How long has it been? Too long in my opinion. I feel so tired—almost disconnected from my body. The dreams have gotten stranger, and stronger. Now I wake up with water on my cheeks. I don't know how it got there, but I think there's something really wrong with me. The stuff I dreamed about felt weirdly familiar too - but whenever I try and think about it, the memory seems to fade to nothing. I feel... choked up? I don't know what you'd call it. I've never experienced this kind of sensation. I have this weird lump in my throat that just won't go away. But lately, something else is bothering me. This is gonna sound crazy (thank God this is a private diary!) but these pictures keep flashing through my head. Not all the time, just sometimes... Ever since then.

Entry #?

Chapter 1:

The year was 2030. The world, Earth, had gone through many strides toward peace, and this 21st century already promised at borderline revolutionary technological advancements. Already fields such as medicine, bio-engineering, architecture, and scientific theory had all experienced a quantum leap forward- this even included gaming.

The game of "Buddyfight" was introduced to the world, under amazing premises. Amazingly, the monumental discovery of other Worlds had occurred, leaving wide open the many possibilities of what lied out there. No longer were other Worlds beyond the human eye's sight, no longer did humans have to wonder whether or not they were alone.

However, this came with a price – The Disaster.

In the year 2026, just before Buddyfight spread throughout the world like wildfire, a global epidemic rocked the planet - The Disaster.

Only after the events of The Disaster transpired was Buddyfight first introduced to the youths of this world. Needless to say, it became a smashing hit, and after no time at all, the events of The Disaster were all but forgotten about, its origin and secrets locked away in some dark, dusty government hideaway. Never to see the light of day, if many adults would have their way.

But that's a story for another time.

Although some people had their reservations about the many monsters now present in the human world, tensions were quickly lost as it became readily apparent that the majority of the monsters were peaceful in nature. That's not to say there weren't rotten apples on either side, but by-in-large, monster-human relations were in relatively high standing. That being said, most monsters chose to adapt what they referred to as a Super Diminutive form, or "SD" form while on Earth for the purpose of seeming less harmful in the eyes of humans. The fact that most SD forms looked like a child's stuffed animal or an anime lover's chibi no doubt helped too.

After 4 short years had past, Buddyfight had, amazingly, become not only the most popular game of all time, but also became its very own lifestyle. Schools popped up around the world with the partial or main intent of producing outstanding Buddyfighters. What was initially a simple game had transcended into a new way of life.

But, not everybody was satisfied with this new world...

The bell jingled as the door to the Hobby Shop "Castle" opened. Hearing the tinkle of the bell, the apron-wearing manager looked up and waved a greeting at the shop's newest customer, although he paused once he saw that it wasn't any customer he recognized.

A young man somewhere in his middle teens entered the shop. A few of the girls present in the store looked and quickly blushed, and with good reason. The boy had a symmetrical chin and slender, attractive facial features. His triangular bangs covered his forehead neatly, while his face was framed by longer locks of hair that reached down to his shoulders. The hair on the back of his head was slightly shorter, coming down to just his jaw. His fair, unblemished skin was milky, and his piercing blue eyes were sharp.

The young man was dressed a pair of neat, dark blue jeans tucked into knee high combat boots and a black, long sleeved turtleneck shirt, with a plain backpack across his back, although despite his rather dark-themed attire, he still didn't give off a 'punk' vibe. (See my avatar for a quick pic of his face and clothes.)

The young man's gaze wandered about the unfamiliar shop for a few long moments before quickly homing in on the manager, whom was currently moving some boxes in the far end of the store. Easily slipping past the laughing crowd of younger kids, who were watching an ongoing Buddyfight through the shop's main television monitor with a childish zeal, the boy approached the store manager.

"Excuse me, but would you be in charge here?" the boy asked the older manager, calmly eyeing the older man as if sizing him up. The young man's voice was calm and mature, evenly pitched and had a nice low tone to it, although it seemed slightly monotone. (If you want to imagine a voice actor, then think of Keith Silverstein.)

Putting down the boxes, he grinned, "That's right, I'm the Castle Store manager! Wht'cha need, hombre?" The manager asked his potential customer, a friendly grin on his face.

Maintaining his calm gaze at the enthusiastic man, the young man replied, "I'm interested in purchasing some of your newer Buddyfight cards—may I have ten packs of your newest box?" he asked, pointing a slender finger at a box in the glass display case. The Store Manager grinned and turned to fetch the box for his customer, and in the meanwhile, the boy glanced aside to observe the other kids watching the match of nearly everyone's favorite card game: Buddyfight. It was a fairly typical game, absolutely nothing to get so excited over, in the boy's honest opinion.

Then again, such was the mind of a child...

"Hey kid, I grabbed the box ya' wanted." The manager caught back the boy's attention as the apron-wearing man moved to begin ringing him out for his purchase. Upon paying the man, the boy politely thanked the manager with a short bow and made to depart, but the Castle Manager called something out to his back before the boy could successfully scram.

"You know kid, I haven't seen you around here before, and I know all my past customers by heart. You new around here?" he asked, his voice good natured and genuinely curious.

"...Yes, I just moved to this area," he confirmed the Manager's thoughts, "I do a lot of traveling though, so I've been all around the world... You see, I don't tend to stay in one place for very long."

"Really? Wow, that must be pretty cool and all, seeing all the sights and meeting new people. Oh, by the way, I never got to grab you for your name?" The manager asked, although he stated it more like a regular sentence.

The boy frowned. This man was beginning to sound inquisitive, and he didn't want to stay and chat - he didn't do friends.

"...Roa. Roa Ciel." the now named Roa identified himself, somewhat reluctantly. He couldn't just say no and refuse to answer the man, he'd have looked suspicious.

"Well then Roa, don't be a stranger, 'k? You ever need to get some more Buddyfight cards, I'm your bro!" The Castle Manager grinned.

"...Yeah, sure." Roa replied, offering the man a forced smile in response, before once more pushing open the door, jingling the shop's bell for a second, and hopefully last time. As he left the door, he paused for a moment and turned around, facing the store, struck by a sudden sense of finality. Something was about to change; and he couldn't shake the impression that he would never buy another pack of cards again...

As the feeling faded away, he shook his head and continued on, making his way to the mall's currently vacant food court nearby. It was after lunch and before dinner, so the area was mostly empty - perfect for his preferences. The boy occupied an empty seat for himself and began to excavate the card packs one by one, his eyes carefully tracing each card one by one as they were pulled and sorted from their packaging.

Honestly, he still wondered why he even bothered with his almost ritualistic habit of opening pack after pack of cards. Just because it was the anniversary of The Disaster...

He shook his head. He had more than enough money and resources at his disposal to buy as many cards as he wanted, although Roa never could bring himself to, and it didn't have to do with the fact that he wasn't a fan of the game. He almost didn't even want a Buddy, nor, in his own opinion did he deserve one, but for some odd reason, the repetitive purchase and search of Buddyfight cards soothed his troubled mind. And before he knew it, he was at the final pack. Unconsciously holding his breath, he neatly opened the final pack to expose...

Nothing of importance.

Roa sharply exhaled the breath that he hadn't realized he was holding. There was no Buddy Rare card. Not that this really surprised him. The odds of finding a Buddy Rare card were slim to none; he would know. To be fair, at least one or two of the cards Roa found he could likely find a use for, but most were ones that he could probably sell off secondhand to somebody else who would have more need of them than him.

Ever since he had to get rid of his his old Buddy...

He pushed the thought out of his mind. Dwelling on the past did neither him nor anyone else any good, and it certainly wouldn't correct any of the mistakes he had made in his youth. The past was OVER.

Withdrawing his phone from his pocket, he checked the time briefly before storing the cards safely in his bag - only 6:30 - he'd find something or other to do with them later. Sliding up from his seat, Roa made to depart from the mall, deciding it was time for him to return home. Not that there was anyone there waiting for him... but nonetheless, his day was coming to an end now that there was nothing else for him to do where he was.

Immediately after pushing open the mall's main entrance door, Roa felt a few drops of water fall upon his head from the sky. As he looked up to the cloudy, rumbling sky, he paused for a long moment, almost as if he and it were in a private conversation with one another.

"There's... a storm coming." He muttered to himself. Quickly donning his long dark blue coat that he stored in his backpack to help stay dry and warm, he began his slow trek back home, as the sky began to let loose its torrential downpour. He didn't take a car or bike to the mall, so walking was his only choice for today. Not that Roa really minded it all that much; he always liked the rain, just not being in it.

Noticing a rather seedy looking alleyway, if the spray paint and littered garbage were any indications, Roa was reminded uncomfortably of his childhood, and an alleyway nigh similar to the one he saw...

'No, it's just an alley,' Roa shook the errant thought from his mind, 'Get a grip, you're not a child any more.' Now cutting into the alley as a shortcut, Roa was perhaps only ten minutes or less away from home when, as his rotten luck would have it, he heard something that almost instantly made his blood boil, "P-please, just leave me alone! I don't wanna be your Buddy!" a somewhat young sounding voice rang out in desperation.

"Shut the hell up, you worthless little queer!" An obnoxious sounding voice was quick to scream out, laced with hate and fury.

Roa rolled his eyes, 'Oh my god, now someone's bullying a kid. Can this town really sink any lower?' He thought morosely to himself, walking around the alley's corner, 'Or, maybe not...' Roa stopped dead in his tracks. Standing in front of him, with his back turned, was another boy. He was somewhere around his own age, although Roa ventured a guess that he was perhaps a year or two older than him. He was a bit lanky in build, though he was fairly ordinary looking.

Roa instantly loathed the boy. Call it residual feelings from his loathed years of being picked upon and mocked throughout his childhood, but if there was one thing that he despised, then it was a bully.

The fact that he was supposedly going after somebody for their sexuality made it all the worse to him. Although he had thought little of it, in this day and age, most countries in the world had dispelled any anti-gay laws long ago. While this lead to an enormous change in the world, there were still a few ultra-conservatives that opposed it - evident ally, he had run into obnoxious boy in question then realized that he was being observed by somebody, "Hey, you got a problem, buddy?" he growled, turning to face his observer.

"As a matter of fact, I do have a problem; you. What the hell do you think you're doing?" Roa asked rhetorically, and though his voice was outwardly calm, his cold eyes betrayed the inner rage he felt. Upon reevaluating the situation, Roa discovered that the thug was in fact NOT harassing another person, but in fact was doing so to what was obviously a Buddy monster - a small dragon, from what little he could make out in the dark alley, obviously in their SD form. The small Buddy monster looked at him and then back at the bully, his eyes wide with a terrified confusion.

Naturally, the other boy didn't take too kindly to the unwanted interruption, as the corners of his mouth quickly began to sink down in an angry snarl, "You keep your nose out of my business, pal! This is between me and that worthless little fag! Why don't you piss off before I teach you a lesson along with him, huh?" Looking at Roa again, the punk actually began to feel a bit intimidated, as the darkly dressed figure standing motionlessly amidst the cold rain made for an imposing form.

Roa had dealt with this boy's type before, and he knew exactly what was needed to get rid of him too. A dark shadow slowly spread over Roa's face as he held up a Core Deck Case for the brat to see, "Well then, since you seem to be so keen to teach me a lesson, why don't we settle things with a game? You obviously get your little kicks at the expense of your Buddy, so why don't you defeat me in a game of Buddyfight? I win, and you disappear, for good. You win, and you can do whatever you want to me. Or, as I expect, will you cower from a challenge in which you clearly have the advantage?"

The boy glared furiously at the obvious barb before replying, "Done, and when I win, then I get your entire deck, and get to rearrange your face too." The thug quickly caught on, his face twisted up in a grin at the thought of what would surely be an easy victory and a merciless beating.

As lightning flashed, Roa matched his ugly smirk. This trash was beyond saving now.

A strangled scream rang out through the evening weather, the shrill sound laced with pure terror. What few good Samaritans were out-and-about in the soaking rain heard the shout of distress and quickly hurried toward the noise in the alley.

They found a teenage boy lying unconscious on the ground, a smashed Core Deck Case on the ground beside him.

What the hell happened here?

A few minutes prior:

GAME OVER! WINNER: Roa Ciel!

The automatic voice declared Roa as the winner of their little challenge. The defeated loser, that now obviously being the bully in question, had quickly lost all trace of his backbone upon his loss and had fallen back flat on his ass, looking upwards at Roa in sheer terror.

"S-stay away from me, you freak! I-I'll leave him alone, OK? Just please, don't hurt me!" The boy pleaded to him, his eyes wide in fright. Normally, Roa would have probably done just that, as any other day, he was somebody who completely believed in giving everyone second chances. People could always change, as Roa could personally attest to, and Roa usually liked to give people the benefit of the doubt.

Today was not a normal day.

"I refuse. Scum who beg for mercy are too weak to deserve it," he replied coldly, his red-tinted glare piercing the boy's deepest and most sacred inner fears. Slowly advancing towards the fallen boy step-by-ominous-step, the now not-tough brat desperately scrambled backwards until his back collided with the alley's wall, screaming in absolute terror of the monster approaching him. Something within his mind seemed to snap, and he slumped to the ground unconscious, the growing stain in his trousers most certainly NOT caused by the ongoing rain.

*Tch* "Nothing but a coward," Roa muttered callously, looking down callously at the fallen delinquent in a dark scorn. Raising his leg, he brought his booted foot down at a force resembling terminal velocity right toward the boy's head...

Smashing the Deck Core Case that lay next to his head into fragments, thus destroying the Buddy Contract that bound the Buddy monster to him. Turning his gaze away from the victim of his game's loser, he met the awe-struck gaze of the Buddy monster, who was still on his back. From the Buddy monster's perspective, he had never seen anyone be so deliberately and ruthlessly... well, crushed. The gap of ability between the two fighters was obviously unspannable. As Roa began to approach him, he couldn't help but to feel afraid himself, especially after what he had just seen the boy do to his foe.

'W-what if he comes after me too? Oh no, I knew I should never have left to find my own Buddy! Now-' His thoughts were cut to a short as the boy stopped before him and, to his surprise, got down on one knee and - extended a hand towards him?

"Are you alright?" Roa asked gently, his previous cold expression had quickly melted away, giving his young, boyish face a rather warm and soft looking appearance. The Buddy monster couldn't help but blush a little as he was helped up to his feet.

Now that he was closer to the little Dragon, Roa couldn't help but get a better look at him. What was once shrouded in darkness from the shadow of the alleyway was now much clearer. The Dragon was obviously a male who's total height was about to Roa's mid thigh, although he was certainly more than a bit effeminate. He has light, baby blue scales and long, curly blonde hair that was a bit flattened by the ongoing rain. His attire reminded Roa of his own college graduation, being that of a black and white robe with a red tie, small brown shoes, and what resembled a graduation cap, complete with tassels. He had big, honey-golden eyes with long eyelashes and a monocle on his left eye, giving him a scholarly air. He has a tail as well, and the small fangs that gently poked upwards from his reptilian snout completed his look.

He was cuter than any toy plushie that Roa had ever seen, and if his aesthetics were anything to go by, then Roa was certain that the Dragon in question was fully aware of that fact.

"Y-yeah, I'm OK. At least now that he's not picking on me anymore," the Dragon huffed, looked over at the still unconscious boy, "honestly, I was just trying to find my Buddy, not to get stuck with some nasty delinquent like him!" he scowled, crossing his arms, "But still, I know my rightful Buddy is out there somewhere, and I won't stop 'til I find him!" The little Dragon exclaimed confidently, striking a rather amusing pose of determination.

Roa couldn't help but chuckle for a moment at his confidence, "Well, I'm sure that you'll find your Buddy. With an attitude like that, I think there's no way that you can't, right?" he supplied.

"That's right, I - Oh, how rude of me, I didn't even thank you properly!" He looked sheepishly startled before offering a deep bow at his savior, "Thank you for helping out little-old me~! If it weren't for you, I don't know what I ever would have done, Mr... And I never got your name either! Oh, this is so embarrassing! This has never happened to me before." The little Dragon blushed to himself, cupping his cheeks with his hands to try and conceal the growing blush on his face.

"Er, no, it's alright! I'm sure that you've been through way more than you should have. And don't worry about that... at times, I can be a little bit of an airhead when it comes to people's name's too," Roa confessed sheepishly, trying his best to appease the dragon's embarrassment, " And my name is Roa, Roa Ciel. I'm just glad that I could help you out before somebody like... well, him, got to you first," Roa spoke 'him' distastefully, glaring at the aforementioned boy's comatose body. "May I ask you of your name as well?"

"Well, of course! Besides, you're my hero! It would be so rude for me not to introduce myself! I'm the noble Dragowizard, Qinus Axia! But most people just call me Axia!" The now revealed Axia answered, his tone bright and bubbly.

And cut! this is the cliffy end of chapter one! I tried to keep everybody in character as much as possible. How'd I do in that regard? Please comment on how good/bad it seems so far! And in case anyone didn't get it, the top part is an entry from Roa's (An OC of mine) personal diary, which will allow for a small glimpse into both his character and his mysterious past with each chapter!

Comments are always appreciated!