This is one of the chapters I've waiting to work with. This and next one are Halloween chapters, so there will be some cosplay and dress-up, but there will be some unexpected twist of events.
The chapter contains some StarParticleShipping (Estelle/Yusei) moments, so enjoy the slow burn romance. ;)
Estelle's Halloween costume can be found on my DeviantArt account.
Special thanks to CitrusUnshiu for helping me to come up with the canon characters' Halloween costumes.
We have the winner of the 700 review shout-out! It's one of my long-time friends from DA, Pimsan! Congratulations! The next shout-out will be by the 725 review. Remember, those who already have won a shout-out won't get another shout-out and the guest reviews don't count.
The chapter begins in Estelle's point of view.
WARNING! Extreme vomiting!
Disclaimer: I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!
Chapter 41: Horror of Halloween
Time seemed to flash by in the speed of light, because the next thing I knew, it was October 31st. That meant it was time for Halloween.
I was preparing myself by changing into my costume that was based on a female ninja AKA kunoichi. The costume fit perfectly and didn't feel tight at all. Setsuko and her employees sure knew how to make a great job.
I wanted to tie my hair up into a bun, but I couldn't do it by myself, so I asked one of the maids to help me. While she combed my hair and used her skilled fingers to fix the bun, I recalled an event that happened in the garage of the Poppo Time clock shop a couple of days ago. I shivered by the memory since the event had almost caused my heart to stop beating.
XXXXXXXXXX – FLASHBACK
I was in the garage for another session of Duel Runners by Yusei. It was necessary since I was getting close to the part of my exams when I had to drive a Duel Runner. I already had one type of Runner in mind, but I needed to learn more about the circuits and frames and other programs that were needed for the vehicle to work.
Yusei and I had crouched down so the Signer could show me the cables inside the Runner, and he told me which cable had this and that function and which part of the Runner it was connected to. Our backs were turned to the stairs that led up to the kitchen slash living room, so we never noticed how Crow snuck up behind us while hiding something behind his back.
I was listening to every word Yusei said and wrote down notes when I suddenly felt a slight weight on my back. I looked over my shoulder to see a black creature. As I took a closer look at it, my brain began working in overdrive as I realized what it was.
"SPINDEEEEEL! (SPIDEEEEER!)"
I jumped up on my feet and threw my pencil and notebook before waving my arms around like a panicked chicken. I shook my body to get rid of the spider on my back while still screaming like the end of the world was coming.
"TABORTDENTABORTDENTABORTDEN! (GETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFF!)"
My voice was so loud it overpowered Yusei's voice when he called my name. My eyes were shut tight as tears gathered in the corners of them. I was only able to snap out of it when a hand grabbed my left arm and pulled my back into a broad chest and the other hand held me by my right shoulder.
"Calm down, Estelle", Yusei spoke to me in a low and gentle voice as I gasped hoarsely. "It's okay. It's gone now. Take a deep breath and relax…"
Once I returned to my senses and my panting wasn't so hoarse, I turned around in Yusei's arms and clutched onto his top and rested my face at the crook of his neck. I was still in slight shock as my body kept shaking uncontrollably. I wasn't crying or sobbing, but I was hiccupping a bit instead. I could feel Yusei's left arm wrapped around my waist while he used his right hand to caress my head to comfort me until I was out of the shock.
"Hey!" I heard Jack's irritated voice calling, but I didn't look up as I kept my eyes closed. "What are you doing down here, yelling like that?!"
There was a brief moment of silence before Yusei spoke up in a deep and serious voice that gave me quite the chills.
"Jack, punch Crow."
"E-Ehhh?!" Crow's frightened voice shook. "W-Wait a minute, guys…!"
The next thing I heard was the cracks of knuckles and the Blackwing Duelist's cries for mercy.
XXXXXXXXXX – END OF FLASHBACK
The rest was history. Jack beat up Crow for scaring me with a fake spider hanging by a thread on a stick. The beaten Signer apologized multiple times when he learned I had a serious case of arachnophobia and promised to never do that again. He just wanted to prank a bit because it was Halloween, but he didn't know it was going to backfire.
"There we go", the maid, Amalia, said as she finished fixing the bun. "It's done, Ms. Estelle."
"Thank you, Amalia", I nodded before I stood up from the makeup desk. "I could have never done this without help."
Amalia smiled sweetly. "I'm glad I was able to assist you. I hope you'll have a great time with your friends at the festival."
The old Satellite had a tradition to lighten things up by having a festival where children and adults alike could dress up and have fun and just forget the bad times they had to go through. Now, it was a new era, but the tradition got stuck to the people, and my friends and I had promised Martha to take the orphans and visit the festival in the evening. I was a bit excited to participate in my very first Japanese festival and dress up for the event, but I was worried if there was going to be a big crowd with lots of people and noise around me.
After the Daedalus Bridge Tournament, I told the Signers how my autism could cause my brain to work double overtime when it came to lots of impression around me than for a normal human being. They were very understanding and relieved that I told them. They said if I ever needed a break while we had an activity, I could tell them and wait for them in a quiet and secluded area. The rule applied to this festival as well.
I wrapped my ninja scarf around my neck before I grabbed my black shoulder-purse with cell phone, keys, and other minor necessaries. I walked down to the main hallway where I met up with Shinji and, to my surprise, Goodwin.
"Goodwin?" I spoke up confusedly. "What's the matter?"
Goodwin chuckled softly. "Can't a father wish his daughter well and tell her to be careful?"
"Oh… Sorry…", I blushed in embarrassment. "I thought you needed something from me."
"Understandable", Goodwin nodded. "Now then, make sure to have fun, but be careful."
"Careful with what?"
Goodwin cast a glance at Shinji and the maids that were in the hallway. They understood the message and left us alone to talk in private. I was getting a bad feeling about this.
"I have some concerns…about the Army of Shadows", the master of the mansion confessed.
"The Army of Shadows…?" I mumbled before my eyes widened. "You mean the Earthbound Immortals?"
"I'm not sure, but I recall reading a document about a foreboding event before all data got lost along with the Stairway to the Dragon Star. It said if the King of the Netherworld would ever crawl upon the surface of our world but got defeated, he might leave some seeds scattered around with the hope of one day being resurrected."
My left hand went instinctually to my right arm where my Mark was. I remembered the final Shadow Turbo Duel when the King of the Netherworld sent those sludge condors that attacked me, Yusei, Jack, and Crow. One of the condors managed to peck me right in the middle of the Star Mark and left a scar behind.
In the last few days, I often felt a sudden cramp in my arm that vanished just as quickly as it appeared. I had never injured my arm before and the cramp always appeared around my Mark.
What if…
No. I shouldn't shake myself up with this.
"Did the document mention anything else?" I asked.
"Only that if the King of the Netherworld left his seeds behind and they get enough energy, he might be resurrected while a rift between our world and the Netherworld is still open."
"Are you talking about the Old Ener-D Reactor and the Negative Energy?"
"That might be it, yes."
"When did this rift open and when does it close?"
"The document said the rift opens on July 15th and will close on November 2nd, but the rift will generate more power on the first day of Allhallowtide, causing it to become unstable and the Army of Shadows might raise up again to assist the King of the Netherworld."
My brain was trying to process the information. So this rift opened on July 15th, which was the date of Obon, the Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors, and closed on November 2nd, which was the last day of Halloween…
Wait a minute…
"Today is the first day of Halloween, so…", my eyes widened in realization. "The Army of Shadows might strike tonight!"
Goodwin nodded, "Take extra precaution and if you notice any odd signs, inform me and tell the Signers to help you take care of it before I arrive."
"Okay", I nodded hesitantly. "I'll pay a bit more attention if I sense dark energy."
XXXXXXXXXX
I was still thinking about what Goodwin told me as Shinji drove the limousine over to the island of Satellite where my friends and I were going to meet up at Martha's place. Could the resurrection of the King of the Netherworld mean the Earthbound Immortals would once again raise up from their imprisonment of the Nazca Lines? Did this mean the war with them wasn't over as I first thought it was?
I was getting a bit restless and played with my fingers until I stopped myself by clenching my hands into fists. I had to calm down and not think about the possibility. I needed to have the warning in the back of my head, but right now I wanted to focus on the good stuff like this event.
Shinji parked the limousine in front of Martha's house where I spotted three familiar Duel Runners. I got out of the vehicle and thanked Shinji before he drove away. Just as he did, the front door opened and Crow's little nest ran out to greet me. They were all dressed in cute little costumes.
"Hi, Estelle!" Kokoro smiled widely as she was dressed like a little witch with a long-sleeved red dress, dark red witch hat, black shoes, and holding a small broom. Her signature ponytail was down, so her hair was flowing nicely on her back.
"Hi, little ones", I smiled softly as I gave Kokoro and Hikari a hug. "Happy Halloween."
"Happy Halloween!" the children chanted in return.
Hikari was dressed like a witch too, but her dress was blue with long puffy sleeves, dark blue shoes, and a broom. The boys, however, were more creative.
Daichi was dressed in a costume that looked like an orange jack-o'-lantern. It looked nice on him, since he was a bit big, but it made him really cute at the same time. Taiga was dressed in a black costume that reminded me of Batman while Ginga was dressed like Superman.
"You all look so adorable", I complimented the children.
"Thank you, Estelle", Daichi smiled.
"Martha spent a lot of time to make our outfits", Hikari revealed.
"But ours are the coolest, right, Taiga?" Ginga smirked as he threw his cape around.
"Yeah, Ginga!" Taiga nodded. "We're the heroes of the Satellite! Justice will be served! And you, Estelle, will be our third member of our Justice League!"
Crow's laugh echoed from the front door. "Easy there, fellas! I bet there won't be any criminals at the festival tonight."
I turned to the door and saw the Satellite Trio walking out of their old foster house. Crow was dressed in his Tengu-like costume with a traditional Japanese monk top, male skirt, and a pair of detachable wings on his arms that were part of the top and tied around the wrists, white socks, and a pair of Japanese tree slippers. His face was covered in red make-up to look like he had a fever.
Jack's costume was actually the suit he had in the episode with the WRGP party. It was mainly white, but had purple parts, and golden embroideries, and he had the hat with a feather attached on the band.
Yusei's costume was based on a cowboy. He had a grey top that was half-covered by a dark yellow bolero-like jacket, black pants with a thick leather belt around his hips on which cowboy-like pants were attached on and two gun holsters for fake guns, a pair of black gloves, dark grey boots, a dark crimson cape tied around his neck, and a brown sheriff hat with a tiny star on the middle. He reminded me a lot of a Xyz Monster from my dimension, but I forgot that card's name.
"Good evening, guys", I greeted them. "Still looking good in your costumes."
"Thanks! You too, kunoichi!" Crow grinned as he gave me a thumbs up.
"But don't you feel cold without a jacket?" Yusei wondered.
"A little, but the air is still warm enough for me to walk with bare shoulders", I replied. "Any words from the others?"
"Carly said they'll show up any minute now", Jack said as he picked up his cell phone from the pocket of his long coat.
I couldn't help but notice his friendship with Carly seemed to have blossomed in the last few months, especially since the Duel I had with her when she wanted to find out if she had psychic powers.
"Oooh, gettin' close to Carly, eh?" Crow grinned mischievously as he elbowed Jack's side.
"S-Shut up, Crow!" Jack growled as his cheeks turned red.
"Look! Jack's turning red like Crow!" Daichi called.
"Jackie likes Carly~! Jackie likes Carly~!" Kokoro and Hikari sang teasingly.
"I do not!" Jack argued, blushing so hard that even the tip of his ears were getting red.
"Then why are you turning red, Jack?" Ginga grinned.
"When will you have a baby?" Taiga asked mischievously.
"A what now?!" Jack almost choked on his own spit.
"Yeah, Jackie~, when'll the wedding be? Don't forget to invite us!" Crow joined in the fun.
I couldn't help but giggle at the scene in front of me as Yusei stood next to me. "This is a nice way to start off the evening; a live comedy", I commented.
"Yeah", Yusei nodded.
Jack tried arguing back as he looked like he wanted to strangle Crow as the Blackwing Duelist and the kids kept teasing him. Luckily for the blonde Signer, the teasing got over when a familiar yellow VW Bug showed up. I liked to call it "Bumblebee", since it looked a lot like Bumblebee from "Transformers G1" in my world.
"Hi, guys!" Carly called as she, Aki, and the twins got out of the mini-van. "Sorry we're late!"
Carly was cosplaying Fortune Lady Water, but she was dressed in the censored version, wearing a dark blue bodysuit underneath the main costume. Instead of having the Fortune Lady's wand, she had a camera bag resting on her shoulder, obviously to take pictures and write a report about the festival. Tonight, she wasn't wearing her glasses; she was using contacts, so she could look more like Fortune Lady Water.
Aki was dressed in the same witch costume as Dexter imagined her in the anime, before she appeared with Black Rose Dragon for the first time. It consisted of a dark purple dress with a deep cleavage, a dark plum cape with hood strapped around her collarbone, a dark red belt with large green glass orbs around the waist, twin gold bracelets on the right wrist, a gold necklace with three green glass orbs, and a pair of dark purple heels. She was even wearing a wig that looked the same as in the anime.
Leo and Luna were dressed like the devil respective the angel. The twins confessed before that they got inspired by Light End Dragon and Dark End Dragon from my second Shadow Duel with Roman.
Luna had a white flowing dress with golden shoulder plates with green glass orbs as decoration, gold bracelets on both wrists, white ballet shoes, a pair of angel wings attached on her back, and a halo that was floating above her head with the help of a thin headband that went around her head and a thin steel thread at the back of the head.
Leo was dressed in a black bodysuit, dark grey vest with grey shoulder plates, dark grey shorts, and grey boots. He had a pair of black wings attached on his back, just like his sister.
"It's about time!" Jack growled as he pushed back Crow by his face, his red cheeks cooling down. "What took you so long?!"
"Whoa. Someone's not in Halloween mode", Leo commented as he, Luna, and Aki joined me and Yusei.
"I'm sure he'll get in a better mood once we visit the festival", Aki said calmly.
"Yeah", Luna nodded.
Martha walked out of the house with Blister behind her. "Well, what a lovely Halloween parade we have here."
"Hi, Martha", I greeted her with a soft wave with my hand.
"Hi, Estelle", Martha smiled warmly. "Okay, children. I entrust the little ones to you. Remember, the curfew is 9 p.m., so make sure to get them all back home safely, okay?"
"Okay, Martha!" Carly saluted.
"Just don't let the rascals eat too much candy", Blister warned. "Or else they won't fall asleep."
"Gotcha!" Leo grinned while giving the adults a thumbs up. "No candies to them, but candies to me!"
"Leo, you're a child too, so you need to put up a limit with sweets", I told him. "Too much candy and you'll have to visit the dentist."
Leo paled by the last word. "No! Not the dentist! I don't want them to drill my teeth!"
"That's why you shouldn't eat as much candy as you usually do, Leo", Luna sweat dropped.
"Can we go now already?!" Jack asked impatiently as Crow's little foster siblings giggled at him.
"Wait! Where's Misty?" Crow questioned. "Didn't she say she wanted to visit the festival too?"
"I got a call from her a couple of hours ago", Carly spoke up. "She said she was going to meet up with us at the festival. Apparently, she's bringing someone with her."
"A friend of hers?" Yusei wondered.
"I don't know. She didn't say any details", Carly shrugged.
"Anyhow, let's head to the festival and have fun! Happy Halloween!" Crow cheered excitedly.
XXXXXXXXXX
The Halloween festival was pretty much similar to a summer festival I used to read in manga books back in my world. There were many different stalls that sold food, lotteries, and even had some games. The decorations were creative and colorful, but the jack-o'-lanterns dominated everywhere. Several people recognized me and the others from the magazine we modelled for and asked for pictures, so we took selfies with our fans.
There was quite a crowd, so we stayed close to make sure we didn't lose the orphans. However, children being children, they were excited to visit their first festival, so slowly and surely we ended up splitting up to look for them. I didn't know how, but I ended up all alone in the middle of the crowd. I looked around to try finding my friends, but it was useless. People were wearing all kinds of costumes in similar colors as my friends', so I mistook a few of them when I approached them.
I felt a slight panic attack grow inside me as I pushed myself through the crowd. I had been here for more than forty-five minutes, but my brain couldn't take it anymore. The colors, sounds, lights, smells, and people around me were getting too much for me to handle. I had to get to a quiet and dark place and rest a bit.
I apologized every time I bumped into someone as I tried to make it through the crowd and get to a nearby park. My mind was set on getting away from the environment around me that I never heard a voice calling my name until someone grabbed my right wrist.
I snapped out of the trance and looked over my shoulder to see the concerned expression on Yusei's face. "Yusei…"
"I've been calling your name, Estelle, but you didn't hear me", he said before his eyes changed into analysis mode. "You okay? You look pale."
"I… I need to get away for a bit…"
Even though I had calmed down a bit now that I had someone by my side, I still felt like my brain was going to overload if I didn't get away from the festival.
Yusei didn't question anything. He let go of my wrist to grab my hand and pulled me gently through the crowd. I followed him as we walked in a middle-fast pace. Soon, we reached a nearby park where only a few people were walking around or sat on benches to get some rest themselves.
Yusei and I walked over to a bench where I immediately sat down and let out a sigh of relief. "Feeling better now?" the Signer asked as he sat down next to me.
"Yeah… A lot better", I nodded slowly before turning to him. "I'm sorry for the trouble."
"It's no trouble at all", Yusei shook his head. "You told us you can't handle crowds and all the impressions around you, especially in a festival like this. But… I still can't help but wonder…" He stared straight into my eyes with a serious expression. "If you know your brain can't handle all of this, then why do you keep pushing yourself and try to stay in a 'messy' environment, as you quoted?"
I relaxed my shoulders as I exhaled a sigh through my nose. "This may sound a bit childish of me, but I naively think that if I put myself in such an environment from time to time, my brain might get used to it and I can handle it better." I let out a soft but forced chuckle as I rubbed my forehead. "I've always tried to catch up and reach the norm's level, so I don't look like an outcast in other's eyes. It's hard, but I'm catching up step by step."
"You don't have to change."
I looked at Yusei, surprised by his comment. "I never said anything about changing, Yusei. I just want to reach-"
"Even so, you should stay true to yourself", Yusei interrupted with a slight stern look in his eyes. "None of us care if you act differently in certain situations. We're all different, with or without a diagnosis. We don't want you to push yourself just to fit in the society." He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and brought closer so I could rest my head against his left shoulder. "Our friends… In a way, we complete each other. Some of us got qualities the others don't have, and they got qualities we don't have. We might be the 'odd' ones in the society, but as long as we have each other, we don't have to worry about what the rest of the world thinks about us." His eyes shone with such warmth it touched the core of my soul. "So don't push yourself. We've accepted you for who you are and your difficulties, just as you accepted us."
This was the first time someone, besides my parents, had told me they loved and accepted me for who I was and accepted my autistic side, and Yusei's kind words touched my heart. I guess somewhere, deep inside me, I wanted to hear these honest words from a loyal friend. I bit my lower lip as tears accumulated in my eyes.
"T-Thank you, Yusei…", I said with a slight shaky voice before wiping off the tears. "N-No one, besides my parents, has ever said such things to me." Once I had control over my tears and held them back, I smiled softly to the Signer. "I'm so glad I'm friends with you and the others."
Yusei smiled softly with a chuckle. "I'm glad I've got to meet you too, Estelle. You're a unique woman; don't let other people tell you otherwise."
I smiled lightly before I relaxed and rested my head against his shoulder. For some reason, I felt very comfortable with Yusei and I felt like there was something going on between us, or was I just imagining it? I mean, Yusei had now several times taken the initiative to reach me when he noticed I wasn't feeling well and other times.
"Mind if we interrupt the cuddling?" a familiar voice spoke up.
I straightened up and tried to act nothing had just happened before I saw who had called us. It was Misty and…
"Kalin?" Yusei said in disbelief.
Misty was dressed as a geisha with a green kimono with black flower pattern, white socks, and traditional tree slippers. Her hair was tied up into the same style as geisha while her face was covered by white cream make-up and her lips were a bit dark pink.
Kalin was dressed in a dark blue Japanese formal police uniform with fake gold medals on the chest, a hat with a fake emblem, and gold buttons on the jacket.
"That's me, Yusei", Kalin chuckled as he moved his hat as greeting.
Yusei stood up from the bench and walked over to his big brother figure before they did a secret handshake. "I can't believe you're here. I thought the aspirants in the police academy weren't allowed to leave on holidays."
"Well, I can leave on Christmas, but not for Halloween", Kalin confessed sheepishly. "Misty contacted the academy and requested a 'bodyguard' for her during Halloween. Many wanted to get the task, but she specifically asked for me. The staff agreed to it, so I'm free this whole weekend, but I've gotta go back on Monday."
"I'm still glad to see you. Jack and Crow are around here somewhere, but they'll be happy to see you're doing well."
While the young men were talking, Misty sat down next to me on the bench. "Are you okay, Estelle?"
"Huh?" I blinked, turning my head to her.
"Your eyes are a little red. Did you cry just before we showed up?"
"No, not really", I shook my head. "I just…" I glanced at Yusei, feeling my heart throb in a fast pace. "I just had a small meltdown and Yusei helped me calm down."
Misty smiled softly, but didn't push on the matter. "Did you visit the festival?"
"Yeah, but after a while, the environment was too much for me, so that's why Yusei and I stayed here in the park so I could recharge my batteries."
"I see. Are you feeling better now?"
"A little. I think I can go on another round in the festival. I would love to try some yakisoba."
"Then let us get some food and meet up with the rest of the group", Misty nodded.
XXXXXXXXXX
The rest of the time at the festival went smoothly. We found the others and bought some food before we settled down by a few picnic benches in the park to eat. The children showed us what they bought or won on lotteries, but I almost got another panic attack when Taiga and Ginga said they found a stall that sold real big black spiders. They were about to reveal the spiders when Crow quickly stopped them and said I couldn't handle spiders. The young boys went to another part of the park to release the spiders. I was very thankful and gave them a bit more of my yakisoba to express my gratitude.
The fun reached its end when we brought the orphans back to Martha's house. Kokoro and Hikari were tired, but happy for visiting their first festival. The boys were tired too and claimed they could stay awake a bit longer, but Martha shooed them to bed.
"Did you enjoy yourselves at the festival?" Martha asked once the orphans were inside the house.
"Sure did!" Leo grinned.
"It was beautiful and exciting", Luna added. "I've always wanted to visit a festival like this, but our parents never allowed us that."
"Yeah, finally we've got some more freedom!" her twin cheered.
"Will you head back to the festival?" Martha questioned.
"We're not sure yet", Aki shook her head.
"Well, whether you go or not, be careful on your way home."
"We will, Martha", Yusei nodded.
After wishing good night, Martha walked into the house and closed the door behind her.
"So what do we do now?" Crow questioned. "Head back to the festival or not?"
"It depends on how many are tired or not", Misty said. "The clock is around nine p.m., so it's getting late."
"Do you have classes tomorrow, kids?" Kalin asked the twins.
"Yes, we have", Luna shook her head.
"I've got classes too", Aki added.
"Then I guess it's up for a vote", Carly suggested. "The majority wins."
"How about we set up a time limit for those who want to head back to the festival?" Yusei added. "Like stay there for another hour or so?"
I was about to say my thoughts when my mind suddenly turned black, like someone just pushed an on/off switch in my soul. The last thing I heard was this deep voice inside my head.
"I shall soon be free… And you shall perish, Priestess…"
XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV
No one noticed how Estelle's eyes turned hazy as if she was in a trance. She was still awake, but something had taken over her. Her Mark was glowing weakly through the red fishnet of the elbow-length gloves before the light faded, never alerting the Signers.
"What do you think, Estelle?" Yusei turned to the brunette. "Do you want to go home or stay a bit longer?"
"I…", Estelle began slowly as she looked up at the sky. "I sense something…"
Now, everyone had their attention on the Priestess. "Sense something? Like what?" Leo asked.
"Is it something dangerous? Like the Earthbound Immortals?" Aki asked, concerned.
Misty and Kalin's bodies stiffened when they heard the last sentence. They looked at each other, both of them getting a bad feeling. Carly just looked confused, glancing at each Signer. "Jack, what's an Earthbound Immortal?"
"You don't want to know, Carly", Jack shook his head as he crossed his arms.
"Earthbound Immortal or not, if Estelle is sensing something bad, we've got to stop it!" Leo exclaimed. "Estelle, where do you sense this mysterious danger?"
Estelle turned slowly to the left and pointed at the tall and rebuilt buildings. "Over there…"
Everyone turned their eyes at the direction the brunette was pointing at. "Isn't that…where the old Ener-D Reactor is located?" Kalin questioned.
"You mean, the Earthbound Immortals are trying to come back?" Crow asked.
"But didn't we seal them away after the Shadow Duels with the Dark Signers…?" Luna mumbled lowly.
"Whatever it is, we need to go and check it out", Yusei said seriously. "If the Earthbound Immortals are trying to make a comeback, we have to stop them."
XXXXXXXXXX
Just as some of the group had suspected, Estelle had led them to the iconic landmark of ., created once by Zero Reverse. The wasteland around the large crater was still bare, but the area was closed down for further repairs of the active and old Ener-D Reactor. The shadows seemed to dance as a cold wind blew by, causing the group to shiver slightly and rub their arms.
"I don't see anything dangerous", Leo said.
"Me neither", Luna shook her head.
"I can't even see a dark flying whale around", Crow commented half-sarcastically.
"This is pointless!" Jack muttered irritably. "Estelle, are you sure you sensed the presence of the Earthbound Immortals?"
"Yes…", Estelle nodded, sounding more and more as if she was in a haze, which Aki noticed.
"Estelle, are you feeling okay? You sound like you're out of it", the female Signer pointed out.
"I'm fine…"
Kalin pulled up the sleeve of his jacket to check the time. "It's close to 10 p.m. Let's stay here only for a few minutes and if nothing shows up, we'll leave."
"I don't want to sound greedy, but I want something spooky to happen", Carly confessed as she prepared her camera. "That'll be the cherry on the top of my article!"
"Carly, I don't think it's a good idea", Misty sweat dropped.
Yusei noticed Estelle wasn't acting like herself. He sensed how her usual aura had been replaced by a dark and depressing aura. He placed a hand on her shoulder, but she didn't react to it. "Estelle?"
Estelle's hazy eyes changed back to normal as she snapped out of her trance. "W-What?" She felt disoriented as she turned to her friends. "G-Guys…? What's going on?"
"What do you mean 'what's going on'? You're the one who said there's something coming and led us to this place!" Jack growled. "Don't tell me you're joking around?!"
"W-What…? I never said that…", Estelle replied confusedly.
"Are you okay, man?" Crow asked.
"I don't know…", Estelle shook her head as she rubbed her forehead. "A moment ago, I swore I heard a dark voice in my head and the next thing I knew, my mind turned black."
"A dark voice…?" Kalin repeated as he felt sweat drops accumulating on his forehead.
Estelle's eyes widened as she remembered Goodwin's warning about the resurrection of the King of the Netherworld. "Oh no… Don't tell me…"
"What? What's wrong?" Leo asked worriedly.
"I think-"
Just then, the clock struck 10 p.m. and that caused a chain reaction. Estelle's eyes began glowing in dark colors as she felt a heavy weight in her heart. She clutched her chest and leant down to fight against the pain while sweat rolled down her face.
"Estelle?!" Misty called worriedly.
Estelle's body moved back as she slowly straightened up, feeling the weight move down to her stomach. She felt bile move up her throat, so she covered her mouth with both hands to try swallowing it back. That didn't stop the force that had been living inside her body for a few months, so the bile pushed itself through her hands as the brunette fell down on her knees. She kept throwing up a dark sludge that seemed to crawl away from her.
Leo and Luna screeched in fear as they hugged each other while closing their eyes. The others flinched back as they watched in horror, watching Estelle throw up as if there was no tomorrow.
"Ewww! What's that?!" Crow exclaimed as he grimaced at the vomit.
"Something's wrong!" Yusei said in shock.
"Oh yeah?! You've just figured it out?!" Jack growled.
Aki squinted when she noticed the weird movement of the vomit. "Guys… The vomit seems to be moving on its own."
The adults and older teenagers turned their eyes back at Estelle who was still vomiting, but they observed the dark sludge. Yusei couldn't help but feel like he had seen the sludge from before, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
The sludge finished pouring out of Estelle's mouth as she gasped heavily through her now dry throat. She fell down on her hands, splashing the sludge around her, before her eyes rolled back and she collapsed facedown on the ground.
The sludge crawled away from the fallen brunette and moved toward the Signers and former Dark Signers. The others moved back to not get the sludge on them. The sludge suddenly stopped before it moved upward and started shaping itself into a female human body. The Signers stared in disbelief as they realized the sludge looked like a dark version of Estelle with the same glowing eyes as…
"The King of the Netherworld!" Yusei exclaimed in shock.
The resurrected King of the Netherworld chuckled deeply. "Correct assumption, Signer", he spoke with a deep voice.
"B-But…how?!" Leo asked with a shaking voice as he still held onto his twin sister. "I thought Miracle Star Dragon destroyed you for good!"
"My main body, yes. But I planted a tiny fragment of myself into the Priestess during your Duel with my last servant, Goodwin. Do you not recall the time I assisted him by trying to sabotage the Duel?"
"Sabotage… Wait, you mean, you tried using those condors to not just attack us but plant parts of you inside us?!" Crow exclaimed in disbelief.
"Correct. My pets attempted to implant a piece of me inside you Signers. However, I never expected to implant myself into the Priestess, considering she is allegedly the most powerful of you", the resurrected King said before chuckling mockingly. "After living secretly in her, draining her life force as a parasite, to one day raise again and destroy the world, I have learned a lot about her. Who thought she was so insecure about herself."
"What do you mean?" Jack growled as he slowly moved to shield Carly, in case the resurrected King was going to try attacking the group.
"Just as I said, Signer. The Priestess had quite a sad past."
"We've already heard a bit of her past…", Luna mumbled as she violently shook as she sensed the disgusting dark aura emitting from the reborn King.
"But, apparently, not everything. She was constantly bullied because children noticed she never once acted 'normal'. They never viewed her as an equal, all because she was born with a curse."
"Curse…?" Aki mumbled, remembering how she once considered her Mark of the Dragon and psychic powers a curse.
"Yes, Signer; a curse. The Priestess tried to fit in with her schoolmates and children from the neighborhood by joining their games, but they mocked and ridiculed her when she could not understand the point of the games. She always ran home crying and locked herself into her safe and dark little room. Solitude became her best friend and she used books and video games to escape the harsh reality around her. She managed to graduate middle school while being bullied day in and day out. How she managed that, I do not know. She only had her parents as support; no friends. And if she had friends, they soon betrayed and left her."
"Oh no…", Misty mumbled sadly.
"Even to this day, she fears she will get hurt if she opens her heart once again to those she truly trusts, like you servants of the Crimson Dragon. She secretly fears you are only kind to her because she is the Priestess and you need her to protect the world. She fears you are secretly mocking her that she cannot keep up with you because of her curse."
Yusei clenched his hands into fists in anger as the King kept mocking Estelle and telling him and the others what she actually felt inside her heart. Estelle had told him bits about her past of how lonely she used to be, but he never thought it had been that extreme. However, it all made sense now. Estelle was still insecure about herself, despite she had stayed strong after the darkness she had gone through.
She doubted herself if she was even worthy as a human being. Was it because no one had ever once said to her that they appreciated her kindness and love? Did people around her just label her as a "problem" child just because she had autism, without even attempting to try understanding her? Was it the same for other children and adults that were in the spectrum? How unfair could the world be?
Discrimination was a harsh reality and it was something Yusei was extremely familiar with due to his own childhood.
"But where are my manners?" the resurrected King gasped in fake disbelief. "It is time for me to begin my conquest and to assure you will not stand in my way…"
The King of the Netherworld snapped his fingers. A ring made of purple mist drew itself around the group of Signers and former Dark Signers, trapping them inside an Energy Ring of the Eternal Shadow.
"What is this thing?!" Aki asked as she reached her hand to touch the purple mist, only to yelp and withdraw her hand when the purple mist almost burned her.
"It's the same ring Estelle and I were trapped in when we Tag Dueled the Shadow Drone!" Yusei replied.
"It appeared in the hospital too when Carly and I Shadow Dueled Trudge while he was possessed!" Jack added.
"What are you going to do, King?!" Kalin growled.
The resurrected King chuckled mockingly. "You should know the answer, my former servant." The former Dark Signer bit his lower lip to hold back his growl. "I shall soon begin my conquest to destroy this world and rule it in complete darkness and destruction. Once I accomplish that, I shall release the Earthbound Immortals from their graves and they shall walk on the surface once again!" He laughed darkly as his eyes glowed brighter in pure joy. "You Signers naively believed the war was over when you and the Priestess defeated my servants, but you were wrong! This is just the prolongation! This time, nothing shall stop me!" He turned around and looked down at the fallen brunette. "But to assure that absolutely nothing shall stand in my way, I have to eliminate every single threat…"
The sludge feminine body walked over to Estelle and grabbed her by the bun with its left hand, tangling the fingers in the bundle of brown hair, before pulling harshly up the unconscious body. The resurrected King smirked maliciously before raising his right arm that shapeshifted into a sharp machete.
"Any last words to your precious and weak Priestess?" the King questioned mockingly as he put the machete in front of Estelle's throat.
"NO! Don't do it!" Luna cried desperately as everyone figured out what the King of the Netherworld was about to do.
"Don't touch her!" Yusei growled, feeling helpless now that he and the others were trapped.
"You did not seize the opportunity", the King said before raising his machete arm up in the air. "Join the Shadows, Priestess!"
The time seemed to go in slow-motion as the Signer and the non-Signers screamed "NO!" while watching in horror how the machete descended towards Estelle's throat. The King was certain the biggest threat, the Crimson Star Priestess, was going to die and be reborn as the Netherworld Priestess and help him conquer this hideous world that others thought was beautiful.
The Signers' Marks reacted on their overwhelming worry and love for Estelle, which in turn caused Estelle's Mark to start glowing. The Star Mark received the strength from the Signers' feelings, which gave Estelle's shutdown body the energy needed to jumpstart.
Just before the machete was about to behead the brunette, Estelle pulled herself down harshly, throwing the King off guard. The machete slashed off half of her hair bun before the King landed on top of the young woman's back. Estelle quickly turned around while staying on one knee and hit the King on his jaw with an uppercut as brown strands of her hair flew around them.
The King crashed a few meters away as dust got thrown up around him. He grunted in slight pain and rubbed his jaw before his eyes widened in disbelief. He quickly sat up and watched in shock how the weak body of Estelle's was moving.
"But… How?! I made sure to absorb your life force! You are not supposed to be alive!"
Estelle pushed herself up on her feet, showing clear signs her body was still a bit weak after being drained by the King. Her now messy hair covered her face with long and short strands, which she moved aside with her hands.
"Yes… You almost killed me by draining my energy…", Estelle admitted before she lifted her head and glared at the King. "But… If you've been living in me for so long, you should know me better than that." She stood tall and placed a clenched fist on her chest where here heart was. "I'm a fighter, and I'll never give up no matter what obstacle stands in my way! That, and my new purpose for living is to protect my friends who I now consider my family!"
At first, the Signers and the non-Signers were shocked to see Estelle had regained consciousness and managed to knock away the resurrected King, but now they were relieved and a bit touched to hear how much she cared for them.
"If it wasn't for their feelings for me, I'd still be unconscious and beheaded by you, so I've got a lot to thank them for", Estelle continued, her voice getting stronger, as she looked over her shoulder and smiled softly at her friends.
The King pushed himself up on his feet before letting out a mocking laugh. "So you are telling me you still trust them, despite you fear they might one day give up on you?"
Estelle flinched slightly at the question, but closed her eyes and shook her head before she turned back at the King with a glare as her blue eyes changed into crimson. "Yes… The fear of losing my loved ones is still embedded inside me, but I want to believe in them! I want to believe in the bond we've weaved together; a bond much stronger than our Marks; trust, loyalty, and understanding!"
XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV
I was relieved to know I was still alive, despite the very close call to be beheaded. If it hadn't been for the Signers' feelings and their Marks transferring energy to me, I'd be dead by now. I tried pushing aside the near-death experience to concentrate on how to eliminate the resurrected King of the Netherworld before the Army of Shadows could crawl upon the earth.
"Trust? Loyalty?" the King snorted. "Those are ungraceful traits my Army of Shadows do not require! I shall prove it to you with a Shadow Duel!"
The sludge figure that looked very much like me raised the left arm up as the sludge arm shapeshifted into a black Duel Disk that looked like the real deal.
"As you wish!" I shouted as I raised my right arm up in the air. "Crimson Star!"
My Mark started shining in a bright red light that enveloped me. I closed my eyes and allowed the warmth to bathe me as my costume changed into my priestess gown and robe. While I was transforming, I swore I sensed the presence of the Signers and their power, as if each piece of the outfit represented their Mark; the sandals from Aki, the skirt from Crow, the gauntlet from Luna, the corset top from Leo, the robe from Jack, and the tiara from Yusei.
The light died down to reveal my Priestess Form while opening my crimson eyes. I quickly noticed how my hair had grown out again. I raised my left arm as my DiaDhank-like Duel Disk materialized along with my Deck.
"You have no chance against me, Priestess!" the King taunted. "The darkness will always win in the very end!"
"Not as long as the star of miracles shines upon me and my Signers!" I retorted.
After those words, the ground started shaking violently. The next thing I knew, a colorful beacon shot up from the crater and up to the clouds. I quickly realized the beacon was actually Ener-D while Negative Energy streamed out from it.
"What's happening?!" Carly shrieked in fear.
"The rift between your world and the Netherworld has opened once again!" the King announced. "Soon, the Army of Shadows will arrive to assist me with my conquest! However, if you can defeat me before the clock strikes 12, the rift will be closed forever. But if you fail, the rift shall remain open until your world is no more!"
"The clock's 10:10 p.m. right now, Estelle!" Kalin shouted. "You've got less than two hours to defeat the King!"
"Thank you for telling me, Kalin!" I nodded, my eyes never leaving the resurrected King. "I promise I'll defeat him before the clock strikes 12!"
"I applaud your optimist, Priestess. But it will be all in vain when you fail to protect this world that you are not even part of. So show me how desperate you are to protect the Signers and the planet itself!"
XXXXXXXXXX – Goodwin's POV
I sat in my private office in the mansion doing some paperwork I had brought home that I needed to get done with. While I was working with them, I couldn't help but feel a bit anxious. The clock was past the time Estelle was supposed to get home, but she hadn't. Hilda had come to my office half an hour ago to inform me that. I brushed it off back then and said calmly Estelle would surely be back around 10 p.m.
I glanced at the clock and saw it was over the curfew. I was about to put away the finished documents in my briefcase when I felt a sudden pull in my heart. My eyes widened slightly as I recognized the feeling.
After I was reborn and purified from the dark power of the Earthbound Immortals, a piece of the Crimson Dragon's powers had remained in me. The connection wasn't as strong as Estelle's bond to the dragon god, but I could still catch up signals of unnatural presence.
The door to my office slammed open by Hilda who was very frantic. "M-Master Goodwin!"
"Hilda? What's wrong?" I asked as I got up from the seat.
"S-Something's happening at the Satellite!"
Hilda and I hurried to the living room where the rest of my staff was, watching the television and the news channel. The screen revealed a live footage from Satellite with a large rainbow-colored beam and dark streams emitting from it. Angela Raines' image was next to the footage as she sat inside a news helicopter.
"We're reporting live from Satellite where there was a mysterious and unexpected earthquake a while ago that seems to have caused the Old Ener-D Reactor to malfunction, due to this large beacon of light that appeared out of nowhere. We're currently on our way to keep you posted. Stay tune for more information."
My fear had come true. The King of the Netherworld had been resurrected and the rift between our world and the Netherworld was open.
"Prepare my helicopter!" I told Mr. Stewart, my 40-year-old loyal butler.
"Right away, Goodwin", Mr. Stewart nodded before he hurried out of the living room.
I clenched my hand into a fist as I tried to keep my facial expression neutral. I just prayed that Estelle and the Signers were by the Old Ener-D Reactor and tried to apprehend the King and stop him before it was too late.