NOTE: To answer a certain question to clear things up. Ben is NOT a Wild Card, it's just a similarity of his role in the universe compared to the actual Wild Cards. I should've been clearer on that one. Also, Ben's not getting a Shadow till he's older, so yeah.

Anyway, in better news, I'm going to be seeing Across the Spider-Verse tomorrow! I'm looking forward to the movie. Any of you going to go see it?

Enjoy and Review!

Log 30: What Could've Been


Cover Image: Yukiko sat by a window as rain pelted the glass. Her eyes were unfocused, something obviously troubling her.


A 15-year-old Yukiko Amagi sat at her desk, staring down at her lunch with unfocused eyes. Something was obviously troubling the young heiress, but Chie couldn't figure out what it could be. Since the school day started Yukiko had been unfocused, even getting some questions wrong when asked by their teacher even though she should've gotten them right. Thankfully it was lunch, so Chie finally had the chance to bring it up.

"Yukiko-chan, are you alright?" Chie asked.

"H-huh?" Yukiko's head shot up, eyes refocusing as she's paying attention to her surroundings. Seeing the concerned gaze of her best friend made her feel guilty. "S-sorry, Chie-chan, I didn't mean to make you worried."

"It's fine! I'm just wondering what's troubling you is all. Usually, you're much more focused during class than I am." Chie said.

Placing down her chopsticks, Yukiko took a deep breath. "It's just that…some family is coming over later tonight."

Not sure on how to react, Chie decided it would be best to tread carefully. "And is that a bad thing?"

The uncertainty on Yukiko's face seemed to have grown. "W-well…it's just that…"

"Are they bad people? Are they rude to you?" Chie pushed a bit more. It angered her whenever people tried to bully Yukiko for her timid nature, even if the heiress was much more popular than she was it didn't stop some from trying. "I don't care if they're related to you or not, I'll beat them up for you!"

Yukiko didn't seem to have heard most of what she said, her brain still focused on the big problem. "It's just that I don't know what to give them!" She exclaimed, catching Chie completely off guard.

"E-eh?"

"I could get Ben that new Japanese Edition figure of Sumo Slammers, but it's expensive and father might not approve of spending that much. Then there's Gwen who I've been meaning to find more kimonos for, but it's difficult trying to find one that'll match her. And Kenny usually says that he's fine, but I know that he'll want something. Mother recently told me that he finally got a car, so maybe something that could be a decoration? But what would I get Grandpa?" Yukiko continued to ramble much to Chie's confusion.

All of the words and mumble that Yukiko was piling out was starting to overwhelm her. With the utmost haste, Chie placed her hand over Yukiko's mouth to shut her up. The heiress' rambling had paused, dark orbs blinking owlishly at Chie. "Yukiko-chan?"

"Hm?" Yukiko made a noise.

"Who are these people you're talking about?"

A lightbulb seemed to have gone off above Yukiko's head. "Hm!" Chie removed her hand, so that Yukiko could talk. "That's right, I never told you about them, did I?"

"I only know of your Mom and Dad. I didn't really know you had an extended family. Do they live near Inaba?" Chie asked, taking a bite of her chopped up steak.

Yukiko shook her head. "Oh no, they live in America."

"PFFFFTTTT!" Chie spat out her food all over the desk. The tomboy quickly grabbed her bottle of water to help clear her throat. All the while, Yukiko was doing her best to keep her laughter quiet.

"C-C-Chie-chan…y-your face… Pfft!" Yukiko snorted quietly.

"S-shut up!" Chie groaned, blushing slightly. "You have family in America!? Why didn't you ever mention this!?"

"You never asked."

Chie deadpanned.

"Also, haven't you noticed that my father isn't Japanese?"

"I just figured he was of American descent! It never seemed like it was something that I needed to ask about!" Chie huffed.

"Well, now you know." Yukiko said simply, taking a bite of her lunch.

Calming down, Chie asked another question. "Tell me about them. You mentioned names, but I don't know anything about them."

Giving Yukiko the chance to talk about her family seemed to have done the trick. Chie would find herself trapped listening to Yukiko describe each one of her extended family members with such passion and love that she has NEVER seen from the heiress before in all her years of knowing her.

It was as if these people brought out a different side to Yukiko that was unknown to the people around her and even herself. It was a side that only the love of a family could possibly bring out of someone.


Dark eyes blinked open to be greeted by the sight of a darkened ceiling. Yukiko gave herself a few seconds to properly adjust herself to the world around her, the soft snores of her cousins soothed her a bit. She sat up slowly, the blanket dropping down to her waist. Reaching for her phone, Yukiko checked the time and slightly groaned at how early she had awoken. Getting up from the bed, Yukiko quietly stepped over to the front of the Rustbucket, making sure to not wake her cousins.

Tomorrow was a big day for them.

Tomorrow they were going to be saving their grandfather.

Even with that knowledge Yukiko knew she wouldn't be going back to sleep anytime soon after that dream. It wasn't the strangest dream she's had and it won't be the last, but the way it scratched at that certain part of her had irked the heiress. Since the early parts of this summer she had wondered what life would've been like had she known about the Tennysons from the very beginning.

Would her world have been as small as it was if she knew or would she have not changed at all?

No matter how hard she tried, she could never perfectly picture the early parts of her life with the Tennysons in it. Her dream itself was proof enough, wasn't it? All she could possibly imagine was herself and Chie discussing the topic. There was no way to paint the ideal picture of a past that didn't exist, perhaps in a different world their family hadn't been split. In some alternate timeline perhaps, Max hadn't made the mistakes he did, and their family would be whole. But if that was the case, would her father have gone to Japan, would she have been born at all?

Maybe it was just fate for her family to end up as broken for years, to keep them all separated from one another.

Yukiko's eyes drifted to the picture Max kept of them up on the dashboard. The photo itself contained herself, Ben, Gwen, Kenny, and Max. They were all brought together for this one summer that forever changed the trajectory of her life, even more so than the previous year had. And now her grandfather was trapped in that accursed twisted world all by himself.

Was fate trying to keep them apart again?

"Screw that." Yukiko declared softly. If fate wants her family to suffer then she'll burn it down to a crisp with her fury. The flames of the Priestess were made to protect all that she holds dear while destroying everything that dares to threaten them. Upon those ashes they'll create a brighter future, one where her family can all be together. A future where they'll be able to sit at the same table with each other and smile with all their hearts.

Setting down the photo, Yukiko made her way back to the bunks to go back to sleep. With her head clear of the troublesome thoughts, she felt her conviction burn even brighter. "We'll save you, Grandpa. Just hold on for a little longer."

Log End

NOTE: A little more on the deeper side of things with this one, but it just came to mind. Yukiko's thoughts on the matter regarding her feelings on the Tennysons and what could've been her life. But realizes there's no point in focusing on "what could've been" when she can build a better future instead.

The first step to that future is saving Max.

Have a great day!