Note: No Ship

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Aiga Akaba feels bad for breaking Valtryek after his corruption disappears and Phi destroys his bey, realization hit him, he made a lot of mistakes.

His heartbreak when Achilles was destroyed,  the same thing happened to Valt as well.

He's now in Dread Tower, Fubuki and Ranjiro are waiting for him, and Shu is nowhere to see.

From the corner of his eyes, he spots the person he's looking for.

He quickly ran in his direction, the bluenette can hear the loud footsteps behind him, as he turn around to spot his maroon-haired friend.

"Oh, hey Aiga, do you need something" Valt greets him and looks at him in concern.

Aiga could feel himself drown, looking at those concerned hazel brown eyes brings a dread feeling to his stomach, it's the same warm and soft eyes he always gives to him every time they meet and it never changes, any sign of hatred or grudge on his eyes, his heart clench in guilt just remembering his bad deeds.

Valt is asking him if he needs something when this guy is the one who needs an apology. There was a bitter taste in the back of his
a mouth that he couldn't seem to get rid of.

"I-i d-don't n-need a-anything, t-there s-something I n-need t-to s-say" Aiga stuttered like a mess.

Valt blinked in confusion. "What is it?" He asks with the same concern again.

Aiga takes a deep breath to compose himself. His next action brings shock to the wonder boy

"I'm sorry for breaking Valtryek" Aiga apologize sincerely while bowing down.

Valt is still gaping in surprise at his action. But, his eyes soften, hearing such a genuine apology, make his heart.

"Aiga, stand up," Valt said, he follow and look at him.

Valt smiles warmly at him, which makes Aiga slightly uncomfortable, due to the regrets he still has.

"Apology accepted, no need to feel bad at yourself ok, for now, I want you to focus on getting yourself back and create a strong bond with Achilles, so we can battle again" Valt respond with a bright grin that make Aiga's eyes gleam in gratitude, this person is inspiring him again.

He will work hard to his wish happen, although he has already apologized, it feels like it's not enough and it's giving him a source of frustration.

He still feels guilty.

From afar, a certain crimson eye is watching the whole scene.

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"You have to find your style of blading first"

Shu's voice plays in his head. Frustration is painted over the face of the Achilles blader, he's having a hard time entering the turbo-awakened state.

The maroon boy is seen standing on the branch of the tree where he could see the beautiful scenery of the dark sky, he let out a deep inarticulate sound of irritation and let it out.

"How I'm supposed to figure out my style of blading!?" Aiga's shout in exasperation that echo throughout the forest.

But the branch is not stable as it breaks, Aiga fall but thanks to his quick instinct and agile body that he honed by spending time in the forest,  he manages to grab into the lower branch to give him a proper landing and avoid a nasty fall.

He sigh in relief, that was a close call, his eyes widen in alarm upon realizing he was not holding his bey anymore.

"Huh?! Where're Achilles?" He let out a sound of surprise at the absence of his beyblade, he look around from left to right until he look in front of him, his beyblade is rolling in the grass, away from him.

He tried to catch it, but because the land is a slope, he lost his balance and fell to the ground as well, until he has the same situation as his beyblade.

"Wait for me!" Aiga shouted in cries for his beyblade, then he realized he was not rolling on the ground anymore, instead he fall into the lake near the waterfalls.

He can feel the exact moment he hit the cold water, earlier he chased his beyblade earlier an instant he's now under the water before he even realizes it.

The maroon boy quickly swims back to the surface after he grabs his beyblade.
"That was close" he mutters then he freezes, not because of the coldness of the water, it's when he realized something, and his sense of reality is suddenly changed.

"Isn't this..." He mutters to himself, then his mind wanders, and a nostalgic feeling crept up on him.

(The hilarious face that he and Valt make when they fell into the water after their race and laugh at each other.)

Unexpected friendship bloom that day.

A friendship he almost destroyed.

"That's right, I met Valt here," Aiga said to himself, remembering their first encounter.

A precious memory that he would cherish.

("Looking for this?" Aiga asks while gripping tightly in the vines as he tosses over the blue thing to the stranger

"You saved my Valtryek, I'm so happy you didn't get hurt buddy" Valt exclaimed cheerfully said while rubbing his beyblade to his face, which the maroon boy found weird.

An unimpressed expression colored his face at the sight of the odd behavior. "You hit your head when you fell." He mutter in bemuse manner, it wasn't a question, it's an accusation)

Aiga had a bad impression of him but that changed quickly.

("So cool, I can't look away" Aiga let out an awe noise at the amazing sight, turquoise eyes gleaming in wonder and admiration.)

That day, he started to look up to him, he's the source of his inspiration and one of the reasons he came this far.

"I don't know why when I watched his blade, I could feel myself getting all worked up," Aiga said, remembering his first battle with him, the first loss he had, the first time he feel excited.

Turquoise eyes glimmer in understanding.
"My style of blading," He said in realization as the sun shone above him as if agreeing with him.

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"Aiga Akaba, congratulation for entering the turbo awakened state and findings your style of blading," Shu said, proudness and happiness can be felt in his tone, which make the Scarlet Supernova smile

"Thanks but it's all because of you, Achilles and Valt " Aiga spoke warmly which make the Albino smile as well.

But something interesting caught the Spryzen blader.

"Valt you say? Did you call him or something?" Shu asks in curiosity, the relationship between Valt and Aiga is a mystery that piques his interest.

It's like they knew each other already.

Aiga blinked at the unexpected question, he can feel there was something behind his question but ignored it. " No, I didn't, I just recall a memory with him."

Shu nodded at the new information "Oh you guys knew each other huh, could you describe your relation to him" he requests and Aiga is starting to feel weird about the situation.

The maroon boy is feel quiet for a moment, thinking of a good answer to his odd question. Explain his relation with Valt he says. Just what kind of question is that? Why does he feel he's being interrogated? But, either way, he's gonna answer him since it's rude to not answer a question.

The maroon boy lower his gaze, his eyes darkened, he bite his lower lips, the atmosphere become cold, crimson eyes narrowed in concern, and the albino hoped he didn't trigger him.

And when Aiga spoke, Shu's eyes widen in surprise and sadness.

"

He's the reason I start blading but I'm the reason I almost end his blading"

Aiga said darkly, he frown sadly and slightly look away, he fidget with his hands, and the surrounding become awkward between them, even Shu doesn't know what to say. The albino is starting to understand the situation now.

The maroon didn't like the deafening so he decided to break it.

"Hey Shu, you're very close Valt isn't. Can I ask you something?" Aiga quietly spoke and  Shu blinked in surprise, he didn't expect he will be the one to break the ice.

"Of course, ask right away" Shu encourage, maybe this development will reveal a side of Aiga he didn't know.

"Why is Valt like this?" Aiga ask to make Shu surprised but kept quiet while waiting for him to elaborate more.

" Why did he forgive me so easily? Why he didn't hold any grudge against me? Why he's not angry at me for breaking Valtryek? Why Valt is so kind?" Aiga ask in frustration, he gritted his teeth and clench his fist tightly, it's an anger born from confusion

No words are needed to explain what he means, fierce crimson eyes soften, he understands him, he understands him very well.

He could relate to him.

Shu chuckled which gain Aiga's attention. "I understand what you feel because I ask the same question to myself when I broke Valtryek that time" he admitted that making Aiga choke in surprise and look at him with wide eyes

("There was a time in the past when I went by the name of Red Eye. I wanted to become stronger, so I just tossed aside the Blader Shu Kurenai. My perception was warped; I thought power came from destroying Beys. To become the best, I began trying to control Spryzen, but instead, I was swallowed up. If I'd kept going like that, I'm positive that I would've been completely ruined as a Blader. However, I was lucky enough to have a friend. A friend who dragged me out of the darkness and showed me I was wrong. He put every emotion he had right into his Bey, and he used every bit of that strength to show me... exactly what true strength was, and true resonance.")

Aiga starts to understand now what he meant, that time in the Dread Tower. He talks about his days as Red Eye and explains how that friend of his saved him from his destructive ways.

'So he's talking about Valt' Aiga thought in awe and surprise.

Shu smile when Aiga starts to connect the dots as he continues to speak.

"You see, Valt is always like that, too nice for his good, kindness flow on his heart. That said, he meant when he forgives" Shu explains, and Aiga processes the information.

"If you still feel bad for what you did to him, there is something you can do for him"

Shu's words make Aiga listen more carefully, he needs to do something for him.

"Don't break his trust again, that's all we need to do for him."

Aiga gasp in surprise but smile quickly at Shu's explanation, he could feel the overwhelming warmness of his words.

He would cherish the friendship he make with Valt forever.

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A/N: I write this because I want something like this to happen in the anime.