Dear Alexy, Troll-in-Training,
Sorry about the long delay. I haven't had the chance to sit down properly for a while. You know how people tend to be near Winter Season, demanding duels here and there from all their favorite pros. Then there are the never-ending photo-shots. But I know that temper of yours (and how you hate it when people don't talk about you), so I'll apologize first.
I'm sorry.
Happy? Anyways, down to business. I have written this e-mail to tell you that Sartorius and the D have finally decided to field you. Yes, be grateful, because they see some potential in you. JK.
But seriously. You had better get your butt on the next flight away from the island because the tournament starts the week before Christmas. In fact, I have taken some time off to specially book your flight from Japan to Quebec. Yes, you are to come back to Japan, and then fly around the world to Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. In fact, I've even taken that extra step that you obviously do not deserve and booked your room for you in the heart of Quebec City. So be grateful. I'm waiting for it...
O.k. I don't have time to wait for you. On to the next order of business...
The tournament is extremely important, and your victory even more so. It is hosted by Industrial Illusions. In fact, the only reason that we are actually concerned with this tournament is because we've intercepted word that Pegasus is bringing his Crystal Beast Cards there. Just a rumor, but Sartorius is never wrong, right?
The legendary Crystal Beasts. Think about it, Alexandria! Actually put that brain (if it is there) to work and imagine the stakes of this tournament! Therefore, be ever more grateful about the fact that you've been chosen to go win them.
Come back and I'll fill you in a bit more before you actually play in your first tournament. After all, I need to rub into you face to face how important this is. I hope that new chimpanzee you have as a friend hasn't been wearing off on you.
Until then, don't act stupid. Well, try not to.
Truly,
Aster Phoenix
I looked over the e-mail on last time. Aster's cheekiness was irking me, now even more so. I was surprised I could ever be used to this guy. However, he did pose a point. I had heard of the Crystal Beast cards, so this tournament up in Quebec City was of some importance. Therefore, I had no right to argue any of his statements.
But still! The nerve of this guy- excuse me – troll.
I rolled my eyes again, an almost instinctive response to anything and everything Aster Phoenix had to throw at me. Sighing, I closed my laptop that was resting on the tray open in front of me and stared out of the window. The ocean shimmered underneath the jet. In fact, there was nothing in sight except the vast expanse of water and clouds and sky. Duel Academy was two hours behind me. A true Winter break and a tournament were in my near future... not to mention the return of Phoenix's cockiness.
******
"Look who is back to knock brain cells out of all of us just from the power of her sheer stupidity."
"Oh, really? I'm surprised there's still some left after being around you for so long."
Phoenix and I stared each other down for perhaps a minute with the most serious and annoyed and pissed off expressions we could muster. Then, we burst out laughing.
I had arrived back at Phoenix's place in the suburbs of Domino City. A taxi was at the airport to pick me up. Local time here was 4:32 P.M. The plane had arrived ahead of schedule, so we were fooling around until dinner time. Then, supposedly, the D and Sartorius would inform me about the upcoming tournament. My flight to California, and then to Quebec would be very late tonight, at 11:00 P.M.
"Can we get serious now?" I asked, finally catching my breath. "We really need to desist in this practice, Mr. Phoenix."
"Indeed, you two must consider not wasting precious time like this." A deeper, male voice commented. We both recognized the voice, but we turned to look nonetheless. Leaning on the door frame, his casual form didn't quite fit into his appearance. As he was always wearing a tux and a black undershirt, he was also always very clean-shaven. A pair of spectacles rested on his nose, and I could see his smile as he looked over at us. "Especially since good Alexandria must enter her first tournament ever."
"Is that such a big deal?" I questioned. "It's just a couple of more duels with people I've never talked with."
"Oh, of course there's a difference when you are actually dueling on stage. Everyone is watching you, just waiting to crack up from one tiny mistake you make. In fact, one little mistake and the whole world spoofs you for the longest time!" The now number one pro in the world grinned at me even wider from under his specs. "Take it from me, I know."
"And I know that one loss can tarnish your reputation like nothing else. So don't go losing in your first few matches because that's just not worthy of notice." Aster added on.
"After all, the first step to move a mountain is to start from the pebbles, as said in an old proverb." Kyle Jables (more widely known as The D) continued. "So if you fail to move that first pebble, how can we trust that you can move the rest of the mountain?"
"In fact, if you do lose and we don't get the Crystal Beast Cards, you will disrepute the rest of us too, so don't even consider."
Gosh, I felt like I was being pelted from all sides. These guys just wouldn't let a girl breathe! "Ok! I get it. Thank you very much!"
The D laughed. "Alright, alright! You're probably very sick of us now, huh? Then let's change the subject. I hope that you two aren't sick of dinner?"
*****
It turned out that Sartorius wasn't at the dining table. In fact, I had to go all the way down to his place just to speak a few words with him. And guess what? He basically added on more weight to my shoulders about this whole tournament. In fact, as I sit on this plane that just took off from the LAX up to Quebec, I could ruminate over everything that the three of them said.
Don't loseDon't loseIf you lose, we won't mind but... well, just don't lose.That was pretty much the basic synopsis of the few conversations I had in the last few hours. But truth be told, as I sit here alone, I felt the whole impact of the situation. There were a few cards I was sent to win. Easy enough. The downside was that this was my first tournament, period. And I couldn't lose. I can't lose for the sake of Aster, the D, or Satorius. No, not just them. I couldn't lose for the sake of my parents.
*****
All the participants in the tournament were supposed to stay in one particular hotel. In fact, as it was constantly drizzling or snowing up in Quebec City, the dueling ground for the tourney was right on the first floor of the hotel. The entire hotel was actually constructed by Industrial Illusions (I never knew they extended their chain all the way up here!). As a result, the quality wasn't too shabby at all. However, I had arrived early, and the tournament wouldn't start until Saturday. Today was Thursday.
I was lying on my bed, reading a tour guide of the city. It was snowing quite heavily outside, so exploring the city wasn't an option just yet. It seems that the majority of the population can speak both French and English. I guess that was great luck, because my French was no where as fluent as my English.
I put down the book. I wasn't too interested in the history of this city now. I wanted to walk, or get rid of some of this energy somehow. Aster, Sartorius, and the D have fired me up and now I couldn't calm down, even with the cold weather outside.
I glanced out the window again, and it took a second to realize that the snow wasn't a heavy as before. "Oh! Snow's stopped for a while..." I mumbled to myself. That meant one thing. It was time to go out and explore the city while keeping a tab on all the people that looked out of place. It was time to go check out the competition.
I grabbed the thickest jacket that I carried over here; a measly parka. Then, I pulled out the scarf and mittens that Aster had so graciously brought up. After all, winter up in Quebec wasn't anything like, say, Duel Academy, a pacific tropical island. I thought about it, and then pocketed my deck as well. Who knows? Along with the deck in one of my inside pockets went a map of Old Quebec and my wallet. I figured that was all I needed, so I grabbed my room key and headed out.
Quebec City was a very small city, in comparison to... say Montreal. The place was quiet, peaceful, cozy even. Old Quebec was beautiful with the snow. The buildings reminded me of ones in Europe, with shops lining shops and cobble stone paths. With the white blanketing the streets and roofs and even lampposts, everything seemed like something out of a movie. Lights decorated most of the shops. In fact, signs that hung off of small shops all read in French. Everything looked surreal.
There were quite a few people bustling around on the streets like I. There were quite a bit of teenagers walking in groups, one always holding a map, so I figured those had to be the competition... They didn't look too hard...
I walked almost all of Old Quebec, wandering from le Chateau Frontenac to the pier, and all around back. After browsing a few shops, I had vague ideas of what to buy everyone for their Christmas present. But I had to wait a while just in case something better didn't pop up after spending the money.
I heard a rumbling sound suddenly. I stopped short, and looked around. In a blow back to reality, I realized that was my stomach. I guess you didn't have to worry about your own stomach telling you to go eat when you had Yuki's stomach beside you. Without that alarm clock, I didn't realize it until I was truly famished. But what to buy and where?
Truthfully, I had studied only a year or two of French. That was it. I hoped that everyone here could truly speak English as well, as the guide book mentioned.
I walked another block until a nice little shop caught my eye. To me, it looked like a French version of Star Bucks. That was good; Star Bucks was familiar. There were a few people inside, so I could be assured that the quality wasn't bad.
I entered the store, pulled off my mittens, and jammed them in my pocket. A quick sweep of the place told me that it indeed was a cozy little retreat in the heart of Old Quebec. There were three tables near the windows. Further in the little shop were the check-out counter, self-serve, cooler, and pastry counter. You served yourself, and then checked up for it.
Two people were standing in line for check-out. But I hardly paid attention to them. My eyes had locked onto someone else. A teenager was browsing around the pastry counter. I could tell he was a duelist... He wasn't wearing the tell-tale duel disk, but he did have a duel box slung off to his side from his belt. He had turquoise hair styled in casual disorder. His eyes reflected the hue of his hair. From a distance, I'd reckon he was maybe an inch or two taller than my 5 foot 4. But what about him was extraordinary? I couldn't pinpoint it... but it felt like his... very aura that was so... intense! For a moment, I wished he wasn't in the tournament-
But who was I to kid? I see a boy that can somewhat catch a girl's eye, and I think he's the best duelist in the world. What next?
The boy suddenly turned in my general direction, and I decided that it was time I got moving. I wandered over to the pastries, settled on a croissant and then decided on a cup of hot chocolate. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the boy moving to the checkout counter. I noticed that the other people had exited the store.
I decided to linger over there for longer than necessary so that the boy could be checked out and long gone before I had to get over there. So, instead, I read the back of my cup, as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.
However, when I was done devouring the information twice, the boy was still at the counter. A tad irritated, (and knowing I couldn't waste my time like this) I walked over to the counter.
The young lady at the checkout looked a bit relieved when I came over. "Est-ce que vous parlez français?"
I looked at the boy (who was smiling rather sheepishly) and then back at the lady. "Oui, un peu."
The lady seemed to heave a great sigh of even more relief. I registered immediately what the problem was. It was a communication issue, something not uncommon in a foreign country. " Dites-lui qu'il doit payer vingt dollars." The girl stated. She talked fast, but I picked up the word vingt and dollars.
"Hey, it's twenty dollars." I told the boy whom I had been analyzing for the past few minutes.
"Whew am I glad that someone in this place can speak English." The boy spoke with a clear Southern accent. I was pretty sure that even if the girl knew a bit of English, she would have an even harder time getting used to the American southern accent. "Thanks, buddy."
I mumbled my 'Your welcome,' and stepped a few paces back so he could have room to pay. I don't know why... but the boy's 'aura' kept getting to me. You know how it is, when you could just get a sense of how good someone is by just looking at them. So I stared at this boy in front of me, trying to decipher that feeling I was getting. Up closer, he was just as I had predicted. I would assume he's a five foot six. Maybe that hair would add a couple more inches... But I could feel something different...
"Um... whoops. I guess I left my wallet back at the hotel..." I heard the boy mutter.
I stared at the boy in front of me, as if seeing a new side of him. Only...well... Jaden could forget something like a wallet when traveling. And I was afraid I'd lose at the tournament to him? If he wasn't right in front of me, I would have slapped myself on the forehead right then and there. "You don't have your wallet?" I questioned him, keeping the amusement out of my voice.
"Heh, I guess I just plumb forgot." That sheepish grin found its way back to his face. I brushed past the boy.
"Je vais payer pour lui," I stated. I didn't know if that was the correct way to word it, but the lady seemed to get the general idea as she saw me taking out my own wallet. Either that or she just didn't want to trouble with the Americans any more. Anything would do as long as the money was paid. I assumed it was more of the latter. " Ajoutez le chocolat chaud et le croissant, s'il vous plait."
"D'accord." The lady agreed and typed in a few more prices into the total.
" Combien ça coûte?" I asked.
"Trente-deux dollars." She stated. I also figured that she was trying to use the least amount of words as possible. That was fine with me.
I gave her the bills, and stuffed what was his into his hands. Then, I picked up what was mine and proceeded to walk out of the store. I had really wasted more time than was necessary.
"Au revoir!" The lady called.
"Au revoir." I replied back, and pushed open the door with my shoulder, as both my hands were occupied. Suddenly, the weight of the door was lifted off my shoulders. The boy had opened the door for me.
"I'll get that for ya." He said.
"Thanks," I replied.
The small bells jingled a few times before the door closed on us and we were back on the white sidewalk. The snow had started falling again, very lightly. I figured it was time to go back before things got worse. The lampposts had flickered on while I was inside the shop, and the streets were visibly less crowded. Dusk, although not obvious, was coming, and it was going to go fast.
As soon as I walked a few steps, my boots crunching over the snow, did I realize that the boy was walking still by my side. "Thanks for clearing all that up," He told me.
"Anytime," I answered.
"Shoot, if it ain't for you, I probably would be without a dinner right about now. How can ya duel on an empty stomach!?" The boy laughed and took a sip from his own drink. From the smell, I could tell it was also hot chocolate.
"So you're in the tournament?" I asked. "Are you walking back to the hotel?"
"Yup, and if you are, I'll keep ya company." The boy took another long sip of the chocolat chaud and smiled. "If you don't mind, of course."
"Not at all. I was itching for some English, too." I answered. And maybe I could poke around to see if he indeed was a threat to the tournament victory that I desperately needed to land. "So how did you come by the tournament?"
The snow by now had picked up a bit. Flakes were swirling around our boots as we trekked through the snow. As night was descending, the temperature had also perceptibly dropped.
"Oh, I guess I just came by it while I was on vacation here in Quebec with my family. A flyer, you know? And I though, well heck, I was here, so why not?" Once again, that sheepish smile spread across his face. "My family already flew back home. Said I'll have to pay for my own ticket back if I didn't win the big prize in this tourney."
I laughed. That was one heck of a weight on his shoulders, too. But the way he said it... it seemed so trivial. At once, I denoted him as the carefree kind of guy. Like Jaden...
"So where is home again?" I asked.
"Up in Sweden." He answered.
"Oh, you come from that one North Academy, don't you?" I put the pieces together. The outfit he wore underneath the winter coat reminded me of an Obelisk Blue uniform, but not one back at my Academy. I knew there was a sister school somewhere in Scandinavia, and I took a shot at saying it was in Sweden. However he got his Southern accent, I was completely baffled. I didn't decide to push that thought though. That could wait.
"Yup, I sure do." The boy nodded his head. "So I guess this tourney's my winter vacation." He laughed and took a bite out of his own pastry. "So you're from...?"
"Oh, I travel all over." I answered. I wasn't going to tell him that Mr. Kyle Jables had at least one house on every continent inhabitable. "But I go to another Duel Academy."
"Is that so? That must be something."
Before I could question him any more, I noticed through the wintry haze that we had arrived back at the hotel. Two men saw us approaching and opened the doors for us. I stomped my feet a few times on the mat before walking onto the lush carpeting of the hotel. The boy followed suit behind me.
I proceeded to the elevators, but I didn't get far. A hand on my shoulder stopped me. "Hey, I didn't carry this here deck all around the city for no reason. Whadya say we have a match or two? You know, to burn off the calories from our recent consumption?" The boy asked the question abruptly, but with no hesitation.
I was the one who hesitated. Truthfully, I didn't know why, but I definitely had the feeling that I did not want to duel with this guy. Maybe it was because he reminded me of Jaden, and I could never win against Jaden. Or maybe it was because I was afraid of losing just days before the tournament. Or maybe I was just acting paranoid.
Whatever the reason was, I didn't want to duel him. "Sorry, I have to get something done before I sleep. It's been a long day," I answered him. "I have to get to my room." I smiled curtly and turned for the elevator up to my floor.
Then, I stopped. "Hey, I never caught your name." I said suddenly. "I'm Alexandria... Alexandria Kingston."
The boy opened his mouth for a reply, and then a sly grin found its way to his face. The grin transformed his face into something different than that I've seen today. "Well, I guess you'll have to duel me for that name, Miss Kingston." He replied. Then, he turned around, and waved one arm. "Later."
"Hey! Wait-" I dropped my offer in mid-sentence. Now that offer sounded like Zane. There was absolutely no way I was going to duel someone that could sound like Zane and Jaden.
Before I could contemplate on whether it was possible for someone to sound like Jaden and Zane at the same time, the boy had left.
*****
After that day, I never ran into that turquoise haired boy. One would assume that color hair would be easy to spot around, Maybe he was good at hiding himself. Who knows?
The days before the tournament flew by after those events. I spent the majority of the time hiding out in my own room, reflecting on Aster's words, and just customizing my deck. This card wasn't too useful... that card would have to go in place of this one...You could never be too prepared, right?
So I felt mentally and physically ready for the start of the tournament. Of course, once I actually saw the size of that crowd, my mind wavered and tittered on the brink of losing it, but I was able to balance... at least for the time.
There were actually quite a bit of duelists participating, and there were four rounds before the semi-finals. Every match would be done today, except for the finals, to be held tomorrow.
I saw the boy once or twice wandering around the locker rooms, but I never had the chance to go and talk to him. If he wasn't dueling, then I was dueling. After the first few victories, I could say that the pre-game anxiety alleviated a tad, but still a thought constantly pestered me... I kept seeing the boy return to the locker rooms. That meant he was still in it as well, and the number of competitors was dwindling down. Maybe I was going to face him after all...
"That concludes Round Four, people. The Semi-Finals will start now. Alexandria Kingston and Belle Florence, proceed to the duel field!" The announcement was also made in a splattering of other languages, most of which I could not understand.
I heard the cheers again and that knot tightened in my stomach. O.k., so maybe I still had pre-game anxiety. The girl who must be Belle also stood up from one of the locker benches, and she cast a fleeting smile at me before returning to her grave posture. I guess she had a lot hanging on the line as well.
We walked to the duel field together, and it was I (to my great relief) that returned to the locker rooms.
"Nice playing out there," One of the two remaining competitors said.
"Thanks," I forced myself to mumble.
"Johnathan Gerwich and Jesse Andersen! Please proceed to the duel field! This semi-final match will begin in five minutes."
I eyed the two boys as they stood up. From eliminating names and listening to the announcer, I had concluded that his name was Jesse. It could have saved me some time if he would have just told me earlier!
"Well, that'll be me!" Jesse exclaimed lively. He followed the other boy out of the locker room, but not before making eye contact with me and winking. I decided to leave as well, as the Finals wouldn't start today anyways. Might as well watch what Jesse could do.
*****
I looked sourly at my computer screen. The chat that Phoenix and I just participated in was still displayed. Didn't Phoenix have any common sense? What he felt while dueling in crowds wasn't the same thing I felt! He was a darned top of the league pro, after all!!!
"Phoenix, you arrogant brat," I mumbled, glancing over the last few lines of the chat again.
Phoenix – "You have got to be kidding me, Lex. What would the D say to this? Don't think you can win?"
Me – "Hey, you're not one to talk! This is my first tournament and..."
Phoenix – "Come one now. It's just some average regional tournament. We don't even know that the prize will be those beasts. We just got a heads up that they're there. So the competition isn't all that great either. Being around me all the time, you must be beyond those duelists."
Me – "Aster, get serious! You can't take any duelist lightly! Always treat every duelist with respect!"
Phoenix – "Whatev. Same difference anyways."
Me – "What's that supposed to mean?"
Phoenix – "Well, honestly. You just saw this kid duel once, and you think he's all that? You and your 'feelings'! I bet it's just anxiety or some other natural feeling. Just because he has enough skill to get up to the Finals with you and you think he can beat you? Remember what that quote was? 'Whether you think you can or can't, your absolutely right?'"
Me – "Well, like I said! He -"
Phoenix - "You know what? I'm tired of reasoning with you. I don't fret like this before my duels, and those are PRO duels. Just win and we can all celebrate the winter holidays without a second thought about this, alright? Cheers."
I had typed a response to that last comment, but Phoenix had gone off line. I glanced over the lines again, and then angrily turned off my computer. Then, I plopped down on the bed, and went to go look over my deck for the 10th time that hour. There was nothing more I could do with the deck, I was sure, but then again, there was no way I could afford to lose either.
I began laying out all my cards according to strategy. The Shallow Grave, Call of the Haunted... Masked Dragons and Twin-Headed Behemoth in another stack, Decoy Dragon over with the level 7 or higher dragon-type monsters...
I suddenly stopped where I was. My hand was shaking clearly in front of me, even in the dim light. I watched my own hand quiver for a while longer and then got off of the bed. Maybe it was time to take a shower and retire to bed.
*****
Aster Phoenix flew up to Quebec as soon as he could. Since he had his own private jet to take him places, he arrived in Quebec a little more over a day after his discussion with Alexandria.
Speaking of that girl...
She was annoying him. In fact, that was the only reason why he had ever considered coming to this freezing Northern Province. Because she was giving him a headache by annoying him beyond belief. And Aster Phoenix did not like being annoyed.
Aster hadn't decided to tell the D or Sartoruis about his plans. The D would care less. In fact, he would actually be glad that Aster was actually exploring more of the world. Maybe his legal guardian would ask him to buy souvenirs! Who had the time in the world these days to wander around shopping centers?
And Sartorius? He always refused to read the future about Alexandria, so he wouldn't be much of a help either. And Aster calculated that he would be back for his next Pro game fast enough so that Sartorius would hardly know he was gone in the first place.
But then again... Sartorius seemed to know everything about Aster... but not Alexandria...
Aster shook his head and pulled his coat more closely around him. There wasn't time to be speculating.
The wind was picking up again and the duel arena was still a good distance away. Even from the spot that the cab dropped him off in front of the building, there was still perhaps a mile to go. The gigantic courtyard in front of the hotel and arena was also driving him crazy. What was the point of a fabulous courtyard if it was snowing or raining all the time, anyways?
Even with the elements, many people were walking through the courtyard and like him, were headed to the arena. So the tournament wasn't as obscure as he thought it was...
But that wouldn't matter. Alexandria still didn't have a reason to lose. In fact, to Aster, the girl didn't have a reason to fret in the first place. And if she wasn't fretting, then he wouldn't have flown all the way to this frozen place to watch her!
By this time, Aster had come to the entrance of the grand stadium. Industrial Illusions sure had branched off far from Japan...
Aster patted his pocket, just to make sure that the ticket to get into the arena for the Finals was still there. It was. He proceeded into the stadium. No guard stopped him. They knew who he was.
The stadium was packed. It was perhaps the size of an average Olympic stadium and it was packed. O.k. so definitely a lot of people knew about this tourney. Or maybe it was packed because there were just a lot of people who had absolutely nothing else to do so they flew here to watch the games.
Either way, Aster was fazed for just a second. This full-house was nothing he hadn't seen in his Pro-Circuit. In fact, he would have been disappointed if there wasn't a full-house.
But that was him and this is Alexandria. Who knows how girls think?
Aster found his way to his reserved seat and sat, taking in his surroundings. There were some other Pros in the area, but he had forgotten their names. When they saw him, they edged away in their seats. That was fine with him.
A red tux caught his eye. Maximillion Pegasus indeed was here... Aster eyed the silver-haired creator of duel monsters cards. He was sitting two rows down and two seats off to the side of Aster. The seats next to him were empty.
A little gasp caught in Aster's throat. Next to Pegasus was a briefcase. He didn't know too much about the man, but he knew that Pegasus rarely carried a briefcase himself. Did that little silver case hold the legendary Crystal Beasts?
"Alright ladies and gentleman. Welcome back! We all know what is today! Now, Alexandria Kingston and Jesse Andersen! Let the Finals begin!"
The stadium interrupted into cheers, but Aster took no part in welcoming the two teenagers. His arms had crossed in front of him. An eerie silence had fallen around him so that the other prestigious people around of him scooted a few more inches away from him. Aster didn't notice any of that. He looked once more at the small briefcase next to Pegasus' feet and then back at the arena, where Alexandria was just entering. If she didn't win this, it wouldn't matter if the Crystal Beasts were in that case or not.
***
Aster didn't have to wait long to see the results. That's how it was with dueling. The end would always come quickly; the sentence was fast.
He registered the crowd's cheers with no enthusiasm. Truthfully, the cheers were more like a distant fly's drone. The boy inhaled one deep breath and then exhaled just as slowly. Then, he stood up. Before the others had finished their standing ovation, Aster Phoenix was gone.
*****
I walked through the streets of Quebec. The snow had subsided for a few hours, a perfect time for me to shop around for everybody. In fact, I already clutched two bags tightly in my right hand. Those would be for Alexis...
Some people walked by me. I instinctively looked down, pulling my parka closer, as if to hide my face. I tried making it seem like I was cold. Only after they walked by did I dare look up again. I was afraid they would recognize me; I was afraid that they too would be angry at me, for whatever reason.
I heard one of the people laugh, and I quickened my stride to almost a jog. They were laughing at me, weren't they? About perhaps my horrendous loss?
I couldn't kid myself any longer with that. I tried calling Phoenix after that night, but he didn't pick up. I messaged him, but he hasn't answered. The D didn't answer, and neither did Sartorius.
So to sort of relieve some of that stress, I decided to go shopping. That always relieves a girl's mind, right?
Oh how wrong I was. Aren't I always wrong?
Suddenly, out of my peripheral vision, I saw the little green dragon appearing again. Fang gave me a look that clearly said, "What? Are you thinking about that again?" It stared at me for a long time with its large eyes, and then almost whimpered. "Sorry," those eyes said.
I sighed and shook my head. "No, it's not your fault. I was just stupid. It's alright."
Fang didn't leave, but raised one little claw and pat my head.
"No really, it's not your fault. Just let it go. I'm fine," I answered again. "Give me some time, alright?"
The dragon nodded slowly, but stayed on my shoulder. I sighed, and checked my position on the map again. In the light of day, I suddenly realized that this was the courtyard in front of the arena. How did I end up back here? I scrutinized the map more closely. There was a shopping center two blocks to the East...
A strange cry froze me. I continued looking at the map, as if I didn't hear anything, but I heard it again. What was that? A meow of... greeting?
I lowered my map ever so slowly.
Sitting in front of me was a cat-like sort of creature. Well, it looked half squirrel too, with four ears that is... Its color was a beautiful cross shade of purple and blue. The eyes that stared up at me were ruby red. A little ruby dot stood out on the middle of the forehead. Balanced on the tail of this creature was another large ruby-colored sphere.
The creature continued to look up at me and uttered that strange sound again. Fang stared back at it. I noticed that Fang's teeth were not bared. That meant that this cat, squirrel thing was of no harm-
"Hey, Ruby, what's gotten into ya?"
Again, I froze. That voice... that Southern Accent! Suddenly, I remembered Aster not picking up, completely ignoring me, the way he walked out of that stadium... what he must have told the D... how I completely did injustice to my father's cards... Oh, what would father or mother would have said...
I bit my lip. I felt the sting come back to my eyes. No way was I going to break down in front of him!
"Um hey! Alexandria!" Jesse greeted me, every bit of cheeriness still in his voice. "That was a nice game last night. You were pretty tough!"
"No matter... you won." I managed through gritted teeth. I was trying to keep my politeness, but I knew it was dwindling fast. "You dueled well."
"Thanks. By the way, I see you've met my pal, Ruby Carbuncle!"
"Ruby... Carbuncle?" I stared at the creature before me. Through my anger, it finally dawned on me that the cat, squirrel thing was a Duel monster. To be more precise, it was a duel monster that I could see without a duel disk projecting its picture... a duel spirit? "Its that a... Duel- duel..." I couldn't make out the words.
Jesse seemed to know where I was going because he nodded. "Yup, a duel spirit, I believe. By the way, hello... Decoy Dragon, correct?"
Fang nodded, tilting its head to one side, perhaps slightly confused because this stranger was actually addressing it! Jesse smiled wide. "Well, it sure is nice to meet ya!"
"Is... Ruby a... Crystal Beast, I presume?" I found my voice at last and uttered the question.
"Um... yeah! I was surprised when Pegasus awarded those cards to me yesterday. Didn't know they were part of the prize..." Jesse scratched his head, that familiar sheepish grin back.
I fell silent. So they were handed out yesterday... and I failed to get them. Wonder what Phoenix is going to say to that one. "Well, I need to leave." I muttered. I felt that frustration boiling up again. Except this time it was intensified. Everything I ever thought about duel monster spirits, and then Jesse shows up with one as well... No, I was going to stop thinking about this; it's tearing me up. "Later, Jesse." I mustered, and turned my back.
"Hey, wait!" The boy called before I even walked a step. A hand reached out to land on my shoulder, just like that time a few days ago. "I still owe you for that coffee shop incident, remember? I'm happy I found you here, because we probably won't ever cross paths again, so hear me out, alright? How about a duel?"
"A- A duel?" I choked out. Honestly, I didn't know if I had the strength to duel this guy another time. He had already caused me enough grief for a life-time, and I had known him only for a few days!
"Yeah, a duel. I can see in your eyes and so can Ruby that you want to. So how about it?"
A duel that I wanted? No, I didn't want a duel. "O.k. I guess. But this time, I'm not losing!" Truthfully, I wanted revenge. As much as I hated to admit that I probably would appear a sore loser to the average eye about now, I couldn't shake off the strong human desire to appear on top for once.
We dueled back at the stadium, ironically enough. This time, there wasn't another person in sight. That was better. I would have run off screaming if there was another full-house. After pulling off our heavy coats and leaving them near the exit, we walked down the stairs, past the empty seats. We readied our duel disks and the duel proceeded quickly.
"Ladies first." Jesse commented after looking at his hand.
"Alright then. Let's start with... Hand Destruction." DarkBlaze Dragon and Dragon's GunFire went to the grave. "And how about... this card face-down in defense mode." The face-down was Cyber Jar. "I'll end with a card face-down." It was Sakuretsu Armor, a deadly card that would destroy an attacking monster instantly.
"Alright, prepare to meet my new deck." Jesse grinned, and drew a card. "Amber Mammoth!" A flash of light and a creature I had never seen before appeared. As its name suggested, it was a giant mammoth with 1700 attack points. Four ivory tusks protruded from the beast. As with Ruby Carbuncle, a giant gem rested on its forehead, most likely amber. "And I'll equip the big guy with Crystal Release!"
The mammoth roared, stamping its legs with such force I could feel the vibrations. Its attack points went up by 800 points. "Next, I'm playing Ancient City – Rainbow Ruins!"
At once, the arena disappeared, replaced with a coliseum. The new arena was paved with stones. Above me, I could see a rainbow stretching into the distance. "A field spell?" I asked.
"Of course! I'm going all out on ya!" Jesse warned. "Anyways, Amber Mammoth! Attack her monster!"
I could have sworn that the Mammoth uttered a few words to Jesse before he roared and charged at me. The monster had actually turned its head to Jesse! But I was too far away to hear exactly what words. But that didn't matter as much as the eight ton beast charging towards me.
"You just attacked my Cyber Jar! As a result, every monster on the field gets destroyed." I explained to the confused looking boy. The spherical creature of mine rolled around to point large one digital eye to Jesse. Then, the eye disappeared as it opened up to suck away his Amber Mammoth.
Jesse winced back at the eye. "My Amber Mammoth!" He exclaimed. The mammoth reared back, but even it was no match for the vortex which now ensnarled it. Within seconds, the creature had disappeared. "But I have to thank you for sending my Crystal Release to the grave. Because now..." A card slipped out of Jesse's deck. "I can place a Crystal Beast card from my deck to my Spell and Trap card zone."
"You what a Crystal Beast to what?" I asked dumbly.
"Add a Crystal Beast to my Spell and Trap card zone." Jesse explained again as if that were the most common thing in the world. "So I'll place this here Topaz Tiger into it."
Another brilliant flash and I could see a rugged shape of a crystal materializing. "Oh, and since you destroyed my Amber Mammoth, he can come back in my Spell and Trap card zone as well." A rugged piece of amber materialized a few feet away from the large chunk of topaz. For a second, I wondered how much Jesse could rake in if he decided to sell those Crystal Beasts...
Then, a more serious question pushed the money issue out. I couldn't understand it. Why would anyone need pointless Spell cards taking up room on the field? But I couldn't linger on that thought for long, either. I had a duel to win. "Cyber Jar's second ability allows us both to draw five cards and if any one of them are level 4 or below, we can summon it to the field." After the explanation, I looked down to my five cards. "So Masked Dragon, Red-Eyes B. Chick and Mirage Dragon come to my field." Three dragons, in a shower of lights and fire, exploded out in front of me. They clawed the air, and snapped at Jesse once before settling down.
"Woah, easy there..." Jessse winced again and distracted himself by looking at his own draw. "Alright... level four or lower... Amethyst Cat and Cobalt Eagle, come on out!"
Two crystals appeared on the field and cracked into two more magnificent Gem Beasts. The eagle sported a rather large gem on its breast and two more along its feathered wingspan. Amethyst Cat was a proud creature, pink with golden embellishing. As with the other beasts, a large amethyst was worn right below the neck. And again, I was aware that the beasts turned to Jesse, as if to talk.
"You wanna bite at her. Well, be my guest." I heard Jesse say in a softer voice. So he was communicating to his monsters. "I believe it's still my Battle phase. Amethyst Cat can attack you directly, by halving her attack power, that is."
"She can what?" I asked, stunned. These Crystal Beasts must all have some inherent ability! I heard a sharp click of claws and I braced myself. The cat came at me with full force, and I received a rather nasty scratch across the face. The sting lasted for only a second, but the annoyance lasted far longer. "Is that all?" I said, still keeping my voice as dulcet as possible. (LP 3400)
"No, because my Cobalt Eagle can attack your Red-Eyes B. Chick now!" Jesse directed a finger towards my 800 attack point dragon. The eagle squawked, understanding the master's commands, and launched itself at my little dragon.
"Sorry, but I have to activate my face-down. Sakuretsu Armor. It destroys the bird easily."
In a blast of heat and energy, the eagle disappeared. When the smoke cleared, I could make out yet another piece of gem with the others. That made three of his Spell or Trap card slots useless... what was with those gems? Did they never leave? "Are you done now?"
"Yup, that's all for now." Jesse said. (LP 4000)
"Then it's my turn." I grumbled, and drew a card. "I'll tribute my chick to special summon my Red-Eyes Black Dragon." I watched as my little dragon rose out of the egg shells and evolved into a mightier, 2400 attack point dragon. A trickle of smoke swirled up from its snarling jaws. It landed with a rumble beside me. "But that's not all. I'll tribute Masked Dragon and Mirage Dragon for Felgrand Dragon." Aside the black dragon appeared a majestic, gold dragon.
"Whew I'm in for one," I heard Andersen mutter from a few meters away. I couldn't help a smirk coming to my lips. How right he was... and how good this was feeling. "Dragons, take a bite out of his life points!"
The two creatures launched themselves into the air, charging up spheres of energy in their jaws. The attacks made contact, and a gale of dust and smoke buffeted even me, meters away. I saw Jesse's life point meter go down to 1400, and I couldn't help that little bubble of satisfaction from reaching the surface. During the last duel, I couldn't get his life- points down that far.
"Are- are you finished?" Jesse managed, stumbling a bit.
"For now," I answered. I noted the two more Crystals in his Spell and Trap card zone. "Wait! You have... all your zones occupied! You can't even activate any more spell or trap cards? What's the point of those things being there?"
"Oh, you see... when they are all here, something big happens!" Jesse exclaimed, looking at me smugly. He even drew himself up taller to continue the speech. "There are seven, you see. And when every one of them is with me, either on my field on in my graveyard, you'll face the most powerful dragon ever created!"
Great, so now this guy was trying to scare me with big talk... but most powerful dragon? That intrigued me, even through my haze of annoyance. "O.k. let me see you summon it!" I challenged.
"Well, you'll have to wait for it," Jesse grinned again. "By the way, with four beasts or more in my Spell and Trap card zone, I can draw one extra card!"
My brow wrinkled. It was about time he activated his Field Spell. An extra card for four beasts in play... I wonder what else it could do... or was that it? "You still can't play a spell or trap card!" I wondered out loud.
"Oh... right..." Jesse laughed, that sheepish grin making a return on his face. "Whoops, I don't think I should have placed that last one there... Darn, now I can't even activate this Pot of Greed I just drew!"
I slapped myself on the forehead. And I lost to this... idiot?!
"Well, no matter!" Jesse exclaimed. "I'll play Emerald Tortoise in defense."
No matter how much this guy was irritating me, I was entranced to see yet another Crystal flash marvelously before breaking open. An ancient tortoise appeared, its shell toothed with raw emeralds. (Attack: 600, Defense: 2000) "Is that it?" I asked.
"Um... I guess so." Jesse answered.
"You've lost." I stated simply. But just in case that over-grown turtle had a special ability... Jesse seemed too confident. "Alright, I'll play Dragon's Mirror!"
"Dragon's...Mirror?" Jesse seemed too excited for someone that was about to lose. "The one..."
"Yup, so I can remove from play my DarkBlaze Dragon, Mirage Dragon, Masked Dragon, B.Chick, and Red-Eyes to Fusion Summon..." I waited for the visual effects to finish before playing my father's best monster... I hoped this could repent for some of last night... even a fraction... "The Five-Headed Dragon!"
Through the vortex of the fusion, I could see three of the five heads extending out. Then, the other two necks and the shoulders came. Next the massive wingspan showed. Finally, the complete, awesome creature emerged. It landed behind me with such force that I stumbled from the small earthquake it had caused. The dragon's roar was so loud even I winced. The Felgrand Dragon even looked puny beside this dragon. But my ego couldn't feel any better.
"Finish this, you two!"
*****
As soon as the attack contacted, I was beside Mr. Andersen. As soon as I had won, a troubling thought had come into mind, and I came to him to answer it. He was dazed, sitting on his behind, the cards in his hands spread out beside him. "Whew, what a nice finish!" He exclaimed.
"Uh-huh..." I said, only half aware of what he was saying. I was too preoccupied looking through his graveyard. I saw the card in question, and I picked it up. As I was reading it, I could feel the familiar anger, the hatred... the humiliation... My ego deflated quickly, replaced with these new feelings. "... I thought so..." I fought to keep my voice steady. I was reliving last night over again.
"Thought what?" Jesse asked.
"Look at your own card!" I snapped. "Ancient City: Rainbow Ruins. When you have five Crystal Beasts in your Spell/Trap Zone, you could have special summoned one of them!"
"Oh! OH yeah!" Jesse seemed to snap out of whatever held him and stood up to take the card from me. "But that wouldn't have done anything. I couldn't get rid of your dragons-"
"What does that mean? You could have won that duel!" I shot again. "Look at the card in your hand! I just read what that card could do!"
"Huh?" Jesse looked at the card in his own hand. "Crystal Abundance?"
"Um, no duh!?! You know what that would have done? Because you had four Crystals on your field, you would have destroyed every single card on my field and then you could have Special Summoned just as much Crystal Beasts from your own graveyard!" I couldn't keep my anger from subsiding. "And what is that? Rainbow Life in your hand? You wouldn't have taken battle damage! Heck, you would have gained points!"
"Woah woah calm do-"
"How can I? Why did you go easy on me?" I almost shouted. I had wanted revenge. But winning a duel where the other wasn't even playing with their all wasn't cutting it. Heck, what ever happened with respecting your opponents? Why was he taking it easy on me?
"No, I wasn't going easy on ya!" Jesse tried to explain. I was able to stop my ranting long enough to try to understand why he didn't attempt to win. I had to give him a chanceto talk. "You see, I could never bring myself to destroy your monsters. I love to see exactly what kind of strategies a duelist can pull. You know, why face you when you're getting ready? I want to take on the biggest beast you had! Besides, you seem to love 'em too much to-"
"What kinds of... nonsense are you talking?!" I fought to keep my voice an octave lower. "Don't want to destroy my... monsters? What kind of ... drivel! That's just... " I faltered before I started using extremely vulgar language. I tried to keep my cool.
It wasn't working. It was as if a dam had broken, under the stress of the previous night, of Aster coming to baby-sit me just because he thought it was stupid that I was scared... of failing myself, Sartorius, the D... Aster... my father... failing my father... I could clearly see the way Aster was looking at me before he exited the stadium. I remembered hearing ring after ring of Aster's cell phone, not being picked up. Then, a memory deep from the corners of my mind seemed to warp clearly into focus, but it was different, distorted. I could picture my father, picture him angry and hurt... pictured him walking away from me. "Disappointing... Lexy... Disappointing..." He seemed to be saying.
"You could have won. Why bother... You... You-You piece of- URG!" I pushed his cards back into his hands, and turned my back on him. I could feel the sting in my eyes again. This time, I let them flow freely. I was already past embarrassment. I felt sick to my stomach, disgusted at myself, angry beyond belief. How could this... I didn't know him and he already crushed my life over and over again with a bulldozer.
I heard him say something, and a hand reached out to my shoulder. I twisted out of his reach, and bolted for the door. I ran right into the door, pushing it open so hard with my shoulders that my whole arm started throbbing, but I didn't care. The cold air blasted my face, but even that felt good. The night air only felt better. I realized I didn't have my parka, but I didn't worry about that either. I didn't go back to the hotel; I had to get myself back together. I ran right through the courtyard and headed into downtown. I could see many faces in the snow I was running past: Phoenix's, the D's, Sartorius', my father's. All of them looked disappointed, annoyed, and angry. There was only one face- Jesse's – that was smiling wickedly. Only when I was at least a mile away from that hotel and duel arena did I stop running. When I stopped, I realized I was beside that French version of Starbucks...
