Yu-Gi-Oh! DA: The Phantom Seal - Chapter Fifteen

Hurray, domestic stuff! And yelling! And characters acting out of character out of anger!



Chapter Fifteen

Confrontations


I ran after Karen. “Wait,” I called after her as I ran past Thomas and Sheppard. I barely even noticed that they were there as I followed Karen into the woods.

“Karen,” I called, “wait!”

She stopped abruptly and turned to face me.

“What?!” she demanded, her head down, the hair in her eyes almost concealing the angry tears there.

“That wasn’t what you think. She woke up and was scared, and she kissed me. She kissed me. It’s not a big deal!”

“And that’s your problem,” said Karen. “Nothing is ever a big deal to you anymore. Your classes are easy for you, so you think it’s okay to take it easy. Ria hits on you every day and you just shake it off. You never even try to stop it! And don’t try to tell me that she doesn’t, ’cuz I know she does. Thomas told me. You know as well as I do that he never shuts up about what’s been going on around him. He told me that you let her hit on you all the time!”

“She’s not hurting anyone,” I said. “I tell her no every time. She’ll stop soon. It’s no-.”

“No big deal?” Karen interrupted. “Well it is a big deal. It’s a big deal to me! You take nothing seriously except dueling, and guess what John, I’m not a duel!”

“Wait,” I asked, “you think I don’t take us seriously? That’s crazy!”

“Really?” Karen asked, a stubborn fire in her eyes. “I’m an expert at reading strangers. Don’t you think I can read you, the person I know best in the world? I’m working from example here, and the example I’ve been given suggests that you take our relationship for granted.”

“Never!” I protested. “I’ve never done anything like that before.”

But Karen was far from convinced.

“I’m sorry,” she said, “but I think you do. This isn’t just because of today, I’ve been feeling this for a while. Today just shook it loose. We need some time apart. I’m going to stay at Kimi’s this summer. Her and her parents are going to be out of town, but they said I could use the place. I’m going home, and when I get back next year, I’m gonna request a separate schedule from yours, as in completely separate, and a transfer to the red dorm. Maybe I’ll see you around, once you’ve grown up a little, but as things stand, I wouldn’t count on it.”

She turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, speechless, broken and hurt. And when I’m hurt, I tend to get mad. I heard a twig snap behind me, and I turned around to find Thomas and Ria standing nearby. Ria looked about as bad as I felt.

“I-I’m sorry,” she stuttered. “I was only goofin’ all those times. I just got carried away. I never really wanted to break you guys up, I swear!”

“Go away,” I said, tears of pain rolling down my face. “Go away,” I screamed, “and NEVER TALK TO ME AGAIN!”

She jumped and she ran. I’d scared her.

Good.

“That was harsh,” said Thomas.

“Yeah,” I snapped, fighting hard to stay in control of myself, “maybe it was, but in case you can’t tell, I’m a little pissed off right now!”

We were silent for a few moments before Thomas finally said, “All things considered, this probably isn’t the best time to tell you this, but there’s some stuff you should hear that didn’t quite sit right with me.”

Careful to avoid using Karen’s name, Thomas proceeded to tell me about Sheppard showing up at High Dorm during the duel, and about the details of Sheppard’s conversation with Karen, and suddenly I had someone to be mad at.

“Do you know where he went?” I asked.

“Back to the school to Kagemaru’s office I think,” said Thomas, “but John, you really shouldn’t go-.”

“Thanks, Thomas,” I interrupted, “but I’m good from here.”

My Soul glowed, and suddenly I was gone, melted into the shadows of the trees.


I reappeared out of the shadows in a corner of a sleek hallway leading to a set of large doors. I heard Sheppard’s voice behind them. I walked briskly down the hall and threw open the doors, barging into Kagemaru’s office to confront the two professors, “You bastards!”

Sheppard turned around to face me, and Kagemaru rose from his desk chair and asked, “Can I help you, young man?”

“This is the young man that I was telling you about,” Sheppard said, preventing me from answering.

“Ah,” said Kagemaru, “so this is John, the one who saved this island from destruction!”

“Yeah,” I said fiercely, “I am. You know, I’m pretty used to fighting weird crap like that thing in High Dorm, and I’m used to that weird crap being some kinda power-hungry jerk, or some kinda destructive monster. And those are the things I fight but you guys are supposed to be professors, the good guys, and you’ve caused more trouble than most of those guys combined. You’re supposed to be professors! How could you be so stupid? You knew something like this was going to happen!”

“Not true,” Sheppard protested. “I told your friends that when we built this place and brought so much duel energy together that we took the risk that something might happen. That we have been engaged in research specifically to prevent it.

"The Chancellor and I were just discussing the situation,” Sheppard continued, "and we think that we have a possible solution to the problem.

“First of all,” said Kagemaru, “I want to make clear that I take offense to my students confronting me in this manner.”

Kagemaru rose from his chair and stood right in my face, looking me in the eyes, as if examining me.

“However,” he said, “it is clear that your heart is in the right place, and that you have knowledge of these things, so I will take your council.”

He walked back to his seat and sat down, saying, “We will not halt our research. It is important that Duelists of this world know more about the powers of Shadow Magic and how to defend against it. Do you agree?”

I wanted to argue, but I found that I did, in fact, agree, and I nodded. I had incredible magic powers, but I didn't actually understand them one bit. If the goal of the fourth dorm really was to research that power, I couldn't, even at my angriest, agree that that research should end. Still, it sounded as if the process had been mostly unsupervised up to this point, and that did sound like a bad idea. However, before I could voice that concern, Kagemaru beat me to it.

"We will, however," the Chancellor added, "put it on hold for a few years. Students in the research program will be absorbed into High Dorm until we can find someone with knowledge of the supernatural who can come and work for the school, and oversee further research. Lend his wisdom to the project, so to speak."

I got the sense that Kagemaru had someone in mind, but I didn't press the issue. I had calmed down considerably since arriving, and I just wanted to leave.

"Alright," I said, "I get it. I’ve seen plenty of what you’re talking about. I understand why this project is important. But I’m going to say this once and only once. If ever I feel that this place is doing more harm than good, I will shut it down myself. Do you understand?”

Kagemaru nodded and smiled, “Whatever it takes to keep us old geezers honest.”

I was turning to leave, finally satisfied, when I thought of something else that I needed to say.

“One more thing,” I told them. “I need you to set something up for me, as a thanks for saving all of your lives, at great risk to my own.”

“Of course,” said Sheppard, wearing a warm smile that almost didn't look fake, “we’d be happy to help.”


Karen


By the time I was back at the school announcements were already coming over the intercoms about the “natural disaster” at the honors dorm, which had made it uninhabitable for the foreseeable future, instructing all of the dorm's former occupants to transfer to High Dorm. They were instructed to seek out one of several faculty members to request a new room assignment. This information was useful to me as well, since I had some changes to ask about.

I made my way to the main building to begin my search. The professor that I ended up seeing first was my Card Design Basics professor, Professor Marian Webkin. I made my way toward her, but before I could get her attention, none other than Professor Sheppard but me off.

“Ah, I’m glad I found you, Miss Dunn," he told me, "I’ve been asked to give you this letter.”

“Who’s it from?” I asked as Sheppard handed me a folded sheet of paper.

“Perhaps you should read it,” Sheppard replied almost sadly, and he was gone, weaving through a crowd of his students and his peers.

What could this be? I wondered, looking down at the letter that had been handed to me. I unfolded it, and a card, ‘The Fiend Omegacyber’, fell into my hand, and I knew exactly what this was. I opened the letter and read:


Karen,

You refuse to tell me about your past, from your time in the Order and before, and I’ve come to terms with that, but I think maybe your past affects you more than you think. I respect that you don’t want to see me, but I still think you overreacted today. I get it, I was wrong to let Ria keep coming on to me, but I thought it would be okay to let her have her fun because you knew I would never hurt you, but I was wrong, and I should have just listened to you instead of arguing.

I don’t think I take you for granted, but I do get that I don't see myself the way that others do. If you say that I have a problem taking things seriously lately, I'm sure you're right. You always are. Maybe you’re one of those things that I haven't been taking seriously, and maybe spending some time apart is the answer, I don’t know, but it’s as good a place to start as any. But I think that there's something that you need to take this time to think about, too.

I've never said this, because I didn't want to push you away, but I think that for some reason, consciously or not, you wanted this to happen. I think you have for a while now. And I think I know why, but you need to figure out why for yourself, or if I'm even right.

I know you planned to change dorms and schedules, but there’s no reason for you to be put out, so I’ve gone ahead and changed my schedule instead. I’ll begin next year in Low Dorm, and I've already made sure that we won’t have any classes together for at least the next year. You won’t see me again until I’ve rediscovered who I am, until I’ve rediscovered how to be who you need me to be.

I’m writing this because I want you to know that I still love you. I always will. Maybe I’m being harsh, but this is what you thought we needed, so I’m giving it a shot. Don’t try to find me, because you won’t, not until I’ve figured out why I’ve been having so many problems lately. And know that I’m not doing all of this to hurt you. You know I would never do that.

I’ve enclosed the card you gave me. I love it, but I think having it around would be too hard. Also, after the way I acted today, I don't think deserve it yet. Please, hold onto it for me, and stay safe.

Love, John


By the time I was finished reading, there were tears in my eyes. I had overreacted. I’d realized that almost as soon as our conversation had ended, but what I'd said had been based on real feelings that I still felt. They weren't just going to go away. Maybe John was right. As well as I know him, even if he doesn't realize it, he knows me just as well. I'm sure of that. So I resolved to take this time apart to consider what he said in the letter. I only hoped that, one day, he and I would be able to compare what we learned.

Next Chapter >>