Hey guys. Sorry about not updating last week. I had something else I needed to work on and couldn't put any time into updating this. Anywho, I hope you kids are ready for our biggest battle yet. Cause I sure am!
Wizard, the red stone and Burning Dragon Style.
Carter Hughes, briefcase in hand and wearing his preferred teaching attire, was making slow work trudging his was to his current place of employment. His mind was distant at the moment as he gripped his new ring and rolled it over in his hand. It was similar to his Flame Style transformation ring except the mask piece was modeled differently with a new gold framed red gem as a part of the forehead as well as twin dragon horn-like pieces stemming from the bridge between the eye pieces. Golem had completed the new ring the very same night they had received the new red mahouseki. Curious as to this new ring's function Carter immediately scanned it over his WizarDriver. The results were…
"Yu-kun!" Instantly pulled from his thoughts Carter turned as he saw his students/friends, Sakura and Tomoyo, jogging toward him. Carter smiled and waved nonchantly as his two protégés stopped to talk to him. "Yu-kun, are your wounds healed?" Sakura asked, concerned over her friend's well being considering the horrifying pummeling he had received the other night.
"Fit as fiddle!" Carter grinned, ruffling the younger girl's hair playfully.
"That's a relief." Sakura sighed. She then noticed the Ring in his other hand. "Yu-kun what's that ring?"
"Oh this?" Carter held up the ring so that his two students could see it.
"Is that another new ring?" Tomoyo noticed.
"Yeah, Golem made it for me just recently. Between the three of us, I think it might be a dud." He explained, slipping the red ring back into his jacket as the three continued on their way to the school.
"A dud?" Sakura blinked confused.
"Yeah." Carter nodded. "I tried using after Golem gave it to me but all I got was the 'Error!' response. So either the ring is a dud or it's not a ring I can use." Carter explained his reasoning. "Funny thing is…" He then pulled out another ring, this one was a spell ring and depicted a dragon spewing forth a torrent of flame. "This one seemed to have started reacting during my failed attempts."
"I haven't seen you use that ring." Sakura stated, not recognizing the ring from any of Carter's past battles.
"I can't use this one either." He sighed, depressed slightly. "This was actually one of the first rings I had received from my teacher, that is, the man who taught me magic. He said that in the right circumstances, this ring would become my trump card."
"What kind of circumstances?" Tomoyo asked.
"No idea. It was probably just cryptic teacher malarkey."
"DO YOU KNOW ABOUT MALARKEY!?"
"HOE!"
"BWAAAH!"
Both Carter and Sakura jumped as Yamazaki appeared beside the trio, quick with yet another tall tale. Chiharu was not far behind him, giving her boyfriend a tiresome look. "Can't you even hold off around a teacher?" She grumbled.
"It's alright Miharu-san. Continue Yamazaki-kun." Carter stated expectantly. Ever since the young teacher had started at the junior-high, he would keep an ear out for the boy's wild stories, finding them refreshing and the tourist in him fascinated by the foreign concepts and wondering if they were true. Yamazaki, was instantly pleased by how this new teacher had given him such leeway considering how his other teachers, not to mention Chiharu, tried to get him to keep his disruptions to a minimum.
"Hai!" Yamazaki said thrilled. "Anyway, malarkey is the name of a rare species of bird. It's the baby of a mallard and a turkey and rumor is that when it's cooked and served its flavor is a rich combination of both birds. But the bird was so rare that next to no one was aware that they existed didn't believe it when other people talked about how delicious it was. So whenever people hear something they don't believe they call it Malarkey because of that bird that may or may not have existed.
As the boy went on and on his friends listened with mixed reactions. Sakura was transfixed, perplexed by the idea of a super delicious bird that may, or may not have, existed. Tomoyo only giggled at her friends adorably gullible nature. Carter listened on, thoroughly amused by his students quick wit. Chiharu was already flexing her fingers, getting ready to throttle Yamazaki once more. As the small group of students and teacher entered the school grounds and were heading off to class, they did not notice one figure watching them from the other end of the street, his red eyes starring daggers into Yamazaki's back.
"That kid's big mouth is pissing me off."
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"Alright kids, we'll be reading literature for the Civil War today. Turn to the Chapter in your text books to read a few lines from "Gone with the Wind"."
"Hai!" The students called as one and began reading to themselves in silence, utilizing translating books nearby for words they could not fully understand yet. Carter watched on with pride as his young charges practically buried their noses into their books. Back home they would have lots of kids stilling talking loudly at the back of the class, while these kids however were more studious and cooperative as he noticed some kids asking some of their neighbors for help with translations. While to the students the foreign teacher had become a bit of a celebrity around the school. He was well liked by many of the senior staff and his compassion to students in need of extra help, not to mention his flair and energy while teaching hardly left things boring. His tough teacher routine from the beginning of his term here had even been seen as just him being his lively self trying to make sure his entrance left an impression.
"Yu-sensei, could you help me with this line? I'm still having trouble with these translations."
"Be there in a flash!" Carter called back, he then took a firm grip on his desk chair, wheeled it over to the wall next to his desk and kicked off with both his legs sending his chair sliding across the class room with him childishly riding in it. "Wheeeeeee!" The students tried to hold in giggles at the childish display. The door to the class room suddenly slid open. The visitor noticed the grown man riding on an office chair and stuck his foot out, catching the chair and causing its rider to fall back.
"Aw, the back of my head!" Carter groaned as he placed a hand on the back of his head to check for bruises. He then noticed that the said visitor's foot was hanging dangerously over his face. He didn't need to think twice as he rolled out of the way as the dark haired teen's foot smashed the ground where his face had been seconds ago. Carter rolled back to his feet and dusted off his burgundy jacket, eyeing the clearly irritable young man cautiously. "Are you a late arrival?" Carter asked, the kid wasn't much older than the rest of the class, but with the dark red changshan he wore not to mention his clearly hostile entrance, the magician highly doubted this boy was a student.
The class only stared at the boy in shock as he glared angrily, his eyes scanning the group and finally landing on Yamazaki. Ignoring Carter's question, he made quick steps through the group of stunned students and stopped beside Yamazaki's desk, glaring down at him with his blazing red eyes.
"Can I help you?" Yamazaki asked nervously. He didn't recognize this new boy but he was certain that he had picked him out specifically among the group.
"You piss me off."
"Huh?" Yamazaki could barely hear what the boy had muttered. He turned his head sideways so his ears were pointed in a direction he could hear more clearly. He suddenly heard a swift 'whooshing' noise and a sudden blast of warm air.
"Kyaaaa!" Several students immediately leaped from their seats and started making for the doors. Yamazaki sat stunned however, starring at the colossal weapon lying only centimeters from his feet after it had seamlessly cut his desk straight down the middle, leaving it in two, apparently charred, halves on the floor. Having summoned his weapon practically out of thin air the boy hefted his broad sword onto his shoulder. The sword had a scarlet hilt with the guard designed into twin spreading wings, the blade itself was triangular and golden, wisps of steam sprang up from the blade imply it was giving off incredible amounts of heat. Yamazaki stared up at the glaring boy shocked.
"That stupid face of yours. And that big idiotic grin you were wearing while spouting all that annoying horse-shit. It really…PISSES ME OFF!" The teen in red raised his sword up once more, looking to cut down the boy standing before him this time.
"Yamazaki-kun!" Chiharu tried to run to her boyfriend's side but someone else was a step ahead of her as he stepped between the two and caught the blade with his arms crossed beneath the guard.
"Now, now." Carter tutted disapprovingly. "Attacking someone just because they irritate you is just plain childish." Despite his confident smirk he was very aware that his arms were beginning to turn a shade darker from the blades intense heat.
"Urusai!" The boy snarled back as he pressed against the older man's guard. "I'll destroy whatever, and whoever I damn well please!" He growled menacingly as purple smoke started to stream from his body. His body suddenly shifted as he grew to match Carter's height. His body was now a bright crimson with gold feathers sticking from his fore arms and legs. Gold pauldron shaped like bird heads also grew from his shoulders. His face became featureless save for a pair of glowing green eyes. More feathers stuck out from his head like horns.
'A Phantom?!' Sakura and Tomoyo gasped as one. Sakura's first reaction was to reach for her key but she realized that getting Chiharu and Yamazaki out of here first was more important. "C'mon you two!" Sakura grasped both her friends hands as the four of them followed the rest of their class out of the room. Just before they slipped out, Sakura and Tomoyo threw Carter apologetic looks. He said nothing but winked reassuringly back at them.
"Get off my sword!" The Phantom demanded kicking at the teacher, sending him sprawling back and causing him to fall back over his desk. The red Phantom scoffed and turned in order to give pursuit to the group of kids who had escaped him.
Connect, please!
Pow!
Burst of automatic fire blasted into the Phantom's back causing him to stumble forward. He turned noticing the man he had assumed he had just dispatched was standing once again, a silver gun in hand and resting against his shoulder.
"Care to explain why you're after my precious little students?" Carter demanded more than asked as he slipped the red Flame Style ring onto his finger. The Phantom recognized the ring for what it was a chuckled expectantly as he rested his broad sword across his shoulder.
"That brat was just bait. My goal was only to drag you out, mahousukai." He leveled his sword Carter's way. "Or should I say, Kamen Rider? I never expected it was this easy to draw you out of your hole. I hope you can keep me entertained for at least a few seconds before I turn you into ash."
Carter glared hatefully at this new foe. "It's bad enough your kind attack Gates so you can increase your numbers. But for you to attack innocent children for just that? Unforgivable!" Carter's hand quivered in rage as he angrily passed his ring over the WizarDriver's scanner. "Henshin!"
Flame, please! Hi,hi! Hi-hi-hi!
The flaming red magic circle passed across Carter's body, summoning his red Flame Style armor. Carter leveled his gun in challenge. "Saa, showtime daa!"
"Wrong, Wizard!" The Phantom retorted and pointed his thumb to his chest. "From here on its Phantom Phoenix-sama's showtime!" The Phantom, Phoenix, charged at the waiting Kamen Rider, bringing his sword down and splitting Carter's desk in half just as the Wizard somersaulted away. Carter retaliated with another well placed silver bullet into Phoenix's chest. Phoenix snarled in anger and kicked at one of the nearby desks, sending it flying at Carter who flipped up, landing crossed legged on the desk as it landed while twirling his gun around his finger.
"Not too much space in here to fight, you have to admit." Carter quipped, rolling off the desk just as Phoenix chopped that one down too. The Phantom followed the agile Wizard into the halls. Phoenix lifted his sword up, causing it to burst into brilliant orange flames.
"Stop running!" Phoenix swiped his blade horizontally sending a wave of flame racing toward the Wizard and incinerating everything in its path.
"Ah crap!" Carter quickly swiped his blue Water Style ring over his buckle.
Water! Sui-sui! Sui-sui!
Defend!
As the rippling blue magic circle passed over him, Carter swiped yet another ring over his scanner, summoning a wall of water to repel the inferno tearing through the hall. A haze of steam flew up as the twin walls of water and fire collided, leaving both fighters blinded. Carter grinned under his helmet as a clever plan suddenly came to him.
"Dammit! We're not through yet!" Phoenix snarled as he dashed into the thinning fog. He stopped in his tracks when he realized that save for him the hall was empty. "Bastard! Don't you run away from me!" He growled as he stalked through the empty halls. He kicked open classroom doors, thinking the Wizard might have ducked into one of them, still he search came up short. As Phoenix continued his fruitless hunt for his target he was just barely aware of the moisture lining the area. To him, it stood to reason everything would be covered in water after that thick fog, but he was not aware, however, of one certain larger puddle slowly inching toward him. Until…
"Gotcha!" Wizard's hands suddenly rose up from the puddle's surface catching the Phantom off guard as they gripped him about the ankles. Phoenix fell flat on his face as his feet were pulled out from under him. The living puddle then descended on him as Carter rematerialized, gripping the Phantom's arms with his own and pinning him in a full nelson.
"Well, we seem to have reached an impasse." Carter quipped as he pulled the snarling Phoenix's arms back farther. "Now, I don't really feel all that secure taking my hands off your arms to try and finish you off. So how about we call this a draw and you crawl back into whatever miserable hole you came from." Phoenix ceased his struggling and then started chuckling to himself, to Carter's confusion.
"A draw?! I'm just getting started!" Phoenix roared in effort as he pushed upward, utilizing only the muscles in his core. Carter watched on in shock as Phoenix managed to pull himself back onto his knees, with the magician still attached to his back. Phoenix then managed to get one foot under him and then the other as he pulled himself up to his full height. Now Carter was hanging from the ground his arms still wrapped around the Phantom's arms. Somehow, Phoenix had managed to break free of Carter's pin using just as his lower body strength. The Phantom's physical strength must have been herculean!
"Hhhhrrrraaaaagh!" Phoenix's snarls built into a full blown roar as his body began giving off extreme amounts of heat. "Get off me!" He demanded as his body suddenly burst into flames, forcing Wizard to release his foe before he was scorched.
"What the hell are you?!" Carter gasped as he retrieved his sword-gun. Phoenix cracked his neck and began stretching his arms to recover from the less than affective hold. He then turned back and retrieved his own weapon to lay it across his shoulder.
"The mighty Phoenix-sama!" He declared arrogantly. "The most powerful of our boss's executioners. Sent here only to wipe out annoying pest like you Wizards." Phoenix pointed forward, to behind Carter.
"Yu-kun!" Carter turned as Sakura came running up to him, Star wand in hand.
"It's dangerous here, you should have stayed outside with the others!" Carter scolded the younger girl as she slid to a halt next to him, her staff raised to fight.
"We're a team remember. Our magic together is stronger than when they're alone." Sakura then summoned a familiar card depicting a naiad to her hand. Carter caught on immediately and pushed down the thumb on his Sword-gun, opening its scanner.
"Alright then. Let's extinguish him!" He passed his water ring over the scanner as Sakura passed her wand over her Sakura Card.
Water! Shooting Strike! Sui-sui-sui!
"Watery!"
Carter leveled his gun as a blue magic circle formed at the nose of its barrel. The Watery rose from her card and immediately began a ball of blue light which danced around the barrel of the sword-gun. In response the magic circle turned a bright shade of cerulean as even more powerful water magic built within it.
"Finale!" Both Wizard and Sakura called as one as a geyser of cerulean water exploded from the barrel of Carter's gun to strike Phoenix full in the chest. Phoenix snarled in pain as his flames were immediately snuffed out by the stream of high-powered water and forcing him backwards.
"This…is…NOTHING!" Phoenix roared as steam started rising from his body. He snarled and growled as he slowly began to push back against the geyser.
"No way!" Carter called stunned as Phoenix was beginning to retake ground, the flames on his sword hand even flared back to life. He swiftly raised his broad sword up, covering his body with it against the jet of water. He then began pushing forward even faster as he broke into a full charge.
"Die!" He bellowed as he gripped his sword in both hands and pushed his way through the last few feet.
"Sakura-chan!" Carter abandoned keeping his attack up and jumped in front of his young partner, holding the shocked girl tight against his chest as Phoenix swung for his exposed back.
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Boom!
"Kyaaaah!" The crowd of gathered students all ducked in cover as a sudden flash fire exploded from the sealed school doors. A huge wave of flame had escaped out and with it, a tumbling smoking mass holding tightly to another such screaming student.
"Yu-kun!" Sakura cried out as she lingered near the burnt and battered body of her friend. After he had shielded her with his own body, Carter's armor was immediately shattered by Phoenix's stroke, sending the two flying out of the burning school. Save for a few bruises from the their tumble out of the school Sakura was mostly unharmed, though she was not the least bit relieved as she stared down at her motionless teacher's broken body, tears streaming down her face. "Please somebody help him!"
"Kinimoto-san please move aside." Terada, who heard the commotion and had been busy rounding up the students away from the burning school, gently pulled the crying girl aside as paramedics rushed to Carter's side, already performing the first aid.
"He's alive!" One of the doctors assured the group of horrified students and teachers. "He's only got first degree burns and his injuries are only skin deep." The students sighed in relief but Sakura only stared at the man who had taken that possibly fatal blow for her with eyes still streaming with tears.
"It's a miracle!" Tomoyo rushed to her friend's side, hugging her about the shoulders and pulling her close, Sakura continued to cry into her friends chest, but she too was relieved. A red gleam suddenly caught her eye. She reached out to the lonely ring lying away from its master, a receding red glow still filling its depths.
"Yes. A miracle." Sakura agreed.
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"The hell was that?" Phoenix stood unfazed as the building burned around him. He had already retaken his human form and was staring off after his two enemies he had just sent flying. However his face was a clear mask of confusion.
Just before his attack struck the exposed Wizard's back, a bright flash of red light filtered forth from one of the rings on the magician's chain of rings. The light suddenly became a blazing pair of wings that sprouted from the Wizard's back that seemed to have deflected the bulk of his attack because what should have been an instant incineration was weakened into an attack that only sent his foes flying. Phoenix stood there for several more minutes within the flames, puzzling over this conumdrum.
"No matter." He finally decided. The Wizard had lost and he won. Nothing else to it. Phoenix actually enjoyed that fight, short as it was. And if the Wizard wasn't dead then that just meant he could take his time killing him later. "Better head on back." He decided and with his hands behind his back and skip in his step he waltzed toward the back exit of the burning building, crossing the burning floors as if he were in the middle of field of spring daisies.
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"Tomoyo! Sakura-chan!" Sakura and Tomoyo turned to the shout and were soon pulled into a tight embrace as Sonomi Daijobi seemed to hold onto both girls for dear life. "Yogata!" She cried relieved that her precious daughter and niece were unharmed. Sakura noticed that her Father and older brother were right behind her.
"Otou-san. Oni-chan." Sakura started to tear up as she rushed to her father's side and buried her chest into her father's chest. Fujitaka wrapped his arms around his daughter, understandingly.
"Is that teacher of yours alright?" Toya asked looking into the small hospital room. Sakura had begged the paramedics to let her go with them to take Carter to the hospital and Tomoyo finally convinced them that it would be prudent to take Sakura along if only to make sure of the severity of her injuries. As was expected, Sakura only had a few bruises. After her examination was over she immediately asked where the teacher who had saved her life was resting and for the last few minutes she and Tomoyo had watched over the already bandaged up but still unconscious Carter Hughes.
"They say he's stable. But they aren't able to understand why he's still unconscious." Tomoyo explained.
"It must be that special anatomy of his." Sonomi guessed, recalling how Tomoyo and Sakura had brought the young man home with them, explaining that he collapsed from over stimulation. "Being caught inside of a burning building is a little much for most people. Still, for him to have braved that fire in order to save Sakura's life…we owe this man so much."
"Why were you one of the last ones to evacuate?" Toya turned on his sister suspiciously.
"Umm…" Though rumors were going around about how a monster had attacked her classroom, very few of the teachers actually bought into the story and decided it must have been a gas explosion. Still, Sakura couldn't just tell her family that she actually plunged back into the fire herself in order to help Carter.
"Sakura-chan got separated from the rest of as everyone was panicking to get outside." Tomoyo instinctively lied on her friend's behalf. "I was the one who told Yu-sensei about this and he ran back inside to check. We were so lucky he found Sakura-chan when he did."
"Incredible." Fujitaka also peered into the room and gazed compassionately to the younger man who had saved his daughter's life. "We have to make sure we thank this man properly when he wakes up." He turned to his daughter and smiled reassuringly. She had caught his "when" remark, implying he too shared her faith that the brave teacher would wake up soon.
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"I'm back!" Phoenix called less than enthusiastically as he marched into the wide, mostly empty cave. Dominating the dark chamber was a frilly white bed, covered on all side by a pure silken curtain, hiding the face of the figure who could be seen sitting up in bed.
"It seems you've caused quite a ruckus today, Phoenix." The figure in bed stated, their voice giving off a dark, feminine undertone.
"I was bored." Phoenix shrugged, guiltless. "You have cooped up all day I and got impatient for when my real job can get started. It's not like I care for making Gates despair like the rest of your grunts."
"Indeed. You are my most powerful subordinate. But your actions were reckless you could have destroyed a potential Gate."
"Well, my ends speak for my methods, boss." Phoenix smirked. "The Wizard's down for the count for now. We can get back to make Gate's despair at our leisure.
"There is still the young Sorceress."
"You want her gone? Done!" Phoenix grinned as he turned on his heels, preparing to venture out once more.
"Wait!" The figure commanded as several green, thorn ridden vines scrambled from beneath the curtain and reached out, ensnaring the startled Phoenix and pulling him back to the bed's side. "That girl is not to be touched." The figure commanded sternly.
"Hmph, fine!" Phoenix brushed the vines away, scowling for being forced to stay cooped up, in boredom, once more. A pale, feminine arm reached out from within the curtain and ran a delicate finger down the side of Phoenix's cheek.
"My dear Phoenix. I understand how you despise being held back so. All I ask is a little restraint. And a little cooperation." The hand now held out a square Polaroid photo to the sulking Phoenix who took it curiously. "This is your target. Make this Gate fall into despair for me, for now."
Phoenix grinned and the photo vaporized into black ash in his grip. He wasn't going to need to take this with him. After all, he knew this face all too well.
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"This place is…" Carter awoke into a wide pitch black space. He had no idea how he had gotten here. The last thing he remembered was moving in front of Sakura and then…everything else was a blank after that.
"Hello!" He shouted into the empty nothingness. No response. He seemed to be utterly alone.
Sob...sob!
Carter turned toward the sound. He knew that sound anywhere. It was the sound of a child in tears, a sound he could not stand above all else. "Where are you!?" He shouted once more, running off blind into the darkness. Still he heard the pitiful sobs. "I'm here! Tell me where you are!"He continued to yell as he jogged through the featureless darkness. His eyes soon fell on a tiny figure cowering and in tears as they huddled away into a small corner of darkness of their own.
"Hey!" Carter walked up to the young child, who couldn't have been much more than ten years old. He held out a reassuring hand and smiled. "Hey, c'mon. Crying never solved anything. Let's get out of here ok?" The child didn't look at him, he only continued to cry into his crossed arms. "Hey…" Carter reached out, trying to take the kid's hand in order to lead him out of…where ever they were. Better to at least stay near the kid instead of just leaving him alone in this place. His fingers had barely come close to the boy's arm when the kid's head suddenly shot up in fright, and Carter's eyes widened.
"You are…" A head of messy brown hair and light blue eyes, all a part of a face all too familiar to the magician.
"Aaaaaaahhhhh!" The boy screamed out in terror and suddenly scrambled away from Carter.
"Hey!" Carter called out to the boy, when he suddenly felt a dark presence behind him. He turned as his gaze trembled with shock and terror. Standing before him, wrapped in a cloak of inky black shadow, red eyes glaring from the cloak, was a monstrous humanoid creature carrying a pair of wickedly sharp tomahawks. Carter's first instinct was to go pass his driver ring over his buckle, but no sound went off and his WizarDriver did not come at his call. 'What?!" Carter soon realized that his rings were missing. He took a horrified step back as the Phantom stalked toward him, hatchet raised, prepared to strike. "Dammit!" Carter immediately rushed at the advancing beast, bounding and twisting in mid-air to deliver a quick bicycle kick to beast's skull. However, his kick only passed right through the Phantom and as he landed stunned, he noticed that the monster was paying no attention to him and literally passed over him as if he wasn't there.
"Oi!" Carter grasped for the retreating monster's ankle but only grabbed empty air as his hands passed through the creature's leg. Still the monster stalked forward, it's target, the cowering boy, having backed himself into a corner and trembling as the object of his fear drew closer to him. Carter watched on in shock at this horrible scene, a sight that had haunted his nightmares for years. And more than this moment, he feared what would come next.
Coming literally from the shadows, a tall, well muscled man suddenly rammed into the shadowy beast. He grappled with the snarling demon as he tried to pull its murderous weapons from its grasp.
"Son, run!" The man ordered as he was easily tossed aside. The boy only continued to cower as he watched his Father call out in pain as the monster slammed its foot down into his chest. The creature had decided that the adult wasn't a concern and began stalking toward the child once more. And once more the big man got in its way, grabbing it from behind by looping his arms around the Phantom's up raised biceps. He pulled with all his might, trying to pull the creature as far from his son as possible but once again the shadowy demon broke free, only this time, it decided it had had enough of the meddlesome adult. Carter's voice cracked as the axe swiped down and he and the boy cried out as one.
"Daaaaaaaaaaddddd!"
Time seemed to have stopped. The boy, reaching out for his Father crouched motionless, hand hanging in mid-air and unable to reach. The beast, frozen mid-swing, relishing the sight of its blade digging into human skin and cutting a bloody scar through the big man's chest. And the man, not looking at his murderer, nor the axe protruding from his chest, but to his son, his mouth open as he had been calling out to his son. Telling him to do…something. Even as he watched his old-man die right in front of him.
Carter's nails scraped into the ground as he balled his hands into fist. He has felt this same frustration and helpless for years, reliving the moment where he watched his father die over and over and wishing he were stronger. Even now after he had become a Wizard, he still felt that way. He had barely scraped through the fight against Gargoyle, had Sakura not come to his aid Gnome might have killed him, and now Phoenix, a Phantom possibly even stronger and definitely more vicious than Empousa was out in Tomoeda running amok, and Carter just felt so helpless.
"Feeling sorry for yourself is unlike you." Carter looked up and he stared in shock. Standing proudly above him, adorned in his brilliant red armor was his alter ego, Kamen Rider Wizard. The armored magician scoffed and turned his back to him. "This scene was where you're long and lonely battle began." Wizard stated as Carter rose back on his feet to gaze at the scene along with his alter-ego. "The sorrow you felt as your loved ones were wiped out right in front you drove you into despair. It was a wonder that a child so young could hold out and embrace hope once more. You are indeed a wonder, Carter Hughes."
"It helps having you breathing down my neck all the time, Dragon." Carter smirked, having recognized his inner Phantom for what he was immediately.
"Hmph." Wizard snorted and his human form melted away, becoming the proud, silver scaled beast Carter knew so well. "You say such confusing things. If anything my presence should be a bad reminder of this day for you. After all, I was born through these events."
"As was my hope." Carter added. Dragon turned its long neck to the magician, starring at him almost quizzically. Carter smirked and held his hand out his partner. "That day, more than anything, I wanted to reach out and take my father's hand. I wanted to save him more than anything and not being able to do so drove me into sorrow so deep I thought I was going to drown in it." Carter held a hand to his chest, pained by the memory. "But that day, I also saw a light that broke through the cloud of despair that threatened to swallow me. That light gave me hope that I could once again hold out my hand to someone else and save them. That brilliant light was my ideal. What I strived for as a Wizard. That light is what gave birth to you, Dragon."
Dragon snorted once more. "So, I was born from your hope was I?" Dragon chuckled at the ridiculous notion. The monstrous beat then lifted up one of its great golden claws and placed it over Carter's own. Sliding its claw away it revealed a shining red ring now lying in Carter's hand. Carter recognized the ring as the one crafted from the red stone. "That ring will grant you access to even more of my power." Dragon explained. "But at a great risk. As you gain more and more of my power you edge yourself closer and closer toward despair. Will your faith still hold out as you face that, Carter Hughes?" Dragon inquired as it beats it great wings, preparing to take off.
Carter chuckled and slipped the ring onto his finger. "You know me better than that, Dragon. The abyss stares at me and I stare back at it." He then raised his hand up in a fist. The ring on his hand suddenly flared to life as a red light rose into the dark sky overhead. The light raced across the darkness, literally burning it away and the painful image of the younger Carter and his Father's murder.
"Hahaha!" Dragon laughed, impressed by his host's resolve. He rose high into the air, soaring into the distant light. "Rejoice, Carter Hughes. You are now one step closer to your ideal." Carter watched as his Phantom soared away and a new figure began walking toward him, the light that forced the darkness away coming with him.
The figure shined brilliantly as the light of the red ring refracted off his gleaming, diamond like armor. Carter and he stared at each other thoughtfully. Carter noticed the familiar hand print shaped buckle around the Wizard's waist and his hand's went to the similar buckle on his own waist.
"Don't worry. I'll catch up to you soon enough." Carter promised. The diamond armored Wizard nodded in acknowledgement and lifted up his own hand where a brilliant ring modeled after a diamond gleamed in the brilliant light. The red and diamond ring glowed in unison before filling the once dark void with all consuming light.
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"Chiharu-chan! Yamazaki-kun!" Sakura called to her two friends when she spotted them at the front desk.
"Sakura-chan! How's Yu-sensei?" Chiharu asked as Sakura and Tomoyo walked toward them.
"He's still sleeping." Tomoyo explained.
"I see." Chiharu sighed. "We wanted to thank him for saving Yamazaki-kun as soon as he woke up."
"I still don't know why that monster-guy was after me. I've never seen him until today." Yamazaki pondered to himself.
'Could Yamazaki-kun be a Gate?' Sakura nervously thought back to how the Phantom had immediately picked Yamazaki out of the entire class, implying he knew who he was looking for. And what was worse was his methods. Most of the Phantom's they had fought until now had attempted to indirectly force Gates into despair, but Phoenix seemed to prefer just hunting them down and terrorize them until they despaired, and he had the power to back it up.
With Carter out cold, that left Sakura and her two guardians as the only ones able to protect Gates. But, if a Gate were to somehow fall into despair then the situation would be hopeless, since only Wizard could actually save a Gate from falling into despair.
'We'll have to prioritize protecting Gates instead of beating Phantoms.' She decided to herself.
"Well, we'll just check in on him for a few seconds." Yamazaki stated. "Yu-sensei's always really energetic so maybe he'll wake up when we get there."
"Alright. We'll show you where his room is." Sakura smiled and led her friends up to the next floor where Carter's room was located. It was then that Sakura felt a familiar foreboding sensation.
"Kyaaaaaa!"
The group turned back to the floor they had just ascended from. Yamazaki and Chiharu gasped as they saw the hospital lobby erupt into chaos as a pack of horned, rock-like monster's swarmed the patients, visitors and doctors with their swords and pikes raised.
'Ghouls!' Sakura mentally screamed. 'Why here?! Why now?!'
"Quick you two, we need to get to the top floor! There should be a fire escape that'll take us down. Sakura you need to find your brother and tell him to join us." Sakura blinked at Tomoyo's command. Her brother had left an hour ago with her father and Tomoyo's mother. Tomoyo winked and handed Sakura her bag and then ran after the fleeing Chiharu and Yamazaki. Sakura instinctively ducked into an hallway and opened Tomoyo's bag.
"I can always count on you, Tomoyo-chan." Sakura smiled as she pulled out the mask, beret and cape of her Piffle costume, just enough for a quick disguise. Sakura slipped on her costume and then removed the key from around her neck.
"Key that holds the power of the stars, show your true form before me." Sakura began to chant as her magic circle formed beneath her feet and her key floated inches above her open hands. "I, Sakura command you under our contract. Release!" Sakura grabbed her Star Wand just as it grew to its full length and she immediately summoned a card to her side. "Windy!"
A mighty gust kicked up as the figure of a yellow skinned sylph rose from the surface of the card. The Windy passed over the mob of panicking people and monsters as her winds began wrap about the Ghouls, holding them in place. The civilians had no idea where this wind had come from but they instantly saw it as a god-send and escaped out of the lobby and dispersed in all directions to get as far away from the stone monsters as soon as possible. Satisfied that the civilians were out of danger, Sakura dismissed Windy, allowing the Ghouls to move about freely once more, only now their focus was on Sakura.
"I won't let you get near Yamazaki-kun or Yu-kun!" She declared as she threw up two new cards. "Watery! Thunder!" At the command of her mistress the Watery once again rose up from her card and doused the charging Ghouls with a spray of high pressure water that sent them reeling, sopping wet, onto the ground Then, appearing from a sudden flash of lightning; a roaring, wolf-like beast appeared at Watery's side, channeling dangerous amounts of electricity at the disabled Ghouls and vaporizing there sodden stone bodies into chunks.
"Okay, that should do it." Sakura stated, satisfied.
"Nisuu~! Sakura-chan." Sakura's eyes widened, she knew that voice anywhere.
"Yu-kun!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Back with Tomoyo, Yamazaki and Chiharu, the three teens had finally made it up to the top floor and had made a mad dash for the emergency exit that led onto the roof. From there they would take a fire escape down to the parking lot below and then they should be home free. It should have been that easy.
"Yo~!" The teens came to a dead stop at the exit. Smirking at them with his broad sword resting on his shoulders, was the same young man who had attacked Yamazaki earlier today. "I was wondering when you'd get up here. I wanted to make sure my Ghouls had herded you right to me." Phoenix chuckled as he transformed into his scarlet bodied, true form.
"Back inside!" Yamazaki cried as he ushered the two girls back into the hospital and slammed the door behind him. They had not even gone an inch when the door was instantly smashed open by the Phantom's burning blade.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to finish our chat from this morning up here." Phoenix quipped as he grabbed Yamazaki by the collar and dragged him back out onto the roof. Chiharu had somehow gotten ahold of a broom and was instantly charging toward Phoenix with her make-shift weapon raised.
"Let him go!" She demanded as she rapidly struck the red Phantom across the back and arms with her weapon. Phoenix's only ignored the girl as he stopped at the edge of the roof.
"Now then, let the fear of death drive you to despair." Phoenix commanded the struggling Yamazaki as he hung him over the several story drop. Still Chiharu continued to cry out to the merciless Phantom.
"Please don't!" She begged, throwing her broom aside and grabbing Phoenix's arm. "I'm begging you, whatever it is you want from him you can take it from me! Just don't hurt him!"
"What I want?" Phoenix cocked his head to the side almost innocently. "I want your Phantom. His death is just a bonus." Phoenix suddenly released his hold on Yamazaki's collar, releasing the teen to fall to his death. Chiharu's legs suddenly went weak as she shook her head in disbelief.
"YAMAZAKI-kun!" Chiharu cried out in despair as a purple fissure formed across her forehead and began spreading out across her face and even her body. Phoenix smirked at the sight of the sorrow stricken girl but deep down he felt empty for the whole thing. What he loved was destruction and carnage. He loved crushing people under foot. These mind games where he had to make people fall into the brink of despair was good for a quick laugh, but it wasn't anything that could actually entertain him. He needed something more to stimulate him...he needed...
"A victim." Phoenix's eyes then fell on the young dark haired girl watching with horror filled eyes from the earlier destroyed emergency exit. He didn't know why she chose to stick around instead of save herself but lucky for him she did. He hefted his sword across his shoulder and he menacingly waltzed over to the cowering girl. "Care to play again of Cat and Mouse." He didn't seem to be asking as a fire ball formed in his free hand.
Bam!
Phoenix suddenly reeled forward as he was struck across the back. The sensation of silver bullets impacting across his back sent up an alarm in his head.
"How about you play with me instead." Wizard, hovering in mid-air by the wind calling powers of his Hurricane ring, and holding up the panting but still very much alive Yamazaki by his arm. Wizard landed on the roof and allowed the teen to rush to his girl friend's side.
"Chiharu!" He cried shaking her gently to try to get her to look at him but she continued to only look blankly into space wearing a mask of pure hopelessness.
"So, you're back for round two?" Phoenix smirked as he leveled his blade at Wizard who summoned his own Sword-gun and wielded it reverse handed as he marched toward his foe.
"I won't allow you to harm my student any longer." Carter declared, just out of earshot of Yamazaki. "Let's take this down stairs." Wizard then rushed the surprised Phoenix as a gale kicked up around him and sent him careening off the roof and onto the parking lot below. The two quickly broke apart.
"Hmph! Up there or down here. You're gonna get burned no matter what the altitude."
"Please, what you gave me earlier barely even counted as a sun burn."
Phoenix snarled as he rushed at the magician with his broad sword ablaze. He began hacking and swiping with abandon his sword leaving a line of fire through the air. Wizard, on the other hand ducked and dodged the wild swings with ease, thanks to the added speed and agility provided by his Hurricane style. He quickly flipped over enraged Phantom and slashed him across the back, sending sparks flying from Phoenix's crimson body. Phoenix growled in frustration and kicked back blindly with his foot ablaze, catching Carter in the chest. He would have bent sent reeling, but the magician quickly passed his bright yellow ring over the scanner.
Land, please! Dododo, dododon. Don, dododon!
Carter grasped Phoenix's leg and hurled the Phantom away with the greater strength his yellow Land armor provided.
"That's it! I'm done playing games!" Phoenix roared as his body erupted in flames. He hurled his sword away and held his hands out in front of him. The fire covering his body suddenly began to build in his arms and flow to the space between his open hands. He raised his arms over his head as the flames gathered into a gigantic orb of crimson flame. "Burn in hell!" Phoenix threw his arms forward which sent his humongous projectile hurling through the air right at the Kamen Rider who had only enough time rip a new ring from his chain.
Boom!
A pillar of flame exploded over the spot where Phoenix's ultimate attack had hit, vaporizing anything that had been there. Phoenix cackled in triumph as he marveled over what could only be called his enemies funeral pier. He didn't once think on that all important rule of combat.
"The time you are most likely to lower your guard, is the moment when you think victory is at hand."
"Masaka!" Phoenix looked down only just in time to see the ground erupt at his feet as an armored fist smashed into his chin and sent him tumbling end over end through the air. Carter dusted the dirt off his armor and slipped off his Drill ring as it had done its duty well. "Bastard..." Phoenix was already getting back to his feet, glaring hatefully at the Wizard who had cold-cocked him.
"Time to finish this." Carter declared and pulled out his new red ring.
"How!?" Phoenix demanded unafraid. "You couldn't even beat with that stupid little girl's help! What makes you think you can defeat the Immortal Phoenix alone, dumbass!"
Carter glared darkly as the Phantom threw insults at him, and worst of all, Sakura. "My new power...Will burry you!"
Flame, Dragon! Bou, bou! Bou-bou-bou!
A red magic circle suddenly formed in front of Carter, as a blazing projection of Dragon erupted from Carter's back. The Dragon roared as it struck Phoenix and sent the evil Phantom sprawling once again. The Dragon then charged its master, colliding into the magic circle and passing right through the waiting Wizard and covering his body in brilliant red flames. A pair of blazing dragon rings spouted from his back before being extinguished along with the rest of the flames, leaving Carter in his radically changed armor.
His helmet now sported a pair of dragon horns and a red jewel in a gold frame in the center of his forehead. His cloak had now changed into an entirely red shade. The gems on his chest had disappeared and was replaced by the glaring face of a dragon. And his shoulders now sported silver and black armor with red gems on the sides. Carter felt his body practically fill with an incredibly intense heat that became power that rushed through every corner of his body. He had achieved Wizard's Flame Dragon style.
(Hit the music: Last Engage!)
"Saa, showtime daa!" Carter quipped as he retrieved his sword-gun.
"I told you, it's my showtime!" Phoenix snarled as he charged the improved Wizard with his Sword raised. Carter countered by slipping a ring onto his left hand and pulling down thumb of his Sword-gun and then passing the ring over the sword's scanner.
Copy, please!
A second Sword-gun suddenly materialized in Wizard's empty hand. Carter crossed his swords over his head just in time to catch Phoenix's overhead chop. Phoenix pressed down on his blade with all his might, but Wizard FD's improved power seemed to be a match even for him. Wizard suddenly slipped on of his blades free from his cross guard and swiped and Phoenix, sending him reeling back from the cut across his chest. Carter pressed his offensive as he rapidly slashed and stabbed with his twin blades. Phoenix desperately tried to block with his much larger weapon but an upward swipe from Carter sent the blade flying from the Phantom's hands and left him defenseless from the barrage of slashes that forced him to retreat back.
"How?!" Phoenix couldn't believe how things had quickly turned around. This morning he had the Wizard on the run, now this same Wizard was forcing him, the almighty Phoenix, to retreat! "This isn't fun anymore." Phoenix growled as all feeling of excitement from a real fight had faded away into a burning hatred, directed completely to the red cloaked Wizard.
"The games end now!" Carter declared as he ripped his trump card from his chain of rings.
Cho-inee! Special! Saikoo!
Carter began to levitate off the ground as his red magic circle appeared from his back once more, and same as then, the fiery projection of Dragon crashed appeared only to crash through the circle once more. Dragon's head suddenly grew from Wizard's chest, equipping Wizard with his Drago Skull weapon.
"Finale!" Carter cried as the flames built within Dragon's jaws. Phoenix starred up in disbelief as the Drago Skull let loose a firestorm that struck the shocked Phantom and decimating the asphalt where he was standing.
"No...way!" Phoenix cried out in denial as his body exploded into a rubble and ash.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Chiharu-chan!" Sakura, having removed her disguise, was at Yamazaki's side as he, Tomoyo and Sakura tried in vain to stir Chiharu from her despair.
"Step aside please." They all turned and Sakura's and Tomoyo's eyes widened as they saw the brilliant new form of their Kamen Rider ally. He gently slipped a ring onto the dying girl's finger and held her hand up to his buckle.
Engage, please!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Koi, Dragon!" Carter cried as he spotted the incarnation of Chiharu's despair, a manta-ray like creature that screeched harshly as it crashed into its surroundings in a mad attempt to break loose out into reality. Wizard Flame Dragon's flames suddenly rose upward, changing Wizard back into his normal Flame Style and collecting in the air to form his Phantom, Dragon.
Connect, please!
"Dragon, lend me your power!" Carter shouted as he shot into the air astride his motorcycle, the Machine Winger, and attached his bike to Dragon's back. Now in Winger WizarDragon formation, the magician and his smoke pillowing steed soared after the screeching Phantom. The manta-ray turned on them when it realized it was being chased and fired off quick bursts of dark lightning, but now in his faster more agile state, Dragon easily dodged each of the dangerous bolts as he made a bee-line for his target. Carter passed his final ring over the scanner and leaped into the air from dragon's back.
Cho-inee! Kick Strike! Saikoo!
Dragon shifted into Strike Phase as the flaming projection of Wizard smashed his foot into the dragon foot like weapon and careened into the flying beast with the devastating Strike End finisher.
"Fui." Carter sighed as he and Dragon landed side by side. His eyes then followed the forms of several running children.
"You can't catch me!" One of them, a girl with red hair tied up in twin braids was leading her friends in a merry chase around a modest play ground. That must have been the younger Chiharu, he believed.
"Wait up, Chiharu-chan!" Carter then recognized another girl within the group, who had short brown hair tied into tiny pig tails, as his dear friend Sakura. He immediately recognized each of Sakura's friends among the playing children, as each of them were also his students.
"Hey do you girl's no about tag?!" A dark haired boy with squinty eyes, had to be Yamazaki, suddenly ran alongside the group of girls." A long time ago, people played tag as a form of weight training. The master would always be lead his students around in a chase while they were wearing super heavy weights in order to increase their stamina. And anyone who couldn't keep up would always have to wear twice as heavy weights as punishment."
"Nuh-uh!" Chiharu suddenly stopped in her tracks and pounced on the younger Yamazaki. "Stop making up lies you squinty eyed moron!" An anger mark forming on her brow, Chiharu throttled the smiling boy while he laughed and asked why she was getting so worked up for. All the while Sakura and friends watched on, sweat dropping as their friend strangled the strange boy. Carter chuckled to himself.
"Isn't that adorable." He cooed happily. His beastial partner simply snorted in indifference and turned its back on the whole thing, ready to return home. Carter shrugged and, after summoning a single white flower to his hand and setting it down on the ground, followed his Phantom into the portal back to reality.
Loooooooooooong. Loooooooong-ass chapter! Ugh! Sorry if my quality of work dropped their near the end guy's, I was just really in a hurry to end this without going over ten thousand words. Hope you all enjoyed it, cause there's more to come.
I don't own Cardcaptors, Kamen Rider or the Song Last Engage. Puuhh!