Okay, so when was the last time I updated? (Looks at date) March 16th? Okay, I'm waaaay late but I've got a good excuse!
Bakura: no you don't
Shut up, Bakura. Well, I guess I only really have excuses. I've been focused on finishing my Code Geass fanfic (which has finally been finished and the first chapter has been posted) and was trying to fix the convo between Kasumi and Hikari at the end of this chapter, which took me the longest time to do.
Speaking of Hikari, her backstory has been changed. The necessary changes have been made to previous chapters (I believe I caught all mentions of it anyway) so if you catch something that seems inconsistent in this chapter then go back to Chapter 1 and reread it since that's where the major changes have been made.
Bakura: are you done yet? You haven't even thanked your reviewers yet.
I'm getting to that, gees! Anyway, thank you to ShadowSpirit020, decode9, Team5dsforever, Kamen Rider Necrom, reven228, EndlessNight025, The Police of FanFiction 2016, JD98, a1993, bobmanv2.0, Addicted to GX, Sorcerer of the Stories, MagicalPrincess07, Guest, and zombie-hunt for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are awesome.
And, as usual, a huge thank you to EndlessNight025 for being an awesome beta reader.
I hope that you enjoy this chapter and reviews, as always, are much appreciated.
15
Camaraderie
The day after the gang watched Hell Kaiser's rise in the pro league, Syrus found himself sitting on the steps inside the main building. He wasn't paying much attention to the students talking around him as he couldn't get his mind off Jaden, who was still missing. Jaden was his best friend after all and Syrus, at the very least, wanted to know that he was all right. Of course, he was also worried about Zane since his big brother had changed so dramatically. He didn't know what happened with his big brother and was just as worried about him as he was about Jaden.
He knew Raiden was worse off, as he was starting to avoid the rest of the gang much more than he had done before. Recently, he would always be holed up in his room and Kasumi had reported that even his duel spirits couldn't speak to him. Everyone was getting worried, especially since Raiden was still stubbornly insisting on not seeking help.
And Jaden being missing was just making it worse for him, Syrus knew. He knew just how much Raiden cared for his little brother, much like Zane cared for Syrus, especially when they were growing up. As it was, Syrus felt the same way. He always felt like Jaden was more than just a friend; he was family.
"Hey, Syrus," a soft voice said and Syrus looked up to find Celina walking over to join him.
"Oh, hi, Celina," Syrus greeted the white-haired girl. As he hadn't gone on the trip to Honolulu during the summer, he was one in the group who didn't know Celina that well. She was apprenticed to Bakura, who was a great duelist in his own right and was rumored to have been trained by Yugi himself. Syrus wondered what she was doing there, though.
"What brings you here?" he asked politely.
"I saw you sitting all by yourself and you looked sad so I came to see what was wrong," Celina said.
Syrus sighed. "It's nothing," he said.
"You sure?"
Syrus went silent and then sighed again. "I'm just down about Jaden, that's all," he said. "I mean, first he's here and now he's gone all because of one duel."
Celina hummed, sitting down beside the short, spiky-blue haired Ra. "I'm sure he'll be fine, Syrus," she said. "Oh, hey, Kyle, Bastion."
Syrus looked up to find the timid Obelisk and the intellectual Ra walk over to join them. "Hey," he greeted them quietly.
"Hey, Syrus," Kyle said. "What's up?"
"Nothing."
"He's still a bit upset about Jaden's disappearance," Celina explained.
"Ah," Bastion said. He pressed his lips together and added, "He is not the only one, I would say. I haven't seen or heard much from Raiden since Kyle's duel against Dante three days ago."
"Yeah, neither have I, and neither has Kasumi. He's holed up in his room in the Obelisk Dorm and won't leave," Syrus said.
"Why, though?" Bastion wondered aloud.
No one answered, since it wasn't their story to tell.
Suddenly, their line of vision was blocked off by…Jaden's face?
"Jaden's back!" Syrus exclaimed in excitement.
"Not…exactly," Bastion said, sweatdropping as Hassleberry turned around, revealing that he was wearing a yellow vest with an image of Jaden on the back.
"Check this out, soldiers," the Dinosaur Duelist said, pointing to his back. "Now Jaden's really got my back; wherever he goes, I go. After all, he's my best friend."
"Jaden's only got one best friend, and that's me!" Syrus shouted. "And I don't need his face painted on my back to prove it."
"Don't go dissing the jacket," Hassleberry retorted. "You're just jealous because Jaden and I are a two-man army. You've been demoted, but if you want, you can carry our supplies."
"You're just the third-wheel!"
"Then I'll roll right over you!"
Syrus and Hassleberry continued arguing while Bastion just watched as if he was watching a movie.
. . .
'…Why?' Haou asked simply as Jaden was currently climbing a cliff face.
"I'm just positive…that I'll be…at the Slifer Dorm…once I get…to the top…of this," Jaden panted as he pulled himself up closer.
'…You better not get yourself killed,' Haou said and retreated.
"Nice to know you have such confidence in me," Jaden huffed and finally pulled himself onto the top of the cliff. He lifted his head and groaned in frustration when he saw that he had only reached the forest that he had been walking through a few days ago. "This sucks! I just wanna find civilization already!"
. . .
Syrus was currently getting his wounds treated in the Slifer Dorm, as was Hassleberry. Alexis and Arina were helping with Syrus while Bastion, Kyle, and Celina was helping with Hassleberry. Alexis dabbed some iodine on his wounds, causing him to wince. "Ow. Be careful. I'm the victim here," Syrus complained.
"Yeah, a victim of poor combat skills," Hassleberry retorted. "Scratching and hair pulling are illegal maneuvers. That's why I deserve to be Jaden's best friend."
"Why don't you just calm down?" Alexis said.
"Yeah, and why can't all three of you be friends?" Bastion asked.
"I'm not sharing my rank," Syrus and Hassleberry shouted.
Alexis rubbed her head, clearing getting as frustrated with Syrus and Hassleberry as everyone else.
The door opened and Hikari made her way into the room, turning over the box in her hand. She looked up at them. "What's going on? I can hear them shouting all the way in mine and Kira's room," she said.
"They're fighting over who gets to be Jaden's best friend," Alexis explained.
"Really? Why? Why can't they both be his friend?"
"Apparently, they don't want to share their rank."
"Oh."
The door opened again and Kasumi walked into the room. "Hey, guys," she greeted them. She paused when she saw Syrus and Hassleberry glaring at each other. "Are they fighting over whose Jaden's best friend again?"
"Yes," everyone in the room chorused.
"I know just how they feel, and I'm here to help," a new voice said and everyone looked up, only to sweatdrop when they spotted Atticus lying on the rafters with Pharaoh. He then leapt down to join them.
"Atticus, what are you doing here?" Alexis asked.
"I've been sleeping up there all day, sis," Atticus replied, "And I couldn't help but hear the little power struggle going on here."
"Um, yeah, so?" Kasumi said with a frown.
"The problem is that both Hassleberry and Syrus want to be front-man," Atticus continued. "But they continue to sing backup, like her." He pointed to Alexis. "She dreams of stardom, but takes a backseat to her big bro."
With a scowl on her face, Alexis picked up Pharaoh and held it up to her brother's face and then yanked hard on the cat's tail. With a screech, Pharaoh clawed out, right into Atticus's face.
"Ahh! My face! My pure unblemished face!"
"And there's plenty more where that came from," Alexis growled.
"Whoa, watch that temper," Syrus said.
"Yeah, violence isn't the answer," Hassleberry said.
"You're one to talk!" Alexis yelled.
Everyone was startled by her outburst, as Alexis was normally very cool-headed. She then walked over and picked up two duel disks on a rack and tossed them to Hassleberry and Syrus.
"If you want to settle this matter, then shut up and duel. We're all sick and tired of your fighting," Alexis declared.
The two rivals looked at each other and nodded, determination in their eyes.
"Yeah, let's do it," Hassleberry said. "At 1300 hours tomorrow. I'm gonna stomp your machines into grease!"
"Ha! Yeah, right. If anyone's gonna get greased around here, it's you," Syrus countered.
. . .
After the duel was decided between Hassleberry and Syrus for the next day, Kyle and Celina had gone to the beach. Celina relaxed the sand, digging her toes in as she had taken off her boots earlier. She liked the feeling of sand between her toes; it was nice and warm. Kyle was seated beside her, looking out over the ocean.
"Did you hear about what happened?" Celina asked.
"What happened?" Kyle said, turning to the white-haired girl.
"Mindy and Jasmine are on the hunt for Dante."
"What'd he do this time?"
"Do you really have to ask?"
Kyle's lips quirked into a smile. "No, no I don't," he said.
"I got him back for that little prank he pulled, plus those comments he made," Celina said.
"What'd you do? And why'd you wait so long?"
"I pushed him into the ocean by the lighthouse, and it took me this long to actually get him alone."
"What was he doing by the lighthouse?"
"Hiding from Mindy and Jasmine. I could have done worse, but I didn't want to get arrested for assault, especially since he only said inappropriate things, y'know?"
Kyle nodded in agreement and turned his gaze back to the ocean, his brow furrowing as his mind went to Dante's words about whether he was jealous when Dante was complimenting Celina. And about how he blushed and reacted when Dante thought Celina was his girlfriend. He cast a sidelong glance at the beautiful whitenette and another small smile crossed his lips.
There was no doubt that he thought Celina was cute. Her white hair, her beautiful sapphire eyes that seemed to always shine radiantly in the sunlight; the way she laughed, her skills at dueling, her love of nature. He felt connected to her in a way that he never had to another girl; whenever he was around her, his heart would start fluttering and he would return to being shy.
"I remember one time that Miss Thomas took me to White Sands in New Mexico," Celina mused, digging her toes into the sand.
"White Sands?" Kyle repeated. He had heard of the place, but had never been to it before. "Is it really white sand there?"
"Uh huh. It's really beautiful. I remember walking barefoot in the sand while I was playing with Lisa, Gabriel, and Renee. Natalie hadn't come to the foster home yet. We got so dirty and ended up finding white sand in places that…well…white sand should not be, but we had fun."
Kyle smiled, watching as Celina leaned back, her blue eyes fixed on the sky and her hair brushing the sand beneath her. "Have you been to a lot of places like that?" he asked.
"Not really. Miss Thomas doesn't make enough for a lot of vacations. She needs that money to take care of us, especially when we got Natalie. We did visit the Grand Canyon, though; that was interesting, especially hiking the Bright Angel Trail. You wouldn't believe how many squirrels we saw on that hike."
"How many?" Kyle asked curiously.
"I counted twenty before we were even a third of the way to the three mile point," Celina said dryly.
Kyle laughed. "Man, that's a lot of squirrels."
"I know, right?" Celina chuckled as well and turned to him. "So, where have you gone?"
Kyle thought about it for a moment. "My parents and I did visit Niagara Falls one time. It was really nice," he said.
"I've always wanted to visit Niagara Falls," Celina admitted. "But we never had the money. We were lucky Miss Thomas got those bonuses and we were able to go to White Sands and the Grand Canyon. Lisa and Gabriel were the one that choose those places. It was my turn next to choose, but Miss Thomas never got another bonus after the Grand Canyon trip."
Kyle smiled sympathetically and placed a hand on Celina's shoulder. "I'm sorry but, maybe, someday you will be able to visit Niagara Falls," he said. "Maybe when you become a pro duelist."
Celina drew her knees close to her. "Do you really think I'm good enough to be a pro?"
"You did get in second place in the U.S. Championship Tournament," Kyle reminded her.
"Yeah, but…"
Kyle frowned. "Are you still thinking about what those asshole Princetons said to you?" he asked, keeping his voice gentle.
"Maybe a little," Celina admitted. "I mean, Bakura spoke to me at length about that and even Marik chimed in to talk about how the Princetons were wrong to treat me that way and to belittle me the way they did after I lost to Keith, but I guess a part of me still believes them." She sighed in frustration. "I'm being stupid and silly."
"No, you're not," Kyle assured her, curling an arm around her shoulders before he could stop himself. "Even I feel a similar way, like I'm not good enough, that I'm not as good as my brother. I've always felt that way, living in my brother's shadow, but I suppose I took strength from that. I mean, I say I'm not good enough so I strive to be good enough; I strive to be better today than I was yesterday. I strive to prove my own doubts wrong."
He turned to Celina and smiled. "I think you can do that, too, Celina. You're a good duelist and I know that you can prove that small kernel of doubt within you wrong," he said.
Celina's cheeks reddened and she smiled softly at him. "Thank you," she said softly. She paused and then added, "Kyle?"
"Hmm?"
"Will you duel me?"
"Um, sure, but why?"
Celina shifted, suddenly looking embarrassed and Kyle could see that sense of insecurity in her eyes. "Um, never mind, it's stupid," she said softly.
"I'm sure it's not. What is it?" Kyle asked gently.
Celina was silent for a long moment. "Well, it's just…I've been…well…I kinda been…wanting to tell you something, but I just…I don't know if I can, and I heard about what happened between Chazz and Arina, and I thought…never mind, it's stupid," she stammered out, looking away.
Kyle, going through what Celina had just said, latched on to the mention of Chazz and Arina that dealt with a duel. Could she be talking about how Chazz had dueled Arina to get her to go on a date with him? He wondered silently. He paused as another thought entered his head.
Does she…like me?
Kyle would admit he was surprised that such a beautiful, smart, talented girl actually liked him, the shadow of his champion duelist brother.
"Sure, I'll duel you, Celina," he said.
Celina glanced at him, surprised. "Really?" she asked.
"Why not?" Kyle said with a soft smile. "I mean, I've honestly been wanting to duel you for a while now."
Celina smiled. "Okay. Um, we should go get our duel disks," she said.
Kyle nodded in agreement and the two stood up, Celina slipped on her boots, and they began heading back toward the Obelisk Blue dorm.
. . .
Kyle and Celina decided to duel on the beach. After shuffling and inserting their decks into their duel disks, they took up positions across from each other.
"Hey, can we watch ya?"
Celina turned to find the Bradford twins standing nearby, watching them. "I don't mind. Do you, Kyle?" she asked. She had dueled in front of hundreds of people, after all.
"Um, no not really," Kyle said. By nature, he was shy, but he always knew he would have to get used to dueling in front of people if he ever wanted to be a pro.
"Cool," Zoey said cheerfully as she sat down on the beach while Nathan sat down beside her. "I haven't seen a good duel in a while. Maybe one of us can duel the winner?"
Celina shrugged. "That's fine by me," she said.
"Okay," Kyle said.
The two of them faced each other and drew their opening hands as they declared, "Duel!"
Kyle: 8000
Celina: 8000
"Um, I guess since I was challenged, I'll go first," Kyle said, drawing a card and glancing at it. "I activate the Spell Dark Room of Nightmare and then I summon Volcanic Slicer in Attack Mode."
A room with shadows crawling on the walls and a single torch appeared next to Kyle followed by the olive green dinosaur (A: 1800/D: 1200).
"And next I activate Volcanic Slicer's effect, dealing you 500 points of damage," Kyle added and the dinosaur unleashed a ball of fire that slammed into Celina's duel disk. "And Dark Room of Nightmare inflicts another 300 damage to you."
A shadowy tendril struck Celina's duel disk.
Kyle: 8000
Celina: 7200
"And then I place two cards facedown and end my turn," Kyle said.
"My turn, I draw," Celina said, drawing a card and looking at it before glancing at her hand. "I summon Ally of Justice Core Destroyer in Defense Mode and place this facedown, and that's it."
A blue, silver and golden machine with spider-like legs appeared on the field and lowered its head defensively (A: 1200/D: 200).
"I draw," Kyle said, drawing a card and glancing at it before pressing a button on his duel disk. "I activate Backfire. You know what this does."
"Yeah," Celina said with a grimace.
"Then I summon Solar Flare Dragon in Attack Mode," Kyle added and his serpentine dragon made of flames coiled its way onto the field (A: 1500/D: 1000).
"Solar Flare Dragon, attack Core Destroyer," Kyle ordered.
"I activate DNA Transplant and declare Light for its effect," Celina said quickly, revealing her face-down. "And when Core Destroyer is attacked by a Light monster, it's destroyed without damage calculation."
Kyle grimaced as Core Destroyer slammed into Solar Flare Dragon, destroying it.
"But Backfire and Dark Room of Nightmare still activate," he pointed out. Backfire spat out a fireball that struck Celina's duel disk and then a shadowy tendril also struck it.
Kyle: 8000
Celina: 6400
"Now, I activate Volcanic Slicer's effect," Kyle added and another fireball shot toward Celina followed by the shadow tendril form Dark Room of Nightmare.
Kyle: 8000
Celina: 5600
"And I place this facedown and end my turn," Kyle said.
Celina drew a card and glanced at it. Not much I can do. "I summon Ally of Justice Nullfier in Attack Mode and then switch Core Destroyer to Attack Mode," she said.
The spider-legged round, red machine with the blue glass pane in front of it appeared (A: 1600/D: 1200).
"Now, Core Destroyer, attack Volcanic Slicer," Celina ordered and the two monsters collided; due to Core Destroyer's effect, only Volcanic Slicer was destroyed.
"Backfire and Dark Room of Nightmare activate," Kyle said and a fireball followed by a shadowy tendril once again struck Celina's duel disk.
Kyle: 8000
Celina: 4800
Celina huffed in frustration. "Nullfier, attack Kyle directly," she ordered.
"Go Dimensional Wall," Kyle said, revealing his face-down.
"Damn!" Celina winced as Nullfier's attack crashed into the wall that had appeared in front of Kyle and then was redirected back at her.
Kyle: 8000
Celina: 3200
"I end my turn," she said. She couldn't help but feel frustrated, but she took a deep breath to calm herself down. Kyle was working with a deck that did have several burn cards in it. And Burn decks were difficult to beat.
Kyle drew a card. "I activate Pot of Greed," he said and drew two more cards. "Sorry, Celina, but looks like it's over. I activate Lightning Vortex."
Celina swore as Kyle discarded a card and strikes of lightning rained down on her side of the field, obliterating all of her monsters.
"Then I activate Call of the Haunted to bring back Volcanic Slicer," Kyle added and the olive-green dinosaur returned to the field (A: 1800/D: 1200). "I activate Volcanic Slicer's effect."
Another fireball shot toward Celina, striking her duel disk, followed by Dark Room of Nghtmare's shadowy tendril.
Kyle: 8000
Celina: 2400
"Next, I tribute Volcanic Slicer to summon Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch in Attack Mode," Kyle added and the fiery armored Monarch appeared on the field (A: 2400/D: 1000).
"Now, thanks to Thestalos's effect, when it's Tribute Summoned, one random card gets discarded from your hand, and if it was a monster, you get dealt damage equal to its Level times 100."
Celina sighed after shuffling her hand and randomly discarding her Ally of Justice Thunder Armor card, causing more fire to rain down on her and costing her 800 more points of damage. She was thankful she wasn't afraid of fire like Kasumi was. Dark Room of Nightmare also struck out with a shadowy tendril striking her duel disk, taking away another 300.
Kyle: 8000
Celina: 1300
"Thestalos, end this duel," Kyle said quietly, watching as his Monarch sent a burst of flames toward Celina, taking out the last of her Life Points.
Kyle: 8000 WINNER
Celina: 0
"Wow, he didn't lose a single Life Point!" Zoey exclaimed.
"Not a bad duel," Nathan said.
Celina didn't think so. Kyle had beaten her without losing a single Life Point and those familiar feelings of insecurity that the Princetons had brought out in her due to their belittling rose up again. She turned away and wrapped her arms around herself after she deactivated her duel disk.
She was surprised when she felt arms gently wrap around her. Turning around, she spotted Kyle standing behind her. "Hey, that was a good duel, Celina," he said.
"I didn't even scratch you, though," Celina said softly. She was surprised when she felt tears in her eyes and she quickly wiped them away.
Why am I getting so emotional over losing one duel? she thought.
"Don't feel bad, Celina," Kyle assured her, gently wiping away a tear that she had missed. "I still have a hard time beating Keith, and he's beaten me without losing a single Life Point, too, a couple of times, actually. It happens. That's the game."
"I know." Celina sighed and looked up at Kyle, giving him a small smile.
Kyle smiled back at her.
Celina didn't know how long she remained there, nestled comfortably in Kyle's arms, but she found that she didn't want to move. Kyle was so warm and his arms just felt…right around her. Hesitating, she rested her head on Kyle's chest, causing the timid brunet to blink in surprise and look down at the girl resting against him, his cheeks flaring red.
Boy, am I glad Keith isn't here. He would probably spend the next month teasing me about this, Kyle thought, but didn't remove his arms from around the white-haired girl and, instead, rested his cheek gently on top of Celina's head.
Off to the side, Nathan and Zoey watched the scene.
"Aww, that's so sweet," Zoey said with a smile.
Nathan turned to his sister. "Let's leave 'em alone, sis. One of us can duel Kyle later," he said.
"All right," Zoey said and the two started making their way back to the main building, leaving the two Obelisks, who seemed to be in their own little world.
. . .
"Anyone know how Raiden's doing?" Kasumi asked as she entered the Slifer Dorm later that day. "I can't exactly go into the Obelisk Blue Dorm." Her brother had returned to his room in the Obelisk Blue Dorm three days ago for some reason, but never told anyone why; Kasumi figured he was avoiding them. She and Jaden did that, too, but not quite as much since they started speaking with Dr. Nakamura. Raiden, however…
"No," Kyle said. "He's still in the Obelisk's dorm?"
"That's what I'm figuring. I'm worried," Kasumi said softly.
"I'll go and see if I can speak with him," Kyle offered, removing his arm from around Celina and getting to his feet.
"Thanks," Kasumi said.
Kyle left the room and headed toward the Obelisk Blue Dorm. He made his way to Raiden's room, which was on the same floor as his before he had moved to the Red Dorm, and knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" Raiden's voice called.
"It's Kyle," Kyle replied.
There was a moment of silence, then: "Leave me alone," Raiden said.
"We're all worried about you, Raiden," Kyle said softly. "It's been three days."
"I'm fine," Raiden said.
"Then why…?"
"Look, I'm fine, Kyle. Just tell Little Mist and the others that I'm fine," Raiden said.
Kyle bit his lip and sighed. "All right, but maybe you should talk with Jaden and Kasumi's therapist," he suggested.
"I don't need a therapist."
I'm really thinking that you do. Kyle didn't repeat his thoughts out loud. Just like Kasumi said, Raiden couldn't be forced to see Dr. Nakamura if he didn't want to; it would be counterproductive and he would likely just get defensive if his friends tried to get him to see a therapist. "All right. Syrus and Hassleberry are going to duel tomorrow afternoon, if you want to come and watch," he said finally.
"…I'll think about it," Raiden replied.
Figuring that was the best he was going to get, Kyle walked away.
. . .
That night, in the middle of the forest, Syrus was walking around with a flashlight and scanning the darkness. "Jaden! Are you out here?" he called.
When the light shined on them, a flock of birds suddenly flew out of the bushes, startling him and causing him to drop his flashlight.
"Oh, no, the light."
When he saw the snake and the swarm of bats that were staring at him, he gulped. "Um, yeah, okay, no fear. Just remember why you're here. Jaden! Where the heck are you?!" He started moving again, disappearing deeper into the forest.
Meanwhile, nearby, Jaden was flopping down next to a tree, dressed in only his boxers as he had just swam out of a small lake nearby where he had tried to fish and had failed epically.
'You aren't going to catch any fish that way,' Haou said dryly.
"Well, I don't hear you giving any suggestions," Jaden retorted.
'As you were so quick to point out, I don't need to eat,' Haou said.
Groaning in frustration, Jaden got changed and then started trying to find the Academy again.
. . .
At around one in the afternoon, Raiden left his room and headed toward the Slifer Dorm, feeling better and deciding to go watch the duel between Hassleberry and Syrus. As he neared the dorm, where the Slifers and the Ras and Obelisks who were staying at the Slifer Dorm were gathered, Kasumi was the first to spot him.
She beamed. "Raiden!" She exclaimed and darted over to join him.
Raiden froze as the memory of what happened with Kaage came back into his mind and went stiff when his sister's arms went around him. Taking a deep breath and telling himself that he wasn't in danger, he relaxed and hugged her back.
Kasumi released him and folded her arms across her chest. "You were avoiding us," she said.
"Yeah," Raiden said. "You and Judai did it, too. Are you really surprised that I wanted to stay away from you for a while?"
"No," Kasumi said with a sigh, unfolding her arms. "I was just worried."
Raiden's eyes softened. "Well, sorry for worrying ya, Little Mist," he said sincerely. He felt better today than he had the past three days, though nightmares still plagued his sleep the last three days so he was rather tired; he no longer felt quite as depressed as before and no longer wanted to stay away from everyone.
Kasumi smiled back at him and then said, "You're just in time to see Hassleberry and Syrus duel, though I don't know where Syrus is."
"Kyle told me about it yesterday," Raiden said, walking over to join the rest of the gang and the other Slifers on the sidelines.
"Syrus should've been here by now," Alexis said.
"Hey, half-pint," Hassleberry shouted, looking around. "We agreed on 13:00 on the dot. I guess you chickened out!"
"Guess again, Hassleberry!" Syrus's voice called and everyone turned to find a tired-looking Syrus making his way toward them, though his eyes were filled with determination.
"Well, I'll be. I thought you retreated," Hassleberry said.
"He looks exhausted, though," Kasumi murmured, noting the circles under his eyes. He also had leaves and dirt covering his clothing with some leaves in his hair. He pulled them out and moved to stand across from Hassleberry.
"Must have been up all night and, by the looks of it, he was in the forest," Raiden said. "Probably looking for Judai."
"Okay, let's review the stakes," Hassleberry said. "If I win, I'll be awarded with the title of second in command to Sergeant Jaden Yuki."
"And if I win, you acknowledge I'm Jaden's best friend and you'll become my second in command," Syrus declared.
"What?! No one authorized that condition, Private."
"Maybe we can have it that the same applies to Syrus if Hassleberry wins," Arina suggested.
"Sounds good to me," Hassleberry said. "Now then, let the battle commence."
Their duel disks whirred to life and they drew their opening hands.
Syrus: 8000
Hassleberry: 8000
"Here we go," Syrus said, drawing a card. "I summon Tankroid in Defense Mode."
A cartoonish dark-blue tank appeared on the field (A: 1500/D: 1900).
"Then I place two cards facedown and end my turn. Your move."
Two face-downs appeared at the tired Ra's feet.
Strong defense on Syrus's part for now, Raiden noted and studied Syrus. But he doesn't look so good. Did he get any sleep last night?
"I thought you were gonna fight, not hide," Hassleberry said as he drew a card. "I'm gonna change that, but first I activate Fossil Dig to add a Level 6 or lower Dinosaur from my Deck to my hand, and I'll go with Dark Driceratops." He retrieved the card and added, "And next I activate Destroyersaurus's effect, discarding it to add Jurassic World from my Deck to my hand, and then I'll activate it."
Immediately, the scenery changed and they were standing in the prehistoric world.
This'll give Hassleberry the advantage at the moment since all his monsters are Dinosaurs, Raiden noted.
"And all my dinos gain 300 Attack and Defense while this is in play. Next, I Special Summon my Gilasaurus to the field."
The brown dinosaur appeared on the field (A: 1400-1700/D: 400-700).
"Next, I discharge Gilasaurus to summon Dark Driceratops in Attack Mode. Front and center!" Hassleberry declared as Gilasaurus vanished to be replaced by the dark-green form of Dark Driceratops (A: 2400-2700D: 1500-1800).
"Now, Dark Driceratops, attack Tankroid. Phantom Nosedive!" Hassleberry barked out.
Dark Driceratops jumped into the air and flew toward Tankroid.
"I activate my Cyber Summon Blaster," Syrus said, revealing his face-down.
"Well, that's gonna help with taking out some of Hassleberry's Life Points," Kasumi noted from Raiden's side. He nodded in agreement.
Tankroid exploded and, due to Dark Driceratops's piercing effect, Syrus took damage.
Syrus: 7200
Hassleberry: 8000
"I also activate Mechanic's Soul," Syrus added, revealing his other facedown. "This allows me to send my Turboroid in my Deck to the Graveyard and Special Summon Tankroid back to my field. Plus, since Tankroid was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, I get to draw one card. And since Tankroid was Special Summoned, Cyber Summon Blaster deals you 300 points of damage."
Syrus retrieved the card from his Deck and placed it in his Graveyard and Tankroid returned to the field (A: 1500/D: 1900). Syrus then drew another card and Cyber Summon Blaster sent a blast of energy that struck Hassleberry's duel disk.
Syrus: 7200
Hassleberry: 7700
"Not bad, Private. Best to stand down for now. I end my turn," Hassleberry said.
"My draw," Syrus said, drawing a card and glancing at it and then picking up another card in his hand. "I summon Submarineroid in Attack Mode and then activate Shield & Sword. Now the Attack and Defense of all face-up monsters are switched."
His blue and yellow submarine appeared on the field (A: 800/D: 1800) and then the Attack and Defense of the other monsters were switched (Driceratops A: 2700-1800/D: 1800-2700) (Tankroid A: 1500-1900/D: 1900-1500) (Submarineroid A: 800-1800/D: 1800-800).
"Now, Tankroid, attack Dark Driceratops," Syrus commanded. Tankroid fired a powerful blast that slammed into Dark Driceratops, obliterating it.
Syrus: 7200
Hassleberry: 7600
"Now, Submarineroid, attack Hassleberry directly," Syrus added and Submarineroid dove into the ground before releasing the missile that it held and there was another explosion. Hassleberry winced as his Life Points took another hit.
Syrus: 7200
Hassleberry: 5800
"And after he attacks, I can switch Submarineroid to Defense Mode," Syrus added as Submarineroid took a defensive position. "I place this facedown and that's it."
(Submarineroid A: 1800-800/D: 800-1800) (Tankroid A: 1900-1500/D: 1500-1900).
"Well then, it's my turn now. I draw," Hassleberry said and drew a card. "I play Pot of Greed." He drew two more cards. "I then summon Archeonys."
The blue winged dinosaur appeared on the field (A: 300/D: 1300).
"Next, I activate New Ultra Evolution to bring out one of my best troops by Tributing Archeonys."
Archeonys was enveloped by a great blue light.
"Front and center, Ultimate Tyranno!" Hassleberry barked out and a large spiked black dinosaur appeared on the field with a roar (A: 3000-3300/D: 2200-2500).
"One of Hassleberry's strongest monsters. Syrus might be in trouble," Arina noted.
"And I also activate Monster Reborn to bring back Dark Driceratops," Hassleberry added and Dark Driceratops returned to the field (A: 2400-2700/D: 1500-1800).
"By the way, my Ultimate Tyranno has to attack first and has to attack all of your soldiers once each," the Dinosaur Duelist added. "Now, go Ultimate Tyranno!"
With a roar, the great dinosaur charged forward.
"Since you declared an attack while I control only Machine-Type roid monsters, I can activate my face-down, Supercharge, to draw two cards," Syrus said and drew two cards, watching as Tankroid was trampled by Ultimate Tyranno.
Syrus: 5400
Hassleberry: 5800
"Also, since Tankroid was destroyed, I get to draw another card," Syrus added and drew another card.
Then Ultimate Tyranno turned its attention to Submarineroid, trampling it as well under its large feet.
"Now, for a frontal assault, Dark Driceratops, attack the Private directly," Hassleberry commanded and Dark Driceratops leapt into the air and crashed into Syrus, sending him flying off his feet. He winced, pushing himself to his feet and making sure he hadn't lost his glasses anywhere.
Syrus: 2700
Hassleberry: 5800
"That's it," Hassleberry said.
Syrus drew a card. "I summon Einroid in Defense Mode and set two cards and that's it," he said.
One of those facedowns must be something that can help him out. Wonder if Hassleberry will notice, Raiden thought.
A blue transmitter machine-like monster appeared on the field (A: 200/D: 1800).
"My move." Hassleberry drew a card and then answered Raiden's question when he added, "Ultimate Tyranno, take out Einroid!"
Ultimate Tyranno started forward.
"Go, Magic Cylinder!" Syrus shouted, revealing his face-down.
"Sam Hill!" Hassleberry gasped as the attack was redirected back at him, knocking out another large chunk of his Life Points.
Syrus: 2700
Hassleberry: 2500
"You forgot my facedowns, didn't ya?" Syrus asked with a smirk.
"I ain't done yet, Private," Hassleberry said with a growl and pointed. "Dark Driceratops, take out Einroid."
"I activate Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Jurassic World," Syrus said, revealing his second set card and a mini cyclone spun across the field, obliterating the prehistoric world around them (Ultimate A: 3300-3000/D: 2500-2200) (Driceratops (A: 2700-2400/D: 1800-1500).
"Guess you saved yourself some points there," Hassleberry said as the attack continued and Dark Driceratops took out Einroid.
Syrus: 2100
Hassleberry: 2500
"Since Einroid was destroyed in battle, its effect makes me send two roid monsters from my Deck to the Graveyard." He did so.
"Fine then. I set two cards and that's it. Your move, half pint," the Dinosaur Duelist said as two face-downs appeared in front of him.
Syrus drew a card and glanced at it. "I play my own Pot of Greed," he said and drew two cards. "Next, I banish Stealthroid, Turboroid, and Strikeroid in my Graveyard to Fusion Summon Solidroid Beta in Attack Mode!"
Stealthroid, a silver-and-red cartoonish spaceship, Turboroid, a silver cartoonish engine-like machine, and Strikeroid, a red cartoonish plane, merged together to create a humanoid robot made up of pieces of all three machines with a large black shield on its right arm (A: 2500/D: 1900).
"And since Solidroid Beta was summoned, its effect lets me destroy one monster you control, and I choose that general of yours: Ultimate Tyranno," Syrus declared.
Hassleberry swore again as one of his best dinosaurs shattered.
"Also, Cyber Summon Blaster activates," Syrus added and a blast of blue energy struck Hassleberry.
Syrus: 2100
Hassleberry: 2200
"Now, Solidroid Beta, take out Dark Driceratops!" Solidroid Beta shot forward and slammed its large black shield into the dark-green dinosaur, causing it to shatter into golden pixels.
Syrus: 2100
Hassleberry: 2100
"And then I place this facedown and turn things back to you," Syrus said, inserting another card into his duel disk.
"This ain't over yet," Hassleberry said, drawing a card. "And I activate Call of the Haunted to bring Ultimate Tyranno back to the frontlines."
The large dark-black dinosaur returned to the field (A: 3000/D: 2200).
"Next, I activate Tail Swipe and target Ultimate Tyranno. Now, since its Level is lower than Ultimate Tyranno, your Solidroid Beta is returned to your hand, or Extra Deck, in this case."
Syrus scowled but retrieved the card and returned it to his Extra Deck.
"Now, Ultimate Tyranno, end this duel. Attack Syrus directly," Hassleberry ordered.
"I activate Half or Nothing. Now you have two choices: Halve the Attack of all of your monsters until the end of the Battle Phase, or end the Battle Phase," Syrus said.
"I'm gonna continue my attack," Hassleberry said and Ultimate Tyranno, his power weakening (A: 3000-1500), continued its charge and crashed into Syrus, sending him flying to the ground again.
Syrus: 600
Hassleberry: 2100
Then Ultimate Tyranno's power returned to normal when the Battle Phase came to an end (A: 1500-3000).
"I end my turn," Hassleberry said.
Even though he was down to his last six hundred life points, Raiden noted that Syrus didn't look overly concerned and he found himself wondering just what Syrus had in mind.
Syrus got back to his feet and drew a card. "My move," he said and glanced at the card he had just drawn. "I activate Polymerization and fuse Ambulanceroid with Rescueroid to Fusion Summon Ambulance Rescueroid in Defense Mode." His cartoonish ambulance and his cartoonish blue rescue truck merged together to create a large red cartoonish fire truck (A: 2300/D: 1800).
Cyber Summon Blaster's effect activated, sending another blast of energy at Hassleberry.
Syrus: 600
Hassleberry: 1800
"And next I summon Decoyroid in Defense Mode. While this is on the field, you have to choose it as an attack target before my other monsters. And then I'll play this facedown and that's it," Syrus said and a little red toy car appeared on the field (A: 300/D: 500). He swayed but managed to stay on his feet, making Raiden frown in concern. The small blue-haired boy looked like he was about to collapse at any moment.
"Then it's my move," Hassleberry said and drew a card. "I summon Sabersaurus in Attack Mode."
A large red stegosaurus with large white horns appeared on the field (A: 1900/D: 500).
"Now, since that's the only card I can attack, Ultimate Tyranno, attack Decoyroid," Hassleberry ordered and Ultimate Tyranno charged forward, trampling Decoyroid.
"He's not gone for good," Syrus said. "I activate Ambulance Rescueroid's effect to Special Summon Decoyroid back to the field in Defense Mode. And since that was a Special Summon, Cyber Summon Blaster activates."
Another blast of energy slammed into Hassleberry.
Syrus: 600
Hassleberry: 1500
"That don't matter. Your Ambulance Rescueroid's effect can only be used once a turn, right?" Hassleberry asked.
Syrus nodded, a confident smile on his face.
Raiden's eyes widened as he realized what Syrus was probably planning and he smiled to himself. "Very nice, Syrus," he murmured.
Kasumi glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. "What're you talking about?" she asked.
"I think I know what Syrus is planning," Raiden said.
"Then I'll just take out Decoyroid again. Go, Ultimate Tyranno," Hassleberry ordered and Ultimate Tyranno surged forward.
"I activate De-Fusion to split Ambulance Rescueroid back into Ambulanceroid and Rescueroid, both in Defense Mode," Syrus said, revealing his face-down and his Fusion monster was split back into the cartoonish ambulance (A: 300/D: 1300) and the cartoonish blue truck (A: 1600/D: 1800). "And that means ya get dealt 600 more damage."
Two blast of energy from Cyber Summon Blaster, one for each Fusion Material that was Special Summoned, slammed into Hassleberry.
Syrus: 600
Hassleberry: 900
Ultimate Tyranno then trampled Decoyroid again.
"Now, the effect of Rescueroid activates," Syrus said. "Since a roid monster I control was destroyed by battle, I can return it to my hand. But that also activates Ambulanceroid's effect, allowing me to Special Summon Decoyroid back to my field because it was added from my Graveyard to my hand."
Decoyroid returned to the field (A: 300/D: 500), causing Cyber Summon Blaster activate again.
Syrus: 600
Hassleberry: 600
"Ultimate Tyranno, attack it again," Hassleberry ordered and Ultimate Tyranno once again trampled the little red toy car.
Once again, Rescueroid's and Ambulanceroid's effects activated, returning Decoyroid to Syrus's hand and then it was Special Summoned back to the field respectively, triggering Cyber Summon Blaster's effect and knocking out some more of the Dinosaur Duelist's Life Points.
Syrus: 600
Hassleberry: 300
"Just as I thought," Raiden said with a smile. "Syrus caught Hassleberry in a loop."
Kasumi's eyes widened. "Whoa, way to go, Syrus," she said.
"He's definitely gotten to be a better duelist recently," Bastion noted.
"Yes. He has definitely downed his game since I first met him," Arina said.
"Upped his game, Arina," Alexis corrected with a small smile.
"Right, that's what I meant. Still, very impressive."
"One more blast and you will become my second in command," Syrus said with a tired smile as he swayed.
Hassleberry watched helplessly as Ultimate Tyranno went to attack Decoyroid again.
"Syrus, are you okay? You don't look so good," Alexis called worriedly.
"I'm fine, just haven't got enough rest lately," Syrus assured them.
"Why not?" Kira asked.
"You've been searching for Judai, haven't you?" Raiden asked.
Syrus nodded tiredly.
"A search and rescue? But why? He might not even be on the island anymore," Hassleberry protested.
"He's still on the island," Raiden said.
"How can you be sure?" Hassleberry said.
"Dueling's his life. Where else would he go?" Syrus demanded.
"Not only that, but he doesn't feel comfortable near the ocean, though he isn't afraid of it anymore," Kasumi said.
"Oh. So he's wandering around the island, lost?"
"Most likely," Kyle said.
"And if he is lost, I'll do something about it. I will find him!" Syrus declared with fiery determination blazing in his eyes.
Hassleberry looked at Syrus and lowered his head, deciding against activating his set card—Jurassic Impact—that would have ended the duel in a draw. "A true best friend," he said softly.
He watched as Ultimate Tyranno trampled Decoyroid, only for it to be returned to the field and Cyber Summon Blaster took out the last of his Life Points.
Syrus: 600 WINNER
Hassleberry: 0
"I won," Syrus said tiredly and then crumpled unconscious to the floor almost as soon as the holograms vanished.
"Syrus!" the gang exclaimed and darted over to the small Ra. Kasumi and Raiden knelt down on either side of the spiky blue-haired boy to check on him.
Bastion gazed at Syrus. "He's just taking a well-deserved nap," he said.
"He looked exhausted throughout that entire duel," Arina said quietly. "He could probably use more than just a nap."
Alexis nodded in agreement.
"Like someone else I know," Kasumi said, glancing at Raiden who blinked at her. He hadn't realized that she had noticed just how tired he really was since he had been trying to hide it from her.
"I'm fine," he said.
Kasumi didn't believe him. He could tell just by the look on her face, but she didn't push.
Raiden stood up and walked over to join Hassleberry, curious about something. "What was that last card you had left in play?" he asked curiously.
Hassleberry glanced at him and then revealed the card he had facedown.
Raiden read it. "You would have ended the duel in a draw if you had played that during the loop Syrus started," he noted.
"Yeah," Hassleberry said. "I just decided that Syrus should be Jaden's wingman."
Raiden placed a hand on Hassleberry's shoulder and turned toward the sleeping Ra. "Yeah, I think he deserves it, too."
. . .
The following day, Hassleberry wondered why it was that he had agreed to the terms of the addition to the agreement.
"All right, Hassleberry, you got everything we need?" Syrus asked him as Hassleberry hoisted the bag filled to the brim with stuff for the search and rescue mission he and Syrus were about to set out on.
"You got the lunches and snacks?"
"Yeah."
"And the tent?"
"It's here! Why do I have to carry this stuff, anyway?"
"Because you lost and, under the stakes, you become my subordinate," Syrus told him.
"This sucks," Hassleberry muttered to himself.
"Pipe down, subordinate. Time to move out," the Vehicroid Duelist ordered and then started toward the woods with Hassleberry, sighing, just behind him.
. . .
"Hey, Hikari, can I ask you something?" Kasumi asked as she sat down beside her sister.
"What is it?" Hikari asked.
"What was in that box that you were holding yesterday?"
"Oh that? Just a gift I got from my adopted dad that he just shipped to the Academy. It's a late birthday gift," Hikari said.
"Oh, okay. By the way, I've been meaning to ask you, why do you have that silver bracelet around your arm? I mean, I know that you don't really need a reason to wear jewelry but…" Kasumi shrugged, "Oh never mind.
Hikari was silent for a long moment, turning it over and then sighed. "No, I actually am wearing it for a reason. It's to stop my powers," she said.
"Your powers?"
"Yeah. I'm a Psychic Duelist, Kasumi. That was why I ran way. I was scared of my powers when they acted up and hurt someone I was dueling, and I didn't want to…accidentally hurt you."
"So you left," Kasumi said softly. She was upset that her sister wouldn't tell her about being a Psychic Duelist and that was the reason she had left, but then she was being a hypocrite since she hadn't yet told Hikari about what, exactly, caused the fire that killed their parents. She bit her lip, wondering if she should just tell her sister. She knew she would have to eventually, simply because she felt that Hikari deserved to know, but she was a bit afraid of how Hikari would react.
It wasn't as if they really had much time to bond or interact with each other in recent years. While they were growing up, sure, but Kasumi just felt estranged from her sister. She wanted to trust her as she had when they were growing up but, after the years they'd been apart, she just didn't know if she could.
But then, Hikari had just revealed to her about her abilities, so why shouldn't she tell Hikari about her own ability?
"I was afraid," Hikari said. "I didn't want to hurt you or mom and dad or any of our friends so I just wandered and tried to avoid people until the D found me and told me that he knew of a way to help me with my powers. He gave me this bracelet to help me control them and I've been wearing it since."
"So, after that, why didn't you come back home?" Kasumi asked, wondering just why the D, she recognized him as a strong professional duelist, would take in Hikari and she didn't believe for an instant that it was out of the kindness of his heart. No one just took in a random girl on the streets out of the kindness of his heart. At least, that was what Kasumi thought. I guess Hikari must have been desperate, or really naïve, when this happened. Was I ever that I naïve?
"I…don't know," Hikari said. "I guess I just needed some time to get used to the bracelet and, maybe, I was a bit afraid of how you would react. And when I found out Mom and Dad were dead, I thought you had died with them."
Sounds like excuses to me, Kasumi thought, a small twinge of resentment surging through her but, at the mention of her parents deaths, she felt another surge of guilt.
Hikari flinched and looked away and Kasumi realized she had said those words out loud but she didn't bother on taking them back. She just folded her arms across her chest and studied Hikari.
"I just didn't want to hurt you, Kasumi, and I really did think that you'd died with our parents," Hikari said quickly.
Kasumi didn't respond to that. Instead, very bluntly, she said, "Our parents wouldn't have died had you not run away," before she could stop herself.
Hikari's eyes widened at those words. "W…What?" she stammered out.
Kasumi looked away. "Our parents died because you ran away and they were fighting over you and treating me like I was property and I…" She trailed off and looked away, not wanting to go on with the rest of the story and yet wanting Hikari to know the truth. "I have my own set of powers, Hikari," she said, still not meeting her sister's, though she felt more like a stranger than anything, gaze. "I can control and conjure up fire, especially when I'm really angry. That's what happened with Mom and Dad. I got angry that they were treating me like property and my powers activated, setting the entire house on fire. I was so scared that I just reacted, like instinct took over, or whatever, and I ran out of the house. By the time the firemen arrived, the house had already collapsed…" She fell silent, feeling tears well up in her eyes as those familiar feelings of guilt came back.
Without a word, she got to her feet and left the room without a single backward glance at her shocked twin. The resentment simmered within her, especially now that she knew the truth. She needed some time alone. The thought about how Hikari running away had been what led to her powers going out of control echoed in her mind.
Kasumi may have been the one who caused the fire that killed their parents but Hikari running away was what caused the fight that led to her powers going out of control in the first place.
In a way, it was both of their faults.
But that did little to quench the resentment and guilt that she was feeling once again.
. . .
Meanwhile, deep in the jungle, Jaden was still trying to find his way back to the Academy; however, thanks to Wheeler, Jaden was no longer starving. Wheeler had found Jaden when he had passed out and then, after waking him up, gave him water and then a couple of bananas. While he ate, Jaden reflected on everything that had happened, both in his first year at Duel Academy and in his second year; he tried not to think about what happened in Honolulu, but the memories decided to return on their own anyway.
And, now, he was on his way to find Duel Academy once again.
Now if only he had a better sense of direction.
"Thanks for the bananas, Wheeler," he said to the monkey as he jumped to his feet. "Time to finally find my way back to civilization. I say we go…this way!" He pointed in a random direction and started heading off, unaware that there was a sign standing nearby, pointing at Duel Academy in the opposite direction.
Wheeler did notice the sign, though, and sweatdropped while the sign, itself, fell over anime-style at the E-Hero Duelist's very bad sense of direction.
. . .
A/n what do you think?
Blaze: man, that convo between Hikari and Kasumi (especially with Hikari's changed backstory) was a lot harder than I thought it would be but I think I did an okay job on it. It was that convo that was really the main reason that I didn't update on the day that I said I would
Bakura: no it wasn't. It was because you were busy focusing on finishing your Code Geass fic, you moron
Blaze: oh shut up, Bakura, and go set Pendragon on fire. By the way, for anyone who likes Code Geass, the CG fanfic that I've been working on for the past…I think two months?...has been posted; the title is still Divergence for anyone who wishes to check it out.
Bakura: aren't you not supposed to be self-promoting?
Blaze: it isn't self-promoting, I'm just saying.
Bakura: yeah, sure, whatever (walks off to go set Pendragon on fire again)
Blaze: (sweatdrops and sighs) Marik?
Marik: I'll go make sure the characters you like are out first (walks off)
Blaze: Yami, finish the chapter (walks off to go listen to COLORS by FLOW, which she doesn't own by the way)
Yami: all right, Blaze hope that you enjoyed this chapter and the two duels that were within it. Please review and the next chapter…she's not even going to bother on setting a specific time for when she will post the next chapter. Let's just say next week sometime and leave it at that. Reviews, as always, are much appreciated.