A/N: I don't understand time-zones. All I know is that Russia and California aren't in the same one. At least, I don't think they are. I'm kind of an idiot, in case you can't tell.
"I just don't get why it didn't work."
"Hector, it's alright."
"No, it isn't! You know I've been trying and perfecting my dueling techniques? How was he able to just-"
"Calm down. It isn't your fault, you just need a bit more training. Not every battle will be won on the first go."
It was after the battle, and after Hector had gotten out of the shell shock of being beaten at his very first duel outside of his master. He just wanted to curl up into a ball and scream, but Rojas was at least attempting to slow this down, if not fully prevent it.
Master Tiera, who had witnessed the entire battle, did not seem to care, and was busy setting out targets in the middle of the coliseum. Once she'd gotten three set up, she walked over to Rojas, who was busy telling Hector that there would be other battles to win.
"Of course, you won't get far with ol' Tokori there," Tiera loudly interrupted as both Rojas and Hector looked over at her.
"And what makes you so sure of that?" Rojas asked, putting a hand on her hip and glaring.
"Because I have seen a lot of duelists, and I know a thing or two about which technique goes with which creature." She said, playfully poking Rojas' nose. Shew then turned to Hector. "Hector. Have you ever heard of Kenina?"
"Sure I have," He said. "She was a messenger in the 7 year Badlands Dispute."
"Ah! She was more than just a simple messenger!" Tiera said, her eyes lighting up. "She singlehandedly delivered supplies and parts for different creatures to use, held her own against an Armored Dragon twelve times her size, and even delivered the final peace agreements through a steady stream of cannon-fire." She chuckled at the irony of the last sentence, and then activated her gauntlet and walked towards the targets she'd set up.
"Now, do just as I do." She performed a Fire summon kata, careful to slow it down in order for him to see the proper steps. "And call her name: Kenina, the Igniter." She then went back to Rojas' side to observe.
Hector took a deep breath, and then proceeded to do the summon kata as she had shown him, and loudly cried "Kenina, the Igniter!" A small fire bird burst forth from the portal, singing a merry tune as sparks flew from her wings. Hector was awestruck, Tiera was smirking, and Rojas was a bit annoyed.
"Are you trying to prove something?" She harshly whispered to Tiera.
"Only that you've been grossly underestimating your own pupil," she whispered right back. She then called out to Hector. "Now, hit the targets!"
Hector extended his arm, and Kenina obeyed. She zipped and glided through the air, blasting each target with ease and a great show of fiery grandeur. The three targets all were blasted into charcoal within minutes, and she ended his display with a burst of bright red fireworks. Hector was amazed to say the least.
"…This proves nothing." Rojas muttered bitterly.
"It proves everything, Miss Rojas," Tiera said, watching as Hector sent Kenina back. "It proves everything."
As Tiera's demonstration was occurring, Aaron was busy collecting tablets from the library. Nadia sat at a table, busy looking over the one she'd just gotten, and Kimora was holding a ladder that Aaron was precariously perched upon.
"Now then, these tablets have got everything that everybody needs to know about dueling," Aaron said, picking up a few Nature tablets. "Just gotta take one glance at them, and chances are you're set."
"Chances are?" Kimora asked, looking up at him with a puzzled expression. "If I want to impress these masters, I think I'll need more than just chance."
"You know what I mean," Aaron said, sliding down the ladder, with five tablets under his arm. "It's not really that hard, all you need to do is just know how to summon something, and they'll let you in. Easy!"
They walked over to the table where Nadia was sitting, and Aaron slammed the tablets down on the table. He laid them all out, side-by-side, in a way to display what they all looked like, and which civilization they came from.
"This one is a fire creature, a Burn Belly," He said, pointing to a red tablet. "They're pretty common, not too strong, but they still pack a punch." The next one he pointed to was a brown one. "A nature creature, Mighty Shouter, probably a little too overkill in your case."
He pointed to the next one, one in bright gold. "Angel command, some of the… aw jeez. Forgot to get a water tablet." He said, noting that there were two purple tablets. He noticed Nadia, staring off into space, with a blue tablet in front of her. "Hey," He said, tapping her on the shoulder. "Mind if I?"
She nodded, still caught up in her thoughts. She felt like she was forgetting something extremely important, but she just couldn't place her finger on it. He smiled, and scooted the tablet over to the pile with the other five. "Awesome, thanks! Okay this one is… Rusalka. Hey, nice choice! Anyways, she's a trench hunter, so I'll write her down as a definite maybe."
Rusalka. The name sounded familiar, from a storybook her mother used to read to her when-
Her mother.
Oh god.
She was going to be late for breakfast! She'd completely lost track of the time! Her mother would be worried sick and her father furious if she didn't get a move on right now. Nadia made a silent vow to return at a time when she would be in less hot water.
She got up from the table, and immediately rushed out of the place, almost bumping into a tall man with a bright blue robe. He acknowledged her briefly, and watched her run off and away back down the hall with the way lines.
"That's one way to evade your studies," the man said sarcastically. "I assume she's with you?"
"Hey, Master August!" Aaron said, waving to him. "And, uh, yeah. She's probably just off to get her gauntlet." Kimora froze up at the sight of August, a little bit stage-frightened already. He wildly scrambled to grab a tablet, in order to look like knew what he was doing. Aaron noticed this, and slowly inserted a darkness tablet into his grasping hands.
"Just studying a bit, sir!" Kimora said, chipper as he could muster. "With this… Skull…Cutter…" He cleared his throat. "Uh, quick question. It's not really that important, but I'd like to clear it up with you first."
"Go on right ahead. I don't assume that Argus is going anywhere anytime soon," He said.
"Well, not like I'd know, or that I'd really care," Kimora began, tripping all over his words. "But, say that an aspiring acolyte fails their exam, err, what exactly happens? What if I- I mean, if they lose?"
"Simple," August said. "Don't lose." A stalker-sphere suddenly rushed into the room, snapping open and whirring loudly. He nodded, and the creature buzzed out of the room. "If you have no other questions, I must be going." And with that, Master August walked out while Kimora and Aaron stared, wondering what had just happened.
"But what if I do lose?!" Kimora called after him.
Kimora lay in bed that night, anxious as ever. Sure, he'd gotten a practice gauntlet from Toji, and he'd learned summon katas with some ample encouragement from his best friend, but the uncertainty of his own dueling abilities haunted him. There had to be something he could do to impress the Masters.
The realization hit him like a squirrel under the wheels of a Buick. The library's tablets! All he needed to do was look over them for a bit, and he'd be set for life! Of course, he would need a little more study time to get it perfect.
And so, fourteen year old Kimora Benjirou snuck out of his house without waking up his parents or grandmother, and set out in his zebra-print pajamas to execute the greatest heist in his entire young life. Armed with only his backpack and flashlight, he made his way towards the store, which was surprisingly still open at 9 pm. But he ignored this, silently thanking whoever was up there for him not having to pick a lock.
Once he'd made his way into the library, he set down his bag and turned on his flashlight. It was, after all, a library. It's not like they would notice that he borrowed a tablet or two. HE proceeded to take three off the shelf, not really noticing which Civ they belonged to, and placed them in his bag. He continued this for each section, taking a few and putting them in. However, after about a minute or two of this, he heard the sound of footsteps clacking against the stone floor.
He panicked. Had somebody heard him? Was it someone else who hadn't nearly as innocent intentions as himself? Whoever it was, he was going to at least attempt to take them on, one way or another. He put his pack on his back, and held out his flashlight. Another light turned on at this, and he made a running charge towards the light…
And nearly banged into both Nadia and Hector. Hector's gauntlet had been turned on, and he quickly deactivated it when he saw who was in front of him. "It's just you two. I was worried for a second," He quickly did a double take. "Wait, why are you two even here?"
"Better question. Why is it so dark in here?" Nadia asked, crossing her arms.
"Well, you see," Kimora began, with a bit of a sarcastic tone in his voice. "San Campion isn't quite as rich as Los Angeles, so we can't afford to pay to keep it lit up both day and night."
"San Campion? But that is…" Nadia slowly connected the dots, and her eyes widened in horror. "We are in America?!"
"That's what surprises you the most about all this?" Kimora said, gesturing wildly with his flashlight. "That we're in America?"
"Well… it should be impossible! But then, not much of today seems possible either." She hoofed at the ground sheepishly. "I just wanted to come back when it wasn't so early, that is all."
"And I came here to study!" Kimora said, pulling the Nature Tablet out from his bag. "That… doesn't count as cheating, right?" he asked Hector.
"I was coming to do the same thing, actually," Hector said. "But I wasn't going to come and steal them." He added, glaring sharply at Kimora, who blushed and hid his face. "I can see we all came for the same reason. Guess it's one of the coincidences of fate I've heard about. Let's all just go back from where we came and forget this happened."
Nadia nodded, and Kimora proceeded to empty his backpack of all of the tablets he'd 'borrowed' as quietly as he could. Hector and Nadia both headed back for the way lines, and Kimora went out the library and back out through the bookstore.
In the meantime, a group of Duel Masters were in the war room, unaware of the thwarted theft.
"I'm not always right, you know." Jaha said, her ears still ringing from Brightmore's latest rant. She and Master Takahashi had been on sentry watch with Argus when Brightmore stormed into the war room, with the angry declaration of Nadia's return.
"And you don't think it's strange that she's come back now?" he asked. "Right when we are currently under attack from both the outside and inner workings of our own order!"
"Not everything has some sort of underlying hidden message, Nigel. It could very well be just coincidence." she elbowed Takahashi in the leg and whispered "Help me, won't you?"
Takahashi, who was still observing the screens on Argus, nodded a little and said "Hm. What she said." And went back to looking. Brightmore was unamused as pulled him out of the way to have a better look at the screens himself.
"There have been more and more cases of mauled creatures this past week then what we've seen in the past few months. Even with all of the extra Masters we've called in, none of them seem to know what's up. Either somebody is either trying to send a message, or doing this for their own sick amusement." He said, his eyes narrowing.
Takahashi and Jaha looked at each other, and then he cleared his throat. "Master Brightmore, we've begun to take our own offense to these attacks. In fact, we've been meaning to tell you about it, but I assume you know best…"
Brightmore turned around sharply. "Go on, then. Spit it out!" he said, trying not to sound desperate.
"Well, from an inside source, we've finally found a name for these monsters." Takahashi continued. "They are calling themselves The Injured Order."