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

And Yu-Gi-Oh! DA is over, and I think it turned out pretty well. It has a lot of time jumps in it, some Out of Character Is Serious Business moments, and it's story would collapse if the writers of the GX anime would bother to offer any backstory for the school, at all, but I like it. I also love writing Pegasus into my stories, and now I have an excuse to do just that as much as I want. I also like that Pegasus is one of my favorite Yu-Gi-Oh! characters, and yet I really can't see John liking him at all. I just think that's funny, which is why he mentions in his narration that he doesn't like Pegasus every time they meet.

This story means a change for these characters. John, from this point forward, is officially a Pro Duelist. He has a career now. It won't always impact future stories and specials, but it is something that should be kept in mind for the next full book, especially the ending. Also Karen is now a card designer. By the time of the upcoming DF sequel, she will be high up in Industrial Illusions. This will be important once the sequel begins, but it won't really mean much until then.

What's important, however, is that these characters are no longer members of, or associated with, the Duel Force, and yet they have not done a good job of hiding their nature as magic users, so people will still lump them with the other magic users in the Duel Force. This will get in the way of their desired futures, and they will have to do something about it. Also there is a very good chance that they might have to fight the Duel Force at some point.



Chapter Thirty

Looking Forward


“What happened?” Karen asked, rushing to my side. Ria stood beside her, looking at me like I was crazy. Thomas still looked stunned, as if he didn’t know whether or not to accept the gift I’d given him.

“Nothing happened,” I told Karen. “The way Thomas had been playing, I was afraid that if I attacked he’d have some way to redirect it, or to destroy my monster, or both. So I decided to go out on a high note.”

“That’s a load of crap, and you know it,” said Ria.

“She’s right,” said Thomas, stepping past Pegasus (who was listening to our every word) and joining the conversation. “I didn’t have anything to stop your attack and you know it. You told me that I deserve this more. That’s crap too. You should have won that duel.”

I sighed, “Listen, Thomas. I thought I’d gotten a lot stronger during my time here, but in terms of learning experience, you’ve lapped me. That’s what I mean. I obviously still have a lot more to learn.”

“We all do!” Karen insisted. “Are you really saying that you gave up this chance because you don’t feel ready? Do you think I feel ready? I need you. I need you with me, or I can’t go. I can’t do this.”

I took her hands, “Yes you can. You’ll be fine. And I’ll be alright here until I graduate. Maybe I can get onto the I2 team then.”

That’s when Pegasus took the opportunity to speak. He lowered his mic and cleared his throat, “You seem to have misunderstood a bit. I’m still busy making arrangements for both projects. I won’t be ready for any of you to begin until around the time of midterms. You will remain here, and I will return at that time. Who knows,” he said, looking at me, “maybe by then I’ll have reason to add another Duelist to my employ, and maybe someone here will catch my eye.”

I smiled, “You were testing me.”

Pegasus smiled back in the way that he does, a silent yes, and then his face turned childish once again, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”


So, the day after midterms the four of us stood by the Academy Island peer waiting patiently.

“This is gonna be great,” said Karen, her hand in mine. “I’ll make the cards-.”

“And I’ll use ‘em to win,” I finished, and we looked into each other’s eyes and smiled.

“Look,” said Ria, “there it is!” she took her hand from Thomas’ and pointed at a large passenger ship which was just emerging from the fog. I recognized it.

“That’s the same ship,” I said.

“Yes it is,” said Karen. “The same ship that picked up the eighty Duelists who were to compete in the Duelist Kingdom tournament and ferried them to Teacher’s island. It’s his ship, after all.”

“That is sooo cool,” said Thomas. “Our boss has his own passenger liner! I’ve always wanted a passenger liner. Well, I’ve always wanted a boat. I don’t really care what k-.”

“Honey,” Ria interrupted, “we talked about this.”

“Oh,” Thomas said, blushing, “right.”

“This is it,” I said. “This is the first day of the rest of our lives.”

“I feel great,” said Ria, “and I look great! But I always look and feel great.”

“I’m excited,” said Thomas. “Really excited. And hungry. But I’m always excited and hungry.”

We all laughed, and I realized, not for the first time, that Thomas and Ria really were made for each other.

“I couldn’t be happier,” I said.

“Neither could I,” said Karen, laying her head on my shoulder.

“Stop being so adorable,” said Ria. “You’re making me nauseous.”

We ignored her, of course.

We waited for several minutes for the ship to dock, and for the entry ramp to lower. As it did, we found ourselves joined by Pegasus who walked up behind us silently. I didn’t hear him, but I still knew he was there.

“Hey, Boss,” I said. “I was wondering where you were.”

“I doubt that,” said Pegasus. “You were likely too busy observing your new accommodation. As I’m sure you’ve worked out by now, this is a historic ship. The very same ship that began the Duelist Kingdom tournament. It will take you all to New York City, where you will be taken to the Industrial Illusions headquarters located there. You will have free reign of the ship. After all, as I2 employees, you have access to all company amenities.”

“Teacher,” Karen asked, “you keep saying ‘you’. Aren’t you coming with us?”

“Oh, no,” Pegasus replied. “I find this place amusing. I think I’ll remain for a few days. No, it’ll be just you four and the staff. Do try to behave yourselves.”

“We’ll do our best,” I replied.

“I wonder what kind of food they have,” said Thomas. “I could really go for a steak. Or lobster. Or Shrimp. I really like shrimp. Hey, I wonder if they have lobster-stuffed shrimp! They have that now. It sounds pretty good, but it might be a little too much…”

He kept talking, and this time Ria let it go. He was talking as we boarded the ship. He was talking as we were given the tour by Pegasus’ assistant Croquet. He was talking as we ate dinner. I’d bet money that the kid talks in his sleep.

I wouldn’t have it any other way. In fact things seemed awfully boring nowadays whenever he wasn’t talking.

Go figure.

My Life was progressing. I was finally where I’d always dreamed of being. Where I’d always felt I was supposed to be.

Karen and I spent the evening lying on the deck, side by side, looking up at the sky. We watched the sun set, and then we watched the stars come out.

“The sky’s beautiful out here,” said Karen. “No pollution from the cities blotching it out.”

“Yeah,” I agreed.

We were silent again for a while before Karen finally broke that silence.

“You were right,” she said.

“Of course I was,” I replied. Then I paused, “Wait. About what?”

“In your letter to me,” she said, “way back, on the day that is not to be mentioned, you said that it seemed like I was trying to push you away. You were right. I wasn’t doing it on purpose, and I’m not doing it anymore.”

I looked over at her questioningly.

“I haven’t said much about my past with the Duelists of the Order,” she continued, “and I never will. But I will tell you this. I love you so much, and it scares me, because all my life, every time I’ve loved someone, something’s happened to them.

“I loved my parents, and they died. I loved Teacher as my new family, and I ended up betraying him by joining the Order. I loved Monty and Lawrence as my friends, but it was my leadership that put them into the position where they were brainwashed by Yami. That’s why I try to keep apart from people. Even Kimi, the closest thing I have anymore to a family, isn’t half as close to me as you. What if something horrible happens to you because I wasn’t strong enough to turn around and walk away from you?”

I smiled at her, “Then I’d be happy, because I got to know you for as long as I did. But that’s not going to happen, because I won’t let it.”

Karen smiled back, surprised when my expression turned serious.

"I should get something out of the way, too," I said. "I'm sorry that I sent you that letter at all. I said some things that I needed to say, but I was still really mad, and the way I phrased everything, I was trying to make you hurt. It was wrong."

"You were telling the truth," Karen argued.

"Maybe," I replied, "but I could have told the truth in a way that was less harmful. I think that's a problem that we have. We have to share more. We have to start telling each other stuff."

Karen smiled, "Deal. Going forward, we'll talk more, we'll explain things, and we'll say what's on our minds. The truth." I returned her smile, the peaceful silence returned, and for the first time, I didn’t worry about dangers to come, or whether or not the people around me were friends or foes, or if the darkness within me would pop up and ruin my day.

Being who I am, I worry about those things a lot.

But for the first time in a long time, I didn’t have to be worried, because for the first time, my future looked bright.

Continue to the DE/DA Crossover Special >>