Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds: The Judgement of the World
Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
Beta By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
A/N: Soo JCHudson, you want to know how I keep up with names? (Dies) that's how. So as all of you know I am currently working on 4 fan fics cocurrently (5 if you count NaNoWriMo this month) And that means I am currently keeping track of over 50 characters. Mostly they are canon characters like main casts, but other times I make characters to fill in the world. Annnd that can be fun. So for example, here Momoe 'is' a canon character from GX who is a friend of Asuka, but I forgot that she existed with that name and gave the same name to a Lolita in my Castlevania Aria of the Ascending Soul fan fic. While Kazushi is a purely made up character in this story, there IS a KazuAKI in the same CV fic but he's Yoko's made up brother. I don't use the same names intentionally or similar ones, I'm just terribly lazy and zero in on meanings more than anything. As of late I've been forging bibles for each novel so I can keep things a bit straighter and in doing so have their names listed along with appearance and importance as I do.
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"Aww my widdle partner wants to be a big, brave, boy!" Djinn crooned out as she sauntered up to Kazu. A sentiment if not a word by word exact thought that was going through the heads of the other Spirits. Even if her partner couldn't see her as always, it was still sweet to see the little pup striving to be brave.
"Witch? Are you in tuned with nature enough to confirm this location?" Phoenix popped up perching itself on a nonexistent perch by Ryo's side. "There should be some information on the stability of the Volcano given its location."
"'Confirm'? 'Stability'? 'Information'? Blah technobabble, its like listening to Yusei," Witch grumbled though she moved away from the girls so she could have some space. "I would be lying if I said I didn't notice anything. The trees and bushes aren't pleased with these developments and that's saying something since nature isn't fast as what you Cybers like..."
Witch walked along before lifting off and floating to stand next to Isao, her expression quiet and thoughtful. She placed her small hand next to a robust bush, lightly pinching the leaf between her fingers. "The roots have been pulled from their beds... the bushes are dangling over their spots and want to return to the ground proper. They're not getting enough from what little they cling to now and are worried they could die."
She turned her attention to a near by tree and approached it with the same attention, opening her awareness to the spirit. "The trees aren't as bad off, their roots are deep enough that they can hold out at least from here, but their fellows up there? They describe it like an ant bed, the shape is... weird?" Witch began playing with another ringlet of hair as she tried to think how to explain it. "The thing that made it stuck up like this has finally resolved itself so its going to flatten down soon..."
"Flatten!" Kazu reacted first the girls covering their mouths in dismay. "But that guy?!"
"Then we have to move and move fast," Ryo stated even as he turned his gaze back onto Aki. "I want you to stay here and rest up, we've pushed you hard enough. Have Phoenix stay with you, the cybers in our decks will relay messages as needed. We'll find this man and extract him."
"Uh, aren't you forgetting something?" Witch called out folding her arms across her chest and frowning. Once Ryo dropped his gaze back down to face her, she lifted up her right hand and pointed towards the temporary volcano. "First I wasn't done talking. The tree says that there was a battle that took place IN the volcano. That's why its going to flatten, there are passages big enough for you humans, but they were human made. 'Human in battle' made, the word is strangely dressed humans ended up going inside and tearing up the volcano. And two, how you going to get in wise guy? Do you even know where something that can even be 'called' an entrance is?"
"They mean well, but these humans don't always think things through now do they?" Cyber Harpy asked with an amused, feral smirk as she lazily admired her talons.
"Well to be fair, how many missions to save a life have these kids been on anyways?" Sky Scout pointed out casually.
"So true, and so endearing," Benten added among the girls. Meanwhile Witch had floated over to Ryo and began drawing in the dirt at his feet so he could have an effective map for infiltration.
Isao groaned as he pushed himself to his feet his limbs protesting more traveling, but the girls joined Ryo readily with Kazu picking up the rear. "We'll have to be careful, if it's readying to collapse we can't go charging in like we were going to an Idol concert."
"Delicate is the buzzword than," Momoe agreed readily.
"We should probably split up then, if its liken to an anthill at least then we can cover more ground faster," Junko suggested.
"Or... you know... you could let Aki bring us fully into your world and let us help, we don't even need to touch the ground..." Tutu huffed, though she readily fell into step behind Asuka. Only to get her hair mussed up by Dancer earning the taller Spirit a look.
"Hopefully this one won't take long and I'm sure that she'll summon us once we find the man," Dancer replied attempting to appease the lively young Spirit. "Right Aki?"
"Right, as soon as Cyber Phoenix gives the word, I'll summon all of you into the physical world so that you can carry everyone out. Although, I hope that the guy you find is ok with Duel Spirits becoming real," Aki replied, tentative yet still positive about such a plan.
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ The entry way to the Volcano \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
The volcano loomed over head, no where near the size of Fuji or other named volcanoes and dangerous in its creation. Not manifested due to the natural movements of the earth below it rather because of man's scientific research. They had the stories their parents told of the day that Zero Reverse happened. The way the ground shook as though an earthquake had just sprung force, the news and visuals when it ended. Showing Satellite seemingly pulled off from the rest of the country just sitting there, a chunk of land.
So standing there and seeing this man made volcano became 'their' Zero Reverse moment. The volcano loomed above the tallest buildings in Neo Domino, while covered in all manners of natural fauna. Reinforcing the fact that this had been nearly complete flat land prior to the events. True there was a few small hills distantly spotted through out leading to the mountain ranges beyond. But 'this' was frightening. It loomed over head with trees and brush hanging on as though taken for the most unexpected ride of their lives.
Smoke was rising from the top, yet because it was not a 'true' volcano the group was unsure if it even 'had' a proper top. It could very well be just the typical rounded top as any other hill would have, meaning the smoke was just rising from the ground and would explode outward when, if, it erupted. Not only that, but the man's words had liken the volcano as being like an ant hill, and now they knew why. A battle, with 'strangely dressed humans', took place and apparently raged through out the volcano. The voice came from below the ground which hinted that the fight went below and that they were 'strangely dressed'?
Did the trees know what Duel Spirits were?
"Asuka?" Junko had glanced at their Queen as she had checked to make sure everyone was ready to enter the volcano. Only to see Asuka frozen to her spot and memories clearly dancing behind her eyes.
"He left wearing all black, thick protective black and a mask that was to cover his face..." Asuka replied her voice distant in memories. "So he came here, and fought? Fubuki could see Duel Spirits too? Why didn't he tell me? This is a hill, its solid earth and a 'battle' was fought that was enough to create tunnels just by whatever they used to fight? A battle that killed his Duel Spirits?"
Junko glanced at Momoe out of growing concern and the pair bookend her in solidarity for Asuka's plight.
"I'm going to kill that bastard!" Asuka announced to the world, causing everyone to take a step back and respect. "How dare he run off for literal YEARS as some type of globe trotting world warrior and never call home! That's its! We save this guy, then we move on to the next location until we find him and I will give him a piece of my mind!"
Momoe stepped behind Ryo who stood next to her, while Junko found protection behind Kazu who was finding protection behind Isao... The dirty look the guy was giving them was a profound one.
"Uh, hello? Is everything ok out there? I hear screaming?"
The guy they were looking to rescues' voice was thin and tired, though they could now hear him again and that was certainly a plus. It still sounded as though it was coming up from below them, yet now it floated from in front of them where the entrance too.
"Uh, yeah! We're here! We're about to go into the volcano to find you! Is there anything you can think of that could help us find you faster?" Junko called out in concern and gratitude since it embarrassed Asuka enough that she calmed down instantly.
"I left a climbing rope as a marker on my way down! I got to the end of the rope only to slip and fall down here, the rope should give you some indicator!" The voice broke into a dry cough before resuming. "But you're going to have to find it first, I took the easiest path to walk down until you see the rope!"
"This promises to be fun," Isao noted as they walked into the entrance of the volcano, a misshapen hole in the wall that rose higher than the average door but far too small and slender for a vehicle.
"I'll say, I mean we don't know exactly where we are and for all we know this can be in our time zone or we're a few hours off," Kazu pulled out his cellphone despite the futility.
"I regret not bringing my charger with me," Ryo finally stated with a displeased frown on his face.
"Yeah, ok, we pair off and one person use their phone for light, so that we don't all burn out," Asuka ordered pragmatically.
Momoe moved to stand next to Kazu, while Junko stood next to Isao, with Momoe producing her phone and Isao producing his own. With Ryo pulling out his own cellphone they found the flashlight app and began the process of entering the volcano.
"I hope that Momentum reaches this far," Isao remarked as the light from the phones started to loosely illuminate the gloom of the volcano.
Or whatever one could call this.
The walls was merely dirt and rock, reinforcing that this was normal ground stabbed upward via the events of the Zero Reverse. Stones and rocks peppered the walls of dirt they walked by with their sharp jagged edges jutting out from the ground, the walls even the ceiling. The tunnel was small as well, far too small for machines to transverse through out. With knowledge of how the volcano tapered off going up, and that the voice was coming from below, it indicated that things would open up going down. After all if it was this cramped at the entrance, even with a hurt leg the man should have found a way to get up by now.
Then there were all the holes as well, pieces of a rocky puzzle that had come loose, leaving holes that revealed other passages. Some holes were small enough to be a peephole for a person, others large enough to stick a whole arm through. But true to the strangers' words the tunnel they stood in was large enough for them to single file their way deeper.
"Hey! Sir?" Momoe called out as she looked about her, with her gaze going from one flash lights' beam to another.
"Yeah?" The voice called out in answer as Kazu followed Junko through the tunnel.
"What's your name? So we don't have to keep referring to you as 'the voice' or such!" She called out gripping Kazu's shirt while trying to peek over his shoulders.
"OH! Ha..." The voice responded in amused surprise before breaking off into what could barely be heard as coughing. "Oh... Sorry. Its 'Jounouchi', 'Jounouchi Katsuya', maybe you heard of me?"
"Yeah, you're friends with Yugi and one of the top duelists in the world!" Kazu called out excitedly.
"Yeah!" the group beyond called out in mounting excitement, more hyped to find the man now that they knew who he was. Though perhaps it was almost just a polite thing to say in truth. True he 'had' been considered one of the top duelists back when Yugi was in the circuit. But once Yugi went into hiding Jounouchi never got another major win. Almost as though the Original King was a good luck talisman for the dubbed 'Luck Duelist'. Indeed, just being stuck here in the middle of who knew where, with an injured leg felt like the luck had left the man.
Though the sudden sound of a rock clattering to the ground quickly stifled their mounting enthusiasm. A pressing reminder that this 'volcano' wasn't like others and could flatten at any time. Following the wall did bring them to one tunnel that was half as big and with a dangerously steep incline down. While thoughts of how anyone could have a battle in here felt unreasonable, what with the limited space. Unless it was merely allowing the Spirits to remain as spirits instead of shifting fully into the living world.
"Hey kids... I was meaning to ask... Why are you poking around a place like this?" Jounouchi called out, then his rough with fatigue voice hurriedly added. "Not that I'm complaining I appreciate the help!"
"Well.." Asuka blinked before her shoulders rose and fell uselessly since he couldn't see her. "Its my fault. I'm looking for my brother and they came to help me," she explained patiently.
"Ah, I have a sister she must be worried sick about me," Jounouchi confessed his regret clear despite his tired voice.
"You'll be home soon enough!" Kazu offered supportive in tone, when Isao raised an eyebrow in the darkness.
"How?" the guy asked quietly shaking his head thoughtfully. "Is he going to be ok with us being carried by Duel Spirits? Even if we find him in time to just carry him out on our own, won't he have questions when we make it clear we're not looking for people? Just taking him through portals and wham back in Neo Domino?"
The group paused mid step as the reality of what Isao suggested sank in realizing that 'yeah' how 'were' they going to explain that if things went south?
"Well... actually," Ryo began when they resumed walking, his eyes going the arched passage of the area. "that's a good question, but it might be a moot point. These passages are too small for them to move around unless the goal is to let them use their powers to explode the volcano on their own."
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Back in the forest \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
"Is something the matter Phoenix?" Aki asked as she noticed Cyber Phoenixs' strange fixation with the ground. The robotic looking bird was sitting on, well nothing, but its eyes were clearly fixed on something that rested on the woodland floor. Occasionally shifting its posture as though it was seeking some new insight into the ground below it.
As for the woods themselves, it was still quiet, if there were people doing research, she couldn't hear them. But what the wood lacked of human voices, it made up for in the peace necessary for Aki to rest and recover her own strength. Her legs didn't burn with pain from the run anymore, but she knew if she got up and tried to walk she was going to hobble. Not a good style of walking when wearing heeled platformed shoes.
"Spirits like Witch, the plant Spirits you use..." Phoenix asked before lifting up its head to study Aki. Taking in the girl sitting almost primly on the ground amid the grass with Witch sitting on her lap, the picture of a girl with her doll really. "All of them can think and communicate with plants yes?"
"Yeah," Witch nodded with her hands resting on Aki's.
"So what about grass? Its a plant life, and you're sitting on it, does it complain about being used in such a manner?"
Aki and Witch both went from looking at the Cyber Phoenix to looking at the ground, at all the thin carpet of grass that they had been sitting among.
"I suddenly find myself worrying over the state of a properly mowed lawn," Aki commented as she struggled to her feet, hobbling as she lightly walked towards a sizable rock. A Psychic Duelist version of 'The floor is Lava' indeed.
"Well so long as they're not shredded, they're fine with being stepped on," Witch noted aloud while Aki dropped light steps and fairly jumped to the large rock near them. "What?" She asked glancing between Cyber Phoenix and Aki before shaking her head. "Come on, if grass disliked being stepped on or eaten from time to time it would have evolved a defense tactic. Roses did after all!"
"True, true," Aki commented as she began settling down on the sun warmed rock. Grass evolving into a Venus fly trap for non plants was now a mental image, thanks Witch of the Black Rose.