"Saiko! Saiko are you okay-?"
"Patchy..." You muttered, eyes glistening "Saiko's Guardian Angel..."
Patchwork's breath halted. You could hear him double-taking.
"Guardian...?"
"Saiko remembers..." You could feel your heart beating rapidly, a balloon was swelling inside you "Saiko remembers! This is Saiko's room!" You cried happily, jumping to your feet, staring at the orange haired boy "This is Saiko's room!"
"You remember... Can you remember Saiko-Dear...?"
You paused. The voice... you could remember the voice...
You looked across the field at a white hooded shape. The long flowing robes seemed to be taught across their back.
"Saiko knows you..." You started slowly "Silvery voice..."
A hand emerged from the robe and stuck out in front of the person. It began to play on the air as if it were playing on a piano.
"Tale as old as time..."
The voice was singing - like music without a tune. Words seemed to place themselves in your mouth.
"Song as old as Rhyme...?"
The voice giggled lightly. It raised its hand up to its hood and gently held the folds.
"You do remember~"
They pushed the hood back. A gasp escaped your lungs.
The long pink hair escaped the white cloak, the blue eyes opening as if for the first time. You stepped forwards, eyes quivering.
"Mom..."
'Mooooom!'
The tinkling sound of the Piano stopped as a woman turned around, a small child running up behind her, scrambling onto the Stool behind the woman.
"What is it Saiko-Dear?"
"My video stopped playing! I can remember all the words to the Song now!"
"Can you now?"
"Now I can sing the song while you play!"
"Oh" The woman chortled to herself "Is that why you wanted that video so badly?"
The little girl pouted, her lips puffing up and her little eyebrows narrowing. Tbe woman laughed and placed a hand on the girl's head.
"There is more to a Song than just knowing the words Dear, just as there is to a Story or a Person - You have to truly want to be a part of the song or else it won't sound right"
"But I want to sing with you! I want to learn how to play just like you!" The child wailed "Pleeeease?"
"Oh - Alright" The woman sighed with a smile, the girl's face lit up "Here we go..."
She began to play, fingers dancing across the keys of the old piano. The girl's eyes widened in excitement as the Woman opened her mouth.
"Tale as old as Time~" She sung, her voice smooth and calming "True as it can be-"
"Barely even Friends!" The girl sang, her voice off pitch "'Till someone bends-"
"Unexpectedly~"
The music tinkled across the room as you stared across the room in amazement at the woman before you. The strange Child Patchwork felt his eyes widen in shock.
"It's you..." He whispered slowly "But... You're..." He looked away "It can't be"
"Ah - Dear Patchwork, I was wondering when you would come" The woman smiled, bowing her head "As you were just the person I was waiting for, so I could explain to Saiko about everything"
"Me?" The two green eyes widened "Why on earth would you need me to tell your own daughter-"
"Hush" The woman wagged a finger "Dear Patchwork, without you - Saiko would be as much in the dark as she was before you came along"
Patchwork glanced back at you over his shoulder. You were still in self-denial over the situation - Your small brain finding it hard to contemplate the situation. He turned around, asking the question both of you were thinking.
"You... Mistress - What are you doing here?"
"Me?" The woman laughed "I thought that would be obvious Phantom! I'm here to help both of you" She smiled "You both don't realise why you are together - You doubt the strength you have"
You and Patchwork fell silent. What didn't you both realise? Doubting one another? You two were the best of friends - closer than family... Why was your Mother... of all people, there to help you?
"Saiko doesn't understand" You said confused "Saiko doesn't doubt Patchwork-"
"Ah - But that is where you're wrong" Your mother interrupted "I have been watching, for a short while now - The two of you are slowly drifting in different directions" She shook her head "I can't allow it to happen, you are each other's lifeline..."
"I don't doubt Saiko though" Patchwork retorted quickly "So what do you-?"
"Just today you were commanding that she leave Duel Academy, even though she has made it quite clear she has no desire to leave!" Your mother said firmly "As for Saiko" She turned to you, your shoulders stiffened "You doubt his Concern - You both have fallen further apart, only a little at a time... Though - I cannot blame you, it has been Ten years..."
'Ten years ago in a Car Crash-'
Familiar words suddenly sprang to mind. You stumbled forwards.
"Saiko remembers something Patchy said about Ten years ago!" You said suddenly, Young Patchwork and your Mother looking at you "He said something about... about..." You stopped, confused "Uhm..."
"The car crash" Patchwork whispered quietly
"Of course - Naturally Saiko would not remember" The woman chortled "Not exactly a Memory you wanted her to have - is it?" She cast a look at Patchwork
You frowned, confused at what she was saying. You too, looked at Patchwork.
"Memory...?" You asked confused
Patchwork glared sideways at your Mother, then casting you a sad glance. Your Mother sighed and smiled again.
"Now I can tell you a Story Saiko" She smiled "Seeing as making Patchwork tell you would be most inappropriate... Perhaps after we will continue our Duel"
The confusion in the room seemed to thicken as your Mother took a deep breath.
"It all started a long time ago, when you were just four years old..."
"La, La, La - Laaaaa~"
Skipping every second stair, the small child bounced onto the First floor. Her short pink hair tied into Pig-Tails with Yellow ribbons, the little girl danced down the hallway, singing to herself.
"Before it happened, you were a fairly normal girl - A little like you are now - Always dancing and singing everywhere you went..."
"Morning Daaaaad~" She sang in a wail-like tone, causing the man to smile weakly over his coffee.
"Of course - You were never discouraged over how you couldn't hold a tune"
"Morning Saiko" The man ruffled her hair affectionately as he placed his coffee down on the table "Is Mom up yet?"
"Mom's up!" The girl nodded "She's a little tired though - She might take a while" She added brightly
"Is that so?" The Father laughed "Have you been keeping that Present of mine safe?"
"However, there was something about you that even your Father and I were worried about..."
The small girl's face turned into a frown. She looked away and muttered quietly about 'Keeping it in a Box'
"Saiko you can't keep a Good luck charm locked up - It's not Good luck then" The man said kneeling down
"I don't want it!" The girl stamped her foot on the floor "It's ugly! I don't like it! No - No - No-"
"You were so judgemental for a child... Every book had to have a shiny cover, Movies had to have handsome heroes, and everything had to be perfect..."
"Now Saiko, don't be that way" The man said putting a hand on her shoulder "It's what's inside that counts"
"You can't see what's inside" Saiko said sourly "It's what's outside that counts!"
"No matter how we tried to explain, you just wouldn't listen..."
"Go upstairs and take the card with you today" Your father pointed out "Go on"
The child looked like she was about to throw a tantrum, but - without a word, she turned on her tiny heel and stomped back up the stairs, her cheery mood gone. The Father sighed and began to drink his coffee again.
'I hate that card' The girl thought sourly 'It's ugly and bad looking...'
"But, you were so unaware of the Spirit in the card - Which watched over you every day of your life..."
As the girl pulled out a locked box in the bottom of her cupboard, a creature in the rafters stirred. A green eye narrowed in anger as the girl stared at the card.
"Why'd Dad have to give me 'this' card?" The girl asked annoyed "Why couldn't he get me Wingweaver...?"
'What a brat...'
The creature folded his arms behind his head as the girl reluctantly pocketed the card and walked back outside. As if on an invisible line, the monster drifted after her lazily.
He had no control over it - For some strange reason or another, He had to be nearby the child. He had no desire to watch over this annoying brat of a girl.
Ever since his card had entered her tiny hands - He had emerged from the spirit world - and attached to this girl. What wouldn't he give for this girl to disappear, and allow him to go back to the other world and let him go back to his old ways?
"Patchwork Phantom was, and is a Fiend card - and as most Fiends are - Was part Demon, having no Sympathy for Human Children..."
What would Patchwork give to become solid, just for a moment - and rip this little girl to shreds? It would show her about appearances afterall - how fortunate it was for her to have a face that was intact...
"Got your card Saiko?" The little girl looked up at her Father at the bottom of the stairs
"Yes" The girl mumbled annoyed
"Good girl" He smiled softly "Now - Today's a Special day for your Mother - It's her Birthday afterall"
"I'll be good!" The girl nodded, the invisible Patchwork snorted
"That's the ticket" The man grinned "Are you ready honey?" He yelled up the stairs
"Just a moment dear~"
"It was supposed to be a day we could all spend together, seeing as your Father was usually on Buisness trips - and we rarely got to be a Family..."
"You look wonderful" The Father beamed as the beautiful woman walked down the stairs
Her long pink hair was clamped back with a golden clip - Not a single strand out of place. Her blue eyes glimmered in no apparent light as she smiled at her Husband and Daughter.
"So - Where are we going first?" She smiled, looking at her Husband
"That's a surprise~"
"We had never really thought something like that would happen to us... It was the kind of thing you'd hear on the news all the time..."
"Where are we going?" The little Saiko asked confused as her Father buckled her into her seat, the spirit Patchwork Phantom lazily sitting in the spare seat in the back
"That's a Surprise" Her Father teased, prodding her in the nose, making the girl wrinkle it in response "It won't be fun if I tell you"
"I don't like surprises" The girl said frowning, folding her arms
'You don't like anything you stupid kid' Patchwork thought annoyed
"Got everything dear?" The woman sat down in the passenger seat, pulling the belt over her
"Beautiful wife, Cute Daughter - I think I do"
"Oh be serious for a Change~"
As the car started and began to roll down the driveway, the little girl suddenly chose to speak up again.
"Dad - Why did you get me Patchwork Phantom as my First card?"
"You'd ask that question so often, it was as if your Father giving you that card was an insult to you..."
"Now Saiko, we've been through this a hundred times - What's wrong with Patchwork Phantom as a card?"
"He's not pretty!" Patchwork rolled his eye as the girl started throwing a tantrum "I wanted a Fairy card! Like Wingweaver, or even a Warrior card like Shadow Tamer! A pretty card!"
"Patchwork Phantom is more then those cards" Your Father explained as he made a right turn "Besides, in real life - Beauty fades..."
"I don't care!"
The little girl suddenly kicked her father's seat. The Father's seat jolted forwards unexpectedly and he fought to keep a hold of the wheel.
"Saiko!" The mother scolded "Don't do that!"
"No one cares how I feel!" Saiko screamed "Why?!"
"We had no idea that you felt like that... We were away too often - We had missed you growing up..."
She kicked her Father's seat again, but the impact was not the same. The father was trying to brake the car, but the pedal did nothing.
"It's not braking!" The Father shouted suddenly
"What?" The woman whirled away from the daughter, who had begun to cry "It's not-?!"
Patchwork had unfolded his arms and was clutching the seat beneath him with his see-through hands. The car was beginning to vibrate violently as it began to speed up involuntarily.
"I CAN'T STOP IT!!"
Without warning, the car lurched sideways. There was barely time to scream as the Car lurched over the barrier, falling into the bushland below.
"... We had no idea, the car had been tampered with... It was too late... Your Father and I had already moved on... but..."
Patchwork stood over the carnage that he had been sitting in. A strange feeling mingled inside his stomach.
'Well...' He thought slowly, eyebrow narrowing 'That... was unexpected...'
There was a dim light from inside the car. Patchwork stiffened as two bright figures rose from the wreckage, unfurling into a golden mist.
"Kenshinki..." Patchwork muttered slowly
As one figure rose up, disappearing into the air - the other paused. It stared directly at Patchwork, intrigued.
"Patchwork Phantom..."
The woman's silvery voice was too uncommon to mistake for anything else. Patchwork nodded briefly and folded his arms.
"You're dead" He said shortly "Heaven awaits you, you better get going - or else you're going to become a Ghost"
The Figure stood still for a moment, and went to leave. Suddenly there was a bright glow of light from below. Both Patchwork and the form froze as a tiny ball of light rose up.
"Mom... What happened?"
The tiny voice of Saiko's was also unmistakable. The woman's voice seemed to shatter as she tried to explain.
"We're... We're going far away... I don't know where..."
Patchwork watched in amazement as the lights conjoined, slowly shimmering into nothing. As he stood there in silence, he slowly examined the car wreckage from where he stood.
"The girl is dead..." He muttered "Her whole family is dead..." He felt his mouth curl into a frown "WHY am I still here?!"
"Even in death, Patchwork Phantom was cursed to stay by the empty shell of your body - now empty of its previous soul..."
It was hours before the Police arrived. Patchwork watched in silence as they prised apart the smouldering wreck, finding the three bodies, one by one.
"It's the Kenshinki family... Ouch - The Media's going to tear into this Car Company over this"
"Think the car acted up?"
"Looks like the Brake's were cut... We could've dusted for prints if the car hadn't been burnt to a crisp..."
Patchwork couldn't be bothered listening to the Police talk. It was all pointless to him, the only thing he wanted to know was why he was still there... if all the souls had moved on - He had no reason to be there-
"Hold on, Look Sir! The girl's alive!"
Patchwork shot upwards, spinning around in shock. The officer's pulled out the body.
The body of Saiko Kenshinki.
She was a mess, her pale pink hair was undone and everywhere. There was a gash in forehead, the congealed blood going brown as it crusted over. Patchwork watched in amazement to see that, indeed - the small child's chest was rising and falling.
"Poor tyke... Would've been better if she had died..."
"This might not even leave a scar, but the bruises on the back of her head shows that she was thrown around a bit..."
Patchwork stood over the girl in amazement as the Policemen called the ambulance. He had never really taken a close look at the girl before, always too repulsed by her attitude. But... now - a soulless shell...
'How can she be alive...?' Patchwork thought slowly. He knelt down beside her 'Her spirit is gone...' His eyes graced over her blood-stained face 'Funny...' He smiled to himself 'She hated ugly things - and here she is, covered in blood...'
As the Ambulance pulled up and lifted the mess of a girl onto the stretcher, Patchwork felt intrigue plague his insides.
"Why am I still here...?"
"Despite your critical condition - You stayed alive... A camera was on you all day, all night for any signs of conciousness..."
"I doubt that she'll make it" The Doctor said placing the clipboard at the end of the bed, gazing down at the girl "She's been asleep for a month now, but she shows no signs of awareness of the world around her..."
Patchwork leant against the wall, fiddling with his scales, lifting them up and letting them flick back down again with a click. A month, a whole month, spent sitting next to this do-nothing shell.
'She's never going to wake up, why can't you let her body die?' Patchwork looked dully at the limp figure, bandaged and broken on the bed
"But Doctor, even if she does awaken - Her condition is so unstable..." The Nurse's mouth twitched "She might have Amnesia, or she might develop some serious mental issues..."
'Now that'd be interesting' Patchwork chortled to himself 'Little Miss Perfect, a retard...?'
"We can do nothing but wait" The doctor said simply "It just looks like another day has passed for this child..."
Without another word or acknowledgement, the two left in silence. Patchwork stood up off the wall, turning back to the child once again.
'I've spent a whole month next to you, Shell of Saiko' Patchwork's eyes narrowed '... Why am I still here...?!'
His nostrils flared, eyes burning with hate. Suddenly he bared his canines and let out a howl-like scream.
"WHY WON'T YOU JUST WAKE UP OR DIE ALREADY!?!"
"Despite how much Patchwork had disliked the previous Saiko... something inside him was empty..."
'I'm so used to hating this child...' Patchwork thought angrily, breathing heavily 'But that girl is gone... and this... body is here... am I to be attached to this empty shell for another decade before they give up?!'
These words slowly worked through Patchwork's mind. A dim memory aroused at the back of his dark mind...
'Never give up on life... Where's there's a spark left, a flame can erupt...'
The old Scientist's words of wisdom...
Suddenly, Patchwork stood stark upright. Staring down at the shell, he seemed to see it in a brand new light.
"She isn't dead... She's just waiting for a new soul..." Patchwork looked at his clawed hand "I wouldn't be alone anymore..." His eyes glistened "She'd be mine... Like a daughter..."
It was as if everything made sense. Patchwork had never been attached to that Brat of a girl. It was fate - handing him the one thing he had always wanted. Someone who could be just like him, someone who had fallen from grace - with no one left to turn to...
"Saiko... Saiko..." Patchwork breathed in, a grin growing on his face at his idea "Prepare to be born~"
The machine's began to beep violently as Patchwork's hair flew out behind him, lashing at the air. The Light's flickered on and off, the window began to clatter noisily.
The girl's eyes opened. Patchwork felt the blast die down as she weakly turned sideways, a look of mild amusement on her face.
"Who is you...?" She asked quietly
Patchwork smiled, the little girl had reached out her hand to touch him - but it fell through his ghostly form.
"I'm Patchwork Phantom... call me Patchy... I'm your... call it a soul mate~"
"Patchy..." The girl's eyes lit up as he grinned "Who is me?"
"You're Saiko"
"Saiko is Saiko Pacchuwa-ku"
"Pacchuwa-ku?"
The door smashed open. Patchwork turned around as the Doctors and Nurses stood in shock at the little girl sitting upright in her bed.
"Miss Kenshinki!" The Nurse breathed in shock
Saiko looked around for who the Nurse was talking to - not noticing the Doctor beginning to check her pulse and examining the now haywire machines.
"Saiko, can you tell me your name?" A Nurse read off the clipboard
"Saiko knows her name!" The girl beamed "Saiko Pacchuwa-ku!"
Patchwork grinned to himself as the Doctors and Nurses looked at each other in confusion.
"Pacchu...waku?"
"That was your name... No longer daughter of the Kenshinki's... Daughter of Patchwork Phantom..."
Your mind was beginning to grow blank with so many answers at the same time. The woman stared at you patiently as you looked from her to the Teenage version of Patchwork Phantom.
"Saiko is..." You looked at Patchwork "Saiko is Patchwork... and Patchwork is Saiko..."
"Yes" The woman nodded slowly, but then, she shook her head "And no"
You looked at her, confused. She smiled slightly and pointed at the Orange haired boy.
"You two share a Soul, but they are two different halves, you are two individuals - But yet - You are one - Like two halves of the greater whole" Your Mother lowered her hand "Do you understand?"
"Saiko's confuzzled" You said simply, tilting your head "But... Maybe she gets it..." You sweatdropped
"The two of you together is a strong force" Your Mother smiled "Yet - if the two of you were to fall apart... you would be the weakest of the weak... So I must make sure the two of you are still in tune with one another" She nodded to herself "This is why I have come back from..." She paused, a smile growing on her face as she pointed to the ceiling "Up there"
"So what'll prove we're together?" Teenage Patchwork asked suspiciously
"If you can win the duel together - With your new cards" She added simply as you looked at your hand "Oh, one more thing" She flicked her wrist
Before you could even turn around, a large velvet curtain shut itself over the mirror, hiding it from view. You blinked and stared at the red texture - and then back at your Mother.
"What'cha do that for?"
"All in good time Saiko dear" She wagged a finger "It's time to continue our duel, now that I have finished our Lesson"
You blinked for a moment, and looked at Patchwork for a response. He looked at you with his now glimmering green eyes and nodded.
'We can do this'
You beamed, turning back to your now unhooded, old Mother.
"Then Saiko and Patchy's ready to Dueeeel~"
End of Chapter Twenty-Five
Forwards -->
And continues the duel...
If Saiko wins with her new cards, her Mother will believe that she and Patchwork are capable of surviving on the Island with the Sacred Beast cards.
If she loses...?
Anyone surprised about what a Brat the old Saiko was? D= I'd have hated to write about her for Twenty-Five parts!
*Sings* Ding-Dong the Brat is Dead~
But we're not even finished with the Flashbacks! Well... for now we are - But we still don't know how cute little Teenage Patchwork turned into... Full grown adult, Scaly Patchwork Phantom o//O Anyone curious?
Picture of Chazz/Manjoume again... I really gotta stop looking at Spoilers...
*Cries a little*
Rage... (Ikari)... Let all us Chazz/Manjoume fangirl's pray for his safe return from... Golden Explodey-ment *Breaks down crying*
Vote, whatever - I seriously don't care.
Thanks everyone for sticking through Twenty-Five parts! See you in Part Twenty-Six!
Luce | Yami.Haga.Ryuzaki
