Chapter 016: Things as they Were

"Show me this future," Destiny told Rex.

Rex only smiled in response. "The future can only be made manifest in a Vanguard fight."

"Then I challenge you to a Vanguard fight," Destiny then demanded. "Regardless of your excuse, your image isn't worth hurting innocent fighters."

"Hurting them?" Rex asked. "Whyever would I do that?"

Destiny showed him the gloves again. "This is your conduit to the future, as you said. These gloves have sent several fighters to the hospital. Is your future really worth that cost? Knowing that your brand is associated with that incident? This fiasco?"

"Are you... threatening me?"

"I want this fiasco to end," Destiny answered. "Are we fighting or what?"

"Follow me."

Rex led Destiny to a door labeled "TIP TOP SECRET". After scanning his credentials, the door opened slowly. Inside was an arch-like structure with 24 lights embedded into it.

"Inside this machine lies the future I desire," Rex told her. "But in order to see it, I suggest you wear these." He then tossed her a pair of gloves.

"I am not wearing these," Destiny protested.

"It's all fine," Rex answered politely. "I'm wearing them as well. You see, the machine is powered by the energy generated by Vanguard fighters when they fight."

"So this tournament was a facade," Destiny then said.

"No," Rex answered bluntly. "The fighters get what they want: a chance to see who the best Vanguard fighter is. And I get what I want: the opportunity to change the world for the better."

"For the better?"

"Absolutely," Rex answered. "This machine harnesses the untapped power of Messiah, the imagination that serves as the bond between Earth and Cray."

Destiny got curious, but a voice spoke to her. Don't fall for his tricks, Destiny...

"Shall we begin, Himiko?"

"Alright."

"Now, Stand Up! (The!) Vanguard!!!" With that, the machine was activated. That was simply how quickly Rex's system worked.

"Talisman Angel!" "Chrono Dran!" A small dragon with wheels for feet appeared in their imaginations. This, was a creature Destiny did not recognize.

"Don't tell me you could possibly be afraid of this little guy?" Rex asked her.

"I'm not afraid of it," Destiny answered. "I'm afraid of what comes later..."

"You can have the first move," Rex than said. "I'll go second."

"Draw. I ride Witch of Cats, Cumin."

"My turn. Draw. Ride! Gun-blast Dragon!" Another dragon. Not quite mechanical, but also not quite organic. "Skill activated, Soul Blast, then I bind a grade 4 card from my hand to search for a Chronojet Dragon to add to the hand cards." He then showed Destiny the card he found.

"Grade 4... Chronojet Dragon..." Destiny was puzzled.

"Gun-blast Dragon attacks Witch of Cats, Cumin."

"No guard..."

"A drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger."

"Go ahead, my dear Himiko," Rex somewhat taunted her, "Show my your image!"

"I will," Destiny answered. "Draw. I ride Dragwizard, Morfessa." Cumin suddenly became taller, with long, flowing blonde locks. Rex was confused at the sight of Morfessa.

"Morfessa..." he began to say. "The name is familiar, but something is wrong... Something isn't in its proper place..."

"This is Morfessa when she has the chance to choose her own path," Destiny answered.

"Choose her own path...?"

"Indeed," Destiny continued. "When given the chance, she chose to fight on the side of light. And now, bear witness to her newfound power."

"Ah yes, come at me!"

"Morfessa's skill: Soul Charge 1. Call Morfessa to the rear-guard. Soul Charge. The vanguard Morfessa attacks your vanguard."

"No guard."

"Drive check. Heal Trigger. Power to the rear-guard Morfessa, then heal one damage."

"Damage check. No trigger."

"The rear-guard attacks!"

"Ring-Ring Worker will guard that!"

"My turn is over."

The energy generated by their fight began to manifest into an image. It was a series of images, almost like a set of flashbacks.

"What's this image?" Destiny asked.

"This is my dream, Himiko," Rex answered her. "I want the future for humanity to be perfect. And if this power allows me to get there, I have to take it."

"I'll admit," Destiny answered. "I'm quite fascinated by you... and by your Gear Chronicle units. However..." Rex's face changed into a grimace. "This power is a dangerous power."

"Do you really think I would believe that?" Rex asked. "I can't believe that something that could lead to so much good could be so wrong."

"Not particularly," Destiny answered. "But that power could also lead to so much evil. I can't take chances on something that is unknown to me. This fight allows me to test the limits of your image."

"Alright, Himiko" Rex then said. "You want to see the power of the Gear Chronicle? Then I'll show you their power. And maybe I can convince you that I'm in the right."

"Let's see it then."

"I ride! Lost Break Dragon. Lost Break's skill: I bind a hand card to draw one. Call two Gun-bezel Dragons. The Gun-bezel on the left attacks your Vanguard. Gun-bezel's skill. Counter Blast to give it 10000 Power." Destiny wasn't sure what to do. Then, she heard a voice.

Be on guard, Destiny!

That's right! Destiny thought to herself. Himiko is telling me to go on the defensive. "I guard! Cyber Tiger!"

"Huh. I thought you wanted to know about the power of Gear Chronicle? Lost Break attacks your Vanguard!"

"I won't guard."

"Drive check. Critical Trigger! Power to Gun-bezel, and the extra critical to Lost Break."

That critical is going to help me... The attack landed, and neither of Destiny's damage checks were triggers. "How did you acquire the Gear Chronicle cards?" Destiny asked, but Rex only turned his remaining rear-guard sideways. Destiny asked again. The attack landed without even an attempt at an answer.

Finally, Rex began to wonder. "How did I get these cards...?"

"My avatar, Himiko, has tasked me with investigating the possibility that dark forces are using humans to advance their wicked agenda. In order to get answers, I entered into this tournament."

"I'm not interested in your life story," Rex answered. He was getting visibly frustrated. "Save your talk about magic and wizards for later. It's your turn, by the way."

"Then I'll show you..." Destiny answered. "The power of the force of destiny." Her voice had changed slightly, and Rex took notice. Himiko was in charge for the moment, as indicated by the Genesis emblem appearing on Destiny's hand.

"Glad to see you could finally join us, Himiko."

"I was watching the whole time," she answered him. "Let's begin. Ride! Guided the the hands of fate, and granted the power of dragons, appear! Dragwizard, Luard! Imaginary Gift: Force I!"

"Luard..." Rex was somehow able to recognize the name.

"Furthermore, I call Battle Maiden, Mihikarihime. A Soul Blast for Luard. Mihikarihime reduces the cost by 2, allowing Luard to open the door to the future!"

Rex closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was on Cray in his imagination. There, he saw Luard, ready for battle, when a symbol appeared in the sky above them, which made Rex very afraid.

"Superior Ride! Oracle Queen, Himiko!"

"What the...? She..." Rex suddenly found himself in intense pain in the real world. The damage his vanguard had received during the fight had suddenly begun to afflict him. "Who... Who are you...?"

"No one special," Himiko answered. "Riding Himiko allows me to get an Imaginary Gift. Then Luard's skill: Counter Blast! Draw a card, then Superior Call Pleione. Pleione's skill: Look at three cards from the top of the deck, place one in the soul, and the rest back on top."

"Five... soul..." Rex said as he began to recover from the pain. "That means..."

"Himiko's Soul Blast 5. I send a Draw Trigger from my soul to the bottom of the deck. And it activated once for each grade of your vanguard."

"Two drive checks..."

"That's 10,000 Power to Pleione and Himiko. Morfessa attacks!"

"Intercept!"

"Oracle Queen, Himiko attacks your vanguard!"

"No guard..."

"Drive check. No trigger. Second check. Critical Trigger. Power to Pleione, and Critical to Himiko." Rex was now at 3 damage. "Pleione attacks your vanguard!"

"No guard!"

"Where did you get the Gear Chronicle cards? And what exactly are you planning?!" Four damage. She couldn't finish him off that turn. Now in even more pain than before, Rex slammed his fists into the table.

"Enough of your incessant questions. Now, tell me," Rex began to say. "What exactly are you?"

"My job is to guide the force of destiny between Cray and Earth, the harmonic melody that flows between this world and my world," Himiko answered him. "I am Oracle Queen, Himiko."

"Force of destiny...? Harmonic melody..."

"That is correct," Himiko answered back. "Under the perfect circumstances, the melodies of Earth and Cray harmonize and create perfect balance on both worlds. A mixture of fortune and misfortune. However, if one world falls into a different melody, that could tip the scales in its favor... or cause untold destruction."

"So that's why you can't take that chance..."

"Precisely. The Cardfights on Earth are influenced by the melody produced by Cray. As well, the fights that occur on Cray are influenced by the Cardfights on Earth. However, those of us tasked with maintaining the balance noticed a discordant melody coming from within the Dark Zone."

"A discordant melody...?"

"A similar melody created the Demonic Madness Dragon, Kuromi, so it was safe to assume that the two events were connected. Little did we know the melody came from you, the Gear Chronicle!"

"Enough of this nonsense..." Rex then told her. "If I wanted to hear doomsday prophecies, I'd go to church."

"They're not mere prophecies," Himiko answered. "These are events happening in real time. If only you could..."

Rex slammed his hands on the table again. "I said enough! My image isn't one of destruction; it is one of rebirth. And to that end, I'll show you the true power of the Gear Chronicle! I ride!" In their imaginations, a gear dragon tore through the ground and grabbed Himiko. "Chronojet Dragon!" The dragon's eyes pierced through Himiko, through Destiny, through their souls.

"This is bad..."

"Imaginary Gift: Force I! Call!" Three rear-guards appeared around Chronojet Dragon. "Chronojet Dragon's skill. I use Wedgemove Dragon as the cost! Now show me, Gear Chronicle! Show me the future I truly desire! Transcend the Vanguard!!!" Suddenly, the Gear Chronicle emblem appeared on Rex's hand.

"That emblem..."

"Chronodragon Nextage!!!" Rex's voice was different now. The skies above Cray grew darker, and lightning began to shoot to and fro. As Rex rode his new unit, in their imaginations, Chronojet Dragon had dropped Himiko, causing her to fall a great distance. As she landed, she noticed Gun-bezel Dragon charging toward her.

"Gun-bezel's skill: Counter Blast to give it 20000 Power!"

"20000 Power?!"

"That's 5000 for each grade of Chronodragon Nextage."

"Witch of Big Pots, Laurier, protect me!"

"That won't be enough," Rex sneered. "Chronodragon Nextage, attack the vanguard!"

"Complete Guard!" Himiko answered. "Goddess of Self-sacrifice, Kushinada!"

"Twin Drive! First check, second check, no trigger." After Kushinada vanished from the field, Himiko breathed a sigh of relief. ''I survived... Now, to go on the offensive...''

"There won't be an offensive for you to go on, Himiko," Rex somehow heard her, and answered her.

"What?!"

"Chronodragon Nextage's skill:" Rex continued. "Counter Blast. I superior ride Chronojet Dragon from the soul. That's an Imaginary Gift: Force I. Chronojet Dragon, attack the vanguard!"

"Guard! Cyber Tiger! Witch of Cats, Cumin! Morfessa intercepts!"

"Your shield of 30000 doesn't faze me," Rex sneered once more. "Twin Drive! First check, Critical Trigger! All the effects go to Chronojet Dragon! Second check, Critical Trigger! All the effects go to Chronojet Dragon!" Once Chronojet Dragon broke through the shields, it charged straight for Himiko. It scooped her up into its hands, then proceeded to drop her once again. "It's over for you..."

As Himiko fell in her imagination, Himiko in the real world had to check three damage checks. None of them were triggers.

Himiko continued to fall, the Genesis emblem crumbling away from her host as she fell. The fall seemed as if an eternity would pass before she landed. In the real world, Destiny fell back, practically unconscious. Her symbiosis with Himiko had been broken.

Himiko, meanwhile, continued to fall.