Hey all, great news: Finally came up with some good names for my main OC's parents!
So, that's all updated for my profile, and will feature here for the first time in this chapter.
Hope you like them as much as I do, and continue to read my story to your heart's content :)
It's been several days since the intense duel between Athena and the mysterious Number Hunter, Kite, which may have ended in total disaster for the former and Astral if not for the latter becoming preoccupied at the last minute by an incoming alert about his younger brother's condition...
Even so, the cloud of despair and doubt had yet to cease hovering over the pair that was previously at the receiving end of the loser's scale.
(Ka-chank)
Of course, the girl with red irises was not the type to wallow in her own misery for days on end, at least not after the large release of her tears right after Kite had left...
"Hm? Oh! Fujina-san, good morning."
"Hey Marty. Been a while...Is the gym quiet?"
"As a door mouse. Just show me the member card and I'll let you in."
One night of crying in her sleep was all she needed before settling into a masked state of depression mixed with anger, to which she felt needed to be literally worked out of her system. In which case, after wandering around mindlessly in her house for a day, Athena would then pack up her casual bag with two water bottles, several snacks and a towel, and dress up in one of her running outfits before heading out to a local gym she's frequented to now and again for several months prior to now, mostly during times she needed to take her anger out on something in a healthy manner...
Now, we zoom inside a room where the floor was built with a giant blue mat over the hardwood, the left side wall made of window glass that opened to the sunny outside, while the right, front and back were made of cream plaster and had several exercise machines of different types lined up along them. Sitting in the middle was a stand-up punching bag, currently being beaten up by the girl with long, shaggy black hair tipped copper-red tied back into a tight french braid, her body beading with sweat and her eyes burning with a dulled rage as she threw punch after gloved punch against the leather bag.
"Hh, (punch)! Ha, (punch)! Rh, (punch)!..."
Hovering near the windows in a mock sitting position, was Astral, whom had remained silent and almost mournful-like since that duel.
Every once in a while, he'd glance up and watch Athena work the bag, before looking back down with a hand under his chin...
After another seven-ten minutes, the girl paused in her actions to catch her breath and gulp down some water from one of her bottles, feeling another session of degrading thoughts coming on.
Damn it, this sucks...There wasn't a damn thing I was able to do stop Kite's plays.
(Flash)
"There's no escape now, my little friend. You and your Numbers will be hunted down!"
(Flash)
...I dunno what I hate more about him: His arrogance or his skill.
Astral's thoughts meanwhile, were much more self-blaming:
It is my fault that we almost lost to that Number Hunter...
(Flash)
"And now your soul and Number Cards, will be mine! Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon: Prepare to attack!"
(Flash)
...If the duel had not been stopped, then I...I would have vanished from here forever.
Just the mere idea was enough to make his hand tremble, which would turn into a flinch when his ears pick up on the sound of a growl of frustration from Athena, who tossed her water bottle onto her backpack before rushing over to suddenly roundhouse-kick the punching bag hard, causing it to topple backwards onto the floor!
"Hah...hah...Okay, that was on the edge of overkill, but I really needed to do that."
But when she gazed at the fallen exercise equipment for two seconds too long...
(Flash)
A blurred figure sprawled on a stone floor in a broken doll-like fashion...
(Flash)
"Hh!"
She suddenly felt another buried memory trigger, and stumbled back while holding a hand over her heart to calm herself.
...There it is again: That, shape on the floor of one of that, place's rooms.
It's so strange that Kite's monster readying to enact the finisher, somehow woke my brain up to more details I suppressed.
...But this growing unease, this, fear...I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing.
(Flash)
Hunching over near the fallen blur, was a humanoid-like beast with glowing blood-red skin, possessing thick hulking arms that dragged across the ground with large, clawed pawing hands, muscled legs that seemed grotesquely-grown, making their stance somewhat awkward and handicap-like, floor-length hair a shade darker than its skin that held a weak black aura around, and mismatched eye sockets that gleamed a deadly black and blue, both surrounded by a faint sheen of gold!
(Flash)
Especially that, monster, that freakish thing...
Athena suddenly looks over at Astral's hunched form, concluding to herself,
Whatever that beast was...it has connections to what's happening to Astral World. I can feel it.
...Speaking of Astral, I can't stand this new period of quiet from him anymore. It's deafening.
Taking in a deep breath, the girl walks over to the being while picking up her towel to drape over her shoulders, determined to snap the other out of his depressed daze.
"Okay, Astral, we really need to talk about these last couple days. I admit, I'm not acting any better than you are, but at least I'm still trying to stay in tune with the world. Meanwhile, you've been staring at the wall like you're expecting it to talk back, as well as made no motions to speak other than voicing depressing commentary."
There's a pause, before the blue being mutters,
"I cannot help it."
"Rgh, you can if you try! Look, bottom line, avoiding that stone-cold creep Kite isn't gonna work: He'll eventually circle back to us in his hunt for the Number Cards, which we need to be ready for."
"But what if we are not?"
Athena slaps a hand to her forehead and groans,
"See, that's the type of thinking that won't help! Come on, Astral, pull away from the events of that duel and focus on now!"
"Um, Addy?"
"Hm?"
Said girl pauses in her pep-talk, and turns around to the entrance of the workout room to see her friends Tiffany and Jamal standing there, the first wearing a light blue t-shirt with embroidered sleeves, a mint green, knee-length flowy skirt, and black flats with white knee-high socks, while the second wore his light orange tank-top with an image of the infamous Flaming Swordsman on it, a black sleeveless jacket overtop, baggy blue jeans and grey-white sneakers.
"Oh, Tiff, Jamal, hey...How'd you guys know I was here?"
"Adam told us after we swung by your place to see you...Uhm, is this a bad time?"
By that, Tiffany was gesturing to the down punching bag, to which Athena would quickly dismiss.
"Oh no, no, not at all! Just, heh, got a little carried away with my workout...So what's up?"
Knowing about her true motives in coming to the local gym thanks to past incidences, her friends don't fully buy the brush-off, but chose to leave the subject alone for now to show her an advertisement for an upcoming event...
"The World Duel Carnival, eh?"
"Yeah, it's suppose to be this huge Dueling Tournament that our city's hosting! There's even gonna be some international competition, from places we barely know where to look up on a global map!"
But while Jamal was feeling pumped up about the appending event, Athena was feeling the opposite.
Hmm...it's more than likely Kite will be there...
Seeing the distant glare and tightening of grip on the dark-skinned boy's duel disk, Tiffany became concerned.
Athena's been acting real self-berating and angry lately, and it doesn't look like she's been sleeping well.
"Addy?"
"...Hm?"
"You, don't seem very amped about the coming tournament, and, I've been noticing your undereyes are darkening again...Has something been bugging you lately?"
The girl with red irises stiffened ever so slightly, thinking to herself with regret,
If only I could tell you, Tiff...but this is another one of those difficult subjects I can't involve too many minds in, least not right now.
"It's, nothin' I can't handle. Just some nightmares that have yet to quit pestering me..."
"Are you sure?"
Just as Athena was about to open her mouth to reply, another voice suddenly cuts in with a cheerful air.
"Ah, Athena, there you are!"
Jumping to her feet, she turns to see her eldest family member standing a few feet away from her and her friends!
"Gah! Grandpa! When'd you get down here?!"
"Just a few minutes ago, but that's not important. Anyway, I need you to be a dear and drop something off to an old colleague of mine who lives outside the city."
Homare then causally drops down a huge satchel of what looks to be various fresh vegetables and eggs.
"There's a note for him inside as well, (pulls out a paper from his sleeve) and this one has the address."
Athena takes the paper from her grandfather with a suspicious expression, and opens it up to read over...
"Uh! That far?! (Looks at the bag) And I gotta lug this load...Gramps, couldn't you have called in Adam or Terry to do this instead of draggin' it down here last-minute?"
The elder's brown-red irises gleamed dangerously:
"Who are you and what have you done with my kind and generous granddaughter?! Where is she?!"
"Yah! Guh-uh, I'm right here, gramps, here!...Haaah, I get it; I'm on it."
"(Smile) Much better. I knew I could count on you for the job."
Time Skip
It would soon be inching close to dusk by the time Athena had reached the area where her grandfather's friend lived, the sun casting a dull golden light over a very long staircase towards a large shrinehouse set up top a tall hill surrounded by the overwhelming green of trees.
The girl herself, was slowly making her way up with the loaded satchel on her back, along with Astral who had shifted his mock sitting position to right over the opening of the bag.
"Hr-gh, hope you're enjoying the view, from up there! Bet the, sunset's looking beautiful, huh?!"
Her tone of course, reigned with sarcasm and exhaustion, and after a few more steps, she'd catch up with her friends at the next foot of the stairs, they having graciously volunteered to tag along and help her reach the place...
However, as Athena gazed upward to where her destination laid, her red irises would bulge when she saw that the top was still quite a ways away.
"Ugh, god dammit! Just how much higher do we hafta go?! It feels like we're climbing up the staircase to heaven's gate!"
She topples onto her knees, adding,
"Urrrgh, I picked the wrong day to work the bag hard...!"
After taking in a few more deep breaths, Jamal replies to his complaining friend,
"Well then, look at it this way, Addy: If we stop here and turn around, (smirk) you'll be lugging that load all the way back to the city."
Athena froze with a sweatdrop...before shaking herself and replying,
"Good point. No way am I doin' that. (Lifts herself to her feet) Okay then, next round, and this time, it'll be the last!"
And with a renewed motivation, the girl with black hair tipped copper-red bursts into a fast jog up the rest of the stairs, her friends watching her go with awed and slightly amused smiles on their faces...
Several minutes pass, before Athena would touch down at the top of the large hill where the shrine laid.
"Hah, hah, hah, made it...(Looks up) Hm."
Looking around, we see that the structure was quite grand in design compared to other shrines (the roof made of mahogany tiling and shaped like the top of a circus tent), with worn stone lanterns making the walkway.
"Wow...This is the kind of quiet place I've always wanted to hang about at, but couldn't get to in the city."
It's weird, though: I, feel like I've been here before...But when?
Walking over to the home, the girl slides the door open and calls,
"Hello?...Anybody here?"
Odd. You'd think that gramp's friend would be home...
Unbeknownst to her, a figure was watching her from the rafters...until they suddenly sprang and landed right on top of the large bundle of food she was carrying!
Athena's yelp of surprise was the first thing Jamal and Tiffany heard when they finally reached the top of the staircase, and they would quickly rush to the entrance of the shrine-house to see what the matter was.
"Addy!" "What's wrong?!"
She whirls around to face them and points upward with an agitated expression:
"S-Somethin' jumped on me!"
And that 'something', is revealed to be an elderly man with balding white-gray hair that stuck out at the sides, bushy eyebrows and a goat patch, pale complexion, brown eyes, and wore an orange haori with a dull yellow/bark brown striped vest that had fur lining the arm holes overtop, a mahogany sash around his middle that held his brown hakama in place, slate black socks, tan sandals, and a red scarf around his neck. He was busy scarfing away at a few of the vegetables, until he clues into the new faces.
"Ah, friends! You got any dipping sauce?"
Jamal and Tiffany sweatdrop with partly-gaped mouths, before the former comments,
"Uhm, the something's a someone, Addy, an old man to be exact."
"...Seriously?"
And what happened to the blue being previously occupying the top of the bag? Well, despite his mind continuing to mull over 'that duel', he managed to tune into reality fast enough to float out of the way of the incoming human, and was now hovering closer to the ceiling...
...Eventually, the three teens and elder had sat down to the floor with some tea and the food that was packed in the bundle Athena brought, with the latter eating alot more than the three former. Jamal sideglances his friend with red irises and whispers in awe,
"And they say teenagers have bottomless stomachs...!" She whispers back,
"I know, right?"
They snap back to the elder when he, um, belched, and he pats his stomach with a satisfied smile.
"Oh yeah: A full belly is indeed a happy belly! Be sure to give my thanks to Homare for me."
"So you and gramps do know eachother then, sir? How'd you meet?"
The elder laughs a little and replies to Athena,
"You've been taught manners, I see. Good girl...but no need to use 'sir' around me. The name happens to be Roku."
His expression shifts a bit more serious with a proud smile:
"But you can call me Master Roku." All three teens reply in unison,
"Master Roku?!"
...At the same time, back in the Fujina family residence, Homare had finished telling his grandsons about where he sent their youngest family member. While Adam took in the information calmly, Terry did not:
"You sent Athena to the Duel Sanctuary?! Grandpa...this is the kind of thing I've been trying to avoid: If she becomes more involved with Dueling, she'll end up under the danger radar again! If not mom and dad, think about what Athena's already trying to work past..."
Adam chides his brother's name with sympathy and slight scolding for berating their grandfather's judgement, while he himself replies with a serious frown on his lips and in his brown-red irises after taking a sip of his tea,
"That is precisely why I believe now is the time to send her there. Do not misunderstand me, Terrence: I too wish to keep Athena safe from the dangers of this world, but I also know that sheltering her like a recluse would backfire terribly. Not only that...but her experiences are already teaching her to be observant, and any negativity attached only makes her all the more determined to move forward. Therefore, the best course of action we can take as her family is to support her growth, and help prepare her for what may lie ahead."
The younger redhead was left speechless by Homare's words, while the other young man with the tamed black mullet smiles in a knowing fashion...
"What?! Can't go home?!"
Turning back to the apparent Duel Sanctuary, the three teens were shocked to learn from Roku that they had arrived at his home during the time of day that made public transport a bit difficult to procure.
"You missed the last bus by about an hour, and everyone here calls it a day at sundown."
Tiffany replies with a stubborn frown and her hands on her lips,
"Then we'll just walk, no problem." The elder counters,
"But then you wouldn't be able to clean this room for me."
Athena exclaims,
"Clean?! What?! (Looks around) But this room's messier than Terry's after a fortnight! It'll take a few hours just to find the corners!"
Roku replies from around the partly-opened door with a sneaky smile,
"Then you better get started. Your grandfather's note said that you'd do anything I'd ask you to do. Your dear grandpa isn't a liar, is he?"
With that, he leaves to another part of the shrine, leaving Athena to fume when she realizes,
...Dammit, he set me up! Oooo, I'm so gonna get you back for this, gramps, just you wait!
Come about forty minutes later, we see that the clean-up task was coming steadily along, with Tiffany washing the floors using a rag and bucket, and Jamal carrying a box or two with a small bundle on top to another end of the room.
"That should all go into the closet, Jamal."
"Gotcha."
The girl with bobbed black hair then glances over at her other friend, who was sweeping a broom across the floor with an absentminded expression gazing around the room.
"Ugh, Addy, don't sweep it all random; guide the mess to one spot."
"H-Huh? Oh, sorry, Tiff...I just keep getting this weird feeling of déjà vu from this place, like I've been here once before..."
Jamal calls over his shoulder in curiousity after storing the items into the closet,
"Really?"
"Yeah...but I can't remember when...Hm?"
Athena's attention then falls on the dim glow of light coming from a set of old wood-iron doors leading to another room of the shrine-house.
What's Roku got behind there?
Setting the broom against a wall, she walks over to push the doors open, and was greeted with the sight of several wooden statues carved to meet the likeness of several famous Duel Monsters, a few of which she recognized instantly.
"Uh! That's...The Dark Magician...! (Looks left) And there's Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Red-Eyes Black Dragon, (Looks right) Neos, and Dark Magician Girl! Whoa...So many legendary monsters in one spot. Incredible...!"
And again, so oddly familiar...
As Athena drank in the sight of these large figurines, Tiffany and Jamal file into the room wondering what got their friend distracted.
"Addy, you better not be trying to get out o-Huh? Oh...!"
"What's all this? (Looks right) Auh, is that, Flame Swordsman?! Awesome!"
Even Astral was gazing around the room with interest...
Roku's chuckling then echoed into the room, as he appears suddenly from behind one of the statues.
"I'm glad you like them. I poured my heart and soul into making these wooden statues. Every time one of my little birdies flies from the nest, I carve a new one in his or her honour."
Tiffany cocks her head to the side in confusion:
"Little birdies, you say?"
"Yes. My students, my prodigies. This historical Duel Sanctuary is a training house, a place of knowledge. A many of incredible duelists have mastered their art in this very room..."
Roku glances over at Athena's form over where the Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl statues were standing, staring at them with an intent expression of distant familiarity. He in turn felt a knowing smile curve onto his lips:
"In fact, Athena's parents have been brought up here by Homare a few times."
Jamal and Tiffany exclaim,
"Uh! Really?!" "Addy's folks?"
"Mhm, and I do recall one such time, heh, where they brought along their children, including their little bundle of energy with wide, curious red eyes..."
That bit of information caught Athena's attention:
"...That was me, wasn't it?"
"Aah, so you do remember, do you?"
She shuts her eyes in thought...
(Flash)
We see a little toddler just entering three years of age, her black hair with copper tips reaching just to her mid-back, wearing a red t-shirt with a black fall vest overtop, blue jeans and white socks (her yellow boots were left near the entrance), wandering around the room of wooden carvings with a smile and giggle under her breath, red eyes sparkling with delight.
"Wooow..."
She stops in front of two particular figurines, and claps her hands with a laugh before chirping,
"Gagaga Magic!"
A chuckle rings into the room, belonging to a very familiar man with short, spiky black hair and a balbo beard, grey eyes and fairly-tanned skin, he dressed in a grey sweater, brown khaki pants and black socks to match his black boots (they also left at the entrance). He walks over to the little girl and says to her,
"Actually, Athena, that's Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl."
"Dark, Magi-cian?"
"That's right. He and his apprentice are a part of the monsters from legend."
"So, they're special?"
"Exactly."
Little Athena looks back up at the monster carvings with awe, just as another very familiar face with medium-length, feathered copper-red hair, red eyes and fair skin walks into the room with Roku, she wearing a long-sleeve white shirt with a dark blue fall vest overtop, dark grey jeans and white socks (her brown boots left with her husband and daughter's), an amused smile on her face at seeing the former's dancing figure.
"She's really taken a shine to your statues, Master Roku."
"(Laugh) No surprise to me, dear Sarina. Your little girl has yours and Orion's curiousity and the budding spirit of a duelist...Something tells me, I will soon see her again when she begins her dueling journey."
(Flash)
...Looking back at the spellcasters carved from wood, Athena smiles slightly with a tinge of distant sadness and nostalgia.
"Yes...I do. They were so big back then, and, always looked like they could reach out to take my hand."
Roku's smile grew slightly at the characterization, before he reveals,
"...But they do move."
The young teens raise their brows skeptically, as the red-eyed girl asks,
"They do? But, how?"
"They come to life during a duel...Do you want to see? Hm?"
Athena nods, pulling out her duel gazer:
"I sure do! Let's get to it, Master Roku!"
The other two teens and elder activate their own gazers, bringing the AR World to life.
Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.
"(Both duelists) Let's duel!"
Roku then explains the handicaps for this particular style of dueling, as four statues are moved to incorporate for the match, along with two podiums carrying what looked to be carved-out wooden cards.
"In this duel training scenario, two legends have been already been summoned to each of our fields! Over here I have Blue-Eyes Statue Dragon, and Red-Eyes Statue Dragon! You have Statue Dark Magician, and Statue Dark Magician Girl! The decks we're using are wooden training decks, made by yours truly. Now, the four legendary monsters we have on the field remain as wooden statues. Their powers are sealed away. They have zero Attack Points; they cannot engage in battle."
"What? But then, how can they battle if they're standin' stiff?"
"You can say that they can move. You can believe that they cannot. That choice is yours to make."
That answer only left Athena all the more confused, while Astral figures out the meaning right away.
I see: The potential of these monsters relies on the decisions that Athena makes.
He hovers down near her side to explain:
"Athena, you have the power to bring these monsters to life."
"I do?"
"One of the cards in your deck must be the key to unlocking their powers."
The girl looks to the large stack of cards above the five drawn:
"...Oooh, now I see, (slaps forehead) doigt!"
Roku meanwhile, shifts to sit down on the floor and asks with a tease in his tone,
"Should I get myself comfy, maybe make myself some tea?"
Athena sends a smirk back and retorts,
"Very funny, but I don't recommend getting too comfortable, since I'm Drawing!"
She swipes up a card from the deck, and looks down to see,
"Alright! I activate the Field Spell, Statue Zone!"
"Oh?"
"This spell allows me to remove the seal placed on all statue monsters!"
Time to wake up to the party, everyone.
The area is soon clouded with a thick purple mist with golden sparkles glittering around, leaving Jamal and Tiffany in awe, while the four statues being used for this battle begin to crack like eggs, their eyes glowing red...
"Rise up, everyone, and let's add a new page to the Duel Monsters history book!"
On that note, the wooden shells split away into pixels, making way for the legendary monsters to show their true colours: Level Seven Dark Magician with 2500 Attack Points, Level Six Dark Magician Girl with 2000 Attack Points, Level Seven Red-Eyes Black Dragon with 2400 Attack Points, and of course, Level Eight Blue-Eyes White Dragon with 3000 Attack Points!
Athena was struck with awe by the holographic images of these famous four.
"This is, beyond amazing...! It's like we went back in time to play the roles of some of the greatest duelists to walk the earth!"
I wonder, if how I feel, is how he felt when he first summoned Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl?
(Note: If anyone caught my very subtle hat-tip from the original series, Gold Star to you!)
Jamal was just in much rapture:
"Aw yeah! This is legend beyond legend! Kind-a wish I could see Flame Swordsman in the pixelized flesh, but Red-Eyes is just as cool!"
Tiffany shakes her head in amusement at his enthusiasm, but was also looking at the monsters with a sparkle in her blue eyes...
"Alright, Dark Magician, if you will: Attack Red-Eyes with Dark Magic Attack!"
The spellcaster heeds Athena's call, and twirls his staff before releasing a bolt of purple energy at the targeted dragon, its pixel body destroyed and making way for its original wooden carving! Roku's Life Points drop to 3900, but his focus was on his new student's skill:
"Heha, not too shabby, little scrapper."
"Thanks!"
"Question..."
He rose back to his feet with a teachable smile before asking,
"You may have made a monster move, but can you truly move a monster?"
Astral forms an expression of wondering, while Athena frowned and raised her brow questioningly.
"I don't understand what you mean, Master Roku. Are you suggesting a monster's movements go deeper?"
"Hmm, you're on the right track...but still: Perhaps you need a new perspective."
"A new wha-UH!"
(Pulse...)
Athena's POV
(Pulse...)
(Blink) Huh? What just, happened?...It feels like did a mile-long jump...
...Gah!
Once my vision was fully focused, I found myself staring almost directly into the irises of Blue-Eyes White Dragon!
They let out a deafening roar, making me shiver before trying to figure out what was going on.
Wh-When the heck was I this close to the act-...
Wait...I'm holding something.
I look down at my hands, and see a very familiar-looking staff belonging to an equally familiar magician's apprentice.
This is-!...So, that would mean...I'm inside Dark Magician Girl's body!
But, if I'm here...
I turn to glance over my shoulder, and saw my own body now encased in its own wooden shell!
Holy crap!
I shifted my gaze to the blue being hovering by my newly-frozen body, and he in turn pivots his head to lock eyes with mine.
Astral...
"This is quite an interesting scenario."
Wish I could say the same, (focuses up front) but, this is way too close to the battle for my liking.
...It, even reminds me of-No! No, don't think back, Addy!
Don't remind yourself of those trashy battles that bastard dared called duels...
"Look alive, missy, 'cause it's my turn now!"
I quickly look up to Roku as he draws a new card:
"I'm activating a Spell, Polymerization!"
A bolting tornado rose from the card on the field to cloak Blue-Eyes from my vision...
"And now I fuse my three Blue-Eyes White Dragons from my Graveyard and my hand, to Fusion-Summon, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Statue Dragon!"
Uh! Oh no...!
And just like that, the three-headed Level Ten version of that dangerous dragon came flying onto the field, packing a pounding 4500 Attack Points!
Aw man, I'm screwed!
...But, it's not looking at me...(Bulges eyes) They're looking at-
"Now my Ultimate Dragon: Attack Dark Magician! Neutron Blast Attack!"
The three heads charge up a sphere of blue lightning, before launching it to blast straight against the male spellcaster beside me, who lets out an outcry before vanishing in a cluster of pixels, forcing my Life Points to drop down to 2000!
Dark Magician, no!
"Haha, next I activate the De-Fusion Spell card from my hand! So by sending my Blue-Eyes Ultimate back to my extra deck, it splits apart, and now I have three Blue-Eyes White Dragons once again!"
The sight of those dragons closing in against me...I actually would've preferred the one triple-headed dragon over them.
It wouldn't have been half as scary as three ice blue-scaled monsters getting ready to attack.
Uh, no, please! Don't do it!
My anxiety was rising quick, but, it wasn't just me...I could feel a second set of fears creeping up, one that wasn't my own.
Is...is this, Dark Magician Girl's heart I'm feeling?
...She's just as terrified as I am.
Master Roku seemed to notice the change of my personal air:
"Yes. When staring into the eyes of a powerful foe, you tremble in fear. It's only natural...Our monsters are no different: They are forced to confront their fears every time we duel."
Forced to confront their fears...Gee. Put it that way, it kind-a shines a bad spotlight on the duelist.
"Feel the terror! Buckle under the weight of your fear! Tremble, as my Blue-Eyes attack you directly! Go White Lightning!"
The dragons release their breaths of power to come crashing against me like an electrical wave, my outcry mixing with Dark Magician Girl's as I-No...as we both face defeat...
I felt a shift halfway, and when I landed on the floor on my back, I found myself within my own body again as my Life Points drop to zero. My friends mutter my name with concerned tones, while I pushed myself to a sitting position with shaky arms as I gradually came down from that jump-scare.
"Hh...hh...hh..."
That, was all kinds of freaky...but I also, feel like I learned a whole lot.
"I may have pushed you a little hard...but you felt it, didn't you?"
I look up at the approaching elder as he continued:
"You felt the fear that a monster does every time you summon it to battle in your name. When you learn to make that fear your own, and when you master how to tame it, only then will you truly be able to move a monster."
...Removing my duel gazer, I found myself staring at the ground with a mix of clarity...and an old bitterness that was threatening to bubble in my gut.
"How could I have been so blind? Thinking most of my monsters were fearless...I'm an idiot. They're just as scared as the duelist is, as I get sometimes...But, I suppose, (bitter smile) part of the problem is that I still get that numbing blocker when I'm particularly submerged in a fight. It might have worked back...when I was..."
"When you used to be a part of that group of troublemakers on the rougher side of the city?"
I dart my eyes up to meet Master Roku's with surprise, who nods with a neutral expression.
"Homare told me about those months when your identity had become lost in the darker parts of this world, and that while you have come far, you still have trouble overcoming that part of your life..."
...My irises dart back down with a dull glare of thought:
"Yeah...What's worse is that when I wasn't fighting in the ring, I also, half-against my will, participated in a very dangerous type of dueling the leader of that gang invented for entertainment."
Four sets of irises met my form with interest, as I rose to my feet while clenching one of my hands tight enough to make the knuckles crack.
"It was crudely called Duel Fist, which basically combines the elements of regular dueling and ultimate fighting. It wasn't just the monsters who had to throw the punches: So did the duelists themselves. It even went as far as the direct attacks turning into fights for your life against the monster."
A collective gasp passed through the room, before Tiffany cautiously asked,
"And, how many were you in?"
"Last count...37, and no, none of those matches count towards my dueling record nor my opponents. Trilos wanted to make sure no one could trace Duel Fist back to the source...otherwise...they'd find a list of near-deaths caused by it."
"Uh! It was that dangerous?!"
"Yes. I, almost lost Akira twice thanks to that horrible excuse of dueling...Both types of fighting I did in that 'club'...it hardened me into stone. My immunity to physical pain, had gone deeper, that I couldn't feel it in my mind, my heart...my very soul. And now..."
I shake my head while rubbing a palm over my face, looking through my fingers with saddened eyes.
"Now I dunno what to think before it comes. I keep jumping back and forth between losing and relearning my ability to feel fear. It's pathetic, or it is to me..."
...One of my shoulders gains a bit of extra weight from the presence of a hand, and I pivot my head to see Master Roku giving me a sympathetic smile.
"There's nothing pathetic about trying to find out your place with the emotion of fear. You know how to faze it out, but it would seem your ability to do so has become so strong that it becomes difficult for you to accept your fears at the end of the day..."
I nodded in agreement, a tiny smile of regret and clarity forming.
"That sounds right..."
"It isn't too late to teach yourself how, my dear. Merely allow your heart to open itself."
"I'll try, Master Roku...and, thanks for opening my eyes again."
Time Skip, No POV
Come the next morning, as the sun streamed down over the Duel Sanctuary hidden between the tall trunks of conifers and pine, we would find Athena hard at work polishing the wood of the Duel Monster statues inside the training hall, feeling a renewed determination rising in her veins thanks to her lessons from yesterday...
"(Yawn) This is startin' to get a bit tiring. Hey, Addy, are you still wantin' to catch that flick today?"
Without turning around from the Dark Magician Girl statue, Athena replies to Jamal (who was leaning against a post with Tiffany),
"Nah, I think I'll pass...but if you and Tiff wanna head out, go ahead. I'm gonna hang out at the Sanctuary a while; these statues have seen less dustier days..."
The girl with cornflower blue eyes and black bobbed hair smiles at her friend's new dedication, before turning to scamper to another room of the building while calling out,
"In that case, I'll go get started on some breakfast!"
That left Jamal to sweatdrop with a somewhat annoyed expression:
Sheesh, the way those two change their plans in an instant...
Eh, guess we'll have to see that movie another day. No way I'm headin' by myself; they'll bug me for weeks.
At the same time the boy settles into sitting against the post in a lazed position for a while, Tiffany sends a 'good morning' to Roku before rushing out the room, leaving him to watch Athena's busy form for a moment with a proud smile, before turning to tour the rest of the grounds...
"Huh? What happened here?"
He paused to the sound of the girl's exclaim, and saw her gaze was fixated on the statue of an unnamed, armoured ninja statue, which bore a long crack going from the left shoulder down to the right hip.
"This, looks like a repair job. Was the statue cut down by someone? But why?"
Roku's smile shifts to a distant frown of sadness as he continued his way out, while Athena rubbed the spot on the statue in question with a concerned expression, Astral floating near her while looking at the area with light curiousity...
We move to the outside walkway leading to the Sanctuary's front entrance as the sky begins to gray, the caretaker standing on the stone path while deep in thought.
That girl has a good spirit. She is a diamond just waiting to shine...
"She's the opposite of him."
Just as he briefly recalls the one responsible for the apparent destruction of that one wooden statue, his ears pick up on the sound of someone approaching.
"Hm?"
He looks upward, and widens his eyes when he sees,
"It's, it's you...!"
"Yes it is, master...I'm back."
Looking ahead a couple feet in front of the elder, we meet the light gray irises of a young man with a pale complexion, black hair that had pale aqua dyed in, styled short and spiky with two long pieces hanging at the sides of his face, wearing a modernized version of the traditional garments of a ninja, the colour scheme being dark purple and black, and was even carrying a katana strapped to his left hip!
"Didn't think you'd see me again, did you?"
Roku's expression hardens:
"I did not...for I said you were never to come back here."
"You told me alot of things, old man..."
The unknown individual holds up the duel disk strapped to his left arm:
"But words are cheap."
It clicks up ready just as Roku snaps on his duel gazer...A flash of lightning cracks across the skies as both men cry out,
"Let's Duel!"
(...Ka-chank, creeeeeak)
"Hm?"
A little while later, Athena and Astral would break out of their little worlds to the sound of the doors opening, revealing the unnamed man from earlier! Feeling suspicious of their arrival, the girl puts down the polishing cloth before walking over to meet the other in the middle of the room.
"...Is there something I can help you with?"
The man turns to cast a serious glare down at the young teen:
"And who are you?" She glares a bit back and replies,
"Athena Fujina, and you are?"
"Athena!"
"Huh?"
The girl turns her head back to the doorway, only to widen her eyes when she sees Roku's worn-down form being supported by Tiffany and Jamal!
"Master Roku! What happened?!"
"Get away, my dear girl!"
"Away from what? (Looks at the man) Do you mean him? Who is he and what has he done?"
"Kaze...a former pupil of mine."
(Flash)
Turning back time, we glimpse into the man Kaze's training days with Roku, highlighting that while he might've had skill, it wasn't being used properly to meet any potential he may have had...
"You lose again, and you will keep losing if you let your anger blind you!"
Removing his duel gazer, the elder continues to lecture his student:
"I told you not to play that card; why didn't you listen?! You'll never learn to control the darkness inside you unless you-"
He was cut off by Kaze's frustrated outcry, his hand reaching to grab his katana...
"Kaze! Don't listen to your rage!"
"Yaaaah!"
"Kaze!"
(Slash, slash, SLASH...Topple)
Three thrusts of silver was all it took to cut down the wooden carving of that unknown ninja monster...Roku rushes a bit closer with widened eyes and a gape of disbelief directed at Kaze's form.
"...Leave this place, now!"
The student turned to spit out the following words fueled by a raging desire.
"One day, I will defeat you, and the Legendary Deck will be mine!"
(Flash)
"That day has finally arrived, Roku. I'm the master now: Where's the deck?"
The elder's response was stubborn and instant:
"I think I accidentally threw it away."
"You think I'm joking?!"
"You think he is?"
Kaze's glare turns to fixate on Athena, who was asserting him with a distasteful frown, arms folded.
"You are aware that attacking your former teacher with no motivation other than an old grudge basically constitutes as cowardice, right?"
"Rgh, how dare you!"
The other four in the room widen their eyes in surprise for the girl's courage, before Roku breaks out in a passion,
"Athena is right: Your spirit has been corroded by darkness! You don't deserve to even look at the Legendary Deck!"
The man with gray irises belts out an outcry of fury, before unsheathing his katana at ready!
"I'll destroy everything here if I have to!"
But just as he swings his blade:
"No you don't!"
(CLACK)
Athena meets his steel's flat side with the handle of the broom left behind in the room by Jamal last night!
"Athena, no!" "Addy!"
The man and girl have a short contest of strength, both grinding their teeth at one another, before the latter shoves the katana upward and tries to land a kick in the former's torso, only for him to dodge while he swipes a fist against her side, knocking her to the floor!
"Rgh!"
Luckily, thanks to Athena's gift/curse of immunity to pain, she doesn't feel hurt, but glares seethingly up at Kaze who in turn stares down at her with an air nowhere calmer than hers was.
"Walk away, you runt. This does not concern you!"
Jumping to her feet, the girl barks back with anger burning in her red irises,
"Bullcrap it doesn't: Master Roku was kind enough to take me in and help me realize what I was beginning to forget again, and I won't allow anyone like you to insult his teachings or his honour! I'm taking you down!"
Tiffany and Jamal hum Athena's name in bated awe for her spirit, and Roku says to her encouragingly,
"Use what I have taught, and victory will be yours."
Kaze meanwhile, felt a mix of anger and annoyance rise in him from the girl's fire.
"Tuh. I guess that senile old fool will take anyone in."
"You want this so-called Legendary Deck? You'll have to face me first in battle!"
"Is that so? That won't be a problem."
"Oh it will be, trust me! If there's one thing I don't do, is let a grownup talk me down! Duel Disk: Go! Duel Gazer: Show me the impossible!"
Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.
"(Both duelists) Let's Duel!"
Athena holds up her fist free of cards and cracks her knuckles to emphasize the following threat.
"You're gonna regret tossin' around your arrogance like a football. I'll promise you that!"
Her two best friends shiver slightly from the trace of deadliness in her tone, the male with dreadlocks muttering,
"Hoo boy, that Kaze better watch himself: An Angry Addy on a mission, is one of the more dangerous kinds of Addy."
Astral moves to hover at ready beside the girl with red irises.
"I am right by your side, Athena."
"Are you? Huh...I was actually sure that I'd be fighting on my own."
"I believe I have alot to learn from this old man. That makes me his student too."
Athena cracks a smirk halfway to a smile:
"Sounds good to me. Let's pound this poser! My turn; I Draw! I summon Gagaga Magician!"
The Level Four Spellcaster with 1500 Attack Points rises to his summoner's side of the field...
"Then I place one card face-down, and end my turn. Your move, ninja-boy!"
"What a joke. I Draw! I summon, Flame-Armour Ninja!"
A geyser of flames shoots from the ground up in front of the man, before a monster with the guise of a ninja warrior in red-trimmed garb that had metal plating made into their right side comes into view from the dying embers, Level Four with 1700 Attack Points.
"Then from my hand, I play the Spell Card, Armour Ninja Art of Teleportation! The power of this card allows me to summon a ninja monster from my hand! Behold, Air-Armour Ninja!"
A four-point twister emanates, before another Level Four ninja monster the same as the first one drops down, but with green garb instead of red and 1400 Attack Points.
"Due to Teleportation's effect, my ninjas can't attack...however..."
Athena felt a familiar twitch of urgency rise:
"Aw crap, don't tell me..."
"I can overlay Flame-Armour Ninja and Air-Armour Ninja! With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network and XYZ Summon, Blade-Armour Ninja!"
A billowing twist of green light beams over the ground after the two monsters disappear, making way for another ninja-based monster that also carried the elements of a samurai, Rank Four and with 2200 Attack Points!
"Greeeaaaat, that didn't take even a few turns, did it, Astral?"
"No it did not, and that is worrisome."
"And now, Blade Armour Ninja: Attack Gagaga Magician!"
The XYZ monster breaks into a sprint forward towards the spellcaster, but Athena was more than ready.
"Not happenin'! I activate the Trap, Gagaga Shield! Now my magician is safe from being destroyed!"
And just as the ninja slashes his blade forward, Gagaga uses his new shield to block the incoming steel...
"Nice try, wise guy, but my magician ain't pullin' a Houdini anytime soon!"
"Perhaps, but you'll still feel its sting!"
Blade-Armour Ninja continues their trajectory onto Athena, but she merely positions herself for the impact, standing strong as she felt a sensation like air being cut by a pair of scissors run across her body, smirking bitterly as her Life Points drop to 3300...
"And now, by using an Overlay Unit, Blade Armour Ninja can attack again!"
A green orb bounces over the monster's katana sword, before they wall-crawl back down in a dive against Gagaga Magician, who manages to survive once more by using his shield...
"And, once again, you take damage."
The girl does not falter her expression, once again bracing herself by shifting her footwork a little for maximum traction, not even flinching as the blade came down against her torso, Life Points dropping to 2600. Tiffany cries out her friend's name in worry while Jamal mutters to himself in mild surprise,
"I still find it crazy that Addy can just do that: Take it in like water for a sponge."
Roku watches the girl's form carefully in his own calculations:
Hmm, so this what Homare meant about his granddaughter's odd physical condition...
She truly isn't able to feel physical pain.
Kaze chose in this moment to mock Athena's moves:
"Poor fool. If you hadn't tried to protect your monster, you wouldn't have taken any damage at all."
"A minimal cost to protect a friend."
"Hm?"
The girl with red irises glares with a serious air at her opponent:
"I dunno what sort of relations you choose to have with your cards, but for me, my monsters are my friends, my teammates. I'm not just gonna toss 'em down on the field like a careless chess player. They get me like I get them."
She recalls back to her duel with Flip, and her interactions with Baby Tiragon...
"A deck of monsters without a reliable duelist who understands their struggles, who, can put themselves in their position, is destined for ruin. I hate to leave a good friend hanging, and love to form meaningful connections. As long as I have the backs of my friends, I know they'll have mine."
Astral and Roku each stare down at Athena in awe for her little speech, while Kaze wasn't moved.
"Your friends? If you want to believe something so pathetic, go ahead, but that kind of thinking will lead to your undoing!"
"Yeah, well back at you for your bitter thoughts! Let's both channel our fury into this fight and see who comes up on top!"