Special thanks to FlowersHeart17 for sharing some of her ideas to improve CSP. I'm going to use bits of her ideas in this chapter, especially at the beginning.

We have the winner of the 725 review shout-out! It's HunterHQ! Congratulations! The next shout-out will be by the 750 review. Remember, those who already have won a shout-out won't get another shout-out and the guest reviews don't count.

You can find Estelle's November casual outfit on my DeviantArt account.

The chapter begins in Yusei's point of view.

Disclaimer: I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

Chapter 43: A Healing Soul

It had been a week since the Shadow Duel between Estelle and the King of the Netherworld. It was bizarre and worrisome to know how the King had been able to implant a piece of himself into her body and lived inside her as a parasite before he made his grotesque appearance that almost killed her. I still got chills whenever I recalled that moment.

My friends and I haven't heard a single word from Estelle since that day. She had more or less isolated herself after the incident and didn't even bother to answer our calls or write replies on our messages. The only sentence she wrote to me the day after Halloween, when I asked her if she was okay, was she needed some time to comprehend what happened.

I visited the Goodwin Mansion to see her once. Instead, I got to meet Goodwin who told me Estelle needed more time and she wasn't even going to work since this event had shaken her up a lot. I decided to give Estelle some space and left the mansion with a slight heavy heart.

Kalin returned to the police academy a few days after Halloween. Jack was, as Crow liked to call it, "stalking" Carly to make sure she was okay after remembering her past as a Dark Signer. Sometimes, he didn't come home until the next day and Crow loved to tease him about it. That, of course, would escalate things with them brawling around in the garage until Zora would break through the twin doors and hit them with her broom to stop making loud noises.

Aki, Leo, and Luna were going to the Duel Academy, but they often came to visit the garage and spend time with me and my foster brothers, trying to keep things up while Estelle wasn't with us.

Today was no exception. As soon as the school day was over, they visited the garage in their casual clothes. The air was getting slight chilly in November, so we were all dressed up.

"Are there any news from Estelle?" Luna asked as we were in the garage.

"No, nothing", I shook my head.

"Seriously, what's up with her?" Jack scowled as he crossed his arms. "Carly's taking things a whole lot better than her! She still gets nightmares and flashbacks, but she comprehends it nicely."

"Yeah, but compared to Carly, Estelle's suffered a whole lot more as a kid than the rest of us!" Crow retorted irritably.

"Not exactly, Crow", Aki spoke up as she looked down with a sad expression. "I can somehow relate myself to her."

"Oh yeah, yours and Estelle's past are very similar since you've both been bullied and treated like outcasts", Leo nodded. "I remember what Estelle said at the Fortune Cup."

"It's really hard to be treated like an outcast just because you're different from the norm", Aki explained. "It's like there's a thick wall between the different individual and the norm and you can't break it through, no matter how hard you try."

"Even so, the strongest surface has its weak spot", I added. "Both of you broke through it, but there were consequences afterward."

Aki nodded, "I had some trust issues after my Duel with Estelle at the hospital, but I got over them quickly because I could tell your feelings were genuine. I guess…it's a different case with Estelle."

I nodded slowly as I looked at my Duel Runner. "Estelle may be different compared to us with her autism, but… Who exactly can we call normal? None of us is the same in this world, so why treat someone with slightly more difficulty as if they're less worthy?"

I spoke by my own experience in the past when the Satellite and its citizens were being mistreated by the people of New Domino City. We were constantly bullied and discriminated because we lived in poverty, and soon the Satellite became the recycling plant island where the big city sent their trash and garbage for us to somehow make a living. Then, Sector Security began dumping marked criminal Duelists and made the streets dangerous for everyone. That was one of the several reasons Kalin, Jack, Crow, and I formed the Enforcers and beat the Duel Gangs; to make the Satellite safe again as it used to be.

I clenched my right hand into a fist as I grew angry by the thoughts of bullies who used to treat Estelle as if she was a play doll they could harass and abuse for their own gratification. And not just her; how many other human beings in the spectrum had to endure bullying and harassment on a daily basis, both as a child and as an adult? How were they able to stay strong and move on with their lives, despite carrying such deep wounds in their souls?

Estelle was much stronger than I could've imagined. She truly was a fighter that never gave up on herself and managed to move on in her life. However, the consequences had left a scar in her spirit that hadn't healed yet.

"What can we do to help Estelle?" Luna asked, concerned.

"Yeah, she's the one who always helps us, now it's our turn to return the favor!" Crow said determinedly.

"You're right, Crow", I nodded. "We all owe her a lot. Our lives have been different and better than before, thanks to her."

"You got that right, mate", Jack nodded with his arms crossed. "She helped me become a better person by treating me as if I were her little brother, and scolding me whenever I cross a line." A tiny grin grew on his lips. "And what's more remarkable, she's not even scared of me."

"That's probably 'cause she knows you won't harm her, no matter how angry you get", Crow chuckled.

"I used to fear to Duel again after I traveled to the Spirit World when I was three years old, but Estelle was there by my side when I Dueled the Professor and encouraged me to face the fear instead of running away from it", Luna spoke up.

"Yeah, and she was there for me and put herself in danger to protect me when I Shadow Dueled Devack, like when the Earthbound Immortal Cusillu attacked directly", Leo said as he turned to his twin sister. "I feel like I've grown stronger and courageous to protect you, Luna."

"Me too, Leo", Luna nodded.

"My little nest grew quite a liking to Estelle after she sang them that lullaby the same night Kalin showed up again", Crow said. "Even now, whenever I visit Martha's place to see how they're doin', they keep asking about her and when she's going to visit." He chuckled softly with a grin. "And I think Taiga's grown a tiny crush on her."

"What makes you think that?" I questioned, feeling my heart throb in a weird painful way I had never experienced before.

"'Cause he's been specifically asking me, once in a while, to give her a flower he's picked for her. But thanks to her kindness, I've grown closer to them, especially after the Turbo Duel with Bolger."

"Estelle was my first friend ever", Aki smiled softly before she looked down with slight sad eyes. "My old self tried pushing her away, but she kept being very persistent until she broke down the walls around me and made me feel loved again. If it wasn't for her, I would've lost the last chance to make up with my family." She wiped off a tear from her eye. "I've never felt as happy in my life as I do right now. I've got my family and you guys as my friends. My life's expanded a lot, all thanks to Estelle."

"We've all grown a lot with Estelle's help…even me", I confessed as I looked up at the ceiling. "She may have lied at the beginning of her fake amnesia, but she regained my trust by her honest actions and giving me advice that I've never heard of. She views the world around her in a different perspective, and she notices things that we don't." I looked down on my lap as I opened my fists to stare at the palm of my hands. "I'll never forget how she embraced me to calm my fears after the first Shadow Duel with Kalin. She told me it's okay to be afraid; it's okay to cry when you go through a trauma. That hug…meant so much to me at the time. I'll always cherish it."

XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV

I had avoided my friends for around a week now, and there was a reason why. My brain had to comprehend what happened prior and after the Shadow Duel with the King of the Netherworld. The Crimson Dragon had informed me what the resurrected King had told the Signers while I was unconscious, before he almost beheaded me.

The truth was I felt embarrassed and ashamed that my friends had to find out about my childhood like this. I was pretty sure they had so many questions next time I would meet them, so I needed time to collect my thoughts before facing them.

I could try to avoid the topic forever, but I was done running away from my problems. I may have done that in the past, when things got too extreme for me to handle, but even back then I tried to stay strong to face the bullies and harassment.

But because of my autism, I needed twice as much time to prepare myself mentally before coming forward with my thoughts, especially in a heavy topic that was very emotional for me.

Now, I felt ready to face the Signers for the first time in a while and answer their questions and assure them I was okay now, but I needed to tell them my true feelings and the slight trust issue I had been carrying since the childhood.

I was at work in Sector Security HQ, so when my workhours were done, I took a cab to the Fountain Plaza. November was getting chilly for me, so I was dressed in a warm beige off-shoulder top with a brown collar, black bow belt blazer, black flared trousers, black and grey stocking-effect tights, white side bow suede two-inch heels, and a chain pattern neckerchief wrapped around my neck. I was very tall and had a very slim body, so I had a tendency to be cold and I always wanted to be a bit more dressed up than needed.

After the King had cut my hair, I got it trimmed, so now my hair was around the same length as Aki's, and my bangs had grown thicker, so they covered my whole forehead. It felt weird to have short hair after I had been living with long hair for several years. I guess you could call it a fresh new start.

I paid the cab once it reached the Fountain Plaza before it took off. I held a blue-grey barrel bag-like purse in my hand as I headed toward Zora's clock shop. I turned a corner and reached the twin doors leading to the garage. I stayed in front of them and took a deep breath to calm down my nerves.

It was now or never.

I grabbed one of the handles and slowly pushed the door open, only to stop when I heard the Signers' voices talking.

"-who always helps us, now it's our turn to return the favor!" Crow's voice said determinedly.

"You're right, Crow", Yusei's voice answered. "We all owe her a lot. Our lives have been different and better than before, thanks to her."

I hid behind the door as I listened at my friends' words that shook me to the core of my heart. I had to turn around and cover my mouth as tears accumulated in my eyes. Did my presence and actions have such an impact on the Signers?

For the first time in my life, I felt like I was important for someone else besides my tiny biological family in my world. No one had ever said such things about me, not even the few so-called friends I had in my childhood who, in the end, had used my kindness by manipulating me, since I used to be very naïve.

I bit my lower lip to stop myself from sobbing as I wiped off the tears that had gathered in my eyes. I took several deep breaths to calm down once again, suddenly feeling more confident than moments ago.

I turned around and grabbed the door handle once again and pushed the door open as Yusei finished his sentence. "That hug…meant so much to me at the time. I'll always cherish it."

"It makes me very happy to hear this, guys", I spoke up.

The six Signers jumped in surprise before they turned their eyes to the twin doors, spotting me. "Estelle?!" they exclaimed simultaneously.

I smiled softly and waved with my free hand. "Long time no see."

"Boy, I almost didn't recognize you with your short hair", Crow grinned sheepishly.

"Estelle!" the twins called before they ran up the short stairs and wrapped their arms around my waist, almost throwing me off balance.

"You're back! You're back!" Leo bounced on his feet as he still had his arms wrapped around me.

"We missed you so much!" Luna added as she playfully pushed away Leo with her right hand.

"I missed you too", I confessed as I patted the twins' heads.

"We were very worried about you", Aki spoke up. "You never answered our calls or messages."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that", I replied as the twins let go of me. "I needed time to collect my thoughts and courage to face you guys after what happened on Halloween."

"Do you feel ready to tell us?" Yusei asked with a calm voice. "We don't want you to feel like you need to tell us as soon as possible."

I shook my head as I walked down the stairs with the twins behind me. "I'm ready. I don't want to push this aside anymore. I'll answer your questions too, if you have any."

"Oh, I think we all got several questions for you, alright", Jack snorted before he turned away with his arms crossed. "Still… Welcome back."

I got surprised by the last two words from Jack before I giggled softly. At this point, I swore he was a tsundere.

XXXXXXXXXX

We walked up to the living room slash kitchen to settle down and talk through everything. Crow made some coffee and tea for us to drink while I told them some details of my past and answered their questions, and the events that made me have trust issues towards other people.

"You weren't just being bullied mentally, but those who you thought were your friends turned their backs on you?" Aki asked after the storytelling.

I nodded after I sipped my tea. "That's right. Whenever I thought I had found a friend who accepted me for who I was, they turned against me and used me for their self-gratification. Slowly and surely, those 'friends' betrayed and hurt me so much I began to lose faith in children my age. As I grew older, I promised not to bind myself too close to someone again. I didn't want to go through the same pain that I had to deal with as a child." I settled the cup on the coffee table as I sat in the corner of the couch with Yusei on my right. "Therefore, I closed the gates around my heart and began viewing the few people I knew as acquaintances, not as friends. To me, friends are those you can rely on if you ever need a helping hand." I clenched my hands into fists as they rested on my lap. "I've been humiliated so many times, but the two worst occasions I ever had to deal with in my first school were when one of my old male classmates humiliated me outside of the washroom and another female classmate's big brother's friend spat on me."

"That's disgusting!" Crow fake-heaved.

I nodded slowly as I recalled the event. "It happened during a school party when I was in the third grade. I was there with a friend, who had autism too, and I lost contact with her, and she got harassed by Ronja's big brother's friend. That friend was playing in the school band, but he used every break to target her. I tried protecting her as much as I could, but then I had enough and challenged him on a fight outside of the gym where they had the party. I dragged him out as the bullies followed us to watch. That big bully never hit me for real, so I charged towards him several times, but jumped back whenever I thought he would actually hit me. The fight didn't last two minutes before he threw a very big salivary ball straight on my face."

"Gross!" Luna and Leo exclaimed simultaneously as they both grimaced at the image.

"I was in shock", I continued slowly. "The world stood still for a few seconds before I switched into cry waterfall mode. I felt so dirty and degraded. The bullies and that boy laughed at me as I rushed into the building to find a dark corner where I could sit and cry quietly. My brain was overworking, so I didn't even go to wash my face. A few nice girls from my class found me and helped me wash my face as I begged one of them to tell the adults to call my parents so they could bring me home. I also told them who bullied me, but the adults never confronted the boy. Basically, he got away without a single warning."

"What happened to the friend you tried to defend…?" Crow asked carefully before he chuckled softly. "Hey, that rhymed."

I took a deep breath as I massaged my forehead. "Honestly… I don't remember. I think she came to me to thank me for trying to defend her, but… Maybe she stayed away because she didn't want to get into the mess I've escalated at the time. She has always been the type to run away from the problems instead of facing them."

"What a friend, leaving you alone when you needed her!" Jack growled as I saw how a crack formed on the handle of the coffee cup he held in his hand. "But what's even more disgraceful is how that boy got away with his doing without getting punished! If I ever see him, I'll teach him a lesson about respect!"

"I don't think you can do that, Jack", Yusei said as he placed a hand on my right shoulder. "This happened in Estelle's dimension and this happened many years ago, so she might not remember the name of that boy." He turned to me. "Right?"

"Right", I nodded before I exhaled a soft sigh. "And I guess…the rest is history. It was only a few years after high school I began socializing again with Duel Monsters in my hometown's game center."

It was quiet for a brief moment until Leo spoke up. "So… You've never had a friend while you were homeschooled?"

"No one", I shook my head. "There was a time I got these slightly dark thoughts that I was worthless and didn't matter for other people, besides my own family. No one ever appreciated what I had done for them, whether it was defending their honor, acting as their shield, giving up my favorite toys for them and more. They just took advantage of my kindness as I was very naïve as a child and I didn't view the world around me in the same way as a normal child would."

"How did you learn to live with this pain?" Aki questioned.

"I half-lived in a fantasy world where I felt safe and no one judged me, like the traditional imaginary friend, but I had to get out of it as I got older or else I would've stayed in my little safe zone forever", I explained. "That's a dangerous phase for a child with autism; if you don't teach them how to live and act in the real world, they could end up getting stuck in a world that doesn't exist and they'll become extremely mental. I've seen a few cases in real life, so I'm very grateful my mother helped me get out of my own fantasy and taught me the real world has lots of beauty and knowledge. It was actually thanks to our talking sessions and my hurtful past that I got inspired to try and help children with autism somehow. And not just people within this single spectrum, but also those who suffer by a mental condition similar to it. So in the end, I gained a lot in my past that became good experience in the future."

"'The bad experience in the past will become good experience in the future'. Isn't that what you said to Aki at the Fortune Cup?" Luna asked.

"That's correct", I nodded. "We all have negative experience in the past, but we need to turn that into something positive and share the knowledge with those who are in the similar situation and help them. It might seem like it's not working at first, but I'm sure the suffering ones will appreciate the wisdom later on."

All of the sudden, Aki stood up from an armchair at the right head of table. She walked past Leo, Jack, and Crow to the other side of the coffee table. Next thing I knew, Aki wrapped her arms gently around me, holding me very close as if I was going to vanish any second.

"Aki…?" I mumbled softly in her hair.

"Thank you for sharing your pain with us, Estelle", Aki spoke softly as her chin rested on my left shoulder. "You've suffered a lot in your childhood, but you did your best to stay strong and keep living. The past left some scars behind, and you grew to have trust issues, but… I trust you, so I want you to trust me in return." Her arms tightened a bit around me, but not too much to make me feel uncomfortable. "You helped me become the new and better Aki. Now I want to help you get past the remaining obstacles and heal the scars in your soul."

I couldn't help but feel tears brim my eyes as I did my best to hold them back. I couldn't remember when was the last time I was on the receiving end, especially with hugs. I was always the one who gave warm hugs to others, but I had never received one from a friend in the past.

A tiny tear ran down my cheek as I wrapped my arms around Aki. "Thank you… This means so much to me."

I heard a soft chuckle from Aki before she let go of me so I could wipe off the tears with a handkerchief I had in my purse. "Will you guys…be a bit more patient with me until I can trust you 100 percent?"

"Of course, Estelle", Yusei said with a small smile. "Take your time to build up the trust toward us. We'll wait."

I smiled softly as I felt my cheeks burn a bit by a blush. "Thank you."

"Not to be selfish, but can we talk about something else now?!" Leo whined. "My head hurts a lot by everything right now."

"Well, this was a heavy topic and lots of psychology too", Jack nodded.

"Yeah, this conversation has been a bit depressing", Crow agreed. "But very educational. I'm glad you shared this with us, Estelle."

"Me too", I nodded slightly. "I feel like the trust percent in me has grown from 65 to 70 percent."

"Wait, why're you usin' charts to calculate the trust?" Crow questioned.

"I've always used a chart to tell my parents about my mood and patience", I explained. "Like how fresh my mind is to talk about heavy topics, how tired I am, or how I feel like overall. This is my method, like how some people with autism, mainly children, use cards with different emojis to communicate and tell others how they are feeling if they can't communicate verbally."

"That's clever", Luna said. "I'm getting curious to learn more about autism."

"Me too", Aki nodded. "I think I'm going to research it. Can I ask you for some help from time to time, Estelle?"

"Of course", I nodded as I felt a small pride grow within me. "I'm always happy to share my knowledge and experience to others."

"Now, I've got a question", Jack spoke up, getting our attention. "You've been taking Turbo Duel classes, right?"

"That's right", I nodded before a small grin grew on my lips. "And you might soon consider me an official Turbo Duelist."

It was quiet for a brief moment before Leo broke it. "No way?! You're gonna have your Turbo Duel exam?!"

"Correct", I nodded. "It's going to be on Tuesday."

"That's in four days", Yusei quickly calculated. "What time will it be?"

"My exam is 12:15 p.m.", I replied. "They want me to be there by 12:00 p.m., just in case the exam before mine ends early."

"That's when we will have our lunch break", Luna mumbled.

"Can we come and watch?" Aki asked.

"If you want to", I replied.

"Of course we want to!" Leo jumped up from his collapsible chair. "I wanna watch and learn lots about Turbo Duels until I get to ride one myself!"

"Yeah, the last time you did ride one, you fell off the Runner", Luna giggled.

"I managed to stay on it for ten seconds!" Leo retorted.

"Well, sounds like we might get another member in our team for the WRGP", Crow grinned brightly.

"Who knows", I giggled before I held back a gasp in realization. "I almost forgot!" I opened my purse and picked up six envelopes. "I've got something for you guys." I gave the envelopes to each one of the Signers.

"What are these?" Yusei asked as he eyed his letter.

The letters were white, but had a thin line of golden around the edges, and had the emblem of Sector Security at the top right. The emblem looked the same as in "Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V".

"These are invitation letters to Goodwin's 50th birthday party", I explained. "He asked me to deliver them to you in person."

"Hard to imagine Goodwin is only 50 years old", Jack snorted. "But I never say no to an invitation for a fancy party."

"Yeah, 'cause you're the former King of Games who once lived in luxury", Crow chuckled.

"The details of the location and other stuff are added on the letters, so make sure to read them", I told the Signers. "You can also bring one companion each to the party if you want to. However, bring the letters with you so you can show them to the guards so they can let you in to the hotel."

"I remember the few times my parents hosted parties in our house", Aki said as she opened her invitation letter. "I used to peek down through the railing on the upper floor and watch the adults dressed in pretty dresses and suits."

"Mom and Dad never had parties in our home", Luna commented.

"Yeah, they always had them someplace else", Leo nodded. "Is there gonna be lots of yummy food?"

"Of course, Leo", I replied.

"Yay! That's my kind of party!" the male twin cheered.

"I guess there's going to be lots of people there", Yusei spoke up.

I nodded, "Goodwin wanted to make this special, so he's invited every employee of Sector Security and their families to the party."

"Are you going to be okay with that?" Yusei wondered.

"If I feel like it's too much for me, I can always retire to a quiet hotel room to restore my batteries", I replied. "Everyone will have that privilege, so just say the word by the lobby and they'll guide you to a private room."

"This is going to be huge", Crow said as he read his invitation letter.

"It will be", I said as I held back a small smirk. "And I've already prepared my birthday present for Goodwin."

"And what is that?" Jack asked.

"Come to the party and you'll find out."

XXXXXXXXXX

I had a hard childhood at the beginning of my first four schoolyears and, yes, I was spat on and it was disgusting! No one, and I mean NO ONE, should EVER be degraded or humiliated like that, especially the female gender!

Shame on those who does that and you better hold back that ball of saliva during this time of crisis, because you could end up being responsible for someone's death and cause so much pain for a family!

Become a hero! Together, we can end the pandemic! If there is one time the humanity needs to be united, it's NOW!

FOR OUR FUTURE!