Chapter VIII
Field Trip
Ed Phoenix sits across the priestess, he stares with a dreary tone, his arms crossed, her eyes are lost somewhere on the table in between them, she doesn't even spare a glance to the parfait in front of her.
"Did you have bad dreams again while you were asleep on the boat?"
"Huh?" she finally is startled by his voice and pays attention, but again lowers her gaze saddened "No, I didn't..."
"Was it a vision?"
"No..." her feeble voice is even more distressing.
"Then why did you grab my hand out of nowhere?"
"I am sorry, I didn't mean to bother Ed..."
"That was not what I asked..." he lets out a heavy sigh "I am not trying to scold you, Zara. I just want to understand what is going inside your mind."
"In my mind?" she lifts her gaze with a hint of curiosity and bemusement "Why?"
"Why?" he is taken by surprise with the question "Well… It's just that your depressed mood is even more annoying than when you're just running around like an idiot."
He blurts out without intentions of admitting his worry, her eyes lower again in dismay. He gulps in slight regret. Why did he need to say that? He was never the best at cheering people, was he? In truth he was more often hurting them with sharp words, now that he was good at. Not that he should be proud about it.
"You should eat your ice cream. I doubt you had something like this ever in your life."
She plays with the spoon, still aloof. Her gaze just becomes more and more gloomy as seconds pass by. He can't take it anymore. Slapping the table and getting up, he howls:
"Fine. We don't need to spend time here."
Throwing the money to pay for the dessert on the table, he sighs heavily, stomping the ground a few steps, he glances over his shoulder, she is utterly lost and stunned by his actions, just watching his back. He swirls around with a bitter feeling on his chest.
Why did he even bother trying to cheer her up? He shouldn't be wasting time like this. But when he sees those stupidly sparkly eyes of hers in such a gloomy mood, that they do not have the gleam they used to, he can't help but feel intimately irritated. More than that, he is consternated by it. His brows twirl in a saddened way. Why?
She is left alone with her sorrow, staring at the dessert. Bringing a spoon of it to her mouth, she is overwhelmed by the taste, snapping out of her depressed state. She wants to comment on how good it is, but her lips stop moving as soon as she looks at his stern expression.
"Are you finished?" he asks coldly.
"Yes..."
"We should go back to the trailer now, or at least, you should."
She shrivels back into her sorrow. Getting up, she leaves the cafe with him, looking at the sky one last time before she drifts into the city in a contemplative tone. It is not long before they are at the said trailer that was set up for him.
He opens the door holding it as she climbs the couple stairs, her dim mood hovering around, his brow raises in concern. For how long will she be acting like that? She stops, turning around slightly stunned, looking at him.
"I will not be staying. You should wash your face and rest, I will still walk a bit in the city. Take care."
He leaves her to her own devices, she sits idly on the comfy couch that is long enough to be a makeshift bed. Then dazes off, still in a daydream, the images of the visions polluting her mind. Then, her bubble busts after hearing a noise outside.
She hurries outside the trailer, taking a peek at the surroundings, wondering if he is back already. A mirror appears above unknowingly to her. From the mirror a black-haired woman stares in a haughty way and a smile plays on her lips.
Not far from there, Judai and his group search frantically for Solomon Muto, Yugi's grandfather who disappeared after trying to guide them through the most remarkable places that his grandson was at in Domino city.
In the process, he ended up being kidnapped, and while searching for him, both Kenzan and Shou also got involved and were taken after losing a duel. Four duel monster card spirits are erected around the city, blocking the way out and sealing all the duel spirits in. At that time, Judai finds Solomon dumped on a pile of trash, he accidentally bumps into Ed.
"Ed! What are you doing here?!"
"Do you not feel this overwhelming pressure in the air?"
"Eh? Ed, you can see spirits too? I see four of them around the city."
"See? No, but since we had our last duel, I can feel auras as if the air has changed."
They meet one of the underlings of Mizuchi who tells them the time for their duel will come due soon. After that, they both go back to the student camp, Solomon stays with all the others and brings hamburgers to Judai.
Ed enters his trailer, set up for his sleeping. He glances around, that girl should already be around, but there is no sign of her. He sits down, tapping his finger impatiently as he waits, looking at the door. Did she leave somewhere? But she should have waited here. Will she really not appear anytime soon?
What could have happened? He then, reminds on how badly he behaved early and that he just lashed out even though his first intention was to try helping her. What a great help on his part, he brought her here and locked her in. She is probably depressed somewhere, lost and alone. Who knows, maybe she got herself into even bigger troubles.
With the flow of thoughts, he walks back and forth in an infinite loop of restlessness. From his window he sees a nonchalant Judai smiling and having fun. How can he be like this in such a situation? His friends are also not back.
He gets out of the trailer when a duel between Judai and another boy starts, inadvertently that the said boy would end up to be one of Mizuchi's subordinates. After he loses she seals him away and reveals a dire truth:
"Yuki Judai, I have your friends. If you want them back, you must come to Kaiba land and duel, you too Ed!"
"Me too?"
He is shocked, but from the mirrors she summons in the air, he can see Shou, Kenzan and…
"Zara?!"
His expression darkens, since when was she there? Is that why she disappeared? She was kidnapped? This city should be safe, still for such a silly reason as getting annoyed and avoiding having to deal with her depression, he just left her alone, this is unacceptable.
"It's time to see which of you can move my brother's fate!"
He clenches his teeth and fists, so this is a test for him too? If so, he will take it head on, he will prove he is the one to change destiny and get Zara back in the process. On the next day, he enters the virtual realm with Judai.
Shou and Tyranno had turned into strange cards, but Zara was the same except the fact she had fetters with loose chains binding all her limbs and her clothes were those she first wore when they met.
She is unconscious being carried on Kenzan's back, they apparently met her while running around that world, but she never woke up.
Their duel against Mizuchi and her clone starts, all their emotions in check, for many moments they believe they'd lose, in the end, she has a field full of monsters they cannot defeat. Is that it? In the end, he isn't the one that will change Saiou's fate?
The sentiment hurts him, his best friend, he should be the person to save him, not Judai. But just as he ponders that, Judai displays his best ability again, he never gives up on a duel and just like that, with Ed's dash guy spirit they change the tide in their favour, winning the duel.
Mizuchi finally tells them the truth of why she summoned them there. To save her brother whose personality has changed, to release him from the destroying light that has taken over his heart and mind.
"This is the first time I hear about this..."
Ed is astounded, even more after hearing Saiou got his hands on the card he has been searching for so long, the ultimate D, yet he let go of the card but never told him anything. As the virtual reality crashes, they go to the portal.
Zara finally opens her eyes, to see the worried face of Ed staring at her as she wonders what is going on. He can't say he is surprised that she slept through the whole situation.
"What is happening…?" she stands up, wobbling in confusion.
"There is no time for this..." he puts her arm around his shoulder, supporting her "Let's go!"
Jumping into the portal with her, all the others follow, until Judai, the only one left, hesitates, but ultimately jumps after promising to bring Mizuchi's brother back. When they are all out, the place seems to collapse, but they leave in time.
Outside the building, Misawa waits with Solomon, they're relieved in seeing everyone back, with the trip coming soon to a close they head back to the camp.
Ed holds Zara's shoulders from her side, helping her walk. His expression is severe and silent, she looks at him, but can't say a word.
"Are you feeling well?"
She nods quietly, looking down. A drop of sweat forms on his face, after all she has been through she isn't even going to complain? It's painfully obvious how she feels, he can see it stamped all over her face she is still sad.
"For how long do you intend to stay like this? Are you ever gonna stop being depressed?"
"I..." she stops walking, forcing him to do the same, she pushes his hands away from her shoulders, surprising him. "I can walk alone..."
"Is that so…?"
The way she words it makes him feel slightly dejected, after all he has gone through the duel for her too, even if his main reason was Saiou in the end. That's true, he wanted to prove himself to Saiou, that he would be the one to move the wheel of destiny and not Judai.
A petty reason for wanting to be the one to help his friend because it mattered to him. On the other hand, it seemed like he was too anxious to give some of his time to help the priestess, which led to him leaving her alone and she got herself into trouble once more.
"Zara, I am sorry."
She turns at him, her eyes wide open in surprise as she stares at his face. He feels bothered by the sudden attention he gets.
"What are you apologizing for, Ed?"
"I should've not left you alone. You wanted to see the city too, I bet. Had you been with me, this wouldn't have happened."
Her eyes open wide in amusement with his words, in part because he felt responsible for it and on the other, because it was unlike him to say so.
"Why are you looking at me like this?" he crosses his arms, the sweat rolling down his chin "It's not like I am that heartless… I am trying to be mindful here."
"Ed… Are you alright? The shadows hovering around the city disappeared… Was it you who..."
"Not me, it was Judai."
"No… I am sure you too..." a faint smile comes to her lips and it turns into a bigger and brighter smile "You did it too, Ed!"
He can't understand this girl, in a second she is gloomy and in the following she is smiling again. It is useless to waste his time trying to figure it out.
"Let's go back to the trailer, there is still some time to see the city, if you want."
"I want to see the river! Is it like the Nile?" she jumps excitedly.
"How would I know?"
When they come back, some pairs of eyes observe their moves. Ed stops by the top of the slope, looking down on Judai and his friends that have a smile. Zara doesn't stop, she darts down the slope towards the river and crawls on the ground, bending to look into the water while being overly enthusiastic about what she sees.
"Don't get your clothes too dirty!"
He adverts, sighing tiredly and slowly walking down, all the other boys approach and greet him with smiles on their faces.
"Hey, Ed. Thanks for coming with me back then, you helped a lot."
"I didn't do it for you. It was for my own objectives, plus I didn't do much." He turns his face away in an arrogant tone.
"Ed! There are so many fishes!"
Zara shouts and waves towards his direction, startling everyone, he closes his eyes in annoyance, putting a hand to his forehead in shame, could she be less embarrassing and more subtle at least? Is it too much to ask?
"Isn't that the girl that was on your boat before? Who is she? Saurus." Kenzan curiously asks.
"She doesn't look like a student from the academy."
The three boys stare at him with their curious and anxious glances, his brow twitch before he give them an answer in his common irritated tone:
"Ah, that… We are engaged. She is my fiancée."
"Your… Eeeeh?!"
"Did he just say 'that'?" Shou sweats with the way he words it.
All of them except Judai blush with the reveal even though Phoenix seems completely cool and collected about it.
"That's great, Ed! I am happy for you!"
"A-aren't you a bit young to have a fiancée, saurus?"Kenzan can't hide his shock.
"Does it even matter? It's not like we're marrying soon anyways… or ever..." he whispers the last parts, but they don't hear it.
"I'm surprised you'd have a fiancée." Shou smiles worriedly with his reaction.
"Well, if you like someone, I guess this is how it goes." Kenzan has a drop of sweat rolling down his face, also puzzled with the truth. "You must really like her, huh? This is unexpected of you."
"Oh right, I appreciate her company. She is the most annoying, clumsy, ungraceful, troublesome, naive and stupid creature I've ever met." he blurts out crudely, huffing.
"Haha, you two seem to get along well!"Judai laughs it off.
"Aniki, I think you need to revise your definition of getting along… He just called her 'creature'..."
They are again startled when she suddenly hurries back and stretches her index finger to show it to Ed, there is a ladybug walking on it.
"Look, Ed! This little thing was on the grass. I've never seen one of those in the desert!"
They can hear a vein popping on his face, and sweat aplenty at the sight, she seems a bit childish for her age happily showing him her discoveries. His fingers clutch his own arms that are crossed as he snaps:
"I don't care! Put it back where you found it!"
She recoils her hand reflexively with a clumsy smile and squats down on the grass releasing the bug, looking at him with expectation of being spared of his anger.
"Ah, come on, Ed, don't be harsh, she seems to be having fun, right?" Judai puts an arm around his shoulder as if they are long term friends.
He abashedly pushes that arm away and starts shouting at Judai instead, while Kenzan and Shou try to calm them both down. Zara's eyes glance at the Kuriboh floating above them.
It notices her stare and comes close, making noises as if to call her attention, she smiles sheepishly at it and stretches her finger to greet it, it accepts the greeting and they shake hands.
Judai and Ed stop bickering after they both feel the presence of the spirit in the air, and look at her, for Ed it simply looks as if she is staring up in the air with her bubbly expression, but Judai can see the Kuriboh smiling back at her. His eyes open wide.
"Eh? Ed, can she also see spirits?"
"What are you talking about? She is like that the whole time." he averts the topic.
"Is that so…?"
He smiles forcedly since Ed seemed to be a bit nervous at him and unaware she had a special gift to see spirits, but his gaze turns back at her and she waves at him and at the Kuriboh that takes place behind him, keeping the same happy smile.
Ed flinches at the sight. He knows she is not smiling at him or waving at him, she is doing it for Judai. Wrinkles form in between his eyebrows with the scene, he shuts his mouth, turning around, his fists clenching slightly.
Not only has he gained favor of Saiou, he is now also dragging Zara along? He shouldn't be this petty and feel angry for such a reason, but it irritates him so much. Was he really jealous of Judai's ability to charm people and draw their attention? No, it can't be. He's better than that, right?
"Zara, we're going back."
She quickly bows and follows him in a hurry, as she catches up to him and talks with a worried expression, they watch and wonder what has gotten into him all of sudden, observing him thread heavily and grumpily to the trailer.
He awaits at the door until she enters and closes it shut with a thud, crossing his arms with a berating glare. She brings her hands close to her chest, slightly panicked. Is it the last straw for him? What did she do this time?
"Zara, you said you could see shadows in your visions… Those shadows, were they spirits of duel monsters?"
Her posture relax with the sudden question, it amuses her for a second, but she gets to the answer once she sees his frown increasing as time goes by:
"I-I believe so. Spirits are not seen by everyone here? I thought you could see them too, Ed."
"I… Can only feel when something is around. But back there, were you seeing… Judai's spirit by any chance?" he gulps with the question.
"Yes. It is such a cute ball of fluffiness!" she giggles remembering the Kuriboh "It greeted me."
He sighs in relief with the answer. But his eyes open in amusement. Relief? Why should he be relieved by that? It's not like he should have a reason to be angry even if she was indeed being too friendly to Judai. Their engagement is a lie and nothing more than convenience. Then why does he feel like this?
He is startled when her face suddenly appears under his low gaze with a curious glint on her eyes.
"Ed, are you feeling fine? You look unwell." her brows curl in concern.
He steps back cautiously, making a bigger distance in between them and blurting in a flustered way. His heart accelerates wildly, all about her is a nuisance, even so...
"Don't come too close! Do you not know how to give people some personal space?"
She steps back when he walks onwards to the seats on the trailer, his lips curving down in moodiness. They head back to the academy.
From afar, Saiou watches the results of his tests, who will change his destiny? The answer is unexpected, both Judai and Ed came back alive.
"So they are both chosen by fate."
A smirk creeps to his face, his eyes can no longer focus on the present, they see only a future of destruction. In the trailers, Zara feels a shiver run down her spine, as if someone is watching them.
The outside has nothing but the road to the port, she rubs her arms. Her gaze lands on Ed's profile, he watches the streets with a meditative semblance, his posture is refined and strict.
Her vision became true, yet he is still alive and Judai too. But what about the other vision she had? Will Ed Phoenix die and become sand like she predicted? The idea gives her goosebumps.
He casts a side glance at her, startling her, she fidgets, smiling nervously at his harsh expression. He can't maintain the frown for long, his brows take a rest from all the angling.
"What is it? Are you thinking about your dreams again?"
"Ed, do you believe in my dreams?" Her eyes are distant and stare in affliction at the ground.
"You were right about what happened today at least, but I don't know anything else."
"Ed, do you promise me you'll take care?" She brings her hands together, pleading, her eyes waver in expectation.
"Why should I promise anything to you? I told you I don't intend to die! Not before I recover the last card my father created and avenge him."
He snorts, turning his face away and closing his eyes in annoyance. Why is she pleading with him like this? It's not like her plea will be of any help if something indeed happens. His eyes open when he hears a low chuckle, he looks at her relieved expression.
"I am glad Ed is still the same as always."
Why is she laughing now? He wants to be angry at it, but he is in awe for a moment. Her face is brighter than ever. What makes her so happy about it? What does she even mean with that? He almost pouts, turning his gaze away shyly, a faint color burning on his cheeks.
Back to the academy
During that same night, Phoenix watches the outside view from his yacht, his eyes narrowed in distrust. He leaves unaware that half-hidden behind a wall, a pair of coral eyes observe him.
He walks through the forest and watches over the white dorm that was instituted in the academy. His eyes sharpen, he can't see Saiou, just a few students entering the building, but his friend is certainly hiding in there.
"Saiou… What do you plan to do now?"
Using his Devil Guy (Doom Lord) outfit, he watches as Misawa scribbles many equations on the walls of the room. A strike of concern takes over his mind, he can see where this is going. He'd better keep watch on him, he did tell Misawa Saiou wasn't interested in him, but is that really true? What if it's not?
After his night patrol duty, he comes back to the boat tired, and plops on his bed, but then he feels something moving on the side, under the blankets, and reflexively sits down, pulling the bed sheets altogether to find Zara.
"Kyah!"
Her girly scream pierces his ears and an astonished expression is stamped on his face. What is she doing there? She shrinks, embracing her legs and trembling. He sighs with a drop of sweat rolling down his face.
"I know I said you could come to my room and wake me up, but that is when I am in there… What were you doing here? If I'm not here, then isn't being here just the same as being alone in your room?"
"No..." she still trembles "It's not..."
"Did you have a bad dream again?"
She silences and lifts her gaze to look at him. Those eyes again, they're wavering with a sorrow he can't describe, as if she'd seen horrors she cannot talk about.
"Where were you, Ed?"
"It doesn't matter. I told you I have my own business, don't be too nosy just because I was nice to you. Why are you even coming here while the room is empty? Are you a stalker now?"
"I don't know… This room makes me feel comfortable..." she grabs the sheets, wrapping herself and closing her eyes "Even if Ed is not here, it feels like his presence is lingering around and the bed smells like him."
A fond smile plays on her lips, her closed eyes have a peaceful semblance, as if enveloped by the warmth of the blankets. But the way she worded it…
"You…! How can you say such shameless things?!"
He gasps at the last remark, baffled and almost flushing. Jumping out of the bed and taking her in his arms while she nervously looks at him, he drags his feet to the entrance and makes no ceremony on dropping her on the ground outside the room.
"Out of here, creep." is all he says with a stern expression, slightly disgusted even.
"Why are you being so mean? It's true that Ed smells nice!"
He is stupefied with her dumbness, but feels a prickling sensation on his cheeks, without a second thought, he just shuts the door of his room closed and locks it from inside. Putting a hand to his head. He can't be too distracted with her antics right now.
His expression gains a harsh, determined tone. This is right, he can't just let anything be on his way, to find the killer of his father and find out more about Saiou's desires, he must be on watch and use his destiny heroes to fight for the fate he wants.
He can no longer hear her whining and knocking on the outside, his mind flies to his own world in which he ponders about which steps to take next.
On the following days, he leaves every night while keeping tabs on Misawa, the situation worsens. Misawa meets Ed at the entrance of the Ra yellow.
"Ed, what are you doing here?"
"I am having my daily night strolls, it's nice to walk around for some fresh air during the night." he answers promptly, but deceitfully. "Why are you going out this late?"
"It is indeed good to breathe some fresh air out of that boat, Zara is always stalking me everywhere when I am there… I know she is worried about those visions and dreams, but she has to learn how to be more collected about things." he notes mentally, but ditches the thoughts.
"I see. I will challenge Saiou for a duel! I can't just stand here, I will prove to you and him I am a worthy duelist!"
After this, he goes directly to challenge Saiou for a duel, aware of that, he meets Judai and his friends and warns them about it while going along to watch the duel.
"Can he win?" Judai's eyes flicker in worry.
"I don't think he can. Or rather, even if he could, he wouldn't..."
"Why would Misawa do this…?!" Judai can't understand
"A duelist is alone in a duel, they must have no one but themselves while in the battle and trust but their skills, for a professional duelist, this is essential. But Misawa is the type of person who wants recognition from others, as a duelist this is a terrible flaw, he wants acceptance."
They arrive to see Misawa dueling Manjoume, and are surprised with the outcome, even though he could win, he decides to forfeit the win in pursuit of power as a duelist and of recognition, thus becoming the newest member of the society of light. Saiou watches with a devilish smirk.
"So this is what you were after…? Pulling his strings, Saiou..."
"Misawa! Why did you lose?! That card you had..." Judai clenches his fists, demanding an answer.
"He had a trap set that could have won the duel, with his playstyle, he could've been a tough opponent even for Saiou, but… Saiou knew where to strike… His pride."
"What?! No, Misawa, it can't be..."
"Judai, I've been enlightened now. I will get stronger and show to you all how much of a great duelist I am!"
Completely brainwashed by Saiou's schemes, he too enters the society of light. Phoenix's brows curl obtusely, who else is he going to get next? At the same time this happens, at the yacht…
Zara has another nightmare, this time she sees the space, from there a strange device that points at a planet, a beam of light that engulfs everything is shot, then a mix of scenes enter the dreams, she sees Saiou's smirk as he duels against Ed, then she sees a kneeled down Ed becoming sand and Judai dueling right after, and Ed unconscious on a giant rocky hand, that confused arrangement of images is swallowed fully by the beam of light that obfuscates the whole landscape.
When the light dims out, she sees space again, this time a white hole is there, surrounded by stars and from that hole a powerful ray of light stretches towards earth, she then wakes up before she can see whatever happened to that. She moves her hands grabbing her hair around, trying to remember more of those disturbing images, but it just makes her hair unkempt, she can't see anything else.
Her breath is unstable and sweat trickles down her whole body, she slides off the bed and walks wobbling towards Ed's room, opening the door just to see an empty bed. Her eyes flicker, he is never there, recently he has been going out every single night without a fault, almost as if he is avoiding her. Why? Why is he never there?
"I am scared, Ed… I am scared..."
She climbs the bed laying face down and grabbing the bed sheets, while remembering the dreams, a muffled cry comes out as her head sinks into the blankets soaking it with her tears. What else can she do to stop it? How can she fight this destiny? If it becomes true, then… The whole world…
Her consciousness fades away in anguish as she exhausts her tears, her breath slowly becoming stable. Not long after, Ed is back, he opens the door of the room with a quiet creak. Upon sighting her on the bed again, he gapes for a moment, then frowns in an upset way, turning around and closing the door behind coldly.
His feet lead him to the deck of the ship, he sits on the chair near the eating table and again looks at his deck. He does not want to distract himself with anyone else's problems, he has to focus on his own and he will do it alone. Once he is done with it, he can help her with her problems too, but for now, he can't afford to spend too much time on it, not when he feels so close to the truth than ever before.
With a fierce and burdened determination, he sits there through the night, not sparing himself time to think about anything else. But where will this obsession lead him to? His heart cries in pain since the death of his father, he turned it into his life mission, but this burden is too heavy for the shoulders of such a young man. He must prevail and he will do it by changing whichever destiny is cast upon him until he gets what he wants.
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presea221: As you can see, Zara's visions are getting worse and worse, whether they will become true or not, only time will tell. Even though Ed has the pieces of the puzzle his mind is still too focused on his own issues. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
