Yu-Gi-Oh! D.T.
Chapter 15: Tranquil Convergence, The Crossroads of Darkness and Light
January 15, 3051 12:49 AM
Emerging from a violet portal, the blonde priest stumbled onto a concrete floor, tripping forward over her sagging black robe.
Ouch! she winced mentally. I simply abhor this blasted garment!
Opening her eyes, the young woman gasped in horror as she found herself sprawled over the edge of a tall building thousands of feet from the ground, causing her to recoil, step on the ruffles of her robe, and fall backwards.
"Ah!" she exclaimed aloud.
I can't believe it, she thought to herself as her face blushed red with embarrassment, huffing from exasperation and trembling from the pain on her tailbone. This is only my first day of duty and I am already making such a fool of myself. Surely, my ancestors are looking upon me from the spirit world in shame. Just how much more pathetic can I become?
Then, in the midst of berating herself, the young priest suddenly felt a powerful spike in duel energy, an energy that was pure and holy in nature. Immediately, her face lit up with a smile, as she knew this power couldn't be anything other than that of light, the rare form of spiritual energy which arose from feelings of hope and righteousness rather than dread and despair. And when she poked out her head to see the source of this power, her smile disappeared as quickly as it had formed. One look at the guardian who emitted this energy was enough to drive her back towards the structure she had arrived behind, filling her body with absolute fear.
Such brutality, she whimpered to herself, kneeling and quivering on the floor. He used his power in such a violent manner. A guardian with the power of light! How could this be?
She tried to think of reasons to explain this contradiction of her knowledge. Perhaps what she saw was an unfortunate moment in the man's battle against his opponent, an incident which gave little credit for the affirmation of his resolve or the discovery of his true reason for fighting. Or perhaps it was simply due to his inability to control his new powers. Maybe he didn't know how much strength to put into his attack.
But no matter what explanations she came up with, she understood the objective implications of what she had seen: this guardian had fought with every intention of bringing the utmost pain to his opponent. The realization that the guardians of light she had always idolized were capable of such malice was enough to fill her body with an icy feeling of dread. This was a decisive moment for her, as it comprised her first impression of her first guardian, an impression which established a negative view, immediate suspicion, and unshakeable fear of him and his motives.
I wanted a guardian of light, a warrior of hope, she said to herself, but this man...what is he?
January 15, 3051 1:03 AM
"You went a little overboard," Gareth said, glaring at the towering beast which still remained on the field despite the duel ending.
The gargantuan lion with flaming wings, bright orange fur, and shining gold armor turned to look at the unconscious Dark Chaser lying pitifully on the ground, wounded and bruised by the overwhelming power of the last attack.
"He tried to kill you," the griffon spoke. "Therefore, he forfeited his right to live. Isn't that the rule in the business of murder?"
"But it's not mine," Gareth contested. "I've learned to stay faithful to my morals no matter what others may do. I won't stoop to the level of my enemies."
"Sure," it replied, "but do these morals of yours include inflicting pain to your opponents? You wanted to defeat your opponent without killing him, so this much should be fine, no?"
"You're right," Gareth frowned, "but for someone with your power, you should've been able to subdue him without inflicting unnecessary damage."
"My power?" the griffon smirked. "My power is nothing but a physical manifestation of your will. You desired to inflict pain to your opponent, and so it was done."
"That's…," Gareth muttered, unable to come up with a response.
"It's true that I sensed a very powerful desire within you not to kill your opponent," the griffon continued. "I sensed an even stronger desire to save the people you failed to protect. But also present was a deep anger, an insatiable urge to make your opponent suffer. This was what your heart truly desired. And so it was done."
He couldn't deny it. No matter how much he spoke of justice, Gareth admitted that an integral part of his motivations was the fury he felt towards immoral evildoers, a rage which inevitably led to dark and violent thoughts. Behind his flowery words, there was always a hidden fear that his actions were driven by the impulse to satisfy his hatred, a secret desire to make his opponents suffer. But in the eyes of this beast, which stared into the deepest shadows of Gareth's soul, nothing was hidden. They saw clearly the light and darkness in Gareth's heart. As he faced the truth behind his actions, Gareth found himself gritting his teeth in agitation and misery.
"Don't tell me you're falling back into despair already?" the griffon teased. "After all that work I did to try and save you, I would think that you could hold onto your fleeting hope for at least a little longer."
Upon hearing the beast's words, Gareth once more acknowledged that he was right. Gareth had always known that evil existed in everyone; he knew this better than anyone. Admittedly, he shouldn't have been surprised to realize that he too had the capacity for evil. But as the griffon had told him, the important thing was the ability to stand up and continue fighting despite all the hardships he endured, to face all the darkness and evil of the world undaunted and unafraid. Even if his heart became tainted, even if he walked a path of hypocrisy, as long as he found the courage to stand back up, Gareth knew that he would never lose hope again. And the one who ignited his hope was the creature he was currently speaking to.
"Yeah," Gareth grinned, "you'd make one hell of a motivational speaker. Thanks, er….."
"My birth name is Grypateos," the beast replied. "But I have been called Gryp by past guardians."
"It's Gryp then," he smiled. "I'm Gareth Basilius."
"Basilius, huh?" Gryp chuckled. "Of course. I should've guessed."
"What do you mean by that?" Gareth inquired. "And what did you mean by guardians? What exactly are you?"
"All excellent questions I could answer," the griffon replied, "but I think I'll leave that job to the person in charge."
"Person in charge?" Gareth asked.
"It's about time you came out," Gryp said, turning his head a full one-eighty.
From behind the staircase leading to the roof of the building they were standing on emerged a young woman with flowing blonde hair dressed in a long, oversized gown, approaching them nervously while staring at the ground to avoid making eye contact. Gareth narrowed his eyes in cautiousness as she walked closer to him, unaware of who she was or why she was here. When she was a little more than a meter away from him, she stopped.
"Y-you are a guardian of Ingenia," she said weakly, still averting her eyes. "P-please fight to save the world."
Gareth raised an eyebrow as he struggled to make sense of what she said.
"Oh Sandra," the griffon sighed, "we've rehearsed this hundreds of times already. You begin by telling them your name and who you are."
"M-my name is Kassandr…..," she whispered, her last words trailing off inaudibly.
"Remember what I told you," Gryp lectured, "when you're speaking to somebody, it's important to speak clearly and to make eye contact."
"My name is Kassandra Amnistia!" she blurted as she threw her head forward.
Their eyes met for one brief second before she turned away, her shoulders heaving as she whimpered softly.
"I can't do this!" she shouted through tears as she ran away, fleeing down the stairs.
Gareth stood still with his eyes wide open, shocked by what had just occurred. As he looked to the griffon for any clue as to what had happened, he found the same expression of surprise, followed by a sigh of disappointment.
"She has a long way to go," Gryp exhaled.
"I see," Gareth nodded, still puzzled.
"And you," the griffon groaned as he faced the young man, "have no delicacy."
"I see…," Gareth nodded once more, his eyes closing with realization.
"Come with me," Gryp suddenly said as he began to move.
"You know where she went?" Gareth asked.
"No," the griffon replied, narrowing its eyes, "but I know where she'll be in a bit."
Mysterious cards appearing in his deck. A gigantic mythical beast standing right in front of him. Supernatural phenomena occurring left and right. A strange woman appearing before him and running away immediately. All of them speaking in vague terms. Gareth had absolutely no idea what was happening. But he knew that if he wanted answers, he had no choice but to comply. After commanding his duel runner with a remote control to come to him via autopilot, Gareth began to follow the griffon down the stairs.
January 15, 3051 2:02 AM
With a clear image of those dark eyes in her mind, the priest's body froze with fear and trepidation. Due to the fact that he had unlocked the Regalia of Light, the symbol of hope and courage worn only by a select few guardians, she had expected him to be a kindred spirit, an upstanding crusader of love and hope. Instead, she saw the dark murky sadness of all the world's sins, crying with the agony of eternally bitter memories and screaming with a hateful vengeance. Standing inside a world occupied entirely by white space, she wore the same terrified expression on her blood-drained face, with only one thought pervading her mind.
How has this man not fallen to darkness?
Then, she remembered something else she saw in those dark eyes, the raging passionate flame within him, the indomitable will of a bloodstained survivor to purge the world of evil. It was a cruel flame, wishing nothing more than to destroy its enemies by searing them, incinerating them, and mercilessly burning them to their last pitiful ashes. But at the same time, it was a bright and courageous flame, giving hope to those who had lost it by burning proudly with an inexplicable might. Though a symbol of light in his own right, this man, Gareth Basilius, held no quality of tenderness or affection whatsoever.
He was a man she disliked the moment she laid eyes on him.
He was a man whose very presence consumed her with fear.
Given her first encounter with a guardian, the blonde priest felt hesitant about meeting the other one, especially because she had sensed an aura of darkness from him. However, considering the fact that a guardian of light had betrayed her expectations, she saw the possibility of the same happening for a guardian of darkness. Taking a deep breath and steeling her nerves, she waved her hand to open another portal and stepped in, holding desperately onto the hope that she would be pleasantly surprised by her second guardian.
January 15, 3051 2:03 AM
Eric sat on the roof of his apartment, gazing longingly at the moon, full and bright in the midst of a black and starless sky. The night air was cool and fresh, with the occasional breeze whistling through the trees to create a soft, gentle rustle, soothing to the ear and soul. Although Eric had always preferred the fiercer winds which surged past him as he sped down a highway on his duel runner, winds that made him feel free and alive, he found the mellow, almost haunting, peace of this scene strangely enjoyable. The shrieking of the wind was eerie yet placid, and the chirping of the crickets was ominous yet calming. He felt as though everything in nature was functioning as it should, both the beautiful and the hideous, coexisting in harmony as they orchestrated the symphony of the night. It was the first time in months, if not years, that Eric had felt this content with himself and the world, a contentment which stemmed from a profound enlightenment he had achieved from seeing the darkness of the world in a new light, and within that light, a whole new world altogether.
Or perhaps the transformation in Eric which contributed even more significantly to his change in worldview was an increased attunement to his senses, or, more precisely, his sixth sense. Although he had always possessed a strong intuition which had served him with an uncanny degree of accuracy, he now felt doubly sure of his senses, the nature of which he found rather puzzling himself. It was as though he could somehow see an aura encircling everything around him, each with a unique color symbolizing something about it: characteristics, motivations, intentions, thoughts. These auras were accompanied by strong feelings Eric felt about them: admiration, trust, fascination, caution, fear, dislike. For anyone else, it would be easy to think that he had obtained the truth of the universe, but Eric felt little more than ambivalent about these new powers of his, as he understood immediately that they were a double-edged sword. What he found wasn't omnipotence or omniscience. With every new piece of knowledge he obtained, a new mystery arose. With every new light discovered, a new darkness emerged. With every new joy came a new sadness.
Regardless of whether the hand fate dealt him was convenient or cruel, Eric found that he had no way to shut off this enhanced vision. At first, this was a frightening prospect for him, as his imagination cursed him with all the things he would be losing from a world whose colors he no longer recognized. Yet, as he watched the moon with its unchanging brilliance and the sky surrounding it with ever constant darkness, Eric felt comforted by the fact that some things never changed. As for the things that did, Eric concluded in his mind that he would do to them as he decided to do for everything else that frightened him: learn to accept them for what they were.
Just then, a mysterious energy signature appeared nearby him almost instantaneously. Eric furrowed his brows as he sensed the magnitude of this person's energy, much higher than that of a typical person's. Even more worrying was the fact that he didn't sense this person approaching from a distance, as the radius of his enhanced senses reached nearly a fifty meters. Eric's first thought was that whoever this individual was, they weren't normal. However, he wasn't particularly afraid of them, as the aura emitted from them appeared to be a murky, darkish blue, a color he had come to recognize as harmless. Curious to find out who it was, Eric stood up, hopped off of the roof, and proceeded to make his way towards his mysterious visitor.
However, as soon as he began walking, he sensed the bluish energy source backing away, as though whoever was there didn't want to be seen by him. Squinting his eyes, Eric saw the aura turn a darker shade of blue, which, for all he knew, was a bad sign. Even more curious was the fact that Eric was not within this person's range of vision, meaning that they too were perceiving Eric's presence by some other means. Although he didn't want to frighten this mysterious individual, he was also curious as to who this person was. Stuck between the choice of sparing someone anxiety and obtaining the answers he sought, Eric chose the former, his reasoning being similar to that of his decision to embrace the power of darkness: to free others from their pain.
Immediately, Eric stopped and proceeded to return to his apartment, when suddenly, he felt this bluish aura move towards him, growing lighter and softer in color. Although he didn't fully understand what these colors meant, he somehow felt that this was, if not good, at least better than before. Smiling to himself as he sensed the blue energy approaching faster, Eric took a seat on the sidewalk curb in front of his apartment door, patiently waiting for the stranger to reveal him or herself. As the aura moved closer and closer, he couldn't help but imagine a shy animal reluctant to approach someone until it knew for a fact that no harm would come to it. Even when he caught the first glimpse of his follower's glassy blue eyes peeking from a brick wall with a long strand of golden hair hanging from the side, Eric was reminded of a timid puppy with one ear dangling from its tilted head. So uncanny was the similarity that Eric was unable to hold in his laughter.
January 15, 3051 2:07 AM
I knew it! Sandra thought to herself. I knew I looked ridiculous in this robe! Oh, I could die of embarrassment right now!
Pulling her head back into the cover of the building she stood behind, the priest placed her hands to her face, warm and flushed from the thought of others mocking and looking down on her.
I cannot do this! she squealed mentally. First a scary gorilla and now a mean bully laughing at me! And worst of all, he is a guardian of darkness! This is too much! I cannot do this! I really cannot!
Whimpering to herself, Sandra fell to a crouch and wrapped her arms around her knees, flustered by the various stresses she felt from the circumstances of her duty.
Why me? she thought miserably to herself. Out of everyone else, why was I chosen to be priest? Why do I have to-?
"Hi there," a voice said from behind her.
"Eek!" Sandra shrieked as she sprang up to her feet, smashing her head against something hard.
An acute, throbbing pain surged through her skull as she grasped the top of her head and screamed sharply, feeling hot tears roll down her face. At the same time, she heard a loud, muffled growl from behind her, repeatedly moaning in short intervals in rhythm with a shadow swaying back and forth. For the next minute or so, nothing could be heard but the pained groaning of two individuals, one high and sharp, the other deep and stifled.
It wasn't until the stinging on her head fully disappeared that Sandra turned around to see what had happened. To her horror and disgust, she stood less than half a meter from a young man with long black hair, grasping his nose with hands covered in a dark red fluid.
"I am sorry!" she blurted worriedly. "Dear god, I am so sorry!"
"It's not your fault," the youth chuckled, his words muffled by his hands. "I guess this is what I get for sneaking up behind you like that."
Sandra watched with a lingering sense of guilt as he wiped his nose in one long stroke, leaving a smeared trail of red across his face. From the light of the street lamps which illuminated the dark alley, she could see with his hands out of the way that his face, bony yet soft in complexion, was rather handsome. His light brown eyes reflected a gentle kindness, but also a hint of profound sadness that ran deeper than the black abyss of his pupils. Without a doubt, she could tell that he was a guardian of darkness. Yet, he also exuded a brilliant, warm light unlike any she had ever seen. The dark aura she felt from him made her uncomfortable, but somehow, his genuine smile put her at ease.
"I didn't mean to scare you," he said weakly while scratching his head. "It was just taking you a while so I thought it'd be easier if I just came to you."
"I am sorry," Sandra pouted, lowering her eyes.
"So anyway," the man said, trying to change the subject, "did you want something from me? Or was it 'him' that you were looking for?"
"Him?" she asked with a puzzled look.
"Yeah," he replied, pulling out a card from his pocket.
"That is-!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening as they recognized the savage werewolf depicted on the card. "Lykos!"
"So you do know him," he grinned. "Good, now I can complain to someone who knows how much a of dick he is."
D-dick? Sandra pondered, unaware of what the word meant. However, she didn't want to give him the impression that she was ignorant, afraid that he would see her as a different person, look down on her, alienate her, outcast her, and shun her.
"Uh never mind," the man chuckled awkwardly, becoming aware of her incomprehension of colloquial expressions. "Let's just say he's not the nicest of people. Or wolves? Or….?"
"Ingenian spirits," she finished for him.
Oh no! she thought mentally. I said a word he never heard before! And I also said 'spirits!' Humans think ghosts and spirits do not exist! Now he will think of me as a lunatic! Now he will judge me for being different! He will never look at me the same again! He will hate me!
Sandra clutched her arms with her hands, turning away to avoid what she imagined to be his condescending gaze. She remembered the way the first guardian had reacted to her, his disdainful expression stabbing into her mind. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for something: a laugh, a phrase, anything he could say to make her heart bleed.
She was about to run away once more when suddenly, she felt a powerful explosion of light energy from him, soft and kind, gentle and warm. Somehow, she felt this golden light flood into her, dispelling whatever anxiety she felt and embracing her with the soothing touch of an angel.
Slowly, she raised her eyes to meet his, seeing a amiable expression with a reassuring smile, without the slightest hint of condescension. Yet, also visible was a kind of sorrow, even more than she had seen the first time she saw his face. At that moment, she knew what he had done.
"You don't have to be afraid," he said softly. "It doesn't matter who you are or what you've done. I will never hurt you or hate you. Let's just start over, okay?"
Her heart rate returning to normal and her nerves calming down, Sandra nodded her head in agreement.
"My name is Eric Lambert," he said, holding out his hand. "What's yours?"
"I am called Kassandra Amnistia," she replied as she slowly moved her hand towards his.
Right before touching, she pulled her hand back, scared of what he might do. However, as she looked at him again, she saw no change in his warm expression or his golden aura. No matter how much she hesitated or shuddered, he didn't show any sign of anger or impatience. It was at this moment that she knew she could trust him.
"But you can call me Sandra," she said, taking his hand.
"Nice to meet you, Sandra," Eric smiled.
"The pleasure is mine," she smiled back weakly.
"So, Sandra," Eric said, "what brings you here?"
"I came to meet you," she replied. "You are an Ingenian guardian."
"What exactly is an Ingenian guardian?" Eric asked.
"Ingenia is a secret clan that maintains the peace on Earth," Sandra answered. "We serve as a medium between the human world and the spirit world where Duel Monsters spirit live. Guardians are special humans chosen to defend the Earth from evil forces using the power of these spirits."
"So there are spirits inside the cards?" Eric asked. "Living spirits that we can communicate with?"
"Duel Monsters spirits are sentient creatures which exist as a form of energy," she clarified. "Most are harmless lifeforms that possess emotions but very little intelligence. Most of the cards artificially produced on Earth give birth to such spirits. Others are very powerful and wise, such as the ones you call the Signer Dragons."
"Somehow, I always knew," Eric smiled to himself. "I always felt close to my deck. In fact, I've always thought of my cards as my closest friends."
"Candidates to become Ingenian guardians are characterized by a powerful connection to Duel Monsters spirits," Sandra explained. "I believe you call this 'duel energy' in your world?"
"I see," Eric nodded. "So I was chosen because I have a lot of duel energy."
"That is only partially correct," Sandra said. "Even with a strong connection to spirits, a human cannot become a guardian until they make a contract with an Ingenian regalia beast, the most powerful class of Duel Monsters spirit."
"Lykos," Eric said, pulling Bright Shadow Lycan out of his pocket. "So he's my regalia beast."
"That is correct," she nodded.
"Then what's this?" Eric asked, showing her his Regalia of Darkness card.
"That is the symbol of your contract," Sandra answered. "It represents the condition you established with your regalia beast to obtain guardian powers. The Regalia of Light symbolizes hope, while the Regalia of Darkness symbolizes despair; regalia beasts often dictate which a guardian receives, as each spirit feeds on different emotions."
"Despair, huh?" Eric smiled. "I guess that fits me pretty well."
"I don't understand," Sandra frowned. "Someone as kind and understanding as you shouldn't have become a guardian of darkness. How did this happen?"
"In a way," Eric said, "I think it makes a lot of sense. I'm not too fond of darkness and despair, and I can't say I like Lykos very much either, but in the end, I'm thankful for what happened."
"I still do not agree with this," Sandra frowned.
But I suppose I am thankful as well, she smiled softly to herself, lowering her head to hide her blushing.
"So," Eric continued, "are you a guardian too?"
"Oh no," Sandra said, shaking her head. "I am far too weak, and I am simply terrified of battle. I am an Ingenian priest. My duty is to guide and oversee the guardians as they fight."
"I see," Eric nodded. "And what is it we're supposed to be fighting?"
"Ingenia exists to protect the Earth from forces that threaten its peace," Sandra explained. "The evil which poses the greatest threat at this moment is a secret organization that abuses Duel Monster spirits for its own base desire to control the world."
"The Dark Chasers," Eric said, furrowing his brows.
"That is correct," Sandra affirmed, lowering her eyes.
"Well," Eric said, "you'll be happy to know that Ingenia isn't the only one that hates the Dark Chasers. My friend owns a company whose entire purpose is to fight them."
"Your friend?" Sandra asked, confused by what he meant.
"Yeah," he nodded, "his name's Gareth. He-."
Suddenly, just as Eric was speaking, she felt a powerful source of energy approaching them. Immediately recognizing it, Sandra's body shook with fear as a terrifying image filled her mind: a pair of dark piercing eyes burning her alive. Panicking and terror-stricken by her memory, she summoned a violet portal with a wave of her hand and dashed inside, unable to bear the sight of the man who was quickly emerging.
January 15, 3051 2:39 AM
"It looks like she disappeared again," Gryp said, making an abrupt stop from his run.
"God damn," Gareth groaned, stomping on the brakes of his duel runner. "What exactly is her problem?"
"Her problem is you," the armored griffon replied sardonically. "I guess you scared her so much that she's afraid to even look at you now."
"Here's a monster calling me a monster," Gareth said jeeringly to the beast. "So now what? She's gone and we're all the way here. What's so important about her that we have to chase her everywhere anyway?"
"You should be grateful to her," the winged lion chided. "You're only alive right now because of her."
"I honestly wish you could stop talking in riddles and just give me a clear answer," Gareth sighed. "And I wish my so-called savior would stop moving long enough for me to give her the thanks that she is supposedly due."
"Patience, Gareth," Gryp said. "I could've answered your questions anytime I wanted. I justed wanted to give her a hands-on learning experience in communicating with a guardian. It's her first time doing this and she really isn't cut out for this kind of job."
"I can tell," Gareth grumbled. "So what do we do now? Keep following her? I can tell you right now, it's impossible to catch her without knowledge of predictable teleport locations or viable bait, which isn't even considering the fact that she can somehow detect my presence."
"You've got some nerve talking about her like she's some kind of prey you're trying to hunt," the griffon growled. "Have you ever considered that she might come to you if you just acted a little nicer?"
"I…," Gareth paused, once again stumped by Gryp's words. "Screw you."
"That's what I thought," the griffon smirked, satisfied with his victory. "Anyway, I don't think it's necessary, if even possible, to chase her anymore. It seems she'd already made contact with another guardian, and with much greater success than you to be sure."
"Uh huh," Gareth said with a hint of annoyance. "So, you want to meet this 'guardian,' whatever that means?"
"Up to you," Gryp replied, "if he doesn't get to you first."
Facing forward, Gareth noticed a figure moving towards him, his face obscured by the darkness of the night. Dismounting his duel runner, Gareth began walking towards this figure, stretching his fingers to prepare for the worst.
Gryp called this guy a guardian, Gareth thought to himself. That means that he has the same powers as me, powers that honestly scare me a bit more that I'd like. If this guy is capable of whatever I am, then I need to be ready for anything he throws at me.
As he neared the figure, Gareth saw through the streetlights that the person's silhouette was rather thin and he walked with an untrained step, meaning that his reaction speed was mostly likely slow, making him vulnerable to an attack.
But if he has the same supernatural powers as me, Gareth thought, then physical characteristics mean little to nothing. If he's better at controlling his powers, he can fry me in less than a second. I'm going to need all the concentration I can muster to predict his moves, and all the luck in the world to not get hit by whatever he does.
When he was within ten meters of the figure, however, Gareth immediately eased his tense body and began moving more quickly towards it.
"Eric," Gareth smiled, happy to see his friend for the first time in weeks.
"I see you've become a guardian as well," Eric smiled back. "If that glowing aura of light around you isn't a clear enough sign, then that giant animal standing behind you is."
"And you?" Gareth asked. "From the smile on your face, I assume becoming a guardian helped you get over your depression?"
"Yes and no," Eric replied. "I just hope you don't decide to punch me again. That hurt a little more than a bit."
"Oh I wouldn't dare," Gareth chuckled. "I don't think it's a good idea to incur the wrath of someone who can sick a monstrous beast on me."
The last time they had met, Eric was drowned in the deepest sorrows from having lost his precious Moonstar Dragon to the Dark Chaser general he was approached by, as well as the stress of having his father's principles challenged after living his whole life abiding by them. Then, at the worst of times, he ended up murdering a Dark Chaser he fought against when he first unlocked his powers, overwhelming him with sadness and confusion. So deep was Eric's grief that no matter what Gareth did, he couldn't get through to him. Then, Gareth found himself dealing with problems of his own, problems that made him question his purpose and identity to the point of stress and fatigue. In the last couple weeks, both of them had endured arduous trials that tested their mental fortitude and willpower to excruciating limits. In the last couple weeks, they had both been to hell and back.
The last time they saw each other, they had parted with darkness and confusion in both of their hearts, unsure if they were even friends anymore. Yet now, as they gazed into each other's eyes and felt each other's energies, they knew that they had both discovered the answers to their problems. They knew that things were right between them again.
"I don't mean to be rude," Gryp cut in, "but I'm going to have to interrupt your idle chatter. Did you meet with Sandra?"
"Yeah," Eric answered, turning to face the winged lion. "I was just talking to her when she disappeared all of a sudden. I'm guessing something scared her off."
"How 'bout you take a guess?" Gryp said, throwing an accusatory glare at Gareth.
"I guess some things don't change," Eric laughed as his friend stuffed his hands in his pockets and tapped his feet with an annoyed expression.
"Ha ha ha," Gareth said sarcastically. "So, how long did you last before she ran away from you? Did you actually manage to learn anything from her?"
"You're really bitter about this, aren't you?" Eric smirked.
"Yup," the griffon answered for him, prompting a snicker from Eric.
"Shut up," Gareth frowned. "Just tell me what you know already."
"Sure," Eric said, "but first, I need to talk to you about something important. I need your help."
"Oh?" Gareth's eyes widened. "A request from you? That's rare. What is it?"
Gareth watched with curious interest as Eric closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He could tell that whatever Eric was thinking, it was something that made him very uncomfortable, something that he had been pondering over for a very long time. The longer Eric remained silent, the more Gareth wanted to know exactly what it was that he wanted, and what it was that troubled him about it. If it was some kind of moral issue, the pundit in Gareth wanted to discuss the problem and give his opinion on it. However, he knew as Eric's friend that whatever he was asking for was something important to him, something that he and he alone had decided on. Out of respect for Eric, Gareth felt obligated to trust him, no matter what he asked.
At that moment, Eric opened his eyes, ready to declare his request.
As Gareth stared into his eyes full of resolve, he steeled himself, believing in Eric without a single doubt in his heart until the words left his mouth.
"I want to join D.T. Corporation."