Azure Eye was curious about Red Eye. He was much sweeter than usual, gentle and kind, and whatever Ashram had done, he had changed some fundamental things of his personality. Azure Eye shuddered at the thought of being the next lab rat.

Anyway, he hadn't seen Red Eye since yesterday and now, after finishing his morning training, he decided to see what Red Eye was up to. Maybe he'd have something just as fun as the day before.

Azure Eye stepped into the big training room. Red Eye was stretching on the ground, he'd been doing that a lot according to Gold Eye, and Black Eye, Yellow Eye, Grey Eye and Violet Eye were also there, trying to follow his moves.

Red Eye noticed him. "Azure Eye! Do you want to join us?"

"Sure", Azure Eye smiled. It was worth seeing Red Eye light up at the prospect of having more people there. Red Eye used to be so anti-social, it was quite strange to see him actively seeking out company.

Azure Eye sat down with everyone. Red Eye was demonstrating some moves.

"Don't overdo it", he warned. "It won't be as effective if you get hurt. The important thing is feeling a bit of a stretch. It doesn't matter how far the others can do it. Concentrate on yourself."

That would be hard. Snake Pit Bladers were all about being better than the others. Was Red Eye being serious?

Azure Eye tried to follow Red Eye's example but it was much, much harder than he'd first thought.

"Relax", Red Eye said as he walked around them and arrived next to Azure Eye. "Just take a deep breath and go back into the stretch. Just like that."

As Azure Eye did what Red Eye said, he noticed how much easier it was. He wasn't great at it by any means but it worked. He was proud of himself.

Soon, everyone was done with their stretches and Red Eye explained the next exercise.

"Okay, so what we're going to do is a form of strength training", he started. "Group Gymnastics."

As soon as those words had left the kid's mouth everyone wanted to leave. Never. No, no, no, Azure Eye was not going to relive his middle school trauma. No way. Red Eye laughed slightly.

"It's going to be fine, I promise."

Black Eye looked at him. "You're really, really sure about that, Shu?"

"Yes", he said, though it seemed as if he was starting to lose patience. Azure Eye gulped and just like the others, resigned himself to an afternoon of torture. They had been beaten by the kid, and after the hierarchy of the Bladers, he had the authority. Whether they liked it or not.

They started going off into pairs, and Azure Eye ended up with Red Eye. Red Eye quickly explained the first exercise, which did actually sound fun, and they go started. As Red Eye was lighter than Azure Eye, he was the one to stand on top.

Red Eye stood on Azure Eye's thighs and Azure Eye tried to keep his balance. It was easier than expected, though much of that could also stem from Red Eye's quiet and careful instructions.

They were soon done.

"Wow, that was more fun than I thought", Azure Eye said. "Thanks for letting me join, Red Eye."

"It's Shu", Red Eye, no Shu, replied. "Honestly, it was nothing. The more the merrier, right?"

"Right...Shu", Azure Eye hesitantly said. Shu smiled.

They soon went through move after move, even making big pyramids with the five of them, some which made Azure Eye very, very glad that he was not the smallest nor the lightest.

At the end of the session, Shu asked them to launch. Their control had gotten better! Everyone looked at each other, shock written all over their faces since they had taken their masks off.

"Body control and awareness can help you for any sport", Shu explained. "Though, Blading especially needs a high awareness of the way muscles work together. For this, gymnastics are great. And they're fun, too, if you have a nice enough group."

"And a great teacher", Violet Eye commented. "Thank you for everything, Shu."

Shu smiled again, almost shyly this time. He seemed to be quite unsure of what to do with their praise, though Azure Eye thought he didn't have to. Shu was an amazing teacher, a great coach, and had helped them so much in the span of one afternoon. He was amazing.

Azure Eye had had coaches before, in Blading, and none of them had motivated him like Shu did. They had always been more like Ashram; you can or you can't, but don't get in everyone's way. Shu was different; he wanted everyone to have fun, to follow his teaching, and his style was mostly to cater to everyone and not just the talented or the slow learners. It was impressive and Azure Eye wondered if there were more people like that out there. If the great team that was BC Sol, maybe acted like this with its Bladers. Was that how strength was cultivated? After all, Shu was the strongest of them.

Azure Eye walked with Shu to the cafeteria this time. Everyone was already there, and once they were seated, chatter broke out. Silver Eye talked about this new move he was going to try, Violet Eye bragged about how he had carried an entire pyramid by himself, more or less anyway, and Shu was smiling through it all. Until Gold Eye commented on everyone using Shu's name, of course.

"We're still in the Snake Pit", he said. "You're still a masked Blader and have a reputation to uphold."

"Maybe so", Shu answered coldly. "But I am also free to choose. I am sorry if I am making you uncomfortable, but I will not be addressed by this ridiculous alias any longer. If you have a problem with that then, well. Do whatever makes you happy."

Shu's tone had been final and even Gold Eye knew that there was nothing to be done. Instead, he sighed.

"Ashram will have your head."

"Maybe", Shu answered, though he was smiling softly, sure of himself. "But this is between Ashram and I. Whatever may happen does not concern you."

After that, the ambiance was a little darker. Azure Eye tried, with Violet Eye, to make the others talk a bit more again, but the mood had turned sour. There was nothing to be done.

After dinner, Azure Eye walked with Shu again. As they arrived at Shu's door, Azure Eye turned to him.

"Why are you so strong now? Your body hasn't changed a bit, not your strengths or weaknesses. So, why?"

Shu's eyes looked bright in the soft, yellowish light.

"It's a matter of choosing what to fight for", he said, voice strangely far away, as if he was just remembering something. "It's being aware of what you can and cannot do and choosing to surpass these limits for something else than revenge or glory. It's your mind that chooses whether or not you'll get stronger. Besides, sometimes being willing to just smile, to accept that today you weren't the best, is sometimes the easiest way to becoming the next champion."

Azure Eye gulped at the words, and mulled them over, even after Shu apologized for saying things that were too out of line and maybe 'a bit too personal for you to follow'. Azure Eye wondered, now more than ever before, if the Snake Pit was right in its way of fighting. You did get stronger, to a certain point, but you also failed and fell so deep that no one would be able to save you.

Maybe, it was time to change that.

It had been only three days and his Bladers were changing. The Snake Pit Bladers were laughing with each other, helping each other and just being much more easygoing than before. All because of Red Eye, no Shu Kurenai.

Ashram wasn't stupid. He heard how the Bladers addressed Red Eye, heard how the child laughed and was so gentle and kind. He wasn't a Snake Pit Blader, that much was clear. The question was, what was he?

Ashram saw in that kid a coach, a leader, a rebel, but never someone looking for power or revenge. Whatever Ashram had managed to do with his experiment, he might just have created his worst enemy.

He was watching, now in the middle of the night, as Red Eye paced in his room, spun a pencil in his hand, and seemed to mutter his ideas out loud. The kid was planning a revolution, a rebellion, and as long as he kept being that beacon of light for all of Ashram's Bladers, he would succeed. It was almost scary, to know that a simple teenager could end it all. Could destroy years of hard work with only a few words. He was dangerous.

Yet, his fire was something else. Fire in his words, his actions, in those crimson eyes that had given him his alias. Ashram was more than impressed.

He had seen other things, too. He'd had time to properly evaluate the battles he'd had Red Eye do and had seen something much, much different than he'd expected; Gold fire had danced around Red Eye. His aura had been the most beautiful and pure gold, and that confused Ashram. Red Eye's aura used to be a violent red, with hints of darker shades and even violet. Now, nothing of that was visible.

The aura of a Blader told very much about them, decided what and who they were. Gold could have many meanings, though such a color was most commonly seen as the royal, compassionate, wise color. Wisdom, that was what Red Eye now had. A wisdom that could ruin Ashram.

What should he do? Punish him for his insolence? No, the other Bladers would see that as him being right. What else could he do?

A sinister smirk came onto his face. Yes, that would work. Children like him were all the same. They were protective, self-sacrificing, and always the first to put the blame on themselves.

Ashram shouldn't directly punish Red Eye. No. It would be much, much more effective if he punished the other Bladers instead. Once Red Eye would see what his kindness was doing, he would calm down. He would finally be easier to deal with since he would not risk hurting his new friends.

However, Ashram was under no illusion that this would temper Red Eye's fire. A fire like his, such determination, could not just be smothered by a little punishment. He would just get more careful about his actions. Though, he won't get far as long as the others had learned their lesson.

Once a Snake Pit Blader, always a Snake Pit Blader. No matter how much they fight, no matter how much they struggle. They would always stay loyal to Ashram first. No one else.

Red Eye would not succeed. Never. Ashram would entertain this game, yes, it was amusing, after all, however, if Red Eye went too far, Ashram would not hesitate to put him in his place.

Fight as much as you want, Red Eye, Ashram thought. But you will not win. Never.

"Are you sure about this, Red Eye?", Gold Eye asked. For the fifth time. Red Eye sighed.

"It's Shu, Gold Eye", he corrected. "And, yes, I am sure. Now, would you please be quiet?"

It was a testament of Red Eye's patience, Gold Eye decided, that he hadn't raised his voice yet. He hadn't even tried giving out empty threats. Yet, Gold Eye still was not convinced by the idea.

"Climbing is really dangerous. Especially here. There is a reason it's normally a punishment", Gold Eye tried to reason with the kid again. To no avail.

"Climbing is the perfect way to train coordination and balance", Red Eye said as everyone followed him into the old, abandoned room. Gold Eye felt a headache coming.

"Wow...", Violet Eye muttered in amazement. The wall was gigantic. It went from one end of the room to the other, with many greyish and blackish things to hold on to. Red Eye was smiling.

"Great. This seems even better than I thought", he looked around, with confident steps going over to the supply closet where he found some security...things. Honestly, Gold Eye had never been climbing, he had no idea what Red Eye was doing.

"Okay, it seems as if there's enough material for everyone", Red Eye said. "Everything is in good condition, too, though I would still remain cautious while you're climbing, just to be sure. Alright, the let's split up into pairs. I'll join someone later, once everyone is settled."

Gold Eye and Silver Eye got together. So did Black Eye and Violet Eye and Yellow Eye and Azure Eye. Grey Eye went with Red Eye.

Everyone started to put on these things and more than once, Red Eye had to help out. As soon as everyone was done, he explained how the pairs would work together to help each other. Red Eye went first.

"Just observe", he said and then he was climbing. Grey Eye was holding the rope as Red Eye climbed with ease. He seemed calm, and yet was hurrying. His hair, which he had tied up, still seemed to be getting in his way, though he didn't pay much attention to it.

Gold Eye couldn't take his eyes of the kid. He made it look so easy. Sooner than everyone thought, he was at the top and pressed the button. It was a sort of gong. Red Eye stayed up there.

"As you can see, it's doable." He adjusted his position so that he could easily look at all of them. From up there, he looked even more intimidating than usual. "I will be coming down, now, and as soon as I am back with you guys, I want you to try. Don't worry if you take longer, it's your first time after all."

Then, the kid jumped down. Or something. With the rope it was quite easy, though, Gold Eye suspected that Red Eye was testing the durability of the rope, to make sure no one would get hurt.

Then, the fun started. Silver Eye went first. He seemed unsure at first and Gold Eye had to hold the rope really tight, feeling a lot of weight in there. It wasn't that hard but it made him worry for later. He wouldn't put it past Silver Eye to let go for a joke. Red Eye was walking around.

"Silver Eye", he called. "Don't try to reach too far with your arms, try to find something for your feet first, okay?"

"Okay!", Silver Eye yelled back. He looked around, felt around with his legs, and found a place for his feet.

"Good job, keep going just like this!"

Azure Eye seemed to be doing well, surprisingly enough, and Red Eye had no comment there. He encouraged Black Eye to go higher, even when it seemed like Black Eye had a bit of a problem with the height.

"You're fine!", Red Eye yelled. "Believe in yourself!"

Those words seemed to have the desired effect as Black Eye took a deep breath and continued his climb. Red Eye looked up to him with pride before turning to the next group. Gold Eye wondered how often he'd done this. There was no way that this was second-hand knowledge. Red Eye seemed far too comfortable, far too sure, for this to be the first time he'd taught.

What had Ashram really done? Summoned something? But, this was still Red Eye, wasn't it? He had the same scars, the same eyes...

"Focus, Gold Eye", Red Eye scolded all of a sudden. Gold Eye nodded quickly. Better not to get lost in thought right now or Silver Eye would definitely drop him later.

When it was Gold Eye's turn, he felt as if the air was not getting into his lungs. He was so, so nervous, he could barely answer when Red Eye asked him if he was okay. Red Eye sighed, muttered something to himself and then resolutely stood in front of him.

"I know you can do it", he said, voice leaving no room for argument. Gold Eye gulped and stared at the crimson eyes that seemed to be shining. Again. "You made a great launch on the Slack line two days ago, and I know you're an excellent Blader. I know it seems scary and dangerous, but I would not ask you to do it if I didn't think you could. Trust me, okay?"

Red Eye looked so gentle and then he held out his hand and smiled. Gold Eye took it.

"I'll do it", Gold Eye muttered. Then, louder, he said. "I bet I can reach the top quicker than you, Silver Eye."

Silver Eye smirked and accepted the challenge. Red Eye crossed his arms and waited until everything was in place. Everyone was staring at Gold Eye now since he'd decided to declare a challenge. Maybe not the best idea, but well.

He climbed carefully at first, getting a feeling for it, and quickly noticed that it wasn't as bad as he'd thought. He had the strength and the coordination but he lacked experience. He was still determined to be quicker than Silver Eye, though.

He didn't hear anything but the blood rushing through his ears. He climbed higher and higher, barely even noticing how far he'd come, just one step to the next and, at last, he was there. He pressed the gong, and the spell seemed to lift. He looked down, and saw everyone, some were cheering, others smiling and Silver Eye looked a little frustrated. Had he won?

"Great job!", Red Eye yelled, smiling proudly. "Now, come down. We'll do a cool down exercise now."

Gold Eye found that it had been more fun that he'd had in a while. He hoped, secretly of course, that it wouldn't be the last time he got to have this much fun.

"Sir? You wanted to speak to me?", Yellow Eye said. He'd been really, really nervous since Ashram had called him but he wouldn't show it. Show no fear, that was one of the first things any Snake Pit Blader learned.

"Yes, do come closer, Yellow Eye."

Ashram beckoned him closer and Yellow Eye followed.

"It's come to my attention that all of you have been spending much time following Red Eye's little exercises."

"Yes, sir."

Yellow Eye felt the sweat run down his brow and he was trying very hard to not fidget in his place. This was bad. Very, very bad.

"Normally I wouldn't mind", Ashram said, legs crossed while sitting on his chair and absentmindedly tapping his pen on the table. "However, this is coming dangerously close to disobedience, is it not? I can't have my Bladers acting like the regular teenagers you find at any corner, can I?"

"No, sir", Yellow Eye answered. He was firmly clasping his hands behind his back, trying to appear less affected than he was.

"I'm glad you understand, Yellow Eye. Then you can also understand that this deserves punishment, can you not?"

Yellow Eye felt as if lightning had struck him. Ashram had called him here to punish him! To make him suffer. The air didn't seem to be getting in his lungs, he was feeling lightheaded, knees were weak. He barely brought out a word.

"Sir?"

"You do understand, don't you?", Ashram asked, and even with the mask, Yellow Eye could feel the glare of his boss. His mouth felt dry.

"I-I do", he brought out, hating how he'd stuttered. Ashram smirked.

"I'm glad, Yellow Eye."

Ashram stood up, towering over Yellow Eye.

"Come with me", Ashram said. "We have a lot of work ahead of us."

Yellow Eye knew he just had to resign himself. He couldn't do anything else. Yet, he didn't manage to stop his heart from pounding, the blood from rushing through his ears.

Fear. Every Snake Pit Blader knew it, every Snake Pit Blader had learned to ignore it. Yellow Eye wished that he'd learned how to not feel it at all.