Chapter 2: First Day of School
Tori P.O.V.
Yesterday still had my head spinning, but I needed to focus on school today and so I shook my head as I attempted to temporarily ignore it. Suddenly a red and blue blur zipped past me and on headed towards the staff parking lot. I wonder? No, it couldn't be. Not so soon.
I went into the staff parking lot, where many students had gathered. The two fast moving vehicles were duel runners, both a different model, but just as ancient as each other. The riders got off and removed their helmets. I recognized them. Their marks and visible scars had been covered. Natsumi's hair swished as she removed her helmet and I swear some boys started drooling and Yusei's hair bounced back after being released from his confinement. I know I saw some girls drop to the ground.
"Um, you do realize that this is staff parking only and that you need to be wearing your school uniforms and not that fancy get up?" A student piped up, mistaking them for upper class men.
Yusei was wearing a suit and tie while Natsumi wore a business suit, both were caring a satchel.
"We are staff members. We are your new teachers, Mrs. Tari Chikamoto and Mr. Yuki Fukumo. We teach Turbo Dueling era history here now."
"Is that why you're riding those ancient things?" Another student asked.
"No, they just happen to be our vehicle of choice." Yusei commented.
Chidori P.O.V.
Our new teacher, Mrs. Chikamoto, stood at behind her desk waiting for the bell to ring. She was tall, the tallest woman I had ever seen, and her blond hair was eccentrically long, like I had room to talk. I was on the tall side as well, but I never let my blond hair grow longer than my butt. Her icy gaze scanned the room and within the one second she looked in my direction, I feared for any trouble makers. Her gaze held the no nonsense kind of attitude and there was something that added to it, something I didn't know about, something frightening.
Riiiiiiiiinnnnnnngggggg
"Okay class, settle down and please take a seat." Mrs. Chikamoto commanded. "As most of you know already, I am Mrs. Chikamoto. My brother and I are new teachers and are new to teaching in general, but we know quite a lot about the Turbo Dueling era. Now, I will call role. After I call your name, please give me one interesting fact about yourself and try to make it involve the Turbo Dueling era. For example, if there is a particular card or technique you like, if you know any ancestors that you have from the time period, if you had a favorite duelist from the time period, and etc."
It didn't take her very long to get to my name, and for some reason she seemed to choke a little when she called it.
"Chidori Cal-calico?"
"Present. An interesting fact about me is that I have an ancestor from the Turbo Dueling era who was quite the famous duelist as well as hero. Her name was Natsumi Calico, married to Jesse Calico, and the ancestor of many great duelists."
For a second her diamond hard gaze softened a little and a tear welled up in her eye, but she reverted to her hard expression so fast that I almost didn't believe I saw it. I looked around to see if anyone else had noticed. My eyes landed on Tori who sat across the aisle from me. She gritted her teeth as if watching someone who made a dangerous error. She has seen it, and she knew why it had happened.
The rest of the class time went smoothly and the way Mrs. Chikamoto taught us the history, it was like she was there when it happened. The bell rang and everyone left for their next class.
"Hey, Chidori!" A friend of mine named Zula called out.
"What's up, Zula?"
"Nothing much, but that Mrs. Chikamoto is something else. I actually understood that lesson. Usually I don't get that signer stuff but I sure got it this time. Speaking of the new teach, she might just be your missing mom. I mean, you guys look almost exactly alike except your eyes are those famous Jesse royal blues."
I was about to say that I doubted it, but then I remembered her reaction to my name in class.
"Maybe, but my dad said I looked more like him than my mom, and besides I wouldn't want to talk to her. She walked out on me, my dad, and my little brother when I was three without any explanation." I replied firmly.
"Yeah, you're right."
"Shhh. I hear voices." Zula shushed.
"It's school, of course there are going to be voices."
"No, no, the kind of voices that don't won't to be heard." She whispered, putting a finger to my mouth.
Zula the gossip queen was at it again.
"-mi, you got to be careful. You could've blown it early if she had gotten curious." Tori lectured.
"I know," A voice sniffled, "But after all these years, who knew I would find one."
"Now don't start crying, you'll ruin your make up." She commanded gently.
I recognized the second voice as Mrs. Chikamoto's.
"Maybe you shouldn't have started so soon, I mean, your brother has been awake longer than you and has been able to come to terms with pretty much everything. You just woke up, things have changed, and you still can't accept everyone but your brother is gone."
"No, I need to get back on my feet. One time I was in a slump for a while, I couldn't get out of it, and then Jesse woke me up out of it… He's not here to do that now." Mrs. Chikamoto said firmly, although tearfully.
Zula grabbed me roughly and dragged me towards the second route to our next class.
"I have a theory!" She sang once out of hearing range.
"Oh, come on, Zula! Why do you have to turn one person's misery into a fairy tale?"
"'Cause it's fun!" She grinned.
I rolled my eyes.
"So, here it is. The night your mom left, she went out for a simple errand, something you just don't tell everyone about. She got in an accident that involved some close relatives and she and her brother were the only survivors, but they were both in a coma. Her brother woke up a while before her and was able to cope with everything after a while and then she just woke up and didn't think you'd guys would still be around." She explained excitedly.
I shook my head. "Then why would Tori know about it?"
"Maybe she's a friend of her brother, or maybe she knows someone who works at the hospital."
"Zula, just let it rest. My mom left us and she's not ever coming back, nor would she be welcomed if she did." I snapped.
"Sorry, but just think about, 'kay? I mean your dad never showed you a picture of her, so you never know." She shrugged and entered the room before me.
I gave her the silent treatment for the entire period, she knew my mom was a touchy subject, and when the teacher instructed us to get in partners in order to analyze an article, she attempted to pair up with me per the norm, but I quickly turned to Flip, who sat next to me, and made it clear he was my partner. Flip was overjoyed, Zula… not so much.
"Come on! I said I was sorry!" Zula complained on our way to Dueling Ed in the gym.
"You know my mom is a touchy subject." I grumbled.
"You know, it's like you don't even really want to know who she is." She said it in a way that made it sound like she couldn't believe anyone wouldn't want to know something.
"Oh really? I guess I didn't make that clear enough." I replied sarcastically, rolling my eyes at the same time.
"Seriously girl, please forgive me. I swear I'm sorry and we'll go to the usual place after school so I can prove it." She begged.
"Crow's Cavern?"
"Yep."
"An ultimate ice cream parfait?"
"In the largest size possible."
I pause as if thinking.
"Fine, I forgive you. Just don't mention my mom or make up fairy tales involving her again." I warned.
"It's a deal."
"You know, I can't believe that place is still around." I commeneted.
"Crow's Cavern?"
"Yeah, its original founder was Crow Hogan himself. He made it later in his life as another way of making kids happy. He loved kids and taking care of them you know. He and most of his close friends were orphans and he didn't want to any other kids growing up like they had to."
"You're more of a history nerd than I thought, Chidori." Zula commented.
"Indeed, that was some quite impressive knowledge, Ms. Chidori." A firm voice commented. I turned to see Mrs. Chikamoto walking alongside us.
"How long have you been there?" Zula asked, startled.
"Not long."
"Where are you headed?" I asked.
"The gym. I want to see what dueling is like in modern times. I've only read and studied ancient duels, as far as back as Egyptian times, but I've never witnessed a modern one." She explained.
"You've never seen a real duel?" Zual gasped. "But that is nearly impossible! You can't walk five feet without seeing a duel in progress."
"I've seen plenty real duels, videos and films and recordings of duels from older times, and I've participated in many duels myself, but I have not been a spectator of any modern duels."
"What's your win loss ratio?" Zula asked.
"I don't know. I never kept track." With that we reached the gym and where we left for the center of the gym, she went to the spectator stands.
We were a few duels in when our duel instructor noticed our one member audience.
"I didn't know new teachers were so interested in watching students duel." He commented.
"Huh?" I asked.
"Our other new teacher, Mr. Fukumo, came in last period and watched as well. I offered him to duel a couple of my brightest in that period, he accepted, and he beat them with the ease of a pro. His deck was really ancient though. He literally had no Xyz monsters."
"Well, that's his sister, sir. She's my first period teacher, Mrs. Chikamoto."
He nodded and then shouted at Mrs. Chikamoto, "Mrs. Chikamoto, how about you come down and participate in a duel? Your brother did and he was spectacular."
She looked at us and away from the current duel, startled, but quickly smoothed herself out. "I'd love to, but in all honesty, I really shouldn't."
"Oh come on, why not?"
"Simply because I shouldn't."
For someone who shouldn't, she looked like she really wanted to.
"Oh come on, Mrs. Chikamoto!" I called out. "I want to see some of that ancient dueling you've been studying!"
At my request she seemed to crumble.
"Very well." She submitted and started her way towards us.
"Chidori, you're my best pupil, you duel her." My instructor instructed me.
"Alright." I agreed and I began to shuffle through my deck. Mrs. Chikamoto pulled hers from inside a coat pocket, and an old fashioned, probably Trubo Dueling era, dueling disk somehow appeared on her wrist.
She stepped into the dueling field, surprised to see me to do the same.
"Chidori?"
"Surprised teach? I'm one of the best duelers at this academy. Good luck taking me down."
"Let's duel!" We cried in sync.
"I'll start!" I claimed.
"That's fine with me. I like it when my opponent goes first." She smiled. There was a hunger in her eyes, as if she needed to duel to live.
It was over faster than any duel I had witnessed, with my ending up with a sore rump. For an old dueling disk and set of cards, her monsters appeared life-like, their feet, er, paws… ah, whatever, even touched the ground. A few times I felt a realistic breeze as the claws of her monsters came in for direct attacks. It was amazing. I even found out how ancient her deck really is. One of her cards Toon Summoned Skull, a card that came from the Original Dueling era. A card that was believed that my ancestor, Nastumi Calico, had the last one and it disappeared along with her body.
"Very masterful, Mrs. Chikamoto, especially for such old cards and disk. I feared they wouldn't connect to our system." My instructor complimented.
"Thank you, Mr. … "
"Mr. Hiro Himura."
"Thank you, Mr. Himura."
"You know, I think there may have actually been a technical difficulty, just not a major one." He commented.
"Like what?" She asked.
"Your monsters never once touched her. I mean, not physically, but the hologram never appeared to touch her." He looked at me while rubbing his chin. His eyes widened in concern. "Chidori, how did you get that scratch?"
"What scratch?"
He pointed to his cheek, and I lifted my hand to mine as if he were my reflection. My cheek was a little wet and when I pulled my hand away, I saw blood. There wasn't a whole lot, but the scratch was obviously fresh.
"I-I don't know…"
I looked up at the teachers to find only one. Mrs. Chikamoto had disappeared.