Title: Birthday Card

Summary: Sixteen year-old Aki sat quietly in her room, pretending to read her new book she had received from one of the Arcadia instructors. Today was her birthday, and she hated that little piece if herself hoping she'd get a card from her parents. One-shot, pre-series.

Notes: Takes place about a year before the series beginning, when Aki is living at the Arcadia Movement.

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds.

Sixteen year-old Aki sat quietly in her room, pretending to read her new book she had received from one of the Arcadia instructors. She brushed her hair out of her eyes. Today was her birthday, and she hated that little piece if herself hoping she'd get a card from her parents.

It was stupid, she knew…why would the people who called her a monster, shipped her off to Duel Academy, and then laughed in her absence bother to take time out of their day to send a note of happy birthday?

Maybe, the little voice inside of her said, maybe they want to make amends today. It's not every day you turn sixteen. Today could be the day they'll try and take the first step by sending you a card…

Aki flopped down on her bed and covered her face with her new book. "Oh shut up!" she sighed, her exasperation muffled by the book. It was ridiculous, she knew, for her to be sitting on pins and needles for a card that certainly wouldn't arrive through the small mailbox that led to her room here. She had received one when she was at Duel Academy, true, but last year when she was here at Arcadia, she hadn't received one either.

And now she was arguing with herself.

Frustrated, Aki kicked over her wastebasket. A brief, violent gust of wind blew through the room; her psychic powers. Aki glanced at the hair-curler like device she used to curl up her front bangs sitting on her nightstand. Divine had given it to her for her previous birthday, and it helped restrain her powers outside of a duel. She cherished it, but it had broken recently and she was afraid to tell her mentor so.

Venting her anger, Aki plucked one of the roses from the glass vase on her nightstand. Slowly, she began to shred the petals.

Why, Mom and Dad? Would it kill you to try and make amends by sending a card? Just a card?

Though Aki would never admit it, her heart occasionally ached for her parents.

Suddenly, there was a knock on her door. Aki dropped the rose, startled. "Come in!" she called.

Divine entered, holding a box behind his back. "How are you?" he asked in a kind voice he reserved for when he was talking to his prized pupil.

"Oh…fine," she lied. Divine's eyes traveled to the shredded rose on the floor, to the broken hair-curler like device. He smiled knowingly and handed Aki the present he had held behind his back. She slowly unwrapped it. Inside sat a new curler to help restrain her powers. She held it in her hand, and then looked up to Divine.

Divine patted Aki's head and said, "You know, you don't need your parents anymore. The Arcadia Movement is where your home and true family is. Now, why don't you put that in your hair and we can go down to dinner?"

Aki smiled and nodded her head. She said, "Thank you, Divine." Then, she got up to go to the bathroom connected to her room. She would need a mirror to adjust the object in her bangs.

Divine still sat at the end of Aki's bed as she shut her bathroom door. He heard, as expected, a light thump as the daily post landed in Aki's personal mailbox. He got up from his seat and looked in it. All that had arrived was a white envelope. He knew who it was from, of course.

To: Aki Izayoi

From: Hideo and Setsuko Izayoi

A birthday card for her had arrived the year before, too. Her so-called parents taking the first step to trying to mend their horrid relationship with their only child.

And, just as he had last year, Divine picked up the card carefully in his hands and proceeded to rip it to shreds.

The End

Author's Note: This idea came to me unexpectedly. However, I think this is something Divine would do…Please review!