Yugioh: Fusion of Worlds: Rise of the Emperors [starting] [accepting in ooc thread]

[Aesirson]

Xero was really surprised, but took a seat nonetheless.

"No thank you." Xero declined the offer, but he was willing to tell Teslarc at least some parts of his story.

"I come from a dimension called the Peak Dimension. You may now what it is, but I'll tell you anyway; the Peak Dimension is the [i]first[/i] dimension. At the point something happens in the Peak Dimension, the same thing, or any alternatives to that event, has not yet occured in any other dimensions."

He looked at Teslarc.

"But unfortunately, it was destroyed. Or at least all ways into it."

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

Aki chuckled. [color=#FF1493]"No. You are my first female love interest, if you want to sound technical."[/color] She then wondered something. [color=#FF1493]"How about we tell each other about ourselves? I would love to hear your life story. I mean, I would like to know about you, Elisa, since you know so little about me, and I about you."[/color]

Teslarc stopped fixing whatever she was fixing when Xero said he didn't want anything, so she simply sat back down and listened to the rest. She then asked him. [color=#FF0000]"So why are you here? Did something happen to you? Do you need Itsu for some reason?"[/color]

[Blackstone Dresden]

[color=blue]All of Mark's holograms vanished, save for Quilla, who simply split back into Supay and Magic King Moon Star, "You OK over there, Wildheart?" Mark asked, the Hero's frozen claymore turning back into his regular sword. The frozen eyed man offered a Wildheart a hand, his eyes and the tattoo on the back of his right hand having ceased glowing by now, "OK, so, beating the living Hell out of a wannabe werewolf and his army of wolf Spirits. Not on my to do list in a thunderstorm." He muttered, looking at Luisa and slipping his right hand in his pocket, figuring that she wouldn't notice his until he put his glasses back on. [i]Speaking of...[/i] "Where the Hell'd my glasses go?" He asked, looking around for them.[/color]

[color=green]"A... are you sure you don't wanna go first?" Elisa asked, snuggling up next to Aki, "If I go we'll be a... at this all night." A small smile that somehow managed to be both shy and coy simultaneously crossed her lips, "A... and that's not what I want to be up all ni... night doing with you."[/color]

[Reinforce]

David saw his chance to reveal himself because the glasses had fallen near him.[color=#0000FF] "Here's your glasses mate, they fell near me during the duel. I'm David by the way, David Allister, a new student in Obelisk Blue." [/color] said David. As he handed the glasses back he caught a glimpse of the frozen, multifacted eyes. [color=#0000FF] "Woah, what is with those eyes. Sorry, I shouldn't be staring and its none of my buisiness but, I'm guessing that those eyes are why you wear sunglasses even in a storm." [/color] David said. [color=#0000FF] "Nice duel by the way, I was watching from the bushes for most of it. What is your name anyway."[/color]

[Kingdom Xathers]

"Forget it, Mark," Luisa said in a stern tone unusual for her. "I already saw your eyes."

Still fatigued from his fight and dizzy from being indirectly struck by lightning, Wildheart spoke up, "Luisa... how long were you--?"

"Right when Mark summoned his Moon Dragon Quilla," Luisa answered, though her angry gaze was focused on the Lightsworn Beast in front of her. Wulf himself seemed as though he was avoiding looking at her.

"What, you're just going to stand there looking sorry?!" Luisa angrily yelled at the Lightsworn Beast.

Wulf could only remain silent. This, of course, made Luisa more furious with him.

"Luisa, wait a sec," Wildheart spoke up, staggering to his feet. "Wulf, just what the hell's going on here? Why haven't you been with the other Lightsworns, and why are you with that Fenrir person?"

Still no word from Wulf... until....

[font="Book Antiqua"]"... I'm sorry... but that is a question I cannot answer."[/font]

""Can't"?" Luisa asked sternly, "or "won't"?"

[font="Book Antiqua"]"He... wasn't always like this, I swear,"[/font] said Wulf, still avoiding Luisa's gaze.

[Blackstone Dresden]

[color=blue]Mark chuckled and pulled his hand out of his pocket, slipping his glasses into his jeans pocket and looking at everyone else, "OK, Luisa, Wildheart, and..." He looked at the surfer, "Aussie who I've never seen before, all probably wanna know what the Hell's up with my eyes, and Wulf, you probably need a new anchor point." He looked up into the rain and let out a sigh, "And I need to get out of this rain before my eyes freeze themselves open again, so, how about we all head back to my boat and wait out the storm." He hooked a finger behind him, towards the docks and away from the dorms, "It's a lot closer than the Ra and Obelisk dorms and I'll be damned I've I'm gonna go talk to my brother until he's fully come to grips with the fact that I'm still alive, long story, I'll save it for later."[/color]

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

Aki reconsidered for a moment as she adjusted her hug to compensate for Elisa's scooting. [color=#FF1493]"Alright. I'll revise my idea. You can ask me a question, then I will answer it. But after that, I get to ask you a question, and you get to answer that. We can keep trading back and forth until we get tired or bored. How does that sound?"[/color]

Teslarc patiently waited for Xero's response, all the while wondering how Itsu was doing. She hadn't heard from her since she left a few days ago. A part of her hoped her opposite number was alright, but another part of her wished she was hindered. However, she would never wish Itsu was dead, because if one of them died, the other did too, which was their greatest weakness.

[Kingdom Xathers]

[font="Book Antiqua"]"I...,"[/font] Wulf said in response to Mark's offer, [font="Book Antiqua"]"I can't stay here. I'm sorry, but I have to go back."[/font]

"But why?" Wildheart asked the Lightsworn. "You heard what he said when--"

[font="Book Antiqua"]"That wasn't him,"[/font] Wulf retorted. [font="Book Antiqua"]"Regardless of what was said, I must... go back. I'm certain that I'll pay for disobeying, anyway, but...."[/font]

"Then why go back to him at all?" asked Wildheart.

[font="Book Antiqua"]"Because... I made a promise... to the real him...."[/font] With that, Wulf turned around and strode toward the forest.

"Wulf, wait!" Wildheart shouted, but to no avail; Wulf disappeared from sight before even entering the forest.

"What was [i]that[/i] about?" Luisa asked her Duel Spirit.

"I'll tell you when we get to the boat," Wildheart told her, "'cause I'm not going to do it in this storm; I could get struck by lightning again for real."

[Reinforce]

[color="#0000FF"]"Sure, I'll come. Be good to get out of this storm and into the dry." [/color] David said as he followed Mark. [color="#0000FF"]"I have one other question as well though, how am I seeing Elemental Hero Wildheart, Supey and Magic King Moon Star outside of the duel"[/color] David said, pointing to each as he said their names. [color="#0000FF"]"You're Luisa right, and you're in Ra Yellow, so you have probably been here for more than a year. Do you have any helpful hints for a first year student?"[/color] David was asking because he thought that being here as a first year would be hard even without the added stress of being an Aussie and being in Obelisk Blue right from the start.

[Blackstone Dresden]

[color=green]"I... I don't know where to be... begin." Elisa admitted with a small, cute yawn, "I... I'm kinda tired, to be honest... Any chance we can do th... this in the morning?" She asked, pulling Aki into another slow kiss.[/color]

[color=blue]"He's probably worried about Ryko." Mark muttered, picking his gloves up and stuffing them in his back pocket, "Anyway, we should probably get going before the rain gets any worse than it already is." Mark said, his eyes glowing as Supay and King Moon Star faded away at last, "Best part of this whole setup," He joked to the others, "I never have to fumble around for a flashlight in the dark. Worst part: With all this eye glowing going on, I feel like I've got a damn snake in my head."[/color]

[Aesirson]

"I was attacked." Xero explained. "I was attacked by the Machine Emperors during a Dimension Jump, but managed to survive. I followed them here, where I seek to either control them... Or destroy them."

He looked at Teslarc, who appeared to be thinking about something.

"But if I succeed to control them I won't use them to destroy, I will use them to restore peace to the Multiverse."

[Kingdom Xathers]

"Honestly?" Luisa said to David as they headed for Mark's boat. "I should think that, aside from needing to do well in both academics and dueling, you just need to be yourself. I'm sure you'll do fine if you do that," she added with a slight smile, despite still being shaken up from earlier.

"She's right," Wildheart said in agreement. "You'll have a good three to four years to make friends and create a name for yourself." He was hoping that this conversation would help him forget about Fenrir and Wulf, even if for a little while.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Having trouble sleeping, partly due to the thunder outside, Alexander got up from his bed an hour-and-a-half later and walked over to his piano at the other end of his room. Playing a few scales to get into the rhythm, [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qvd9RtRXSdk"]he finally settled on a song to play[/url]. As he played, he began to drift into the rhythm as he fingers danced to and fro across the keys. His playing could be heard through the poorly insulated walls of the dorm, partly drowning out the rumblings of the storm outside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After listening to Verde's history lesson about the Crimson Dragon, Nat's head was practically spinning.

"Good LORD!" Nat yelped out, actually using his hands to keep his head upright. "So the Crimson Dragon and the Signer Dragons have been doing all of that for centuries?"

[b][i]"Eons, even,"[/i][/b] nodded the Naturia Beast. [b][i]"I hope that helps you understand more about what's going on at present."[/i][/b]

"I'm still trying to register it all, Verde," Nat groaned. "Give me some time, I'll get it all to sink in." He removed his hands from his head, causing his head to slam into his desk face-first. "I just hope I don't have any freaky ass dreams tonight," he said in a muffled voice.

[b][i]"Anything to help you understand, Nathaniel,"[/i][/b] Verde replied.

"You enjoy torturing me like this, don't you?" Nat snapped at the green tiger.

[b][i]"Now, whatever do you mean by[/i] that[i], Nathaniel?[/i]"[/b] asked the Naturia Beast in an innocent tone, although deep inside he admittedly did find some enjoyment.

[Blackstone Dresden]

[color=blue]Mark didn't really say anything as he led the small group to his houseboat, which was docked right where he left it. It wasn't a large vessel by any means, but it was more than big enough to fit their group, though Wildheart wouldn't be the most comfortable, "There are a few chairs above deck and a shower below if either of you need one." He looked over his shoulder at Luisa as he said that, "Though, I think it's only right that Luisa gets it first. I'll bring up a couple towels for us to dry off with in the mean time, Aussie." He hopped over the railing to his boat, somehow not slipping despite the wet surface, and offered his hand to Luisa, "And Wildheart, it's a bit of a low ceiling in there, so can you leave your sword outside? I don't want to have to explain to my insurance agent why parts of the hull look like they've been stabbed through with an eight foot meat cleaver."[/color]

[Reinforce]

[color="#0000FF"]"Thanks for the advice anyway Luisa, I guess that means I can surf in the mornings and afternoons when there are good waves."[/color] David said, hoping that the other students would accept him as easily as Luisa had. [color="#0000FF"]"Anyway, I don't mind being a little wet and I have my own towl with me so I won't need to borrow any of yours. Also, I'll leave a shower until I'm settled in my room."[/color] David looked at the houseboat as he retrieved his towl from the waterproofed bag on his back. [color="#0000FF"]"I'll leave my surfboard out here with Wildheart's sword for now though, that way it won't scratch your roof either."[/color] David left his surfboard leaning against a post on the dock and put his bag down next to it, using his towl to dry himself off as best he could.

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

Aki kissed her very close friend for some time, enjoying the moment, the privacy, and their secret. Afterwards, Aki gave Elisa her answer. [color=#FF1493]"I am a bit tired myself. Besides, I want to see if you are any good as a pillow."[/color] Aki giggled softly and kissed Elisa briefly before cuddling up to her.

Teslarc sighed. [color=#FF2400]"And it all comes back to the Machine Emperors and Ener-D. No one knows where the Machine Emperors came from. According to Aporia, in the future, the immense power of unstabilized Ener-D, like the Ener-D reactor and the miniaturized reactor under the Academy, will attract them to Earth like moths to a flame. Of course, that didn't explain why he and his aspects used them himself during the WRGP and the Arc Cradle event."[/color]
She leaned back in her chair and thought for a bit. [color=#FF2400]"It seems like, in every reality, humanity will face this crisis or a similar one dealing with Ener-D. One of Itsu's pet projects is tweaking an isolated timeline so Ener-D is eventually stabilized, saving humanity from the threat until it gains the ability to travel across worlds. So far, she hasn't figured out a chain of events favorable to humanity, but she is working on it. Who knows? Maybe she does have a chance give humanity a shot..."[/color]

[Kingdom Xathers]

"Uh, sure, no problem," Wildheart said as he removed his sheathed sword and leaned it next to David's surfboard. Luisa, meanwhile, accepted Mark's hand as she stepped over the railing onto the boat.

"And thank you, Mark," Luisa said as soon as she had a steady footing on the boat's deck, "but I'll forgo the shower; I didn't really get drenched, but I'll take a towel anyway." She then turned to face Wildheart as he hopped onto the boat, accidentally slipped on the wet deck and fell backward, causing the boat to rock considerably. "Omigod!" she yelped out as she grabbed onto the railing to steady herself. "Are you alright, Wildheart?"

"Yeah, I'll live," the Elemental Hero grunted out, cringing from his previous injuries as he gingerly picked himself back up. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't need a healer, though. Which reminds me," he added, "I should probably contact the other Lightsworns, tell them that I found Wulf."

"Because he's been missing?" asked Luisa, not particularly happy to be reminded of that subject again.

"He's been missing," Wildheart answered with a nod, "along with Ryko, for almost seven years."

[Blackstone Dresden]

[color=green]Elisa blushed and curled up next to Aki, "I'm sure I won't make as good of one as you." She told her, resting her head on her chest, "I'm not ha... half bad as a blanket though, or so I've been told." She said, wrapping her arms and one leg around Aki and softly kissing the girl's neck.[/color]

[color=BLUE]Mark rocked with the boat and fell to one knee, "Wildheart, I get that you're built like a tank and can't be expected to be the most.. ahem... graceful Elemental Hero alive, but would you mind not capsizing my house? I've only got two more payments left on the thing." As soon as the boat was more or less steady, he unlocked the door and stepped into the living area and out of the rain, unlocking a padlocked trap door and climbing down the ladder underneath, coming back in under a minute with three towels, "You two are sure you don't wanna wash up?" He asked, "Surfer boy here's probably used to being this cold and this wet, but I doubt that you are, Luisa."[/color]

[Kingdom Xathers]

"Don't worry about me, I'm practically the driest out of all of us," Luisa told Mark as she entered the living area, taking the towel to dry her hair. "But really, thank you. What about you, Wildheart?" She turned to look at her Spirit Partner, but found that he had sat down, cross-legged, on the floor, eyes closed as if in a trance. "Wildheart--Ah, you know what, he's probably contacting the Duel Monster's Spirit World. I've seen him do it a few times before," she explained to Mark. "He'll snap out of it soon."

After a while, however, Wildheart wobbled where he sat and fell backward, landing against the wall behind him. He gave out a weak gasp as he tried to get up. "Dammit," he said quietly, "I forgot how tiring it is to make contact like that." Luisa ran over to help steady him.

"What's wrong?" asked a worried Luisa.

"I was already tired from my fight with Wulf," Wildheart explained, "so when I tried to contact the Spirit World, my energy was practically drained...." With Luisa's help, he made his way to one of the chairs nearby and sat down.

"By the way, Mark," Wildheart added, "you're about to have another visitor; [url="http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Jenis,_Lightsworn_Mender"]The Lightsworn Mender, Jenis[/url]."

[Blackstone Dresden]

[color=blue]"If she's here to give me their Deck, you better warn her ahead of time that LIGHT Monsters don't seem to like my Moon cards very much." Mark told Wildheart, having gone below deck and changed into dry clothes while Wildheart was zoned out in his trance, though his outfit was still a plain white t shirt and jeans, but he replaced his lost black gloves with a blue pair and put his sunglasses back on, having washed the mud off them while he was down there. He also tossed Wildheart a large beach towel, "Mind not dripping on my floor so much? I just mopped in here."[/color]

[Kingdom Xathers]

[font="Book Antiqua"]"No, my dear; I'm only here strictly for business."[/font]

Luisa turned around to see that a red-haired woman in white robes had suddenly appeared behind her. She let out a shrill yelp in surprise. "Don't do that!" Luisa yelled at the Lightsworn Mender.

[font="Book Antiqua"]"My apologies, my dear child,"[/font] said Jenis with an apologetic bow.

...
...
...

A few moments later, Jenis had enveloped Wildheart in a soothing bluish-white aura. As Wildheart's energy was restored, the numerous bite marks covering his body were healed, leaving behind no trace that they were ever there.

[font="Book Antiqua"]"I am truly happy that Wulf has finallly been found after all this time,"[/font] Jenis said as she was healing Wildheart. [font="Book Antiqua"]"We've never lost hope that he would be found; we just never imagined that Wulf and Ryko would be in the predicament that they're currently in."[/font]

"But why did he disappear in the first place?" Luisa asked, interested in hearing how this whole thing started.

Wildheart, having fully been restored, began his story; "It happened roughly seven years ago. The Lightsworns had contacted the [url="http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Skyscraper_2_-_Hero_City"]Elemental Hero Base in Hero City[/url], to file a Missing Persons report. Leading up to Wulf and Ryko's disappearance, Wulf had told his comrades that he was leaving in order to "save someone"."

[font="Book Antiqua"]"He never clarified who that "someone" was,"[/font] Jenis interjected. [font="Book Antiqua"]"However, he seemed to be fully intent on rescuing this individual at any cost. Regardless, he and Ryko had left the [url="http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Realm_of_Light"]Realm of Light[/url] that day, and has not returned since, nor had either of them been heard from or seen until today."[/font]

"Now, there's one thing that's been bugging me," Wildheart said as he adjusted the beach towel draped over his shoulders. "Just now, he told us that he was going back to that "wannabe-werewolf" because of some promise he made to "the real him". I still don't get what that means, though...," he said as he trailed off, becoming deep in thought. Jenis and Luisa looked at each other in worry.

[Blackstone Dresden]

[color=blue]Mark, who was leaning against the hull of the ship with one foot on the wall, looked at the back of his hand, the one with the tattoo of the moon on it, and clenched his fist, [i]This is my fault...[/i] He realized with a sigh, "Aussie, I'm gonna warn you right now." He said, speaking up and kicking off of the wall and taking a step away from it, "You're gonna want to get the Hell out of here." He adjusted his sunglasses and tapped his right palm with his left index finger, "You've already seen more than you should, but you're still ignorant to all this. Let it stay that way. Get out of here, now." He focused his attention on Jenis and Wildheart, "You two, and by extension Luisa, are fairly entrenched in this, so I feel like you have a right to know who you're on a boat with." Supay and Magic King Moon Star manifested themselves beside him, Supay on his right and King Moon Star on the left, his eyes faintly shimmering beneath his glasses, "I... Am the last Moon King."[/color]

[color=silver]As Servant and the Grannel Emperor were talking, before the storm had reached its apex, the latter collapsed, unconscious, and a man in a black uniform with silver trim, instantly recognizable to any of the students or staff as Vice Principal Paradiso, walked up to the two, accompanied by a metal screw with arms, "You should be more careful with your choices." The screw said, its voice harsh, "You could have gotten this pathetic human killed, and we don't need that. We'd have to switch bodies again..."

"What do you mean, we?" Paradiso asked, "You're just the same no matter who I am. But yes, I should have chosen better." The middle aged man waved his arm over the former Emperor's body and a gold light rose from the Duel Disk, taking the shape of the Grannel Deck, "I honestly didn't know that that boy would be so weak." He nodded to Servant, acknowledging his subordinate's presence for the first time, "I'm terribly sorry." He said, "But it seems like you'll be working alone for a while longer. Asterisk is... a bit conspicuous, and Skiel is earning the trust of our enemies." He held up the Deck, Machine Emperor Grannel Infinity on the bottom, and chuckled, "Unless you think you're able to handle the power of two Emperors" He added sarcastically, turning away without waiting for an answer.[/color]

Meanwhile, in the clearing where Mark and Fenrir Dueled, a shrouded figure was picking up Mark's discarded gloves, "Well, well, well," She said, her eyes aflame and the mark of the Sun glowing on her left palm, "Welcome back to the world of the living, Mark."

[Kingdom Xathers]

Upon hearing Mark's declaration, Wildheart forcefully stood up out of his chair, while Jenis backed away, eyes wide with shock with her hand over her mouth. Luisa, however, was confused as to what was going on.

"Wildheart, what does Mark mean by--?"

"DAMMIT, MARK!" Wildheart shouted, pounding a fist onto the table. "When the hell were you going to tell us this?!"

"Tell us [u]what[/u], Wildheart?"

"Luisa," Wildheart said slowly as he instinctively moved himself in front of her and Jenis, "if what he's saying is true... then this guy is the one who nearly destroyed our world ages ago." Upon hearing this, Luisa made the same face as Jenis.

"But... but why?" asked a confused and terrified Luisa.

"Why not ask him that yourself?" suggested the Elemental Hero, staring down the Moon King.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the middle of a scale, another headache caused Alexander to stop suddenly. "Umbris... you're doing it again," said the Lombax to the Duel Spirit.

The Neo-Spacian materialized himself as his infantile Chrysalis form, an apologetic look in his eyes. [b][i][font="Franklin Gothic Medium"]"I'm sorry, but I'm sensing another disturbance,"[/font][/i][/b] said Umbris. [b][i][font="Franklin Gothic Medium"]"It's a really strong one at that."[/font][/i][/b]

"Outside, you mean?" Alex asked, looking at the exit to his room. He sighed out before continuing, "Can't this disturbance happen during better weather?" Despite this, he grabbed a raincoat from his closet, as well as his Duel Disk and umbrella, and headed out the door to see exactly what this disturbance was (and hoping not to have to deal with it in the rain).

[Merci]

[color=darkred]"That's not fair at all."[/color] Servant replied. [color=darkred]"But it's at least reassuring that that idiot wasn't up for it. Still, I doubt I would be able to handle Grannel. Two Emperors at a time ruin my strategies."[/color] He sighed and then walked away. But then he turned to ask the man about the Skiel Emperor, but it was too late, he was out of sight. He swore under his breath. [color=darkred]"I hate every atom of this world."[/color] He muttered to himself. [color=darkred][i]But it doesn't matter. Since all Emperors are unavailable, I may as well skip to the point where I attack the Signers. But who will be first?[/i][/color] He stopped for a moment to decide which Signer to attack.

[Blackstone Dresden]

[color=blue]"I'd appreciate it if you didn't wreck my furniture." Mark said as King Moon Star instinctively stepped between him and the others, "No, it's OK." He told the Monster, stepping aside, "He needs to hear our side of the story." The Duel Spirit sighed and stepped out of the way, though he was so tensed up that if anyone so much as sneezed, he'd be liable to spring into action, "To be honest, Wildheart, I'm surprised you didn't catch it when I Summoned Quilla. She was my favorite tool of destruction back then." He sighed and stepped closer to the Hero, "You have to believe me though, back then... What I did... That wasn't me... My sister..." He let out a pained sigh, "She was always such a nice girl, never pissed anyone off, never got even slightly depressed." He paused and his eyes started glowing faintly, signifying that he was calling on the Moon Spirits to steady himself, "Seven, maybe eight years ago, New Domino was beset upon by the Seals of Darkness and Light, twin evils that, if ever they were to meet and become one, would have the power to wreak untold havoc on both worlds. My brother, Drake, the one you met at the arena, and my sister's... friend sacrificed themselves to the Seal of Darkness when they came for us, trying to take her because, though she didn't know it yet, she was a Signer, holder of Ancient Fairy Dragon." He let that last part sink in as Wildheart and Jenis flashed back to the day the Signer Dragon of LIGHT vanished from their world, "She didn't last long, however. I... I was taken by the Light Seal Users, leaving her alone. Can you imagine having both the Crimson Dragon and the Seal of Darkness coursing through you at the same time? She went mad, and, over the course of the next six years, allied herself with every destructive entity that cropped up, adding more and more powers to her arsenal. The Sun Queen, the power of the Shadow Droid, everything. When she and I met after her fall into darkness, we were both already granted the powers of the Sun and Moon, and I had become a Signer, whereas Tara, my sister, had since lost her Mark and her Dragon. She was too far gone into her insanity to fully grasp that no matter what she did, she couldn't corrupt a Signer. She took me back to her base, if you wanna call it that and..." He let out an unsteady sigh as the glow around his eyes brightened, "Quite frankly, I'm glad my memory picks up a year ago. I honestly have no memory of the three years I spent as Tara's personal hitman, nor do I want to. Every so often, I get flashbacks. Nightmares." A single drop of ice fell to the floor and shattered, "For my sake, I have to tell myself that that's all most of them are..."[/color]

[Kingdom Xathers]

[font="Book Antiqua"]"I can see what you mean, Mark,"[/font] Jenis finally spoke after being in shoked silence for a while. [font="Book Antiqua"]"For most of us in the Spirit World, 'twas a nightmare... that we wished to forget...."[/font] The Mender avoided the Moon King's glowing eyes as she said this, scared of looking into them.

Wildheart huffed out a stressed sigh, having to mentally relive all of the events that had happened those years ago. "You know," Wildheart said as he slowly put his chair back in its proper place, "as strange as it sounds, I'm willing to try to believe you, Mark, but only because you seem to be in the right this time." He then turned to look at Luisa and asked, "What about you? Are you willing to trust Mark, even after finding out about this?"

Luisa, still stunned from the revelation, did not respond, her face blank and expressionless.

"Luisa...?" a worried Wildheart said, reaching out a hand for her shoulder. Luisa, however slid down the wall onto the floor, pulling her knees close to her chest as she assumed a huddled position.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The rain relentlessly fell upon Alexander's open umbrella as he traversed the field, trying to find the source of the disturbance Umbris had mentioned earlier.

"Umbris, I can barely see ten feet in front of me," the Lombax said to his Duel Spirit. "And for the love of Heaven, could you [u][i]stop giving me a headache?![/i][/u]

[b][i][font="Franklin Gothic Medium"]"I'm trying to look for it, too, Alexander!"[/font][/i][/b] retorted Umbris. [b][i][font="Franklin Gothic Medium"]"I'm sorry, but until we actually find it--!"[/font][/i][/b]

"Wait, what's that?" interrupted Alex as a flash of lightning revealed a black-coated figure in the distance. "Wait, isn't that... the Vice Principal? What's he doing out here?" Without another word, he ran over to Bryce Paradiso, puddles splashing with each footfall he took. "Mr. Paradiso! Wait up!"