"Duelists!" a voice not unfamiliar to Raven that of new Star Spokesperson Serenity Tesconé, came across the television, "Are you ready to test your skills?" Images of the duels in the Star Tournament and the battle in Los Angeles aginst the Abyss appeared on the screen, "The Stars of Destiny are calling you out! Duelists all across Japan are entitled to compete! All you need is a deck and Duel Disk, and if you don't have those, we sell them! To register, report to Stars of Destiny Central Headquarters in Sunnydale as soon as possible!" Serenity's voice became more excited as she went on.
"That's their best ad for the Fallen Star Cup?" Kaomi laughed. She wore a white t-shirt with dark blue shorts.
"Well, it is Serenity's work." Raven joked, "Ready?" He wore a black sleeveless shirt and black jeans.
"Yeah." They both stood and exited Raven's house. A black car pulled up with a familiar face behind the wheel.
"Wesley Whyndam-Pryce!" Kaomi smiled.
"Kaomi Itai. Lord Raven Vaniver." Wes smiled, "You know, I plan to put this Duel Disk to use finally."
"So," Raven got in the car, "You still haven't quit?"
"Sevanos wanted to keep me on as Technical Coordinator, and he seems less evil since your big duel with him a few months back." Wes sat in a white coat, blue shirt, and dark pants. "I've upgraded the systems at HQ. I hear tell that you two are finally getting your positions within the organization too."
"Cool!" Kaomi smiled.
"I heard about your trip to America, too." Wes drove along.
"Yeah. Saved the world from tyrannical reign, nothing major." Raven smiled.
"So Sevanos undid the memory thingy too?" Kaomi observed.
"Memory thingy?" Wes sounded confused.
"Yeah, last time you-"Raven stopped her.
"He doesn't seem to remember that, Kaomi..." Raven whispered to her.
"Oh." She nodded.
-O-
Sevanos stood on Floor 25, standard operations, with Alan-Tax, Barbas, and Opaka.
"No answer at the Motou Game Shop?" Sevanos asked.
"It appears the King of Games had urgent business in America." Barbas replied.
"Sure, now he wants to go to America." Sevanos sighed, "What of Shuyin, Aura, and Lantash?"
"It we can't get a response on any of their cell phones." Opaka sat at a terminal designed to act as an elaborate telephone.
"Alan?" Sevanos asked.
"Sorry, the Tomb Keepers are still busy, and Marshal and Colbert haven't been found yet. Good news, though, Cid reports Illarya plans to enter."
"Well thank God for that." Sevanos said sarcastically.
"Don't worry Sevvy-boy!" Ardrea stood in the door, "If ye build it, they will come."
"Ardrea?" Sevanos spun.
"Master Pegasus is... well... away. So I came to my second favorite boss. By the way, Motou and his gang are on Industrial Illusions business, and Pegasus excuses your development of the Iron Star Simulator until his return. With that all said, how might I be of service?"
"Get Serenity, she's in her room on Floor Ten, and have her ready for Raven and Kaomi's induction." Sevanos ordered, "Alan, try to get a hold of people like Lios, Arkith, and those two Magician dolts from Los Angeles. And ask them how repairs are going."
"Aye."
"Opaka, call Kaiba Corporation again, this time ask to speak with either of the brothers Kaiba. Tell them it's a high-profile event and his attendance is strongly requested. Barbas, contact TV Tokyo, get our commercial on more often!" Sevanos ordered.
"Aye." They both nodded.
-O-
"Raven! Kaomi!" Serenity ran up to them Ardrea calmly walked up. They were both dressed in flowing robes.
"Just in time." Ardrea commented. She flipped open her cell phone, "Ready Alan."
"Upgraded projectors on-line. You've got a live feed to Star Stadium in town." Alan replied. Ardrea nodded.
A holographic podium appeared in the lobby, and a holographic audience appeared on the far wall. Serenity approached the podium, "Welcome! I thank you for attending an event so important to us. We recently celebrated massive staff additions, and today's two bring it all to a close. Kaomi Itai, step forward!" Kaomi did. "For courage in the face of danger to yourself and ones you care about, great skill with a deck, and devotion to the cause, you are hereby one of the 108 Stars of Destiny!" Serenity handed Kaomi a mage's robe similar to the one she was in, "Next, the legendary Raven Vaniver!" Kaomi stepped aside. "For devotion, dueling prowess, risking yourself for the one you care most about countless times, and saving the world, so to speak, you are hereby inducted into the ranks of the 108 Stars of Destiny!" She handed him a robe.
Raven and Kaomi looked gracious, but confused.
"Sorry for being so brief, but that concludes today's announcement." Serenity bowed and dragged Kaomi and Raven off. The holograms vanished.
"What the crap?" Raven finally said after a moment of uneasy silence.
"Just a bit of public relations." Serenity walked over to the elevator, "C'mon. I'm sure Sevanos wants to see you both before the tournament tomorrow."
"Right." Raven nodded.
-O-
"Raven!" Sevanos smiled, "How have you been?"
"It's only been a month, Sevanos. You sound cheery." Raven smiled.
"I'm just relieved to find business as usual this past month. No Nemesis, no Seros, no God-Kings, no Seraph. I like it! I daresay, we may end this summer with normal operations!" Sevanos smiled.
"Don't jinx it, Sevvy-boy." Ardrea grinned.
"Everyone seems so happy around here." Kaomi observed, "It's amazing to think that just weeks ago we expected to never see home again. I mean, look at you!"
"Yeah, well..." Sevanos' smile widened, "At any rate, your rooms are prepared, I have a lot of PR to do. The tournament is tomorrow!"
"Right. See you tomorrow." Raven and Kaomi left. Ardrea stood for a moment, and then followed.
-O-
"Sevanos, mind if I ask why this is so important to you?" Opaka sighed.
"One word: Kaya." Sevanos said, impassively.
"Kaya? The Kaya?" Alan spun from his computer.
"Yeah. This is her first big tournament, and the first time I've seen her in years. I want it to be memorable." Sevanos replied.
"Who is Kaya, anyway?" Opaka asked.
"Kaya Theas, Sevanos'..." Alan trailed off.
"Former fiancée." Sevanos finished Alan's statement,
"Oh? What happened?" Opaka asked.
"Suffice it to say, Kaya didn't want to be part of what the Stars stood for back then." Alan explained.
"Which was?" Opaka asked.
-O-
"Welcome ladies, gentlemen, and duelists!" Sevanos stood in the center of a stadium, but was being broadcasted citywide, to be replayed later nationally. "Over a hundred and fifty years ago, my family founded a secret society bent on controlling the political agendas of America, China, England, and Japan, in an attempt to control the major powers of Earth. This agenda was the basis for my great-grandfather's Stars of Destiny. One hundred and eight men banded together to dominate. As you'd expect, unsuccessfully. Their brief spurt of power faded, and my father's generation was nothing more than 108 sad, angry, and delusional men. When I inherited a seat of power, my entire old life left me for fear of what I might become, knowing the caliber of men driven mad by the Stars of Destiny. But I was not afraid. I dismissed all of the other 107, and from the ground up I built this organization, maybe a little to obsessed with Duel Monsters, but at least it isn't global domination." He laughed, "And now, we begin our first public duel tournament, the Fallen Star Cup!" Cheers rose. As the crowd quieted, Sevanos decided to take the chance to plug his products, "I take this time to announce that aside from the merchandise Industrial Illusions has authorized us to make, an Industrial Illusions rep and member of my Central Office staff has informed me of the final authorization for our Project Iron Star. The IS will be a virtual reality devise much like Kaiba Corps rumored VirtuaPod and the Kingdom, an equally rumored device by a failed corporation. Where others have given only hushed words and failures, we will give you results!" Another cheer rose, "Without further ado, I hereby announce that in just fifteen minutes, the first ever Fallen Star Tournament will begin!" Fireworks shot off behind him as he stepped off the stage. Alan and Barbas met him.
"Great speech, sir!" Barbas bowed.
"It was nothing. Just a little crowd-pumping exercise. Alan, raise the stage, Barbas, head to home base and get things ready with Opaka." Sevanos smiled.
Another person approached him. Her hair was long and beautifully brown. She wore a blue outfit cut to show plenty of skin. She had beauty, and flaunted it readily.
"Kaya." Sevanos smiled.
"Sev. How you been?" she asked, smiling.
"Not so bad. Yourself?" Sevanos returned the smile.
"Great. It's been a while."
"Three years."
"I'm glad to see good things come from your family, Sevanos. This Stars thing destroyed it, and now..."
"All for the hopes that you'd forgive me."
"For what? I had so little faith in you... I should apologize."
"So, we're okay now?"
"Yeah." Kaya gave Sevanos a quick hug, "Don't you have duels to get to?"
-O-
"Illarya!" Raven walked up to Illarya, who stood in a red jacket, white shirt, and black jeans.
"Raven! How are you! You look well!" Illarya grinned.
"Well, I'm not being hunted by a maniac right now, so I'm better than I've been since Battle City." Raven laughed, "But bygones are bygones."
Illarya nodded.
"Innocently, you look really good without battle armor... or blue hair... or any of that Yami Illarya stuff that made you used to look creepy. That was poorly said, but it was a compliment."
Illarya laughed, "Thanks Raven."