Aster flipped through his deck idly, not really paying attention to what cards he was looking at. It had only been about an hour since his duel with Zane, and since then, Aster had taken to just sitting around in his room while trying to mentally go over the match and rework his deck for a rematch. But so far, his mind was elsewhere. He still hadn't been able to find any real information on just what these Cyber Dragons were and where they had come from. He wasn't used to facing something he wasn't prepared for, and it had ended up costing him the match. Sure, he could always try using another deck against Zane. But would it really be any different against him?
There is one deck that Zane wouldn't know about that I could use against him… But do I dare risk it? Aster thought to himself hesitantly.
Aster glanced cautiously around his room, as if he were afraid that someone could see what he was doing. Then, he walked over to his chest of drawers and opened it. Hidden deep inside pairs of folded-up socks, he took out a simple, nondescript black deck case. This was where he kept the deck that he hadn't used in years. It was the deck that his father had made just for him before he died: the Destiny Heroes.
With shaking hands, Aster carefully opened the deck case. He then took a card out and examined it delicately, almost as if it were made of glass or some other breakable substance. Just how long had it been since he had even looked at them? About twelve years now? It almost felt surreal to be handling the cards again after all this time.
"So, you finally decided to pay a visit again, huh!? That's more like it, now! I had thought you'd forgotten all about us!" A voice suddenly burst through the silence, causing Aster to give a surprised yelp.
Aster turned around swiftly to see the card spirit of Destiny Hero Drawhand floating by his side. He gave a sigh of resentment at the sight. Of course, this would happen again… Why had he believed that it would be any different?
"Yeah! And what's up with dumping us for those Elemental dudes!? You totally would have won that last duel if you had just used us instead!" Destiny Hero Diamond Dude (who had just now appeared) said indignantly.
Aster watched as one by one, all of the Destiny Heroes from his deck materialized in front of him. Not long after he had been adopted by the D, he had started being able to see and communicate with them. At first, they had been the best friends he had desperately needed during the aftermath of his father's death. But eventually, he had been led to believe that they were really only good proof that he was starting to go insane. It didn't help that he seemed to be the only one who could see them either.
"We've been through this before. I don't need you guys to win. I just had a minor setback, that's all." Aster replied coldly, breaking his vow to himself that he'd never respond to his hallucinations again in any way.
"Then you wouldn't be here looking through our deck again if you truly believed that." Destiny Hero Celestial pointed out, causing most of the others to send a chorus of loud agreements.
"All of you, enough! I have told you all time and time again: Aster won't ever trust us again until he manages to stop letting his past control him and accepts his destiny." The authoritative voice of Destiny Hero Dominance spoke up over the din.
Aster shook his head crossly. He knew that going back to acknowledging the Destiny Heroes would only cause trouble for him. He had been warned about that already years ago…
Begin Flashback:
"You're leaving again!? But you just got back!" Eight year-old Aster said in dismay at the D's announcement.
The D didn't answer immediately. Instead, he chose to wait until he had retrieved a mug of instant coffee from the microwave and was seated comfortably across from Aster at the kitchen island counter.
"You know that my schedule changes from time to time depending on where my next duels will be. If I don't leave in time to accommodate for the time zone changes, I'd be late. I don't get to pick and choose which countries the matches are scheduled to be. I'm at the beck and call of my manager. Someday, you will be too, Aster. So, the sooner you understand that, the better." The D explained. He didn't sound sympathetic, though. Only weary, as if he were sick of explaining this.
"I know that. But I just didn't think that it would be so much…" Aster trailed off helplessly.
"You need to start getting used to being on your own more. It's part of growing up and becoming independent. As a pro duelist, you'll be travelling and staying alone a lot. So, the sooner you start adapting to that reality, the easier it will become for you. Believe, you'll be so busy with everything that you won't even think about it eventually. It may sound hard, but it's rewarding in itself all the same." D explained in what was his attempt at a pep talk.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right. I guess I'm just still not used to everything yet." Aster agreed reluctantly. He sounded more like he was trying to convince himself, though.
"That's the spirit. I know things are still rough for you right now. But you have a lot going for you, Aster. Just focus on your duels and studies and I'll be back before you know it." D said encouragingly.
"I will. But will you call me when you get there?" Aster asked hopefully.
"Of course. And I'll call you after the duel, too. You're the first person I want to hear about it, after all." D reassured Aster.
Xxx
Despite what he had told the D before he had left, Aster still felt miserable. Ever since he had been adopted after his brief stay at the Brookdale psychiatric ward, he had discovered that his life with his new legal guardian wasn't quite the one that he had been hoping for. Sure, Aster was grateful to be taken in and given the privileges he had now with living in the opulent mansion with no expenses spared for his education and material comforts. But it was lonely. Not only was the D rarely home due to his constantly busy Pro League schedule, but Aster barely had time for much else. Every day was basically the same: hours of lessons from a private tutor in various subjects in an accelerated college prep program, then even more time spent with a trainer practicing dueling and studying up on the game in preparation for a Pro League career of his own. Aside from meals and sleeping, Aster didn't have much in the way of free time during the day, save for a few hours on weekend days.
When he wasn't busy focusing on his school work and dueling, Aster spent time with the only friends he had: Sartorius and Sarina. He had first met them while visiting his father's grave one day. Ever since then, they had become close friends that Aster visited every weekend. Sartorius and Sarina both had powers of prediction that let them see the future in different ways. Like the D, they also would tell Aster that he was destined for great things in his future. But unlike the D, it didn't sound like an expectation or lecture whenever they told him this. It felt more as if there was genuine warmth and optimism in their words instead. Either way, if it wasn't for Sartorius and Sarina, Aster would have felt much worse. As it was, he still missed his father terribly and found himself wishing desperately that he could go back in time to him and the warm, familiar apartment they had shared. He never told anyone, but he usually ended up crying himself to sleep at night.
Now, standing in front of the window as he watched his dueling instructor get in his car to leave for the day, Aster sighed sadly to himself. With the D gone for the week, he would be all alone in the house every day after his instructors left. Right now, all he wanted was someone he could talk to during this time.
"Hey! You there! Kid!" The voice was barely a whisper, but Aster heard it all the same. He looked around wildly, trying to confirm whether he had just imagined it or not.
"Over here! Look up by the chandelier!" The excited voice directed.
Aster did as he was told…and got the surprise of his life. Floating casually next to the crystal chandelier was what looked like one of his cards-Destiny Hero Diamond Dude-except not in a corporeal form. All he could do was stare, wide-eyed and dumbfounded at the sight before him.
"Hi there, little dude! Surprised to see me!? I would ask what's up, but that's pretty obvious with what you're seeing right now, if you get my joke." Diamond Dude greeted Aster.
"That's it. I've finally cracked. I'm seeing hallucinations now. I must be having a schizophrenic break from reality. But it's exceptionally rare for the symptoms to start occurring during childhood years. Normally, they would show up in the early to mid-twenties." Aster contemplated aloud to himself.
"Wow… That's some pretty heavy stuff for an eight-year old to be spouting! Guess your dad wasn't kidding when he said you were some kind of child prodigy." Diamond Dude said with a low whistle.
Despite his skepticism, Aster couldn't control his curiosity at the mention of his father. "You knew my father?" He asked hopefully.
"Yeah! After all, he made us just for you. So, we heard some things from him every now and then back when he was still in the process of getting us ready as cards for the game with effects and stuff once we were drawn first." Diamond Dude explained.
Aster took a moment to bring himself back to reality before he got too entranced by this fantasy his own mind seemed to be making for him. "Of course you would… It will all be either things I know already or based on it." Aster said in resignation.
"Still doubting I'm real, huh? Well, guess I'll have to prove to you that I am then. Here goes!" Diamond Dude said decisively.
Without waiting for Aster to reply, Diamond Dude floated over to the kitchen. After taking a small magnet off the refrigerator, he then proceeded to throw it across the room. The magnet bounced off the large, glass flower vase at the end of the counter with a loud "ping" type of noise before ricocheting off of it to the floor.
Appearing satisfied with his action, Diamond Dude turned back to Aster with a smug grin. "See? You didn't do that yourself, kid." He reasoned.
Aster had to blink a couple times and clear his head before he could answer. There simply was no explaining away something like this. So, that had to mean that there was truth to Diamond Dude's claim. But the question was: how?
"But…how is this possible!? You're supposed to be a card!" Aster questioned.
"Simple. I'm a duel spirit. There are lots of for all sorts of different cards. We normally exist in the spirit world, but we're also able to cross over to this dimension, circumstances permitting." Diamond Dude answered simply, as if it was the easiest concept in the world to understand.
"That doesn't make sense, though. If duel spirits have always been able to come here, we would have known about you guys for a long time now. Scientists would have found you to run experiments and research studies on you. It would be all over the media!" Aster argued.
"Not all humans can see us, you know. Only a handful every now and then in a lifetime can. It's actually quite a rare gift. You just happen to be one of those select few individuals who have the ability." Diamond Dude clarified.
"Then how come I never saw you or any other duel spirits before until now?" Aster persisted.
"You've always had the ability. It just hadn't awakened yet. We can only be seen by the ones who can if they have a strong desire to do so. Think about it, Aster. Weren't you wishing that you had someone else to talk to while you were all alone here just now before I showed up? In a way, you were calling out to us." Diamond Dude explained.
"I…guess that's true." Aster conceded. As unbelievable as all this seemed, he couldn't deny it anymore after the proof he had seen along with the fact that he had been hoping for something like this. To deny it would be turning his back on his own heart's desire.
Appearing satisfied with Aster's answer, Diamond Dude smiled in relief. "Well, now that I've finally made a believer out of you, it's time you met the rest of the gang! Ok, guys! You can come on out now!" He declared.
Aster watched as one by one, duel spirits for every type of Destiny Hero in his deck materialized in front of him. Excited murmurs and shouts filled the room around him as they all started conversing to each other simultaneously.
"Aster, meet your deck! These are Drilldark, Celestial, Dusktopia, Defender and, well, let them do the rest of the introductions." Diamond Dude started off.
The Destiny Heroes surrounded Aster, all trying to talk to him at once. It seemed they were all trying to sell him their case of why they thought they were the strongest or most useful ones in the deck. For a few minutes, he was a bit overwhelmed until the chatter died down. It was only then that Aster remembered something important.
"There was supposed to be one other card in this deck, but it was stolen. Please, do any of you remember what it was? It's really important that I find it!" Aster asked desperately.
Destiny Hero Dasher, who had been zooming across the floor excitedly, paused to consider Aster's question before replying. "I'm afraid I…don't remember? It's strange, but if it's another one of us, we're usually aware of each other. I can't say for sure, though. Maybe it was a spell or trap card? That might explain it." He said with a puzzled expression.
To Aster's disappointment, the other Destiny Heroes appeared confused as well. He had thought that duel spirits who shared the same deck would know everything about it, but it only looked as if he were still where he started.
"I see… If I at least knew its name, I'd have some kind of lead. But now I don't how I'll ever go about finding that…murderer!" Aster said in frustration, his voice rising at the end.
"You mean the person who killed your father, right? I'm sorry about that, dude. We found out about that eventually. We're just sorry that we weren't around when it happened. Whoever did it must have known the spirit world's curfew hours. Lucky bastard…" Diamond Dude said regretfully.
"No, it's not your fault. It's something I need to take care of myself. Someday, at least." Aster vowed to himself.
"Well, then whenever that day comes, we'll be there for you all the way, little dude." Diamond Dude reassured Aster. The other Destiny Heroes nodded in agreement.
"Really? You guys actually want to help me?" Aster asked a little disbelievingly. At the same time though, he couldn't help feeling touched by their promise.
"Of course we will! We're your friends, and that's what friends do!" Diamond Dude said with a smile.
Aster couldn't stop the wide smile from forming on his face. Now, he wouldn't have to be alone anymore while he was here in the house.
Xxx
A few months had passed since Aster had met his newfound friends in the Destiny Heroes. Now, he no longer dreaded those long hours alone at home whenever the D was on tour and he couldn't visit Sartorius and Sarina. The Destiny Heroes were always with him. Whether they just talked, hung out and played games, or went to the nearby park with him, they always had a good time together. Sure, there were a few of them with personalities that could get irritating at times (mainly Diamond Dude, Dreamer, and Decider). But to Aster, it felt more like how the good-natured teasing of a sibling might be than an actual annoyance. Overall, he was feeling a lot better with this new routine he had adopted thanks to the Destiny Heroes and was happy that they had entered his life.
"Alright, I'm spinning the wheel now, and it looks like we have…left foot red!" Aster announced gleefully at the result that came up for the Twister game.
"Aw, man! How am I gonna do this now!? Wish I had some longer legs now. Not to mention arms as well. Maybe they'll come up with an alternate artwork for me. What do ya think?" Destiny Hero Dreamer said sheepishly as he struggled to position himself on the game mat.
"Be serious. We're one of a kind. Why should they!?" Destiny Hero Dystopia scoffed.
"Hey, I can dream, can't I?" Dreamer countered casually.
Diamond Dude sighed in exasperation at Dreamer's words. "We KNOW that! You're Destiny Hero Dreamer and that's all you do!" He complained.
Aster, who had only paying attention vaguely to the Destiny Heroes' usual banter, looked up in surprise when he heard a faint sound. He had to strain his ears to hear it, but it was definitely there: a small, weak voice. It almost sounded as if it was crying out for help.
"Did you guys hear that?" Aster asked carefully.
"Huh? Hear what?" Diamond Dude asked curiously. In answer to his question, the cry returned, only a little stronger this time.
"That." Aster answered simply.
"You're right. It's faint, but it sounds like a duel spirit." Destiny Hero Dominance agreed.
"In this house? But you guys are the only cards around here. D always takes his decks with him when he leaves to go on tour." Aster said in confusion.
"Duel spirits don't necessarily need their material forms to exist freely in the human realm. But it's also hard to judge the exact distance from where they are just going by how close or far away they sound. It could be in another house or somewhere else outside altogether for all we know." Dominance explained.
"Well, I say we look around and see if we can find it!" Diamond Dude declared.
With everyone in agreement, Aster and the Destiny Heroes began to search the house. After a few minutes, they discovered that the sound seemed to be stronger upstairs, so they started combing that area, searching inside every room they passed.
Once they reached the door to the D's room, Aster paused. "I'm not supposed to go in here…" He warned the Destiny Heroes.
"This is no time for cold feet, kid! That spirit could be in here right now and needing our help! We have to check!" Diamond Dude urged Aster.
Against his better judgement, Aster slowly opened the door to the room. Once inside, he couldn't help looking around in interest. Someone's room could tell a lot about them, but if the D's room was any indication, then there wasn't much to tell about him. The walls were a simple, nondescript shade of beige white, with nothing hanging on them. The carpet matched with the same dull color. Even all of the pieces of furniture-the bed, the small armchair in the corner, the nightstand, and the chest of drawers, the small desk and bookshelf-had no remarkable design to them. Even the bed's comforter and the hanging curtains were the same plain shade of blueish-gray. The room had no personality to it. It reminded Aster horribly of the rooms at Brookdale.
"Boring!~ Looks like somebody could use a decorator!" Diamond Dude joked.
"Enough! We're not here for that! We came to see if the spirit was in here, remember!?" Aster scolded Diamond Dude. Privately, he couldn't help agreeing with him, though.
"Alright, alright." Diamond Dude grumbled.
Aster paused to listen. And then, he heard the same weak, far-off-sounding cry. Only this time, it sounded even closer. Trying his best to follow it, he headed over to the nightstand. Just as he was about to open its small drawer, he was interrupted by a sharp voice.
"What do you think you're doing in here!?" The D demanded coldly.
Aster whirled around at the sound of his adoptive father's voice. The D was standing in the doorway, arms folded with a frosty glare directed towards Aster.
Aster racked his brain for a convincing lie. To think of something, ANYTHING that could get him out of this. The Destiny Heroes had vanished from sight, so he knew he was on his own here.
"D! I, uh, didn't know that you were coming back today. I was, um, just looking for a book that I thought you might have that I thought might help me with my homework. I'm sorry…" Aster lied nervously. He realized that right now, he was actually afraid of his adoptive father.
"And you thought you'd find that in here?" The D asked skeptically, his eyebrows raised slightly.
"Yeah, well…" Aster trailed off helplessly with a gesture towards the bookshelf.
"No, it's fine. I didn't mean to scare you, Aster. I just wasn't expecting you to be in here. I'm not angry. But in the future, I'd prefer it if you don't come in here without asking me first. But now that I'm back, why don't we go downstairs so we can talk there? God knows I could use some coffee after that flight." The D suggested.
Xxx
Once they were both seated comfortably in the living room, the D proceeded to tell Aster about his trip. But Aster found himself zoning out periodically, his mind still on the possible nearby duel spirit. He hadn't heard the cries anymore since the D had returned. Had it all been in his mind to begin with? Or was it somewhere else outside of the house?
"Aster, are you listening to me?" The D's voice broke Aster out of his thoughts.
"Oh! Um, sorry. I guess I was spacing out there for a minute. What did you say again?" Aster apologized quickly, trying to make it look like he was interested in the conversation.
The D sighed wearily at Aster's response. "It's not important now. But Aster, are you alright? You've been acting out of sorts since I came back. It's like your mind is on another planet, almost. Is there anything you'd like to tell me about?" He asked curiously.
Aster hesitated. He noticed the D looking at the Twister game on the floor with a confused expression. Should he tell him about the Destiny Heroes? Surely, the D would think that he was crazy, and the last thing Aster wanted was to go back to Brookdale again. Talking duel spirits couldn't be a good sign of one's mental health to someone who couldn't see them. But at the same time, a part of Aster desperately wanted to be able to confide in him about this. Despite the fact that he still didn't fell particularly close to his guardian, Aster thought that maybe he could change that if he showed that he trusted him enough to start telling him more.
"If I tell you, you're going to think that I sound crazy. But I just can't find any other explanation for this…" Aster said reluctantly.
"Aster, I won't think you're crazy; I promise. I'm here to listen and help you. So, if you're worried that I'll send you back to Brookdale, don't be. I know that things are different for you now. Not easy, but different. But I know you're not feeling as bad as you used to either. So please, tell me what's going on." The D said in a somewhat softer tone than he usually used towards Aster.
Without thinking about it further, Aster proceeded to tell all. He explained everything: how he'd first met Diamond Dude and the other Destiny Heroes, how he'd proven to Aster that they were real, even everything about duel spirits. The only part Aster left out was how he had been looking for one right before the D had come back. The D listened intently, never saying anything to interrupt or any comments in between.
Finally, once Aster was finished explaining everything, he looked expectantly at the D, dreading his response. "You think I'm crazy, don't you?" He asked bluntly. He didn't like the look that the D was giving him right now. His gaze was almost one of pity.
"No, Aster. I don't think you're crazy. Not at all. But I think that when our minds are stressed enough, they can play tricks on us to show us what we'd like to believe is true, or at least some representation of it. We just unconsciously choose to believe in it, even though we're still aware of the real truth. You miss your father terribly; there's no denying that. And the Destiny Hero deck is the one thing that makes you feel the closest to him since he made them just for you." The D explained.
Aster thought about it carefully. He didn't want to believe the D's explanation. But in a way, it made sense. Hadn't Diamond Dude even told him that he and the other heroes had only appeared to him because he had thought about wanting more friends?
"So, you're saying that I've just been…unintentionally imagining all this to make myself feel better?" Aster asked carefully.
"Well, I'm no psychologist, but I guess you can put it that way. But Aster, you have to understand that this is something you need to let go of. I know that you're sane. But if anyone else ever knew that you were thinking like this, they might not be as understanding about it as I am." The D cautioned Aster.
"But as long as I don't tell anyone else, why does it matter?" Aster questioned.
"Because it's not healthy for you either way. And who's to say you wouldn't let it slip by accident? Then what would people think of you? Do you want to go back to Brookdale?" The D asked. His last question almost sounded more like a threat.
"No…" Aster answered in a small, frightened tone.
"Then you need to forget about all of this. I know it's sad, but you'll only be living in the past by letting yourself go along with this duel spirit fantasy. Because at the end of the day, that's all it is. You need to move on and start looking towards the future! I've told you before, you are extremely intelligent and gifted, Aster. There's a whole world of possibilities out there for people like you. In a few years down the road once you're finished with college, you are going to have so much going for you. That's why you need to start letting go of the past." The D reasoned.
When Aster still hadn't said anything after his speech, the D sighed lightly. He then spoke up again. "I blame myself for part of this. I know that I haven't been around a lot lately and of course you've gotten lonely at times. I'm going to start changing that, though. I'm taking two weeks off from work. No duels, no tours, no work, just us. We can even take a vacation somewhere for a while, if you want. How does that sound to you, Aster?" The D proposed.
Aster couldn't believe it. This was what he had been hoping for since he had first gotten here. Not a replacement for his father, but something to make it feel like he was part of a real family again.
"Yes, I would like that very much! Thank you!" Aster said happily. He had to force himself to hold back the tears that were threatening fall from his eyes.
"I'm glad you feel that way. It's time that I started spending more time with my family." The D said in what he hoped was a genuine-sounding tone of voice.
Xxx
The D was sitting casually at the desk in his room while he went over the deck that he had used during his last match. The light from the small, overhead lamp glowed brightly over the cards spread out in front of them to help illuminate the darkness that had fallen over the room.
Realizing that something was still missing, the D got up and made his way over to the nightstand drawer. He then removed a small box, eyeing it with a greedy expression. He didn't always take his prized possession with him for every Pro League tour he went on. He didn't seem to need it to win anymore thanks to the powers that had been bestowed upon him. Plus, it was a hassle to always have to modify the memories of the duelists who were unlucky enough to have had it used against them. But the D was still very much attached to his most prized Duel Monsters card all the same.
A voice came from the card, the same voice that had been calling for help earlier that day. Only this time, it was filled with fury. "You bastard…" The duel spirit of Destiny Hero Plasma managed to hiss in accusation.
The D chuckled in amusement at Plasma's anger. "That was quite a close call we had today, hmm? I can't have you being discovered like that, though. It would ruin all the fun." He said casually.
"You won't get away with this forever! My true master will eventually re-claim me and fulfill his destiny to put an end to your evil once and for all!" Plasma vowed.
"Your so-called "master" is nothing but a weak, frightened child! He will NEVER defeat me, and the Light will rule over all eventually!" The D declared evilly. His face had taken on a twisted, manic type of grin.
Plasma only had the strength to mutter a few curses towards the D as he was shut back into the box. Clearly, he wouldn't be able to leave the card in the house while he was gone anymore. He had thought that blocking the memory of Plasma from the rest of the Destiny Heroes would be enough, but they had proved to be more resourceful than he had thought. Starting tomorrow, he would have to find a much more appropriate hiding place for Plasma. Like his safety deposit box at the bank. Meanwhile, he would relax and play dad to Aster for a while. As long as he gave him the illusion every now and then of just enough love and hope, the boy would continue to trust him. And that way, the day would never come where he would suspect the real truth…
Xxx
Aster stood quietly in his room, staring intently at his deck case where he kept the Destiny Hero cards. He was still hesitant about doing this. Maybe he should at least wait and tell Sartorius and Sarina everything first? He hadn't so far because he liked the idea of the Destiny Heroes being his "secret friends" that nobody else knew about. But if anyone would believe him, surely they would with being able to predict the future. At the same time though, he was afraid of the D's words about how he should never risk telling anyone. What if they didn't believe him either? Or even worse, they could stop talking to Aster altogether if they thought he was crazy for claiming that things like duel spirits were real. No, he couldn't risk losing the only friends he would have left.
After taking a few deep breaths to steady his nerves, Aster spoke. "Guys, I need to talk to you." He said seriously.
"What's up? It's a shame we never got to see whether that duel spirit was hanging around here like we thought it might be. Tomorrow, we'll have to-" Diamond Dude started to babble on until he was cut off.
"I can't be with you guys anymore." Aster blurted out.
"Wait, what? Oh, ha, ha! Good joke, dude! You really got me there for a second!" Diamond Dude said breezily, brushing off Aster's words.
"I mean it! After today, I can't risk it anymore. I could tell that D already thinks I'm losing my marbles as it is. I don't want to have to go back to Brookdale!" Aster said in frustration.
"Aster, calm down and think about this. We've proven to you time and again already how we're real. Of course some human without the ability to see us is going to react that way. You shouldn't let his words sway you from what you know is true!" Dominance insisted.
"Yeah! And he's an adult, too! They're always the first ones to judge everything and not want to look beyond what they are familiar with!" Blademaster chimed in.
"It's not the way I want it… But please understand, I can't do this anymore!" Aster said desperately. He could feel hot tears forming in the corners of his eyes, threatening to spill over and betray him unless he ended this now.
"But Aster! We're your friends! And we promised that we'd help you find out who killed your dad, remember!? You can't just forget about us! We're a team!" Diamond Dude pleaded.
"No, no! Just SHUT UP already! YOU'RE NOT REAL!" Aster shouted in agony.
Before the Destiny Heroes could protest any further, Aster took his deck case with them and shoved it viciously into the shoe box he had prepared for it. Then, after taping the lid shut, he placed the box in the back of his closet, far behind the rest of his belonging he kept in there.
Once he had shut the closet door, Aster leaned his back against it and slid down until he was slumped on the floor. He was breathing hard, as if he had just run a marathon. After he had calmed himself down somewhat, he tried to reason with himself. He had done the right thing. The D was right, he couldn't live in the past forever. He would be okay. He still had Sartorius and Sarina, and the D was going to start making an effort of them being a real family. But despite telling himself all this, Aster still couldn't seem to ease the pain in his heart that felt as if he had lost a part of himself somehow…
End Flashback
"So, come on. Whaddaya say? We could be a team again just like before! Heck, you don't even have to talk to us if you don't want to. Just let us help you out in the duels at least, Aster! Cuz no offense, but you could use some extra help against that Cyber Dragon guy. Trust me; he's more than just a good duelist. His bond with his cards is unlike anything I've seen before. Oh, and let's not forget your little tag duel tomorrow. You could definitely use some real teamwork there, because let me tell you, you and your girlfriend have got some serious trust issues that you need to work on." Diamond Dude rambled on.
"She's not my girlfriend! And I don't need you guys to win any duels!" Aster said in irritation.
"Aster, ignoring Diamond Dude for the moment, you can't keep shutting us away like this forever. The time will come when you'll need to face the reality of our existence head-on." Dominance tried to reason.
"No, I won't, because you guys aren't a part of reality to begin with. And now, you are all going back into the deck." Aster said firmly.
Ignoring the pleas and protests from the Destiny Heroes, he practically shoved the cards back into his deck case and pushed it back into the dresser drawer, slamming it shut.
Aster threw himself back down onto the armchair, determined to forget what had just happened and focus on the duel tomorrow instead. As much as the duelist in him was dying to try out the Destiny Heroes in a real duel, he was still frightened of the fact that the link of communication between them hadn't disappeared in the slightest after years. What if he really was in danger of developing full-blown schizophrenia? His father's death had been traumatic enough, so who was to say that this was just a warning sign that another event could be the trigger that would truly start it for him? After all, he was not past the cut-off range of years for the illness.
"No… I am not crazy!" Aster told himself firmly. All he could do was to keep away from the Destiny Heroes and keep going on as a duelist like the D had taught him to. He would get through the tag duel tomorrow, and he didn't need anyone's help to do it.
AN: Hi, guys! Long time no see! Yeah, yeah. I know I suck for not updating this sooner. XD I will have more time now to work on it now that I'm done with college, though. So, I'm going to start updating this more regularly now, I promise!
Man, did this chapter end up being WAY longer than I thought it would. I didn't want to add too much about Sartorius and Sarina since there will eventually be a chapter going into how Aster met them, and I didn't want to give too much about his childhood all at once. But I wanted to show that they are still important, so I mentioned them a few times here with going too much into them.
I know it might seem too common to have a main character who can see duel spirits. But the ability IS canon for Aster. The anime never really went into it much or to how much of an extent that Aster can see them compared to the others who can (Jaden, Chazz, Jesse, etc.). But the ability is still there and I've always wanted to explore it a bit more. Plus, I almost never see any fanfiction that goes into it more with Aster, or even mentions it at all a lot. Idk, but it just seems more interesting to go into Aster's ability more instead of pretending that characters who can't see duel spirits (like Alexis or Syrus) can instead, and I wish more authors would go into it. Heck, I wish that more authors would just write about Aster PERIOD, because I'm pretty bummed that at 2021, I'm still barely seeing anything that really goes into him much as a main character. So, if any of you want to start writing for him, give it a shot.
Another reason I make these flashback chapters is because we didn't really get much of Aster's childhood background in the anime about what it was like being raised by his "guardian" a.k.a. worthless piece of human garbage, Kyle Jables/the D/D.D., or whatever you want to call him. Imo, I got the feeling that Aster didn't exactly have the nicest childhood. I mean, the guy was only pretending to care about him, after all. And with earning two PhDs by the time he was about sixteen AND already having a serious Pro League career, somehow I don't think there was a lot of time for Aster to be a kid. So, I'm trying to go into that more here with what I think it might have been like. A good story that also goes into Aster's childhood and being a pro duelist is "The tale of the destiny heroes", by the author, english red roses. If you like this, feel free to check that out as well, because it's awesome!
Anyways, next time is the tag duel with Aster and Alexis vs. ?. (You'll have to wait and wait to see who they are.) It will also be a turning point for them in terms of their relationship. No Rareshipping yet, though. And I'd like to lastly take a moment to say thank you to you all. This story now has over fifty favorites, topping everything else I have made. I really appreciate all the positive feedback it has received. So, if you can, please keep it coming, because I love seeing your reviews and that you're just reading it, too! Thanks again and Happy New Year!