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Chapter 22: Change the Future
After everyone got their cuts treated, which were inflicted by the broken glass and rose petals from the Duel, we were escorted to Sector Security's Headquarters because Mina had valuable information to share with Aki. It was tough for the young girl to already get separated from her parents after they were reunited, but I told Hideo and Setsuko that I would bring her back to them after the war with the Dark Signers was over.
I got a little worried at first about the wrecked room where Aki and I had Dueled, but Hideo assured us he would pay for the damage.
Mina led me, Aki, and Yusei to a room where she showed us footage of experiments Sayer had conducted on psychic Duelists, mainly children. Some were horrifying to watch, especially the one in which a child got electrocuted to death. Aki was in shock to see the man she had trusted was actually a madman who hurt others to test their skills.
Sadly, the biggest shock for her was when Mina revealed a list of psychic Duelists in the Arcadia Movement that had been labeled as soldiers. Sayer's real plan was to create an army of manipulated psychic Duelists and conquer the world, and Aki was part of the list. He had never cared about her emotionally. She had only been seen as a tool, nothing else.
The shock of the truth was overwhelming for Aki, so she ran out of the room to be alone and comprehend everything she had just witnessed. I couldn't blame her; this was a big shock for her. It was just as in the original anime, only this was worse than the worst. If Sayer was ever found alive, he could get charged with multiple counts of murder and manipulation with evidence. It was sad to see how a person who received no form of love in their childhood could end up becoming a master manipulator who was thirsty for blood and hurt those who had hurt him. I was certain that was the reason, or at least part of the reason. Maybe he had always been an arrogant and cold-hearted person and the use of his psychic powers made him feel invincible.
Mina told me and Yusei that Sector Security had found further information of how Sayer had hurt children who didn't comply with him. He had even killed people who wanted to expose the truth of the Movement. The police department was going to do their best to find the remains of the bodies and return them to their families, so their worries could be put to rest.
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Yusei and I found Aki in the cafeteria of the Headquarters and spoke to her until she was ready to leave. Our group was led to a waiting limousine that drove us to Goodwin's mansion. The Director of Sector Security greeted us and led us to the basement where the Stairway to the Dragon Star was located. It looked the same, except there was a crimson star glowing at the top of the Stairway that wasn't there in the original run. Our Marks started glowing as the Crimson Dragon made his presence known, his serpentine body wrapped around the Stairway.
We had the long history class about the Signers and the Dark Signers. I didn't really pay much attention to it because I knew the full story, until I heard Goodwin mention something peculiar that caught my attention.
"…and last but not the least, the Crimson Star Priestess", the Director spoke up. "Her abilities are far superior to the five Signers." He looked straight at me. "Tell me, Estelle, what are your abilities?"
Everyone turned to me as they waited for my answer. I looked down on my right arm and eyed my Star Mark as it burned with a gentle touch.
"I have the power of a psychic Duelist, like Aki, and I can travel to the Spirit World and communicate with Duel Monsters, like Luna", I replied. "I also have a bond with each Signer, meaning I can sense their emotions, but not when they put up a mental block or are in a coma."
Yusei's eyes widened a bit when he heard that. Maybe he figured out how I was able to comfort him when he got a bit depressed and scared after the Shadow Turbo Duel he had with Kalin.
"And the final ability, Priestess?" Goodwin asked.
"I have a direct link to the Crimson Dragon and can communicate with him."
"That's…many different abilities", Leo pointed out.
"That's because the Crimson Star Priestess fulfills a different role compared to the Signers", Goodwin nodded.
"Is it because she has the power to create miracles?" Yusei asked.
"Precisely", Goodwin nodded. "You see, the Crimson Star Priestess is not only the motherly figure for the Signers, but also the guardian of the Dragon Star and the bearer of the Mark of the Crimson Star. She may have a power equal to the Crimson Dragon, but she alone cannot summon it. That's why all five Signers must gather to help her summon the God to save the world from the eternal darkness. Together, they will create the miracle that can stop the Dark Signers and the Earthbound Immortals."
"Yeah, right", Jack snorted. "It's like wishing for a miracle when you spot a shooting star in the sky."
"Are you talking about Estelle and Yusei, Jack?" Leo questioned. "I mean, he is Satellite's Shooting Star and Estelle's the Priestess that can make miracles happen."
"Leo, that was just a figure of speech", Luna sighed.
"Wait a minute", Aki spoke up. "If we Signers have a Priestess… Does this mean the Dark Signers have a Priestess too?"
"That's possible, but there is no confirmation about a Dark Priestess's existence", Goodwin replied.
I recalled the encounters we had so far with the Shadow Drone and Kalin. None of them ever mentioned a Dark Priestess nor about another character among the Dark Signers.
"I don't think so…", I mumbled softly. "If there was a Dark Priestess, the Dark Signers would have warned us about her or say something like 'We Dark Signers and our Priestess'. Of course, that's just a theory, so I could be completely wrong."
"Let us hope the Dark Signers do not have a Priestess who will help them achieve their goal", Goodwin said. "For safety precaution, you shall all stay in my mansion for the time being. The Dark Signers are in Satellite and who knows what schemes they are planning. You Signers need to prepare yourselves and stay out of harm's way. Once we notice an increased activity of the Army of Shadows, you will take off right away. Rest assure, every comfort will be provided to you."
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We went to bed early to comprehend the story Goodwin told us. We got our own rooms to rest and stay in for the time being. We were also provided with change of clothes and lots of delicious food, much to Leo's delight. The maids and butlers remembered me from the house arrest and welcomed me back with warm smiles. It was like I was coming home to a family, which brought some sad feelings when I thought about my family.
The next day, Yusei and Jack had that fight as in the anime when the blonde man snapped the raven-haired man out of his doubts. After that, the Signers, Leo, and I made a pact to face the Dark Signers together and promised to return alive once the war was over.
Goodwin provided to us a huge collection of cards he had in his mansion to modify our Decks for the upcoming war. The Signers and Leo were thankful for the offer and went through the over one-hundred albums collection. I also went through a few albums, but after thinking a lot I decided not to change my Deck. I was pretty comfortable with it, despite having a few flaws.
I walked out to the rose garden which Aki and I went to earlier for a small walk. The air was full of the fragrance from the roses, but the scent wasn't overpowering my nose. I sat down on a bench by a magnificent fountain and let out a soft sigh.
I was worried about the war. If I was to Duel and there was no Dark Priestess, which Dark Signer was going to be my opponent? A voice in the back of my head told me my opponent could be Roman who was the bearer of the Mark of the Spider and the leader of the Dark Signers. Did this mean I might replace Yusei in at least one of the original Shadow Duels from the anime?
For some reason, I noticed recently I was starting to think and act like a leader. I had never been a leader figure before. People never followed me when I was a child. I used to be so vulnerable that children bullied me and made me feel so small and worthless.
Could I really be the Priestess the Signers needed? Was I strong enough to support them? I knew I had been able to reach the Signers with more than just our Marks, but this was going to be a life-changing event.
I held back a small laugh when I thought how it was my turn to doubt myself. I may have gone through my own trauma in the past and they had made me stronger mentally, but the seeds of pain had remained in my heart for a long time. Such dark memories were hard to forget and they would follow me for the rest of my life, but I wanted to remove those seeds and replace them with burning candles of friendship and love from the friends and people I got to know in this dimension.
I needed some kind of distraction to clear my head. I picked up my smartphone from the pocket of my jacket and turned on the SoundCloud app to play one of the songs from the anime "Symphogear XV" that fit for this mood. I found the song and pushed the play button. I closed my eyes as I listened at the first notes of "Kimi Dake ni" before I opened my mouth to sing along.
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I felt much better after singing my heart and feelings out. With a better mindset, I walked out of the rose garden and headed to a Duel field area where I sensed the Signers had gathered around.
As I got closer, I spotted the holographic shapes of Red Dragon Archfiend and Power Tool Dragon. I walked to Yusei, Aki, and Luna who were standing next to the field and watched the Duel. Jack and Leo looked like they were enjoying themselves, but Jack had a proud smirk on his lips, which I suspected it meant he was winning.
"Hi, guys", I called as I joined the trio.
Luna turned to me with a surprised look. "Oh… Hi, Estelle."
"Where did you go?" Aki asked.
"I just had to clear my head a bit", I confessed. "What's going on here?"
"I suggested we should practice with our Decks with the new cards we got from Goodwin to get a better grip on their effects and come up with effective combos", Yusei replied. "From what I heard from Aki, it sounds like the Earthbound Immortals cannot be affected by Spell or Trap cards, so we need to find a way to immobilize them with Monster effects."
"I understand", I nodded. "It's like my Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand's effect; when he's Special summoned from the Graveyard, he can remove a Monster from play from either the opponent's field or their Graveyard. And not only that, he will gain 100 attack and defense points for the total Level on the removed Monster."
"That's quite a powerful dragon", Aki commented.
"I rarely use him", I said. "I mostly save him when I face a dangerous Monster with an effect that can turn things around."
"Red Dragon Archfiend, obliterate Power Tool Dragon!" Jack yelled, getting our attention. "Go, Absolute Power Force!"
Red Dragon Archfiend roared as his right clawed hand was enveloped in a fiery aura. He clenched the hand into a fist and punched Power Tool Dragon, shattering the machine Monster into pieces.
Leo used his right arm to shield his face as the shards of Power Tool Dragon flew around in the air before disappearing. His Duel Disk stopped glowing, which meant his Life Points must have gone down to zero. Jack was the winner of the Duel.
"I lost…", Leo muttered as he bit his lower lip to hold back his tears.
"Leo, this Duel isn't about winning or losing", Luna reminded him. "We're supposed to practice with the new cards."
"I know that!" Leo retorted irritably. "But it still sucks to lose…"
"Don't be a wimp!" Jack scolded harshly as he stepped over to Leo. "A real man stands straight and accepts defeat just as great as he accepts victory!"
"Jack, don't use that tone", I told him sternly. "You'll just scare Leo."
"Well, he needs to man up if he wants to protect Luna!" Jack argued as he glared at me. "You can't be all soft on a kid, especially when we're about to face the end of the world!"
"Jack…", Yusei began, only to get interrupted by Leo.
"No, Jack's right", the male twin spoke up. "I need to man up. I have to become much stronger to protect Luna if something happens to her. I want to be her support and… And I admit I'm scared, but I want to face the fear. I have to become an adult to help all of you!"
"Oh, Leo…", Luna mumbled in slight awe.
I walked over to Leo and crouched down to his eye level before patting his head. "It's very admirable to see how much you care for us and your sister, Leo. But this doesn't mean you have to become an adult in this minute. Sure, you can try to have the mindset of an adult, but remember you are still a child. You have much to learn, and I'm sure both you and Luna will grow a lot after this war. It will also affect me and the others and it might give us something more than we can imagine right now."
Leo looked at me with hesitating eyes before nodding "Okay…"
I smiled softly before I stood up and turned to the others. "Who's next to Duel?"
"Aki and I decided to go next", Yusei spoke up as he adjusted his hybrid Duel Disk.
I looked down at Luna. "Then I guess the two of us should Duel after them, okay, Luna?"
"Sure", Luna nodded.
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We spent the rest of the day going through our Decks and help each other come up with combos. Jack and Yusei had a Ground Duel, but they used their Turbo Decks for possible Shadow Turbo Duels. It was weird to see a Turbo Duel without the Duel Runners, since Yusei's Runner was still at Martha's place in Satellite.
In the early evening, when the sun was about to set, we split up to have some peace for ourselves. The peace didn't hold on for long before we were rushed to Sector Security HQ to see live footage of Satellite being enveloped by a dark shadow dome. That was our cue to leave New Domino City, but only in the morning. Goodwin had to do some preparations with the transportation and there was a commotion outside of the HQ with citizens who were scared by the recent events with missing people and the Earthbound Immortals and they demanded answers.
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The sun wasn't even up when my friends and I had to leave Goodwin's mansion in the early morning. The Director and Mina escorted us to the rooftop of the Sector Security building to wait for a helipad that would bring us to Satellite and also transport Jack's Duel Runner. Mina was coming with us, also the pilot of the helipad, to make sure to provide us with more in-depth information about the Zero Reverse. Yusei, Aki, Leo, Luna, and I had our Duel Disks strapped on our arms, our only effective weapons against the Dark Signers. Jack had left behind his hybrid Duel Disk on his Duel Runner.
"Let's stay on task, Signers", Goodwin broke the awkward silence. "You need to get to the original Ener-D Reactor in Satellite."
"Original Ener-D Reactor?" Aki repeated confusedly.
"What is that?" Leo asked.
"It's the source of the Negative Energy that caused this dark smoke to appear", Goodwin explained. "And, in a twist of fate, it was built by Yusei's father."
I turned to Yusei to see if he got emotionally affected by this revelation. He just had his poker face and his eyes didn't even reflect his inner feelings.
"Yusei's father?" Aki said in disbelief.
"Is it true?" Luna asked Goodwin, stunned by the discovery.
"Yeah, is it?" Leo asked.
"Yes, and this is his opportunity to heal the mistakes of the past", Goodwin answered. "And now, all of you have the chance to make things right again. You must beat the Dark Signers and find the Reactor. Then, if you're able, activate it and reverse. Hopefully, this will create a surge of Positive Energy and imprison the Army of Shadows again."
Our attention went up to the sky as our assigned helipad approached the rooftop. It was slowly coming down and landed without bouncing around.
"I've arranged for special transportation to the Satellite Sector", Goodwin added. "I believe you already know the pilot."
I didn't even blink my eyes when Trudge jumped out from the helipad's cockpit. He straightened up and saluted the Director. "Reporting as ordered! We've secured Jack's Duel Runner and are ready for takeoff!" the officer reported.
"That's excellent", Goodwin nodded.
"Nice to see you again, Trudge", Yusei greeted nonchalantly.
"I'm supposed to fly you?!" Trudge's jaw almost hit the floor in shock when he spotted the Fortune Cup winner. "Goodwin, what is it with you and this guy?! You want him in jail, you want him out, now you're getting him a first-class ride?! Well, you can forget it!"
"Officer Trudge, nice to see you", Mina called calmly as she walked over to the hysterical man.
Trudge collected himself and saluted her. "Oh! Mina, it's so good to see you too! Did you get the flowers I sent you?"
"Of course I did", Mina replied. "You should probably know that I'm flying too."
"You are?" Trudge asked with a shy smile and a blush on his cheeks.
It was cute to see them interacting with each other. I had no hard feelings toward Trudge, so I was a bit concerned about his feelings for Mina, since she was in love with Jack. I always thought at first she only had a crush on him because he used to be the King of Games, but maybe she really did love the blonde Signer.
"We're good to go", Mina called to my group. "Now, let's board up."
We were about to walk to the helipad when Yusei stopped us in our tracks. "Wait", he called.
"What? Do you get air sick?" Leo asked.
Yusei turned to Goodwin with a serious expression. "Before we go on any further, I need you to promise me something."
"What is it?" the Director asked.
"If we're successful and save the world, you need to finish that bridge connecting Satellite and New Domino City", Yusei demanded. "People have a right to be free. And I won't go unless you agree."
"It may not even be possible to do what you ask, Yusei", Goodwin replied.
"And why's that?" Yusei questioned.
"For years, the people of Satellite and New Domino City lived far apart. It's a way of life everyone accepts", Goodwin explained. "Change takes time."
"Then I guess you'll have to find a sixth Signer, 'cause unless you promise to do it, then you're one Deck short", Yusei warned.
I stepped next to Yusei and glared at Goodwin while crossing my arms. "It's true that changes take time, but if we don't step up to start the change, then who will?"
Goodwin's eyes shifted between me and Yusei before his shoulders sank while exhaling a small sigh in defeat. "Very well. I'll build the bridge."
Yusei and I turned to each other with tiny smiles at the successful mission to convince Goodwin to build the Daedalus Bridge.
"Let's move it, you two! There's no time to waste!" Trudge shouted.
The two of us turned around and saw the others were standing by the open hatch of the helipad, waiting for us. Yusei and I hurried to them so we could take off as quickly as possible.
"Good luck, everyone!" Goodwin called. "The fate of the world is in your hands! And, Yusei, do not doubt yourself!"
We stepped into the helipad and sat down on couch-like seats while Trudge went to the cockpit. He strapped himself to his seat and messed with the dashboard before the helipad lifted itself up to the morning sky.
I had both my satchel and the Duel Disk resting on my lap as I sat next to Yusei. Luna and Leo sat on my left, but they were busy looking out the windows to see New Domino City from the sky. Aki, Mina, and Jack sat silently at the other side of the helipad. It wasn't much to talk about right now, and I was certain the majority of us were still a bit tired after getting rudely awakened by Goodwin's staff in the mansion.
"Look! It's Dexter!" Luna suddenly called.
"And Tanner and Yanagi too!" Leo added.
Yusei and I turned our heads to look out the windows behind us and we spotted the trio by a harbor. Dexter and Yanagi were waving their hands and shouting words to us, probably wishing us good luck.
"Goodbye!" Luna and Leo waved back excitedly to the trio.
I waved to Tanner's group before I settled myself back on the seat. My eyes traveled down to Yusei's lap on which he clenched his left hand into a fist. I could sense he was determined to defeat the Dark Signers and make sure the future for Satellite would become bright once again. I instinctively settled my right hand above his clenched fist to show him he wasn't alone in this important task. His shoulders relaxed before he surprised me by opening his fist and grabbing my hand. He never let go of me as he gently squeezed my hand, as if he was saying "thank you".
I felt my heart skip a beat by the sudden gesture, but it made me feel warm that I was able to comfort Yusei. I looked at his face, seeing his eyes were a bit foggy, as if he was lost in his own thoughts.
I couldn't blame him. I was nervous myself for this war. What kind of impact was my presence going to have? What kind of role was I going to fill the invisible gap in the rewritten story?
Only time could give me the answers to my questions.