A Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal Fanfiction: Rise from the Worst, Search for Tomorrow

by CroftButler21

A new spin on the original story, with my OC Athena Fujina as the main protagonist! AU in a way, but while maintaining a fair amount of the basic story and a good number of the original characters (one will be genderbent). See my profile for the full plot and a list of the OCs to come.

49. A Party of Emotions

Hello, all! Back in 2021 for a true and blue update!

I'm hoping a nice long chapter will make up for the long period of silence. Between finishing my absolutely final semester of university (graduating in June; yay!), working during this bullhonky time we call COVID-19, and of course a lax in creative motivation, finding the right time to get the race horse back on the track was difficult. I'll do my best to transfer this motivation to my other active stories in due time; all I ask is for your awesome patience.

...On another note, I'd like to give a shout-out to the creative minds familiar with my buddy Cyberbee15's works. They are currently in search of some help with stimulating ideas for a few projects. If you need more details, I highly urge you to PM them or check out their page. They've done alot to help me when I ask for it, so it's only natural I help them :)

Thanks, and happy reading!

---

...Streams of marigold and dull persimmon seep through the small window leading into the attic of the Fujina household,
signalling the start of a new day for its permanent and temporary residents...

Warmth radiating from the distant star tickles the skin of a certain celestial being, stirring him awake from a somewhat rare night of rest.

"Mm...M-mh..."

His mismatched irises of silver-white and gold blink open...only to find himself within close proximity of the sleeping face belonging to his closest human companion.

"Uh!"

...Athena?

The events of last evening come back to him, the most vivid moment being the major discovery and emotional promise made between himself and the girl.

That's right. I remember now...My, body...

Feeling a grip on one of his hands, Astral looks down to see the source as one of Athena's own appendages.

My body, has achieved tangibility...and this could not have come at a better time.

(Flash)

"(Sniff) S-Say, Astral?"

"Yes, Athena?"

"...This might be asking alot...but can you promise me something?"

"Of course; ask me anything."

"...Never let me forget."

"Huh?"

"N-Never, let me forget, that this life...that you're real. Even, i-if you just hold my hand every once in a while...please don't let me forget that you're real, this life is real, and never let me believe I'm gonna one day wake up to a nightmare. I...I don't wanna go back. I don't wanna go back to a world my mind doesn't want to remember...!"

(Flash)

Staring at the girl now as she continues to slumber atop the futon and under the cover of the sleeping bag, the boy from beyond this galaxy smiles both endearingly and sadly while tightening his hold on her hand.

Her perception of reality is more fragile than I once believed...

Even so, that just makes me all the more determined to help her in whatever way I can.

After all, Athena has been doing everything she can, to help me restrengthen my own weakened mind.

Letting go of the opposite appendage, Astral then reaches to gently run his fingers through the human's hair, marveling at the new sensation of texture.

To think, our bond has been fortified to such an extent that, something as simple as this is possible.

...Physical touch truly is a taken for granted ability.

"M-Mm...Hnh?"

He pauses his gesture when the girl emits a few sounds signalling her own gradual rouse from the realm of dreams...Tired ember red irises flutter open, meeting the contrasting silver-white and gold.

"A...Astral...?"

"Good morning, Athena. Did you sleep well?"

"Hm?...Oh, yeah, sure..."

She then clues into their positioning, namely, the translucent fingers woven into her black locks.

Uh!...His hand...So, that means...last night...

Sensing the rising bewilderment, Astral smiles and says,

"Yes, Athena. What occurred hours before was very real...just as real as what we feel now."

Shucking off the sleeping bag and revealing her giant salmon red pajama tee, Athena sits up as an expression of awe wipes away her previously sleepy state.

"Amazing..."

She reaches out to hold the boy's hand again, running her thumb against his palm while thinking aloud,

"And all it took was goin' through a bunch of melodrama. (Sheepish smile) Truth be told, I've, been curious over whether this would even be possible, or if you'd remain untouchable except when we're inside the key...I guess the universe is finally cutting us a break."

"It certainly does feel that way...I must confess: I too have wondered if I would remain physically distant to your world. The Numbers we have gathered thus far had not offered any insight to such an ability."

Moving to a stand, Athena speculates with a stretch of her arms,

"Then maybe this is going beyond simply gathering the Numbers...Maybe these new abilities have more to do with our own personal growth, and our growing bond as friends."

(Flash)

A scene of the odd phenomenon involving that rouge-gold light emitting from the girl's hand as she freed the Number Monsters previously trapped under Black Mist's hold is recalled...

Thank you for freeing me.

"Um, your welcome...Just wish I knew what the hell I did, though..."

It will become more clear to you as time marches on.

(Flash)

"One example I can think of is when I was summoned in the key during my duel against Nistro and Dextra, and disabled that creep Black Mist's control over the other Numbers. (Shiver) Not that it really stopped him by much. He was still hell-bent on making me his little puppet, (glance) and merge you with his body."

"(Nod) Thankfully, we were able to counter his power by reaffirming our connection...Another example I can think before then..."

(Flash)

"Was when we first formed Zexal...I remember that despite the underlying dangers and uncertainty, you were determined to come and help me in my duel against Kite."

"Listen to me, Astral: you're not alone anymore! You haven't been since you came to me through the key, and still aren't! We stand together, as a pair, as friends, we have eachother's backs...It's paralyzing to be stuck fighting a battle on your own. I know, from too many examples, that, feeling. It's crushing, and threatens to kill...I don't want that for you. I want you to know the feeling of having someone there who will be with you every step of the way! Don't you see? We...We need eachother, Astral!"

"Heh, yeah, I guess I managed to sound brave enough...but that changed once I could really feel the energy. Not that you'd let me stay afraid for long."

I-I don't like this; what's wrong with me?! Why am I so scared?!

Astral...! Astral, I'm freaking out; help...!

We recall the ring of inflamed light around the predominantly female body brightening a little as Athena feels a sensation similar to a comforting hug wrap around her, physically and mentally.

"Athena...Athena, it is alright. Deep breath..."

"H-hhhh...haaah..."

A-Astral...

"Do not worry about what was seen just now. Remain focused on the present, and let us win this duel, together."

"(Nod) Alright, sounds good...W-Will you be with me?"

"Yes, of course. You have nothing to fear, Athena, and neither to I...because we're with one another."

(Flash)

The highlights of that memory draw to a close, and the starring souls find themselves smiling at one another as the one with ember red irises further comments,

"You've become real good at finding ways to keep me calm. I mean, other than when I let my temper boil over."

"Yes, I've yet to find a method to fully quell your anger when you're especially heated."

They each let out a short chuckle, and Athena concludes,

"Anyway, all of those instances prove that finding your memories isn't the only thing we need to do in order to eventually save your world...We need to strengthen ourselves, and our friendship."

"Hm...That does sound simple enough in theory..."

The dueling pair decide to end the conversation there for now, and we watch the human teenager climb down the rope line and into her bedroom to find her school uniform...Just as she makes the motion towards her closet, the girl notices that one of her guests is still asleep in bed.

Huh...Hart's not up yet?

Wandering over to the side of the raised mattress, Athena found herself smiling fondly at the younger boy's peaceful face.

He's looking a little healthier than a few days ago...

Guess a change in environment was all he really needed...Well, him and Kite.

After tucking the blankets more snugly over the periwinkle-haired Tenjo, the young Fujina silently steals away to where her clothes would be waiting, ultimately taking them and herself out of her room to change in the bathroom so she wouldn't accidentally wake Hart...

A few minutes later, she emerges into the hall fully-dressed in her hybrid uniform.

"There we are."

"You have school today?"

"Hm?"

She turns her head to meet eyes with the older blond of the brother pair.

"Oh. Morning, Kite...Yeah, unfortunately, despite the fact I'm a contender in the WDC, I'm still obligated to walk into that prison of education like every other academy student."

A slight chuckle escapes both teens, and they begin walking downstairs to the main floor of the house...

"So how come your little bro's still asleep? Not that he doesn't deserve to catch up on some Zs, but I thought he'd be up with you since he was so hyped yesterday."

"Yeah, well...he's gonna need to sleep in today after, last night."

"Huh? Whaddo you mean?"

...Pausing at the corner of the banister, the blond with steel grey irises then says with a little reluctance in his tone,

"Hart, he...He transferred some of his power to me."

"What?! No way!"

"Yes...We were talking about what's been happening recently. Leaving Faker and Heartland, his kidnapping by that Trilos bastard, the looming threat of, Quinton and his brothers...Heh, (sad smile) he decided that he was done watching me do all the work."

(Flash)

Apparently, at the same time Astral and Athena had that serious discussion (which led them to discover the celestial being's new tangibility), Kite and Hart weren't sleeping as soundly as the girl previously believed...

"Kite."

"Yeah?"

"...You've been doing alot to protect us lately, haven't you?"

The older brother sits up with his younger sibling, a little confused by this sudden observation.

"Well, yeah..."

"You've been pushing yourself to gather Astral's memories, even through we knew deep down, it wasn't gonna help anyone except, them...And you've been using that strange transformation for your duels...which is making you feel as weak as I am whenever I use my power's more destructive side, right?"

"Mh!...Mm, (...nod) yes."

A small sigh mixed with a soulless laugh escapes the smaller body.

"And here I thought the older brother was suppose to be the smarter one..."

"Where are you going with this, kiddo?"

"...Kite...you're not gonna win against the people threatening us if you keep going solo like this."

Hart turns to his startled sibling with a small smile and concludes,

"Which is why, I'm going to stop standing on the sidelines, and help you."

"What? How?"

(...Glow)

"Uh!"

A familiar neon red energy suddenly rings around the boy, and though there's a momentary grimace, he manages to smile through his struggles to reach out and take his older brother's hand.

(...Ba-bump)

"Hh! Rrrrh...!"

A strong wave of power pulses through the blond's skin, and we watch as the ring of light shrinks and travels away from Hart, only to expand and settle around Kite!...And just as quickly as it began, the glow disappears...

"Hart, what did you-"

"I gave you my power, or some of it at least...Now we'll both share the weight, and can be better prepared for what may try and hurt us next."

(Flash)

"Whoa...So, you have Hart's power now?...Wait. Does that mean-"

"Yeah."

Kite answers Athena's question with one simple glance at the boy with translucent blue skin.

"I can see your, partner clearly now."

The single female is left gaping, while Astral narrows his eyes slightly with interest.

"Interesting...Tell me, Kite: is this new level of perception all that was acquired when Hart transferred his power...or did you gain something more?"

"Hmph, not that I actually feel obligated to tell either of you...but your deduction isn't wrong."

The blond reaches into his deck case to pull out a single card.

"It seems Hart's power has allowed me access to a stronger version of one of my monsters. (Slight smirk) I don't think I need to tell you their name."

"Galaxy-Eyes..."

Nodding, Kite then says,

"But that's all you get to hear. I'm not planning on giving away my strategy to my rivals...I still have to test its strength, but now I'm convinced no one will stand in my way going forward in the carnival."

He adds while offering his stare to Athena,

"So you better work your ass off and make sure you and Astral are my final opponents. I won't accept anyone else."

"Heh, that confident, are we?...Consider it done, Kite."

"Oh good, you're up, sis!"

Eyes turn to the kitchen entrance-way, and we see Adam standing there with a smile and a plate of toast in one hand. On his body is a pair of dark gray khakis, an off-white button-up shirt with a black waist apron, and black slippers.

"I had a feeling you'd be sleeping in a bit, so grandpa and I have a bunch of food made."

"Aw, thanks, bro. Smells good."

"...By the way, you and Kite got letters from the WDC committee."

"What? Already?"

...

...

After a hearty breakfast of toast, fried eggs, sausages, sliced apples and tea, Athena would say her goodbyes to her family and guest before heading out the door with her backpack to go to school. Rather than do her morning jog, however, the girl simply hopped on the bus that stops closest to her neighbourhood...Twenty minutes pass, and the lengthy vehicle will have reached Heartland Academy.

"Hah, been a while since I last took the bus. Good thing I woke up when I did, too, or I would've been late..."

Following the girl as she walks out onto the pavement, Astral asks,

"I am assuming this mode of transport does not have a great early morning schedule, and that is why you are usually jogging to the academy?"

"Pretty much. Last time I tried taking an early morning bus, I ended up at school before it was even open. I had to go to a nearby cafe and wait it out for almost two hours."

"Oh my, that's rather inconvenient..."

"...But moving on from the flaws of modern transportation..."

Athena reaches into her pants pocket to pull out the letter she received, namely, an invite of sorts.

"I can't believe Heartland's actually staying calm enough to remember how to plan a party for us WDC finalists...Though with all the underlying drama, I'm not even sure if it's worth going to..."

"But would it not provide us the opportunity to, 'scope out' the competition?"

"Fair point...Do you think, we should be concerned that Kite's invite was sent to my house with mine?"

The human/alien pair stop by the coliseum-like stairs in the main courtyard of the academy as Astral replies,

"It is a little worrisome that his location has already been discovered...But on the other hand, even if Mister Heartland and Doctor Faker truly have caught onto Kite and Hart's trail, it would not matter. They will be forced to keep a low profile unless they wish to let their plans be exposed."

"Right, right..."

"...Hey, Addy!"

"Hm?"

Athena turns at the call of a familiar and friendly voice, spotting Tiffany jogging her way, along with practically everyone who's become part of the closer circle of academy friends: Jamal, Caswell, Caden, Flip and even Calli and Hana. Akira is excluded since he doesn't go to the same school, and we know where Kite and Hart are...As for Shark...well, who knows...

"Good morning!"

"Heh, (wave) mornin' all!"

"How's it hang-...Huh?!"

Suddenly, the entire atmosphere of the septet shifts dramatically to reflect complete and utter shock rather than the typical greeter smiles...

"Uuuhm, what's, with the faces, you guys?"

The boys with the contrasting hairstyles of a bright blue bowl-cut and brown D.A. style each raise a shaky arm while stuttering,

"W-W-W-W-We-"

"R-R-R-Right th-th-th-there-He's-we can-"

Athena could only tilt her head to the side in confusion, practically feeling the infamous sweatdrop form at the incoherent sentences and frozen expressions.

Okay, seriously, what was in their breakfast this morning?

...Wait...

She then clues into where...or rather, whom her friends were staring at.

No...No way...!

"Are...Are you all-Can you see...?"

A collective and hesitant nod of 'uh-huh' is provided by the stock-still seven, which in turn causes the ones under their radar to widen their eyes.

...Astral...they can-

I know...Our friends can, see me...!

(Ding, dong, ding, dong...)

The sound of the first bell snaps everyone out of their daze, and Athena barely manages to shout,

"O-Okay that's it; I'm calling an emergency meeting of the NSA! Everyone, to the old gym, now!"

The group of nine hurries for the appointed destination, despite the girl with white-blond hair voicing some concern to skipping class.

"What about first period?!"

Jamal retorts,

"You really think any of us are gonna be able to concentrate in class while this is goin' on?!"

Astral's POV

One surprise after another. Just how many more will reveal themselves today?

Thankfully, our large group was able to evade the eyes of teachers and sneak into the seldom-used gymnasium so we could all have a proper discussion over this, startling development...

"How?! How?! How?! How?! How?! How?! How?! How?! How?!..."

But as soon as the doors closed and we confirmed that no one else was around, Athena suddenly broke into a rather...bizarre mantra. She's currently wandering back and forth in a line approximately eight feet long, has her hands pressed against her head, and is continuously shouting the word 'How' with a frantic expression on her face...

You can imagine my relief when I learned I was not the only one puzzled by this behaviour.

"...Uhm, can somebody, translate this?"

"Yeeeah, this is way outside my general knowledge of Addy moods..."

Tiffany and Jamal would answer, barely containing their laughter as they did so.

"Hehee, I'm not surprised the rest of you don't recognize this reaction. It's been a few years since Addy went into a 'How Tailspin'."

"And this only happened whenever she was feeling particularly floored by something."

The rest of us feel different levels of enlightenment spread onto our faces, and Caden asks,

"Okay...but, when does she usually stop?"

"Hmm...Last time she did this, I think it took about...fifty-nine Hows before Addy finally calmed down."

I feel Jamal's eyes on me as he asks,

"You're probably keepin' a better tab than we are, Astral. What's the tally now?"

I watch Athena pause her actions for a mere two seconds before continuing her panicked mantra, and I reply,

"That would be number sixty-two...On a related note..."

I turn to face the others as I inquire the lack of anxiety from their own souls.

"Why is it that Athena is the only one expressing panic? I would have thought at least a few of you would be just as flabbergasted by this new development."

Caswell comments,

"I suppose logically, we should be...but while I can't speak for everyone, I for one have reached a point where I'm so shocked, I'm, not shocked at all."

Shocked yet not shocked? How does that work?

I receive my answer when he explains,

"Basically, considering all that we have been through up to today and what we've seen, should having a new level of perception really come as that big of a surprise?...In the end, I find this to be more of a blessing than a curse."

The others nod in agreement:

"Yeah."

"That sounds right."

"At least now we won't feel like we're talking to thin air, heha!"

Calli and Hana voice their opinions on the matter.

"Well, we're still kind-of in the learning phase of this whole escapade,"

"But we're eager to help in whatever way we can!"

Hearing this acceptance sent a warm feeling through my heart, and I realize that Athena is not the only human I have become close with.

They may not have been able to interact with me as much as Athena has, (slight smile) but that has not stopped them from lending their assistance now and again.

...It seems her friends, have truly become my own friends as well.

"How?! How?! How?! How?! How?! How?! How?!...Hoooow..."

Just as I come to this conclusion, the girl in question had reached the end of her, 'How Tailspin', collapsing face-down on one of the exercise mats with a final sigh of the exhausted word...

"Well. Looks like Athena's finished freaking out for all of us."

Flip adds after Jamal,

"And it took ninety-nine Hows to do it too!"

I correct the bespectacled boy's count:

"Actually, Flip, it was only ninety-three."

"(Waves) Eh, technicalities. It was still alot either way."

Tiffany interrupts our debate before it could start.

"Ahem!...Moving on, let's see if we can put all our brain power together and try to figure out what the heck is going on here."

She then wanders over to Athena's side to check up on her condition.

"You gonna be okay, bestie?"

"I think so..."

"You ready to look at this more calmly?"

"Uh-huh..."

"Alright then."

Tiffany proceeds to help my closest companion to their feet, and I decide to lend a hand...which in turn would invoke more surprise.

"Oh, thanks, Ast-Wait...Since when are you tangible?!"

"Since last night."

"Uh-!...Okay, that is definitely gonna be added to our list of topics to discuss."

We guide Athena to sit on a heavy bag, one of three along with two benches similar to ones I have seen them all use for weight training that they dragged over to rest on as we spoke.

"There you go..."

"Are you sure you are all right, Athena?"

"Hauh, yeah, I'm okay now. (Embarrassed smile) Sorry you guys had to see that more, quirky side of me. I haven't gone into a fit like that since fourth grade, and that was back when the only thing I had to worry about was our classroom getting invaded by a ferret with a twisted sense of humour."

...I am not even going to ask.

Letting out another sigh, my closest friend then starts our more serious discussion.

"Okay...just to clarify, this is the first morning that all of you are able to fully perceive Astral, not including those half-ass silhouette moments and, last evening's duel?"

The others nod in confirmation...

"So none of you have been screwing with me this whole time, laughing at me whenever I was arguing with 'nothing'?"

That brought amused smiles to their faces, and Jamal comments,

"Well first of all, if that were true, I would've been laughing at you and Astral because that's just me."

"(Smirk-glare) Comments like that which make me question why you and I are still friends."

"Oh shut up; you love my company...Second, if it hadn't been for the Numbers, I'm pretty sure I would've been the first of many to begin questioning why you haven't been put into a mental hospital."

That cheek of a comment would provoke some of Athena's temper, and she proceeds to put the dark-skinned boy into what is known as a headlock.

"We'll see who needs a hospital in a sec!"

"Agh, mercy; have mercy!"

They're quickly separated by Caden and Tiffany...

"It seems you two still behave like water and oil every now and again despite being good friends."

They look up at me and reply simply,

"Clashing personalities to blame."

...Moving forward, we return to more serious matters when Caswell states,

"Questions of sanity and teasing aside, it's still a little baffling that any one of us besides Athena are able to see and hear Astral now after a long period of silence. Again, not saying it's a bad thing, but it does strike as odd."

Athena agrees with his judgment:

"Yeah. I mean, it was already surprising to learn that Hart could see and hear him, but that's 'cause of the strange power he carries...And then of course the reasons for my own deep perception of Astral, (glance) is because of my pendant, me being the technical host and our growing bond."

Nodding, I add,

"It is possible those who were once possessed by a Number may have had an inkling to my presence, mainly due to the cards themselves becoming aware of their inevitable fate of returning to me."

"Hmph, well I definitely didn't see any evidence those poor suckers even cared. They were too busy concentrating on trying to keep that Number; emphasis on try...And most of them don't have any recollection of the incidents once the Number leaves them, I mean, with a few exceptions like Shark and Nelson."

"Heeey, don't I qualify for that list?"

Eyes turn to Flip as Jamal replies,

"You don't count because you only heard about Utopia before understanding what they were capable of when you 'borrowed' them from Addy durin' your duel with her. Besides, didn't you say you remember quote 'absolutely nothing'?"

"...Alright, you got me there, but explain how Nelson and Shark remember anything. Hmm?"

Athena easily meets his demand, if a little uncertain herself.

"Well according to Nelson, his duel disk had recorded our match when Galaxy Queen possessed him, so while his memory is still patchy, a few highlights have come back...As for Shark, he just, has a stronger will than most, probably as strong as Kite's if you want an example."

Hm, it did seem his memory of Leviathan returned as soon as the card was shown to him again that time ago...

But I cannot shake this unease regarding Number Thirty-Two: Shark Drake...

"Anyway, steering back on topic, other than those fleeting moments when Astral was undergoing a power boost, none of you have actually been able to see him...But something's changed between yesterday and today. I just wish I knew what..."

"Maybe it has to with the Final Prophecy Trap."

We all turn eyes to the girl with white-blond hair.

"What do you mean, Hana?"

"That card held more power than what's written. We all know that much since it opened a portal to another world and-(shiver), tried to swallow everything...Still, that energy. Didn't the rest of you feel something almost, climb into you as we were drifting down?"

I did not understand what she was speaking about...but the others seemed to.

"...Now that you mention it..."

"I, do remember feeling these vibrations creeping into my skin..."

"It was like the whole place was a giant gong, and the recoil was hitting my eyes and ears."

"Mine too!"

Jamal rubs the back of his head as he comments,

"Well I would'a been passed out at the time with Akira...But, I was havin' this weird dream that kind-a sounds like what you're all gabbing about. A power pulsing from out of nowhere, and it was really piercing that specific area, my eyes and ears. I dunno if he'd say the same, but, there you are."

Tiffany turns my way and asks,

"What do you think of it, Astral?"

"Hm...This is merely a theory, but based on what you are all describing, it sounds like the excess energy from the dimensional space may have somehow amplified your senses, to the point where you have the capability to acknowledge my presence without Athena telling you."

There was a considerable rise in bewilderment...which then settled into an accepting realization.

"Huh..."

"Sounds, plausible enough."

"In the end, it's probably the most sane explanation for what's happening right now."

"Speaking of that crazy vortex, where the heck was it taking us?"

"Don't know; don't wanna know."

...Goodness, it really does feel like abnormal has become the new normal.

"Alright. It seems we're all agreeing with Astral's theory, so let's move onto another topic before we get confused again."

Tiffany looks up into my eyes again, asking the question I was almost unprepared to answer.

"So how are you and Addy able to touch eachother? I thought the last time you tried, she just went right through you."

"Oh, yes...You see, during the duel, I was-"

"He managed to tap into the ability after receiving the Numbers from Trey. Turns out he needed a specific amount."

...I glance warily at Athena for her interrupting and rather, blunt response, yet found myself nodding in feigned confirmation. The false explanation seemed to satisfy everyone's curiousity.

"Oh wow..."

"That's awesome!"

But mine had only stirred:

Athena...are you not going to tell them about, your parents?

Hell no. Too personal...Besides...I'm, still stuck in disbelief over seeing them, if that even was really them, so you can imagine why I don't want anyone to know.

I could sense the bitter denial still clinging to her opinion on the matter...though considering how long her mother and father have been absent...I suppose I cannot blame her. Her hope has become as transparent and fragile as glass, so she feels she cannot afford to allow herself to wish for what may be out of her reach...

"Hey, I just thought of something...If we can all see and hear Astral, and he's become tangible to Addy, does that mean we could feel him too?"

Such a proposal shakes me out of my sadder muses, and Jamal says to Caden,

"Guess there's only one way to find out."

The former then rises to his feet and walks over to me.

"Here, Astral. (Gesture) Try and grab my hand."

...I stare at the offered appendage for a moment or two, feeling both excited and, uncertain about this proposed experiment.

To be able to touch Athena is a miracle in itself...

But is it possible the miracle, can be extended to others?

"Dude, c'mon, don't leave me hangin'. (Slight smirk) It's not like my hand's not gonna turn into a Venus Flytrap."

"Uhm, right..."

Following his example, I reach out one of my own hands to Jamal's...

And in another twist of fate among many in these last few days, we make contact!

"Uh!"

"Gh!...H-Holy crap...We're actually...!...Heha, this is so awesome!"

A smile of excitement forms onto his face, which in turn spreads to the others who were just as animated by this new phenomenon. Tiffany would be next to test it:

"Oh, me next; lemme try!"

Jamal and I let go so she could try and literally reach out to me...

"Ah! Oh wow!"

It would not be long before everyone else took their turn at grabbing my hand, each new touch sending a wave of emotions into my mind and heart...

"Huh. I actually thought you'd be cold to the touch. Guess I was wrong."

(Whap)

"Ouch!"

"You just had to say something weird, didn't you, Flip?!"

"Oh come on, like you weren't thinking the same, Cade?!"

"W-Well...maybe-no! That is, I-Drh!"

The argument brewed into something nonsensical from that point, quickly joined by Jamal, Caswell and Calli while Tiffany and Hana try to dispel the exaggerated tension, leaving Athena to watch her friends with a helplessly exasperated expression...

Watching them all act like this over something so trivial as how my skin feels, on top of all of the joy and confusion from these events...I actually found it rather, comical, so much in fact that I began to laugh. Not too loudly or obnoxiously as I have seen others do, but loud and noticeable enough that everyone would stop what they were doing and look my way.

"Huh?"

"Is he, laughing...?"

"Yep, he's definitely laughing."

I begin to sustain some control over my chuckling just as Athena comments with a half-smirk,

"Heh, wow, Astral. I think this is the first I've ever heard you laugh like this. Most I've ever got outta you was an amused smile or very short chuckle."

"Hahe, yes, I, realize that...I just-seeing you all act like this, and this feeling of happiness from being able to participate fully in your interactions now...I cannot help but laugh. You are all amusing me to no end."

With my composure back, I form a sheepish smile and add,

"I am sorry though if me laughing at you is offensive in some way."

"Oh! Not at all!"

"It's cool; no offense taken."

"Heck, we all laugh eachother now and again. It was only a matter of time before you would."

We all share in some more laughter over these pleasant absurdities, before finally reaching another level of calm...

"Well, I dunno about the rest of you, but I feel like we've reached a new level of closeness in this 'meeting'."

"Why the air quotes around meeting, Calli?"

"Because this barely stayed serious for more than a few minutes at a time."

"Heh, true..."

Athena cuts into the dialogue by bringing up that other piece of news.

"Ah! I just remembered something I was gonna show you all before we all got caught in this whirlwind."

She reaches into her bag to pull out the party invitation from Mister Heartland that had been sent to all of the duelists that were still in the tournament.

"Kite and I received these in the mail this morning. Apparently, Heartland's throwing a bash for the remaining contenders in the WDC two days before the finals."

"Really?!"

"Let's see!"

The invitation is passed around so everyone had a chance to look it over.

"Nice...!"

"Much as I'm starting to not like our mayor, he's definitely keepin' the nice act going."

"I bet it'll be packed with celebrity duelists...!"

"Looks like it'll be a semi-formal. Lucky me, I have a suit that'll be purrfect for the occasion."

Hana then brings up an important question to the more excited souls.

"Hold on a second, you guys: Addy only has one invite, and we don't know if she can have us tag along."

"Eh, I wouldn't worry about it."

Eyes turn to Athena as she takes back the envelope from Tiffany.

"There's nothing on the invitation that says I can't bring a posse of friends, (slight smirk) and considering the size our arriving group will be, how're they gonna stop us from walking through the front door?"

"Sooo we're good?"

"Not quite."

Tiffany then steps forward and comments,

"We might be okay in terms of getting there, but we girls will definitely need to do some serious dress shopping. I dunno if you 'men' need to get new suits."

The males of our social group shake their heads.

"Nope."

"Not me."

"Nor me."

"I'll call 'kira later and check, but I'm sure he's covered, and so am I."

...I could not help but look down at myself and mentally muse,

I suppose I am also, 'covered' so to speak. I certainly have not felt a need for clothing before and don't now.

"Of course, out of the four of us ladies, (glance) you will definitely need a new outfit, Addy."

"Me?!...Can't I just wear one of my nicer combos?"

Athena would receive her answers from the other girls quickly enough.

"Heck no!"

"You are not going into a semi-formal gala wearing a tank top and skirt, honey."

"Come on, let us help you look cute!"

"...Augh, alriiiight! Since you three are likely gonna hound me over it for the rest of today...I'll let you take me dress shopping."

They form pleased smiles and cheer,

"Yes!"

"But, I have two conditions that must be met. First, if you put me in anything related to sparkles or sequins, I'll kill all three of you."

"Noted."

"Second, and this is a reminder to you, Tiff: my girly store limit is two maximum, no more than that. If the limit is broken-"

"I know, I know. We owe you lunch or any related meal."

Hm, it seems the promise of food is one of the best ways to persuade Athena into compromises.

"...Okay. I think that pretty much covers the most important topics. Anything else of note?"

Not a one of us makes the motion to continue...

"Good. Meeting adjourned."

Our group would then make their way to the doors and exit out of the forgotten building...only to get caught by one of the faculty members the second the school bell rings...And despite any attempts to defend their choice to skip class, all eight of my friends would receive the punishment known as detention for ignoring their schedules.

Hauh, perhaps we should have planned better than this...

No POV

At the same time the young Heartland Academy students were being reprimanded for their rebellious behaviour, back at the grand hotel the Arclight brothers and their benefactor were staying at, we watch the short blond briefly look in on Trey, whom after his duel with Athena has fallen into a comatose state...Getting a closer look at the pinkette, we notice a brief flash of vermilion-violet from the veins leading close to where his heart rests, suggesting that whatever extra power he was granted is still plaguing his body...

Though something behind his visible eye reflected concern, Vetrix kept the rest of his expression passive as he shuts the double doors leading into the room. He prepares to head for another area of the suite...but pauses when Quattro calls to him.

"Vetrix, wait! Please hear me out. You have to!"

The rouge-blond then makes his case:

"I dunno what the hell that device did to Trey, or why you even agreed to listen to that stranger...but, I wanna show you what I can do. Let me have a crack at that power."

"And why should I let you do that, Quattro, so you can squander it and fail me just like your brother Trey did?"

Quattro gapes in disbelief at such a heartless comment, then growls out while rushing closer to the shorter male,

"Vetrix! How can you be so cold and ruthless?! Trey dueled the Original Number and that spitfire of a girl for you! He allowed himself to get loaded with that unknown power, and look what happened to him! Gh!...He's still feeling the burn of it too. You can't tell me you haven't seen those flashes of light in his veins."

Quinton snaps out of his calmer state to stare at his younger brother with surprise.

Quattro...

"Whatever that Alister person gave us is dangerous, more dangerous than our own Crests or even what that Hart kid could've provided. And now Trey's suffering because of your carelessness!"

"...The only thing I care about now, is results."

"Uh-h!"

The sadness in Vetrix's smile was very brief, quickly replaced by an insane hunger.

"What happened to Trey was tragic...but guilt will not stop me from my goals."

"Vetrix..."

"And I believe I may have found someone who will get me closer than you could...Reginald Castle, (glance) ah, but you would likely know him better by his dueling moniker, Shark."

Just hearing the name in question sent Quattro's blood into a blaze of anger...while at the same time, worry?

No...He can't be thinking-!...Sure, I won't deny that I like messing with him...

But after the shit he's gone through, even I know when to draw the line.

...Or at least I'm starting to remember how.

Clenching his fist, the rouge-blond attempts to call Vetrix to a stop as they walk away again, but to no avail.

"Vetriiix! Explain yourself; what're you planning now?!"

Time Skip, Athena's POV

Alright, the hour of judgment has arrived.

Since the girls and I couldn't go shopping yesterday due to being stuck in detention with the guys for skipping, we decided to do our dress expedition today instead...

(Ka-chhhhk)

"Hauh, see, this is why I hate modern transport. It takes too damn long!"

"You do know you sound like your grandpa, right?"

"Who cares? I still think we could've walked to the mall."

"Not with how crowded the traffic's acting today..."

So is the dialogue of the mundane conversation between Tiffany and I, providing entertainment value for our added party members Calli, Hana...and of course Astral. I mean, at this point, the latter and I are joined at everything but the hip, so is it really that surprising he'll be part of the shopping experience too?...Still, that hasn't stopped my stomach from developing these weird butterflies at the thought of him, giving his opinion on my appearance.

...I don't get it. I hadn't really cared that much about what I look like to Astral before.

Why does it feel like this is gonna be different?

Tiffany meanwhile is feeling very inclusive.

"Haah, I'll tell you all one thing: I'm glad that we'll be having an intelligent boy's opinion on clothing for once."

"I do not understand. Is the opinion of the others truly that poor when it comes to fashion?"

She sends a smile over to Astral and replies with a hint of exasperation,

"Well, Caden's fashion sense is okay, I guess, but the others barely have any sense over the subject of properly complimenting a girl's outfit. Flip would just point out the underlying flaws, and Caswell's smarts are more oriented for school and dueling."

Calli comments,

"Yeah, I've noticed that Mister Class Representative doesn't seem to have alot of variety outside his uniform. Ha, gets me to wonder how many copies he owns."

Hana tries to defend the boy, even though she was fighting to laugh a little herself.

"At least Caswell knows how to keep his clothes tidy."

"Maybe, but that boy needs a serious wardrobe update."

Tiff nods in agreement with Calli, before going on to say,

"And while Akira does remember to be polite when he tries to give his say, he can sometimes be too bashful to utter the truth."

I pipe in,

"I blame his mom for that one. The woman can be really scary if someone points out something wrong with her outfit, even if it's just a slightly messy hairdo."

"Made that mistake, I take it?"

"About six different times."

Us girls laugh a little at the thought, entering through the automatic front doors of the big mall...

"So where does that leave Jamal?"

"Ugh, Jamal. I mean, don't get me wrong, he'll always be a good friend, but his opinion sucks the most. Last time I asked for his thoughts on a dress I was considering, he said that I looked like a walking cupcake!"

Stifling a snicker, I argue,

"To be fair, Tiff, the princess ball gown's not a good style for you...Plus you know that asking questions like that before lunch usually results in him giving 'the gut opinion' rather than common sense."

"I know that now!"

As our gal pals try to avoid bursting into laughter, Astral asks me,

"What does this 'princess ball gown' look like?"

"Well you've seen some examples of dresses already thanks to Tiffany...Sooo, try to imagine one of those, but with a big skirt that reaches past the ankles and puffs out like this."

I form my arms into the basic shape...and after a half-minute of thought, Astral comments,

"That does not sound very practical."

"Heh, yeah, it's not something for everyday wear, and it's no longer as common for fancy dress. You'd have to be a dedicated girly girl who loves Cinderella to pull that look off."

Calli puts an arm over Hana's shoulders and jokes,

"Something that neither one of us are. Heck, even Hana here's not that sugar sweet."

The latter chimes back,

"I still think it's pretty, though."

"Of course you do..."

We stop in front of one of those hipster fashion stores so Tiffany could relay the plan for this afternoon.

"Okay, since Addy has the least experience with dress shopping, we should focus on finding hers first."

"But what about you three?"

"We already have a few ideas of what we want, so we can try them on at the same time we help narrow you down...Which brings me to the important question: do you have a preferred style?"

"No I do not. Closest I've ever worn to dresses is skirts and long shirts."

"...Hoh-kay, this could be a little harder than I thought..."

Calli shrugs,

"Guess we'll just have to use the scoop 'em up strategy. Grab what we can in Addy's size and start narrowing the playing field."

Which means this whole escapade is gonna take forever, uuugh...

I'm stolen out of my mental complaints when Tiff grabs my hand to drag me to the first of hopefully not too many stores.

"We'll start with Jupiter Trends. They have alot of variety in there."

"Yaaaay..."

"...Nice show of excitement."

Thankfully, our first choice wasn't too bad, showcasing a more semi-casual, semi-formal atmosphere, reminding me of one of those stores from North America. That relaxing feeling barely stuck around for a minute or two, when the girls suddenly split away to grab at least three or four random dresses each that were in my size, which by the way, is around a small-medium.

Hoh boy...

"Alright, Addy. Let's head for the dressing room and see if we can figure out what looks good on you."

(...Shhhhk)

The first dress I grab is plum purple and in an a-line style with long sleeves, but with shoulder pads that acted more like pointed shoulder guards and matches the piece sewn on the chest...There's a collective head-shake from the others, and Tiffany verbally shoots it down.

"Nah, too pointy."

"It is? I thought the polygon look was in this season."

My comment earns some giggles from the girls, and Calli shrugs,

"Well at least we're getting a joke out of it...Next."

(Shhhhk)

The next one is a strapless midi in metallic silver...

"Too shiny."

"Yeah, we don't wanna blind people going into the party."

(Shhhhk)

And the next one to grace my body is a yellow flowy number that went past the knee, off-shoulder and with short sleeves...

"Better, but we could go a little further with the style."

"Plus butter yellow's not your best colour..."

Butter?...That would explain the sudden popcorn craving.

It just kept going on and on after that, and though we didn't find any winner, we did eliminate colours like purple, yellow and metallic shades, and dress styles that were too dainty, too strange or too boring...

Then came the one dress that nearly sent me into a tailspin.

...Oh hell no. Hell, no!

"Everything okay in there, Addy?"

Nope. Not happening!

"I'm not coming out!"

They were all understandably confused over my unwillingness to show them the latest choice.

"Huh?"

"Why not?"

"What's wrong with it?"

I make my case perfectly clear:

"I dunno who picked this out, I don't care if it was an accident, but there is no way, this is a dress for a thirteen year old! It's showin' off way too much!"

"Oh come on; how bad it can be?"

...I gotta go out there, don't I?...Please please please don't let there be boys nearby...

Sucking in a deep breath, I take the plunge and shove the dressing room door open...The second I walk into the view of my gal pals, their reactions were instant.

"Gah, whoa!"

"(Cringe) Okay, it's that bad."

"How the heck did we miss this?!"

For the curious invisible eyes out in the universe wondering just how, risque this dress is, lemme give you a quick rundown: it's black, cut to barely mid-thigh, and the top part basically makes it look like a bralette attached to a skirt with two very thin strips of fabric on the front and back! I mean, it could work as a sexy number for prom or a night at the club, but for an older girl, not a young teen!...And yes, I am well-aware that I sound like a hypocrite considering I've worn tube tops, but I make an effort to try and balance things so I don't look like a little harlot...but I digress. This dress, is way over the line.

...Astral was the only one who didn't voice a comment, which I'm grateful for...But the fact that he's currently sporting one of those expressions very similar to the one the other guys use when they're trying so hard to not say anything doesn't make me feel any better.

Oh god, could this get any worse?!

"(Wolf whistle) Damn, girl!"

Aaaand we're putting a check-mark for Yes!

Stiffening to the max, I slowly turn my head to see three boys roughly three our four years older than me standing by the doors to other dressing rooms closest to the entrance/exit into the main shop, each one occupying a lusty stare that made me want to curl into a ball and fade from existence.

"That's a sexy number you got on!"

"I can only imagine what's hiding underneath~."

"How 'bout you come with us and we'll buy it for you."

A noise of repulsion escapes my lips, and I immediately try to cover myself as best I can with my arms.

Bastards!

(...Bonk, bonk)

Thankfully, I have a pretty good team of strong-willed ladies as backup. Hana and Tiffany certainly proved it by pulling off one of their shoes each and throwing them at my harassers.

"What a thing to say to a girl!"

"What the heck is wrong with you idiots?!"

At the same time a worker comes by to dispel the situation, Calli ushers me back into the dressing room.

"It's okay, hun; just go change into something else."

I do as my friend advises, quickly stealing back into the small room and locking the door, before settling myself atop the raised bench so I'm hugging my knees.

Mmh, this is so embarrassing...!

No POV

At the same time poor Athena becomes swamped with humiliation, and Tiffany and Hana oversee the three wolf whistlers being escorted out of the dressing rooms by two employees, Astral would turn to Calli for some clarification on what he was forced to witness...Though he had a fairly decent idea as to why his partner and associated friends acted the way they did.

"...Those boys..."

"Hm?"

The caramel-complexioned teen girl turns to see the celestial being narrowing his eyes in distaste.

"They were making Athena uncomfortable with their comments, correct?"

"Huh?...Oh. Yeah...I guess you haven't seen alot of wolf whistlers like them before now, have you?"

"Wolf whistlers?...But they sounded nothing like canines, and I do not recall those creatures having the ability to whistle."

Holding down a laugh at the naïvety, Calli then explains,

"It's a slang term, a more casual and less derogatory way of calling someone a pervert. (Frown) In this case, those jerks were making some, suggestive comments they really shouldn't be making to a girl that's obviously a few years younger than them. Pretty sure they're from another high school...They were trying to entice little Addy into-how'do I put this?...A compromising situation she and Tiff are only just learning about this year in health class."

Astral shuts his eyes as he tries to think of what precisely the girl was referring to...He quickly opens them again with a gasp when he remembers an instant he was outside the pendant, and inexplicably listened in on the health teacher speaking to their students about the delicate subject.

"You mean they were referring to...?!"

He couldn't even finish the question, not that he needed to based on Calli's serious nod.

"Yep...but don't think of this as regular boy behaviour. Some just have a hard time keeping their hormones in check or don't think before speaking. (Embarrassed smile) Really, hormones are the worst trial for every adolescent human to overcome."

"A trial?"

"Mhm. We kids have gotta start growing up at some point...And honestly, flirting and wolf whistling isn't always bad. If you have a cool head and you're prepped, it's easy to brush off or sometimes you might have a snappy comeback...This however, is not one of those times. Addy was seriously caught off-guard, and the poor thing's probably feelin' really humiliated."

Astral nods understandingly, glancing at the closed dressing room door and frowning in concern when he senses his human partner's mild turmoil.

Oh Athena...

She emerges from the little enclosed space a minute later, redressed in her hybrid school uniform and wearing an uncomfortable expression...

"You okay, Addy?"

The blackette with shaggy long hair attempts to smile and nods,

"Yeah, but...could we maybe pause the dress search for a little bit? I'm still feeling a little...exposed..."

The other three girls hum sympathetically,

"Of course."

"No prob."

"We'll go get some curry buns and figure out where to go next."

Tiffany wraps a comforting arm around her best gal pal's shoulders as they and the other three make their way out of the dressing rooms, and ultimately out of the store...About halfway past the various clothing racks and displays, Astral spots the verbal harassers heading for the exit on the other side.

So they are still here...

Seeing their faces again caused something to stir within the celestial being...and before he realized what he was doing, he began floating their direction, stopping near a fashion dummy that was on their route.

Hm...My new tangibility still has some limitations, as I seem to only be capable of touching Athena and her friends...

But perhaps, if I concentrate hard enough...

(...Sheen)

The fingertips and central palm of Astral's left hand suddenly glow a brighter white-blue...
And just as the three wolf whistlers come walking his way...

(Shove, crash)

"Gauh!"

"What the he-?!"

"H-Hey, watch it!"

The dummy topples over one way, smacking against one boy and creating a domino effect to trap him and his two cohorts under a mess of fake limbs and clothes...

"Hey, Astral! What's with the slowdown? C'mon!"

He heeds Athena's call and starts floating for the exit, leaving the trio of troublemakers to receive further punishment for 'causing a mess'...

"I saw that~."

"Uh!"

He pauses in his tracks and turns right to see Adreus smirking at him knowingly.

"And here I thought I was going to have to step in and deliver some discreet justice for the mistress, yet here you are beating me to the punch...Seems you're beginning to emulate Athena's trait of letting your anger get the better of you, but with a little more control."

...Astral turns away from the Duel Monster's eyes and mutters innocently,

"I have no idea what you mean," and hurries to catch up with the girls, failing to fool Adreus.

Heh, nice try, Astral, but we both know how protective you're becoming of Athena...especially when it comes to undesirable males who fruitlessly try to get her attention.

Moving ahead, we find the small clothing shopping group in the mall's food court after that disaster encounter in Jupiter Trends, using the power of good food to help calm any remaining nerves...

"Hah, that's better...I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Addy. I swear we had no idea that dress was in the mix; the hangers must've gotten tangled together or something."

Swallowing down a bite of one of her favourite dishes, the blackette with ember red irises replies to Hana,

"It's, fine, or that's what I'm gonna keep telling myself. (Awkward smile) At least they were only ogling from afar and didn't try to grope me."

A dark smirk curves onto Calli's lips as she comments,

"Ch'yeah, otherwise you would've broken a few bones...and then I'd break a few more."

They share a laugh, and the arguably gentler pair of females would each slap their arms in a scolding manner.

"Cal!"

"Addy!"

"What? You expect anything less from us?"

"If anything, imagining the view of those bozos with bruises makes me feel better."

Astral remains quiet, looking at each girl and thinking to himself,

I did not realize this before, but not alot of the female humans I know are very meek in nature.

...But then again, it is comforting to know that they can defend themselves when given the opportunity.

"Sooo brushing those idiots aside, what did we learn from that session?"

"Well, we learned that I can't do purple, yellow, or dainty polygons."

Stifling a snicker, the teen with caramel-coloured skin adds before her white-blond haired pal,

"Let's throw out metallic colours while we're at it."

"And you definitely deserve something with a little life in the style."

Athena finishes her curry bun and groans,

"Why does something as simple-sounding as buying a dress have to be so haaard?"

"It may be due to your inexperience in appearing feminine."

She shoots Astral a glare and exclaims,

"Hey, femininity isn't about acting girly all the time, ya know! It mostly comes down to being comfortable in your own skin...Something I'm, trying to work on..."

The girl looks down at the table with a discouraged frown and mutters quietly,

"But some days are harder than others..."

"If it helps, I like your tomboy personality."

She turns to meet Tiffany's cornflower blue irises with her ember red.

"You do?"

"Of course I do, and I definitely don't hate your current fashion sense. If anything, it's an improvement from how you used to dress...It's just too rebellious for me to wear."

"...I feel like I should be insulted, yet I'm not because I pretty much feel the same about your feisty dandelion style."

"Mph! Dandelion?! Aren't those technically weeds?"

"Yeah, but it's a wildflower too that alot of insects like, and it's a good edible plant. (Little smirk) Don't you still drink Dandelion Tea like it's ambrosia?"

"It's a good tea!"

While those two continue to chat amongst themselves, Hana found her own mind wandering.

Heehee, those two are so funny sometimes...

Hm, but thinking about our current problem: what's gonna look good on Addy?

...She eyes suddenly fixate on Astral's form...

Hmm...Ah!

Her expression then does a one-eighty, forming one of those smiles that comes with a stroke of inspiration.

"That's it!"

"What's it?"

Hana jumps to her feet without answering her confused companions right away, whirling around to jog straight for another store popular to the teenage demographic.

"I think I just figured out the perfect dress for Athena! Meet me in Chi-Chi's!"

...The dress search group is soon in the named establishment, a clothing store that mostly caters to those who like sweeter styles, and Athena, Tiffany, Calli and Astral would be watching the girl with white-blond hair going back and forth between multiple clothing racks to find that one piece of designer fabric.

"...Uuh, Hana...?"

"It should be here somewhere...Here it is!"

She finally pulls a dress down, quickly putting over her arm so the style would remain a mystery, but revealing the colour to be a certain shade of light blue. Walking back over to her peers, Hana then gently shoves the dress into Athena's arms.

"Try this one. I think you're really gonna like it."

"Uhm, I'll, take your word for it."

(...Shhhhk)

"Hah!"

"Oh, wow...!"

"You, look, amazing...!"

So were the awed words of the young Fujina's female friends, their eyes practically sparkling at the sight of the girl's latest outfit. Emerging on her bare feet from the dressing room to stand in front of a full-length mirror, we see Athena wearing a bodycon sheath dress, knee-length and with the top cut to resemble the shape of a tank top with a square neckline. The dominant colour is a powder ice blue, with the edge of the skirt having emerald green stars and moons glittering against sapphire-coloured depictions of several recreations of the infamous Centaurus A and The Antennae Galaxies, all made from silk taffeta...

"Whaddo you think, Addy?"

Staring at herself in the arguably better lighting...a half-smile curves onto the blackette's lips before she answers,

"Honestly, it's, not bad. A little shiny at the bottom, but I can tolerate shiny as long as it's not overwhelming the dress...I think we have a winner."

"Yay!"

Hana shares a high-five with Tiffany, joining hands shortly afterward and cheering,

"We found her dress!"

"You mean you did! You're awesome, Hana!"

Calli meanwhile walks over to clap a hand on Athena's shoulder.

"...I can see a decent smile. Makes you look hotter in this number."

"Heh, think so?"

"Sure do. Honey, you're pretty without even trying. Do I have to remind you of those silent admirers at school?"

"(Embarrassed frown) Ugh, no. I still get an occasional 'notice me' letter in my locker from boys and girls...I dunno how you can tolerate it, Cal."

Smirking with confidence, the caramel-complexioned teen shrugs,

"I just find it cute and brave when someone's trying. Mind you, I'd prefer a person who's got the balls to tell me straight up."

"Heheh, good luck with that. You've got a stronger wildcat charm than I do...Anyway, Astral."

Athena turns towards the one person in the quintet that hasn't made his comment on her chosen party dress.

"What do you think of-Huh?"

She cuts herself off when she gets a gander at the celestial being's current facial expression. Rather than the usual reflection of calm logic, we see that the boy is actually speechless, mismatched eyes wide and his mouth slightly agape...Upon closer inspection, one could see a light tinge of azure and teal on his cheeks, indicating that Astral is capable of blushing, not that he was paying attention to this new physical reaction at the moment.

Oh my...Athena is...

"Helloooo, Earth to Astral? What's your verdict; do I look okay or do I look lame?"

Snapping out of his daze, he barely manages to reply as smoothly as possible,

"U-Um, the dress looks flattering on you. I do not believe you need to search further."

The girl with waist-length shaggy black hair is taken aback, not expecting such a compliment from the other.

"O-Oh...In that case, I'll, get back into my uniform and we can go pay for this...Thanks for, finalizing things."

Sooo awkward. I, sound, so awkward...

She slowly makes her way back into the dressing room, lost in her spinning thoughts and unaware that Astral's eyes had not left her form...

Such feelings would only amplify once the group of five exit the store, all thanks to one question.

"So how'd you come up with that one, Hana?"

She answers Calli with a giggle and a smile,

"Well, you could say that Astral was my perfect inspiration."

"Huh? Astral?"

...Everyone thinks about the white-blond's words for a minute or so...and it would be Tiffany who verbally connects the dots.

"Wait...the dress colours..."

She smile eagerly at her friend, who nods and prompts the former to giggle out,

"Oh my god, that's adorable!"

"I know, right?"

Calli then jokes to Athena with a smirk,

"We~ll, guess this means Astral looks good on you in more ways than one."

"Wh-What?!"

The latter's face flushes a deep red while her gal pals laugh, leaving poor Astral confused by the interactions.

What does that mean?...And why does such a comment make me feel...flustered?

Time Skip

"Ugh, when are we gonna get going?! Why do girls have to take forever with dressing up?"

"First of all, 'forever' has only been twenty minutes. Second, girls have, more to work with when they're getting fancy."

"...I'm, just going to skip over the subtle sexism there, and give thanks to the universe that none of the girls are in this room right now."

"Oh come on, that was hardly sexist! How could any girl get mad over that?"

"You'd be surprised."

So is the conversation of Flip, Jamal and Caden, they being three of the seven young males waiting in the entrance hall of the Katherine residence, having decided to meet here in the late afternoon and change into their party gear before heading out as one big group to the evening event...

"Yo! What's up, guys?"

Attention turns to the front double doors, and we see Akira slip his way inside. Caswell greets him first:

"Hey, Akira; you made it!...Though, if I may be bold, what exactly are you wearing?"

Getting a closer look, we see that the older boy with the golden-honey complexion and short, wavy black hair's outfit is one inspired from an old 1940s trend, comprised of a white notched collar shirt with bronze shirt studs and cuff-links, an olive green waistcoat that matched his high-waisted trousers, black oxford shoes, and a black trilby hat with an olive green ribbon sewn in the middle.

Slipping off his black shoulder-padded coat, Akira chuckles,

"Oh this?...Well believe it or not, this used to belong to my dad. He was a big fan of the Zoot Suit style; actually wore this to his graduation."

"You're kidding..."

"Nope. Mom's got the pictures to prove it, heh, and she loved his antics so much that she even dressed up in a forties dress just for him!"

...A sadder smile graces the young man's lips as he muses,

"He was full of funny quirks like that, which made it fun for everyone who knew him."

"...I am guessing from your use of past tense, that your father is not around?"

Looking over at Astral as he settles on a couch next to Jamal, Akira nods,

"Yeah. Unfortunately, he, passed away from health complications when I was young."

"Oh...My condolences..."

The boy with aqua irises waves it off with a casual,

"It's fine. I was just a toddler, so it wasn't too hard to move forward. As for mom...she said it was because of me that she was able to pull herself through the mourning. I was her reason to keep going."

"Interesting...A mother's will is strong."

"Er, yeah, I guess...So where are the girls?"

Flip jabs a thumb up the staircase and replies,

"Still getting ready."

"Seriously?...Well, glad to know I'm not late...Hey, wait a sec, Jamal."

"Hm?"

"Are those...Flame Swordsman suspenders? And, what-"

The older boy lifts one of the young Jukino's arms, eyes fixed on the cuff links the latter was wearing. Panning over the rest of his body, we see that Jamal is sporting a more semi-casual outfit of a simple white Kent collar shirt, ultramarine trousers, black suspenders with the iconic Duel Monster printed on each one, gunmetal cuff links, and black court shoes.

"Time Wizard cuff links?!...Heha, oh wow, man; you're such a Wheeler geek!"

Jamal does nothing to deny it, laughing with his peer before confessing,

"I know I am, but I can't help it. He's one of my favourite Duel Monster underdog stories!"

After helping his younger brother straighten their bow tie, Kite half-scoffs,

"Underdog is right. His skills were sub-par in his early days."

"Hey, as far as I'm concerned, every duelist sucks during their first couple matches. We can't all have Kaiba or Mutō-born skills. (Little smirk) Hell, I'm willing to bet you sucked when you first got a deck, Kite. Any epic fails you wanna share?"

"Teh, you wish."

Now we get a gander of what the Tenjo brothers are wearing, which are essentially near-complete copies of the same suit, but with some subtle differences. They each bear a steel gray double-breasted jacket with peaked lapels, matching in colour to their trousers, waistcoats over plain white dress shirts, black oxford shoes, and of course the bow ties. What makes each suit their own is that Kite chose a black waistcoat and bow tie, while Hart's are periwinkle blue...

Getting back to the current conversation, Astral found himself asking out of pure curiousity,

"Whom exactly are you speaking of? This, Wheeler, Kaiba and Mutō; are they famous duelists?"

Nearing choking on his own saliva, Caswell - whom we see is wearing a smart casual suit that includes a beaver brown single-breasted jacket with the notched lapel, a chestnut brown waistcoat over a white dress shirt, taupe brown trousers, sepia brown loafers, and a maroon necktie - jumps at the opportunity to explain.

"More than famous! They're legends in the dueling world, Yūgi Mutō in particular! (Excited smile) He made the game popular back during its golden age, and would eventually be recognized by his title as King of Games! Hardly anyone could oppose him; not even the game's creator, Pegasus J. Crawford!"

Caden - whom we see is dressed a little more formally than the boy with bowl-cut hair, choosing a light gray single-breasted jacket with the shawl lapel style, the colour matching his trousers, a sandy brown dress shirt, dark grey dress boots, his usual black collar choker with a lion charm this round, and a light gray fedora with sandy brown cat ears - chimes in his general knowledge.

"The only duelist who could put up a good challenge was the equally famous Seto Kaiba, a teen prodigy whose company developed the first wave of duel disks and solid vision, which would later evolve into the dueling equipment and AR vision we know today."

Jamal adds,

"He was also the owner of three copies of one of the legendary dragon monsters, Blue-Eyes White Dragon. You saw it at the Dueling Sanctuary, remember?"

Thinking back, the celestial being recalls the monster in question, along with its fusion form.

Uh!...Yes, I do. That powerful dragon Athena was forced to confront as Dark Magician Girl.

...To think such a beast could be so easily commanded. This Seto Kaiba must have had a strong soul.

He glances over in Kite's direction, adding to himself,

Almost reminds me of another duelist I know...

"Anyway, one of the greats that I admire - which you can tell from my accessories - is Katsuya Jōnouchi."

Mismatched gold and silver-white irises focus back on the boy with dreadlocks, which had been slightly tamed down to form a short ponytail of the matted hair.

"I thought his name was Wheeler."

"It is. Wheeler, or rather, Joey Wheeler, was the English name he went by whenever he entered international tourneys. Not sure where the name came from, but I think it was something a friend of his suggested...He started out as most new duelists do, barely knowing what he was doing, until he got some much-needed guidance from Yūgi, who happened to be one of Jōnouchi's best friends. Eventually, after some stumbles and lucky wins, he became a contender worth challenging."

There's a sparkle in the young man's aqua green irises as he goes on to say,

"His story is one of my favourites from the Golden Age, because it's about a guy who had plenty to fight for, and alot to learn. Something I feel like many starting duelists can relate to. Heh, I even tried to make a deck based off of Jōnouchi's earlier style when I was younger."

Akira pries,

"And how'd that work out?"

"Not very well. Turns out loading a deck with lots of monsters and few support cards isn't a good idea."

Such a thought prompts a few chuckles, and Astral comments,

"That does sound like a deck that could be defeated quite easily."

"Yeah, I got my butt kicked about twelve different times before I finally decided to switch things up. My current deck is actually one my great uncle gave me when he couldn't play the game anymore due to arthritis and eye strain...But, if I can be honest..."

Bringing out the pile of cards from his deck holder, Jamal muses with an inquisitive sort of frown,

"These guys were never really my kind of monsters. I mean, they're a fun deck, don't get me wrong, but-"

"You do not feel a connection to the cards."

"...Yeah. Yeah, that's it. I don't feel as in sync with these monsters like I used to be...Maybe that's why I lost to that jerk Quattro, 'cause I wasn't fully in tune with my deck."

Caswell - having participated in that duel - argues,

"To be fair, he was using a rather manipulative strategy...I almost feel rather dumb now that I ever looked up to him."

Caden chides,

"Hey, there was no way you and Jamal could've known ahead of time about Quattro's real personality. That snake was just itching to show his fangs...Thankfully, Addy had her claws at ready afterward."

The boys smile and admit,

"Yeah, I guess we do owe her for that punch."

"It might be a tad embarrassing to some guys to be defended by a girl, but Athena's the kind of girl you want on your side...Going back a bit, are you thinking about trying a different deck, Jamal?"

"(Nod) There's an archetype that's been catching my eye for a while now, and I've got enough money to buy the rest of the set. As for my Gearspring deck...I have a little cousin who really loves Aye-Iron, so I'm thinking of giving this to 'im for his birthday."

"Aww, that's really sweet, Jamal!"

Eyes turn to the stairs, and we spot Hana around the middle section as she slowly makes her way down. Getting a closer look, we see that the girl is dressed in a pretty lavender pink cape chiffon dress, knee-length and showing off her leather ballet flats, round toe style and embellished with silver rhinestones. As for her hair, her long white-blond locks have been styled into a crown braid with a raspberry heart-charmed hair pin holding it together.

"If your cousin loves dueling as much as you do, I'm sure he'll be over the moon to receive a complete deck as a birthday gift."

"A-Aum, thanks. Wow, Hana...You look great!"

Akira and Caden voice their approval as well:

"Yeah, lookin' cute!"

"A purrfect dress for you."

She giggles behind her hand and replies,

"Thank you."

"...Dang it, girl, I thought we were gonna make an entrance together!"

She turns to address Calli as the latter hurries to catch up.

"Sorry, I got excited. Watch you don't trip."

"Tch, please, you're talking to the girl whose dad made her master flamenco. I got this."

The curly-haired girl's outfit would be a little more edgy than Hana's, but kept at a tasteful class. On her body is a strapless cocktail dress of midnight blue, knee-length and with sheer overlay, contrasting the carmine red, suede double buckle flamenco shoes on her feet. As for her own hair, she decided to do something a little out of the box and turn it into a lightly glittered afro with a seasalt white afro pick sticking out of the right side.

Her appearance made a few jaws drop, and Akira manages to whistle out,

"Damn, entrance is riiight..."

Seeing the reactions clear as day, Calli rolls her eyes with a smile and drawls,

"Let's try to control ourselves, boys. I know I'm hot, but don't let the drool state it."

The teenagers who go to Heartland Academy shake themselves out of their dazes and look down sheepishly.

"Sorry."

Astral looks at them up and down with confusion.

That was a rather, odd reaction...Is this how all males of the human species react to a pretty female?

Is this what Calli meant by, the trial of hormones for adolecences?

Said girl pivots her head back up the stairs and calls,

"Hey, Tiffy, Addy! You two coming?"

"We're comin', we're comin'; keep your shoes on!"

...Jaws would once again drop once the last two girls arrive in view, thanks to their new threads.

Tiffany's choice for an evening outfit would be a halterneck shift dress, the tiered skirt cut to knee-length and the colour a mint green. On her feet is a pair of jade green slingback heels, leather and made with a block heel, and her hair styled in vintage waves with a yellow-green carmel daisy hair pin holding up her left fringe.

As for Athena, she's dressed in the ice blue, space-inspired bodycon sheath dress, but now she had snow white court shoes on her feet, suede and made with a single buckle on each shoe and block heel design. Her waist-length hair is tied into a braid-wrapped ponytail, with gold star and skull hair rings woven into the intricate knots. She even switched the rope chain of her pendant for a thin gold chain to make it a little dressier.

"Whoa..."

"Wooow..."

"Okay, Addy was pretty before, but now she's super pretty!"

"Wadya be smooth, Cade."

"Shut up, Jamal; like you're not thinking the same?"

Astral is especially mesmerized by his dueling partner's new appearance, his own mouth not quite as slacked but still gaping, and his cheeks dusted with a blush.

Athena...

"Ahem! If we're all done gawking, can we get a move on to the party?"

Everyone snaps in Kite's direction as he takes Hart's hand to lead them to the front doors, the latter scolding,

"Brother, be nice. Besides, don't you think the girls look pretty too?"

"W-Well...I guess, but I try to be less obvious about my comments."

No one misses the light tinge of red on the blond's cheeks, and the boys - minus the celestial being - grin to eachother teasingly.

He's so full of it.

...

...

"Whoo-hoo! Party, here we come!"

"Dude, can you calm down before people think you're drunk?"

"They won't, ya spoilsport!"

So is the playful bickering between Jamal and Akira as everyone reaches the more animated streets of central Heartland, having walked here from Caden's home rather than overcrowd a mode of transportation. Most of the public they passed was dressed casually, suggesting that most of the party guests are already at the locale...

"I must say, Tiffany, you do have good taste when it comes to clothes."

Said girl eyes the cat-fanatic with a raised brow:

"Really?"

"Mhm. And I'm glad you went for more leafy colours rather than dressing in something that would make someone think of lemonade. (Grin) Boys shouldn't have to be that thirsty."

"Uh! (Smirk glare) Is that so? Well with sly comments like that, I almost wonder if you're mimicking a cat with the appetites of a wolf."

"Ha! You wound me."

Athena watches them continue the banter, shaking her head with a sigh and a half-smile.

Well at least they're coming to more neutral ground with their occasional clashes...

"Ah, Heartland."

"Hm?"

She looks over at Astral on her upper left as he suddenly muses,

"Built by Doctor Faker, Heartland is a mesmerizing paradise forged to delight and awe crowds of all ages. And to commemorate tonight's World Duel Carnival festivities, Heartland has transformed this already beautiful attraction, into a truly jaw-dropping spectacle."

"...Uh-huh...aaand what exactly prompted this observation? Have you been watching too many commercials again?"

"It seems that a Number I retrieved from Trey held a memory fragment containing extensive knowledge about this place known as Heartland."

"Oh...That's, random..."

"There it is!"

The pair focus back with the rest of the group as they all stop in front of their destination, namely, the tower with the giant heart at the top...

"Wait, the, party is here? A-At the tower?"

Hart cloisters close to his older brother, a new expression of fear forming on his face.

Does that mean, if I go in there...

"Don't you worry, Hart."

The boy looks up to see Athena looking down at him with a smile of assurance.

"Just stay close to your bro and things'll be a-okay. Besides, I doubt Heartland's gonna be stupid enough to do anything with witnesses nearby."

"Uh...Mm, (small smile) okay."

To further deter away any climbing nerves, Jamal comments,

"Speaking of people, looks like the party attracted a big crowd."

Caswell replies,

"Only to be expected from such a big tournament. They even rolled out the red carpet! I do hope I look my best..."

Hana says with a smile,

"I think we all look great," and Calli adds,

"Yeah, so let's not keep the party people waiting."

"...Hold it right there!"

Eyes turn to the call of a man walking their way, a brunette with short wavy hair, a slightly stocky build and dressed in the garments of a Heartland worker. Said uniform consists of a white shirt under a sea blue and black-striped waistcoat matching his shoes, a black bow tie, light gray slacks and a dark indigo top hat with two light pink hearts on the sides. He's joined by a taller, skinnier guy with shorter, curlier coal black hair...

"This is invitation only, so make with the invites, or scram!"

Frowning at the callous tone, Athena and Kite nonetheless brandish their sent invitations between their fingers without so much as batting an eyelash.

"Right here, dude,"

"So if you're done playing good cop, bad cop, move."

"Hmph, (glance) and what about the rest of you?"

Sensing the rise of nerves in her friends, the blackette with ember irises steps up to clear away the threat.

"They don't have individual invites, but they're with us. We go in, and so do they. (Narrows eyes) Got a problem with that?"

The brunette party worker becomes a little intimidated by the girl, but more so by Kite when he states with a dark smile,

"You might wanna listen to her, because I have no reason to go in unless she and this lot can as well...Or do you actually want to be the one to explain to Heartland exactly why two of his competitors weren't in attendance to this party?"

"Gh!...Mph, go on ahead then."

"Gladly."

Athena and Kite lead the way down the red carpet, and Akira comments to the rest as they follow,

"Gotta love the underlying threats when they work."

"Mhm."

"True that..."

"...Well, well, well, Athena Fujina and Kite Tenjo!"

Reaching the end of the path, the first familiar face the group runs into is Nistro, he wearing the same outfit from a couple days ago when he was dueling Nelson.

"I would say I'm shocked to see you both actually occupying the same space, but I think we all know that ship has sailed...And what's this?"

The sooty redhead glances down at Hart:

"You even brought your brother here? Wow, Kite, and here I thought you couldn't get more reckless."

Said blond barely stifles a growl and tugs his sibling closer to his side, while Jamal steps forward and says to the taller male,

"Hey, let's not pluck strings here. This is a party, neutral ground."

"Kuh, maybe to you, but for us competitors, it's the best way to scope out your enemies and taunt."

"No, he's right."

Nistro focuses on Athena, who smirks lightly and says,

"After all the crap I had to deal thus far, I'm taking this party as a chance to relax a little...You should do the same, Nistro, lest your foes find a way to narrow your weakness."

With that, she and the others make their way inside the base of the tower, leaving the older teen to his own thoughts...The inside of the ground floor is as lavish as any other ballroom setting, with fancily-dressed attendees every which way, several automated wheel carts carrying finger foods and drinks, and of course the LitterBot horn band playing from a corner of the room...

"Welp, this is about as uptight as I expected. Even the music is boring as hell."

Caswell comes over to Athena's side and argues,

"Maybe, but it's worth it to see all these international duelists!...Oh my gosh! Over there!"

He holds up a pair of highly-technical binoculars in the direction of a man with light chocolate skin, long moss green hair and wearing a costume likening to a wildcat-themed wrestler.

"Pepe the Panther Perez! He's the top duelist in Brazil! (Turns) And over there, it's the noble Lord Percius! Incredible!"

Jamal comes over and gently pats the boy's shoulder with a mildly worried smile.

"Try to keep your excitement in check there, Cas."

"I know, I know...Hh?!"

Caswell suddenly darts his binoculars up towards a trio lounging against the banister on the upper levels.

"Uh-oh, it's the Triad of Terror! Coyote, Jackal, and their leader Wolfsbane! They're real bad news!"

"How bad?"

"Probably not quite as bad as what Addy's said about Trilos, but they have a frightening reputation in the tournament world."

"Tch, they're not that scary."

Calli walks over to glare up at the men in question:

"I was in an American tournament against them once, and all they really know how to do well is gang up and taunt...Still, they do have some skill. If you end up crossing decks with them, Athena, Astral, watch yourselves."

The named individuals nod at the girl's warning...

"Hey, who's that guy Kite's walking over to?"

Caden points in the direction that the blond and Hart were wandering towards, which would be nearby a pillar...where Quinton was standing. Cursing under her breath, Athena excuses herself from her group of friends before stealing through the crowd to follow the siblings.

What're you doing, Kite?

Kite's POV

Looking back, perhaps I should've kept my cool and pretended that he wasn't here...but I couldn't help it. I mean, how would you feel if you had to deal with one of your old mentors acting the part of the enemy?

"...So you actually showed up."

He locks eyes with me, and I stop myself and Hart before we got too close.

"Kite..."

"At least I can have the opportunity to ask you this...Don't you have any loyalty to your former pupils? How can you continue to act so nonchalant after what you and your brothers have been doing, to me and to Hart?"

...Quinton says nothing, which only made my anger rise.

"Explain yourself! You owe me that!"

"...Everything okay over here?"

I turn around and see Athena walking over, Astral trailing behind her.

"Athena..."

"We really should try and stay in one group. Body could get lost in these crowds. (Glance) Here alone I see, Chris?"

He narrows his eyes at her for the use of his old name, but keeps his cool and nods,

"Currently, Quattro is engaged in his own affairs."

"Ah..."

Quinton refocuses back on me and answers my question.

"As for what I 'owe' you, my brothers and I simply do as Vetrix orders."

"Vetrix?"

"You'll meet him soon enough, (glance) both of you, actually."

I ask to clarify,

"You mean he's in the finals?...What're you staring at?"

He suddenly makes the motion to put his hands on my shoulders...
But before he could, Hart of all people pulls me backwards a few steps, sending a stern gaze at the older man.

Hart...?

Quinton is also momentarily surprised...but then says with a more calculated expression,

"I sensed it earlier when you walked in the door, but now, I can feel it...The both of you now house the same power, don't you?"

He knows...

"You should take care in who you challenge...and who you trust."

"Is that suppose to be some kind of slur against me?"

We all turn eyes on Athena, who adds with a punch of indignation,

"If so, maybe you should take heed of who you insult."

There's a staring contest between her and Quinton for a moment...before she turns to me and gently takes my upper arm to lead me away.

"C'mon. Let's not waste anymore breath on someone stuck in his warped loyalties."

"Mh...Right."

We start to walk away from Quinton...but only get a couple feet away before another hostile crosses our path.

"Heha, so the stoic guy's your type, eh?"

Gh!...Him...

Of all the jackasses to come walking through the crowd, it just had to be that damn gang leader that put my little brother in harm's way. What surprised me was that he actually tried dressing the part for the party, choosing a pair of black boot-cut jeans that matched his necktie, an acid green dress shirt and rusty orange-brown dress boots. If I didn't already know who he was and what he's capable of, I probably could've put him down for a nameless competitor...But there's no mistaking that smug smirk of his.

"Funny, I would've pinned you down for someone with a looser personality."

Athena doesn't take the bait, instead asking him,

"And what are you doing here?"

"Same as you and the rest of these losers: came to scope and not skimp out on some free food."

He wanders closer to us, prompting Hart to cloister towards me, not that I can blame him.

Bastard likely scarred my poor brother...

"Gotta say, though, Berserker, you clean up nice. Regular beauty among beasts."

"...Thanks. Now how about we walk away from eachother before I do something drastic."

"Aw don't be like that~. Night is still young and I only just found you; can't waste the opportunity...Besides..."

He gets in close to Athena and adds,

"We wouldn't wanna cause a scene at such a fancy party, right? Can't imagine either of us staying in the tourney if we got kicked out for roughhousing."

He's completely taking advantage of the neutrality!

Athena is obviously just as ticked, covering the feeling with a reluctant frown...Nevertheless, she replies,

"Well, put it like that...how could I refuse?"

And before I could try to stop her, she takes the punk's waiting hand and allows him to lead her away from Hart and I...

"Aw, no. Don't tell me that's who I think it is."

I turn to see Akira approaching, along with Tiffany and that cat boy Caden. I can't really call them my friends since I'm still having a hard time acknowledging Athena as more than a mutual acquaintance and rival ally...but they're okay company.

"Unfortunately."

"Lemme guess: he played the 'don't wanna cause a scene' card, right? Crafty bastard..."

Tiffany and Caden each mutter,

"Poor Addy's probably fighting the urge to punch him as we speak."

"At least he won't be able to do anything besides taunting. Even a rabid mutt like him knows to keep himself in check in a room of felines...Doesn't make watching our girl being forced to follow him any less unpleasant."

"...Well, we might not have to worry for long."

Akira points out with a half-smile,

"Not while Astral's on the case."

I look over and see the strange being floating nearby where Athena and the punk were, dancing, the former occupying a scrutinizing glare directed at the one holding his dueling partner...I was actually a little amused by the subtle hatred.

Huh, (little smirk) so he's not immune to other emotions after all.

No POV

Zooming over to the pair of teens on opposing sides, we see Athena was indeed trying to hold herself from forming an expression beyond a mild frown and glare...There's no misplacing the amount of tense disgust hiding in her eyes, however.

Why, why did I take the waiting hand of Death...?

"You plannin' on turning into a two-by-four or something? Relax; I know better than to hurt you here."

"Since when have you ever known better?"

"Hauh, still the same hostile girl I remember, but with a little more life in your eyes...You were never really a people person, which is why I'm surprised you went back to this life."

Trilos twirls the girl while characterizing,

"I remember you embracing the underground like a body pillow, and you became someone untouchable. You were the best, and everyone knew it."

"...Maybe...but it came at the cost of my morale and whatever sanity I had."

"Eeh, sanity's for weaklings. Only way to survive in this world is to embrace crazy; make it your own. That's what I did...and you can still do the same."

He then pulls her close with an arm around her waist.

"I haven't completely given up on you. Sure, you need to be disciplined for turning your back on the gang, but I still think with your strength and my charisma, we can own this city and beyond."

"Mrh!...And you wonder why I think you're a lunatic. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm done with you and those Fallen Star losers. There's nothing you can offer that will change my mind."

"(Shrug) So you say, but it's amazing what I can cook up...I'll let it go for now, though...Just do me one favor, won't you, sweetheart?"

Trilos grasps the gold chain around Athena's neck and yanks her forward so there's only a few inches between their faces.

"Nh!"

"Make sure this little bit of metal doesn' choke you before I get the chance to."

Before the latter could retort in some way, she's suddenly pulled backwards out of the young gang leader's hands, courtesy of a near-livid Astral! The girl gasps and breathes out her friend's name in both confusion and relief, while Trilos raises an eyebrow in his own state of befuddlement.

"Huh? How'd you-...Oooh, I get it. (Smirk) The blue knight got sick 'n tired of standing like an idiot, did 'e?"

The celestial being narrows his eyes into a glare as the other male drawls,

"Yeah, that's right: I've heard about you through the grapevine. The, Original Number or somethin' like that? Think I caught a glimpse of ya in that glow durin' Berserker and I's last Duel Fist match...I may not be able to see and hear ya, (grin) but you can damn well hear and see me. Keh, what's the matter? Don't like me touching your princess?"

Astral tightens his grip on Athena in both anger and in a protective manner.

This boy...

The girl herself raises a hand to place over his, calming his spirit slightly...

"Just remember this, little knight."

Trilos turns to walk away, tossing the following warning over his shoulder.

"If not me, someone's gonna try and nab your princess, so you better be ready. Heheheheh..."

...Once he's gone, Astral pulls himself away from Athena so they have a bit of space between themselves.

"My, apologies for that. I do not know what came over me to-"

"Oh no, it's fine. I-If anything, (slight smile) I should thank you for getting me away from that creep."

Though a little surprised by the lack of need for an explanation, the celestial being then forms a partial smile back, happy that his actions were a good thing...

"Okay, now which one of you lovely ladies is next?"

We pan over to another section of the ballroom, spotting Quattro currently engaged with seven girls fawning over him and asking for his John Hancock. He takes a pad of paper and pen from one female dressed in light purple, stating with a practiced smile,

"When it comes to signing autographs, your wish is my command."

His eyes wander to the window behind him...and his vision locks onto a familiar face standing in front of a water garden.

"Gh!"

Shark...

Remembering what Vetrix was hinting at earlier this week, the rouge-blond turns and hurries for the nearest door.

"Out of the way; move, people!"

He makes it outside just as the causally-dressed boy with blue-violet hair was about to leave.

"...Shark!"

"Hm? (Turns, smirks) Quattro. I figured you'd be inside signing autographs for your little fanclub."

Grrrh, does he have to be so mocking about it?!...What he doesn't know...

"Enjoy it while you can, because soon, I'll make sure your fans find out that you're just a phony feeding them lies."

Another growl escapes the older teen, and we notice a vibration ripple the water reflecting his image...Sensing no signs of a verbal response to his taunts, Shark turns to walk away...

"You act like you're not anymore of a phony than I am."

Such an accusation stops the younger soul in his tracks, and he whirls around to send a shocked glare at the newly calm frown on Quattro's face.

"At least I'm starting to wake up to some truths and understanding where I screwed up."

"...Whaddo you mean?"

"You'll find out soon enough...I gotta get back inside."

This time, the rouge-blond makes the move to leave this conversation behind, but not without adding,

"Just try to avoid becoming as warped as you see me, okay, Shark?"

...

At the same time this was going on, another tense talk was being conducted on one of the balconies between two former(?) allies.

"...So is it true?"

"Hm?"

Turning away from the night sky, Kite and Hart meet eyes with the other young agent of Heartland.

"Dextra..."

"I overheard you speaking with, Christopher...Are you truly sharing Hart's power now?"

"...And what if I say I am?"

"Kite, you're under enough physical stress as it is with your Photon Transformation. Need I remind you of your medical reports?"

He narrows his eyes at the young woman before him.

"No, you don't, and I find it rather shifty of you to try and guilt me like that...Besides, you should be more concerned with what I plan to do to Heartland once this tournament's done."

"I understand why your grudge is high, but-"

"Don't bother, Dextra."

She fixates her stare on Hart, who then says to her,

"We already made our decision, and there's no going back. We're not gonna give up our freedom again."

"Hart..."

The little boy shakes his head, then tugs on his brother's sleeve and asks,

"Can we go back to Addy and the others now, Kite?"

"...Sure."

With that, the two brothers head back inside, brushing past Dextra without so much as a single word and leaving her to wallow in her own thoughts.

...I should be happy for them...but, how long can they hold out before their freedom is threatened again?

We catch up now with the source of this uncertainty and conflict, he once again speaking with Doctor Faker...

"You should be pleased, Heartland. Your party is a big success."

"Yes~, everything is going according to plan."

"Have all the finalists been assembled?"

Smirking slightly, the mayor of the city nods,

"Yes. Even Kite had the gall to show up with Hart...though according to my agents, they're staying close to a group run by that callous young Fujina."

"I see..."

"There's just one more competitor that hasn't shown up yet."

"Who is it?"

"Someone, who goes by the name of Vetrix."

Doctor Faker's eyes widen slightly at the familiar name.

"...Vetrix?"

"Yes. Do you know him?"

"...No."

Though sensing his benefactor was lying, Heartland decides to skip over his curiousity.

"Well, I'm sure this Vetrix fellow will show up soon enough to the party. Speaking of which, I really must go attend to it."

On that note, he makes his exit through the secret elevator...

Heading back to the party floor, we find Athena and company gathered at a space between the stairs and the giant cake that hasn't been cut into yet.

"...Hey, has anybody seen Flip recently?"

Heads bop back and forth as the teens try and fail to spot their missing friend.

"That's, weird. I'm sure he came in with us..."

"You don't think he snuck off to try and pull another scheme, do ya?"

"I wouldn't put it past him..."

Hana giggles behind her hand,

"That Flip will never change, will he?"

Tiffany sighs,

"Not with his karma...Speaking of people who never change, (turns to Athena) Trilos didn't get into your head, did he?"

The blackette in ice blue shakes her head and replies,

"Nah, just spouted the same old nonsense...Might've gotten into Astral's, though."

"Oh? How so?"

Before the young Fujina could answer, Caswell suddenly exclaims,

"Whoa! Can it be?...It is! It's the legendary powerhouse duelist/rock and roll legend/eccentric tabloid news-maker, Count Crazy Fang!"

He then rushes away from his peers to a rather tall individual a couple feet away, dressed in a fancy high-collar coat of mint and dark fern green with pale gold bordering, a matching top hat, and a white mask with large eye-holes and a red smile with a single fang sticking out...Watching the boy with bowl-cut hair speaking animatedly to the celebrity, Jamal shakes his head and comments amusingly,

"Wow, and I thought I was obsessed with autographs...but at least one of us is saving themselves from falling asleep."

Calli nods,

"Tell me about it; this party's so dull. Where's some good dance music when you need it?"

"Tch, well what did you expect?"

She turns to see Kite and Hart returning to the group.

"This isn't like some school dance. Sophisticated and boring's the theme here."

"I know that, but I've been to tourney parties way livelier than this."

...Suddenly, the music stops, then gives way to a drum roll as the lights dim down.

"Huh?"

"Now what?"

"Entertainment?"

"Nah, can't be..."

The teens and one young boy would get their answer quickly enough, when the door at the top of the staircase opens...and Heartland emerges in his eccentric gold suit. His image is blown up with a hologram:

"Are you ready~? Make some noise!"

Most of the crowd cheers at his encouragement...

"Ladies and gentlemen, we~lcome one and all to Heartland! Are you ready to get this party started?"

Meanwhile, the young souls who knew his true colours found themselves frowning at the display.

"Ugh, really?"

"You know, his showboating didn't seem that bad before, but now..."

"Now it's just really annoying."

"As you all know, the World Duel Carnival Finals start tomorrow, so, without further ado, meet our twenty-three finalists!...First is-"

(Fzz-fzz-fzz-pzchw...)

But before Heartland could get started on introductions, the power to his hologram is cut!...The air grows silent save the confused whispers of the nameless individuals in attendance...But then, a crazed laugh begins echoing throughout the ballroom, putting everyone in our main group on edge.

"Huh?"

"What is this, 'Rise of the Joker'?"

"Who is that?"

(...CLICK)

Two of the spotlights come back on, highlighting the source of the new voice, as Vetrix!...Peeking from behind the very large dessert, Athena and her friends watch the short blond with the half mask approach their way across the red carpet.

"Uhm, guess, that answers our question..."

"Hardly. I don't recognize him; do any of you?"

"Uh-uh."

"Not me."

Kite watches closely as Vetrix walks past their vantage and up the first set of stairs, stopping just a small flight away from Heartland.

That guy...Could he be...?

The mayor himself is just as confused as everyone else, if not a little thrown off by the random appearance.

"Who...Who are you?"

"Heh, (grin) you mean me?...The name is Vetrix."

Both Athena and her rival stiffen on alert, remembering the name from Quinton.

Vetrix?

The eccentric blond then wanders closer with another short laugh, so he and the taller male running the show were standing just a few steps away.

"Heartland."

"Ah...Ah-heheh, yes, that's me. Uhm, we've been expecting you, Vetrix."

"And you can expect this: I will crush all of the finalists...and I'm a man of my word."

The mayor is visibly disturbed by Vetrix's proclamation, and the latter lets out yet another insane giggle before wandering over to look down at the baffled crowd.

"Such a lovely party! I look forward to getting to know all of you better. (...Smirk) Or at the very least...one of you."

We see that his gaze has fixated on Athena, who shifts her stance slightly with a defensive glare...Chuckling, Vetrix then turns to stare hard at the space beside her, more specifically...where Astral was floating.

"Peeeeek-a-boooo~...I, see, you~."

The celestial being is taken aback:

"Uh! He knows I am here? How is that possible?...Hm?"

Athena then moves so she's standing protectively in front of him, her glare hardening at the 'man' up above...

"Hehahahahaha, oh my! That's quite a scary face you're making, little Fujina! What's wrong; don't like it when I'm staring at him?"

"Obviously, and neither do the rest of us."

"Huh?"

Turning his head right, Vetrix would meet eyes with Flip!

"You really don't know who you're messing with, do ya? (Smirk) You should know that last time someone threatened us, Addy nearly beat them to a pulp. Who's to say she won't do the same to you?"

Back down below, his peers were positively stupefied by his antics.

"Uh! Flip?!"

"How the heck did he get up there?!"

"More to the point, since when is he our spokesperson?"

Kite side-glances Athena and asks her in a whisper,

"Are your friends always like this?"

"Hauh, there are days when I wonder if their crazy is trying to rival my crazy..."

It would certainly explain this sudden boldness from Flip.

The latter turns to see Astral had floated over and closer to the scene before them.

Then again, I suppose he believes he has nothing more to lose after losing his place in the tournament.

...Clearly an influence from you.

Uh! Excuse you! Do you see me up there right now? No!

The short bespectacled boy's voice cuts into their ears before a debate could spark.

"And if not her, then we as her friends definitely have a word to say and a fist to wave. We might not be in the tourney, but that won't stop us from protecting her and Astral in whatever way he can, especially from people who send dogs to do their dirty work."

Vetrix stiffens the slightest, and Flip adds with a grin,

"That's right. We're onto your schemes, (glances at Heartland) and the schemes of others, (focuses back) so if anyone's gonna get crushed, it's you."

Astral comments to himself as he watches his friend,

Flip truly is a walking contradiction. There does seem to be a desire to 'turn over a new leaf', but that has not stopped him from concocting a new form of trouble...

At least he is on our side...Hm?

He suddenly feels a shift in the atmospheric energy:

What is...Uh!

He narrows down the source as Vetrix, and watches as a small ball of concentrated power discreetly forms in their gloved hand!

Oh no!

"Flip! Get away from him!"

The vertically-challenged academy student forms a confused expression at the celestial being's warning...but then turns to see the energy sphere in Vetrix's hand.

"Hh! Uh-oh..."

"Heh, you and your friends think you know me, kid? Tell me, do you know me enough to dodge, this?!"

(...Pow)

"Yaaah!"

Flip barely jumps out of the way in time of the attack...but wound up jumping so high that he went over the rail!

"Aaaah, heeelp!"

"I go'chya, Flip!"

Thankfully, Akira is able to run fast enough to catch his friend in his arms, though the sudden shift of weight causes both of them to hit the ground nonetheless, but without the fear of serious injury...

"Guys!"

The girls, Caden, Caswell and Jamal rush over to check their condition.

"Are you okay?!"

"Nice catch, 'kira!"

"Are either of you hurt?"

Flip hops back up first, freeing Akira's arms and allowing him to push himself up with a slight groan.

"Not me. I'm good."

"Ugh, my arms a little sore now, but I'm fine."

"But we should really be thanking Astral."

The bespectacled boy in white darts his head up to meet eyes with the other male of non-human origins.

"Seriously man, I owe you big time for the warning. Three seconds late and I would've gotten fried!"

"Of course. (Slight smile) Athena is not the only friend I wish to protect."

While those two may have felt a new wave of friendship splash their way, a secondary wave of fear and confusion began carving its way through the surrounding crowd as everyone fights the urge to panic.

"Oh my...!"

"That poor boy...!"

"What is this?!"

"How outrageous!"

Meanwhile, Athena's anger once again sparks into flame by this new threat.
A growl seeps through clenched teeth, before she takes a few steps forward to shout,

"Just keep it up, Vetrix! You're only giving me more reasons to skip the duels and come up there to kick your ass straight out of this city!"

"Ooooo~, I'm so scared...but I would save your energy for when it will really count. You'll need it when we face eachother in a match, (glance) assuming Kite doesn't beat you to the fight."

Said blond scoffs as he moves beside the young Fujina,

"Now who's acting tough? If that's supposed to be an attempt to scare either of us back, you're doing a rather pathetic job."

"Oh trust me, boy, I've only just begun...Neither of you will know what's coming, until it's too late!"

Another cackle escapes Vetrix, and he creates a second sphere of energy to toss in the direction of the teens, forcing them all to duck and cover.

"Incoming!"

"Aa-hh!"

"Yikes!"

The spotlight shuts off seconds afterward...before the entire room comes back to life, but with no sign of Vetrix's presence!

"...Huh? (Gets up) He's gone."

Everyone else in the peer group follows Jamal's example, straightening up and casting eyes up at the balcony where the strange blond once stood.

"Where'd he go?"

"Must've made a break for it when the lights went out..."

"All that banter and he left? That's kind-of disappointing."

"Uh, tell that to the energy balls he threw!...Speaking of, did that second one even hit anything?"

Shrugging, Akira replies to Flip,

"Maybe he just threw one into the air to try and scare us."

(Rumble...)

"...Pleeease tell me that was somebody's stomach..."

Turning around, Tiffany nervously replies to Hana as she stares at the many-tiered dessert behind them,

"Uuhm...I think I know what the energy ball hit..."

Another disconcerting noise shivers through the air...and the icing covering the large cake begins to quiver, much to Athena's dread.

"...Oh crap."

(Ker-SPLOOSH)

"Cake volcano!"

Pieces of the spongy interior flow with a thick waterspout of icing and filling right out the top of the cake, prompting the young teen in the blue bodycon dress to whirl around and grab the hands of Tiffany and Hana to pull them along in a run.

"We need to move, now!"

"Whah!"

"Auh!"

The rest of the peer group quickly follows suit, though Hart found himself being carried by his brother, while Flip hopped atop Akira's back in his own fear...Meanwhile, the rest of the party crowd could only scramble around in a panic as they try to avoid getting splattered with cake debris. Some were lucky, others not so much...the mayor being on the latter side...

Zooming in on Heartland briefly, he watches the chaos before his icing-stained glasses, his mind muddled with confusion and intrigue with regards to the one responsible.

"...Vetrix..."

Catching up with Fujina and company, they successfully put enough distance between them and Heartland Tower, stopping in a small park-like complex to rest their tired legs...

"Hah, hah, hah...Well I guess that's one way to end a party."

Straightening up, Caswell retorts to Jamal,

"More like a way to give people heart palpitations! And if that thing had actually made contact with a body...I can't even imagine the medical bill..."

Tiffany says while she and Calli hug the shivering Hana,

"As a daughter of a hospital worker, I can, and it's not pretty, lemme tell you...What was that lunatic's deal, anyway?"

"He's the one calling the shots on Trey, Quattro and Quinton."

Eyes turn to Kite, who adds while brushing off a bit of cake from Hart's shoulder,

"At least that's what Quinton was hinting at when he, Athena and I were chatting."

"So, then he's the one who wanted Hart? But why?"

Athena speculates,

"Probably to get the kid's power somehow, or find some way to control him like Faker was controlling him and Kite...But then Trilos and his grudge against me got in the way after we dodged Chris...Heh, (grim smile) in a twisted way, we almost have to thank the creep for putting up that roadblock."

Akira scoffs,

"Tuh, the day I thank Janko for anything will be the day I jump into a chasm. Plus he scared the b'geezus out of Hart and nearly tore you to ribbons."

"Oh trust me, the scars on my body remember...Haah, but whatever. I just wanna put these problems on the back burner for now and try to enjoy what little freedom I have from all the drama."

"And how'do you propose we do that?"

Caden cuts into the conversation with a confident smile.

"Leave that to me."

Small Time Skip, Astral's POV

Now this feels more natural and less stressing...

Caden's solution to the ruined atmosphere was for all of us to return to his residence and have what is known as an 'after-party'. All that would be required was a few simple decorations and a reasonable array of foods and beverages, and the front entrance room would be turned into a somewhat quieter version of the party we had just escaped from. As for music, Jamal provided a list of songs on his duel disk...

"Hehaha, now this is more like it!"

"Who needs a room full of stuffed shirts and tense competitors anyway?"

"Ain' no drama around here!"

It certainly did not take long before most of our group 'lost themselves' so to speak, smiling and engaging in a few dances while they allow their minds to let go of the earlier troubles. Kite seems to be the only one who will not allow himself to completely let go, though I am sure I saw him attempt a smile for his brother's sake, who in contrast was having the time of his life, spinning around with Hana...

The only thing that seemed to bother me a little was how often the other boys would entice Athena into dancing with them. They are my friends of course, and are nothing like that trio who embarrassed her in the clothing store, and it does make me happy that none of them are wallowing in fear and uncertainty...but still. There was something about the way Jamal, Caden and even Flip were constantly trying to hold my dueling partner close to them that, did not sit well with me...

"Heh, alright you hounds; give the poor girl a break and come cut a rug with me a while."

Calli's bold charm lures them away from Athena, giving her a well-deserved break based on the relieved smile...She then wanders over to one of the small tables to grab a drink, just as her duel gazer suddenly rings.

"Hm?...Oh, it's gramps."

She decides to take the call outside, and I follow her...

(Ping)

"Hey grandpa, what's up?...Wait, what?! Are you serious?...How, in the hell did Adam get drunk?!"

What?

"Please tell me that you and Terry are okay...Hauh, okay, that's good. Now explain to me what happened, because we both know that it takes alot before Adam would get that drunk...What? Chris-drrh!"

She covers her duel gazer and mutters out a particularly strong curse, before turning attention back to her family member.

"Do you need me to come home?...Alright, if you're sure...Yeah. Yeah, we'll be fine; Cade's invited us all to spend the night...See you tomorrow."

Athena ends the call, and hangs her head with a frustrated sigh...

"What happened?"

We turn around to see Kite approaching, and she answers,

"Hoh, nothing too major, except the darker part of my brain's planning about twenty different ways to obliterate Quinton."

"Huh?"

"I dunno what the hell he said to my brother, or how they even met up earlier this evening, but apparently whatever they spoke about left Adam upset enough that he went to the nearest bar and got drunk off his ass."

"...I'm guessing that's not a good thing?"

"Fuck no it isn't!...Adam, he...He's got that drunken quirk that one of my great-uncles had. The more alcohol he sucks down...the more violent he gets, and that's coming from me, the arguably more aggressive sister."

Adam, violent?...How unexpected...

"Terry's currently trying to wrestle him to bed, and LilyBot's acting as backup. Gramps is thankfully safe in his room, but there's no way we're getting in the house tonight without 'waking the beast', so to speak."

"I see..."

Athena turns to head back inside, just as Kite suddenly comments rather carelessly,

"Your family's got more problems than I thought they did."

"Hmph...I'll let that comment slide since you got your own skeletons in the closet, Kite, but keep it up and see where it gets you."

I follow my partner back into the entrance room while thinking to myself as I spare a glance at the Hunter,

Hm, so there is still some tension between the two despite the new level of understanding...

"Hey, Addy!"

Tiffany would then approach us and ask a rather odd question.

"Have you and Astral shared a dance yet?"

"U-Uhm, no, we haven't."

"Is it required?"

"Heh, well I'm not saying you have to...but I saw the way you were watching us all, Astral. You want some of the experience too."

A part of me was prepared to deny such a claim...but, the rest of me...

"Oh! And I know just the song too!"

Tiffany whispers something to Jamal, who widens his eyes with a grin and nods before rushing over to his duel disk...Meanwhile, she wanders closer and drags Athena and I by our hands to the middle of the room.

"Ah! Tiff!"

"What are you-"

"You'll see~."

She positions us so we're standing in front of eachother, and backs away just as the next score of music begins...

"Kh, (exasperated smirk) of course they had to choose 'Hard to Love', the jokers."

---

Note: rights and ownership of Lee Brice's Hard to Love belongs to the artist and no one else.

---

"Is that the title, then?"

Athena nods at me...and reaches her left hand up to rest on my right shoulder, while her right hand grasps my left.

"Huh?! A-Athena?"

"Ch-Chill out, would you? Your nervousness is making me nervous...Now put your free hand on my waist, and just try to follow my lead."

Though I am still unsure about this activity, I do as I am told...We are soon moving across the floor in a manner similar to what I observed previously, albeit a little slower since this was my first time dancing...A strange but pleasant feeling began to brew, and the longer we danced...the stronger the feeling got.

Being with her...feels right in ways I cannot describe...

What is it about this girl, this, human...that draws me to her?

No POV

The young human and celestial being become lost in eachother's presence, blind to the smiling eyes watching them slowly twirl around across the marble floor...One such pair would belong to a certain Xyz Fiend-type monster, once again projecting himself from his card to observe his mistress and master.

Ha. I knew it...There's definitely something more than simple friendship brewing between the two...

(Small frown) But the question remaining, is if the forces standing in their way will allow anything more to grow?

...

Speaking of said forces, out on the highway heading away from the central tower, we zoom in on a limo rented by the Arclights as one brother and their benefactor converse with the triple thread of dueling mayhem mentioned earlier at the party gone wrong...

"So you want to hire the Triad of Terror."

"Correct."

"Well, we don't come cheap."

Quinton pulls a suitcase into his lap, and opens it to show a large sum of bills prepped in advance.

"I assure you, money is no object to us. Name any price you wish, and it's yours."

Wolfsbane's smirks grows slightly:

"Who's the target?"

"...A girl named Athena Fujina."

(Flash)

"Chris, you two-faced son-of-a-bitch!...How...How can, y-you just come out of the blue and tell me this, tell me about this bullshit after breakin' contact for years on end?!...Has our friendship really dwindled to nothing? Does your father really care about petty revenge that much, that he'd forget the bond he had with my parents?...The Christopher-hh...The Chris I remember wasn't heartless, and neither was his family! Don't destroy the people you care about; protect them!"

(Flash)

Vetrix may have been grinning in anticipation for the new wind of chaos about to blow...but Christopher, Quinton...was feeling the complete opposite as he recalled the drunken pain in his old friend's eyes.

...Adam...forgive me.