NOTE: Sorry if it took long for me to put this chapter out, I was on vacation for the last couple of days. If you are worried about certain ships, then you'll just have to keep reading to find out what happens going forward.

Anyway enjoy and review!

Chapter 13: Shadow

"So...uh...what does this make us exactly?" Emi asks.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Kamui looked confused. Emi reluctantly broke their embrace to stand up, and Kamui did the same.

"I would like to say boyfriend and girlfriend, but you're kinda dead and stuff. It would be very difficult for us to really carry a relationship," Emi explained, uncomfortably. Kamui stared at her for a couple of seconds, his brain trying to process Emi's words.

"GODDAMMIT!" Kamui mentally cried, falling to his knees in despair. Just when his dream finally came true something once again got in his way.

"I-It's ok, Kamui! For as long as I'm here, we can be as close as we want to be. So, let's make the most of the time we have," Emi helped the boy to his feet. Her words of encouragement seemed to have helped reenergize Kamui.

"You're right, Miss Emi! Let's treasure as much time as we have together!" Kamui and Emi held each other's hands. Staring deep into each other's eyes, enjoying the close proximity of each other.

Aichi stood to the side, uncomfortably as he watched the two lovebirds. The older blueberry felt like a third wheel to his sister and best friend. Coughing into his hands to gain their attention, both turned to Aichi. Remembering that he was in the room with them, they blushed in embarrassment.

He chuckled at their red faces. "Alright you two, let's hurry and help everyone else too."

"Oh, that won't be necessary."

Aichi didn't get the chance to turn around before he was flung into the wall harshly. Emi and Kamui cried out his name before shadowy appeanges wrapped around them, constricting their movements.

Emi struggled in the shadowy grasp, opening her eyes to look at the one who assaulted them. "W-Who a-are you?"

"I'm shocked that you can't figure it out," The shadow spoke, condescendingly. Soon the shadows started to take shape, morphing into a more human-like form. Once it finished, the shadow was short and feminine. She wore a black crop top with a short dark blue jacket unzipped, a short black skirt, and matching black boots to match with it. The shadow girl's eyes were blood red, but that wasn't the part that shocked everyone in the room.

"M-Me?" Emi gasped at the sight of her duplicate's appearance.

"That's right! Just call me, Shadow Emi or should I say the true Emi," Shadow Emi winked at them. Kamui blushed at the wink, before wanting to smack himself for it. Whatever was in front of them at the moment isn't Emi, and he shouldn't act attracted to it.

"W-What do you mean by "True Emi"?" Aichi struggled to his feet. Shadow Emi looked towards Aichi, before giggling at the question.

"What a silly thing to ask, big brother. I'm Emi Sendou, your cute adorable little sister," she answered.

"LIES!"

The shadow turned back to Emi with an emotionless stare. Meeting the angry gaze of the actual Emi.

"You're a liar! I wouldn't hurt my own brother or b-boyfriend at all!" Emi yelled out. How dare this imposter try to steal her face and ruin her time with Aichi and Kamui. "And I would never dress like that!" Emi couldn't help but throw in that last part.

"Hmmm...then explain all the times you ignored your boyfriend's feelings causing him to feel rejected and hopeless at every point and turn."

"I...I…I…"

"Oh! Or how about how you'd constantly judge and belittle Aichi whenever he'd make a mistake. Acting as if your brother wasn't capable of doing anything on his own. You were such a great help to him when he was being bullied all those years ago. So, great that the boy's only solace was a complete stranger he happened to meet by complete chance."

"I...I...I…"

"Oh! Oh! How about when you decided to put your mother into an even deeper depression by trying to play hero! Acting as if you've ever actually mattered in life! Every choice you've ever made served nothing in the grand scheme of things unlike these two here. Even that loser Shingo managed to do more than you ever have, miss damsel in distress."

"SHUT UP!"

They all turned to look at the enraged Kamui, who was glaring daggers at the shadow Emi. "You know absolutely nothing about Miss Emi!" Kamui yelled. The shadow scoffed and rolled her eyes at the boy.

"Trust me, I know everything about this pathetic little girl."

"How would you!?"

"Because I am her. I told you, I'm Emi Sendou."

"No…"

"Hm?" The shadow looked at her counterpart. "Want to speak up, princess? I don't think I heard you correctly," She said.

"I said no, You aren't me...I'd never ever do any of those things on purpose! I'd never hurt anyone!" Emi shouted. She didn't want to believe all of the things the shadow was saying. None of that could be true...right? She would never do any of those things on purpose.

"But, you did. You always knew deep down that Kamui was in love with you, but you kept denying it. Fearing that if you gave into his feelings that eventually the boy would quit showering you with such attention. That he'd get sick of you eventually, and who would blame him? There's nothing interesting about you," The shadow replied.

"Don't listen to her, Emi! She's ly-" Aichi didn't get to finish as the shadow slammed him against the wall once more.

"AICHI!" The pre-teens cried, concerned.

Shadow Emi looked interestingly at her brother. "Stay out of this, big brother. You're not the main character in this story anymore," She said.

"STOP HURTING HIM!" Emi screamed.

"I'm only doing what you've been doing for years. Causing more and more pain to those around me. Big brother can handle the pain, remember? He always came home covered in dirt, scars, and bruises when we were younger. Oh...what was it that you would do whenever he came home all raggedy? You'd berate him for not standing up for himself. Not ever asking whether or not he was feeling ok or not," Shadow Emi smiled maliciously at Emi's despairing face.

Kamui struggled to break free from the grasp of the shadow, wanting to help his girlfriend at all cost. "Stop sprouting lies with Miss Emi's face! Stop saying all of those lies! She loves Aichi with all of her heart, she'd never want him feeling worse about himself!" Kamui yelled.

"Yeah, I'd be more inclined to believe you Kamui dear if the spoiled princess herself were to say the words herself," Shifting her gaze to Emi, the shadow noticed that she wasn't speaking. The trapped girl was no longer making any move to disprove any of her words.

Kamui turned towards his girlfriend. "Miss Emi! You gotta fight back! You can't let her say all of these things when they aren't true!"

"They are true, Kamui."

"Huh?"

"I've been such a horrible friend and sister to you guys, without ever taking your own feelings into account. I-I don't deserve happiness when all I've ever done was hurt you," Emi cried. Her spirit was once again being torn apart, just after it was being put back together.

"Miss Emi…" Kamui couldn't believe what he was hearing. All the while Shadow Emi was smiling with sadistic joy at Emi's hopelessness.

"T-T-That's...n-not true...Emi…"

Aichi slowly got to his feet and looked his little sister directly in the eyes. "Emi...remember all that we talked about before. All of the people you helped and inspired so far. Rekka, Shin, Misaki, Tetsu, Asaka, Mom, and all of those kids at Card Capital. And I never once saw you as a nuisance all those years ago and neither do I think that now. Emi, you're another piece of our heart, another piece of our family. A family that wouldn't be complete without you or everyone else," Aichi slowly made his way over to Emi during his speech.

He placed a hand on top of Emi's head and ruffled her hair. "I love you, baby sister. We all love yo-"

FROOM

Shadow Emi had enough of Aichi's rambling. She sent forth another shadow tendril that wrapped around Aichi. Once he was secured in her grasp, the shadow girl began to increase her grip on Aichi. Small blue cracks appeared around the Vanguard Hero, much to the horror of Emi and Kamui.

"AICHI!"

"BIG BRO!"

"I've had enough of hearing you prattle on about useless shit, big brother," Shadow Emi declared. The blue cracks continued to grow around Aichi's body, he gasped in pain when he felt himself fading. He looked at the distressed faces of Emi and Kamui. Aichi gave both of them a heartfelt smile, as the cracks encapsulated his entire body.

"Never forget that Vanguard is a game that connects hearts. We'll always be connected no matter where we are."

SHATTER

As if he was glass, Aichi shattered into tiny blue pieces. The small crystals floated in the air, the exact place that Aichi was in seconds ago. Emi and Kamui couldn't even scream as they watched the traumatizing scene in front of them.

"Like, I said. You're not the main character anymore, Aichi," Shadow Emi said. She released her grip on the two pre-teens, so they could whallow in their despair.

Emi fell to her knees, scrambling over to Aichi's crystally remains. The only thought running through her head was how she had just lost her brother for the 2nd time. That she spent the entire reunion with him complaining about her own problems and worries. He was right in front of her and she couldn't save him. Kamui wrapped his arms around her, to try and comfort her. Shadow Emi felt extreme pride at pushing Emi past her breaking point, shattering her spirit once more.

SHINK

The three in the room turned their attention to the weird sound in the room. Looking at Aichi's crystal pieces, each one of them began to shake rapidly. Slowly each piece started to transform into something new, shining brightly in blue radiant light.

Emi gasped when the light died down and saw that each piece took the shape of cards, all of them shrouded in blue light. Emi felt a tug on her hands, opening them up and suddenly all of the cards flew into her hands, forming a deck. When the deck was fully formed, Emi widened at the card that sat on top of the deck.

"Blaster...Blade…"

However, this Blaster Blade was different. Instead of being the normal human knight of Cray, this one looked exactly like her brother. Except he was wearing the knight's armor. He stood there proud and confidently as he stared directly at Emi. Smiling, as if he sensed her distress and answered her call for help once more.

Shadow Emi glared fiercely at the events that had just played out in front of her. "Damn you...Aichi Sendou!" She cursed the eldest Sendou's name with venom. She couldn't believe that the hero had once again proven to become a nuisance even after getting killed twice. Her glare hardened when Emi stood on her feet.

"Don't worry about me, Aichi. I can hear your message loud and clear," Emi said, looking at the card. She felt someone grab her hand and saw Kamui smiling at her. She returned the smile and faced her doppleganger with a glare.

"What!? You think you're all hot shit now that you got some new fancy deck thanks to your brother! Well, let me tell you one thing! You're not! You're not anything!" Shadow Emi shouted in fury.

Emi extended her hand forward, the deck grasped tightly in her hand. "I'm done feeling sorry for myself. Wallowing in self-pity isn't going to help anyone! From now on, I'll walk the path that I create and not one that others make for me! With this deck, I'll banish the darkness that hinders my path! Starting with you!" Emi declared. The cards in her hand once again shined brightly, responding to Emi's new resolve.

Shadow Emi gritted her teeth in absolute fury. Everything was no longer going according to her plans, all thanks to Aichi Sendou interfering. "You want to continue playing the hero? Fine! Then I'll just crush you and bring it all to an end here and now!" Shadow Emi opened her palm, and the shadows converged above it. When they were done, a Vanguard deck sat in her hand.

Soon the space that was Card Capital broke apart, leaving all three standing in a setting that resembled outer space. Two red glass-like tables appeared in front of both girls and they placed their decks down on them.

"STAND UP!"

"VANGUARD!"

Chapter End