Me: *Humming happily, and bouncing in her seat*
Sky: What's up?
Me: The sky.
Sky: *Groans* I mean what's going on?
Me: My grandma's coming to visit us for just shy of two weeks! Tomorrow! I can't wait for her to come…
Sky: That's right, you live in different states, don't you?
Me: Yeah. She's in New York, while I'm in North Carolina.
Sky: So… I'm going with that means no more updates until she leaves?
Me: Maybe. Maybe not. It might even be longer, since next week is band camp. *Shudders*
Sky: Huh. Well, go ahead. Get this chapter out of the way, then.
Me: I will! I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs! Enjoy!
***This is a random thing, but I'm going to start having each chapter be "sponsored" by some random song. Well, not random. Whatever one I was listening to while I wrote the chapter. So, this chapter is brought to you by… The Extreme, from Final Fantasy VIII.***
Chapter 7
I slide off the bed, my bare feet touching the cold tiles on the floor. But that doesn't bother me. I just need to find my friends, and tell them my idea. It really could work!
Oh, but before I even get to the door, it opens up. Shoshan is the one who walks in, and he smiles a little when he sees me up. Or maybe it's the look on my face. "Did you remember something?" he asks
"Yeah!" I reply energetically. "I remember how to Duel! And I was thinking, maybe if I Duel someone I could get even more memories back!"
Leo pokes his head in from outside. "Hey, that's a great idea! I've seen it work, too!"
"You've… seen it work before?" I ask.
"Yeah! When we—I mean me and Luna—first met Yusei, he'd crashed his Duel Runner and hit his head pretty hard. But after he Dueled me, he remembered everything!" the teal-haired man answers, grinning.
"That's great! Then I have to try!" I say, clapping my hands together.
"Uh, yeah, you… um… You might want to get your clothes first," Shoshan says, his cheeks tinged pink and his ears pretty much bright red. "The hospital gown… it's not really… it doesn't… it really only covers your front."
I twist my head around, and I can vaguely see my bare back. That explains why I felt a little colder there… "Er, right. Good idea. So… where are my clothes?"
He points to the bag on the floor, right next to the bed. "It should all be, uh, clean. I grabbed them from your suitcase before we came here… just in case…"
My suitcase…? That confuses me for a moment, until I remember that Shoshan said the two of us were only visiting Neo Domino City—that we actually lived in Tokyo. "Thanks, then. Just give me a minute, and I'll get changed." I pause, and add, "Does that mean I'll be able to leave the hospital?"
"Oh, yeah, I got the release papers," Shoshan replies, showing me a thin, stapled pack of papers. "That's actually what I was coming in here to tell you about."
XXX
After I get changed, we—well, my friends with the exception of Crow, because he's off doing something else—go back home. Or, well, to my brother's apartment, but whatever. It doesn't look any more familiar than it did this morning. I really hope this works, and that I do get my memory back.
I don't think I'd be able to handle being a mess of fractured memories and feelings for the rest of my life. However long that would be, if it's true that two forces of darkness want me dead.
After we got back, we had lunch. As Leo put it, "It's impossible to Duel on an empty stomach!"
And after that, we went outside, where I'm ready to Duel Shoshan.
…Except Crow barges in with two other people in tow, right when we're about to start.
The first is a woman with dark hair, her eyes hidden behind some really thick glasses. She has on an orange jacket, over a shirt with alternating blue and white horizontal stripes. Her jeans look… really new, actually. And the way she hugs her camera close, I think she might be a reporter or something.
The other is one I recognize from the picture. Jack.
I still want to know why his name and not, oh, my brother's popped into my head that time…
"Jack and… I'm sorry, I don't—"
"It's okay," the woman cuts me off. "I'm Carly."
I nod, "Carly. Alright, I'll remember that."
"Crow wasn't kidding," Jack says, a displeased tone to his voice. He narrows his eyes at me, and crosses his arms. "And what were you about to do here?"
"I was going to Duel Shoshan, to see if I could regain my memories that way," I explain.
He uncrosses his arms, and the hint of a smile crosses his face. "Then you'll Duel me."
"That's not—I was going to," Shoshan says. Jack glares at him, and Shoshan kind of shrinks away. "Okay… whatever…"
I shrug. "Well then, let's get started! The sooner I get my memories back, the better!"
Jack walks over to his Duel Runner, presses a button, and his Duel Disk comes off. He nods, comes back over, and he smirks. "Don't expect the King to hold back."
"I wasn't," I reply.
Jack's Life Points: 4000, Sky's Life Points: 4000
"I'm going first," Jack declares adamantly, making me not argue about that. He draws his card, and examines his hand. His face doesn't change, but I can see the glee in his eyes. Looks like he got a good hand… "I'll start by Summoning Lancer Archfiend in Attack Mode!"
Lancer Archfiend ATK: 1600, DEF: 1400, Level 4
A fiend in dark purple armor that's segmented with gold appears. His head looks like a skull with the jaw wide open, but it must be some sort of helmet because there are two glowing red eyes inside the mouth. The fiend's arms are lances, from the elbow down.
"Then I'll set three cards face-down, and end my turn," he finishes.
"Alright, my move!" I draw my card, and look at my hand. I know quite a few strategies I could pull off with this… but what one feels… natural? What one would I go with, if I had all of my memories? I close my eyes, clearing out my head. Just do it, and don't look back, I think. "I Summon Celestial Knight-Mercury in Attack Mode!"
Celestial Knight-Mercury ATK: 1500, DEF: 1000, Level 3
A man in bright red-orange armor appears in front of me. His face is covered by his helm, which has several stars traced into it in a silver color. He holds a curved sword, the hilt of it the same color as his armor.
"Now, since I have a 'Celestial' monster on the field, I can Special Summon Celestial Wizard to the field!" I continue.
Celestial Wizard ATK: 1800, DEF: 1000, Level 4
A young man in silver robes appears, the cowl pulled up over his head so that we can't really see his face. The wooden staff he holds in front of him is quite large, with a faintly glowing golden orb at the end of it. The orb creates a thin barrier around my other monster… who was already glowing, anyways.
Celestial Knight-Mercury ATK: 1500 to 2200
"When I have another 'Celestial' monster on the field, Mercury gains 700 ATK," I explain. "And that's more than enough to do away with your Lancer Archfiend!"
"Not after I activate the Trap Overgain!" he counters. "Now my monster gains 1000 ATK until the End Phase."
Lancer Archfiend ATK: 1600 to 2600
I frown a little, and say, "Celestial Wizard prevents my other 'Celestial' monsters from being destroyed, so Mercury isn't destroyed…" But I still take the recoil damage.
The red-orange knight tries to land a blow with his sword on the purple-armored fiend, but the fiend blocks it with one of his lance-arms, and stabs at him with the other. Thanks to the barrier, Mercury doesn't shatter, but he is blown backwards, into me. And what surprises me is that I can actually feel it and it knocks me to the ground.
Sky's Life Points: 3600
"Oof," I grunt, blinking away the dust and standing back up. "I thought… I thought these were holograms. Why did that hurt?"
Everyone exchanges this look, that implies I'm missing something important.
"This is why I wanted to Duel her, you know," Shoshan says. "I can sometimes cancel out the psychic abilities of my opponent. That way, she wouldn't accidentally hurt someone—or herself, apparently."
"Psychic abilities?" I ask.
I hold in a sigh as I get another long explanation that I wouldn't have to go through if I had my memories. Yep, because I'm definitely not a normal person. I have to have the ability to bring pieces of cardboard to life. Although I guess I shouldn't be too surprised, because of Star and Meteor showing up in the hospital… hmm…
"…and I bet you're excitement is what's causing your powers to activate."
"Right. Got it. Keep calm, and no one gets hurt," I say. This time I sigh. "Well, it's still my turn. I… I think I'll set a card face-down, and that'll be it."
"My move!" Without any hesitation, Jack draws his card. Apparently he doesn't care about the fact that I might hurt him. Oh, and this time, he really grins. Not just with his eyes. "I Summon the Tuner Top Runner!"
Top Runner ATK: 1100, DEF: 800, Level 4
A greyish robot with blue lines on it appears in front of Jack. It looks like it's geared to run, and even has a medal hanging around its neck to prove it.
I swear the air drops twenty degrees. A chill runs up my spine, and I can't seem to breathe. I know exactly what's coming next, somehow. I know… I know… I remember…
"I Tune my Level 4 Top Runner with my Level 4 Lancer Archfiend!" Jack shouts. Four rings, four stars. "The ruler's heartbeats will now file through here! Take witness to its creation-shaking power! Synchro Summon! My very soul, Red Dragon Archfiend!"
Red Dragon Archfiend ATK: 3000, DEF: 2000, Level 8
The black-and-red demonic dragon appears, flapping his deep-red wings a few times.
"Jack. You… I remember… you," I say, unable to take my eyes off the dragon. A grin slowly creeps up on my face. "You were originally my brother's rival, but when he didn't go pro and I did, we became rivals. I just beat you in the world championships."
He scowls, "Of course you had to remember that…"
"But before that, you were one of my best friends," I continue. I blink, and all of a sudden, realize my hand is glowing. Like, a bright crimson. I stare at it, about ready to ask why the heck I am glowing and then remember I'm a Signer. And so is Jack, and Leo, and Crow, and Luna, and my two missing friends. Maybe the Crimson Dragon is trying to help with my memory problem…
"Okay, you remember Jack, what about the rest of us?" Crow asks.
I slowly shake my head, "No… nothing yet. I think… Red Dragon Archfiend triggered my memories, somehow."
"Then if we showed you our dragons, maybe you'd remember us!" Leo exclaims. He pauses and thinks things over for a moment. "Er… well, our dragons and that deer thing that's Shoshan's ace."
"Hey! Xerneas is not a 'deer thing'!" Shoshan shouts in protest.
"Yeah, well you'll have to wait your turn," Jack interrupts. "I've got a Duel to win still."
"We'll see about that," I reply with a grin. "Take your best shot, King."
He replies, "I'll do more than that! I activate the Equip Spell Megamorph and equip it to your Celestial Wizard."
"Wait, what?" Why would he…? Oh. I know.
"Since my Life Points are higher," he explains, "the equipped monster's original ATK is cut in half. It never said anything about having to put it on one of my monsters!"
Celestial Wizard ATK: 1800 to 900
"I'm not done yet! I activate another Spell, Half Seize!" Jack declares. "This halves your monster's ATK again, and I gain Life Points equal to that amount."
Celestial Wizard ATK: 900 to 450; Jack's Life Points: 4450
"One last thing, I activate the Trap Assault Spirits! Now, by equipping it to my Red Dragon Archfiend, I can discard a monster from my hand with 1000 or less ATK, and my dragon gains that monster's ATK during the Damage Step," he adds. "Now, Red Dragon Archfiend, attack with Absolute Powerforce!"
He reveals and discards Dark Tinker first, though, granting the demonic dragon 1000 extra points.
Red Dragon Archfiend ATK: 3000 to 4000
The dragon's claws become surrounded by flames, and he flies over, ripping apart the wizard. The young man in silver robes shatters, and flames rain down on me—but they aren't real, like what I can do.
Sky's Life Points: 50; Celestial Knight-Mercury ATK: 2200 to 1500
"Just shy of an OTK," I say. "It's too bad things are going to be different after my next turn."
The smirk already on my friend and rival's face becomes even more confident. He even laughs, "You thought you were getting a next turn? No, because I still have one more card to play. The Spell The End of Storm."
My eyes widen. I guess I spoke a bit too soon.
"Now all monsters on the field are destroyed, and we each take 300 damage for each of our monsters that was destroyed," Jack says, confirming my fears. "But you don't have Life Points to spare, do you?"
Feh. I don't.
The Spell Card sends out several strong blasts of wind, that shatter my knight and Jack's dragon.
Sky's Life Points: 0. Winner: Jack Atlas.
"I'll have you know I was holding back!" I shout at him, holding up one of the cards in my hand. Hallowed Life Barrier. It would have prevented Jack's entire strategy.
"Hmph. I still won," he grunts in reply.
"Whatever," I grumble. But then my angry attitude slips away because now… "C'mon you guys, show me your dragons and… Xerneas!" I exclaim. "That'll bring my memory back!"
XXX
It does. Sure, there are still some fragments, and I'm only able to see Stardust Dragon and Black Rose Dragon in a picture, but it works. I can remember pretty much everything now, and I bet the things I don't remember aren't really important.
…Well, except for what popped into my head when I first woke up. I mean, I remember who Rex Goodwin is, but… why was I hearing his voice in my dreams? Heck, what was the dream about?
Ah well. I guess I should be happy about what I can remember right now.
A flash of light attracts my attention, and I watch as a small, brown, furry creature with a pink bow around her tail starts jumping around in front of Luna, rapidly squealing "Kuri!" over and over again. Too fast for me to be able to tell what she's saying.
"Kuribon, slow down," Luna says. "What's wrong?"
"Kuri kuri! Kuri!"
Star appears next to me, a grave look on her face. "The Spirit World is under attack," she says. "That's what Kuribon is trying to say."
To be continued…
Sky: …
Me: Yeah. The Spirit World's in danger.
Sky: …And you have no idea when you'll be able to update next.
Me: Mhmm.
Sky: *Sigh* Just don't go on a four month hiatus or something.
Me: I won't… it'll be maybe two weeks, if I even do take a break, okay?
Sky: Feh.
Me: …Okay. Well, I hope this chapter warrants a review! They always encourage me to keep writing, regardless of how busy I get!