Part of Your World
Faint streams of sunlight spilled through the silken curtains of a spacious room, refracting off of the marble-tiled floor in delicate little threads, causing the silver walls to glint in the shade. In the center lay a large bed, outfitted with velvet sheets and cushions of the finest quality, befitting of the little princess tucked underneath the soft silver sheets.
"Little Miss," a serene yet firm voice broke the delicate silence that filled the air. "It's time to wake up."
"Five more minutes, Ingrid," the girl stirred, attempting to bury herself under her blanket.
"Now," the maid in question stepped closer. "Or you'll be late for school, Little Miss."
The girl groaned before rising sluggishly up from the bed. She brushed away a mess of golden hair from her face, gently massaging her eyes in the futile hopes that it would suddenly make her feel more awake. The maid was swift, already standing before the girl's bed and holding out a set of clothes.
"Go get dressed. We'll be working on your hair once you're done."
The girl nodded, taking the clothes in hand.
This was just another day in Caitlin Swan's pampered life. The start of her second week of high school, to be exact.
"So how's school, dear?" the Swan family had gathered at their long glass dining table, plates of waffles covered temperately yet not timidly with golden syrup, finely-cooked-and-seasoned bacon, scrambled eggs and a large pitcher of milk, of the finest quality money could buy, set down before them.
"It's been fine," Caitlin answered softly, nibbling on a piece of her waffle.
"Have you made any friends?" her mother chirped.
"Y-yes. I have," the girl murmured. But had she really? The people in her classes were…nice. They treated her just fine. The girls especially marveled at her high-brand clothes while the boys simply gave curt nods and remained polite. She assumed that was normal. On the other hand, the 'friends' she did have were…
"I think we made the right choice in sending you to a public school this time," her father sipped coffee from his mug. "You should make the most of it while you can. High school can be one of the best years of your life."
Caitlin nodded, finishing off the rest of her food.
"Oh, I know. Maybe you could try joining some clubs!" her mother added.
"C-clubs?" the girl asked, confused.
"I mean, if you want to meet new people. Only if you feel comfortable with it, of course."
"Um…I'll think about it," Caitlin answered.
"No pressure," her mother said. "Remember, all that matters is that you're happy. If anything is too much for you, you can always stop."
"And be safe," her father cut in. "Don't fall in with any bad influences. And don't join any dangerous-looking clubs, or sports."
Caitlin nodded again.
"Ma'am. Sir," another maid stepped forward. "It's time for Little Miss to go to school."
"Right, of course."
"Definitely. Caitlin, sweetie, have fun!"
The blonde gulped down the rest of her milk, before nodding farewell to her parents and following the maid out the house, where a sleek, ebony limousine waited.
Caitlin plopped onto the soft cushions of the back seat, looking out the window as the maid spoke with the chauffeur. It was only a few moments until the engines roared to life, and the mansion she called her home began to shrink into the distance. Then it was just her and her thoughts.
It had already been a week since school had begun for her, but she still felt out of place. School still seemed so scary. Classes felt difficult. It was a little hard for her to follow, and on top of all that, making friends? She would have much preferred simply resting on her bed, in the comfort of her home, for the rest of her days.
"Little Miss?"
At the very least she had Eric and Yomi, who were genuinely kind to her, but lately she felt like an island trailing off from their own little continent. Something had happened, and this past week the only thing they would discuss in fervent excitement was Vanguard. Tournaments this, strategies that. It all felt so foreign to her. Maybe if…
"Little Miss?"
"U-um, yes?" the startled girl responded.
"We're here," he said.
"O-oh. Right. T-thank you," she slipped out the open car door, gently pushing it shut behind her. The chauffeur tipped his cap slightly, before driving away. Caitlin turned back around, facing the open school gates, pulling out a small mirror in order to make sure she looked proper, that her blouse wasn't crumpled, that her skirt was speck-less, that her long, curled golden locks were neatly tied into two adorable pigtails on each side of her head. Once she was satisfied enough with her appearance, she filed in with the rest of the students and into the building.
###
"This is too hard," Caitlin groaned quietly, staring down at her textbook. Her teacher called it algebraic equations. To her they were an alien language existing solely to ruin everything good in her life. She glanced around. The rest of the students were quietly scrawling over their workbooks, the only sounds audible in the room being the faint scratching of lead on paper. Well, that and the muffled whispers from classmate to classmate as they worked. The teacher himself was wandering around the classroom, surveying the progress of his students and the conditions of their work. He turned towards Caitlin, clearly noticing her pleading blue gaze.
"Is something the matter, Ms. Swan?"
Thank god.
"Uh, yes," Caitlin smiled nervously. She was never really good at conversation with other people, much less those she didn't really know. In fact, come to think of it, she was never really good at anything. "I, um, I don't really understand…" she motioned over her textbook. "…this."
"Well, what don't you understand about it?" the teacher asked. "I can't help you if you're not specific enough."
"Uh, um," Caitlin mumbled. "I just don't get it. It's too complicated, I think."
"Well, have you tried going through them on your own?" the teacher pressed. "It's just the same as what we all went over in class. Just take it slow and look back over your notes, and it should be fine."
"Um…okay," Caitlin sighed. "I'll try."
"Please do," the teacher smiled. "Feel free to ask your classmates for help as well. But the important thing is to see if you can do it on your own first."
Caitlin nodded slowly as the teacher went back to his patrol around the room. She stared back at the work laid out before her, sighing. The blonde put a hand on each side of her temple, running them through her hair.
"Need a hand?"
Caitlin almost jumped out of her seat at the sudden sound. Fortunately, she managed to steel herself. Stay composed, Caitlin. "Um, I-I'm sorry?" she stuttered. She'd pretty much grown to accept that stuttering and mumbling would forever be a part of her.
"Oh," the girl next to her gestured to the textbook in front. "I was just wondering if you wanted help with the work. You looked kinda helpless so I figured…"
"O-oh! Um, that'd be great! Thank you," Caitlin sputtered. Great, now I don't have to worry!
"Okay, well," the other girl leaned forward, pulling the textbook closer. "I'm guessing you're still on the first page?"
Caitlin nodded, her face red-hot with embarrassment.
"Alright, let's see. For this question, you'll want to bring the x over here," she started writing the method on a blank page. "Like this, and then the answer should be clear."
Wait, what?
"I-I'm sorry, but I don't get it…" Caitlin murmured helplessly.
The girl sighed. "Come on, think about it. Here, I'll explain it for you so you can do the same with the rest."
I'm glad I can depend on people like this, Caitlin thought, relieved. Not like it was back in that girl's school.
The two girls continued to work on the classwork together. The other girl would explain the methodology as best as she could without telling Caitlin the answer, only to be met with helpless shrugs and mumbles of discomfort, then proceed to give up and essentially, down to its basic core of meaning, do the work for her. Or at least, do it in such a way that all of the tough thinking was done for her. It was a rather procedural cycle, a cycle propelled by two innocent souls that were utterly unaware of the implications of their action and inaction alike, and it went on until the school bell heralded the onset of the next period.
"If you need any more help with the homework, feel free to call, 'kay?" the girl, Sarah, said, smiling as she collected her things.
"U-um, sure," Caitlin smiled back as she stood up. They waved each other goodbye before setting off on their separate ways.
Then she fell.
Rather, she hit something, then fell back. She wasn't that much of a klutz. Was she?
"Ow…" Caitlin rubbed her behind in the hopes that it'd make the pain go away. It didn't.
"Yeesh," she looked up. A dark haired young man loomed over her, arms crossed and face contorted into an annoyed frown. His eyes were a liquid blue, the color of the churning sea. He was strikingly handsome to be completely honest. "Look where you're going, would you?"
"I-I'm sorry," Caitlin squeaked, scrambling back to her feet.
"Not gonna pick up your stuff?" he asked. Caitlin stared back, confused for a moment, until she noticed the empty space in her hands.
"O-oh, right!" she sputtered, crouching down to grab her things, only to have the papers tumble clumsily out of her hands.
"Here, let me," the boy sighed, crouching down, swiping the papers neatly into a stack. Caitlin took them back graciously once he handed them to her.
"Thanks," Caitlin murmured.
"Just watch where you're going next time, alright?" he said, exasperated.
"S-sorry…"
"I'm guessing you're new?"
"Huh?"
The boy gestured to her clothes. "Pretty sure you're one of a kind here, princess."
Caitlin blushed. "U-um, yeah…my parents sent me here. They said it'd be better to mingle with commonfolk."
His eyes darkened slightly at the sound of 'commonfolk,' though only for a split second. Was she just imagining it?
"Commonfolk, huh? Why not hang around the other rich kids in town?"
"W-well, I didn't like it in my old school," Caitlin explained. "It w-was too…um…harsh. E-everyone was out for themselves. I didn't like having to rely on myself."
"Woah, slow down there princess," he stopped her. "You probably shouldn't be sharing so much with a stranger."
"Why not?"
He sighed again. "Just…you shouldn't be so trusting. Especially with valuable information. That's all I can say," he mused, brushing past her.
"W-wait," Caitlin turned, only to watch as he quickly faded into the crowd of students that flowed through the hallway.
"I didn't catch your name…"
###
"Sorry Caitlin," Yomi said as she sat down with her tray. "The line was just so long."
"You forgot to mention how you couldn't decide whether to get the rice or the spaghetti," Eric sat down between the two girls. "Seriously, who spends ten minutes deciding what they want to eat?"
"Well excuse me for caring about what I eat," Yomi huffed, taking a bite out of her sandwich. "Speaking of, Caitlin why does your food always look so amazing?"
"O-oh," Caitlin looked down. Ever since her first day with cafeteria food she'd insisted on bringing homemade lunch to school. The food only one of the most esteemed chefs could make. "W-well, I like what I eat at home better, so…"
"I see," Yomi said. "Homemade food is a lot better than cafeteria food."
"It is," Caitlin smiled. Good. It wasn't a strange thing.
"So Yomi," Eric said. "Are we heading to Fighter's Sanctuary after school?"
"I don't know," Yomi replied solemnly. "I'm not sure if I should."
"If it's about fighting, you know you don't have to fight if you don't want to," Eric pressed.
"No, it's not that, it's just…"
"Just what?"
Fighter's Sanctuary? Fight? What did I miss during the weekend?
"I-I'm sorry," Caitlin cut in. "What are you guys talking about?"
The other two teenagers looked at each other, then back to Caitlin.
"It's nothing," the two spoke in unison.
Caitlin frowned. Aren't we friends?
"Really, it's nothing," Yomi smiled reassuringly.
"B-but I want to know what's going on," Caitlin whined. "It's like you two are in a whole other world."
"Well…" Yomi struggled to find the right words to say.
"If you won't tell me what's going on, then…" she paused, thinking. Did she really want to? She wasn't sure, but at least this way… "Then at least teach me how to play Vanguard! I want to be part of your world!"
The other two were taken aback. For a moment, Caitlin thought she'd said something out of line.
More silence. Did she really say something wrong? "Um…"
"I-I'm sorry," Yomi said, finally. "We were just a little surprised."
"You've never really spoken that loud is all," Eric explained.
"O-oh, really?" she'd never really thought about her vocal volume. Was it really that surprising?
"Yeah," Eric said. "Anyways, sure. We'll teach you after school. We do need more members," he gave Yomi a look, emphasizing the 'we's each time he said them.
"Y-yeah. We will," Yomi concurred.
###
"Here?"
She expected something a little more…grand. That said, she's compromised on a lot of her expectations during the past few days.
"Yes," Eric said as he pushed the door open. "Here."
The shop interior wasn't much better than its exterior. However, it did exude a sort of simplistic charm, with its clean, plain walls and plastic chairs. The sort of simplistic charm she wouldn't find anywhere near her mansion.
"So have you decided on what Clan you want to start with?" Yomi asked. "The ones I told you about on the way here."
"I…I'm not sure…" the blonde mumbled. "I think they're all good."
"Yeah, but you have to choose one," Eric said from his position at the counter. "Here, let's see if the card arts will interest you. Mr. Ryder?"
"Yes?" the one who answered from behind the counter was rather large, burly, ginger man, most likely in his late thirties, Caitlin surmised.
"Could we take a look at all the Trial Decks?" Eric asked.
"Yeah, sure," the man got up, rummaging through the drawers under the counter. Eventually, he brought up a large box, holding within it several smaller boxes of various different colors. "These are all we have."
"Thanks," Eric motioned for Caitlin to come over, to which she obliged. She peered over at the little boxes, Trial Decks, picking them up one by one and scanning their front covers.
"You can pick any one of them," Yomi said, walking over beside her. "Just pick whatever one you like, be it the art or the name."
"O-oh," Caitlin mumbled. "Of course."
"Tell us whenever you've picked one, 'kay?" Yomi said, before she pulled out her phone. Eric instead busied himself by conversing with the shop owner. At least, Caitlin thought he was the shop manager.
"Is Matthew not here?" the green-haired boy asked.
"Nah," the man replied. "He's got a project that he needs to work on."
"Oh," at the corners of her peripheral view, Caitlin could see that he didn't seem to happy.
Who's Matthew?
"Speaking of which," the man said. "How are your lessons going? I hope my son's not giving you too much trouble."
"No, not at all," Eric replied. "I mean, it's Matthew. He's bound to be a little cumbersome, but it's fine."
"Well that's good to hear," the man said back, smiling. "You know, he talks about you a lot. He looks a lot more…free if you know what I mean."
"More free? How can you tell?"
"Call it a parent's intuition."
Interesting, Caitlin thought. She picked up the next box of cards, looking at the card on the cover. "Leader of Ghosties, Demetria." Cute.
"Have you picked a deck yet?" Yomi asked, putting her phone away.
"O-oh," Caitlin almost dropped the box in her alarm. "Y-yes. I think I like this one."
"Granblue's Ghosties, huh?" Yomi mused.
"It's an interesting deck," Eric now focused his attention on the two girls. "It's a little hard to get used to, but it's loads of fun once you get the hang of it."
"Hard?" Caitlin echoed.
"Well, yeah," Eric answered. "But it's nothing a little practice can't fix."
"O-okay," she relented. "If you say so."
"Alright," Yomi said. "Now that you have your deck, Eric can teach you."
"Me?"
"Eric?"
"Uh…yeah," Yomi said. "Trust me, you don't want me fighting you."
"On the contrary," Eric shot back. "I think you do," he laid a hand on the raven-haired girl's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll referee."
"Fine," she sighed. "I'll do it."
All Caitlin could do was nod.
"Here," Yomi said, taking up position behind one of the tables. "Since this is your first fight, I'll let you pick a field. Don't worry, it's only for aesthetic purposes."
"Right, um," Caitlin stared at the table in front of her.
"Swipe from side to side," Eric explained.
"Right," the petite blonde swiped across the table, its background shifting from solid black to a lush, grassy terrain. She gaped in surprise. This is a really interesting table. She continued to swipe until the the field finally shifted into a watery blue image.
"A deep sea chasm, eh," Yomi mused. "Well then, shall we get started?"
"Yes, please!" Caitlin answered, holding her newly purchased deck of cards.
Yomi sighed. "I can't believe I'm actually doing this. Alright, set your First Vanguard, that's the one grade zero without an icon on the top right, here."
"Grade zero? Icon?" Caitlin said helplessly.
Yomi sighed again. "Here," she grabbed the girl's deck, sifting through the cards until she found the one she was looking for, setting it down. "There. Remember this card.
Caitlin nodded.
"Then you put the cards with the silver backs here, then the rest of the deck there," she followed the raven-haired girl's instructions, setting each type of card in the right place. "Then draw five cards. Here you can mulligan-"
"Mulligan?"
"Redraw. You can shuffle back any number of cards back into the deck, then draw the same amount you returned. Basically, you want at least one of each grade."
"O-okay," the two girls each reshuffled their hand as they saw fit.
"Now," Yomi touched the surface of her First Vanguard. "Imagine we're on this other world. An imaginary world called Planet Cray, where magic, dragons, technology we could only dream of, all coexist. A world where we do battle as astral projections."
"A-astral…what?"
"Uh…" Yomi looked to Eric for help.
"You're pretty much just a spirit on this world," he explained.
"Ah…"
"Yeah, and as 'spirits,' we can only do so much. We've been granted two special abilities to help us out. The first is to take control of units to fight with. To be the one who leads. That's Vanguard."
"Wow, at this rate you could do well as a storyteller," Eric teased.
"Don't push it," Yomi snapped, glaring amethyst daggers at him.
"U-um, let's not fight," Caitlin mumbled.
Yomi sighed. "Whatever. Anywho, as I was saying, our first ability is to take control of units to fight with on the battlefield. Ride. And that very first unit is this," she tapped her card. "And to start the game, we simply flip it over."
"Okay…"
"Stand up! Vanguard!" Yomi declared as she turned her card over. "Origin Goddess, Nakisawame!" [Origin Goddess, Nakisawame – 5000 Power]
"S-stand up! V-vanguard!" Caitlin said, repeating her. She looked over at the card she flipped up. It was a cute, adorable blob of pale blue. "Um, Matt the Ghostie!" [Matt the Ghostie - 5000 Power]
"Usually we'd play a game of rock-paper-scissors to decide who goes first," Yomi explained. "But I think it'd be best if I went first this time. To show you the ropes."
Caitlin nodded.
"Alright, now, first we stand all of our units at the start of the turn. Since mine's already stood, I don't have to. Then, we draw a card," she made the draw. "That's the Stand and Draw phase. The next is the Ride Phase, where we make the Vanguard," she tapped the one card on her field. "The center unit, stronger. Are you following?"
Caitlin gave an affirmative nod back.
"Good. So now I ride." [Goddess of Transitory, Awanami - 7000 Power]
"Ride…"
"Yup. Every turn the aim is to ride up one grade higher, up until grade 3."
"I see," Caitlin murmured.
"And next is the Main Phase. Here we can make use of our second ability, to summon forth units to fight by our side. Call. Here, I call Detect Angel." [Detect Angel - 7000 Power]
"So I can call as many as I want?" Caitlin asked.
"Yup. You can even call over the units you already called, which will send the one replaced to the Drop Zone. But you usually don't want to do that."
"Another thing to note," Eric cut in. "Is that you can only call units with a grade equal to or lower than your Vanguard," he added, pointing to the number on the top right corner of Yomi's card.
"Units also have skills, card effects written on the front of the cards," Yomi explained. "Detect has a special ability called Revelation, which allows me to take a look at the top card of my deck."
"I see," Caitlin said.
"So of course, you'll have to read over your cards and get to know them better."
"Got it."
"And since I'm the first player, I can't attack, so I'll pass it over to you."
Yomi
Hand: 4
(Empty) – (Goddess of Transitory, Awanami) – (Empty)
(Detect Angel) – (Goddess of Headwater, Nakisawame) – (Empty)
Damage: 0
Caitlin
Hand: 5
(Empty) – (Matt the Ghostie) – (Empty)
(Empty) – (Empty) – (Empty)
Damage: 0
"Draw," Caitlin announced. "Then…"
"You ride," Eric said.
"Right," Caitlin laughed nervously. "I ride." [Jackie the Ghostie - 7000 Power]
"Matt the Ghostie has the Forerunner ability," Yomi explained. "Which means he can move to the rearguard as a new ally," she said as she helped move Caitlin's card behind her Vanguard.
"Yomi, let her move the card however she wants."
"But this is the best way," Yomi retorted. "She should know the best tactics for victory."
"Yeah, but she should also be having fun and making her own decisions," Eric frowned.
"What good is fu-" she stopped suddenly, thinking.
"U-um…"
"It's fine," Yomi said at last. "He's right. You should be making the decisions yourself."
"M-myself? I don't know…"
"See? She wants to be told what to do!" Yomi protested.
"She doesn't know any better!" Eric snapped.
Why do I feel like a child? Caitlin thought, mildly uncomfortable. "Um…if it's okay with you guys, I'd just like to continue…"
"Right," Yomi turned back to her. "Right now it's your Main Phase, so feel free to call units as you like," she shot Eric a look as she said the last few words.
"Okay…" Caitlin pondered, staring at the cards she held in her hand. There was only one other she could call. "I call Samurai Spirit beside Jackie." [Samurai Spirit - 7000 Power]
"And now comes the Battle Phase," Yomi explained. "Where you can Rest units, turn them sideways, in order to attack."
"Oh, okay," Caitlin grinned playfully. "Then Jackie attacks, um, your Vanguard!"
Yomi was about to open her mouth, probably to give more expert opinion, before Eric cut her off. "When a unit attacks, you can rest the unit behind it," he pointed to Matt the Ghostie. "To grant the unit in front its power. In other words, Boost."
"Oh. Then," she turned both cards sideways. "I boost Jackie with Matt. Attack!" [Jackie the Ghostie - 7000 + 5000 = 12000 Power]
"When the Vanguard attacks, you can perform a drive check. Reveal the top card of your deck, then add it to hand."
Caitlin flipped over the top card of her deck, making sure all could see.
[Drive Check: Jimmy the Ghostie (Critical Trigger)]
"A Critical, huh," Yomi mused.
"When that golden star mark appears, it means you can grant any unit an extra critical, which means it deals one more damage when it hits," Eric said.
"And all triggers grant an additional five thousand power, again to any unit of your choosing. Since the effects are separate, you can give the extra critical to your Vanguard, then the power to the Samurai Spirit who hasn't attacked yet," Yomi explained.
"Okay. Then that's what I'll do!" Caitlin responded.
[Jackie the Ghostie - 12000 Power, Critical 2]
[Samurai Spirit - 12000 Power]
"Since the attacking unit's power is the same as or higher than the defending unit's power, the attack is successful. Since it's the Vanguard, I take damage. When I take damage, I perform a damage check," Yomi said, sliding the top two cards of her deck into her damage zone. One of them flashed a bright red.
[Damage Check: Battle Maiden, Azusa (No Trigger)]
[Damage Check: Transport Harpy (Draw Trigger)]
"Draw trigger," Yomi explained. "Which means I get to draw one card. And once six cards reach the damage zone, I lose the game. Essentially, that's the goal of the game."
[Goddess of Transitory, Awanami - 7000 + 5000 = 12000 Power]
"I see. Hm…" Caitlin moved to her next attack. "I attack with Samurai Spirit."
"I'll guard this," Yomi stated, placing down a card in the middle of the field. "The card's shield value is now added to the defending unit. Since my power is now higher, the attack was successfully blocked. The guardian unit moves to the drop zone." [12000 + 5000 = 17000 Power]
"The rest of the game pretty much flows just like this," Eric said. "As the game goes on, you'll have access to stronger cards and stronger effects."
"Right," Yomi concurred.
"Okay," Caitlin smiled. This is actually really fun. Really, really fun.
Caitlin
Hand: 5
(Samurai Spirit) – (Jackie the Ghostie) – (Empty)
(Empty) – (Matt the Ghostie) – (Empty)
Damage: 0
Yomi
Hand: 4
(Detect Angel) – (Goddess of Transitory, Awanami) – (Empty)
(Empty) – (Goddess of Headwater, Nakisawame) – (Empty)
Damage: 2 – [Battle Maiden, Azusa] (U), [Transport Harpy] (U)
"Ride, Battle Maiden, Senri." [Battle Maiden, Senri - 9000 Power]
"Grade 2…" Caitlin said softly.
"I'll attack the-"
Eric gave her a look, at which Yomi grimaced.
"…I attack Samurai Spirit." [Detect Angel - 7000 Power]
"U-um…what happens when a rearguard is hit?" Caitlin asked.
"It dies," Yomi deadpanned.
"What she means to say," Eric shot her another glare. "Is that it goes to the drop zone. Whatever you interpret that as is up to you."
"O…okay," Caitlin murmured. "Can I guard with any card?"
"Any card equal to or lower than your Vanguard's grade."
"Oh, so it's like calling," Caitlin said. "Then I don't guard. Samurai Spirit goes to the drop zone."
"Then Senri attacks the Vanguard," Yomi said.
"No guard."
"Drive check," Yomi flipped up the top of her deck. "Stand Trigger."
[Drive Check: Goddess of Deep Sleep, Tahro (Stand Trigger)]
"Stand Trigger?"
"When this trigger appears, I can restand any rearguard of my choosing," Yomi explained. "Which means I can attack with it again. I'll give all the effects to Detect."
[Detect Angel - 7000 + 5000 = 12000 Power]
"I damage check," Caitlin declared, almost as if to remind herself.
[Damage Check: Chappie the Ghostie (No Trigger)]
"I'll attack with Detect again."
[Damage Check: Pirate Swordsman, Colombard (No Trigger)]
"That ends my turn," Yomi announced.
Yomi
Hand: 5
(Detect Angel) – (Battle Maiden, Senri) – (Empty)
(Empty) – (Goddess of Headwater, Nakisawame) – (Empty)
Damage: 2 – [Battle Maiden, Azusa] (U), [Transport Harpy] (U)
Caitlin
Hand: 5
(Empty) – (Jackie the Ghostie) – (Empty)
(Empty) – (Matt the Ghostie) – (Empty)
Damage: 2 – [Chappie the Ghostie] (U), [Pirate Swordsman, Colombard] (U)
"I ride Zack the Ghostie," Caitlin said as she placed down the card. "Then I call Rough Seas Banshee and another Samurai."
[Zack the Ghostie – 10000 Power]
[Rough Seas Banshee – 4000 Power]
[Samurai Spirit - 7000 Power]
"Next is Battle Phase," Caitlin looked to Yomi for confirmation. She nodded back. "I attack with Samurai, boosted by Rough Seas." [Samurai Spirit - 7000 + 4000 = 11000 Power]
Come to think of it, I haven't really imagined anything, Caitlin thought. Maybe I should give it a go.
"I'll guard with Tahro," Yomi said. [9000 + 10000 = 19000 Power]
Picture it.
She glanced around, taking in her surroundings. A vast curtain of deep azure spread out around her, with only tiny shards of light to guide her vision. Slippery green tangles and bunches of seaweed coiled around, encircling the area, as if it were a wrestling ring. Around her were her units. Her…comrades? Silly Caitlin, they're just cards. But she couldn't shake off the feeling that somehow, they were every bit as real as she was. She just had to believe. And before her stood a trio of divine maidens, battle-ready, and yet…did she a twinge of hesitation in the middle one's eyes?
"Caitlin?"
Back to reality. "U-um, I'm sorry?"
"You okay?"
"O-oh!" Caitlin blushed. "Right. Um, I'll continue on with Zack, boosted by Matt!"
She could see it. The gold-hued spirit shooting across the water like a meteor towards Senri.
"Drive check, Critical Trigger again! All effects to the Vanguard."
[Drive Check: Rough Seas Banshee (Critical Trigger)]
"I damage check. Heal Trigger."
"Heal Trigger?"
"When this trigger appears, I can recover one damage point, but only if my damage is equal to or higher than yours," Yomi smiled, dropping one of her damage cards into the drop zone.
[Damage Check: Goddess of Favorable Wind, Ninnil (No Trigger)]
[Damage Check: Teabreak Angel (Heal Trigger)]
"Then I end my turn," Caitlin sighed. So that Critical was useless. Unfair.
Caitlin
Hand: 4
(Samurai Spirit) – (Zack the Ghostie) – (Empty)
(Rough Seas Banshee) – (Matt the Ghostie) – (Empty)
Damage: 2 – [Chappie the Ghostie] (U), [Pirate Swordsman, Colombard] (U)
Yomi
Hand: 4
(Detect Angel) – (Battle Maiden, Senri) – (Empty)
(Empty) – (Origin Goddess, Nakisawame) – (Empty)
Damage: 3 – [Transport Harpy] (U), [Goddess of Favorable Wind, Ninnil] (U), [Teabreak Angel] (U)
"Amaruda attacks the Vanguard," Yomi declared. [Prime Beauty, Amaruda - 11000 + 5000 = 16000 Power]
"No guard," Caitlin murmured.
[Drive Check: Goddess of Adherence, Kibitsuhime (No Trigger)]
[Drive Check: Shackle Fetter, Gelgja (No Trigger)]
The huntress's arrow struck home, causing Zack to wail overdramatically in pain. Ghosts can't exactly feel pain. Everything to them is a source of comedic relief. Even battle.
"Damage check, no trigger."
[Damage Check: Fabian the Ghostie (No Trigger)]
"I end my turn," Yomi stated.
Yomi
Hand: 5
(Battle Maiden, Azusa) – (Prime Beauty, Amaruda) – (Empty)
(Detect Angel) – (Origin Goddess, Nakisawame) – (Empty)
Damage: 3 – [Transport Harpy] (U), [Goddess of Favorable Wind, Ninnil] (U), [Teabreak Angel] (U)
Caitlin
Hand: 4
(Samurai Spirit) – (Zack the Ghostie) – (Empty)
(Rough Seas Banshee) – (Matt the Ghostie) – (Empty)
Damage: 4 – [Chappie the Ghostie] (U), [Pirate Swordsman, Colombard] (U), [Carl the Ghostie] (U), [Fabian the Ghostie] (U)
"Stand and draw," Caitlin declared. She mulled over the cards in her hand for a bit, staring intently at each one of them. "I call Leader of Ghosties, Demetria!" she said as she slapped the card down on the Vanguard Circle. [Leader of Ghosties, Demetria - 11000 Power]
"You mean Ride…" Eric corrected, pushing up his spectacles.
"Y-yes," Caitlin blushed furiously. "R-ride. That was it. Ride."
"Demetria has a skill that activates when she's ridden," Yomi stated.
"R-right," Caitlin mumbled. "I activate her Soul Blast," she moved two cards from under her Vanguard to the drop zone, slowly, unsure of what she was doing. "Then…"
"You reveal the top of your deck until you get a grade 1," Yomi said, turning over the cards for Caitlin. "Here," she stopped when the deck revealed a single grade 1 card.
"Freddy the Ghostie," Caitlin said.
"A Perfect Guard," Yomi remarked. "By discarding a card from hand, this unit can nullify any one attack."
"Got it," Caitlin smiled. I think I got a good card.
"Anywho, the rest go to the drop zone," Yomi went on.
"Let her move them herself," Eric said, stopping Yomi from reaching for the cards. The raven-haired girl grumbled in response.
Caitlin took the cards, sliding them to her drop zone. That's five cards. Is that a lot?
"Good," Eric grinned. "Now's where the fun starts."
"By discarding cards with a sum of three or greater, you can Stride a G Unit," Yomi explained.
So many rules, Caitlin thought.
"Those are the cards with the silver back," Eric said, pointing to the area marked 'G zone.'
"Understood," Caitlin said, picking out another copy of Demetria from her hand. "Then I, um, I Stride…right?"
"Go on," Yomi said.
She tossed the card into the drop zone before reaching out for, what did they call them? G Units? A G unit. "I Stride…" she peered at the card's name, took a deep breath, before slapping it down on the field. "Pirate King of Secret Schemes, Bandit Rum!"
Demetria's dollish form was enveloped in a blinding cyan light, her high-tailed golden hair falling like water into a streaming mess, a large rusty brown tricorne adorning her head. Her skin paled, and her Gothic black dress morphed into the white, ruffled attire of the Pirate King. [Pirate King of Secret Schemes, Bandit Rum - 26000 Power]
"G Units gain the power of the original grade three, which becomes its Heart," Eric explained. "They also have Triple Drive, which means you can check three times."
Caitlin nodded. So this is a Stride… "I now call Cremie and Jackie to rearguard!"
A dark, round shape sharpened into view next to Caitlin's Vanguard, a smaller, slithery yellow one zipping in behind it, chuckling uncontrollably. [Cremie the Ghostie - 9000 Power] [Jackie the Ghostie - 7000 Power]
"I attack with Samurai Spirit!"
[Damage Check: Prime Beauty, Amaruda (No Trigger)]
"Now Bandit Rum!" [Pirate King of Secret Schemes, Bandit Rum - 26000 + 5000 = 31000 Power]
"Perfect Guard! Kibitsuhime!"
One wisp. Another wisp. Then a third sphere of light in the dark, completing a triangular rune. The Pirate King held out a single palm, and as it brushed the illumination a harsh blast of light ripped through the water, scattering tiny pops of bubbles around in its wake. The opposing huntress braced herself for impact just as an angelic noble floated down between them, raising a translucent patchwork of barriers. The sudden impact sent powerful quakes of force across the water, as Yomi struggled to keep her footing, reality or otherwise. She grunted in response.
"That imagination…" she coughed.
"Triple Drive!"
[Drive Check: Jimmy the Ghostie (Critical Trigger)]
[Drive Check: Jimmy the Ghostie (Critical Trigger)]
[Drive Check: Jimmy the Ghostie (Critical Trigger)]
"T-triple?" Yomi gaped.
"All effects to Cremie! Attack!" [9000 + 2000 + 7000 + 5000 + 5000 + 5000 = 33000 Power, Critical 4]
The black blob shot forth like bullet, spinning about like a top, letting out a battle cry that sounded more like a baby wailing than anything, but a battle cry nonetheless. Cremie brought down his little daggers on the enemy, only to be met by a bright lavender light, condensing into a large net that spread around Amaruda, continuously woven around by a pink-dressed woman.
"Generation Guard," Yomi breathed. "Goddess of Twill, Tagwoot. I place the Azusa in my drop zone into my soul to grant an extra ten-thousand shield." [11000 + 15000 + 10000 = 36000 Power]
"G-generation Guard?"
"By discarding a Heal Trigger, you can call a G Guardian to the Guardian Circle," Eric explained. "Think of it as the defensive version of a Stride."
Caitlin nodded. I was so close, too…
Caitlin
Hand: 6
(Samurai Spirit) – (Zack the Ghostie) – (Cremie the Ghostie)
(Rough Seas Banshee) – (Matt the Ghostie) – (Jackie the Ghostie)
Damage: 4 – [Chappie the Ghostie] (U), [Pirate Swordsman, Colombard] (U), [Carl the Ghostie] (U), [Fabian the Ghostie] (U)
Yomi
Hand: 2
(Battle Maiden, Azusa) – (Prime Beauty, Amaruda) – (Empty)
(Detect Angel) – (Origin Goddess, Nakisawame) – (Empty)
Damage: 3 – [Transport Harpy] (U), [Goddess of Favorable Wind, Ninnil] (U), [Teabreak Angel] (U)
"Ishtar, finish her off," Yomi sighed. [Goddess of Investigation, Ishtar - 26000 Power]
"N-no guard…"
[Damage Check: Leader of Ghosties, Demetria (No Trigger)]
Twin sapphire lances danced around in the higher goddess's hands, twirling, whirling, spiraling in tune with her arching body, and before the dollish ghoul could comprehend what was happening her body was slashed apart, causing her to fade into the darkened azure.
"I…lost," Caitlin murmured despondently.
"I…I'm sorry," Yomi bit her lip.
"No! No it's fine!" the blonde reassured, smiling shyly. "I had a lot of fun."
"Fun?" Yomi stared back, puzzled.
"Yes," Caitlin nodded. "I mean, you are strong, and it's a little scary, but I still had a lot of fun fighting you."
"You don't feel…angry?"
"Why would I feel angry?" Caitlin saw Yomi's mouth open in surprise, only to close back as something dawned on her. Something she couldn't quite comprehend. She pondered asking the girl what was wrong before she was immediately beaten to the punch.
"T-thanks," Yomi murmured softly, smiling slightly. "Thank you."
"N-no, thank you," Caitlin chuckled. "Thanks for teaching me, and making me a part of your world."
Vanguard. It's a beautiful world, isn't it?
Wheeee~ I'll be honest, this chapter was a little tough to write out since it IS a tutorial fight and that doesn't give me much room for much else. And you'll notice that I've switched POV to Caitlin's this time around. I'll be doing that a lot. Sometimes even in the middle of the chapter. It's just easier given the nature of multiple storylines. I hope this wasn't too confusing? Anywho, updating will probably be a weekly thing, so expect that to be the current status quo unless something dire happens.
ALSO, if you had a keen eye you'd notice I used a fanmade card. That's probably going to happen a lot more often going forward, and definitely not just with 10k vanillas given the Clans I've picked for the protagonists. Any fanmade cards' stats will be posted up at the end of the Chapter in which they were introduced, and ONLY that Chapter. Although if you ask nicely I can send you them if you can't remember which Chapter it was ;) And before you ask, no, I'm not taking requests for so-and-so sub-clan and so-and-so archetype getting cards. If I need help I will ask for it. Reviews are always appreciated though, so please keep 'em coming. Please? Pretty please? I swear I'll be good. ;-;
Fan-Made Cards
Zack the Ghostie
Grade 2/10000 Power/5000 Shield/Ghost/Granblue
(No skills)
Disclaimer: I do not own Cardfight! Vanguard and its associated products. I only own the cards I create for this fanfic, and those are only appropriated. I do, however, own this fanfic. *guards fiercely*