(Rei's Point of View)
Several weeks ago, at Duel Academy Island…
"Hey, what are you still doing out here?" a voice questioned, somewhat drawing me out of my thoughts. It didn't cause me to turn away from the ocean before me though. Across this ocean is where...
Seeing how I wasn't giving whoever it was a proper response, they decided to take it upon themselves to sit next to me. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw a blonde female wearing a white and blue jacket, no doubt Asuka. I wouldn't say it was odd of her to come by. Back when Kaze was here, she'd come around almost every day, but now that he was off to Lord knows where, the visits were less frequent, but the Obelisk was still around. "You know if he came back and found you worrying like this, he wouldn't be too happy," Asuka pointed out. Obviously she noticed the phone clasped in my hands, or else she probably wouldn't have been able to deduce the source of the problem. At least, I hope not…
"I know... He told me to keep busy and all that, but I'm still worried," I muttered as I kicked my feet at the water some more. It was at times like this that I hated being stuck on this island. If we were on the mainland, I could just sneak off and go check up on Kaze, rather than have this anxious waiting. Now, by the time I'd get a boat ride and figure out where he was, he'd already be back here.
"He's been telling you he's fine, hasn't he? Don't you trust him?" Asuka pondered. I almost wanted to snap at her for asking such a question, but I restrained myself. She was trying her best to offer some comfort.
"He used to tell me that. As of late, he hasn't been responding at all. What if-" I started to question.
"You're worrying too much, Rei. He's not just goofing off over there. He has classes and stuff that he has to do. Besides, he's supposed to be coming back tonight, isn't he? He's probably getting caught up with packing and making his boat for the trip," Asuka reasoned out for me. I let out a sigh. She had a point, that's for sure, but that didn't make things any better.
I turned my attention back to the horizon, waiting for a boat to peek out, carrying a certain Osiris back to our school. Back to our home. Back to me. Of course, seeing how it was bright and early in the morning, it wasn't going to happen like magic, but a girl can hope... A maiden can hope as much as she wants.
Suddenly my ringtone went off and I quickly jumped up, nearly dropping my phone in the water as I did. When I fumbled for it I caught sight of something that made my heart soar. It was a message from Kaze and it'd probably be something real dreamy too, like 'Turn around' and he'd be there, like one of those cliché movies. Not wanting to ruin the magic of the moment, I decided to keep my focus on the phone and not scout the surrounding area. After turning to Asuka for reassurance, to which she gave me a smile, I opened the message and began to read it aloud for my blonde companion to hear.
"Dear Rei and everyone else at Duel Academy. This is Kaze and I'm just letting you know that..." my voice began to falter and I couldn't bring myself to speak the following words. I read them over and over again, but no matter how many times that I read them, they still didn't make sense.
From: Kaze Kokoro
To: Rei Saotome
Dear Rei and everyone else at Duel Academy. This is Kaze and I'm just letting you know that I won't be returning to DA. Not now, not ever. Don't worry about me. This number will be dead in a few days too. Thank you for what you've done for me all this time...
I began to flounder for some words, something to get Asuka to offer some more reason and comfort for me, but I couldn't speak, and I probably just looked like a fish out of water. Asuka caught onto the problem soon enough and quickly peered over my shoulders to read the message. The shock hit her just as bad as it hit me.
It just couldn't have been from Kaze. There was no way... No way at all. The words, the way of typing, the number, they all seemed to be his, but it just couldn't be him. No, it absolutely wasn't him...! Someone must have knocked Kaze out and took his phone, that's it! Then, they sent me this message so I'd tell everyone and we'd all begin to despair and wouldn't even think of helping him...!
But I've seen through their plan! Don't worry Kaze...! I'll come find you! It doesn't matter where you are... I'll find the person who kidnapped you and took you away from us and I'll bring you back...! That's a promise... a pinky promise!
(Kaze's Point of View)
Having excused myself from Aki's presence, I began walking over to the nearest trash bin, which was a fair distance away. I shot a glance behind me as I deposited the wrappers, seeing Aki seemingly lost in her own thoughts. Ever since I was sick a while back, she seemed to be doing that a lot… Just going quiet and thinking by herself, and when I'd try to approach her to draw her out of her thought, she'd suddenly go red. I hoped that she hadn't caught my sickness…
Shrugging these thoughts aside, I decided that I ought to head back anyway. After all, we still had to get Ida her ice cream before it melted. "Kaze! Kaze!" a voice called out eagerly, causing me to pause. I tried to narrow my eyes at Aki to see if she had called out for me, but she was still staring at the ground, alone with her thoughts. If that wasn't the case, though… Who else would know me here? Ida was at the Movement, so it couldn't be her… But… that voice… it almost sounded like Rei… but that couldn't be, right…? I shook my head and decided to keep walking. I had to simply be imagining things. After all, Rei was at DA, she had no reason to-
"Kaze, you big dummy! Don't ignore me like that!" the same voice teasingly scolded me before someone wrapped their arms around me, taking me by surprise. I quickly spun around and felt my heart pang. Staring up at me with bright, sparkling eyes was without a doubt my partner, Rei Saotome. She laughed a bit as she stuck her tongue out at me, clearly amused at my flabbergasted expression.
"Rei, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be at school!" I tried to keep my voice even as I dislodged myself from her grip. If she was here…. That meant a lot of different things. What if she was here to ream me out in person…? Given her expression, though…
"You were kidnapped! I'm here to rescue you from the evil villain that kidnapped you and stole your phone!" Rei declared as she placed her hands on her hips, apparently quite confident in her conclusion. "Luckily they let you walk around without any guards! Now we can hurry back to DA without them noticing!" Rei continued. She… thought I was kidnapped…? I thought I had been pretty clear earlier, but…
"Rei, I'm not kidnapped. I'm here of my own free will," I explained gently. Rei's eyes shot wide open, almost as if she couldn't believe what I had said. She opened her mouth to protest but I continued, "I'm staying here now. I'm not going back to DA."
"What do you mean, Kaze!? You're not making any sense!" Rei cried out. "You were kidnapped! That's why your phone went dead! That's why you didn't come back for me! That's why I waited for hours on the dock and you still didn't show up!" Rei continued. I felt chest constrict a bit upon seeing the tiny tears forming at the edge of her eyes. She didn't hate me…? After all this, she still… We were still partners…? Even so… I told Aki that I wasn't going back, and I meant that.
"Look, Rei, I…" I trailed off, trying to think of the proper words to say without hurting her even more. "I don't really know how to phrase this any better than the truth, so here it goes. This is my new home. I'm staying here from now on," I said. Rei just stared at me for a while, her expression unreadable. I found myself biting my lip. She had come all this way thinking she was going to save me and I just… I thought I had already prepared myself for this…
"Did they brainwash you…?" Rei's voice cracked a bit as she spoke. My eyes widened at her suggestion. "Is this like that Society of Light thing I heard about…? If so, I can fix it! I can help you, Kaze!" Rei insisted as she pulled her arm up and activated her duel disk.
"Rei, I'm not brainwashed!" I said quickly as I raised my hands in a defensive gesture, but given how Rei didn't deactivate her duel disk, she didn't seem too convinced. "I'm just not returning to DA, that's all. I have things I need to do here," I tried to reason with her. It must have gotten through to her for she quickly deactivated her duel disk before smiling.
"Well, whatever those things are, let me help you with them! I'm a good duelist, you know I am! To top it off, our decks work great together! No matter the foe, we can beat them!" Rei bounced on her heels as she clasped her hands behind her. Was I wrong after all? Did Keisuke not send off the video ahead of time…? He couldn't have, or Rei wouldn't be here to cheerfully before me.
If I let her know who I really was, the Red Demon, what would she think…? Would she still keep smiling up at me with those innocent eyes like I really was her knight in shining armor? Would she still stay by my side and laugh without a care in the world?
Even if she would, she couldn't, not any more. This place wasn't safe for her. Ida was only allowed here because Aki and I were her friends, but even then… We weren't oblivious to the ways that members glared at her and made comments about her, saying that she didn't belong. The only people that didn't treat her like an outsider were Kage and the two members who worked the duel puzzle room. There was something off about this whole Arcadia Movement, both Ida and I knew it. That was why we stuck together as we wandered around, trying to unearth its secrets. Even that was risky, but adding another 'normal' person…
Not only that, but I couldn't let Rei face any possible danger. I was her partner, after all. There was no way I could willingly let her wander into this environment. Even so, she was as stubborn as always… If I was going to convince her to leave… I tried to steady my hands and mind. 'I'm Sorry, Rei, but this is for your own good. I hope you'll forgive me some day…'
"That's enough, Rei!" I shouted. Rei took a step back, her face contorted into utter confusion at my sudden exclamation. "You can't help here! You need to go back to DA!"
"B-But I-" Rei started as her tears began forming once more.
"No 'but's! Go back to Judai and the others!" I ordered. Rei's hands slowly clenched, trying to steady themselves against her trembling.
"But I don't want to go back to them, I want to be with you! You're the only one that matters! You're my one true partner!" Rei cried out with an equal amount of force. I felt it again, that same pang in my chest as my facade dropped. I… No, I can't give in now. I already steeled myself to this, to my heart. She doesn't mean what she's saying after all. Rei would be able to survive and move on after a heart break, she had done it several times this year even, but Aki… If I went back with Rei to DA like she wanted, Aki would never be able to go through that mental anguish again. I wasn't willing to just break my vow like that either. I had meant every word. That was why…
"I'm not, Rei! What happened to Judai, huh? Judai is your soulmate, remember? He's your true-" I started to try and remind her of what we spent our whole first few months together chasing. That agonizing month where I tagged along with her, trying to get the oblivious Judai to notice her affection, only to be foiled time after time.
"He's not! He's not at all, Kaze! It's you!" Rei insisted, her voice cracking once more as she fervently made to wipe her tears away and stabilize her breathing. "I thought about it while you were gone and I realized that! I… I was so lonely when you were gone! I sat around the cafeteria waiting for you to show up, but you never did! Everything was just so empty, so meaningless without you!" Rei continued. I just sat there in shock, trying to understand what she had just said.
"Rei, I…" my words failed me as I tried to say something, anything.
"No, I've already started, so let me finish!" Rei said before taking a deep breath. "Kaze, I know that I've always been so stupid in the past. I know I've forced you to try and help me with my love troubles and it was wrong. I was blind and stupid… so stupid. And I… I…" Rei trailed off as she clasped at the collar of her uniform with her hands, as if it had been suffocating her and grabbing at it allowed her to breath. After she managed to calm down a bit more, she released it before continuing, "Kaze, please don't leave me alone…! I need you…! I need you there with me…! You're my… I… I…"
Without warning, Rei suddenly darted forward, wrapping herself around my bare arm. I staggered forward a bit at the sudden pull, but managed to stabilize myself before I fell onto her.
"Come on, Kaze! Come back with me! I can't be without you any longer!" Rei pleaded as she dug her heels into the ground, doing her best to drag me with her. Now that I was prepared though, it was a moot point, as I was not only much taller but also much stronger than her.
"R-Rei, stop, what's gotten into you!?" I said as I tried to gently pull my arm away so I wouldn't hurt her, but she was holding on firmly.
"What's gotten into me…!? What's gotten into you!?" Rei retorted angrily. "Why are you abandoning us!? Why are you abandoning me!? Just what's so-"
"A-Aki," I let out in shock. Somewhere along the line she had left the bench and came over here. Just how much had she heard…? She looked fairly displeased, so that probably wasn't a good sign. I felt Rei's grip tighten a bit, which prompted me to look back down at her, but by then she was already looking towards Aki. I felt my heart skip a beat as I realized what she was narrowing her eyes at. The golden necklace that was now dangling from Aki's neck. The thing that I had always refused to part with during our time at DA.
"So… So that's it, huh…?" she whispered as she slowly turned back to face me, as if checking to make sure that the necklace was indeed mine. Upon finding that to be the case, as I didn't have my necklace around my neck, she bit her lip, struggling to hold the tears back.
"R-Rei, I-" I made to comfort her but she roughly pushed my arm away, leaving me stunned. Of course, this was what I had been hoping for, but in this manner, it was just…
"Y-you… You stupid jerk! Big stupid idiot!" Rei shouted. I felt my chest constrict a bit at her insults, but I couldn't deny that I had deserved them. Slowly her hands clenched into fists again, trying to quell her anger. "You… You abandoned me for this girl!? You chose her over our partnership!? Did you ever think about my feelings!? Did you!?" Rei cried out as she once again placed her hand over her heart in an all-too-familiar gesture. That…
"Of course I did, Rei…! I care about all of our friends! I-" I tried once again to offer her some condolence, trying to ease her pain.
"But that's not in the way that I want!" Suddenly the world seemed to just stop. That… wasn't the same way that she wanted…?
She had always told me that we were just partners. She always told me that I was the greatest friend that she ever had… She always told me that I was her greatest wingman… But… If that wasn't what she had wanted…
Had I been wrong all along…? All the times I had spent lamenting my own faults while Rei chased guy after guy… Had that really all just been some way to spend some time with me…? When I told myself to just ignore my heart because she never once turned my way… Had that just been my misconception…?
Rei suddenly let out an anguished cry, yanking me out of my thoughts as she spun around and ran away. "R-Rei! Rei, wait!" I called out to her, but she was already turning the corner. I couldn't just let her go, though, not after she just said that. She had just admitted that she loved me and I had flat out denied her not only of her company but her partnership as well. What kind of partner was I? I… was just the same heartless jerk from my childhood…
I couldn't let her go with just that! I had to find her and… And… Something! I wasn't sure what I was going to do, what I was going to say, but I couldn't leave her like that, crying and miserable. Even if I wasn't going to be her partner anymore after this… There was no way that I could leave things on this note…!
I did my best to follow Rei, but amongst the crowd of people that seemed to appear out of nowhere, I lost sight of her short frame. I tried to keep going for a while, hoping to catch sight of her again, but it was no use. She was gone. Gone with the last thing she'd remember was me being a… a demon…
Maybe it was better this way… if she utterly despised me… then she wouldn't come back here… None of the others would… so they'd be safe… But still… Even with that thought in my mind, I couldn't shake the horrible feeling in my gut. What had I just done…?
"Kaze, it's alright. It'll all be okay in the end, remember? She's your friend… so I'm sure she'll come around eventually." I duly noted that Aki must have followed me as she tried to comfort me. I… I couldn't let this bother me… This was what I planned on doing all along, right…? This was what I had in mind when I sent that text message and disabled the location feature on my profile.
"Thanks," I muttered as I pulled at the brim of my hat. This hat… This is what Rei first started to bond with me over… Would… it all really be okay…? Part of me doubted it.
"Are you really okay with just letting her go, though?" Aki questioned. "You have to call her! You have to explain things! She just misunderstood what we were and so she was upset. I mean… I always thought you guys were dating, so you must have been close! She cares about you a lot!" Aki insisted, though something seemed forced in her mannerism and voice as she spoke. I tried to hold back my bitter laughter.
"I… It wasn't like that," I admitted as I turned to face my companion. At that point, I wasn't sure if I was speaking for myself or for Aki. "As much as I like Rei, her heart was always in a different place, so we never got together," I continued as I made to grab for my necklace, only to remember that it wasn't around my neck anymore. Searching for a bit of comfort, I tugged at the collar of my shirt instead. That's right… The reason we never got together… It was because Rei was always interested in Judai instead and I steeled my heart to my emotions. I told myself that I'd be happy just protecting her smile, and now…
"She must love you," Aki said suddenly, drawing me out of my thoughts. She seemed far too detached as she spoke, so much that it concerned me. "She came all this way for you… so you guys can be together now."
"No, it's always been like this," I sighed. It has, hasn't it…? "You see, Rei's what she likes to call a 'Maiden in Love'. She says that it means she's dedicated to her one true love… But I feel like that means she's constantly changing her love interest. She's done it four times alone this year… I… guess I just can't take her feelings seriously with that in mind," I said. Maybe if I believed that then I wouldn't feel so bad anymore…
We stood there for a while, not saying anything. Slowly, Aki began reaching up for the bars around her neck, possibly a habit she picked up from watching me do it. "Would you rather be with her and your friends?" Aki asked softly as she looked towards the ground. This question again…
"Of course I miss my friends sometimes, but it's nicer here where I don't have to hide everything about myself," I tried to give her my best smile despite my inner turmoil. She deserved that much, after all. "Plus, no classes is also nice," I pointed out teasingly. As I had hoped, Aki let out a soft laugh, now smiling a bit. Seeing her happy like this made everything seem worthwhile… But if the cause of her sadness was what I thought it was… "Aki… are you worried that I'll leave you since Rei came here?" I found myself asking.
Aki's eyes widened at my theory. She quickly opened her mouth to say something but closed it just as fast, apparently debating something in her mind. If that were the case, though, then I probably was right… As if to confirm my theory, Aki sheepishly nodded.
I took a step closer, taking one of her hands into my own, hoping that the gesture would help convey my feelings better. "Aki… I'll always be here for you, with you. Like I said, that necklace is proof of my vow," I pointed out as I stared into Aki's eyes. Her face quickly turned red as she looked to the side. The red face again… Was she really getting sick…?
"How… far do those feelings truly go?" Aki asked softly, so softly that I almost didn't hear her. I found myself tilting my head. How… far they went…? I thought that it had been pretty self-explanatory, but maybe I wasn't as clear as I thought I was? "I… I just… I mean… You… You say that and… I just… You are… To me, you…" Aki began fumbling with her words. Was she really alright…? The duelist before me took a deep breath. "Kaze… I like you."
She… liked me…? Slowly the pieces began to connect and I felt my heart skip a beat as what she said sunk in. "W-well, that… Ah…" I tried to formulate a response as I let go of Aki's hands. Up until now, I had only thought of Aki as a friend, a kindred spirit, and thought she had felt the same, but… Did I like Aki? I tried to quickly formulate an answer upon seeing Aki's face shift into a frown.
All this time, Aki had been a close friend of mine. We trusted each other with our secrets and did nearly everything together. When I saw her upset, I wanted to make her smile again, and when she smiled, it felt like all my troubles melted away. The thought of leaving Aki and going back to hiding who I was for the sake of fitting in was almost unbearable. That meant… I found myself taking a deep breath to prepare myself. "I don't give my necklace out to just anyone, you know?" I admitted as I tugged at my collar once more to try and distract myself from how numb my cheeks felt.
"Is that a yes or a no?" Aki asked with a slight sparkle in her eyes.
"I'd happily be your boyfriend if you'd have me," I smiled before leaning down and placing a kiss on her forehead. Aki's cheeks lit up once more as a smile spread across her face. I found her smile to be contagious and began smiling myself. A long time ago, I thought Rei had been the only one that I had cared for in this way, but that wasn't the case. Seeing Aki's wide smile made my chest start to tingle. This was what love was, right? This light feeling?
I subconsciously began putting my hands in my pockets which was when they ran into something. Curious, I tugged at it until I saw the hint of a blue package. Ah, that's right! We got ice cream for Ida! She was probably waiting for us. "Why don't we get back to the Movement? We wouldn't want Ida's ice cream to melt," I suggested. Aki simply nodded, her content smile still on her face. I felt myself smile once more before we began headed back to the Arcadia Movement.
The Arcadia Movement… There definitely was something suspicious about that place, Divine especially. Aki seemed to trust him, but I just couldn't shake this feeling in my gut… The first time that I had met him, it felt like his Duel Monsters were being crushed… There was something ominous about him and this whole setup… and whatever it was, I was going to get to the bottom of it. For all of our sakes.
Upon feeling something brush against my hand, I instinctively pulled it back a bit. I turned and saw that it was Aki, blushing shyly as she lightly gripped on to my hand. I found myself smiling before tightening my hand around hers, which seemed to brighten her smile a little more. And so we continued on our way, hand in hand.
As we walked, I couldn't help but find my thoughts turn back to everything that had just happened. Was this selfish of me, abandoning my past to go with Aki…? Was this even the right thing to do?
I tried to push these thoughts out of my head as I glanced back over at Aki, who seemed to be thinking about something as well. It would all be alright in the end, right…? Like Aki said… Rei would go back to Duel Academy and fall back in love with Judai or another boy and the three of us would live here until we solved the mysteries behind the Arcadia Movement. And when that time came… the three of us would leave together and find somewhere that was safe, maybe even get a headquarters like Ida insisted on getting. Until then… I could take comfort in these small moments.
Notes:
- The great reviewer Rush brought up a point that I was going to add to the notes of this chapter, since it does indeed raise a few questions and can't be addressed in story since neither Kaze or Aki know how it happened. He asked: "How exactly was Rei able to find Kaze anyways, his PDA didn't work anymore, right?". Indeed, that is right, Kaze's PDA is no longer connected to the server, so in theory, no one from DA should have been able to find him. To clarify something first, Kaze did not send this message out until after Aki's duel with him in the arena. When he was sulking at the bar afterwards, that was when he sent the message, though Aki is none-the-wiser.
So, Rei decided to put on her detective cap on for this one. As you can see from the short extra at the beginning, Rei had tons of time between then and now. Kaze's PDA wasn't always off/she was texting him, so she knew where he originally transferred to. So, visiting Aki's old Duel Academy was the first step, and once there, she began pestering the headmasters for where Kaze is. They were fairly shifty about it, though, not really wanting to give anything since he was associated with Aki, but eventually, by dueling a few people, Rei was able to get out from a few people that Kaze left Duel Academy with someone else, and he seemed to be quite panicked and in a hurry. Rei chalks this up as some kind of emergency, a trap, maybe, the villains first appearance? She pulls up Kaze's profile and I'm going to assume they have some kind of like history or something...? Anyway, some kind of thing where you can tell where people were at during certain times of the day, but I'm also going to point out that this is like a close/mutual friend feature, so it's not like stalker material or something. Anyway, she manages to figure out that Kaze went to this one spot in the nearby town and that's where his trail goes dead, so she figures out that this is her go to point. So, she heads all the way there and winds up at the day-time hours of the arena/bar. She's kinda suspicious, because Kaze is underaged, but hey, she rolls with it and goes inside, which is where she finds some rowdy people dueling and Keisuke at the bar looking all suave. She approaches him, as he looks like the boss, and asks him about Kaze and if he'd seen him, being all interrogating like since she thinks he might be associated with it. Keisuke says he's sworn to secrecy, he can't reveal anything about that, BUT, if Rei can do him a favor and defeat a duelist, he might consider doing it. Rei's all game, she's close to finding Kaze, so she'll do it. So she enters the arena, none-the-wiser about what's happening, and is put in the cage with some random duelist. She duels him with no incident, as neither of them have shockers on so she thinks it's totally innocent or whatever, and since Keisuke bet a fair share of money on her, he's pleased and gives her the address of the Arcadia Movement, so she heads off on her merry way, because her quest is almost over, she's going to safe Kaze and stuff. So she's following the map on her PDA using the address when she spots the Osiris in question across the way, and cue this chapter. Essentially, she had a very round about adventure but she wants to act really cool in front of Kaze like it was nothing/she's more focused on saving him than the logistics behind it. If Kaze had gone with her without a complaint, then she would have told him all about this story and he probably would have flipped, but that's another AU for another day. Hopefully that answers how she found him, though I could clarify it if anyone is still confused.
. . . Suddenly this sounds like a really good extra chapter to throw in... I'm afraid that it might detract from the whole Aki/Kaze thing that's going on at the moment, though.
Reviews:
Anonymous: I was considering dragging it even more but after having dropped the 'Aki knows she loves Kaze' bomb, I felt like it would be cruel and unusual punishment to have them have no development romantically for another heap of chapters, I suppose.
Uchu no akuma no kami: I'm glad you enjoyed it! Hopefully you'll enjoy what's to come as well!
Lion Heart Leon: This chapter probably didn't help you, then, because this chapter actually made me want to have Rei trip or something so that Kaze could catch up to her and comfort her, but oh well. For some reason, Rei gets the short end of the stick in all of my stories. I really need to get around to finishing my Rei/Kaze stories/one-shots so that I don't feel so bad about tormenting her...
Rush: Oh, you saw the Dissidia trailer too? Sweet, I didn't know my fans went into so many fandoms. I feel bad stating this, but you totally just reminded me of how the Tag Force Duel Academy Aki story line for 4 (I think...?) goes and now I'm debating internally with myself on some behind the scenes stuff. Haha, in all seriousness, though, I'm pretty much going to stay constant with what I've had planned. Whether that is better or worse, you'll just have to wait and find out~