Chapter Text
When he first opened his eyes…he remembered absolutely nothing. Every movement of his was uncoordinated and shaky, because part of him was marvelling at the fact he even had limbs to move. Even if he could see stuff through them…was that meant to happen?
A loud shriek informs him that he possesses another sense, that of hearing. Using it in conjunction with his sight, his confused mind tries to piece things into place. This place is so bright…and who are all those strange beings around them? Why is everything so…so full, so chaotic?
“I guess I really can’t…” the owner of that previous shriek catches his attention, laying on the ground. A quick glance at what he has in his arm…and something in his mind clicks.
Dueling. He’s in the middle of a duel, one he must win at all costs. That is is purpose, his reason for existing. Even if he doesn’t know why he’s here, who he even is, or how to move all that well…he knows how to duel.
So that is what he must do.
He crosses his arms, if only because keeping them in place makes it easier for him to not focus on his ungraceful movements, and only on the duel in front of him. Then he opens his mouth…and at first nothing comes out. What is he even trying to do here?
But eventually, he figures it out, and a single word comes out, “Stand.”
And thankfully, that is enough to catch the boy’s attention. Emboldened, he looks forward, hoping his expression is a smooth, determined one, and opens his mouth again, “And win.”
-- --- -- --- -- --- --
In the end, what makes a person a person? When nothing about them is permanent? From their appearance, to their mind, everything can change or be gone in a wind.
Most would say their soul…but what is a soul without memories attached to it, and a body to interact with the world around it?
Just an existence so small, no one can even perceive it.
Who knows how long he was stuck in that state of being, that perpetual limbo.
And if he had never come out of it…would it have mattered, really?
-- --- -- --- -- --- --
That turned out to be much more difficult than he though. Not only was it hard to do much (and why did he float, when everyone else was rooted to the ground?), but the boy he felt linked to did not want to cooperate. Which almost cost them their win, the only thing he was certain that he had to do.
But in the end, they manage to pull out a victory. And it’s with a combo the boy made up on his own after disobeying him, so while the other’s weak dueling skills and difficult attitude frustrated him, he wasn’t entirely the worst choice, should he have to have a partner.
Wait, why did he need a partner in the first place?
The LP count of their opponent fading away snaps his focus back; and as if by instinct, no…as if he was being puppeteered by someone else, he hold his arms out…and absorbs the Number inside the water-duelist.
A much more potent flash overcomes, and when it’s done, there’ only a single word left: Astral.
‘My name…’
Wait, is that his name? How can he be sure? Does he have one, or does he just want one, and that flash responded to him? Or maybe that memory was referring to someone else.
But no. Something about it feels right. And it also seems wrong to keep existing a second longer without a name to identify with, so Astral it is. Regardless if it’s correct or not.
‘Does that mean…if I can collect all 99 scattered Numbers cards, I can regain my memories?’
But again, despite thinking that, he has no basis for it. It just came to him, similarly to him knowing he had to open his mouth to speak. How can he know his instincts are true? Why does he have no memories in the first place?
Why does it seem like he’s being dangled in someone else’s strings, and that who he actually is does not matter? Just this mission, one that he can’t even recall…one that he knows collection Number is a means to, not the main purpose.
The water duelist getting up and giving his partner (?) a deck back catches his attention again. There is something strange about that interaction just now, the way his partner begs to duel the other again, and how the water duelist’s eyes tremble a little at the notion…even though all that ends with is the other walking away while his partner talks into his back.
Hmmm…
Well, for now, best to get acclimated to his new partner. So he pays the kid a compliment, and he immediately responds by being boastful…a daring thing to do, since regardless if the wining move was his own play or not, fact of the matter is, if he had listened to Astral like he should have, then they would have had no issues winning.
But he can’t touch anything, can’t actually duel by himself. Doesn’t even have a deck of his own, even though he somehow knows all the effects in the kid’s deck. Another difference between himself and the others around him that he notices almost straight away.
(They look different from him too…not transparent at all, their skins peachy and smooth…is he even meant to be here?)
Regardless, this is another reason to believe that this kid is his partner. Because no one else seems to be able to see him, and Astral needs someone to duel in his stead, to get Numbers, to get his memories back, so he can then…
Why does he have to do all that again? Can’t he float down and rest, watch the world pass him by? Why must he have so much on shoulders when he doesn’t even know if he should keep floating, or maybe try to walk like these people?
This is all so confusing, so overwhelming…his poor mind wants to close his eyes and ears to all stimulus and rest, for however long it needs. Maybe never wake up again, go back to that sweet limbo. But he can’t do that. He can’t give into his fatigue, his desires, his actual inclination. That’s not his purpose.
He doesn’t know what his purpose actually is, but it certainly isn’t what he truly wants to do either.
So he follows the kid around, even after the other tries to shoo him away a couple of times. Switches from calling him ‘Foolma’ to ‘Yuma’ in order to appease him. (and honestly, he doesn’t know why he called him ‘Foolma’ in the first place, when all it did was make the other dislike him. It was just something that slipped out, mimicking the way the others acted with the kid. Something completely foolish, no, an obstruction to his mission. He must be more careful with what he chooses to copy from now on.)
At least Yuma seems easy to convince, even if he complains a lot. Either that, or he actually doesn’t want to scare Astral away despite his harsh words. For whatever reason he might have.
All he finds the following hours is even more facts that differentiate him for the rest. Yuma needs to eat in order to do anything, and then eject the remains of that fuel. A process that appears to be sacred, from the way Yuma looks down when he talks about it.
He made those observations during the duel as a way to get his thoughts in order, but now, it seems they might have an actual use. If he wants any chance to accomplish his mission, he must do his best to adapt to the world it has brought him to; and to get acclimated to the partner that will be crucial to that mission’s fulfilment.
Though, since he doesn’t know much about his own body, it does make him think…does he require energy in order to function too? It would make sense, but since he can’t touch anything, he can’t get it from the same source Yuma does, even if those white grains did spike his curiosity.
He has no sense of taste, smell or touch, though. Perhaps that means he doesn’t need to replenish after all, or at least, not as often as Yuma does? This is all so confusing…
Yuma keeps whining, making sure Astral doesn’t follow him inside the ‘bathroom’. He knows the other is lying through his teeth when he says humans dies when others see them expel energy. But he has far too many other things to think about, so he lets it slide.
Honestly, Yuma may be right when he accuses Astral of not knowing anything (and the fact his attitude is that of fake confidence does not help, but again, he keeps doing it as it’s beneficial so far), but…
What else is he supposed to do? Lose his cool and act all emotional like Yuma does?
Perhaps, but the thing is…Astral literally cannot bring himself to do that. Because he does not understand what fuels the ‘emotions’ behind Yuma’s reactions. Why does Yuma get mad when Astral gives him rightly worded advice, instead of thanking him and doing as he’s told? Why does he sound annoyed that he even has to explain such sacred concepts as humans expelling energy? Why did he feel such joy when he won the duel in the first place, instead of just relaxing after accomplishing a goal? Why does he smile when the older women welcome him home and give him energy for him to consume?
Astral does not know. And given by the reactions of the other humans around Yuma during that duel, he does not understand them either. Especially that of the blue haired duelist. Why did his attitude change so much when he lost the Number? Why did the boys following spew hateful words at him? Why did he seem conflicted when he complimented Yuma’s win? Why did he seem to hesitate on his steps when Yuma said he wanted to duel again someday?
All a mystery to him, who only knows that he has a mission he has to fulfil, and nothing else.
He is clearly an existence different from these people, and surely going down to their level won’t do him any good.
Not that it’s even possible for him to try in the first place.
-- --- -- --- -- --- --
His time on Earth is that of nothing but confusion. No matter how much time passes, no matter how much Yuma teaches him, no matter how much he observes and mimics their behaviour as best as he can…
There is something fundamental about him that sets him apart from them. Something that was ingrained in him, and no matter his abilities, he cannot overcome.
Should not overcome. For his sake. For Yuma’s.
And yet, the more time passes, the more tainted he becomes.
-- --- -- --- -- --- --
Time passes, and Astral slowly learns to blend in. As much as it matters, given that the only person who sees him is Yuma, so it does not matter, for example, whether he floats or walks like the humans.
He’s not quite sure what he is yet. Yuma keeps calling him a spirit, that show he watched once made him resemble an ‘alien’ more, but perhaps, he is something no one can even properly vocalise. But all that he is sure of, is that he must fulfil his mission…
Whatever mission it is. He still hasn’t managed to recall yet, regardless of the Numbers they collect. Some of the memories he gets are downright worthless, as if fate is taunting, keeping him what he needs most just out of his reach.
Is he doomed to now know what it is until the last moment? Is that what it is?
Best not to dwell on such things. Yuma tells him his pessimistic tendencies are bad for one’s mood, and for all Yuma needs improving in dueling, he is better than Astral is at understanding himself.
Over the weeks, he and Yuma have slowly become closer. They still have a lot of spats, mostly initiated because Astral just cannot see things the way Yuma does, but those are less numerous now that Astral at least pretends that he is coming to understand Yuma and humanity as a whole. The more ‘human’ behaviours he exhibits, the more Yuma softens on him and sees him as a ‘friend’, and he quickly came to realize that Yuma is the type who will go to ridiculous lengths for his friends. Which plays just nicely into Astral’s goals.
It’s too bad for poor Yuma that most of the ‘emotions’ Astral shows are a complete lie.
Even if it hadn’t started that way. Astral had tried to manipulate Yuma’s behaviour on their second duel against his teacher, sure, but he just wasn’t a good enough actor to fake his behaviour long enough for Yuma to fall for it.
No, the initial moment that had begun Yuma’s empathy for him; that of the whole incident with Fuya and the Esper Robin deal, had been a complete accident.
While it was a loss that Esper Robin did not turn out to be the great breakthrough Astral had expected him to be, in the end, the whole thing didn’t matter to him much. Tomorrow, he’d hover around Yuma’s room and think up of different possibilities to follow, no problem.
But his face and actions did not match up to his actual thoughts. Much like the times he had said things that purposely offended Yuma in their first meeting, or the jokes he made without realizing, parts of his being just acted without permission, mimicking what he was used to seeing.
It was a reflex, nothing else.
But regardless of that reality, the reflex served him well, because Yuma’s attitude changed that very same night. Watching the show he had previously derided as dumb, trying to make Astral forget about the whole matter and assuring him they would find something more.
Was that…empathy? For him? Why? He hadn’t cared the day before…
Did something on his face made Yuma’s compassion flare up? Did he look disappointed, maybe even lonely? Given the way Yuma was desperately lonely and tried to hide it, it would make sense that that was the trigger to make him finally treat Astral kindly. The fact they both felt lonely.
Even though Astral really didn’t. Regardless of what his body and face copied, on the inside, he really felt nothing but a strange sense of disappointment his mission was fruitless so far. Is Yuma that kind that that’s all he needed to see Astral in a different light?
Though he must admit, being able to talk about Yuma about the show was…nice. A good distraction from the only other thing they could talk about, which was dueling. For that singular moment, it was like Astral was just another human he was talking to, even though Astral was still a blue…thing, that he couldn’t even touch.
But that’s just because even his mind needs a rest from constantly thinking about a mission he can’t even recall. That’s all it is.
And if he can use this to make Yuma more amenable to help him, then may the gods judge him, but he’s going to do it.
-- --- -- --- -- --- --
The funny thing about the best laid plans is, they never go according to plan.
Steadily, the line between his lie and his body acting out on his own, begin to blur.
He doesn’t know for whom this spells bad news for; him, or Yuma.
-- --- -- --- -- --- --
As the days pass, and gets to observe more and more humans, he starts to get a handle on their behaviour.
Despite each human being different from the next, and them sometimes acting out in illogical ways, they all operate on the same basis of emotions. Love is one of them, and the one he sees being expressed differently the most.
Just from Yuma’s family alone, Haru expresses her love for Yuma through food, housekeeping, and being supportive. Whereas Akari hides her love behind a veneer of overbearing and over-protectiveness.
And from Yuma’s friend group, Kotori expresses her love by always being by his side, even if she has no reason to do so, and spends a lot of that time insulting him. Cathy, on the other hand, is more overt with her feelings, and more supportive, but also keeps her distance when Kotori is around somewhat. Tetsuo is a bit like Kotori, insulting Yuma and never taking it easy on a duel, but always following him and trying to keep him safe, even if his warnings fall on deaf ears.
He hasn’t spent enough time around Takashi and Tokunosuke to figure them out yet, though the trend of bad-mouthing Yuma, and yet following him around, continues.
Is this what human love is, then? Something to be hidden, and grandmother Haru is an exception? Seems so, but Astral needs more samples before he can come to a decision.
What he does know for sure, is that humans are confusing and dishonest. And the next person he gets to observe fully proves it.
Goaded by Yuma’s friends, they cross paths with that boy they dueled on the first day. Astral finds it pointless, but it is the first time he can fully agree with Yuma. Summoning that Number in order to assure their victory was the right call, and he truly does not understand why Tetsuo and the others had such an issue with it.
What was honour worth in favour of winning? Especially when none of the them were good duelists themselves, and if not for Yuma, Tetsuo wouldn’t even have his deck any more. It all seems hypocritical for him, a lot of whining by spoiled babies who don’t have to live in a reality where a loss means losing you life.
Like he does.
They end up losing, which does take Astral back a little. But since Shark did not destroy the key again, Astral supposes it doesn’t matter. If it makes him happy to win, and gets Yuma off his trail and back to hunting Numbers, then fine by him.
Yuma seems to disagree, and takes the loss hard. Astral sighs when Yuma then insists on checking up on Shark again, but since he was expecting it, fine…not like he has much choice but to stick by his partner anyway, as the first night where he tried to wander off the house while Yuma slept only to find himself frozen in place proved.
Not like Astral would know how to talk Yuma out of it in the first place. While Yuma treats him better now, Astral still cannot manipulate him well enough to use his well thought-out logic to keep them out of where they don’t belong. Still hadn’t gotten close enough to him, he guesses. He must assimilate himself more.
As fate would have it, tailing Shark would lead them to finding two more Numbers, so all is well that ends well. And tag partnering with a good duelist can only further encourage Yuma to improve, and perhaps be more willing to follow Astral’s advice in the future.
It’s what happens after the duel that befuddles Astral.
Until then, he thought he had gotten a good handle on Shark. He was someone who hid his real feelings behind a mask of indifference, and going by his current actions, cared little for his own well-being. Perhaps he hated himself, and thought he deserved to be punished?
If it was because of that cheating thing, Astral thinks that’s a worthless feeling to have. If there’s one matter he’s sure of, is that guilt does nothing but hold humans back from their potential.
But as it turns out, he had no idea who Shark actually was.
For not only was he honest when he told Yuma to keep Black Ray Lancer because he had improved since their previous duel…but when he took a few steps further, he stopped, his body tensed—
And then he turned around, stepping in front of Yuma before the other could react, and grabbing Yuma’s chin and pulling their mouths together.
Astral has seen this before, but only on the TV. A ‘kiss’.
During those scenes, the music always flared up or cut off dramatically, which he had come to learn meant that it was an important event. And yet, no matter how many he saw, he cannot understand the function of it…they don’t seem to exchange energy through it or not, and unlike a hug, it doesn’t appear to be a good convector to transmitting heat.
Seeing one in person…he still doesn’t get it. And yet, he’s convinced the TV didn’t lie to him, and that this is something he should take note off.
The more time he stares, the more bewildered he is. Should he even be watching this? TV etiquette says not to, but why not?
It doesn’t last for very long, and Yuma seems to be as confused as he is, for he remains frozen through the entire duration of it, and holds his breath even after Shark finally pulls away, staring at nothing.
But it seems his reaction greatly pleases Shark, who grins as he turns around, “See you around sometime, Yuma.” he says over his shoulder as he walks away for real now, getting into his motorcycle and driving away.
Yuma coughs when he realizes how long he went without breathing, his entire face turning crimson, “Gah, ack-ack, what the heck?” he screeches, bring a hand to his lips, “I can’t believe that was my…that was my first…”
Regrettably, he doesn’t finish his sentence, going back to remaining still as his mind wanders off. Unable to keep up with this suspense any longer, Astral floats next to him, asking, “Yuma, why did Shark kiss you? The TV said it was a thing between lovers, but I thought you weren’t even friends?”
Startled, Yuma jumps back, as if he had completely forgotten Astral existed, “Ahhh, you s-saw that!” he chokes on his own words, proving that he had really forgotten about his ‘ghostly’ partner while he was too busy with Shark.
He quickly recovers, and looks away while grumbling, “And we are friends! Don’t I keep telling you, dueling is a way to one’s heart? Everyone I’ve dueled so far has become my friend!”
And sure, Astral has to admit that is the case so far; Fuya, Tokunosuke, Cathy, even Tadashi despite the fact Yuma had lost against him in their one duel. But something tells him Yuma isn’t quite being truthful here, and that he should wait for more samples before he comes to a decision.
Shark’s previous attitude would have proven him right, but given his actions just now…maybe they really did become friends? But why had Shark ignored him earlier then? And why the kiss? “So, are you both friends and lovers? How confusing…your relationships can have more than one facet?”
Yuma interrupts his musing prematurely by shaking his arms around, “Ack, stop saying that! Shark and I aren’t lovers!” he complains, stomping his foot in a rather petulant manner.
That just makes Astral more confused, “But then, why did he—”
“Look, I told you, you can’t take everything you see on TV so literally.” Yuma interrupts with a shake of his head, “The shows you watched were likely soap operas and teen dramas, and sure, in there, kisses are meant to be dramatic and romantic. But in the real world, plenty of people kiss for other reasons. Like, I kiss my grandmother all the time, and we’re not….eugh.” he shivers at that last part as his imagination throws unwanted images at him.
Astral takes a moment to take it all in, “Oh, you kiss her on the mouth too? I haven’t seen that yet, but I suppose if you say s—”
“No, not on the mouth!” Yuma interrupts him once more, looking more frantic by the second, “Family kiss each other on the cheek or forehead. It’s still a kiss, just not romantic…” he stops as he realizes he’s rambling, and Astral still looks just as confused, “Look, the point is, kisses aren’t just for lovers, and Shark and I aren’t lovers. We’re friends. And friends sometimes kiss each other on the mouth…”
Then he turns away and mumbles under his breath, “I guess…”
He likely didn’t intend for Astral to hear it, but he did, and that just makes him doubt every one of Yuma’s words up until this point, “So, do you kiss Kotori often? Since she is your oldest frien—”
“No! I do not kiss Kotori, I do not kiss Tetsuo, I do not kiss my family on the lips, and I don’t kiss anyone I’ve just met!” Yuma shouts, seriously aggravated. Then he opens his eyes and sees something in Astral’s face (that again, he doesn’t know what, since his body reacts on its own) that makes him calm down and his expression soften, “Look…some kisses are right for certain situations. Like a mother kissing a child’s wound to make it hurt less, or some cultures have people kiss each other on the cheek as a greeting, and most often you do it…to show affection for someone you like.”
He whispers that last part, cheeks flushing again, but before Astral can open his mouth, he keeps rambling, “But not everyone follows social norms, and I’m sure even you can tell Shark is a bit of an outcast. We’re just friends, so normally we wouldn’t have kissed, but for some reason, he wanted to do it. Don’t ask me why, cause I don’t know it either.”
He shakes his head, and finishes it off by shrugging, “I can’t control what other people do. Sometimes, humans just act weird, even for us.”
That is an excellent point…and Astral sees now that jumping to conclusions might have been a bit unfair, even if he only did it because he truly knows nothing else. And he supposes, he should thank Yuma for taking the time to explain it, “I see…thank you for being so thorough. I guess we were both surprised by what happened then.”
Yuma sighs in relief, believing the matter is over. But Astral has one more thing he doesn’t understand, “Why do you humans kiss anyway? Besides you explanation of making injuries heal faster, I see no practical reason for it. Does it not feel gross to drink each other’s bodily fluids?”
Something about his question must have set Yuma off, as the boy’s face pales before he throws his hands in the air, “Gaaaah, no! Sorry, but I am not dealing with this!” he shouts, “I’ll put on some of the movies my sister loved when she was younger when we get home, and you like…figure it out from that, okay?” he says, almost as if he’s begging.
“I’m just one person! I can’t be your source of information on everything!” Yuma continues to excuse under his breath as he looks away, almost walking into a light post as they start to make their way home.
Astral opens his mouth, but closes it when he realizes that what Yuma is saying is completely fair. Yuma is young too, expecting him to explain with perfect clarity everything Astral wants is unreasonable, when he himself lacks so much experience. That’s what he goes to school for, isn’t it? Maybe Astral should listen in to his lessons more, instead of retreating inside the key to give Yuma time alone (and also because being among crowds for too long overwhelmed him. Too many things to focus on at once).
When they get home, Yuma takes a long while to fall asleep, but Astral respectfully pretends not to notice. Instead, he goes over the list of movies Yuma prepared for him, though he hits an obstacle when the long DVD ends and he can’t manually switch it for the next one, as Yuma is already slumbering.
No matter, as the two he saw were enough for him to know this was nothing but a waste of time. They were pretty similar to some shows he already watched, ‘soap operas’, though the plots were better constructed and self-contained, even if just as dramatic. Why did people get into those sea vessels if they could be destroyed so easily?
Just like soap operas, the kisses he saw were mostly reserved for special moments, but all of them were as spontaneous as the one Shark planted on Yuma. No discussion beforehand on why they were doing so…what was Yuma wanting him to get from this that he hadn’t already seen on TV?
Then again, none of the kisses he saw on the movies had other people watch from the sidelines, so he doesn’t have a mirror to explore his own situation in. And why Yuma was so bothered by the fact Astral had seen the whole thing.
Perhaps kissing is meant to a sacred ritual, like expelling energy is? And it’s fine to see it on TV, but being a third wheel in person makes you violate the ritual and rightfully be punished? Shark couldn’t see him, so he thought the thing between Yuma and him was private…it also explains why Yuma froze up instead of throwing his arms around Shark, like Astral saw in the movies.
Yes. At least for now, that is the observation he makes: human rituals are not to be disturbed, for the good of the one disobeying the rule.
-- --- -- --- -- --- --
Looking back, the fact he was so enthralled by the whole thing, should have been a warning sign.
He didn’t know what his body was made of. What organs he had, if he had any at all. If he was able to bleed should anything manage to touch him. If he could even count as being ‘alive’, given his current existence of being incapable of interacting with anyone and anything but Yuma, and requiring no substance to keep going.
And yet…his curiosity was peaked by the same thing humans obsessed over.
An inhuman existence subconsciously imitating a human…what good could ever come from that?
-- --- -- --- -- --- --
From then on, he notices that his body acts out ‘spontaneously’ a lot more often. Yuma says his eyes look like those of a cat sometimes, wide and expressive, and he finds himself saying things without thinking them through.
And despite knowing he can’t actually be feeling anything, the power of the mind is a frightening thing. Sometimes, he fools himself into believing he’s actually irritated with Yuma when they argue about something, that he feels sad whenever they walk past a stray, clearly hungry dog, that when granny Haru welcomes them both home with a smile (even if she’s unaware Astral is there at all) he feels content at having a ‘home’ to return to.
But in the end, it means nothing. His mimicking is just getting that good. Something to be proud of, if it aids his mission.
And then…the fated day comes.
First, Yuma pushes Kotori out of the path of an incoming truck, and for a split second, Astral actually panics, realizing there was no was no way Yuma would ever survive the impact, and his chest constricts at that notion.
Later, he’ll attribute the mishap to the fact he won’t be able to fulfil his mission without a partner to duel for him. And given that Yuma is the only who can see him, if he’s dead, then Astral is also dead to the world. Yes, that is it.
A whistle that makes him tense up on the spot. Realizing time has stopped around them. A duelist they had seen earlier in the day making himself known, and then forcing them into a duel even though they could do nothing else with time frozen like that. Calculating, menacing eyes staring them down as if they were nothing.
Their first meeting with the Numbers Hunter.
Astral’s mission was to gather all the Numbers. And now, he was being preyed upon for the ones he had. Nothing more than a faceless goon to be beaten and stolen from. The same way he viewed all Number Holders he and Yuma had come across so far.
The irony of that would almost get to him, If he was human with the capacity to be affected by such things in the first place.
At first, Yuma has his usual confidence. And it’s backed up by the way the other duelist spends his first turn. But Astral gets the impression that the other is just messing with them, baiting them, and that theory is proven when Yuma reveals some of his Numbers and the other duelist immediately ups the ante.
Galaxy-eyes Photon Dragon…the mere sight of it alone makes the entirety of Astral’s being quiver. He doesn’t know if he has blood or even a circulatory system, but he definitely feels the tip of his fingers and ears palpitate. All because he knows…he knows this is a formidable opponent.
His mission is in possible jeopardy, and that cannot stand. Cannot be.
Next to him, Yuma is sweating. The realization of what’s happening is finally dawning on him. Yuma is going to lose his soul like that robber and the people on the news, and Astral is going to disappear for good. There’s nothing they can do about this…and he gets the sudden, inexplicable urge to cry out, wishing for the first time that he could at least touch people, so he could go right up to that bastard and make his duel disk malfunction.
That would fix everything, who cares if it’s cheating?
But as if fate was looking out for them, the Hunter gets a call…and just like that, he calls the duel off, and time resumes.
Astral and Yuma are left just standing there, trying to process it all. Yuma falls to his knees and scream, and Astral tries to get his breathing back into check. He’s imitating Yuma out of reflex, that’s all.
His mission almost came to an untimely end. What worst fate could there possibly be?
-- --- -- --- -- --- --
It occurs to him later, that he could have saved Yuma back then, should the duel not have been interrupted.
Astral was the one who held the Numbers, not Yuma. He only manifested the Numbers into Yuma’s deck as they needed them, and some he hadn’t even bothered to manifest physically yet. A skill sure to be of great use, once the number of Numbers they owned exceeded the ones Yuma’s extra deck would even allow. He could simply make the ones they needed show up, and trade them around as was required. Hope was only around physically because Yuma used him so much, maybe. There was always something strange about that one, after all.
So, Astral could make all the Numbers disappear from Yuma’s deck, which means the Hunter would get nothing when he got Yuma’s soul. And surely, that would make him give the soul back immediately. He could then steal the key and find a way to pull Astral out of it, so he could face off against the one actually in possession of the Numbers.
Yes, if things came to worst, Yuma could always be saved. As would be fair, since he didn’t ask for any of this mess in the first place. He had nothing to gain from whatever Astral’s mission was. He was just unlucky enough that Astral was connected to the pendant his Father had given him.
And yet, Astral never tells any of this to Yuma. Nor does he have any plans to make the Hunter realize that Yuma isn’t his target at all.
Because Astral doesn’t want to face the Hunter all by himself.
That should have a clue that, no matter how grateful he is for Yuma’s help, in the very end, he will never put the boy’s needs above his own.
-- --- -- --- -- --- --
He’s heard about substances that are so addictive, most humans don’t even try them at all. For if they do, never partaking in them again would be impossible. And those that do, fall into that despair, and somehow manage to claw their way out, are forever tainted by the experience.
That’s what Astral feels like after that fateful duel. That he’s been tainted beyond repair.
The realization that he could fail his mission, his only reason for existing, makes him wonder why he should bother at all. He doesn’t remember it at all. Why work so hard for it? Why not just uselessly exist as a ghost by Yuma’s side and let things be?
It’s not like the mission mattered to the boy either. It was only fair.
It makes his attitude towards Yuma shift somewhat.
He doesn’t snipe at Yuma as much when the boy messes up during their duels. During the day, he floats a bit closer to him, watches over most of interactions with others instead of retreating into the key. At night, he lowers his shoulders when Yuma goes to sleep, and when it gets to be too much, goes to the roof top and gazes at the stars. Yuma has woken up sometimes, and joined him, assuming Astral was just curiously gazing at the sky. Astral begins to use that time to help Yuma improve his dueling skills, instead of just trying to force his way during the heat of their duels.
The excuse he gives is that he one day might be gone. And it’s s certainly a good one. Once (or if now) his mission is fulfilled, he won’t have any reason to stick by the other’s side, and surely Yuma deserves some kind of reward for helping him. Since he wants to be duel champion, what better gift could Astral provide?
And if his mission can’t be fulfilled, well… it’s nice, to talk to Yuma calmly like that. They don’t have that many topics they can talk about, with Astral knowing little of the world around him, so this is one of the few things they can do that doesn’t devolve into Astral asking a bunch of questions that frustrate Yuma.
They still have their spats, of course, regardless of everything that’s been contributing to Yuma thinking of him as friend. They’re too different not to. The biggest one being when Yuma’s friends fall into a trap set up by someone that had connections to the hunter they had preciously faced. Astral had wisely advised Yuma to stay out of it, as there is no way another confrontation with Kaito will go to their favour. And for some reason, Yuma gets so mad he tries to punch him, even though nothing was faulty about Astral’s logic. They end up ‘making up’, or at least Yuma believes so, and it turns out Astral’s worries were unfounded. The man had no relation to the Hunter, he was just delusional.
It does truly baffle him why Yuma cares so much about his frankly useless friends though. Almost as much as it baffles him that he doesn’t want to see Yuma walk into danger, but of course, that is quickly excused by the fact he has a mission that he needs Yuma for, is all.
And that he needs Yuma to exist at all. That helps too.
The mess with Black Mist puts a damper on things, on several levels.
The argument between Tetsuo and Yuma is already confusing enough. Why did they insist they were friends, when they clashed so much? Why would Tetsuo risk so much for someone he almost punched just two seconds ago? Why did they then pretend nothing happened the next day, and went on as usual?
If you like someone, you’re nice to them and seek their company. If you don’t, you ignore them and avoid them. The way these two act, Astral can’t tell what the heck they actually are. Unless they are lying to each other, but what would they have to gain? They’re not like Astral, who has so much at stake that requires him to manipulate his partner.
But the intricacies of human relationships are the least of his problems.
Black Mist…finally, a being similar to himself. Someone who Astral could touch and interact with, almost a mirror to himself.
Or, at least, that’s what it appears from a distance.
In reality, Black Mist differs from him in several ways. He can touch the world around them, for one, and all the humans can perceive him. That means his existence isn’t called into question, like Astral’s is, and he agonizes over why their circumstances differ when they looks so much alike.
He also takes over Astral’s very body, and shows him what it’s really like to have no control over it. But honestly…not being in control, not being confused any more…it’s a relief. Maybe he should just go back to sleep, like he wanted to on that first day.
The only shame would be what would happen to Yuma after that. Again, none of this is the boy’s fault. So he tries to fight back, do something…
The matter is resolved, but fate throws another curve ball on him: his early thought of the Hunter stealing the key and somehow dueling Astral himself comes to pass.
For the first time since he somehow manifested into this world, Astral is alone. And despite all the advice he likes to give Yuma, he has no idea what to do on his own. His thoughts are disjointed, he cannot come up with a proper strategy, and all he attempts to follow the most sound logic, end in failure.
Yet, Yuma’s stupid words of kattobingu make Astral steel himself. He can do this, and then, he can complete his mission, and forget all about this strange planet.
He must. It’s the only reason he exists. The desire to stick around or go back to sleep were nothing but mere fancies due to copying the humans too much.
The Hunter, whom he finds out is named Kaito, accuses him of being too scared to do anything. And if Astral wasn’t so busy trying to find a way to save himself, he’d laugh in the other’s face.
“A bit too afraid, aren’t you?” a jeer clearly meant to make him even more scared. A strategy like the ones Astral just tried to use on him. And just like Astral’s, it was a flawed one from the start.
For someone who is so threatening, so composed, so clearly intelligent if he managed to find a way to invade the Emperor’s Key…he sure is a fucking moron. As stupid as Yuma is.
Or maybe, that’s just how humanity is as a whole. The second human to ever lay sight on him, and despite verifying with his own two eyes that Astral is very different from them…his first instinct is to attribute human traits to him.
Come to think of it, they did that with Obomi too. Astral had played along at the time, but to think they actually though a scrap of metal was somehow different from all the other scraps of metal…
There is no doubt about it. Humanity as a whole is both stupid and narcissistic. They cannot perceive of a reality where another thinking creature isn’t the exact same as them. And this is why Astral cannot understand them at all, no matter how well he mimics them.
Both of them lack the empathy to understand each other. It is literally impossible. The humans are just too blind to realize it.
Too bad the peace that realization comes with is going to be so short lived. Despite putting on a strong face and imitating Yuma’s way of dueling, in order to try and fool the other into hopefully making some misplays, the duel does not go in his favour. Kaito is just a far superior duelist compared to him.
His mission has come to an end before he even knows what it was.
And yet…the one thing he can think about in what are sure to be his last moments, ‘Yuma…goodbye. At least you won’t be taken out alongside me.’
What a strange thought to have. Almost human-like. Pathetic and alien to him.
But that would not be his end. Right after that, someone else invades the key.
And what happens next permanently changes Astral.
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From what he hears both during Yuma’s school lessons, and on some educational programs on TV, life on Earth hinges on the following principle: adapt or die.
That’s what their concept of evolution seems to be about. An animal either overcomes the changes in its environment, or becomes extinct. The strong go on to pass their genes to the next generation, and the weak die off and are forgotten about as if they had never mattered.
And though he might not be of this world at all, and certainly doesn’t have to worry about the concept of evolving, in the end, he finds himself bound to that same rule. Adapt or die.
Only time could tell if it would have been better for everyone involved for him to die.
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