Chapter 1: Conduit of Light

"Come, Saphira. We must make our yearly offering to the Goddess."

"I know, Mother." Saphira replied dreadfully. She hated leaving her little hut. She was taken in by a tribe that worshipped a being called Cosmos as their Goddess. She wanted nothing to do with it. She was very cold towards the other members of the tribe, and avoided them like the plague.

They arrived at the temple in the center of the village. It was covered in marble and other well-polished stone. Inside, it had the same angelic appearance, but, at the core, there was a clear crystal. Inside was a woman who everyone, save for Saphira, claimed was a dormant Cosmos. Her eyes were closed, and her hair was long, amber, and free-flowing. She wore a light robe. She was the picture of beauty.

"Saphira Hikari. The time has come for you to become one with the Goddess. Let the Ritual commence!"

I don't care. Saphira thought as the complicated dances began. Finally, she was ushered up to the altar that the sacred crystal was resting on. She waited for the High Priest's cue.

"Close your eyes. Place your weapons at the feet of the Goddess. Kneel before her! Now, you may touch the Goddess's Crystal."

She followed his instructions, placing her Deck, Duel Disk, and staff in front of the crystal. She then, eyes still closed, touched the crystal. Something unexpected happened as her hand rested upon the crystal. Everyone else in the area gasped as she cried out in agony.

She felt a surge of power go through her body like a massive electrical shock. It destroyed her clothing, and caused a brand to appear on her outer upper right arm. The brand looked like a sapphire was forcefully embedded in Saphira's arm. Surrounding the blue sphere in the center, there was a thin black outline, and strange silver patterns that looked like tails coming from the blue sphere at the center. These had thin black outlines surrounding them. It caused her agony as it settled itself on her arm, shining brilliantly as it finished the process.

Miraculously, clothes reappeared on her body. A pale blue robe covered her body. A silver tribal design was magically embroidered around the bottom of the robe, and it was the same for the bottoms of the sleeves. A blue belt was wrapped around her waist. A silver ring appeared in the front center area of the belt. Underneath the robe, a blue dress revealed part of itself. Blue boots that were fastened over her blue pants with the same silver tribal patterns revealed themselves over her legs.

She felt underneath her right eye, as it began to hurt. When she pulled her hand away, she saw a strange blue fluid in her hand. She knew something was wrong, but she couldn't figure out what it was. She discovered her staff, Duel Disk, and Deck container has also been changed. Her staff was the same color as her robe, except for the bottom, which was silver, and the crescent moon at the top, which was also silver. The orb in the middle of the crescent moon had been turned blue. Her deck case had been turned blue. Her Duel Disk had been turned blue with silver Monster Zones, and small silver-colored tribal patterns on the ends. The part of it that attached it to her arm was silver, and the part that was normally red was now blue.

"What the hell just happened?!" Saphira wondered, turning her arm and head to look at the strange brand. She tried to scratch it off, but it wouldn't leave. She knew that it was permanent after that. She stood up, and picked up her weapons. Saphira attached her staff to her back, her Duel Disk to her left arm, and her Deck to her right side by a belt.

"You have been chosen by Cosmos to be her Conduit!"

"Huh? What does that mean?"

"You will possess the powers of light and hear her voice!"

"Ummm...Doesn't help me at all. Powers of light?"

"You will have the powers that so many dream of having!"

"Riiiight...You are all officially insane. I am not staying here any longer. I'm leaving."

"Where will you go?!"

"Duel Academy. There, I won't be treated like some sort of freak. I'll be treated like a Duelist. I'm packing up and leaving. I'll find a better place with my fellow Duelists."

She left to go back to her hut, packed up what few belongings she had, and got one of the town's special Gold Chocobos. Mounting on it, she looked back at the depressed villagers. However, that didn't stop her. She squeezed her knees into the Chocobo's sides, and gave a firm cue from the reins. The female creature let out her signature "Wark!", and took off.

God. Finally got away from those weirdos. I'm old enough. Conduit? Cosmos? Ha! What a load of Chocobo shit!

You DARE to doubt my existence?!

The fuck?! Who are you?! Why are you in my head?! HOW are you in my head?!

I am Cosmos. I am speaking to you because you are my chosen Conduit.

Oh, come on...Hey, how come your voice is so weak?

Because I do not have nearly the amount of strength I once had. I lost most of it fighting off a great threat to your world. I was forced to forge the crystal barrier around myself to protect myself from harm.

Wonderful...

I need your help.

And what's my reward, huh? I don't do anything unless I want to, I get something out of it, or both. Hehe.

You humans seem to desire power. As I regain my strength, you will get stronger. Is that enough of an incentive?

Yea. Good enough for me. Okay, gotta go.

Why?

I left the village to enter Duel Academy. I am not going to attempt to explain to you what that is right now.

Very well...

Saphira realized that she'd fallen asleep when talking Cosmos. She came to just as the Chocobo she was riding on reached Neo Domino City. She rode to the stadium where they were accepting students for Duel Academy, and walked over to the desk. No one was there, so she just simply used light magic to blast her way into the arena. Everyone looked at her in shock.

"Oh my God..."

"You have powers?!"

"I'm a powerful warrior from the Southern Cosmos Tribe. I left to find my own way. I am a Duelist. I just...am a little bit special."

Saphira's eyes locked onto her target as she blasted her way to the arena in the center. Her now-heterochromic eyes (right blue, left green) were cold and merciless. The other candidates shook in fear as her merciless glare scanned the crowd.

"Alright! Who wants to test my skills so I can get to the Academy?! Who wants to face a powerful warrior of the Southern Cosmos Tribe, Saphira Hikari?! I demand an opponent!"