Chapter 7: "For every Death... there is new Life"

Shinobi silently approached the rest of the group, almost unnoticed; escaping all but the eyes of Horus.

"Speak of the devil." Horus said in an inviting tone,
"We were just."

"Talking about me. Yeah, I know." Shinobi quickly interrupted, pointing at the gold choker around his neck. It was a silent reminder of the power of his Millennium Pendant.

"Then you already know it's your turn to regale us, right?" Maximus spoke up.

"You know I'm actually not much for talking about myself, you have to catch me in that particular mood." Shinobi said.

Tea looked up toward Shinobi. Yugi noticed the look in his friend's face and followed suit.

"Yes, we know, but think of our guests. We've both given up a little something to our new friends." Horus replied. "And it's only being gracious to ones who would be our new allies in our future struggles."

Suddenly, Shinobi's eyes flashed a hue of blue, and then both Horus and he grew strangely quiet and attentive to each other. In reality, Shinobi was speaking to Horus through a telepathic link via the power of the Pendant.

"Wow, are they doing what I think they are?" Tea said.

As if in response, a voice rang out in her head,

"Yes, Ms. Gardner, we are."

Tea gasped then responded with "Whoa that was trippy." "Hey Yugi, is that what it was like with you and The Pharaoh?" she asked.

"You mean always two different voices in your own head?" Yugi answered, "Yeah, pretty much in a nutshell."

A moment later, Shinobi broke off from his connection and said "Ok, fine, I guess before we get on with my match, I'll tell you as much as I should be able to; within reason of course." "I don't really like having my questions unanswered either anyway."

"I guess I'm up next, right?" Yugi inquired.

"And since only one of you hasn't gone, I guess that makes it Yugi vs. Shinobi." added Joey.

Shinobi stared toward Yugi and said "I'll have you know I won't be holding back just like Maximus so, you'd best be ready."

"Oh, don't you worry; I can promise you a fight." Yugi replied.

"Now to start, I was born Sean Phoenix; as Horus said before. After our return to the States from receiving our charge in Ireland, we split up and we went our separate ways. I hadn't a clue about where the others went after that point but I decided to go on a bit of a pilgrimage. My family had a great deal of disposable income from our family business to say the least, and I figured it wasn't like my presence would be greatly missed at that point."

"Your family must have been powerful, like Kaiba is now." Joey interrupted. "What was the family business, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Point at a name in the stocks section of the paper, and my family usually has a hand in it." Shinobi answered.

He gave a cynical grin, followed by a short, bellowing laugh. Horus and Maximus caught on to the joke and laughed out loud as well.

"Huh, what's so funny?" Joey inquired.

"Poor Kaiba, my family actually has semi-prominent stockholding in Kaiba Corp." Shinobi answered with a chuckle. "If you thought Kaiba was mad when he left, imagine if he knew his own company was splitting the bill for his new best friends."

"That includes this equipment that was used in his humiliation." Maximus added. "That's adding insult to injury."

"Anyway, returning to the story." Shinobi replied. "I always wanted an excuse to travel anyway and this was it. I figured the best way I could learn about what I had to do with my gift, my mission, and what I really had to offer was to find out for myself. I went all over the world to the places I've always wanted, especially Europe; Great Britain, Scotland, Germany, Italy, and others. And yet, all the while, I was keeping apart from the brattle of the regular world. However, curiosity decidedly brought me to somehow back to Ireland, a choice that would haunt to this day, even if Fate itself had ordained it."

"Why did you go back to Ireland?" Tea asked.

"I was hoping for answers about what we really supposed to do and about the power of our items." Shinobi answered. "The Monks at the Monastery only said it was best to separate for security, they never said we couldn't return on our own. I had questions, and I hate unanswered questions." "I returned to the exact location of the Monastery, but when I arrived I found it strangely cold and empty. I checked everywhere for two days straight, but found no trace of the original hosts. Later one night, I stood in the main hall, about to give up and move on elsewhere. Suddenly, total silence was broken; I heard a single scratch along the floor. It echoed through the vast room. I was obviously not alone after all. A second scratch was heard. At some point, I believed whoever was in here was just toying with me at that point. "If you're done playing, come on out and do what you came here to do." I said aggressively.

"You, Americans, always so noisy." said a voice in the dark. "Just think, if I wanted to take a shot at your skull, it would have been only too easy. "

"It's nice to be wanted; my head serving as target practice would afford you necessary character building." I retorted.

"Oh well, aren't you funny. Well, tell me what you're doing here I promise to leave you be. Given your response anyway." the young woman threatened.

"Fine, fair enough, but how about a little even ground first?" I said

Deciding to let my guard down just a little to keep from being threatening and provoking her more. From around one of the columns, walked a gray-cloaked tall, yet slender figure, wearing the hood to hide her face.

"I was here looking for the monks that usually reside here, I had questions and I was hoping to get some answers." I asked.

"Well, I'm afraid you're here at the wrong time. Those monks don't stay around." she finally answered "But you should have figured that out, considering the nature of your mission."

"And just what would you know about any mission?!" I demanded.

"I know that stone around your neck is more then a Cracker Jack prize." She replied. "To be frank, I know you've been charged with by the Monks to be a keeper of The Philosopher's Stone, a most gracious honor even to witness such a thing."

"Can I assume you were born with a name?" I asked.

The cloaked woman reaches up and pulls down her hood to finally reveal her face.

"My name, if you must know, is Solara."

Solara and I had a lot to discuss. Apparently, she was a descendant of original alchemists who worked on the stones. Being a woman, she wasn't allowed to be officially allowed to become a monk, but she was well taken care of and treated like family. She went about how she was allowed to be present when we were conferred with our stones. She also told me that the stones we wear are actually incomplete Philosopher's Stones, which is why they only bestowed agelessness. A true Philosopher's Stone, she told me has much more pull with the elements of life itself, including creating it. We certainly could not do that, and I'm not sure any of us would have wanted such a gift like that. Our stones were of a light bluish hue, proof of their incomplete nature, since a true Stone is blood crimson, deeper than a fresh ruby. She was quick to tell me that many people died in the creation of the stones, both in quest of a true one and even our stones. Hearing this was not what I expected; my heart was already troubled, but now to hear that our tools of protection were at the cost of human life. It was more then most people could take. Solara looked in my face and she already knew what I was thinking.

"Hey, don't give me that." She said. "I know this is a lot, but the best you can do is use what you've been given and make sure that anyone who sacrificed themselves for it haven't died in vain. Know the first rule of alchemy, the law of equivalent exchange; to obtain, something of equal value must be lost." Her words were almost a hammer stroke to me, a truth brought into the light.

"The blood of those who gave for your power," she continued. "Did so for a greater purpose, and it's your job not to let them down. Got it?"

I think I was starting to understand right then, but it wasn't all I wanted. As far as I knew, we were just given the protection of time itself to save the world. She saw the bewildered look; so she touched my face at the chin with one finger, and tilted it to look in my eyes and said.

"I know it's a lot, but know for a fact, that you already have everything you need to do exactly what you will accomplish, there's nothing else you NEED to know beyond that."

It was what I needed to hear, I decided right then and there on everything I was going to do after that. I figured on staying a little longer, just to learn everything else I could from this child of an alchemist, and use everything I was given to do what must be done, what will be done.

She didn't have too many disagreements over my staying in Ireland longer. Only that I stay away from the Monastery unless I was called for by the Monks who belonged there. This, of course, was for the secrecy and protection of the Monks. Over my stay, Solara taught me about the stones, of alchemy, and especially a strange group. The Order of Set or the Eternal Hunters they called themselves. Dark inhuman fiends, she called them. They revel on nothing but thievery, destruction and chaos. Anything as long as it brings them to their goals. They have, could, and would hurt anyone or anything that would stand against them. And what makes them even worse is that they truly believe everything they do to be right. That everything they do is dogmatically justified in their own false superiority. That might is the ONLY thing that makes right. They live to take from anyone, to destroy anything, and to kill anyone if it brought them closer to their ends. Just the thought of their existence was sickening almost as much to the body as the soul, the pit of the pure darkness of humanity. No, they weren't human, not anymore; just corrupted souls, demons to be erased as far as I was concerned. I was determined to make sure of that, as I was sure my brothers would think no differently once they knew.

I remained in Ireland just over 3 weeks, residing in Solara's childhood home with her; in a remote town much further away from the seclusion of the Monastery. One night, I was studying some of the documents Solara gave me to take back home. Everything had been quiet since my arrival, so my guard was down when I was given the shock of my life. I heard what I thought was a scream. I put the documents and any of my other possessions away in my pack, strapped it on and ran out to see what occurred. I saw nothing at first, and then another scream came from a house some distance away from me. Suddenly, one of the windows was broken out from what looked like a body being flung through it and remained straddled half over into the outside. I angrily ran inside, totally foolhardy to what lay inside, but knowing the assailants had to still be upstairs. I hate being right sometimes. Sure enough, I got upstairs, and there standing in front of a young redheaded girl were two men of average build wearing dark-brown, tight clothing; each wearing an open hooded shawl, with strange talismans fixed the garments at the neck. Not quite the Millennium Symbol we know now, as the original "eye" was smaller and segmented with horizontal lines and a half circle lay over top the new small eye. The clothes were likely desert wear, and the symbol was unmistakable from the documents I'd become accustomed to, an Egyptian symbol for the dark god Set. These were indeed the malicious and evil Eternal Hunters. One of the creeps was brandishing a curved knife, which he dropped from its position over their would-be victim.

"Well, the master only sent us for the Stonemaker's Daughter, but we didn't expect the Stonebearer to still remain behind." One of them spoke. "I don't think he would care if we ignore her and bring him HIS body instead with the real Stone."

"Actually, if we get him, the woman is nothing to us, and my knife is still thirsty." the other replied. Now at the time, I wasn't much of a fighter, but the human survival instinct is a powerful weapon when you need it. "He's not much, finish the girl and I'll deal with him." said the first Hunter.

"OH, WOW." Tea said with much exhilaration. "I don't know how I would react to all that; it seems most of the times I was in trouble, I was always saved by Yugi or Joey in some fashion."

"Yeah, Tea would be great with her own video game." Joey spoke up. "I can see it now, "The Legend of Tea." Some company will make millions off of that one!!"

Tea gave Joey the look of death.

"That's not funny, Joey, but maybe you can be in the exciting sequel, "Tea's Revenge" coming soon." Tea replied angrily.

"Can we let Shinobi continue his story, and then you can kill him." Yugi reminded her.

"Yeah, sorry guys, go ahead Sean." Tea replied.

"Thank you, Ms. Gardner." Shinobi added, nodding his head in response.

"Without much thought, the second Hunter took his knife from its sheath, and prepared to execute the young girl, while the first one came running headlong at me. I had to think fast, but my feet did the thinking for me. I quickly sidestepped my assailant and rolled around his advance; forcing him to hit the doorway with his shoulder, catching his knife in the wall as he hit the floor after his failure. I made a mad dash for the other to stop him before he can finish his task. He grabbed her by her already torn shirt; lifting up to her feet, ready to plunge his blade into her chest. The girl gets resourceful, picking up a small mechanical clock from a nearby desk and slamming it into the side of his head, square in his ear. Both painful and distracting, he dropped her and his weapon to the floor, attention drawn to the source of his suffering. This was all the chance I needed, I shoulder rush him from his blindside and he launched over the window sill, and tumbles out, taking the dead woman's body. They both crash onto the ground below; the Hunter's body hits headfirst, and he lands, remaining motionless. The girl looked severely shaken but relatively unharmed. Then I remembered the first, still living Hunter, who was getting back to his feet. He was blocking the doorway. I took the second Hunter's now unclaimed knife. I was fully prepared to kill this guy if I had to in order to protect myself and my charge. After all, he was nothing but a monster to me, not human. This monster however, was obviously trained for this, and he wanted only my Philosopher's Stone really, bloodlust for myself and all other innocents, then escape with my bloodied Stone in tow. I had to stop him; I readied myself for his next attack. Before I could answer to him, he answered to something else. As he made his approach, a long shaft of wood shot past my head from somewhere behind me; piercing through his neck. An arrow, punctured through both sides, the Hunter stopped completely before he fell to the floor dead.

I couldn't believe my luck. I checked behind me to see who my savior was. Across the open space, was another building; and in the window was Solara, with something resembling a small crossbow fixed to her arm. I suddenly remembered her mentioning that most alchemists were also engineers, so it made sense. I was reminded of our first meeting, when she originally threatened to shoot me; now I knew she was very serious about it considering her aim. I grabbed the girl by her hand, and we bolted down the stairs to the outside; passing what I now assumed to be the girl's dead father. She cringed just a bit as we went past, but remained calm, at least on the outside. Solara was already outside waiting for us. "Why are you still here?!" she demanded. Before I could answer, there came a loud sound approaching us, like a multitude of running footsteps. From beyond one of the house, there was a black shadow coming toward us. At second look, it was a crowd of the same hooded man, more Hunters; only this time, this group had a leader. A taller man, wearing the same outfit as the rest, except for red trim along his shawl, and he covered most of his face, and he carried a sword.

"Run, Sean, get out of here, NOW!!" Solara commanded.

All three of us ran like there was no tomorrow. We reached a point of town with a single building at the edge, she demanded we go inside. She led us to the cellar of the building. The inside looked normal, but Solara pulled a switch and a wall toward opened up revealing a passage. I just assumed it was more surprises from the ever resourceful Stonemaker's Daughter.

"Once the inner cage closes, this becomes a one-way only, no returning through this way, it's just for emergencies." She warned.

"You're coming to, right?" I asked. "Not yet. I have to keep them from following." She answered. She quickly shoved me into the entryway of the secret passage. "Now I wasn't going to give it to you until later when I could have explained it, or until I sent you off, but take it now, while there's time." She opened my jacket up and slipped something thin wrapped in red silk into my inner pocket. "That's yours now, I wish I had time to teach you what it is, but you just have to go now."

I grabbed her wrist and said "Wait, we'll see each other again, you promised to stay in touch right?"

"Yeah, of course, I'll always be around watching over you." She said as she closed my jacket back, and shut the inner cage door. The door locked automatically, just as she said one way only.

"Ok, your real mission begins now" she said with a sarcastic smile. "Take her to the village I told you about, and mention my name, they'll take care of that girl, then you go handle what you have to. And when you open up that gift, just remember about the First Rule of Alchemy. To gain something, you might have to lose something else." "But if it's equal gain, I'd have to lose something strong to gain something stronger, I haven't lost anything yet, and what would I have to lose to gain the understanding of this stone?"

"How about I decide for you?" said a voice in the darkness, from behind Solara.

Before she can react, the only sound to be heard was the sound of metal slicing through deep flesh. Solara hits the close button with her last reaction. From behind her, you see a dark image form, the leader of the troop of Hunter that was hunting us.

"I guess that was your loss, maybe now you'll be more of a challenge when we find you next time."

Solara clinches to the door as it closes, looking at me as I make my escape. I gave one last look at the man, determined to remember him. As before I turn back for the last time, as if in response, his eyes glowed green; as if signals me to remember nothing if not that. A final look at Solara with her eyes slowly shutting, and I disappeared.

I did everything I was supposed to. The girl who was with us was reunited with her sister, her closest family member, probably out of the town before the attack. A few days later I got on a plane back to America. On the plane, I open up the gift again, it was a card of some sort, like a playing card, and there was a note with it; which read:

To Sean

You probably haven't a clue what this is, but you'll need it I'll bet, or if you don't just keep it for me. It's symbolic, at least to me, of what being an alchemist is about. To gain, you have to lose something first. It might come in handy, or maybe it won't, but that's why this is your mission, you decide. On the back of this note is where you should go if you want to learn how to use it.

Good luck, hero:

Solara

On the back was map of Japan with a red circled X over the Prefecture of Aomori. On the side, it said "Kyosuke Toshiro." So that's where I was going, to Japan to find this "Kyosuke Toshiro" and I'll figure out exactly how even this card, her card, will help me. This card named "Angel's Gift – Graceful Charity."

"You know, Shinobi. I actually don't think you told even us that story with such passion." Horus stated. "I forgot how painful it was."

"Yeah, and here we are egging you on to continue, I kind of feel bad now." Tea said apologetically.

"Look, I got it out anyway, maybe it was for the best" Shinobi replied. "Angst isn't so good to keep in, right?"

"I guess it's pretty safe to say you still have that card, probably in your deck." Joey inquired.

"Not exactly, Joey Wheeler," Shinobi answered. "I use the reprints of the card itself, just not the original from Solara." Shinobi tapped a small metal sheet on his chest uniform, directly over his heart. "Let's just say I keep the original close to my heart. I even keep a pendant to put it in when I'm in normal clothes, you've seen Kaiba wearing the same."

"Oh, you mean that card-shaped pendant he keeps with Mokuba's picture." Tea spouted out.

"Right, anyway, are we ready to continue?" Shinobi retorted. "You want to keep going on anyway."

Maximus asked. "Yeah, I might as well, I'm about done anyway." Shinobi responded. "So now, anyway I arrived in Aomori to start my search for this man Solara spoke of, this Kyosuke Toshiro. I figured I'd try a few local sources, my family name was good for something right? Not too much in the beginning, but I met one who thought he knew of the surname around there. He pointed me in a direction and I had nothing but to go for it. He said to try to Buddha Shrine of Aomori, stating that I could probably locate him once I go there; apparently everyone frequents there often for spiritual essence of the place, and he was likely to be known there by someone. Besides, maybe I could use a little spiritual guidance myself. The shrine was beautiful, with a garden pond, a huge copper statue, and a grand shrine tower. I went to the main temple to speak with the Priest, the person most likely to know the most about the "going-on's." The priest was easy to find, just on the inside, waiting to meet with any of the patrons. Before I could even speak, the priest turned around and said,

"I already know what you're here for, my son."

I was shocked to hear this, but I stayed quiet.

"Honestly, you didn't expect to walk around town calling out such an important name without attracting notice." He said

"I'm sorry to impose, sir, but if you know who I'm looking for, you must know where I can find him." I asked as humbly as I could.

"Is that a question or a statement?" he said, answering my question with another. "Do even you know who you're looking for, my son?" I had an ominous chill over my body, a feeling of agitation with a taint of impatience, feeling like he was playing with me; I held steadfast. "It was a question, sir" I answered. "But no, I don't really know who or really why I'm looking for this man." That was the truth. I really didn't, only that it was Solara's last instruction.

"Sir, this is just something I must do. It's important for what I must do." I retorted quickly before he could respond.

"Don't get overzealous, how do you expect to fight the Hunters if you don't have the patience to gain what you need to do it?"

How on earth did he know that? Did he know me? Was he one of the Hunters? A multitude of questions had flown thought my hyperactive mind, but that came to a halt when he slipped his hand into his robe, and flashed a folded piece of paper. I already knew what it was; he didn't have to speak, and the look on my face translated my thoughts perfectly. I simply accepted the paper from his hand and opened the folds. It was indeed a letter.

"It is amazing how quickly mail travels across the planet now-a-days" he said with aged humor in his voice, as I begin to read.

The letter, without going into much detail, was pretty standard fare; it was from Solara writing about sending me over for training that she couldn't give me herself, meaning my coming here was her intention all along, including the card she gave me.

"I assume you have your gift with you, you can't begin without It." he queried.

I reached in my jacket pocket, and pulled the silk wrapped parcel. I had but to remove the covering and reveal the card inside. He nodded his head in positive reply. It was obvious now who this guy was. This Buddhist Priest, this old man before me, was the Kyosuke Toshiro.

Apparently, this old man was a retired sensei of the Arts. Solara, having no direct connection under the Monastery, went to find herself also. She somehow find herself in Japan, where they met, and the Master saw her potential and trained her himself. The connection between teacher and student is strong indeed. If anything, he didn't hesitate to start me the same way, if for no other reason then Solara had sent me. I couldn't complain. A few days later, he instructed me to meet me him at a remote location somewhere in the forests south of town, just around Hakkoda Mountains. He was, of course, waiting for me early.

"Today is only the beginning of the next step in your journey." He said as soon as I arrived. "You have a long way to go, but I feel you will succeed, if you apply yourself. "I only will ask for one important thing during your training, that you place absolute trust in what and how I teach you. Can you give me that? He asked in a very calm but strong voice.

I straightened up and spoke in as clear a voice as I ever could, "Yes, Sensei."

He smiled at this. He turned around and picked up two small boxes and one medium sized box, stacked on top of one another, and then turned back toward me holding the boxes out toward me.

"Take these three boxes from me please." He requested. I did as he asked. "For your training, you shall spend half your day training your body and your spirit, most of which with me. The other half of your day will be spend training your mind, which you shall do with what's in those boxes." He stated. "That larger box is your uniform during your training. You look smart enough to realize what's in those other smaller boxes by now. Tomorrow you start your physical training, but for tonight we shall discuss the content of those boxes in farther detail and you will decide how you will use what you have been given." He gestured for me to follow, and he led me to my staying quarters.

"Minimalist" wasn't the word to describe it, but that was a strong candidate. He instructed me to make myself and he would call for me once he made preparations. He also made sure to tell me to bring the boxes when he came.

"I guess he's not much for repeating himself." I thought to myself. "That sounds very familiar indeed."

However, he instructed me against opening the boxes until later on. I simply did what I was told, then sat down to relax. I took out the card again, "Angel's Gift", and studied it for a moment. It was a picture of a radiant golden-hair angel, wearing a light green celestial robe; she was holding out her hands and what looked something like a white imageless card floating out from them, not in an escapist manner, more like she was bestowing it out. An angel bestowing a blessed gift on a deserving person. I wasn't sure if I was even deserving of this gift at that moment, not after thinking about how I got it in the first place. I was tempted to open one of the boxes, but I didn't have to wait long anyway.

Sensei Toshiro came back, silently prompting to follow him again. He led me to a small chamber shrine, deeper into the forest. It was like the kind you see in those old kung-fu movies. Inside, we sat down and he asked me to lay the boxes both in front of me.

"Please open the first small box now and I will explain." He requested.

I did as I was told; I placed the first box on my lap and removed the lid. Inside there was a familiar sight, more cards, sealed under glass, exact in design to my "Angel's Gift". I looked up toward him, and he started to speak.

"Those cards are part of an ancient game, probably as old as legend. The game is called "Duel Monsters" in your tongue. Some played for leisure, some for sport. Some use it for other reasons however. The people you fight against use the game as a weapon, fueling a secret war only few know of and fewer have the power to end."

"And that's my true mission, right?" I asked. "To bring an end to this fight."

He nodded in positive reply.

"So how are these cards, and this game, supposed to be our weapons?" I inquired. "Why can't we fight them directly, instead of with paper?"

He smirked, and with a face like a parent before answering an 8 year old said "Not everything is that simple, direct force can sometimes be the worse possible thing to do." "You can fight each Hunter you come across, and eventually be defeated, and all you've done is burn your energy away. You've only wasted your time, and failed utterly for it." Sensei said boldly. "The leader of the Eternal Hunters is powerful, but he's not invincible. Yet even so to fight him head on is impossibility. You see when you fight, you must do so using their weapons against them. So that brings us to these cards, I will teach you how to play, but you will have to choose what you will fight with. So that brings us to the boxes."

I took another look down at the small box on my lap. There were 10 cards, and each was turned face down, still under a sheet of glass.

"I'll tell you now, each of those cards, baring the image of a creature." He continued. "I want you to sense out one of them and choose it without looking at it or any of the others. Once you make your choice, it is yours while you remain under my guidance."

I looked down again, I thought of all this as a strange ritual just for a card, but I obeyed. I sat the box off of my lap, and reached my hand over; then I closed my eyes, and focused. I didn't know what I was looking for, or feeling for. Then something struck me, I felt sparkling warmth over one of them. I definitely didn't expect that. I decided not to think about it and just lunged at it.

"Good, good, now what was it, I wonder?" he asked with elation.

I flipped the card toward him without looking at it myself.

"Well, isn't that interesting you would pull the "Thousand-Eyes Restrict!!"

I turned the card around to look at it. It was different then what I expected. The picture was of a very grotesque-looking monster, with eyes all over its body. It was set on a purple background, with a paragraph of text underneath it; two numbers were on the bottom at the edge of the card, "ATK 0/ DEF 0." Now I don't know this game, but I'd expect 0 ATK to be a bad thing usually.

"This card is perfect for you knowing what I know of you." Sensei suggested.

"I should explain what I mean. At a glance it's very weak. But this is a high deception, for it's actually extremely powerful if used with skill. It can adapt and maintain control in numerous situations. It can stupefy many enemies with its wiles, and even turn an enemy into an ally. Yet all the while, only using its power to fill emptiness inside which may never really be filled. Does any of this sound familiar?"

"I guess you've got me pegged, right."

"Now hand me the other 9 cards without looking at them." He demanded.

I again did as he asked. He shuffled the 9 cards in his hands, and then he fanned them out and held them out toward me. "Now from my hands, I want you to choose 4 more, and those will be yours both in training and as you see fit. And don't worry; I won't scare you this time." He finished. I felt them out again, and did picked my four. "This time I pulled some more normal looking creatures, D.D. Warrior Lady, Tsukuyomi, White Magician Pikeru, and something that caught my eye quickly… Dark Paladin. "Now that you have some first creatures, you're free to go through the 2nd box to pull cards to build a deck with, and we'll officially start your training." He said. The rest of the night was spend explaining the game in detail, building a deck, and discussing various other subjects, including my enemies in the Hunters. At some point, we finally retired for the night, to continue full training regiment in the morning.

I spend about 12 weeks with Sensei Toshiro. His training was quite intense; I learned that Sensei Kyosuke Toshiro was a retired master of the Arts, primarily the "Ken no Gijiuindo" art of Ninjitsu. To my knowledge, "Ken no Gijiuindo" means "sword of the false-wind." I guess that means using deception and illusion with skill as a weapon. It made a great deal of sense considering how he was training me, both physically and in Duel Monsters. I made a great deal of progression, he was very proud, but he kept suggesting I was always holding back. After weeks of training, I'd still never been able to beat him once. Though I still was growing better and better as time progressed. I found myself using Solara's card more then other of the others; except for Thousand-Eyes Restrict, which eerily seemed to work for me just as much. After 11 weeks, I finally found something that allowed me victory against my master. The Dark Paladin was quickly becoming my champion, and I finally beat Sensei. He couldn't have been prouder. At that point, he insisted there was nothing else he himself could teach me; that I would have to continue my training on my own, through the events of my life. He had become like a father to me, so I wasn't keen on leaving, but I knew I had I promised to trust his words. One week later, I packed up yet again, ready to get on my path to my destiny. On the day I was to leave, he approached me; he almost looked like he had a tear in his eye.

"My son, you are probably one of the finest students I've ever had, and probably my last in my old age." Sensei said to me. "So with this, and the light of your gravely important mission, I have something to give you." From beneath his robe, he pulled out another card, wrapped in the same red silk as Solara's card. "Can I look at this now, or am I supposed to wait?" I asked with a humorous undertone.
"Your training with me is done, your training in life is only beginning. So as of now, I am your friend, not your Sensei; so do with the card as you wish, but I think you should be most deserving of that prize, "Shirogane" Phoenix." "Shirogane, what does that means, you haven't called me that before?" I asked him.
"The word is very old Japanese for silver, silver is usually the color of justice; so I guess I'm calling you the "Phoenix of Justice" I laughed in agreement, and I removed the silk from the card; my heart skipped a beat, I didn't know why but I felt something from this card. It was called "Phoenix God of Nephthys," "Phoenix huh" I thought to myself, I knew this card would be something powerful to me, and I knew I was ready to go forward now. I finished my goodbyes, and headed back off on my journey yet again. Most of my time was spent collecting cards, furthering training and techniques in the arts and Duel Monsters, and tracking down the Hunters. Eventually, my journey led me back to the States and to the tournament where I ran into my brothers-in-arms. The rest you already know of by now.

"So I guess you dueled somebody famous too, right? Joey asked. "Anyone we know of?"

"I was tracking down a paper trail for a man who I supposedly providing supplies to the Hunters." Shinobi began "It led to of all people, Pegasus." I was attempting to get an answer out of him. It turned out a man working for Industrial Illusions was indeed working as a front-man for the Hunters. Pegasus himself helped me flush him out. As a reward, he agreed to duel me.
He said that I was one of the most worthy people to ever take up this game" That and I think he liked the fact I love the Thousand-Eyes Restrict as much as he did. I almost wish I could have trained under him too, a very distant almost that is."

"YOU BEAT PEGASUS!!!! WOW!!" Joey, Yugi, Tea, and Tristian all exclaimed at the same time.

"Well, I can see now that a duel with you should be interesting at least; are you ready to go then?" Yugi posed. "Oh, Yugi, I told you a story, we shared a moment, now you want to kick my butt," Shinobi responded. "…and I thought we were friends now. Ok, then, let's get this party started!!"