"So, um, where are Dan and Reiki?"

The three of us where in Ryutaro's house, seated on the floor as Ryutaro's mother busied herself in the kitcehen.

Tobio's eyes flew to meet mine, and under his gaze, gears ticked together, churning as he frantically thought of a reply. I could see it.

Ryutaro was more reserved in terms of expressing what he wanted and what he didn't watch, flicking out his fan and letting a low breeze as he flicked it fan over his face and hair.

"Elsewhere," was his only reply, the beat of the fan steady. "Not here, not in this city, as far as we know."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Ryutaro responded, his voice cool despite how panicked Tobio's expression was. "Now, Tess, there were some adjustments to the city, some new people... and you'll probably wishing to see the others, correct?"

"Huh? Well, uh..."

Tobio shoved his hand in his pocket, the one fiddling with his strange lens thing he had over one eye.

"Sure, I guess..."

Under their gazes, which seemed to be pushing it, edging me on to leave. Even Ryutaro's, who's expression was layered with something I couldn't even explain, looked unsettled.

"Kyoya's in the city, too, I guess. I heard you have to battle him. Something about a promise, right?" The Capicorn blader rolled his lollipop around in his mouth, eyeing me.

"Last time I checked, you still got your butt whooped by Kyoya, so don't talk to me about him," I retorted. "My world doesn't revolve around beating him. Sure, I want to, super badly ever since he basically kicked my ass."

"I beg to differ-"

"Fun, fun, children, stop snarling at each other and you two will get your revenge someday," Ryutaro clapped his hands together as if commandeering a preschool's class.

I huffed and set a hand on my hip, rising from where I had taken a seat.

"Very well. I'll see you all later, then."

As I left the room, I heard the hiss of Tobio, "What are we going to tell her?"

Hopping down the steps of Ryutaro's house, I turned and started to walk along the streets of the city.

It was in a gentle buzz, the comforting whisper of crowds moving along streets humming lowly in my ears.

I stopped by a store, pressing my palm against the glass as, in the store, a television with a beyblade battle was on, cheers from the audio coming through the glass.

"Hm?"

I noticed the reflection standing next to where I had placed my hands, a girl with blue hair...

"Hikaru!"

She watched me with a smile on her lips and a light to her amethyst eyes.

Rather than the gear and clothing she donned beforehand, it had been replaced with a business dress, a clipboard held to Hikaru's chest by her hands.

"Whoa, what's with the new clothing?"

Hikaru rolled her shoulders, looking down. "It's nice to see you too. Sorry to start this on such a grim note, but I decided there's no reason to beyblade anymore."

I let out a sharp gasp. "But- Aquario!"

"Aquario is the reason why I stopped. I don't want them getting hurt anymore, after all- not like they did in Battle Bladers."

"But-"

It's my final decision, Tess. Perhaps if you had been there, I'd listen to your reasoning against it. But you weren't."

There was a wall in Hikaru's words, hard-edged and blunt as she turned away from me, blue locks bouncing against her back.

Letting loose a cough, Hikaru looked over her shoulder, shifting gears in the subject. "You're wandering the city, right? When did you return?"

I finally got my feet to move, cement in my shoes as I shuffled up to her side, surprised by her outburst earlier.

"Uh... Couple hours back. I think."

"You probably haven't see anyone, right?"

"I've seen Gingka, Madoka, Kenta-" was the kid there earlier? "Ryutaro, Tobio, and you. And Hyoma too, I guess."

"Come on," without any sign of what she was doing, Hikaru hooked her arm around mine.

"What are you doing?!"

"You're missing out," was all she told me before I allowed myself to be dragged along.

We first found ourselves in the park, where cries of children rang out in the clearing. Up ahead, I could clearly hear a bragging boy's voice.

"Told ya, told ya~Libra's gonna win~!"

"You were in Battle Bladers! No fair!"

I peered over the heads to see a spiky mass of orange and yellow, and the boy spun around, resting his finger on his lip as he stuck his tongue out.

"I can't help my beyblading skills!" Yu Tendo laughed, locking his hands behind his head in friendliness.

On the bench behind him, Tsubasa Otori was reading a book, gloves fingers paging through the book.

Upon seeing me, Yu's eyes lit up in greeting as Christmas lights would, twinkling.

But rather then approaching me, he waved in greeting, the big and loose sleeves of his clothing wavering in the wind.

"Yu, Yu, battle me!" The chorus rose. I risked a glance at Tsubasa, who was still in his quiet bubble reading.

"You can say hello to them later," Hikaru tugged me away, risking a glance at the setting sun, in which I could see in the pool of purple that was her eyes.

And so we went.

I didn't remember how many people I said hello to, new and old, my mind blurring and becoming numb because of all the names thrown at me.

"We have one last person," Hikaru stopped, crossing her arms across her chest. "And I have no idea where he is."

"Shame, shame," I clicked my tongue, gaze flicking side to side as I concluded who it was she was talking about.

She rolled her eyes at my voice, but a pleasant, professional ringtone interrupted us. Bringing out the phone from her pocket, the former blader flicked it up and held it to her ear.

"Yes, Hikaru Hasama here? ... Director? Yes, I... Understood. I'll get this mess into shape."

Slamming the phone shut, the bluenette glanced at me out of the corner of her eye.

"I have to go. My boss is calling me. You can do whatever you wish on your own."

"I promise not to blow anything up."

"You better not."

With that, Hikaru turned on her heel and started to walk away, her pace brisk with urgency. I watched her back retreat before spinning back around, stretching my arms up to the sky.

"Well. What to blow up...?"

OoO

My hands curled in my pockets, I kicked a pebble down the road, my eyes not following where it went.

Well, today was nice.

"What the hell, Tess?"

A chilled breeze ran it's fingers along my jawline as I looked up sharply, blue-grey colliding with sapphire blue.

They were hard-edged- cold, calculating, sharp... All a survivor needed.

"Kyoya," I greeted.

His only response was to produce Leone from his jacket and hold it out to me.

"I hope you haven't forgotten your promise," Kyoya said, his voice growling.

"And give up the chance to beat you?" I replied.

He was taller, now.

I had to look up to see him, this time, rather then being equal eye-level to the Leone blader.

But something still seemed to be changed, despite the height difference. Something I couldn't tell.