Rise of Destiny
Chapter 12
Prelude to the Rain Dance: The Story of Kazumi's Past
1 HOUR PREVIOUSLY...
Jounouchi had just walked through his door. Atem and Kaiba were left.
"So, Pharoah," Auros said, turning his cold eyes to Atem. "Why don't you take your door?"
"Anything if it means I can defeat you, Auros." Atem said venemously as he turned on his heel and walked toward his door.
"I think I'll go as well..." Kaiba said, turning toward the third door, and walking in.
Atem walked through his door. For a second, he thought he had left Auros' tower, and stepped into an aquarium. In a sense, he had. The walls and floor were nearly covered in patches of clear, blue glass, with many species of fish swimming inside.
"Like it?" A light, female voice asked. Atem turned, to see a pretty girl with long, pink hair that fell down to her waist, blue eyes, and a wry smile. She wore a tight-fitting grey jumpsuit that had short sleeves and leggings. Heavy jet-black armor covered her torso. On her arm rested a Duel Disk. "My name is Kazumi, and we're to have a Duel today."
"Very well, then. Can you tell me where Mazaki Anzu is?" Atem asked.
"She's at the top of this tower. Just follow me..." Kazumi replied, leading Atem to an elevator.
They stepped in. The elevator was made of clear glass, so everyone could see the water-dwellers trapped inside the aquarium.
"Pharoah," Kazumi started. "After the duel, after I win, I promise to bring back your soul so we can have our second date."
Atem looked a bit flustered by this comment. "Second?"
"I consider this Duel our first date." Kazumi said, smiling.
Atem looked away. He already did not like this girl. Suddenly, a thought struck him.
"Kazumi," He started.
"Yes?"
"Why did you join these men? They have a good cause, but deep down they are evil. They're approaching this cause in the wrong way." Atem said calmly.
Kazumi looked a bit angry. "You don't know what you're talking about! Auros just wants a place where he can live in peace and get away from this horrible world! Just like Ryuza and Gavon, and me too! Tell me, Pharoah, have you ever watched your family die in a raging inferno? Have you ever experienced the pain of losing everyone and everything important to you?"
Atem was speechless. His throat was dry.
"That's right. Just 3 years ago, I lost everything..." Kazumi started.
FLASHBACK
A teenage girl with bright pink hair is sitting on the porch steps of a large two-story house. She is wearing a traditional schoolgirl outfit; a white sailor-type shirt, and a blue skirt. A good-looking guy with bleached blonde hair and green eyes walks up, and sits down, after giving the girl a kiss on the cheek.
"So, can you come to the Spring Dance this Friday, Kazumi?" He asks in a husky voice.
"Yeah, but I had to beg my mom to let me go," Kazumi said, grinning. The guy returned the grin.
They sat there for a few minutes, thinking about eachother. Suddenly, a smoke alarm was heard from inside, and smoke pours out from the windows.
"Oh god..." The boy says.
"A fire?" Kazumi asked. There was worry in her eyes, as flames danced in and out of the windows. The boy pushed her aside, where she landed roughly on the cement of the street. He ran inside, only saying "Don't worry! I'll save your family!"
/FLASHBACK
"That was the last I saw of my boyfriend. Firemen found his body, burned, inside the house later, along with the rest of my family." Kazumi said soberly, her head down.
FLASHBACK
Kazumi is standing on a grubby sidewalk. A burning apartment complex is in front of her.
"Mother!" Kazumi shouted in anguish. "Father!"
A man put his hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry." He said. "Your parents were wonderful people. You may live with me if you like."
Kazumi sank to the ground, weeping...
/FLASHBACK
"After that, I lived at an orphanage, and eventually learned how to play Duel Monsters from a strange man named Bartholomew Auros. He taught me the rules, and even gave me a few cards to start out. I finally realized what kind of deck I wanted to play..."
FLASHBACK
Auros and Kazumi are sitting at a small table, apparently inside a card shop. Kazumi is shuffling through cards rapidly, taking a look at each of them, and sometimes adding in "ooh," or "neat!"
"Have you decided what kind of deck you'd like to make yet?" Auros asked patiently.
Kazumi looked up, determination in her eyes.
"I...I want to create a deck with monsters that reside in the water. Creatures of the sea. Water is the only thing that can combat my hated enemy---Fire! With this deck, I will become a skilled Duellist!"
Auros nodded. "Good. You have motivation. I like that."
Kazumi shrunk back, a bit scared. "Um...yeah...I'm still a minor, and I know you must be over 20! I'm sorry, but I'd rather date someone my own age"
Auros just chuckled. "Don't fear me, young woman. I'm recruiting soldiers for a 'project' I'm working on. You would be a good candidate. What do you say?"
Kazumi looked reproachful, but then said, "Ah, what the hell? I'm not going to be doing much else with my life at the moment, am I? Sure!"
Auros grinned sinisterly...
/FLASHBACK
The elevator stopped suddenly, and the doors opened. They were standing on a small, metallic platform. Kazumi pressed a button on her wristwatch, and walls sprang up. The walls were still made of clear, blue glass with fish swimming inside. They formed a collosseum-like arena, where they were only exposed to the endless dark sky.
"This is our arena. It's kind of small, but I like it. It's...spunky..." Kazumi said, her voice drifting off to the clouds.
Atem then spotted who he had come for. Anzu was tied to a cross, her wrists and ankles tightly bound together. She hung from a hook on the cross by the ropes around her wrists.
"Yugi!" Anzu shouted. "You have to defeat her!"
Kazumi scowled. "Keep quiet! I'll release you if he beats me. And that will not happen!"
"You don't have a chance with him." Anzu said coldly.
"Oh really?" Kazumi said, her face getting a bit red.
"Let's get down to business!" Atem shouted, flourishing his Duel Disk, activating it, and drawing 5 cards. Kazumi did the same.
"Oops, almost forgot...Activate Soul Cards!" Kazumi shouted. Three cards appeared behind her.
"Activate Soul Cards!" Atem mimicked. Dark Magician and Osiris appeared behind him.
DUEL START
Kazumi: I'll start off by playing a Spell card---A Legendary Ocean, to be exact!
Water floods the field, and soaks both Duellists' feet. The water goes up to their knees.
Kazumi: Isn't the ocean beautiful, Yugi? Maybe after this is all over, Auros can conjure us up a perfect beach in the Haven to spend the evening on. To end my turn, I'll summon Amphibious Bugroth MK-3(1500/1300)!
Atem: Don't count on it! I summon Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts(1500/1200) in ATK mode! Attack her monster now!
Kazumi: Looks like you made a mistake! You see, my Spell card allows me to add 200 points to each of my Monsters. So, your Gazelle just launched itself into a trap. And you lose 200 Life Points! Oh, Yugi...I love you, yet I have to defeat you to win your heart!
Gazelle is shattered. Atem's Life Points drop.
Atem/3800 Kazumi/4000
Kazumi: I think it's my turn now. So, I'll attack your Life Points. Go, my monster, attack, with Aqua Cannon V2.0!
Amphibious Bugroth shoots a steady stream of water out of it's side cannons, both of which hit Atem dead on.
Atem/2100 Kazumi/4000
Kazumi: At this rate, I'll have my dream man in no time!
Atem: Not if I have anything to say about it! Can I truly win a duel without Yugi? It looks like I'm going to have to!
To Be Continued
NEXT: Rain Dance Part 1