A/N: Inspired by my good friend Durbe-chan! :D First ARC-V fic, so I'm a bit unsure as how to approach this lol. Anyway, let's do this!
-Senbonzakura
The cherry trees, having petals the same color as her hair, were in full bloom as I walked down the path swallowed by them. I caught a couple of the pink petals in my hand, feeling their soft texture before dropping them to the sidewalk. This place was where I first came after arriving here; its gentle atmosphere helped me relax, especially after a tense Duel or because something bad had happened.
I pulled my goggles from my face, lifting them up so they rested just above my forehead. Enjoying these beautiful trees with the goggles on wasn't possible; at least here, I didn't have to hide myself. Here, I wasn't viewed as a monster. Here, I couldn't hurt… her.
My mother once said that if you love somebody, you do everything in your power to protect them. She spoke of how she protected my father, when he had been alive. I thought it trivial at first, until I met a girl who made me smile.
I had been unnoticeable for years. Because of my ability, I had no choice but to hide; I hadn't wanted to hurt others. I stayed concealed, clinging to the shadows and darkness in order to hide myself. But one day, someone did notice me.
And her name, to this day, I remember; Hiragi Yuzu, a beautiful yet dangerous girl who seemed to always be smacking people over the head if they behaved wrongly. She did that to me a few times, after we had begun to grow close as friends.
She never ridiculed me for my ability. I was glad; I hated being able to summon monsters for real, the card effects inflicting actual damage. That's why I disliked dueling.
I thought the good times would never end, but unfortunately, they did. Soon, our once peaceful city was ravaged by a war that, as far as I know, still lasts. I tried desperately to keep Yuzu from danger, using whatever I could in order to fight off the people who were trying to decimate all of Japan.
But she ended up dying because of me.
My mother had found me holding her cold body in my arms, crying. Yuzu was gone; I knew it. But my mother was not one to give up so easily; she told me of my father's portal linking to different dimensions and universes. I didn't believe her at first, but she told me that was how my father had died; having lost himself in a dark world, stuck permanently in a form he couldn't stand, his body could not handle it.
I found the portal a few months afterwards. My mother had died weeks beforehand, having been attacked by soldiers. I fled to the Arctic, to the place where the only way out of the world was here. At least I had know-how of the equipment; notes had been left over from when my father had built it and repaired it, so I read those in order to figure out how to work the machine.
The rest is a mystery to me. I don't remember how I got into the machine, or what it used in order to transport me here. But I know one thing: I am not letting the Yuzu of this world get hurt anymore. I am not losing her again.
Besides, my mother wouldn't be very happy if I chose to not protect the one I love.
A/N: So, um, how'd I do? Cuz I have no idea how I did on this! Review!