Marine looked up in surprise at the human, or rather, the ghost. She raised
one shaky hand to touch the one on her shoulder and gasped. It really was
Kiora. She felt real and warm.
"Kiora? What are you doing here?" The girl smiled.
"I'm here to be with you for now. You shouldn't be left alone in this place and so that's why I'm here." Marine was still confused.
"But, you're human!"
"I'm also dead." Marine had no comment for that and looked away in shame, but Kiora grabbed her chin gently and forced her to look back. "It's not your fault. Nor is it any card's fault. What happened, happened and nothing can change that."
"But it's not fair, to you or to Tyr!" Marine knew she was crying and at that moment she didn't care. She buried her head into Kiora's lap and sobbed. "If only you hadn't have found me, if only you hadn't have gone back out." Kiora let her cry herself out and then brushed back her hair.
"I admit, it was cruel and I wish it could change, but it can't and now we're all going to have to make the best of it, but I'll need your help." She sighed and looked off into the distance, across the vast sea of graves. "I'm dead and can no longer see my brother, or comfort him, but you can." She turned back to the mermaid. "He has always loved his cards and has cherished them for what they mean to him, not what they can do. That's why only the cards can help him except help from humans again." She smiled sadly. "And you and Meteor have the best chance out of all of them. His heart resides with both of you."
"Meteor and I will never get along." Kiora sighed as Marine turned away.
"I know you both still blame each other and I also know it's more than just that, but you have to try, if not for your own sake than for Tyr's and mine." Marine kept her eyes turned away from the human for a moment longer before she laughed bitterly.
"But what good am I? I'm a weak card, worthless compared to Meteor."
"Is my love worthless?" Marine looked over at her in shock.
"No! Of course not." She shook her head. "How can you even think such a thing?" Kiora smiled.
"Because that is what you just said. You said you were worthless and since you hold all the love I have for my brother, my love is worthless."
"But I-". Marine fell silent, ashamed at her thoughts. "But how can I be of any use?" A soft laugh caused her to look at the human.
"In terms of dueling, I don't know, because I don't know the game. But in terms of Tyr, just use your heart and your head. He's on the road to recovery, but he still thinks all he needs are the cards."
"But we can't always be there for him. We can't hold him, or be with him during the day or night."
"That's true, but you're also something that will never go away. You're something he will never lose and therefore."
"Something that will never hurt him again." Kiora nodded.
"Help him to see that he can love again, that there are other families, not just the ones that are formed by blood." She reached over and hugged Marine. "You are a gift straight from my heart and nothing will ever change that. You are not worthless, and never will be."
Tyr sat in the living room with the others. After the duel they had all decided to head back and order in pizza. It had been a wonderful day, but still Tyr kept his distance from them. He sighed silently as he watched them play. They were so at ease with each other, had such a close bond.
'So imagine what would happen to the rest if one of them left?' He cringed at that thought. It seemed like the others wouldn't survive without each other. That half of them would be missing.
'Kinda like me.' He sighed again and looked out the window he was curled up next to. He stared blankly out at the dark night and didn't notice someone had sat down beside him until he spoke.
"It still hurts, doesn't it?" He turned and saw Yugi sitting beside him and knew immediately what he was talking about. He nodded. "Why don't you speak anymore?"
'Because it's not worth the effort.' But he said nothing out loud, just continued to look at Yugi. The other boy sighed.
"Is there nothing you would let us do to help?" The wording caused Tyr to pause a moment.
'Am I really stopping everyone from helping? No. It's just better this way. Safer.' He shook his head no and smiled softly. Yugi frowned but then smiled again.
"Well if you want anymore pizza now would be the time to take it. Joey and Tristan never leave anything left." Yugi patted him on the shoulder and walked back over to the others to get promptly tackled by a certain blond. Tyr smiled softly at the sight but then turned away. He didn't need anyone else to be close to.
'I have my cards, and they're enough for me.'
After the duel Marine had found herself back in the safety of her deck and quickly moved into the sun-warmed water of the stream. She sighed happily as the final chill from the graveyard left her body and she could relax. At one point Doma walked by, a smug smiled on her face but Marine ignored the so-called angel. She had other things to think about.
As she swam on her back, tail flicking lazily, she wondered again what she could do to help. She also tried to figure out how she could ever bring herself to work with that dragon.
'I could never work with him. It's as simple as that. We don't get along and never will, there is just too many differences between us, not to mention his annoying attitude.' She turned herself over onto her stomach and moved faster down the stream, as her annoyance caused her to become frustrated. 'He thinks he's king and that we should all bow down to him.' She climbed up onto one of the rocks and rested in the warmth of day in the Shadow Realm. 'But I'll never bow down to him.'
Tyr spent the next day at the Game Shop with Grandpa. People had seen how to had relaxed around the older man and thought it was more important to his health than school at the moment. Tyr didn't care either way, he was just happy to be around someone who didn't force him to speak.
"Tyr?" He looked up at the sound of the older man's voice. "A new shipment of cards has come in and I wanted to know if you could help sort out the singles?" Tyr nodded and smiled before joining the other behind the counter. He handed Tyr one pile of packs to open and sort into singles for sale and Tyr did so happily, having a chance to look at a lot of new cards as he did so.
They had been at it for an hour or so when Tyr spotted a card that caught his interest. It was a field card called Umiiruka.
'Increase the attack of all Water monsters by 500 points and decrease their defense by 400 points. A decent card and I don't have a field card for all my water cards.' He smiled and showed the card to Grandpa, before reaching for his wallet, but the other man stopped him and shook his head.
"I've given everyone in your family and card that meant a lot to them, this can be yours." Tyr nodded, not knowing what else to say and then placed the card into his deck.
'This is for you Marine. Now both you and Meteor each have your own field.'
Meteor watched the cards move around in the deck. He watched them talk and play fight, practice or simply laze about. It was rather relaxing to be able to do all this on top of a mountain. But one thing happened today that he didn't expect.
A corner of their deck started to expand and from within the center a huge wave of water emerged, leaping into existence like a dolphin would leap into a wave. The wave expanded so that it covered the whole area that had been newly formed and then it relaxed. Where once had stood nothing, now stood their own private sea. He raised his head and looked down at the water cards in the deck. They were looking at it in awe and even he, who had no reason to go near the sea could not help but marvel at it's beauty.
But one cry got his attention over all the others. He looked down and saw Marine staring at the sea from where she sat it the stream. Unlike the others, she couldn't crawl over to it and it almost seemed as if it were there to torment her.
'But Tyr isn't like that. He wouldn't have known.' He started to make his way down the mountain and over to Marine, who watched his approach warily. He knew they had their differences and would never fully get along, but he couldn't bear to see a fellow card in sorrow.
"Grab onto my neck and I'll bring you over to it." She looked surprised, but didn't make any sarcastic remark, just did as she was told which surprised him. Once she had a firm grip he brought her over and lay her down in the water. She seemed to come alive and moved quickly to the deepest part, laughing out loud and smiling.
Meteor had to smile at the sight.
'Maybe she wasn't so bad after all.'
"Kiora? What are you doing here?" The girl smiled.
"I'm here to be with you for now. You shouldn't be left alone in this place and so that's why I'm here." Marine was still confused.
"But, you're human!"
"I'm also dead." Marine had no comment for that and looked away in shame, but Kiora grabbed her chin gently and forced her to look back. "It's not your fault. Nor is it any card's fault. What happened, happened and nothing can change that."
"But it's not fair, to you or to Tyr!" Marine knew she was crying and at that moment she didn't care. She buried her head into Kiora's lap and sobbed. "If only you hadn't have found me, if only you hadn't have gone back out." Kiora let her cry herself out and then brushed back her hair.
"I admit, it was cruel and I wish it could change, but it can't and now we're all going to have to make the best of it, but I'll need your help." She sighed and looked off into the distance, across the vast sea of graves. "I'm dead and can no longer see my brother, or comfort him, but you can." She turned back to the mermaid. "He has always loved his cards and has cherished them for what they mean to him, not what they can do. That's why only the cards can help him except help from humans again." She smiled sadly. "And you and Meteor have the best chance out of all of them. His heart resides with both of you."
"Meteor and I will never get along." Kiora sighed as Marine turned away.
"I know you both still blame each other and I also know it's more than just that, but you have to try, if not for your own sake than for Tyr's and mine." Marine kept her eyes turned away from the human for a moment longer before she laughed bitterly.
"But what good am I? I'm a weak card, worthless compared to Meteor."
"Is my love worthless?" Marine looked over at her in shock.
"No! Of course not." She shook her head. "How can you even think such a thing?" Kiora smiled.
"Because that is what you just said. You said you were worthless and since you hold all the love I have for my brother, my love is worthless."
"But I-". Marine fell silent, ashamed at her thoughts. "But how can I be of any use?" A soft laugh caused her to look at the human.
"In terms of dueling, I don't know, because I don't know the game. But in terms of Tyr, just use your heart and your head. He's on the road to recovery, but he still thinks all he needs are the cards."
"But we can't always be there for him. We can't hold him, or be with him during the day or night."
"That's true, but you're also something that will never go away. You're something he will never lose and therefore."
"Something that will never hurt him again." Kiora nodded.
"Help him to see that he can love again, that there are other families, not just the ones that are formed by blood." She reached over and hugged Marine. "You are a gift straight from my heart and nothing will ever change that. You are not worthless, and never will be."
Tyr sat in the living room with the others. After the duel they had all decided to head back and order in pizza. It had been a wonderful day, but still Tyr kept his distance from them. He sighed silently as he watched them play. They were so at ease with each other, had such a close bond.
'So imagine what would happen to the rest if one of them left?' He cringed at that thought. It seemed like the others wouldn't survive without each other. That half of them would be missing.
'Kinda like me.' He sighed again and looked out the window he was curled up next to. He stared blankly out at the dark night and didn't notice someone had sat down beside him until he spoke.
"It still hurts, doesn't it?" He turned and saw Yugi sitting beside him and knew immediately what he was talking about. He nodded. "Why don't you speak anymore?"
'Because it's not worth the effort.' But he said nothing out loud, just continued to look at Yugi. The other boy sighed.
"Is there nothing you would let us do to help?" The wording caused Tyr to pause a moment.
'Am I really stopping everyone from helping? No. It's just better this way. Safer.' He shook his head no and smiled softly. Yugi frowned but then smiled again.
"Well if you want anymore pizza now would be the time to take it. Joey and Tristan never leave anything left." Yugi patted him on the shoulder and walked back over to the others to get promptly tackled by a certain blond. Tyr smiled softly at the sight but then turned away. He didn't need anyone else to be close to.
'I have my cards, and they're enough for me.'
After the duel Marine had found herself back in the safety of her deck and quickly moved into the sun-warmed water of the stream. She sighed happily as the final chill from the graveyard left her body and she could relax. At one point Doma walked by, a smug smiled on her face but Marine ignored the so-called angel. She had other things to think about.
As she swam on her back, tail flicking lazily, she wondered again what she could do to help. She also tried to figure out how she could ever bring herself to work with that dragon.
'I could never work with him. It's as simple as that. We don't get along and never will, there is just too many differences between us, not to mention his annoying attitude.' She turned herself over onto her stomach and moved faster down the stream, as her annoyance caused her to become frustrated. 'He thinks he's king and that we should all bow down to him.' She climbed up onto one of the rocks and rested in the warmth of day in the Shadow Realm. 'But I'll never bow down to him.'
Tyr spent the next day at the Game Shop with Grandpa. People had seen how to had relaxed around the older man and thought it was more important to his health than school at the moment. Tyr didn't care either way, he was just happy to be around someone who didn't force him to speak.
"Tyr?" He looked up at the sound of the older man's voice. "A new shipment of cards has come in and I wanted to know if you could help sort out the singles?" Tyr nodded and smiled before joining the other behind the counter. He handed Tyr one pile of packs to open and sort into singles for sale and Tyr did so happily, having a chance to look at a lot of new cards as he did so.
They had been at it for an hour or so when Tyr spotted a card that caught his interest. It was a field card called Umiiruka.
'Increase the attack of all Water monsters by 500 points and decrease their defense by 400 points. A decent card and I don't have a field card for all my water cards.' He smiled and showed the card to Grandpa, before reaching for his wallet, but the other man stopped him and shook his head.
"I've given everyone in your family and card that meant a lot to them, this can be yours." Tyr nodded, not knowing what else to say and then placed the card into his deck.
'This is for you Marine. Now both you and Meteor each have your own field.'
Meteor watched the cards move around in the deck. He watched them talk and play fight, practice or simply laze about. It was rather relaxing to be able to do all this on top of a mountain. But one thing happened today that he didn't expect.
A corner of their deck started to expand and from within the center a huge wave of water emerged, leaping into existence like a dolphin would leap into a wave. The wave expanded so that it covered the whole area that had been newly formed and then it relaxed. Where once had stood nothing, now stood their own private sea. He raised his head and looked down at the water cards in the deck. They were looking at it in awe and even he, who had no reason to go near the sea could not help but marvel at it's beauty.
But one cry got his attention over all the others. He looked down and saw Marine staring at the sea from where she sat it the stream. Unlike the others, she couldn't crawl over to it and it almost seemed as if it were there to torment her.
'But Tyr isn't like that. He wouldn't have known.' He started to make his way down the mountain and over to Marine, who watched his approach warily. He knew they had their differences and would never fully get along, but he couldn't bear to see a fellow card in sorrow.
"Grab onto my neck and I'll bring you over to it." She looked surprised, but didn't make any sarcastic remark, just did as she was told which surprised him. Once she had a firm grip he brought her over and lay her down in the water. She seemed to come alive and moved quickly to the deepest part, laughing out loud and smiling.
Meteor had to smile at the sight.
'Maybe she wasn't so bad after all.'