Heartbeat
It was Christmas in Heartland. The snow was falling and the city was shining bright, the usual lightworks accompanied by the glowing faces of happy children.
Well, all except one.
A little boy was sitting on his bed. He was indignant.
As the boy fumed silently over how unfair the world was and why bullies had to exist, or why they had to take HIS lunch money, there was a knock on the door.
"Go away, Mom."
The person on the other door opened the door anyway.
"Come with me."
"Grampa, why are we here?"
The little boy and his grandfather were at a park.
The old man merely smiled. "Let me tell you a story."
"O…K?"
"See, back when I was young…say, around 50 years ago, when we still used AR Vision, things used to happen. Things you wouldn't believe."
"Like what?"
"Are you sure you want to know?"
"Yes, Grampa."
"Aliens."
"What?"
"You heard me. Aliens. From another dimension."
"…"
"Well, anyway. All ended well. Heartland wasn't obliterated, no one died. Well, some people died, but I brought them back to life. But that's a story for another day."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"What I'm trying to say is, when you're faced with adversity, and it looks like your back is against the wall, you should see it as an opportunity to rise once more, stronger. No matter what happens…
…Keep trying to high-five the sky, kid."
The old man hands the little boy a package.
"Merry Christmas."
The boy silently opens the package and gapes.
Inside the box was a new duel disk and a deck box.
"…What's inside the deck box?"
"Take a look for yourself."
The boy takes a look at one of the cards.
"Y-you got me an Xyz? Thank you…"
"You're welcome. Now take to heart what I said and beat your stolen lunch money out of those bullies, yes?"
"How did you know that?"
"You have a good friend, you know that?"
"…I guess he's…my comrade."
"Whatever you want to call it, kid."
The child and his grandfather walked back to the house as the lights around them began to dim. In the fading light you could see a black card in the boy's hand, the name barely visible.
"Raidraptor - Rise Falcon"
END