Now, just to be clear, there is a huge time gap between each Shadow Game. This makes sense, since Nightshroud isn't going to approach Jaylin lightly, he's also getting hurt as well, and is trying to come up with a plan to attack Jaylin and weaken her. The time gaps will start getting closer together as time passes. For now, the time gaps are a bit wider. Review please!
"Well, your friend sure did his homework correctly," Yugi told Jaylin over the phone in Asia. Jaylin had explained to him about the half of the Shadow Charm and what Atticus had discovered about the trinket through Alexis' iPad. Jaylin was currently sitting on the cliff of the volcano, located on the side of the island.
"So, you know a bit about this stuff?" Jaylin asked, staring at the trinket in her hand.
"Honey, I'm an archaeologist that studies on Ancient History. Questioning about me knowing this stuff or not is just insulting," Yugi teased.
"Yes, but you only graduated six years ago and there's so much Ancient History you still don't know or you wouldn't be digging for it."
"Point taken, Princess. Though, knowing they have the Shadow Charms, it just makes the situation more dangerous than I intended."
"You think I might need help?"
"In the future, perhaps. For now, I think you and your friends will do just fine. Besides, getting out of this dig without getting fired is almost to no possibility."
"By the way, I was talking to Marik on YouTube a few days ago. I just realized that he's a huge Pokemon fanatic."
"That doesn't surprise me. He's been getting a bit into the Japanese culture ever since Battle City," Yugi chuckled in response.
"Really? I didn't think he'd get into Pokemon, of all things, even Pokemon: the Origins."
"I see. Anyways, I need you to keep that pendant with you. I don't know why Nightshroud had Atticus wear it. I would guess it'd be to conjure a Shadow Game inside Atticus' body, while also being far from the Abandoned Dorm, but I don't know. Either way, if you see a Shadow Charm, take it. Those need to return back to the Spirit World in the Supreme King's palace."
"How can I return them there?"
"Your Ka is the Dark Queen, Jaylin. I would think Jezerel would know where her husband is."
"Didn't Kaiba sent him in space a few years ago... his demon form anyways?"
"Ka monsters can appear from this world to the spirit world. Their spirits still exist within the card, but it acts more like their shell. Their spirits can instantly teleport from the card to the Spirit World in spirit. Your Ka can gather the Shadow Charms and return them to the Spirit World where the the Supreme King is located in the Spirit World."
"Right... I suppose that could work. I'll have her collect the items, while I'm asleep. I just hope Carl doesn't start freaking out like hell just broke loose."
"Na, she'll just assume that you just decided to put on a Halloween costume in the middle of the night and look all transcended."
Jaylin laughed, replying, "you're hilarious."
"At least it's better than your grandmother's reaction."
Jaylin and Yugi both gawked up laughing. Jaylin had to admit, from what her father told her about her grandma's reaction to seeing Queen Jezerel, the reaction was golden. Yugi still teases his mom about that incident to this day, and how she screamed when she saw a ghostly figure of a grown Jaylin in her mid twenties in some black royal garment, looking very confused, after Jaylin ran into the front door and fell over backwards. Jaylin was okay and Yugi panicked during the time, since Jaylin was hurt, but looking back, he found his mom's reaction to a ghostly Queen Jezerel hilarious.
"Anyways, I have to go; lunch break is almost over and I have to get back to the dig soon," Yugi said.
"You go do that, Daddy. Hugs and kisses!" Jaylin replied cheerfully, hearing her father laugh.
"You too, Princess. Bye."
"Bye!"
Jaylin hung up the phone, looking behind her where Syrus, Zane and Atticus were sitting on the cliff part of the volcano. Jaylin turned herself around, being that she was sitting on the edge of the cliff of the volcano, sitting Indian style to face her friends.
"He wants me to collect these things and have my Ka deliver them back to the Spirit World," Jaylin explained, placing the Shadow Charm Pendent around her neck.
"Are your folks American?" Atticus asked.
"What? No, why?" Jaylin asked, furrowing her eyebrows.
"They always say 'hugs and kisses.' They don't really do it or any of that. It's like they're catch phrase or something," Zane explained as Atticus' eyes widen.
"Oh that! That's our way of saying that we care about each other, while we are far apart. I know the saying goes that words are cheap, but Daddy and I are apart many of the times. When I was young, I had a real problem believing anyone cared about me, when the person was never around or had to leave. If Daddy dropped me off to school, I thought he didn't care. So, he would often say 'hugs and kisses' to tell me that he did."
"Oh..." Syrus replied. "Couldn't you just say, 'I like you' or something?"
"That's for a best friend and I think of him more than that and 'I love you' is definitely out of the question," Jaylin explained. She sighed, then looked up in the sky. "Though, I suppose saying 'hugs and kisses' is weird beyond measures, compared to when I was five and at the age of having those."
"So, why do you say that still?"
"I guess it brings me back to my childhood... when Daddy taught me what it means to keep the family honor."
"Aren't you always taught that all your life?" Atticus asked.
"It was a little different for me. I had been hurt by people during my very young childhood. I did not know what honor truly meant, except for lies and distrust. Daddy showed me by giving me this," Jaylin said, showing her Winged Kuriboh card.
"What does that have to do with keeping the family honor?" Zane asked.
"Each duelist buys a Duel Monsters card and cherishes it. We care for it, we laminate it, we protect it from damage, and even shuffle it carefully without bending or damaging it. Though, what do these cards do to return that favor?"
"It's an object. It doesn't do anything!"
"Exactly. Honor isn't something you earn or deserve, it's something you give and expect nothing in return. We buy these things everyday, we care for them, and adore each and every one of them. Yet, they do not share our blood or help us in any way. My Daddy then said this, 'I kept this card, prevented any damage done to it, and took very good care of it. How much more so would I do for you, Princess?'"
"Well, I find it adorable! Your father must be a very good father!" Atticus stated.
"You okay with the fact he's not my blood father?" Jaylin asked.
"It's a bit weird, but I've done research on mentally abused or molested teenagers and you don't show any signs of it. Besides, knowing this country, Yugi wouldn't have adopted you, if he didn't show any proof to be good with kids or didn't have a clean record."
"At least I know you do your research."
"That's why I'm an honor student and have been for years. I always do my research before judging," Atticus bragged.
"You're such a nerd," Zane smirked.
"That's why all the ladies love me," Atticus grinned. "Besides, appearances are never everything. I love the ladies, but I also don't want to just enjoy my cheesecake and not provide anything for them. If I'm going to provide, I need a successful career and a straight mind. The higher your career is, the more respect you get and, the more respect you get, the more ladies will come swarming at your doorstep. With cheesecake comes providing the ingredients and tools to make it."
"Shouldn't you be preparing for your duel with Chazz tomorrow?" Zane asked Jaylin.
"Oh, I already set up my deck. We're also going to have to prepare for the next Shadow Game, when Nightshroud returns.
"I'll kick his ass. I want to make that son of a bitch pay," Zane promised, balling his hand to make a fist.
"It wasn't that bad. I can walk around now," Atticus assured.
"Yes, but he still has Fuji and had used you as a puppet against Jaylin. I want to be the one to make him pay, at least when he comes."
"There's no changing his mind now," Jaylin smirked.
"I hope you don't start thinking recklessly, Zane," Syrus said quietly, making his brother sigh.
"I'll be fine, Syrus. I seriously don't see what the worst thing Nightshroud could do at this point," Zane muttered.
"He could be a vampire duelist that turns the losers into dolls like Sabrina did with Misty and Brock from Pokemon," Jaylin smirked as the three boys burst into laughter.
"That's the most stupid and ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my life!" Zane cried aloud. "I bet next you're going to tell me that Crowler was his first victim, right?"
"Yes, and when she duels you, she defeats you by using a spell card, which requires a soul to be sacrificed to activated it and chooses Syrus' soul," Jaylin added.
"That makes no sense and has nothing to do with Duel Monsters!" Syrus cried, laughing his head off.
"Not to mention you just created a vampire that's less of a vampire than the ones in Twilight: Puppy Love," Zane added.
"Wow, how the hell did that happen?" Jaylin asked.
"You tell me!"
"Maybe the next Shadow Rider will be an Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh that never lost a duel, but ends up being an amateur, because his servants purposely lost to him, being afraid of him," Atticus grinned.
"The vampire duelist made more sense. Seriously, what the hell? Duel Monsters was not invented in Ancient Egypt. They had diahas," Jaylin asked.
"Maybe it was a diaha that he never lost to."
"Diaha and dueling are two different games. It would make sense for anyone a champion of diaha to suck at Duel Monsters. Even so, that has to be the biggest excuse to claim that a Pharaoh was amateurish in diaha, because his servants feared him. Servants didn't practice diaha for one. The ones that played diaha were priests and royals. A Pharaoh that's never lost a diaha would also be impossible, since that would mean that servants or priests were afraid to lose to him before he became Pharaoh. Even if the Pharaoh was like King Tut, where he became Pharaoh as a kid, it'd be even more stupid for any priest to not teach him how to play diaha properly and have him lose once in a while, because kid kings often needed help to rule an entire country by priests or advisers, so that'd kinda make them incompetent. Hell, even Atem needed help ruling and he was at an adult age during the Ancient Times at age 16. That would also mean his father or previous Pharaoh would've also been afraid to lose to him for no reason. There's also Atem's reputation being the king of games being flushed down the toilet."
Everyone stared at Jaylin with blinking eyes. She did have a point with her logic, but the fact she said all of this without skipping a beat or taking a breath was impressive. Jaylin rubbed the back of her neck before they all laughed together.
A/N: Okay, before you guys start ranting on me, what you're seeing is not just a culture different with kids never telling their parents "I love you" in Japan, this is also a language difference. There is a Japanese version of "I love you," but it's usually phrased romantically or to a friend and there's practically no Japanese phrase "I love you" which you can say to your parents. If there is, it's never used. The closest I've found is one you can say to your friend, sibling (which goes with the same phrase you say to your friend), or spouse. A phrase "I love you," which you can say to your parent in Japan is nonexistent. In fact, even just saying, "I love you" to your spouse is more of a Western thing. I will bet you that any Japanese version of any anime will never show a scene where a parent tells his/her child or vice versa "I love you." I dare you to find one!
I also mean every bit of it when I say that the vampire duelist Camula is an even worse insult for vampires than any vampire in Twilight. At least those vampires drink human blood. At least they did have lustful desires. At least they did fight. At least they did show the features of being a vampire that included drinking blood, being stronger, running fast, having lustful desires over human blood, etc. Camula never drinks human blood. She might've bitten Syrus' neck, but she didn't do anything to him, except use him to activate a spell card and he seemed fine after that. Then, when her opponent loses, she turns them into dolls. I know Yami Bakura did that, but at least that was better executed to where he would use those dolls to torture his victims by forcing them to play the RPG game to steal other people's souls or lock them in a glass cabinet, giving his victims the inability to move or do anything. The same could be said with Sabrina from Pokemon when she turned Brock and Misty into dolls. It did come off as intimidating, seeing that Brock and Misty could hardly move and Ash losing would continually put him in more risky and dangerous situations (did I just compliment the anime Pokemon with Ash Katchum?). This one just made you wish you could watch Battle City or season 0 where the Penalty Games showed to be intimidating. Even the 4Kids version of the shadow games were more intimidating in the original Yugioh. There's also no reason for Camula to turn her victims into dolls other than to rip-off of Pokemon. I don't mind a vampire existing in Yugioh, I've done a Yugioh vampire story before (Out For Blood), but it has to be a believable vampire and not just showing the look and the teeth. Even if I was to believe the vampire was a duelist, drinking the human blood still needs to be mentioned at least. If Loony Tunes can mention a vampire drinking blood, why can't Yugioh? In fact, why can't the Japanese version of Yugioh mention it? It just would've been better if Camula was a witch doctor or something, because then the changing victims into dolls thing would've made a ton more sense.