Has anyone ever heard of that cautionary rhyme "For want of a nail?"
This talks about how the loss of just a single horseshoe nail causes the loss of an entire kingdom. It basically states how one minor thing, it could be accepting or refusing an offer, or the death of a person, can screw up everyone else.
You see it all the time in fiction: some idiot causes severe trauma because they do something rather stupid and causes suffering for everyone else and they usually get away with it (or, if they're completely idiotic, never understand what they caused). Like dumb Jack in "Into the Woods"; was it really a smart reason to take Riding Hood's dare and then get away with not being devoured by a rightfully angered giantess while his poor, suffering mother loses her life?
And in real life this happens too: World War I was caused over the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the Serbian sniper who caused it would trigger a genocide of his people decades later. I wonder if he saw what he caused in his cell in the afterlife as his people scream and cry in agony over his actions.
I can name so many times where horseshoe nails have been want to cause wanton destruction (the fires from Chicago and London caused by a tipped lantern from a cow and flames from an open bakery window, respectively, not to mention that a carelessly thrown cigarette stub caused 126 women to die in the Triangle Shirtwaist fire) but there are times the nails lead into something good (Joan of Arc following the voices in her head to help liberate France from England or accidental discoveries from penicillin to Post-it notes and the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire caused reforms for factory workers in America). I guess it all depends on how you look at it.
So, whoever is listening to my tale, answer this question…
Did the nails placed throughout this sorrowful tale of mine lead to something good or bad in the end?
Because, clearly, I haven't the slightest idea.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
3rd Shot
0-0-0-0-0-0
The Next in Line
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
How the boy manages to sleep after everything that transpired is beyond him, but he sleeps until his cellphone's alarm clock wakes him up at 7:00 to tell him to prepare for school.
It doesn't take long for the boy to shower, get dressed and prepare his bag for school (although he does spend five minutes attempting to complete his math homework, deciding on making the excuse that his best friend's death caused the boy to be unable to finish it if his teacher questions why it's unfinished).
Then, he leaves his bedroom to face the madness.
"Morning," says Shooti, covering his mouth as he yawns. He looks at the living room, reminded at how he and Bel spent so much time there the night before, where he learned about Dark Signers and Bel had dinner with him. His cheeks turn red at the memory, particularly at the photo of her winking at the camera when he took her picture.
"Good morning," says the voice of Shooti's mother, Saya Hayami, from the kitchen. "Shooti, are you doing okay?"
"Um, yeah. Of course I am," Shooti hastily answers. "Why wouldn't I be?"
When he enters the kitchen, he sees his mother closing the lid on the slow cooker and watching it light up after being set to low heat. The woman, with short olive green hair and similar grey eyes like her youngest son, smiles at him when she turns around, but Shooti can tell that the smile is more to comfort herself rather than him.
"Shooti…" Saya begins, approaching the boy. She wraps her arms around him tight, as if he is about to disappear if she doesn't hold on. "Don't lie to me. The news about Jun's suicide must be hard on you."
The boy feels his mother stroke his back as he resists the urge to cry. It's not that he doesn't want to cry on his mother's shoulder (far from it; he would really like to spend the entire day being hugged by her as he confesses how he knows about Jun's new state of being). But rather it is because he can't fully express the truth without making it sound like he needs to go see a psychiatrist.
What can be worse than telling her, someone who treats dying patients on a regular basis, that his best friend is already dead? She probably would go all Oedipus on Jun if he were to ever set his dark eyes on her...
Resisting the urge to cry, the boy returns the hug and grips onto his mother tight as if also mirroring the thought about losing her. For all that he has experienced, and all that he wants to pursue with Bel, the boy cannot make his mother suffer more than she already is.
"It...it really hurts," Shooti explains, gritting his teeth as tears fall down his face. "I...I should have been with him after school. But he looked so happy and I thought it was just him being him! I should have sensed something was wrong…If I did, maybe he wouldn't have..."
"Shh, don't cry," Saya whispers, stroking her son's back. "It's okay. It's going to be okay."
They continue to hug for a minute or two until they hear someone knocking at the door.
"Hello?" says a familiar voice. "Is anyone there?"
Shooti looks up as his mother approaches the door. She peers through the peephole before turning to Shooti.
"I think it's a student from DCIS," she says.
Shooti's eyes widen. "Um, what do they look like?"
"She has blond hair, green eyes and she's wearing red glasses. Should I let her in?"
The boy's heart practically stops as he considers the choices; either he lets Bel in so that she can be introduced to his mother (and possibly let his mother know what happened to her baby boy the night before), or he shoos Bel away and sees her at school.
And, mistake number twelve, he goes…
"Yeah, you can let her in," he answers. "Bel's a...a friend of mine."
Saya slowly nods her head as she unlocks the door. When she opens it, Shooti sees Bel smiling at him, looking just like she did the day before.
"Good morning," Bel says. "Are you Shooti's mother?"
"Why yes!" Saya answers. "I'm Saya Hayami, why don't you come in and have a seat? Would you like anything to eat or drink?"
"No thank you, I already ate," Bel giggles, covering her mouth with a hand. "I came to see if Shooti was all right, regarding...you know…"
She says nothing else as she enters the apartment, removing her shoes and setting them on the shoe rack all while Shooti looks at what Bel is holding in her hand…
His camera.
Shooti stays silent as Bel takes her seat at the dining table, setting the camera down in front of her as Saya closes the apartment door before returning to the kitchen. Shooti looks into Bel's eyes, trying to decipher what they're trying to tell him before he approaches her.
"What are you doing here?" he asks, his voice a bit shaky.
Bel just smiles back at him as she hands him his camera. "I came to return this to you; you left it back at school remember?"
"I did no such…" Shooti pauses as he takes a glance at his mother pulling out a carton of eggs from the fridge. "Oh right, yeah. Thanks for that."
"No prob. Now come on, don't you want to see all your photos?"
"Um...sure."
Bel smiles as Shooti takes his seat across from her, feeling somewhat awkward after what has transpired less than twenty-four hours ago. Taking the camera into his hands, his hands already go through the movements that lets him see through all the photos that have been taken, unsure as to what he is about to see.
The latest photo he sees is normal enough. It is a picture of all seven Dark Signers in 'normal' clothes standing in front of their mansion in the early morning. If Shooti didn't already know that they were already dead, it would have looked absolutely...fine.
The photo prior to that depicts them in their Dark Signer robes, but their eyes are normal looking and none of them have red markings on their faces. Now, they looked like they were part of a cult.
And the photo prior to that one shows them with their signature black eyes and red markings, making them look sinister, up to no good, downright malicious. Even Bel looked like a witch in her black robes with the orange bird covering her chest.
Shooti says nothing as he looks at a few more photos that Bel took: there is a photo of the Dark Signers having breakfast in a dark dining room, a photo of an indoor swimming pool flanked with a statue of Aqua Spirit watching over the Dark Signers that are taking a night swim (Shooti has to quickly look away at seeing the women in bikinis), and a photo of Kiryu and Yusei bowing towards a statue of an ominous figure, carved from obsidian, gazing at the 'Enforcers' ready to fulfill their master's mission.
Shooti's eye twitches as he recalls Yusei's declaration to follow in his father's work, the way Yusei smiled before he slashed his throat and let himself die, the way Yusei laughed when he announced that he would follow the Dark King's goal, how Yusei and Kiryu transformed into obedient servants after Kamitsure said a few words to them…
He grips onto the digicam, feeling like he wants to throw it onto the ground so he doesn't have to see any more of these horrifying scenes, but can't. Instead, he just calmly places a hand on the table and then stands up and grabs onto the collar of Bel's blouse, the girl not even unfazed when it looks like they are close enough to kiss.
"What...happened to them?" Shooti asks. "What happened to Yusei and Kiryu? And please don't tell me that they were in bed again and..." He pauses as he thinks of the proper phrase for it. "Playing patty-cake...You do get the reference to that, right?"
Bel blinks before she cracks a smile and calmly removes Shooti's hand off of her. As this goes on, Saya is in the kitchen, cracking eggs into a bowl.
"You really want to know?" she asks. "Well, I could get in trouble if I do this, but if you insist…"
She places her pointer finger on Shooti's forehead and concentrates on channeling all her energy into Shooti. Her eyes darken once more as Shooti finds the scenery around him fading away. The red triangle mark underneath the corner of Bel's left eye manifests as she says,
"And yes, Shooti. I understood that reference."
That is the last thing Shooti hears as he feels like he is falling into a dark abyss...
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
And lands with an "oof" on a dark floor.
Shooti slowly stands up and looks around. The room is black, with the only light coming from tall candlesticks and ivory colored candles. He watches as six hooded figures walk toward the other side of the room with two other figures (who are not wearing black cloaks at all) at the front...
Yusei Fudo and Kiryu Kyosuke.
Shooti looks down at his hands, seeing that they are transparent. He jumps, but then finds his feet hit the floor without a sound. So, he's still obliging to the laws of gravity, it seems. Nodding his head, he approaches the procession, seeing them stop after perhaps ten or twenty steps and look up. Shooti follows their gaze and gasps at what he sees..
A large bust of a man, at least twenty feet tall, looms over the Dark Signers. Carved from obsidian and the candlelight giving him an ominous glow, from what Shooti can see, the "person" is wearing a mask with hieroglyphics carved on the right side. They have long hair that falls down to their shoulders and a strange crown with a golden cobra facing the audience. For a moment, Shooti feels as if the bust's eyes have turned to face him, but quickly remembers that this is a memory and sighs in relief.
Oh, dear boy. Are you enjoying the show?
Shooti blinks and turns around, screaming as he sees a tall figure standing behind him, dressed in a long white robe, a single red eye glaring at him. From what Shooti can see, the person has a green gem on the left side of his forehead and silver hair from beneath the hood. Underneath his left eye is a long scar going across his cheek. In their left hand is a thin silver sword.
"W...who the…" Shooti stammers. "Who are you?"
The figure chuckles and, even though his mouth does not move, Shooti can feel the man's baritone voice echo in his head.
Call me Primo, dear boy. I take it the Hummingbird Signer brought you here?
"Um, yeah…" Shooti answers awkwardly. "Um, not to be rude or anything. But...just what are you?"
Primo sighs as he observes the doors to the room open and Bel rushes through, her face obscured by a black hood. Of course, as this is just a memory, Bel doesn't even notice how Shooti stares at her before the young girl takes her place between two other figures.
I'm one of the Three Wise Nobles who guards the Gates of Infinity. Primo begins. I was asked by the Hummingbird Signer to answer any and all questions you had regarding the Dark King for a small "fee" that she will pay at a later date.
"Um...o-okay then," Shooti answers, albeit shakily. "How did Bel do all of this?"
Primo points to Shooti's forehead with his sword. Shooti then places a hand where Primo pointed and feels a strange triangle gem above his left eye.
A mark that requests one of us to come and serve as a bodyguard for you should anything happen. The Hummingbird Signer has told me that you're a very curious soul.
"She has a name," Shooti replies. "Why can't you just call her 'Bel'?"
Primo says nothing as the two look at the scene. The seven Dark Signers remove their hoods as the flames of the candles flare up. Yusei and Kiryu step towards the bust before dropping to one knee. Kamitsure follows them soon after, her heels going clack clack clack across the near empty room.
"Oh Dark King of the Afterlife," she begins, raising her arms to the air. "Here are the first of your resurrected Enforcers. Both Yusei Fudo and Kiryu Kyosuke have relinquished their souls to the cause of opening the Gates of Hamunaptra, and are ready to accept your blessing."
A harsh gust of wind blows throughout the room, snuffing out all of the candles and leaving long wisps of smoke from their wicks to rise into the air which are then gathered above Kamitsure's open hands and the eyes of the bust glow.
I see them with my own two eyes, Kamitsure of the Spider...says a deep, rumbling voice that is accompanied by the flickering of the bust's large eyes. And I am quite familiar with Aharon here…
At this, Kiryu lifts his head as if he is a dog whose master has called his name. Shooti winces, recalling the defiant, loud-mouthed leader of Team Satisfaction just days ago, who panicked at the sight of learning that he was dead to begin with and was last seen at Satisfaction Town swallowed by hundreds of hands to the depths of Hell.
Now, there is barely a spark of rebellion or resistance in Kiryu Kyosuke's eyes. He kneels there, ready to receive any commands from this ruler no matter the cost.
And you have also brought me brave Nour. The bust continues, to which Yusei also lifts his head. The bust chuckles. My, my...what a day this has been.
Kamitsure smirks. "Anything for the one who gave us a second chance to live."
At this, Shooti can see Bel bring out his teal digicam and take a photo with it (remembering that he had put it to no flash). This act does not get a rise from the other members, although he sees Korni lightly jab her elbow into Bel's side.
Wataru takes a step forward. "Dark King, we recently met with the boy who is willing to join our cause and discover who is causing an imbalance of power here."
The bust of the Dark King grows silent as Shooti watches the smoke gently drift down and curl around the feet of both Yusei and Kiryu. Even though he is a ghost, he can feel a chill fall down his spine as the smoke envelops the two.
I know of him...The Dark King states. Yes, this boy is quite interesting indeed if he has won the heart of our dear Bel.
At this, everyone turns to Bel who has placed Shooti's camera behind her back. The Dark King chuckles, his eyes glowing like glowing embers.
It's okay, Bel of the Hummingbird. He states in a soothing tone. Pictures last much, much longer.
"Back to the Enforcers," says Kamitsure, clicking the heel of right foot that causes another echo across the room. "It is best that they stay low for the time being until the next Full Moon rises. By that time, it will be perfect to bring their 'friends' into the fold. Then, we will tell them about their goals in bringing out the Gates of Hamunaptra to Domino Below." She then moves her gaze to Yusei. "There are no objections to this, right?"
Shooti feels his heart caught in his throat as Yusei slowly stands up. He turns to face the other Dark Signers (and, by extension, Shooti and Primo). When the smoke fades away, Yusei's signature blue coat is now black and the amber gems on its collar, and the ones on his gloves and his pants are the color of blood. The red mark on his shirt has now transformed into that of a spider and when Yusei opens his eyes, they are now the same eerie black that has afflicted the Dark Signers.
Yusei robotically turns his head toward Kamitsure, momentarily closing his eyes before opening them to reveal those odd mirror-like lenses. Four inch glowing razor blades grow from his nails as he speaks in an equally robotic tone, "No, Mistress Kamitsure. I see no objections to this at all."
Natsume then speaks up. "What about you, Kiryu? Cat got your tongue?"
Kiryu mimics his partner's movements, the smoke fading away from his own to reveal his own outfit. The brown vest of the Enforcers is dyed black and lines of blue race down his vest while his double helix tattoos around his arms light up with electricity. Pierced on his right ear is a sapphire and underneath his feet is a cloud of purple fog.
When Kiryu opens his eyes, there is no sign of life in them. When he smiles, it isn't the cocky ones that Shooti has seen online. It is an empty, hollow, absolutely fake smile on what was the former leader of Team Satisfaction.
"I formed Team Satisfaction so that the four of us could bring satisfaction in our lives at that miserable cesspit that is 'Satellite'," Kiryu begins, his voice also lacking the signs of life that were in the original Kiryu. "But now I know that fate has other plans for us...for the Enforces of the Dark King, we are to initiate the plan that will have these lost souls achieve hope and peace that we four could never achieve. To purify their souls for what is to come will ensure that there will be an eternal calm throughout the land. And to those who will defy us, then we will make their eyes open up to the truth.
"So, Dr. Fudo, if you are listening to this speech right now. I thank you for unleashing Zero Reverse onto the land. Without it, I would never have found my calling, and I would have never have found your son." At this, Kiryu takes Yusei's hand into his own and places his spare hand on Yusei's left cheek, a thumb over the now red mark. Yusei turns his gaze toward Kiryu, his eyes still a set of lenses, but his mouth is turned into a tiny smile. "Yusei Fudo, I will always love you...it doesn't matter if it was in a past or if it will be a future life...you are always mine."
The two share a passionate kiss, as if they have just been declared husband and wife and the entire situation is an elaborate and, albeit dark, wedding ceremony. There is light applause and Bel even takes the time to take a photo of the two Enforcers with their lips pressed together, much to Shooti's embarrassment.
At this goes on, Primo clenches his hand over his sword. Shooti notices this but before he can turn around, Primo uses his free hand to brace the boy's head to watch the entire thing.
"Ooh," says Korni, clapping her hands excitedly before she places Bel in a chokehold. "I'm uber envious that Kamitsure and Natsume got a hold on those two cuties! I wonder who will get Jack and Crow! I wonder? I wonder!"
"I'd like a piece of one of them," Nagi chuckles before she takes a glance at Mikuri. "I'd be the envy of everyone at work if they knew that I had my 'Satisfaction' going on."
"Your words never fail to amuse me, Nagi," Mikuri replies, taking Nagi's hand into his own. "There was a reason I fell in love with you."
Shooti feels sick to his stomach; thank goodness he hasn't eaten anything yet.
If we have now said our vows...says the Dark King, catching everyone's attention. Korni of the Monkey, how has your Acolyte been feeling lately?
At this, Shooti recalls the news of Jun's death, Carly's voice in shock at seeing those 25 children gleefully jumping to their deaths, and Korni explaining Jun's inner thoughts before the train ran over him. He drops to his knees and places a hand over his mouth. Primo sighs before petting the boy's head.
"He's...okay for the moment," Korni begins. "The doctor is keeping an eye on him but he's revealed a few tidbits about what we're up against."
Like what?
Korni cross her arms over her chest. "He says that most, if not all, of the 'students' that jumped with him were mostly runaways from Domino Below."
This causes Kiryu to stop his make-out session before he snarls, baring fangs like a predator.
"What type of monster does that to one of our own citizens?!" he shouts. "Who would do such a thing?"
"Jun said it was a representative of the Goodwin Foundation, Demak," Korni answers. "But after that, I lost contact when the good doctor 'placed him' under anaesthetic. I'll be getting more and more info as time goes on, but Jun's afraid of being watched."
I do agree with that sentiment. says the Dark King. Very well, then. Since there is going to be chaos in regards to this little stunt, we shall keep a low profile for the time being. Go back to your usual routines and wait for my signal.
As for both Aharon and Nour, act "naturally" around your fellow Enforcers in the daytime. But at night, enter their dreams and plant the seeds of their destiny, their purpose, their 'connection' to themselves, to each other, and to Hamunaptra.
"How so?" asks Yusei, tilting his head to the side.
You're an April Witch, Nour. The Dark King answers, albeit with a hint of sarcasm. You figure it out.
It takes Yusei only half a second to realize what that means before a wicked smile forms on his lips.
"Ah, I see now." he states. "Very well, then. It shall be done."
"Of course," Nagi teases, eyeing Yusei's Dark Signer robes. "You two can't go back home looking like that. Your friends will flip out and think that you joined a cult of all things!"
Both Kiryu and Yusei nod their heads and close their eyes. Slowly, the black robes of the Dark Signers are transformed into their normal wear almost as if by magic. In that moment, the two look alive.
Of course, Shooti can see something in their eyes. A tendril of darkness in their pupils like some sort of parasite has wormed their way into their minds…
Which isn't far from the truth, as far as he knows.
"Now get going," Wataru commands them. "We'll contact you in a few days for a status update."
"As you wish," says Kiryu, the purple fog beneath his feet rising into the air. "For the glory of the Dark King, we have awakened."
As the fog rises into the air, Shooti feels like everything is spinning out of control. He braces himself as he hears someone calling out for him and the scenery fading away into darkness.
Shooti? Shooti, are you okay?
No, he wants to tell someone. Of course he's not okay. But no one will hear him; not even Bel, who doesn't even turn around to face him.
Primo loosens his grip on Shooti before slowly fading away. Then, Shooti feels like he is falling, falling, falling as someone keeps calling his name.
Shooti...Shooti!
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Shooti? Wake up!"
Shooti blinks his eyes and looks up to see Bel slightly shaking him. Next to her is his mother, with a plate of scrambled eggs in hand.
"Are you doing okay?" asks Bel, her green eyes filled with, as much as he can decipher, faux concern. "Is everything all right?"
"Er, yeah," Shooti answers. "I was just...thinking."
"Well, that can be for another time," says Saya, setting the plate down on the table. "Go on, you need to eat something."
Shooti slowly shakes his head and sits down while Bel places a spoon on the table. With a trembling hand, Shooti takes the spoon and scoops some egg into his mouth.
When the taste of his mother's scrambled eggs reaches his mouth, he begins to sniffle. Tears fall down his eyes as he drops the spoon onto the floor with a clatter. He then covers his face with his hands and sobs.
"Shooti!" says Saya. "Shooti, what happened? Was it too much pepper? Or…"
"N...no…" Shooti answers. "It's just...I'm just so happy that I'm alive to taste your cooking, mom…"
The boy wastes no time eating more and more of those delicious eggs, hoping that there will always be a next time when he and his mom can have breakfast together like this.
Of course, if the boy knew that his time was running out, he would've taken the time to savor each and every bite.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
After breakfast, the boy and Bel walk to school. In most cases, a walk like this should make the boy feel happy. After all, he's walking to school with a cute girl...he knows plenty of guys in his class who would ask what he did to make Bel get so attached to him.
Instead, the boy just feels absolutely awkward.
Ever since the boy can remember, he and Jun always walked to school together and the two would race each other to see who would make it to school first. Jun usually won, but sometimes he'd let the boy win. Since the school year started, Jun always waited for the boy at the gate, and whenever the boy asks as why Jun didn't want to walk to school together, Jun would make some excuse about "getting help from the teacher" or "he wants to seize the day".
Now the boy realizes that Jun wanted to avoid trying to explain that he was, technically, a zombie.
The boy thinks of the camera in his hand, filled with more and more "evidence" of the Dark Signers' lives, trying to understand how they can be so full of life yet ready to enact some plan with the Dark King and get Jack Atlas and Crow Hogan to eventually off themselves for this purpose. Sure, Yusei was more than eager to join on this, but that probably was more based on guilt on seeing his boyfriend fall into the darkness than anything else.
It is times like this that the boy wished that things in his life wasn't so...weird.
"So Shooti," says Bel, snapping the boy out of his thoughts. "What did you think about my, er, family?"
"...Family?" Shooti repeats.
"Yeah, family. I mean, they're all I have left now." Bel looks up into the clouds. "My mom died when I was young, I grew up an only child, and my dad…" she pauses. "Well, you know about him."
"I don't know much about my dad either," says Shooti. "Mom doesn't talk about him, although she sometimes wishes she had a helper around the house."
"You help her out a lot, though."
"But it's not enough. I mean, if I had something like Natsume's psychic powers or the ability to convert greed into gems, then my mom would finally have a break."
"Ah, I see…"
Shooti blinks when he sees Bel's forlorn face. "I mean, I don't wanna ask you to conjure up your greed gems to help us out. My mom would start questioning where I got such a horde and, honestly, I can't tell her about you or the Dark Signers as it is. She already has enough as it is knowing that my best friend is..."
Bel nods her head. "I understand. If I was in your position, I'd also be suspicious in taking up offers for some quick cash."
"Yeah...so, er, after the 'ceremony', what did you...do?"
"Oh, we all went to do our things before having a bit of a midnight swim," Bel answers, her mood lifting. "Kamitsure went to sing Molly a lullaby; Molly wanted a song about a spider, so Kamitsure sang that song to her. Now Molly can't stop singing it!
"Korni communicated with Jun a bit and had to write her list of deliveries she needed to make tomorrow. Nagi had a few more 'calls', Natsume was working on a novel she's writing, Mikuri had a video chat with Daigo Tsuwabuki and Wataru was reading One Hundred Years of Solitude."
"And what about you?" asks Shooti. "Were you doing your homework?"
"Well, yeah...even though I already went through the subjects about two or three times already."
Shooti blinks, "Bel, quick question...what's your sign? Zodiac sign, I mean."
"Zodiac sign…" Bel places a finger on her cheek and tilts her head. "Well, I already mentioned that I was an Aquarius, but if we're talking Eastern Zodiac, I'm a Tiger. What about you?"
"I'm a Sheep in the East and Scorpio in the West," Shooti answers, slightly embarrassed. "I turn 13 on November 1st."
"The day after Halloween?"
"Yeah. I always had this dream for my 13th birthday to be a masquerade based on the Mexican Day of the Dead where we all had these amazing costumes and skeleton faces. And...please don't tell anyone about this but…"
Shooti leans forward and whispers something into Bel's ear, causing the girl to gasp in surprise before Shooti steps back, cheeks red as he added, "I'd...I'd love it if we did it together."
Bel turns to Shooti and smiles. "Yeah, I promise that will happen on your birthday."
"Also, another quick question. Do you play Duel Monsters?"
"Mm-hmm! I play a Fortune Lady deck."
"Fortune Ladies? Why that?"
"Because…" Bel look at her hands as she formulates her answer. After a minute, she says, "Because there are six Fortune Ladies and, aside from me, there are six other Dark Signers. And to me, each of the Fortune Ladies relate to the Dark Signers and their sins."
Shooti raises an eyebrow. "How so?"
With a flick of her hand, six cards appear in Bel's hands; the cards of the Fortune Ladies from Level 1 to 6.
"Fortune Lady Light is Korni," Bel begins, pointing to the first card. "They're both peppy, energetic and blond. However, Fortune Lady Light is a bit of a lazy soul; when she leaves the field, she gets someone else to do her job for her. Korni can be a bit lazy when it comes to doing her share of the work around the Sanctuary and she's always begging Kamitsure to go make the bed or clean the room or the likes.
"And that leads me to Fortune Lady Fire. Fire can unleash a powerful blast of...well, fire, that destroys a monster and inflict damage onto the opponent. The flames of Wrath are not merciful; they will eventually destroy you in the end.
"Nagi is Fortune Lady Wind. Notice how Wind's effect activates when you Normal Summon her? Growing up, Nagi was envious of all the other girls who got pretty dresses and baubles and would do anything to knock down the competition if she could have her way. Plus, green is Nagi's favorite color."
"Yeah, I kinda saw," Shooti mumbles, recalling Nagi's jungle-themed bedroom.
Bel nods her head. "Fortune Lady Water is Mikuri; Water lets you draw more cards, and Mikuri can sometimes overindulge himself on alcohol (even though we can't get drunk and all). And now that we have Team Satisfaction as our allies, I can imagine Mikuri emptying out their entire alcohol supply in an entire evening if Wataru decided to rile him up!
"Fortune Lady Dark is Natsume, mysterious and alluring. Just like Dark can bring back a 'Fortune Lady' from the dead if she or one of her sisters destroys a monster, Natsume can lure people in with just a look in her eye or a smile.
"And last, Fortune Lady Earth is represented by Wataru. They're the strongest and oldest members of the group and both reflect a desire of knowing everything even when they actually don't. Fortune Lady Earth prides herself on unleashing chip damage compared to Fortune Lady Fire's one-time effect compared to how Wataru can slowly sap away the pride and ego from prey compared to Kamitsure getting her feed of wrath in one go."
"Oh…" says Shooti, watching as Bel stacks the cards together and then covers the cards with her free hand. Then, Bel winks before she brings her hands towards him and blows on them. When her hands open, the cards are gone. "Say...how did you do that?"
Bel just winks at him. "Magic. Oh and look, we're at school."
The boy looks at the school campus, watching many of the students arriving with concerned almost panicked looks on their faces. At this time, Jun would be waiting for him, always questioning what took the boy so long to arrive…
Looking back at it, knowing how Jun is a Dark Signer Acolyte, the boy should've questioned just how fast Jun could move in order to get from his house to DCIS on time. The boy feels sick to his stomach, knowing that from now on, every single time he sees Jun, he knows that his best friend will forever be a child; he'll always be grinning to hide the fact that he is different from the rest.
The boy stops just one step before entering, watching Bel enter the school as if the gate acts like a barrier...a barrier between the world of the living and the world of the dead.
Bel turns to the boy and motions him to come forward, beckoning him like Tadzio on a beach in Venice…
And, reluctantly, the boy follows her.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Did you hear the news?"
"Yeah, can you believe that actually happened?"
"So tragic! That he of all people would actually…"
"Shh! Shooti can hear you, you know!"
The whispers and gossip of his fellow classmates sound like the buzzing of bees in Shooti's mind as he takes his seat. He turns around and finds Jun's seat empty, causing him to look away and place his head in his hands. He feels absolutely numb, trying to shake off the realization that, yes, his best friend really is dead and that the suicide of 25 students really did happen last night.
"Shooti? Is there something wrong?"
Shooti looks up, half-expecting to see Bel in front of him. Instead, it is just the lavender haired, glasses wearing Sayaka Sasayama, the class president.
"No," Shooti answers. "I mean, yes, it's…."
Sayaka nods once. "It's about Jun Hayabusa, isn't it?"
Shooti nods in reply, looking at his lap as tears fall down his eyes. Sayaka just places a reaffirming hand on his shoulder.
"It's going to be all right, Shooti," she whispers. "I know what it's like to lose someone close to you by suicide too."
Shooti blinks the tears away. "Y...you do?"
From what the boy knows about Sayaka, the girl was practically perfect in every way. She came from a humble background, was kind to everyone around her, and would perform community service in Domino Below once a month, mostly at the soup kitchens. The worst that anyone says about her is that they feel like she pushes herself too far in order to make everyone at school happier, like she is a zashiki-warashi and not a normal girl at all.
And as far as the boy knows, Sayaka never really interacted with him at all, except for asking questions about what he does for the Photography Club.
So...why is she confronting him now?
Sayaka sits down on a nearby chair. "I...I had an older sister a few years back. She had everything: the looks, the grades, the love of everyone around her…" She looks down at her hands and clenches them. "But despite all of that, she felt absolutely lonely inside...and no one knew until the last minute when she…"
Shooti says nothing as Sayaka removes her glasses to wipe away a tear. Shooti just shakes his head.
"I've always told myself that if I actually took the time to understood her instead of getting jealous of her...she'd still be around today." Sayaka adds, body trembling. "That if I actually reached out to her, then I wouldn't have seen her body dangling in her bedroom with her favorite scarf used as a noose! I was her sister… I should've been able to save her, but I didn't! I...I'm such a coward…"
Sayaka bursts into tears as she says that last sentence, covering her face with her hands. At this, Shooti embraces the violet haired girl, gritting his teeth as he imagined Jun at the schoolyard yesterday, amber eyes bright and a smile on his face before he walked off.
Looking back, even if Shooti knew about Jun's death, it wouldn't have changed anything. Shooti wouldn't have been able to tell Jun to not go with the suicidal jump, nor could he have any power over stopping the other 24 students from killing themselves. All he could do was just watch and stare at the chaos and madness that happened…
And as he and Sayaka grieve over the deaths of their loved ones, he does not see Bel sitting at her desk two rows ahead of Shooti. The look on her face is not of jealousy nor of disgust…
Instead, she stares at Shooti with interest, a small smile on her face.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Ten minutes later, the entire school is taken to the auditorium as Principal Cynthia announces the heartbreaking news about the suicides. It is the standard speech about how the entire school is absolutely shocked and in tears about how a precious student of theirs would die, that life is precious, that we must move on despite the tears and frustration…
Blah, blah, blah and fucking blah…
The boy absolutely zones out on the speech. Instead, with a spare notebook in hand, he writes down all that he can remember about last night.
About the Dark Signers and the details about themselves they were willing to give to him…
About Team Satisfaction's future in taking over Domino Below…
About Yusei Fudo revealing that his father caused Zero Reverse…
As the boy finishes rewriting his notes, he looks up to see Shinji Shimabara hastily walking out of the auditorium, his face calm like it always is. The boy wishes that he can tell Shinji about his brother, about how Reiji was not challenged to a duel by Seto Kaiba, but rather marked to die…
But would Shinji believe that sort of thing? Would Shinji accept the idea that his brother was "unalive", waltzing around as the lantern bearer to the Dark Signers?
No. He'd probably run away in anguish, never wanting to do anything with his brother ever again.
After a closing remark and a prayer to those who died, the assembly ends. The boy is then whisked off to his other classes for the day, but he pays no attention to it at all. Not even when Miss Ada questions why the boy's homework is half-way done, but stops when she remembers about the suicide.
The boy knows that, sooner or later, he will have to be taken in for counseling. As if the counselor is going to help him get over everything in regards to sin-eating vampires and their Ancient Egyptian King of Death.
The hours pass by too quickly, and the boy finds himself walking to the cafeteria. He looks around, seeing everyone with their lunches at their tables, with their friends, talking, laughing, whispering, and being together. The boy expects to see Jun jumping up at down at an empty table, shouting for his best friend to sit down before someone else takes that spot…
But of course, that is only in the boy's imagination. Jun is having his "lunch" at a hospital right about now.
The boy notices a table which has Haruka Sakurada shuffling her Duel Monsters deck before setting them onto the table. Haruka is known for being a fortune-teller at school, using the same deck that has won her countless victories to answer a student's question in regards to their lives. How successful have they been, the boy doesn't know.
But now, the boy wants to know what's about to happen to him, and whether or not the outcome will be of any good or not.
So, taking a deep breath, the boy takes his lunch to the table where Haruka sits, staying silent until he seats himself across from her. Then, he clears his throat.
The brown haired girl lifts her head to see Shooti staring at her. "Oh, Shooti! What's going on?"
Shooti opens his lunch box and pulls out a bento box. He calmly opens it, revealing an omelet fried rice topped with mayonnaise and some grilled fish, courtesy of his mother.
"I…" Shooti begins. "I'm worried."
"That's understandable. Hey, I'm...I'm sorry for what happened to Jun."
"No, don't be." Shooti replies. "He's no longer suffering from...whatever's been bugging him."
Haruka just wordlessly stares at her cards as Shooti pokes at a piece of fish. "So, you came here while I was shuffling my cards. I suppose you're here to ask a question."
"Yeah."
Haruka sighs as she clasps her hands over her face. "Shooti, if you want to ask what was the reason that Jun decided to jump off of a train, I can't answer that for you. I'm a fortune-teller, not a mind-reader."
"I wasn't here to ask that. I'm here to ask about myself."
Haruka tilts her head. "How so?"
Shooti sighs. "I want to know what's going to happen to me. What's in my future. I mean, now that my best friend is d...am I gonna follow in his footsteps?" He hugs himself. "I'm...I'm really scared, Haruka."
Haruka bites her bottom lip before looking at her cards. "I cannot answer that question. Only you can."
She then spreads her arms out as she motions to the cards between them. "Choose the three that resonate with in you. Then, after you're sure that these are the cards you want, we flip them over and see what they have in store for you."
The boy isn't really into fortune-telling and all that hocus-pocus. But with his future uncertain, now that he has become entangled with the Dark Signers, Team Satisfaction and some sort of suicide cult, the last thing he needs to find himself following the path to darkness by offing himself.
If only the boy knew what he was getting into…
Shooti looks at the cards with interest. Then, he moves his pointer finger and selects three cards: one to his left, one to his right and one in the middle. Haruka takes each of these cards and sets them to the side before gathering the remaining cards and stacking them into a neat pile. Shooti then moves the three lone cards back between him and Haruka.
"All right," says Haruka, placing her hands above the cards. "Your fate are in these cards, Shooti. Where they shall lead you, only they know. Let us reveal their secrets before us."
She then flips over the first card. It depicts a teenage boy with purple hair wearing a green and yellow hat on his head. He wears a black shirt covered by a long yellow coat, dark green pants with spring green belts and wrapped around his neck is a white and green striped scarf. He props a golden staff marked with a black fleur-de-lis over his shoulder and he chews on a twig while sporting a cocky grin.
"Fool of Prophecy," Haruka murmurs. "So, this means you have started a journey filled with endless possibilities. But remember not to be blind to things you can easily miss."
Definitely the story of the boy's life right there.
She flips the second card over, which shows a man with seafoam green hair tied into a ponytail, his eyes covered by a blue visor, and he wears a sky blue sleeveless top, pants and gloves. He wields a red bow trimmed with gold and decorated with a silver fleur-de-lis with a blue orb in the center while his weapon is surrounded by red glyphs. Trailing down his arms and legs are white ribbons with grey symbols.
"Amores of Prophecy, otherwise known as 'The Lovers.' Usually symbolising with you having to make a choice. That and I can tell that someone is on your mind at this very moment; someone very close to your heart."
Shooti turns red as he shoots a glance at Bel talking to Millefeui and Kanata about having a bite to eat at the Café in Wonderland - despite Bel not really needing to eat and all - before staring at the two cards in front of him.
"I guess you can say that," he mutters.
Haruka smiles and flips the last card. Then, she pauses. The Prophecy monster in front of her wears a black cloak alongside a matching hat and half-mask that covers the right side of their face, all of them trimmed with silver. Their weapon is a long scythe with a black blade.
"Reaper of Prophecy," she muses. "There is a big change in your future. I can't tell what the change will be, but…"
"But?" Shooti asks, worried.
Haruka stares at the card with a lengthy pause, then shakes her head. "All I know is that the you that I see right now will be different from the you that will have emerged when the time comes. My only advice is to not be afraid of that change. Be brave and fear not the unknown, because sometimes it may not be as dark and scary as you think it is."
Shooti watches as Haruka gathers her cards before speaking. "That...sounded like something from a show," he comments.
Haruka smiles as she slips the cards into her deck holder. "Well, my family and I finished watching Over the Garden Wall last night. The lesson the main characters learn there also applies here. Oh and if you have a chance, watch it. It's really good."
"Oh. Well, thank you for that then."
"And, one last thing…"
Haruka leans close as she takes a glance at Bel. "I'd be careful around her."
Shooti blinks. "What do you mean?"
"Don't tell me you haven't noticed it. The way she just immediately attracts people even though she's only been here for a single day, her skills in math, or how she's beaten the fastest time for the mile run. She's otherworldly, like she's pulling a Homura Akemi on all of us. But why?"
Shooti shrugs his shoulders. "Maybe she's seen some sort of catastrophe that's about to come and she wishes to warn us."
"Not 'us', but just someone. Pray that it's not you, Shooti."
And with this, Haruka digs into her lunch: a bowl of steaming noodles with a dash of chili oil and black vinegar. Shooti pokes at his mother's omelet fried rice before he looks back at Bel taking a bite of karaage with a smile on her face.
Surely this girl isn't really leading him into his trouble...right?
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
The rest of the day goes by slowly. The teachers can't seem to get the students interested in lessons, so classes dissolve into free period where they work on homework, videogames and improving their decks on Duel Monsters.
The boy spends his time doing research about the Dark Signers and their relationship with Domino Below on "Chasing Shadows", looking through various posts in regards to them. Even though Carly told him not to associate with them, this was something he had to do.
Aside from the talks about the suicides, the most recent event to have struck gold on the website involved something a notorious gang of card thieves known as "Team Snagem" and that it may (or may not) have Dark Signer activity involved. There were reports of two black cloaked beings with green and indigo lines attacking Security, aided by two boys with identical faces with dragons the likes that no one has ever seen before.
But the boy isn't interested in that at all (which is going to bite him later on, so that's mistake number 13) except for the fact that Nagi and Mikuri had some explaining to do when the boy had a chance to interview them again…
If he had a chance to.
The day ends with the science teacher, Makomo-sensei (or Miss Fennel because how she seems to chew on fennel seeds as a way to stave of her past smoking habit), playing Metropolis (the one based on Osamu Tezuka's manga) as the boy recalls his and Bel's first walk home, how she proudly recited her 'poem' without pausing. Or the way Bel winked at the boy for his photo, the way he held her hand as a silent promise…
This girl, in the span of a single day, has invaded the boy's thoughts…
And, if the boy was honest, he liked that feeling.
The feeling is interrupted when the bell rings and school is over for the day. The boy silently packs his stuff and ignores the sympathetic looks everyone gives him as he rushes out to the front of the school, hoping, praying, begging, that Jun is going to pop out with a grin and a headlock…
But when the boy reaches the gate, he doesn't see Jun nor does he see Bel.
Instead, the person that is waiting for the boy is Jun's father.
Shooti looks in confusion at the person waving towards him. The person has blonde hair like the lion's mane, and wears a white shirt, tan pants and brown shoes. He also wears a bright green coat with six large buttons the color of the sun.
"Yo, Shooti!" says the man. "Get in, I'm taking you home today."
"R...really, Kurotsugu-san?" asks Shooti, turning around. Other students are leaving, but he sees no sign of Bel at all.
Kurotsugu nods his head as he places a hand on Shooti's shoulders. "Yep, and there is to be no complaints at all. Now come on. We have a lot to talk about."
This causes Shooti to talk as Kurotsugu takes his hand and they enter his car. Shooti takes the passenger seat all while feeling his heart beat against his chest. Bel's words from last night race through his mind.
"Kurotsugu-san knows about what happened to his son, and has been giving us the 'locations' of our 'sweets.'"
A cold chill falls down his spine as Kurotsugu starts the engine. The radio blares a song, but Shooti doesn't care at all. He feels like he just wants to hurl himself out of a building instead of confront this confusing avalanche of events that has hit him.
Kurotsugu notices this and sighs, "So...you learned the truth."
Shooti silently nods his head. "I did."
"...How much did you learn?"
Shooti wordlessly pulls out his notepad from his backpack and opens it to the first page. "That Jun died while I was in Hokkaido, the identities of the Dark Signers, that Team Satisfaction are about to become kooky cultists worshipping an ancient Dark Lord of Death who wishes to unleashes the gates to the underworld onto Domino Below."
"Anything else?"
"I learned what happened to Reiji Shimabara."
"Did you tell his brother?"
Shooti shakes his head. "I didn't have the heart to tell him."
"Don't. The last thing that boy needs to learn is that his brother is going to be some sort of ego-feeder in the near future."
"Kurotsugu-san, are you okay with these Dark Signers roaming about Domino Below?"
Kurotsugu just sighs. "I'm in the middle of it all. On one hand, they are causing the crime rate to drop. On the other hand, the fact that they have some sort of plan that goes beyond burglary and murder is what frightens me. All these innocent folks probably see the Dark Signers as their saviors...and they're right, in a way."
A pause lingers in the air as Kurotsugu stops at a red light. "So, what do you think about Bel?"
The boy pauses. What does the boy think about Bel?
At first glance, Bel is sweet, demure, lively. She's that girl that everyone wants to befriend, with blond hair bright as the sun and the green eyes which shine like emeralds.
But, when the boy got to have time with her, he can see that Bel has so many flaws. She is trapped in the body of a twelve-year-old girl, running away from a homelife that did not want her, projecting a persona of a friendly girl next door as therapy, feasting on the sins of people who wish to possess anything that isn't nailed to the ground. She is a girl who can change her appearance into anyone she wants, who does not seem to mind the idea of Team Satisfaction becoming mindless enforcers, but keeps the boy close to her heart...if only because he is useful in solving the mystery of the suicides.
Despite this, the boy feels a pull in his heart that makes him want to be with Bel. When he is with Bel, it feels like he is in Wonderland; a straight road that leads him into unexpected and strange places with equally quirky people. The boy doesn't know if he'll eventually go among mad people, but…
"She's...different from other girls," Shooti finally answers as the light turns green.
"She and the rest of the Dark Signers are nothing but trouble," Kurotsugu notes. "Just because they remove the sins out of people's souls, that doesn't necessarily mean that they cure people of their vices. Given enough time, people will return to their actions and habits and this will cause the Dark Signers to feed and feed and feed on those people until a more permanent solution can be found."
"One of them brought Jun back to life, though," Shooti mumbles, gripping his hands into fists.
"But only to follow in their footsteps," Kurotsugu spits out. "And Jun is all too happy to join in on this little cult, even if he tells me that the Dark Signers aren't one."
"Did you know that Jun was going to jump into that train?"
"...I did."
"Then you could've done something to stop him!" Shooti exclaims, just as Kurotsugu nearly runs a red light. "You could've just gone to Wataru and tell him to not go with the plan!"
"It's not that simple," Kurotsugu grumbles. "Even if I had the power to do so, and I don't, who was going to believe me in the first place? I had no evidence about the suicide circle at all, and I'm no hacking genius. By the time I found someone who could give me intel, it would be too late. The Dark Signers are more 'proactive' when it comes to getting what they want, and Jun himself had no choice on the matter."
Shooti practically tears all of his notes in half before he whispers, "Have you seen Jun at the hospital? Did he look that bad?"
Kurotsugu says nothing as he drives the car toward Shooti's apartment. Once he put the car on park, the older man finally answers,
"He looked like absolute shit, my boy."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Minutes later, Shooti knocks on the door and waits for his mother to open it. The petit woman smiles and hugs her son tight.
"Welcome home," she whispers before she urges Shooti and Kurotsugu to enter. "You're just in time! Dinner is ready."
"Dinner? So soon?" asks Shooti. He sniffs the air and sighs. His mother is making her homemade beef stew again.
Saya nods her head. "I have to go back to the hospital late tonight, so I thought it would be wise that the three of us can have dinner together. We haven't had dinner like this in such a long time."
"What about Carly? Is she going to be 'babysitting' me tonight?"
Saya shakes her head as she goes to the kitchen and opens a drawer. "She says that yesterday's 'incident' is going to leave her busy for the rest of the week. But she promised to come on Saturday." She pulls out a ladle. "That does mean you're going to be alone for the time being."
"No, that's fine. I'm kinda used to it at this point."
That isn't a lie, as far as the boy knows. After Shuta's disappearance, the boy sometimes finds himself entering his older brother's room and lie on the bed, trying to find a moment of peace as his life spirals out of control, doing his best to enter his older brother's shoes to figure out why he left.
Is this how all of those people who jumped off the train felt like? Being so lonely that they'd rather end it all then try to confront people about it? Is this how Shuta is feeling right now?
Shooti removes his shoes before placing his backpack on the sofa. Then, he walks to the dining room and sees that the table is set for three. In the middle of the table is a large pot of his mother's beef stew and each plate has a generous serving of rice on it. Sides include some potato croquettes and mixed green salad.
"Come on, come on!" Saya exclaims as she places the ladle into the stew. "Dinner won't serve itself, you know."
Kurotsugu nods his head in approval as he seats himself down. Shooti also follows, trying to ignore the fact that Jun usually would be shouting in joy to eat his mother's cooking. Now, if Jun should even arrive to have dinner, he'd just be going through the motions of eating (which earnestly reminds him of what happened to Eiji Hino upon learning how he was becoming more and more of a Greeed, unable to eat, hear or even see like a human could) and his mother would be oblivious to it all, even after Jun goes for seconds and thirds.
"Itadakimasu," Saya states once she sits down and pours the stew into her son's face. "Eat up, love. This is your favorite after all!"
Shooti mumbles, "I will", and begins to eat. But the second that the first spoonful of rice and beef stew enters his mouth, he drops the spoon onto his plate once more, feeling like he is going to be sick.
"Shooti?" Saya gasps, seeing the tears freely falling down her son's face. "What's wrong?"
Shooti swallows before he as he looks at his lap. "I...I'm so sorry, mom. It's...it's just that...it feels like we're eating as a family again. It...it makes me so happy."
Saya says nothing else as Shooti continues to cry. Kurotsugu just gives the boy another pat on the shoulder as Shooti tries his best to stomach the rest of his dinner.
That night would be one of the last few nights that the boy could truly have dinner with his mother in that dining room.
Because after that, the times that he will be able to spend with his mother will shrink and shrink like Alice did in her trip throughout Wonderland.
Until, finally, the last time he actually interacted with his mother was just mere hours before the boy ended up dying alone and his mother oblivious to the horrors and truths that the boy uncovered.
