Fade away My Memories…

Chapter 1

I watched the sky through the garage window. Light blue sheets with fluffy white clouds occasionally dotting the landscape like a fluffy blanket. The same light blue, I noticed, as Lise's eyes…

I shook my head, feeling my face grow warm. You can think about your girlfriend later. The sooner you finish the sooner you can relax for a little while…

Ignoring all further distractions, I bent down to continue maintenance. When I finished, in barely ten minutes, I stood and wiped the grease off my face. Instead I managed to smear the streak across my cheek.

I made my way into the kitchen and cleaned my face, and for some reason my elbows. How they got so coated with grease, I will never know…

Acceptably clean, by my standards, I put my jacket back on. Martha would probably say different, but she wasn't here to say to scrub harder.

At the moment I craved a ride. I'd been inside to long today. Air through my face sounded really good.

My runner welcomed me like a friend. I easily sat comfortably in the seat. The helmet too was perfectly molded to my head when I slipped it on. Adrenaline poured into me and I shot out of the garage like a rocket.

Turning lazily onto the highway, I closed my eyes for a few seconds. No matter how many times I raced through the wind, it was just as exhilarating as the last time.

Suddenly a figure materialized in front of me out of nowhere. I screeched to a halt, slamming into the brakes as hard as I could. My tires left screech marks on the nearly vacant street.

"Sorry! I didn't see you! Are you okay?"

The person, I think it's a guy, didn't move. The man was dressed entirely in robes. They were nearly see-through which explained why it had been difficult to see him.

Painstakingly slowly the man raised a gloved hand. "Yusei…Fudo?" he asked quietly, pointing at me.

"Uh…yeah…that's me…um…did you want to see me?" I got off my runner and took my helmet off. My dark spiked hair blew in the breeze. It's kinda obvious it's me when I don't have my helmet on…

Anyway, the man had taken off his hood and I saw his face. It wasn't anybody I had ever seen before. He had white hair that was long and almost dream-like. His face was wide and serious, but gave way to a playful look in his eyes. No, not playful, excited expectance…hhhmmm

"It is nice to meet you. I am called Dias. I am part of Iliaster. I govern space and time…" He smiled creepily. "And memory…"

My eyes narrowed. Iliaster and I weren't exactly friends. When an organization tries to destroy an entire city with complete disregard for the people then yeah, you tend not to like them.

"What do you want? A duel?"

"No, nothing of that sort."

"Then what?" I responded.

Dias stepped towards me. I was wary of him, but held my ground. "I am going to completely destroy your life…" Before I could react, Dias grabbed my arm and a chain around his neck I hadn't seen before glowed with white light. The light enveloped and swallowed and us. My runner came along for…I guess the ride. I tried to throw Dias off me, but his grip was like a vice. How could he be so strong?

The light spit us out in front of the Zora's shop. The garage and rooms for me and my friends were just underneath the shop. Dias calmly released me, acting as if having light swallow people is perfectly normal.

"What the crap did you do?" I yelled at him.

Dias just smiled serenely. Now I really wanted to punch him.

"I have changed your reality slightly. You see, in this world you are completely alone…"

"What're you talking about? How will that change my life?" My patience was quickly unraveling.

"You have one year to find Elizabeth Kururugi. Find her and have her fall in love with you."

"What?" I was totally confused. Lise is my girlfriend…I thought we already got past the whole 'we're-afraid-to-admit-we-like-each-other-because-we're-afraid-the-other-doesn't-feel-that-way' stage.

Dias's eyes flared angrily at my interruption, but he smoothed out the kinks I'd made in his calm complexion and continued. "She has to fall in love with you again, in a year, or I will hunt her down and kill her. Then you are next."

"What?" I repeated, feeling stupid. There was no way. How do you make somebody fall in love with you? And Lise…

"Oh, and one more thing; you are unable to tell anyone, especially Elizabeth, about this. I'll be watching. I left a mark on your arm when I touched it, and that will be my monitor. Good luck…"

"Wait a minute!" I shouted and reached for Dias's arm. He vanished a second before I reached him.

Without Dias around it was just me. The street was empty. I assumed Zora was in her shop, but I didn't know what help she could give me. I didn't have any other options though…

I walked into Zora's clock shop and my ears were met with the collective sound of numerous clocks ticking. Zora looked up from the counter and smiled. That smile made me relax.

"Hey Zora-"

"Hello, looking for a watch?"

I furrowed my brow. Why would I want a watch? "Um…Zora, it's me, Yusei?"

"That's a great name! Are you looking for something for yourself or for a friend?" the smile wasn't a familiar one; it was a business smile…

"Zora, I'm Yusei Fudo? I live in the garage under your house?"

Zora cocked her head to the side. "Oh the garage? It's been empty for years! My sons moved out and it's empty…I've been trying to rent the space out…Would you like to rent it out?"

"Um…you don't…know who I am…do you?"

"Nope, sorry I don't…Look, are you here to get something or not?"

"Not," I managed to say and walked out of the shop.

"Come again!" Zora called after me.

Okay, this was really bad. Why doesn't Zora remember me? I need some answers. Maybe I can find Dias and-and what? He wants to ruin my life remember?

I got on my runner and rode off. Maybe I could find somebody else who did remember me. I had to find Lise. Make sure she was okay, and Dias hadn't decided to break his word.

How do I find her though? Damn…this is gonna be harder than I thought…Wait a minute. If Akiza goes to school in the end with Leo and Luna at duel academy, wouldn't Lise and Fish go too if they didn't know me?

I drove to the school and pulled up at the curb. I glanced at my wrist to see a nonexistent watch. Maybe I should've bought one at Zora's…oops…

A school bell rang and students poured out of the front doors. Kids unlocked bikes, runners and cars and drove off. All right then; school had ended for the day. Works for me.

Finally I spotted them. Akiza's red head and Lise's blond one were easy to spot. Fish and the twins were close by. I'd been right. They were all going to duel academy.

An idea hit me. If Lise and Fish had wanted to go to duel academy, why hadn't they? Did they…did they stay self-homeschooled so they could stay with me and Crow? I'd have to ask them when this whole mess was sorted out.

I forgot my whole plan that involved detailed explanations about me and everything I'd done with my friends. When Lise looked at me as she passed, I threw my arms around her. "Lise!"

She froze. Her books and backpack fell to the sidewalk. The twins, Akiza and Fish stared at us wide-eyed. Okay, Fish wasn't exactly wide-eyed, more like death glare…as usual…I released Lise quickly and stepped back. "Um…I uh…I'm sor-ow!"

I massaged my cheek where Lise had smacked me. "What the hell is wrong with you! Who the hell are you!" she shouted, red and obviously angry.

Even though I knew it was coming, I was still shocked. "You…you don't remember me?"