…this young man…
I really don't like him…
It really makes me mad, but, I have no real choice in this matter. With his test over and his 'skills' exposed…
…he really doesn't seem like the kind of guy to be someone I should respect…but if I must, I can still insult him in the process…
Our future lies in the hands of a shorty, a nervous girl, and now…this damn hothead…
…we're screwed…we are all royally screwed…
/--/-/-/--/-/-/
Chapter 30
Unraveling Destiny
/-/--/--/--/-/-/
"And I sacrifice both of my monsters to summon…" Garu slapped the card onto his duel disk. "…THIS!"
The ground began to rumble violently, allowing a large robotic form to crash onto the ground. As the metallic being stood up straight, the monster appeared to be a much more cybernetic, skyscraper size, steel version of Ryu, complete with a white face mask and large metal staff in the shape of a pipe with a fox head at the end. With his steel blue hair spiking in air, his green crystal eyes shined brightly as it raised its hand towards Suzaku, spinning the metallic staff pipe behind it (0/0).
"Impact Shinobi!"
"I'd be more impressed if that thing actually had a point to its name," Tai admitted shaking his head, as if he knew what was going on.
"Oh yeah? Well, my shinobi gains attack points equal to the attack of the monster used for its tribute summon!" Garu announced as the large Impact Shinobi slammed its foot into the ground, its armor shinning in the light (4600/4600). "And now…attack Suzaku! Impact Slam!"
Spinning the large steel staff in the air, the Impact Shinobi slammed the staff into Suzaku's head, making a sickening crack echo through the Arena. Tai just turned his head to the side as his crow demon fell to the ground, dead. (TLP: 2900)
"And I'm not done! Impact has another ability!" Garu shouted throwing his arm to the side. "When Impact destroys a monster as a result of battle, you take damage equal to the defense of the destroyed monster!"
Tai merely looked up as two beams of green light slammed into the ground to both sides of him, exploding around him. (TLP: 100)
"Aw man! He's going to make me lose my bet!" Satsuki shouted lowering to the ground.
"Go for it! I've got twenty on ya ninja man!" Zemnos hollered into the air.
Impact slammed its staff into the ground and crossed its arms like its master. "So…still think this duel will be done in a few turns?"
"…yes…" Tai replied slowly reaching for his deck…
And with a grim look on his face, Tai placed his hand on top of the deck, making the holograms disappear. "…I surrender…"
"What?" Garu asked blinking a few times in confusion.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Satsuki shouted glaring daggers at Tai. "YOU COST ME THE BET!"
"Haha!" Zemnos laughed loudly adjusting his hair slightly. "You owe me twenty!"
"Well, that was quite a disappointment," Rae sighed shaking his head.
"Hey! Why in the world did you give up!" Garu shouted stomping his foot into the ground. "I thought you were going to end the duel on the thirteenth turn!"
"…I never actually said that…" Tai sighed slowly shuffling his cards into his pocket. "I said that the duel would end IN thirteen turns…it could've ended earlier than that…"
"Damn fortuneteller, you're just a fake," Garu retorted crossing his arms.
"…if that's what you think, then you won't mind if I give you a reading to prove my powers…" Tai chuckled lifting up a small deck of blue backed cards, wreathed in blue flames.
"Heh, sorry, but I don't really believe in false prophets," Garu chuckled turning around, to jump off the platform to get back to his tour group. "Now if you excuse me, I've got a tour group to get back on schedule."
"That's too bad…I assume then that you wouldn't mind if I would tell anyone about your little friend Zeff's duel?" Tai asked making Garu stop dead in his tracks.
"What?" Garu asked slowly turning around.
"Or perhaps, that you dueled against that Havoc guy with Kara watching the duel?" Tai chuckled pushing some of the hair from his eyes to the side. "It was quite interest that Havoc used Guardian monsters…"
'Kara…' Rae thought raising an eyebrow, slowly turning around to head out of the arena without anyone noticing him leave.
"And maybe…just maybe, I'll say that your first duel with Mr. Redgrave was simply a misunderstanding," Tai wrapped up placing his hand on his hip. "And that you lost miserably to him to boot."
There was no way that this phony fortuneteller could know those events, only a few people knew about the duel and at least one person (and maybe one wolf) could've seen them. It was also highly unlikely that Yae, Zeff, Rox or Kara knew this supposed fraud.
So, narrowing his eyes, Garu crossed his arms. "Who…who are you?"
"Come to me…and I'll tell you…" Tai replied walking backwards and immediately leaping off the duelist platform. "Meet me at the Red Dorm's cafeteria in thirty minutes!"
As soon as Tai had run into the hallways, Garu's eyes narrowed…there was only one thing he could do now…
/-/-/-/--/-/-
"There, I'm done, you satisfied?" Fomalhaut snapped slumping back into his chair. A few minutes after that weird fortuneteller had disappeared from the arena, Fomalhaut, Densui and Talo had gone off to the library (now designated as the Saints of Sin's evil lair) to meet up with Lucian...
…who have already been there all day, Lucian just sat in his seat with an old, dusty book with weird markings all over it. "…I suppose…"
"…heh didn't know you were into magical girls Fomalhaut," Densui chuckled after taking a long swig from his gourd.
"Sure changes my opinion about you Fomalhaut," Talo admitted trying to hold in his snickering…
"Just keep laughing at me you two," Fomalhaut snarled slamming his hands on the table in front of him. "Give me five minutes and I'll make your faces something to keel over in laughter!"
"Enough!"
All three Saints of Sin stopped in the bickering, slowly turning towards Lucian who merely snapped his book shut. A cold aura appeared over his body, making all three of the other Saints shiver slightly. "I don't mean to raise my voice…but, if you continue this then I'll be forced to discipline all three of you…"
"Now then, I've already told you that the D.MAN project has already been activated. Saints Gluttony and Envy know this all too well themselves."
"I assume then we're finally going to get the final Saint then?" Densui chuckled taking another swig from his gourd.
"Correct," Lucian replied lifting three pieces of paper from under his cloak that were immediately tossed to the three saints, each of them catching one. "And thus, we begin the operation…I've given Gluttony and Envy these as well…"
"And what pray tell are these supposed to be?" Talo asked waving the paper slightly. "Talismans?"
"In a sense…" Lucian replied bluntly slowly opening his book once more. "In order for us to acquire our final member, we'll need the final preparations…I'm assigning you five the five targets that are in your PDAs. With the D. MAN Project active…"
"Heh…more fun I assume?" Fomalhaut stated lifting up the paper to raise an eyebrow at the name written on the back of the talisman. "…interesting…"
"Correct, you must plant that mark onto the person who's name is written on the back of the paper," Lucian stated flipping a few pages into his book. "That mark will imbed into their very core…but, unless they are at least weakened…"
"And that would have to be when the D. MAN project comes into play," Talo finished up pocketing the talisman before standing up. "If that's the case, I think I'll get my target out of the way…immediately…"
"Show off," Densui spat out his tongue as Talo walked away, then immediately looking at the talisman's back. "I can't believe I get some no name…tie this in with the fact that my useless underling is here, and this is just perfect…"
"Maybe you could use this to your advantage," Fomalhaut chuckled looking over Densui's shoulder to see the name. "If I recall, this duelist has the same last name as someone in that tour group you were in…maybe you could get him to do your dirty work for you?"
"Eh…sounds like too much work," Densui sighed looking at the talisman and placing it into his sleeve. "…but, if I get to relax in the end, sure why not?" Slowly standing up, Densui slowly began to leave.
"Priding yourself so soon Fomalhaut?" Lucian asked, not bothering to look up from his book that he seemed to be engrossed with. "Normally you're not one to actually bother with helping anyone…especially since Densui and Talo know about your little secret…"
"…humph, look who's talking," Fomalhaut retorted turning around to put his back to Lucian. "Having others do your dirty work…all just to get chummy with the head honcho…does he even know that you plan on taking everything from under his nose?"
"…I would assume…" Lucian simply replied raising his book up to turn the pages.
"Then why are you even continuing this charade?" Fomalhaut asked turning his head around to narrow his eyes at Lucian.
Lifting the book up, Lucian immediately slammed it closed his hand with a loud boom. And with his dark eyes calm…Lucian merely smiled back. "I should think it would be simple…"
"…it's because I am greed…"
/-/--/-/--/--/-/-
"Huh…it's been almost a year since I sat in this hall…" Tai sighed loudly, sitting down at the table in the Slifer Red dorm, Garu sitting across from him.
"I take it then that you've been here before," Garu said raising an eyebrow.
"Excellent deduction, captain redundant," Tai sighed again shaking his head. "God…out of the three duelists I'm supposed to meet, you are by far the most annoying…"
"Who are the other two?" Garu asked leaning forwards. "So, who are they?"
"Don't repeat yourself," Tai growled reaching into his blue jacket, immediately pulling out the deck of blue backed cards that he had earlier. "All shall be revealed in good time…"
"Cool," Garu stated reaching for the cards, only to have his hand slapped away. "Ow!"
"I didn't say that you could touch," Tai snapped beginning to shuffle the cards, narrowing his eyes down at Garu.
Having two stacks of the rather large deck of blank cards (Garu managed to sneak a peak at the cards) one in each of his hands, Tai snapped the cards into the air. Garu's eyes widened as the cards scattered into the air.
Slowly, Tai raised his hand up into the air, forcing all the cards back into his open hand until they all were gathered into a single large deck of cards.
Garu's mouth was wide open and his eyes became starry. "Wow! How'd you do that!"
"…it's a trade secret…you moron," Tai growled slapping the deck into the center of the table. "Now then…since I want this to end this fortunetelling quickly so please don't interrupt me when I'm doing my thing…"
Waving his hand over the top of the deck, Tai forced the top card to float over the table, just to land immediately on top of the table. The card was blank, but immediately, Tai slapped his hand on top of the card, removing his hand immediately to show a shadowed, ancient Japanese Castle basked in a crescent moon.
"First…the past, you were raised in ancient ways and traditions, originally subdued by the unknown of your own origins and the outside world."
Garu's eyes widened, blinking a few times. "H-How…"
"What did I say?" Tai snarled reaching for the next card, and immediately drew it off the top of his deck.
As soon as the back of the card was placed on the table, Tai slapped that card only to raise it to reveal the next card showing a shinobi being slapped in the back of the head by an oddly familiar white haired teen with a metallic right arm. "Even though you are facing ordeals, you're actually getting closer to people, making new friends and meeting people that you thought that never existed…"
'He's right about the shorty…' Garu thought with a sweatdrop rolling down the side of his head.
"…I take it that I'm right," Tai chuckled tapping the next card off…
The next card was revealed displaying a young blue haired man wearing a dark cloak with multiple weapons you'd see from a ninja movie standing back to back with a red haired teen with the exact same features only darker. "And unfortunately, since I'm on a roll, I have to warn you that eventually, an enemy who is closer than you might think will appear before you…"
"…and you will lose something dear to you…"
"Man, why do you have to sound so serious?" Garu asked as Tai lifted his deck up, allowing seven cards to float from the deck.
"…it's my job…and it would appear that destiny is willing to help you…" Tai muttered flipping the cards, and slapping them in a cross like formation on the table.
The middle card was the first to be revealed to show a cloaked man standing behind a set of silver bars with many coins falling down in front of him. "…beware…the imprisoned greed…"
The top card's picture was burned into the material, a young man with white hair flowing backwards with many constellations wrapping around his body. "…a star-crossed warrior…"
The card to the right…emerged a picture of a shadowed man with a blue rose in his fingers, standing in the middle of many crystals of ice jutting upwards from the ground. "…the cold-hearted gentleman…"
"That sounds like an oxymoron…" Garu interrupted tilting his head slightly.
"Do you even know what an oxymoron is?" Tai asked waving his hand over the card on the left, making it wave slightly as the picture materialized…
…into a picture of a goofy-looking man floating on top of a body of water, holding onto a bottle of sake in his hands on the card. "I don't know what to say about this one…"
"How about a dead drunk?" Garu suggested.
"…Now that's just stupid…I'd say the relaxing…uh, um, dead drunk," Tai spat out, sticking his tongue out. "Damn, now I think I need to wash my tongue out…"
"Is it that bad that my suggestion was accepted?" Garu asked narrowing his eyes.
Tai was silent as the next card's picture was burned on one of the three remaining cards, showing a beautiful girl being surrounded by many fretful monsters. "…the mistress of envious fear…"
A picture of the blood-red, crescent moon appeared on the sixth card, showing a handsome man with many beastly monsters bowing to him. "…and the lord of the bloody moon…that is all…"
"Wait a second, that's only six warnings," Garu pointed out raising his hand up while Tai gathered the cards back into the deck. "What about the seventh?"
"…you already know it," Tai answered wagging his finger with the cards in his other hand.
That's when another card slowly floated down on the table, making Tai and Garu's eyes widen as the card landed on the table, its picture face up. "W-What's this?"
"You're the fortuneteller and you're surprised?" Garu asked raising an eyebrow.
"Hey, this is the present, and with an annoyance like you," Tai snapped with fanged teeth barred in his mouth. "…my powers of detecting the future events get dulled over!"
"Ha…" Garu chuckled as Tai lifted the card up, this one showing a brown skinned man with long dark hair standing back to back with a shorter man with orange hair and lighter skin. "What the?"
"…it looks like two allies will appear…one you have met, but both have a clue as to who you are…" Tai stated before shuffling the card back into the deck.
"What the hell kind of a prediction was that?" Garu asked narrowing his eyes. "If I'm paying for this, I want a refund. And if I'm not…I still want a refund."
"Oh shut up," Tai countered reaching into his jacket, this time producing two more decks, one red and the other forest green. "Now then…to end this stupid meeting, I have to request you to draw two more cards…one from each deck."
"Fine…" Garu sighed immediately snatching a card from both of the decks.
"Now then…place them on the table…" Tai continued as the cards floated down to the table.
Slowly Tai, who after pocketing the two decks of cards, began chanting something in a foreign tongue. Then placing both hands on the cards, Tai revealed that the red card showed a small white haired teen lifting his right arm (which looked to be made of steel) towards a bleeding heart like jewel. "When a tortured soul…"
While the green card, it was revealed to have a picture showing a beautiful young brown hair girl being surrounded by dark and white feathers that were flowing down around her. "…a twilight girl of fate cross your path…all will be made clear…"
"…ya know, that guy on the red card kinda reminds me of someone," Garu stated squinting at the card.
However, before Garu could get a good look at the card, Tai's gloved hands snatched up the cards. "Yeah…and now…I'm out of here…"
"Now hold on a second!" Garu shouted jumping from his seat. "You just come in here, tell me a lot of crap, and just decide to breeze out of here…what the hell!"
Sighing loudly, Tai shook his head. "Look, I may have things against you personally, like you're annoying and you seem to have boundless energy, but I have other reasons to get out of here."
"Really? And what's that?" Garu asked with a question mark popping over his head.
"…If I tell you, will you let me leave?" Tai asked getting a nod from Garu. "…fine…you see, I'm kinda a celebrity around this academy. As soon as word gets out that I'm here, I'm going to be swamped with people wanting to get their fortunes told…"
"So? You could probably make a profit on that," Garu pointed out only to receive a flick to the forehead. "Ow!"
"I know that!" Tai shouted pulling his hand back with his eyes narrowed. "But it's such a pain to do hundreds, upon hundreds of fortunes! I especially don't want to tell the fortune of that would be gift to women Die Hard duelist and get a fist in the face by that Shrimpy Ra Yellow freak of nature!"
"…Die Hard duelist? Shrimpy Ra Yellow?" Garu questioned, piecing the names to a few faces that he was very familiar with. "Wait…is you talking about Mustang and the white haired shorty?"
"…I didn't think that you'd already make contact with those two overgrown headaches…" Tai groaned slapping his forehead. "You have my condolences…"
"…You mind telling me what exactly is wrong with those two?" Garu asked crossing his arms.
"And what makes you think that I would know that?" Tai asked raising an eyebrow.
"Well, you talk as if you know them personally," Garu retorted making Tai take a step back. "And since you're a fortuneteller, you'd probably be able to know about their pasts…or at least general information…"
"Damn…did you take smart pills when I wasn't looking?" Tai asked with a cold sweat dripping down the back of his head.
"…there are smart pills?" Garu questioned with a few question marks appearing over his head.
"…there's my answer," Tai replied shaking his head. "Now then…if you excuse me…I think should be getting out of here before…"
"Garu? Are you in here?"
"Damn!" Tai cursed out loud lowering his head.
"Oh, hey Yae," Garu greeted waving at Yae who was walking in through the cafeteria's doors.
"Where were you in classes?" Yae asked walking up to the two.
"Uh, well, it was Mustang…" Garu replied with a meek smile on his face.
""I don't want to hear it do I?" Yae sighed shaking her head. "I swear, why did you even bother coming here if you don't even bother showing up to the classes?"
"Well, the food's pretty good," Garu replied not noticing the blood vessel appearing on the back of Yae's fist.
SMACK!
"ACK!" Garu yelped falling backwards.
Tai just looked down on Garu with a smile, and then turned towards Yae who just starred at him blankly. "…nice punch…"
"Thanks," Yae sighed crossing her arms.
Meanwhile, standing outside the very door of the cafeteria, a familiar red haired Red Duelist just peered into the cafeteria. "…I see…I think I've found my target…"
/-/-/--/-/-/-/-/
In front of a large darkened screen, a small chibi man walked out in front of the screen with a spotlight shining over him. His flashy gray spiked hair on his head shook up and down as his large white overcoat over his black shirt and velvet jeans. As he bowed down, the young man showed the purple guitar that was on his back. "Hey again everyone! For those of you who don't know who I am…I am the great Ed Wright!"
Pointing his fingers together, Ed's face had a slight blush to his face as he turned his head to the side. "I've been out of work for a while and I'm willing to take any job...and I mean any, please hire me! Uh, so Vyser D, the nice author-guy, hired me to perform the music for his preview for the next season…"
"Although, the song choice is a little weird…" Ed muttered to himself before taking a small piece of paper from his pocket. "Oh, and Vyser wanted me to say sorry about the oddly short chapter…but he's been busy with trying to keep alive…stories don't pay the rent or the tab he has with the local pizza joint…"
"Which reminds me…how am I getting paid for this if he's in debt?"
"SHUT UP ED! DON'T MAKE ME GET THE TAZER AGAIN!"
Ed sulked down as he lowered his head as he pointed his fingers. "S-sorry, I just added that last one in. Please! I'm begging for work here!"
"HEY ED! GET TO WORK! WE'RE NOT PAYING YA TO BEG TO THE VIEWERS!"
"Y-Yes sir!" Ed shouted pulling his guitar from his back and began to strum a few notes as the TV screen began to turn on. "You rock and you duel!"
(Ain't nothing gonna stop me now, I'm gonna make it)The scene starts off with Garu standing at the top of the Pacific Duelist Academy's main building, the sun beginning to rise. Then immediately, with a flip off the building, Garu began to fall back first to the ground (I'm running hard and straight ahead.)
(Can't even take the time to mop) As Garu's falling, time seemed to slow down. The screen around Garu darkens showing Yae, Takashi, Vergil, Cain, Ami, Kara, and Mustang's faces sliding past him from various directions (The sweat that's streamin' like the rain off my head.)
(…Didn't know what I was living for, I couldn't take it) Many leaves cover the screen before blowing to the side to show Yae running forward with the Kung Fu Kid and Kung Fu Nyan Nyan following her as the grass covered ground are being frozen over by a large ice dragon with a familiar red haired red duelist… (I stood there with nothing I could believe.)
(My life was just a mystery) Raising his right fist up, Cain activates his duel disk to face against a large blood covered golem with a shadowed person with many pink sparkles sparking up around his body. Clapping his hands, a large blood red transmutation circle emerges in front of Cain, allowing five alchemists to charge forward. (I hid my heart and soul way up in my sleeve)
(Now that we're both together, trading lines to help each other understand,) With Garu calmly landing on the ground, many of his ninja monsters appear behind him, each of them smiling greatly, although something were scowling. (Now I'm awfully glad we got mad at each other at all.)
(Down and out when U don't know what to do) Many stars fell onto the field, crashing into many Clay Soldiers, making them split into many clay shards that flew back into Vergil's body making him fall backwards as Fomalhaut slowly floated to the ground while standing on a black star. (That's the time you reach your hand out softly to me.)
(No way we'll ever be parted again) That's when many bats and chains stream across the screen, and as soon as they past, they show that there was Takashi standing strong with the T-Team behind him, waving flags with his face on them. But, standing across from him, backed up by many monsters that resemble that of the famous horror movies, was a beautiful young woman dressed with large jail bracelets. (We'll be friends; you'll see my eyes are following you)
(No matter what the changes the future may bring,) Back to Garu, a bloody aura begins cover his body as he began to scream in pain. All of a sudden, from his heart, the aura formed into a hand trying to pull out a human figure that was emerging from Garu's body as three weird symbols flash over his body. (It's you I'll remember always)
(I'll trust you forever)
(And as I run into the wind, I feel myself reviving) The screen then flashes a few times, showing Cain, Mustang, Garu and a beastly young man, each doing different poses with their cards. And then the screen shows Yae, Ami and Kara smiling all together. (Blowing the sweat off of me now, until I am awakening into a day to make a dream come true.)
(It could be anybody) Trapped behind prison walls, Lucian slaps his hand onto his duel disk, making a large blood red demon appearing behind him. With a powerful punch, the demon shattered the bars, allowing Lucian to calmly walk out… (Everyone has got a jewel shining inside)
(But if they're covered in fears let the tears) …with Fomalhaut, Talo, Densui and two more shadowed people walking behind the group. Slowly, a pair of large shadow hands appears on both sides of the group, screening upwards to show a smirking Big Boss. (Wash those troubles away.)
(Fight on strong until the sun goes down) With the dark sky gleaming over the entrance of the academy, with Garu standing with his duel disk armed and ready, his left eye covered. While standing across from him is a blood red shadowed person. (Raise your fist and wave it in the air like a flag.)
(Wounds all over from your head to your toes)
(So it goes, but you have learned to laugh through it all) As the moon rises over the academy, Garu merely sits at the docks…looking over the sea while tossing a few rocks. (We lie upon our backs and feel the Earth down below)
(And squint at the stars above us.) Looking into the sky, Garu sighed shaking his head.
(Don't give up! You're gonna make it today) Suddenly, being grappled by his neck, Garu turns around to see Yae and Takashi. Standing behind them are Cain, Mustang, Vergil, Rox, and Ami. (Move ahead, forever forward and never look back.)
(You're not alone or by yourself anymore) Garu slowly stands up, throwing his fist into the air with a large smile on his face. (You've got someone you can count on everyday.)
(You'll carry us on!)
Ed sang adding the last note to the song with the echo through out the room. "…And there you go! I hope you enjoyed the preview!"
"Later days! And keep reviewing!"
And next chapter, see the power of Saints of Sin…with their gentleman of the group standing up first… Next time – Chapter 31: A Cold-Heart
Ed: Catch ya on the flipside!