Chapter 27: Peace and Pieces
(Jamie Lancaster (My) POV)
Jaden fell onto his back, catching his breath while staring at the midday sky. I walked over to the unconscious Erin, trying to muster up the strength to carry her. Not that she was heavy, she would kill me if I said that, but she was muscled, and muscle weighs more than fat, right? It was more that I was exhausted than anything.
I walked silently past Jaden, who wore a soft smile. "Man, I can't believe we won. That duel was a lot of fun!"
I smiled tightly. "I can't believe it either. Now, one more time, you agree not to tell anybody about my Melodious deck, right?"
"Yeah, yeah." Jaden said casually. "But you gotta tell about that weird black card you played! It was called an Exceed monster, right?"
I paused. "I will, sometime soon. They're really interesting, and there's a lot of strong ones." I neglected to mention the existence of Synchros or Pendulum monsters for now – I didn't even have any of those, so I couldn't demonstrate even if I wanted to. Besides, they were hard to explain without a visual aid.
"An Exceed monster, huh?" A familiar contralto said from behind me. Oh crapbaskets. I turned around and saw Erin standing tall, in seemingly perfect health. Her dark blue eyes shone with vindication.
"Oh, hi Erin." I said meekly.
She smirked, walking closer until she was face-to-face with me. "Hi. I see you two managed to defeat that Kagemaru guy. Do you mind if I see how you did it?" She gestured towards my duel disk, which was still attached to my arm.
"Why did you decide to fight him alone? You knew he was the leader, and you did it anyways!" I tried to change the subject, and to be fair, it was a subject I was curious about. And by curious I mean furious.
She rolled her eyes, seeming to expect this question. "Yeah, it was dumb, I'll admit it. But I wanted to get in the trenches, to fight alongside you all as an equal. And you should have seen them, Jamie, he had seven goons with him, and one of them was the most smug, misogynist piece of shit I've ever laid eyes upon." Once she started talking, the words starting pouring out faster and faster as her temper got up. It was really quite cute. But then her words sank in.
"Seven goons? What did they look like?" That sounded like way too many goons. There should have only been three.
She described their appearance, and it all started to come together. Abidos, Titan, and the Dark Scorpions. I counted the Dark Scorpions as one instead of five, since they were all attached at the hip anyways. I hope that the others managed to take care of them. I had no worries about Abidos or the Scorpions, but Titan was a vicious bastard with a serpent's tongue. I hoped Alexis had a crack at him – she was well-suited to ignoring his mind games and getting the job done. Bastion would be another good man for the task. Basically anyone but Zane would be fine – he was a good friend and a worthy opponent, but I never forgot that the man had demons hidden away, and if these demons ever saw the light of day – well, that would be bad.
"Do you remember where they were going?" I asked quickly.
"Two to Obelisk Blue and one towards Ra Yellow. I assume Bastion, Rhodes, and the Kaiser were their opponents since you two are obviously right here. By the way, are you alright, Jaden?" She always had a soft spot for him – they might have made a good couple if not for Jaden's asexuality.
"Kagemaru put him through the wringer back there. It was a tough fight, but he did great." I smiled, glad that I didn't have to lie about that. Jaden really was a pretty incredible duelist, though he was a lucky bastard as well. But then again, that's basically a distinction without a difference.
"Hey, Erin!" Jaden called up from the ground. "I don't think I've ever been this tired."
"Just work out with me sometime, it'll adjust your standards." She said playfully, taking a seat next to the Slifer. I took a seat as well, enjoying the sound of waves crashing against the coast. The adrenaline was beginning to wear down, but I still felt so alive, every sound in nature ringing clearly in my ears. And yet, the thought of the battles ahead sobered me more than I would care to admit.
"So, you're looking well." I said blandly to Erin, the question evident in my tone.
"The energy Kagemaru absorbed from me must have come back when he, uh, died." She finished awkwardly.
"It's fine. We had to do it. Wasn't either of our firsts." It surprised me that Jaden said those words. Wouldn't have expected it from him. "We just had to. I tried to reason with him, but it wasn't getting anywhere. The guy was convinced that he was a predator in the jungle and we were his prey. So we flipped the script."
"Though he got the last laugh." I added. "These keys might as well be paperweights now, since the beasts are scattered across the planet. But he said that he couldn't use their power to grant himself immortality, so it would seem that they were released in a weakened or semi-sealed state."
As if on cue, Jaden and I took off our necklaces and the keys attached to them for the first time all term. It felt like a weight lifted, and I was glad to have it off. What a waste it all was – the beasts were out of our possession, and they could be literally anywhere on Earth! Jaden idly twirled the pendant around his index finger as I brooded.
"You know who's going to be pissed about this? Seto Kaiba." I mused, the famous name attracting Erin and Jaden's attention.
"Why would he be mad? We beat back the enemies threatening the island." Jaden responded.
"He tends to get possessive over rare and powerful cards, and between you and me, he's really never been completely right in the head…I bet he'll have people scouring every corner of the globe to get those beasts back." I wondered how this would affect Bastion and my summer internship prospects. There was only one way to find out. It was important that none of us were the ones to tell him of this – Kaiba seemed the type to kill the messenger.
I sat up straight, averting my eyes form the coast. I felt a bit sore all over. "We should inform the Headmaster of this." Contrary to what his name would suggest, Sheppard makes a fine scapegoat.
"Yeah, I suppose." Erin shrugged. "Oh, and by the way –" She grabbed my arm. "I didn't forget. Show me those cards, you weasel."
"Awwwwwwwww…..shit. Well, can't blame a guy for trying, eh?" There was no choice. She was on to me, and had sniffing the trail for months. Besides, I think she'll be able to keep a secret better than Jaden. Call it a wild guess. I showed her my deck. I said DECK, you perverts! As in deck of cards.
Erin rolled her eyes when she saw the Melodious Divas. Before she could shoot off a snarky remark, I said, "I've heard all the jokes before. Just read the effects and tell me the cards are bad." No, I wasn't triggered at all, why do you ask?
She handed me the cards back. "I wasn't going to joke about them, they look like really powerful cards. I'm just surprised that this what you were being so secretive about all this time! C'mon Lancaster, I wasn't gonna think any worse of you just because you duel with K-Pop girls." She said casually.
"But where did you get them?" She asked with a rather fetching smirk. Jaden looked between the two of us like a confused puppy.
"Just picked them up along the way." I answered cryptically, and her smile vanished.
"This old song and dance again, huh?" she said drolly.
"I'm allowed to have some privacy." I replied, placing my deck back into its box. She was far too nosy for her own good, and I did not appreciate my life being treated like some sort of mystery to be solved. "Although the circumstances I was brought here in are still a bit of a mystery…" I thought. "Maybe I'll tell you if you buy me a drink sometime." I added so as not to seem completely cold.
"Yeah right, you'll just take the drink and proceed to not tell me anything anyways. I've pulled that trick plenty of times myself. But maybe I'll take you up on that offer all the same." She smiled, and my annoyance was forgotten…for now.
"Let's go." She and I stood while Jaden remained on the ground.
"Hey, not to be that guy, but could you guys carry me back to the red dorm? I think I'm gonna sleep for like 20 hours." Considering what a ball of energy he usually was, this was quite the statement.
Without preamble, Erin slung Jaden over her shoulders like a sack of potatoes, and it was only then I noticed just how defined her shoulders and traps were. "I'll take him to naptime. You should go see how the others fare."
I nodded tersely and made to leave before I heard her say, "And Jamie? I'm sorry about biting off more than I can chew earlier. If only I had been stronger…"
"It's fine." I said, a little worried. The phrase "If I only I had been stronger" usually held ill tidings. "Challenging yourself is how you get better. But we should work together. It's what friends do. And there will be many fights to come, so it's important we stand together." A cheesy statement, but one I think she needed to hear.
She nodded and walked away, Jaden's weight hardly even slowing her down. Alright, time to go.
…Wait!
I swiveled around to where Kagemaru had been. Buried a little ways into the sand was a duel disk, with cards still in the deck slot! The Predaplants were right there for the taking!
"Sorry Sonata, but I might cheat on you a little bit. It's better to keep these cards in our hands than the bad guys, right?" I asked facetiously as I ran over to the disk.
"I'm still your duel spirit, regardless of what deck you're playing. And no, I don't appreciate you using other cards! We Melodious Divas are your aces!" She pouted.
I rolled my eyes. "Fine, I won't use them. Was just a joke anyways." I mainly said that to placate her. "But he might have some useful staples in there. And like I said, we're not letting Yubel or whatever crazy ass demon that's out there get their hands on those cards."
Right before I was able to grab the duel disk, it suddenly disappeared in a dark purple flash. I heard the sound of flapping wings, and I turned around to see a gigantic one-eyed bat staring right back at me, the duel disk ensconced safely in its claws.
"Holy shit," I blurted out before I could stop myself, practically leaping back from the eldritch creature. "Sonata, please kill that thing. Whatever it is, I'll be seeing it in my nightmares."
"Sure thing." Sonata appeared above me, charging a sonic wave of energy between cupped hands. "Cover your ears."
I did as she bid, but the bat was not content to sit idle. Already, I could see a dark portal forming behind it. Sonata unleashed the blast, and the screeching sound still hurt my blocked eardrums.
However, she was too late. The bat had already escaped, and the cards with it. "Shit! Is there any way we can track him?" I asked hastily.
She shook her head. "No, but I can go to the spirit realm and alert everyone I can. There will be eyes and ears out for a Meda Bat or the Predaplants 24-7-365."
"I'll take any help you can offer and be thankful for it. We can't let these people have cards that strong. Please, when you've finished gathering contacts, return and we'll speak further." I said with a sigh, the day's events starting to wear on me. The spirit nodded tacitly and faded from my vision, her mission clear.
With a weary expression, I made my way inland, towards the main academy building.
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(Alexis Rhodes POV)
She awoke to a knock on the door.
Well, she was already awake, too fired up to really sleep. But she was resting in bed with her eyes closed, planning on taking a short nap. The sight of the man who had looked just like Yugi Moto standing amongst the pharaohs had sent her brain down a rabbit hole. When she saw the pendant around his neck, it all came together.
"So it was true all along…the Millennium Items really did hold dark powers. And to think they were here among us only ten years ago…to think while I was six years old, items with dark powers were in the hands of mankind!"
But it really did make sense. She still had the VHS recordings of the Battle City finals somewhere in her parent's attic – there was something odd about many of the duelists in that tournament. The only ones that seemed normal was Joey Wheeler, Mai Valentine, and Seto Kaiba, to the extent that the latter could be considered normal – the rest all spoke in ominous threats and mysticism-riddled monologue. Much of the speech between the duelists was rumored to be cut from the television broadcasts, but some of it could not be missed.
But there was no time to continue this train of thought, as she had to answer the door. "This better be good." She grumbled, her hair a mess and face devoid of any makeup.
In the doorway was Atticus Rhodes, wearing an old Obelisk Blue uniform and a big grin. "Is this good enough for ya?" He asked facetiously.
Her wide eyes were already beginning to well up. "How?" She asked in a voice barely above a whisper. How could this miracle be possible? Nothing the doctors could do was working, his condition was showing no signs of improvement, no matter how hard she hoped and prayed…what changed?
Overcome with emotion, she embraced her dear brother tightly, as he did her. "It's alright, lex." Atticus said softly into her hair. "I'm alright. Everything's gonna be alright."
It was only over Atticus' shoulder that Alexis saw Zane standing somewhat awkwardly in the hallway. His expression was intense and brooding, but he when he met her eyes the Kaiser put on a forced smile.
"And you've got Zane to thank for it. He defeated a Shadow Rider, the one who locked my memories away. Once he won, they all came flooding back. I remember it all now." Atticus said cheerily. "Your favorite big bro is back in action, baby!"
Alexis looked to Zane, needing one last affirmation that it was true. He nodded. "It was the same man who kidnapped you at the beginning of the school year." He said thickly.
"Oh…" Alexis let go of her brother and took a step back. "I see." Immediately, she remembered the masked man's visage. Titan, that was his name. She and Zane had been friends for as far back as she could remember, and she knew if someone put his life in danger that she wouldn't be quick to show mercy. And considering the fact that they were most likely in a shadow duel…and it wasn't hard to imagine what happened to the Shadow Rider.
"Thank you, Zane. Truly, thank you." She hugged him as well. To her surprise though, Zane seemed mentally preoccupied with something. She thought he would have been happier to see his best friend alive and whole, especially considering that he was the one who made it possible in the first place. But she did not dwell on these thoughts for long, such was her happiness at seeing Atticus again.
"I've got a bit of a funny story to tell you both as well. Come on, there's so much to catch up on…" The three old friends took a seat and it was as if only a day had past since she had last seen Atticus.
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(Yubel POV)
Yubel was suddenly back in the dark dimension, sitting amongst the spirits in her employ. Their eyes, which had been rolled in the back of her head, rolled forward again. Their limbs were momentarily asleep, and they hissed as pins and needles greeted their re-awakening.
The first voice that greeted Yubel upon their return was the irritated, metallic tone of Blade Knight. "And what was the point of that, exactly? Your little excursion did nothing to further our position. Kagemaru may be dead, but it was no thanks to you. And the lion still lives and knows of your presence! So what did we gain?"
There was dead silence in response to the knight's tirade. No one else present would have dared speak to Yubel in such a way, least of all Jinzo, whose gaze flashed between Yubel and the knight as he silently begged for someone else to be punished for a change.
But the punishment did not come this time. Yubel settled for glaring indolently at the armored swordsman. "I wouldn't expect you, of all people, to understand, but I had to be close to him. To be inside of him." They said with a shudder.
"Bah! What a joke! Do not call me unless there is a serious move to be made, Yubel. We have a deal!" Blade Knight pointed a finger angrily.
"And you will receive everything you wish and more, in good time. Just be patient, my friend." Yubel said unctuously. For some reason, she cared about being in the knight's good graces.
Wordlessly, Blade Knight turned about-face and left the room swiftly, his armor clanging noisily down the way.
Mister Volcano let out a whistle. "Short fuse on that one. But it makes sense when you consider the fact that it's his-"
"Yes, yes, we know." Chaos Sorcerer said impatiently. "If he bothered to stick around, he would know that this wasn't a total loss."
By his side appeared the Meda Bat, the Predaplant deck safely in its claws. Obediently, it dropped the cards in the jester's outstretched hand. Chaos Sorcerer gave the beast a single nod before the bat vanished in the same dark portal in which it came.
Yubel greedily eyed the deck, their three eyes wide. The conflict with Blade Knight momentarily forgotten, they said, "Good…I see you were able to recover it under the lion's nose."
"Not quite. He had the same idea we did, but he was a bit too slow on the draw. My bat would have been reduced to a fine pink mist if it stuck around for a few seconds longer. His diva tried to blast it with some sort of sonic wave, but obviously she wasn't fast enough. He'll know we have the cards." Chaos Sorcerer reported clinically.
"It matters little. Give those to me now." Yubel commanded, and immediately, the wizard did so. Yubel let out a low chuckle, having just seen firsthand what the deck can do. "I do believe that these cards can do wonders in the right hands. We are adjourned for the time being – I require time to learn the true power of these cards."
Yubel gazed upon the now-empty crystal ball at the center of the table. "Pitiful lion, mindlessly following the meta. His knowledge is great, but he still lacks understanding of love, and the bond between a duelist and his cards. He claims to act in defense of those he calls friends, but he does not of love like I do. And love will always find a way."
The spirits melted back into the shadows, watching and waiting.
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(Chazz Princeton POV)
The days passed painfully slow. All Chazz could think of was the upcoming duel against the top two students of the American Duel Academy. The next fight, the next big milestone – this was good for Chazz. The pressure would build in him, making him hungry and relentless, which was the exact mindset he needed for a duel.
Yes, he was a hungry man. For recognition and approval, for respect and fear. Winning sated his appetite, but it never lasted. His brothers saw fit to remind him at every turn that each win was only a drop in a bucket, a bucket that could never be completely full.
As he ate breakfast with his friend Jesse, he wondered not for the first time how the teal-haired boy could be so calm and happy. They only had a week until the flight to San Francisco, and Jesse's demeanor hadn't changed at all. It reminded Chazz of Jaden's smiling ways, although for some reason he didn't find Jesse as annoying.
Then, he looked at what Jesse was eating. "Not to be rude, but what the fuck is that on your plate?"
Jesse looked at him cheerfully. "Chicken waffles!" On a specialty order, Jesse put fried chicken on top of a waffle and ate it with gravy. "They're really popular in America, from what I've read."
"Are you certain? It's a big place. I find it hard to believe that everyone in America likes to eat chicken on waffles." Chazz snarked without any real thought behind the words.
"Well, not everyone in Japan likes Onigiri, I bet. Or should I call them jelly donuts?" Jesse teased.
Chazz scoffed, but said nothing else, knowing that Jesse got him on that one. They silently ate for a time until Jesse spoke up again.
"We should go to a country music concert while we're in America! Maybe we can see Luke Bryan!"
"Don't push your luck." Chazz growled.
"Aw, come on! You should get out of your shell more often. I bet we can get some fake ID's someplace." Jesse wheedled.
"We're there on a mission, not to have fun." Chazz said, but inwardly he felt that a night on the town, where no one knew his name, might do him some good.
Jesse seemed to recognize this. "You'll change your mind once we win. I heard about how much vodka you pounded on the way back from Central Academy."
"…I was seasick." Chazz lamely excused.
"My ass you were. Just try to relax and enjoy yourself while we're there. I know we're supposed to be representing the pride of the North and all that stuff, but we're allowed to have some fun. You could use a little more fun in your life."
Chazz opened his mouth, but before the words could come out, there was a ruckus building in the North Academy cafeteria. The students were gazing out the windows at something, a rare excitement at the normally somber school.
"What's going on?" Chazz rudely pushed through a crowd of students so that he and Jesse could have prime view out of one of the windows. Jesse murmured some apologies to their blocked out peers, but it didn't seem to mollify of them. All of that was forgotten as the two boys looked out the window, though.
A yellow comet was streaking across the sky, angled to land in the ice fields a few miles off the grounds. It was so fast and bright that it reached the ground in only about 30 seconds after Chazz and Jesse started looking upon it. It hit the frozen ground with incredible force, sending up a massive pillar of snow into the air that fell in chunks of powder. Even from their viewpoint, it was obvious that the flying object left a fairly sizable crater, though it was impossible to accurately guess how big.
Instantly, the students broke out into excited mutterings, their food forgotten. Some even tried to run back to their dorms and grab their heavy jackets so that they could investigate the crater themselves. Before they could embark on their adventure, however, they were held back by the ever-vigilant teachers, the unfortunate ones tasked with squashing a child's curiosity.
"You'd think we would have heard about a meteor on the news or something." Jesse commented. "Lucky it didn't hit the building."
"Yeah…" For some reason, the sight of the meteor or comet or whatever it was gave him an uneasy…and familiar feeling. The sights, sounds, and smells of Central Duel Academy returned to him for a brief moment. For an instant, he smelled the salty spring of the seas and felt the hot sun beating down on his skin that so adamantly refused to tan.
The feeling passed, but the curiosity didn't. He had half a mind to disregard the teacher's authority and ride out to the crater himself, with Jesse at his side. There were snowmobiles in the garage, separated from the main school building, and he knew the passcode to the facility from watching a groundskeeper enter it from afar.
But ultimately, the more rational part of Chazz (it was very small, but it did in fact exist) won out, and he decided to wait. The decision hardly mattered though, because Headmaster Foster's voice echoed over the intercom moments later.
"Attention all students! This is your headmaster speaking. There is no need for concern regarding the meteor outside. I am in the process of gathering the groundskeepers, and they will investigate the crater to ensure that none of our utility lines were hit. There will be an update at the end of the school day today regarding the contents of the crater and whether it has any effect on our operations. At this time, all students are to maintain their normal schedules –"
"Aw, I really want to find out what's down there!" Jesse cut in.
"with the exceptions of Chazz Princeton and Jesse Anderson, who are to report to my office immediately." Foster finished before turning off the speakers with an audible click.
"Oops, spoke too soon." Jesse amended, taking in the jealous looks from his peers with his usual grace.
"Hmph. It's probably just a rock. But I suppose looking at a rock is still a more exciting prospect than going to class. Let's go." Chazz let a small smile grow as he briskly walked upstairs towards Foster's office.
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In an hour, Chazz and Jesse were bundled up in their heavy winter gear. Jesse wore a white jacket with fur lining the hood with plain yellow mittens and a teal beanie while Chazz naturally was clad in all black clothing. They were driving the school's fleet of snowmobiles (yes, North Academy had some money and liked to flex it on occasion) out east to the site of the divot. Riding alongside them was Headmaster Foster and a crew of three of the school's groundskeepers, who would be inspecting if there were any damage to underground lines.
In a few minutes, they reached the crash site, leaving their vehicles parked on the edge of the crater. Luckily, the hole was more wide than deep, and the slope was gentle enough so that the men could walk up and down the sides without any significant difficulty. The groundskeepers began searching for damaged utility lines while Chazz, Jesse, and Foster made for the center of the crater.
"Not to be captain obvious, but where is the meteor?" Jesse asked, having to raise his voice to be heard over the howling winds of the North. But it was a pertinent question nonetheless, as no rock could be found in the center of the hole.
"What caused this, then?" Foster wondered aloud. Chazz began walking faster, moving ahead of his two compatriots. As they got closer, it became clear what had brought this about.
A single Duel Monsters card sat in the deepest part of the crater, completely undamaged and whole from the impact. "Holy cannoli! We're sensing a really strong power off of that card, boss! Be careful!" Ojama Yellow cautioned. Somehow, the Ojamas weren't cold despite their skimpy man-thongs – must be a duel spirit thing. For once, Chazz actually heeded the annoying gremlin's words, and took a breath before picking the card up.
As Jesse and Foster caught up with him, Chazz felt a distinct weight in the card, an undeniable power that was restrained somehow, someway. Taking off his goggles, Chazz red the text on the card.
It was Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder.
"Hmm. Interesting. Looks rather like the Winged Dragon of Ra, wouldn't you say?" He held the card up to Jesse and Foster, who both nodded in agreement.
"Why is this card here? Who sent it, and how did it arrive undamaged and without any indication of a transport?" Foster asked all of these questions in one breath, and they were good questions. But Chazz didn't care, and found such queries inane. He was much interested in this mysterious cards potential. It looked as though good things really do fall from the sky from time to time.
"Who cares?" He said coldly before turning to Jesse. "Here, take a look at this. It looks to be a potentially useful card."
He handed the card to Jesse, and the teal-haired boy's arm momentarily gave way, as he was not prepared for its deceptive weight. Using two hands, he got a grip on it and read the effect.
"Wow, that's really something! Man, I might just try and use this in my deck! What do you think of that, you guys?" Chazz could see the teal-haired boy turn to ask his Crystal Beast spirits their opinion on the matter. Foster brushed this behavior off as Jesse just talking to his imaginary friends as he always did. As long as the kid kept winning games, the headmaster was content to indulge a few quirks.
The beasts were wary of the card, citing its dark energy and mysterious method of arrival as points of suspicion. Jesse appeared to be leaning towards not using the Sacred Beast, so Chazz felt the need to jump in.
"Don't be a fool! That card fits in well with your deck, and it could serve as a good surprise against the Americans." Chazz couldn't care less about nebulous dark energies – he wanted results. Chazz believed that any card could have a potential use – even the irksome Ojamas had power and technique for the right duelist to mine. He hated Jamie Lancaster's belief in "good" cards and "bad" cards, that he saw them as tools. As far as he was concerned, a card's worth was reflected in its user.
Jesse still seemed unsure, so he let Foster have a look at the card. As one might expect, Foster could not grasp the card's significance in the wider world of Duel Spirits, and only considered the card from its competitive worth. "There's still a few days to test it in practice, Jesse. That's the only way we can know if this card is even legitimate, much less if it is viable. For all we know, it could be a counterfeit." The headmaster advised. Before the advent of duel disks, counterfeit cards were much more common, con men attempting to dupe children out of their parent's money with seemingly powerful, one of a kind cards. With the invention of the duel disk, this practice mostly ceased, due to the disks having an internal card database that recognizes official cards and rejects fake ones. Still, to check in a case like this was sensible.
As they walked back, Jesse still seemed unsure, but Chazz inwardly smirked – he was confident that Jesse would use the card when push came to shove. They would need every bit of strength they could muster against the Americans, he could feel it in his bones.
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(? POV)
The sky was mostly obscured by thick green foliage, the air thick and hot and buzzing with life. The jungle was an exceedingly harsh climate, with poison and heat and disease plaguing mankind at every turn. And yet, mankind imposed its will, as they always did, and there were settlements deep in the trees.
One such settlement was West Academy. A former boarding school for military brats, the school's curriculum recently began to incorporate dueling as a result of the game's skyrocketing popularity in both recreation and as a career option. But this was not to say that the place had gotten soft, far from it – if anything, the West had grown even more disciplined and harsh under the leadership of Thelonious Viper, the current headmaster.
A small garrison was currently at the school's large outdoor range, going through their daily shooting drills. Professor Viper was passing through, and chose to oversee the class for a few minutes while conferring with the master at arms who was teaching.
Viper had a withdrawn, sharp face that was always pinched in a frown. His hair was a dark charcoal, styled in a long, sloping point that would make the great Tristan Taylor himself green with envy. Despite his ridiculous haircut, he exuded an undeniable, strict authority. He wore a purple buttoned jacket with gold accouterments on the shoulders with black cargo pants and brown boots.
Coolly, he observed the students take their shots as the professor delivered a clinical report of the classes' progress to him. Deciphering that there were no immediate problems that would require his attention, Viper abruptly dismissed the man and made to leave the range. He was a busy man who had neither the time nor the desire to dally.
However, the sight of a red comet streaking through the treetops was enough to make him pause. "What on earth?" He wondered for a brief moment before he remembered his training.
"Maintain discipline!" He barked to the students – the last thing anyone needed was for the boys to be startled with live ammunition in their hands. The unidentified object had somehow bypassed their sensors, or at the very least was fast enough that the men at the watchtowers could not have mobilized in time to notify him. There was the possibility that this was an ambush, but the location of West Academy was a secret to the outside world – could the knowledge have been leaked somehow?
But there was no time to think of that – the red object landed in the center of the range, leaving a small, but scorching hot crater. Heat shimmered from the epicenter of the hole, and two-toned red light hummed as the dust settled.
"An explosive?!" Viper thought for one terrible, long moment, but his assumption was incorrect. As the seconds went on, the red light dimmed, and the object's true nature became apparent.
"What? A fucking duel monsters card?" One of the students blurted, unaware that the headmaster was standing right behind him.
"Watch your tongue, private Lawson. Another slip up and you're back on latrine duty for a week." The boy's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he realized that his commander in chief had heard him, but he remained silent, capable of maintaining a veneer of respectability at least. Hastily muffled laughter could be heard – it was well known that Lawson was a loudmouth who more often than not earned his hours spent shoveling shit.
"Disarm." Viper's simple command had the boys all moving at once, safely shelving their guns as they were taught. "Brodie, on me. The rest of you will form a line and await further instruction."
A dark-skinned boy emerged from the crowd. His dark green student's uniform hid it well, but he was clearly more muscular than most of his peers, and his light hazel eyes were sharp and attentive. His black hair was currently buzzed, but it was known that he normally liked to wear it longer when off-duty. He would have had a handsome face if not for his large and squashed nose.
The other boys immediately made way, for this was Axel Brodie, the number one student at West Academy and Viper's clear favorite amongst the student body. Silently, he accompanied the headmaster side-by-side as they approached the crater cautiously.
Upon inspection, it was clear that Lawson's words were true, and this was, in fact, a Duel Monsters card. And it was no ordinary card. "Uria, Lord of Searing Flames…" Viper read. He knew of the Sacred Beasts – a high level secret known by less than ten people before today. It seemed that they had been loosed somehow, but they seemed to lack the destructive power they were fabled for.
"Doubtless a farce meant to discourage people from seeking the beasts." Viper thought mockingly. "But it appears that no searching is needed. One has dropped into my lap. If Sheppard knows of this card's location or not, it makes little difference." Viper knew that Sheppard was a weak man who was fortunate to have Seto Kaiba's backing. "If push comes to shove, I may have no choice but to return it…but for now, this card is an asset of West Academy…"
"Private Brodie, walk with me. The rest of you are dismissed to your next class, with the order that you are not to speak of this. If asked, you are to say that you simply had a normal day at the range. Am I clear?"
The ensuing chorus of "YES, SIR" was never in doubt. Axel said nothing, but his eyes shone with curiosity as he held the card in his hands. Viper watched the other students go before turning to him.
"Have you read that card?"
"I have, sir."
"Good. You are to begin practicing its use with me once a week, so as to unlock the card's potential. I believe that you can use it well, for the good of the school. You have always liked fire monsters, isn't that correct? It wouldn't be the first time you've used a one of a kind card." Viper said unctuously as they walked briskly from the shooting range.
"Yes, sir." Axel said slowly, already thinking of ways to incorporate the card in his deck. He liked the design – it reminded him of the legendary Slifer the Sky dragon, only fiercer and more fiery.
"Good. Report to my office after supper, nineteen hundred hours sharp. We will discuss the details there. Be discreet with your comrades – supply only the most general information when asked." Viper commanded less harshly. He could always afford to be a little softer around Axel, knowing the boy's focus and discipline was ironclad. Axel was, in some ways, like a son to him.
"Yes, sir." Axel replied obediently. He rarely spoke any other words when in Viper's presence.
XxXxXxXxXXxXXXXxxXX
(? POV)
The sands of Egypt were colored a deep blue by the night, and the temperature had dropped thirty degrees since the sun had gone done – such was the way of the desert.
Pyramids jutted proudly against the sky, the only structures for miles around, or so it would seem. In the shadows of the great tombs, there were a few stone buildings, humble quarters for humble people. These were the housings of the tomb keepers, men and women tasked with the guarding of the ancient pharaoh's and their graves. For dozens of generations, the tomb keepers protected the legacy of the great kings of the past, even in the modern age, where there are none left to speak of.
Ten years ago, that legacy was almost wiped out completely – she still shuddered when thinking about it.
Ishizu Ishtar lied awake in bed, her deep, mysterious blue eyes gazing placidly at the ceiling. A pale, thin white gown covered her body, with gold adornments on the collarbone and waist. Her straight raven hair was splayed about the pillow like a thousand threads. She didn't like thinking about those days, but it was hard not to. A stray word said by her brothers Marik and Odion would unwillingly bring the memories back – even looking at Marik was sometimes enough to uncork the well.
But tonight, she felt there was a stronger reason for the flood of memories. Rising from her bed, she strode to the window and looked up at the sky.
A blue streak colored the sky, crossing the moon as it flew east, finally landing a few miles away.
XxXXXXxXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
(? POV)
When the comet landed, it sent up a dusty plume of sand into the air, the pillar quickly scattered to the wind. As soon as the dust settled, a horseman rode hard towards the landing site, robed in a dark brown cloak. He brought his horse to rest at the crater's edge before swiftly dismounting. Without a sound, the outrider quickly slid down the side of the hole, the sand beginning to fill it once more. Acting fast, he grabbed ahold of the object at the epicenter, which was emitting a harsh blue light.
Scrambling back to the top, the man hid the card within his robes, so as to hide the bright azure light as best he could. Beneath his hood, the man's expression could be likened to a starving man who happened upon a feast.
"Who knew that for once something interesting would happen on the night's watch?" He murmured excitedly to himself. "Oh, if only those idiots knew what's in my hand…"
In his rough and calloused palms was Raviel, Lord of Phantasms. "It looks just like Obelisk the Tormentor…such a fool my cousin was to give away such a strong card, to Seto fucking Kaiba of all people…but I won't make the same mistake!"
He could already feel the power coursing through his veins. This was no ordinary card – it was something else, something ungodly! The man began cackling uncontrollably. His hood fell back from his head, revealing effeminate, bishonen features, coffee-tan skin, and messy white hair.
"Today marks my last day as a lowly tombkeeper. After today, the name Hank Ishtar shall feared all across Egypt, and soon the world! And with this card, I will restore House Ishtar to greatness as my cousins once failed to do!"
Blue aura erupted around his body, lighting up his violet eyes. "It's time to see who truly deserves to rule House Ishtar! Prepare for battle, Marik!"
XxxXXXxxxXXXXXXx
(Jamie Lancaster POV)
At long last, it was the final week of school. What a year it's been – it felt like years worth of trouble had been packed into these past nine months.
Chumley got a plane earlier this week. He got a job offer from Maximillion Pegasus, who was still alive in this timeline for some reason. I guess Yami Bakura didn't see fit to kill the man after taking his Millennium Eye, despite that being the practical course of action. But then, considering his evil plan took like 200 episodes to reach fruition, maybe Yami Bakura just wasn't very practical in general.
Anyways, what was I saying? Oh yeah, so Chumley got this job as a card designer at the age of 17. He was getting cold hard cash while I was still stuck in school. I was glad for him, but it was still funny that Chumley technically joined the workforce before me, if you don't count my old life that is. And he was doing something he loved, which is more than most can say. Regardless of his dueling record, he was a winner in my book.
He still lost against Crowler. I didn't feel the need to interfere in this particular affair, partially because I was too lazy to and partially because Chumley was meant to show some stones in front of a teacher who had ridiculed and mocked him for his entire time at the academy. That was his fight, and his alone. Sure, I could have gave him some cards that would have hard-countered Crowler's deck, but the fact of the matter is that Chumley probably would have lost to Crowler anyway. People like to think of Crowler as a clown, most likely due to the fact that he physically resembles one, but he most certainly is a threat on the dueling field, and he certainly wasn't going to be losing to Chumley fucking Huffington any way you slice it. Chumley's talents just don't lie with dueling, and that was fine. The fight was about courage, not skill, and Chumley showed more than enough of it to pave the way to his future.
So we all bid farewell to him, at least for now. I imagined our paths would cross again sometime down the road, and he vowed to stay in touch. Of course, when a friend says that they mean to stay in touch, only time can tell if that will be true. I was so exhausted from recent events that the episode was a blur.
Zane seemed to feel the same way, which is why both of our asses were currently parked in lawn chairs, our toes lapped by the ocean tide as we shared a bottle of Captain Morgan and pineapple juice between us. When I asked where he got the alcohol, Zane cryptically told me that being Crowler's favorite student had its perks. It was a Sunday night, but we both resolved that we weren't going to morning classes tomorrow. We were basically given free reign for the most part for our services to the school – Crowler and Sheppard certainly weren't giving us any trouble as of late, and I hear that the latter had problems of his own. Rumor has it he's been in several discussions with Seto Kaiba since the final defeat of the Shadow Riders, and his fitness as a leader in times of trouble has gone under heavy fire. Kaiba has never been tolerant of perceived weakness, ever. Suddenly, the looming internship seemed all the more daunting.
I wasn't sure what to think of that, but what I was glad to hear of was that my friends had defeated the other Shadow Riders. Jasmine gave me a spirited account of Bastion's victory against the Scorpions – it was one of the few times she had actually been happy whilst talking to me. Elsewhere, I saw that the Rhodes siblings were reunited at last, and again my thoughts drifted to my family, my true family. There were always so many thoughts at the beginning and end of each day. It was comforting to see them together again though – this is the happiest I've ever seen Alexis, and she is truly beautiful when she is happy.
Zane himself spoke briefly of defeating Titan, but I could tell that the subject made him uncomfortable. The way his hands clenched into fists, and the way his posture became stiff and guarded told me that it made him angry.
Being angry once in a while was unavoidable – what matters is how the anger is used. People like Chazz and Erin wielded their rage wildly, and it was a caustic fuel that burned through their very veins, simultaneously motivating them and holding them down. Alexis grew cold and quiet when truly angry, and it sharpened her focus like the point of an icicle.
Zane wasn't like either – he just didn't know how to deal with anger, and that was the concerning part of it. It's such a huge problem when you have a lot of natural talent – the first obstacle in your path is infuriating and you don't have a preset way of addressing the problem. But something tells me it went deeper than that. I couldn't say for sure – I wasn't Zane's therapist, and it wasn't my place to demand that he bare his soul to me.
So we took turns taking pulls of rum and enjoyed the weight that had been lifted from his shoulders. The heat was starting to get miserable on the island, but we didn't mind. Zane had abounding offers from the pro leagues, and now it was just a matter of choosing the best option out of a group of good choices. Bastion and I had our interviews at Kaibacorp, and I hoped those would go well. It was good to worry about normal things, if only for a little while.
"So, I've been thinking…" Zane began after chasing his shot with pineapple juice. I could have made a snippy comment along the lines of "That's a first," but I didn't.
"It's tradition for the number one student in the graduating class to have one last duel in the Obelisk arena, as a final farewell to the school and its people." Said Zane.
I nodded. He spoke of the infamous graduation duel. "So it is."
He turned to me. "I was thinking of asking Jaden Yuki to be my opponent."
Zane said this as if it was supposed to be a bombshell, but I didn't mind. He and I had dueled each other nearly two dozen times on the practice fields, and we knew the other's strategies inside and out. It went unspoken between us, but I think he felt comfortable with me at the helm of Obelisk Blue next year. I didn't like appearing to be his junior, but I could stand it, as appearances were not reality in this case. As far as I knew, Zane and Jaden had only crossed swords once, at the beginning of the year. He was probably more interested in Jaden's growth, and wished to give him a rematch out of a sense of honor.
"A worthy choice." I nodded, feeling the warm ocean water wash over my toes. He looked at me with mild surprise.
"Heh, I figured you'd be nipping at my heels for one last game." Was all Zane said to that.
"There'll be other times." I shrugged. "When our real rematch comes, it will be in front of the entire dueling world, not this band of schoolchildren."
"You do realize that you still have two years to go, right? Therefore making you a schoolchild by your own definition?" Zane said, straight-faced.
"Yeah, don't remind me." I took a particularly long swig from the bottle at that.
"Don't worry, the next two years have gotta be more relaxing than this one at least." Zane chuckled.
"Yeah, if my 'relaxing' you mean 'a miserable, throbbing pain in my ass', then yes. It's gonna be as relaxing as it gets." I said, finishing the bottle.
A/N
Hope you all enjoyed. A happy belated Independence Day to my fellow Americans – this chapter may or may not have been delayed by the fun I had at the lakes that week.
A little slower-paced chapter this time around, mainly to set up various plot threads for the next arc, as well as get some character interaction, or "fluff" as some people call it. The calm after the storm, so to speak, as well as the beginnings of another.
I was going to give the new Ishtar OC a "serious" name, but Hank Ishtar and his accompanying voice is some of Little Kuriboh's funniest material, so I decided to give him a nod. I honestly just said fuck it, why not. But some serious trouble is brewing in Egypt…we'll be seeing Marik and Odion soon.
Elsewhere, we see that Uria has landed in the West. Viper has not been contacted at all by Yubel yet, but that doesn't mean he's a chill dude by any means. It is in the nature of the snake to coil and calculate before striking, and that is what Viper means to do for now as he weighs the value of this new asset, and the possibility of keeping it a secret. He might be the next one in Kaiba's crosshairs if he's not careful.
And finally, Hamon in the North seemed to fit well with Jesse. It is partially an homage to canon, where he was able to use the Sacred Beasts, albeit while being controlled by Yubel. It's also a nod to how Hamon is kinda the real Crystal Beast boss monster, since it is very easy to get three continuous spells on the field with that engine. It's definitely way easier to summon than Rainbow Dragon, although more people are forced to run that card if they're playing the new fusions, which are quite fun. I remember hating having to run one Rainbow Dragon in a Rainbow Neos turbo deck I made back in 2013, but I had no choice. Fuck me, that's a bad card lol, but I digress.
Next chapter will cover Chazz and Jesse's (I made a typo in a previous chapter and said 'Chazz and Jamie's") Excellent Adventure to America and their exhibition match against David Rabb and Reggie Mackenzie.