Disclaimer: Don't own anything I didn't create. I do own everything I did.
A/N: New chappie! ^_^ Hope you enjoy! Some serious stuff going on in this chapter, and you find out more about Helen Jean Harper.
"So I gather there's another reason you live in the woods by yourself, Jean." I looked up at the Australian and his calm blue eye that had a look in it that you couldn't get away from without telling him what he wanted to know. "A more important one." He said softly, and I glanced at Jesse before I dropped my head into my head, sighing. I nodded.
"I haven't told anyone about him for 11 years." I could hear Jesse's slight gasp and Jaden's mouth falling open. "I hadn't thought-" my voice caught in my throat as his face flashed back to my mind. I sighed and unblocked it. "-that I'd hear his voice again after all this time." There was a slight moment of silence before Jesse spoke up.
"His voice? You mean I sound just like him?" I nodded, still holding my head in my hand, hiding my tears, though my voice was still stable.
"Like you stole it." I said blandly. "He died when we were 8. I've never gotten over the guilt since."
"Why would you feel guilty?" I remained silent. I was beginning to realize that Jim had a tendency to cut straight to the heart of things. The flames played out before my eyes, and I couldn't trust myself to speak. I didn't realize that Jim had crossed the tent until I felt his hand on my wrist. Very gentle. "Jean." I could feel that he wanted me to look up, so with a moment's hesitation, I did. His face softened when he saw my eyes, and he wiped the tears away. I blinked. No one had done that before. No one had ever taken the chance to be that kind. Of course I had never shown anyone this side of myself before either. "It's natural to grieve." I looked at him, silent but doubtful. He nodded slightly. "Even after all this time." I sighed and looked down. I couldn't look at him.
"I forgot he was there." I said quietly, and I could almost hear Jim frown.
"Sorry? Didn't catch that." I swallowed and took a breath.
"I forgot that he was right next to me when I ran out of the house. I left him in the fire." I hate myself. I added mentally. "I was too scared to go back." Jim sighed and put his hand on my head, pushing back slightly.
"That is also natural." He murmured. I heard an awkward shifting and I looked up to see Jesse had a furrowed brow. I gave him my attention and he noticed, looking away awkwardly before meeting my gaze again.
"Couldn't he have gotten out by himself?" I shook my head sadly.
"He had a muscle disease. His legs were weak. There was no way he could have gotten out of there on his own." Which makes it even worse. I closed my eyes and looked at the ground. I could hardly believe that it happened 11 years ago, the pain was still so fresh. I sighed. Enough of that. I thought. Keep your eyes up, your ears open, your nose keen and your spirit strong. Move on. I blinked and rolled my shoulders back, looking around at everyone. "So. Where are you all from?" Jesse blinked in surprise, Jim watched me and Jaden grinned goofily, pointing his thumb over his shoulder.
"We come from Duel Academy." He said with a weird kind of laugh, rubbing his finger under his nose. "At least I do." I looked at him curiously.
"Duel Academy?" I asked. That certainly got everyone's attention. They were all gaping at me in surprise. Well, Jim wasn't exactly gaping. He was just doing his thing.
"You don't know?" Jaden asked incredulously. I looked at him and shook my head in the negative. He mouthed like a goldfish out of water. If I had a fish for every time I've seen that expression, I could set up a sushi bar. I thought wryly.
"This is Duel Academy Island." Jesse said and I looked at him before I blinked, my thumbs now hooked into my trousers.
"Must be important then. What do you do in these duels then?" Even Jim was gaping at me like the others now. I swore I could hear a cicada chirp outside the tent. To give him credit, Jim was the first one to recover.
"What do you think we do?"
"Fight." He waited. "What kind of fighting? Do you kill each other or something?"
"You've gotta be kidding me." I looked at Jaden.
"You've never heard of Duel Monsters?" I looked at Jesse. He looked so incredulously serious. Duel… monsters? Seeing him looking so serious about something as ridiculous sounding as duel monsters and trying not to laugh resulted in making me bite my lip and turn a tomato red like a balloon about to burst because I was straining so hard.
"Duel… Monsters?" I breathed, trying very hard not to break out laughing. Jesse blinked, astonished.
"You've never even held a deck before?" I shook my head and he took something out his back pocket and held it out to me. I stepped forward, holding my hand out, and he turned his hand over mine. Something seemed to whisper a sigh. There was a deck of cards in my hand with a brown back with a black oval in middle and a golden-colored rim. I was already fascinated. I turned the first one over. Sapphire Pegasus. I froze, stunned. My god. The detail on this is amazing! Almost impulsively I turned the next one over. Ruby Carbuncle. I couldn't help but smile. I could imagine the sort of sound she'd make. I turned the next one over and my mouth dropped open. Swing of Memories. To say my breath had been taken away would be an understatement. This card was exquisitely beautiful. It had the picture of a girl standing by a swing on the beach in the sunset. Wow. I breathed in my mind. Now look at the others. I tucked the card under Sapphire Pegasus.
The next few cards said they were spell and trap cards, and each one was very carefully explained in a box in the bottom, and each one had detailed pictures as well. Each one was beautifully made, and very-well taken care of. I wasn't even aware that I had dropped my eyelids to half-shut, how quiet and still I had become, and that Jesse was smiling at me with a secret little smile. It almost felt as if this deck was whispering its story to me. About halfway through the deck I had stopped flipping and I just stood there, holding it gently between both of my hands. The edges of my vision darkened like I was in a movie theater and I subconsciously sunk to my knees, resting.
This deck was a crystal deck, I knew without asking. The crystal beasts were warm and loving. A family. There was nothing but good memories in this deck, and it told me it's story of countless duels and the fun times they had together with their friend Jesse. Jesse. I blinked, trying to tear my gaze away.
"This is a beautiful deck." I murmured. I could almost feel him grin happily.
"Why thank you!" Pri-pri! Now that certainly got me to look away from Jesse's deck, blinking. I most certainly did not imagine hearing that. Getting used to the light again, I looked around and saw a purple, four-eared cat on Jesse's shoulder. Translucent. I blinked in surprise and looked back through the cards I had flipped over already. There she is. I held Ruby Carbuncle's card in my hand. A purple cat with four ears. I smiled a little and looked up at the Ruby perching on Jesse's shoulder. Pri-pri! She smiled at me and I smiled back. I turned her card face-up on top of his deck before handing it back to him.
"She's sure pretty too." I said looking at his little friend. Jesse looked at me in delight after looking at the card I had left face-up.
"You can see Ruby?" I nodded and was about to speak.
"Can you see winged Kuriboh?" I looked over at an eager Jaden with a raised eyebrow. A little brown fuzz ball with big eyes and green hands and feet and wings spun in a circle over his right shoulder, chirping excitedly. I looked at Jaden.
"You mean the fuzz ball?" I deadpanned and Jaden blinked in surprise while Jim grinned and Jesse laughed. The little Kuriboh looked a little affronted. I couldn't help but smile at him. "Yeah, I can see him." It chirped happily, fluffing up a little. I looked back at Jesse. "So where do you guys live?" He smiled and pointed over his shoulder.
"Duel Academy. There're rooms for the students and everything there."
"Ah. So it's a boarding school?" Jesse nodded, smiling.
"You could probably see it from here. We're not that far away." I nodded, standing up and turning toward Jesse.
"So it's over there?" I asked, looking over his shoulder. He nodded. "Let's see if we can see it." I suggested and moved outside, the others following me. Once outside I looked in the direction Jesse had indicated and saw some very large trees. Jesse appeared behind me and groaned in disappointment.
"Aw! It seems that those trees are in the way. If you could get to a higher point-" I nodded and impulsively reached up and swung myself into the tree next to me. Jesse looked at me in surprise and I smiled at him.
"To the north-east right?"
"Right." I looked at Jim and saw he was smiling. I shot him a quick smile before turning and swinging myself higher into the tree. Seemed like Jim was someone who'd also know the compass rose like the back of his hand. I got to the thinner branches in no time at all, and hugging the trunk, pushed myself higher until my head broke through the foliage. I looked the north-east and there it was. I nearly lost my grip it was so big.
"THAT'S THE BIGGEST SCHOOL I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE! HOW THE HELL DID IT MANAGE TO GET THAT BIG?" A resounding chorus of laughter sounded below me, and I gradually managed to close my mouth after a passing hummingbird eyed me curiously. I smirked down the trunk of the tree. Yeah, ok. I was surprised, I admit it, but it was kind of a given. The place was impressive, I admitted to myself, and I shimmied down the tree.