Matchablossom Yokai

Skater Joe

To start his training, Joe woke up before everyone else. Kaoru was passed out, curled up to his chest. His soft pink hair tickled Kojiro's nipples. Stifling a laugh, he slipped out of bed. Pulling his pillow over, he watched the Kitsune curl up to it. Kojiro wanted nothing more than to crawl back into bed. He knew he couldn't.

Whatever the future held for this soft, angry, kitten like fox, Kojiro knew he had to free him. If that meant he left, then so be it. It would break his heart, Kojiro knew he was already in love with the Kitsune. Having Kaoru free, was the most important thing. The Kitsune needed to know what it was like to stand tall on his own. Kojiro grabbed his gear.

Leaving his skate board in the closet, where it had been for too many years, he headed out the front door. The significance of putting everyone's profile into the wards meant these were the ones that could pass through it. No one, or nothing else would be able to get inside the building as long as one of the Fu dogs remained there. Glancing back, Kojiro waved to Kari as she watched from her bedroom window.

He went to the beach. The sand there made it hard to run in. He jogged along it for an hour building the strength back up in his legs. Joe. He had been a different person back then. He had, had the freedom to be a different person then. His parents were alive. He was just a teenager, about Reki and Langa's age. He smiled as he allowed his mind to drift into the past.

He was just fourteen when he meet Adam for the first time. Even then, he was larger than life. Joe had been skateboarding along the river road when three guys came out of nowhere on their boards. They shot past him like he was standing still. Joe knew he didn't have the speed others did. What he did have was power. Even then his legs were stronger than any other. I mean he was a Fu dog. The present day Kojiro smiled at that.

He didn't exactly catch up to them, more like they waited for him. He came around a bend and there they all were. Spread out across the road, they, blocked any way forward. Joe saw it, saw them, then he let his mind blank. That was how he skated. He used his instincts not his mind.

Without thinking his body was free to do whatever it wanted. Joe bent his knees, dipping low on his board. He closed in on the smallest of the boys. The guy must have assumed that Joe would pick on him. He smiled, accepting the challenge. Except, it wasn't a challenge. Joe picked him only because he was closest to the side of the road where there was a huge wall.

The wall separated this road from the modern highway, a place thousands of cars screamed by all day and night. Joe's hand caught his board. It flipped out from under his feet. The guys eyes widened. Now it was Joe's turn to smirk. His feet hit the wall at the same time. Close together, the boost forward would give him more power. He kicked off.

Twisting his body as he soared over the guys head. Joe loved the feeling of weightlessness he got. But it was over too quickly. He needed to move. Thinking these guys may just be some sort of gang, Joe slipped the board back under his feet. The wheels hit the ground. He was pushing off with his hand to get away as fast as he could.

Staying low, he gained speed on the downhill. They guy he flew over, turned out to be the slowest one. First came this tall lanky teen. He had moves like Joe had never seen before! They way he moved his hips to improve his speed was revolutionary! Joe forgot he was suppose to get away from them. In thrall he watched the man skate past him.

Then came the next guy. He slipped past Joe, smacking the back of his head. His hood up, Joe didn't see his face. He was fast, but nothing like the first guy. Yet, this one had a flare to him. It was like the way he skated mesmerized you. Joe felt drawn into it. He pushed off after them.

They raced down the hill. Joe keeping ahead of the last guy, yet not closing the distance to the first two. They didn't talk, didn't tell him to leave them alone. Instead they skated onward. Joe used his power moves to shoot past them from time to time. It didn't matter, nothing kept them back! They always caught up in seconds! He laughed out loud at this.