aoi, Shu Kurenai and (y/n) (l/n). Come in and bring your friends!"

Aiga ran up. "Hey, you better not forget about our match, Hyde!"

"Don't worry, Aiga Akabane!" Hyde cackled. "You're going to be my opening act."

To my surprise, Aiga grinned widely. "That's what I thought! Let's do this!"

He ran off into the hallway. Ranjiro gaped, "Yo!"

Both him and Fubuki followed Aiga into the dark passageway. Valt gestured towards the passageway, "Well, should we go too?"

I stared into the passageway. It was pitch black, nothing could be seen. On the other side of the tunnel laid an opponent that nearly lead me to breaking down inside in our previous match. I glanced at Shu, to see his expression.

After all, Hyde's darkness was the one who influenced me, who influenced and tore apart our bond. Hyde indirectly drove us apart. 

But Shu only nodded in response as determination flickered to life in his gaze. And then with a straight back and pulled back shoulders, he surged on ahead into the darkness, unafraid at all.

I smiled. 

He is the strongest, after all.

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that took so long for a short chapter, i'm sorry :( school and extra-circulars are beginning to pile up. i probably won't update sbiwstk in a while :c

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Word count: 2197