Chapter Nineteen

Sisterhood

"Do you hear that?"

In the car riding alongside me, Luna and Leo shared questioning stares. My words must not have gone unheard, then. I could hardly hear my own voice over the music.

Leo said, "Uhh, y'mean the engines?"

The rumbles of the vehicles were buried beneath the notes. I scanned the area. Devack's sign, the Monkey, was drawn against the storm clouds over flat, empty wasteland scorched by the Zero Reverse. Cusillu's tower lay on the west side of the B. A. D. area. The east held trash dumps hauled from New Domino City, where I'd first seen my partner's sign.

The tower Devack would be protecting was the only bump on the horizon past a dip in the landscape and a half-broken building. It was impossible, then, for the music to be as loud as it was for how far away those structures were.

"C'mon," I said. "This isn't time for a prank! Are you blasting the music into my helmet somehow?"

"We really don't know what you're talking about." Luna's brows knit. "There's no music. Trudge only has a police radio in here."

"Pretty lame if you ask me," Leo grumbled. He and Trudge started into a yelling match.

Luna kept her eyes on me. "What do you hear, Rain?"

Closing my eyes allowed better focus on the gentle tones. They were loud as my own thoughts. What instrument was that? In my mind's eye, the delicate balance between pressure and friction of taut strings waged their wars. I leaned up a little and opened my eyes halfway. "It's a violin."

"I don't hear anything like that."

I tried to make eye contact with Luna. Fuzzy lights sprinkled among the air whizzed past in a blur. The tiny spheres reminded me of fireflies on a summer night if they shone white rather than green.

My toes curled into soft grass. I blinked. I was standing underneath a brilliant blue sky. The serenity of the atmosphere left me closing my eyes and abandoning all worries.

No; this couldn't be right. I was on my duel runner. What would happen if I wasn't there for Luna? My heart thumped against my chest, and my fingers found their grip on my handlebars again. I shook my head and made sure I felt the air whip my long locks.

It made zero sense. One second I was here and the last I was standing in a grassy field? The melody kept playing in my ears, too. I felt split in two – like I existed in two places at once.

"Rain, look!" I could see Luna this time. A see-through Kuribon cuddled in her arms. She said, "The Spirits are calling me. That must've been it! A Spirit is telling you it's time like how Kuribon is here to take me to the other side!"

What made her think so? Last time, the Crimson Dragon sent me to the Spirit World. It must've been happening again. I didn't have a connection to Spirits like she did. There were my Blue-Eyes White Dragons, but they weren't gentle and serene like that place.

The violin's song grew louder and louder, reaching its crescendo. The enchanting song came to an abrupt halt. Then I heard it, a sound soft as the breeze in the dreamlike world: an exhale.

A voice even softer: "You're here?"

I glanced to the car. Luna disappeared in a grand pillar of light. Trudge slammed on the brakes while Leo screamed about the Spirit World. He started into yet another argument with Trudge.

"Yoohoo. Why are you staring off into space? Are you dreaming awake again, Rain? Ha. It's fine. I oft face the same affliction."

Her voice, the way her tender and caring words tickled my eardrums – she had to be right next to me. The area was empty besides the car with Leo and Trudge and the distant tower. I said, "Who's there?"

The gentle inhale I heard displayed not-too-impactful shock. "You're not able to remember. Don't feel bad. I'm… not the most memorable, anyway."

I wasn't sure why, but her brief chuckle inspired a pang in my heart.

"Here. Take my hand, and the lead is yours."

And suddenly I was in the fantastical grasslands with the fairy lights whizzing about. My mirror image extended a hand to me. This must've been the Spirit World's odd way of inviting me in – by showing me inside the other realm. I interlocked fingers with the reflection.

A shock ignited at the contact. I whipped my hand back and shook out the pain. When I looked up, the reflection was gone. A tender breeze caressed me. A small creek cut through the field, lulling me with the soothing sound of flowing water. By my right foot rested a white violin and matching bow. While lost in the instrument's beauty, a bright blue butterfly alighted on the tip of my nose.

The butterfly flew away upon the approach of three men dressed in medieval armor: one in blue, one in red, and one in black. The blue knight – he had a scar over his right eye, I noticed – stepped forward and addressed me.

"General. These are yours." He knelt before me and held out a sheathed saber. There were questions on my mind but my hands moved on their own. I accepted it and strapped it to my waist.

The red knight clapped me on the back. His grin was mischievous. He held out a hand, and in his palm glittered a necklace inlaid with a green gemstone. "Here's ya Orichalcos. It'll keep ya chill."

I pulled it over my head. The pendant fell on the center of my chest. The knight in black threw a bundle of fabric at me; I struggled to properly catch it. The item was an ebony hoodless cloak of soft velvet. Its chain clasp and design were the same dull gold as my runner. The stitching was a dragon in upwards flight. I clasped the cape around my neck, and it fluttered with the breeze.

The black knight's dark blue eyes pinned me with a disapproving glare as he said, "You've shown a disappointing performance so far. If that does not change, I'll hesitate to call you 'general.'"

"Ay, quit bein' such an ass!" scolded the red knight.

"I might consider it if you gave me a reason not to be."

The blue knight grabbed the red knight's arm before they started into an argument and said, "We wish Lady Luck be by your side always."

Finally I was able to speak: "Thank you."

"I know ya don't remember us," the red knight said, "but know we're here for ya!"

"Get on with saving our realm, Rain," the black knight grumbled. "Introduce them to the edge of your blade. Show them who this world belongs to."

"And remember that when you need us the most," the blue knight said with a kind smile, "we will be there."

"I will, but who are-"

I was thrown back into the tiny Spirit World town. Ugh. Should've seen that coming.

A pile of boxes hid me from the main square, so I took the time to observe my gift. I pulled the saber from its navy sheath to find a dark green blade made of the same material as my pendant. It was inlaid with three of the same symbols as the one on my duel disk, a language I had once known.

The handle fit my palm perfectly. My black, fingerless glove was the exact size of the hilt. I slung a few slices and broke up some boxes until I felt comfortable. I studied the words again.

"Insluith, Yrrsil, Rykuix."

In my language, the words meant faith, love, and pain. My language? I gulped and observed the sword, which was now shining like the Seal of Orichalcos. I… wasn't from the Satellite, was I?

Instinct took over. The hilt twirled in my hands like the blade wasn't a forearm-length saber but a pocket knife. I sliced forward. A beam of energy shot from the blade, flew into a house, and exploded on impact. Oh. Oh, no. Had I just destroyed the wall of a poor Duel Monster's house?

"What that?"

A group of the monkeys scampered over to observe the damage. The staffs glimmering in their paws alarmed me. Cursed Needles, Torunka had called them. They had range advantage. If they closed in on me… I didn't want to know how the staffs would affect me.

Thinking the three ancient words invoked the saber. I thrust forward. The blast exploded in the middle of the group. The monkeys crumbled into dirt. Their weapons bounced against the paved road.

"This is so cool! Uh, focus." Black clouds sourcing from the northward mountain blotted out the sun. The unnatural storm blanketed the Spirit World. Even the Gilded Gate in the distance was dark. Luna and I were separated, but we wouldn't forget the goal.

I journeyed through the now-empty town, ascended the trail winding around the mountain, and approached the church at the apex. The two guards I had knocked out with Rage with Eyes of Blue posted up in front of the large, double doors. An energy blast erased them from being.

The stained-glass window above the entrance showed a mosaic of a blue dragon upon a rocky wasteland. I nodded towards the picture in greeting as I pushed open the doors. Ah-ha. Must've been another instinct thing, because I would never do that.

And to admit I wasn't fully in control of my actions anymore would be terrifying, so instinct! Must've been.

I threw open the front doors without even trying to mask my entrance. The twenty monkeys within glowered at me. On the inside, my heart clenched at how outnumbered I was. In reality, I smirked and dove into the crowd. I danced through them with my blade, a deadly sharp choreography.

The final enemy exploded into dust under my sword. I looked up to see Luna, Torunka, and a giant white lion watching me. I straightened and flashed a nervous grin because, well, the skills with the sword were definitely not from me.

"Rain, you did come back!" Torunka hugged my legs. He was shorter than before, and his clothes were loose on him. "I thought I might never ever see you again!"

"…Why so dramatic?"

"Ah, boy, you're just the sweetest, aren't you," Torunka grumbled. "Luna and I had a near-death experience, okay? Cut me some slack! Regulus here was under a curse and tried to kill us! Luna's quick thinking saved us."

"I expect nothing less," I told her, and her smile was sheepish.

"Regulus is going to help us save Ancient Fairy Dragon," Luna explained. She, too, looked younger than normal. "Where'd you get that cool sword?"

"The blade was hers all along." The lion lowered his head, rustling his orange mane. "It is an honor, Knight."

"Er, you can call me Rain."

Torunka nudged Regulus's shoulder and pointed beside my temple. "Look, look!"

I peered to the side. The bright blue butterfly from the place the knights lived must have teleported with me. To think it stayed with me despite all the action amazed me. I said, "Does it mean something?"

Torunka coughed a couple of times. "No! Nothing at all!"

"Mmmkay. Why are you and Luna so small?"

"It's the minus curse!" Torunka exclaimed. "Luna and I may turn back to babies if it doesn't stop! The whole world will turn back to its premature state, from even before you created it!"

A chill spread through my body. "I… what now?"

"Torunka, her memories have been taken. Do not interfere!"

"Aw, what? You called her by her true name! But nooo, I'm the one that messed up."

"Have I… been here before all this? And, why isn't that curse affecting me? I can even see you shrinking, Regulus."

When Regulus smiled, his fangs poked out. "It is affecting you, Knight, but you are so ancient that its effects are miniscule."

The blood drained from my face.

"We're running out of time!" Torunka pulled on my and Luna's hands. A gigantic set of doors kept us from the chapel. Torunka shoved at them with all his might. I rolled my eyes and pushed the door open.

The candelabras in the corners brightened the gothic church. Stained glass windows depicted a red dragon towards the front. Rather than light from outside filtering through their mosaic, illumination poured outward from a hole in the center of the room. Pews had been tossed aside. The walls had been ripped out and replaced with stone cards. The captured souls of monsters called to me from within the prisons.

A poorly put together throne forged of sandstone imposed from beyond the pit of light. A robed ape stood from the chair. He banged his large Cursed Needle against the floor. "I have awaited your arrival, Signer. I am Zeman, the Ape King!"

Inwardly, I thought over how I had called them monkeys the whole time when they must have been apes. Outwardly, I scowled at the Duel Monsters in stone prisons. The anger inciting my growl wasn't from me. The crimson spark electrified my pulse. My incisors extended into fangs.

Crimson Dragon? I said. Have you been controlling me?

I cannot control you.

My fear battled foreign fury. Luna approached the Ape King. "Let Ancient Fairy Dragon go!"

He loosed a deep-throated chuckle. "How can you possibly hope to save her? While Master Devack is destroying your brother, you'll be stuck here, begging for your weakling dragon until your life runs out!"

"L-Leo?" Her expression collapsed into horror. "Leo is fighting the Dark Signer?"

The curl of Zeman's smile raced shivers down my spine. "A hopeless fight indeed. Your inferior master, Ancient Fairy Dragon, will soon feel her bones reduced to ashes! I simply require the lion's power to finish the process."

Regulus bared his fangs. "You will not hurt her."

"You cannot prevent her curse. You don't even know where she is! As long as I wait until your friends are gone, you'll be alone and powerless before me. I'll show you!"

With a flick of Zeman's wrist, his staff spun towards Regulus and clamped down on his ankle. The lion roared, and the Ape King cackled at his pain. Luna said, "Regulus, no!"

Regulus turned on the Signer. The look in his eyes told me everything. Regulus pounced. His sharp claws and fangs pointed at Luna's throat. I grabbed her by her pink jacket's hood and ripped her away. His attack left gashes in the stone floor.

"Ahhh! What do we do what do we do?" Torunka ran around as though his robes had caught fire. "Regulus is gonna kill us!"

I moved my sword to my left hand. "Let him try."

"Rain, wait!" Luna tugged at my cloak. "He was like this earlier, and with that staff on him, he's dangerous!"

"Hey, kitty." Regulus glowered at me. I kept my focus on the Cursed Needle clamped to his leg. "I'm pretty tasty. Want to give it a shot?"

A grand roar brandished his fangs. Regulus leapt at me. My left foot swept back and found root as I braced myself. My right arm served as my shield. His sharp teeth sank deep into my forearm. The pain was intense enough to force a grunt out of me, and hot blood dripped to the ground.

My gaze remained on the staff. Blue fire sparked in my palm. A surge of strength allowed me to slam Regulus against the earth while his fangs remained clenched. He released me to roar in pain. A mold of him was left cracked in the stone tiles. In his moments of agony, I sliced apart the Cursed Needle with my blade. It clattered to the ground. My blood splattered next to it.

Regulus shook his mighty mane. "What- happened? Why is my back aching so?"

Luna and Torunka's jaws dropped. Torunka said, "That. Was. A. Ma. Zing."

Luna asked, "Are you two okay?"

"I am fine," said the lion. "I must apologize. I lost control, and I hurt you, Knight. I am truly sorry."

I flexed my bloodied fingers. The fang wound would leave a scar, I was sure. I muttered, "It wasn't your fault. I'm just glad I was able to do… whatever that was. I saw it again, the blue fire from my dreams."

"The Blue Flame," Regulus said. "Its appearance means your abilities are almost fully restored from when your master protected you from the Zero Reverse!"

My what did what now?

"Blue Flame? The minus curse isn't affecting you, either. That means- no!" Zeman shouted. "Y-you must be just some human. You can't be her!"

Her?

"It's okay, Rain. You don't have to be anxious so long as we're together. I'll take care of this part."

The detached voice rang through my thoughts like the Crimson Dragon's. It clicked that this was the soft voice that had summoned me to the Spirit World. How had it stayed with me?

The blue butterfly flitted in front of my face. I crushed the insect in my fist. Flames rushed over my skin. The fire forged a black, skintight suit. The next rush of flames created armor plating in the same design as my runner: dull gold cascading downwards like dragon scales. Azure flames flurried about my skull, crafting my runner helmet as the armor's crown.

A presence with me exhumed kindness and pressed me onward like a hand on the small of my back. Its sense of encouragement gifted me with a pride and surety I had never known. My back straightened and my shoulders squared.

"No, no!" squealed the Ape King. "You're supposed to be dead with the others! You can't be here! You can't!"

Luna took in my new appearance with wide eyes. "That armor. You really are a knight."

"I'll be the muscle, you the brains. Sound good?" I fired a wink in her direction. "Employ your cunning, Signer. You are the Crimson Dragon's chosen. Ancient Fairy Dragon is your rightful duel spirit. Do you have a way of contacting spirits?"

"Um, sort of. Well, that is, when I got lonely, I would…" Luna observed her arm, and her claw mark of the Crimson Dragon cast scarlet onto the trapped monsters creating the throne room's walls. Luna closed her eyes. "I hear her. Ancient Fairy Dragon… is here!"

A small, yellow light emerged from the light-filled pit. The tiny sphere flashed and transformed into the crag holding Ancient Fairy Dragon. The mountain had begun to deteriorate, but the fossil within clung to life.

"Impossible!" Zeman squealed. "She was trapped where no one could locate her!"

I said, "Your prayers and wishes have the power to restore and empower spirits. Your connection was never lost. Please save them while I take care of this traitor."

Luna nodded, placed her right hand on Ancient Fairy Dragon's stone, and closed her eyes. Her sign sparkled, and red light pulsed through Fairy Dragon's outline. The fading skeleton lightened; skin and wings regenerated.

Zeman started towards Luna. I spun to face him, my grip tightening around my sword. My cape fluttered behind me like a menacing shadow. I commanded, "Take no step further."

"I answer to a new master! Your laws cannot bind me!"

"None escape the accountability of the law. For crimes against the freedom and order of the Spirit World, you face execution." I shot a beam of energy. The explosion catapulted him against his throne. Stone cracked under the force. Regulus tailed me as I approached the false king. "What do you say in your defense?"

"W-whatever happens here won't change the fate of both worlds! The Dark Signers will win! Master Devack will destroy you, and I'll give him my power before I fall! Dark Signer, I offer you m-"

I tossed my saber like a boomerang. The blade sliced through his neck. Purple blood stained my sword and puddled onto the seat of the throne. Zeman's body crumpled. The corpse fell off the throne and disintegrated into dust.

Before I returned my bloodied blade to its sheath, I blasted the throne. It shattered into a thousand stone fragments. The wake of the destruction left my cloak flapping. "I defy your kingship."

"Holy crap," Torunka stared at me with wide eyes. "I've heard all the stories, but seeing a Knight in action is awesome!"

"Is he always so energetic?" the voice asked.

Yes. Who are you?

"An execution is not a time for celebration."

Torunka balked at me, snatched his cone-shaped hat, and dipped his head. I did the same. A pulse of heat from the center of the chapel redirected our attention. The crag crumbled to reveal a shining, fairy-winged dragon. The bright blue beast fluttered into the air.

Luna grinned as she returned to her normal age and filled out her clothes. Torunka was far, far older than the child I knew him as. His true self was an age-old magician. With a hearty laugh, he said, "Our master is freed!"

Ancient Fairy Dragon unleashed her soothing song of a roar. Grand, golden light shone from her wings and freed the duel spirits from their stone card prisons. They filled the hall, and when they touched the ground, they bowed. Regulus and Torunka followed suit.

Realization slapped me: they were bowing to us. Luna said, "I'm happy to have helped you all, but this is a little overkill."

"Accept gratitude with grace," I said. Yet like all the other things that had happened within the last five minutes, I never would have done that. The look Luna gave me said the odd way I acted hadn't gone unnoticed.

Ancient Fairy Dragon rose from her bow and addressed us. "Luna, Regulus, Torunka, Knight, thank you for your help. The Spirit World is safe once again."

Cheers went up. She continued, "There remains a major battle ahead to save your world as well, starting with this first Dark Signer. Luna, your brother fights with his heart, but I'm afraid it is not enough."

"No! We have to help him! How can we get back?"

"I will send you back to him," the fairy dragon answered. "Good luck."

"We await your return, Legendary Knight of Destiny," Regulus said.

This time, I spoke myself. "When I come back, I hope I remember you all!"

Ancient Fairy Dragon's eyes tilted down. "Oh, my dear Rain. When you remember, I pray you find the goodness in your heart. Remember little Luna."

"What do you-"

Light surged. I landed on my knees. The black cape blanketed my crumpled form. The sight before me earned a gasp. Pushing to my feet, I took in the Spirit World's landscape from the top of a tall tower. The Gilded Gate and small town were far behind me; Ancient Fairy Dragon's church was a spot on a faraway mount.

Patchwork of various farm fields, yellow for grain, green for corn, and rainbow for flowers stitched together the rectangular pattern below. The square lots kept on to the horizon. Crops swayed in the dark. Moments ago, I swore I saw this place bathed in sunshine.

A splash sounded from above. I stepped to the tower's edge to peer up past the covered spire. The sky was a sea. Black waves clashed. The brilliant silver seafoam separating wave from wave was formed from stars laced together. My jaw dropped as I watched the brawling starfoam.

"Not the worst place to be trapped, I think."

At the voice, I spun on my heel. The knight in dull, gold armor stood watching me. Behind her, two larger-than-life bells hung at the tower's apex. Starfoam's luminescence spilling into the tower allowed me to see details of the girl, whose height equaled mine exactly, and the bells, whose worn stone showed thousands of years of age.

I said, "H-hi. You did all of that, right? You saved the Spirit World."

The smallest of smiles graced the knight's lips. There was something strange about it; there was something brilliant about it. Her smile erased all my worries with the promise of a radiant future.

The knight said, "We did it together. Don't be a stranger, Rain. You always have a home here."

The meekness of her wave reminded me of myself. I offered a similarly hesitant wave back. An azure butterfly flittered across my vision. When I looked away from the insect, I found myself in the B. A. D. area.

"Leo!" Luna's heartrending cry brought me back to reality. Leo teetered in front of us. Bruises and burns darkened patches of his skin. I sheathed my saber and ran to his side with Luna on the other. The dark flames of the Monkey glyph tore through the ground around us.

"The real Signer finally shows herself. Welcome to the battleground, Luna." The Dark Signer, Devack, stood before us. His yellow-trimmed hood fell over his black eyes, which glinted by fuchsia firelight.

"I'm sorry," Leo whimpered beside me. "I- couldn't do it."

"Why would you challenge him, Leo?" I asked. "You saw the duel between Kalin and Yusei!"

"I didn't want anything to happen to… Luna. Have to protect you, sis."

Luna's hands covered her mouth, and tears streamed down her cheeks. "Leo!"

"Hey, Rain?" Leo stumbled, and his eyes were blank. "You… saved me, so you can do the same to her. You're smart 'n' I'm not. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, Luna…"

The downward tilted corners of my mouth trembled. "You can count on me."

Leo collapsed. Devack laughed at Leo's attempt, which shot fury through Luna. Her sign lit with the feeling. Devack shuffled the cards on the field into his deck. Luna shouted, "What did you do to Leo?"

"I merely showed him a taste of the darkness. Don't worry; when it comes to a real Signer, I won't play with my food!"

"Luna! Rain!" Trudge and Yusei watched the duel anxiously from the second story of a half-fallen, gray building. I raised my right arm to wave at them but winced and grasped at the deep fang mark. Yusei asked, "What happened? Are you okay?"

I spoke to the Crimson Dragon in my thoughts: He's not dueling Kalin.

Fate seems to be in your corner.

For once! I smiled at my old teammate. "Hey, Yusei! I hope you stick around to watch Luna and I kick this Dark Signer's ass in Leo's place!"

"Bold words for a powerless human," Devack said, "Roman fearing you doesn't change a thing. You are nothing. If you want to die today, you've come to the right place."

Fat chance. I would get my dragon back, and he would fall like his servant did. I knew Ancient Fairy Dragon was in his deck. We had to win her back. I held out my disk, and when I did, my cape fluttered behind me. I kept my right arm limp at my side whenever possible. Its forearm burned with pain when I moved it. The wound made me feel like a Signer in my own special way. "Ready to duel this creep, Luna?"

She was still caught on Leo's state, and her eyes glistened. "I c-can't duel. Leo always does it for me. He always protects me, and now he's-"

I dropped to a knee and took her hand in mine. The duel disk further up on her arm was a custom model painted pink like her outfit. "You can do this. No, we can do this. Leo may be too out of it to go on. My partner may be my enemy. Doesn't change that two halves make a whole just like you said to me when I was at my lowest. You and I are tagging this, and I'm coming through on my promise. You can duel on your own. We will win."

Her courage climbed higher with each word. When she nodded at me, fierce determination hardened her gold-gray eyes. In unison, we shouted:

"DUEL START!"

End of Chapter Nineteen

A/N: I JUS' LOVE [REDACTED] SO MUCH YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND OK MY LONELY BB WHO WOULD BE GO-

*COUGH COUGH* anyway. Hope you like my imagining of the Spirit World and [REDACTED]'s place in it!

a Monday posting! Weird! Feels weird to me. I figure since this chapter and the next relate to the same conflict I'll post 'em both this week. Look out for me again Thursday!