When Lucas said that he'd put Sean through a "Vanguard boot camp", he wasn't kidding. For nearly a week, Sean's free time was dominated by Lucas drilling the necessary skills into his friend to help guarantee some progress at Spring Circuit. Every moment Lucas had with him, he made sure that Sean would live, eat, and breathe Vanguard. Their days were dominated by talk of combos, deckbuilding, defensive strategies, and attack order. Lucas made no half measure of it- Sean would be ready for the big tournament, come hell or high water. Perhaps unsurprising in hindsight, given how earnest the boy was...for better or worse.

Sean sighed again, taking another drink from his water bottle in a vain attempt to keep himself awake. Worse, definitely for the worse. God, I'm even starting to dream about attack patterns…

Luckily, it was a slow day at the Cardfight Committee. With most students at Sutter making plans for Spring Break, not even the diehard fighters showed up on a regular basis. Nat and Carlos made a habit of coming everyday anyway, but even they were getting bored of tending to Committee business when no one would come until after the Break. Nat often broached the idea of a watch party for Spring Circuit, but it hadn't gained traction yet. Up until now, he'd just hang out with Carlos and whatever straggler showed up, either playing a game or two or just discussing the new Image Fight season. For Sean, the lack of activity gave him a chance to catch up on some much needed Zs…

"Did you hear? Arthur Wallace is going to be a commentator for Spring Circuit." Carlos pulled out his phone and started bringing up articles for Nat to see. "Looks like they're pulling out the big guns this year."

...well, provided Sean could ignore some chatter.

"No way," Nat said, grabbing the phone. "That's unreal. How'd they get Wallace on board?"

"Well, Spring Circuit is a pretty big deal, and given that this is the last one before a major format shakeup-"

"You think they want to go out with a bang?"

"More or less."

Nat handed the phone back, a smile spreading across his face. "That settles it. If Armor Breaker himself is going to be commentating, we have to have a watch party. It'd be wrong for any Committee member to miss out on his artistry."

Carlos chuckled. "It's a multi-day tournament, Nat. That's a long party."

Nat's smile evaporated slowly. "Okay, then, maybe not a 'party' per se. More of a string of get togethers or so. Maybe with food. And drinks. Perhaps streamers, if I can find some-"

"So watch parties?" Carlos put some emphasis on the ending change. Sean was too tired to look, but he assumed the boy was wearing some amused or bewildered look.

"Not a bad idea, Carlos. A string of watch parties! Spring Circuit with Wallace certainly deserves more than one."

If Sean wasn't nodding off, he'd be laughing. I appreciate the sentiment, Nat, but maybe let reality win this time? Here's hoping someone can bring him down to Earth a bit. He yawned. That'd be a nice dream for a power nap…

The door burst open, jolting Sean from any potential sleep. "There you are!" Lucas grinned as he trampled into the room, trailed soon by a frantic Kiki.

"Lucas, please-" Kiki pleaded.

"He's going to love this, trust me."

Right now, I don't think I'd love anything more than five minutes alone. Sean begrudgingly opened his eyes, trying his best to fight back the bubbling frustration welling inside. "Hello, Lucas." He greeted his friend with as much cordial energy as he could muster at the moment. "I'm guessing you found a new tech?"

Lucas grinned. "Nope. Well, not yet, anyway. This is way better, though. I just found out where Spring Circuit is taking place in the best possible way."

"Pipe down, Robertson," Nat griped. "I'm trying to get Midori on the phone for the watch parties."

Lucas blinked. "Parties?" He looked to Carlos for an explanation. "Like, more than one?"

Carlos shrugged sheepishly. "He's on a roll, it'll pass."

"Um, Lucas," Kiki said, tapping the boy on the shoulder. "I think you should tell Sean the news so he can-"

"Right, right," Lucas turned back to Sean, who at this point had mustered enough energy for polite eye contact. "So I got a letter from the organizers of Spring Circuit. 'Congrats on winning your regional qualifier, here are the rules for the next stage, yadda yadda.' Standard stuff. Except for," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper that had been folded a half-dozen times, "four of these bad boys! Check it out!"

Sean simply obliged, taking the wad and unfolding it carefully. He wasn't sure what to expect, given what Lucas had told him. He doubted it was a card; seasoned players like Lucas took much better care of such things. A printed coupon or pass, maybe? They did win a sanctioned event, after all. With the final fold lifted, Sean took as close a look as he could in his state. "Wait," he said, recognizing several features based on past travels. "This is a boarding pass."

"Uh huh," Lucas confirmed with bated excitement. "And look where it's headed."

Sean scanned the pass again. "...San Francisco," he read. A second passed before Sean realized the impact of his observation. "No way."

"Way!" Lucas cried. "The org's footing the bill so that Team Villager can participate in Spring Circuit, which is being held in San Fran-freaking-cisco!"

"Robertson!" Nat hissed. "I'm on the phone!"

Lucas rolled his eyes. "So guess where you'll be spending Spring Break, buddy?"

Sean's exhaustion was giving way, just this once, to a sort of bewildered excitement. "San Fran," he repeated to himself. "That's...wild." A genuine smile made its way across his face. "That's amazing."

"Okay Lucas, you told him," Kiki said. "Now will you please-"

"If I were you, I'd start drawing up vacation plans," Lucas grinned. "We'll be there for the whole tournament, plus a couple days before for setup. About half of your Spring Break is gonna be spent there."

"Lucas-"

"Oh, and don't worry about the hotel. The org's footing the bill there, too. 'Course, if you want to bring someone with, my folks will chip in for-"

"Lucas, please." The weight of the plea made Sean look up from marveling at the pass. He knew Kiki was making strides in asserting herself thanks to Sal, but to actually put her foot down like that? That was...new.

"Come on, Kiki, he's happy. Just look at him!"

"Well, yes," Kiki sighed. She looked to Sean for a quick boost of confidence before pushing forward. "But he also looks exhausted. I-I think you've been pushing him too hard."

Lucas blinked. "Now that you mention it," he turned to Sean for a more discerning look. He winced. "Oof, yeah, you look rough."

"Thanks, Lucas," Sean chuckled ruefully.

"Why didn't you tell me you wanted to take a break?"

"Honestly? I didn't want to hurt your feelings. You've been so excited for Spring Circuit that if I ducked out-"

"Dude, we're going there for fun, not to win. If you need to take a day off, just do it. I won't mind." Lucas smiled sheepishly. "I'll admit, I did get a bit carried away with the whole 'boot camp' thing."

"So it's okay if I skip practice at the Village today?"

"Go for it. Take care of yourself."

"Thanks. I'll be back for the weekend, I promise."

"Work. What about you, Kiki?"

Kiki nodded. "I'm planning to be there, yes. It'll be a day off for me, but I don't mind some extra practice."

"Cool. I'm hoping to see some of the Fremont folks there, too. It'll be like one big party."

"With cards?"

"Ho yeah. The best kind of party."

As far as Sean could tell, Meeple Village had been in a healthy upswing ever since Team Villager's stellar performance at their regional qualifier. It seemed like a reasonable conclusion to draw- whenever he showed up with Lucas and co, the store was almost always crowded with other customers; it was becoming harder to find some of the nicher stuff he could have found earlier; and testimony from Tyler suggested he had far less time to watch games than before.

"We've gotten so much traffic, Mr. Khalan is actually interviewing for new clerks," he confided to Sean.

"Really?"

"Really really. Not a moment too soon, either. Been running myself ragged these past few days. I mean, I'm glad you guys put the shop back on the map, but, uh…"

"Day job finally starting to feel like a day job, huh, Ty?" Lucas joked.

"That's one way to put it," Tyler grinned. "Kiki's been a big help, though. She's really starting to get the hang of this stuff." Tyler scanned the play area, which was bustling with people engaged in all sorts of card battles. "Gotta say, this is one heck of a great sight. Especially with all the new Fremont kids."

Sean nodded. Shu had told him that Fremont had formed its own Cardfight Club, and with a little prodding, several of his clubmates were starting to become regulars at the shop. Both clubs were mixing together quite well, which offered Sean a strange sense of vindication. He took a look to one of the left tables-

"I've been thinking of changing out this unit for the new grade 2," Midori told Anita. "I may be sacrificing some offensive pressure, but the consistency and draw power is likely to compensate."

"That's a reasonable conclusion," Anita admitted. "But given our past fights, I think you're better off trying to finish the fight quickly than worrying about sticking around. Tachikaze decks usually aren't built for longevity."

"I've considered that, but I won't always go first. I'll need some sort of defensive backbone in order to win if that's the case. It's a bit of a dilemma…"

"Well, Yuri always says that the best test of a build is by fighting with it. Maybe it's time to see what would happen in a more practical setting?"

"Good suggestion. Allow me a couple of minutes to get ready."

-and smiled. He had suspected the two would get along based on his time with Anita, and ever since she met Midori, the two had spent hours theorycrafting and perfecting their decks. He turned his attention to one of the tables to his right-

"Aw man, I was so close!" Adam laughed. "Man, Regulus is no joke."

"Well, I have plenty of experience with fighting Spike Brothers," Yuri admitted. "Though I gotta say, you're a lot better than our local rugby hooligan."

"Ah, can't take all the credit. Carlos and Midori have been a huge help with the combos and deckbuilding."

"So you're saying your real skill is the friends you made along the way?"

"Don't knock teamwork, it makes everything happen."

"No arguments here. Wanna go another round?"

"Actually," interrupted Carlos, who'd been watching from the sidelines thus far, "can I get a shot? I kinda wanna see how Samurider Musashi fairs with the new support."

"No problemo. Though I gotta warn you, I've got a lot of experience fighting Dimension Police, too."

"On the lamb from the space cops?" Adam chuckled.

"Hush, you'll blow my cover."

-Yuri was busy endearing himself to some of the Committee members he hadn't fought yet. Sean had no worry that his friends would enjoy Yuri's company, and watching him so easily mingle with them just cemented that notion.

"You look happy," a new voice commented.

Sean didn't have to look to know who it belonged to. "Hey Shu. Just nice to see the two clubs getting along, you know?"

Shu took a couple more strides until he was next to his old friend. "I think I know what you mean. I'm no big socialite or anything, but opening doors feels good."

Lucas smiled. "Long time no see, Shu. Sunk any ships lately?"

"You know it. How many KOs have you landed since we talked?"

"Too many to count."

Tyler chuckled. "All we need is Sal and we'd have all of our shop tourney finalists back together." He looked over his shoulder to check the clock. "Smokes, I gotta get back to inventory. Don't burn down the store while I'm not looking, 'k Lucas?"

"No promises." Tyler returned to the boy's smile before speeding off to behind the counter.

"So little lady won't be here today?" Shu asked.

"She's not a big fan of that nickname," Sean said. "If she heard you-"

"Hence why I'm using it while she's not here."

"Fair enough...I guess? Anyway, she'll be here later. She's bringing Kiki with her, too."

Lucas lifted to his toes, responding to the door bells chiming. "Guessing 'later' is 'now.' They're here."

"That was fast," Shu quipped. "I'd say 'speak of the devil,' but since I actually know them-"

Lucas cupped his hands to his mouth. "Yo! Over here!"

"We saw you, L," Sal groused. Sean could tell something was up- her stride was heavy and impatient, each step steep in some sort of frustration. Her tone only seemed to reinforce the idea, being curt and snippy. Kiki didn't look much better, her gaze fixed more on the floor than anyone's eyes, taking more of a nervous shuffle than a walking pace behind her friend.

"Is everything alright?" Sean asked reflexively.

"Hello, Sean," Kiki greeted shakily. "Did, did you get enough rest yesterday?"

"Yeah. Feeling much better. But what about you? Did something happen?"

Sal sighed. "Yep. We got a bit of bad news."

Lucas frowned. "How bad?"

"Well…"

"The weekend is coming up, Kulap. I hope you enjoy your day off."

"Thank you, uncle."

"Do you have any plans?"

"Oh, I'm meeting with some of my friends from school at the shop."

"Going to your place of employment on your day off from it? You are indeed your father's daughter."

"It's...not like that. It's just a common meeting ground, we all know where it is, that's all."

"Of course. I was only joking. I meant no offense."

"I understand, uncle."

"I appreciate your forgiveness. It's nice to see you spending time with other kids your age, and get along with them so well to boot."

"They've been good to me. The least I can do is give them a chance."

"Cultivating friendships is an overlooked art, but a crucial one. It's the key to a long and happy life."

"I'll remember that."

"How are they? Your friends, I mean."

"Oh, they are good. Well, Sean may need some rest, but he's been hanging in there for the team's sake. Sal is as fierce as ever, and Lucas has been making some rather elaborate plans about what he'll do when he finally sets foot in San Francisco."

"...I see."

"It's funny, I don't think I've ever seen Lucas study anything outside of Vanguard until now. He's talking about hitting as many spots as he can before the tournament starts. His spirit is quite contagious, actually."

"...that's a shame."

"Uncle?"

"Kulap, please know I say this from a place of love. Your mother entrusted your safety and happiness to me, and I intend to keep my word."

"Y-you don't mean-"

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you can't go with the rest of Team Villager to San Francisco."

"But why...?"

"Kulap, please understand-"

"This can't be for the shop's sake, can it? Surely you'll have enough new staff by then?"

"Of course not. This has nothing to do with Meeple Village."

"Then why?"

"You'll be spending nearly a week miles away in an entirely different part of the state, for one. I can hardly guarantee your safety if that's the case."

"But I was fine at the regional qualifier."

"That was a mere stone's throw away in comparison. And even then, when your mother heard about where you went...you know how she can be."

"...I do. And if I went to San Francisco-"

"Then it's likely you wouldn't see me for a very long time. I hope you understand, Kulap."

"...unfortunately, I think I do."

"You're kidding," Lucas growled in disbelief.

"Hang on," Sean said, still trying to process the news. "Are you tell me Mr. Khalan just vetoed Kiki off our team?"

"You're kidding."

Kiki couldn't even bring herself to look into her teammates' (or rather, former teammates') eyes, much less say anything. Sean could feel the shame radiating off her.

"That seems like some serious horse puck," Shu commented.

"It's a mountain of that stuff," huffed Lucas. "Sponsor or not, he's got another thing coming if he thinks he can-"

"Lucas," warned Sean and Sal.

"No, screw this! I'm gonna talk to him, and if he keeps this up, then-"

"Lucas, no!" Kiki suddenly shouted. This sudden burst of volume drew all surrounding eyes on her. Whatever possessed her to intervene disintegrated quickly, as after a couple of blinks, her head slunk back down. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "It's just…"

"Kiki and I talked about it," Sal stepped in. "It sucks, but apparently Mr. Khalan has his reasons. It's," she looked at Kiki, who was still fixated on the floor, "a family thing. She doesn't want to talk about it. Please just drop it, L, okay?"

Lucas stewed silently for several seconds, brow shifting from knitted anger to begrudging resignation. Sean could tell how much it meant to him to have Kiki on the team. He had drawn up entire plans on where to go with her and the gang when they finally reached San Francisco. Not only had those plans gone up in smoke, but he'd be down a friend and teammate. Knowing Lucas, he was probably going to dwell on this for a while. "I don't get it, but...nothing we can do."

"'Fraid not."

"Sorry," Kiki croaked.

"It's not your fault," Sean reassured. "You didn't do anything wrong. We've still got three fighters, and if we really need an alternate...we'll think of something."

"Sean's right," Sal supported. "You're acting like you let us down, but you haven't. Ain't your fault your uncle's being an ojete."

"Low blow," Shu murmured, impressed.

"It's right, though," Lucas grumbled. "I'm...sorry about this, Kiki. I'm not mad at you. I don't think there is anyone here who is."

"Still," Kiki said, "you were all counting on me to be there. And that plane ticket-"

"Kiki, please," Sean said, "it won't do any good moping around. If you need to take a few days away from Vanguard, go ahead. Whatever you do, don't beat yourself up. It's not helpful." He chuckled nervously. "I'm speaking from personal experience, here."

Shu nodded. "Sulking won't do any good. No sense worrying about the 'would ofs' or 'should ofs' when the real stuff is in front of you."

"Hey," Sal suggested, "why don't we get a bite to eat or something? Just the two of us, no work, no cards. We're going to do our best to forget all this."

"...you're all so nice," Kiki hoarse, mood tilting upwards. "I-I think I'll take up Sal's offer."

Sal put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Good choice. We'll see you guys later, we've got memories to burn."

"Take care," Sean and Shu waved. Sean made sure to maintain a comforting smile as the two girls exited the store they just entered minutes ago. It felt a bit strange to say goodbye so quickly, but given Kiki's mental state, it was clearly needed. Sean sighed as soon as they were out of sight. "Well, the immediate crisis is gone, but…"

"Looks like mighty Team Villager is already down a member. They're retiring early these days. Sucks too- I saw replays of Kiki's games, and she clearly knows her stuff. Hate to be 'that guy,' but being down someone that strong is a bad way to start Spring Circuit."

"Yeah, it blows." Sean sighed again. "But what can you do? I doubt Mr. Khalan's going to budge no matter how we ask."

"We need an alternate," Lucas rumbled after minutes of agitated moping. "More players means better chances for favorable matchups, and I'm not just gonna let a ticket burn a hole in my pocket."

Sean blinked. "You're upset about the ticket?"

"Glad to see our master strategist hasn't lost sight of what's important," jabbed Shu.

"Look, I'm pissed about Mr. Khalan did," Lucas huffed. "Kiki deserves better. But the team would be in better shape going in with four players. I'm not replacing her, but...it's just...I dunno, I just don't want the team to fall apart." Lucas, for the first time in what Sean could only imagine was years, looked down in some form of contemplation. His head snapped back up with a pensive smile. "Team Villager made Kiki proud, so let's keep that up."

Sean smiled warmly and nodded in agreement. "That's something I can get behind."

"You'll have no shortage of takers," Shu commented. "Shouldn't be hard to pick an alternate."

"Nah," Lucas waved his hand. "The alternate still has to be good, though. Someone on par with the rest of the team." His eyes suddenly grew wide, a grin spread across his face. "Someone like a runner-up at the Meeple Village winter tourney."

Sean felt like the air around him was growing cold and prickling. It was one thing to lose a teammate so suddenly, but to gain a new one so rapidly? And have it be Shu, of all people? Yeah, he was very good at Vanguard, but such a massive shift in team structure so soon was pretty reckless, even for Lucas. "Are you sure?"

"Come on, think about it. Shu's easily one of the best cardfighters in town-"

"Flattering and very true," Shu quipped. "But-"

"-and we don't have a lot of time to fill that last slot. Who better to go with than someone who's already proven himself?"

"Look, as much as I appreciate a zany scheme, I still think this requires my input, right? Unless you're kidnapping me. I don't see any rope or gags, but who knows these days."

"...what?"

"What I think Shu is trying to say," Sean cleared his throat, "is that he may not want to join our team yet." Not sure if that will buy some time, but hopefully it brings Lucas down a bit…

Lucas smiled incredulously. "Uh, Shu, you do realize this is Spring Circuit we're talking about? You'll get a chance to play against the best in the country! You're a competitive guy, you should get a huge kick out of that."

Shu paused. "I mean, sure, going up against pros sounds...great, honestly. I like a challenge." He scratched his chin. "But I wasn't there when you guys won the qualifier. Joining now just...feels weird. Well, that, and it's also a bit of a short notice, asking me to go to a big tourney across the state."

"Come on, that's...fair. That's fair, actually." Lucas began to deflate, his Hail Mary missing it's mark. "Crap. Now what?"

"I didn't say 'no.' Just that it's a big question." Shu exchanged a glance with Sean. "Can I think about it?"

Lucas shrugged helplessly. "I guess. We don't have a lot of time to fill that slot, but I don't think we have a choice here." He shifted his weight back and forth, his energy reflecting a mix of agitation and uncertainty. Sean's worry began to mount- it seemed Kiki's crisis was being solved at the same time Lucas was bringing his own forward. "I need to think about this. I'll be in my car." He took a fast pace out of the store, head down and shoulders tense. Sean waved bye to the third friend he came to see- never a good sign.

"Now what?" Sean asked himself.

"Team Villager's in a rough spot, huh?" Shu nodded glumly. "Hope it doesn't make the next stage too much."

"I'm less worried about the tournament and more worried about how Kiki and Lucas are doing. They both take the team super seriously, and I don't want them getting a complex from all this stuff. It sucks seeing them like this. I need to think of something…"

"I won't be much help worrying like that. You'll give yourself a complex." Shu tapped his foot again. "A ticket to Spring Circuit sounds better and worse every minute. Short notice, definitely going to piss off Grandma, but some time in San Fran and a huge challenge against pros? Like a game of ping pong- good, bad, good, bad."

"Who's giving themselves a complex, again?"

"Touché." Shu sighed. "Man, I didn't come here to worry. I came here to have fun." He paused. "Fancy a cardfight or two? Might take our mind off things?"

"You want to try distracting ourselves from Spring Circuit, a Vanguard tournament...with Vanguard?"

"Hey, every moment you're thinking about your next move is one not spent in a worry-hole."

"...not a bad idea, when you put it that way. Got a few new cards I need to test, anyway."

"Attaboy." He motioned to a relatively unused table after pulling out his deck box. "Shall we dance?"

"I'd be honored," Sean chuckled. He followed his friend to the table, pulling out his own deck box and taking a seat. The only other person there, besides Shu of course, was Nat at the far end of the table, puzzling over yet another "ultimate build" for his beloved but luckless Megacolony. Sean tried to distract himself with thoughts of what new tech Nat would try to improve his record- something funny would definitely stop the gnawing feeling that came with worrying about his troubled friends.

"No stakes here," Shu reassured. "Just a fun distraction for both of us...hopefully."

"Sure," said Sean, already doubting it. Sal can only do so much for Kiki, but can I actually help there? And Lucas looked like he was panicking, I don't think I've seen him like that. He sighed. "Well, here's to a good match."

Shu just nodded, his head running it's own set of background calculations. Both rotely reached for their starter, with the same hope- thinking of anything else.

"Now stand up, Vanguard."