(Disclaimer): Tatsuo means 'dragon man'.

I drop the card completely. Jurrac's form dissipates into a shining dust.

I blink. "Huh."

"There was a living, breathing dinosaur-spirit in our house!" Rua yells to the heavens. "And I could see it?!"

"First of all, that's a contradiction; spirits aren't alive or breathing." But that doesn't stop her brother from doing his happy dance. "Second, I'm gonna call everyone."

Rocking myself up from the floor, I state, "I guess I'll try to put everything back where it was. Oh, and remind me to pick up some pillows and spackle later on, please."

—

"Okay," I huff. "Before I do this, I just wanna put it out there that this might not go well."

"Does this one breath fire, too?" Crow questions, an eyebrow arched teasingly.

"No." I send him a deadpanned look. "It's just that HT's kinda shy. I'm also the only human HT's ever met, so I really don't want to scare 'em."

"You're the one who insisted on showing us first," Jack nips. "And while we're at it, I'd much rather see something cooler than a walking dandelion."

"Seconded." Rua raises his hand, but lowers it when he notices my glare. "But, you know, HT's cool…ish."

I roll my eyes at the pair. "Oh please, Jack, as if you wouldn't have gotten up in a tizzy if I even tried to play this off. And no voting, you." I point at Rua, who averts his eyes in shame. "Considering the other two tried to either claw me to death or grill me like a kabob, it's this spirit or none at all!"

The rebelling forces of the group sit tight-lipped.

Crow raises his hand. "Question: have you been drinking Nyquil again?"

"What kind of question is that?" I glare up at him.

My brother shrugs. "Just a question, I guess."

"Whatever. Let's get on with it," I announce, nerves pushing out my patience and building anxiety.

I take a few deep breaths. Horseytail becomes the center of my focus. I watch the card light in a golden flame. HT atop it, beaming a smile and arms waving. Some in the group gasp, though not quietly enough for HT to dismiss. The herb spirit whirls around to see the other people in the room. As expected, all these friendly faces seem rather menacing. HT clings to my stomach; I can feel my little friend quivering like a leaf in the wind. I scoop the spirit into my hand and onto my shoulder. Like clockwork, the startled plant hides in the jungle of my hair.

"I tried," I say plainly. I place HT's card on the table among Jurrac's and Baby Dragon's, then whisper a goodbye to my hair before letting the bond go. "So. You guys saw him…her…HT, right?"

Everyone nods. "And anyone have questions?" Everyone raises their hand. I pass the mic to the girl beside me.

"I guess I don't have as much of a question as I do an observation," Ruka begins. "When Jurrac appeared earlier, I was too shocked to notice. But after seeing HT, I think it's a safe bet to say you do more than just call spirits here. I think you actually bring them into our plane, Maria."

"Who?" I blink and point my finger to my chest. "Me?"

"Sure ya not on anything?" Crow mumbles under his breath. I swat the air around him a flurry of times, bothered but enough to put in real effort.

Jack's outdoor voice comes booming. "Now's not the time to play cute!"

"I'm not!" I scream back. "I just zoned out! Ruka, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"

"It's okay. No need to worry." Ruka detangles my hands from their hold on my hair and smiles. Oh, Ruka. You're the purest nugget of them all. "Um. Thank you?"

My hands fly back to my forehead, horrified. I whisper, "Did I say that aloud?"

"Kinda," she admits, still smiling.

"What makes you think Maria brings spirits into the World of the Living?" Aki redirects the conversation back on track.

"It's a few things, the most noticeable being the way they look. Anytime I've seen spirits outside the Spirit World, they look like ghosts, faded and see-through. But they look solid when Maria summons them. They look three-dimensional."

So that's why they're not able to fly through walls. I've been wondering about that all day. The more you know.

"Wait!" Rua shouts, feet raising into the air—that's how you know he's really excited. "So we can touch 'em, too? That's what you're saying, right?"

I glance from my scratched arms and the singed edges of my hair. "I dunno that you're going to want to anytime soon."

"Makes sense if you think about it." Bruno contemplates, "Maria's half-spirit, so somehow her spirit side has adapted to being in our plane, most likely a side effect of being half-human. My guess is, even though you're one entity, the two sides don't quite mix."

"Which is why I can only see them when I'm over there or they're summoned here," I say.

"Exactly. Bringing the spirits to our plane is like your own little invention!"

"Sounds legit enough," Crow settles.

"Guys, I invented something!" I cheer, arms raised in glee.

Jack, as always, tries to dampen my mood. "I'm sure you're not the first Star Child to think of it."

"Oh my gosh, Jack, your hair looks so good today!" I try killing his comments with kindness, "Like, who knew you invented bangs?"

"…That won't shut me up for long."

"But it'll shut you up for a little bit and that's all I need!"

I glance at Poppo Time's clock. My hands rub across the steering wheel, as if smoothing my frenzied nerves flat into the leather. I take calming breaths. Should I even be driving with what's been going on lately? Because I'm sure sporadically turning on and off electric appliances with my brain isn't very safe even in situations when I'm not in control of a two-ton hunk of metal and wires, nor is my incredibly sparse sleep cycle.

The passenger door opens and Yusei slides inside. It's obvious the both of us assume the other will speak first, so no hellos get exchanged, just a small smile and embarrassed laugh. The breeze of a sunny day sweeps away thoughts of my powers just like that.

"You know, we didn't have to do this so soon," I announce. "You, Crow and Jack just got back last night, and from the sounds of it, your trip was more than draining. I would've been fine waiting."

"I'm rested enough, Maria," Yusei says, arm propped in the window. "And I didn't want to make you wait."

I relent from arguing further. Though Nayla had been on my mind, I wasn't planning to visit the retirement home without him and he surely knew why. So, in an odd turn of events, I should be thanking him.

"So, your friend, Kiryu, and those two kids," I pause, concentration drifting to a right turn, "they're really okay with staying in Crash Town?"

"Yeah. The gangs have disbanded, the leaders taken to the detention center, and the prisoners freed, so the town's already safer than when it began. Now all there's left to do is rebuild it."

I hum and nod, but catch the lackluster response before it hangs out for interpretation. "I'm really glad things worked out for the better—and this might sound selfish—but I was hoping he'd come back with you. I was kinda hoping I'd meet him."

Yusei's silent for a moment. Out of my peripheral, I see his thick locks blowing in the wind, blocking his expression.

"Kiryu's a good guy, but some unfortunate things have happened to him and they've worn on him." His tone lifts slightly, "I would have liked to have him here with the rest of us. I would have liked for him to meet you, but if he thinks staying in Crash Town is the best for him, that's the right thing to do."

I know little of Kiryu, aside from the duel gang he and the guys used to be apart of. Crow showed me a photo from their gang days and, although it was a couple of years ago, they all seemed so mature. Yusei and Crow were younger than I am now and even so, it was as if there were centuries behind their eyes. So, I don't want to think of what those things Kiryu or any of the guys experienced might've been. With our society, there's no telling what kind of cocktails of horror can stir up.

"That's how you know you really love someone—putting their wants above yours," I say softly. "I really wished we could have met."

The drive is quiet for the rest of the way. I pull into the White Pines' parking lot twenty minutes later. Before hopping out, I pick up Tatsuo's book and tuck it under my arm. Inside the squat building is a welcome desk and chairs lining the walls.

"Here to drop-off?" the receptionist asks, smiling.

It sounded careless, "dropping off." It's a phrase only fit for a package or Chinese food, not a person. But I disregard and return the practiced smile.

"To visit, actually. Nayla Inoue."

"Oh! Let me call one of the supervisors for you, then."

The woman picks up the phone and dials a code. She handles a quick conversation with someone on the other end and hangs up, then gives us nametags to fill out while we wait.

I transfer the book from my arm to my hands and grip the edges tightly. My lips purse together and fold inward. A sudden warmth smooths over my back and eases away the chill of anxiety. Startled, I look to Yusei beside me. The turbo duelist sends a gentler version of his signature smile. I inch closer toward him, smiling back and wanting my nerves to calm so bad I let our closeness slip my mind.

The double-doors buzz and a short man, possibly in his early thirties, comes through them and stops before us. "Hi, I'm Hideaki, the supervisor for Section C!"

"Maria." I shake his hand.

Yusei nods. "Yusei."

"Great to meet you both!" His tone sounds exactly like the receptionist's, except amped up with tons of excitement. Hideaki begins walking back through the doors and motions for us to follow. "So, you're here visiting Nayla, eh? Are we grandkids, kids?"

Yusei and I share a look, and I fill in the blank, "Friends."

"Ah. She's had a lot of those. Know Martha and Zora?"

Hideaki knocks his hip into the ID scanner, the card hitting against it and causing the doors to buzz and click. We walk into a wide-spaced room with residents roaming all throughout it, some crowded before televisions and others perusing the snack bar. This seemed a better atmosphere than the stale, empty one on the other side of the doors.

"Yeah," I breeze over his question and fly to mine: "Are those doors really necessary?"

Hideaki's countenance shifts, flatter and disapproving. "Sadly. They ensure the safety of the residents inside, as well as people outdoors. I know how it looks, but it's just precaution. Residents go outside in the yard all the time under supervision or can be checked out by visitors like yourselves between 10AM and 7PM."

I relent any spoken accusations, but my thoughts hum with speculation of maltreatment. I'd seen documentaries on places like these in the past—the smiles they plaster on the covers of their pamphlets are never as bright behind closed doors, if any at all.

I'm sure Zora and Martha looked into the home enough to decide if it was to be trusted, and had been here enough in the meantime to see proof of it. If they had been younger and not weighed down by their own obligations, either of them would've took her in, I know. But Nayla's Alzheimer's were only growing worse and to know that neither of them would have been able to give her the attention she needs while in their care probably hurt them. Nonetheless, as far as I see it, they gave her the best option they could.

And, so far, this option doesn't seem all that bad.

Hideaki walks us up a flight of stairs at the corner of the main room. We come to a hallway lined with doors, follow the supervisor straight and left, then stop some steps after. The tag beside the door, decorated with ribbons and cut-outs, has Nayla's name.

"Nayla?" Hideaki knocks. "You have visitors!"

"Come in," says her muffled voice.

White daisies adorn the dresser and small table inside the room. The curtains sit wide apart, allotting morning's light to break in. Nayla rests on her bed, wrapped and tucked in thick sheets. Yusei and I follow Hideaki into the room.

"We didn't wake you, did we?" I ask, my concern outweighing my apprehension.

"Oh, no," she exhales, "just enjoying the warmth."

"It's a beautiful day outside, Nayla." Hideaki goes to her bedside and helps her sit up. "How's about you and your guests sit in the yard for a bit?"

Nayla seems to enjoy the idea enough. Once she's in her wheelchair, Hideaki wheels her out into the elevator down the hall. Since it seemed relatively crowded with other residents and staff, Yusei and I opt for the stairs.

"I shouldn't be this nervous," I utter, breath shaking.

The duelist states, "You shouldn't be ashamed of it. But, at the same time, you shouldn't let it get in the way of your time with Nayla."

His hand has found itself on my arm in the middle of his words. I stare at it, inquisitive of its presence and meaning rather than peeved, but Yusei can't make out the difference. His hand is pulled back to his side at once and the elevator dings open before I can tell him to put it back.

Hideaki rolls Nayla out of the lift and we go down the hall after the main room. After a few turns, we make it out to the yard, a flourishing field riddled with stone paths and trees. A myriad of games, like bocce ball and bean-bag toss, spread over the lawn, too.

Hideaki steers Nayla to a table out in the open sun. I rest the book on the table and Yusei sits beside me. "If you need anything and can't find me, feel free to go to any of the nurses on staff—they're all around. Have fun!"

The supervisor waves goodbye and speeds away. I shift in my seat as Nayla's eyes turn to me. "I'm glad you've finally come to visit, Anastasia. It's been ages, hasn't it?"

This is what I feared the most—playing the part of dead memory, wearing the mask of my mother's life. It hurts more than anything; I can feel the water collecting in my eyes in seconds. I mean, what do I say? I could tell her the truth, of course, but didn't Martha say how dangerous it was for her? How the thought of being blood could break her even more?

If she didn't want you before, what makes you think she'll want you now? You're a stranger, Maria. Why not play pretend? It's what you're good at.

I smile through the pain and push the tears down. "It's been a while, yeah."

"And what's your name?" she asks Yusei. "I don't think we've met."

He answers without much pause and goes to shake her hand. "Yusei Fudo."

"How do you two know each other?"

"Um, Martha," I settle it. "Always working her magic and bringing people together, that one."

Nayla laughs, lightly. "You're spot on about that."

After a moment's silence, I push Tatsuo's book forward. "I brought this. I thought maybe we could read it together."

Nayla picks the book up and holds it with both hands. A grin creeps across her face. "I think that'd be a splendid idea."

I return a meeker version of the grin and scoot my chair closer to her. Then, I crack open the front cover and begin.

"There once was a king and his queen. They ruled over an ancient village hidden in the wilderness, overseeing all their people from a towering pyramid. On this certain day, the villagers crowded outside the king and queen's palace, too excited to quiet down.

"Why? Well, because today was the day the princess was to be born. The villagers had been awaiting this day for months and even brought gifts of fruit, pottery, and flowers to welcome her into the world.

"But little did they know that high up in the pyramid, something was amiss. While the queen was sleeping, the king sat with his newborn daughter in his arms, worried.

""Why does she not cry as newborns do?" the king asked the nurses. "Why does she not scream as newborns do? Why is she not warm like newborns are?"

"The nurses told the king that his princess was dying and that only the healers would know how to stop it. When he summoned the best healers of the village, the healers said none of their medicine could help the king's daughter and that only the priests would know how to stop it. When he summoned the most profound priests of the village, the priests said they could do nothing other than pray to the Gods and hope that their prayers were heard.

"Coincidentally, the queen startled awake in the middle of that night with the same idea. She had a vision in her sleep of the village's Sun beaming down from the sky and breathing life into her child. So, the queen kneeled and prayed all night to the Sun, pleading for it to save her beloved daughter.

"For the longest time, the Sun was silent. The queen was very close to giving up; if the village's protector could not save her daughter's life, then who could?

"As the queen stood, night became morning. Daybreak's first ray stretched across the sea, across the trees, and into the pyramid. Illuminating the room with golden light, the Sun hovered over the child's cradle.

""Oh thank you, holy Sun!" the queen shouted with glee. "Thank you for answering my prayers!"

"The Sun dismissed her, saying, "I did not come because you prayed, but because your child needs me."

"See, though the Gods were sacred to villagers everywhere, the same could not be said for how the Gods viewed the villagers. They were not too pleased about having their lands taken from them years ago and thought humans to be an untrustworthy and deceitful sort.

"But the Gods harbored a soft spot for children, for they had the innocence and creativity the Gods cherished. The Sun did not trust humans as a whole, but it was against his way to let a child die if he could help it.

"Before the Sun gave the child life, the Galaxy demanded that there be a sacrifice of equal value. The universe could only survive on balance, and blessing the child with the Sun's light would tip the scale unevenly.

"The queen was desperate and agreed without hearing the cost of her daughter's life. So, the Galaxy allowed and the Sun shone his light unto the princess. Instantly, the child fussed. As the queen held her princess in her arms, she noticed the child's pallor had turned a radiant ebony and the child's once black hair now glowed like honey. Most strikingly, the princess' eyes lit like the God's righteous fire.

"The princess reached out a hand to clutch one of the Sun's mighty rays before it retreated into the sky. The king ran in, hearing the sudden clamor, and was at a loss for words at what his eyes saw. That afternoon, the king and queen raised their daughter out to the villagers, bestowing her blessed life upon the world.

"Years and years passed. The princess grew tall and kind, intelligent and compassionate. Alas, the princess was also sad and lonely. The news of the Sun's gift to the princess had spread far and wide across the land. Her parents feared that enemies who'd heard of the Sun's light within their child would come to steal her away, so they forbade her from leaving the palace walls.

"The only way the princess could interact with the outside world was through the window in her room. Every morning she said good morn to the Sun and good night to the stars, sometimes even chatting with them until the Sun rose again.

"Eventually, something not like any other happened: the Sun grew to love the princess. The Sun trusted her like no other human. The Sun even thought of her as one of his own stars. It was due to these thoughts and trust and love that the Sun wanted his human child to live in the sky among her brothers and sisters.

"That is when the Galaxy spoke to the Sun and bade the powerful star into patience. The cost of the princess' life would soon be given.

"Days later, celebration sang about the village. Games and dances and feasts were held in the princess' honor, for it was her birthday and she was officially coming of age to sit on the throne. Night fell quicker than it ever had and the royal family was just about to bid their goodnights when the Galaxy reminded the queen of the debt she owed.

"The queen had not expected to pay the price so soon. She replied, "What is it that the Galaxy wants in return?"

"The Galaxy told the king and queen that it would take their adored daughter and have her join her brothers and sisters in the sky, where a star belonged. The king and queen begged the Galaxy not to take away their princess. The royal pair asked to owe something else, anything else.

"But the Galaxy wanted nothing else. The deal—which the queen had agreed to despite knowing nothing of it—was that the princess must reject her birthright to rule and, instead, join her sibling stars.

"The Galaxy then warned the hesitant king and queen that if they refused to keep their promise, the princess would die by morning's first light. The king and queen decided then that they would rather their daughter live on in the sky than die young on the earth. That way, at least the princess' parents could see their daughter every night when the Sun slept.

"So, the Galaxy granted the royal parents until daybreak to bid the princess farewell. And as the Moon fell back into the ground, the Sun reached its shine out for the human star. The princess held onto it and, together, the two refracted across the clouds, back to the Sun's fiery temple.

"There, the princess made a new home. One where she could watch over her loved ones forever, where she could play among her brothers and sisters, and one where she could twinkle beside the blazing Sun.

"The Sun began to appreciate the humans then. For, without them, its most favorite star would cease to exist."

I close the book then. My eyes meet Yusei's across the table. The tangled web of everything connects in our gaze. Like déjà vu, it was something all too familiar despite having never seen it before now. I kick myself for not reading the book sooner, for forgetting about what I'd read online—that the book was influenced by Tatsuo's research on Mesoamerican culture. I curse myself for forgetting the book's existence entirely.

I'm not sure it's what we need, but it's a welcomed addition to the many starts we already have.

With a feverish impatience, I question the old woman, "Nayla, did Tatsuo ever tell you anything about this story when he wrote it? Was it based off anything or from a specific place?"

She looks at me and her lips smile, but her stare takes a turn and veers to someplace far away. "He came back from the Americas. I'm not sure where exactly, but he had been doing lots of digs and research there at the time. He came back and told me he had found something deep in the jungle, a…hm…" Nayla waves her hands in front of her face, obviously struggling with the word. I'm ready to fill in the blank for her, but she does most of it herself. "Pictures?"

"Hieroglyphs?"

She nods and goes on. "He said he'd felt inspired. He said what he had uncovered was the find of every lifetime."

My fingers twiddle in my lap. "Do you know what happened to hieroglyphs? Did Tatsuo share them with anyone? Write them down anywhere?"

She doesn't answer immediately, just blinks and tilts her head. Her face brightens and a smile carves into her expression all over again. "Anastasia, I'm so glad you've come to visit. Did you just get here?"

"No," my voice comes out quietly. I hope my face doesn't show the same despondence. "I've been here a while. We were talking."

"Oh? About what?"

"Nothing important."

The conversation goes on for a while longer, but I don't try to dig the secrets out of her again. I had gathered enough to go off of and planned to give Dale the Hieroglyphist a call very, very soon.

Once Yusei and I have followed the nurse all the way back to Nayla's room, the woman tugs on my wrist. "Do you think you could ask Hiro to join you next time you visit? It might be a lost effort, but do you think you could try?"

"I'll try."

—

"Tatsuo knew about Star Children?" Aki asks, her question laden with surprise.

I nod. "That's what it sounds like. Tatsuo probably found the same kind of hieroglyphs Carly and I did, except they told a complete story, and then he wrote about it under the guise of a child's fantasy."

"So, we know what one of the five words is now," says Bruno. "'Sun' means Zephyrus."

"That would make you the princess, then," Crow points out. He throws a daring look Jack's way, "Looks like you're not the only blue blood in this town."

Jack scoffs. "Maybe I'll feel more threatened when she can beat Rua in a duel. Until then, I'm the only one who'll sit on the throne."

Crow fake coughs, "Even though it belongs to Yusei!"

"It does sound like you, though," Ruka announces. "Especially the eyes and hair part; everyday your hair gets blonder."

I was trying so hard to forget about that. It only makes me think of Annie.

"Only because we're Star Children. And how do we know that part wasn't inspiration?" My phone call with Dale comes forward in my brain. "How do we know this isn't all inspiration?"

The notion perplexes the group, but Yusei explains, "We called that hieroglyph guy, Dale, after we visited Nayla. We asked if he knew anything like what Nayla and the book describe, but he had no clue."

"But doesn't it sound just like Maria?" Rua pushes. He looks from the book to me. "A minute ago you said you believed it."

"I know." My fingers press into my temple. "But I'm tired of getting my hopes up and running into dead ends. It's exhausting."

"Agreed," voices Aki. "And we can't deny how fishy it sounds that Dale doesn't know a thing about this or the glyphs Tatsuo found—that's solid evidence that spirit-humans exist. That would've been broadcasted to everyone in their field, at the very least."

Crow spitballs, "Wouldn't that be all the more reason that it's kept secret? With people like Yliaster walking the streets, who's to say Tatsuo even told anyone other than his family?"

"Which is probably why he wrote the book in the first place," Yusei guesses. "He hid his secret in plain sight. He couldn't tell anyone exactly what he discovered and this way the information would get to who it needed to."

Aki chimes in, "But who? I mean, I don't get Yliaster vibes from this, so who?"

"Whoever they are, they're just like Yliaster," states Crow, leaning back in his chair, "in the shadows and not to be trusted."

Carly, folding her hands together and placing them under her chin, admits, "I guess that's a moot point, then. What isn't, however, is that this book sounds an awful lot like an origin story. We've been wondering this entire time how Star Children came to be, and this...this is convincing."

My first thought is: Mom was not religious at all. She respected religion, but she believed in the zodiac more than she believed in a god, so I doubt she prayed to any being for my health.

But even so, I know how rough it was on her worrying about me so much. And, if Mom knew Tatsuo, then it's possible he influenced her to believe in this. Maybe not the theological aspects, but the supernatural and cosmic aspects would be right up her alley.

I look over Rua's shoulder, down at the book. The last pages show the princess resting in the clouds alongside sparkling orbs, smiling and looking below at her kingdom. It reminds me of the Star Tarot card, the maiden sitting in a spring with stars hovering about her head. Then I think about the girl in my visions, her lonely and hate-filled journey. I think of myself last. The pain, the fear, the pockets of happiness I've stumbled upon here and there.

I feel it in my gut. This is the first Star Child. This is the story of us.

The D-Wheels' engines rev to life downstairs. The sudden commotion spooks everyone but me, and they travel downstairs in alarmed panic, fearful of unwarranted visitors. Then it's just Tatsuo and I, alone.

This was more than just the story of Star Children.

This was the story that murdered Tatsuo Inoue.

The butler, suit pressed to a tee and broad build peeking through its seams, pulls the door open. The man hurrying from the hotel slows and the two share a brief smile, the type of smile only old friends know how to give. The butler takes the man's bags as the hieroglyphist slides in the backseat of the luxury car.

He turns to the woman in the seat beside him, another easy smile rising. The blonde smirks back, cool as ever and green eyes sparkling.

"Well," her French accent drips over the English, "aren't you a sight for sore eyes."

"Not too sore, I hope. You can't be falling off your game in such dire times, Sherry," the man playfully scolds while buckling in.

In the front seat, the turbo-duelist's guardian gets in and wheels off the curb. With traffic in account, it would be at least a half hour before they reached New Domino International Airport.

"Dire times, hm?" The woman balls a fist and rests her cheek against it.

The hieroglyphist raises his brows. "You disagree?"

A wisp of a laugh escapes the blonde's nostrils before she answers, "Not at all. You can practically smell it in the air, like rain."

"Petrichor," the middle-aged man responds after a hum. "That's the word for the scent in the air after rainfall."

The French heiress glances out the window. "The storm has far from passed, Meyers. Right now, we're just waiting in the calm."

"I wouldn't say waiting, per say. Not with what your planning." There's a spell of silence until the scientist adds, "I received a very interesting call today, by the way."

"From the girl?"

The hieroglyphist hesitates, surprise getting the best of him in the moment, but his original countenance is restored quickly. He should have expected her of all people to be on top of things. "It was about Tatsuo. I didn't tell her anything, of course, but I figured I would give you a heads up in case you run into her or her friends anytime soon."

"I'm unconcerned." The female duelist runs her fingers through her lengthy locks, a mindless habit. "It was bound to happen eventually. We'll give her answers soon enough."

The scientist relaxes into the firm, leather seats, sighing, "No, not us. Him."

Bruno and Yusei are stuck.

The bomb threat was made and broadcasted sometime around seven. It's been hours since then and, still, the Headquarters staff stands waiting in the building's parking lot. Everyone had been evacuated except Yusei and Bruno, and no one knows anything about their wellbeings.

It took almost everything in me to not only calm Aki down over the phone, but also convince the twins to go to sleep at a reasonable hour. I made deals with both parties—the line was open as long as Aki wanted, and I would wake the twins up once our two captive friends came out in one piece.

With Rua's laptop on my lap, the twins snuggled into either of my sides and knocked out within minutes. Aki hung up a while later, finding comfort in her parents instead. I checked up on Crow and Jack after; turned out they and Carly ventured to the scene themselves.

With the live footage of the broadcast played low, I managed to only find their vehicles in the crowd of Security cars, ambulances, and news vans. Jack popped up on the screen once; even if I hadn't watched his mini-interview, I could hear the calamity through Crow's end. The redhead said nothing seemed to be happening inside, so the SWAT Team was looking to act soon since the bomber had gone missing in action. We weighed the pros and cons of that choice, but came up with no other option for them to go through with.

So, sit and wait it was.

But I've been sitting for too long, I can feel my eyelids getting heavier and my movements acting as distractions to keep me awake.

The last thing I remember seeing is the SWAT Team closing in on the front entrance.

The black space. It feels colder than I remember.

I can't even see my own hands, but when I take a step forward, the sound of sloshing liquid reverberates among the dark. I keep going, apprehensive but sure of my choice.

At first, I think the tiny white dot I spy in the distance is just another game my mind plays on me. But it expands and rumbling comes with it. I manage to stay on two feet until the wave of it topples me back. I hold my breath as the water washes over me. My eyes open when the water level lowers. White tiles cover the expanse in every direction, for as long as I can see.

That's when I spot them. Yusei, Bruno, and Sherry stand some ways away to my right.

I yell, "Yusei! Bruno!"

The trio look my way, but they seem hesitant to come to me. When I've swallowed down the doubt and go to run, my mark flares. My head acts of its own will and faces forward. In the open space is a floating pod. It spins lazily and, when at a certain angle, it looks like there's someone inside peering out.

A clenching sensation on my ankle snaps me out of the trance. "No," I say under my breath, then louder, "no no!"

The ghostly hand resists my fight. More join the battle and coil up my legs, trap my arms at my sides. My hands alight, which burns some of the appendages away. But they're much like the heads of Hydra, more and more replicating as I fend one off. The hands drag me down faster than I can fight. As a last-ditch effort, I reach out to anyone.

"Yusei!"

It clicks for him then, and he bolts for me. "Maria!"

But even that doesn't seem to work. The spindly hands force him down by the arms and legs just feet away. I can feel my body sinking. The hands wrap me in a cocoon and, before I go down completely, I meet Yusei's gaze.

Everything glows.

It had to be Maria.

The glowing, yellow silhouette confused him at first. It knew his and Bruno's names, but he wasn't certain of the form's relation or intention until he was lost in a trance. He'd caught a glimpse of an eye in a crack of the large, floating pod and his concentration became fuzzy.

But he heard her. Yusei had heard Maria's voice loud and clear.

However, it appears he only managed to run from one cage to another—the winding hands that drag her below the space's surface restrain him. They seemed to only want her.

So, he watches the emptiness devour her with an aching heart.

The hands release their hold on him. Bruno is at his side in an instant and pulls the stunned duelist away from the hoard.

"Wait, wait!" Yusei's eyes never come off the hoard, and for good reason.

In the cracks of the overlapping mound of hands, the turbo duelist sees tiny rays of light leaking through. Yet, his hopes fall as quickly as they rose. The lights blink and fade out wholly.

And then, in all the pockets of the pile, black smoke seeps out. The smoke floats up and bunches together, forming a inky, gargantuan cloud.

No, a body.

One, two, three, four limbs snap and pop out from the beast's twitching torso and down to the floor, its claws digging deep into the paneling. At this point, the hands have unwound and attempt to attach on newfound prey, but their digits fly in and out of the beast.

The head of the monster funnels together, its eyes hollowed out and left as white holes. The makeshift creature, unsteady and sloppy, bears its teeth and roars at the top of its lungs as its tail spikes up. In a shaky movement, the beast lifts its huge paw and slams it down on the pod.

The room goes black. Yusei can't see anything, he can only feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand pin-straight and hear Bruno's shallow breath. The monster faces them, its false eyes unblinking and bare of emotion. Chills run up Yusei's spine; he had never been afraid of the dark, but if this was what lurked in the shadows, he could see why people would be.

All the monster does is grin, a fanged crescent splitting apart the darkness.

Consciousness knocks into the two mechanics at once. With the waves of the ocean lapping at their feet, Yusei rolls over on his back and Bruno mumbles in awe of New Domino's skyline. The turbo-duelist spots Mizoguchi out his peripheral. A still unconscious Sherry lies in his arms as he looks out over early morning's abyss.

"Mizoguchi," the raven-haired man groans for the butler's attention as he and his friend rise. Sherry's guardian turns in their direction. "Do you know what's going on? How did we end up on the beach?"

The hulking man sighs. "I'm not sure. There was a blast back at the lab and I was knocked out. When I came to, we were all lying here."

Yusei remembers running to Sherry and Bruno, running into a growing sphere of light. He remembers the paneled room and the piercing stare of the pod's eye. He remembers the glowing figure, snuffed out by white hands and the raging beast that erupted from it.

And he remembers thinking of Maria. His heart screaming out for her. But how could she have been there?

None of it makes any semblance of sense. Then again, what ever does?

"I want to thank you for your help, Yusei Fudo," says the butler. "Had we not gone after Sherry when we did, who knows how much worse the outcome could have been."

Mizoguchi eyes the fearless woman in his arms. Her voice echoes in his mind, dry in humor, "Don't worry so much. It'll give you wrinkles." But he had been doing it for so long. How could he not?

It is then, with the memories of his mistress, younger and afraid of the world, that he is reminded of the other oddity of this night.

"There is something else."

The man pivots on one foot and travels down the bank. Yusei and Bruno share a puzzled glance, follow, and stop behind the butler just a few feet from where they had been lying. Mizoguchi juts his chin at the rocks back up the shore.

Bruno is sent running in seconds, but the turbo-dueling king is too stunned to move. It seems like a dream to Yusei. He wishes it was.

When the cerulean-haired man tries to touch the girl's arm, his hand is sent back with a stream of yellow electricity. Bruno falls back into the sand, screaming in terror. He buries the hand in sand and tries to ignore the pain raking through his skin. The amnesiac looks to Yusei with bulging eyes and neither of the two know what to do next other than look back at their friend.

Behind them, daybreak lights the horizon.

Mizoguchi's duel disk sets off, the machine expanding and a rainbow of colors flaring in its center. Yusei's disk mimics the action seconds later.

Maria's fingers and toes wriggle, her arms and legs stretch. In the first light of the day, the Star Child opens her eyes.

My bare feet step onto the bus' platform. Yusei pays the fee for the three of us and passes by the driver without a word. I notice the man eyeing my rough appearance and shrugging it off before I follow the raven-haired duelist down rows of empty seats to the back of the vehicle. Bruno and I sit on opposite sides of him and the bus takes off.

I pull Yusei's jacket closer to my body and stare out the window. I glimpse my reflection over and over as we speed through the streets—vibrant citrine eyes and tresses sandy enough in color that you would never guess they had been brunette weeks ago.

I look long enough to be repulsed, but not so long the anger and fear can bubble inside me and blow the bus to pieces. My hands clench on my pajama pants, the thin layer of cotton the only protection against drawing blood.

You can't even recognize yourself anymore. You've come so far down your "path" and you know even less about yourself than you did when you started. Sad, isn't it?

A hand rests over mine, but I don't bother to face the man it belongs to. I just watch as my hand eases under his warm touch and his fingers intertwine with mine.

Yet the tears still come.

Yikes. Talk about a rollercoaster.

Man oh man. I swear, if I had the artistic capabilities of turning this fic into a comic, I definitely would. Not only because that would be a-ma-zing, but because I constantly worry I'm not providing you guys with an accurate mental image of what's going on. I hate that you guys don't have access to my brain (only JAG-related stuff of course, anything else would be...awkward) so y'all will never see the scenes how I do. Please let me know if anything gets unclear. I'll be happy to provide a summarized version and try to revise those scenes.

In other news, I am officially finished with my first year of college, y'all! I must say, I feel rather invincible. Now I just gotta work a billion hours this summer and get a head start paying off them loans…adulting is hard. And nasty.

Thanks for reading loves and TTFN