I do not own Yu Gi Oh GX. Only my oc's and plotlines.
Jaina Yuki looked like Serena from Pokémon.
Ezekiel (Zeke) Phoenix looks like Steven Stone from Pokémon
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"What?"
"Yeah, that's surprising right?"
"I can't believe you met him!"
"Yeah."
"You got Winged Kuriboh from Yugi Muto," Jaina said in shock at the top of her lungs.
"Yeah," Jaden said for the tenth time since his sister asked him about the Winged Kuriboh card.
"Stop saying; yeah." She demands with a finger pointed at Jaden's face. "Only you would be very chill about getting a card from the King of Games."
Only Jaden wouldn't understand how much of a big deal that moment was within history. Yugi Muto gave Jaina's brother a playing card from his own deck. It had to be a sign. It couldn't have been just a random run in with the King of Games. It had to Destiny.
It was Jaden's destiny to have that card.
Yugi said something along the lines as such according to Jaden's story on the whole meeting between the two of them.
Oh. Jaden's so lucky, Jaina thought with a frown on her face.
Yoko rolled his eyes at the conversation. In the Duel Monster's opinion he really didn't care about Yugi Muto or what was going on within the Dueling World. "So he's still the King of Games after all this time?"
"Kooh," Winged Kuriboh gave a small noise at Yoko's words.
Neither Jaina or Jaden could see the Duel Spirits interaction with each other which means they hadn't seen how many times Yoko has tried to knock down the brown puff ball with wings away from him with a swat of his claw, only the tiny Duel Spirit kept dodging.
"Why did Yugi give you to Jaden?" Yoko hissed between his teeth.
Winged Kuriboh gave several Kooh's in response. "Kooh Koo Kooh Ko Kooh. Kooh Koo o Kooh."
The older and Ancient Duel Monster just glared at Kuriboh. "That's a very lame explanation."
"Kooh Kooh ko oo oh ko oo ko kooh," the winged creature continued to explain in a defensive way.
"What did you just call me?" Yoko demanded.
"Kooh Kooh."
"What do you mean I miss understood?"
"Kooh."
"Don't start with me."
"Koo Kooh."
"You started it. I didn't."
"Koo Kooh Kooh."
"Shut it, puffball," Yoko shouted at it, this time taking a claw swipe at the other spirit, which quickly floated away from him.
Meanwhile the Yuki Twins continued their conversation without even noticing or hearing what was going on around them.
"Then I want to meet Yugi Muto, too," Jaina declared. In her own mind it seemed a little unfair that Jaden actually got to meet Yugi because he was late for a test when everyone else was on time and couldn't see him.
"Really?" Jaden asked, eyebrows in the air.
"Yeah."
"But how?"
How would Jaina be able to meet Yugi Muto?
"He should be visiting his grandfather at the game store," she concluded to her twin brother. Yugi must be back visiting his grandfather after being gone on an adventure for some time. It only would make sense for Yugi to see him.
"That game store…" Jaden breathed with some wonder. "We haven't been there in a while."
"Yeah," Jaina agreed with a grin on her face. "We can even look at the new cards."
"Good idea, I could maybe find some new spell or trap cards for my hero deck," Jaden encourages.
Yoko just rolled his eyes as the new winged puffball of a duel spirit continued to float around the room. This was going to be a long time, but even as his eyes landed on Jaina and Jaden, he wondered why they couldn't see or hear him (let alone the winged beast that Yugi gave to Jaden.)
Hopefully he'll figure out the reason behind it. But until then he'll just have to keep the two of them safe without Yubel around to help him.
0o0o0
The night sky was filled with stars that seemed to shine across the darkness. The air only had a slight chill in the air but nothing Zeke couldn't handle. He'll be walking home to his apartment and not join Banner and Crowler in a taxi ride because the dear Doctor who claims he had a PHD in dueling was still complaining over his lost to Jaden Yuki, and Zeke didn't want to keep hearing Crowler's complains for another minute, even though he fault sorry for Banner and the poor cat.
"Good night, Mr Phoenix," Crowler cried from the Taxi.
"Night," Zeke answered with a small wave.
"I should've allowed you to duel that slacker," Crowler mumbled under his breath with tears falling down out of his eyes. "You should've gotten the embarrassment from the loss."
Zeke just rolled his eyes at Crowler's petty attitude. Oh please, Aster would be handling a lost better than this man. And Aster was younger than Crowler and actually had real PHD's instead of makeup ones that the dear doctor only says he has too many students.
"Of course," Zeke breathed, annoyed.
Couldn't Crowler just leave him alone already? He had to get back home to see Aster and the others, but he already had a feeling that his younger brother was either asleep or on the streets searching for the one that murdered their father.
"Goodnight Ezekiel," Banner said in his calm and joyful voice.
Banner was one of the few people that called Zeke by both his names. While most just called the older Phoenix male; Zeke. Only Aster still called him; Ezekiel, when the younger brother was furious or didn't want to hear Zeke talk anymore.
Usually when Aster calls him Ezekiel it's when their conversations end.
At least when Banner says it… Zeke always feels somewhat warm. Like his own father was saying the name once again. The professor was the only one that Zeke liked hearing his full name from because when Kyle Jacobs (The D) speaks the name it always made the male feel sick to his own stomach and he never knew why.
Because his father (who was gone from this world), Aster (when he is furious with him), or a few others (that he felt safe around) could use that name.
"Goodnight Professor Banner," Zeke says with a smile before reaching a hand out to pet the cat. "Goodnight to you as well Pharaoh."
"Meow," the cat answered back with a yawn.
"Hurry up already!" Crowler shouted from the cab toward Banner.
"Of course," Banner answered with a warm smile, not even phased by Crowler's temper, before entering the taxi. "Have a safe trip home, Ezekiel."
"You too," Zeke answered with a wave as the taxi took off down the street.
The night was silent except for the wind as Zeke began to walk down the street, keeping his legs moving but eyes watching and ears out listening to see if his younger brother went out into the night once more on a hunt.
That was one of the reasons why he wanted to walk home.
With Aster in town the criminals that stole cards or tried to commit a crime should watch out for him. Even though his kid brother dressed up as Phoenix Enforcer to fight crime in the middle of the night, no one could ever trace anything back to him.
Zeke guessed Aster was lucky.
Or maybe the older brother believed that Aster was lucky not to get hurt or injured by a criminal.
All it takes is one with a weapon and Aster could be-
No. Zeke didn't want to think about it. But no matter how many times he shook his head and told himself that Aster would be fine-he secretly always feared for the worst. That one-day Aster would end up getting injured or dead and Zeke wouldn't have been able to stop it.
But his deck was created by their father to protect Aster from harm. All those nights when his father created those plant cards for Zeke to use to protect his little brother. But at the very end. When Aster had needed him the night their father was killed the older brother was away at a friend's house.
He already failed in keeping Aster safe from the horrors of the world once before. So, what was going to change the fact that Zeke will fail again and again. The longer his younger brother hated and was building toward revenge in finding their father's kill the more Zeke didn't know what to do at the end of the day. He couldn't stop his brother. He understood that… but he was supposed to protect him.
Only Aster and Zeke rarely could have a normal conversation about what Aster was secretly doing at night. Not without a yelling match starting and Aster telling Zeke to leave him alone. That's why they acted around each other in a dance of lies and worries.
Zeke paused at the door to his apartment building before shoving it open because he needed to know if Aster had come over and stayed home tonight or not. He walked up the steps, not even bothering with the elevator before climbing up to the floor and getting the key into the apartment door and entering the place.
It was a nice apartment. It was enough for a family of four to live in. Zeke would like to admit that he did good for himself over the years because he was able to at least make money for himself and his brother to live in a place by themselves. They didn't even need The D's money, which Zeke had always refused to touch the moment he could work because he secretly wanted to see if he could take care of Aster without help from the older duelist.
Zeke's eyes wandered around the apartment before they landed on the couch where Aster laid sleeping as the television light hit the younger Phoenix's hair. The older sibling took notice of a few Duel Monster cards that lined the table near the couch along with a few sweets and sugary drinks that seemed to line the area of the floor near Aster.
For someone who says they are on a diet would go off of said diet when you're at your brother's place. He thought with a small shake of his head.
It was not the first Aster had done this and it wouldn't be the last time either. Zeke could remember that dumb diet idea that the D told Aster to do once which nearly made Zeke want to punch the adult in the face. The diet had been dumb and prevented Aster from eating a lot, but Zeke, always being the cool brother, would always sneak his younger brother something he wasn't supposed to have in his system. That was why Zeke always kept chips, candy, sugar sweets, soda drinks, and other items within his apartment and allowed his younger brother to have them.
Zeke moved forward toward the couch and picked up a red blanket with the God Cards designed on it as he placed it over his younger brother who was sound asleep.
"So, you did stay home tonight," Zeke mumbled to his sleeping brother. "That's good."
"No, he didn't," came one of the voices of the cards that laid on the table.
While another voice adds, "He only got home an hour ago."
"Guys. Aster might hear us."
"He's sleeping."
Zeke just hummed at the voices of Destiny Hero Doom Lord, Destiny Hero Blade Master, and Destiny Hero Diamond Dude. Those three Duel Spirits were always watching out for Aster which the oldest Phoenix sibling was thankful for at the moment.
"Good to see I am getting some honestly in this house," Zeke admits to the cards.
"Yep," Blade Master said.
Diamond Dude frowned, "Zeke…"
"Just keep watching over him," the older Phoenix brother told the cards with a smile. "All of you were created to keep Aster safe…so, just continue to watch over him for me."
"Of course, Zeke," Doom Lord answered.
Zeke gave a small nod before turning on his heel away from the Duel Monster's and Aster as he headed to his bedroom. At least Aster was safe for the time being.
0o0o0
The game shop had been transformed over the years since Yugi Muto became the King of Games. Mr. Muto, Yugi's grandfather, had gotten older and needed help running the old game ship because Yugi had to be all over the world within the past several years due to his title. Everyone wanted a chance to defeat Yugi and take the title from him-only no one has been able to defeat Yugi over the years. Not even Seto Kabia who was busy running his company, the new creation of Duel Monster Cards with Maximilian Pegasus, and keeping his school running for young duelists. Seto no longer seemed to have time to challenge Yugi to a duel (but there were rumors that Kabia had found a way to challenge Yami and he might have won, but that was only a rumor). All this lad to Tea Gardner, Yugi's closest friend, and Duke Devlin, the creator of Dungeon Dice Monsters, helping Yugi's grandfather with the game store.
"Oh, if it isn't Jaden and Jaina," Mr. Muto said from his seat behind the desk.
"Hi, Mr. Muto." Jaina greeted with a smile on her face. She sent the older male a small wave as well, but her blue eyes were wandered around the place to see if there was a sign of Yugi.
"Hi, old timer," Jaden said with a wave.
Oh…Jaden. Jaina thought as she worried about what Mr. Muto would say about calling him an old timer. She quickly turned around and looked at her brother. "Be more respectful, Jaden."
"What?" the male said with an eyebrow in the air, confused by his sister's comment. "He's not offended by it."
Mr. Muto just gave a small laugh even with his elderly face getting old his voice seemed to have barely changed over the many years. "Don't worry. You kids mean no harm with your words. I've heard far worse when I'm in a duel."
"See," Jaden pointed out with a cheerful grin.
Jaina let out a small breath but she secretly wished to hit her brother over the head because of his words. Her brother really did need to watch his mouth because one of these days someone was going to be insulted by Jaden.
"That doesn't mean anything," the female twin mumbled. "Just be more respectful next time."
"It's good to see nothing has changed with the two of you," Mr. Muto continued to say to the twins.
"Yeah," Jaden answered as he moved forward. "But things have changed, Grumps."
"They have?" Grandpa Muto seemed confused by the teenagers' words. "What do you mean by things have changed?"
"Because we're going to Duel Academy!" The twins exclaimed together.
"Duel Academy," the older male answered with a kind smile before adding, "never heard of it."
The Yuki twins both went stiff as states where they stood within the room. Blue and brown eyes were locked on the old man as the words; never heard of, echoed around within their minds as both twins nearly fell to the floor. Mr. Muto had to be joking with them.
"You never…" Jaina tried to say but stopped.
Jaden was the one to finish the sentence. "…heard of it."
He can't be serious. Both of the twins thought together.
"Yep," the older man answered with a friendly smile.
"Wow. He really has lost his mind with age," Yoko grumbled under his breath. "I can't blame. who many times Yugi's friends put him in the hospital or had his soul stolen? That would drive anyone mad." That was when Yoko felt a rage from the dual spirits within the game store and said, "I'm not taking what I said back because it's true."
"It's Kabia's school," Jaina quickly explained to the older man once she realized he was being serious.
Muto frowned at the woman's words. "Kabia made a school…"
"Uh, yeah," Jaden adds.
He doesn't understand a word we're saying. Does he? Both of the Yuki twins thought with hopeless expressions on their faces.
"They're talking about Kabia's Island," Tea answered as she walked into the room from the staircase.
"Oh," Mr. Muto admits with his mind understanding what the twins had been telling him. "Why didn't you just say it was Duel academy."
"We did," both twins said together.
"You did…"
"Yes."
"Seriously. He's losing his mind." Yoko admits with a frown on his face.
Muto sat back in his seat before saying, "I've heard that this year at the school there are some very skilled duelists going this year."
"Really?" Jaden asked the man. "Who are they?"
Solomon Muto seemed to think for a minute before saying. "One of the students that should be in your class used to duel in tournaments when they were younger with a legendary beast."
"A legendary Duel Monster card," Jaina exclaimed. "Who?"
"It was the Light and Darkness dragon card."
"Light and darkness dragon." Both Jaina and Jaden said together. But neither twin seemed to understand what that name meant.
Yoko's eyes went wide. "Light and Darkness dragon. That card is one of them…" He quickly shook his head not wanting to think about it as fury took hold within his veins.
"I want to challenge that person to a duel," Jaden exclaimed with a grin.
"He no longer uses it," Tea admits as she reached the bottom step and went to one of the tables within the room and placed down a box.
No longer uses the card. Jaina thought as her blue eyes went wide. For some reason the knowledge that someone had a rare card and didn't use it was surprising.
"Oh," Jaden said with a disappointed look. "I really wanted to Duel against it."
"Maybe you can try and convince him to use it again," Tea suggested with a smile toward Jaden.
"Maybe," the male Yuki agreed.
Jaina smiled hopefully before remembering why they came here in the first place. "So, is Yugi Muto here?"
"No…" Solomon Muto answered with a sad look dancing across his face as a frown set on his lips. "He stopped by the other day only for Kabia to call about an emergency, then he was off once again. I don't know when he'll be back."
Jaina frowned. "Oh…sorry to hear that Mr. Muto." She answered even though disappointment ran through her veins because Jaden had gotten to meet Yugi and got a card from him. It was unfair in her own opinion, but Solomon must miss Yugi a ton…so, she wasn't going to act depressed because she couldn't meet Yugi because the older Muto must miss seeing his nephew all the time.
Jaina knew that feeling and so did Jaden when it came to their parents not being around much in their lives. The twins only had each other while Solomon Muto only had Yugi, who was away, but also Duke and Tea helping him run the game store.
"Oh, that's alright dear," Mr. Muto answered. "Yugi did leave something for you since he gave your brother a card the other day."
"How do you know about that?" Jaden asked the older man.
"He told me," Mr. Muto answered.
Tea gave a small nod. "Yep."
"Wow," Jaina and Jaden breathed in amazement.
Tea walked over to the brown desk and opened the drawl before pulling out a Duel Monster card and walking over to Jaina with a small smile. "Since Jaden got Wings Kuriboh that means you should have…Kuribon." She adds before handing the card over.
"Kuribon," Jaina answered as she looked at the card.
Kuribon
Light / level 1 Monster
Fairy/ Effect type; During damage calculation, if this card is attacked by your opponent's monster: You can activate this effect; you take no battle damage from that battle, your opponent gains LP equal to the attacking monster's ATK, also you return this card to your hand.
ATK 300 / 200 DEF
"No," Yoko shouted at the sight of another puffball.
"So, cute," Jaina answered with a smile and blue eyes glittering with wonder.
"Kooh," Kuribon answered.
Yoko paled at the noise because it meant Kuribon was also a Duel Spirit. He wanted to scream in horror because that meant another monster that didn't know when to stop with the-kooh-in the middle of the night. This was going to be a living nightmare.
"Yeah," Tea answered. "I had a feeling you'll like it."
"Thanks Tea, Mr. Muto," Jaina said with a bright smile on her pale face. "I also need some help with something."
Solomon Muto raised an eyebrow. "With what my dear?"
Jaina bit her lip before reaching into her Duel card case and pulling out Yoko's card and asked, "Do you know what's wrong with this monster? I heard from neighborhood kids that it was bad." She admits before showing the Duel Monster card to them.
Mr. Muto paled the moment his old eyes landed on the card and Yoko understood why because of all the travel the Duel Monster had caused years ago. While Jaden and Jaina seemed concerned by Solomon's expression.
"Where did you find this card?" Solomon asked with a wary expression.
"Uh, I found it in a lunch box that was buried outside our house," Jaina answered with a frown deepening on her lips the moment each word slipped out of her lips. "Why? Is there something wrong with it?"
"Uh," The older Muto seemed to be debating telling the twins about Yoko.
"Well, old man…" Yoko wondered with a furious glare. "Are you doing to tell or keep it a secret?"
"Yeah, Yuki one and two are here!" a male voice shouts from the back room as a male with black hair and green eyes walks out with a grin.
The silence and the fear seemed to have vanished from the room the moment Duke entered the room.
"Duke!" Jaden shouts with a grin. "Good to see you buddy."
"Hi, Jaden," he greeted,
"Hi, Duke," Jaina said as she turned to look at Duke.
"Hello, Jaina. It's nice to see the two of you back." The male was willing to admit as he walked over to stand in front of the counter. "So, you two want to play Dungeon Dice Monsters again."
"Sure," Jaden answered.
The one thing about Duke that happened over the years was that he kept on trying to make Dungeon Dice Monsters a thing-even though the Dueling League was making Duel Monsters turn away from Duke's idea. Which led the other male to try and keep the game he created for Duel Monsters still within the public eyes.
"Good," Duke answered before his eyes turned to Jaina. "Want to join in on the game?"
"Uh," Jaina answered before her blue eyes landed back on Solomon Muto. The one person with the answers about Yoko. "Sure…after Mr. Muto answers my question."
Solomon blinked and said, "Oh…it's a very strong card that not many people could defeat when you used him."
"Oh," Jaina said in surprise at the answer.
Yoko rolled his eyes at the answer. "Really old man. That's the answer you're going with…"
"Yeah," the older man continued to say with a gleeful smile.
Jaina eye's Solomon for a moment because she would have worn the older man was not telling her everything. Something else…something about this Duel Monster had the neighbor kids on edge and now Solomon Muto. It was odd…even the answer she was just given was also odd.
Something was not right. But Jaina wonders why Solomon Muto would lie to her because he had nothing to gain from it. Unless…something about Yoko was odd or not understood by anyone that had seen the card just yet.
"Okay," Jaina whispered to Solomon with a disappointed look clouding her face.
"Now," Duke said to the twins and grabbed their arms to guide the two down the stairs. "Let's go play Dungeon Dice Monsters."
"Yeah."
"Sure, Duke."
The twins headed off down stairs with Duke as Yoko decided to stay in the room to listen to what Tea and Solomon Muto would say about him.
"So, she did find the card again," Tea answered with a small frown forming on her lips as her blue eyes seemed to fill with sadness. "We should tell Kabia or Yugi."
"Kabia and Yugi…they could barely handle Yubel and I in the past," Yoko scoffed in a bitter tone.
The King of Games and the Second Place Prince of Games were the two that decided to try and get Yubel and Yoko away from the twins because no one understood what the Duel Spirits were doing or the reason behind it. It was Seto Kabia's fault with a tiny suggestion to Jaden to send Yubel away for a while to be fixed while Yoko had been buried in the ground and placed in timeout by Jaina because the female Yuki had decided to give up on the game if Yoko was going to act up.
But he could still remember the burning pain Yubel had felt when she was sent away. And due to Yoko and Yubel's connection he'd felt every ounce of the pain and blacked out for several years until being unearthed from the ground. Seto and Yugi had only been able to seal them away because Jaina and Jaden allowed it and now neither of the twins could see Duel Spirits.
"No," Solomon answered. "Yoko might try to get revenge on them…he is the one spirit that can hurt humans within or without a Duel going on."
"I know," Tea answered. "But Yoko and Yubel ruined the twins' lives."
"I know," Mr. Muto said to the girl. "But Yoko deserves a chance…he might have leveled out if he had not tried anything yet."
"Serious," Yoko mumbled. "I'm not planning on ruining the twin's lives. I'm supposed to protect them because…"
Tea frowned. "So, we wait and see what happens…but they're going to Duel Academy."
"An island that Kabia runs that Yoko can disappear from," Solomon said with a firm look in his old eyes. "I'm fine with giving Yoko a second chance."
Tea gave a small nod. "Of course…" the plan had been to fix them back in the day…so, maybe Yoko was fixed. If not, then they would find a way to handle him.
"I do hope Yoko will play nice from now on," Muto whispered to Tea. "But I do know some friends that could handle Yoko if the worst happened."
Yoko eyes the old man before smirking. "I like to see them try, old timer."
No one had been able to control Yoko or Yubel a few years ago, which is why Yoko was buried in the ground and Yubel was sent away. Neither Duel Spirit needed fixed because they were only following through with their life's mission.
Protect Jaina and Jaden.
But if the dear old man thought anyone was taking Yoko away from Jaina's side again, then they would all have to learn the hard way.
0o0o0
Zeke's alarm clock went off late.
He was almost positive that Aster must have unplugged the device from the wall once again because that was something his younger brother did every Sunday just to mess with him. The alarm was only going off because Aster must have plugged the wire back into the wall.
"Seriously," Zeke mumbled to himself.
"Good afternoon to you as well," Aster mumbled.
Zeke rolled over and took notice of Aster sitting in the wooden chair that was near the computer deck that was set up beside the window as the curtains remained closed. The younger Phoenix sibling had his legs crossed in front of him and his blue eyes were staying on his older brothers with a slight smirk on his face.
"Aster," the older brother said. "What time is it?"
"It's noon," he explained.
"You let me sleep in until-"
Aster shook his head which made Zeke zip his mouth shut. "You were the one sleeping in because your body needed it. While I turned off your alarm clock until a few minutes ago."
"Seriously," Zeke grumbled under his breath.
"Seriously," Aster answered back with a smirk before standing up from the chair. "Get dressed so we can go out and do something. I got no duel training at the moment so we can go do your favorite brotherly bonding time." The younger male spoke with an annoyed look on his face before heading out the door with a small scoff coming out of his mouth.
Zeke stared for several minutes as Aster left back to the living room. His younger brother actually cleared up his schedule for him. Most of the time Aster always tried to find a way out of brotherly bonding time. The older brother had lost count how many times his kid brother scheduled a duel match, duel practice, deck building, or some business meeting to actually spend time with him. This was the first time in a while that Aster seemed to actually plan to spend time with him.
This was a rare occurrence.
Ever since Aster joined the Pro Dueling League.
The young Phoenix was traveling the world to duel other duelists from other parts of the world. Aster has won every duel that he's been in for the last few months. Zeke could remember standing in the Kabia Dome of to the side watching his brother's first match (Zeke had been worrying for what kind of outcome would arrive from the duel and stressing to the point that every time Aster draw a care or took life point damage that he flinched and worried for his younger brother's heal) and watching Aster win the duel within only five turns.
Zeke had gone to congratulate his younger brother for winning, which seemed to have surprised Aster because he didn't know that Zeke had been watching the match or was even there. The older brother had explained that he couldn't mess his brother's first ever Pro Dueling match but Aster had kept his face in an expressionless mask and gave a blunt reply before walking off to go due his interview.
That was when Zeke wondered if Aster didn't want him there.
His younger brother rarely showed signs of wanting Zeke around. Even when Aster got his two PHD's Zeke had been there for both of them. Even when Aster started doing those dangerous sports-skydiving-yeah, Zeke was questioning Aster's mental health on that one-and all the others.
Only he soon figured out why.
The reason why Aster hadn't wanted him to see his first duel in the Pro League.
That night Aster went out looking for their father's killed for the very first time.
Zeke had caught his brother arriving back into the hotel dressed like a superhero. That had caused a yelling match between the two of them which lasted for hours. Everything was to find the person that killed their father and end that person's life-Aster's mind and goals were all ruled by vengeance which Zeke didn't know how to fix.
That made the two siblings fall to pieces over the years.
Grief. The injustice of the system. Their father's death.
Happiness had died a long time ago within their family. Zeke understood that, but he didn't want Aster to head into an early grave because of the rage building within his heart.
Only the older Phoenix sibling finished dressing for the day and walked out of the bathroom without much worry written on his face. At least Aster and him were spending time together and that was all she could ask for at the moment. Everything else could disappear within the back of Zeke's mind as the two brothers pretended that everything within their lives was perfectly normal.
0o0o0
After leaving the game shop Jaina and Jaden walked down the street that was busy with people walking down the street as cars and buses passed by them. Over the last few hours, they hung out with Duke playing Dungeon Dice monsters which Jaden kept on messing up because he kept on flinging the dice off the Duel field. How was this even possible? Jaina didn't have a clue and yet Jaden someone managed to cause trouble during the whole game.
Jaina didn't get to meet Yugi or learn many answers about Yoko…all she got was a new Duel Monster card.
"Is something wrong, Jaina?" Jaden wondered.
"No," the female answered.
"Really?" Jaden challenged when he saw the disappointing look on her face. "I think there is something wrong because you rarely have a frowny face."
"Well," Jaina answered as she let out a small breath.
"Well, what?"
Jaina wasn't sure if she should ask Jaden this question or not. But back at the game shop she was positive that she saw fear fill Solomon Muto's eyes the moment she pulled out Yoko's game card. She first thought it was her imagined nation, but he kept that look in his eyes the moment they left the shop.
"Did Solomon Muto's face fall when I showed him Yoko?" Jaina asked.
Jaden thought for a moment as he thought back to the scene and gave a small nod. "Yeah. But I'm sure it's nothing. He could've been upset about something else."
"Really?" the female wondered.
Jaden gave one cheerful nod. "Yeah. About Yugi leaving again."
"Yeah," Jaina breathed even though she frowned. "I guess."
If there was something wrong with Yoko's card, then why didn't Solomon Muto tell her?
0o0o0
The small diner was barely filled with people which allowed Aster to pull down the hood from his jacket as Zeke and him sat in a small booth in the back and kept away from the windows. The one thing the Phoenix siblings had realized by being adopted by the D and Aster entering Pro-Dueling was that there were always eyes on them or fans trying to get an autograph. It was hard to act like a normal person in public and spend a brotherly time together out in public due to the eyes and possible pictures that could be taken.
The food was placed in front of them as the waitress, who had taken their order earlier, had arrived back with the meal. They basically ordered breakfast. A meal of pancakes, bacon, orange juice, maple syrup and Scrambled Eggs, even though Aster ordered chocolate chip pancakes.
"Thank you," Zeke told the girl.
"Yeah, thanks," Aster breathed.
The waitress left the brothers alone with their meal.
"So, how have you been?" Zeke asked after a moment of eating.
Aster didn't even look at his older brother and answered, "Fine."
"Oh," the older phoenix breathed. "So, how's the Pro-League?"
"Fine."
"How's those Duel Spirits doing?"
"Fine."
"How's D?"
"Fine."
"How's your Duel training going?"
"Fine."
Zeke gritted his teeth together because he already knew he was not going to get a reasonable answer from his younger brother. Aster had not been one to talk about his day or his life in several years…always keeping quiet no matter how many times Zeke asked because the answer that always left Aster's lips were the words; fine.
"So," he tried to speak with Aster again as his mind wondered about what to try to say next.
Aster left out a small breath before looking up at him. "So, what, Zeke?"
Zeke's light blue eyes landed on Aster's hands that seemed to have some strange scars on them. "What happened to your hands?" he asked in a shout.
"Huh?" Aster questioned with wide eyes before looking at his hands. "Nothing."
"Nothing," Zeke pressed.
"It's from Duel training."
The older sibling raised an eyebrow in question. "Duel training…how?"
"From drawing my cards…dummy," the younger siblings said with an eyebrow.
"Oh," Zeke breathed as he began to drink his orange juice. He should've known that the scars and cuts on Aster's hand were from cards and not from a fight in the middle of the night. He placed down his drink and said, "You should maybe wear gloves."
Aster looked at his older brother for a moment before shaking his head. "That would ruin my look."
Zeke raised an eyebrow and asked, "You're look."
"Gloves don't go well with a suit," he answered.
"Oh."
"Yeah."
The two siblings turned back to their food and continued to eat and drink for a while.
Zeke's mind wondered if the question that he'd been wanting to ask Aster for a while, but he already had a feeling that his younger brother would turn him down. But it would be a way to keep the two of them together.
"So," Zeke asked once the meal was nearly over. "Do you want to come to Duel Academy with me?"
Aster went stiff at the question. His eyes locked at Zeke's as if he was trying to find another reason behind Zeke's question. Only he seemed to have found nothing…but Zeke already knew that Aster had his mind wondering.
"Why are you asking me this?" the younger sibling asked.
"Because I want to make sure…"
"Making sure I'm not out looking for our father's killer," Aster suddenly said.
"I just want us to- "
"No," Aster said as he stood up from his chair. "Thanks for the meal…but I don't want to hear it…Zeke."
"I-Aster," Zeke tried again.
Aster was quickly walking away from the table and out the door.
Zeke cursed under his breath and brought down a hand and hit the table which shook it.
This was not part of the plan.
Zeke only wanted Aster to come along to Duel Academy to maybe get back that hope filled look about Duel's once more. He wanted to have Aster be happy and make friends close in his own age because the path that he was going on was going to lead to something bad.
Something about Aster's new path in life terrified him.
But taking Aster away from his current life as a Pro-Duelist wouldn't work.
Zeke would have to find a way to help his brother in a different way.
One day…Zeke really wanted Aster to tell him something…anything. Just like Aster did back when their father was alive. But until that day came Zeke would keep trying to find a way to help Aster…even though he didn't suppose the way his younger brother was currently going about things.
One day. I hope Aster can call me brother or Zeke again.
Until that day came…Zeke would be trying to find a way.
(Only Zeke didn't realize that Aster had wanted to continue the conversation because Aster had called him; Zeke. Not Ezekial. Aster understood that Zeke wanted him at Duel Academy so they could be together for a while…but Aster couldn't bring himself to do it. Not until their father's killer was found. At least on the island Zeke would be safe from harm.
But everything that was going to happen at Duel academy no one could've seen coming.)
0o0o0
"Kooh."
"Kooh,"
"Kooh,"
Yoko disliked his life at just hearing those annoying brown puff balls talk to each other in the middle of the night. He stared at the two Duel Spirits in annoyance.
"Kooh."
"Kooh."
"Kooh."
"Kooh."
"Kooh. Kooh. Kooh."
"Kooh. Kooh."
"Kooh."
"That's it," Yoko shouts.
"Kooh!" both of the annoying puff balls said in fear.
Yoko lifted up his clawed hand. "Time to end some very annoying spirits."
"Kooooooooooooohhhhhhh!"
The two cute spirits ran (floated) out of the room.
"Get back here. I'm going to end the both of you."
.
.
.
Yeah. Jaina gets Kuribon while Jaden gets Wing Kuriboh. That's because Kuribon is the female version of Kuriboh. Plus, Jaina and Jaden are twins so I wanted a cute Duel Monster to be shared between the two of them and that's Kuriboh and Kuribon. And yeah, Yoko is going to get annoyed by the little puff balls for a long time.
The duelist that had the rare card that Mr. Muto told Jaden and Jaina was Chazz. As to what happened with Light and Darkness Dragon will be explained later on within the fic because at the moment Chazz doesn't have the card with him for storyline reasons.
As to why Yoko has a thought about Light and Darkness Dragon will be explained later. (The connection between Yoko and the dragon is important and I'm sure you can figure it out because I reveal it.)
We also saw Zeke and Aster's relationship and it is very problematic. Zeke just wanted to get a good brother and not wanting his younger brother to get hurt, but he also doesn't know how to keep Aster safe when the younger Phoenix is looking for their father's killer. While Aster wants Zeke to be safe…even though he knows his older brother is concern. But these two siblings have a problem explaining their feelings to each other which will one day reach a boiling point.
For some reason whenever I write original chapters it takes me a long time just to get the chapter done.
Either way next chapter they are on their way to Duel Academy (which I already have halfway written). So, it should be up soon.