Cards in Hand

Hikaru put on the shorts he was handed. The tanned guy was a surfer and he was apparently in California. "So, like little dude. I saw you swimming for life and I was about to run out and get you but you made it. You're really awesome! But, why were you out there?"

Hikaru looked down silently. His brain started hurting. Why? Tears started to almost come from his face and he felt pathetic. "I… don't know."

The surfer sighed. The sun came up and was shining brilliantly. "Bro, just look ahead. You might not know what you were there for but, like. It doesn't matter. The sun is still rising beautifully. I'm going to do some surfing and then let's head back to my place, k?"

Hikaru smiled. "Sure."

Hikaru was working out in the mean time a little bit to pass the time while the guy was surfing. Finally hours later they were heading back. "My name is Jordan by the way."

"My name's Hikaru."

"Interesting name, so, what do you plan on doing next?"

"Find my friends and strip two of them."

Jordan looked at Hikaru completely perplexed. He sounded way too serious. "What was that?"

"Find my friends and thank two of them."

Eventually they went inside; it was a cramped apartment that was somewhat messy except for one area which was completely clean. "Hey, we can always play duel monsters to pass the time."

"I'm not sure I know how to play." Jordan dropped his jaw. That was a new one. Then he smiled.

"It's cool, I'll teach ya."

The cards felt familiar in Hikaru's hands. Before he knew it he was back to his old self. He had a smirk on his face along with sharpness in his eyes. "Let's begin, Duel!"

Angela finally regained her consciousness to full effect. It seemed as if she was staying with the leader of this group. They all wore modern clothes it was just a rural area. Some of them vaguely reminded her of Shinji and Hikaru.

"Ohayo nee-san!" A small kid looked at her with a smile and waved. They were Japanese. Then it hit her, the kid was small but the exact same height as her. She was smaller. She didn't speak Japanese, what did she do?

"You speak English, yes?"

She nodded fervently. It was an older man with eyes that never seemed to open and a rather shiny head at the moment.

"I speak. A little bit. Come." She followed him for what seemed to be a short while. Eventually they arrived to a shrine. Instinctively she threw a coin in the offering box and then bowed. Clapped twice before bowing again.

"You know some of the customs."

She nodded then pointed to her open wounds.

The old man started laughing. "It matters not child. Where did you learn?" She nervously racked her brain and then wrote friend in the ground. Smiling the old man took a deep breath and then rose. He walked away a bit and shortly returned with two different decks. "Let us play."

She smiled. But then wrote "I forget how" in the ground.

The old man laughed again and then continued smiling. "I'll teach you. But first, what is your name?"

She struggled and then barely managed to squeak something out. "Angela… I forget my last name." Finally her body was heating up and she was about to pass out. "I'm… at… my… limit…"

"So you have trouble speaking?" She nodded. "My name is Arata Jun. Call me Ojii-san as the other kids do." He then handed her the cards.

The cards felt so natural. It was as if she found a part of herself. "I AM THE COCOA RAINBOW! AND I AM HERE TO BRING THE BEAT, DOWN! Awww yeah!"