I'm frozen. Am I even breathing? I can't feel the floor beneath my feet. Everything around me is gone, and it's only me and Jack Atlas. Only a minute ago, he called my name and approached me. Since then, we have stood in limbo, him looking down at me and me looking up at him.
"Jack…" That's all I can manage to get out. Jack moves his hands and places them on both of my shoulders. I can't tell if he's happy to see me again or angry that I left.
"You're still alive." He looks like he wants to hug me, but can't bring himself to do it.
"Of course I'm alive."
"You ran away, and sounded like you wanted to kill yourself, so I wasn't sure. But I never stopped looking for you." First Yusei was angry, and now it sounds as if Jack is starting to getting emotional.
"I need to go, Jack," I say, taking a step back to shake his hands off my shoulders.
"I'm not letting you get away a second time, Kyoko!" He reaches out to grab my wrist but I pull it back, hiding my arm behind my back.
"I didn't come here for you, Jack. I have so many questions for you, but now isn't the right time. I can't let myself get close to you again, I'm still a monster who's better off without you." I feel the wet heat of tears growing in my eyes, but I have to be strong. I'm just a heartless monster, right?
"Even if you leave, I'll never stop looking for you. I left the Satellite to find you. I was asked to come to this City, but I agreed to come so that I could find you. I'm the King of this City and you could join me, be my queen. With me by your side, no one will ever look down on you again. You can change this City, starting at the top. You're only a monster if you make yourself one."
"Then, I guess you could say I'm the biggest monster of all. I don't want to change this City's opinion. The people are right, Psychics are monsters, and they are the ones that deserve to go. You don't know anything about me anymore, Jack. I'm different. Darker. Maybe even worse than a monster." I feel my skin growing warm with rage, the fire that's inside me is building.
"Then I'll do whatever it takes to bring you back to the good side."
"It's too late for that. The only way you could get near me is to join me."
"Join you in what?"
"Killing. Every. Last. Psychic." I concentrate the heat in my body to my hands. It works. Fire grows from my hands, it tingles but doesn't hurt. "I don't feel pity anymore, no sympathy, only the anger and need for revenge." My words grow louder and so does the fire in my palms. My emotions affect my powers and I'm slowly tipping over the edge again. Jack takes a step back. His face tells a story of disgust, but I see something small, that I've never seen from Jack before, fear. "That's right, Jack. Join me or fear me. I'm a monster and it's too late to save me. The only way I'll stop being a monster is to finish my job. This has to be the reason I became a Psychic."
"No one has to die. You didn't choose to be this way and neither did they. I'll do whatever it takes to stop you, even if it means I have to battle you. As long as I get back the Kyoko I once knew."
"If you try to stop me, then I'll just kill you too. I'll end your life, with or without a duel. No matter how much I once loved you." I freeze, the fire in my hands fades out as a cold emptiness hits my chest. These are the feelings I have been suppressing since I ran away from Jack the first time. Jack takes a step towards me. "Stop. Don't." I put my hand out and back up, then I turn and I'm running. The tears that I tried to hold back feel freely, my vision was blurry but I kept running.
"Kyoko! Stop!" I hear the clicking of Jack's shoes as he's running after me. I'm fast, but he's faster. He grabs my wrist, my body can't run anymore and the tears stop instantly. The shock of this situation has hit me. Black spots cloud my vision and my body does the only thing it can do. Drop. I don't hit the floor. I hit something else, just as solid, yet softer and warmer. Jack. He's the last thing I remember before I black out. This is the worst thing that could have happened and I'm scared to figure out where I might wake up.
I wake up and check the time on my phone, it's already eleven. I've missed the opening for day two of the Fortune Cup and I have over fifty messages from my friend again. Wait. I look around in a panic, I don't know the place I'm in and I'm still wearing my clothes from yesterday. I remember, last night, I passed out on Jack Atlas. Fuck, this must be Jack's apartment. Why did I get myself in this situation? I'm currently on the couch with a pillow and a blanket. I look around the room for Jack but it seems as if he's already left for the Fortune Cup. I have to get out of here. I get up and head towards the door to put my shoes on. How did Jack get me all the way here? I think of Jack carrying me here, my heart speeds up. Stop! I have to yell at myself to stop the fantasy from growing inside my head. When I'm by the front door, I slip my shoes on so that I can head out. When I reach for the door handle I see a note on the door.
Kyoko,
I expect to find you here this afternoon when I return from the Fortune Cup. I know I can't force you to stay here, but if you care about me, even a little bit, you will stay. If you decide to leave, then I get the message, but I won't stop looking for you again until I find you and prove to you that you are not the monster you think you are. I am the one that can help you change.
- Jack Atlas
Not only is he trying to blackmail me into staying, he thinks he's going to change me. What he doesn't seem to understand is that maybe I don't want to change. I was given these powers for a reason, to kill Psychics and I'm not going to let someone change my plans. No matter how much I once cared for them. On top of that, he's telling me to stay if I care about him, I don't, not anymore. If he wants me to change so much, then I'll just forget about him. He doesn't need me anyway, he probably has tons of girls slaving away over him and bowing at his feet at all times. If he wants me to change, then he's going to have to be the one that changes first, but no one will ever be able to change him. I'll just make this easy on myself and him. I'll be the one to change. I won't love him. I don't love him. I hate him.
I rip the paper from the door and crumple it in my hand. I think about how much I hate Jack Atlas. From hate births fire. Those thoughts are the only thing in my mind before the ashes of the paper seep out the side of my hand and from between my fingers. I open my hand to let the rest of the ashes fall, then I grab the door handle and finally leave Jack's apartment.
I grab the bus back to my house to shower and change clothes before heading back to the bus for the Fortune Cup. I don't really want to attend the Fortune Cup today after all the events of last night, but since I was given the ticket by my friends. I decide it's best to go. Plus, I'm still curious to find out more information about Aki. I decide to wear a cute black skirt with my normal off the shoulder purple shirt and jacket. The only reason I decide on the skirt is to help boost my mood by feeling better about myself. I sit on the bus headed to the stadium, catching up on all the messages from my friends this morning, including trying to keep up with the messages still coming in from my friends.
Dmitri: KYOKO!
Dmitri: Wake up!
Dmitri: Are you coming to the fortune cup today?
Lorenzo: More importantly are you feeling better today?
Kamila: If you show up i'll buy you a soda and candy on the house ;)
Kai: Don't bribe her into coming if she doesn't feel good today
Dmitri: But we miss her!
Kamila: Yea!
Lorenzo: But you guys have us isn't that enough?
Dmitri: But we've become attached!
Kyoko: Hey, calm down you guys, i'm feeling better and i'm on the way, but i'm sure you would all be fine without me.
Kyoko: Plus, it sounds like Lorenzo and Kai need the extra love haha
Kamila: Yay! And NAHHH they are big bois lol
I laugh and shut my phone as the bus pulls up to the stop outside the stadium. I wonder how many of the duels I've missed today, and if Yusei won his match. As I get up to my seat with my friends, they all jump up to say hi and give me hugs. I take my seat and look onto the field. It seems like Aki's semifinal match just ended in a victory. Koda, the man she had been facing, looks like he is hanging by a thread of life. The paramedics are rushing out onto the field to retrieve him from the crater in the field that he was laying in. It's scary to see how much damage psychics can really cause. Not only that but Aki's hair had fallen down and was covering her face, this is the true face of the witch I saw two days ago.
"You missed two intense and incredible duels." Lorenzo says, almost jumping over Kamila to talk to me. "Yusei won the first duel against Bommer, but it was a very close duel. Yusei only had 300 life points left. But that's not even the most dramatic part. After the duel was over, Bommer fell off his D-Wheel and got back up only to ride it up the glass of the stadium flipping it over towards Rex Godwin's tower. Apparently Godwin destroyed Bommer's village by using it as a testing ground. Bommer was saying that Godwin is trying to resurrect the Crimson Dragon of myth." That explains why so many of the Signers are here. "So Bommer found out and wanted to get revenge." Apparently, mine and Bommer views are even closer than I thought. "But then Yusei used his D-Wheel to try and stop him! A metal spike off Bommer's bike still ended up crashing into the tower but Godwin remains unharmed." Why would Yusei try to stop him? Bommer deserves to get his revenge. We all do.
"So, what happened to Bommer?" I ask out of curiosity.
"He was arrested of course. What else would happen after trying to attack the Director?" Dmitri replies.
"I guess, but he was doing the right thing!"
"We know, but it's not like we can do anything to help him, unless we want to get arrested too."
"I guess." I cross my arms and slump back in my chair. "What happened during the witch's match? Anything interesting?"
"Her opponent just sprouted on about her past."
"Her past?" I ask perking up again, even though Dmitri's face told me he didn't care about it.
"Yea, the guy said the obvious, that she's a Psychic. Then he went on about how three years ago she hurt her classmate will using Violet Witch in a practice duel. Apparently, that's the first time she used her powers in public." Dmitri waved his fingers around to emphasize on the magical element of the word powers. "And apparently that made everyone afraid of her. So, nothing new for us Psychics, but that made her a loner and an outcast. Wow. What a surprise." I could tell he was upset by the whole thing. "Then there was something about her winning her first duel at the age of five, which is when her powers first awake." Dmitri stood up and moved quickly past me out into the isle. "He keeps telling her and everyone else about how much of a monster us Psychics are." With that he was gone. He ran off up the stairs with his face full of distress. Kai stop up soon after and went after him.
"I didn't mean to upset him." I had never seen Dmitri so upset. These past two days have just been a whirlwind of emotions for everyone. As much as I wanted to deny that Psychics are monsters by all the great friends I have now, I can't. No matter how hard I try. I've seen what I can do, it's nothing less than a monster.
"It's not your fault, sweetie." Kamila wraps her arm around my shoulders, pulling me into a hug. I wrap my arms around her, returning the hug even if I feel like I don't deserve it. "We have all gone through bad experiences like that and I think it might have just been a little too close to home for a lot of us. Nothing else really happened after that, besides the guy she was dueling talking about the Arcadia Movement. I guess that's some kind of home for Psychics, maybe we should look into it some time."
"It's not like anyone else wants us around. The whole crowd keep yelling for him to attack the freak, if being called a monster wasn't bad enough already. I guess the whole thing just reminded everyone of how people really think about Psychics. We spend so much time together, comforting each other that we forget what the real world thinks about Psychics." Lorenzo wrapped his arm around the back of Kamila, resting his arm again the back of her chair while resting his hand on my shoulder. I want to feel bad for everyone, but I just can't. There is no sympathy left in my heart for Psychics. If this was any other bad situation I think I would care, but if it's a debate about if Psychics are good or bad, then I'm afraid I have to go with the popular opinion and say they are bad. Worse than bad, they are pure evil. "That wasn't even the worst part. The absolute worst part that hurt Dmitri the worst was when he brought up how Aki's parents abandoned her for being a freak. We could all tell Dmitri was bad after that, but there wasn't anything we could really do. I guess talking about the duel again is what finally tipped him over the edge." I took a sharp breath in. I can't imagine being abandoned by your parents. My parents were long dead before they had the chance to know what I've become, luckily. I never had to face them with being scared of what I am. Not only did Dmitri have to come out as gay, he had to come out all over again as a Psychic, but he always seemed the most mental stable and strongest out of us. I don't know what to think anymore. This is my fault he got so upset, but I can't do anything to help him. I feel bad for him, but I don't even know if I want to help him.
"The duel ended with Aki defending us Psychics, but I don't think her rough victory did anything for our actual reputation." Kamila is playing with her hands nervously, also trying to forget the events of the duel. I stand up from my seat and headed for the stairs.
"I know I just got here, but I think I need just a minute." I say, running up the stairs back into the stadium. I find an empty bench inside to sit down on. I focus on my breathing to try and calm myself down, but find myself looking down and clinging harshly to the edge of the bench. After the Fortune Cup, I am going to need a very long rest. After a few minutes, someone sits down beside me but I don't pay enough attention to notice who it is.
"Hey… It's not your fault." To my surprise, the person beside me is the person I least expect, Kai.
"I'm the one who made him talk about it."
"But you didn't know what was said in the duel and you don't even know everything that's happened to him in his past, so you couldn't have known what would really upset him. So this can't be your fault, Kyoko."
"But it is!" I feel my hands tense on the bench, I'm starting to get upset again.
"Not. Tell me what I can do to prove to you that it's not your fault, please." Kai places his hand on my thigh and squeezes it. I know we haven't talked much but in this moment I can tell just how genuine of a person he really is. I pause, thinking of what I should say next.
"Tell me about his past." I say finally, lifting my head up to look at Kai.
"Oh… I don't even know where to start. I only meet him when I turned fourteen. By then his father had commited suicide and he had come out as gay to his mother. She was always so angry at Dmitri, saying she was going to make him a better man, so that he wouldn't turn into his dead father. You can imagine how those conversations went. Then by the age of sixteen, he got his Psychic powers during a fight with his mother, he hurt her. He didn't mean to, his body was trying to defend him. His mother called him a monster and kicked him out. He lived with me and my family for a year, until I got kicked out of my house for well… being trans." Kai paused and I could tell he was getting nervous, not only was he telling me about Dmitri's past but also his own. I reach out, putting my arms around his neck to pull him into a tight hug.
"Hey, it's okay, you have a new family now and we all love you no matter what." I take my knuckle and rustle it into the top of his head, laughing.
"Thank you, Kyoko, really. But Dmitri and I have been living in a small apartment since then. Dmitri has really grown up a lot and he had to, too fast, but I'm happy to have him. He always seems like such an outgoing guy, but I think he's just trying to cover up the pain of the past. He's really a good guy and wants to do nothing more than make sure all his friends feel safe around him. He uses strategy and logic now to help him control his powers. I think we should get going before everyone comes looking for us. Dmitri is already back in his seat and I'm sure he would love to have one of his best friends beside him right now." Kai squeezes my leg one more time and stands up, extending a hand to help pull me up from the bench. After this, I feel a lot closer to Kai and know more about the gentleman that he really is. Not to mention how brave both him and Dmitri are. Sometime I forget that other people have it just as bad, if not worse than me.
We return to our seat, everyone sits quietly not saying a word. I stretch my hands out behind Dmitri and Kamila to grab Kai and Lorenzo so that I could pull everyone into the middle near me.
"Hey, I love you dorks. Never forget that no matter what stupid things I end up doing." It seemed like such a picture perfect moment. All my friends and me smiling and hugging, everyone feels loved. This was a perfect moment. No one knew that the one thing I ended up saying now would be important for the many many stupid things that were to come.
"I was worried you went home to get sick again today." Dmitri says with a laugh. I give him a small punch on the shoulder.
"Hey, I couldn't leave my best friend here all alone. Right?"
"Of course," Dmitri gives me a wink, "bestfriend!" Dmitri pulls me into a suffocating hug while laughing.
"I thought I was the best friend!" Kamila tries to pry me away from Dmitri.
"I got her first!" Dmitri yells, pulling me back towards him. We continue to playfully fight for a few minutes to decide who is who's best friend.
"Guys! You're missing the duel, it's getting good!" Lorenzo shouts out. We settle down and look towards the field to see what's going on. Aki is in the middle of her turn and she looks like she about to summon Black Rose Dragon. Aki currently has 2800 life points while Yusei has 1200. It's surprising to see Yusei losing, but I know that Aki is a strong duelist so I'm interested in seeing who is going win the duel.
"Level 5 Copy Plant tunes Level 2 Dark Verger! The cold flame envelops the entire world. Black flower, bloom! Synchro Summon! Appear, Black Rose Dragon (ATK:2400)!" The wild wind of Black Rose Dragon fills the field. Instead of screaming, most people have just learned to cover themselves by now. From the stands, I can see Yusei's Signer mark glowing again. Securing the fact that Aki is also a Signer. I'm curious of why the Crimson Dragon would choose someone so evil. I thought the Signers were supposed to protect civilization, not destroy it. Aki continues on with her turn. "Black Rose Dragon's monster effect. By removing one Plant-Type monster in my graveyard from play, one of your monster's attack points become 0 during this turn. I remove Wall of Ivy from play. Rose Restriction!" The vines coming from Black Rose Dragon entangle Junk Warrior, who's attack points fall from 2300 to 0. "Black Rose Dragon attacks Junk Warrior! Black Rose Flare!"
"I activate Shield Warrior's monster effect from my graveyard! By removing this card in my graveyard from play, it negates the destruction of my monster due to battle!" Yusei is still done for if the attack hits him.
"However, you still take battle damage." Aki announces.
"I flip over my trap card! Spirit Force! For one time only, the battle damage I take becomes 0!" A barrier of protection surrounds Yusei cause the attack to bounce off it. The attack continues to travel, breaking part of the glass on the track behind him. What matters is that Yusei is still surviving, for now. "Due to Spirit Force's effect, one monster in my graveyard with 1500-or-fewer defense points is added to my hand."
"I set two cards and end my turn." Everyone in the crowd is still throwing threats at Aki since she caused even more destruction. Everyone in the crowd wants Yusei to win. I'm sure if I want Yusei to win, or for Aki to win so that Jack would be able to take her out in a duel. For once, Aki decides to respond to the words of the crowd. "That's right. You're exactly right. I'm a witch. I'm a scary girl who enjoys dealing out pain. I enjoy it." This. This is the true nature of all Psychics. Aki's words resonate with me. I too am a scary girl who enjoys dealing pain, but I do more than enjoy it, I crave it. "I really enjoy using my power to deal pain to everyone who pushed me into isolation!" This is the way I feel towards Psychics, I want to deal them pain for taking away my family and isolating me. Aki's eyes are filled with the same rage I feel in my heart and for once I can relate to the witch. Only instead of wanting to take out Normals, I want to take out Psychics just like her.
"My turn." Yusei announces, to stop Aki from going on. "I summon Junk Synchron from my hand (ATK:1300)! Due to Junk Synchron's monster effect, I summon Speed Warrior (DEF:400)!" Speed Warrior's attack points are added to Junk Warrior's causing him to have 3200 attack points. "Level 3 Junk Synchron tunes Level 5 Junk Warrior! The wishes come together to form a new shining star! Become the path that lights the way! Synchro Summon! Soar, Stardust Dragon (ATK:2500)!" The shining wings of Stardust Dragon glisten in the sunlight as it settles in front of Yusei on the field. This is Yusei's ace monster. This is the biggest moment of the duel, two Signers' ace dragons are facing off against one another. Yusei and Aki are speaking on the field, as if Yusei is trying to show Aki that she can be a better person. I think about Jack's note this morning and I start to feel sick. I decide to grab Kamila and go to the bathroom for a minute. When I return to the field, Aki is wearing her Witch's mask and Yusei has taken down Black Rose Dragon. Though Black Rose Dragon is gone, I still worry about Yusei's safety.
"My turn. I draw. I activate Magic Planter. By sending a Continuous Spell on the field to the graveyard, I can draw two cards from my deck. The Continuous Trap Wicked Rebirth. By paying 800 life points, I can Special Summon a Synchro Monster from my graveyard." Aki's life points fall to 1900. "I resurrect Black Rose Dragon (ATK:2400). Wicked Rebirth is equipped on to Black Rose Dragon. The equipped monster cannot attack this turn. And when the Equip Card is no longer on the field, that monster is destroyed. Furthermore, if the equipped monster is destroyed due to something other than this card's effect, then it is Special Summoned at the End Phase." Aki is officially back in the game. "Black Rose Dragon's monster effect. When it is successfully Special Summoned, all cards on the field are destroyed. Black Rose Gale!" The wind of Black Rose Dragon sweeps through the crowd again. This time, Aki's Signer mark is glowing and she's holding her arm, almost as if she's in pain.
"I activate Stardust Dragon's monster effect! By releasing Stardust Dragon, an effect that destroys card is negated and destroyed!" The perfect counter for Black Rose Dragon's monster effect. "Victim Sanctuary!" Both Black Rose Dragon and Stardust Dragon dissolve in the middle of the field.
"I'm not done. I summon Phoenixian Seed (ATK:800). Due to Phoenixian Seed's monster effect, I can release this card to Special Summon Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis (ATK:2200). Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis attacks Speed Warrior. Flame Petal! After Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis attacks, it self-destructs. Scatter Flame! And it deals 800 points of damage." Yusei is down to only 400 life points now. Victory is nearing closer for Aki, and Yusei already sacrificed his Stardust Dragon. The degree and wind of Aki's attack creates such a force that is shatters the lower half of her mask. "I set one card."
"When Stardust Dragon activates its monster effect, it resurrects during during this turn's End Phase (ATK:2500)!"
"Due to the effect of Wicked Rebirth, I Special Summon Black Rose Dragon during the End Phase!" Both Singer Dragons have returned to the field. "Then I activate the Continuous Trap Overdoom Line. The monster that I Special Summoned from my graveyard gains 1000 attack points (ATK:2400-3400). Then, due to Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis's monster effect, it resurrects in defense position (DEF:0). I end my turn."
"My turn." Yusei's Signer mark is shining bright now for everyone to see. "I switch Stardust Dragon to defense position (DEF:2000)! From my hand, I activate the Equip Spell, Prevention Star. I can equip it on to a monster when the monster switches to defense position. Once a turn, I can select one of your monster. That monster cannot attack nor change battle position. I select Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis!"
"The trap card Synchro Back. I return one Synchro Monster on my field to the Extra Deck. I select Black Rose Dragon."
"I set one card and end my turn."
"My turn. I draw. Due to Synchro Back's effect, I resurrect Black Rose Dragon (ATK:2400)!" Aki grabs her Signer mark, clearly in pain.
"I know you're not enjoying this."
"Be quiet!"
"You're in pain, aren't you? The time has come for you to change. The joy of destruction has been tormenting you. And that pain… That pain is changing to something we both share because we have the same mark. The mark has guided us. This pain is trying to tell us something. In order to know the answer, you have to think for yourself. This mark holds the answer! Don't let others think for you. You have to think for yourself." Why does Aki have to change? She's a Psychic, she can't be changed. Especially because of some mark on her arm. Yusei is making it out to be that she can change because of this mark. Since I don't have this mark, I have a reason that I can't be changed. Even if Aki decides to change, that doesn't mean I will. Even if she seems to be nice, she will always be a Psychic. A darkness will lurk inside of her, just waiting for her to lose control again.
"What will a witch like me think about? As long as Divine guides and loves me, that's enough!" That is the guy from yesterday that I met, the one from the Arcadia Movement. Is he encouraging Psychics to embrace the darkness? What kinda place is the Arcadia Movement really?
"You're wrong! You have to love yourself!" HAHAHA. That's the biggest joke I've heard in a long time. She will never love herself as a Psychic. I'm pretty sure most Normal people don't even love themselves, much less Psychics that grow up in a word of hate and anger.
"If I could do that… If I could… I'm in pain because I can't!" An aura bursts out from inside Aki, causing her metal hairband to fall out and her hair falls in front of her mask. She seems to almost be glowing from all the emotions she's feeling. "Black Rose Dragon's monster effect activates! Black Rose Gale!" The glass from earlier begins to crack and crumble from the force of the effect. "All cards on the field are destroyed!"
"I'll keep taking it! Send out all your sadness! Victim Sanctuary!" Both dragons dissolve away in the middle of the field again. This battle feels like it's at a complete standstill. Can Yusei pull out anything else to win?
"Now Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis is free of Prevention Star's curse! Your field is wide open. If I successfully attack you directly, I win! Everything must vanish. Don't make me think. You're a detestable foe!"
"Then why are you crying? The trap card Cosmic Blast! When a Dragon-Type Synchro Monster leaves my field, it deals damage equal to that monster's attack points!" With this final move, Aki's life points drop down to zero and Aki's mask crumbles completely off her face. She falls to the floor and appears to be crying, but this doesn't last long before the crowd begins to cheer on Yusei for defeating the evil Witch. Divine quickly enters the field, placing his jacket around Aki's shoulders and escorting her quickly off the field.
"There's a winner! Yusei Fudo!" With that, the final duel is over and Yusei moves on to duel Jack in one final match of the Fortune Cup. This will be my first time to see Jack duel since I left. This is the duel I've been waiting for.