Since arriving at the Honjou household, Ed had shown a habit of waking up early in the morning to make himself breakfast. He'd developed it early on in his three-year exile to another dimension. Starting a skillet going on the stove, Ed gathered the ingredients he'd need for his favorite: three eggs, sunny-side-up. He cracked the eggs, dropping them into the skillet as he stretched and yawned. Waking up early was hard, but it was worth it for having a few quiet moments in the morning to himself.
He salted and peppered the eggs just the way he liked... and turned as he heard the door open. "Ah, good morning Jo!" he said in a cheerful greeting. "What's up?"
"Oh, Ed." she greeted, seeming sleepy but cheerful. "I wanted to get something to eat... Are you always up this early?"
He replied with a bright nod. "Yep! I'm making eggs sunny-side up. Want some?"
Jo nodded a yes. "Sure." She sat down, and Ed got a second plate, serving her her eggs as soon as they finished. He cracked three more for himself, and started seasoning again.
"Oh, I didn't mean to take yours..." Jo started to protest. Ed just smiled and shook his head.
"The chef eats last. Otherwise I might make a mistake making yours. So, what's up?"
The two made small talk as he prepared his meal. The weather, health, little details about who they'd seen over the three years everyone was separated. Scrapes they got into, and out of. She showed him some of her drawings. He offered to show her some of the 'totally wicked cool' stuff he'd been working on. She politely declined. Before he'd realized it, the eggs were gone. Wait, when had he eaten them? Jo took the dishes to the sink, and Ed stood from the table and stretched.
Ed suddenly realized that they'd been basically talking about nothing for the last twenty-five minutes, and that he had no issues going on doing that all day. Before he had time to really let that sink in, his thoughts were interrupted.
"Mi Sirenita!" called a familiar Spanish voice as Gabriel peeked into the room. "Ah! There you are... I was looking everywhere!" He turned to extend his hand warmly to Ed. "And Señor Judío Pequeño as well! Good morning." Gabriel had taken to calling him that. He wasn't sure what it meant, but it sounded pretty refined, he supposed.
Jo walked over to him, and the two started talking about something or another. Ed wasn't really paying attention anymore, busying himself with clearing off the stove and cleaning the skillet. He overheard the two talking. Then his voice hushed. He heard her hushed reply, and craned his head back over his shoulder. Gabriel had on his usual just-won-the-lotto grin, and Jo was also obviously smiling, a hand over her mouth to try in vain to hide a blush.
The sight upset him for reasons he couldn't quite put a finger on. It was just a general-purpose 'bad feeling.' Still, this is why I'm fighting, isn't it? To preserve moments like this, so everyone can be happy. He thought about Lily and Amado and Ren and Jin and the rest of his friends. Yeah... that's right I'm fighting so that everyone can still smile after it's all over. They're no different, either.
"Hey, Ed?" Jo said, turning back towards him as she pointed to the door. "Gabriel and I are going to go for a quick walk. Good luck with your practice!"
"Yeah, you guys have fun!" he replied, waving as the two left. He finished up cleaning the skillet, hanging it back on the wall.
For some reason, Ed's stomach seemed to have twisted itself into a knot. Was it the eggs? He hoped that he'd done a proper job cooking Jo's... it wouldn't do if he made someone else sick.
"Hey, Ed! Are you all set?" called Lucas from the garden outside.
"I'll be right there!" Ed pushed the thoughts out of his head, running outside. He'd just have to power through it, he supposed. It wasn't like it was the first time he'd had to.
It was the subdued siren call of a girl who'd saved his ass not two weeks earlier. He was just walking by, but he had the time so he peeked into her room. She had undone her pigtails, and her hair was down. He looked pointedly at a wall, strolling in with his hands in his pockets. "So, what's up?"
"Now that we aren't driving everywhere, I was thinking about changing my hair. I wanted to see how it looked while it was up."
"I see..."
"Can you help me? I don't have any hairclips..." She bunched up her hair with a hand, folding it over itself neatly.
After a moment's thought, Eon figured he had enough time to help. He walked towards her, tilting his head to the side quizzically. "So... should I grab on?"
"Uh-huh. I need you to hold it short, and let me know if it looks better that way." Kaori replied with a nod.
Eon reached his hands around her head, keeping her hair folded up as he appraised her.
Maybe it was the lighting, or maybe it was the way she silently looked up and waited for his thoughts on the subject, or maybe he was till thankful that she'd saved him from a dragon... but for some reason, he'd never found any girl more absolutely kissable than this one, right now. His hands guided her head towards his, and their lips met.
For an instant Eon panicked. Was this becoming a thing with him? Kissing defenseless girls who weren't interested in him? The thought only lasted a second however, as Kaori responded much in kind, her arms squeezing him closer to her as she opened her mouth up to his kiss.
His tongue made the first move, reaching out for hers. As she moaned softly into his mouth, thoughts went through his head of how very different this was from kissing Ren. He pushed them away immediately. Not the time. At all. Instead, he moved her closer to the desk/mirror behind her. He sat her upon it as the kissing continued. She made the next move, running her hands up his shirt.
If that was allowable, then surely... He took a hand from her hair, and ran it up her back, running it under her shirt as well. She didn't fight it in the least, even when he ran it over her bra.
Not even a peep when he unhooked it, either. Merely a further moan and a renewed vigor in her kisses. He took it as a simple request: 'More.' He wasn't in any mood to deny her. His hand slid around to the front, caressing her chest as she stroked his back up and down. Kaori arched her back into his touch, so Eon assumed he was doing a proper job of it... carefully working it as he finally broke the kiss off.
"I want you." he whispered in her ear, finally moving his other hand from her head to caress her hip.
"Okay." she whispered back, her usual monotone broken by a palpable sense of wanting.
"Then..." He leaned back into the kiss, hiking up Kaori's skirt to around her waist. What came next was a rush, he wasn't entirely sure what happened when. He remembered his pants around his ankles. At some point, she had pressed a condom into his hands. He remembered using it. He remembered her feeling as she gripped him tightly, the incomprehensible murmurs and loud groans of the two of them becoming one.
But most of all, he remembered her kisses. Warm, soft, longing kisses. The kind he'd always craved.
Some time later as the two calmed themselves from the rush on her bed, her head settled in the crook of his shoulder as she held him gently in her sleep, Eon replayed what had just happened in his mind. The two of them were friends before, sure, but this particular development was entirely unexpected. His instinct told him that they needed to have a talk about what exactly had transpired in he near future...
Another day, perhaps. was all he could think on the subject, as he wrapped his arms around Kaori and fell asleep as well.
The place: Amado's Flying Stretch Limo-Cadillac. California. The time: Spring Break. 6:00 pm. Dinner Rush Hour. The mission: Order food.
"Thank you for choosing Burger King, how can I help you?" crackled the voice on the speaker.
Amado leaned forward. "Yes, uh... I'd like..."
"Amado, Gabriel keeps hitting me!" piped up Ed from the back seat.
"It's not my fault! You're sitting too close to Jo!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am NOT!"
"Stop hitting me! There's a lady present!"
"Oh like that stopped you you Spanish piece of--"
"G-guys, please... can't we just get along for one car ride?" Jo interjected sheepishly.
"He started it!" Ed and Gabriel replied in perfect sync. They were both quickly smacked upside the head by a gigantic fan.
Aka proved to be the responsible one, smacking it against her open palm next. "Both of you quiet down."
"So... your order sir?"
Amado nodded. "Sorry about that. Like I said, I'd like--"
The speakers blared to life, cutting him off again. "CA-LI-FORNIA GIRLS WERE UNFORGETTABLE! DAISY DUKES! BIKINIS ON TOP!"
"R-Ren..!" Amado shouted, surprised at the interruption.
The girl looked sheepishly over at him, poking her fingers together. "I just thought... we needed a cheerful distraction, so... I didn't think it'd be so loud."
"WE'LL MELT YOUR POPSICLE! OH-OH OH OH-OH!" There was an awkward silence in the car, aside the song.
"I'll turn it down." Ren finally offered.
"Thank you." Amado replied, turning back to the speaker. "Now then. As I was saying, I'd like a Ren's naked boobies on a silver platter with a side of milk. Actually, leave the milk in, I'll get it myself." The world rewound suddenly. "-was saying, I'd like GOD DAMMIT GABRIEL WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT DOING THAT?!"
Ren, from the passenger's seat, was blushing furiously. "O-oh my. Right here..? So bold, Amado-kun..!"
"Ren you didn't seriously--" Amado sighed, and put a hand on his forehead. "Maybe later. We're here to order food, remember?"
Jo looked out the back window. "There's a line forming... we should hurry."
Ed chimed in immediately. "Well if someone (Gabriel) hadn't just had to interrupt everyone twice we'd be done by now. Aren't you our enemy? Why are you even here?!"
"Because I speak Spanish, of course!" he replied without missing a beat.
This exchange somehow earned both of them another thwack from the fan. "I'm hungry." Aka bluntly stated. "Order."
"Alright! I'm TRYING." Amado said tersely to the others. He turned to the speaker and yelled before anyone could interrupt. "I'd like a Big Mac value meal, please!"
Silence descended upon the car. Amado could sense he'd committed some kind of faux pas, but wasn't sure what. "...what?"
"Amado..." Ren said with a muted tone. "This is Burger King. McDonald's has the Big Mac."
"...oh."
A moment of silence filled the car. Then, with no warning, it took off into the sky again. "GUYS! We're going to McDonald's!"
A chorus of groans echoed throughout the car. Even Ren suddenly wondered why they'd let Amado drive.
In the back of the car, overlooking the rest of the madness were a girl and a woman. The girl, Hikari, tilted her head to the side almost imperceptibly. "Why do I let these idiots live, again..?" she wondered aloud.
The woman, Zaniah, put a hand to her forehead and sighed. "Sometimes, I find myself asking the same question."
"Ed, I need to talk to you. Can you come with me for a few?"
"Huh? Oh, sure!"
The two made their way to the rooftops of Endymion, and sat upon the top of their hotel as they overlooked the cityscape. Ed looked over at Ichirou and grinned widely. "So, what's up?"
Ichirou wasn't smiling at all. Ed's smile slowly faded as a result. The Dragon's Fang took a deep breath, and then spoke. "You said you saw most of what happened with Lila and me before. What exactly did you see of the final few battles?"
Oh. It was about this... Ed looked down at the ground as he answered. "I saw your final duel. I saw the shadow game, and the encroaching wall of fire on both of you. I saw your sister there, behind her. When the fire closed in..." He shook his head quickly. "...She was sacrificed in it to complete the Super Fusion card. I saw that. That's all."
"So 'pretty much everything' was 'just that one duel,' and you didn't see anything from before then?" Ichirou shook his head. "That's sloppy work. Daughtily is an incredibly dangerous opponent. You should have found out everything about her tactics that you possibly could have."
"Weh?! But... I already know she fought you and--"
"You didn't get her tactics. You can't hope to win like that."
"What's there to know..? She and you fought, and her early tactics didn't work on you, and she--"
"Ed." Ichirou said, putting a hand to his forehead. "I wasn't the only person who was out to put a stop to Daughtily that day. How did you miss that?"
Defensively, Ed waved his hands in front of himself, answering with a rushed tone. "You never mentioned any comrades before! I just assumed you were the world's biggest badass!"
Even when he was being a complete idiot, Ichirou had to admit that it was hard to be mad at the kid. "Well... I'm not. Daughtily isn't like the other enemies you've fought. She's..."
"Stronger?"
"Completely ruthless." Ichirou took a meaningful pause before continuing. "There were three of us that day. The others were named Otto and Megomi. We originally were going to take her on as a team. I was just the only one who survived."
"Oh... so what happened to--"
"We went into the council's shadow game in Tokyo, and at first things were okay. There were a few fights, against members of the council. Even against her superiors. We won then... eventually, with all of the top three done with, and the bottom four missing, dead, or our friends, we just had to deal with Daughtily. She'd run away after the shadow game collapsed. Number four, right? She shouldn't be a problem at all for the three of us."
Ichirou's voice became grim. "We knew she was there because she was weaker than the others, and we assumed that meant she wasn't going to be as large of a threat because we'd had her on the run. That was our first mistake." He spoke as though he was watching a far-off scene, replaying images in his mind. "She was expecting us. We weren't expecting that."
"What happened?"
"It was like something out of a demented action movie. There were traps and armies waiting for us, and we had to fight our way through them. We neared her office... and we were tired. Beaten, bruised. We expected her to be ready at that point... I was the strongest, so I broke down the door."
Ichirou's eyes shut, and he scowled. "The room was empty. I heard two gunshots. I turned around, and there she was. She knew I was the biggest threat... so she started off by killing the only two people left in the world I really cared about."
"Wait, but why would she--"
"Daughtily only pretends to be logical. That's not actually what drives her in a conflict. She cares more about making her enemy suffer than she does about winning. She gets some kind of sick thrill on it. If she gets the opportunity, she'll target everyone you've ever loved long before she goes after you in a fight."
"...Right. What else can you tell me?"
"Don't listen to her. At all."
Ed thought back to the last time he had, and rubbed his lower back without thinking bout it. "Don't worry. I won't let her trick me again."
"It's not just that. She'll try to convince you that you're in the wrong. That you're no better than her... that you're worse because she's open about her morals. She's effective at it..." Ichirou trailed off. "Look, you're a nice kid." he finally concluded. "I don't want you to face something like her questioning your every motive without being ready for it."
There was an awkward silence. Ichirou had spoken his piece, and he looked over at Ed, reading him carefully for a response. The boy was taking the information in... and after a long pause he finally replied. "So, I should bring some headphones and listen to music while I fight her?"
Ichirou put a hand to his forehead and sighed. "I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want something mechanical right next to my head anywhere near that woman."
"Huh. Good point." Ed replied with a grin. "...Thanks for the advice. I won't let you down."
Ichirou grinned back at him. "I know you won't. Your friends are counting on you."
"Hey. Ichirou?" Ed said, standing up.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for not killing her back then."
Ichirou raised an eyebrow. "You're thanking me? If I had finished her off, none of this would have eve--"
"Yeah, that's true." he replied, cutting Ichirou off. "But... her Seal is incomplete. If it had been set loose like that, there wouldn't be a universe left to live in today, either. So. Thanks."
Ichirou hadn't thought of it like that before. "Never thought of it that way." All those years blaming himself... but if he'd succeeded would the alternative really have been better? "I guess that was pretty lucky, huh?"
"Lucky? I thought you would have had to spare her on purpose back then..."
Ichirou gave Ed the single most 'You're kidding, right?' look he could muster. Ed just smiled widely. Finally, the Dragon's Fang put a hand to the boy's head and ruffled his hair. "...never change, Ed."
Eon put his fingers to his temple, rubbing it with an annoyed look on his face. "And that's the only way you'll let me stay here?"
"Sure enough." replied Don Zaloog, eyepatch glinting in the candlelight. "The little one's got a mouth on her. S'cute. The big one has guts, claimin' she's Kozaky's kid. You've got nothin' going for you. So, you get a test."
---
Why the hell had he agreed to it back then?! Currently, Eon found himself hiding behind a rock as a very angry dragon mom breathed scorching hot fire at him. It wasn't the worst situation he'd ever been in... okay, that was a lie. He charged his gun with a wing shot, and clicked the assault lever back, charging his canceller gun with an extra kick. He fired the gun ahead of him, and it vanished after a short distance with the now familiar sound of a wingbeat. He heard an explosion and felt the fire stop coming from behind him--was the dragon down? He ran out from cover towards the eggs... only to be cut off by the dragon's gout of flame. He staggered to a stop, feeling the flames far more closely than he ever wanted to. He clicked the assault switch on his gun again, but before it had finished with the sweet electric sound of charging the dragon was on him. It brought its claw to bear against him, and swatted Eon quite easily into a rocky outcropping. He slammed into it, now no closer than he'd started as the dragon lumbered towards him. He knew from the fight before that the dragon had another four seconds before it could spew fire again. Four seconds to get to cover.
Bloody hell.
He hated using Wingbeat like this, but there wasn't exactly a choice. Hot flames burnt at the rock, but Eon had since moved to behind his cover from before. Cover which, as the flames scorched it again, were quickly beginning to melt.
Hah... hahah. No way. I'm getting the egg and getting the hell out of here. If I go back now...
---
The Don had taken Eon aside alone, just after showing him the way to the dragon's mountain. "You know, kid."
"Eon."
"Yer a kid until ya' prove yourself, kid." He put an arm over Eon's shoulder, patting it as though they were old chums. "Not that m'making any threats or anythin', but... those ladies? Yeh might not want to fail, if you don't want me to rethink lettin' em stay with us."
Shit. "So that's your game? If I don't succeed..."
"You catch on quick, kid. Yer' fighting t'keep everyone's ass outta the fire. Not just yers." The friendly pat seemed somehow sinister. "Don't disappoint me, eh kid?"
"But... why me?"
The Don just smirked. "Yer 'Leader-san,' aintcha? Start actin' like it, kid. Ya' got 'til dawn tomorrow t'get back. That's th'limit."
---
Going back wasn't an option. Not empty-handed, anyways. His precious cover burned away just as the dragon's breath died down. He stood as a man, and turned around to stare it straight in the eye.
The whole thing had gone tits-up right when the dragon woke up. From what he could estimate, dawn was only in a couple hours--he didn't have time to let it get back to sleep. There was only one way forward at this point: through an big, powerful, pissed-off fire-breathing momma dragon.
Three seconds left. The assault lever was already pulled. He charged the gun with a Burst this time. The dragon reared its head back.
One second. He brought his gun up. The dragon opened its mouth.
"ASSAULT BURST!"
The bolt of force fired into the dragon's open mouth, going down and running into the fire. It exploded there in a burst of force.
Again, he'd underestimated the resiliency of his prey. The force bubbled in the dragon's throat, and fired back out at him, the gout of flame now tinged with the brilliant red of his burst shot's explosion.
Oh fuck my life..! Eon thought as he dove as best he could, wingbeating to get the hell out of dodge. He tumbled to the ground in the only safe spot left to him from the massive gout: Underneath the dragon. It craned its head down at him, and raised its claw.
...Hah. Sorry, guys. Guess this is it. In hindsight, it had been crazy of him to think he'd held a chance in the first place.
It was at that moment that the ground beneath them gave way. The rocks crumbled as the dragon quickly took wing, flying back to its eggs and hovering over them protectively. Eon wasn't so lucky, falling to the bottom of the pit, landing badly, and bouncing a bit in the large cavern beneath the arena. Defeated, he stood up and looked up at the dragon's perch well above. His passage in had been destroyed just then. His friends back at the Scorpion's hideout... he'd failed them. He stood up slowly, bleeding from several accumulated wounds, but ready to fling himself back into the fray. If the dragon was up there, he'd just have to wingbeat up at it and then... and then...
"Are you alright, Leader-san?" It was a monotone, dragging voice. He looked at the cave's entrance... Kaori Mine was there, holding one of the large eggs from the clutch before. "You were having trouble, so I caved the floor to get you away."
"...you have an egg."
"We needed one. Didn't we?" Kaori answered. She seemed to realize after a moment that he was probably asking how she got it instead. "You distracted the dragon, so I grabbed it."
"But... I was supposed to do this alone." Eon replied, staggering towards her.
"Did Don Zaloog ever actually say that?" Kaori asked in that same tone of hers.
"He said that I was the leader! That means I should act like one, so I needed to--"
"Trust your team, and lead them to victory. Right? That's what leaders do." Kaori put Eon's arm around her shoulder, helping him stay standing as the two walked towards the base of the mountain.
Eon felt utterly defeated, but he didn't let on. A leader shouldn't show weakness either. "Good job, Kaori. You saw something inside the rules that I couldn't see."
"Thanks, Leader-san."
He'd been utterly defeated by Kaori Mine, of all people. A person whose only power was hundreds upon hundreds of hands. Still, as she helped Eon back down the mountain, he couldn't help but think that maybe he'd finally hit his rock bottom.
Maybe, finally, there wasn't anywhere to go but up.
You want to hear about my life? Hmhm... you are indeed an odd one. Very well, I shall indulge you.
I wake up early, before the sun is up. I go for a jog in the mornings around the grounds of the Sakuma family shrine. There have been rumors about me being some sort of ghost of the forest. I am quite fast, you see.
[She smiles mischievously, as though she doesn't mind it.]
After my morning jog, I return home to a quick shower, then have breakfast with Towa and Ichi. Chie is usually still asleep... she is still at the age where she cannot be expected to keep to a schedule. I give my husband a kiss goodbye, and hug my son as well. Then, I commute to work.
I am currently employed as a medical professional at Duel University, colloquially known as 'Duel U.' I assist in the day-to-day running of our medical facilities, which considering the intensity of the dueling which can occur must always be state-of-the-art. I have been given full discretion over whether I should use my abilities for the sake of a patient, and injuries are generally mild enough to be able to avoid it.
Oh, I do still have problems with my age. There are many boys who, for some reason or another, decide that they and I are destined to have some sort of fling. They come and offer me presents. I now only have to gesture to my ring and politely decline and most of them get the message. Those who do not...
[Her glasses glint coldly in the light.] I still do not wish to spare the feelings of anyone. That only leads to more awkward advances.
[Her smile returns.] After I am done, I return home. Ichi generally runs right up to me and asks to play. I do, of course, while Towa finishes off making our dinner. Chie is generally awake as well, and I spend some quality time with her, too. She is still so young, so she needs to be around Towa or myself. We dine as a family, and then I generally spend the rest of the evening doing whatever comes to mind. I appear to have picked up a hobby at some point... I am apparently quite fond of Mahjong.
After that, I put Chie to bed... then Ichi. Finally, I put my husband to bed. Ah... do not ask about the part that comes after it. [Again, her glasses glint cold.] What happens between two people who are bound together as we are is absolutely none of your business.
But yes. That is an average day in my life. I do hope I have not offended any sensibilities too much.
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He salted and peppered the eggs just the way he liked... and turned as he heard the door open. "Ah, good morning Jo!" he said in a cheerful greeting. "What's up?"
"Oh, Ed." she greeted, seeming sleepy but cheerful. "I wanted to get something to eat... Are you always up this early?"
He replied with a bright nod. "Yep! I'm making eggs sunny-side up. Want some?"
Jo nodded a yes. "Sure." She sat down, and Ed got a second plate, serving her her eggs as soon as they finished. He cracked three more for himself, and started seasoning again.
"Oh, I didn't mean to take yours..." Jo started to protest. Ed just smiled and shook his head.
"The chef eats last. Otherwise I might make a mistake making yours. So, what's up?"
The two made small talk as he prepared his meal. The weather, health, little details about who they'd seen over the three years everyone was separated. Scrapes they got into, and out of. She showed him some of her drawings. He offered to show her some of the 'totally wicked cool' stuff he'd been working on. She politely declined. Before he'd realized it, the eggs were gone. Wait, when had he eaten them? Jo took the dishes to the sink, and Ed stood from the table and stretched.
Ed suddenly realized that they'd been basically talking about nothing for the last twenty-five minutes, and that he had no issues going on doing that all day. Before he had time to really let that sink in, his thoughts were interrupted.
"Mi Sirenita!" called a familiar Spanish voice as Gabriel peeked into the room. "Ah! There you are... I was looking everywhere!" He turned to extend his hand warmly to Ed. "And Señor Judío Pequeño as well! Good morning." Gabriel had taken to calling him that. He wasn't sure what it meant, but it sounded pretty refined, he supposed.
Jo walked over to him, and the two started talking about something or another. Ed wasn't really paying attention anymore, busying himself with clearing off the stove and cleaning the skillet. He overheard the two talking. Then his voice hushed. He heard her hushed reply, and craned his head back over his shoulder. Gabriel had on his usual just-won-the-lotto grin, and Jo was also obviously smiling, a hand over her mouth to try in vain to hide a blush.
The sight upset him for reasons he couldn't quite put a finger on. It was just a general-purpose 'bad feeling.' Still, this is why I'm fighting, isn't it? To preserve moments like this, so everyone can be happy. He thought about Lily and Amado and Ren and Jin and the rest of his friends. Yeah... that's right I'm fighting so that everyone can still smile after it's all over. They're no different, either.
"Hey, Ed?" Jo said, turning back towards him as she pointed to the door. "Gabriel and I are going to go for a quick walk. Good luck with your practice!"
"Yeah, you guys have fun!" he replied, waving as the two left. He finished up cleaning the skillet, hanging it back on the wall.
For some reason, Ed's stomach seemed to have twisted itself into a knot. Was it the eggs? He hoped that he'd done a proper job cooking Jo's... it wouldn't do if he made someone else sick.
"Hey, Ed! Are you all set?" called Lucas from the garden outside.
"I'll be right there!" Ed pushed the thoughts out of his head, running outside. He'd just have to power through it, he supposed. It wasn't like it was the first time he'd had to.
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"Ne, Leader-san. Can you help me with something?"
It was the subdued siren call of a girl who'd saved his ass not two weeks earlier. He was just walking by, but he had the time so he peeked into her room. She had undone her pigtails, and her hair was down. He looked pointedly at a wall, strolling in with his hands in his pockets. "So, what's up?"
"Now that we aren't driving everywhere, I was thinking about changing my hair. I wanted to see how it looked while it was up."
"I see..."
"Can you help me? I don't have any hairclips..." She bunched up her hair with a hand, folding it over itself neatly.
After a moment's thought, Eon figured he had enough time to help. He walked towards her, tilting his head to the side quizzically. "So... should I grab on?"
"Uh-huh. I need you to hold it short, and let me know if it looks better that way." Kaori replied with a nod.
Eon reached his hands around her head, keeping her hair folded up as he appraised her.
Maybe it was the lighting, or maybe it was the way she silently looked up and waited for his thoughts on the subject, or maybe he was till thankful that she'd saved him from a dragon... but for some reason, he'd never found any girl more absolutely kissable than this one, right now. His hands guided her head towards his, and their lips met.
For an instant Eon panicked. Was this becoming a thing with him? Kissing defenseless girls who weren't interested in him? The thought only lasted a second however, as Kaori responded much in kind, her arms squeezing him closer to her as she opened her mouth up to his kiss.
His tongue made the first move, reaching out for hers. As she moaned softly into his mouth, thoughts went through his head of how very different this was from kissing Ren. He pushed them away immediately. Not the time. At all. Instead, he moved her closer to the desk/mirror behind her. He sat her upon it as the kissing continued. She made the next move, running her hands up his shirt.
If that was allowable, then surely... He took a hand from her hair, and ran it up her back, running it under her shirt as well. She didn't fight it in the least, even when he ran it over her bra.
Not even a peep when he unhooked it, either. Merely a further moan and a renewed vigor in her kisses. He took it as a simple request: 'More.' He wasn't in any mood to deny her. His hand slid around to the front, caressing her chest as she stroked his back up and down. Kaori arched her back into his touch, so Eon assumed he was doing a proper job of it... carefully working it as he finally broke the kiss off.
"I want you." he whispered in her ear, finally moving his other hand from her head to caress her hip.
"Okay." she whispered back, her usual monotone broken by a palpable sense of wanting.
"Then..." He leaned back into the kiss, hiking up Kaori's skirt to around her waist. What came next was a rush, he wasn't entirely sure what happened when. He remembered his pants around his ankles. At some point, she had pressed a condom into his hands. He remembered using it. He remembered her feeling as she gripped him tightly, the incomprehensible murmurs and loud groans of the two of them becoming one.
But most of all, he remembered her kisses. Warm, soft, longing kisses. The kind he'd always craved.
Some time later as the two calmed themselves from the rush on her bed, her head settled in the crook of his shoulder as she held him gently in her sleep, Eon replayed what had just happened in his mind. The two of them were friends before, sure, but this particular development was entirely unexpected. His instinct told him that they needed to have a talk about what exactly had transpired in he near future...
Another day, perhaps. was all he could think on the subject, as he wrapped his arms around Kaori and fell asleep as well.
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The time: Spring Break. 6:00 pm. Dinner Rush Hour.
The mission: Order food.
"Thank you for choosing Burger King, how can I help you?" crackled the voice on the speaker.
Amado leaned forward. "Yes, uh... I'd like..."
"Amado, Gabriel keeps hitting me!" piped up Ed from the back seat.
"It's not my fault! You're sitting too close to Jo!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am NOT!"
"Stop hitting me! There's a lady present!"
"Oh like that stopped you you Spanish piece of--"
"G-guys, please... can't we just get along for one car ride?" Jo interjected sheepishly.
"He started it!" Ed and Gabriel replied in perfect sync. They were both quickly smacked upside the head by a gigantic fan.
Aka proved to be the responsible one, smacking it against her open palm next. "Both of you quiet down."
"So... your order sir?"
Amado nodded. "Sorry about that. Like I said, I'd like--"
The speakers blared to life, cutting him off again. "CA-LI-FORNIA GIRLS WERE UNFORGETTABLE! DAISY DUKES! BIKINIS ON TOP!"
"R-Ren..!" Amado shouted, surprised at the interruption.
The girl looked sheepishly over at him, poking her fingers together. "I just thought... we needed a cheerful distraction, so... I didn't think it'd be so loud."
"WE'LL MELT YOUR POPSICLE! OH-OH OH OH-OH!" There was an awkward silence in the car, aside the song.
"I'll turn it down." Ren finally offered.
"Thank you." Amado replied, turning back to the speaker. "Now then. As I was saying, I'd like a Ren's naked boobies on a silver platter with a side of milk. Actually, leave the milk in, I'll get it myself." The world rewound suddenly. "-was saying, I'd like GOD DAMMIT GABRIEL WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT DOING THAT?!"
Ren, from the passenger's seat, was blushing furiously. "O-oh my. Right here..? So bold, Amado-kun..!"
"Ren you didn't seriously--" Amado sighed, and put a hand on his forehead. "Maybe later. We're here to order food, remember?"
Jo looked out the back window. "There's a line forming... we should hurry."
Ed chimed in immediately. "Well if someone (Gabriel) hadn't just had to interrupt everyone twice we'd be done by now. Aren't you our enemy? Why are you even here?!"
"Because I speak Spanish, of course!" he replied without missing a beat.
This exchange somehow earned both of them another thwack from the fan. "I'm hungry." Aka bluntly stated. "Order."
"Alright! I'm TRYING." Amado said tersely to the others. He turned to the speaker and yelled before anyone could interrupt. "I'd like a Big Mac value meal, please!"
Silence descended upon the car. Amado could sense he'd committed some kind of faux pas, but wasn't sure what. "...what?"
"Amado..." Ren said with a muted tone. "This is Burger King. McDonald's has the Big Mac."
"...oh."
A moment of silence filled the car. Then, with no warning, it took off into the sky again. "GUYS! We're going to McDonald's!"
A chorus of groans echoed throughout the car. Even Ren suddenly wondered why they'd let Amado drive.
In the back of the car, overlooking the rest of the madness were a girl and a woman. The girl, Hikari, tilted her head to the side almost imperceptibly. "Why do I let these idiots live, again..?" she wondered aloud.
The woman, Zaniah, put a hand to her forehead and sighed. "Sometimes, I find myself asking the same question."
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"Huh? Oh, sure!"
The two made their way to the rooftops of Endymion, and sat upon the top of their hotel as they overlooked the cityscape. Ed looked over at Ichirou and grinned widely. "So, what's up?"
Ichirou wasn't smiling at all. Ed's smile slowly faded as a result. The Dragon's Fang took a deep breath, and then spoke. "You said you saw most of what happened with Lila and me before. What exactly did you see of the final few battles?"
Oh. It was about this... Ed looked down at the ground as he answered. "I saw your final duel. I saw the shadow game, and the encroaching wall of fire on both of you. I saw your sister there, behind her. When the fire closed in..." He shook his head quickly. "...She was sacrificed in it to complete the Super Fusion card. I saw that. That's all."
"So 'pretty much everything' was 'just that one duel,' and you didn't see anything from before then?" Ichirou shook his head. "That's sloppy work. Daughtily is an incredibly dangerous opponent. You should have found out everything about her tactics that you possibly could have."
"Weh?! But... I already know she fought you and--"
"You didn't get her tactics. You can't hope to win like that."
"What's there to know..? She and you fought, and her early tactics didn't work on you, and she--"
"Ed." Ichirou said, putting a hand to his forehead. "I wasn't the only person who was out to put a stop to Daughtily that day. How did you miss that?"
Defensively, Ed waved his hands in front of himself, answering with a rushed tone. "You never mentioned any comrades before! I just assumed you were the world's biggest badass!"
Even when he was being a complete idiot, Ichirou had to admit that it was hard to be mad at the kid. "Well... I'm not. Daughtily isn't like the other enemies you've fought. She's..."
"Stronger?"
"Completely ruthless." Ichirou took a meaningful pause before continuing. "There were three of us that day. The others were named Otto and Megomi. We originally were going to take her on as a team. I was just the only one who survived."
"Oh... so what happened to--"
"We went into the council's shadow game in Tokyo, and at first things were okay. There were a few fights, against members of the council. Even against her superiors. We won then... eventually, with all of the top three done with, and the bottom four missing, dead, or our friends, we just had to deal with Daughtily. She'd run away after the shadow game collapsed. Number four, right? She shouldn't be a problem at all for the three of us."
Ichirou's voice became grim. "We knew she was there because she was weaker than the others, and we assumed that meant she wasn't going to be as large of a threat because we'd had her on the run. That was our first mistake." He spoke as though he was watching a far-off scene, replaying images in his mind. "She was expecting us. We weren't expecting that."
"What happened?"
"It was like something out of a demented action movie. There were traps and armies waiting for us, and we had to fight our way through them. We neared her office... and we were tired. Beaten, bruised. We expected her to be ready at that point... I was the strongest, so I broke down the door."
Ichirou's eyes shut, and he scowled. "The room was empty. I heard two gunshots. I turned around, and there she was. She knew I was the biggest threat... so she started off by killing the only two people left in the world I really cared about."
"Wait, but why would she--"
"Daughtily only pretends to be logical. That's not actually what drives her in a conflict. She cares more about making her enemy suffer than she does about winning. She gets some kind of sick thrill on it. If she gets the opportunity, she'll target everyone you've ever loved long before she goes after you in a fight."
"...Right. What else can you tell me?"
"Don't listen to her. At all."
Ed thought back to the last time he had, and rubbed his lower back without thinking bout it. "Don't worry. I won't let her trick me again."
"It's not just that. She'll try to convince you that you're in the wrong. That you're no better than her... that you're worse because she's open about her morals. She's effective at it..." Ichirou trailed off. "Look, you're a nice kid." he finally concluded. "I don't want you to face something like her questioning your every motive without being ready for it."
There was an awkward silence. Ichirou had spoken his piece, and he looked over at Ed, reading him carefully for a response. The boy was taking the information in... and after a long pause he finally replied. "So, I should bring some headphones and listen to music while I fight her?"
Ichirou put a hand to his forehead and sighed. "I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want something mechanical right next to my head anywhere near that woman."
"Huh. Good point." Ed replied with a grin. "...Thanks for the advice. I won't let you down."
Ichirou grinned back at him. "I know you won't. Your friends are counting on you."
"Hey. Ichirou?" Ed said, standing up.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for not killing her back then."
Ichirou raised an eyebrow. "You're thanking me? If I had finished her off, none of this would have eve--"
"Yeah, that's true." he replied, cutting Ichirou off. "But... her Seal is incomplete. If it had been set loose like that, there wouldn't be a universe left to live in today, either. So. Thanks."
Ichirou hadn't thought of it like that before. "Never thought of it that way." All those years blaming himself... but if he'd succeeded would the alternative really have been better? "I guess that was pretty lucky, huh?"
"Lucky? I thought you would have had to spare her on purpose back then..."
Ichirou gave Ed the single most 'You're kidding, right?' look he could muster. Ed just smiled widely. Finally, the Dragon's Fang put a hand to the boy's head and ruffled his hair. "...never change, Ed."
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"Yep."
"From a dragon."
"That's generally where they come from."
Eon put his fingers to his temple, rubbing it with an annoyed look on his face. "And that's the only way you'll let me stay here?"
"Sure enough." replied Don Zaloog, eyepatch glinting in the candlelight. "The little one's got a mouth on her. S'cute. The big one has guts, claimin' she's Kozaky's kid. You've got nothin' going for you. So, you get a test."
---
Why the hell had he agreed to it back then?! Currently, Eon found himself hiding behind a rock as a very angry dragon mom breathed scorching hot fire at him. It wasn't the worst situation he'd ever been in... okay, that was a lie. He charged his gun with a wing shot, and clicked the assault lever back, charging his canceller gun with an extra kick. He fired the gun ahead of him, and it vanished after a short distance with the now familiar sound of a wingbeat. He heard an explosion and felt the fire stop coming from behind him--was the dragon down? He ran out from cover towards the eggs... only to be cut off by the dragon's gout of flame. He staggered to a stop, feeling the flames far more closely than he ever wanted to. He clicked the assault switch on his gun again, but before it had finished with the sweet electric sound of charging the dragon was on him. It brought its claw to bear against him, and swatted Eon quite easily into a rocky outcropping. He slammed into it, now no closer than he'd started as the dragon lumbered towards him. He knew from the fight before that the dragon had another four seconds before it could spew fire again. Four seconds to get to cover.
Bloody hell.
He hated using Wingbeat like this, but there wasn't exactly a choice. Hot flames burnt at the rock, but Eon had since moved to behind his cover from before. Cover which, as the flames scorched it again, were quickly beginning to melt.
Hah... hahah. No way. I'm getting the egg and getting the hell out of here. If I go back now...
---
The Don had taken Eon aside alone, just after showing him the way to the dragon's mountain. "You know, kid."
"Eon."
"Yer a kid until ya' prove yourself, kid." He put an arm over Eon's shoulder, patting it as though they were old chums. "Not that m'making any threats or anythin', but... those ladies? Yeh might not want to fail, if you don't want me to rethink lettin' em stay with us."
Shit. "So that's your game? If I don't succeed..."
"You catch on quick, kid. Yer' fighting t'keep everyone's ass outta the fire. Not just yers." The friendly pat seemed somehow sinister. "Don't disappoint me, eh kid?"
"But... why me?"
The Don just smirked. "Yer 'Leader-san,' aintcha? Start actin' like it, kid. Ya' got 'til dawn tomorrow t'get back. That's th'limit."
---
Going back wasn't an option. Not empty-handed, anyways. His precious cover burned away just as the dragon's breath died down. He stood as a man, and turned around to stare it straight in the eye.
The whole thing had gone tits-up right when the dragon woke up. From what he could estimate, dawn was only in a couple hours--he didn't have time to let it get back to sleep. There was only one way forward at this point: through an big, powerful, pissed-off fire-breathing momma dragon.
Three seconds left. The assault lever was already pulled. He charged the gun with a Burst this time. The dragon reared its head back.
One second. He brought his gun up. The dragon opened its mouth.
"ASSAULT BURST!"
The bolt of force fired into the dragon's open mouth, going down and running into the fire. It exploded there in a burst of force.
Again, he'd underestimated the resiliency of his prey. The force bubbled in the dragon's throat, and fired back out at him, the gout of flame now tinged with the brilliant red of his burst shot's explosion.
Oh fuck my life..! Eon thought as he dove as best he could, wingbeating to get the hell out of dodge. He tumbled to the ground in the only safe spot left to him from the massive gout: Underneath the dragon. It craned its head down at him, and raised its claw.
...Hah. Sorry, guys. Guess this is it. In hindsight, it had been crazy of him to think he'd held a chance in the first place.
It was at that moment that the ground beneath them gave way. The rocks crumbled as the dragon quickly took wing, flying back to its eggs and hovering over them protectively. Eon wasn't so lucky, falling to the bottom of the pit, landing badly, and bouncing a bit in the large cavern beneath the arena. Defeated, he stood up and looked up at the dragon's perch well above. His passage in had been destroyed just then. His friends back at the Scorpion's hideout... he'd failed them. He stood up slowly, bleeding from several accumulated wounds, but ready to fling himself back into the fray. If the dragon was up there, he'd just have to wingbeat up at it and then... and then...
"Are you alright, Leader-san?" It was a monotone, dragging voice. He looked at the cave's entrance... Kaori Mine was there, holding one of the large eggs from the clutch before. "You were having trouble, so I caved the floor to get you away."
"...you have an egg."
"We needed one. Didn't we?" Kaori answered. She seemed to realize after a moment that he was probably asking how she got it instead. "You distracted the dragon, so I grabbed it."
"But... I was supposed to do this alone." Eon replied, staggering towards her.
"Did Don Zaloog ever actually say that?" Kaori asked in that same tone of hers.
"He said that I was the leader! That means I should act like one, so I needed to--"
"Trust your team, and lead them to victory. Right? That's what leaders do." Kaori put Eon's arm around her shoulder, helping him stay standing as the two walked towards the base of the mountain.
Eon felt utterly defeated, but he didn't let on. A leader shouldn't show weakness either. "Good job, Kaori. You saw something inside the rules that I couldn't see."
"Thanks, Leader-san."
He'd been utterly defeated by Kaori Mine, of all people. A person whose only power was hundreds upon hundreds of hands. Still, as she helped Eon back down the mountain, he couldn't help but think that maybe he'd finally hit his rock bottom.
Maybe, finally, there wasn't anywhere to go but up.
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Zaniah Sakuma, age 26
I wake up early, before the sun is up. I go for a jog in the mornings around the grounds of the Sakuma family shrine. There have been rumors about me being some sort of ghost of the forest. I am quite fast, you see.
[She smiles mischievously, as though she doesn't mind it.]
After my morning jog, I return home to a quick shower, then have breakfast with Towa and Ichi. Chie is usually still asleep... she is still at the age where she cannot be expected to keep to a schedule. I give my husband a kiss goodbye, and hug my son as well. Then, I commute to work.
I am currently employed as a medical professional at Duel University, colloquially known as 'Duel U.' I assist in the day-to-day running of our medical facilities, which considering the intensity of the dueling which can occur must always be state-of-the-art. I have been given full discretion over whether I should use my abilities for the sake of a patient, and injuries are generally mild enough to be able to avoid it.
Oh, I do still have problems with my age. There are many boys who, for some reason or another, decide that they and I are destined to have some sort of fling. They come and offer me presents. I now only have to gesture to my ring and politely decline and most of them get the message. Those who do not...
[Her glasses glint coldly in the light.] I still do not wish to spare the feelings of anyone. That only leads to more awkward advances.
[Her smile returns.] After I am done, I return home. Ichi generally runs right up to me and asks to play. I do, of course, while Towa finishes off making our dinner. Chie is generally awake as well, and I spend some quality time with her, too. She is still so young, so she needs to be around Towa or myself. We dine as a family, and then I generally spend the rest of the evening doing whatever comes to mind. I appear to have picked up a hobby at some point... I am apparently quite fond of Mahjong.
After that, I put Chie to bed... then Ichi. Finally, I put my husband to bed. Ah... do not ask about the part that comes after it. [Again, her glasses glint cold.] What happens between two people who are bound together as we are is absolutely none of your business.
But yes. That is an average day in my life. I do hope I have not offended any sensibilities too much.