Author's Notes: In April of this year, I made a bet to my friends: If I could not correctly predict who would win a battle in an episode of Future Card Buddyfight, I would write a fanfic for the series. I never lost this bet, but even considering that I might I began to plan what such a fic might look like.

Then, about a week ago, a good friend of mine issued me a new challenge: if I wrote my long-hyped Buddyfight fanfic, she would also write some fanfic. So here we are today!

I hope to keep writing this for as long as I maintain interest. I hope you enjoy.

"…And I attack again with El Quixote, giving me 4 gauge…"

No. Not again!

"…with which to initiate Final Phase! Cast! Gargantua Punisher!"

For the third time that day, Ariel had lost. That made fifteen losses over the course of the week, versus two wins. She had stopped keeping track of monthly win records a few weeks back— it was too depressing to see "Three wins/forty-five losses" in her planner.

"Face it, Ariel," a derisive voice called out to her from the other side of the pit, "you're just not cut out for this."

"I… I am too! I just—" she thought quickly, fumbling as she tried to yank her backpack's zipper open. "I didn't get the cards I needed! And you got really lucky with those Knightenergies!"

Her opponent laughed derisively. "Ahh, yes, of course. Silly me! You would have won if you had just drawn Gael Khan." The other girl raised her delicate hands, a gesture she used whenever she wanted all of friends and flunkies to join in on her mocking. "I can't believe I got off scot-free this time! And last time, and yesterday, and the day before…"

"Just wait, Claire! I'll show you!" Ariel had finally managed to stow her cards and slung her backpack over one shoulder. "One day, I'm going to beat you with this deck!"

"You do that," Claire smirked.

"I will! I'm going— I'm going to go tune it up right now, and you'll have to take back everything!"

Ariel didn't bother to stay and hear Claire's response. As she spoke, she was already backing towards the exit of the buddyfighting pit. She did her best to ignore the laughter of both Claire and the small crowd gathered to watch her beat all opposition to the ground.

Ariel needed some comfort. Maybe a little snack, a cup of tea. Something sweet would be especially nice. She needed a place with a quiet but airy atmosphere. And, more than anything else, she needed a friend. Fortunately, she knew just the place.

As she stepped out of the mall and proceeded to the bus stop, she checked her watch. She was surprised and disappointed to see that she had finished even earlier today. She sighed— it seemed like she really was getting worse. Still, it wasn't a total wash; this would give her more time to talk to her best friend before she had to head home.

The bus ride to Murray Avenue was short. From there, it was about a block's walk away to Sweet Abby. Even though it was a small shop, it was hard to miss: a few wrought-iron chairs and tables, painted white, were set out front, and behind them was a display of all sorts of tasty cakes, biscuits, and macarons. As Ariel pushed open the door, a bell chimed and a few patrons turned their attention towards her. It was an ordinary day of business for Sweet Abby, she saw— a few regulars seated towards the back, a young couple by the windows, and just to the left of the counter, a table set for two with only one seated.

Ariel took her seat across from her friend. She was sure the girl had noticed her, but was too wrapped up in whatever she was watching on her tablet to address her immediately. Ariel turned her attention to the tea and the box of macarons that had been laid out for her. As her arrival was early, the tea was far too hot, but the macarons were just right. She picked out a raspberry— one of her least favorites— and placed it in her mouth, letting it melt in her mouth a little first.

"You're here early," her friend mumbled. She seemed more distracted than usual.

"Is what you're watching really that good?"

"It's going to be." She took a deep breath, never once even glancing up at Ariel. "I can feel it."

Ariel took a bite of the macaron, savoring the sweetness and the tanginess for as long as she could. Her friend seemed to be in a trancelike state, muttering words of encouragement under her breath. Ariel took another bite, and a third finished the first macaron off.

"So, Rita—"

"Shhh!"

Ariel shrugged to herself. Maybe her tea was cool enough by now to drink. She blew on it, testing it with a finger. Didn't seem too bad. Rita's chanting of "come on, come on" was getting louder. She raised the mug to her lips—

"Yes! Yes!"

Ariel did everything in her power not spill nor choke on her tea as Rita yelled, slammed her hands on the table, and stood up.

"WELCOME TO BOTTOM LANE!"

The young couple stared for a long moment before giggling to each other. The cashier sighed a little. The other regulars did not even look up.

"…Sorry. You know how it is when Oni plays."

Ariel knew how it was, certainly, but it was something she couldn't fully comprehend. "What's even so great about him?"

"He's just… he's a level beyond everyone else, you know? And his voice…" Rita sighed dreamily.

"I'll never understand it."

DS Oni was the handle name of Rita's crush— and, if Ariel was to believe her friend, the crush of many League of Legends fans across the globe. He was considered one of the greatest support players currently in the professional circuit. Rita said he was "the best Morgana player in the world," and Ariel had no idea what that meant, but it certainly must have been a major accomplishment. When he wasn't leading his team to major victories in both national and world tournaments, he streamed himself playing the game alone and offering humorous, friendly commentary about his match. Ariel had absolutely no interest in any of his games— her focus was solely on Buddyfight— but Rita took breaks in work whenever he started streaming, if possible, and she would gush about it to whoever cared to listen.

As much as Ariel teased her friend about her obsession, she didn't mind lending an ear to her babblings. She loved eating the delicious pastries her friend helped make, and the enthusiasm was infectious.

Rita had already gone back to being absorbed into the game, though she was occasionally glancing up to acknowledge Ariel's presence. Ariel took this as an invitation to pick her way into a conversation. "So, what just happened, anyway?"

"Other team was making a massive final push. Oni put an end to it. This is it— he's going to take the victory any minute now."

"Ah. Well, good for them." Rita usually only had one massive outburst a game, so Ariel felt safe sipping her tea now.

"How'd your Buddyfighting go today?"

"…I lost. Again."

"Awwww." Rita's gaze lingered on the screen, but she managed to tear herself away to look at her friend and reached a hand to Ariel's sleeve. "I'm sorry, hon."

"It's fine, really."

Rita offered a weak smile. "Well, there's always tomorrow, right? You gotta get 'em one of these days!"

Ariel sighed, staring deeply into her tea. "I— I don't know. Maybe I'm just… not cut out for this."

"Come on." Rita rubbed Ariel's arm soothingly but said nothing else. Eventually she let out a short sigh and retreated back to her tablet as Ariel got lost in thought. The silence remained unbroken until the door rang again. Ariel glanced up with only a passive interest. However, what she saw caught her full attention.

The man wasn't a shop regular and bore no resemblance to the usual young hipster or bored housewife clientele. Ariel guessed he was in his late twenties, tanned and solidly built. The style of his three-piece suit was somewhat dampened by an oversized belt and knee-high riding boots. As the door shut behind him, he leaned on it, taking in his surroundings with a mix of panicked confusion and joyous wonder.

The cashier perked up. "Hey, sir, welcome to Sweet Abby!"

The man did not reply.

"This is your first time here, I take it?"

"…Yes." The man strode over to counter, examining each confection with an eagle's eye. "I am just here to meet someone." His words were slow and meticulous as he deeply leaned into the counter and pointed at one of the cakes. "But I must inquire: what is this treat?"

"That's our Opera cake! It's… almond sponge cake, chocolate ganache and coffee buttercream, layered—"

"I'll take it."

The cashier seemed a little surprised, but shrugged to herself. "Well, all right. I can ring you up over here."

As they exchanged more words, Ariel leaned over to her friend. "Hey, have you ever seen him before?"

Rita shook her head. "No, I'd remember a guy like him." As Ariel followed her eyes, she could see her friend was sizing up his every attribute. "He could stand to cut his hair, though. And maybe—"

"Wait," Ariel said, raising a hand. "I think he's—"

Before she could finish the thought, the man was standing right above the girls. "I hope I'm not intruding," he said, sitting in an empty seat beside Rita.

The girls said nothing as he began tearing into his cake. When he was about halfway through it, he attempted to initiate a conversation. "This is divine."

"Well, uh, thanks!" Rita replied, "I'm one of the bakers here, so."

"You should be proud!" He smiled, drinking most of a cup of coffee in a single swallow. He then turned his attention to Ariel. "And you're the buddyfighter who was at the Galleria today, were you not?"

"Ah, me? Um, well… yeah, I was one of them…"

"You did a great job today."

"I lost."

"You did well for the deck you were using." The man let his fork clatter to the plate as he finished the dessert. "Really, if you got yourself something proper I'm sure you could have won."

"What's wrong with Gael Khan!?"

"Nothing particularly." The man traced the rim of his mug with his index finger, smirking at Ariel. "But such a high-risk, offensive monster doesn't suit your playstyle. If I were you, I'd rebuild your deck from the ground up— maybe even try a different archetype."

He leaned over the table, resting his chin on his palm. "Have you ever considered Dragon World? It's—"

"No!" The assertiveness with which she refused startled both her friend and the mysterious stranger. Ariel tried to find words to explain herself, but nothing came. After a long, awkward silence, the mysterious man broke it again.

"Well, suit yourself. By the way—" he pointed at Ariel's box of macarons. "What are those, and may I have one?"

"Oh, um…" Ariel looked over at the box and decided she could part with a lemon-flavored treat. "Here."

"Thank you." He examined it very carefully before deciding that the best way to consume it would be in a single bite. His mouth full, he continued, "I didn't mean to upset you, but I strongly encourage you to think about it. You'd be perfect."

"Hmph."

"…Well, that was all. Please don't give it up, all right? I see great things ahead for you."

The next day Ariel ran into the man as she was leaving the buddyfighting stadium at the mall.

She sighed as he approached him. "Look—"

"I'm not here to convince you to change your deck." He raised a hand as he spoke, causing Ariel to listen intently.

"…I'd just like you to show me how to get to that pastry shop."

She obliged, and soon, in his own way, the man became a part of her daily routine. Ariel started noticing he would loiter around the stadium in the early afternoon, watching battles intently. He didn't always leave at the same time as she, but from then on she would always find him hanging out in Sweet Abby, devouring a different pastry every day.

"You know, you're almost out of new desserts to try," she called out to him as she sat beside Rita.

"That's quite all right, Miss," he replied. "I could repeat my orders forever at this little shop."

Apart from the appearance of this man, the next two weeks of Ariel's life continued uneventfully. School was fine. She lost several buddyfights every day, but she always had Rita to talk to. It was apparently the season for major tournaments in League of Legends, and listening to Rita's point-by-point recounts helped to take her mind off of her terrible record.

The routine of the everyday, however, was broken in an instant one Friday afternoon.

She had left the Buddyfight stadium a little later than usual; one of her friendlier classmates had offered her some help on her deck, and she was glad just to have the new company. When she arrived at the pastry shop, she sensed something wrong with the atmosphere of the store. Everything was in its proper place— the strange man, the cashier, Rita— but the employees seemed sullen and the whole store seemed suddenly far too large and empty.

Ariel first noticed that Rita wasn't watching her tablet. She needed no further indicator. "What's wrong?"

"Is it that obvious?" Rita chuckled ruefully.

"It must be pretty serious if watching a little Oni can't fix it."

"We know each other too well. I'm becoming predictable." Rita shifted her weight and helped herself to one of Ariel's less-liked macarons. She waited until after Ariel had swallowed her tea before delivering the news.

"We're going to lose the store, Ariel."

Ariel set down her mug, staring wide-eyed at Rita.

Her friend continued, gazing out the display window. "This morning, our landlord paid us a visit. It seems that Yagami Syndicate— you know, the company that sells all the Buddyfight stuff here?— they're looking to expand their hold here. So they bid out the whole block.

"If we can't outbid them by the end of the quarter, we're getting kicked out."

"Rita, I'm…"

"It's okay. I'm sure there's another bakery I could work." Rita's smile was all but reassuring to Ariel.

"No!"

The sound of hands slamming against a table startled both girls. They turned to see the mysterious man standing, a mixture of panic and anger reflected in his face.

"…First of all, pardon me, Madams, for eavesdropping." He sheepishly cleared his throat before continuing in a straight yell. "But that is an outrage! There must be something you can do!"

Rita shrugged.

"How much money do you have to make?"

"It's about two hundred grand up front. That's ten times our monthly rent."

"Dammit!" the man began furiously pacing the length of the store.

"…Sir, it's ok. You don't—"

"Please, Miss!" His eyes burned with a passion the likes of which Ariel had never seen. "You don't understand. I've never tasted pastry this delicious. It is the feast of angels! And as long as I stand, I will not let anyone destroy that!"

Rita blushed deeply at the compliments. "Well, I don't think it's that good, but thanks."

"Wait." The man suddenly stopped, tapping his foot on the ground. As Ariel stared at his back, trying to figure out what he was thinking, he began to speak. After his passionate outburst, it was eerily slow and deliberate.

"The World Buddy Cup.

"Every year, around this time, they begin to hold regional tournaments to find the best players across the globe." The man resumed pacing. "If I'm not mistaken, about one month from now they'll hold a tournament in our very own city. Furthermore, there's prize money for the winners at every level of the tournament. The grand prize," he concluded, "is around a half million dollars. Surely enough to secure the future of this establishment, wouldn't you say?"

Rita snorted. "That's great, but none of us here are Buddyfighters."

"Your friend is."

"Me?" Ariel pointed to herself. "But— you've seen me play!"

"And you're in a losing streak right now, but you have great potential."

"Come on, stop teasing me!" Ariel huffed. "You know I couldn't even win a single round in the tournament!"

"I believe in you… Ariel, was it?"

"It… um, yeah, it is. But my name's not important right now!"

The man simply smiled. "Ariel, over the course of the next month you will need rigorous training and possibly a completely new deck. However, I believe that, with proper guidance, you can save this beloved establishment."

"And let me guess," she replied flatly, "You're supposed to be that 'proper guidance?'"

The man cocked his head to one side for a moment, then shrugged and chuckled. "Well— yes."

Ariel stared back with disgust.

The man's expression suddenly turned serious, and he kneeled beside Ariel as he spoke to her. "Listen to me. I know I came from nowhere, and I must seem eccentric to you. You might be asking yourself, 'why isn't he buddyfighting for the shop?' But the truth is, while my knowledge of the game is vast, I cannot fight alone. I need someone who will fight tooth and nail alongside me—"

Ariel slowly understood what the man was trying to say.

"—And I believe you are just the person I've been searching for."

Rita opened her mouth to speak, but Ariel raised a hand to stop her, staring wide-eyed at the man. Could this be—?

"I'll do it." It took longer for Ariel to process the words she had spoken that it did for her to say them.

The next moment seemed like an eternity as the man, too, processed the statement. Finally, a smile crossed his lips.

"It looks like I was right to trust you."

"But— who are you?"

"… I was getting to that." He put his hand on door and began to lean into it. "Let's continue this outside, shall we? There's much to discuss, and we'll need all the open space we can find."