Judgement of the World

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

A/N: Just a bit of dusting here too!

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The following day provided a very reassuring atmosphere to arrive at school, with a bright blue sky without a single cloud. The sun was as bright as ever, the whole city clean with no trash on the sides of the road, the buildings looking newly washed despite it not having rained. Everything kept in tip top shape, that everyone enjoyed believing was the 'only' part of Neo Domino city.

While on the edge of the self same city was the remains of what had been a part of the self same city not two decades ago. Once upon a time Aki would have looked upon the denizens of that poor sad piece of land the same as most others. With casual disdain for the 'poorer' people, assuming at most charitable that they volunteered to be there to help run the dirtier machines of the city. Now she could only see the disparity between the pristine, hopeful, appearance of Neo Domino and overlay it with the trash and despair of Satellite.

With all that she had experienced as of late, the once pristine was now sterile, the hope was obliviousness. Leaving her feeling as unsteady about her place in the city as her powers made her feel around others. Though to be fair she 'was' gaining a bit of a handle with her powers, having spent the night with her Witch, Ruka and her Kuribon. Working on trying to learn a code that she could use for her Witch to know when it was important to come out and directly communicate with Aki.

Which was all well and fine, Aki had been grateful for the lesson. In the end, after Ruka had gone to bed along with Rua, Aki spent more time with her Witch working on another aspect. For when she wanted her Witch to spy on conversations others were having. It felt like a good idea to learn, if someone came after the twins. But it also brought in the issue if said person had a Spirit they were bonded to as well. So teaching her Witch to be sneaky was going to take time, or find someone with a Ninja deck to befriend. Or ask Black Rose.

The limo she was riding slowed as it approached the school, with the twins bracketing her in their first limo ride. Since they used public transit normally, this was an added treat. Rua had found a pair of sunglasses and was leaning back like some Hollywood celebrity while Ruka just brushed her fingers through Kuribons' fur. It was certainly more enjoyable than just riding alone in the back of the limo. Making Aki wonder if Yusei would have to start attending school once the bridge was built. The idea of riding in the limo with the twins and Yusei and Crow seemed more appealing than long stretches of silence.

The night before, the normality of doing 'homework' left her with a warm feeling of family and connection. It made her realize just how truly starved she was for such familial actions, just so many things that made her think of 'home'. The soft, hypnotic sound of pencil on paper, or typing on a computer, the occasional bits of chatter from the twins made her feel like she was part of a family. Even if her father was at work, this kept her comfortable even when her Witch showed up to view the 'homework'.

As the limo slowed to a stop, Rua pulled off the sunglasses and put them back in the pocket he found them in. Just before grabbing the door handle and opening the door, hopping out with all the eagerness of a child. His feet hit the concrete and he turned to look expectantly towards his sister and their big sister. One wouldn't have thought that he had blacked out and taken a fall with the energy he was showing. But thus was the energy of youth, one would suppose.

Aki let Ruka leave the limo allowing the young girl to climb out of the window tinted vehicle and under the bright sky. The limo had been an amazingly smooth ride, compared to the buses she and her brother normally took. She shouldered her backpack and watched as the limo driver approached the open door with a barely restrained frown on his face. He stood by it as Aki stepped out, and there was some distant thought that maybe that's what was supposed to happen. That maybe they were supposed to wait until he opened the door for all of them.. So did Rua break protocol?

When Aki stepped past the door the driver shut the door and turned back towards the front of the limo, walking away. Letting Ruka look up at Aki questioningly before falling into step with the older girl. "Big Sister, were we supposed to wait until he opened the door?"

"Yes, but its fine, since you both said you never rode in a limo before," Aki replied with a rare, kind smile on her lips. As the trio walked past the gates to the school Aki could see, from her vantage, Tenjoin, Marufuji and their clique. Those who had stayed to guard the doors or assist seemed to be hanging out next to the front doors. Yoshifumi noticed her and gave a cheerful wave while turning to address the group he was with. Causing the other three people in the group to turn and look her way looking as though they had been waiting. Which was something very new for Aki, having a group of peers waiting for 'her'.

"The Duel Queen!" Rua swooned in place at the sight of the Duel Academys' own Duel Queen. Having one of the prettiest girls earning the title certainly helped as far as Rua was concerned, at least until his sister grew up enough to be eligible to compete for the title.

"Rua," Ruka gave her brother a light elbow jab as a 'will you cut it out' while the group joined them.

"Hello everyone, I'm glad to see your injuries weren't that bad after all," Asuka greeted the trio with a smile. As she bent down a bit so she was a bit closer to Ruas' face as he stood there grinning widely. When she straightened up with a pleased nod her gaze went to Aki who also nodded.

"The doctor said he was fine, so just a night of rest and back to school with him," she remarked politely her own gaze going down to the boy.

"Hello," Ruka demurely spoke up retreating a bit to Aki's side with so many popular students around her.

"Ahh, hello," Muro kindly greeted the young girl.

"Ruka! Rua!" A young voice called out from behind the trio causing Ruka to start with more cheer. Easily recognizing the voice of her best friend and turning to wave at Patty as the blond came running up to them with Tenpai and Bob in tow.

"Glad to see you made it Rua, you had us worried," Tenpai spoke first with Bob nodding behind the shorter student.

"Yes, that was scary, I'm glad you're ok too Ruka," Patty added with her eyes full of earnest concern for her friend.

"Yeah, thankfully I wasn't alone this time, so I could convince myself that I didn't have to worry," Ruka agreed with a small, positive nod. After all with Aki and Jack there to help look after her and her brother her anxiety didn't feel as extreme. She probably would have felt a ton better if she knew what exactly caused her brother to black out like he had.

And just like that, the morning was like any other morning, with the twins drifting away thoughtlessly with their friends to go to class letting Asuka relax. She didn't want to bring up the topic in front of the twins considering they were children. "Izayoi? I got permission for us to look at the decks that were in use in that duel yesterday. Between that or a technician checking the system to see if it was a type of feedback. Maybe we can figure out if this 'is' something dangerous that we need to focus on or if it was something that just involved the twins."

"Just the twins?" Aki repeated a touch confused by how Asuka phrased it when the, until that moment silent, Ryo took over.

"Siblings share a bond of blood, twins share an even stronger one. There's a chance that perhaps Rua blacked out, not because of himself, but perhaps because of Ruka. Maybe he took what was meant for her?" Ryo suggested thoughtfully leaving Aki staring at him in genuine surprise.

For Asuka, when she heard such strangely spiritual idea out of Ryo who was so practical, it had surprised her. While for Aki, the idea that maybe it was meant for 'Ruka' made her want to talk to her Witch again. Could Ruka have started to have a lapse into heart issues and Rua reacted in response? Along the line of service dogs that could sense when a human was about to have a seizure, could Rua have done the same thing?

Asuka looked at Ryo with a speculative look in her eyes, before asking, "what makes you think that? It's not something I would expect you to think of."

"You and your brother actually," Ryo answered with a faint shrug. "Fubuki always could tell when you needed him."

Tenjoin looked startled, before repeating the name softly as her eyes lowered in thought, leaving Aki to discreetly keep her curiosity in check. While the two other guys stood there at loose ends for a moment before Muro seemed to decide on taking a lead.

"About checking those cards?"

The group nodded, thankful for the distraction from whatever drama was going on between the Duel King and Queen of school. With Tenjoin taking the lead as they walked into the school, "these cards are pretty old for the most part. Some having been part of the school since it became a dueling school. Given directly to the school by Lord Kaiba himself, the school itself has a deck based off the Ancient Gears. But the student decks all are starter decks that are meant to help teach the younger class students."

They walked through the, for now, quiet hallway back towards the gym where the dueling arena stood. "So what are you hoping we find, Asuka?" Muro asked from behind Marufuji.

"I just want to make sure there's no funny business taking place," Tenjoin replied lightly over her shoulder.

"But what if it's just an accident," Yoshifumi voiced from Aki's left leaving her sandwiched between both guys.

"If it is, it is, but part of the responsibility of a Duel Queen is to look after the younger students," she answered easily.

"You can't keep blaming yourself for Fubuki," Marufuji noted as he walked along with them.

There was a seriousness about him that made Aki think of Yusei in a way, but Yusei also carried an intensity to his personality as well. But his comment made her wonder a bit about this 'Fubuki' person, more so when she saw Tenjoins' shoulders sag.

"You 'say' that, but if I had only 'listened' instead of just assumed he was up to his normal antics." Tenjoin answered with a voice rich with suppressed regret and remorse.

They walked across the gym towards a door in the back, their shoes making a little sound as they passed over the cleaned wooden floor and under bright lights. With a quiet hush taking over the group, unwilling to remind the Royal Couple that they were there. Perhaps silence would make Tenjoin relax enough to talk about whatever had happened?

But they reached the door too soon for that to happen and Marufuji grabbed the doorknob and gave it a twist. "The decks are stored here and normally students aren't allowed in here, but the principle said we could come in here." He informed the group before pushing the door open and letting the others enter.

The room wasn't just a large selection of cards or a wall honeycombed by boxes for decks, rather it cared all the sports equipment for the school. It fit the description for 'chaotic order' as everything looked to be laid out just anywhere, but 'not' in a manner that hid anything. The cage that held the sports balls was off to one side, poles for nets were lumped together in one area, gym mats were stacked against another wall, all manners of things were strewn about. But in the back there 'was' a slender shelf that rested in the corner. Unassuming in appearance with a single door, made of brown wood and it was this thing that Tenjoin made her way towards.

Stepping around various sports equipment she walked up to the shelf and pulled out a key from her chest pocket. The others following in suit as she inserted the small metal key and turned it to reveal a series of shelves each with several decks in section. "It would be faster if Rua told you what deck he was using yesterday?" She asked Aki.

"He said the 'Winged Beast'," Aki promptly answered, recalling their topic of discussion during dinner. Since Rua had been denied the chance to eat because of his head injury. It had been one of the ways that Aki distracted him from his hunger. Tenjoin nodded and getting on her tip toes to reach for the decks that were on the top shelf. Muro gave a half smile as he reached up over her head and grabbed a deck for her.

She kept retrieving decks while suggesting that they check to see if it was the right one. "We should make sure no one tampered with the cards themselves, maybe a fake card with a chip or something." Turned out to be her reasoning, one that they couldn't see fault with since fakes were known to be made that could trick systems.

It was Yoshifuma who spoke up when the deck placed in his hands turned out to be the 'Winged Beast' that they were looking for. "Did he tell you which of these cards was what he was working with?" Yoshifuma asked Aki pleasantly as he placed the deck into her waiting hands.

"Yes," she replied as she began shuffling quickly through the cards looking for the Aurora Wing, the Barrier Statue of the Stormwinds and the Monster Reborn card. Shuffling from one to another to yet another, seeking out these three particular cards. She shuffled as the rest of the decks were returned to their proper places in the cabinet. Yet by the time she reached the last card, a concerned frown crossed her lips. "Something isn't right..."

The others looked among each other then back at her as she began going through each card again, far more thoroughly than they would have expected her to need to. "Izayoi?" Marufuji asked for the group.

"They're not here, they should be, this deck is the right theme, but even 'Monster Reborn' isn't here... and shouldn't all decks have at least one?" Aki noted aloud as went through the deck.

Which was correct, all decks carried one 'Monster Reborn', it was always possible that Rua recalled the wrong deck. Or perhaps the wrong monsters were relayed to Izayoi, but 'every' deck had one Monster Reborn. The Spell Card was a staple in the training course, and that it was missing as well raised a few questions.

"Well we can't stay here and go through each deck, class will start soon. I'll let the principle know and see if he lets me keep the key a bit longer." Tenjoin voiced as she held out her hand for the deck in Aki's hands.

"But this is weird, who would mess with the cards from the students class?" Muro asked as he looked at the group in general. After all they were only student decks, not the schools personal one, so why mess with it. Unless...

"Could someone have seriously altered the deck? That it's not some type of biorhythm thing between the twins, and actually someone up to something?" Yoshifuma asked perplexed.

"We can think about it through morning class and re converge for lunch," Tenjoin suggested as she tucked away the tampered deck and locked up the cabinet. "We normally meet up on the roof, but for this we'll meet at the gym entrance." She instructed Aki with a cheerful smile on her face as though the clouds from the earlier topic had finally passed.

Aki glanced at the rest of the group that were all wearing various degrees of acceptance of this plan, save Marufuji who was ever poker faced. But they were supportive and she was going to need help on this so she quietly nodded as well. "I'm grateful for the help."