Out of the hail of falling metal and stone appeared a barely living body. It hit the ground with a sickening thud. As it came to a rest on the ground, 4 streamers of energy came flying out of it and shot in different directions.
"Aaron!" Ashley moaned in agony. She got off Paul and began to run towards what was left of him.
"Ashley! Wait for us!" Sarah called out to her, Nick running along side her in pursuit.
"Hey look out!" Paul shouted as the Thunder Dragon cut the 3 off.
Just then, one of the energy streams came down and struck him head first, engulfing him in a surge of Rema!
"Paul!" Kuro called out to him as she saw his body was changing.
"Hang on! I'll be right there!" Vaurnut shouted as he broke away from the Crescent Dragon, dashing towards Paul. Another of the streamers shot towards him, though, enveloping him in a pillar of energy. The other two streamers shot in different directions, one out towards the shore, the other up towards the arches of the bridge.
Up above the chaos on the ground, Kyle as the Skilled Dark Magician was jumping form one arch to another as Kissia the Blue Eyes White Dragon was diving in on him!
"I don't think so!" He said, swinging his staff at her, and having it bounce of her scaly face.
HA HA HA! Still trying to fight me with such pitiful strength? she telepathically taunted .Kyle grunted as she came around for another pass, probably to try and gobble him in one go.
"Come and get it!" he pressured, preparing to fire a round off at her. The streamer of energy got to him first, and he was caught up in the windfall of power.
"Whoa!" he said to himself, his body beginning to grow.
Back on the shore, Tobias stood over Jacob with his fist glowing, "It's been fun, Jacob, but now its over!" he roared as he swung his fist down towards the Reflect Bounder's head. As the fist came down, a streamer cut it off, It slammed into Jacob's body, igniting with an incredible force.
"URGH!" he groaned as the force was causing him to expand. Tobias jumped away as the force grew even stronger around him.
"What is he doing?" Tobias inquired.
"He's ascending! All of them!" Dan exclaimed. A trio of the lights on the bridge gleamed like stars.
Back on the pavement, Paul and Vaurnut's forms were finishing their transformations.
Paul's body had grown to 6'3".He wore an outfit startlingly like that of the Dark Magician but the robes were as white a snow. The staff in his hands was a silver shade instead of a teal green.
In comparison, Vaurnut's body didn't grow too much, but his flaming body had changed significantly. Instead of a samurai, he was a gentleman. His clothes matched, but the same fiery power flowed around him. His face was relatively calm; despite his hair was a ball of fire.
"Light Magician!"
"Mr. Volcano!" The two ascended monsters quickly bounded over towards the two other monsters on the bridge, blocking their path to the others.
"Leave this to us." Paul ordered. "Aaron needs your help now."
"Okay then, but what about you?" Sarah asked. Nick and Ashley ran towards Aaron's body.
"We'll be fine. Now go!" Vaurnut barked, walking over towards the Crescent Dragon. The injured dragon hissed at the approaching Pyro, raising its blade and getting into a fighting stance.
"Not this time." Vaurnut said, his body beginning to flare up even more.
The Twin Headed Thunder Dragon started to back away from the Light Magician, its horns sparking with electricity.
"Oh, I don't think so! You're gonna pay for what you did to me." Paul said, his staff beginning to charge with magical energy.
Back on the arches, Kissia saw that Kyle was changing his form. He was a sitting duck in mid-transformation.
Good bye, Mahado! she telepathy announced. Her mouth filled with energy. The Dragon opened its jaws, allowing the ball of energy to fly towards the pillar of energy. The blast hit home, a massive explosion that took a good portion of the arch out. The smoke coming off it was clouding up the morning sky.
"Not bad, but your aim could use work," a voice complimented.
The Dragon turned around in shock. There before her was the Dark Magician, with Kyle's voice. "So it ends the way it started, between our true selves. Now it's time I finish this once and for all!"
The Dragon's face twisted with anger. Another burst stream flew from her fangs, aimed at her eternal rival.
Back on the shoreline, Jacob's transformation completed itself. Dan and Tobias backed away from Jacob slowly.
Standing in at 6.5, and weighing in at 212 lbs, he wore an orange robe around his waist, large boots with blue steel shin guards, and a breast plate of similar color and style covering his pecks. Similar metal composed his twin gauntlets, shoulder guards, and the large helmet he wore atop his head. His body was tan and heavily muscled, his eyes were hidden behind red lenses, and over his shoulder was a large hilt to go with his five foot long sword.
Jacob had become Gilford the Lightning, and the air above him was growing dark with storm clouds.
"Aaron, thank you," he graced solemnly. His hand found his weighty blade.
Back on the bridge, the DDL and Ashley had finally made it over to Aaron.
"Oh... my... God..." Sarah gasped. Aaron's body was a mess that vultures would see as a banquet. Patches of his skin were missing, and blood was squirting out of his wounds. Portions of his hip, left arm, his legs, and his right shoulder were simply gone, leaving him bleeding all over the road. His chest rose and fell, the only indication of life.
"He's still alive! Get back!" Kuro bade, taking a card out of her pocket. She loaded it into her duel brace.
"Cold Wave." A strong breeze of freezing air surrounded Aaron's body. Suddenly, it was incased in a block of ice, freezing all liquids within him solid.
"We'll get him back to the Castle. Nick? Get us a ride," Sarah suggested.
"You got it." Nick said, taking off down the street, heading towards one of the abandoned cars that had been left on the street when the whole event started. Ashley only looked down at Aaron's frozen face, twisted with pain, but at the same time it looked like he was crying.
"Aaron…" she murmured, tears forming in her eyes.
The Thunder Dragon had enough of the stalemate between Paul and itself. With a blood-curdling roar, it released a powerful pair of lightning bolts.
"Not smart! LIGHT MAGIC ATTACK!" he called out as his staff fired a beam of concentrated energy. It blasted clear through the lightning, nailed the beast head on. The force of the beam was too powerful for the beast to handle. Its flesh and bones unraveled under the strain, causing it to finally disintegrate. Paul saw what he had managed to do, and looked at the staff in his hands.
"Whoa. I guess I made this guy a little stronger than I thought," he observed. He then glanced over to the girls hovering over Aaron's ice block. "What the heck happened to him?"
Across from him, Crescent Dragon dove straight at Mr. Volcano, his blade held over his head. Though it swung with great speed, the Pyro dodged with little to no effort. The dragon swung again and again, but each time V barely moved and the blade missed by an inch or two.
"Rage of Fervor!" V called out as his fists turned white hot. Swinging his fist, a powerful inferno of white hot flames spewed forth. The spiraling flames surrounded the dragon in a circle of endless fire. The heat was too much for even a dragon. It cried out in agony, right before it was reduced to a pile of smoking bones and burning flesh. V looked at the remains of the beast, and then at himself reflected in a car window.
"Impressive," he rated. He then looked up at the sky. The Blue Eyes and Kyle were performing a bizarre, lethal ballet on the light blue stage. "I hope he knows what he's doing up there."
And high in the sky, Kyle was flying like a kite, while the Blue Eyes was chasing him around with all the speed she could muster.
"Give it up Kisara. You can't win. Don't make me hurt you!" Kyle warned her. She only responded with a burst stream. Its blue energy was aimed at his chest, more precisely at his heart.
So be it, if death is what you want! Kyle told himself. He was suddenly surrounded by a large silk hat. Three more appeared, surrounding the dragon in a circle.
NO! Kissia cried in her mind. The blast hit the hat, hitting only the air within. Appearing out of another hat behind her, Kyle landed on her back.
"I'm sorry, but this is the end," he apologized, aiming the staff at her head. "DARK MAGIC ATTACK!" A beam of Dark energy came flying out, it sliced cleanly through her scales and blasted her head clean off. It flew off towards the ocean, but the body quickly broke apart into millions of specks of white dust. They rained down towards the water like a blizzard. Kyle looked down at the ocean water, tears floating down from his cheeks.
"Goodbye, Blue-Eyes White Dragon, you were a worthy rival." He said, his eyes still full of regret. He began a slow descent down to the bridge.
Meanwhile, on the shore line, Jacob was preparing for some action of his own.
"You two are in for a world of hurt," he declared. Unsheathing his weapon, he held it up to the stormy sky.
"RAINING THUNDER BLADE!" he called out as he swung the blade with all his strength. Following its path were monstrous lightning bolts that rained down from the sky, headed straight towards Dan and Tobias.
"Time to GO!" Dan yelled, snatching up Tobias and disappearing at an amazing speed. They narrowly dodged the hail of electricity that obliterated everything in its path.
Jacob gave a slight growl. He resheathed his sword, and looked over to the bridge. He could see very faintly the 3 forms of the Dark Magician, Light Magician and Mr. Volcano.
"Aaron, what did you do to make this happen? And what happened to you?" he wondered, looking at his new form.
"How bout you ask someone who knows a thing or two about the situation?" A voice asked behind him.
Gilford turned around to see a man, probably in his late twenties or early thirties. He wore a robe of black silk, a white undershirt, baggy brown pants, and a Death Volstargaf Duel brace on his arm. His face had a jolly smile, blue eyes, a small mustache, and around his neck was a strange looking pendant.
"Master Roy!" Jacob yelped, startled at the man's presence. He genuflected on the spot.
"Come now, Jacob. It may have been a while since we last saw each other, but I would think you would remember that I don't need my pupils bowing before me. It gives people a false sense of superiority," Roy chuckled, stepping down from the hill and walking towards him.
"I must say I'm impressed with the power you wielded with Gilford. The devastation to the ground is more than enough proof of that," he praised, looking at the massively ravaged land where the Horsemen once stood. The ground had large slashes in the surface that led down into the bedrock.
"Thank you, but I don't believe I deserve all the credit. I-" he tried to speak, but the Master cut him off.
"Jacob, I know what happened. Just the same, it's your bond with Gilford that gave you that power. You don't give yourself enough credit. Now, come with me. Your friend needs your support, and I believe you all need answers," Roy extended his hand as he spoke. Gilford got off his knee and followed Roy down the shoreline towards the bridge, and the DDL.
It was Noon when Aaron's body had been placed in the Castle's Infirmary. He had been placed in a horizontal tube attached to a rather large piece of medical equipment. His body had been perfectly preserved in the ice, and was now being worked on by whatever was inside the Doc's strange device.
Ashley looked over the still form of Aaron's wounded body. The chamber was filled with a strange green gas, making his skin glow an eerie green.
"Is he going to be all right?" she wondered.
"Physically yes. His wounds, despite their severity, can be healed. The missing portions of his bone and muscle tissue can be repaired via this mist of protoform cells. While his blood loss was extensive, he's just short of requiring infusions. He'll be back to 100 percent in about a month's time," The Doc assured. Portions of his skin were glowing brighter as the muscle tissue regenerated.
"What about mentally? He hasn't shown any sign of consciousness since he broke apart into Valkyrion," Kuro inquired.
"That's the strange thing. His mind is perfectly active, but despite my attempts to revive him, he's remained inactive. It's as though he is aware, but has no control of his body. I can't find any reasons for this anomaly in my scans. It's completely baffling," Doc responded, looking at one of the displays on the machine.
Paul and Nick were looking at his Duel Brace records, searching for what could have caused him to lose the stability of the form.
"It just doesn't make sense. We all saw him complete the transformation. What could have made him lose it?" Paul asked, looking at the data on the screen.
"Well, it still doesn't make sense how he managed to spilt into 3 monsters. Dalin's ability to control multiple forms at once is a rare ability to find, and Josh is the only one who has anything else close to it. Aaron's power is clairvoyance and strong sensing capabilities, so he shouldn't have been even close to that kind of power," Nick stated, looking at the Valkyrion card on the brace. It was still on the playing field from where Aaron placed it when he had tried, and failed, to merge.
"Also, we still haven't figured out how he managed to ascend first or why he has been the cause of so many of ours. It just doesn't seem possible that one person could be able to do so much," Sarah noted, looking over Nick's shoulder.
"It's because it isn't. Well, not normally," replied a voice from behind them. They turned to see it was Roy, with Jacob behind him, and Chuck as well.
"Are you saying you know what is happening to him?" Ashley demanded. She looked as if about to break down and cry at any moment.
"In a sense, I do. Many in the council find it hard to believe, but it seems that boy possesses something that shouldn't be possible," Roy explained. He stepped across the floor, heading straight for the machine. "Doctor, can you set the spectral scanner to a degree of nine point five, and direct it towards his upper torso?"
"Certainly, one moment," the Doctor said. He reached for the controls and began to program the machine.
Sarah paused for a second. Then, she inquired, "Why are you scanning in the range that is used for detecting spiritual influence?"
"Spiritual influence?" Nick asked.
"Ghosts, spirits, and all things that could be considered beyond normal means of detection can be picked up on that range. It's commonly perceivable by those with higher senses, like Aaron and myself, but it's not something unique. So, why are you looking?" Sarah wondered.
"There is something amiss here. The council first noticed it when we got the report from Jacob about how Aaron managed to learn spirit merging in a matter of moments. Then, when he had recuperated in a matter of hours after that double duel on the day of Dan's assault on this castle, we grew even more suspicious. Upon learning that he managed to ascend the level four barrier in under a year's time, and in the same week managed to influence two more into achieving it, we grew certain that he had to be getting some assistance that even he was unaware of," Roy stated. A small robotic arm extended from the machine and hovered over the portion of the tube where Aaron's chest was located. A dark blue light emitted from the arm, and began to flow down his chest. The light caused the skin to glow intensely brighter, like it had been set on fire.
"What's that?" Ashley asked, confused at what was causing the light.
"What you are seeing is the light of Rema, the energy of his soul. Look closer, and you'll see what is making all of this happen," Roy bade. He was looking upwards towards Aaron's neck. She looked and gasped. There was another light, a tad brighter than the surrounding light, in a spherical form. It looked like a stone sphere made of blue rock, but there were etchings of an ancient language carved all around it. It was pulsing in and out with the same the rhythm as a heartbeat, buried inside the light of Aaron's Rema.
"What the hell is that?" Nick asked.
"A soul stone chamber. A soul of another being is held in that rock, a being that has been reincarnated into another of her linage," Roy told them, taking note of the object.
"Her? So, does that mean you know who is in that thing?" Jacob questioned.
"Yes, Erin of the Lanodra line," Roy answered calmly. Almost everyone else in the room couldn't believe what he just said.
"Erin? The one who dueled in the 4th Tournament?" Paul contemplated.
"The one who lost the in the final round, giving the Daikai their first tournament victory?" Chuck questioned as well.
"Yes. The only time the League of the Dark Dragon competed in the Tournament was when she was its leader, and she lost against the leader of the Daikai. Now her soul chamber resides within a descendant of hers," Roy answered, his gaze not leaving the stone.
"Can't we remove it? Is that why Aaron's not waking up?" Ashley panicked.
"It probably is, but there isn't much we can do. It's residing on a plane of existence that isn't really accessible. There maybe a reason why Aaron hasn't woken up, and it may involve whatever reason she chose to come back for this tournament," Roy stated.
"Speaking of reasons, what are you doing here Master?" Jacob wondered.
"I was sent here to observe Aaron in action, and I must admit, the boy does have potential, but I also came here for his naming ceremony. With him unconscious, I can't give him his title," he responded, looking towards his former pupil. "At this time we need all available dragon league members on standby."
"What? Why?" Chuck asked, confused.
"We've gotten reports from the other leagues and seen increases in the amount of duel monster activity in both worlds. They all involve the possible inclusion of the Saparity," Roy explained, serious in his voice.
"'Saparity?'" Kuro questioned. The word wasn't ringing any bells.
"I've heard of them, aren't they a group of fanatics that have connections to organizations with the most money and the most influence in the world?" a voice wondered from the doorway. It was Dalin. Behind him Josh, Vic, Vaurnut and Amy were entering the infirmary.
"Yes. They normally only cause trouble that's easily dealt with, but lately the crimes committed by these people is starting to rival the Daikai in brutality. We've gotten unconfirmed reports that they maybe trying to bring into being the rebirth of the God cards," Roy replied. A sudden silence gripped the room.
"The Gods? How could they bring them back? They exist in the card game, but they won't work with out the actual spirits of them are sealed inside," Josh pointed out.
"We don't know, but the facts remain that it is a possible threat. Even the Daikai aren't willing to let such power be brought into the world without someone with the proper knowledge using it," Roy informed.
"So, what are we supposed to do about it?" Amy asked.
"Yeah she's got a point; the Dark Dragon League is the last line of defense for monster related issues. The Silver Dragon League is responsible for domestic issues like that." Dalin pointed out.
"Even so, this threat could affect the whole world. It's up to every league to pick up the slack to protect both worlds," Roy added. As the conversation carried on, Ashley listened with all her attention focused on the master. She was taking in all the information, ignoring almost everything else. To her side, however, the boy in the tube was starting to stir slightly.
Deep inside the confines of the stone, Aaron began to awaken. He looked around to find himself lying in a meadow. The landscape was nothing but an endless field of green grass and a gigantic blue skyline. He glanced everywhere, and saw that he was no where near the Golden Gate Bridge.
"Where the hell am I?" he asked himself.
"In my domain, Aaron, son of Raymond," a placid, omnipresent voice spoke.
"Who are you? How do you know my name?" he demanded of the empty landscape. The voice had struck a chord in his heart; he'd heard that voice before.
"Yes, you do Aaron. You heard it once before, a long time ago," it responded. The sound now stopped surrounding him, and came to a focused point in front of him. The air had started to swirl in that location. Dust and blades of grass began to spin in the air, and a person appeared in the center of the twister.
It was a young woman, probably in her early twenties. She was wearing a skirt made of thick brown leather, and a pair of shoes that looked like they were made from skin of a mammal. They were light and apparently made for running long distances. On her wrists were bracelets made of gold and bronze, each with ancient hieroglyphs running along the band. She wore a white robe that wrapped around her waist and over her shoulders, but a plate of bronze armor covered the front bearing a faintly familiar design. Her face was a one of peace and tranquility. Her light brown hair floated in the air as the wind continued to spiral around her. She stood about 5.6, and her appearance was spellbinding. Aaron couldn't believe it.
"Wait a sec. I've seen you before!" he exclaimed. He recollected the day Kuro and Sarah brought him the CRS.
Flash Back begins
"What does this mean?" he wondered. Just then the cards began to glow, and so did his eyes.
"WHOA!" he called out as everything went black.
Just then, he saw blinding bright light. He was looking straight at a woman dressed in ancient Egyptian robes. Her eyes were full of exhaustion, but she had willed herself to stand. Her brown hair was a mess from some sort of struggle, and her face was dirty.
However, to the side of Aaron's vision was a Dark Paladin. The creature was calm as usual, but something in its eyes made it seem that it was struggling inside.
It looks like this guy is about to break down and cry, Aaron thought to himself. Just then, the right arm of the body Aaron was looking through pointed at the girl.
"Attack now!" he heard the voice command. The Paladin clamped his eyes closed and dove for the girl. Then the image shattered like a broken window.
Aaron's vision returned, and found himself back in the chair.
Flash Back Ends
"You were the one I saw in that vision, you were struck down by a Dark Paladin," he recalled. The wind surrounding her soon came to a stop, and she opened her violet eyes to his.
"I am Erin Lanodra, former leader of the Dark Dragon League during the 4th tournament. At last, we meet face to face," she introduced with a smile.
"How do you know so much about me, and why am I here? The last thing I remember was being spilt apart into the Magnet Warriors, and now I find myself here."
"You failed your attempt to complete the transformation. Your body was summarily punished for that mistake," she explained rather coldly.
"What do you mean? Wait, you said you were the leader during the 4th tournament." Aaron realized, suddenly realizing what that meant. "But... that was over a thousand years ago!"
"Indeed, it was," she confirmed. "So, I suppose you think you're dead, eh?"
"Well, the thought has crossed my mind. Am I?" he asked.
"No, at least not yet. Your friends managed to get you to a medical facility. Whether you awake or not may depend on you," she informed.
"What do you mean?" Aaron asked, now somewhat worried.
"You are in my soul chamber. I was reincarnated into your very soul and have been watching you since you were born. I've seen you grow from a babe to a young man. When you lost the transformation's stability, your consciousness was transferred here for your safety. Now that it is here, you are stuck until you master the necessary skills you need back out in the real world." Erin summarized.
"How am I supposed to do that? I still don't know what the heck is wrong with me. I've been doing stuff that has got everyone else spooked, and I don't know why. So, how am I going to learn this stuff if I'm going to make another mistake like this?" Aaron inquired.
"You won't if you don't drop that attitude. Everyone makes a mistake every now and then. Unless you accept it and learn from it, you'll remain a failure for the rest of your days." she reminded, stepping across the grass towards him.
"Aaron, I've been helping you ever so slightly in your battles. I've given you my power of reflection, the power to copy from others. It was that that allowed you to Spirit Merge for the first time after Jacob did it in front of you. Ditto with Gearfried's effect when you were trapped on the train," she explained.
"So, you're the reason behind my ascensions, aren't you?" Aaron surmised.
"Actually, no. I've allowed you to make excessive progress, but it was you and your feelings that allowed you to ascend," Erin answered. She stopped a foot in front of him.
"What? Everyone else has been doing this forever, and you're telling me that I did it on my own? That's just not possible. It can't be…" Aaron tried to object.
"Oh? Why is that? Everyone is different Aaron. We all learn at different levels, some faster and some slower, but there are also other causes for progress. Remember that your companion did it on his own, and he's been at it only a few months more than you. You both seem to forget the reasons how you managed to do it," Erin told him.
"Huh? I was surrounded by a herd of reptiles when I first became Truesdale and Nick was caught up in the bug swarm. I doubt being outnumbered makes that kind of difference, otherwise the others would have ascended by now," he objected.
"In a sense your right, but remember your feelings when that happened. What was your mind set? Nick's was the protection of the castle. He let his emotions give him strength, but his rage spilt his concentration didn't it?" Erin pointed out.
Aaron tried to remember out loud. "I was thinking at the time I was going to die, but I wasn't going to let them get to me. I gave a prayer to Ashley, but then I heard her voice. The next thing I knew, I was changing into the card Vaurnut gave me."
"The both of you were willing to die in battle. At the same time, your minds were elsewhere, to what you both felt were more important. That lapse in concentration is what gives rise to the power of ascension," Erin explained. A cool breeze crossed the fields. The gentle wind grazing across the grass brushed against their legs, and caused Erin's hair to flow in the breeze.
"Lapse in concentration? But wasn't that why I failed the Valkyrion merge?" Aaron wondered.
"No. What you did there was go too far beyond your limits. Like the boy Icarus and his wax wings, you flew too close to the sun and your wings were clipped. Be thankful you have such loyal friends that were able to save you! The Rema of your body was shot out and sought out those capable of taking it, thereby allowing them to ascend." she informed. Then she glanced over to the east, and added, "I believe you may be able to become Valkyrion one day. For now it is far beyond your capability. You need to be a better duelist in order for such a transformation, also if you ever want to become the Masked Beast again."
"Masked Beast? What are you talking about?" Aaron blinked in confusion.
"In the previous timeline, when you found out about Ashley's death, the darkness in your heart took over, forcing you to transform. It was still kept in check by your conscious mind. While it was a more manageable transformation than Valkyrion, you still need to improve before you should try again," Erin suggested.
Aaron took a deep breath, then looked to his wrist. His duel brace and his deck were gone.
"How am I going to do any of this with out my cards or my Duel Brace?" he inquired.
"Those items of yours were given to you out of necessity and pursuit for them. In this world they must find a higher purpose," Erin told him. When Aaron asked, "Higher purpose?", she went on.
"The deck of cards you wield in battle against the forces of evil isn't just a bundle of pieces of paper with statistics printed on them, nor is the duel brace just a machine that allows you to do battle. They are extensions of you. Whether they are your soul, your interests, or your loves, they represent you, and in order for you to grow, they must change as well. So from here on out, you will have to start from scratch."
"Scratch? Pardon my frankness but I don't exactly see a card store to even start off with," he observed. She gave a slight grin.
"As your training progresses you will earn cards to make a deck. With each of my lessons, you will learn about the proper uses of them and how you can become even stronger. At the very end of this endeavor, we shall see if you have what it takes to leave this realm and be a true duelist," Erin reported.
Aaron raised his right hand in the air, as though asking a question in class. "Bonus question: Where's the payphone?"
"Hm?" Erin wondered.
"I think I should tell my friends what the situation is. If you managed to contact me, I think you have to have someway to contact the outside world," Aaron supposed.
"All right then. I believe you may need this," she offered, holding out her right hand. In it, Aaron saw a Gearfried the Iron Knight card.
"Thank you," Aaron graced, taking it.
"Don't thank me yet, a long path lies before you, and it may take more out of you than that explosion." Erin warned.
"I can hardly wait," Aaron sighed. "Let's get started."
"Hold on. I'll get your friends' attention," she directed.
Back in the real world, Aaron's Tyrant Dragon Brace began to glow.
Vaurnut, ever vigilant, was the first to notice. "Hey what's happening to that-"
A card fired free from the graveyard slot on the device and shot towards the tube. It smacked against the side, and began glowing.
"Uh, explanations?" Jacob asked. It was one of Aaron's Gearfried cards. It was emitting a faint red light. Appearing in a fuzzy haze was a hologram of Aaron, all in one piece.
"Hello! Am I getting through?" the hologram asked.
"Aaron! Is that you?" Ashley wondered, hope in her voice.
"Yeah, sorry for making you worry. It looks like I screwed up big," he started, a little sadness in his voice.
"Hey, don't worry about it. You're all right, and you'll be okay, right?" Sarah inquired.
"I hope so, but I better tell you what I just heard," Aaron responded, preparing for a long discussion. For the next few minutes, Aaron gave what information Erin had given him. Jacob and the others explained the situation Roy had given them.
"It sounds like I lucked out, what are you going to do about these guys?" Aaron asked.
"We're planning on splitting the DDL up for now. A small number of us will remain at the castle to take care of our normal duties. The rest will be spilt among the other Dragon Leagues to help out with the threat," Roy planned. "We're also planning on sending a small commando unit into Daikai territory to find out information about Roger, the Missing Horseman. We've been receiving reports about a possible challenger to his position and we need to know who that may be."
"Who do you plan to send?" Aaron wondered.
"Kuro and Vic have volunteered, seeing as the 2 of them have no obligations in the human world anymore. We were planning on asking you to join them, but as you are now, I'm afraid we'll be one man short on the DDL side," Roy informed. Aaron gave a slight growl. In the recent weeks, he had come to think of Kuro and Vic as extended family. He didn't want to leave them hanging.
"Could I go in his place?" The words struck a chord in his heart. He saw that it was Ashley who said it.
"Ashley, we thank you for your support, but you aren't responsible to take Aaron's place in his duties," Chuck dissuaded.
"Aaron only got hurt because of me! Please! I know I can learn to be a good duelist like him," she begged, tears forming.
"Ashley…" Aaron murmured.
"Aaron, you know I can handle it. Trust me," she assured him.
Roy thought for a second. Then, he finally said, "You do realize that you have no training, or for that matter a deck for you to use, yet you still wish to go?"
"She can use cards in my collection to duel with. It looks like I won't be using them for a while," Aaron suggested. "I guess the same could be said of my Duel Brace."
"What about training? She doesn't know how to duel or battle," Josh pointed out.
"I can teach her how to duel along the way," Vic volunteered.
"I can show her how to fight," Kuro piped in.
"She can start her deck with this," a voice announced from the doorway. It was Kara. With her were Kyle and Jordan.
"Sorry we we're late," Jordan apologized. Kara glanced over to Roy, stopping but briefly. With a small smile, she continued to walk over to Ashley.
"An old friend of mine gave this card to me when was first came to work here. I've barely used it, but maybe you can use it with that card Aaron gave you," she offered, handing over a Fire Princess card.
"Thank you," Ashley said politely.
"Just a friend? Kara, I thought we had a relationship going on back then!" Roy whined in a Jordan-esque manner.
"Oh give it a rest you fossil. That ship came and sank a long time ago," Kara retorted with a wink.
"Whoa, that was cold," Jordan chimed.
"Very well, with all the authority invested in me I shall grant you a position in the Dark Dragon League. Since Aaron can't receive his title yet, how about I give you yours?" Roy asked. He was apparently trying to get off the subject as quickly as possible.
"Title?" Aaron and Ashley both asked in sync.
"Every Dragon League member besides a Duel Brace is given a title that they are identified by. They are given based on either your talents or in some cases special events that you may have been involved in," Kyle spoke for the first time.
"Jacob earned the title of the Gladiator Duelist for participating in a 4 on 1 match in a train exercise, and winning without a single life point lost," Roy explained.
"I earned the title of the Buster Duelist because no matter the obstacle, I broke through and it's been with me ever since," Josh added. He was sitting down on a hospital bed.
"Since she has never dueled before, what name can we give her?" Nick pondered.
"Aaron, do you have any suggestions?" Ashley asked.
"Personally, I don't know. If it were me I suppose I'd be called the Icarus Duelist for what I pulled," Aaron suggested.
"Fine then, I'll take that," she accepted.
"What?" everyone asked in astonishment.
"Ashley, I didn't mean it literally." Aaron spoke.
"I know, but it is something that kinda reflects on me, don'tcha think?" Ashley chirped. Aaron sighed. He knew she was as stubborn as he would be, and she wouldn't let it go.
"So be it. As of this day, the Council of the Sacred Dragon bestow upon thee, Ashley Nicole Lovechild, the title of the Icarus Duelist. May fortune smile upon thee," Roy announced, placing in her hands a small badge. It bore the symbol of the Dragon League. On the bottom of it was a small plaque with the title "Icarus."
"Welcome to the League. Aaron, I'll be back in a month's time. Be sure to wake up by then," Roy ordered, preparing to take off.
"Considering what I might be in for, it could be a while before I get out of here. I'll try and aim for a month." Aaron replied.
"Well, then, I'm off. Take care then!" Roy bade goodbye, waving his hand. He then headed out the door. Aaron took one more look at Ashley as the hologram began to fade in and out.
"It looks like I gotta go too, I'm sorry for dragging you into this," Aaron apologized. Ashley smiled with a pair of teary eyes.
"Stop blaming yourself, I chose this myself. Now finish your training and come back to me. You hear?" she ordered, despite the fact that she was overwhelmed by emotion.
"Yeah! Don't worry, I'll be back, I promise. Jacob, Dalin, Amy, Paul, Kyle, Jordan, Nick, Sarah, Chuck, Vaurnut, Vic, Kuro, Josh, take care of her until I get back. I'll be missing you!" he called out, the hologram dissolving. As he faded away, Ashley wiped the tears from her eyes, and looked to her new teammates.
"Can we get started?" Ashley asked.
"Sure. Let's go!" Kuro beamed, putting her arm around Ashley. They walked out of the infirmary together.
Vic wandered over to the Tyrant Dragon Duel Brace, extracted all of Aaron's cards from it, and put them into a deck. He then placed them next to the machine.
"They'll be right here for ya, seeya soon," he bade farewell. He picked up the Duel Brace and followed the others out of the room.
(Song: Reason, by Tamaki Nami begins to play)
(Tooku hanareteru hodo ni chikaku ni kanjiteru)
The further we are apart, the nearer I feel you are.
Back in the realm of the Spirit chamber, Aaron looked on towards the endless expanse of green fields. The brightness of the sun covered the lens of his glasses with light, but trails of tears could be seen coming down his face.
"Are you ready?" Erin asked.
(Samishisa mo tsuyosa e to kawatteku kimi omotta nara)
Even my loneliness turns into strength... when I think of you.
"…Yeah," he replied. Turning around, he began to follow her across the vast fields of green, and to his new adventure. In his back pocket, the Gearfried card gave off a small shine.
The view changes as it points upwards towards the endless sky, and back into reality.
(machi mo hitto mo yume mo kaete yuku jikan ni)
In a time where streets, people and dreams change, (tada sakaratteita) I could only oppose them
Ashley and the gang are in Aaron's room, going through the large pile of cards in his desk. Vic and Kuro are arguing over what Ashley should pick out for her deck.
(kotoba wo kasanete mo wakariaenai koto mada shiranaka atta ne)
I still did not realize, That there are things that can't be conveyed even with words
Ash turns her head away from the almost imminent blood bath between the two and looks up at Aaron's desk. She sees the picture from the dance, with her and Aaron smiling the best they could with the rubble of the school in the background.
(Kimi dake wo dakishimetakute nakushita yume kimi wa Akiramen aide to itta)
My lost dreams of wanting to hold you by my side, For them, you said "Don't give up!"
She sniffles a little and dives into the pile of cards, more determined than ever. Both Vic and Kuro stop their little feud to witness her conviction.
(Tooku hanareteru hodo ni chikaku ni kanjiteru)
The further we are apart, the nearer I feel you are.
(Samishisa mo tsuyosa e to kawatteku kimi omotta nara)
Even my loneliness turns into strength... when I think of you.
Ashley pulls out a quartet of cards: Forgiving Maiden, Marie the Fallen One, Polymerization and Gearfried the Iron Knight. Kuro applauds her choice, and Vic gives a reassuring smile.
(Setsunaku mune wo sasu sore wa yume no kakera)
The thing that pierces the gentle chest, that's a fragment of my dream.
She pulls out her wallet, and takes the ST. Joan card out, putting it together with the Fire Princess and the other cards. She holds them up in the air.
(Arinomama deaeteta sono kiseki mouichido shinjite)
The miracle that is our chanced meeting, believe in it once more.
She smiles and loads them into the Duel Brace.
The scene changes back to the Spirit Chamber. Aaron and Erin walking across the vast field of grass and hills.
(Kimi ga inai hibi ni zutto tachidomatta)
In the days without you, I've stopped moving.
(Demo arukidashiteru)
But now I am walking out of here.
Aaron gazes up unto the bright blue sky and the wisps of white clouds.
(Kimi to wakachiatta dono guuzen ni mo imi ga)
All the coincidences we shared, certainly
He starts to see a familiar shape of a cumulus cloud float on by.
(Sou kanarazu atta)
They all have their meanings.
The cloud's size grows as it begins to filter the sunlight.
(Sorezore no yume wo kanaete mata meguriau toki)
When our dreams comes true one by one, and we meet again,
(Guuzen wa unmei ni naru)
The coincidences become fate.
Through the piercing light, he sees a faint image of Ashley's face, happy and joyous.
(Yabureta yakusoku sae mo chikai ni kaeta nara)
If even the torn promises can change into vows,
(Ano bashi de deau toki ano koro no futari ni nareru kara)
Can we also change back to the two of us from the time we met at that place?
His eyes begin to tear at the beautiful sight, but he continues to walk along the path of grass and his new mentor.
(Yasashisa ni miteiru natsukashii omokage)
The dear faces that resemble "kindness".
(Me wo tojite mieru kara te wo furezu aru koto wo shiru kara)
I can see with my eyes closed, I know you are here though our hands don't touch.
The scene turns dark. The only two images left are Aaron and Ashley both walking in opposite directions. The faces of the members of the DDL stream up and down beside them.
(Asuni hagurete kotae ga nani wo mienakute mo)
Even if I can't see the astrayed answers tomorrow,
(Kimi ni au sono tame ni kasaneteku kyou to iu shinjitsu)
I carry the truth known as "today" in order to meet you
The two of them vanish in quick flashes of light, remaining in there place are two Duel Monster Cards.
(Tooku hanareteru hodo ni chikaku ni kanjiteru)
The further we are apart, the nearer I feel you are.
(Samishisa mo tsuyosa e to kawatteku kimi omotta nara)
Even my loneliness turns into strength... when I think of you.
The cards turn around to show they are Gearfried and St. Joan. They start to drift closer to one another.
(Setsunaku mune wo sasu sore wa yume no kakera)
The thing that pierces the gentle chest, that's a fragment of my dream.
(Arinomama deaeteta sono kiseki mouichido shinjite)
As it is, the miracle that is our chanced meeting, believe in it once more.
A faint image appears of two hands, one in the other's grasp. It's a loving embrace.
The End of Saga One: The Intro Saga