A new week opens and closes for the students at the Heartland Dueling Academy, and we've just reached the end of the First-Year Math Class taught by Mister Kay, with not alot of difference in the usual lesson plan...other than an announcement for an upcoming annual school event.
...Of course, our girl with the long shaggy black hair tipped copper-red didn't catch that information, for she had snoozed off during the halfway point of the class, still somewhat exhausted out from recent activities regarding the Number Cards.
"...Addy...Addy!"
"H-Huh? Wha...?"
She groggily stirs awake to the sound of Tiffany's calls, also feeling a hand nudging her shoulder.
"(Yawn...) Oh...crap, I fell asleep, didn't I?"
Folding her arms with a semi-scolding smile, the girl with bobbed black hair replies,
"You sure did...Hah, if you keep this late night, barely-getting-any-hours routine going, you might wanna consider getting an alarm clock for your duel gazer. Better yet, stop waking up at four o' clock in the dang morning."
Rubbing her red irises, Athena smirk-glares tiredly at her friend and retorts dully,
"For your information, genius, I wake up at five, five-thirty in the morning, not an ungodly four...And my mind's just been a little hyperactive; it'll die down soon enough."
"Whatever...Anyway, you feel ready for tomorrow's class?"
An eyebrow is raised as the asked individual starts putting her things into her backpack.
"Tomorrow? The weekend starts tomorrow; you sure you don't mean Monday?"
"...Oh wow, you were out cold. Athena, tomorrow is School Spirit Day."
"Uh!...Oh...right, of course..."
Athena was completely awake now after hearing those three words, and a bitter, distant smile forms on her lips as she mutters,
"How could I have forgotten about that asinine school event...?"
"Addy..."
Tiffany felt a small frown of guilt trace her lips, now feeling bad for even mentioning the announcement.
Oh stupid me: I forgot that Athena hates School Spirit Day...or rather, its main purpose...
It was then Jamal walks over, wondering what was keeping the girls from leaving the classroom.
"Hey, you guys comin' or-Whoa...who died?"
The girl with black bobbed hair mouths the title of tomorrow's event while discreetly pointing out the other female's downward drop of mood, causing the boy to widen his eyes silently with realization.
Oooh, right, damn...
...Hey, I just thought of somethin': It's a long shot, but it might help perk up my bud.
"Uh, say, Addy: I hear that, they're lookin' for some students in our year to do a music presentation for tomorrow...Uh, that is, y-you don't have to. I'm just thinkin'-"
Athena holds a hand out to stop Jamal from awkwardly stuttering, and replies a touch softly,
"I know, and you're sweet to care...Might be just what I need to get through tomorrow anyway. Where's the sign-up sheet?"
A few hours later, we see the girl walking home on her own from the Academy, frowning a little in bitter thought about the day coming sooner than later.
"Ugh...If only I could just ditch School Spirit Day. But, hopefully some sad-toned alternative rock can help me get through it."
I already got the perfect song in mind. Might make me stick out among the happy souls, but who cares?
Astral then materializes outside the key beside the girl, having heard some of the talk in the real world, and comments,
"Spirit Day sounds like it involves phantoms and ghosts."
"Keh, I wish. That'd be more exciting...It's really a day for parents and/or guardians to come down and check out the progress of their kids in school. See if the teacher-student interactions are being conducted right."
"...But your parents are not around right now."
Athena's eyes drift downward as she mumbles,
"All the more reason I want that day to be shot," before replying aloud with a fake smile,
"True, but all family members are welcome. I'll just see if Grandpa or one of my bros can come down."
Astral does not miss the first sentence nor bought the forced upturn in the girl's lips, and would find himself staring at her with some concern as they continued on their way back to her house...
(Ka-chank)
"I'm back!...Uh, anybody home?"
Athena darts her head back and forth, spotting no immediate signs of the rest of her family, before she decides to comb around the house for them...
"Hey, Gramps, you in here?"
She slides the door to Homare's bedroom open, just as he was looking over a rather nice-looking silk kimono of dark blue with red stripes on the sleeves.
"Ah, Athena, back from school already?"
"Uh, yeah...Listen, Grandpa-"
"Tell me, dear: What do you think of this kimono?"
The girl looks at the clothing up and down, before replying uncertainly due to the interruption,
"Uh, looks nice...?"
"I thought so! My fifty-seventh high-school reunion is tomorrow, and I was thinking of wearing this old number."
"Ah! D-Did you say, tomorrow?"
Not noticing the disappointment that was forming on his granddaughter's face, Homare comments with a blissful smile,
"Hmm, I wonder how ole Yuki is doing these days? She was my first girlfriend, you see, (chuckle) and had such a knack for adventure..."
By this time, Athena had decided to head up to where the bedrooms of her brothers were, and after discovering that Adam wasn't home yet, she would try Terry's, finding him at work over what looked to be order forms on his computer.
"...Um, hey bro."
"If you're here to try and get an allowance advance, nice try, little sis."
Feeling slightly offended by the mild accusation, the girl says a touch rigidly,
"That's not why I'm here, Terry."
"Then what're you doin' here? If it's not obvious, I am busy with work."
(Brrriiiing, brrrriiiing...)
"Hold that thought."
(Ping)
"Hey, Yoko, what's up, girl?...Wait, what?!"
The young man with the asymmetric red hair jumps to his feet from his desk chair and exclaims,
"Are you serious?! Miko's Wedding is this Saturday?! I thought it was...Well no duh I'm going; I wouldn't miss it for the world! After all, we..."
(Ka-chank)
"Hm?"
Terry turns around to the sound of his bedroom door closing, finding his younger sibling no longer here.
"...Addy?"
Shifting to nighttime, we catch up with Athena, dressed in her red tank-top nightdress and laying back in her bed with an arm behind her head and her other hand holding out the golden key pendant from her neck for her eyes to see, the staring irises dilating with depression and a very dull anger.
"Hah...why do I even bother anymore?...It's not like their presence makes much of a difference..."
She pivots her head to glance at the framed picture of her parents, whispering with sorrow,
"...Mom...Dad...I miss you two...I don't know when, or if you'll ever return...but I hope you're at least together, keeping eachother's hearts safe."
That's all I can really hope for at this point...To ask for more, would be too much.
A single bead of water forms at the corner of Athena's left eye, before she wipes it away hastily and forces herself to go to sleep...unaware a certain friend of hers was watching her the whole time, his unease becoming more prominent.
Time Skip
Come the next morning, we find ourselves just outside one of the monorails that ran the line with the Heartland Dueling Academy as one of its stops. Standing and waiting for the specific transport to take her to school was Tiffany, dressed in her full uniform while wearing her bobbed black hair back with a mint green scarf, her cornflower blue irises popping...from behind the glass of her lemon-yellow spectacles.
"Ran out of contacts again, Tiffany?"
"Hm?"
She turns to see who addressed her, and smiles when she sees two familiar girls from her year approaching.
"Oh! Calli, Hana!...Yeah, I did."
The first girl had caramel-coloured skin with short, curly black hair dyed with some dark blue highlights, and dark green eyes, while the second girl had peachy skin, long white-blond hair that reached down to her mid-back with a piece held in the middle by a white bow, and grey-blue eyes.
"Haah, at this point, you may as well wear a spare pair of contacts around your neck..."
"Hey! You try scrambling around on the floor looking for something as transparent as a window!"
Hana silently laughs at her bickering friends before asking with a soft voice contrasting the other new face's loud one,
"So, is your mom able to come to School Spirit Day with your Dad this time?"
"Yep! The hospital finally allowed her a day off for this event."
"That's good."
Calli smiles to herself in exasperation as she ponders with mild worry dancing in her green irises,
"I just hope my dad doesn't act too weird this time. Every year, he ends up comin' to the school with his castanets and tries to prompt everyone into learning the flamingo."
"His performances always remind me where your loud personality comes from."
"Hey, watch it, Hana!"
Said addressee and Tiffany laugh at their annoyed friend, before discussing what their class will be doing as part of the special events.
"I hear we're doing the vault boxes for the P.E. portion of the day."
"Mhm, that's right, and a couple of our classmates are doing their own performances for music!"
Including Addy...
"I wonder if Addy might try that crazy challenge again with twenty boxes?"
"If she does, we better have a safety net on standby!"
While Calli and Hana may have laughed lightly at the possible prospect of their fellow classmate, the girl with cornflower blue irises felt a wave of general concern pass for Athena's chances at even coming to school...
Speaking of our main protagonist, we zoom down to the streets near the downtown area of the city, as Athena comes jogging up the sidewalk that ran by one of the expanses of the river, dressed in her usual workout attire (this time, the theme colours being white/lime green) with her hair left down, and pauses to catch her breath as she says to herself,
"Hah...hah...maybe I should've been a bit more persistent with Terry and Gramps, but then again...seeing their faces earlier..."
Flashback
"Alright, Addy, let's get this over with..."
Shortly after waking up and changing out of her pajamas, Athena was coming down the stairs with her backpack while practicing her fake 'I'm cool with this' expression to help her get through the one school event she looks least forward to each year...
Just as her feet touch the main floor, she spots her brother standing in front of a little mirror attached to the wall of the staircase, adjusting a black necktie that stood out against his white suit, marble-grey vest and black dress shoes.
"...Uh, what's with the reverse black tie look? You realize full-white is a stain hazard...?"
Finishing with his necktie, Terry turns away from his reflection to smile-glare at his younger sibling for the cheeky comment.
"Very funny. It's part of Miko's wedding theme."
"It's certainly different compared to some other weddings I've attended..."
The two siblings turn to see their grandfather, now wearing his dark blue silk kimono with red striping on the sleeves, completing the look with a black sash and matching soft boots.
"But you'll definitely catch a few eyes in that suit. Heheh, Yoko better have a good grip on your arm today."
"Me? You're the one who's lookin' good, grandpa! That kimono looks fantastic on you!"
"Is that right? Heh, then I'm glad I remembered to store this heirloom in a safe place from the moths..."
As both men let out a laugh or two, Athena felt her face fall with sadness and envy at their cheery attitudes, before turning to head to the kitchen to grab her lunch and something to eat for breakfast...
"Hey, wait a sec: Isn't that your school bag?"
She stops...and mutters to Terry,
"Might be."
"So, you're heading to school, on a Saturday?"
"...Yes."
"Oh god, please tell me you didn't get detention..."
Feeling depressed and a little angry that her brother would assume something like that, Athena whirls around to shoot him a cold glare while exclaiming,
"Why must you always draw up the conclusion that I'm in trouble?!"
Said addressed and Homare flinch back, surprised by such a response, while the girl, suddenly not feeling hungry anymore, fast-walks into the next room to shove her lunchbag and water bottle into her backpack before rushing out the door, much to the other two's dismay.
"Uh...! Addy!"
"Oh my..."
End of Flashback
Gritting her teeth slightly, the girl with red irises rubs a hand over her face to cool her frustrations, before residing into a new jog...A few minutes later, Astral, who was silently floating beside the girl until this point would suddenly ask,
"Athena, why did you decide to not tell your family about School Spirit Day?"
She stops over at the crosswalk, and replies quietly,
"...It's not like I didn't try...but honestly, I kind-of lost my drive to after hearing about their plans. Plus, I remembered that Adam is assisting a professor at the university this morning, so..."
"...Are they not suppose to come?"
"Mm, well, it doesn't really matter to me if they do or not. They did go last year..."
It's just...they're not the faces I want to see there.
Noticing the light changing green, Athena shakes her depressing thoughts away and puts on a small, semi-fake smile while thinking aloud,
"Alright. Just need to cross here, dash down another few streets and I'll be at scho-...Huh?"
That's when the girl feels something was missing from her person...a very important something at that.
"...Oh, shi-No, no-no-no-no...!"
"What is wrong?"
"It's gone! My pendant! It's not on me!"
"What?! Where is it?!"
...Shortly after discovering that Athena's golden pendant was no longer with her, she and Astral would begin a major reverse of their steps to comb around the streets to find it...
"Do you really believe that it simply 'fell from your neck'?"
"I don't know, maybe! Damn it, it just had to be today..."
"We are going to have to retrace your steps exactly. Athena, this is very important to me."
Coming to a stop by that same path near the knoll overlooking the river, Athena turns to glare at Astral while exclaiming a bit loudly,
"You think it isn't important to me?! Mph...It's, not as if that key came to me on a whim. My...my dad gave it to me."
That struck an interest for the being from beyond:
...Her father gave her the Key? What could this mean?
Could Athena's father have some connection to me and my purpose here?
...This is most intriguing.
Focusing back to reality, he watches as the girl with red irises moves to sit on the grass with her head in her hands and her knees up, most likely trying not to stress out and decide on the next place to look for the pendant.
"Haaoh man..."
"...Athena."
"Hm?"
She looks up to meet the other's eyes as he then asks,
"Could you tell me about your father?"
Something strange stirred in Athena's gut when the question was procured, and she looks out to the river for a moment to quell the feeling, before replying,
"...Whadda you wanna know?"
"What kind of person is he?"
A small, sincere smile forms on the girl's lips as she thought of how to describe her father.
"...The kind that always had fun. He doesn't like to sit around for too long, especially when adventure called his name...I remember, one time he took me along on one of his expeditions to this old canyon in the mountains far out of Heartland..."
Flashback
Somewhere high up a large chasm wall, we find two long figures climbing up the face with a single line of rope attaching them: Orion Fujina, clad in his explorer gear, leading along his youngest child, Athena, back when she was about seven years of age, her hair already reaching past her mid-back, wearing a light blue t-shirt under a black vest, green khaki shorts, and small brown hiker shoes, her back carrying a knapsack.
"Heh, as much as it was cool to actually freestyle climb with dad...the high altitude was really intimidating. In the right setting, Nature sure knows how to make you feel small..."
Sensing some rising anxiety from the younger, Orion turns to chide with a smile,
"What's wrong, Athena? You didn't look down now, did you?"
"D-Dad...I'm not sure I can go further..."
"What are you saying? We're almost there."
"But, I...I'm scared!"
"And while we were out on our little adventure, mom stayed home with my brothers and grandpa...You know, it still amazes me how protective Terry is considering how he used to be so jealous of me."
"Jealous? For what reason?"
"Well, according to what Adam's told me..."
"Uuuugh, you gotta be kidding! How come Addy got to go rockclimbing with Dad and not me?!"
We zoom in on the Fujina Residence, where Terry, back when he was about fifteen and in highschool, as evident by his uniform of a black blazer over a white shirt, black tie, pants and brown shoes, was complaining in the doorway to the backyard about his youngest sibling being 'in the spotlight' so to speak. Adam, back when he was but a year ahead of his brother, shook his head with an exasperated smile while sitting on the right side of the porch before chiding,
"Bro, don't you think you're overreacting just a touch?"
Homare, who was sitting in a kneel on the left side of the entrance, adds with a joking sort of smile,
"Yes, you make it sound as if you don't want to spend time with the rest of your family."
The redheaded male squints his grey eyes back and forth between his older brother and grandfather in annoyance.
"Hmph. Who asked you two?"
He then lets out another aggravated sigh and plops down to sit down with one knee propped up, before muttering with a pout,
"Whatever...little sis should count herself lucky in being the favourite..."
"Now Terry, you know better than that."
He looks up to meet the red irises of his mother, Sarina, as she finished hanging a few sheets on some clotheslines, her feathered red hair fluttering some in the coming breeze and highlighting her outfit of a cream pink off-shoulder swing top, a long pale yellow eyelet skirt with a simple brown belt clipped loosely around her waist, while her feet were currently bare.
"Your father just wanted to spend some special one-on-one time with your sister, just as he's done with you and Adam...Say, here's an idea: Why don't we all treat ourselves to a fancy dinner tonight?"
That seemed to perk Terry's mood up considerably:
"Really, mom?! That's sounds awesome! Oh-oh, and I know this really great new sushi place we can go to! Yoko said it's been getting raving reviews since it opened..."
Adam smiled teasingly at his younger brother:
"Ooooh, taking advice from your girlfriend, bro?"
"Shut up! She's not my girlfriend! As if I'd ever date her; she's too aggressive."
"Tcheheheh, it's still so ironic that he and Yoko began dating about a month after that day...But I'm getting off topic: Anyway, dad and I eventually made it to the top of that rock face and set camp on a wide cliff side..."
Turning to around dusk, we see the little red-eyed girl sitting with a glum expression by the edge of the cliff overlooking the valley, her hunched body highlighted by the dim fire glow...
Orion would soon come over to check on her:
"Hey, sweetheart...I've got a question for you."
Without looking to meet his grey irises with her red, she asks quietly,
"What is it, dad?"
Sipping away some sort of hot beverage from a travel cup (either coffee or hot chocolate), he asks with a gentle smile,
"Is everything alright? Your mom tells me that something happened at school last week..."
"I should've known that was the reason he suddenly wanted to do some father-daughter time...See, I used to get bullied constantly by kids during elementary school. Nothing too serious, but, my self-esteem definitely took some hard hits, 'specially during duels..."
Smiling a bit bitterly, little Athena replies,
"Oh, that?...Hah, it wasn't that big of a deal. Just a few boys teasing me..."
"Uh-huh..."
"...Say, dad?"
"Yes, Athena?"
The smile fades to be replaced with a sad frown as the young soul mutters,
"Any chance, that, I could...stop going to school?"
"How come?"
"(...Sniff) Because...because I don't think I can handle things anymore..."
Athena buried her face into her knees to stop herself from bursting into tears, her little body shaking slightly from the social pressures she was facing. Orion felt his grey irises dilate with concern at seeing his youngest child so depressed, before he turned his view to the appearing stars.
"...You know, Athena, we live in a complicated world."
"Complicated?...In, what way?"
"Well for starters, the world we know isn't the only world. There are actually multiple worlds, all connected."
The little girl with long black hair tipped copper-red looks up at her father with curiousity, and feeling her stare, the man with short spiky black hair kneels down to grab a small rock to trace a simple diagram for his daughter.
"Let me show you: So, over here we have a world full of adventure and possibility. But, then here, we have a world full of negativity, people saying no all the time. What's crazy is that these worlds both exist in the same place."
"Really?"
"Truly. The people who live in this world inhabit the same time and space, as the people who live in this world over here...Take those kids at school for instance: Sounds like they live in the Negative World. But you on the other hand, live in the World of Possibility, where people dare to dream."
A new smile begins to appear on the young girl's face thanks to her father's words.
"I do...I love to dream! So, will I be able to stay in this world forever?"
Wrapping Athena into a hug, Orion replies wholeheartedly,
"Of course you will, you little daredevil. As long as you keep looking to the future and set goals for yourself."
"What kind of goals, dad?"
With a small chuckle, the older male scoops the small child into the air, making her squeak with a laugh before he replies,
"Any kind!"
Setting her onto his shoulders, Orion chides to his daughter,
"You just have to listen to your heart, and feel the flow of everything surrounding you. You decide who you want to be, then go out there and be that person. Don't you have any dreams, Athena?"
"Uuum...Yeah! I do! I wanna be like you and mom, mark my place in the big books! I wanna duel among the greats!...But, everyone I tell just laughs and says I have no chance in heck, except for Tiffany..."
"Aaah, because unlike your best friend, those people don't live in our world."
Athena frowns in realization:
"They don't?"
"No...They're trapped in the other world, the one filled with Doubt and Negativity. It's nearly impossible for people stuck in that world to dream, to imagine the endless possibilities. Those people can only see What Is, and what they cannot see is What Could Be."
"Oh...That's sad. Doesn't everyone deserve the chance to dream?"
Orion's smile grew a little at hearing the care his daughter had for others, and sets her to her feet before replying,
"They do...Some just take longer to enter the World of Possibility. Not everyone is born an adventurer like you and me."
The little girl hums, before her father then says,
"Athena, always remember to challenge yourself, and don't be afraid to do what others don't, or say you can't do."
"(Nod) Mhm. Okay, dad, I'll remember."
"Good...Now, what do you say to having a duel with your old man?"
That took Athena back considerably:
"Huh?! Really, here and now?"
"Sure! It'll be fun...And then tomorrow, you and I will climb even higher."
"To hear him sound so encouraging...it empowered me a great deal. Suddenly, life didn't seem so hard...Yet, thinking of the old days sometimes fills me with guilt, for I would forget his teachings for a while after, those incidents just a few years later..."
"But, you were hurting, were you not?"
"I was...I was also vulnerable, an easy target to being suede by the negative side of the world...which only makes me all the more determined to fight for my dad's teachings in these new days. Remind myself of everything I learned from his spirit. I, don't think I can get back my heart's innocence...but it comforts me to know my memories will keep that wide-eyed girl safe...One of the best teaching methods dad used with me, was when we dueled."
A few minutes later, we see that father and daughter were engaged in a spirited Duel Monster battle...The latest turn would belong to Orion.
"Alright, here goes! Now I Overlay Level Four Gogogo Golem, and Ganbara Knight. With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network!"
Athena's eyes widen with awe:
"Whoa!"
"I XYZ Summon...Doh, I forgot: I don't have any XYZ Monsters in this deck!"
The two monsters would stream back to the field while falling over in exasperation at their wielder, while the red-eyed girl holds her hands over her mouth to cover a spout of giggles.
"You...You forgot you had no XYZ?! Daaaad!"
He just belts out a hearty laugh in return...A little while later, the father-daughter duo would be laying in their sleeping bags inside their tent, ready to drift off to sleep...That is, until Athena asks,
"Hey, dad?"
"Yeah?"
"...Do you have a big dream?"
"Oh! Well, yes...a rather simple one, too. (Points upward) I want to journey, to discover the edge of the world."
...Something about how her father conversed the thought made the little girl burst into another giggle fit, which prompted him to ask,
"What's the joke?"
"I-It's an awesome goal, don't get me wrong, dad...but how can you find Earth's edge? It's round, like a circle!"
A light blush of embarrassment dusts Orion's cheeks as he scratches the back of his head with a humoured grin.
"Ah, heh, I suppose that's true..."
"You'd just go rollin', like a snowball!"
The both of them were soon laughing and chuckling aloud at the thought, their smiles not fading even after they eventually fell asleep...
End of Flashback
"We were just goofing around with the theories back then...but now, I'm not so sure..."
"Not so sure about what?"
Athena lays back in the grass as she mutters with a sigh,
"Well...for starters, there was the incident that came after my adventure with Dad in the mountains, when he and mom went to someplace far up the northern part of the globe. From what I remember in their oral account, they became separated from the main archaeology team during a snowstorm. They had to rely on virtually nothing but their own wits to try and navigate through the unforgiving cold...That's when something strange happened: They, encountered a light that shined brighter than the natural Aurora Borealis..."
"A light?"
"Yeah...Then the ground began to shake, and it opened up a new chasm, nearly taking both my parents with it. Dad fell, and mom tried to pull him back up, but the cold had sapped alot of her strength, so she wasn't strong enough...Seeing that, dad...he chose to sacrifice himself to save mom, by, cutting the safety rope tying them together."
Astral gasps, and mumbles with wide eyes,
"He...gave his life, to save your mother's..."
"Yeah...but it worked out in the end, because, somehow, he survived. It was as if something in that light sent the message to not be afraid, that his life would be spared too. He, never went into too many details about what he experienced...but it must've been epic and life-changing. Anyway, the search and rescue team would find him about halfway down the chasm a few days later, bruised and with a broken arm and leg...But he was alive, and...he had the key in his right hand."
"But how did he obtain it?"
"Like I said, he never really spoke much...aside from some things my young mind couldn't really understand in full at the time. 'Lights, Other Worlds'...The doctor dismissed it as part of the aftereffects of dehydration and exhaustion...But now that I think about it, (narrows eyes) what dad spoke of, sounds alot like what I've been seeing as of late..."
Astral's mismatched gold and white irises widen a little again, before he settled into staring at the girl as he went into thought over what she revealed.
Athena's father found the Key on that journey.
Perhaps it unlocks a door of some sort, a door that connects this world with another...my world.
"...Oh, right! It would've been about a month after that day, that dad would give me the Key. It was during another bad duel against those same boys who were giving me a hard time about my personal goals. I was feeling ready to call it quits, when dad showed up and reminded me about the World of Possibility before tossing the pendant my way. Holding it in my hands for the first time..."
The young teen reaches to put a hand over her chest where her currently missing pendant would've sat, closing her eyes in rapture.
"It felt like I was on cloud nine...My confidence came barreling back, and I promised dad I would never give up, always strive to leave my mark on the world..."
...Athena's mouth then forms a sad frown as she adds,
"It was, about two days afterward, that he and mom went on another expedition, one of their biggest ones yet, or so they proclaimed...They never returned. I did my best to remain hopeful, still kind-a do...hah, but come that dreaded day four years later, when I was, kidnapped...my hope shattered like someone threw a block of titanium through a thin window."
Astral's mouth gaped slightly, before forming a sympathetic frown as he recalls the ominous details that have been slowly resurfacing within the girl's mind regarding that event in question...Getting up to her feet to move on in their search for the pendant, Athena then mentions,
"You know...it was actually the key itself that helped keep my head up with that innocent hope when I was young, and, while I still dunno how it even stayed on my neck at the time...it was there, during those sketchy days I was held captive by those monsters that dare call themselves humans. Somehow, its presence managed to keep me the slightest bit sane, allowing a shred of my fleeting hope to hang on."
"In other words, it acted as a protection of sorts?"
"Heh, yeah, I guess...It's also become a small part of my identity. I, don't feel like me without it...Probably why I went so hella-crazy after I was brought home from the side of that back road."
The being of blue looks at the girl with confusion, and she says,
"Oh, I didn't tell you? During that whole 'Berserker' phase, I didn't have the pendant around my neck at all."
"You didn't?"
"No. At some point during the early days of frequenting to the Fallen Stars, before I went completely numb to the world, I must've decided to tuck the Key away somewhere safe until the day my true self would wake up again. That place, by the way, is that little treasure box on my desk corner, a gift from Grandpa for my ninth birthday. Used to belong to my grandma, before she, you know, passed on before I was born..."
A somewhat faltering smirk forms on Athena's face as she then thinks aloud,
"My subconscious was pretty smart, not letting the pendant see that ugly side of me...I scared everyone, even myself when I choked back to reality...Anyway, once I finally decided to tell my 'Berserker' persona to take a hike, and slipped the key back around my neck...everything became that much more clear again. If anything...I owe the key my life."
Astral does not miss that last mumbled sentence, and would find himself staring at the human before his vision with an unreadable expression for the next little while as they continued to backtrack this morning's path...
Meanwhile, down at the Heartland Dueling Academy, the event known as School Spirit Day was going underway, with the bodies of adults mixing in with their children up and down each classroom.
Zooming in on the room used for Mister Kay's First-Year math class, we find Caswell and Flip, er, fawning over the sight of one of the parents that came today.
"Look at Tiffany's mom!"
"She's like an angel...!"
Getting a look at the woman in question, we see that she reflected her daughter's appearance quite well, from the black bobbed hair to the cornflower blue irises. She was wearing a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a cream pencil skirt and black low heels, her simple outfit only highlighting her natural beauty.
Of course, Tiffany herself wasn't particularly pleased by her guy friends ogling over her mother, and was about to make the motion to scold them, only for her father to beat her to the punch.
"Ahem. What was that you said about my wife, boys?"
Officer Arata Quen was a fairly intimidating individual when he wanted to be, his appearance being that of a strong-muscled male with olive-pale skin, dark brown hair styled into a flattop cut, facial hair trimmed in the Zappa style, and dark blue irises. He of course wasn't wearing his police uniform today, choosing to wear a casual button-up gray shirt with an open black men's coat overtop, dark blue denim jeans, and black shoes. One glance at his raised eyebrow and unimpressed glare, and poor Caswell and Flip were cringing back with frightened expressions while exclaiming,
"Uh-Uh, nothing, sir!"
So while Tiffany had a reason to laugh silently behind her hand, and her mother Zuna shook her head with an exasperated smile at her husband, Jamal was receiving a reason to be embarrassed thanks to his own mother and her habit of prying into his um, personal life.
"Soo~, tell me, how are things going with little Addy? Or have your eyes been wandering again?"
"Ma, please, not here at school, and for the last time, we're just friends!"
Amahle Jukino lets out a small giggle at seeing the blush dusting her son's cheeks...We see that she's a woman blessed with remarkable height, dark chocolate pigmentation making up her skin, deep hazel eyes, short black coarse hair, and wore an outfit consisting of a sunset-patterned ruffle skirt reaching her ankles, strapped sandals of white, and a black spaghetti-strap halter top under a red shrug.
...Anyway, Zuna then notices that her daughter's BFF wasn't anywhere in the classroom, and she asks,
"Is, Athena not coming to school today, Tiffany?"
"...I'm not sure. I mean, she did sign up to do a performance for music class, but...given her opinion on this event..."
Tiffany then feels a hand on her shoulder, and looks up to see her father giving her a smile of reassurance.
"I wouldn't get too worried, dear. After all, since she's smartened away from that bad road...She's slowly become more determined to seize each day, despite some difficulties that stand in her way. I have a feeling we will be seeing her today."
"Hm...I hope you're right, dad."
By this point, said girl of conversation had combed her way back to her house...where she would find her missing key pendant!
"Aaaagh, you gotta be kid-(Shakes her head) that's just cold, universe, real cold..."
Astral's lips were curved into an otherwise small smile of amusement as opposed to Athena's smile that said 'really, just...why?', both pairs of eyes staring at the golden pendant that was sitting on the floor next to the head of the bed.
"So, it was laying here the whole time."
"Christ, the knot of the string must've come undone last night and it just fell off when I rolled over in my sleep. I don't even wanna know how I could've missed it earlier this morning..."
Picking up the fallen necklace, Athena reties the knot while mumbling something that sounded like 'Should consider a chain...' before tugging the whole accessory around her neck once more. She then looks down at the photograph of her parents with a sincere and somewhat distant smile as she whispers,
"...Least I had a double pair of eyes watching over it."
She then moves to exit her bedroom and into the hallway...only to meet a familiar face halfway down the stairs.
"Huh? Adam!"
The tamed mullet-haired young adult was currently wearing a light brown button-up shirt under a black blazer, dark brown khaki pants, and grey dress shoes, his right shoulder carrying the strap of his leather laptop bag.
"Addy? What're doin' here? I thought you'd be down at the Academy by now for School Spirit Day."
"Uh...You, remembered?"
He smiles warmly at his surprised younger sibling and chides,
"Of course I do. I would never forget this day of all days...In fact, I had just come home to drop off my work bag before heading down to see you, but, heh, looks like I'll be carting you there too."
"Adam..."
"Motor up to the bathroom and get changed into your uniform, sis. It's not too late to make it down."
Homare's POV
My reunion with my former highschool friends has been going quite well so far, and right now, I'm sitting with one my old best friends/first girlfriend, Yuki (who is the grandmother of one of Addy's friends) at a table in this high-end restaurant chosen to host the event...
"So tell me, Yuki, how is business at your flower and garden shop?"
It still amazes me that the wild woman I met many years ago had chosen a rather mild career...
"Steady as always, though my prized chrysanthemums have become a popular seller once again."
"Heheh, no surprise: You've developed such a strong green thumb!"
"Why thank you, Homare dear. Heh, mind you, the visits from your grandchildren to procure some of my various organic soils definitely helps."
We both let out a laugh at that, knowing what exactly those bags of dirt were being used for...
"So how are your grandsons and granddaughter doing lately?"
"Oh, the boys are busy with their trades as usual, and as for little Addy...well, things are slowly looking better for her after that small spell of a down mood."
"Ah yes, my granddaughter Tiffany mentioned something on those lines a few times these recent weeks..."
My smile falters the slightest, but I then say,
"But Athena is a strong girl, much like her parents. Somehow, she always finds a way to bounce back from her depressive moments. And I know some of the thanks must go to the good friends she has..."
Yuki smile softens as she replies,
"Yes, good friends are always an excellent catalyst for the hard times. Tiffany cares immensely for your granddaughter...And since we're talking about our grandkids, do you know if one of your grandsons has gone down to the Academy for that event that's happening today?"
Hm? Event?
...Uh! Oh my: School Spirit Day! How could I have-Oh...of course.
That must've been why Athena left the room without a word yesterday, and why she was so moody this morning.
"Hm? Homare; is something wrong?"
I did not answer my old friend, distracted by a feeling of guilt slowly rising in my being for not being more observant.
Athena...
Terry's POV
I was in the reception hall chatting with Yoko after the wedding ceremony had run its course, sipping some punch while admiring how pretty she looked today. She wore a knee-length, off the shoulder dress that matched her bubblegum pink hair, a pair of two-inch black heels, and a silver charm necklace/earring set that made her eyes pop.
God, she really makes it hard not to pull her into a closet for a makeout session...
Gah, no Terry! Not at Miko's Wedding, Jesus!
"You're staring aga~in..."
Crap! Busted...
My face colours over considerably as I rub the back of my head with a nervous chuckle, she smirking at me knowingly.
"Mind you, I can hardly take my eyes off you in that dapper suit."
"Ah-heh, thanks...So, how are things goin' for you at the news station?"
"Great! I've been offered a few chances of air time for the noon hour, and I'm currently chasing a new scoop related to the, (whispers) Duel Monster Counterfeit Ring."
"Oh wow...You are remembering to be careful with your sources, right?"
"Of course, of course...How 'bout you and your mechanic business? Any new projects?"
I wave a casual hand and reply,
"Nothin' big, just alot of vehicle repairs at that chop shop..."
"Ah...So with you buzzin' back and forth between work and home, I guess your brother or your grandpa went to the Academy today?"
"Huh? What for?"
"You know, School Spirit Day. I know since one of my cousins drags their folks there each year..."
...Wait...School Spirit Day's today?!
...Oh, crap.
(Flash)
"...Um, hey bro."
"...If it's not obvious, I am busy with work."
(Flash)
...God, how could I have been so stupid?!
"Terry? What's wrong?"
Setting my drink down, I began making my way out of the room at a fast pace while calling over my shoulder,
"Sorry, Yoko, but I gotta go and get Gramps! You okay on your own?"
"Uh, (smile) sure! I can bump Miko for a ride! Call me later!"
...Soon enough, I was driving along the highway in my red truck down the direction where that restaurant Grandpa was supposed to be for his reunion today, my mind racing over my little sister.
"...Athena..."
I, couldn't help but think back to that talk Adam and I had with, mom and dad before they went missing, in this very vehicle...
How serious their voices were, when they spoke about Athena's dueling soon leading her to moments where she'll have to take risky chances. I was such a spiteful teen in those days, not appreciating being handed a load of responsibility. Adam seemed to take it in calmly enough, though, which was no surprise: Out of the two of us, he has the cool collected kind of head, while I'm a bit more temperamental. The only thing we shared...was a growing worry for our parents and why they sounded as if they would never come back...
So far, that fear seems to be coming true...and Addy's definitely gone through Hell and back already.
But, that had nothing to do with dueling, or at least I can finally not relate the two challenges to one another anymore.
My face forms into a determined frown, as I mentally concluded while revving up my speed,
Still, whatever she has to face next...I won't be a dumbass and let her face it without support.
I'll maintain my promise to watch out for my baby sister...as long as you hold onto your word that you'll come home someday, mom, dad.
Small Time Skip, Athena's POV
"Hahaha, so you wound up joggin' all the way back home only to find your pendant laying on your bedroom floor? Aoh sis..."
After riding with my mullet-haired brother in his little silver Honda, we eventually parked in the lot for the academy and quickly walked out way inside for my math class with Mister Kay.
Smirk-glaring at him as we approach the door to the room, I retort,
"Oh cut me some slack, Adam: How was I suppose to know that today would be the day my necklace string would wimp out on me?"
We both let out a laugh as we enter inside...only to find ourselves caught by the multi-eyed stares of the crowd of parents (some I knew through friends and neighbours), my fellow classmates, and of course, my teacher.
"Nice of you to join us, Athena, (glance) and I see your brother Adam's joining us today."
We both smile awkwardly and wave to the brunette at the podium:
"Ah-heh, hey sir."
"Sorry 'bout the late arrival. My bad: Took the wrong route in my car this morning and we wound up stuck in traffic for a few hours."
Weeeell, technically, that's not what delayed us, but we're not gonna bother borin' everyone with the real stories...
"I, see...Hah, very well, (tired smile) if you'll just have a seat then, Athena."
I salute Mister Kay and made my way to my seat that sat around with my friends, who were looking at me with expressions that playfully read 'Is that really what happened?', prompting me to hold a finger over my lips with a secretive smile.
...Anyway, moving along, we soon had gym class with the Vault Box Challenge as our main activity to show to the visiting adults. Tiffany did real well and managed to hop over five blocks with no mistakes, while poor Cas faltered at the last second of his hurl forward and fell flat on his face on the other side of the stack. I went up against Cade and Jamal to see who could stick the landing best with ten block stacks (didn't bother with the double-or-nothing twenty this time), and it would be the boy of feline finesse who came up on top compared to some slight stumbling of mine and my other guy friend's footing. Plus side: All three of us passed with good marks.
Now...comes my little showcase.
By that, I was talking about my music performance I was doing with a few of the kids that made up our First-Year Band Class, after we heard from a few other students, including a trumpet player who belted out his own twist on a pop song I can't remember the title to.
I'm leaning up against the back wall of the big classroom near the steps leading to the mini stage set up, waiting for my turn and peering over the faces young and old with a relaxed expression, my eyes hovering over Adam's form a touch in thought over this whole school event.
Well, looks like it'll be just him this year...Hah, oh well, better one than zilch, I guess.
...But even if all three were here...they can't really replace...
"Athena Fujina and company. You're up."
Ah! Right, gotta focus, or I won't remember jack to sing.
I let out an inaudible sigh before moving to walk up on stage to the sound of polite claps...
"...Athena!"
Uh!...Terry?
Darting my head to the crowd of parents, I saw my other older brother and grandpa suddenly come shoving their way to the front near Adam!
"Athena."
"G-Gramps? Terry?...What are you two doing here?"
"We're suppose to be here, but you didn't speak up!"
"Seriously, Addy, did you actually think we'd be okay with missing School Spirit Day?!"
Hearing how real they sounded...made something inside me pop like a balloon, but it was relieving in its own way.
"...You two...You actually came."
Their expressions shift from stern to soft smiles at hearing how bated my voice was, which then drifted to confused when my other brother quirks with a sideglancing smile of his own,
"Uh, does that mean you guys didn't get my earlier text message reminder?"
"What reminder?" "Text message?"
Terry and Gramps pull out their gazers to look at...before forming those 'ugh, you gotta be kidding' type expressions.
"Agh, really?!"
"This is precisely why I hold a strong dislike to modern technology!"
Everybody bursts into laughter and chuckles, while I held my head with an exasperated smirk.
Ooooi, one thing after another today, I tell ya...
"Show them what you have to offer, Addy!"
Snapping out of my humoured thoughts, I look up to see Tiffany giving me a smile of encouragement, along with Jamal, Caswell, Cade and Flip.
"Belt it, Addy!" "Blow 'em away!"
"You'll be great!" "Show them your raw vocals!"
Guys...
Even Astral nodded at me with his own small upturn of lip...Smiling back, I call out,
"Okay: The song choice I made for today, is by one of my favourite alternative rock bands known as The Cranberries. It's called...Ode To My Family."
(Note: I do not own this song nor any references related. That right solely belongs to said band, including the lead singer whom shall remain immortal forever, Dolores O'Riordan. May your voice continue to echo on in the hearts of your fans, my friend.)
A fall of hushed whispers caresses the walls of this room as I walked onto the medium-large platform where the raised stool was for me, the lead singer, which sat between two guys who would be covering me with the Bass and Rhythm Guitar. Another dude was on drums, while set up next to a small group of two guys and three girls making up a quintet of violins, was Hana, a mutual friend-through-a-friend who would make up the extra beat with the tambourine as well as act as my supporting vocals.
Just as I ready myself to sit, I reach down and grab something I had set on the floor next to the stool as part of the symbolic reason for doing this song.
"Most music performers these days have someone or something to dedicate their songs to, and today, I'll be one of those people..."
I slip the item on, causing a few murmurs of confusion and a few well-placed, quiet, familiar gasps to sound.
"This number goes out to two people, whom while I wish could be here...I know will be listening from wherever they are right now. These dual items on me, my leather jacket, and my key, will stand in their place...Mom...Dad...this one's for us, and our family."
With that, I sat down, gently groped for the old school microphone I requested to be set up, and crooned out the first scatted notes, which were quickly met with the tones of the guitars, and the soft jingle of that tambourine...
I've listened to the songs of this band so many times now, I could mimic that unique feminine lead to almost a perfect T, right down to the beauty of her near yodeling, deep yet sweet, like dark-chocolate fudge. Lemme tell you, that absentminded practice certainly paid off, seeing the expressions of awe on everyone's faces as I read out the long limerick poem...
The words themselves struck something important in my soul, bouncing back and forth between true and dramatic memory, my very heart yearning for the days of my innocence when the world wasn't so shadowed by the black, when, family didn't seem so distant. During the first round of the chorus, I found myself tearing up slightly, thinking of the faces of my own folks...Even so, I kept smiling in a distant and fragmented happy way, letting the sadness drift away with the lone drip of water that fell from my eye...
The end came sooner than the start, and once the held note from the guitars faded away, the room echoed with soft and loud claps, with a few cheers of praise mixed in. I merely bowed modestly with the other band students before walking off the stage, feeling my body shake a little from the emotions I released between the tides of notes.
Holy, crap...Now I know why some people say that singing is like breathing for the Soul.
...And speaking of souls...
An image of my mom and dad passes before my closed eyes, and I suck in a gentle breath while mumbling,
"I know they did."
"They did what, Athena?"
I turned my eyes up right to meet Astral's, and smiled as I mused quietly,
"...My parents...They heard me. The melody reached them."
His eyes widen a touch, before he too smiled and replies,
"Yes, I understand what you mean: I too felt as if this performance traveled beyond here..."
He then looks at me with a little concern and says to me,
"By the way, I could not help but notice you got a little, emotional as it were, up on stage..."
It was my turn to widen my own irises the slightest from his mild worry over me, and I replied with a reassuring smile,
"Oh, that?...Yeah, I'm okay. The lyrics just, brought out some things I usually try to hide from the outside world. It felt like I was allowing other eyes to see me vulnerable, which I guess, was why I chose this song."
"Hm?"
I turn to look over at the faces of my friends and family, who were looking at me with mixes of understanding and shock from my performance, a few even having some unshod tears in the corners of their eyes...
"This song, allowed me to show some of my inner self to the people I care about, even with the strangers between. I...I want to be able to open myself to people I can trust again, and this was a part of a much bigger step."
"Ah..."
Shaking my head a bit, I then wave a hand over to everyone, who came to pile me with their supporting hugs and watery praises, myself just soaking it all in...to help seal some of the harder-to-find cracks in my heart.