"So, the child will no longer be joining us," Ren recapped, having listened to the events that transpired yesterday from his two students.
"It's not fair!" Aella complained, "Nanny can't just decide for Sarah like that!"
"It can't be helped," Ren said, "We are not her guardians. It's not our place to criticize how Nanny raises those under her care."
"But—"
"Enough!" Ren interrupted, "We will not dwell on this topic any longer. Now we train."
Sid felt a pit in his stomach. What possible mad concoction would Ren have them engage in now? He soon got his answer when his sensei plopped a brick of a book onto the table. It read 'The Complete Works of William Shakespeare.'
"You will read Henry IV part 1 and analyze it's inherent meaning."
"Say what?!" Sid cried, "What the Hell does that have to do with—" Ren cut him off with a swing of his bokken an inch away from making contact.
"Understanding this work will allow you to read more critically on a fundamental level," Ren explained, "This exercise will ensure you never misread cards again."
"Can't we just read Romeo and Juliet?" Sid questioned, only for oak to soar past his face.
"I know you've read that one before! Everyone your age has!" Ren yelled before thinking out loud, "Undisciplined brat," Sid cursed in his head. So much for making it easier.
While this was happening, Ren heard the ring of his shop door bell. He left his students to their devices to go investigate. After walking through the back door, he was surprised to see there was no customer in sight. That could only mean one thing: he left. Ren exited through the front door and confirmed his deduction when he saw Chuck walking down the sidewalk. On Chuck's part, when he heard the bell ring again, he stopped walking, knowing who was behind him.
"Where are you going?" the older man asked.
"I thought I'd try again with Sarah," his son answered.
"What is it you intend to accomplish? Do you intend to change her Nanny's mind?"
"No," Chuck quickly and lamely answered, "I didn't get to ask Sarah about her fascination with dueling yesterday."
"Why do you care for her secrets? Those details are for her and her alone"
"I just want to satiate my curiosity is all."
"Charles," Ren started, "it's been weeks since you went on break. You know you can't slack off on your dueling. Remember principle six," Always seek to improve.
"I know, I know," Chuck hastily responded.
"Son," Ren continued with a lower voice, "You know you can't lie to me. Don't think I didn't spot your true intention when you announced your hiatus. I allowed you to have your space, but it won't be long until I close that distance. You are at the crossroad of your life. You must make a decision regarding your future. Do you think you can just sit around and mope for the rest of your days?!"
Chuck intentionally didn't make eye contact with his father, especially during a moment like this, "I just… I can't answer that right now."
Ren frowned, "Whenever you're finished with this distraction, you will inform me of your decision. Will you continue to pursue a career in dueling or not? I wont accept anything less than a full answer."
Chuck simply answered, "Okay."
With that conversation behind him, Chuck made the long and lonely trek to Honey Dew Foster Home. How strange, he was here only yesterday and it felt like a lifetime ago. With baited breath, he walked to the front door and rang the doorbell. It only took a few seconds for five of the six locks to be undone and for the door to open ever so slightly, where a familiar set of eyes meet with Chuck.
"You again?" Nanny asked, "Whadaya want now?"
Chuck responded slowly, "I just… I still want to talk with Sarah."
"Haven't you ever heard of tact?" Nanny questioned accusingly, "You think that child is in a talking mood right now? She's been sulking in her room since yesterday. I've had to deliver her meals to her!"
Chuck had trouble comprehending what he just heard. Was Sarah really in that terrible a state right now? Despite his conscience telling him that he shouldn't get involved, the last thing he wanted right now was to face his father.
All Chuck could muster was, "Well… I just… I mean…"
Nanny sighed at Chuck's pathetic attempt at argument, "I can see you won't turn back now. In that case—" Nanny closed the door and undid the chain lock. The door then opened fully. Chuck smiled and made the motion to walk inside—only for him to make a split second reaction to catch a mop that was flying towards him. Nanny looked at him with stern eyes.
"—you gotta earn the right to see her."
"EEEEHH?!" Chuck sounded off in surprise.
"You'll find a bucket in the cabinet underneath the sink," Nanny informed, "The kitchen floor needs cleaning. Get to it," with that, she walked off, leaving behind a stunned Chuck to his devices. He could just ignore Nanny and try to find Sarah himself, but that would be scummy and dishonest. He sighed in dejection, this was going to be a day and a half.
Chuck walked into the building and saw exactly the type of living conditions these kids lived in. The walls were old with peeling wallpaper and cracked brickwork. The floors were of matted carpet and creaky floors. He reached the kitchen and saw it was in just a sorry state, with outdated tiling and appliances. He looked to the cabinet under the sink and saw that it was missing one of its hinges, based on how crooked it was. Like Nanny said, there was a bucket and some soap inside.
Chuck filled the bucket with water from the sink and added some soap inside, letting the suds settle. When that was done, he readied himself with the mop. He had to clean up his dad's shop all the time. Mopping a kitchen floor was nothing. He made wide and purposeful strides with the mop, covering as much area as we could. As he wiped the grime off the floor, he received a few visitors when three kids walked into the kitchen with him, two boys and a girl.
"Hey, you're that big kid Sarah keeps talking about," one of the boys said.
"I still get goosebumps when I think about how you demolished that lemon drop girl yesterday," the other boy commented.
"You really should stay away from here," Chuck advised.
"Why?" The girl asked.
"The floor is wet, and—" Chuck cut himself off when he made a wrong step and slipped on a streak of water he made. Next thing he knew, he was aquatinted with the floor face first. On impact, his deck case popped off his belt. Some of his cards spilled on the floor as a result, "—that can happen."
The kids immediately picked up the cards on the floor, admiring the pretty artwork. However, someone had something to say.
"Hey, I can't read this card," the second boy complained, incapable of reading the characters on this Synchro monster.
Chuck pried himself off the floor and immediately snatched his cards away from the kids' hands. His speed in this action was nothing short of impressive, "Don't touch my treasure!" he yelled.
"Why?! We hardly ever get to look at cards," the first boy argued, "Sarah never lets us look at her deck."
"She's smart then," Chuck said, "A deck is the heart and soul of a duelist. You shouldn't risk other people stealing your cards."
"We weren't gonna steal them!" the first boy said, insulted.
"That's not the point," Chuck responded, "You don't just give things to a stranger."
"Hey, what did that card say?" the second boy asked, "I couldn't read it."
"What, my Stardust Dragon?" that's right, his Stardust had Japanese text. He could read it, but he did need to bring an official translation with him whenever he used it in a tournament, "This monster can tribute itself to negate an effect that would destroy a card I control. It returns during the end phase."
"Why do you have a card like that?" the first boy questioned.
"I got this from a guy at a flea market years ago," Chuck explained, "He just let me have it for some reason. Didn't even pay for it."
"You got it for free?" the girl repeated, "I wish I could get cards like that. We don't have much money, so we can't get that many cards."
Chuck raised his eyebrow, having spotted something contradictory in that statement, "Hold on, if that's the case, then how does Sarah have a fully functioning deck?"
"She does alot of chores for our neighbors and they pay her lots of money," the girl answered.
"And she spends it at this card shop down the street," the first boy added.
"There's a card shop around here?" Chuck asked. It must be from the opposite direction he approached from.
"She's so weird," the second boy said, "She knows how much Nanny hates dueling, but she gets a bunch of cards anyway."
Chuck considered what he just heard, Sarah went through all that to get her cards? It seemed strange enough when she went through the trouble to learn dueling only to not participate in any tournaments.
"Hey, why are you mopping the floor anyway?" the girl asked.
Chuck sighed, "This is the price I have to pay to speak to Sarah."
The first boy asked, "Why do you want to talk to that wierdo?"
"JUSTIN!" yelled a raspy and terrifying voice. All the kids jerked their heads in fear, facing the stern and frightening presence of their Nanny, "What was that you just said?!" she interrogated the boy named Justin.
"N-nothing!" he lied. Nanny, in response, stormed up to him and tugged on his ear rather harshly.
"Don't you ever speak ill of a family member behind their back like that!" she lectured through Justin's wails of pain, "That girl's been through enough already!"
"But she is weird! All she does is make stuff up!" Justin doubled down, earning himself a harder tug. Any background noise outside was drowned out by his high pitched scream. The two other kids recoiled, somehow feeling Justin's pain in that instance. Chuck, on his end, simply took all of it in. What a strict way to teach her kids.
"I won't have this kind of behavior in this house!" Nanny yelled, "How would you like it if she talked that way about you?!" she let go of Justin's ear. It was likely to throb for a while, but it would heal. The older woman continued in a stern tone, "You might not think it now, but there are consequences to what you say. Don't think you can get away with that kind of talk. It'll only end badly for you. Do you understand?"
"Y-yes," Justin whimpered, rubbing his ear.
"Good," Nanny replied, "Now you three run along now and let this kid work," The kids all did as they were told and scurried out of the kitchen. She then addressed the teen in the room, "Why are you staring off into space!" she yelled, throwing Chuck into a stupor, "Get back to it, ya bum!"
With a tired look on his face, Chuck went back to work. as he continued, he couldn't help but notice a certain someone had yet to leave the kitchen, Nanny isn't leaving, Chuck observed dejectedly, I thought I was done with the 'scary adult looking over my shoulder' thing after I finished my training, It took some time, but Chuck managed to finish cleaning the floor, not leaving even a speck of dirt or grime remain.
"Hmm, not bad," Nanny acknowledged. The floor hadn't been that clean in a long time.
"Well, now that that's taken care of, I'll just go and see Sarah," little did Chuck realize that he grossly misunderstood his current situation.
"Hold it right there, sonny," Nanny held her arm forward, "While you're here, you might as well clean the dishes while you're at it," she pointed to the counter, where a mountain of unwashed plates, bowls, cups and utensils stood next to the sink.
Chuck widened his eyes, "Hey, wait a second. I only agreed to mop the floor. You didn't say anything about—"
"If you don't like it, then you can just leave!" Nanny argued, "There's a sponge in the cabinet. You can use that to scrub the dishes."
"Wait, what about the dishwasher?" Chuck questioned. There was one next to the sink. It had to be—
"It broke down ages ago," Nanny explained, "We make due with what we have. Now get to it!" she left the room shortly after, leaving a slack-jawed and irritated Chuck to his devices. He sighed in dejection and retrieved the old and dry sponge from the cabinet. He went to work immediately, using the soap from earlier in tandem with the sponge to wipe away any stains on the dishes.
The scrubbing motion is similar to the perfect draw technique Dad made me practice for seven hours straight, Chuck thought, It's like my hands know what to do by themselves.
Even after Chuck finished the dishes, Nanny wasn't through with him yet. She had him do all other manner of chore: from dusting the furniture, vacuuming the rugs, even fixing the fuse box. After a full day of menial labor, Chuck plopped himself down on the beaten down couch in the living room.
Nanny hummed in interest, "You're good at housework. I always figured duelists were all a bunch of good-for-nothings. You must be one of the good ones."
"You expected nothing from me, didn't you?" Chuck asked before sarcastically remarking, "Well sorry to disappoint you."
"I can do without the sass, young man," Nanny sat down next to Chuck, "But really, it's been nice to have some help for a change. I wish I could do more for these kids, but the state hasn't been giving much funding lately. So thanks for stepping up."
"I can do this kind of stuff just fine," Chuck affirmed, "Look, I know there's more to this than just 'proving myself worthy.' What's the real reason you had me do all these chores?"
"I'll be frank, I thought making you do all that would drive you away," Nanny answered.
"You don't say?" Chuck responded, "Well, my family has something of a stubborn streak to them."
"I don't think that's it at all."
"Say what?"
"I watch over kids for a living. I know when someone's got something they're avoiding," Nanny looked at Chuck with a critical eye, "I think you have something you're trying to avoid. If I had to guess, I say it has something to do with dueling."
Chuck sighed, "How'd you guess?"
"I've seen more than a few problems caused by dueling, believe you me," Nanny replied with dead-set certainty, "That whole fiasco yesterday isn't something that's uncommon."
"You're not wrong," Chuck agreed before leaning back, "I've been avoiding the pro scene for a few weeks now. But my dad wants me to either get back in it or leave it entirely. I never thought dueling would be the way that it is now. I hate it so much, but I don't know what I'll do with my life if I step away from it."
Nanny sighed, "This is exactly why I don't want any of my kids to enter a world like dueling. It only causes grief and heartache."
"If that's the case, then why do you allow Sarah to own cards?"
"Is someone who carries a weapon a serial killer?" Nanny proposed, "What harm is there in being a collector? I only found out she was learning to duel because she let it slip yesterday."
"I see," Chuck said. His mind drifted back to the question that's been on his mind for the past two days. Now seemed as good a time as any to find the answer, "Say, do you have any idea why Sarah wants to duel so much?"
Nanny, in response to his question, closed her eyes and sighed, "If I had to guess, I'd say It has to do with her older brother."
"Older brother?" Chuck repeated in shock.
"Martin was his name. He was a good kid, probably'd be around your age now. He always used to help around the house. You wouldn't ever guess he was Sarah's brother based on how he acted. See, Sarah's always been a unique one, always saying that she hears and sees things others don't. I've never really bought into it myself, but it means she has trouble making friends. Martin was both like and opposite Sarah. He also claimed to see and hear things, but he was more open and outgoing. He got along with everyone he met and always helped the kids whenever they needed help," Nanny had a genuine smile on her face as she reminisced.
"He sounds like an upstanding guy," Chuck commented.
"He was. Sarah loved him so much. I vividly remember when I first met those two. Five years ago I was out grocery shopping when I heard a crash over towards a low traffic road. Curiosity got the better of me and I drove over to investigate. I couldn't believe what I saw. I saw a young man who looked like he walked through the gates of Hell carrying an unconscious little girl. All he said to me was 'My sister. Save my sister' while he just collapsed on the floor. I rushed those two to the hospital as quick as I could. I got the full story from Martin later. His and Sarah's parents died in a car crash. He pulled her out of the wreck to find help. I took pity on those two and let them stay under my roof."
Chuck took in all this information with great interest; however, he knew that this story would take a dark turn very soon. Regardless, he asked, "So, what happened?"
Nanny tightened her fists, "Dueling happened. One day Martin decided that he wanted to become a duelist. He devoted himself to it. He got himself a deck and played non-stop for a year. He started changing. He grew more distant, stopped talking to the kids, and started sulking in his room. One day he entered a tournament and lost in the first round. He stormed back and threw a fit in his room. Little Sarah went to try and cheer him up. I'm not sure what happened then, but Martin was yelling up a storm. I marched in to reprimand him for his behavior. That's when I saw him aiming his shoe at his crying sister's head. I lost my composure and grabbed his shirt to scream at him. He got defensive and screamed back before running out of the house. That was two years ago, and the last time I ever saw him."
Chuck couldn't find the words, maybe because this story felt too familiar.
"He threw away everything he had, and for what?!" Nanny ranted, "His pride over a damn card game?! He's probably running around with some duel gang by now," she clearly struggled to compose herself, doing her best not to blow her lid as she spoke, "Even if he comes through that door and apologizes with tears in his eyes, I won't let him near Sarah. He's hurt her plenty enough."
"So you won't open the door for him?" Chuck recapped.
"Exactly," a tense silence filled the air. Chuck couldn't find the words. What could he say to that? He probably would have left the conversation if Nanny didn't ask, "Say, sonny, why do you duel? Is it for fame or some kind of vindictive agenda?"
Chuck answered plainly, "I made a promise with my friends."
"Your friends?"
"We all promised to be the biggest thing in Duel Monsters. That's what's kept me going the past year," past all the insults, past all threats, past all the hatred.
"You promised that with the pervert and the girl in the Halloween costume?" Nanny asked.
"What?" Chuck responded. He gathered that she was talking about Sid and Aella, but he didn't have that much of a connection to them, "Oh, no, not them. A different group of friends."
"Where are they right now?"
"They… they moved away years ago," Chuck intentionally said nothing regarding his brother.
"They did? Tell me, are they fulfilling their end of the promise?" Chuck didn't respond. He knew that none of his friends turned pro, yet he couldn't find the words to answer. He couldn't even muster a simple 'no,' "I thought as much. If I had to guess, I'd say they all wizened up and quit dueling. No kind of friendship can sustain a promise like that."
Chuck immediately tensed up. Something primal ignited inside of him as he fired back, "Are you saying my friendships were worth nothing?!" he immediately caught himself after his outburst. He then continued in a softer tone, "I refuse to believe that," he expected some form of retaliation from Nanny, some kind of rebuttal that would devolve into a full-blown argument. But that didn't happen.
"I'm sorry, that wasn't fair of me to say," she said. Chuck was nothing short of stunned in this instance. So far, he saw Nanny as someone who stubbornly stood by every word she spoke, "Listen, sonny, I can tell you're a good kid, but we live in the dark age of dueling. You might think you're virtuous now but you'll eventually be as cruel and spiteful as everyone else. It was enough to drive good old Martin down the wrong path. You hear stories like that all the time in this day and age, of headstrong kids with good intentions either quitting or turning into monsters. It's not going to get any better," Nanny looked at Chuck with a shockingly soft expression, "If you want to stay a good person, you should leave dueling behind."
Leave dueling behind? That was easy for her to say. She didn't spend her entire childhood honing her abilities through hours of mentally, emotionally, and often physically taxing training. How was he supposed to leave behind the dream they all shared?
Chuck responded, "I'll think on it."
Nanny nodded in understanding. After all, it wasn't easy to commit to a life changing decision like that.
"You wanted to go talk to Sarah, didn't you?" she asked, "Second floor, third door on the left. I won't stop you."
Chuck put away the cleaning equipment and made his way over to Sarah's room. As he did, Nanny's words continued to echo in his mind, about the dark age of dueling. That was a term he heard thrown around from time to time. Every other week, there seemed to be some dueling related scandal or controversy emerging. Throughout the years, the severity of these cases kept rising. One particularly terrible case occurred seven years ago when a pro duelist got into a drunk driving accident after losing a high profile tournament. Three people died as a result. When Chuck first heard that story, he felt a chill down his spine, but that kind of story is inevitable in the modern dueling landscape.
Competitive Dueling had no place for honor, integrity or friendship. Why would it when notoriety and personal benefit were so desirable. It wouldn't get any better, not with the current top duelists leading the charge. It just wasn't worth it.
At the moment he reached the door to Sarah's room, Chuck decided. After he was done talking to Sarah, he'd inform his dad about his decision, his decision to change careers.
Before he could dwell on the topic any longer, Sarah's door swung open, revealing the girl in the yellow dress. She looked distressed, but seeing
"You're here!" she exclaimed, sounding relieved.
Chuck sighed before addressing Sarah, "Listen, we need to talk. I had a conversation with Nanny earlier. I heard about your brother," that statement stunned Sarah to her core, "I think I understand why you're so keen to learn dueling now. You want to stay close to someone who isn't around anymore. I get it, I really do, but I've come to realize—"
"None of that matters now!" Sarah cried frantically, cutting him off, "There's no time left!"
Now Chuck was the surprised one, "What? What do you mean there's no time left?"
"He wasn't supposed to show up now!" Sarah panicked, "There was still supposed to be a year before then!"
"Wha—who?!"
Sarah grabbed hold of Chuck's hoodie and yanked it erratically. All the while, tears spilled down her face, "You have to help! Both of the worlds are in danger!"
Chuck wrestled Sarah's hands off his hoodie before exclaiming, "Slow down! What the Hell are you talking about?!"
Sarah Immediately latched onto him again, "We need to go now! You have to protect the spirit world!" in between her frantic speech, her body began to glow a brilliant golden hue. Chuck noticed this and began to freak out.
"Woah, waoh! What the Hell is happening?! Why are you—" in that instant, both Chuck and Sarah disappeared, leaving behind no trace.
The Ikari Corner
Ren: Charles, do you truly not wish to confide in me?
Samantha: Dear, you're thinking out loud again.
Ren: Samantha, have I been a good father?
Samantha: Where did that come from?
Ren: Please answer the question.
Samantha: You've done everything you could. No one could ask any more of you.
Ren: Then why have I been losing my sons?
Samantha: Now stop that! Ryuji made his own choice. You know that.
Ren: But now it seems that Charles is walking down a dark path of his own.
Samantha: If you're worried about him, then we'll make him talk with us. We are his parents after all.
Ren: You're right. I don't want a repeat of what happened last time.
Samantha: I know what will cheer you up, talking about some Ikari Family Trivia.
Ren: Very well.
According to my father, Ryunosuke, the Ikari family has a rich samurai heritage dating back to the edo period.
Samantha: There's no concrete proof of that claim however.
Ren: Do you doubt the words of your father in law?
Samantha: You always look so cute when you're annoyed.
Next time, A Realm in Crisis.
To be continued…