A New Start ((open))

[marvelo12]

Walking as though a normal everyday human I walked down the street with my hands in my pocket. I looked around at everyone else and couldn't help but sigh. Flashes of the past kept blinking in my mind. Who could forgive me for it...Who WOULD forgive me for it. Eventually I came to a bench and looked up at the sky. Dark with littles sparkles in the sky. Just like back where my life changed...but that was why I was here.

I looked at my duel disk. Cracked in the center but still working. My the troubles this little thing had gone through. Now it was more of a black color than anything still it had a written past of danger on it. I grabbed my head and tried my hardest to hold the tears back. Everything done...everyone hurt...just losing all my will. Why...?

The immaturity state of power. But that was over now...wasn't it? Was the obsession of power finally erased from my mind? I sighed. I was becoming more like Vahn everyday. Worrying about my problems and how they affected my dueling more than anything. It was funny to me but everything in my mind was clouding it from coming.

I began to remember those from my past. Shizuma, Fai, Recita, Morgan, Vahn,...Yuto,......Mizuki. All positive people but only negative thoughts. All those that I hurt. I sighed. This place would change that. New people. New faces. Most importantly a new start.

[Emrys Nimbus]

Perhaps not the newest faces, but definitely a new start would be in store for Marvelo Namaguchi. Just the same as it would be for Mizuki Haruka, the woman fishing her keys out of her purse to get into her car to drive out to the school.

"Oh curses." Mizuki muttered, digging through her bag to find them. Where had she placed them? And there wasn't even too much in her bag. Just her wallet, a couple of pictures she kept close at her side and four cards. One was Treeborn Frog, a gift from a dear friend. Two were Eria the Water Charmer and Gigobyte, and one was Beckoning Light, a gift from a man that she had loved very much, but had hurt like hell. That duel... she had lost her memories, but she remembered everything now, and she was still hurt by it.

Though she wasn't a Darkness Weaver anymore, which was a good thing.

She kept on digging through the bag, when she felt it being ripped from her hands, and she heard the thunder of footsteps as a thief ran the other way.

"What th- GET BACK HERE! THIEF!" She yelled in English. The grey-violet haired woman who now wore it long started running after her adversary as fast as her shoes could carry her. Her violet eyes narrowed in that Mizuki-like fashion and she took off her spectacles so as they wouldn't fall off her nose.

"Damn you get back here!" Mizuki snarled, starting to run faster. That was when she rounded the corner and hurled headlong into a patron with black hair, Marvelo, herself falling to the ground with a crash.

"Sumimasen!" Mizuki said without thinking in Japanese to apologize to the man that she didn't recognize in her panic, and she got to her feet and started running again. "THIEF!"

The man ended up dropping her bag nearby and she went and grabbed it, digging through the bag. "Damn it all... my wallet!" She glowered at the wall. "Damn... well at least my ID and my cards weren't in there." She muttered to herself. "And not too much money either..." She dug through the purse, and couldn't help but laugh her familiar, tinkling laugh. "The irony. I can find my car keys now." She said as she retrieved them out of her bag. Written on them was her name and her address, just in case someone found them and turned them into police.

[marvelo12]

Eventually I laid back in my chair. This was San Melina, California. A whole ocean away from everything happened. It was all there and no one else was here. The past 12 years of life had flown back so fast there and now I was like this. Time to face the prese...

Suddenly a woman turned the corner chasing a man yelling "Theif." Due to the shock of it I stood but the boy dodged me and the woman ran towards me. I turned to the woman and looked at her. Instantly I froze as she apologized and chased after the man again. Was that...was that just Mizuki? What was she doing here? She had disappeared and now was here...what...what was going on?

I just turned and looked at her as she recovered her purse. 'Even here' was the only thought in my mind. Still with the frozen look of both surprise and fear, more fear, I slowly approached the woman. My had the years changed a person.

"Miss," I began in my usual calm style of talking. Then I took a formal bow. "I wanted to say it was ok for running into me. As long as you don't continue to make a habit out of it. Running into each other over and over again wouldn't help our past."

At the end of my sentence I leaned up trying to catch eye contact. Looking at the woman in front of me I knew it was true. Here in San Melina, after 12 years, now stood Marvelo and Mizuki looking at each other as friends...not enemies.

[Emrys Nimbus]

"I honestly don't know wh-" She had looked up to look into his eyes and stopped. Her eyes widened a bit, but instead of fear there seemed to be... regret?

"Marvelo-kun..."

The two stood staring at each other for a long time and then she sighed. "Never thought to see you here." Her voice was kind but she wanted nothing more then to run away again, this time away from Marvelo. She blamed herself for what had happened between them. AFter all, she had instigated the attack... even if Marvelo had been corrupt.

She looked towards the ground, her face full of shame. "What's up with you?" She asked awkwardly, her heart fluttering.

[marvelo12]

So infact...I was right. After twelve years, and a long time of struggle and pain, now stood the past couple. In the stare down we had I couldn't help myself but to remember that day. The day where everything changed. The day I made the change from Academy Student to a hunter full of hatred, anger, and wanting nothing more...than revenge.

But now we were in a different time, a different place, and again had matured. If with the scarring past could others still forgive such a evil...would it still be safe?

"Mizuki...," I said in a low voice before Mizuki asked her question. It still would take some time to recover from the instant sight of seeing each other but...for now we could only talk. Everything else wasn't important at the moment.

"The shadows," I said with a projected voice. As I spoke now I resisted myself from dropping my head but it soon just fell without his knowing. Small water beginning to produce in them. "The shadows and my break from them. I've gone through a lot since our kids days. Especially after I left the Academy. Mizuki...I'm sorry. I really am but I know there's I can do to fix the past except start over. But even doing that...there are plenty of those from Domino that would never forgive me. I just want to say it...I'm sorry. Sorry for....for everything."

Who would think after twelves a small boy that grew through so much still didn't have the energy or power to control his emotions? After turning in the eye the shadows refused to even cling or surround me so his Dawn Charm become useless. Now it was smashed and broken from 2 years ago. But that wasn't important right now. I looked back up to Mizuki as both eyes released tears that I didn't even care to count. I just tried to catch my breath and...and hope everything could change but prepared myself if they would just stay the same.

[Emrys Nimbus]

Mizuki heard the explanation, and she had to look away. Then she looked back right as... tears?

Her face screwed up and immediately her arms wrapped around him.

"No, Marvelo-kun, it was my fault, it's alright." She sobbed into his shoulder. "I shouldn't have attacked you, but I was going through my own problems at the time. I didn't want to release them on you, but I snapped after I figured out what had nearly happened to Linnis and Zac-san. I thought that a duel and getting away your Twilight Eye would fix it. And I was horribly horribly wrong." She clinged to him. "I'm sorry, I tried to set things right but I couldn't."

[marvelo12]

"...Mizuki," I would have said more but we would have just continued the old blame game. There were things that was my fault but if Mizuki put blame on herself he knew by now that she would keep to it just as he did. Either way it was an issue that was dealt with...it was in the past.

"You did all you could," I stated after returning the hug. "Everyone did. I was just...young. What more can I say? Knowledge and power together can turn even the greatest good evil. I understand now what Yuto went through except...I escaped it." Another image popped into my head over the duel and some tears continued to fall. It was hard trying to move past this even though it was twelve years since then. Maybe it was because that day everyday changed. Even more than it just appeared to be. I just sighed and continued to cling to the woman in front of me...I continued to cling to my friend.

"I just want to say thank you for trying."

[Emrys Nimbus]

Mizuki nodded, and though she would've taken herself out of his grasp after a moment or two, she kept on holding him, because he too was crying. She wanted to help him out. She patted his back gingerly.

"Marvelo-kun, thank you for the appreciation, but I would've done it anyway." She smiled and pulled back a bit, looking into his eyes. "We kind of have to stick together don't we?" She said with a teary smile, and then she raised one delicate hand to wipe away her tears. She wanted to wipe away his as well... but all she could do was fish around in her purse and pull out a clean, white handkerchief. "There you go." She said. She was feeling slightly off for overreacting the way she did, but she felt as if several of her inner demons were released all at once.

[marvelo12]

I took the handkerchief and wiped my eyes with it. Didn't think I was actually this...emotional? But they were excuses that could be made for explainations.

"Yes," I started. "I guess you're right. I was usually the one that was reckless in the group. Didn't matter what the cost as long as we completed the job. That sounds like our past motto. But yeah...let's move on to something else. How have you been?" I felt it was kind of selfish to just go around on our past and not even think to ask about how Mizuki had done in the past years. After I disappeared I hadn't been in contact with anyone. Hopefully she had.

[Emrys Nimbus]

Mizuki shook her head. "Alright I suppose. After I got my memories back, I sort of took a long time to travel the world, improve on my vision of the world." She was completely forgetting that Marvelo probably never figured out about her temporary amnesia after the incident. "That and I had a lot of skeletons in my closet I wanted to ignore." She started rubbing her neck. "Then I was tracked down a few months ago and brought to San Melina for a teaching position up at the Academy." She cocked her head to the side. "What about you? What have you been doing all this time? Found another girl?" She lightly teased, though it kind of hurt her heart to do so. Being his girlfriend at the time of the incident and all.

[marvelo12]

"Well after my time in darkness I just forced myself here," I said in a dull style. "San Melina is a whole ocean away from everything. I just wanted to get away from everything that happened in my Academy life and just start over. Go somewhere quiet and live a normal life. Without drama or the shadows. So life has just been...oridinary. Can't say I'd like it any other way."For a quick second I revealed a smile as I finished but it vanished into my ordinary emotionless face. Years of this had really affected me. Oh well.

"So you work at the Academy?" I asked to spark up something else to talk about. Mizuki was really the only person I could really talk to about positive things. "I was just accepted as the Librarian. I guess we'll see each other there also."

[Emrys Nimbus]

"Yeah, I'm the..." She laughed. "The History teacher. Amazing, considering my grades in the subject in school, that was my worst subject. I got an 80% in it." She shook her head mournfully. Yes... everyone's favourite little genius bookworm got... an 80%.

OH THE HORROR!

By the way, the writer felt really sarcastic when she wrote that.

"But, you're the librarian? That's my favourite place!" She laughed. "I'm not going to be able to get any reading done now, I'll probably be too busy talking to you! Oh well." She shook her head with a foolish grin on her face. "I guess that's what withdrawal was made for." She smiled at Marvelo with a half-smile, almost a skeptical smile.

"Do you want to go grab a coffee? I haven't got my wallet but I've got some cash and I've got the car." She dug through her purse again, as if she were looking for the wallet, but all that came out of it was a lost face. "Or are you busy?"

[marvelo12]

I scratched my head. I already knew the answer but it was fun to pretend to think about it. "No I've got plenty of time. Coffee sounds nice. Don't worry I'll pay." At that I shoved my hands in my pocket and looked around. "So will you lead or should I?"

((Lol that's basically asking do you want to start the thread or should I))

[Emrys Nimbus]

((I'll make it. Tim Nortons is my friend. XD))

"You sure?" She asked. She couldn't say she wasn't grateful for it. After her wallet had been stolen, she'd have to rely on interact and credit for a little while. She shrugged, walked up the street until she got to a black car, pressed the unlock button and waved at it. "Hop in." She said as she went in the driver's seat.

[marvelo12]

She had a car! Geez maybe he should have stayed in Domino longer. Either way walking keep me in shape so I shrugged over it. Following her to the car I took a seat and sat in the Passenger side. Let's see how she drives...hopefully better than him.

[Emrys Nimbus]

She turned on the ignition and her eyes flickered to the rear-view mirror to check for cars. She was a lot better at driving then when she first learned... at her last year in Duel Academy.

***

"TRANCE! TRANCE! I BROKE IT!"

"No, Mizuki, that was the clutch."

"I hate standards! Why are we driving this? What's wrong with the bus?"

"Oh what, other then the fact that it won't get us to Dawn's birthday party fast enough?"

"Hey, that's your fault for being late, not mine, I can't-"

"MIZUKI! TREE!"

Then there had been several hours of an accident scene going on, before Trance said these words.

"Good Lord Mizuki. You're top in the school, an Abject, one of the few to survive complete exposure to the Shadow Realm with your sanity intact... and you can't even drive a freakin' car!"

"Shut up."

***

After much... violent criticism from Dawn, Mizuki had chosen to drive better. For her life. Because she was likely to spend a lot of time in the Twilight Realm if she didn't. God Dawn was scary.

She drove along the road at the speed limit and her eyes flickered to Marvelo.

"Seen anyone else other then me since you got back?" she asked.

[marvelo12]

I indeed had my fair share of passing the driver's exam. Some crashes...but who would find out.

***

[glow=red,2,300]Round 1[/glow]

"Sir the speed limit is 55. Please stick to it. Take a right here."

"Dude I'm going 50 chill." He took a right doing reasonably better in his opinion.

"The speed limit is 55. You're going 60."

"Dude chill. The meter says 50."

"Sir it stats 60. Now slow down! Watch the road...!"

Two hours later with two tickets and a failed exam Marvelo went home. "Gosh I suck at driving."

[glow=red,2,300]Round 2[/glow]

"Stay on the road."

"Dude why are these cars going the wrong way...the manual said to stay on the left side of the road."

"You idiot! We aren't in Europe. Now stay to the right. Watch out for the car....!"

Two hours, two tickets, and a failed exam later Marvelo laid back in his bed. "Driving sucks."

[glow=red,2,300]Round 3[/glow]

Pulling into the drive way the driving instructor lay in the car as in a state of shock and panic.

"Here. You pass. Just don't come back to this driving course to take your test EVER again! Ok just do it man."

".....Sweet I passed."

***

It was easily said that driving was...a challenge. But I had taught myself. Thank goodness for Wi-Fi and this website named YouTube. Very useful. ((XD))

I then overheard Mizuki's question and sighed. "No," I replied. "But honestly I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing."

[Emrys Nimbus]

((..... right so those are going to be your driving tests? jk jk))

"Nah, it might not be...." Mizuki thought for a moment, tapping her finger on the steering wheel. "I suppose if you just stick with me, it'll be okay... that is if you want to see them all again." Mizuki said quietly. She looked over at him with a skeptical smile. "It seems a lot of them have turned up here in San Melina... it's almost like Duel Academy all over again, except without the rivalry and with a lot more kids. I've got a Cascada in my class who looks a lot like Dawn for someone who was adopted... I've got Noss and Lucia Takasei... when Lucia shows up... I've got a couple of people from the Lantash family, as in daughters of Katsu and Rei..." She shook her head. "I also had the shock of my life when I figured out my brother worked there... It's been... quite odd the past week."

[marvelo12]

((XD))

"Wow so everyone is here," I said. "And they've got kids. Can't say I'm really surprised but wow. So how is Shizuma?" There was shock in my voice until the question of Shizuma came around. Shizuma and probably Linnis were the only people he figured would probably kill him at just the site of him. It would difficult to face them.

[Emrys Nimbus]

"Oh he's fine. He freaked out a little bit when he saw me again... we haven't seen each other in years but he was the only one I sent letters to. Then we ended up running into each other in a coffee shop- actually, the same shop we're going to- and scaring half the patrons." She shook her head. "I seem to have a talent at getting noticed in shops... back before Ericks-san took over the Island Restaraunt I was known there too for having a crazy little sister." She shook her head. "Anyway, he's married now... got married to Corrona and... I'm not sure about kids yet, I haven't asked."

((aka He's got to make up his mind, the little twerp. XD))