Tempest here! So here is the first official chapter so I hope you enjoy but first HAPPY BIRTHDAY AICHI! And have you seen the box art for the new legion trial decks. I will not spoil anything but I was shocked at the link joker one and in a good way. Enjoy!
The rain and leaves clashed up against the window, forming a relaxing atmosphere. This was the only time I felt happy at school. My name is Blake Truman, I am 15 years old and I am an orphan but a lucky one at that. My parents died in a plane crash when I was 7 so I was sent to an orphanage. It was pleasant enough but something happened and… no, I still can't think about it even 8 years on. But at least I could still attend my final year at Hitsue Junior high. My grey jacket with the blue and white logo was getting very uncomfortable but the feeling soon passed. All I wanted was the bell to go. I was thinking about the usual stuff: school, my work and of course, Vanguard. Vanguard was my favorite passion in life as well as most of Japan's. The day was pleasant enough but my train of thought was disrupted when my Science teacher Dr. Urquhart decided to try and catch my attention.
"Sorry sir" I say, trying to cover my tracks "could you repeat that." A few kids snickered but a glare from me made them turn back to the front.
"Gladly. I said could you tell me what a catalyst is Mr. King of clouds. " He said rather smugly, his smile reaching all the way to his thinning hair. He knew that I hated that nickname. So what if I daydream through his lessons. I get the grades I need so no harm no foul. Too bad though that he chose the easiest question he could throw at me and he knew that as soon as I smiled.
"A catalyst is a substance used in experiments that speeds up the chemical reaction without itself being used up" I said, knowing it was my time to be smug and I found it even more amusing when Dr. Urquhart turned that distinct shade of violet that he was famous for.
"Close. Enough." A rather blunt answer but it kept us from strangling each other. So I turned my attention back to the window, watching the rain fall gently onto the ground.
"You really need to stop being so gutsy Blake" a voice to my right whispered into my ear. I turned my head, realizing that it was Anya, my best friend since we met when were small. Her long, dark green hair was tied back so that her angular face and worried blue eyes burrowed into my skull.
"You really need to stop worrying about me Ann, I'm fine" I said.
"You say that but arguing with teachers won't help anyone, especially you. So for once could you just pay attention for five minutes please?" Her words were sharp but came out as very blunt.
"What possible harm am I doing if I answer a question that I don't want to answer? I understand you're worried but there's no need to be. I know what's going on and so do you so please just drop the subject." I said with as much meaning as I could muster and I wasn't sure if she would drop the subject.
After an uncomfortable five minutes of waiting for an answer, she replied with a quiet "fine…" and that was that.
The bell rang and everyone couldn't be out of Dr. Urquhart's room any faster, I included. Anya managed to catch up with me as I was walking past the lockers to English. I walked faster because the tension between us since our argument was unbearable but she just walked faster. I sighed, knowing this was going to continue until I either apologized (which I had no intention to do) or we talked it out so I simply stopped walking. But when she stepped in front of me and turned to face, I instantly felt guilty. Her face was stricken with tears.
"Ann, listen I'm sorry for being such a jerk and…" I began but instead she bowed. She was apologizing?
"No Blake, I'm so sorry, I was the jerk" She said in between sobs "I just forget what you have to go through with not having a family or home. I'm sorry that I forget that you have to sleep on benches all the time and everything else that has screwed you over in your life. I just hate seeing you like this and I want you to be the you from when we were kids, when you constantly joked around and smiled a lot. I miss those times and I miss the times that we played Vanguard together." At this point her body was shaking uncontrollably and the flow of tears was now a waterfall. I felt awful and knew this was my fault for snapping at her.
"Anya, in fairness this is nowhere near your fault and if anything, it's mine. I do constantly complain and its always me complaining and I didn't realize how much it affected you." She seemed to brighten up with this but something still needed to be said so I continued.
"Also, if it means so much to you" I said, pulling an orange deck case out of my bag "I did manage to keep my deck." And the smile that appeared on her face made me laugh. It was like watching a small child open the biggest present on Christmas.
"You kept it!?" She exclaimed, looking through the cards.
"Kagero, Dragonic waterfall… all of its here, oh Blake."
"And I only have the one delivery to make today at that card shop you go to so after maybe we could play." And with that, the deal was done and we went to go to English.
The second we walked into the small class room, I was utterly shocked. The room was virtually empty, with only my friends Sammy and Luke and our teacher, Miss Richards. Luke had neat brown hair that made him look like he was a good student. He wasn't. Sammy had waist length blond hair and actually was and good student when she wasn't playing games on her phone. And of course, Luke was the first to speak up, indicating our arrival.
"Your late and you left me alone with that" jabbing his thumb towards Sammy. And that set her off. Again
"Yeah well you're not exactly a nice person to be alone with ya know."
"You know how to solve this?"
"Like always."
And in a few seconds…
"Stand up, Vanguard!"
I chuckled at how similar they both were which earned me confused looks from them but chose to settle their arguments again instead. I sat at the front row next to them with Anya, not knowing what to do.
"You know" Miss Richards called "you could just go early if you want."
What? Since when could we do that?
"You did know that because of Vanguard exams that the other students can just go home." She mused. She did know how to be an awesome teacher. "Get going, I hear Jim needs you anyway."
"Thanks Miss." With how bad the day was going I really just needed to get the job done and unwind.
A few minutes later, Anya and I were walking down the hallway and frankly, the day could not get any better. But it could get worse. And it did when I heard a very annoying voice down the corridor.
"Izaki I need more grade 3s and with that brat Aichi having a Blaster Blade I need that powerful card to beat that jerk Kai!"
Morikawa. Brilliant. And who else did he mention? Aichi? That blue-haired shy kid who Morikawa and Izaki bullied constantly. And now they're planning to steal a card. A Blaster Blade card.
"Anya we need to stop them." I said, rather desperate to help as there's nothing more that I hate than cowardly thieves.
"Alright but be careful"
"I always am."
As they came walking down past us I slyly put my foot out, tripping him but making it look like he tripped on his own. It didn't help that Anya snickered or Morikawa landed face first.
"Hey what's your problem, I didn't do anything wrong you jerk."
I faked surprise looking left and right. "Who me? I'm sure this wasn't my fault but I won't apologize as your friend Izaki knows how much I hate bullies and thieves don't you Izaki?"
All he could was gulp nervously as he tried to stop Morikawa from arguing.
"C'mon man we don't need to do this right know"
Morikawa was scrambling across the floor trying to get to me.
"No Izaki he must pay for his atrocities!"
"Please, I wouldn't fight a guy who doesn't know his way around grade 3s"
"Well you mistaken because you're talking to the ultimate Cardfighter, Katsumi Morikawa." He said rather smugly and proudly. Idiot.
"Then meet me at Card capital in 1 hour and we shall see who is more powerful."
"You're on! C'mon Izaki"
They walked off rapidly leaving Anya in a pool of her own tears from laughing so much. All I could do was sigh as I continued to walk on with Anya sniggering softly.
As we walked outside, Anya's laughing fits had slowly stopped.
"He's so frickin arrogant, look at me I suck at vanguard and I only use grade 3." And the fits returned.
I wasn't focusing on them as I heard voices around the corner of the building and I knew who it was. Morikawa and Izaki. But there was another voice, a small panicked voice. The pieces fell all into place. They were confronting Aichi! I sped off; unaware that Anya had heard the voices as well and was closely following. As I turned the corner, I saw Aichi backed up against the wall and Izaki and Morikawa pushing him up against the wall. Anya decided to speak up.
"Hey Morikawa, beat it!" She yelled getting very angry. Luckily, Izaki got the message.
"Let's get out of here Morikawa" And they ran off faster than I've seen anyone run before. But Aichi was still slumped against the wall, not hurt but shocked.
"Aichi are you okay?" I asked but was met with a confused look.
"Who are you?" Great, I forgot that we never met formally before.
"I'm Blake Truman and this is Anya Carter, we're in your science."
"Oh the one who lives in the delivery building, right." Now that was a shocker. The only person who knew I was homeless was Miss Richards and…
"Anya, care to explain." Said person was beginning to look very sheepish. "You know what we'll talk later. Aichi are you all right?"
He began to look really sad "yeah but..." he trailed off.
"But what?"I queried
"Morikawa took my Blaster Bade card."
I trust you know what happens in the anime but what will happen with Blake
Blake: Hold on…
Me: Not now Blake I'm trying to sign off
Blake: I just want to know when you'll tell them what happened to me or what I look like?
Me: Later
Anya: Yeah and when will we see a cardfight?
Aichi: Why am I always bullied in fanfics?
Sammy and Luke: Will there be more of us?
Miss Richards: And why as my class paragraph badly written?
Me: I can't take all of these questions. All rights to Cardfight! Vanguard, its characters, locations and anything else except for the OC's belongs to Bushiroad. Disclaimer done. Next chapter will be up next Sunday instead of this Sunday. Review please!
Until next time, this is Tempest signing off.