When Tyr woke up he was lying in a bed he didn't recognize. It took him a
few moments to get his bearings straight, but when he did he realized that
he was in the nurse's office. He was alone at the moment and for that he
was thankful.
He needed time to think, time to breathe.
'Time to remember.'
He continued to lie there, staring at the white ceiling, not really seeing it as anything but a background for his memories.
'Those cards were bought as singles. But where did they get them?' He thought of all the game shops around and there was only one he could think of that would specialize in Duel Monsters enough to have singles.
'Turtle Game Shop.'
At that moment the Nurse finally walked in and smiled when she saw he was awake.
"Welcome back Tyr. You gave us all quite a scare today." She checked his vitals and nodded to herself when everything seemed normal. Turning to Tyr, her face grew serious. "Do you want to talk about it?" He looked at her and then looked away, shaking his head.
She sighed, but he could see in her face that she hadn't expected a yes.
"Can you make it home by yourself?" Tyr nodded. "Well if you say so. Your stuff is here, I'll let the office know you're headed home." She headed towards the door, but turned back for a moment. "At least you can still cry." Then she was gone.
He sat there for a moment and then mentally shook himself. Grabbing his bag, he headed out the door and out of the school, but instead of heading towards the orphanage, he turned and headed towards the game shop.
He didn't know why, but he had to go there. He wanted to see the man who had last talked to his family.
It didn't take him long to get there, but it did take a while before he could make himself enter the small store. Finally he braced himself and pushed open the door to the neatly kept interior. He looked around at the shelves of cards and games, all lined up and cared for.
This was a place he would have loved to spend time in with Kiora. But he had missed his chance.
The elderly man behind the counter must have been the famous Yugi's grandfather. There hair looked alike. He smiled as Tyr approached.
"Welcome. Is there something I can help you with?" For a moment Tyr almost wished he could speak again, but still the words would not come. Instead he reached into his bag and brought out the two cards. He handed them to the man and just watched.
Tyr knew he had chosen the right shop when he saw the face grow older and the eyes softened with sorrow.
"So it was you who lost your family, wasn't it?" Tyr nodded silently. Mr. Mouto collapsed back into a chair behind the counter and they were both silent for a moment, then he looked up at Tyr again and smiled slightly.
"How about a drink? You don't have to talk to me, but the company would be nice. I don't get many people here during the day." Tyr nodded and together they sat behind the counter. Tyr learned about many things, including the fact that everyone referred to Mr. Mouto as Grandpa. It was nice to spend the time listening and he was never pressed to talk at all, for which he was grateful. At one point Tyr wrote down the number for the orphanage and Grandpa had called them to know where he was.
Soon the afternoon came and five noisy kids entered the shop. Tyr knew them all from TV. They seemed surprise to see Tyr there, but Grandpa just introduced them and Tyr nodded politely back.
"Well Tyr, I told the orphanage that you would probably stay here for a dinner. I hope you don't mind?" Tyr smiled slightly and nodded his head. He would love to have a meal away from there for once. Grandpa smiled and then left him with his grandson and his friends.
Yugi was the first to approach and he immediately noticed the two cards in front of Tyr.
"Do you Duel?" Tyr paused for a moment. He knew he could duel, but to use those cards.
No he couldn't do that now.
He shook his head. Yugi frowned. "We could teach you, if you wish?" Just then the blond, Joey came forward and threw an arm around his shoulders.
"Yeah! We'll teach you how to Duel! It'll be fun." Before he could back away he was pulled downstairs and they had set up a table. He listened politely as the rules were explained and advice was given on how to make a deck. At that point he reached into his bag and pulled out his old deck, placing it in front of him.
Yugi's eyebrow rose, but he didn't comment and for a moment it seemed that someone else was looking through the young boy's eyes. He shook off the feeling and carefully reached out for the two cards. His hand shook as he reached for them, but another hand went onto his shoulder.
"They're special to you aren't they?" He looked up and saw Tea looking down at him. He nodded and then taking a deep breath he placed them into his deck. He looked back up at Yugi and this time the feeling was stronger. It wasn't just Yugi watching him, it was something far more. He shuffled the whole deck carefully, allowing them to settle in their new home. Placing one hand over them, Tyr signaled he was ready to learn.
Marine looked around her new home. Tyr's deck had been formed completely now and the cards were just now settling in. She saw a few aqua types she recognized and waved at them, receiving a smile in return. She sighed.
It would have been perfect.
If not for him.
Black Meteor Dragon. She glared at where he stood, above all the other cards. He was a Level 8 card, the most powerful in the deck and he seemed to make sure all who saw him knew it. She couldn't stand it. He was responsible for the death of their Duelists family!
'But he's not the only one. Kiora found you first. You led the way.'
She smothered the voice in her head, making it stay silent. It was not her fault.
But what if it was?
Meteor looked down from the cliff he had perched on and looked over the deck. It was a fairly nice deck, one he was glad to call home. Then his eyes saw Marine, lounging in a stream that crossed through their home.
He could feel her hatred for him from here. This wasn't acceptable. They all had to work as a team and they couldn't do that if this hate and anger stayed.
'Especially since we both mean so much to Tyr.'
He shook away those thoughts and instead tried to figure out how to talk to her. For an aqua type she certainly had a fiery temper. He sighed and then felt it. The deck shifted and a door appeared.
Tyr was dueling!
He watched as the first five cards were called to the door and went through. This was a good sign indeed. He settled down and waited to see if he would be called to the field.
Tyr played his first card, Water Omotics, in defense mode. Yugi's first card was Celtic Guardian. Evenly matched, neither attacked. Tyr's next turn was to place one card face down and to sacrifice Water Omotics for Marine. But he froze before he could place her on the field.
Was it right to use his sister's love for a duel?
He continued to hesitate and the others grew worried. Yugi waited patiently for Tyr to do something, but he couldn't.
He didn't have the right to use these cards. They had cost lives and that price had been too high. He placed his hand down and looked down, forfeiting the match before it had begun.
A tear made it's way down his cheek and he felt himself hugged from behind. Grandpa's voice made it's way through the pain.
"Let it out. They loved you, you can cry for them. There is nothing wrong with that." Tyr turned and sobbed into the elderly man's shirt. Being held like a child made him feel safe, something that he hadn't felt for a long time. He cried himself out and was left feeling physically and emotionally drained.
"Come on Tyr. You can sleep here tonight." He nodded, to tired to protest. One of the other boys lifted him and he was carried upstairs and put in a bed. The voices of the others drifted off and he fell into a deep sleep.
But he wasn't alone in the room.
Yugi looked down at the sleeping child with eyes now red, before walking over and placing a hand on his forehead. He felt the young boy's mind shift to that of the shadow realm.
It's time he and the cards talked. He walked back out of the room and downstairs. Sorrow was not a burden any child should have to deal with alone.
He needed time to think, time to breathe.
'Time to remember.'
He continued to lie there, staring at the white ceiling, not really seeing it as anything but a background for his memories.
'Those cards were bought as singles. But where did they get them?' He thought of all the game shops around and there was only one he could think of that would specialize in Duel Monsters enough to have singles.
'Turtle Game Shop.'
At that moment the Nurse finally walked in and smiled when she saw he was awake.
"Welcome back Tyr. You gave us all quite a scare today." She checked his vitals and nodded to herself when everything seemed normal. Turning to Tyr, her face grew serious. "Do you want to talk about it?" He looked at her and then looked away, shaking his head.
She sighed, but he could see in her face that she hadn't expected a yes.
"Can you make it home by yourself?" Tyr nodded. "Well if you say so. Your stuff is here, I'll let the office know you're headed home." She headed towards the door, but turned back for a moment. "At least you can still cry." Then she was gone.
He sat there for a moment and then mentally shook himself. Grabbing his bag, he headed out the door and out of the school, but instead of heading towards the orphanage, he turned and headed towards the game shop.
He didn't know why, but he had to go there. He wanted to see the man who had last talked to his family.
It didn't take him long to get there, but it did take a while before he could make himself enter the small store. Finally he braced himself and pushed open the door to the neatly kept interior. He looked around at the shelves of cards and games, all lined up and cared for.
This was a place he would have loved to spend time in with Kiora. But he had missed his chance.
The elderly man behind the counter must have been the famous Yugi's grandfather. There hair looked alike. He smiled as Tyr approached.
"Welcome. Is there something I can help you with?" For a moment Tyr almost wished he could speak again, but still the words would not come. Instead he reached into his bag and brought out the two cards. He handed them to the man and just watched.
Tyr knew he had chosen the right shop when he saw the face grow older and the eyes softened with sorrow.
"So it was you who lost your family, wasn't it?" Tyr nodded silently. Mr. Mouto collapsed back into a chair behind the counter and they were both silent for a moment, then he looked up at Tyr again and smiled slightly.
"How about a drink? You don't have to talk to me, but the company would be nice. I don't get many people here during the day." Tyr nodded and together they sat behind the counter. Tyr learned about many things, including the fact that everyone referred to Mr. Mouto as Grandpa. It was nice to spend the time listening and he was never pressed to talk at all, for which he was grateful. At one point Tyr wrote down the number for the orphanage and Grandpa had called them to know where he was.
Soon the afternoon came and five noisy kids entered the shop. Tyr knew them all from TV. They seemed surprise to see Tyr there, but Grandpa just introduced them and Tyr nodded politely back.
"Well Tyr, I told the orphanage that you would probably stay here for a dinner. I hope you don't mind?" Tyr smiled slightly and nodded his head. He would love to have a meal away from there for once. Grandpa smiled and then left him with his grandson and his friends.
Yugi was the first to approach and he immediately noticed the two cards in front of Tyr.
"Do you Duel?" Tyr paused for a moment. He knew he could duel, but to use those cards.
No he couldn't do that now.
He shook his head. Yugi frowned. "We could teach you, if you wish?" Just then the blond, Joey came forward and threw an arm around his shoulders.
"Yeah! We'll teach you how to Duel! It'll be fun." Before he could back away he was pulled downstairs and they had set up a table. He listened politely as the rules were explained and advice was given on how to make a deck. At that point he reached into his bag and pulled out his old deck, placing it in front of him.
Yugi's eyebrow rose, but he didn't comment and for a moment it seemed that someone else was looking through the young boy's eyes. He shook off the feeling and carefully reached out for the two cards. His hand shook as he reached for them, but another hand went onto his shoulder.
"They're special to you aren't they?" He looked up and saw Tea looking down at him. He nodded and then taking a deep breath he placed them into his deck. He looked back up at Yugi and this time the feeling was stronger. It wasn't just Yugi watching him, it was something far more. He shuffled the whole deck carefully, allowing them to settle in their new home. Placing one hand over them, Tyr signaled he was ready to learn.
Marine looked around her new home. Tyr's deck had been formed completely now and the cards were just now settling in. She saw a few aqua types she recognized and waved at them, receiving a smile in return. She sighed.
It would have been perfect.
If not for him.
Black Meteor Dragon. She glared at where he stood, above all the other cards. He was a Level 8 card, the most powerful in the deck and he seemed to make sure all who saw him knew it. She couldn't stand it. He was responsible for the death of their Duelists family!
'But he's not the only one. Kiora found you first. You led the way.'
She smothered the voice in her head, making it stay silent. It was not her fault.
But what if it was?
Meteor looked down from the cliff he had perched on and looked over the deck. It was a fairly nice deck, one he was glad to call home. Then his eyes saw Marine, lounging in a stream that crossed through their home.
He could feel her hatred for him from here. This wasn't acceptable. They all had to work as a team and they couldn't do that if this hate and anger stayed.
'Especially since we both mean so much to Tyr.'
He shook away those thoughts and instead tried to figure out how to talk to her. For an aqua type she certainly had a fiery temper. He sighed and then felt it. The deck shifted and a door appeared.
Tyr was dueling!
He watched as the first five cards were called to the door and went through. This was a good sign indeed. He settled down and waited to see if he would be called to the field.
Tyr played his first card, Water Omotics, in defense mode. Yugi's first card was Celtic Guardian. Evenly matched, neither attacked. Tyr's next turn was to place one card face down and to sacrifice Water Omotics for Marine. But he froze before he could place her on the field.
Was it right to use his sister's love for a duel?
He continued to hesitate and the others grew worried. Yugi waited patiently for Tyr to do something, but he couldn't.
He didn't have the right to use these cards. They had cost lives and that price had been too high. He placed his hand down and looked down, forfeiting the match before it had begun.
A tear made it's way down his cheek and he felt himself hugged from behind. Grandpa's voice made it's way through the pain.
"Let it out. They loved you, you can cry for them. There is nothing wrong with that." Tyr turned and sobbed into the elderly man's shirt. Being held like a child made him feel safe, something that he hadn't felt for a long time. He cried himself out and was left feeling physically and emotionally drained.
"Come on Tyr. You can sleep here tonight." He nodded, to tired to protest. One of the other boys lifted him and he was carried upstairs and put in a bed. The voices of the others drifted off and he fell into a deep sleep.
But he wasn't alone in the room.
Yugi looked down at the sleeping child with eyes now red, before walking over and placing a hand on his forehead. He felt the young boy's mind shift to that of the shadow realm.
It's time he and the cards talked. He walked back out of the room and downstairs. Sorrow was not a burden any child should have to deal with alone.