Matchablossom Yokai

Showtime

Show day. Joe bounced on the balls of his feet. This track! It had been over a decade since he had even seen it. So, long since he skated on it! Too long. This was what skating was all about! Well, what it was suppose to be about! This was the devils snare!

He turned to the calm, cool Kitsune beside him. Cherry Blossom was nothing like Kaoru. Joe found him tantalizing, prickly, and all the more fun to harass! He laughed over at the stoic face, half hidden by a mask.

"This feels wrong." The Kitsune muttered.

"That's because you can sense the "other"." Joe said.

For a brief moment Kaoru looked at Kojiro. "People have died on this track." The chef told him.

Just as quickly, the playboy smile returned to that face. Cherry huffed. He muttered something about a stupid gorilla, but said nothing more. He fidgeted next to Joe. They had decided to tuck the extra tail into the loose fitting pants the skater wore. This made it slightly uncomfortable, but Cherry was dealing.

The wind picked up. Joe braced his legs. He called over the noise.

"Adam loves to make an entrance!"

The helicopter sailed over their heads. It circled around, coming back for them. Before it got there, a lone figure in red dropped from the door. He glided down to the track, skating uphill, until he reached the men waiting for him. As per their agreement, only Joe and Cherry Blossom stood at the top of the trail. Only Adam came out of the helicopter.

"Its about time, we meet again, old friend." Adam purred as he ignored the Kitsune.

"Adam, dear..." Joe reached out to brush a speck of nothing off the immaculately clean outfit his rival was wearing.

"... it hasn't been long enough!" He insisted.

Adam growled. "No need to play, Joe. Your adoring fans aren't here." He snarled. He turned his gaze to the Kitsune.

"Ah, Kaoru. I've been waiting..."

"It's Cherry Blossom. Are we going to flap at each other, or are we here to win my freedom?" He snarled.

"Well now!" Adam's eyebrow rose up. "Lets beef." He smirked.

Swinging around, Joe made sure Adam was between him a day Cherry. Adam glanced to either side. The light pole before them clicked on. Three boards hit the floor. Their feet holding them in place. Adam smirked as he leaned forward on the long board.

Joe grinned, just like the idiot everyone thought him to be. Not many took into account that he forgot everything else, just so he knew nothing but skating. This was his life! Cherry leaned forward. The wind tugging on his pants. The red lights flashed. Each one buzzing slightly.

Then, as if in a different reality, the green light clicked on. The buzzer screamed out over the still air. Three feet shoved off, three boards sailed out to begin a journey to free a Kitsune, or trap him forever. Their wheels hummed over the stone of the track. They were side by side by side coming into the first bend.

Joe was the first to drop back. Adam laughed calling out that his muscles would keep him from winning. He twisted into the bend. Cherry at his hip. He growled seeing the Kitsune so skilled. He laughed, not showing him the anger building inside.

Suddenly, Joe sprang from out of nowhere. He came through the bend, reaching the straightaway ahead of the other two! Adam growled low! He screamed that Joe had no hope of winning.

"Less talk, more skating!" Cherry didn't let the ringleader forget about him.

They swung through a series of tight S curves. Winding and dodging each other as the trail narrowed. Neck and neck Adam and Cherry pushed off of each other for space on the trail. The large body of Joe covered the trail before them. Adam was quaking as he came to the next straightaway. It was the last place to get ahead of Joe.