YuGiOh: Hidden Legacy [Descent into Darkness] [Ch. 29 Reality Check] Posted! NEW!

[Synchronized]

[spoiler=Episode 22: The Ultimate Sacrifice! I Thought You Didn't Believe in Me!]
Episode 22: The Ultimate Sacrifice! I Thought You Didn't Believe in Me!

Everything was blurred, hardly even visible no matter how intense the squinting. Thousands of small bubbles and shattered ice fragments passed him by, descending down to the lowest depths of the ocean floor, having lost all hope. The animals, what ones there had been, were quick to scurry away upon the crash of the body hitting the wall of ice, swimming downwards, using rocks, coral, and ice structures to hide and keep themselves safe. But was anyone really safe?

As the near invisible sunlight (from this depth, anyway) attempted to penetrate the almost unbreakable barriers of the frozen tundra, the crack which had been formed in the wall, began to melt, with paths of water dripping down into the ocean, only adding to the misery which now made itself commonplace. The longer time passed, the colder the water became, and the merciless winds continued to blow across the surface, not making things any easier. Yet there was no hope. Was this really the end?

Above the water, Tyaro Kiminari, a mere human boy from Earth, which was millions of miles away at this point, sat atop the menacing dragon which had forced Ace below the surface in one quick swipe. Having grasped an almost unstoppable sense of energy, Tyaro was truly the most powerful being within this world, and he knew it. If they had remained on Earth, Ace would have undoubtedly been able to take him down, or at least seriously injure him, but here, there was no competition. And now he knew, the boy was dead. It had been over sooner than it had begun. Finally, he could begin his ascent to greatness. Had it really been that easy?

Something shook him the wrong way, though. Winning had not been a doubt, but the ease in which it had come gave him an uneasy feeling. There was a possiblity that Ace was still alive, down there – but no, no one could survive that attack and the subsequent fall; human or duel spirit. It was over, right? Yet he could still see him, floating there near the top of the surface. "Well, do you think he's still alive down there?" Tyaro asked, speaking to the dragon which could clearly understand him, yet lacked the ability to reply in a language he would understand, so it simply grunted, implying it was a realistic possibility.

[i]Even so, one more attack couldn't hurt. Let's just...make sure he's really gone.[/i]

---

As he lay in the water, lacking consciousness, a school of dolphins swam by, headed outwards to find food. Whether they were spirits or not was unknown, and infact, Ace was unsure they were even there. Yet as the larger one, the mother, led her children towards the source, simply passing by, one at the end of the line strayed off, towards Ace's body. Floating for a moment, the dolphin called out, bowing its head forward as if waiting to be pet, or perhaps even acknowledged. It nuzzled its head against Ace's chest, getting no response, and swimming off sadly as it heard its mothers cries to return.

And suddenly, Ace opened his eyes.

He had no idea where he was, an all-too familiar feeling, but knew for sure it was not Aisubaria, where he had just been. Things around him were puzzling, it was an ocean of sorts, inside a giant dome comprised of marble walls and large, ancient stone pillars on all sides. It had begun to fall apart, yet it still held some of the majesty from years past. The thought that maybe it was all over, and this was to be his final resting place, it crossed his mind as he looked around for any signs of life.

It was familiar, this place, yet he couldn't really figure out where he'd seen it before. Had he been here? If so, then he couldn't possibly have died, at least not completely. The last thing he remembered was that dragon, Brionac, headed straight towards him; the pain was so quick that it still hadn't had much of a chance to sink in; where ever he was now, it was although that had never happened. This world felt so peaceful, the calm and lack of pain inside the abandoned structure; somehow he could breathe underwater, too, and there were no worries. If only he could just stay here, forget the troubles of the world that plagued him.

Yet the harsh realities of what happened were soon to slap him in the face, to remind him of how he'd gotten here – wherever he was – in the first place. Tyaro. The image, that final look of madness and craze he'd seen on Tyaro's face before their final encounter was etched in his memory, and he knew it wouldn't go away until he'd been able to right the wrongs Tyaro had committed. He'd come so far, finally beginning to prove himself, but more importantly to save the lives of innocent people, only to allow himself to fail when his assistance was most needed.

[i]Failure? Is that what you're calling it? Seems awfully unlike you to give up so easily.[/i]

[i]Who's there?[/i] Ace heard the voice, yet could see no one as he spun around in a circle, looking for the source. [i]Where am I?[/i]

[i]Sheesh, so many questions, that's the way it always is with you, and fitting, I suppose. The voice quieted for a moment, with no one in sight. After all, they say those of the sea are focused more on logic, understanding, grace, as opposed to the simple traits of action. I'm very much a similar being myself, though different in obvious ways.[/i]

[i]I don't understand; what are you getting at?[/i] Ace wondered, as the voice was somehow speaking to him through his mind; no words were being spoken. It was strangely familiar, though different at the same time. [i]Why am I here?[/i]

[i]You don't remember me? I'm slightly saddened. Ah, hold on then.[/i] Silence for a moment, until Ace turned around, taken aback by the creature towering over him. The blue fish, clad in jewels of all sorts of colors, and taking up nearly half the structure in and of itself, hovered in front of him. It was his Celestial Guardian, Coelacanth. How long it had been. "Now do you remember?"

"We're speaking aloud now?" Ace asked as the fish formed a smile of sorts; he'd always been the most witty, perhaps mysterious of the guardians, yet his sense of logic was unmatched amongst humans and spirits alike. "I do prefer it, really. It's been quite some time; what are you doing here? Where am I? Last I remember I was underwater and falling fast. I followed Tyaro to-"

"Aisubaria", the fish interrupted. "I'm aware. You act as though I'm not a three thousand year old fish with an all-knowing mind; I'm slightly insulted."

"Yeah, sorry," Ace blushed, running his hand along his hair and behind him as both of them let out a slight chuckle. "So, am I alive? Or, is this the part where you bid me farewell and I...you know?"

"Don't be silly, your friends need your help, you can't possibly die now. That wouldn't be fair to anyone, now would it?" Coelacanth was emitting a bluish glow, one Ace had just begun to notice. That same glow seemed to eminate around the stadium-like structure; it was very calming, yet noticeable in terms of presence, as well.

"Riley? Rayori? Crystal?" Ace named all three of them in succession, grinning with excitement. "They're still alive? I suppose I shouldn't have thought otherwise, but man, I thought I was done for."

"It won't be a simple task to finish what you've started here, but it must be done."

"I know," Ace frowned, "but I don't think it's possible. I've started to lose faith in myself, just when I was at my strongest. That dragon took me out in one blow, my body's probably floating along the ocean floor by now."

"Don't be foolish, you have more strength then you've ever before realized. I know you're familiar with the Blade of Cylix, the weapon Rayori wields in his efforts to protect both worlds from harm." Coelacanth generated an image, using the water as a reflection, to point out what he was explaining. "This weapon is known as his celrion, and each of the chosen duelists wield one, in one way or another. Not until the most desperate of times is it unlocked, but once it is, it becomes much easier to tap into. Riley, near his own death and with the courage to protect his friends no matter what the cost to himself, was able to unlock his, and I believe soon enough you will be able to do the same."

"You mean, like a magical power? Or a weapon?" Ace asked, curious. It would be pretty awesome to have something to actually fight with. After all, it would be his only chance to stand up to Tyaro.

"Precisely. See you're of the water, so to speak. While you're not actually a duel spirit, obviously enough," Coelacanth explained, "you've spent your entire life by the water, swimming, fishing, even dueling, it appears to be your forte. Yet whether or not you can tap into this power now is unknown, even to the Celestials. I shall lend you my power, enough energy to revive yourself, and you must finish the fight. No matter what the cost. I have faith in you--we all do. Now you must restore your faith in yourself and end this battle."

"But wait, I--" Ace called out, but he was too late. Coelacanth was gone. And in a glance, he was back in his own body, submerged beneath the surface of the water. He took a breath, expecting to swallow the water and find himself face-to-face with death.

---

[i]What in the world? I can...I can breathe underwater? But how?[/i] Not only that, but the pain he'd been feeling, it was gone. He was still bruised pretty bad, and covered in blood in a few spots, but the wounds had been sealed; there was still life left. His vision had improved as well, tenfold. He could see straight through the water, up into the sky where Tyaro was preparing himself for a second attack. This time, with the assistance of Tyaro's own energy, the dragon's right arm became a spear, comprised of solid ice and with an extremely sharp point at the end.

Tyaro may not have known he had been restored to life, but he was going to ensure that nothing else would interrupt his plans to take over this world. Just as soon as he'd been restored, it appeared as though Ace was truly going to be gone; and for good this time. Coelacanth's energy, how could he tap into it? He could try to move, but that would give away the only advantage he had right now; the element of surprise. Maybe if he stayed still, and let the hit take its toll...

Oh well, too late now. The dragon struck towards him with increasing velocity, one, two...

In a blast of energy, unsure of where it came from, that same bluish glow took over Ace's body, sending a shockwave throughout the massive body of water, and freezing the entire surface in a thick layer of ice. The spear struck, but was unable to get through the surface, becoming trapped within the ice. "What the hell?! This can't be!"

[i]Woah...I just...was that the energy Coelacanth was talking about? This is absolutely incredible. That same creature, the one that crushed me in one swipe, can't even get through the shield of ice! So much for Tyaro's unstoppable force! I think...no, I know...I can do this! [/i]

The restoration of energy gave him an incredible amount of confidence, but he was careful not to let it go to his head. He was still within seconds of death, he had to use the few moments he had to turn this battle around. "Let's try this on for size; maybe with this new power I can actually summon something!" Ace reached into his pocket, still underwater yet finding it incredibly easy to function, pulled a card from his Deck and glanced at it. 'Jawsman'; could he do it? No. He couldn't afford to doubt himself now. It wasn't an option, it was the only thing he had! "Come on out, Jawsman!"

Tyaro continued to focus his strength to allow the creature to break through the defenses, but Ace was able to do the honors as a shark-like creature, human-like in shape and covered with teeth burst through the surface for him, sending both Tyaro and the dragon flying back, to the point where it almost lost its grip.

"You! How can you possibly be alive after that?!" Not only had Ace survived, he had his own creature now; this made no sense. After taking that much damage, it should have been challenging to breathe, nevermind summon a new monster. And how, even with the ability to summon a monster, did he manage to hold back Brionac's attack? "You should be dead, and I'll show you why now!"

"Jawsman, you've got this, take him down!" Brionac began to circle again, preparing for the same cyclone attack which had nearly killed Ace the first time around, headed straight for the multi-headed shark, as Ace stood off to the side.

"Brionac, Cyclone Shattering Strike!" Tyaro had snapped at this point, his mind focused on nothing but killing the one person who had stood in his way this entire time. And he would enjoy it, too.

Maybe Jawsman needs some assistance, something that would help him fight on level terms with that thing. I don't know how long I'll have this energy, but I might as well make use of it while I can, right? "I activate the Spell Aqua Jet!" Brionac's attack had nearly hit, until an aqua themed jetpack appeared on the shark's back, allowing it to fly upwards and dodge the attack entirely. Tyaro helped steer the dragon on course, but not without doing some serious damage to the ice before that.

[i]I still don't understand, where did all this power come from? He shouldn't be standing – none of it makes sense! My plan couldn't have been executed better; it was brilliant, and he should have been finished off entirely! I'm done playing around, it's time to put an end to this![/i]

Ace noticed a change of emotion in Tyaro's face, as the dragon turned itself around, recreating that spear from earlier, and headed straight towards Jawsman, who was unable to move out of the way before it connected, straight to its chest, causing it to explode and vanish. Just like that. "Do you see what I mean when I tell you this is my world? Your creatures stand no chance here! Don't waste your time, you cannot win! Now, Ace, prepare to die, for real this time!"

Brionac's speed was extraordinary; how it could change course and target so quickly, and the ability in which it'd taken out Jawsman with no effort at all – it was intimidating, and Ace had no means by which to block the attack this time. He was the target, and there was no way out.

[i]I knew it...I knew it all along. It doesn't matter how many times people tell me I can make a change, and make a difference, I've always been the sidekick for a reason. I didn't save the world the first time around, Riley did. I'm just not strong enough, not powerful enough to withstand this kind of assault. I let my anger overcome me and rushed into this, and now I have nothing, no one but myself to blame and I'm letting everyone down. Jawsman was a more powerful card, but here, that doesn't matter, it's all in the creature itself; they're real, here, and no matter how many times I try to justify it, I don't deserve to call on these duel spirits, just to have them killed. They fight for me and yet I can't save them, I can't do anything to stop them from meeting the same fate which I'm about to. Coelacanth's strength isn't enough. This really is the end of the line...[/i]

"Piercing Freeze!" It all happened so fast; Ace hadn't even had the chance to move, frozen with fear, as Dewloren jumped out of nowhere, moving with his entire body covered in ice, shattering the spear in its entirety. He had knocked Tyaro for a loop, putting himself in harm's way to protect Ace.

But why? After what he'd said, that Ace wasn't the chosen one, the one with the ability to save this world, why risk his own life to keep Ace alive? Was this just another example of Ace's own stubborn personality hurting yet another person? Why did he insist on fighting this fight, one he couldn't win? Why put so many spirits at risk just to try and prove something to himself; logically, he should've just left the fighting to those who could handle it.

“This is a prime example of why I traveled to this world in the first place, you insolent fool!” Tyaro called out, struggling to maintain his presence atop the dragon; they had escaped the attack but Dewloren’s fangs had placed a crack in the right wing. Brionac wasn’t soaring so effortlessly now. “You’re so weak, such an embarrassment that when your one-shot at rebounding fails, your immediately begin to wallow in your own self-pity, and allow others to suffer your pain using that pity as an excuse!”

It took him a moment to process the words as he stared at the fallen tiger king. He was still alive, for sure, but Dewloren stepping in the way to block that attack, and being nailed with that spear almost head-on had nearly drained his life force, leaving him with little to no energy left. It wasn’t long now before he would be gone entirely. But why? Why had he stepped in to take the attack? He’d even said when they met back in the cave that he didn’t believe Ace was the one chosen to save this world, that he’d essentially let him go out on his own and die, and yet it was Ace’s own death that Dewloren had stepped in to save.

Since he’d arrived here, everything had been happening so fast, it made it nearly impossible for one thing to take its toll before the next thing happened. The pace was just too much; there was no way to keep up with it, to maintain his composure and continue to fight, even with his renewed strength from Coelacanth’s abilities.

“You gave up hope in yourself, and despite knowing that you were a failure, the old man stepped in and allowed himself to die at your expense! Which brings me to my next question.” Tyaro turned his attention to Dewloren who – hearing Tyaro’s voice – managed to look upwards, creating an even tougher image of himself. “I heard your conversation, I saw your reactions. You know this boy is worthless. So why do you bother trying to defend him? It must be the weak, feeble old age, after all it is about time you retired anyway, and someone new takes your place as the ruler of this world! Personally, I find myself to be the best choice for the job.”

“It’s true I said the boy wasn’t the one to do this,” Dewloren turned his glance to Ace, an almost sad look on the tiger’s face, as though he’d made the wrong decision and believed in something he shouldn’t have. “Yet when I saw him fight, when I saw him go against my orders and decide to put it all on the line to face you, I thought maybe, there was a slight possibility that he could defy what had been predicted and stop you after all. As for why I took the attack, maybe it was just instinct.” The tiger coughed, in great pain. “Now I can see that he has given up, and that it was a worthless decision on my behalf to believe in someone who would give up so easily.”

The words struck his heart directly. Everything Dewloren had said was right; Ace had built himself up, created this sense of confidence for himself and when he was given a second chance to prove he could back it up, he'd given up immediately, throwing all of that confidence away. And at the same time, he'd earned Dewloren's trust, his confidence as well, and now look where it had gotten him. Dewloren would probably lose his own life, when it should have been Ace who had fallen just then.
"Ah well, it was bound to happen any way." Tyaro grinned. "If anything, you deserved it more than he did, for trying to resist my power. And for that reason, I'll finish you off first. Come on, Brionac, finish him off!"

The dragon wasn't moving as fast as it had before, but it still outclassed the both of them by a mile, as it began to reform the spear which Dewloren had destroyed, and it would use that spear to end the tiger's life once and for all. "Just like you Tyaro, to pick on those who are down, instead of those of us...those of us who are standing."

Ace took deep breaths as he walked forward, prepared to put himself in harm's way to protect Dewloren, just as the king had done for him. Ace found himself having difficulty moving at all. That power from Coelacanth sure didn't last long. Somewhat disappointing, really. "If you're going to take him out, you've got to hit me first!"

"Foolish boy, what are you doing?" Dewloren called out. "It's too late now, you've already given up, you stand no chance against him now that he's had the chance to recover."

"I understand you doubting me," Ace looked back at Dewloren for a moment, feeling the disappointment in himself for letting the creature get to the point he was at. "But you opened my eyes to the reality, and that reality is that I can't give up now, because giving up now won't make any difference. If I'm going to die, I might as well go down swinging."

Ace stood in front of Dewloren, arms spread wide. He was an open target, and Tyaro knew it. Whatever, he'd just take them both out at once and be done with it. This battle had gone on long enough; time to end it. "I've enjoyed our little game, but enough of this, it's no longer entertaining me. Game over!" Brionac's right arm took the spear form, as the duo flew downwards, headed straight for Ace who didn't even bother to budge. He'd let the move hit him; at least he could repay Dewloren for his sacrifice; one that should have never been made.

"Move out of the way while you still have the chance!" Dewloren urged, to no avail as Ace stood still, Brionac rapidly approaching.

"And do what, run away again?!" No, it wasn't going to happen. He had to stand his ground.

"Don't be an idiot, standing here proves nothing, you stand no chance of survival from a direct attack!"

[i]There's a reason I have to do this. I always employ logic in everything, assess every situation and find the best possibly solution to achieve victory. Yet Riley...he never uses logic, he just throws it all out there, takes the chances even when it seems like all hope is lost, and he always manages to prevail, through friendship and self confidence. My friends need my help, and I'm no help to them if I die here. It's time to throw it all out there, no more logic, I'm just going to take one huge risk and see what happens! I need a miracle here![/i]

Closer...closer...until the spear struck him right in the chest. The last thing he heard was Dewloren calling out to him, before a bright blue illuminessence encased them, completely enclosing the spear and pushing it away. Ace saw images of Coelacanth and what looked like a spherical form of energy before he looked down at himself; his body was now covered in a black and gold armor, the same Dewloren himself had been wearing. The spear struck, only to be shot back by a golden light emerging from the armor's center, blasting Tyaro and the dragon backwards, and this time, Tyaro wasn't able to hold on, as he plummeted to the ice.

[i]What in the world? This armor, it...[/i] Dewloren was no longer there – he had vanished completely. [i]Was this the power Coelacanth had been talking about? I somehow absorbed Dewloren's armor...that doesn't...there's no way something like this could be possible. I should have been killed, and yet here I am.[/i]

"Don't waste time, you have an opportunity, now use it!" The voice—it was Dewloren's own, but coming from within Ace's mind. Had they fused together somehow? His ability, was it the ability to combine with the Duel Spirit? If so, how awesome. But he had a lot to make up for, and now wasn't the time to stand around admiring himself; Dewloren was right, Tyaro was down, he could finish him off. It looked like it would come down to a fight after all, with this new armor and all.

"You just won't quit, will you?" Tyaro asked, getting to his feet as a greenish glow began to surround him.

"It's about time you catch on," Ace smiled, for the first time in forever. "I made some mistakes, but now it comes down to me and you, and you're gonna pay for what you did to everyone!"

"Just try me," Tyaro taunted him, and Ace flew towards him – an unbelievable pace. Where is this power of his coming from? I've never seen someone move so fast in my -

Ace connected with a right hook to the face, sending Tyaro crashing backwards into the wall before he even had the chance to react. He extended his arm, firing a blast of energy. Ace used his own arm to block it, the armor reflecting it with ease. Tyaro stepped away from the wall, shooting energy towards the ground to levitate himself into the air.

"You're going to have to try harder than that if you want to defeat me, especially in my own world!"

"Alright, you've got it!" Ace ran towards the wall, not slowing down at all. With Dewloren's ability, he ran straight up it, kicking off the wall and turning around to punch Tyaro in the face once more, sending him flying. Ace caught up to him quickly, with a kick straight to the jaw. Then, in one final blow, he spun around twice, hitting a blow to the gut and following Tyaro downwards, forcing him into the ice. Brionac tried to move, but couldn't; the armor had shattered its right wing entirely, rendering it helpless.

[i]But how could he...how could such a weak human defeat me? This wasn't supposed to happen...I – so many years, so much time put into this, how could I possibly fail? His resolve...it's unlike anything I've ever seen before in my life. I can't move at all...[/i]

"How..." Tyaro struggled to form the words. "You were so close to giving up, you didn't believe in yourself, and I had you on the fence. What changed your mind? How could you willingly risk it all and take the full force of Brionac's attack knowing you'd most likely die?"

"I made it my goal to defeat you, because I made a promise to my friends that I would save our part of the world, so they could focus on the Spirit World and fixing the problems going on there. You're just one person, but you managed to destroy nearly the entire city, and in some respects I was to blame for that. I tried to focus on the facts instead of going with my heart, and a lot of lives were lost because of it. But when Dewloren believed in me, when he sacrificed himself for me, I realized something – something I'd never really grasped before. You don't have to be the best, you don't have to be perfect or anything like that. You just have to be willing to fight and have confidence in yourself. I'm no different than anyone else, really, but you pushed me to my breaking point, and I had to lose it all to realize the potential within myself to do my part in saving the world. But it's not over yet; I still have to go to the Spirit World and help out with things there. I hope you feel regret for what you have done, but now it's not my concern any longer. You're not going anywhere; the creatures of this world are more powerful than you are now; the energy you once had is slowly leaving you and you are no longer a threat to this world or any other. I won't kill you – there's no point in that; I'd be no better than you are. So I'll simply take my leave, and leave you here to spend the rest of your time realizing the impact of what you did. But I suppose I do owe you some thanks to an extent – thank you for helping me realize exactly what I needed to do in order to become a stronger person. I'm not just a sidekick anymore, now am I? Well, I better get going. I've got friends waiting on me."

After all...they're the reason I fight in the first place. Ace glanced down at his pocket, where a card appeared to be peeking out just slightly. 'Dewloren, Tiger King of the Ice Barrier', it read. Even in the worst of places, it was possible to gather allies, apparently.

He smiled. Time to head off, then. Riley and the others were waiting for him.

[b]To be continued...[/b][/spoiler]

And there it is. The Tyaro Arc has reached its completion, and 23 will start the Dark Wanderer's arc. This should be good.

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

Okay, I (finally) started reading this. Currently am three chapters in, having no knowledge of the first two stories.

Read and reviewed a few fics today. Glad I managed to find a really good one in the end.

Everything is really clearly explained. Despite the aforementioned not reading the first two Legacies, I pretty much understand all the history from the intro (although if anything that first chapter was perhaps too long, found my interest waning towards the end).The balance of the detail of the surroundings, the interaction between characters and the action was good, and there are enough hooks to keep me interested. Some of the things don't seem to make sense, like those guys not just beating up Ace and giving him a chance to escape seems typical stupid henchmen, but this is YGO after all.

The Next Time things really annoy me as they keep revealing what happens in the chapter before I've opened the spoiler and read it. I'm not opposed to them, but surely they should go in the same/a second spoiler.

Will read more tomorrow. Too knackered to concentrate now.

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Verz Bahamut' timestamp='1320190498' post='5611756']
Okay, I (finally) started reading this. Currently am three chapters in, having no knowledge of the first two stories.

Read and reviewed a few fics today. Glad I managed to find a really good one in the end.

[b]Thanks, that's what I'm aiming for![/b]

Everything is really clearly explained. Despite the aforementioned not reading the first two Legacies, I pretty much understand all the history from the intro (although if anything that first chapter was perhaps too long, found my interest waning towards the end).

[b]The first few Chapters definitely do that. I didn't want them to, but when you think about it, the original was 2008 and it was so poorly written, that I had to catch people up without expecting them to go back and read through all of that. It picks up a bit (I think) once you get to like Chapter 6-7.[/b]

The balance of the detail of the surroundings, the interaction between characters and the action was good, and there are enough hooks to keep me interested. Some of the things don't seem to make sense, like those guys not just beating up Ace and giving him a chance to escape seems typical stupid henchmen, but this is YGO after all.

[b]When Ace comes in, he actually sneaks behind them so they don't see him; Ace has a martial arts background which is explained later in the story, too, so it's not as though he's a generic (omg let's duel) guy, he'll fight just as well as he'll duel.[/b]

The Next Time things really annoy me as they keep revealing what happens in the chapter before I've opened the spoiler and read it. I'm not opposed to them, but surely they should go in the same/a second spoiler.

[b]I stopped doing those after five or six for the exact reason you mentioned. They're not there anymore after those Chapters.[/b]

Will read more tomorrow. Too knackered to concentrate now.
[/quote]

[Synchronized]

[size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][spoiler=Episode 23: Future Visions Part 1]
Episode 23: Future Visions Part 1

“Scrap Twin Dragon, take out his monster with Shrapnel Excursion Burst!” Rayori commanded as Riley stepped back, allowing the two-headed mechanical dragon to fire repeated bursts of energy at the grotesque orc standing across from them, which had challenged him to a duel and – similar to the Gigantes – was unable of communicating via human language. They'd managed to recoup rather nicely and were in full gear towards the Wanderer's castle, where they would hopefully find Crystal and manage to recruit her to their side.

Unfortunately, there were plenty of roadblocks along the way, and it became evident the more they traveled that the Wanderer and his forces were well aware of their journey. Plenty of creatures had already attacked them, some via dueling, some via force, but they'd managed to hold their own relatively well – Rayori could sense that the creatures were purposely weak, as though the Wanderer wanted to (or needed to, for that matter) finish them himself, and was just trying to wear them out before the big battle that wasn't as far away as they'd like to think.

They had been taking turns dueling, in addition to trying to figure out how Riley had managed to unlock his power, controlling the armor and weaponry of Gorz, the Emissary of Darkness – his celestial guardian – despite being unable to find the card that had once been a part of his Deck. The memory of using Gorz against the Dark General was vividly in his mind, but what happened after the duel was a blur, and the card was gone. Gorz himself was likely with the rest of the Celestials at the Divine Temple, where they were supposed to go (and would do so immediately after finding Crystal) for instructions, to truly be filled in on what they were dealing with.

Of course, Ace was on his mind as well; Rayori had brought him up to speed with the details, but neither one of them knew at this point whether Ace was alive, dead, injured, or what Tyaro's status was, for that matter. They knew nothing more than the fact that Ace had agreed to carry out a mission back on Earth. Riley had no doubt he'd pull it off, and that he'd see his friend sooner, rather than later. It was a feeling he knew was there.

The most recent ambush had been at the hands of a pack of Giant Orc, which they had managed to clear with the exception of one final monster, whom Rayori was dueling now. The Orc had used a variety of beat down monsters, a bunch of powerhouses, but no Spells or Traps at all, and whenever a monster of his attacked, it would be changed to defense mode thereafter. Once Rayori picked up on the weakness, he used it to his advantage, and managed to bring out Scrap Twin Dragon, ending this duel in a crushing blow as the Orc let out a piercing roar before vanishing like the others, leaving nothing but the white bone club it carried in its place.

“Phew,” Riley sighed, leaning over to catch his breath. “About time we got rid of those things. I'm not sure how many more I could havee taken in one sitting. Not to mention, the smell is hideous.”

“I don't think now's the time to get comfortable,” Rayori responded, and Riley acknowledged him with a nod. “The castle's not too far off now, I can see it. The closer we get, the more likely we are to be ambushed; it's likely that this was just the beginning. He seems to like playing games with us.”

[i]That guy...[/i] Riley clenched his fists, battling back emotion. [i]I'm gonna make him pay for taking my friend away from me! Wanderer, if you can hear me, you better hope she's okay, because if not, it'll be even worse for you![/i]

[i]I'm worried about him.[/i] Rayori sighed. Riley had begun to recover, and he was coming along fine, but the closer they got to the castle, the more the emotion began to build up inside of him. Not that it wasn't justified, but the risk of Riley losing his cool and rushing into things once they arrived at the castle could ruin any chance they had of actually [i]saving[/i] Crystal. “Just remember, we have the upper hand right now; he knows we're coming, but he doesn't know why. We're not going to fight now, we have to avoid the fighting any chance we get. The wild monsters are one thing; that's unavoidable, but we can't pick any fights because it'll give us away. If you want to save Crystal, we have to be smart about this.”

The castle was visible from a distance; covered somewhat by the dark clouds and immeasurable amounts of mist surrounding it, you could still make out the massive size of the building, and it looked almost unforgiving as those inhabiting it. It was something straight out of a medieval movie, but worse. The Dark General had been bad enough, but it seemed his inheritor was even worse. Rayori shuddered at the state of Diamond City and the human world; if the Virus system had in fact, been activated, thousands if not more lives could have been lost already. He had to hope that Ace had been able to defeat Tyaro, but there was no way of knowing now.

“What's the point in standing around waiting?” Riley asked, and Rayori noticed upon giving him his attention that the boy's expression had changed from a casual one to a look of pure seriousness. “That guy...the Dark Wanderer, he needs a real ass kicking. But first, we have to get Crystal back. I've let down enough people; it's time I change that.”

“[i]We[/i] change that.” Rayori interrupted. “We're in this together.”

“Right,” Riley nodded, “then lets go.”

- - -

They were nearing the castle now, traveling at a faster-than-normal pace and thankfully avoiding most of the opposition; not to say there hadn't been some Duel Spirits, but they were clueless for the most part and were easy to hide from. The less they had to fight right now, the more strength they'd have for when they really needed it.

“Hold up,” Rayori put his arm out. “Did you hear that?”

“No,” Riley replied quietly; if there was something there, he didn't want to be too loud and give away their location. “Why, what's going on?”

“I'm not sure; I thought I heard feint rustling.” It was nothing too intense, but Rayori knew for sure he'd heard something. But where would it hide? They were in a desert that was – for the most part – wide open. It's not exactly easy to hide yourself, especially for a duel spirit, in the open. Quickly, he placed his hand in his pocket, grabbing the blade just in case. “Let's keep moving, but be careful. I think we're being followed.”

“Halt,” a monotone voice called out. “You not take another step. This is direct order.”

[i]What the?[/i] Both of them whipped around at once, marveled at the sight behind them. The figure looked almost human, at least in form. It appeared to have normal legs, with an upper body comprised of steel, metal plating and an armor of sorts covering the upper torso entirely. The face was robotic too, though one eye appeared to be normal while the other was clearly technically designed, and the mouth was robotic, perhaps explaining the odd sense of grammar. At least it could speak English. It was wielding a sword, one that had a few cracks no less, and upon their turning around, it held the sword up, as the weapon took the form of a duel disk, similar in structure, attaching itself to the android's arm.

“He doesn't look friendly,” Riley quirked. “You think he's on our side?” As he asked, the young duelist had already activated his duel disk, prepared to take on this challenge after his friend had handled the last one.

“Something tells me he's not here to make friends, no.” Rayori replied sarcastically, not comfortable with engaging in a duel right now, but realizing they didn't have much of a choice. Again, this didn't look like a guy they could take down in hand to hand combat.

“You Riley Storm. And you, Rayori Malix. I know all. I see all. I sent to crush you!”

[i]It knows who we are?! [/i]Both of them remarked in shock at the same time; how was that possible?

“Not to be rude, but I'm not feeling the crush thing right now, I'd rather beat you instead! Duel!” Riley pressed the red button on his duel disk, activating it. Game on.

- - -

“I make first move,” the bot drew. “I summon Psychic-Type monster Psychic Snail.” It spoke in a voice so robotic, it was almost intimidating. “It has been predicted that you summon Reborn Tengu on turn one, so I set card face-down to counter attack. Turn end.”

[spoiler=Psychic Snail]
Level 4/EARTH
Psychic/Effect
Once per turn, you can pay 800 Life Points to select 1 other Psychic-Type monster you control. The selected monster can attack twice during each Battle Phase. This card cannot attack during the turn this effect is activated.
1900/1200[/spoiler]

[i]Did he predict my move? But how![/i] It was true; Riley had drawn Tengu in his opening hand, and up until just a second ago had planned to open with it, for even if it was destroyed he'd be able to grab another copy. But if the bot knew that was his plan, and was prepared to counter, maybe he should take a different route instead. “I think I'll just summon a monster face-down in Defense Mode, and toss a face-down card with it. You're up.”

Rayori wasn't sure what to make of this yet. It could be that the bot was just trying to bluff them, but to boldly predict Riley's first move, knowing everything that was going on, someone, or some[i]thing[/i] was feeding it this information. Perhaps they really were being watched, and if that was the case and this thing knew every move Riley would make, they stood no chance of making it out of here alive. The question was, if Riley's strategy changed like it just did, would that make any sort of difference towards the end result? Meaning, did the bot know what the [i]new[/i] face-down monster was? Time to find out.

“I draw again,” the bot said. “And now I summon second Psychic Snail, attack mode.” The green and purple slug appeared right next to the one which had already been there, not showing much of a reaction one way or another. “Now I use Psychic Snail effect, pay 800 points, then other snail allowed to strike you twice in one turn.”

[i]Twice in one turn?! [/i]This was going to sting a little. Riley's face-down, 'Sangan', would let him search a monster from his Deck, which was good for the continuation of the strategy, but he had nothing to block a second attack; at least not a direct one.

“Psychic Snail attack face-down monster, Psychic Swipe.” The snail slithered across the field, making a fist as the face-down Sangan, a furball with three eyes and a fiendish smile appeared, taking the full force of the attack.

[spoiler=Sangan]
Level 3/DARK
Fiend/Effect
When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, add 1 monster from your Deck to your hand with 1500 or less ATK.
1000/600[/spoiler]

“Thanks for that,” Riley said, “because when Sangan's destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, I can grab a monster from my Deck, as long as it has 1500 attack points or less!”

“Upon revelation of battle tactic, you switch up strategy to plan Sangan as opposed to Reborn Tengu.” The bot explained. So Rayori was right. It was just as he expected, when Riley changed it up, he still knew what he was up against. “Per instruction, I play Trap, Debunk.”

[spoiler=Debunk]
[b]Counter Trap Card[/b]
Negate the activation and effect of an Effect Monster that activates in the hand or in the Graveyard, and remove it from play.[/spoiler]

The furball was encased in a ball of light, and warped to another dimension, effectless. “No, he blocked Sangan's effect!”

“You stand no chance of victory, Riley Storm.” Riley braced himself for impact as the Psychic Snail launched its second attack. “I know all. I have been instructed to crush you.”

[i]Jeesh, sounds like a broken record.[/i] Riley thought to himself before the Snail struck him, sending him flying backwards into the sand.

[b]Riley's Life Points: [/b]2100

He stood up, hurting. It was nothing new, though. He had more than enough Life Points to keep fighting, but the problem was, if his opponent knew every move he would make, what difference would the fighting realistically make? How could he throw the opponent off guard? Or was it really the robot he had to throw off? If someone was controlling it, or “instructing” it, how was that someone able to know his moves? If he could find that source, he'd be able to turn the game around a bit.

“I'm not going to sugar coat it, that one hurt pretty bad.” Riley looked at Rayori, trying to read his feelings on the whole thing. “But come on, that's what this is about, right? Surviving the assault's only making me stronger.”

“Survival is not an option for you.” The bot chimed in, ever so sweetly. Riley was already annoyed with hearing it speak. “You shall suffer defeat. It is impossible to overcome strategy when every move you make is already identified.”

[i]I wonder what he's expecting my next move to be. I've got Dragonic Assault my hand, which I could use to bring out a couple of Dragons from my Deck and take those Snails out, but perhaps he's expecting that already? Either way, he didn't set anything, so there's no counterattack. I can at least get those Snails off the field.[/i] “You might know my strategy, but can you counter it? Because I'm gonna put your so called psychic skills to the test, with Dragonic Assault!”

[spoiler=Dragonic Assault]
[b]Normal Spell Card[/b]
Activate only if you control no monsters while your opponent controls 2 or more monsters. Special Summon up to 2 Level 4 or lower Dragon-Type monsters from your Deck in face-up Attack Position. The Summoned monster(s) cannot be Tributed or used for a Synchro Summon, and are destroyed during the End Phase.[/spoiler]

“Since you cleared my field, I get a chance to fight back now, by bringing out two monsters, Alexandrite Dragon and Spear Dragon!”

[spoiler=Alexandrite Dragon]
LIGHT/Level 4
Dragon
[i]Many of the czars' lost jewels can be found in the scales of this precious dragon. Its creator remains a mystery, along with how they acquired the imperial treasures. But whosoever finds this dragon has hit the jackpot.... whether they know it or not.[/i]
2000/100[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Spear Dragon]
WIND/Level 4
Dragon/Effect
This card inflicts piercing Battle Damage. When this card attacks, it is changed to Defense Position at the end of the Damage Step.
1900/0[/spoiler]

[i]Wow, I guess Riley's not holding back at all here.[/i] Rayori had no doubt Riley knew what he was doing, but he questioned the effectiveness of making such a big move when the cyborg would likely predict it; he was wasting his resources. [i]I hope you know what you're doing...[/i]

“Two monsters. Though I did not know the exact ones, stats were confirmed, counter attack set in effect.” The bot wasn't speaking to anyone directly; it seemed to be analyzing the situation and looking at the best move it could make.

“[i]I did not know the exact ones”[/i]. The words clicked within Riley's head like a light switch. So the only way the bot knew the exact statistics was if the monster was in his hand; utilizing the Deck might be his only way to really turn this around. Rayori had noticed it took, as evidenced by the glance they exchanged. “No more time to waste, Alexandrite Dragon take out his Psychic Snail with Gem Shatterstorm!” The psuedo-crystallized dragon let loose a flurry of sharp crystals from its mouth, destroying one of the snails and eliciting a somewhat strange reaction from the cyborg as its Life Points decreased.

[b]Cyborg's Life Points[/b]: 3900

“Now, Spear Dragon, attack with Emerald Blaze!” The jade-colored dragon collided with the snail – both of their attacks identical – and they were both destroyed, leaving neither duelist to take Life Point damage there. [i]Thanks for the sacrifice, pal. It won't be in vein. [/i]

“At turn's end, both monsters on your field are destroyed, and sent to Graveyard.” The bot said, stating that which Riley already knew.

“Almost,” Riley showed a smile, “except there's a loophole. Since Spear Dragon's gone, the Spell can't destroy both monsters, so Alexandrite's here to stay.”

“This does not compute.” The bot showed frustration, as best a mechanical face could. “Logic “loophole” not detected.”

[i]He managed to outsmart it![/i] [i]It'll take more than that to win, but at least now he's got a monster on the field and he's not wide open. Time to take it home. [/i]Rayori continued to watch, puzzled by the cyborg's reaction.

“It does not matter. Duel continue, my draw.” The cyborg selected a monster from his hand, placing it on the field, this time in Defense Mode. Did this mean he was playing defense, or was something bigger about to happen? “Summon, Psi Blocker, defense.”

[spoiler=Psi Blocker]
Level 4/WIND
Psychic/Effect
Once per turn, you can declare 1 card name. Cards with that name, and their effects, cannot be used until the end of your opponent's next turn.
1200/300[/spoiler]

[i]Something's not right here. That thing's only got three-hundred defense points.[/i] Riley couldn't shake the feeling that the bot had figured out (or perhaps had from the beginning) a way to get Alexandrite Dragon off the field. What made it confusing was now, by playing his android in Defense Mode, once the dragon was gone, he had no way to strike with an attack. So why hold back?
“Now that Psi-Blocker on field, I play Spell Card Psychokinesis.” A blast of electrostatic psychic energy shot across the field, warping with the dragon and destroying it. “This card takes your monster off field, as long as Psychic-Type monster is on my field. Qualifications are fulfilled, and therefore your dragon is destroyed. In addition, user takes one-thousand damage.”

[b]Cyborg's Life Points:[/b] 2900

It didn't even flinch as the damage struck. If anything, Riley was relieved with that Psi-Blocker in defense; he'd be safe for a turn. “Before turn end, I activate Psi-Blocker's ability. Since next card you draw is 'Thunder King Rai-Oh', Psi-Blocker declares and blocks you from using card in any way, until end of your next turn.”

[i]There's no way my next card is...[/i] Riley was silenced as he picked up the card, adding it to his hand. It was, in fact, 'Thunder King Rai-Oh', a card that definitely would have come in handy, though unfortunately now he had no way of using it. [i]How am I supposed to win a duel when my opponent is prepared to block every move I'll make? I'm all for taking risks, but it's so pointless now, it won't make any sort of difference! I have to pull it together, there's got to be a way to take him down![/i]

[i]Riley's been lucky enough to avoid taking any damage outside of the first attack, so even though he's at a disadvantage, his strength is still there. But one more attack, and any chance of turning this around might be too late.[/i] Rayori stared off into the distance, worried. [i]There has to be someone controlling this thing, instructing it of the moves, there's no way it's complex enough to know this on its own, especially with that error it made earlier predicting the monsters Riley would summon from the Deck. If he can just figure out how to play around that, he can win...[/i]

Riley glanced over his hand; he couldn't afford to slack now. Maybe he could throw it off with this. “I activate the Spell Card Pot of Duality!”

[spoiler=Pot of Duality]
[b]Normal Spell Card[/b]
Pick up the top 3 cards from your Deck and reveal them. Select 1, and add it to your hand. Then, shuffle the remaining cards into your Deck.[/spoiler]

“With this, I'm grabbin the top three cards, and I can take any one of them and add it to my hand! So let's see!” He picked up the cards, first 'Necro Gardna', second 'Allure of Darkness', and third, 'Spirit Fusion'. The choice was obvious. So he had to make the one this bot wouldn't expect. Yet that wasn't the game plan. “I think I'll take Spirit Fusion to my hand, and now the other two cards go right back!” He shuffled the Deck, watching the bot carefully as it processed the information, trying to formulate the strategy. So he shuffled again, and a third time, picking up the pace with each one to continue to test the waters.

[i]What's he doing? [/i]Rayori watched curiously.

A fourth shuffle, and the bot was struggling to keep up now; it was evident by the blankness of its face – even the human eye appeared confused. “Error, processing error, information not read! Error!” It had worked! The theory that whoever was feeding the bot the information couldn't keep up with the shuffling in enough time to keep the information current, meant that the bot would eventually be unable to take in the information, essentially frying it from the inside. A risky strategy, but surprisingly it had paid off just as he expected it to. Still, this turn he didn't have much of an option; he had no defense method, so he'd have to take the direct attack and finish this duel next turn, when the bot could no longer predict his movements. “I end.”

“Duhjfkgj,” The words cut out, becoming illegible. Even the bot didn't know what it was saying, so it simply ordered the blocker to attack, changing it to attack position. The steel-clad android leapt across the field, firing a blast of energy towards Riley's chest, sending him back but not with as much force as the Snail's attack had earlier.

[b]Riley's Life Points: [/b]900

He felt himself somewhat shut down, almost unable to breathe as the attack took its expected toll. But he wasn't out yet; he knew the attack would hit hard and took it willingly, because his face-down card, combined with the card he'd just drawn, would be enough to end this game. About time.

“System malfunctioning, system -”

“Don't give out on me just yet, pal, at least let me finish this one up! I activate the Trap Card Power Grasp!” Riley shouted, pressing the red button on his duel disk to reveal the one face-down card he'd set on his first turn.

[spoiler=Power Grasp]
[b]Normal Trap Card[/b]
Activate only when your opponent inflicts Battle Damage with a direct attack and this is the only card on your field. Both players discard their hands and draw 5 cards.[/spoiler]

[i]Time for a refresh! [/i]“Now, we both discard our hands and grab five new cards, it's like we're starting over!” The bot couldn't respond with words, but it carried out the command as the card required, drawing new cards at the same time. It was only a matter of minutes before it completely shut down, or worse.

“One card fa-” and the bot cut out again as it placed a face-down card on the field.

“I hear you loud and clear,” Riley said, drawing a card, toying with the enemy at this point. “But I'm totally ready to bring an end to this one! By banishing Reborn Tengu from my Graveyard, I can take Spirit Fusion from my Graveyard to my hand.!”

“Riley, you think you got this?!” Rayori exclaimed, sensing a renewed hope in his friend, who just minutes ago had looked like he didn't stand a chance in the world. How could he regain that confidence so quickly? How did he know that overshuffling would be the answer? Riley continued to surprise him more and more...

“Next, I think I'll activate it!”

[spoiler=Spirit Fusion]
[b]Quick-Play Spell Card[/b]
Return to your Deck, from your Graveyard or Banished Zone, Fusion Material Monsters listed on a WIND Fusion Monster, and Special Summon that monster from your Extra Deck. This is treated as a Fusion Summon. During the End Phase, banish that monster and take damage equal to its original ATK. You can banish 1 WIND monster from your Graveyard to add this card from your Graveyard to your hand.[/spoiler]

“By taking the Necro Gardna from my Graveyard, and the Spear Dragon I removed from play earlier, I can place them back in my Deck and use them to Fusion Summon a new monster!” Riley placed his fallen monsters back into the Deck, as the bot watched with a blank expression. “Say hello to the card that will end this duel, Spear Gardna!”

[spoiler=Spear Gardna]
"Spear Dragon" + "Necro Gardna"
The ATK and DEF of this card equal to the number of cards in your hand x 1000. When this card attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict Piercing Battle Damage to your opponent. During your opponent's Standby Phase, you can remove from play this card in your Graveyard. If you do, your opponent cannot declare an attack this turn.
?/?[/spoiler]

A creature embodying the form of Necro Gardna, an average height warrior clad in iron armor, with blue shoulder pads and a long white ponytail, but sporting the wings of Spear Dragon, appeared on the field. Its right arm was comprised of a sharp spear, and by encasing the entire arm, allowed it to have much more fluid movements with it in battle.

[i]It's been a while since I've seen that thing in action. This should be fun. Never though I'd say that here.[/i] Rayori laughed to himself, but it wasn't a laughter of relief. Just temporarily distracting him from the chaos at hand, he supposed.

“I know you're smart and all, but your system's fried, so let me help you out with the math!” Riley exclaimed, knowing he'd get no response. “Since I have five cards in my hand, Spear Gardna gains a total of five thousand attack points, one thousand for each! Now attack, with Shining Spear Slash!”

Slowly, the winged warrior took flight, hovering only slightly above the ground before it went up more, towering over the Psi-Blocker at this point, and a bright light began to surround the spear that was its right arm, as it took off downwards; one shot would end it, and it struck, as the smaller android vanished into pixels.

“This duel not over,” the android was somehow still standing. “Trap Card, Telepathic Power, activate.”

[spoiler=Telepathic Power]
[b]Normal Trap Card[/b]
Activate only when a Psychic-Type monster you control is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard. Destroy the monster that attacked it and gain Life Points equal to its ATK.[/spoiler]

As the Psi-Blocker reappeared, almost holographic in form, it fired sound waves, trying to take the Spear Gardna down with it. Rayori was nervous; that had been Riley's last opening and now, if he couldn't win here...

“Have a little confidence in me, wipe that depressing look off your face!” Riley turned to Rayori and grinned in a joking manner, as Rayori couldn't help but smile. “Those theatrics weren't just for show, I can't possibly lose here after talking all that crap earlier, so I think I'll use the Necro Shield Trap in my Graveyard!”

[spoiler=Necro Shield]
[b]Normal Trap Card[/b]
When this card is activated, banish it. You can remove from play this card in your Graveyard to select 1 “Necro” monster you control, or a Fusion Monster that lists a “Necro” monster as Fusion Material, and negate the activation and effect of a card that would destroy the selected monster.[/spoiler]

A spherical shield surrounded the warrior, repelling the sound waves and forcing the psychic android back into the Graveyard. “Now, where were we? Oh, right, Spear Gardna, finish this one up!”

[b]Cyborg's Life Points[/b]: 0

- - -

As the game reached its end, there was silence for a moment. The bot still stood, showing no reaction, but they weren't aware if he was alive...or what. Seconds later came the answer, as the malfunctioning continued, and it was overcome by some outside energy, a purple aura to be specific, that consumed it entirely, as if it had never been there.

“So how'd you do it?” Rayori asked, as Riley turned around to face him. “It came to you, just like that. How?”

“I dunno, really.” The sometimes-clueless duelist answered. “Simple, I guess. No way that thing was acting on its own, so when I saw the programming flaw with Dragonic Assault, I figured maybe shuffling would throw it off? Totally on the fly, bro.”

[i]Only you.[/i] Rayori sighed, smiling to himself. Riley truly was one of a kind. One minute he'd be taking things extremely seriously, and the next, he'd be completely clueless and out there. It kept things interesting, at least. But the time for laughing, and appreciating the moment was over. No chance he'd missed that purple aura; it played a significant role here. Thinking back, he'd noticed a similar color – only a hint of it – when he first saw something following them.

What had started out as a simple journey to the castle was becoming much, much more than he'd intended with these stupid roadblocks.

“Hey, um, Rayori?” Quickly, he snapped out of the trance-like state he'd gone into and looked to Riley. “You seein' what I'm seein'?”

There was no need to look twice. Floating in front of them, surrounded by that purple aura that he [i]knew[/i] played significance of some kind, was what looked a little like a young girl, though more like a doll than anything else. She, or [i]it[/i] had a pair of wings, and a look of innocence that was too frightening to be real.

“If you're seeing a floating evil barbie,” Rayori gulped as he spoke, “then yeah, we're on the same page.”

“[i]Riley Storm, it is about time we meet. Oh, how long I've awaited this moment.[/i]”

[b]To be continued...[/b][/spoiler]

[i]Here we go, the first episode of the "Descent into Darkness" arc. Anyone guess the Duel Spirit Riley dueled? It's a [b]Psychic-Type[/b]. I'll give a rep to the first person to get it.[/i][/font][/size]

[Synchronized]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][spoiler=Episode 24: Future Visions Part 2][/font][/size]
[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=3]Episode 24: Future Visions Part 2[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]“[size=3]Hey, um, Rayori?” Quickly, he snapped out of the trance-like state he'd gone into and looked to Riley. “You seein' what I'm seein'?”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=3]There was no need to look twice. Floating in front of them, surrounded by that purple aura that he knew played significance of some kind, was what looked a little like a young girl, though more like a doll than anything else. She, or it had a pair of wings, and a look of innocence that was too frightening to be real.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]“[size=3]If you're seeing a floating evil barbie,” Rayori gulped as he spoke, “then yeah, we're on the same page.”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]“[size=3][i]Riley Storm, it is about time we meet. Oh, how long I've awaited this moment.[/i]”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=3]Perhaps the fact that it knew his name would have concerned him normally, but things like that were becoming commonplace here. It was obvious this girl had something to do with the cyborg he'd just dueled, and for a moment the thought that maybe [i]she[/i] was the one controlling it, with mind powers of sorts, passed through his head, but he did away with it; that would have been too easy; why would she just reveal herself so soon? No, that wasn't it. There was another purpose for her showing up. [/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=3]Rayori on the other hand was prepared for a fight, if need be. This one didn't look near as powerful, but something about her, her [i]presence[/i] in general, was intimidating, and he couldn't quite figure out what. All he knew was he sensed a true evil, something much worse than what had appeared in front of them, was at work. He could fight if they had to, but the only leads on anything they had right now was this creature, so he decided to wait and hear what she had to say; they didn't have much choice.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]“[size=3]Excuse me for not being up to date,” Riley said. “But I've got no idea who you are.”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]“[size=3][i]Nor should you. It's different than you'd expect, see. I know you, but sadly, you don't know me; we haven't had a chance to get truly acquainted. But I suppose all that will come in due time; we have to be patient.[/i]” The girl smiled, and the innocence was still evident, a mocking innocence that was not real, but was there at the same time. “[i]I see you met my friend; it's a shame he met such a disappointing fate, but fear not, his sacrifice will not go unrewarded. At least not in the grand scheme of things.[/i]”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]“[size=3]Your friend? You mean that cyborg thing?” Riley asked, realizing now that – or at least it was presented so – they were not meeting a friend; rather, another enemy. “You created it?”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]“[size=3][i]You could say that, I suppose. But I prefer to say I gave him life, restored his being. You see, he was once a human, from your world, but a tragic accident put an end to that, and nearly ended his life. But he was given the opportunity to come here and survive, and by becoming the cyborg you saw and dueled, he was able to lead a fulfilling life.[/i]”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]“[size=3]You call that fulfilling?!” Riley's veins tensed up, as he clenched his fist thinking about the fact that the spirit he'd just dueled was in fact, not a spirit at all; but a human. “By forcing him to lead a life devoid of existence, of personality, by serving as a pawn?! That's not fulfilling at all!”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]“[size=3][i]You wouldn't understand – you've never met such a fate, Riley, and don't worry, we don't take your comments personally. You're just saying what is expected of you.[/i]” The girl replied, showing no difference of emotion in response to Riley's anger.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]“[size=3]What do you mean [i]we[/i]? Who else is there?!”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]“[size=3][i]Don't ask so many questions, you take the fun out of all of this. Before you meet your final fate, you will understand everything and why it's happening; it's all for a great cause.[/i]” She smiled; but this time, the innocence was no longer there. “[i]The cyborg you defeated was the first of three opponents you must face before you reach the castle that so long awaits you, in order to save your friend Crystal. But I must warn you, she is no longer the girl you think her to be. She has willingly chosen to join the cause just as I have, and you will not be able to restore her to the girl you used to know.[/i]”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=3][i]Uh-oh, that one's going to strike a chord for sure.[/i] Rayori prepped his weapon just in case, knowing Riley's unpredictability could act up at any moment. This was what he was fighting for after all, to save his friend above all else, and this girl not only knew her, but was an ally of sorts. At least that's what he could gather from it. What this meant though, was that those at the castle [i]did[/i] know why they were coming, contrary to what he'd thought of as an advantage earlier.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]“[size=3]It's funny,” Riley said, clearly holding his anger in as he was shaking from head to toe. “I keep hearing that, that there's no hope left, that I should probably just give up and go home, but maybe, maybe it's the stubbornness inside my heart that tells me to keep fighting? Maybe it's the fact that I made mistakes I shouldn't have made, I abandoned people I care about, and you could be right, you know; I might not be able to restore her to the girl I used to know, but I'm going to do everything I can to try; even if it means my life is lost in the process.”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]“[size=3][i]Your words, they are so full of emotion, and power. This sense of certainty, the refusal to accept what is true, and take that which is true and change it, it's unlike anything I've ever seen. You may not be physically strong, but you're perhaps the most emotionally determined person, human or spirit alike, I've ever met in my life.[/i]” The girl said, clearly , almost admiring Riley's spirit. “[i]Crystal welcomes your challenge, and your attempts to try and right your wrongs, but it is far too late for that. The castle you see, the one there,” [/i]she pointed north, exposing that she was in fact a hologram, and not really there. “[i]That is our home, yet it is not as close as it appears. Around your necks, you will see what is called the Soul Key.[/i]”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=3]They both looked down, Riley and Rayori, to find a silver chain, with a small cylinder at the bottom. It consisted of three circles, one of which was already lit up, purple in color. “[i]The first circle has already been activated, by collecting the soul of the Duel Spirit which you've beaten. As I said, there are two more, and you must beat them, if you wish to have any chance of finding and saving your friend. I should warn you, both of these spirits used to be humans as well, just like I was.[/i]”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=3]That one was a bit shocking, and Riley had never seen it coming. Looking at the girl, you could never tell she had been human; all of those qualities were gone, and nothing but an invisible evil remained. But what she was telling them was unlike anything he'd expected to hear; in order to save Crystal, he had to take the souls of three humans, which in turn would make him no better than this evil or the Dark Wanderer himself, who had kept himself in hiding, and would presumably continue to do so, for now.[/size][/font][/size]
[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=3]Rayori couldn't help but doubt Riley's ability to continue with this now. It might have been easier to make their way to the Divine Temple and gather with the celestials, but somehow he knew that option wouldn't be on the table, at least not now, and there would be no difference until they had made it to the castle. [i]Can Riley follow through with this, knowing what we have to do? And even then, can I?[/i][/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]“[size=3][i]But I'm revealing far too much. Once you collect the three souls, your Soul Keys will activate, and take you here. The future looks bleak for the two of you, my predictions tell me so. But we're all anxiously awaiting your arrival.[/i]”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=3]And with that, she was gone.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]“[size=3]Riley,” Rayori asked, “are you alri-”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]“[size=3]Don't say a word,” came the response. “This world is nothing but evil now. All the good is being pushed away slowly, leaving spirits to go into hiding to protect themselves from the evils that the Wanderer has released upon it. Using humans as pawns, as experiments, and pitting us against one another? This adds another dimension to the world; consider me a coward but I don't find it right to harm another human being, or another spirit for that matter, not those that are good; we're all the same in that respect. What if what happened to the rest of those humans happens to Crystal, too? Are they all just pawns in this game?”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]“[size=3]I don't even know what to say, man.” Rayori replied. “Normally I'd try to say something reassuring, that we can do this, but we're just two people, I'm not sure how we can be expected to make this kind of decision. But you're right; we have to save Crystal. We need all the help we can get.”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]“[size=3]We're up against a bunch of ESP Duelists; that thing can read our minds, predict the future, so she knows exactly what moves we'll be making; we have to face two more of these humans will be in the same situation as the first, but most likely stronger than the others. The shuffle trick that worked against that bot most likely won't work the second time around.” Riley stared at the ground; the thought of having to kill other humans, just to save Crystal, was something he couldn't come to terms with. But if he left, abandoned this quest, then he would just be leaving her again. It was his fault she'd gotten in this state to begin with.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]“[size=3]Look at it this way,” Rayori explained. “We don't have much of a choice; it's either we retreat and let Crystal plummet further into darkness, or we risk it all, take out these other two enemies, and hope that once we finally defeat this evil, maybe their lives can be restored, and everything can go back to the way it should be.”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]“[size=3]I'm afraid,” he said. “What if I can't do it, man? What if the morality overcomes me, and I can't go through with it?”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]“[size=3]You can't think like that; by beating these spirits, they can finally achieve peace, and return to the humanity that once was a part of them, but now, is no longer.” Riley looked up, and stared into his eyes. Putting it that way definitely made it a little easier to think about. [/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=3]He grabbed the key around his neck, holding it. [i]I'm not only going to do this for Crystal, and the Spirit World, and back home; I'm going to do it for them, too. I have to be strong.[/i][/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=3][i]- - -[/i][/size][/font][/size]
[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=3]Often times, he'd sit back and wonder what would have happened if he'd been just a few minutes later to the park that day. It was just a normal day, as he headed out to meet Ace and Crystal at the park for a day of dueling, but like normal, he'd been running a few minutes late, from oversleeping or something like that. Meaningless, now. They all shared a good laugh as he looked around to find someone to duel, looking to test his skills. It was that day he'd met [i]Shadow[/i], who would later be revealed as Kyrento, one of the seven duelists who helped to save the world in the original Chaos Wars; the son of Cylix, from whom Rayori received his own blade. Of course Cylix had been the original guardian of the Spirit World, and had passed his own skills down to Rayori, who still had much more to learn.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=3]But it was that duel, that day that started this chain of events, the one that introduced them to the Spirit World. He had given in to the power of darkness, striving to become more powerful in order to defeat Crystal in a duel. He'd never been able to beat her, just dueling for fun, but eventually it began to make him doubt his own worth as a duelist, and so he searched to find a way to do so. Once he gave into that darkness, he actually [i]did[/i] defeat her, but that was the one and only time, and that duel didn't count. In two years, he had to establish this sense of maturity. When lives were truly on the line, overconfidence and lame jokes didn't cut it anymore. He never expected when he stepped out of his house that day that he'd been in another dimension, forced between losing his best friend or taking innocent lives.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=3]It had all lead up to the battle with the Dark General, who seemed friendly now compared to everything else they were going through. All seven of them, Riley, Rayori, Crystal, Ace, Andrix, Kyrento, and Steven, they'd all come together (in spirit) with their Celestial Guardians to defeat the evil and banish him from this world, to the shadows forever. But after that, everything returned to normal. His life had no purpose; he'd lost his friends, he'd lost everything because he'd just stopped caring, and thinking back on it now, there was no reason why. It was so important to truly fix things, to save the world, and most importantly, [i]save his own world[/i].[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=3]Rayori had stayed with him this entire time, the two of them navigating this world where everything was so...real. The damage was real, the pain was real, and the emotion made you stronger. So few people even knew of its existence; people didn't know of the battles and the pain that they were enduring here, and even if they did, what were the chances of them taking it seriously? Everything had changed in such a short period of time. Two years, and life would never be like it had been before that day at the park. He'd actually taken a human life, just then, just moments ago. You could never go back from something like that.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=3]It would only get worse, too. But at the end of the day, if he could save this world and save his friends, the guilt would never truly disappear, but maybe, just maybe there would be a chance for them yet.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=3]- - - [/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]“[size=3]I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this key's acting up, and I'm pretty sure that's not good!” Rayori exclaimed, snapping Riley out of thought.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]“[size=3]That's gotta be the second duelist, the second of three!”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]“[size=3]Let's try and get away while we can, and recoup.” Rayori said. “We'll have to face him soon, but I'm not sure if we have the mental capacity to do it yet; let the information sink in and we'll try to hide for just a few minutes at least.”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=3]If they could even hide at all.[/size][/font][/size]
[size=2][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=3][b]To be continued...[/b][/spoiler][/size][/font][/size]

[~Tico~]

Is the Spirit Reinforced Human Psychic Borg?

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Rai of the Illuminence' timestamp='1320281157' post='5613951']
Is the Spirit Reinforced Human Psychic Borg?
[/quote]

Why yes, yes it is. I'm actually impressed with the quickness in figuring that out especially since I've never seen you read my story before. o_o

[~Tico~]

Haha, that's true, I've never commented before, but i have read a portion of your fic before, so yeah.
P.s. what's a rep, anyway?

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Rai of the Illuminence' timestamp='1320282049' post='5613990']
Haha, that's true, I've never commented before, but i have read a portion of your fic before, so yeah.
P.s. what's a rep, anyway?
[/quote]

Just like, reputation, I guess is the best way to describe it. Some members care about it, so yeah, just figured I'd try and get people to comment, etc. ^^;

[Synchronized]

Working on Episode 25 today, so hopefully that'll be posted before the night's over. Anyone have any comments, responses, feedback, etc while we wait?

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

Read chapters 6-8 today.

Really enjoyed it. I'm a sucker for all things fantasy and adventure (I got my copy of Inheritance today for goodness sake) so I'm always going to like this whatever happens. Comments are still a bit retrospective for you, sorry about that, I've been tired today.

The Tengu Gardna fusion was a bit strange, for Riley to take Gigantes down with basically an OTK was kinda... dislikable. All the stuff with the Celestial Guardian Rai person was pretty awesome, jerk characters who become sort of a redeemed hero are cool (especially when they're still jerkish like Chazz say).

Writing style is really good. Can't say much more than that and I never do to works I find good, but hey its not like you need to change it if its good is it. Will read more tomorrow.

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Verz Bahamut' timestamp='1320794341' post='5627030']
Read chapters 6-8 today.

Really enjoyed it. I'm a sucker for all things fantasy and adventure (I got my copy of Inheritance today for goodness sake) so I'm always going to like this whatever happens. Comments are still a bit retrospective for you, sorry about that, I've been tired today.

[b]That's alright, I totally understand and hey, any responses is cool; at least it keeps the thread up there and lets me know people are reading. [/b]

The Tengu Gardna fusion was a bit strange, for Riley to take Gigantes down with basically an OTK was kinda... dislikable. All the stuff with the Celestial Guardian Rai person was pretty awesome, jerk characters who become sort of a redeemed hero are cool (especially when they're still jerkish like Chazz say).

[b]Yeah, that seemed to be the universal feeling on that; Umbra pointed out the same thing. Riley's Deck is somewhat comprised of those random fusions, like Spear Gardna,[/b] [b]Shaman, etc. I'm trying to stray away from the luck-based, OTK victories from here on out, unless the story calls for it. Rayori's character was portrayed as a rich, uptight jerk in Season 2, which is why it's important to stress his "evolution", if you will, in this story.[/b]

Writing style is really good. Can't say much more than that and I never do to works I find good, but hey its not like you need to change it if its good is it. Will read more tomorrow.

[b]Thanks dude, looking forward to it.[/b]
[/quote]

Episode 25 is still in the process of being worked on; it'll definitely be a two-parter, I can say that much.

[Synchronized]

25's almost done; should be posted within a few hours. Just figured I'd bump this; I'll edit this post with 25 when it's done.

[Synchronized]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][spoiler=Episode 25: The Faceless One (Part 1)][/font][/size]
[size=3][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3]Episode 25: The Faceless One (Part 1)[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]“[size=3][i]Sister, why is it you hate them so? I can sense an almost friendship between the two of you; love, even. Why do you wish this ill-fate on them? Riley, in particular?”[/i][/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]“[size=3]It is not something I would expect you to understand, Kari.” Crystal sat in her throne, inside the protected walls of the Wanderer's castle, as she spoke to the winged sprite hovering alongside her, at about half her size. “Riley and I used to be best friends; we did everything together. His overconfidence and obxnoxious dueling personality made him likeable, [i]cute[/i] even. I guess you could say there had been feelings there at one point, but not anymore.”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]“[size=3][i]You mean you were more than friends?[/i]”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]“[size=3]Never, no.” Crystal said. “But there were times where I thought something like that could have been a possibility. I never told him this, and I never will; I won't give him the satisfaction of knowing he hurt me.” She wanted to stand up, to walk around the castle and just get some fresh air, but now wasn't the best time. The Wanderer was holding a training session of sorts for the army; a bunch of obnoxious ghouls they were, too. Morons. All she could hear was screaming and jeering; it got annoying after a while, and a while had passed at this point.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]“[size=3][i]I'm afraid I don't understand. Love, what does it feel like? I don't remember much of my human side at all, really. Part of me wishes I could, but at the same time, they told me I shouldn't feel anything.[/i]”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3]To hear the girl speak in such a way was almost disheartening. Or, it would have been at a different time. The experiments had become commonplace, and she suppposed in some ways it was actually brilliant. The more power they could gather, the better. And the easier it made it for her to take over, once the Wanderer had been defeated. In her time at the castle, Crystal had managed to unlock her own [i]celrion[/i], the ability to read minds, and all sorts of cool mind tricks that came with it. Due to her association with the Wanderer, she'd lost communication with her Celestial Guardian, Zerato.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3]She didn't need him, though. The celrion, she'd unlocked it on her own, with no one's help. Her plan at this point was simple; [i]she [/i]had to be the one to duel Riley, and crush him, unleashing all of this pent-up emotion at once, and ridding him of this world forever. From there, she would help the Wanderer to carry out the remainder of his plan to unleash the darkness upon this world. She didn't care much about his intentions; with the power she had now, she could play along long enough to let him lower his guard, where she'd then move in and take over, commanding the army herself.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3]It was Crystal who had assembled the Psychic Trio, three humans-turned-Duel Spirits which she could communicate with via the mind, and using that energy she was able to predict Riley's own moves, as evidenced in his duel with the Reinforced Human Psychic Borg. She had to say, Riley outsmarted here with the shuffling technique, using the weakness of that pitiful machine to win. It wasn't surprising, though. After all, she didn't want any of the trio to actually defeat Riley, just toy with him. They knew not to win, for if they did so, it would ruin everything she'd worked so hard to accomplish.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3]There was always Rayori, who she feared could get in the way. But there was no way to take him out, because if she made any effort, Riley would put himself in place of the attack; it was not easy to play around the boy's emotion, but she had things managed pretty well up to this point. Kari was essential in this, too. The girl had just recently become a Duel Spirit, less than a year ago. She too had the mind abilities, to an extent, though Crystal's were far greater. Crystal would be able to predict all of Riley's moves when they finally did duel, and that alone would ensure she could crush him, make him feel the same pain she felt.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3]It was true she did start to develop feelings for him at one point, but that was gone now. Making this decision was something she'd done on her own, with no outside influence. Everyone abandoned her; they had no care for her, so why should she feel any differently? It was about power now. And the power surging through her felt absolutely incredible. Once she defeated Riley, it would only become stronger. The thoughts and memories of what had once been a great friendship were no longer there, replaced by the hurt and pain she'd been forced to feel. But now, she'd managed to turn that pain and hurt into power, into strength, fueling her to become even stronger. [/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3]Now, to wait. They would complete the Soul Key soon enough, at which point they would arrive here and the duel could finally commence. [i]I've never been so excited for anything in my entire life.[/i][/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3][i]- - -[/i][/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3]A loud silence echoed across the cold, stone walls of the cave in which they’d taken temporary refuge. There were no lights, and using one would give away their location, despite hiding from an enemy that, realistically, they had no choice but to fight. He had hope for at least a few minutes to rest and recover, but at the same time, they couldn’t really afford to waste time.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]“[size=3]Are you sure there was someone there?” Riley asked, his face hidden by the veils of the cave’s darkness.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]“[size=3]I’d bet my life on it,” he said. “I noticed it the second the spirit disappeared; whatever it was, it was moving in a much different way than the first one we faced.”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]“[size=3]Whattya mean?”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]“[size=3]The first opponent you dueled, especially looking back at it now, you can definitely tell it had been a human at one point, you know?” Rayori asked. Riley nodded his head. “This one didn’t have that same movement, in the brief second that I noticed it. It has less human qualities than the first opponent; it’s a lot more like a Duel Spirit.” [i]Which means it’s much more dangerous, and not something we can simply outsmart like Riley did with the first opponent.[/i][/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]“[size=3]I don’t care what it is, we have to duel it, and we have to defeat it,” the boy responded. “As hard as it’s going to be, you heard what that spirit said; Crystal knows we’re coming, and we have to defeat all three of those duelists to complete the Soul Key to get there. There’s no other way out.”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3]The option to retreat and return to the Divine Temple is no longer on the table, not when we’ve come this far towards finding Crystal. Rayori had always been the one to implore logic when need be, but even if he wanted to suggest to Riley that they turn around and return, it would be too late. The Wanderer already knew they were coming, and would likely back them into a corner if retreat was even tried. Plus, that thing, whatever it was, was right outside, and it was only a matter of time before it located them, and the second duel would take place. “I’m with you, there’s no other way to go.”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3]There was no doubt he would support Riley here, but the lingering doubt within his mind was clear: what if Riley were to find Crystal and the spirit was right? What if Crystal had truly made this decision on her own and there was no saving her? Would Riley even be able to continue? How would it affect his state of mind, which was far from clear in the first place? He knew there was no changing his mind – that much had already been established. They were already in it, so now they might as well give it their best shot.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3][i]What was that?[/i] A loud, crushing bang in the background. Both duelists turned around, to see an ever-growing crack forming within the backing of the cave wall; looked ready to burst at any moment, no less. It filled the room with light as it continued to crack, making the stone foundation beneath them completely visible. Riley stood up first and took one step back, pressing his arm against the wall to steady his footing as he reached his arm to Rayori, who grabbed it and stood.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3][i]Looks like I was right! That thing’s not waiting for us to come find it![/i] The walls around them began to crumble as well, and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to know that if they didn’t get out of there soon, everything would crumble down on top of them, and they’d be gone before they even had a chance to fight the battle. As the pieces of rubble continued to shatter and started to fall down around them, Rayori could just barely make out a figure in the distance, again human-like in form, but it ended there. The creature’s face was entirely blank, devoid of anything at all. It was covered in a red jumpsuit uniform, and firing blasts of purple static from its hands, the same that had – he’d realized – surrounded the cave walls, and destroyed them with ease.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]“[size=3]I guess you were right,” Riley said, glancing to his friend for a moment. “Let’s get out of here, then.” They both nodded, and headed for the original crack, hoping to make it out before it capsized. Rayori grabbed the blade from his pocket and ripped it out, opening just in time to stop a shard of rock from crushing them. But the intensity began to increase, with more rocks falling at a rapid pace; he couldn’t keep up with them. Just as one was about to land, Riley pushed him out of the way, forwards out of the range of attack.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3]He looked back as it struck Riley, covering him almost entirely, plummeting into the ground below. He wanted to scream, but couldn’t find the words. Reaching for the blade, Rayori realized it was gone; but how? In just seconds, he’d lost grip of it? There was no way! [/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]“[size=3]Riley, are you alright?!” Rayori called out to his friend, dodging the falling pieces of debris. He jolted backwards, leaning up against what was remaining of the cave wall, where he'd be safe from the attacks for at least a minute, until the enemy realized his change in location. How could the blade have fallen out? One second he'd been using it, the next, it was gone entirely. That didn't seem realistically possible. Now wasn't the time to try and figure it out, as he attempted to kick a few of the fallen rocks out of the way; Riley had to be under there somewhere. [i]Not again, we can't go through this again. I have to get him out of there![/i][/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3]The attacks didn't let up, but Rayori decided to try and brave the risk, shuffling through the pile of rocks, trying to move at least the smaller pieces, hoping he'd find Riley somewhere in the ever increasing pile. There wasn't much in time to react – he wanted to try and analyze the Spirit's attacks, but doing so would throw him off too much, and besides, without the blade, he couldn't fight back. The thing destroyed a cave with minimal effort – no way he'd stand a chance.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]“[size=3]There is no escape!” Rayori heard the Spirit speak for the first time, as the driving force behind the attacks somehow doubled in intensity, literally shattering the remnants of the stone walls now into dust. He had a monotone voice, somewhat “all-knowing” in presentation, suggesting it was worthless to try and escape, for the harder they resisted, the more they would suffer when their attempts to fight back were no longer useful. Rayori continued to search through the rocks, discovering what looked like Riley's arm and a partially ripped t-shirt.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]“[size=3]Riley, you okay man?! Say something!” Rayori called out, frantically. “Don't worry, I'll get you out of there!”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]“[size=3]D...don't worry about me,” came the words, as Riley pushed the small stone on top of him to the side, revealing his face. “I'm not hurt too bad; I've taken worse. Listen, you've got to stop him. I'll survive, but I don't have the strength to move right now...”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3][i]He's right...but how?[/i] “The blade; I had it, and now it's gone; in just the blink of an eye.” He looked around as he spoke; maybe it had fallen in the debris somewhere, but there was no way he'd be able to find it now. Not if survival was an option. [i]We'll have to duel him eventually, but how the hell do I get him to agree to a game when he's clearly trying to kill us?![/i][/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3]The barrage continued, but Rayori'd hatched an idea. If these guys had been sent by Crystal to duel them, perhaps this was an illusion, a deterrence of sorts just to mess with them. The attacks hadn't hit him yet after all, and that had to have been done on purpose; either that, or this guy was really bad with aim. The second one wasn't quite convincing.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3]He stood up, walking slowly into the center of the attack, where the bolts of lightning continued to surround him as the soul key around his neck was aglow with light; it appeared to be reflecting the attacks, acting as a shield of some sort. [i]It's not hitting me on purpose! So it was an effort to lure us out, one that hurt Riley in the process, but he's alive, and it was weakened intentionally to force us out of hiding.[/i][/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]“[size=3]You know, if the whole point of this was to lure me into a duel, one that you're all but certain to lose, you could've just asked,” Rayori quipped. “After all, we weren't hiding, we just needed a few minutes to recoup, and I think I've gotten more than enough to take you down!”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]“[size=3]But you see, it cannot be so.” The Spirit-man lowered his arms and called off the attack; the first part of his task had been completed. While in this sense he did retain some of his humanity, unlike the first, it was difficult to understand why he was unable to simply kill them and be done with it. But the promise they had made, of course that was far more worth it. After all, the predictions had already shown, he would win this duel. Something felt off, though. This boy didn't look like the one from the image; [i]was this not the one he was supposed to duel?[/i][/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]“[size=3]I am Tessaire, the second of three Duelists whom you must face,” the Spirit, Tessaire introduced himself. “I am blessed with the power to predict the future, but unlike the prior opponent, mine is ever-changing. I don't know what will happen now, but your moves cannot be hidden from me; I was given the power to enter your mind, to know your thoughts and that which you fear, and I can use this against you to ensure my victory.”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3][i]I expected this, some kind of ESP bullshit. But enter my mind; what does he mean by that?[/i] Things were getting more strange by the day here, and Rayori was the Guardian of this world. In the few years he'd spent watching over this world, these creatures, he'd never seen nor heard of them, this human project, using humans to turn them into Duel Spirits. Something like that, to have been kept secret for so long, was an incredible feat. Not one he approved of, but nonetheless, it only spoke of the Dark Wanderer's capabilities; what little of them were known. [i]I guess that means it's time to use this Deck again, then. It's been what, eight years now? Let's just hope I'm actually ready for it this time. Something tells me they weren't expecting me to be the opponent here; meaning I have the uncertainty advantage. If I don't know what cards I draw, neither will he, then.[/i][/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]“[size=3]Rayori, you can do this, don't let the mind tricks get to ya!” Riley formed a smile through obvious pain. “After all, I did it, so you should have no problem!”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3][i]If only it were that easy.[/i] “Then let's do this, game on!”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3]- - - [/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3]Tessaire was different from the others, he had been allowed to retain some of his humanity in exchange for agreeing to follow their orders, which up to this point he'd done without hesitance. This power, these powers he'd gained since allowing the project to take hold, they were incredible; he could do anything he wanted; going from a life of nothingness to [i]this[/i], he was glad to carry out their orders. But he had begun to think recently of what he could accomplish on his own, growing these powers even further, eventually returning to the human world and using them to unleash havoc on those who shunned and betrayed him. They had told him he must lose this duel, but what harm would victory do? For it would make no difference, this wasn't even the boy he was supposed to duel. He would win, and he would use his mind powers to do it. No harm done, and it would give him a chance to truly test his own strengths.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3][i]It's been so many years, and yet I can still feel that original connection I felt with these cards. I need you to believe in me now more than ever, guys![/i] “If you don't mind, let me take the first move!” Rayori drew his six cards, but looked at none of them, pointing them all downwards at the ground, to avoid any contact with his eyes. The fourth card in – that was the one he'd start with. “I'll take this card and throw it face-down! Then, I'll Set a monster, and call it a turn!”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3][i]Interesting, a rather quick opening move. Let's see what you've played then, eh?[/i] What's this? No reading at all! Tessaire thought perhaps he'd lost focus, and readjusted his own strength, yet to no avail. Could it be this boy was blocking his own powers? No, he wasn't strong enough for that. So what was it? Not even one turn in and he'd already been thrown off, that wasn't even a possibility.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3]Riley propped himself up against one of the rocks, trying to regain the strength in his upper arms to eventually stand, while keeping a close eye on the duel. It had only taken him a second to notice Rayori's playing strategy, holding his entire hand face-down so as not to look at it. But it was impossible to [i]know[/i] every card he played; wasn't that taking a huge risk, and an unnecessary one at that? This one was going to be interesting.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]“[size=3]Somehow, you've found a way to avoid my mind trick, but it's only the first turn of the duel,” he said. “Don't get confident, soon I will find out how to get around that. As for now,” he placed a monster on the duel disk, “Summon, Power Injector!”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3][spoiler=Power Injector][/size][/font][/size]
[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3]Level 4/EARTH[/size][/font][/size]
[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3]Psychic/Effect[/size][/font][/size]
[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3]Once per turn, you can pay 600 Life Points to have all Psychic-Type monsters you control gain 500 ATK.[/size][/font][/size]
[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3]1300/1400[/spoiler][/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3][i]Well, if my face-down monster is what I'm hoping it is, I should be good this first go-round. Let's see. [/i][/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]“[size=3]With my monster's ability, I can decrease my Life Points by six hundred,” Tessaire explained, “and in doing so, the attack points of all Psychic-Type monsters on my field increases my five hundred!”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3][b]Tessiaire's Life Points[/b]: 3400[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]“[size=3]Interesting enough, but I gotta ask, for an all-knowing human, spirit, whatever you are,” Rayori continued, “are you gonna take the risk and attack? Or, perhaps you'll just end?”[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3]There appeared to be small signs of confliction in Tessiaire's eyes, as if he hadn't expected to have his power disputed, or challenged, especially not in a duel of this caliber. By allowing him some of his freedom and the ability to control his own decisions, he felt empowered. Though now, he found himself facing the [i]wrong[/i] opponent, in a situation that didn't make any sense. It wasn't what he, or anyone had predicted. He should be dueling Riley Storm – that was the target, that was how he had been instructed. But his attack on the cave had gone overboard; how could he not have predicted that before it happened, and made the change in due time? Something was off, something was altering the way things were supposed to be working and modifying them, ever so slightly. And he didn't like it. He didn't like it at all.[/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3][i]I will not allow this duel to commence outside of my favor. He has only begun to sample my power, and if it means I must step it up, fine. If this shall end with me flat out killing him, I'll do what I must to win. And both he, and soon after the real target, will see why I have chosen this path![/i][/size][/font][/size]

[size=2][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][size=3][b]To be continued...[/b][/spoiler][/size][/font][/size]

[Synchronized]

[spoiler=Episode 26: The Fire Inside - Part One]
[IMG]http://partneryahoo.photobucket.com/albums/ff244/InvertRemix/TFIlogo.png[/IMG]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"][b]Episode 26: The Fire Inside - Part One[/b][/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]The big, swirling mass of pure black energy was headed straight for him, with nowhere to move. He could feel the hairs on his arm stand up, as if preparing themselves for the impact which awaited them, in a matter of seconds, even. A three second action appeared to be far longer; it appeared that it would never end, that the rest of existence would be spent staring forward at the same mass of energy, living in fear forever about that one moment where it would strike with a crushing blow.[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]It was intense, the moment. He could make out the outlines of three small light sources, each one a different color, but not clear enough to identify. They weren't getting closer, nor farther away. They just remained there, in silence, just like everything else. He couldn't call out for help because in this moment, noise didn't exist. His clothes were torn, stained in blood from who knows what, and his body was frozen still, numb from immeasureable pain, pain he wouldn't be able to overcome because this moment wasn't reality, or was it?[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]You could almost make out the feint shrieks of people screaming for their lives in the background, experiencing the same thing he was about to experience, but none of them could help each other; they were all alone, together. All the fighting, all the battling, escaping death time after time, refusing to give up until the wrongs had been righted, so that the innocent people, the ones who didn't [i]ask[/i] for this fight, would not have to suffer from the selfishness and carelessness of those who did. So what now? When would the bullet finally strike?[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]For the first time, he was able to move his eyes, if only slightly, to look forward. The fear that the mass would strike the second he looked away had become nonexistent, because he had already accepted that it would happen. But something strange followed; as he looked away, the mass shifted with his eyes, and was once again headed towards him, only now it wasn't coming down, it was coming forward. What happened next – he couldn't process. The boy, no, at this point, for all accounts and purposes, [i]the man[/i], was soon standing in front of him, how he had gotten there, it was all too quick to tell. And at the same moment the man appeared, the mass struck, obliterating him entirely.[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]Rayori sat up, dripping in sweat and breathing extremely heavily; the man who had taken the force – it was Riley.[/size][/font]

“[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]Please tell me this is some kind of nightmare.”[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]- - -[/size][/font]

“[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]I'm sure he'll be fine,” the man said, a calm, irritated voice coming from the relatively young speaker. “I don't think he needed to be brought here in the first place – if he needs our help to get back on his feet, he's not going to stand a chance when the battle starts, Ash. And you know that.”[/size][/font]

“[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]Orii, I don't know why you have to be so cold all the time,” Ashley said, wrapping her dark brown hair into a ponytail before she picked up the tray on the table in front of them, with two glasses of water and a steaming hot bowl of chicken soup. “Don't worry, I'm sure your leadership won't be threatened. The guy can hardly stand.” She gave him a smile, playfully mocking him, but Orii kept a straight face as he turned and walked out of the kitchen. She didn't get it.[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]- - -[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"][i]knock, knock[/i][/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]There was a knock on the door, and Rayori couldn't really form literal words, so he sort've just grunted, indicating that whoever it was could enter. He had no idea where he was, anyway, so his approval wasn't even necessary. It was to his surprise when Ashley walked into the room, looking absolutely stunning. He was sure he was still dreaming, until of course she walked past the bed, and even that slight motion caused him to cringe, with no break before the pain was shooting through his body.[/size][/font]

“[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]Looks like you're finally awake,” she said, smiling.[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"][i]Where am I?[/i] Rayori had plenty of questions; where was he? What had happened, when the last thing he remembered was being in the middle of a duel with the second of three Psychic Duelists? But most importantly, where was Riley? He couldn't shake the image of that nightmare from his mind. “I'm not sure I recognize you...” That was all he could muster.[/size][/font]

“[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]I get that a lot,” Ashley said jokingly; but neither of them laughed. Despite the silence, the tension of the entire situation was more than evident. “Listen, I'm sure you're wondering about a lot of things right now; I'll get Orii to fill you in, but first, you need to eat. You've been out for who knows how many hours at this point?” [/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]The food smelled good, at least. Ashley placed the tray down on the table next to the bed and handed him a bowl of soup, which he struggled to simply hold. He managed to do it, though, and ate it down pretty quickly. It felt good to actually eat something. The pain was definitely intense, which only furthered his questioning. Whatever happened had to have been pretty bad.[/size][/font]

“[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]Thanks...” Rayori tried to form a smile of his own, to show his appreciation to whoever this girl was. For all he knew, it could've been a trap, but what difference would it have made at this point? He couldn't move anyway; if someone wanted to trap him, they would've done it already. “How..how did I get here?”[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]Ashley appeared conflicted in her thoughts before she gave an answer. “We found you in the desert, completely unconscious.” She stood up and walked over to the trash bin, throwing away the bowl from the soup, then handed him a glass of water. “Our village is hidden, for our own safety, but a select few of us leave to bring back supplies now and again. On our way back, we noticed you, and brought you back here to see if there was anything we could do.”[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]It sounded convincing enough. Suddenly, it clicked. They were still in the Spirit World – and there were other humans? Was that even possible? The test duelists were one thing – they had been the subjects of experiments, but Ashley appeared (on the surface) to be a normal human being. Maybe there was more going on here than he'd known, after all. [/size][/font]

“[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]When you found me,” he paused for a moment, “was there someone with me? About my age?”[/size][/font]

“[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]No I – I'm not sure.” Ashley said. “There was a bad sandstorm, so I don't remember much. Orii could probably tell you more than I could. Here, let me get him.”[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]She stood up and smiled, a smile that – at least for the moment – made him feel better. There was something strangely reassuring about this girl; he just couldn't quite figure out what it was.[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]- - -[/size][/font]

“[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]Orii, you know you have to talk to him, right?” Ashley asked, a question to which she already knew the response.[/size][/font]

“[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]I don't [i]have[/i] to do anything,” he snapped back. “He's not like us, I don't even like the fact that I allowed myself to listen to you and let an outsider into the village. Do you realize what kind of danger that puts people into? What if he's plotting against us?”[/size][/font]

“[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]I understand, but he's in such poor condition, I don't think he could harm us even if he wanted to.” Orii couldn't help but feel somewhat sympathetic, if only because he [i]knew [/i]Ashley's personality, he knew what she'd been through, and why it drove her to do as much good as possible. But taking risks with outsiders, especially here, where humans were few and far between, wasn't worth the outcome. This wasn't Earth; it was survival of the fittest here, plain and simple. And leading this village had become his duty; the villagers were [i]his [/i]responsibility, which was part of the reason he'd developed a cold-hearted personality in the first place: nothing could come before the safety of these people.[/size][/font]

“[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]Listen,” Orii said, commanding her full attention. He knew she'd persist until he said something. “I'll go in there and tell him what I know. From there, he is to leave, and stay away from here.” [/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]Ashley nodded. That was good enough for her; maybe even better than she thought she'd get. [/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]- - -[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]From the moment Orii walked in the room, there was a strong tension between them. Rayori noticed it with zero effort. He stared into the boy's greyish blue eyes, young in appearance, but incredibly empty and mature with a second glance.[/size][/font]

“[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]As soon as you can stand, you are to leave.” Orii said, not a hint of subtlety in his voice. “It's nothing personal, but I cannot allow you to stay here.”[/size][/font]

“[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]I don't even know how I got here,” Rayori explained. “The girl...she said you found me in the desert, but the last thing I remember was a Duel...just early in the game, too, against a Duelist with Telekinetic Powers. I was with a friend, and he had been trapped beneath the shattered remains of a cave. The -”[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"][i]There's a familiarity to him. I'm not sure what it is, but it definitely exists.[/i] Orii nodded; strangely, he actually wanted to hear the rest of the story.[/size][/font]

“[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]Was I alone when you found me?” Rayori discontinued his story for a moment, catching Orii off guard. “Tell me!” The longer he thought, the more the nightmare flashed through his head. Waking up, just before Riley--[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]He didn't finish the thought.[/size][/font]

“[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]You were alone,” Orii said, in a rush to get back to the story, for reasons even he didn't know yet. “Your friend, you; why were the two of you here? What business do you even have in this world?”[/size][/font]

“[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]I'd guess the same as you,” Rayori replied. It wasn't that he didn't trust the guy; he had saved his life, after all. It was more along the lines of Orii not wanting to share much information, and expecting to receive it at the same time. It wasn't going to work that way, not after they'd come this far.[/size][/font]

“[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]Somehow, I strongly doubt that. This entire world is in danger; everyone knows that. It's my duty to protect these people, and I will do that no matter what the cost. You being here puts our safety and our security at risk, because you're not [i]from[/i] here.” Orii paused for a moment.[/size][/font]

“[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]The last thing I remember was a duel,” Rayori interrupted. “I was with a friend, guy by the name of Riley Storm. I'm not sure whether or not you've heard of him, but I [i]need[/i] to find him. He's the only chance we have of escaping this world, and by [i]we[/i] I don't mean just he and I. I mean anyone looking to survive.”[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]Riley Storm? The name struck Orii like a bolt of lightning. Could it be the same Riley Storm from Diamond City, where he had dueled Tyaro just a short time ago? If that was the case, it threw a huge twist into this entire thing, because the information he'd been given prior to this was far from accurate. Everyone was aware of Riley's original appearance in this world, in large part due to the fact that some of the battle was actually fought back on Earth. Something didn't make sense. [/size][/font]

“[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]Look, I have nothing against you personally,” Orii headed for the door, only stopping to turn around briefly. “But I work alone. I refuse to jepoardize the lives of even one of these people. Your jacket's on the chair; your Decks and anything else that was with you is inside it. I think it's time you should go. There's probably a stream somewhere a few miles from here you could stay, but we can't help you any more.”[/size][/font]

“[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]Wait, I,” Rayori's words were useless as Orii had already left. [i]I noticed that change in his face, that change in his expression when I mentioned Riley. All I want to know it what the hell's going on around here; what happened to the Soul Key? And how did Riley and I get separated? Damn it![/i][/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]- - -[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]Rayori had managed to drag himself, step by grueling step, outside the village, without saying a word to anyone, even Ashley. As he found himself far enough away to at least sit and rest for a moment, he reached in his pocket, searching to see if maybe the weapon had been returned, or if somehow the illusion that he'd lost it in the fight with Tessiaire was really just that, an illusion.[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]He was out of luck. Stranded, alone, in the middle of the world he was the supposed Guardian of, with absolutely no strength to stand and no way to defend himself.[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]Could it get any worse?[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"][b]To be continued...[/b][/spoiler][/size][/font]

And we're back. This doesn't break Rinne's necrobump rule because I have infact posted a new episode alongside this, and I'm really excited to be back on track with the story. This is Part 1 of three, and it gets much, much better. The huge plot hole will be filled in over the course of this "special", too, so don't give up on me yet!

[Agro]

I just remembered... I'm still behind on this.

O_O

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Wraith' timestamp='1328119954' post='5793804']
I just remembered... I'm still behind on this.

O_O
[/quote]

We should resolve this issue. .

[Agro]

[quote name='- Sharpshooter -' timestamp='1328124571' post='5793886']
We should resolve this issue. .
[/quote]We should. I don't even remember where I was! O_O

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Wraith' timestamp='1328125393' post='5793899']
We should. I don't even remember where I was! O_O
[/quote]

If you want me to, I can catch you up [i]up to[/i] Chapter 23, where you'd only have three to read? It might save you some time while knowing the basic plot up to this point.

[Agro]

[quote name='- Sharpshooter -' timestamp='1328192477' post='5795231']


If you want me to, I can catch you up [i]up to[/i] Chapter 23, where you'd only have three to read? It might save you some time while knowing the basic plot up to this point.
[/quote]That'd probably work. I think the last thing that happened was some dude having to lose to another guy who had Gungnir.

[Synchronized]

[size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][quote name='Wraith' timestamp='1328192642' post='5795233']
That'd probably work. I think the last thing that happened was some dude having to lose to another guy who had Gungnir.
[/quote]

[spoiler=RECAP: Episodes 1-25][/font][/size]
[size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][b]The beginning of Season 3 starts out in Diamond City, the poorly-named-but-kept-for-the-sake-of-continuity home town of our heroes, Riley Storm, Ace Diamond, Crystal, and Rayori Malix. These are the four main characters who take us throughout the better half of the Season on the good side of things.[/b][/font][/size]

[size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][b]Perhaps something important to know is that Riley is now alone in Diamond City, as his friends, Ace and Crystal, have moved on to different things, two years following the original War that took place in the Spirit World. All is back to normal, and now they have moved on for the sake of advancing their lives. Ace is now a Duelist on the Professional Circuit, and Crystal, unbeknownst to some, has essentially disappeared.[/b][/font][/size]

[size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][b]As the first couple of episodes get underway, Riley finds himself in a duel with the new World Champion of Duel Monsters, Tyaro Kiminari, with whom he has history. Tyaro was a minor villian in Season 2, who worked for one of the bigger bad guys. Tyaro ended up being defeated and pretty much banished to irrelevancy, until he became World Champion and came back to Diamond City for publicity's sake, to absorb the spotlight as his ego requested. Riley wins the Duel, but not without some assistance from Ace, who conviently returns to the city after receiving information from Rayori.[/b][/font][/size]

[size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][b](NOTE: There's definitely a lot to take in here, so just keep an open mind while reading the recap because I'm covering 26 episodes in like a page's worth of material.)[/b][/font][/size]

[size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][b]Rayori became the Guardian of the Spirit World at the end of Season 2, where he was entrusted with that status, and his celrion, the name for the weapons that the Chosen Duelists wield. Rayori's personal weapon, a dual-edge blade very similar to the one Vorse Raider wields was handed down to him by his Celestial Guardian, Cylix (as fitting by the name, I suppose). A lot of this took place in Season 2 which was a long time ago so it even took me a little time to catch up. Essentially the Celestial Guardins are a group of elite Duel Spirits who watch over the humans sent to protect their world, etc. Think Digimon Soveriegns for those of you who're familiar.[/b][/font][/size]

[size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][b]Because of his Guardian Status, Rayori is both a human and a Duel Spirit, and able to travel between both words at will, as well as have relatively easy access to information between the two. As such, etc., Rayori finds out Riley's in trouble, contacts Ace, blah blah, Riley beats Tyaro in a Duel and upsets the Champ. Now, Tyaro's two “henchman”, named Bryan and Marcus, respectively, are to be blamed for the issue, of course, by Lon, the “head honcho” under Tyaro. Needless to say, Ace confronts them, we find out Bryan and Marcus aren't bad guys at all, and Bryan actually continued to work under Tyaro because Tyaro's people (and his connection with the Spirit World), are holding Bryan's younger sister, Kari, hostage. Marcus, on the other hand, needs to survive after being abandoned by his family, and has nothing. [/b][/font][/size]

[size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][b]Ace and Bryan duel, and with Bryan's defeat, a Virus System activates, that essentially takes all the energy from the loser (they die). Before he goes, Bryan explains the Virus System, and how Tyaro plans to mass-activate it, taking the lives of everyone in the city. Marcus escapes, for now, and Ace hunts down Tyaro. Meanwhile, Riley is attacked by a Duel Spirit, sent to Earth from the Spirit World by the “Dark Wanderer”, the top evil force. If you read Season 2, you'd be familiar with the Dark General (Freed) who led the dark army in the original Chaos War, and was defeated by Riley. Well now his brother has taken over and plunged the world further into darkness, or is trying to, at least.[/b][/font][/size]

[size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][b]Rayori saves Riley and they escape to the Spirit World, where they duel a few different Spirits. Duels there are entirely real, and real-time as well, meaning the damage is real, the battles continue even if you move, etc. It's not holograms. Riley almost dies, but manages to perservere.[/b][/font][/size]

[size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][b]This is where we get to the first big plot point, the three-part Mini-Arc The Dark One Rises, in which Rayori duels Zure, Knight of Dark World, a servant of the Wanderer who is promised his own status (high-ranking) in the army, should he win. This is after we learn that Crystal never really disappeared, she had been stuck in the Spirit World and was unable to escape once the portal closed. Feeling abandonded by her friends, she joins the Dark Wanderer's army, with the hope of getting revenge and becoming more powerful herself. We also learn she has a Duel Spirit ally, a doll-like creature who is only introduced in Chapter 23, so there hasn't been much missed yet.[/b][/font][/size]

[size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][b]Rayori passes out mid-duel, and Riley takes over, winning and the two get into a fight with Darkness Memory, a destructive, evil Duel Spirit summoned by Zure after the duel in a last-ditch effort to inflict destruction. Riley's refusal to quit unlocks his celrion, armor and strength in the form of Gorz, the Emissary of Darkness, his own celestial guardian, and he's able to take the creature down. Bearing in mind also that Riley no longer has the physical Gorz card, having lost it after the duel with the Dark General. (Hint, plot point.)[/b][/font][/size]

[size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][b]While that happens, Ace finally confronts Tyaro, but not before being tricked by Marcus (who is possessed by the Dark Wanderer, although this is never outright said, it's obvious enough) into activating the Virus System because Tyaro was taking too long. We learn there is an alliance between Tyaro and the Dark Wanderer, but the details are unknown. Marcus is too weak to survive after the Dark Wanderer is beaten, and he dies. Ace tries to duel Tyaro, who uses the collected energy (or most of it) to open a portal to Aisubaria, the land of the Ice Barrier, where he plans on establishing himself as king over the Ancient Duel Spirits there. Ace has very little strength in comparison, despite a confrontation with Dewloren, the former king of the land before Tyaro's arrival.[/b][/font][/size]

[size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][b]Ace tries to fight Tyaro, not in a duel, but in a battle using their creatures to literally try and kill one another. He is almost defeated when Tyaro brings out Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier and spears him into a glacier, but Dewloren sacrifices himself to give Ace one last fighting chance. Ace meets his Celestial Guardian, Superancient Deepsea King Coelacanth, again, and finally unlocks his celrion, the ability to breathe and communicate in the water, as well as the power to call upon creatures far more powerful, with an almost limitless supply of summoning energy. He defeats Tyaro, who (pretty much) dies, and is able to escape to the Spirit World, but has not yet met up with Riley and Rayori.[/b][/font][/size]

[size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][b]Riley and Rayori try their best to find Crystal, despite the Celestial Guardian's orders to return to the Divine Temple. Riley refuses to go until his friend is saved, feeling guilty for abandoning her despite the fact that he could do nothing to change it. They meet the winged duel spirit, a doll-like creature with wings, who tells them of a Soul Key, which they each receive. They're filled in on the experiment that saw humans taken to the Spirit World and turned into Duel Spirits, but many of them went wrong, and we do find out that this girl (spirit) used to be human, and is allied with Crystal. They're told that they have to defeat 3 Duel Spirits who were once human in order to unlock the Soul Key and reach the castle. They beat the first one, but just as his duel with the second one begins, Rayori loses consciousness. In the beginning of 26, he wakes up, without Riley, after having a nightmare in which Riley dies. But is it a nightmare, or a future vision?[/b][/font][/size]

[size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][b]Start at 26 and follow the story to see for sure![/spoiler][/b][/font][/size]

[Agro]

Alright Star. I only have 2 things to really say about this.

So first off, if Rayori was in THAT much pain, I highly doubt he could have eaten a bowl of soup so "quickly" as I believe you put it.

And secondly, if Rayori is the "guardian" of the Spirit World, why is it that they didn't at least know who he was?

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Wraith' timestamp='1328237515' post='5796320']
Alright Star. I only have 2 things to really say about this.

So first off, if Rayori was in THAT much pain, I highly doubt he could have eaten a bowl of soup so "quickly" as I believe you put it.

And secondly, if Rayori is the "guardian" of the Spirit World, why is it that they didn't at least know who he was?
[/quote]

I'm going to assume you're all caught up, at least.
[list]
[*]That part's simple, if you really need an explanation. Soup hardly has much solid at all, at least this soup, so it was something that he just sort of "drank" down, I guess. That's the best way I can describe it realistically. It's like if you pick up a bowl of soup and drink the broth. Well here, you're not on Earth, you're in the Spirit World, and that's the way they do things.
[*]As for the Guardian thing, Rayori's guardian status could best be compared to that of Batman, if you think about it. He's responsible for the protection of the worlds, and the Celestials know of his existence, etc., but he doesn't make it widely known, so as to avoid making him a target for enemies. He's not fighting for the recognition, but to keep the worlds safe. Does that make sense?
[/list]

[Agro]

Nope. But I won't ask about it! 8'D

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Wraith' timestamp='1328240257' post='5796401']
Nope. But I won't ask about it! 8'D
[/quote]

Lmao. What are you not getting?

[spoiler=f]
[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"]Episode 29: Roar! Naturia Barkion[/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"]"This duel will take place without interruption; this is to be understood, acknowledged, and not to be crossed." Calaeon spoke to his squadron, as the disgusting mass of creatures acknowledged their leader's questionable, but clear orders. "For no reason and under no circumstance will any of you move unless otherwise directed. Failure to comply with these orders will end with the might of my sword. Is that understood?"[/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"]The reply came immediately – the soldiers knew better than to go against what they were told, though many of them did wonder whether or not Calaeon himself was prepared for this unexpected challenge. Unlike their leader, none of these spirits recognized who the opponent was. Despite Rayori's status being somewhat well-known around the Spirit World as a whole, the army of darkness was kept mostly in the dark (no pun intended) on such topics, and were concerned with nothing but eating and destroying things. Calaeon knew the opportunity in front of him and planned to crush Rayori in a swift victory.[/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"]- - -[/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"][i]"What...what am I doing here? Cylix, is that really you?"[/i][/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"][i]"Indeed it is, my friend. It's been quite a while, hasn't it? I almost didn't recognize you, what with how much older you look since last we met."[/i][/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"][i]"I wish I could say the same about you, but since Celestials are immortal and all that, you look about the same."[/i][/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"]Laughter, trapped within silence. [i]"I'm still the ladies man I've always been, but I digress, onto the topic at hand. You've fallen off your game a bit lately, haven't you?"[/i][/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"]Rayori appeared ashamed to admit it, acknowleding the Spirit's words with a slight nod. [i]"I guess not doing things by the book proved to be more difficult a task than I could handle alone. And even worse, I don't remember anything that happened. But I'm guessing you already know that."[/i][/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"][i]"Indeed I do, but there are somethings I regretfully cannot share with you at this time, for it would disrupt the purpose of me calling you here and risk destroying what might be our only chance at truly salvaging this world."[/i][/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"][i]"But Riley, he, he's -"[/i][/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"][i]"I'm well aware, and while I believe your fear is warranted, you might want to listen to what I have to say. After all, the Celestials are not the most patient of people, and though I've mostly disassociated myself from the group at this point, I've received word of what's been going on and I feel it might be the appropriate time to fill you in."[/i][/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"]- - -[/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"]"Rayori, listen to me, this is my battle to fight," Orii said, barely able to stand, but still trying. "I...if it's the last thing I do, I have to defend these people!"[/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"]"I understand where you're coming from, Orii, but you're not fooling anyone." Rayori stepped forward, activating his Duel Disk which had been 'upgraded' since last he performed, but more on that later. "You're not in the right state of mind to handle this kind of a duel right now. You'll have your chance for redemption soon, I guarantee it. But if you want to save these people, I'm going to need you alive, and that's not realistically possible if you face him instead of me. Keeping this world safe is [i]my[/i] responsibility, and I'm going to ensure it's done!"[/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"]"Brave words for such a coward, wouldn't you say?" Calaeon asked, activating his own duel disk as well before dismounting from the horse on which he rode. With the motion of his hand, the horse remained in place, breathing quietly. "I think I will truly enjoy this."[/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"]- - - [/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"][i]"If you can't answer any questions, I don't know how we're going to make any progress here. I need to know what's going on around here if I'm supposed to be able to make actions and decisions for myself and help save the humans and Duel Spirits alike!"[/i][/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"][i]"I understand, and I hope that soon you will too, but please, allow me to explain. What I can tell you is that since the events that occurred that day, your duel with the Psychic Duelist, that is, it has been approximately twenty-one days."[/i][/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"]Rayori couldn't believe it – it had been that long?[/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"][i]"The events of that duel are something I don't expect you to remember right now, but allow me to say that your will was most certainly tested, and your weapon, my own blade which I had passed down to you, was destroyed in the battle."[/i][/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"][i]"That explains its disappearance, but how could that happen? I have no means to defend myself now, of course not to sound whiny, I'll go into battle with my hands and feet if I have to, but I don't see that doing much at all."[/i][/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"][i]"In the fight, you displayed characteristics not of a Guardian, but of a coward. Your inability to do what needed to be done and put the safety of the worlds first caused destruction that otherwise would not have happened, but hope is not lost. You see, something I never had the chance to share with you is that the blade was never passed down to me. When it deemed me ready, it presented itself to me, and from there, we were one in the same. I had beyond mastered every technique, knew every way in which to defend myself. You had grown quite skilled yourself, but it was time for the weapon to dissolve, for it is not your weapon, your true celrion."[/i][/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"]Why couldn't he remember anything? It made him increasingly frustrated as he struggled to figure it out. What had happened that caused him to act that way, act in a way so poorly that it caused the Blade of Cylix to be destroyed? Even with the fact that it would have happened eventually taken into consideration, he found it hard to forgive himself for putting others at risk, however he'd managed to do it. The unanswered questions sure sucked.[/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"]- - -[/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"]"I'll give you the honor of going first," the knight said. "After all, it should make it more fun when I crush you, advantage and all."[/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"]"You know, you're all the same – so cocky, so arrogant, as though you can't possibly make a mistake." Rayori brushed his hair to the side as a gust of wind struck him right in the face, almost painful in conjunction with the dry desert air. "But this time you're facing someone who has nothing to lose. I'm supposed to keep this world safe, but if I go about it in a methodical manner, nothing will ever come of it! It's a changing of the guard now, and I'm going to lead by example!"[/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"]"None of what you're saying makes sense." There was a tension between the two of them, and Orii could feel it, even from a distance. "But it's no matter. Come, let us get to the duel."[/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"]"Right, it's about time we get started!" Both duelists drew their starting hands, as Rayori glanced over his own to figure out how he'd start this one. "I'll begin with this, the Spell Card Shien's Dojo!"[/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"]Calaeon appeared to almost lose his footing as a large wooden structure rose up around them, an ancient stadium constructed at the hands of elite warriors. It surrounded them, so hollow in design that even the faintest of sounds echoed around them. [/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"][spoiler=Shien's Dojo][/size][/font]
[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"][b]Continuous Spell Card[/b][/size][/font]
[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"]Each time a "Six Samurai" monster is Normal or Special Summoned, place 1 Bushido Counter on this card. You can send this card to the Graveyard to Special Summon 1 "Six Samurai" or "Shien" monster from your Deck with a Level equal to or less than the number of counters on this card.[/spoiler][/size][/font]

[font="Aparajita, sans-serif"][size="3"][i]He's playing this Deck?[/i] Orii had heard of this power, but only once before. The "Six Samurai" were an unrivaled class of warriors, so vast in skill they were able to adapt and evolve with any situation. But to think he'd be seeing the Deck in action? That put a new twist on things. [i]Heh. Certainly an interesting choice. Perhaps if we both survive this, we can have a showdown someday. [/spoiler][/i][/size][/font]