A/N: Welp here I am with another Roseknight fic I wrote for the YGO Rarepairs Mini-bang! It ended up going way over estimated WC but I so fell in love with this AU, and it's not totally out of the question to write again about it in the future... This fic is accompanied by a GORGEOUS piece of artwork by sturionic, and you can find it on the winkle-pickers tumblr page! ffn won't let me link but REALLY CHECK IT OUT the cover art is just a tiny version of it!
MACBETH
Stars, hide your fires;
Let not light see my black and deep desires.
The eye wink at the hand, yet let that be
Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.
(1.4.57-60)
The teacher's droning went in one ear and out the other for Aki Izayoi. The presence of her classmates existed as uncomfortable and prickly as a briar trapped in her sock. She doodled in the margins of her notebook to distract herself. The girls behind her chatted about normal teenage girl plans: going out to the New Domino mall, tickets for upcoming concerts, and the new makeup line sponsored by Misty Lola herself.
Aki drew the single, sideways eyeball of Phoenixian Seed. She'd caught the same girls last week giggling in the stall next to hers and writing Aki's name in lipstick. They spelled out the words around her name as they wrote them. F-R-E-A-K. W-H-O-R-E.
Their laughter kicked up again, and Aki knew it was at her expense. She blotted out her drawing, bearing down so hard the tip of her pen tore the page. She swallowed and glanced at the clock. Two more minutes. The teacher said, "That's all for today. Let's go over plans for Tuesday's dueling exam. You've all been assigned an opponent, and you'll receive times as well as duel field locations over the weekend. Let me know if you have any questions. Since we're off Monday, I'll be seeing you then. You are free to go."
The students around Aki gathered their things and sidled past her. She was frozen in place. After most of her classmates had left, she approached the front of the room in a daze. The teacher wiped away the extensive notes on the white board.
"Ma'am?" Aki squeaked.
"Hm? Oh, Ms. Izayoi. I assume this is about Tuesday."
"Yes. I… do not have a partner." In truth, she didn't know about the assignment, but she figured it best not to admit it.
The instructor sighed and removed her glasses. "Ms. Izayoi, allow me to be honest with you. Your abilities transform the fun mental game of a duel into a very real and very dangerous battlefield. Your classmates are afraid to participate with you as their opponent. Each and every student has expressed discomfort at the notion of playing with you. As such, we've deemed you exempt from dueling exams. You'll receive a grade of satisfactory that can be improved to excellency with the completion of duel puzzles."
Aki's nostrils flared. So her classmates slithered to the staff behind her back and made her out to be a menace to society. "You don't understand. I can control it. I can make it so no duel will have real monsters-"
"It's not worth the risk," the teacher said, "no matter who your father is."
Aki stiffened as though she'd been slapped.
The teacher swept her documents into her briefcase and started for the door. "I have office hours to keep. Please email me any further questions or, if you prefer to escalate, feel free to meet with the headmaster. I've run this all by him, and you're welcome to confirm."
Her squeaking footsteps haunted the emptying halls. Aki balled her fists. The whine of the door shutting echoed. Aki spun on her heel and kicked the desk over and over. She jammed her big toe, cried out, and dropped to her knees. "Shitfuckdammit," she muttered on repeat, the trio of words she'd internalized as cathartic in their ability to enrage her father.
Dueling was her key to freedom. As a sport, it boasted a massive market and self-sustaining economy; Aki should have no trouble claiming her piece of the pie and thriving oceans away from this goddamn school and her goddamn parents .
If anyone would duel her, anyway. Her abilities gave physicality to the monsters, making the card game an exercise in masochism. Her only willing opponents were freaks in the underground circuits. The under-the-table payment dodged taxes but introduced a whole host of other issues with the law. Besides, their ceiling of earnings remained lightyears lower than the proverbial plump fruit on the vine of international circuits, waiting to be plucked by Aki's pale hand.
She was good, too. When her powers remained under control, she had a ninety-five percent win record. Her father was an expert at beating into her the intricate rules of Duel Monsters, the importance of psychological manipulation, and the fact that winning took priority over drawing breath.
He would crouch to her level when she was five years old and explain how summoning a monster in attack position and ending her turn was a foolish move no daughter of his would ever perform without a plan. These days, he couldn't look her in the eye. When she visited home, he spoke only to her mother and gave her a wide berth, as though she carried an infectious disease.
How long until she couldn't go home at all?
A tear trailed down her cheek. She caught it on her knuckle and flung it away. Aki squared her shoulders and marched out of the building, pain blooming in every other step.
The sprawling Academy campus rested on a plot of land a short drive away from downtown New Domino. The rising sun glimmered on the towering skyscrapers. Aki kept her chin high, watching the reflections of the daffodil-colored clouds on the windows rather than the other students chatting and walking to class.
Dead leaves skittered across the concrete paths. The wind carried the late autumn chill, and Aki tightened her gray scarf over her mouth and nose. The uniform requirements called for a short black skirt beneath her mahogany blazer, but she made every adjustment within the rules to keep herself both warm and invisible: dark insulated trousers, heavy scarf, and matching beanie that pressed her bangs down over her eyes. She shifted the too-long hairs away for about the twentieth time today as she entered the stairwell to her dorm.
Voices spilled down from above: "Did you see her face? She knows she doesn't have a partner."
Aki froze.
"Right? I mean, why is she even here? It's so messed up! She wants to hurt people!"
"It's the only explanation that makes sense. Anyone reasonable would find a new hobby."
Aki opened the door wide and slammed it shut. The conversation abruptly ended, and the girls' footsteps retreated. Aki chewed her cheek until she bit off a chunk of flesh.
Her hall was blessedly empty. She slipped into her room, locked the door, and slumped down onto the floor beneath the window. Her head fell back too hard, bumping against the sill. Pain pulsed in her skull and toe. Outside, a flock of geese squawked and soared. Groups of students laughed on their way to class.
The other bed in her room was bare of sheets, the desk empty, the walls undecorated.
Aki hugged her knees to her chest and grit her teeth.
It was fine to be alone. It was fine no one would duel, and she would figure it out, even if she had nobody to cry to.
She wiped away the tears streaming down her face. Willing them to stop only worsened the cascade.
No one. No one. No
A knock sounded at the door. Aki hiccuped in surprise, swiped her sleeve across her eyes, and hopped to her feet. A key slid into the lock. She stopped, heart racing. Her thoughts sifted through a thousand possibilities. The principal was here to kick her out, or her father somehow heard about her outburst and was here to punish her-
The door opened, and a tall blonde entered. Aki's eyes widened; she could not produce words. The woman's emerald eyes scanned her up and down. Her blazer was too short for her tall frame, allowing Aki a peek at the tousled, untucked tails of her button-up. This woman ignored the dress code's call for a skirt entirely for a pair of white jeans marred by rips and dripping with glittering chains.
"You are my roommate?" she said, the words carrying the lilt of an accent—something European. Aki was too stunned to speak. Her last roommate demanded reassignment because she found Aki to be a "danger to her physical and mental health." The one before that took her pillow, left, and never came back. After so many semesters alone, another person in this room was like her stress dreams where she stood stark naked in front of the entire class.
"Ah." The woman stared at the many posters of high-resolution card art on Aki's walls. "Erm, my name is Sherry Leblanc. It is good to meet you."
Words failed Aki. A noncommittal noise came out instead. She avoided eye contact and scratched her not-at-all-itchy shoulder.
"Hm. I will be away for some time and back to rest. Okay?"
The silence between them was thick as a bog and just as difficult to navigate.
Sherry dropped her suitcase on her bare mattress and left the dorm. Aki swallowed breaths as though she'd been drowning.
A roommate. A totally new student who had no clue about Aki's powers or reputation. Yet. Otherwise, she wouldn't have accepted being her roommate… would she?
It didn't matter. She'd blown the first impression by acting like a deer in headlights.
Aki grabbed her wallet and ran for the door. She had one chance to fix this, and she'd make the most of it. What would be the best gift for Sherry? Father tended to greet ambassadors with treats from their country of origin, but Aki had no clue where Sherry called home. Anyway, she would likely fall into eye-rolling clichés since her knowledge of European culture was… lacking.
As she waited for the train, she dropped her fist into her open palm. She'd make a sampling of her own country's cuisine with a mix of more common foods and a few foreigners tended to look at sideways: an omakase order from her favorite sushi restaurant, takoyaki, okonomiyaki, yaki onigiri, gyoza, and taiyaki paired with mochi ice cream as desserts. As Aki's arms filled with various bags carrying mouthwatering scents, she considered if Sherry had any allergies or a special diet.
She stared at the food. Sherry may deny every treat, and Aki would have a wonderful night all the same. They bubbled up bittersweet memories of visiting home. Her father had a passion for discovering sellers of the tenderest pork and freshest fish.
Showing up at his door, food in hand, wouldn't change how he looked at her.
Back at the dorm, Aki arranged the food on a tray decorated with toothpicks ending in Japan's flag and her homemade sticky rice with a dollop of sriracha to resemble the same. She spelled out, "Welcome to Japan!" with Kewpie mayonnaise on the plate holding the onigiri. By the time the display was finished, it was well into the dark of night. Aki watched the clock, chewed her lip, and waited.
And waited.
Aki sat on her bed and mindlessly kicked her legs. Anytime now Sherry would arrive, or probably she'd asked for a room reassignment because of how weird Aki had acted and she'd lost someone again, again. She lay sideways and swore she'd shut her eyes for a second.
Just one second.
The key in the lock awoke her. She jolted upright as Sherry entered the room. Sherry's teeth chattered, and she exhaled onto her shaking hands. Aki blinked at her as she approached the desk set up in the center of the room.
"Quoi?"
"Ah, uh, I feel as if I ruined our prior meeting. I was caught off guard. Excuse me," Aki muttered with a short bow. "I bought these for you, though they might be cold by now. If you have any questions about being here, I hope I can be a great help."
The words were grating in their typicality, but she meant it. She'd never dealt with a foreigner before but couldn't imagine how terrifying it must be to live so far from home.
"For me?" Sherry murmured. She picked up the pair of wooden chopsticks Aki left by the plates and aimed at the onigiri. How proper, Aki thought, to not use her hands. "No one has… welcomed me like this."
"What a shame," Aki blurted. "Ah, I mean, it should be customary to welcome a foreign exchange student warmly!"
"Judging by the way you reacted, I assume no one told you I would be your roommate."
"No," Aki said, resisting the urge to tack on how nobody told her anything. Sherry chewed a bite of the onigiri, and Aki reached forward. "Ah, it must be cold by now! I can grab a hot plate-"
Sherry's sharp expression melted into soft pleasure; she held a hand against her cheek as she ate, smiling. She slumped into the office chair. "It is fried perfectly, and the sesame seeds with the flavor of the tender pork!"
"I'm glad you like it! They're my favorite, from- well, I could take you, sometime? Maybe?"
"You went out and spent money on this?" Sherry said. "On my behalf?"
"To be honest, I felt extra guilty for acting strangely when we first met," Aki said, unable to meet her eyes.
Sherry lay a hand over Aki's, forcing her to gaze into those lush-forest irises. "Thank you," Sherry whispered. "I mean it."
"Ah- It's nothing!" The heat rising to Aki's face betrayed the lie, but she left it at that. Sherry finished her food with delight and sprinklings of compliments. She happily agreed to visit each restaurant and stand they'd come from. While Sherry spread out her bedsheets, Aki let herself hope she may have a friend.
"Goodnight, Ms. Izayoi."
"Aki is fine."
"Aki," she repeated, inciting a thrum of Aki's pulse. "You may call me Sherry, also."
"Goodnight, Sherry."
Sherry followed through on eating out in Aki's company, much to Aki's glee. Aki taught her about norms like not leaving her chopsticks stuck into the rice bowl, not eating while walking, and the silent status quo of the trains. Sherry's Japanese was excellent, but her language studies hadn't prepared her for the customs. Sherry in turn spoke of her home country, France, and wove tales of patisseries and annoying foreigners she wished not to be.
From their conversations, Aki found Sherry to be a no-nonsense woman with a black and white sense of right and wrong. They witnessed trash fall out of a passerby's pocket, an honest mistake in Aki's eyes; to Sherry, he was the type of ignorant that's "ruining the world." Aki felt it refreshing to meet someone who said exactly what they were thinking rather than hearing it behind her back or reading it on the bathroom mirror.
Aki's nature was the opposite. Tackling an issue head-on seemed as impossible as her dream dueling career. She couldn't just ask Sherry to close the door before using her hairdryer. Such an offense would damage their relationship beyond repair.
More than anything, Aki wanted to ask Sherry where she stole away to. Aki noticed the second evening they shared a room and every other night since. A vibrational alarm on Sherry's advanced wristwatch awoke her at midnight. She dressed, left for approximately an hour, and returned without any noticeable change.
One didn't simply question her foreign roommate about the late-night rendezvous. No, it's unthinkable.
The loss of sleep didn't seem to affect Sherry's class attendance nor performance. They walked together each morning. If Sherry noticed the strange looks the pair garnered on campus, she didn't mention it. They shared only one class. Sherry's placement exams landed her between Aki's grade and the next up.
The class they took together happened to be Practical Dueling, in which Aki had no partner to perform her dueling exam with.
"Tell me again why we are not going to class?" Sherry asked.
"No one will be there. The professor and students are at the duel fields."
"And you are not? I have been told I exempt due to the lack of prep time, but you?"
"It's- complicated."
"Such a nebulous word," Sherry spat. "How about the truth?"
"I don't have a partner!" Aki blurted. The disdain in her own tone shocked her, and she clapped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry for being so loud. I wasn't assigned a partner, so I don't get to duel for the exam. I have to complete puzzles instead."
Sherry scoffed. "It is no substitute for the real thing. Simulations are but echoes of the battlefield, of your very real opponent making very human decisions, mistakes, and predictions. Do you agree?"
Aki pursed her dry lips. "I do."
The two little words carried the weight of unspoken dreams in pieces, of struggles ordinary duelists like Sherry could not comprehend.
But she grasped Aki's wrist and said, "Then we go and demand I be your partner."
"What?" Aki flushed and stepped towards their dorm. "No, you don't understand."
"Yes, I understand." She dragged Aki towards the duel fields busy with the cries of monsters and yells declaring attacks. The sight of the instructor chilled Aki. She was right back in the room after class, kicking and screaming at the unfair world. Sherry took them up to the teacher without hesitation and said, "We will duel for the exam."
The instructor peered at them over the rim of her glasses. Her sweats were black with white zippers and collar whereas the student uniforms were colored maroon and cream. "As I've said before, Ms. Leblanc, you are specifically exempt. You will not duel Ms. Izayoi."
"Why do you insist on excluding Aki?"
Sherry using Aki's first name caused the instructor to stand up straighter and hold her clipboard against her chest. "You and Aki both agree to duel as partners?"
The glare the instructor leveled at Aki suggested this was some sort of test supplemental to the exam. Nearby duelists stared and whispered.
The poor exchange student… she'll get hurt.
Of course the witch wouldn't tell her the truth. She's desperate.
This is a new low, even for her!
Aki swallowed, gripped Sherry's sleeve, and took her aside. She whispered, "There's something I haven't been totally honest about."
Sherry said nothing. Aki struggled to maintain eye contact and lowered her head so her bangs shadowed her eyes. Sherry's inches of height over her made it easy. Aki muttered, "When I duel, it's different. Sometimes, if I feel too much, my monsters become physical beings. Their attacks can actually hurt you. You shouldn't be my partner. It's… why I don't have one."
"I know."
Aki gasped and looked up. Sherry's flat expression hadn't changed. Sherry said, "They warned me when I was assigned to be your roommate. I knew before I met you, and plenty others since have told me about your powers."
"You still agreed to be my roommate?"
"You are a person, and one who has treated me kinder than most." Sherry smiled. "It would be my honor to duel you, damage real or no. I understand what I am getting into and I respect you for telling me the truth. I believe you would have, had I offered to duel before now."
"I don't know. I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I- I like you. I like being your friend."
"Please. This is my decision. I have too much pride to allow it to come between our friendship."
Aki laughed. "You know, I actually believe you. Okay. Alright Sherry, since you agree, I'll do it. Let's duel!"
At those two words, the instructor and several students turned heads. One yelled out a warning for Sherry, who waved her hand through the air as though shooing a fly. She strolled to the opposite side of the open field they stood on, tied up her hair, and clamped her duel disk on her forearm.
The way Sherry's golden pontail trailed behind the elegant movements of her long limbs captivated Aki for at least thirty seconds before she activated her own duel disk. Her father commissioned an original design, sanguine crowned with an amethyst gem in the center. These days, it inspired confidence and resentment in equal measure.
"The coin flip decides who goes first," the instructor said. "Izayoi heads, Leblanc tails. The result is heads! Izayoi."
Aki raised her chin. "I'm ready."
"I know you are. Remember: the world is watching."
Aki's exhale shivered. Her pulse skyrocketed as she became aware of the many duels around her pausing to watch her every move.
"Aki!" Sherry exclaimed. "Do not dare make me wait."
She swallowed, nodded, and drew her first five cards. "My turn!" she shouted as she drew her sixth. The spark of competition struck, its fire dimming of the rest of the world outside of her and her opponent. "I summon Violet Witch in defense position, set one card face-down, and end my turn."
Her monster, clothed in purple robes, raised its golden staff; its leaf-like sleeves lifted with its arms. It held the weapon sideways, dropped to a knee, and tinged blue. Sherry drew for turn and said, "I activate the Field Spell, Dragon Ravine!"
Mountainous slopes climbed from the earth around them, leaving them at the bottom of a trench. The strip of sky above glowed the sherbet of sunset, and a draconic silhouette flew over the gap. Sherry said, "Effect of Ravine! I discard to send a monster from my deck to the graveyard. I will then banish the sent Dragunity Brandistock, a WIND monster, to special summon Garuda the Wind Spirit. I sacrifice Garuda to tribute summon Dragunity Primus Pilus!"
A humanoid with wings like a griffin's shrank into a sphere of light, which morphed into a sculpted man bearing a massive shield on his back. His helmet resembled a bird's massive beak, and his armor's color palette resembled the bright crimson and teal plumage of a phoenix. He snapped his whip at Aki's field.
"When Primus Pilus is summoned," Sherry explained, "it can equip a Dragunity from my deck to any Winged-Beast on my field. I choose to equip Primus himself with Dragunity Corsesca! Primus Pilus attacks Violet Witch!"
Corsesca, a black-winged dragon the size of a sloth and the color of a ripe peach, curled around Primus Pilus's forearm. Its whip glowed the same soft orange as Corsesca. Pilus's 2200 attack tore apart Violet Witch's meager 1200 defense.
"Because Pilus destroyed a monster in battle, Corsesca's effect adds a Dragunity to my hand from my deck. I choose Dragunity Militum."
"Violet Witch's destruction pulls a Plant-type to my hand, like Twilight Rose Knight!"
Both duel disks shot out their selected cards at the same time. A corner of Sherry's mouth quirked up. "Now here is a side of you I have never seen, my mousey roommate."
Aki stood stick-straight. "What do you mean by that?"
"The fire, the fervor!" Sherry slid a card from her hand face-down onto her spell/trap zone. "I like it."
Heat climbed Aki's neck. "I care a lot about dueling."
"Yet they intended to keep you from it at a school designed to sharpen your skills. For shame."
For good reason, Aki thought, but she held onto the hope Sherry would never experience the potential agony. "Even if it's by myself, I keep my skills up! I activate my set spell, Seed of Deception, to special summon Phoenixian Seed. I send this monster to the graveyard to special summon Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis!"
Crimson blossomed onto her field, and the petals took shape as an avian head. "I summon Twilight Rose Knight and use his effect to special summon Rose Fairy alongside him! Twilight Rose Knight, a level three tuner, falls in sync with Rose Fairy! The dirt roils, and vines slither through to entangle the earth: Synchro Summon, Queen of Thorns!"
The pale woman sprouted like sprigs of ivy. The open maws of venus fly traps subsumed her slender arms and snapped at the monster on Sherry's field. Both Amaryllis and Queen of Thorns wielded 2200 attack, which matched Pilus's.
Mutterings from outside their match drifted into the Ravine they shared. Oh no, she's going to attack , they said. The new girl is doomed. The foreigner is going to have a very different view of us… Violent. Monstrous.
Aki's fingers quaked. With the holograms, she couldn't see anyone. Were those truly the words of her classmates or the whispers of her own fears?
"It won't happen," Aki murmured, her fingers curling into fists. She shouted from the depths of her chest, "Battle Phase!"
Sherry rested a hand on her hip. "You summoned two powerful monsters, but the best they can do is match what I summoned on my first turn."
"You may not realize it yet, but that works to my benefit!" Aki inhaled to announce her attack target and faltered.
What if. What if.
The images of classmates doubled over in pain, of blood drawn from a thousand cuts, of girls unconscious on the concrete.
"Do not hold back!" Sherry shouted. "I refuse to suffer such disrespect!"
Aki's teeth chattered. "I attack Dragunity Primus Pilus with Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis!"
Cluster's golden wing-blossoms twined around Pilus, who struggled and stabbed at the flower with Corsesca's teeth. Both monsters shattered. "The effect of Amaryllis now activates!" Aki shouted. Her shoulders tensed. The shards of her destroyed monster sharpened and aimed at Sherry. "You take 800 points of damage whenever it's destroyed!"
Aki's stomach flipped. Pebbles around her ignored gravity and lifted into the air. Her bangs raised and fanned out.
No. NO
The flock of jagged edges soared forward and tore through Sherry. She held up her crossed arms to protect her face as her jacket and pants ripped open. Drops of blood trailed from hairline cuts on her fair skin. Aki's mouth hung open, and she could not draw air.
Sherry belted out a laugh. Aki hissed in a breath. Sherry said, "You made this into such a big deal for what is no more than cat scratches."
Her life points dropped to 3200. She wiped trickling scarlet away from the side of her neck. Aki bunched up the ends of her sleeves in her grip and covered her face. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
Sherry spat onto the earth. "No more apologies. I know you do not mean to do it. It is written on your face. I am not running away screaming. You are my friend, and I am having an exciting duel with you, one far more blood-pumping than most. Continue your turn!"
"Sherry-"
"That is not the name of your monster."
Aki swallowed but it only bobbed the lump in her throat. As Sherry promised, she wasn't quitting or even showing the pain. She hadn't lied like Aki's classmates who swore the same. She must've buried the fear and agony for Aki's sake.
Why? Why would anyone do that for her?
Her eyes misted over. The rocks fell back onto the earth, and her bangs returned to their place. Aki said, "I attack directly with Queen of Thorns."
"My trap, Counter Gate!" Sherry said. "Your attack is negated. I draw a card, and if it is a level four or lower monster, I can choose to normal summon it. And so it is Dragunity Aklys, which I will now summon! Its effect special summons Dragunity Angusticlavii and equips Aklys to it!"
"Queen of Thorns damages you for 1000 whenever you normal summon a non-Plant from your hand!"
The ground churned around Sherry's ankles. A vine decorated with thorns snapped at her thigh. She didn't flinch, and to Aki's surprise, the vine didn't tear away a patch of flesh. Sherry's LP dropped to 2200.
"That's different," Aki muttered. "I set one card face-down and end my turn! At End Phase, Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis revives from the graveyard because it was destroyed this turn!"
The creature bloomed once more in the form of glowing cinders. Sherry said, "Ah, persevering much like its owner. Your strategy is clever. No matter what I do, it seems I will take a good amount of damage. Let us see!"
Sherry swiped the top card off her deck and smirked. "I activate the Equip Spell, Dragunity Divine Lance! Angusticlavii gains 100 attack for each of his levels, and I can equip a Dragunity from my deck. I choose Dragunity Phalanx, and its effect special summons itself from being equipped!"
A miniature dragon dressed in gold scales with navy wing webbing alighted beside Angusticlavii, a soldier wearing a hawk's head and wings in bright blue complementing crimson. Sherry continued, "Did you know? Avians must battle great gusts to achieve heights above the clouds, and such risk earns the incredible views and calm skies beyond the gray. I learn from them in taking risk to climb ever higher. I normal summon from my hand: Dragunity Militum! Its effect special summons a Dragunity equipped to a monster of mine, so Dragunity Aklys joins us as a monster!"
"Queen of Thorns' effect makes you pay for that choice!"
"So is the risk." The sharp tendrils snapped at her. She didn't flinch. Her LP dropped to 1200. "Watch closely! I will Synchro Summon times two!"
Aki took a quick count; Sherry had two tuners on the field and two non-tuners. Their levels added to six and seven. She whispered, "You saw so far ahead to plan for a double Synchro Summon?"
Most opponents she faced couldn't manage to get the right tuners and non-tuners on the board to add up to the level they needed. Sherry threw her arm skyward. "Number one! Dragunity Aklys and Dragunity Militum for Dragunity Knight - Vajrayana!"
Green portals birthed a serpentine dragon in brilliant orange. An emerald shone in its chest and matched its glimmering eyes. "Vajrayana equips a Dragunity from my grave: Aklys returns! Now, onto number two. Phalanx tunes with Angusticlavii for Dragunity Knight - Gormfaobhar!"
A seafoam dragon in teal armor thundered through the Synchro portals. The black tips of its horns drank in the last light spilling into the ravine. Its 2600 attack outed all others on the field: Vajrayana's 1900 attack, Amaryllis's 0 defense, and Queen of Thorns' 2200 attack. "Like my other Synchro, Gormfoabhar equips from my grave, and I choose to bring back Dragunity Corsesca. Now! My Vajrayana has a very special effect. I may send the Dragunity equipped to him to the graveyard in order to double its attack, and this comes with a bonus. When Aklys is sent, its effect activates to destroy any of your cards I so choose! Your Amaryllis is gone!"
"Not without taking damage!" Aki said, resisting the urge to chew her fingernails. Sherry's LP fell to 400, but this Battle Phase would be difficult to navigate. Though Aki's life remained untouched, she felt backed into a corner.
"Battle!" Sherry pronounced. "Gormfaobhar attacks Queen of Thorns!"
The tip of a spear flashed atop the great dragon's back. Teeth as massive and as numerous as a great white's ripped apart her Queen, and the holographic spear phased through her. Her life dropped from 4000 to 3600. Aki squinted to make out the figure of a smaller Dragunity riding the Synchro's back.
Unity. The word was bitter as poison. The corners of Aki's mouth twitched downward. "I'm not sure your deck makes sense. The monsters working together isn't realistic. You'd never see it happen in our world."
"You would think so, and I do not fault you for it." Sherry spread out her arms toward her field. "The concept of Dragunity, of Synchro Summoning as well, relies on harmony. The cards merge thanks to their in-tune frequencies, and the strategy of my deck stands on this foundation. Perhaps it is an ideal. Seeing it win my battles proves to me its possibility."
Aki clicked her tongue. "You haven't won yet. I discard Hedge Guard from my hand! Queen of Thorns isn't destroyed in this battle, but her attack is now halved!"
"I've touched a nerve," Sherry said. "I hope you understand I mean no disrespect. My deck is very important to me. It is my inheritance."
"From who?"
Sherry gained a sudden interest in her duel disk. "Vajrayana attacks Queen of Thorns!"
The orange drake blasted flames to raze Aki's monster. Her LP dropped to 900. Aki said, "At End Phase-"
"Non, not yet. I activate Gormfoabhar's effect! By sending the equipped Corsesca to the grave, I banish a monster from your grave. Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis is removed from the game!"
Verdant lightning wove from the Synchro's claws and struck Aki's grave. She sucked in a breath. Sherry had the perfect way to eliminate Aki's best option to snap the thread Sherry hung on by.
"Now, I will end my turn."
Aki's fingers shivered over her deck.
She had to draw something that would turn the duel around. She had to , because if Sherry was right and the path of unity led to victory…
Aki could never escape her terrible family, her miserable school, and her isolated life. She'd never be anything more than just Aki, the loner, the witch.
She swallowed to keep the tears from pricking her eyes and drew. The card felt like a mockery, and she wanted to scream.
"I-" Aki sighed through her nostrils. "I summon Evil Thorn. By tributing it, you take 300 points of damage, and I special summon two more of the same monsters in defense position from my deck. Their effects can't activate."
Sherry's life dropped to a measly 100. The two fruits of her potential demise hung on Aki's field as useless as disarmed explosives.
"I end my turn."
"You act so deflated that I worry." She crossed her arms, somehow making it look not awkward with the duel disk. How much experience did she have, Aki wondered. "You still have that pesky face-down card. So! I summon Dragunity Legionnaire. When summoned, I equip a Dragunity from my grave. I choose Aklys once more. Legionnaire's effect: I may send the equipped Dragunity to destroy a monster of yours. I will use Legionnaire's effect to destroy an Evil Thorn and the following effect of Aklys to destroy that face-down."
Aki's Mirror Force shattered into glimmering white pieces.
"Why?" Sherry demanded. "You could have used it last turn! You purposefully lost!"
"I didn't!" Aki shouted, tears springing. "I didn't. I held onto it as a trump card to the last second and swore I could turn it around, but you have a way out of everything. Your deck has an answer to it all. Unity . Ugh. I don't have to give up. I'm a natural failure."
"Would you say so? Truly?"
"Truly. The instructor is probably marking all the boxes as 'F' right now."
"But you have not hurt me with real damage except for the one time."
Aki gasped, and her eyes widened. Sherry was right. That hadn't happened before. It tended to spiral worse and worse until her opponent collapsed.
"You cured me," Aki whispered.
"Now, for the duel!" Sherry said. "Vajrayana attacks Evil Thorn, and Gormfaobhar attacks directly!"
The chirp of Aki's LP dropping to zero ordinarily spiked her anxiety at the verbal lashing to come. Today, she felt light and airy, like her feet could leave the ground.
"Both duelists showed apt ability to combo and counter," the instructor said. "Ms. Izayoi especially showed a skill in lockdown strategy not commonly seen. Congratulations on the win, Ms. Leblanc. You may need a new uniform. Visit the administrative office building at your convenience."
The instructor showed not an iota of rage. Aki smiled at the sky. She could… be like anyone else.
An extended hand entered her peripheral. Sherry said, "I must say this is the best duel I have fought in a while. Thank you, Aki. Good game."
Aki met Sherry's warm palm with her own. She drank in the sight of Sherry, swearing to keep this day drilled into her memory forever. "Good game."
"Now, this took much longer than expected. I have a class to be late for."
"Wait!" Aki had to stop herself from reaching for Sherry. "Can I come with you?"
"Eh, I believe that is not accepted. Do you not have classes of your own?"
"I do," Aki said, focus shifting.
"Well. We will meet at the dorm later."
"Right. See you then."
When she left, Aki felt the absence like a festering wound, and the warmth of her hand seeped away.
She crushed it into a cold fist.
If given the option to be glued to Sherry's side, Aki would take it in a heartbeat. She grew obsessed with gleaning any drop of information she could about Sherry. Sherry seemed grateful for the attention but standoffish whenever Aki sought physical contact like walking arm-in-arm.
The Dragunity deck belonged to Sherry's mother. She and her father passed away in a tragic accident, and the estate paid towards their wish of Sherry attending the greatest school to hone said deck. Aki explained the legal term used to define Sherry's situation: emancipated minor, which Aki knew because of the many times she'd considered seeking the status herself.
The home Sherry spoke of wove an image of luxury: massive manors, lush gardens, and staff tending to her every desire. Aki felt as though she were looking into an alternate reality of herself. They were a pair of angels fallen from grace, their wings stricken by separate strands of tragic fates.
Each fact she learned of Sherry's life served as individual threads of a masterful tapestry. Aki was ravenous to see the full picture, but one aspect of her roommate's life lingered in the dark.
The midnight rendezvous.
Aki worked up the courage to ask, and Sherry denied her. She wished to tell the truth but claimed a strict contract prevented her from doing so.
Was she visiting a secret boyfriend?
Girlfriend?
Aki had to know. When the door shut behind Sherry one night, Aki hopped up, pulled on warm clothes, and tailed her.
A massive, dark vehicle waited outside the Academy gates. Sherry entered the backseat without hesitation. Because of the clogged city streets, Aki managed to follow on foot. She kept the hood of her navy jacket up along with a black scarf around her face in case Sherry looked back. The car passed through downtown and remained slow, taking many turns towards an area below bullet train tracks.
The car stopped in front of a parking deck. Signs and fences warned against entering. The deck was scheduled for demolition due to instabilities in infrastructure.
The doors opened, and Aki hid behind a concrete barrier. A tall man in a tuxedo walked with Sherry towards the gate. They unlocked the padlock with speed suggesting it wasn't their first time. Both entered the lowest level, and Aki moved to follow when a pair of headlights landed on her barrier. She ducked low and remained still.
More doors opened and closed. A new pair of silhouettes approached the demolition site, one short and one tall. They passed beneath the white light of a street lamp, and Aki covered her mouth.
Director Rex Godwin, head of Public Maintenance, opened the gate. The most powerful man in the City and his assistant met with Aki's roommate thrice a week. Sherry and her mysterious driver were like flies trapped in a spider's web. Aki's calves twitched to run.
If she saw what she wasn't meant to witness, Godwin had ways of getting rid of her without a trace. She'd overheard her father speaking in hushed tones about cases brushed under the rug for the sake of Godwin's shining persona. Sherry had returned safely every other night. This may very well end the same.
Aki intervening could put both of them in the line of fire. If Sherry was in trouble and needed her help, though, Aki couldn't live with herself knowing she ran away.
So Aki crept towards the parking deck. The lowest level was dark and silent. Clashes and growls rang out from above. Aki peered through the spaces between the concrete support columns onto the next levels. On level three, she spotted Godwin's polished black shoes and ducked. They were pointed away from her, so she risked a glance.
Godwin's clown-looking assistant faced off against Sherry in a duel. Godwin spoke in his soft tones, which Aki always found more threatening than her father's tendency to yell. "Push her. Force her to use it."
Sherry's Dragunities shattered beneath the mechanical appendages of Ally of Justice monsters. Godwin's assistant called out the moves but Godwin orchestrated them, guiding the strategy in murmurs.
"Synchro Summon!" Sherry shouted. "Dragunity Knight - Barcha!"
Unnatural ruby light illuminated the night. The entire floor of the deck brightened by the glow from a mark on her arm shaped like a dragon's claw. The jade body of her monster slithered forward and blasted the assistant with a gust from its violet-webbed wings.
Claps echoed throughout the deck. Director Godwin said, "You win once again. I'd say you've proven your potential with the card now."
"I'll be keeping it then." Sherry's tone was firm, and her hands balled into fists.
"Not today, no. You must pass an important test to win such a prize."
Godwin held out his flat palm. Sherry crossed the field and placed Barcha in his hand. She said, "I'm not sure how accurate it is to call it 'winning a prize' as much as it is 'reclaiming stolen property.'"
Her attending driver took a step closer to her as though in warning. Godwin chuckled. "Your spirit is as fervent as your mother's. To prove your loyalty to me like she did, you will travel to the Satellite and retrieve a couple of cards stolen from me. They're Synchros, like this one. Stardust Dragon and Red Dragon Archfiend are their names."
The look of horror on Sherry's face had Aki wanting to vault up to her and hold her tight. Sherry said, "Satellite?"
"Yes. You have proven yourself resourceful to make it here. Continue, and I'll reward you with the stability and safety you so crave."
"I want my card back. Only it," Sherry snapped.
"Contentious to call it 'your card.' Ms. Leblanc, you will meet Jaeger at the DAIMON docks in exactly two days. Midnight, as always. You will go alone and retrieve the two cards. You must know the Satellite is a ruthless place, so you may take Barcha with you—for comfort. Jaeger will give it to you at the time you leave."
Aki could hear the Director's smile in the words and wanted to strangle him for it. Sherry said, "How do you intend to retrieve me?"
"The same way you are being delivered: by boat. I've attempted to send helicopters before. Satellites swarm them. Their fights over the opportunity to escape inevitably lead to the machine's destruction and death of the pilot. They happily gut the helicopter for parts after the excitement settles. Crabs in a bucket, as they say. Public Maintenance officers there are prone to taking bribes. Plenty are found smuggling on the Recycling Initiative Vessels. They are, of course, shipped back to the Satellite—except for you. They'll have orders to allow you back."
"Recycling Initiative Vessel" was the term Aki's father coined for the boats used to haul trash to the Satellite and dump it. The pretty name made them feel better about it, Aki supposed. She was more hung up on how Sherry had to navigate dangerous territory alone.
"If I refuse?" Sherry said.
"Barcha remains in my possession until Stardust Dragon and Red Dragon Archfiend are in my hands."
"How did two Satellites get on your bad side?"
"Fate is a funny thing, Ms. Leblanc."
"Funny as a funeral," she growled. "The midnight after next. I will be there."
"So you will," Godwin said, turning to leave. "I highly anticipate our next meeting: the treasures it will bring, the destinies it will set into motion."
Aki didn't wait for Sherry's response. She sprinted for the exit, running from shadow to shadow. The lit parking lot would give her away. She dove into the stairwell and hid beneath the steps. Godwin and his assistant passed without incident. Their car engine started, tires rolled over gravel, and the pair drove off. Aki let herself breathe.
Steady footsteps started down the flights. Sherry said, "I do not know what to do."
Aki fled and tried the elevator shaft. The door had been removed and the dark dropped into a deep chasm. She stepped onto a thin strip of metal suspended over it and prayed her years of ballet would keep her upright.
"You came to this country determined to reclaim what's rightfully yours," a male voice said—her driver. "It's all you've talked about. I do not mean to persuade you or dissuade you. It will be incredibly dangerous. You know as well as I the state of the Satellite. I want what you want, my lady, and you have wanted this since…"
"I know." Sherry stopped in front of the elevator. Aki was in her field of view, but the utter darkness of the elevator shaft enveloped her. "I try to think of what they would have wanted for me, but it is impossible to know. What do you believe the odds of stealing from Godwin to be?"
"Guaranteed jail time. Have you seen the markers they brand criminals with?"
"This country is a prison. I do not believe it would be so different."
"You know that's not true."
"Blah, blah. I will go. I am going to the Satellite to steal two cards I have never seen from two people I have never met."
"I can find a way to get over there, too. I'll make sure nothing bad happens to you-"
"If Godwin finds out, he will make the deal moot."
The driver's shoulders hunched. "He does seem to be the type to find any loophole."
"I will bring him what he wants. There is no other way."
She and the driver left the deck. Upon hearing their engine rev, Aki inched towards stable ground. Her shoe slipped, fell off, and hit the ground; the sound echoed upwards. So far. So far .
She leapt for the ground. Concrete opened the skin of her hands, but she practically kissed it out of relief.
There was no question about her next steps.
The most important person in the world was forced to travel to the Satellite alone. Aki would not allow it. She'd accompany Sherry, risk be damned. Sherry risked it all in that duel against her. Aki had to return the favor. Besides, she couldn't let her miraculous psychic suppressor out of her sight. She'd defend Sherry to her last breath if that's what it took, for a life absent of Sherry was not worth living.
Like most fears ingrained in Aki, she'd inherited her multitude of misgivings about the Satellite from her father. He actively campaigned to keep those born on the island trapped there and voted towards the first initiative of a cleaner New Domino at the cost of a dirtier Satellite.
Aki didn't believe the island teemed with pure evil humans scheming the City's demise. She wasn't naive enough to think of the island's society as a picture of harmony willing to welcome her with open arms, either. Surviving the Satellite required wits and awareness. Like in New Domino, foul individuals would look to take advantage of her and Sherry. Unlike in New Domino, she wasn't a darling daughter of a senator. Ideally she would resemble any other Satellite girl trying to make ends meet.
The plan, then, called for plenty of supplies. Aki racked up credit card debt purchasing whatever increased odds of survival. At ten p. m. the night of the extraction, she crouched near the DAIMON docks wearing a stuffed backpack. She tied her hair beneath a black trucker cap. She'd made up her face to appear covered in soot, which was the best makeup job she could manage—in defiance of her mother, she had avoided cosmetics her whole life.
Dump trucks hauled loads of garbage onto the cargo carrier ship riding the rough waves. The moon hid behind the overcast sky. A faint drizzle sprinkled Aki's face and the back of her neck. A gust harshened the rain and carried the nauseating stench of rotting foods and other detritus.
Aki remained still and vigilant as the hours passed despite the steadily increasing pain in her legs. The lone movement belonged to a man in a reflective vest guiding the way for the dump trucks with glowing cones in his hands.
Then, finally, new headlights cut through the dark. Aki recognized the taller silhouette as Sherry instantly. The short form of Godwin's assistant led her towards the boat. The brilliant white from the parked car flashed on the card exchanged between them. The assistant waved as he left, and the lights shone on his smirk.
Sherry hesitated. The bed of a garbage truck lifted, spilling its contents onto the deck. While the vehicle pulled away, Sherry sprinted onto the boat.
Aki decided, in the span of a breath, to follow after her. She sprinted over concrete and leapt from solid earth towards the deck railing. Her foot caught on the topmost rail. Her face slammed into the deck. The floor rocked beneath her, the steady wash of the waves wobbling her balance. The headlights of the next garbage truck caught her in the act. She gasped and dove towards the accumulating trash. She scrambled behind a broken TV. Her feet slipped on the slick metal as she struggled to curl behind it.
A blinding spotlight moved across the deck. Aki froze. A deep voice yelled, "Who's there?"
The cone of light moved back and forth. "Do you know where this boat is headed? You'll be stranded on the Satellite with no way to come back! Give yourself up now! You won't last five minutes over there!"
Aki remained still. Her breaths were loud, fuck, when did they get so loud ?
"Fine!" he yelled. "Next load!"
Trash flooded the deck. The new wave crushed the TV against Aki's abdomen. She bit her lower lip to keep herself from crying out. Something scurried through the dark. Aki swallowed. Probably some vermin that rode with the garbage. What would it do when it found her, trapped and vulnerable?
"Aki."
Her breath caught. Sherry knelt over her, grabbed her by the armpits, and hauled her out of the pile. Aki swallowed deep inhales and touched her bruised midsection. "Th-thank you."
"This way." She took Aki's hand and led her to a discarded industrial refrigerator. The shelves were gone, leaving plenty of space. Sherry dropped down first and guided Aki down with her. Their boots splashed in sticky water that smelled like out-of-date shellfish. Sherry whispered, "What in the name of all the gods are you doing here?"
For a beat, Aki considered lying. She couldn't, though, not to Sherry. "I followed you and overheard Godwin threatening you. I couldn't let you go alone. There's no way for you to know what the Satellite's really like since you're from another country."
She snorted. "Believe me when I say the rest of the world is more than aware of your inhumane treatment of the Satellite."
"Your disapproval is obvious," Aki muttered, "so why haven't other countries done anything about it?"
She barked a brief laugh, its cynicism endless. "You are more naïve than I thought."
"What-"
Another truck pulled up. Sherry shushed her and ducked. Aki crouched beside her. The crush of the garbage pushed their fridge deeper. Sherry said, "What would possess you to come with me knowing this is so dangerous?"
"That's exactly why! It's way more dangerous if you're all alone, and Godwin knows it. He's clearly trying to get rid of you."
"You believe I cannot handle myself?"
"No one but a Satellite can handle the Satellite," Aki said. "I'm not much better, but I know two is better than one. We'll get those cards and make it back safely. Got it?"
Sherry's lips pursed. "Why? Why would you do this for me?"
"Because you're-" Aki shut her eyes, eyelids shivering. "C'mon. Any decent person wouldn't let their roommate run off and die alone, would they?"
A final load rushed onto the ship. The man in the reflective vest hollered at the ship. The helmsman took off from shore, blasting the horn as the bow cut through the dark waves.
"No turning back," Sherry said.
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
"You are wild. Like the vines in your deck, I imagine you could overtake whatsoever you wish. Did you bring your deck?"
She was grateful the night kept her heating face from being visible. "Y-yes. My duel disk, too."
"Good. I imagine they speak much the same language we do."
"More likely they stoop to drastic measures. I'll watch your back."
"What gives you such an impression?"
Aki chewed the inside of her cheek. It may have been her father talking, but she was sure there was a tinge of truth to it. "Satellites have to fight for everything they have. They'll be wary of us at best. At worst, we're ripe for the picking."
"You assume they are all like this?"
"Not all of them, no," Aki said, "but I tend to assume the worst of people."
Sherry hummed as she thought. "As is your right."
"Have you cooked up a plan in the two days you've had? It's a big island."
LED light blinded Aki. She blinked into the handheld screen Sherry showed her, which showed a flickering dot in the inlet approaching a detailed map of the Satellite. "This is a view from space we can use to know our location and how to get back to the docks."
"How did you get your hands on that ?"
"I have my connections."
"Like to Director Godwin? What's up with his interest in you?"
Sherry pushed up the sleeve of her hoodie and used the light from the device to show off the dim, burgundy mark on her arm. Aki remembered the claw shape glowing. "This birthmark, I think. It acts… strangely when I've dueled with him around. My mother left me her deck and a note about a card missing. She mentioned Rex Godwin and how he double-crossed her without any details. The missing piece-"
The boat pulled away from the rainclouds. Moonlight spilled silver onto them as Sherry retrieved Dragunity Knight - Barcha. "It is difficult to explain, but I feel something with this card."
"A connection to your mother?"
She shook her head. "I feel my mother in the rest of the deck and have memories of her teaching me with it. This card, not her, no. I feel others. Others who I do not truly know, but I feel them. A connection."
"Others like who?"
"Strangers, but not." Sherry sighed through her nostrils. "It is impossible for you to understand. I am sorry my words are inadequate."
"It's okay. Maybe we'll meet these strangers someday."
"We?"
"Ah, sorry, that was, um. Pushy."
Sherry turned off the screen. The splash of water against the hull filled the silence. Sherry asked, "What are your expectations of me?"
"Hm?"
"What are you wanting? I see the way you look at me and cling to me. There is panic when I must go someplace you cannot. You even followed me to uncover my one secret. Why is this, Aki?"
The use of her name was like a stab in the gut. "I… You see, I-"
The horn blasted. The ship rotated as it approached the island, and Aki held onto the fridge for dear life. The engine pushed them backwards towards the shore.
"We do not have much time," Sherry said. "Follow my lead. Careful. Everything is wet."
She clambered over piles of trash, and Aki struggled to match her path in the dark. She stepped in sludge. Black banana peels clung to her heels. Grinding resounded from the helm. Sherry flipped over the side and held onto the railing. Her legs dangled over the open sea. Aki followed suit. Within seconds, her arms burned.
"I haven't done a pull-up since primary school," she said through grit teeth.
"Then it is good we need only to hold here!"
Hydraulics hissed, and a great slab of steel pushed garbage from the helm to the lowered ramp. Metal scraped against Aki's fingernails. She grunted and held on though her fingers bled and the sound made her want to pierce her own eardrums to be free from it. The slab slid back to its original place. Aki pulled up but Sherry hissed, "Stop!"
"Why?"
She nodded towards the ramp. Shouts rang from the shore. Ten, eleven, twelve men climbed onto the ship and raised various weapons into the air: pipes, two-by-fours, bats. They stormed the deck.
Something touched Aki's bag. She jerked until she realized it was Sherry stuffing her tablet inside. Sherry said, "Throw it onto the boat."
"What?"
"It will make it safely onto shore. We can find it later. As things are, we may have to take a different option."
Aki stared at the roiling sea until she felt dizzy. The telltale hiss of the garbage scraper started up. The men were dangerously close to the captain. Aki dropped an arm to take off her bag. Sherry gripped the strap as Aki shrugged it off her other shoulder. They repeated the process with Sherry's backpack and tossed both onto the deck. The mass of metal shoved half the men off and took their bags with it. Aki grimaced at the men's agonized cries. The remaining Satellites held onto the scraper as it slid back into place. The helmsman climbed atop his control pit wielding a shotgun.
"We cannot afford to be seen," Sherry said. "Are you ready?"
Aki held out her hand. Sherry gripped Aki's forearm. They dropped, and Sherry kicked off the hull to gain distance away from the running engine. For breathless seconds, they were in freefall together. A gunshot split the sky. She crashed beneath the water's surface. The frigid temperature stung. The intensity of the salt flooding her sinuses urged her to gag, but she kept her mouth shut. Sherry tugged her through the murky waters. Her feet found a shore of grim colors. Washed-out cardboard, broken glass, and plastic containers formed the Satellite's beach.
As she stumbled forward, her teeth chattered. Her muscles spasmed wildly against the cold. She rubbed her upper arms but the chill set in deep. Sherry said, "Over here! Our bags."
Sherry fished them out of the sea of trash. Aki reached for hers with trembling arms. She glanced at the sea as the boat took off; bodies floated atop the lapping waves. She gripped the straps of her bag and focused on the island instead. Shadows moved in toward the fresh scrap.
"We have t-t-to get out of here."
"Right. First, we find shelter."
They traversed over the neverending hills of landfill. Aki's feet kept snagging. She couldn't feel her toes. Sherry took her arm and helped as best she could. They navigated towards the remains of civilization. Whatever natural disasters that caused the Satellite's destruction must have hit the hardest where they landed. The area was flat from horizon to horizon excluding the piles of garbage.
The pair reached a row of concrete foundations, half-crumbled walls, and no roofs to speak of. Sherry led her deeper into the Satellite streets, now firm grids between the carcasses of residencies. Wind howled through windows lacking glass and thresholds missing doors. Aki's shivering intensified. The quiet was eerie beyond her clacking molars.
"Aki?" Sherry touched her upper arm. "Where are you going?"
She stopped and swayed the instant she did. There were six versions of Sherry scattering in every direction. Someone took Aki's hand and led her along.
"You are going into shock. Do not worry. We will find a good spot, and you will warm up, and- Aki?"
Darkness encroached on the center of her vision. She careened and lost all her senses to the cold.