So I like to consider this the end of 'Book 1' or at least the first part of Tanion's story. For those who've supported my story so far, I thank you, it really is great to see people enjoying my work. No duels again this chapter, but plenty of plot and character development for everyone involved. Enjoy!

Chapter 11 – Spirit of the Cards

The sun has set long before Jorann finally took Edilisna down to ground level. On their journey, Tanion had seen many places of conflict, destroyed cities and scorched land littering the remains of the United States. At first, he had tried to keep track of where they were, but eventually gave up, instead making sure that he didn't fall off the dragon. As they descended, they passed over a large lake, before landing on the edge of a town that had been ravaged by the war.

"The Grand Order began their invasion here," Jorann said as they landed. "This was the first town attacked. We don't know where they came from, or why here, but a day after it happened news spread like wildfire. Devil's Lake, destroyed by the Duel Monsters."

"We're near the Canadian border," Tanion noted.

"What used to be," Jorann nodded reminiscently. "We didn't understand the threat at first. Officers were sent to find out what happened, but they disappeared. Before long, other towns met the same fate. The Grand Order spread outward, like a plague, uncaring of borders. We had no idea where they had come from, and we still don't."

Tanion looked over the ruined town. Dust had settled on everything, and nature was beginning to take back the buildings. Trees grew in abandoned stores. Vines wrapped around light poles. The ghost town was void of everything that had once made it a viable place to live. Tanion could almost see what life would've been like before The Grand Order came.

"They killed everyone," Jorann continued, Edilisna still by his side. "They didn't seem to care for who they killed, what damage they caused. Nothing could stop them. By the time the world was able to launch a successful counter offensive, they'd taken half of the United States and much of Canada."

"Why did it take so long?"

"Like I said, they killed everyone and destroyed everything," Jorann answered. "It took us a whole month before we knew what we were dealing with. Duel of Strength... it was something we knew nothing about, and had to adapt to quickly."

"I see," Tanion realised. "The people here had never seen such duels before, only ones where the damage is virtual."

Jorann nodded. "We finally managed to hold our own, and the United Nations managed to capture one of them. He told them everything about the Duels of Strength, but by the time that happened it was too late. The Grand Order began popping up all over the world. They had been here long enough to spread themselves throughout the world, and by the time our governments realised, well, it was much too late to stop them."

"Who are they?"

"We don't know," Jorann admitted. "We had considered the possibility that they had come here from another world, something the world's governments had had inklings about for a long time, but that notion was dismissed. The amount of energy required to spend them through... it was too much to comprehend."

"But not impossible."

"No. Our scientists estimated, though, that if we were to try and replicate such a thing, it would take the entire world working together for a year in order to achieve it. I cannot imagine such a thing as being possible."

"Stranger things have happened," Tanion said.

He kicked a bit of rubble with his boot. Looking out over the lake, he couldn't help but wonder what lay out there. The name Devil's Lake seemed appropriate for the place, considering what had happened here five years ago. It was something that Tanion couldn't really fathom.

"Why tell me all this?" Tanion wondered. "Why bring me here?"

Jorann sighed, and sat on a rotting tree stump. "You use Synchro monsters," he began. "For me to see someone else use them with your skills... it was like a breath of fresh air. It reminded me that I wasn't alone. That I wasn't the last."

"None of the other rebel groups have Synchro users?" Tanion asked, shocked.

"We don't know," Jorann admitted. "Last we knew there was a group in Australia, China, Brazil... we lost contact with the one in Europe a couple years back."

"So what does being a Synchro user have to do with this place?"

"I brought you here because you need to understand everything we've been through the past 5 years," Jorann answered. "You're the only one who hasn't experienced what we have. The loss, the suffering... do you ever wonder why Elise and Darrien follow orders so easily? Without question?"

"Because they're part of an army," Tanion said.

"Because they have nothing else," Jorann replied. "Getting orders, following them, fighting the Order, coming back and getting more orders... after everything we've been through, it's all they can do to stop themselves from stopping, because if they do that, they won't get going again."

"It'll hit them all at once," Tanion realised.

"None of us sleep well at night," Jorann continued. "The things we've had to do, the destruction we've caused to save ourselves, the lives we've had to take... it's something no one should ever have to do."

"How do you do it?" Tanion asked. "Sure you keep going out on missions, but that won't keep you distracted forever."

Jorann indicated to Tanion's disk. "Our cards," he said. "For everyone here, our monsters aren't just our tools. Our weapons. They're our friends, our family. Why? Because unlike the Grand Order, we can't mass produce cards. The decks we have are the ones we've always had, from the time before the Order arrived. For some, like Darrien and Elise, that's all they have left of their lives before."

"I hope you're not going to try and make me believe that the monsters are real again," Tanion said warily. "A bond with your cards I can understand. I wouldn't replace my cards for anything. But they aren't real. They're just that. Pieces of card."

Jorann fell silent, and walked to the water's edge. Behind him, High Dragon Edilisna let out a short snort, something that set Tanion on edge. How could it do that? Before he could think of an answer, Jorann interrupted his thoughts.

"Do you remember where you are, Tanion?" he asked, his gaze firmly fixed on the horizon.

"On a different planet," he answered. "One based off of the anime."

"We researched that before we sent Elise and Darrien to you," Jorann said. "In the show, there was a thing called the Spirit World, and it was explored in all three series. So tell me, Tanion. After everything else you've seen here so far, why would the spirits not be real? If everything else is, why would monster spirits not be real?"

"I... It's just not possible," Tanion stuttered.

"Look at your deck," Jorann ordered. "It has answered your wishes time and again. Against Elise, and the Grand Order servant, it gave you the cards you needed to win. Why? Because the spirits of your cards knew that you couldn't afford to lose, and so they helped you."

"Then why did I lose to you?" Tanion questioned.

"Because you do not believe them to be real," Jorann said. "I know you felt it on the day Darrien found you. Royal Knight, it called to you, demanded that you take them with you. It's because they knew they would be needed. Against me, you did not but faith in your deck, and it failed you."

"I just... it's just so hard to believe that there's a world filled with Duel Monsters," Tanion said.

"I realise that," Jorann said. "I want you to walk to me. Summon Royal Knight."

"Why?"

"Folks used to believe that the lake was inhabited by demons," Jorann continued. "We've found this not to be the case. This is simply a weak point in the veil that separates our world from the Spirit World. Summon Royal Knight here, and even though you do not believe, he will come over in his true form."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know your deck has been trying to reach you," Jorann answered. "They want you to believe."

This is ridiculous, Tanion thought to himself. Nonetheless, he walked to the edge of the water, the water's edge pushing gently upon the end of his boots. Sighing slightly, he pulled the card out from his extra deck and placed it upon the disk.

"Appear before us now, Royal Knight!" he exclaimed into the heavens.

A light flickered in front of them. It begun to grow until eventually Tanion could see it's light beginning to form into armour, an armour that he recognised immediately. Before long, Royal Knight had materialised in front of them, floating just over the water, sword in hand and shield across his back.

"Look into his eyes, boy," Jorann commanded. "Look into his eyes and tell me again that spirits aren't real."

Willing Royal Knight to remove his helm, the being complied, and Tanion had to stop himself gasping as he did so. Beneath the helm was a mighty warrior, brown skin was a scar across his face, with long ashen hair that folded out from the helm as it was removed. But it's eyes... they were eyes that Tanion would never forget. It looked like they'd seen the cosmos.

"Royal Knight..." Tanion whispered. "I'm sorry... I didn't realise."

"You don't need to apologise to him," Jorann said comfortingly. "They knew that you would've found it hard to believe. They are simply grateful that you finally acknowledge them."

"How do you know?" Tanion asked.

Jorann ignored him. "Royal Knight, thank you for coming. Tanion knows now."

Seeming to nod, Royal Knight replaced his helm seemingly of his own will, and faded back into the light from whence he'd come. Tanion stood there long after he was gone, stunned but what he had just seen.

"How could you communicate with my monsters?" Tanion asked him eventually.

"I've been telling you all along," Jorann answered. "Synchro users need to be in tune with their deck much more than either regular duelists or Fusion users. Our bond with our monsters is what gives us our strength, and from that strength comes our ability to become one with our cards, for the trust either way to become absolute between us."

"Why can't the others have that bond?" Tanion asked.

"Because they don't have the inherent ability," Jorann answered. "Fusion users have a strong bond with their cards, as do other users, but as a Synchro user, your cards aren't just your friends or your family. They are a part of you."

"What of Jaden then?" Tanion continued to ask. "Why does he have such a strong bond with monsters if he's not a Synchro user?"

"You should know from your world," Jorann said. "Jaden is not human, nor spirit."

"He's both," Tanion finished.

Tanion looked down at his duel disk, his monsters contained within. I think I understand now, he thought. Ever since that day when Royal Knight first called out to me, it's felt as if me separating from my deck was a mistake, even dangerous. They were calling out to me this entire time, to make me acknowledge that they were real...

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry for not believing in you sooner."

Jorann seemed content at this, and walked back to Edilisna before releasing her. The dragon seemed to let out a satisfied sigh as she returned back to the Spirit World, and he placed her card back into his extra deck.

"One more thing, boy," Jorann said. "On the way here, Edilisna indicated to me that there was some great power within your deck. Care to share what she meant?"

"While you were gone, a powerful Fusion user reading came up," Tanion said. "Turns out it was a Duel Energy ghoul that had stolen the power of fusion and was seeking a source of Synchro Energy in order to use both to take on the Grand Order. After I beat it, we found the source of Synchro Energy it was after."

"Wait a second..." Jorann trailed off. "You don't mean to say that you found the card?"

Tanion nodded. "Elise says that it shouldn't have been possible, but it was Stardust. I touched the card and it caused me to black out, but I did it again at the castle and it initiated some sort of duel."

"You were deemed worthy by the Disciples?" Jorann said, disbelieving.

"You know of them?"

"Yusei used to speak of how he earned Stardust," Jorann answered. "That was one of the things he spoke of."

"But Yusei's dead now, so that's probably why the card deemed me worthy of having it," Tanion suggested.

"Hmph," Jorann said. "Yusei isn't dead. I never believed it."

"Everyone else seems pretty convinced that he is."

"They aren't Synchro users," Jorann said. "I knew Yusei. When we visited the base on the east coast after the massacre, we searched the entire place from top to bottom. Plenty of other bodies, but none were him."

"And that makes you think he's alive?" Tanion asked. "It's more likely that The Grand Order took his body with them."

"You don't understand, boy," Jorann scowled. "When we went into the quarters, we found the place had been wrecked. However, Yusei's room had been sealed off by Synchro Energy, and so I had to be the one to open it. After doing so, I went into his room, and unlike everywhere else, the place was neat and tidy. Not only that, but this was placed very deliberately on his bedside counter."

Reaching into his pocket, Jorann drew a card from it, and it was one that Tanion recognised instantly.

"Junk Synchron," he realised. "Why would he leave that behind?"

"To me, that was his way of saying that he was alive," Jorann said. "It's a stretch, I know, but I refuse to believe that he would go down so easily, nor leave behind this card for no reason."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Tanion asked.

"Give me the Stardust Dragon," Jorann demanded. "I'm more in tune with the spirits than you are. Perhaps it can tell us something you missed."

Tanion quickly passed the card over, and upon grasping it, Jorann fell into a trance. Scared, but not wishing to interrupt him, Tanion waited patiently for what seemed like an eternity before the old man finally awoke from his state.

"Anything?" Tanion asked.

"I knew this card meant something," Jorann said, indicating to Junk Synchron as he handed Stardust back to Tanion. "We need to go back to Yusei's old base. We missed something last time we were there."

"Stardust show you the way?" Tanion asked.

"He was most helpful," Jorann nodded. "Yusei's alive, and we're going to find him. Come on, we haven't got a moment to lose."

"But what about Elise and the others?" Tanion asked. "We can't just abandon them."

"I'll send a message back telling them to not worry about us," Jorann said. "They will understand, and if we bring Yusei back from the dead, they'll be more than happy."

"So where is Yusei's base anyway?" Tanion asked.

"Near where Allentown used to be, inland from New York," Jorann answered. "So get some sleep. We've got a long journey ahead of us."