NOTE: Welcome back for another chapter of From Cards to Dust. Sorry for the wait and I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. This one is more exposition based rather than action, though that will change pretty soon. Also the opening and ending will only be used for this chapter, and will reappear whenever a change in the story is made. Just like in an anime.
I do not own the songs used in this chapter or Cardfight Vanguard.
Enjoy and Review!
Chapter 17: Returning
"So, you went to a new world where you met a clone of yourself, Aichi, and Katsuragi. Then, in that world resides everyone who died, except they didn't actually die and are just in some stasis state until we open up a gate for them to return through. Did I get everything?" Rekka stares Emi in the eyes.
"Yes!" Emi smiles brightly.
"If I was anyone else, I'd say you're full of shit."
Emi's smile formed into a frown.
"But, considering everything that has happened in my life, I completely believe you," Rekka shrugged with a smirk.
Emi's face brightened instantly. "Really!?" She enveloped the idol in another hug.
"Of course, I believe you! I'd be a massive hypocrite and a terrible friend if I didn't," Rekka returned the hug. Breaking off the hug, folded her arms over her chest. "What's the plan now, Emi? We don't really have any leads on Ibuki," Rekka said his name with disdain.
Noticing the venom in her friend's voice, Emi knew she'd have to talk Rekka into saving Ibuki at some point. "Well first, get me my clothes, not really a fan of this hospital gown. Second, I'll need to see my mother and check up on her. Thirdly, we're gonna find more allies to help us out."
"Why? I'm sure you and I could handle that bastard now that you're powered up with a new deck!" Rekka responded, overconfident.
Emi shook her head at her friend's overconfidence. "Last time we tried to handle things on our own, we got beaten horrendously and I ended up in the hospital." Emi saw Rekka's confident look waver at that reminder. "We need to take this slower and think harder about our choices, Rekka. Ibuki is dangerous and if possible we need to avoid him for now," Emi explained.
"Fine, I want him gone as soon as possible, but we'll do it your way, Emi. Though, why exactly do you want to gather more people? What are we gonna do, all take turns fighting him?" Rekka jokes. To her surprise Emi didn't laugh, the heroine only held a hand to her heart. A warm small smile formed on her lips. The sunlight crept through the window, illuminating the room. Rekka's breath hitched in that moment as her eyes gazed at her best friend in that white gown.
In that moment Emi truly resembled an Angel.
The Angel's blue eyes directed themselves back at her. "To assemble hearts, Rekka. With the power of everyone's hearts, we'll shatter the walls that keep us apart."
Asurenai yo hajimete no yume
(A single card floats down the screen, blue dust floating off of it. Soon more cards begin to float down and surround Emi.)
Oitsuzukete
KEEP HOLDING ON!
(Emi's body is enveloped in a pink light and her form shifts into that of Blaster Saber, Seeker. A determined look governs her face and she charges forward.)
(Shots of her friends appear, each one of them holding a card with their avatars appearing next to them.)
Te ga todokanakute akiramekaketeta BROKEN DREAMS
Okizari no yakusoku
(In front of a darkened version of Card Capital stood Aichi, Kamui, and Shadow Emi. Her face is covered by her bangs, and a gust of wind blows past them. The wind caused her hair to move, revealing her confused red eyes.)
(As if flipping a coin, the scene changed to Emi standing outside of Card Capital. A look of clearance within her blue orbs, contrasting her other self.)
Mune ni sasatta mama nukenai kimi no kotoba wo
Nando mo kurikaeshiteru
(Emi turns to her left to see Misaki, Rekka, Chrono, and Shin standing there. All of them motioned for her to join them. She walks towards them as a dark shadow looms behind her.)
Ima kaze ga senaka wo oshiteru
GET UP! BURNING HEART bakuhatsu shisou
(However, Blaster Blade slices the shadow away from Emi, allowing her to join her friends.)
LET'S TRY AGAIN
(Blaster Blade swings his blade at the screen, cutting it in half.)
Umarekawaru ima wo nugisutete
(Chrono fumbles with his cards as a stern Misaki and fussing Shin tries to help him. The boy grumbles in embarrassment.)
PRECIOUS TIME, GLORY DAYS
Ichido dake no LIFE
(Still shots of Kourin within her "Perfect World" are shown. One filled with her with the Cardfight Club, the next consists of her and the Tatsunagi family, and the final one consists of her and Aichi sitting on a bench together.)
Iroaseta sekai wo kurenaku nure!
TAKE A CHANCE, SHOUT IT LOUD
Jibun dake no STYLE
(A ring of fire bursts to life within the open field. Toshiki Kai stands tall with Dragonic Overlord "The Great" behind him. In front of them was Ibuki Kouji with Daunting Deletor, Okiszz looming behind him.)
(Kai motions for Dragonic Overlord to attack, the dragon launching a blast of fire at Ibuki. Ibuki covers his face from the heat of the attack as his eyes glowing purple with fury.)
Wasurenai yo hajimete no yume
Tsuzukete KEEP HOLDING ON!
(Blaster Saber, Seeker pierces her blade into the ground. She then disappears with Emi taking her place, a Vanguard card in her hand. She smiles at the screen as her friends soon appear next to her, all of them posing dramatically.)
A Couple of Days Ago
"So you're finally deciding to leave?" Leon asked, already knowing the answer.
In front of him was Toshiki Kai, preparing to leave on a boat back to Japan. The young man had his bag strapped over his shoulders, with his same serious stare painted on his face.
"Yeah, I can't stay here any longer. Especially not with Ibuki out there," With the mention of his childhood friend's name, Kai's face tightened in frustration.
"I can see that he means a lot to you. Your wind shifts whenever you think of him," Leon refrained himself from mentioning the bad feeling he got from Kai whenever Ibuki was brought up.
Kai released a breath to calm himself down. "Ibuki was the one to introduce Miwa and I to Vanguard. He...he was our light and in a way he was very much like Aichi. I don't know what happened to him after I moved and Miwa didn't know either. How he could've turned into someone like this…."
"I hate Vanguard."
Kai's fist tightened in anger and agony. "I have to know."
"Hmph, I see. However, don't allow anger to cloud your judgment, Toshiki Kai. Anger never helped anyone in a time of crisis, I learned that lesson already. But, have you?" Leon's words entered Kai's ears. The Kagero user understood what Leon was saying, and knew that the Aqua Force user was correct.
But, he thought back to Ren and how he failed to save him, having to leave all of it up to Aichi. The difference now was that Aichi isn't here, and Aichi's little sister had already been defeated by Ibuki. There was nobody else strong enough to fight him. "I can't leave this up to anyone else, it has to be me. I have to bring back the old Ibuki, the Ibuki who loved Vanguard with all of his heart. I have to...I WILL bring Ibuki back," Kai's anger seeped through once more at the thoughts in his head.
Leon felt Kai's wind shift once more and was about to speak up, until the boat's horn rang throughout the docks. It was time for it to leave, and Kai along with it. "Seems it's time for you to go. Just remember my words and good luck rescuing your friend from the darkness," Leon gave his parting words.
"Thank you for the help, Leon. Tell Jillian my thanks as well," Kai gave his goodbye. Leon nodded his head and watched Kai retreat to the boat.
Leon's gaze turned upwards to the sky, his purple eyes searching the clouds. "The wind has begun to change. Though the direction of this new wind may lead to ruin, but for whom exactly?"
Back to the Present
"Oh, Chrono! Let's have our Cardfight now!" Shin reared his head from around the corner, an excited smile plaguing his lips.
The boy gave an annoyed stare to Shin. "For the last time no! You creepy stalker!" Since his new guardian had arrived back at the Card Shop, he has been pestering Chrono for a cardfight. Chrono would've been happy to accept the challenge, but the man had come off completely creepy from the get go. "Is this really the guy Aunt Mikuru wanted me to stay with?" He questioned in his head.
Shin dropped to the floor dejected, a dark cloud forming over his fallen form. "Misaki! What have you been teaching our little Chrono!?" Shin cried.
"To stay away from losers and Shop Managers," She flipped a page in her book. Making the grown man mope even harder.
"But, I still talk to you, Misaki…" Chrono mumbled, hoping she didn't hear.
"What was that?" Her dark aura meant that he wasn't quiet enough. The spiral boy straightened his back and turned to his "Big Sister".
"I...uh...said that you were right about staying away from Shop Managers!" Chrono tried to save himself.
Rolling her eyes, Misaki turned her attention back to her book. "Good, now don't call me a loser again or there will be consequences," The lilac beauty warned. Chrono nodded his head rapidly, not wanting to anger her further.
Shin got onto his knees and shuffled his way over to Chrono, making the boy sweatdrop at the weird adult. "C'mon Chrono! Just one fight, I promise you it'll be a fun and exciting match! A hot-blooded cardfight, doesn't that sound fun to you!?" Shin was practically begging. Misaki's eyebrow was twitching as she listened to her uncle.
"Well...that does sound pretty exciting and Misaki did say I should try fighting other people," Chrono replied.
"See! So, we should cardfi-"
"But, something about you just weirds me out."
Shin went to sulk in the corner, the dark cloud returning over his head. Chrono felt bad about making Shin upset, but didn't know how to approach the situation. He turned around to look back at Misaki for advice, but the young woman shrugged in response. Sighing, Chrono went back to the couch, waiting for Shin to eventually come out of his funk.
BBBBRRRRRR
Three sets of eyes shifted over to the cell phone that rested on the table. Misaki picked up her phone and looked to see who was calling her. Her eyes widened when she saw it was Rekka calling her, Misaki wasted no time in answering the phone.
"Hello? Rekka, what is it?" Misaki demanded. The lilac beauty was quiet for a moment as she listened to the details on the phone. Both males in the room watched Misaki's expression change from worried to ecstatic. "Just sit there and don't go anywhere! We'll be right over!" She hung up the phone and rushed into her room.
Shin got up from the floor and approached Misaki's closed door. "Misaki? What's happening?" His immediate answer was a door hitting him in the face. Misaki appeared now changed out of her school uniform. Now dressed in a green blouse and short white shorts.
"Ah, sorry Shin! Can you take me to the hospital!" Misaki helped her uncle off the floor.
"Ouch...what for?" He asked.
"What do you think!? Emi finally woke up and is being discharged from the hospital!" Misaki informed rushing towards the door to grab her bag. "Chrono, get your jacket and come on!" The Genesis user commanded and marched down the stairs.
Shin followed soon after. "Emi's awake!? Wait Misaki! Let me get my keys!" Shin yelled.
Chrono grabbed his jacket and walked down the stairs confused. He saw the two were already inside the van. Misaki sitting in the front seat and Shin in the driver's seat. "Hurry up, Chrono! Or Misaki will eat you alive!"
"Shut up!" Misaki lifted her leg and kicked him.
Chrono shook his head at the scene and got into the van. "So, who's Emi?" He asked the two. Misaki turned her head to look at him as Shin kept his eyes on the road.
"Emi is a friend of mine and the little sister of one of my closest friends. A few weeks ago before you arrived, something horrible happened and she went into a coma of sorts. I just got a call from her friend saying that Emi finally woke up. We're going to go meet her now," Misaki explained.
"How come I'm coming along. This seems like a personal thing and I don't even know her," Chrono felt like he was intruding.
"We can't exactly leave you there on your own, Chrono. And besides, this will be a good chance for you to make friends around your age," Shin looked back at Chrono through the rear view mirror.
Chrono shrugged after Shin finished speaking. "I guess…" Chrono looked out the window, watching the cars go by. He wondered what these two girls that he was about to meet would be like if they're friends with Misaki.
"Chrono!"
The spiral boy perked up at the familiar voice, pulling out his deck and stared at it. He thought back to his cardfight with Misaki and Shin's requests for a fight. "Maybe I should just accept it, nothing bad could come from it. Though, I just can't shake this weird feeling in my gut." Chrono put his deck back into his pocket, figuring that he can return to those thoughts later.
Mayoikonda kono sekai de
Deatte shimatta bokura wa saigo ni
(A young Toshiki Kai, Miwa, and Ibuki sit on a bench at the park. Kai rides Blaster Blade, exciting his friends.)
(A flash switches the scene to when Kai hands Aichi Blaster Blade on that same day.)
Touhon seisou sagashibito ate mo naku
(A sequence displays Aichi using Blaster Blade in each one of his cardfights. Wearing an ecstatic smile on his face while doing so. Slowly a crack appears on the screen.)
Kyouran dotou arekuruu yo no naka de
(A sequence of Kai riding Dragonic Overlord takes the screen, while the crack continues to grow.)
Aimai monokuro jinsei ni
Saidai furasshu kuretan da
(The crack grows too much and explodes, changing to a young Ibuki sitting on the floor, Vanguard cards scattered around him. Tears running down his face.)
"Arigatou" hitori janai
(Both Aichi and Ibuki stand side by side until Aichi's body crumbles to dust, leaving only Ibuki left.)
Kuroi kuroi kono donten ni
Cry Cry namida shitatte kumoma no hikari tsukame
(Emi suddenly appears in the space that Aichi once stood, running forward while Ibuki stood still. His red orbs glaring into her back.)
Akai akai kono shoumei ga
Itai itai hodo nagare saigo ni
(Emi continues running forward towards the blue gate in front of her and forces it open, engulfing her in a blinding light.)
Hanarenai you ni waraeru you ni
Ikite ikeru you ni
(When she opens her eyes, she sees all of her friends surrounding her. All of them standing in front of her as the sun shines brightly above them.)
Ah aoi aoi kono seiten ni
Negai hitotsu todoku you ni
(Emi turns around to look at the still Ibuki. She slowly raises her hand forward for him to grab, just as the gate begins to close once more.)
NOTE: If you feel like there hasn't been much of Ibuki in this story, then you're correct. He hasn't made much of an appearance, but he has made an impact on the characters and he has begun to move around more than he was previously, thanks to Chrono striding. Next chapter some of our main characters finally meet/Reunite and maybe Chrono will learn more about that deck of his.
The Opening - Yu-Gi-Oh GX: Precious Time, Glory Days
The Ending - Gintama: Hikari Shoumeiron