-- Nonaka Residence || 6:57 PM --
Miss Nonaka walked in a little before seven in the evening. It was a long day at the photo shoot since they were behind schedule on the new summer line-up, but Rumiko and her cameraman managed to finish all the modeling sequences before calling it a day. She was absolutely pooped and was looking forward to spending a nice quiet evening at home.
"Hello?" she called out as she closed the door. "Anybody home?"
"Rumiko?" her mother called back from the living room. Rumiko walked in to see her watching a documentary on Hiroshima and the nuclear bomb.
"Can't you rent normal movies when it's Friday night?" Rumiko teased as she fell onto the couch next to her. The two women gave each other a friendly kiss.
"How was your day dear?" Rumiko's mother asked.
"Oh, it was so long... but now it's over. I hope Rika isn't too mad at me for coming home late."
Grandma Nonaka frowned, worry etched on her face. "I'm afraid she's not home. She came home after school, changed into her play clothes, and left without saying a word."
Rumiko became worried as well. "...I guess she had another fight with young Akiyama."
The old woman shrugged. "That's one possibility. She may just want to be alone for a while. The past few months have been hard on her."
Rumiko leaned back and rubbed her temples. "Yes... digital monsters were hard enough to deal with, but her first boyfriend is proving even more of a challenge. And add that to all the publicity work she and her friends are doing for that card game of theirs. I'd be amazed if she wasn't a little stressed out."
"She'll handle things in her own way, I'm sure." Rumiko's mother returned her attention to the video. "Right now, I imagine she's at the game center, letting off some steam."
Rumiko sunk into the couch, already on the verge of sleep. "Heaven help whoever she's playing with."
--
Takato gulped. "Are you sure this is a good idea Jeri? I mean... I'm pretty good, but Rika is a tournament champion. She'll crush me!"
"But she asked you to play," Jeri said. "Win or lose, you should just have fun. And besides, you've gotten a lot better since you became a real Tamer. You might actually win!"
Takato considered that. Could a lowly card-flopper like him actually beat a tournament pro? Stranger things had happened. If he actually won, he could tell everybody that he actually beat the legendary Rika Nonaka. Kazu and Kenta would be so jealous! "Well... maybe I can win."
"That's the spirit!" Jeri pecked Takato on the cheek. "Good luck!" With renewed vigor, Takato marched onto the battlefield in the blue square used by the second player. Rika was already standing in the red square opposite him, her card reader already plugged into the game console beside her.
"Get ready to meet your match, Rika!" Takato said defiantly.
"Shut up, Takato," she replied coldly. Takato cringed. Rika must've been in a worse mood than usual. "Hurry up and plug in your card reader." Takato did so. The game console lit up, and his card reader activated automatically. Both player's game scores were set to 0, and the default victory score was set to 1000. The console waited for either player to request a Special Rule, or simply press the Start button to say they were ready. Rika promptly hit Start, and Takato followed her lead. Both tamers drew five cards and looked at their hand. The battle had begun.
** Rika's Score: 0 || Takato's Score: 0 **
Rika was the red player, so she had to choose her Digimon first, as per the rules of the Digimon card game. She slid a card from her hand through her card reader, and a holographic projection of a Floramon card appeared in front of her. Takato was still amazed by how advanced these new game centers were, thanks to the astounding technology used by the company that sponsored it – Kibble Corp, or something like that. It made playing the card game a whole lot more realistic, and it reminded him of the days when he fought real digimon. It reminded him of Guilmon, and made him feel as alive as he did when he was saving the world with his own two hands.
"What are you waiting for, play something!" Rika snapped. Takato jumped and chose a card to use. His monster was an Agumon, which appeared on the field as well. Takato couldn't attack yet, since Rika was the first one who would be allowed to do that, so his turn was done. These were just the opening moves. Now, the real game began. Takato got into a comfortable stance, so that he could slash his cards through the card reader as quickly and effectively as possible.
"A Fire-type against my Plant-type," Rika noted as she drew a new card to start her turn. "You think you can get an early advantage by playing a monster that is strong against Plants, Takato?"
"Um... yeah," Takato replied. Was Rika being serious, or teasing him? She knew all about strategy based on Types, so Takato figured she was just teasing him. Type-based strategy was commonly associated with newbies to the game, so pros were probably amused by it.
Rika slashed a card, and Takato had no idea what it was. When they slashed their cards in real life, Takato and his friends had to say the card's name out loud, so that their partner knew what to do even if the card's effects weren't obvious. Takato remembered how long it took him to train Guilmon in card use, and in the end it was too difficult for him to understand more than a few of the cards. It drove him nuts, but Takato loved every minute of the training.
"Takato, watch out!" Jeri shouted. Takato shook himself awake just as Rika's monster launched one of its three attacks. In Digimon, each digimon had three attacks that worked like a paper-rock-scissors game. The strongest attack was A, the average attack was B, and the defensive move was C. By the looks of it, Rika used the creature's A-Attack, which would decimate most monsters quickly. Since Takato hadn't chosen his monster's action, it defaulted to the basic attack, or "B-Attack". The game automatically compared the values of each attack, and found that Takato's monster had the weaker value. As a result, Takato's monster was wiped out, and Rika's score went up by an amount based on the point value of the Agumon card, and the strength of Floramon's attack. Takato had seriously messed up. [Rika's Score: 135]
"Takato, what the heck are you doing!" Rika shouted. "Stop daydreaming and play seriously! Any three-year-old could have told you that you should have won that round!"
Takato frowned. "Well, I'm sorry. Geez." He drew a card for his turn and slashed a new monster. His Candlemon appeared and floated around in a casual manner. Takato chose another card and slashed it. "Digivolution, activate!" It wasn't necessary for Takato to shout the card's name like that, but it helped him get into the spirit of the game. Candlemon glowed and grew as it digivolved into the powerful Meramon!
"Meramon, wipe her out!" Takato punched one of the three attack buttons on his console, and there was a pause as Rika did the same. Both monsters charged, and the result of the attack were revealed by symbols above each monster's head.
[Meramon: A-Attack || Floramon: C-Attack]
"Whoops!" Takato was in trouble again! And this time, it would cost him since Meramon was about to be annihilated! Reflected attacks were always the most costly in Digimon games. Meramon launched its all-powerful fire attack, but Floramon batted it aside with a red leaf that could reflect energy when hit. The fire attack slammed into Meramon, and he burst into pixels of red and orange light. [Rika's Score: 685]
Rika frowned. "...This is pathetic. I didn't even have to slash a card, and my Rookie beat your Champion. Are you sure you know how to play, goggle-head?"
There was that nickname again. Takato hated it when she called him that. It always made him feel like she was looking down on him. "Of course I know how to play! And I'm going to prove it!" He slashed a card, and a Biyomon appeared soon after. "Draw your card and battle!"
Rika smirked. "That's the spirit. It's more fun for me if you fight back." Rika drew and forcefully slashed her card. "Crest of Sincerity! Digivolve Floramon into its Ultimate form!" Takato gasped in awe as the tiny plant-girl-thing grew into a bigger and stronger plant-girl-thing with pink frilly leaves. Lillymon flew around Rika's side of the field and struck a pose as her digivolution was completed. Rika chose an attack button, and Lillymon charged to the center of the battlefield. Takato quickly chose an attack as well, and slashed a card as his Biyomon charged.
"Digi-Modify!! Evolution Snatch, activate!!" The option card manifested as a giant claw like those used in the prize-grabbing games. The claw reached into Lillymon and pulled out something that looked vaguely like a digicore, and brought it over to Takato's monster. Lillymon dedigivolved into Floramon in a flash, and Biyomon digivolved with equal speed into Garudamon! The monster's clashed, both using their strongest attacks, and the Floramon was wiped out in a flash of flame. The resulting score was high for one round of battle, thanks to Floramon being weak against Fire. [Takato's Score: 570]
"All right Takato!" Jeri shouted, clapping enthusiastically. "Way to go!" Takato smiled shyly in response as Jeri's praise stirred up the growing crowd. It seemed that word was getting around that a pro was battling a rookie, and people wanted to see it for themselves.
Rika was not amused. "Nice trick, goggle-head. But you won't be able to pull that off again! Because now I'm getting serious!" Rika chose her next monster, which turned out to be a Renamon! The hologram appeared on the field, looking exactly like the old Renamon did in real life.
Whoa... so she's been using her promotional card. Takato and the gang helped promote the Digimon card game after the events with the D-Reaper, which made them the only kids in their class that were employed. They got a salary and everything, but of course their parents were in control of the money. One of the additional benefits of their employment was that each kid was given a Promo card of their partner from when they were Tamers, specially made by Industrial Illusion's best artists. The picture was made with unerring exactness, thanks to images of the D-Reaper battles and the suggestions made by the kids themselves.
"It's your turn, Takato," Rika said icily. The holographic Renamon waited for the next round of battle to begin. Takato drew, and got his own Promo card of Guilmon. It was the only card of its kind in any form. Even though Renamon was a very rare digimon, Takato was the one who made up Guilmon. His promo card was the only copy of him ever made. Takato decided to find out how strong his card really was.
"Garudamon, switch with Guilmon!" Takato's current monster went to the sidelines and kneeled to signify that it was out of play. In the meantime, Guilmon's hologram appeared on the field, roaring in an uncharacteristic manner. It seemed that the programmers didn't like Takato's description of Guilmon's actual personality. This Guilmon was more like the feral side of him that came out when there was a fight.
"You should have kept your Ultimate instead of playing a Rookie," Rika said matter-of-factly. "But this could still be fun. It'll give us a chance to finish that fight we had when we first met as Tamers."
Takato remembered that. Renamon was dominating the fight, since Guilmon had no idea what to do in a battle. He was just a baby at the time, at least mentally. Renamon would have blown Guilmon's head off with the Heavy Metal gun-option, had Guilmon not ran off when Takato called to him.
But now, Takato didn't have to worry about Guilmon's safety. The monsters weren't real, so he could go all-out, and at least give the audience some entertainment. "Guilmon, get her!" Takato slammed the B-Attack button, and his digimon charged towards the center field. Renamon did the same as Rika chose her attack. It turned out that it was a basic attack as well. If they squared off in hand-to-hand, Guilmon would lose! Takato had to do something. Luckily, he was prepared.
"Digi-Modify! Speed, activate!" Guilmon suddenly rushed across the field, dodging around Renamon's initial attack and charging from behind for a second round. Takato changed to an A-Attack, prompting the holographic Guilmon's Pyro Sphere attack.
Rika didn't seem surprised. She slashed a card with unerring efficiency. "Alias, activate!!" The Pyro Sphere attack hit full-on and appeared to wipe out Renamon. Only when Takato noticed the Score hadn't changed did he realize that Renamon was still alive, somehow. He looked around, but he couldn't see the hologram anywhere!
"Where is it!?" he shouted to nobody in particular. Finally, he remembered a scene from his Tamer days, recalling Renamon's and Rika's fighting style. She would come down at him from behind with a Diamond Storm! "Guilmon, defend!!" Despite his command, the hologram didn't move. Takato couldn't command a hologram like he could a real digimon – it wouldn't move unless a card was slashed that told it to move.
"It's too late!" Rika said, almost happily. She slashed a Power Chip option card, doubling the strength of Renamon's special attack, and let loose with her digimon. Renamon appeared exactly where Takato expected her too, and she unleashed her Diamond Storm attack on the defenseless Guilmon. In a flash of light, he was destroyed. [Rika's Score: 1000]
"Heh heh, guess that means I won," Rika snickered. "Nice try Takato, but no goggle-head is ever going to beat me." Rika waited for an answer, but got none. When she looked more closely, she saw that Takato was crying.
Jeri approached him slowly and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay Takato. You played well."
"...It's not that," Takato replied. "It's just... it didn't listen to me. Because it's just a hologram. It was like... seeing a ghost." Takato's head sagged, and his legs threatened to fall out from under him. "I miss Guilmon."
"Takato..." Jeri wrapped an arm around the boy and walked him off the stage. They left together as the audience dispersed. Some tried to get Rika's autograph, but she wasn't paying attention. She watched Takato and Jeri, feeling the pangs of guilt in her heart. When they were out of sight, she turned and left as well. Only after that did the room empty, and the game center close down for the night.
--
Henry punched away at the keyboard as he guided his Terriermon through the online arena built in the semblance of a post-apocalyptic city. To his left was a Tentomon, controlled by the online player named Tento4Ever. To his right were Henry's partners-in-crime when it came to online games. One was a Kumamon controlled by Major_Ursa, and the other was a Pegasusmon owned by KariLuver. The four of them were one of four teams participating in this 16-player Digimon Online brawl, which had been going on for the last three hours with only a few casualties. That was because the world map was so big and detailed, and stealth was of great importance since the enemy team had already managed to digivolve their monsters with power-ups in the arena. Their Rookies were mincemeat unless they found a few power-ups of their own.
Henry's headset rang like a cellphone, and he pressed a key on his keyboard to accept the call. "Operator."
"Henry, it's me," Rika said on the other end. "Can you unplug your game for a sec? I need to talk to you."
"Um...sure thing." Henry typed an emote command that made his Terriermon do the "Go Ahead" motion, and he moved his character into a patch of brush to hide. He then activated a Data Collection card he set for just such an occasion, and leaned back in his chair to relax. "So what's up?"
"...It's Ryo."
Henry frowned. "So it's another fight, is it?"
"...No. I broke up with him."
"WHAT!?" Henry fell out of his chair. Good thing his headset's cord was extra long, or else he might have broke the computer. "But why? I thought you two got along well. Arguments aside."
Rika shifted positions, which could be heard over the phone. "I caught him doing something with Alice."
That didn't bode well. "Now by 'doing something', you mean kissing, right?"
There was a pause. "...His hand was doing something under her dress."
Henry's eyes widened. That was serious stuff, even for kids Ryo's age. He was two years older than the rest of the gang, who were only twelve, so situations like that were nonexistent among their group. Or so Henry thought. "With Alice? Why the heck would he do that?"
Another pause. Henry thought he heard Rika chewing. "You know, you shouldn't eat when you're depressed."
"I'll do whatever the hell I want, thanks." Yet another pause. "...Sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."
"S'okay." Henry checked his game's chat window for any new developments, and found none. "Where did all this happen, if I might ask?"
"...In the park. I was looking for Ryo after our fight that morning. He tried to touch me when we were hanging out at his place, and I stopped him. He thought I was being childish about it."
"So when you went to look for him, you found him with Alice in the park. And I can assume there was much pummeling of the wayward Tamer."
"...I ran. All I could think about was getting away. I went home and... I actually cried. I cried because of that..." Rika seemed on the verge of tears still, so she broke off that sentence before her emotions overflowed. "Can you believe it? Me, crying?"
"Hey, it happens to all of us." Henry stood up and glanced out the window into the night. He only stayed up this late when he didn't have school tomorrow... or when he was out fighting with Terriermon. He rarely saw the nighttime like this anymore. "Did Ryo try to talk to you after that? Or did you avoid him?"
"He left a message on my cell," Rika said between bites of whatever she was eating. "He said that he knew what he did was wrong, and he was about to stop himself because he felt bad about it." Rika practically spat at the statement. "Like I'm supposed to fall into his arms just because he was 'about to stop'." Rika seemed amused by the thought, but her laugh was barely audible and lasted for only a moment. She wasn't in a laughing mood. "Are all guys like that?"
"I can't speak for anyone else, but I don't believe in making excuses." Henry stretched his back and arms before returning to his computer chair. "But guys are as unique as girls are. Think of all the girls you know and how they act, and there's definitely going to be the same number of guys out there who are the same way."
"...I thought I understood Ryo. But now, I'm not so sure."
"I've never really trusted Ryo, but he's still a nice guy. I'm surprised that he would do something like that to you. Whenever he talked about you, he was so proud. I think he really does like you."
"Then why did he do that to me!" she snapped. "Just because I don't want to be touched like that, he goes and finds another girl who does! And you think he likes me!?"
"Rika, calm down," Henry said evenly. He waited, and the voice on the other end focused on breathing. After a while, Rika let out a sigh as she forcibly relaxed. "Now I'm no expert on boys and girls, but I do know that Ryo is a teenager and is something of a cowboy when it comes to life. It may sound mean, but... he may not be the kind of guy who can stay in one place with one person for long. He might not be able to commit."
Rika considered that. "...I got that impression too. I just thought it was my imagination, but... I've always wondered about it in the back of my mind. I didn't think it would bother me, since he's just a boy. It's not like I expected us to be together forever."
"Relationships are a lot harder in real life; there are no fairy tale romances." Henry crossed his arms. "In the end, it's up to you what you think. We can guess all we want about Ryo, but the only way you'll know for sure is by talking to him. And you have to decide what to do after that."
"...I don't want to face him right now," Rika admitted. "I need a little time to calm down. Get my feelings straight."
"If that's your plan, then go for it. I'll help you out any way I can. I'm sure Takato and the others would too."
Rika sighed again, but it was more of a relaxing sigh. Her attitude seemed to have improved. "Thanks Henry. I feel better now."
"You are welcome, young padawan." Rika replied with confusion, making Henry smile. "Is it okay if I resume my mission now?"
"Knock yourself out. Just remember that we're all meeting at the train station tomorrow at six and heading out to Domino. Don't oversleep, or your butt is mine."
"Is that a promise?" Henry teased. Rika laughed and hung up. Henry returned to his game, and was promptly destroyed by a WarGreymon waiting for him to unpause his character. Henry cursed the camper's bloodline, and fell into fits of sobbing.
--
The Tamers just barely made it onto their train. Their morning was primarily filled with hectic running as they raced through the station, looking for the right train before it took off. They ended up running over an old woman with a cart of yaki soba [noodles], losing control of Takato's luggage of clean clothes and underwear, and getting lectured by one of the station's policemen. But in the end, the four managed to get onto the right train just before it left.
Jeri tried to catch her breath. "This wouldn't have happened if you had woken up on time, Takato."
"How was I supposed to know that the batteries in my alarm clock died?" Takato said, a little piqued. "And how come you're not blaming Rika! She and Henry were late too!"
"My dad's car broke down halfway there," Henry said in their defense. "And my dad couldn't fix a car if his life depended on it. We ended up taking the taxi."
"A likely story!" Takato said. "Rika was probably at Ryo's house and you had to go get her!"
Rika used the proverbial Angry Girl's Punch® on Takato, smashing him into the train floor. "Do NOT mention that name!" Henry and Jeri broke up the two, as they were disturbing the people around them.
"We have to find a seat before the train fills up with the next load," Jeri said. Japanese trains were always crowded, to the point where you couldn't move an inch without bumping into someone. The tamers quickly put their luggage on the racks above and picked a place to sit. There they waited as the train filled up with passengers, and finally departed for the distant city of Domino.
"Hey Jeri, you've been to Domino before," Henry noted. "What's it like?"
"I lived there when my mother was still alive, so it's been a while since I've been there." Jeri remembered the past, when her family lived there almost eight years ago. "It was a small town about as big as Shinjuku is now. It was popular for its games thanks to the company stationed there. I think Domino was built by the company, and the population grew from the company workers that lived around the corporation. Now, it's sort of a tourist town and filled with harbors that export and import goods all over Japan."
"That's why we're going there," Rika cut in. "The luxury cruiser that's taking us to Monster Island is launching from Domino Harbor."
"Luxury cruiser!" Takato daydreamed about what it'll be like to eat the gourmet food and stay inside those lavishly decorated rooms. "Wow... it'll be just like Titanic!"
Henry looked troubled. "I'd feel a lot better if you didn't say that until after the boat reaches the island."
"Sorry... it's just, this is my first time riding a boat." Takato smiled in anticipation. "This'll be awesome! I'm going to see if I can run around the entire ship at least once." Jeri giggled, while the other two sighed like a couple of tired parents.
The train rolled along for an hour before it reached its first stop at Tokyo Edge, a little town that served as the rest stop for patrons entering or leaving Tokyo by train. A good portion of the train riders exited the train, and an equal number of travelers boarded as well. The train started up again, and continued the long journey to Domino. Takato was agitated the whole time, anxious to board the ship and see all the new faces. He was going to exhaust himself before the tournament even started! Jeri played the role of mother and kept Takato calm until finally he fell asleep in her arms. Soon, Jeri did the same, exhausted after trying to keep Takato in check.
"Are we actually going to play in the tournament, or are we just promoting?" Henry asked.
Rika turned away from her sightseeing at the window. "I think we're playing. The message I got from the tournament liaison, Mr. Muto, said that we were going to participate in order to promote the tournament as it is shown on television. So I guess that means the camera will be on us while we're playing."
"Great," Henry said. "That's sure to make me nervous, but at least Suzy will be excited. She wanted to come along. I tried to tell her that the monsters would be too scary for her, but she didn't believe me." He sighed as he leaned his head back. He wanted to prop his feet up, but Jeri and Takato were sitting across from him in the prime leg-propping area. "Besides, watching Takato will be tough enough."
The redhead nodded in agreement. "It's not just the monsters that are going to be scary. I understand that some players from all the Industrial Illusions games will be there."
"So? What's scary about that?"
Rika held up a newspaper clipping, titled "Man Dies at Duelist Kingdom". Under the title was the story itself, as well as a picture of a disturbing man with wild black hair and a physique only Frankenstein's monster could match. The man's name was printed in there, but he was referred to mostly by his nickname, Panik. Henry took the clipping and read it thoroughly.
"This guy was killed at Duelist Kingdom, but nobody knows how," Rika said. "They said he was found in the forest somewhere, with a look on his face that could only be described as Fear. The doctors said that his body had no physical damage, and his mind was in good health. They think he died of fright."
"Died of fright?" Henry murmured. "You mean... somebody scared a full-grown adult to death? How?"
Rika trembled a bit, as if she were remembering something. "Ryo told me about it a while ago. He said that one of his friends was at Duelist Kingdom and knew the whole story. He said that one man, named Yugi Muto, faced Panik in a card game. When Panik lost, this Yugi guy did something to him that left him like that."
Henry gulped. "Wow... that's pretty serious. One guy scared him to death."
"I think he's going to be at this tournament," Rika said. "He's the tournament champion for his game, just like I am for Digimon. Whatever he did to that guy at Duelist Kingdom... he might do it again to someone else. And there's no telling what the other players might be like. They may look at kids like us as fishbait."
"I see your point." Henry glanced at the news clipping again, then handed it to Rika. "We'll all just have to look out for each other. And we'll try to avoid Yugi Muto, for safety's sake."
Rika nodded. "Right. I just wanted to make sure you knew that too. Since you'll be watching Takato and Jeri."
"What!? Why do I have to watch them!?"
"Because I plan on winning this tournament!" Rika said indignantly. "And I can't do that if I'm sitting around watching the goggle-head and his girlfriend all day."
Henry glared back. "What makes you think I would want to watch them? I plan on playing too!"
"Well one of us has to!" Rika snapped back. "I'm not leaving Jeri's fate in his hands!" She indicated Takato, who snored ignomiously with a snot-bubble in his nose.
Henry frowned in thought. "Man... well, why don't we just take turns?"
Rika smiled knowingly. "Because I'll just leave them behind anyway. And you'll end up taking care of them out of concern."
Henry growled – partly because she was right, but mostly because that was such a mean thing to say. "Did you do this kind of stuff to Ryo!? I bet he got tired of that stuff real quick!"
Rika gasped. Her anger seemed to dissolve as tears formed at the corner of her eyes. Henry must've struck a vein by accident. A concern like that could prompt immediate reactions if they were mentioned. Henry's anger disappeared as guilt took over. He didn't mean to hurt her feelings.
"Rika, I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."
"Yes you did," she said as she turned back to the window. "Just admit it. You think Ryo ditched me because I'm not like Jeri or Alice. I'm not sweet and innocent, and I'm not interested in that other stuff."
Henry fell back into his seat. He never won fights against a girl, friend or family, so he figured this was a losing battle. He wanted to console her, but what could he say that wouldn't make it worse? He didn't have any creative lines... so he'd just have to stick with the truth.
"I didn't mean to say that. I was just angry." Okay, that was a start, but it didn't seem to make Rika feel any better. "You say things sometimes that sound mean, but that's who you are. Guys like you because you're straight-forward."
Rika didn't reply. Henry held his breath, afraid that he'd already lost the fight. Finally, she said something. "I am mean, aren't I."
Henry smiled. "No, just very blunt. You're actually nice when you want to be. Like when you're with Jeri. I've seen how you protect her and help her out, like she was your little sister."
"...Renamon said I acted like Jeri's older sister once." Rika remembered her friend, now gone thanks to the sacrifice her and the other digimon made to save the world from the D-Reaper. "With nothing but boys around, I felt I had to take care of her. I don't trust anyone else to do it."
"Takato seems to do a pretty good job of it," Henry noted. "He did everything a boy could do, and more, when we were trying to save her from D-Reaper. He's more capable than you realize."
Rika looked at Takato, still sleeping with Jeri in his arms. Jeri looked so comfortable, like a child holding its favorite blanket. "She seems to trust him. Maybe they'll be fine on their own."
"I think so," Henry said. "You don't have to worry about them. You can just worry about winning the tournament."
Rika smiled at the blue-haired boy. "...Thanks Henry. Once again, you helped me see things clearly."
Henry winked and gave a thumbs-up like some goofy anime hero. "All in a day's work." Rika laughed at the display, confirming Henry's victory over her sudden mood shift. "Just promise me one thing before I ride off into the sunset."
"Anything," she said.
Henry became serious again. "Promise me that you'll think about things carefully before you decide what to do about Ryo and Alice. It's just my opinion, but I think you were a good couple. And I think you still can be, assuming things work out for the best."
Even in her calm state of mind, Rika didn't think she could forgive Ryo after what she saw. His actions spoke for himself; he didn't like Rika as much as she liked him. She was replaceable in his mind. Rika liked Ryo, but she didn't want to be with a guy who thought she was replaceable.
But she owed it to Henry to try. "...All right."
Henry smiled. "Good. Now, I think I'm going to follow Takato's lead." The boy leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and focused his thoughts on sleep. It came quickly. Rika let him be, and returned her attention to the countryside.
--
[Domino City]
Yugi sat on his bed and read his copy of Duelist Weekly. More specifically, he was reading an article that talked about the gaming philanthropist named Zero Muto. Yugi had never met the guy, or even seen him, but apparently they worked for the same company, Industrial Illusions. Zero was a mystery to the world, since he refused to have his picture taken. And any time he had an interview with a reporter, he wore a mask that supposedly was designed in the style of an Egyptian pharoah's mask. It was creepy.
Grandpa says that there's no one in our family named Zero, Yugi remembered. Muto is a common family name in Japan, so I guess I shouldn't be worried. Yugi looked at the article again, which described Zero's plans with the Monster Duel EX tournament that Yami was planning on attending. But the fact that he works for Industrial Illusions and wears that mask makes me wonder. Is he an Egyptian like Shadi, or is he just some weirdo with a love for Egyptian culture?
"Yu~gi!" Grandpa called from the bottom of the stairs. "A package from Industrial Illusions has arrived!"
A package? Is it the custom Duel Ark they sent me? Yugi rushed out of his room, tossing his magazine into his basket of laundry. He raced down the stairs, and found Joey parusing a package of his own. He pulled out a glove that was equipped with a strange looking gadget, and reminded Yugi of some futuristic sci-fi weapon.
Yugi glanced at the Duel Ark somewhat skeptically. Joey did the same thing nearby, and he was the first to speak his thoughts. "We're supposed to duel with d'ese things?"
"Yes, of course," Grandpa Solomon said. "These are the battle devices that'll be used in the Monster Duel EX competition. They are the latest in Kaiba Corp technology. A real piece of work, if you ask me."
Yugi opened his own package and removed the Duel Ark from the bubble-wrap. Yugi's gauntlet was custom-made by Industrial Illusions, since he was their representative in this tournament. His Ark had an emblem of the Millennium Eye on it, and was painted gold as opposed to the black and red design used with the other gloves. Yugi slid the glove over his left hand, and the device activated automatically.
"Whoa... it's powered by my body, like those watches they used to sell at the store down the street." Yugi slid his deck into the appropriate slot, and a data readout appeared in front of him thanks to the holographic projectors. It gave his name, age, database picture, the Deck Level of his deck, and his victory rating for General dueling and Duelist Kingdom. It had everything that Kaiba Corp's database could offer!
"Deck Level 1206, eh?" Joey said, noting Yugi's information. "Let me try dat." Joey slid his gauntlet on, and the same thing occurred. His General dueling was pretty horrible, but his Duelist Kingdom rating was almost as high as Yugi's. And his Deck Level wasn't too shabby either. "1020!? Awww...." Joey fell over.
"That's nothing to sneeze at, Joey," Yugi said in comfort. "You should be proud!"
"Can I try that, Yugi?" Tea asked. The boy removed his deck and handed it to her, and Tea slid it over her hand. She inserted her deck, and the readout gave a 933 for her Deck Level. She flashed a "V for Victory" sign. "Yes! Fairy power, baby!"
"Eh, fairies-schmaries," Joey chided. "No self-respecting duelist would use a Fairy card in their deck. Those things are the weakest monsters in the game!"
"They've beaten you enough times!" Tea teased. "Or don't you remember all those times I've schooled you in the art of Duel Monsters?"
"That was before Duelist Kingdom! Now, you'd be lucky if you could last one turn against me!"
"Is that a challenge, Joey Wheeler?" Tea said, an evil glint in her eyes.
"Uh, guys..." Yugi cut in. "I don't think we should play around with these Arks. They're quite expensive, you know..."
"You bet its a challenge, Tea Gardner!" Joey shot back, knocking Yugi over in the process. "I challenge you to a battle with the Duel Arks, right now! Winner gets an All-You-Can-Eat day at Burger World, and the loser pays for it!"
Tea smirked. "It's a deal! Be ready to pay up, Joey." She stepped outside, picking up Yugi along the way. "You'll cheer for me, won't you Yugi?"
Yugi's face turned red and stars formed around him. "Of course, Tea. I'll cheer for you."
"Traitor!" Joey barked. "Where's Tristan when you need him? He'd back me up."
Solomon followed the gang outside, and took his place on the sidewalk with Yugi as the two players stood opposite each other in the street. Joey shuffled his deck out of courtesy and slid it back into his Duel Ark. "Are you ready to get creamed?"
Tea finished shuffling as well. "I'm ready to play, for sure. Let's go!" Tea and Joey drew their cards, and duel began.
** Joey's LP: 4000 || Tea's LP: 4000 **
The holographic Help function appeared to guide them through their first battle with the Duel Arks. It manifested as a Key Mace, a cute fairy monster that flew around like a butterfly and wielded a key for a weapon. It perched on Yugi's head.
"Both players, please set a Monster in the Active Monster Slot," the Key Mace said. "You are permitted to have one Active Monster on the field at a time, plus any other monsters created by card effects."
Tea understood the instructions easily enough, while Joey had a bit more trouble. "Uh... what?"
"She said 'Play a Monster', Joey." Tea placed one of the cards in her hand into the slot described by the Key Mace. "And mine's going to be Gyakutenno Megami!" The powerful fairy creature appeared beside Tea, being roughly seven feet tall and dressed as a druidic priestess.
Joey stood there, analyzing his hand with incredible exactness. "Let's see here... that one has good attack power, but this one has a nice effect. And that one just looks too frickin' cool..."
"Monsters may attack at anytime," the Key Mace continued.
"Is that so?" Tea said. "In that case, attack him now Megami!!" Tea's fairy monster lifted her hands like a priest in prayer. A swarm of leaves and twigs rained from the sky and headed straight for the unsuspecting Joey.
"Eh, maybe I should play this one..." Joey looked up just in time to see the swarm approach. "GAAHH!!" Unable to react quickly enough, Joey was hit by the massive mystical attack and he lost a big chunk of his life points. [Joey's LP: 2200]
"Yay, way to go Tea!" Yugi cheered on cue.
"Hurry up and play a card, Joey!" Solomon shouted. "There are no Turns in this game! You have to move quickly and stay on your toes!"
Joey blinked. "Oh. So it's like a street brawl? Alright then." Joey put the Flame Swordsman on the field and pointed at Tea. "Attack her, Flame Swordsman!"
Tea smiled confidently as the Swordsman approached. "I think you're forgetting that I have a monster on the field, Joey. And her defense is-OWWW!!" Tea fell back as the swordsman slashed into her for considerable damage. Gyakutenno Megami stood at her post. Her expression was surprisingly life-like; she looked confused at Tea's actions. [Tea's LP: 2200]
Tea sat on the ground, aching from head to toe and a little peeved. "Megami!! Protect me!"
The fairy nodded in agreement, and moved between the Swordsman and the downed Tea. The swordsman continued his attack, but the sword was frozen in mid-air as Megami's defensive magic took hold. Megami counterattacked with a magical force maneuver that sent the Flame Swordsman flying through the air and into a wall of the Turtle Gameshop. The damage must've not been high enough to destroy the monster, since the Swordsman stood up and resumed its attack.
The Key Mace watched, and again gave a Tip. "If you wish to aid your Monster in battle, try slashing a card through the Duel Ark. You can try powering up your Monster with any compatible cards, or you can try channeling the powers of a Monster in your hand into your current fighter."
Joey nodded. "Worth a try." He chose a card from his hand and slid it through the card reader, slowly and methodically. It was the Salamandra card, normally a very powerful card that worked well with the Flame Swordsman. "Try this on for size!!"
The Flame Swordsman moaned as he tried to surround his sword with a flaming dragon spirit. Instead, a candle-sized flame appeared at the end of the swordsman's weapon. Yugi and Solomon collapsed on the side of the street.
"What happened!?" Joey growled. "My Flame Swordsman didn't get any stronger! This thing is broken!"
The Key Mace smiled – a very cute thing for a Fairy. "You slashed it too slow, silly! When slashing a card, its power is directly proportional to how quickly you slash the card. Don't worry, your card won't be hurt. Try it again!" The Key Mace floated onto the field and tapped the Flame Swordsman's weapon, negating the Salamandra effect and returning its power to Joey's card. She then returned to her perch on Yugi's head.
Joey looked at the Salamandra card, and the Duel Ark. "Okay... here we GO!!" He reared back with his left hand, and brought the card down at his Duel Ark full speed. And missed. The card flew out of his hand and landed in the parking lot of Duke Devlin's gameshop across the street. Joey ran over to grab it quickly. "Hey, my card!!"
Tea sweatdropped. "...Right. So if I slash a card fast enough, it'll be strong. Maybe I can wipe out the swordsman with this card, before Joey gets back." Tea took a card, the Silver Bow and Arrow, and slashed it through the Ark as she twirled like a dancer to gain momentum. "HA!!"
Megami was equipped with an enchanted bow, and from her fingers appeared an arrow of light which pointed ahead of her. Tea gave the order for her to attack Flame Swordsman, which the fairy did immediately. The slash speed must've been high, since the arrow was powerful enough to obliterate the Swordsman in one shot. Across the street, they could hear Joey yell in pain and fall over as his life points decreased further. [Joey's LP: 1800]
"Woo-hoo! Fairy power!" Tea cheered. "Come on Megami, let's go get Joey before he summons a monster!" The Megami monster said something nonsensical (since the holograms normally weren't programmed for real speech), and the two charged after Joey. He proceeded to run around the parking lot as he thought of what to do.
Yugi glanced up at the creature still perched on his head, which was apparently programmed for speech. Those Duel Arks must've had really good range, or the holographic images were somehow able to maintain themselves without the Duel Ark. Either way, it was amazing. "Key Mace? Why was it that Joey was only damaged when Flame Swordsman was destroyed? Didn't Tea damage the monster before that?"
Key Mace floated in front of Yugi, anxious to answer his question. "In a crossover battle, players lose life points only when a monster is destroyed, not damaged. It's a backlash effect, caused by the sudden loss of the Duel Ark's energy. The monsters themselves have a certain amount of health, so they can take some damage before they are destroyed."
"...Oh," Yugi said. He glanced over at the apparition of Yami, who'd been watching the battle for some time now. You getting all this, Yami?
I'm listening, he replied.
"Let's go catch up to them Grandpa!" Yugi said. He dashed across the street, with Yami in quick pursuit.
"Hey, wait for me~!" Solomon chased after his grandson, muttering under his breath that he was too old for this.
It didn't take long for them to catch up. It seemed that Joey was regaining some ground, as he'd played the Red Eyes Black Dragon at some point. Tea was defending with the Wabaku card, which put a trio of priests around her and created an impenetrable barrier that the Red Eyes could not break through. How long this would last was anyone's guess.
"Both players can draw cards until they have five at any given time," Key Mace said. "Your monster in play counts as a card in your hand, remember!"
Joey nodded. "Right. I've got my Red Eyes on the field, and two cards in my hand, so I need to draw two more to get five." He did so, and smiled evilly at what he got. "Aww, yeah! This is gonna rock! I've got this battle in the bag! Burger World, here I come!"
Tea noticed that she had only two cards in her hand, so she drew three more and hoped she got a monster that could stand up to the Red Eyes Black Dragon. But the only monsters she drew were Happy Lover and Shining Friendship – two fairies with a power level less than 4, meaning they were weak as far as Duel Monsters went. The Wabaku effect wouldn't last much longer, so she decided to go for broke and played them together. "Shining Friendship! And I slash the Happy Lover card to power up Shining Friendship!"
"That's not going to be much of a boost," Yugi said regretfully.
The Key Mace giggled. "Wait and see." Yugi blinked, and watched intently.
Shining Friendship appeared on the field, as expected. When Tea slashed the Happy Lover card, the monster appeared beside the fairy. The two creatures started to glow, and they swirled like an inverted whirlpool as they slowly merged into one light.
Joey's eyes widened. "Uh-oh! They're fusing!"
"That can't be!" Solomon shouted. "Tea doesn't have a Polymerization card!"
"You don't need one," the Mace replied. "Those two monsters were so highly compatible, that they fused when Tea combined them. And now she's got a fairy that even the Red Eyes Black Dragon should be afraid of!" Everyone watched in awe as the two fairies merged to become a duel monster that looked like the Happy Lover, only bigger, pinker, and with six wings instead of two. It was the Godzilla of fairies!
"That's the Heavenly Lover!!" Solomon said in amazement. "It's one of the ultra rare Immortal monsters! Those kinds of monsters cannot be destroyed!"
Joey sweatdropped. "Are you serious!? You mean... that thing just can't die?"
Solomon relented. "Well... there are ways to defeat it. But only the best duelists can manage it."
Yugi sweatdropped. "I think Joey is in trouble."
Key Mace had a wide grin. "Meh-beh."
Tea blinked. "Cool! Let's go beat up Joey some more!"
"NO!! Let's not go beat up Joey some more!" Joey slashed his Dragon Claws magic card, which would boost the attack power of his dragon considerably. "Stomp that giant fairy Red Eyes, while I find a place to plan our next strategy!" Joey ran to hide behind a parked car as the dragon flew through the air and met the Heavenly Lover in battle.
This is... familiar, Yami thought as he watched the scene play out. These Duel Arks are modern devices, but this battle has happened before. I remember...
--
Pharoah paced the halls of his esteemed palace, the pinnacle of Egyptian architecture and beauty. It was early in the day, and his vizier Simon Muran was reading off the day's business to him as he dressed.
"You wished to visit the tomb of your mother and the former Pharoah today. And you wished to consecrate the statues of Ra, Obelisk, and Osiris atop the Veja Cathedral today. I also believe that Priest Seto wishes for your presence during the cleansing of the travelers from the Eastern Lands. And your presence is required at Juri's purification ritual. Seto and the priests are having difficulty extracting the monster sleeping within her soul."
Pharoah considered his robes, which were so fine that no one else on Earth could hope to achieve this level of beauty with mere clothing. But he didn't want to wear them today. He wished to be some place else. "Simon, please forgive me."
The vizier was taken aback. "Ph-pharoah? It is not my place to forgive you. You are the incarnation of the gods! It is you who should forgive me for my life's transgressions."
"...I am going to see Anzu and Jono today," the Pharoah said. He reached underneath his silk sleeping cushion and pulled out a set of ragged cloaks like those worn by the street workers. Simon Muran was aghast as his Pharoah dressed himself with these filthy garments.
"My lord, please reconsider this course of action!" Simon pleaded. "You dictated this schedule with the intent of following it through to its conclusion, yes?"
Pharoah finished dressing himself, and pulled the cloak's hood over his head. From the outside, he looked just like a commoner. "That is true. But I am tired at the moment, and I wish to relax."
"Then I shall call the harem!" Simon replied. Pharoah quickly stopped him.
"Please, faithful Simon. Allow me to entertain my silly human desires at least some of the time." Pharoah grabbed the final piece of his disguise, a pile of old linen bandages like those used on the mummies of the deceased. "My visits with Anzu and Jono are important to me."
Simon considered the Pharoah's words. Even though he was duty-bound to keep the young pharoah focused, he was also duty-bound to follow his wishes. Yet neither of those compared to his heart's wishes and his mind's memories. This young pharoah was like a son to him, and he wanted him to be happy. He would not be corrupted by playing with the commoners.
Simon bowed. "As you wish, my lord. I will await your return, and no one will learn of your whereabouts from me."
Pharoah bowed in return, which was never done by someone of his rank. Bows were done only for those superior to yourself. "Thank you, old friend. I shall return by nightfall."
"Nightfall!!?" Simon gasped. The pharoah leapt from his window, and slid down the side of his palace until he was in the back alley, then ran the rest of the way into the market area. Simon groaned and sagged his shoulders. "I fear that the world's fate lies in the hands of a boy who takes far too many risks."
--
Anzu and Jono slowly entered the Veja Cathedral, amazed at what they saw. The young thief named Yugi told them of a place where even the commonfolk could invoke the magic of the gods – the magic that only the Pharoah and his priests could wield. It was a scary thought to enter a place normally forbidden to all people but the Pharoah and his attendants. But Yugi promised them that everything would be all right.
"Yugi, are you sure this is a good idea?" Anzu asked. The young girl was a slave brought over from the Northern Lands, where white-skinned people lived in barbaric tribes. She was born a barbarian, but raised an Egyptian. She was a slave, but she loved Egypt more than most of the natives did.
"Come on, we can trust him; he's never let us down before." Jono was the son of an Egyptian warrior, which meant that by law he would become a warrior himself. Although Jono was inept at combat and equally inept at providing inspiration to his troops, he was destined to become a great leader of men and a warrior for the Pharoah. Despite this, he disregarded his rank almost as much as he went against his father's wishes.
The pharoah smiled beneath his cloak. In his guise of "Yugi", he was a beggar with a forgotten past, and a passion for Dueling. He claimed he was born into slavery but possessed the gift that allowed humans to summon spirits. However, he'd been cursed with leprosy, which made him a lost soul in other people's eyes. So he wandered the streets of Egypt in search of food, water, and companionship. It was a good back story in the pharoah's opinion. It gave him a reason to wear the hood and cloak even when he was with his friends. But he also had to wear a lot of bandages over his hands and arms, since lepers could spread their disease with a touch. The bandages would protect others from the disease, and would also hold their rotting flesh together. The pharoah was glad he was not truly a leper – their descriptions made them seem like they were undead.
There was a roar in the distance, and Anzu leapt to Yugi's side. She clenched his bandaged arm tightly, afraid for her life. Jono, on the other hand, seemed more nervous than afraid.
Yugi lightly touched the back of Anzu's hand, which calmed her as if his touch was magical. "Do not worry. Nothing will harm us here. Some of the spirits rage against their prisons within the stone tablets, but there is little they can do without a magician to summon them."
Jono looked around, amazed at the sheer number of tablets stacked, piled, and propped against each other in this church. "Is every spirit collected by the Pharoah's priests stored here?"
"Yes," he replied. "The priests look for people with the aura of a spirit around them, and search their souls for the source of that aura. The spirit is then drawn out and trapped within these tablets, so that they cannot harm their host in the future. They also make fine weapons to protect Egypt from the barbarians of distant lands."
"That is... incredible," Anzu cooed. "And you believe that Jono and I have the talent for this magic?"
"Yes, I do," Yugi said. "And to prove it, I shall guide you through a Duel with the tablets."
"D-Duel!?" Jono and Anzu cried. Jono added, "But is a Duel not lethal to the loser?"
"Sometimes," Yugi replied as he approached the ritual area. "But only if the victor wishes it. And I assume neither of you wish to kill each other."
"Of course not," Anzu said. "But why should we Duel? I am but a slave, and Jono is a warrior. It is not right to use the Pharoah's tablets without his permission. The gods would surely punish us. And... I do not wish to cause the two of you any trouble should something bad happen."
The pharoah turned, and slowly removed his hood. Anzu and Jono cried out in surprise as they saw the visage of their supposedly deformed friend. "Y-Yugi...? You're..." Jono fell to his knees instantly, while Tea stuttered over her sentence. She was sure that Pharoah was here to punish her!
He approached and calmly touched her face, as he'd touched her so many times before. Again, she felt calm and relaxed at his touch. "Do not be afraid. I am here to help you two realize your true potential. If you indeed possess the power of magic... then your lives would take a turn for the better. Please, trust me Anzu."
"Yugi..." she weeped. She fell at her pharoah's feet and kissed them out of sheer joy. Pharoah sweatdropped. It was technically the proper etiquette, but it was embaressing.
When Anzu was done with her praise and a bit calmer, they awoke Jono from his slumber. Apparently, he'd fallen asleep while prostrating before Pharoah and waiting for his command to rise. Once they were ready, Pharoah told them to stand at opposite ends of the ritual floor, and taught them the basics of summoning the tablets. Once they were sure they were ready, he told them to summon their first tablets to the area.
"Concentrate," Pharoah said softly. "Bring a tablet here that matches what you feel in your heart. If you have faith in yourself and your power, you will be rewarded."
It took some time, but they were able to succeed without any assistance from Pharoah's magic. Jono brought forth a tablet that depicted a swordsman wielding a flaming weapon. It floated before him, and the spirit appeared from the tablet as a physical being at Jono's command. Jono was so excited by his feat, that the tablet dropped with a loud crash. Pharoah chided him, and Jono regained control of himself and the tablet. It resumed its floating, and the Flame Swordsman waited for a command.
Anzu did the same, calling on the power of something sweet, gentle, and beautiful. It was her image of Yugi that she was imagining. Despite his supposedly scarred form, he was a kind man that could cure her fears with a touch. His soul was pure, warm, and strong. In that way, he'd been beautiful. Now that she knew that he was the Pharoah, long praised for his appearance, she knew that his beauty extended even further.
A tablet appeared before Anzu, and from it emerged a fairy creature of great beauty and power. It stood before the swordsman that Jono had summoned, and seemed defiant against the other monster despite looking like a peaceful creature.
Pharoah smiled at his two friends, now certain that they had the power to become true magicians. He would have Simon test them tomorrow, and they would surely pass. Then they would become one of Simon's students, and they could be together in public without fear of reprisal. "Now... let us continue the practice Duel." Anzu and Jono readily agreed.
Tomorrow at sunset, the newest group of magic students would be chosen. And Anzu and Jono were sure to be two of them. But so would that mysterious girl that frightened the priests so much. That girl, Juri...
--
Yami awoke from his memory as Joey cried about his loss at the hands of the Heavenly Lover. Tea was doing her trademark victory pose, while little Yugi was cheering for her as he promised he would. Solomon was consoling Joey...sort of.
"It was a tough loss, my boy," Solomon said, "but you must face it like a man." Solomon ran over and did a victory pose with Tea. "Congratulations Tea! A sweet and pretty girl like you wouldn't leave a hungry old man by the wayside, would you?"
"Of course not Grandpa!" Tea said happily. "Joey would be happy to pay for your food on our All-You-Can-Eat day too! Ri~ght, Joey?"
Joey cried into his arm. "You'll pay for this, you dirty rats! I'll have my revenge!" He fell over in exasperation. "Yugi, could I borrow some money?"
Yami smiled lightly. Joey hasn't changed in five thousand years. He may speak a new language, but he is still the same bumbling warrior I remember. Yami returned to the safety of Yugi's mind, and put in his vote for what they should eat during Joey's All-You-Can-Eat treat.