Cup of Violet Tea: Good plans take a long time! If Shun said no, she would've seen it ahead of time and worked her way around it.

Cherry-Tree: Celia's amazing, isn't she? Patience is the key!

MagicxMusicxMelody: Nope! I don't listen to SECRET or any of its members. Celia has a lot to explain, you know. Yes, it's that kind of suicide. Shun's wish coming soon.

InnocentDiamond: HCH is already on my profile! I guess the adrenaline got the best of them. Everything is Masquerade's fault! You'll see what Shun will do soon.

SSR: First day of high school! It was so-

Shun: HORRIBLE. You can stop ranting now.

Julie: You haven't seen the complaints she filed.

SSR: I never filed any complaints.

Shun: Neither did you explain why you were complaing in the first place.

SSR: I don't quite exactly 'like' my class schedule nor the bell schedule.

Marucho: What is your schedule?

SSR: Sculpture, Health/Computers, Geometry, English, Biology, and PE. School ends at 3pm. WHO DOES THAT?! Anyway, I don't own Bakugan.

Chapter Twenty-Five

One Chance at Change

...

...

"I'm at the shrine...again."

It was Shun's second time coming back to the day at the shrine with Alice but the third time going to the events of this day. Like last time, he found himself sitting on the same bench. Looking at his bracelet, he thought, Now that I've been through this once and know everything that Celia told me, maybe I can perfectly and completely save Alice from the car accident.

"Shun, we can go now. See you later, Runo!"

"Bye Alice!"

Alice ran over, but Shun already knew what he was and wasn't supposed to say. You've been through this twice. Be patient. She doesn't know that Celia dragged her into another dimension and talked with me yet. Alice held onto Shun's hand on the way out from the main hall. "So, did you tie your slip onto the tree?"

"I did. I hope this method really-"

"I told her to untie her fortune from the tree and keep it on her long enough for the car accident."

So that's why I missed this last time. You're not supposed to tie and untie any fortune once your decision is made, especially a bad one.

Meanwhile, Alice looked up to see the black cat still perching on the Torii gate. Suddenly, it jumped down on her and left scratch marks on her arms. "Shun, I feel like this is an omen. There's been too much bad luck today."

"Don't worry. As long as you tied the slip to the tree, you'll be fine."

"But I-"

"Great. The traffic is worse than I thought." Shun yelled when they reached the sidewalk and waited for the lights to change.

"Would you say having crowded traffic today is bad luck?" asked Alice.

"No. Traffic has always been this busy. You know, Alice. You've been acting really weird today ever since some truck almost hit me." Shun put his hand on her forehead for a long moment. I guess it's not time yet. "You don't have a fever. Maybe I shouldn't have asked you to come with the shrine with me today."

"Don't say that! I know you asked me so we can spend time together, but it was my decision to come with you today, so let me handle it."

"Fine. Hurry up, Alice. This traffic light changes fast if it doesn't sense anyone moving."

"I'm coming."

The crossing signal tweeted faster, and Shun yelled, "Alice, hurry up! Just sprint over!"

"Wait! I dropped something."

Now's the time I'm free to move and speak on my own. He turned around and blinked. Alice changed to Celia for a second, who stared at him and muttered, "Now."

"Now?"

He blinked again and saw Alice staring at him with the same expression as Celia's. She blinked and picked up the bad fortune she dropped.

Definitely now.

The brightly-lit bracelet confirmed his thought, so Shun dashed at lightning speed to drag Alice over. "You're safe now." Suddenly, Shun felt loss of weight on his hand and noticed that the dolphin charm was gone. "How did-"

"A dolphin for friendship after finally being to rescue your girlfriend from that car..." answered Celia, but she remained invisible. "Masquerade won't be happy after seeing that. He's coming at you quick."

"That explains the yellow flashes I'm suddenly seeing, but does that mean I only have six chances left to save her?"

"It's all up to you now."

As Shun recovered from the rush of adrenaline after saving Alice, she walked over and held his hand. "Thanks for saving me, but Celia's right. It's all up to you now."

"As long as you're safe and sound, I'll be—stand back!" A car slipped while making a U-turn and crashed in their directions, but Shun pulled Alice away from the corner fast enough to avoid getting hit and held her close in his arms.

"A horseshoe for protection after avoiding a dangerous collision..." said Celia, invisible again without the energy she needed.

"Shun, should we get going? Getting through traffic won't be an easy task if the accidents keep coming." Alice suggested.

"Definitely." He grabbed her hand and ran down every sidewalk and crosswalk together despite the road signs and lights. "Especially since all the lights have decided to go berserk altogether." However, they stopped at a certain street corner because they reached a complicated five-way intersection

"A frog for a safe journey after rushing through and pass those dangerous and complicated roads..."

Three down, four to go, Shun worried. Suddenly, Masquerade stopped interfering with traffic for a moment and slowed down in front of Shun. "Masquerade, what do you want? I'm not letting you take Alice away from me this time."

"You still don't understand, don't you? Where death is written, it will take place." He disappeared fast and threw a huge hour hand that chopped a whole row of tall, fat trees nearby. "If not of Alice or Celia, then of somebody else."

"And that somebody else just had to be me." As the tree trunk ripped and almost fell, Shun looked the other way and saw two familiar people. "Julie! Marucho! Over here!"

"Do they even know you yet?" reminded Alice suddenly.

"They do. I guarantee." Celia replied.

Shun felt relieved at that, but the trees were about to fall, and running in either direction wouldn't work. "Can you help me with this?"

"Sure!" Julie arrived first spun their fingers, followed by Marucho. The Guardians of Time pushed the trees back ten and something feet to fall over again. "We reversed time just enough so you have more ease. Follow us!"

"A mushroom for good things to come after close friends came by to help..."

Shun grabbed Alice's hand and ran again down a different block. As the trees fell, they knocked out street posts and other trees, breaking and bursting fire hydrants and pulling down electrical wires. In front of the four was a giant, electrified puddle of water. "Shun, what are we going to do? We're not waterproof or electricity-proof!" cried Alice.

"I'm thinking..." The neon blue blinking of the Eye of Horus charm caught his attention as Shun stared at the electric blue shocks of the wires. "Here goes nothing. I won't be doing nothing anymore." He touched the water with his hand wearing the bracelet with the Eye of Horus in between. The water evaporated, and the electrical wires all went dead. "Unbelievable..."

"An Eye of Horus for health after dealing with the electrically-charged puddle of water..."

Marucho pulled everyone over and a proposed a plan. "Julie, stay behind and reverse any catastrophe coming our way as best as possible. Alice and Shun," He put his hand over his mouth and whispered, "We should go back to the shrine."

"Why?! We just came from there!" the two yelled.

"Marucho's right." chimed Celia's voice. "Even I don't know how much power there is to your fortunes, but now's the time to undo everything. I already did my share of the work. Let's go."

"Yeah...what she said." Neither Marucho nor Julie bothered asking who Celia was, so Marucho led everyone back with Shun's guidance. There wasn't a single person at the plaza at all. "Well, this is convenient."

"Alice, tie yours to the tree. Shun, get yours ready. Marucho and Julie, get ready to reverse things on my signal." Celia ordered.

Alice tied her fortune to the tree, and it suddenly glowed purple along with the Bee charm on Shun's bracelet. "What now?"

"Remove it, rip it up, and give it to Shun. Don't ask."

"I knew you'd come back here!" Masquerade arrived at the top the steps and gathered all the other slips tied on the tree, turning them into all kind of clock hands. "Your death is inevitable, Alice. Stand still and-"

"Marucho and Julie, now!" Celia ordered.

The Guardians of Time slowed down the incoming flying clock hands, and Alice gave Shun her ripped fortune. "I don't know what to do with this."

"I think I do..." The bee charm lit up purple, turning the ragged paper scraps floating in Shun's palm as sharp as razors. He threw them one by one at the clock hands, and the papers cut them up into pieces like scissors against soft aluminum. "Wasn't that successful?"

"A bee for prosperity after excellent teamwork..."

As the clock hand pieces fell to the ground like shrapnel, Alice stood behind Shun and stared. "Is my life still in danger? I don't think he's done yet."

He lifted his hand so she could see his bracelet. "Six down, one to go. As long as I'm here, Masquerade wouldn't dare do anything to you or Celia." Shun put his hand down and squeezed Alice's. "No matter what there's left to deal with that he put in our way."

Alice squeezed back in response. "Thanks, Shun."

And that includes this one last confrontation...

SSR: Don't just say that Celia is amazing. Bringing everything together from the single-digit chapters to here automatically makes me amazing too!

Celia: I heard that!

Everyone: (extreme screaming)

SSR: Just because I was at school today doesn't give every other one of you permission to enter my studio. OH SHOOT. This is Chapter 25 of 26. Story officially ends after one more chapter! Chances are that I won't update until next month.

Julie: Review so that she'll update earlier!

SSR: I'm keeping my eyes on you... T_T