Vile: Hey guys! This is a fic I could not help but write. I don't know if it could be considered a songfic since it involves a concert, but I wrote it based off of "Take a Chance", the new opening for the dub of ZEXAL. Admittedly quite a few parts of the dub suck-
Tetsuo: Like the names. "Bronk Stone"? Really?
Shark: And the voices. They screwed me over!
Vile: True and true, and I won't conform to those, but the theme song is epic. This fic contains my made-up "full version" of Take a Chance. I hope you guys enjoy it! Before we start though, there's a few things to clear up, so SPOILER ALERT for future Numbershots. First, characters:
Spade: 19 years old. Gifted with super speed due to holding Number 48: Godspeed Mirage. He was defeated, but his Number wasn't taken as he was not possessed. Is good friends with Yuma and his friends, and has a crush on Akari.
Jenaveve: Kaito's age. Childhood friend and current girlfriend of Kaito, and like a big sister to Haruto. Introduced in Numbershot 71, and gets Haruto away from Dr. Faker. Helps Kaito safely retrieve Numbers with her ability to take them from souls he removes via Photon Hand.
Raio: 22 years old. Lead singer of the Thunder Kings, a rock band famous in Heartland. Became friends with Yuma after being saved from a Number holder. Majorly crushed on by Tetsuko.
Vile: Also, Haruto became conscious and free of his "illness" during Numbershot 71, and he, Kaito, Jenaveve, are now friendly with Yuma. Okay, Spoilers end here. Enjoy the fic, guys!
Take a Chance
Yuma walked the streets of Heartland, but this wasn't an ordinary stroll. The Number Hunter had a notepad and a pencil in his hands, and as he walked, he scribbled down words as they came to him. There was a three-word title at the top of his page.
"Hey, Yuma!" A voice called to him. Yuma looked up from his paper and saw Kotori running towards him.
"Hey, Kotori!" Yuma called back as the girl reached him. Kotori gave him a quick kiss, as she always did now that they were together. The two of them walked together, and Yuma continued writing on his pad.
Kotori noticed the notepad in Yuma's hand. "What are you writing, Yuma?"
Astral materialized from the Emperor's Key. "I've been wondering that myself." He said.
Yuma smiled. "If you guys must know, it's a poem."
"A poem?" Kotori asked.
"What is a 'poem'?" Astral asked.
Yuma smirked at Astral not knowing that. "A poem is a piece of writing often made for artistic purposes, storytelling, or just getting ideas on paper." Yuma explained to him as he continued writing.
Astral smirked. "Observation #31: Humans express ideas in writing for various purposes."
"Let me see what you've got so far, Yuma." Kotori said
Yuma chuckled and looked at her. "No way, Kotori. Let me finish it. That way you can see it when it's complete." Kotori was a little annoyed, but smiled and nodded in understanding. Astral smiled as well. Yuma continued scribbling on the notepad as words flowed into his head. Normally he wasn't this creative, but the topic he had chosen for the poem allowed the idea to branch out and fill his head with sentences to use.
"Yuma." Astral said, making Yuma look at him again, slightly annoyed. "If you don't mind me asking, what is the topic of your writing?"
The question made Yuma smile. "Well, it actually combines multiple things. One of them is the importance of friendship. As long as your friends are by your side, you can get the spirit to keep on going." Astral nodded, still smiling. "Another is the importance of the next level: love. You should never lose someone you love, because the happiness they bring you is second to none." He looked at Kotori as he said that, making her blush. However, she couldn't help but hug and kiss him again.
"What else, Yuma?" Kotori asked when she released him.
Yuma closed his eyes and smiled. "The last thing it uses is something you guys know me for: the will to never give up, even in the face of crisis. If you're not afraid to challenge yourself, there's nothing you can't do."
Kotori and Astral shared a glance. "Kattobingu/Kattobingu." They said in unison before looking back at Yuma.
The Tsukumo boy nodded and looked to the sky. "Tou-san told me to always cherish friendship, love, and kattobingu. I always did so, and when I believed in them, look how strong I became. I wanted to honor my Tou-san in some way, so I decided to put what he taught me into physical form, and words seemed to be the best way."
Kotori and Astral smiled. "I'm sure he would be very proud of you if he saw it." Astral assured him. Yuma let out a short giggle as he continued scrawling on the paper.
Aside from their footsteps, the sound of pencil against paper was the only sound that was heard amongst Yuma, Kotori, and Astral for the next few moments. The girl and spirit were quiet so Yuma could keep his concentration. Yuma was surprised that he was making such progress on the poem, as he was not typically one for writing.
After about a mere hour, Yuma finally spoke up. "…Done."
"Finished already?" Kotori asked. "That was fast!"
"I'm surprised, too. Usually I stink at these kinds of things." Yuma said, sweatdropping.
Astral chuckled. "Since you are finished, might we have a look?"
"All right." Yuma said. Kotori looked over the pad on his left while Astral read it from overhead.
"Yuma… this is amazing!" Kotori chirped.
"How did you manage to put these words together in such a way, Yuma?" Astral asked, obviously impressed.
"I… I don't really know." Yuma confessed. "Somehow, the words just came to me." He looked to the sky. "Maybe Tou-san and Kaa-chan were helping me. I don't really know." Yuma ripped the paper from his pad. "I'll read this during the next Parent's Day celebration. Who knows? Maybe I'll inspire some people."
Kotori linked her arm with his. "I'm sure you would, Yuma." She assured him. Yuma smiled and kissed Kotori, making Astral smile.
At that moment, a wind began to pick up, blowing right through the area. Yuma and Kotori groaned as the wind whipped around them. Unfortunately, the wind swiped Yuma's poem out of his hand, carrying it through the air. "Yuma! The poem!" Astral called out.
Yuma snapped to attention and noticed the paper flowing in midair. He yelped, dropped his notepad, and quickly chased after it, Kotori and Astral hot on his heels. "Oh man! What a time for wind!" He groaned, clawing the air trying to grab the paper. Kotori jumped after it, failing to grab it. Astral, unfortunately, couldn't do anything as he couldn't even touch it.
"I got it!" Kotori shouted, jumping into the air after the paper. She was only inches away, but she missed the paper as it blew away into the sky.
"Kotori!" Astral cried. The girl looked down, and her eyes widened in fear. Her jump had put her right over the river! She screamed as she fell, but she stopped right before she hit the water. Kotori looked back and saw that Yuma had caught her arm. The boy pulled the girl back away from the water, and Kotori hugged him on impulse, which Yuma returned. The couple looked out, seeing the poem blowing away. Yuma let out a dejected sigh.
"Gomen-nasai, Yuma." Kotori apologized. "I tried, but it wasn't enough."
"It's okay, Kotori. At least you're all right." Yuma comforted her.
"I wish I could have been of assistance myself." Astral said solemnly.
"Don't worry about it." The Tsukumo boy said, smiling. "The paper might be gone, but I've still got the words in my heart." Kotori smiled. "Come on, Kotori, let's go out on the town. The day's not over yet!" The young couple linked hands and ran across the nearby bridge, heading towards the city. Astral quickly followed behind them.
"Yuma… Something tells me that your words will not just blow on the wind." The spirit thought as he retreated into the Emperor's Key.
Some time later, Raio was with his bandmates. They had been in a slump for the past month, being unable to get any song ideas. "Screw it. I'm heading out for a while. See ya later, guys." He told them. His bandmates bid him farewell as he headed out of the lounge, taking the elevator, and exiting the front door of his building. He headed to his usual thinking spot near Heartland Pier, where he sat with his knees under his chin. "Man, what I'd give to get a good song idea." He muttered. Soon, the wind blew across his face, mussing up his carroty shag, and he noticed something blowing in the wind: a piece of paper. Raio stood up and snatched it out of the air as it neared him. "What the…?" He read over the paper, noticing the title. The words on the paper came together like a masterpiece. "Hold crap, this is awesome!" Raio remarked. He then noticed the signature at the bottom. "Yuma? He wrote this?" A smirk came over Raio's face. "Dude, I have SO gotta thank you later. And I know just how to do it." Tucking the paper away in his pocket, Raio ran back to the studio, ready for some music madness.
*Two Weeks Later*
School went by uneventfully for the most part. Yuma seemed unaffected by losing his poem, which was a relief to Kotori. He had told everyone about the poem he wrote, which caught everyone's attention. But things were about to take a shocking turn.
Lunchtime rolled around, and Tetsuo showed up last that day. "I heard that the Thunder Kings finally got a new song idea. Took them a whole month to figure it out. Naturally, Nee-chan was ecstatic." Everyone laughed, remembering that Tetsuko was practically the Thunder Kings' biggest fan.
"Wonder what kind of Duel-related shtick they cooked up this time?" Shark commented, leaning back.
"That's the weird thing. I heard that it wasn't Duel-related, that it had a more different approach to it."
"Now I'm curious, Ura." Tokunosuke chipped in. "I've always liked the Thunder Kings myself, but to hear about them branching out sounds cool!"
"When's the premiere of the song?" Cat-chan asked.
"Tomorrow at 3:00, after school. Nee-chan's been geeking out about it. And the thing is, the first playing of it is gonna be in Heartland Square! Apparently, they got the idea from someone here in Heartland, and they're gonna announce who gave them the idea at the concert."
"That sounds like Raio, for sure." Yuma said, chuckling. "I'll have to check it out!"
"We'll all be going, actually." Takashi said, pulling out a slip of paper. "The school is organizing a trip for the whole school to see it, so everyone will know who gave them the idea!"
"The school's gonna be a circus after that! The guy's gonna fans all over him!" Yuma said. Everyone started laughing at the mention of a student being chased and almost mugged by fans. The bell rang right then, and the group dissipated for class.
*The Next Day, Five Minutes Until 3:00*
The whole student body of Heartland High was on a group of buses headed for Heartland Square. Cheers erupted from many of the buses of the students raring to see the Thunder Kings perform live. The vehicles circled around in the Square upon arriving, and the doors opened, allowing the kids to spill out around the venue. It was already a circus enough with the people around the stage.
"Man, this place is packed!" Yuma yelled over the crowd.
"You expected anything else? The Thunder Kings are the hottest band out there!" Shark responded.
Kotori surveyed the scenery and noticed two familiar faces. "Hey!" She got into a clear area. "Akari! Tetsuko! Over here!"
Yuma and Tetsuo's sisters heard the voice and saw the green-haired girl waving to them and ran over. "Kotori! How'd you guys get such a good spot?" Akari asked. Kotori just shrugged, as she didn't know.
"I came here with the rest of the school! Follow me!" The young girl went back to the group, followed by the two older women.
Yuma and Tetsuo turned and saw their sisters approaching. "Nee-chan!" Yuma said, surprised.
"Well, I can't say I'm surprised to see you here, Nee-chan!" Tetsuo said.
"Of course!" Tetsuko chirped. She looked at the stage, and hearts suddenly went in her eyes. "Raio's just such a dreamboat!" Tetsuo sweatdropped and laughed uneasily.
Akari laughed at her friend, but then a sound akin to brakes screeching was heard. "Am I late?" She turned and saw Spade with skid marks by his feet. He had a goofy grin on his face.
"No way, man! Just in time!" Yuma called to him.
"This might be interesting." Another voice said. Tokunosuke and Hikaya looked behind themselves and yelped.
"Yamoto-kun! How'd you get here?" Hikaya cried.
"Teleportation, remember?" The Dark Hunter said simply.
"Heh, only a few more people, and the gang's all here!" Shark said before he was suddenly glomped. "And check one off the list!" He laughed as Ariel got off him and giggled.
"Who are we missing?" Cat-chan wondered.
"Hmm… only Kaito, Jenaveve, and Haruto." Takashi said after pondering. "Do you think they'd even come to this kind of thing?"
"Sure would!" A voice suddenly rang near his ears. Takashi yelped before seeing Haruto standing beside him. Kaito and Jenaveve walked up behind him.
"You gotta stop running off like that, Haruto. It'll get you lost." Kaito told him.
"Sorry, Nii-san." Haruto apologized with a goofy smile on his face. Kaito smiled and lifted him up onto his shoulders to get a better view. Haruto laughed while Jenaveve smiled at the sight.
"Hey guys, I think it's starting!" Yuma called out. Sure enough, the members of the Thunder Kings walked onstage one-by-one, and the crowd erupted into applause.
Raio himself walked on and took the mic. "What is up, Heartlaaaaaaaand?" He yelled into the mic, making everyone cheer louder. "Boy, do we have a treat for you tonight! Someone from this fine city sent us a bonza song idea, and now it's time to give that guy some credit!" The drummer threw Raio a piece of paper, and he flipped it open. "And here he is! If you're in the audience, come on up, Mr. Yuma Tsukumo!"
Yuma's eyes went mega-wide. "Me?"
"Hey, I see the dude right now!" Raio called out, noticing Yuma within the group. "Don't be shy, Yuma, come on up!" He made a motion with his hand, signaling him to the stage.
"Go for it, Yuma!" Kotori chirped, pushing him. Grinning and throwing his fear away, Yuma went through the crowd and hopped up on the stage.
"So Yuma, we've gotta thank you for giving us inspiration!" Raio told him. "Where did you come up with this idea?" He held the mic to Yuma.
"I guess it just came naturally to me. I honestly don't know how I wrote something like that!" Yuma confessed into the mic, nervous.
"Hey, don't go red-faced on us, man! Whether it was chance or not, you wrote a masterpiece!" Raio assured him, making him grin. Raio turned back to the crowd. "Okay everybody, what say we get this show on the road?" The crowd erupted into applause. "Flip on those D-Gazers, and let's get rolling!' Raio turned to Yuma. "You hang out over to the side and enjoy the on-stage view, my man!" Yuma nodded and quickly rushed over to the side, finding an empty chair. Raio then turned to his bandmates. "Game time, guys!"
Yuma and Raio ended up putting on their D-Gazers at the same time. "D-Gazer, set!"
"WIDE RANGE AR VISION, ESTABLISHED." The automated voice stated as the area became dark, akin to a nighttime concert, complete with augmented spotlights. Lightning flashed from above, a trademark of the Thunder Kings. Everyone's D-Gazers, band and crowd (Kaito using his red eye, of course), flashed. "LINK FUNCTION DE-ACTIVATED."
"One, two, three, four!" A few guitar riffs were heard before the band began playing. Raio put his voice to work on the mic.
*Song Lyrics are italicized*
If life is a game,
They say I can't win
I'll never amount to nothing
Tear me down before my life begins
I won't be afraid
To challenge myself
They won't ever break my fire, my
Dreams won't die if I high-five the sky
Spread my wings
Take off, it's time to fly!
Yuma was stunned. It was his poem, just put into song form.
Take a chance to make it all the way,
Take a chance, forgetting yesterday
Take a chance, believe…
Yuma's friends were all amazed. "This song is awesome!" Haruto chirped.
"Who knew Yuma had a hidden talent with words?" Yamoto wondered.
"He's full of hidden secrets, Ura!" Tokunosuke remarked.
Nothing will bring me down,
No retreat when I leave all my fears behind,
My future's still alive inside!
Take a chance and chase my doubts away,
Believing gets me through my darkest days!
*Short Guitar Solo*
Take a chance to make it all the way,
Take a chance, forgetting yesterday
Take a breath, my heart will lead the way,
Take a chance, I'll take a chance in today!
The music slowed a bit at that point, but quickly picked back up, indicating that they were nowhere near done. Tetsuko was practically screaming at this point, amazed at what her favorite band was singing.
If life is a sport,
They say I can't play
'Cause I don't have my own team
Make me feel alone, but I'm not sad
I know they'll be there
Everyone I know
They give me all the strength I need
Together, we're the best team that there was
Arm in arm,
The world is all for us!
All of Yuma's friends and family smiled at the lyrics Yuma wrote honoring them.
Take a chance, together, never slow,
Take a chance, it's game time, here we go!
Take a chance, with me…
I'll never feel alone
'Cause I know that we will never split apart,
We join together as one heart!
Take a chance, the bonds that we all share,
They'll hold us as we all soar through the air!
*Short Guitar Solo*
Take a chance, together, never slow,
Take a chance, it's game time, here we go!
Take a chance, my heart will lead the way,
Take a chance, we'll take a chance in today!
The crowd was really raring as the band continued the song. Yuma's friends and family felt somewhat fuzzy inside knowing that Yuma put a lot of thought into this despite finishing it quickly.
Astral materialized from the Emperor's Key. "Observation #32: When something inspirational is made public, the result is a mass positive one."
Then the music changed somewhat. Yuma smiled, knowing which verse was coming next.
And through it all, you stood out from the rest
The way you made me feel felt like a test
But I knew that you brought love into my heart,
No matter what, I hope we never part!
*Guitar Solo*
As that verse was sung, Yuma looked into the crowd, directly at Kotori, with love in his eyes. She blushed and smiled warmly, tears coming into her eyes. The verse might've been short, but he conveyed the message perfectly: "I love you. Don't leave me." "Yuma…" She breathed.
But then, the music changed again, back to the main rhythm. Yuma knew the finale was coming.
Take a chance to make it all the way,
Take a chance, forgetting yesterday
Take a chance, believe…
Nothing will bring me down,
No retreat when I leave all my fears behind,
My future's still alive inside!
Take a chance and chase my doubts away,
Believing gets me through my darkest days!
*Short Guitar Solo*
Take a chance to make it all the way,
Take a chance, forgetting yesterday
Take a breath, my heart will lead the way,
Take a chance, I'll take a chance in today!
A final riff and the dissipation of the augmented reality signaled the song's end, and the crowd went absolutely wild. "Thank you, Heartland!" Raio called out to the audience. He motioned to Yuma to join him, which he said. "Give a big round of applause to Yuma Tsukumo, everyone! Without him, we wouldn't this song!" Chants of Yuma's name came from the audience, and Yuma couldn't help but grin.
Yuma motioned for the mic, and Raio handed it over. "Okay, everyone!" Yuma called out. "Let me hear you say: 'Kattobingu daze, ore!'" He pointed the mic at the audience as a resonating cry of "Kattobingu daze, ore!" came as a reply. Yuma raised his fist into the air in a "Yeah!" gesture before tossing the mic back to Raio.
Then Yuma noticed his friends trying to get through the crowd. Raio noticed as well and smirked. "Gangway, people! Yuma's friends are stormin' the stage!" He said into the mic. People moved out of the way, allowing the group to make it to the front and get up on stage.
Tetsuo slapped his huge hand on Yuma's head, ruffling his hair. "Yuma, my man! You may have a future in the song biz!" Yuma and Tetsuo laughed.
The others started speaking their own compliments to their friend, Shark and Akari throwing in their own noogies, and Yuma was having trouble keeping up with them all. His focus was soon captured, however, when Kotori grabbed him and crushed her lips to his in front of the whole crowd. Yuma quickly returned the kiss and hugged her, not caring at all that about half of Heartland was watching. Lights were going off in the crowd; obviously some pictures were being taken. The young couple broke their kiss, blushing like mad in the presence of the crowd, but they waved to the audience along with everyone else.
"What a show we had today, huh, folks?" Raio yelled into the mic. "Awesome song, complete with stage rush and kiss! I know I had a good time! That brings our show to a close, everyone! Thank you all, and good night!"
*The Next Day*
An envelope arrived for Yuma later that day. He found it and opened it, seeing what was inside. He smiled and laid it on his desk before heading outside. At the top of the page were three simple words: "Take a Chance."
Vile: Well, that went much smoother than I thought!
Yuma: How did you get me to think of those words?
Vile: It wasn't easy, I admit that! Did everyone enjoy the full version I made?
Haruto: I wish that was the real full version!
Vile: As do I, Haruto. Please leave some reviews telling me how I did. Hopefully it's not too cheesy or unbelievable! So long for now, guys!
Computer Voice: Vile, logging out.