(no subject)
OOC: Many thanks to pdutogepi for helping me with this.
IC Date: 12/06/2010, taking place shortly after this post.
"...to what do I owe this pleasure?" The question was sincere. Desdemona stood from a seat before her desk, fixing Isabel with a confused look.
"..." Isabel placed her hand into her pocket and produced something - a rose with dark violet petals. "Came t'give you this back." She tossed the rose to Desdemona, who caught it easily.
"Ah...this detestable thing..." Desdemona muttered, staring down at the rose. It was the focus she'd given to Isabel to allow her to transform - in truth, it was a piece of her spirit at the time that she was still claimed by the darkness, and had thus infested Isabel with all the same horrifying effects as it had her, though thankfully just temporarily. After her duel with Aki, it was the last contaminated piece of Desdemona that remained. "...this should be destroyed." She muttered. But instead, she tossed it back to Isabel. "But it is not my place to do that. I'll leave that decision to you." Isabel caught the rose, and stared at it in silence. "The truth is, I'd make you another, but...I'm so weak after that duel, I fear the strength it would bestow upon you would be rather pathetic." She chuckled
"....s'okay." Isabel muttered, staring at the rose. "I wasn't gonna ask you t'do that anyway." Silence reigned over the two for a good few moments.
"Oh, what in God's name do I have to gain from holding anything back now..." Desdemona muttered. "Isabel, I didn't expect you to come see me." She then said more loudly. "I, to be honest, was convinced that...you hated me." That seemed to take Isabel by surprise, from the inaudible gasp she let out. Eventually, however, she looked from Desdemona to the ground. She slowly shook her head.
"...I don't hate you." She muttered. "At first, I thought I did, even though it was supposed to be the darkness, all I could think was 'Why did she do those things...? Why did she give in like that, she's too strong to just be taken in like that.'" She sighed. She looked down at the rose in her hand. "But I remembered what it felt like. When I was transformed with this." She grimaced. "I couldn't think. I couldn't speak. All I felt was rage...it didn't matter who it was, I just wanted to rip apart everyone I could see with my bare hands..." She looked up. "I guess that you could even still think straight shows you were just as strong as I thought."
"...if I were truly that strong, I think I might've had the clearness of mind to just ask for help." Desdemona said, bitter laughter escaping her lips. "In the end...the darkness didn't take advantage of my desire to care for you and others...it simply took advantage of my pride." Both of them looked away from each other, unable or unwilling to meet the other's glance after all had transpired between them. Her hand was clenched so tightly against the rose in her hand that she let out a small grunt of pain. Desdemona was upon her immediately, pulling the rose from her grasp and checking her hand. "...it doesn't look like you drew any blood." She muttered. "Be very careful with this. If it gets close to any open wounds, you may be infected." She said. "Even a trace amount introduced into a human body, even a Signer...would be very stubborn, and difficult to remove." Isabel nodded lamely, taking the rose back and pocketing it. It was only once it was put away that the two realized how close they were.
There was a markedly uncomfortable pause, before Isabel spoke up. "So what happens now?"
"...you're a smart girl, Isabel. You know what the chain of events leading up to my defeat would do." Desdemona said, a sad smile coming to her face. "Please don't make me say it to your face."
"...I was hoping you'd tell me I was wrong." Isabel said.
Desdemona shook her head. "...no. I'm afraid I must be made to pay for my hubris and my selfishness." She ran a hand over Isabel's hair. "...I'm not saddened though. When I came back, I thought it was because you all needed me. You and Aki and Juudai-kun and Corentine...but I see I was wrong. You're all capable of taking care of yourselves and each other, now."
"You're wrong...!" Isabel objected. "I can't take care of anyone else, or myself. All I can do is destroy...all I can do is hurt others...." She muttered, putting a hand over one of her eyes. To her surprise, Desdemona reached out and grabbed the arm. She pulled up her sleeve.
"You're mistaken, Isabel dear." Desdemona said warmly as she revealed Isabel's forearm and with it, her mark as a Signer. "...do you know what this is?"
"...my mark." Isabel said. "It's the tail, right?" Desdemona nodded.
"The mark of the tail...I've had so many Signers. I remember each and every one of them. In all of them, you're the only one I've had who has the tail mark. I'll be honest, that one usually goes to Stardust or my older sister..." She put her hand to the tail mark. "That is because my wings are that of destruction. And the tail is the mark of the 'Protector'."
"The...protector?" Isabel repeated.
"It's not always that of the Leader - most often, I've found that is the wings or the head. I've had a few of both of those." Desdemona explained. "But without fail, the tail always comes to the Protector. The one who reliably defends their fellows." She squeezed Isabel's arm. "At first I thought it a strange anomaly, but...You want to protect your friends, right, Isabel? That's why you stay in this city?"
Isabel was silent for a good two or three minutes. "...y-yeah." She eventually said. "I know this place is a hellhole but...nearly everyone I care about is here." She stared down at the mark as Desdemona removed her hand from it. "And...I wanna keep them safe."
Desdemona smiled warmly. "Then I have no doubt you were the best choice for the tail." The smile slowly faded. "Even given that, though..." Her arms, fallen to her sides, reached up and pulled Isabel close. "I will miss you."
"...yeah." Isabel croaked out eventually. "...me too."
---
"That was the last time I spoke to her..." Isabel muttered, staring down at the mark on her arm. Ruka was alongside her, and the Butterfly, having finally recovered from his and Isabel's fight with Mobius, was right back to its perch on her head. Isabel let out a sigh. "When I remember her saying that stuff...it made me think I might be able to handle this. Now..." She looked down, "I'm not so sure anymore."
Ruka put on the best smile she could. "Well....I am." She said. "I think what she told you about your mark was right."
"...y'really think so?" Isabel asked. Ruka's nod was almost immediate.
"Despite your powers...or maybe even because of them, I know you care a lot about all of us and you do your best because of all of us, right?" She explained. Isabel let out a noncommittal grunt of assent, as if she wanted to argue, but couldn't think of any way to do so.
"Well, anyway...." Isabel muttered. "If I'm gonna figure out how to do this 'Cross Synchro' thing...I think it's gonna be here." She said, and pointed forward. They had arrived at Desdemona's old house.
The butterfly bobbed its head briefly. "Are you sure? What makes you so sure we'll find it here?"
Isabel looked up briefly at the insect perched upon her head. "Because Desdemona did all sorts of weird research when I knew her. She never let on about it, but I think she was trying to find something - a way to stay one step ahead of whatever our next enemy would be. And she was always going on about humans and Duel Spirits, so..."
"She was trying to find a new way of fighting so we'd be ready for the next enemy that came here..." Ruka muttered, coming to the conclusion herself. Isabel nodded.
"Bingo. So, if there's a way to fix our problem with Cross Synchro...it'll be here."
Ruka nodded, her pigtails bobbing a bit. "Mmn! And if the answer is here, we'll find it!"
As the two came to the front door, Isabel looked around, then stepped away from the door and over to a potted plant hanging from a window sill. "Doesn't look like William and Corey are home, so..." Isabel hesitated for just a second, then reached into the pot. She let out a grunt and pulled her arm back out. In her hand was a ring with a trio of keys on it, but around her arm was a rather thick looking vine. The butterfly let out a noise and leaped off of Isabel's head, while Ruka gasped, one hand over her mouth. Eventually, Isabel braced herself against the house and pulled her arm free, the keys still firmly in her grasp.
"....are you okay?" Ruka eventually asked.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine." Isabel muttered as she went to open the door. "She just. Has some weird ideas on home security..." She opened the door and the two stepped inside. "C'mon, all her research stuff was in the basement." She said. Ruka nodded and followed as Isabel led the way towards another door that seemed to be locked. Isabel produced the second key she'd pulled out of the plant and tried it.
"Why is this one locked?" Ruka asked. The door slid open, and Isabel walked down the stairs, following her. Ruka got her answer as the three of them took a look around the basement, which had a markedly different feel from the rest of the house. There were plants that appeared to have grown untamed and dangerous in the absence of anyone to care for them. Several growls came from the plants as they made their way down the stairs. Ruka took a look around the basement and stepped closer to Isabel. Not missing the gesture, Isabel looked down and put an arm on the younger girl's shoulder.
"S'okay. I don't think they'll attack us." Isabel reassured. Ruka nodded, though the room clearly still made her a bit nervous.
"It's not often you hear plants growl at you..." She muttered. Isabel stepped in front of a desk with all kinds of journals and notepads piled up on it and started rifling through them. As she did, the butterfly floated off her head and towards one of the plants.
"We had plants that talked back at home, but none of them looked this mean..." He said.
"It looks like they've been left alone for a pretty long time..." Ruka said.
Isabel briefly looked up. "She probably asked William and Corey to stay out of here."
"I can understand why..." Ruka said. The butterfly reached one of its arms out at a fly trap. It promptly snapped at him, nearly taking off one of his wings if he hadn't darted away at the last second, letting out a high-pitched scream. "Ah! Be careful!" Ruka warned as the butterfly darted behind her.
"She probably kept them out so nobody would get eaten by the plants..." Isabel muttered exasperatedly, shooting a look at the butterfly.
"Have you found anything yet?" Ruka asked, seemingly refocusing Isabel, who held up one of the journals.
"Yeah, I think so..." She muttered, opening the journal and scanning over it. Ruka got closer and tried to take a look for herself as Isabel started to read aloud.
"Since before I can remember, I've held to the theory that we as Duel Spirits will only seek to grow stronger through partnership with humanity. It is only thanks to partnership with my various Signers, and their adept wielding of my strength over the years that I have been able to enjoy a position of relative higher strength comparatively to the rest of my race. Most recently, I have noted that through my and my siblings' latest incarnation as 'Synchro Monsters', a human creation, our positions of power within the 12 dimensions have only been further consolidated."
Ruka reached into her pocket, fishing out her deck, and glancing at the card on top - Ancient Fairy Dragon. "So they weren't always like this..." She muttered. "That's really interesting...does it say anything else?"
"Yeah..." Isabel kept scanning the page, then she nodded and started reading again. "However, I believe this is not the limit. Through my research, I have come up with two theories as to further paths of evolution that exist between humanity and Duel Spirits. The first, of which I have been able to learn little is, I believe, similar in fundamentals to Assault Mode, an evolution through 'Power' that certain monsters can undertake. All I have been able to ascertain is that through this evolution, a Synchro Monster would not cast away their identity as such, retaining the power and capabilities thereof. Unfortunately, my theories on this are guesswork at best and I fear I will not have the proper time to formulate much better, as I am not long for this world." Isabel turned the page, pausing her reading briefly. "Further evolution...what's that supposed to mean."
Ruka was silent for a good minute or two, before she looked up. "She said it's different from Assault Mode, so maybe...she means a different kind of Synchro Summon?" She supplied.
"Maybe...." Isabel muttered, her attention half on the journal. "I dunno, I've never heard of a different kind of Synchro Summon, though." She said, a hand to her chin. Ruka shrugged, neither of them seeming to have a good answer, so Isabel simply continued reading. "Hey, wait." She placed her finger to the page. "The other path, which I believe I am more sufficiently equipped to comment on, is an evolution through 'union', the union between a Duel Monster and a human into one sufficiently stronger form." Both of their eyes lit up.
"That sounds like it's it!" Ruka said, and the pace of Isabel's reading increased.
"I have seen many powerful Duel Monsters grant a fraction of their power to humans through various means, myself included, but I believe the key difference in this process is that the monster involved would not need to be as strong as myself, half as strong, or even 1/100th as strong. Purely for example, if a low level monster such as Junk Synchron or Dark Resonator were to become one with a human through this process, they would become at least as strong as the resultant union with another Duel Monster would make them, if not moreso. However, the tradeoff inherent in this is that the human and monster would need to be completely of like mind and spirit or the union would suffer, and, I theorize, unravel completely. A union between two beings with any sort of enmity for each other, for example, would be pathetic, comparitively to two who were comrades. I also have concerns as to whether most humans would be able to withstand this process, as it would be taxing to the body and mind at best. To that effect, I have made what is, unfortunately, a stopgap solution, but a solution nonetheless. I have my doubts as to whether it will see the light of day within what's left of my lifetime, or indeed, a time after that. In the interest of full disclosure, I leave this not as a weapon to be used, but as a prototype to be used in conjunction with what knowledge I can beat to those notes and improved when the time eventually comes for such a device to be necessary." Isabel finished, placing the journal down and rooting through the desk immediately. Eventually, she stood up straight with something in her hands, a pink bracer ending in a glove. As she held it in one hand, she placed a finger back to the journal with the other.
"When a source of strong energy, the best example being a card of strong spiritual fortitude, my creation will create a safe conduit between the human and the Duel Spirit, lessening the strain on both without significantly affecting the resultant form." Isabel stopped reading and looked over the bracer. It had a slot on top not unlike one where a card would go on a Duel Disk. She slipped it on to find it fit, covering most of her forearm. She flexed a hand. "...why's it always freakin' pink." She muttered.
"I don't think it's such a bad color." Ruka said brightly.
"Yeah! I like pink!" The butterfly chimed in.
Isabel fixed the butterfly with a look before shouting, "Of course you like pink, YOU ARE PINK!" Which garnered a terrified yell, and caused the butterfly to dart behind Ruka, who began to laugh nervously. "Well, anyway..." Isabel closed Desdemona's journal. "We got what we came here for." She looked around at the myriad of other notepads and journals of which they hadn't even scratched the surface. "...I'd feel guilty just ransacking the place."
Ruka placed a hand to her chin, considering. "That's true, but...if there's other stuff in her research and notes here, I think that's important." Eventually, she smiled. "She wrote all of this stuff so it could help us out later, right?"
Isabel nodded. "Yeah. I think y'got a point." She said, and started stacking the journals so they'd be easier to carry. Eventually, she glanced backwards. "...hey, Ruka."
"Yes?"
"Thanks for...helping me with all this crap." She said, and looked back at the books, breaking eye contact. "After I've settled everything with the Worm, we should like. I dunno. Hang out a little more often or somethin'." As realization came to Ruka, she smiled and nodded.
"I'd like that." She said, stepping forward next to Isabel and carrying a few of the journals herself.
"Yeah! Me too!" The butterfly said happily, flying in between Ruka and Isabel.
"...hey, butterfly." Isabel eventually said. "You don't uh...have a name or anything, do you?"
"Yeah, I do!" The butterfly said energetically. "My name is Enzo!"
"Enzo...that's a nice name." Ruka said, somehow managing to pet the butterfly with one of her hands while Isabel just stared bemusedly.
"Why didn't you ever tell us that before when we were calling you 'butterfly' all the time?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow up.
"Uh...I dunno, cause you never asked, I guess?" Enzo said. "I knew you were talking to me the whole time so I just decided not to question it!" At this, Ruka laughed and Isabel just continued to stare. Eventually, she decided not to question it and the three went on there way. Once they'd made their way out of the basement, and Isabel had left a note on the fridge informing William they'd been there, Isabel locked the door again. As she did, she looked down at the keys, eventually flicking the third one up.
"Y'know what." She eventually said. "I don't wanna ride the stinkin' crowded-ass train in the middle of the day with all these books, do you two?"
"Well..." Ruka looked at the bundle in her arms. There was a lot, and the train did get awfully crowded that time of day.
"The train stinks!" Enzo said so much more eloquently.
"Did you have something else in mind?" Ruka asked. Isabel smirked.
"Glad you asked."
---
The door to the garage flipped open with relative ease once Isabel's hands were free of the journals she was carrying, and just as she'd expected, sitting alone in it was a motorcycle with a sidecar equipped, both in pristine condition.
A motorcycle...made entirely out of plants.
"Wow....what's this?" Ruka asked.
"It's Desdemona's D-Wheel." Isabel explained as the three of them walked around it, each getting a good look. "I rode in this sidecar sometimes - she told me she designed it herself, but she didn't make it."
"It looks just like a regular D-Wheel." Ruka muttered, clearly impressed.
"...COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!" Enzo shouted, causing both Ruka and Isabel to put their hands to their ears and drop what they were holding.
"We gotta work on your inside voice." Isabel eventually growled. Ruka just let out a nervous laugh.
"So does it have a name?" Ruka asked. Isabel rubbed her chin and thought hard.
---
"...that is the dumbest name!" Isabel exclaimed, to someone else's shock.
"Wh- it is not!" Desdemona shouted right back, clearly offended. "It's perfectly fitting!"
"It so isn't!" Isabel snapped. "It's dumb, it's the king and queen of dumb names, you tried to enter this thing in a dumb name contest and they said 'Sorry, no professionals'!"
---
"Yyyyeah. It's got a name." Isabel eventually said. "It's called 'Natural Cure'."
Enzo clapped his hands together. "I like it! I like it! It's the coolest bike ever!"
"Natural Cure...." Ruka looked between Enzo and Isabel. "I think it really fits you two."
"Heh....well there's only one way to find out." She held up the key. Ruka only now noticed that it was made of wood. "Take the journals and hop in the sidecar. Let's see how I do on this thing."
"Okay!" Ruka said and piled into the sidecar with all the journals they'd taken. It was pretty roomy, so she and Enzo had no trouble fitting in together with all of them. Once they were both inside, Isabel turned the key into the ignition and the motorcycle (through a process none of them had the faintest clue about) started up.
Before she accelerated, Isabel looked down at her arm. The bracer was covering it at the moment. She moved it slightly, just enough so she could get a look at the red mark beneath it. Eventually, she let out a low laugh and turned her eyes forward. Revving the throttle, she sent the bike out of Desdemona's garage and back towards Domino City.
IC Date: 12/06/2010, taking place shortly after this post.
"...to what do I owe this pleasure?" The question was sincere. Desdemona stood from a seat before her desk, fixing Isabel with a confused look.
"..." Isabel placed her hand into her pocket and produced something - a rose with dark violet petals. "Came t'give you this back." She tossed the rose to Desdemona, who caught it easily.
"Ah...this detestable thing..." Desdemona muttered, staring down at the rose. It was the focus she'd given to Isabel to allow her to transform - in truth, it was a piece of her spirit at the time that she was still claimed by the darkness, and had thus infested Isabel with all the same horrifying effects as it had her, though thankfully just temporarily. After her duel with Aki, it was the last contaminated piece of Desdemona that remained. "...this should be destroyed." She muttered. But instead, she tossed it back to Isabel. "But it is not my place to do that. I'll leave that decision to you." Isabel caught the rose, and stared at it in silence. "The truth is, I'd make you another, but...I'm so weak after that duel, I fear the strength it would bestow upon you would be rather pathetic." She chuckled
"....s'okay." Isabel muttered, staring at the rose. "I wasn't gonna ask you t'do that anyway." Silence reigned over the two for a good few moments.
"Oh, what in God's name do I have to gain from holding anything back now..." Desdemona muttered. "Isabel, I didn't expect you to come see me." She then said more loudly. "I, to be honest, was convinced that...you hated me." That seemed to take Isabel by surprise, from the inaudible gasp she let out. Eventually, however, she looked from Desdemona to the ground. She slowly shook her head.
"...I don't hate you." She muttered. "At first, I thought I did, even though it was supposed to be the darkness, all I could think was 'Why did she do those things...? Why did she give in like that, she's too strong to just be taken in like that.'" She sighed. She looked down at the rose in her hand. "But I remembered what it felt like. When I was transformed with this." She grimaced. "I couldn't think. I couldn't speak. All I felt was rage...it didn't matter who it was, I just wanted to rip apart everyone I could see with my bare hands..." She looked up. "I guess that you could even still think straight shows you were just as strong as I thought."
"...if I were truly that strong, I think I might've had the clearness of mind to just ask for help." Desdemona said, bitter laughter escaping her lips. "In the end...the darkness didn't take advantage of my desire to care for you and others...it simply took advantage of my pride." Both of them looked away from each other, unable or unwilling to meet the other's glance after all had transpired between them. Her hand was clenched so tightly against the rose in her hand that she let out a small grunt of pain. Desdemona was upon her immediately, pulling the rose from her grasp and checking her hand. "...it doesn't look like you drew any blood." She muttered. "Be very careful with this. If it gets close to any open wounds, you may be infected." She said. "Even a trace amount introduced into a human body, even a Signer...would be very stubborn, and difficult to remove." Isabel nodded lamely, taking the rose back and pocketing it. It was only once it was put away that the two realized how close they were.
There was a markedly uncomfortable pause, before Isabel spoke up. "So what happens now?"
"...you're a smart girl, Isabel. You know what the chain of events leading up to my defeat would do." Desdemona said, a sad smile coming to her face. "Please don't make me say it to your face."
"...I was hoping you'd tell me I was wrong." Isabel said.
Desdemona shook her head. "...no. I'm afraid I must be made to pay for my hubris and my selfishness." She ran a hand over Isabel's hair. "...I'm not saddened though. When I came back, I thought it was because you all needed me. You and Aki and Juudai-kun and Corentine...but I see I was wrong. You're all capable of taking care of yourselves and each other, now."
"You're wrong...!" Isabel objected. "I can't take care of anyone else, or myself. All I can do is destroy...all I can do is hurt others...." She muttered, putting a hand over one of her eyes. To her surprise, Desdemona reached out and grabbed the arm. She pulled up her sleeve.
"You're mistaken, Isabel dear." Desdemona said warmly as she revealed Isabel's forearm and with it, her mark as a Signer. "...do you know what this is?"
"...my mark." Isabel said. "It's the tail, right?" Desdemona nodded.
"The mark of the tail...I've had so many Signers. I remember each and every one of them. In all of them, you're the only one I've had who has the tail mark. I'll be honest, that one usually goes to Stardust or my older sister..." She put her hand to the tail mark. "That is because my wings are that of destruction. And the tail is the mark of the 'Protector'."
"The...protector?" Isabel repeated.
"It's not always that of the Leader - most often, I've found that is the wings or the head. I've had a few of both of those." Desdemona explained. "But without fail, the tail always comes to the Protector. The one who reliably defends their fellows." She squeezed Isabel's arm. "At first I thought it a strange anomaly, but...You want to protect your friends, right, Isabel? That's why you stay in this city?"
Isabel was silent for a good two or three minutes. "...y-yeah." She eventually said. "I know this place is a hellhole but...nearly everyone I care about is here." She stared down at the mark as Desdemona removed her hand from it. "And...I wanna keep them safe."
Desdemona smiled warmly. "Then I have no doubt you were the best choice for the tail." The smile slowly faded. "Even given that, though..." Her arms, fallen to her sides, reached up and pulled Isabel close. "I will miss you."
"...yeah." Isabel croaked out eventually. "...me too."
---
"That was the last time I spoke to her..." Isabel muttered, staring down at the mark on her arm. Ruka was alongside her, and the Butterfly, having finally recovered from his and Isabel's fight with Mobius, was right back to its perch on her head. Isabel let out a sigh. "When I remember her saying that stuff...it made me think I might be able to handle this. Now..." She looked down, "I'm not so sure anymore."
Ruka put on the best smile she could. "Well....I am." She said. "I think what she told you about your mark was right."
"...y'really think so?" Isabel asked. Ruka's nod was almost immediate.
"Despite your powers...or maybe even because of them, I know you care a lot about all of us and you do your best because of all of us, right?" She explained. Isabel let out a noncommittal grunt of assent, as if she wanted to argue, but couldn't think of any way to do so.
"Well, anyway...." Isabel muttered. "If I'm gonna figure out how to do this 'Cross Synchro' thing...I think it's gonna be here." She said, and pointed forward. They had arrived at Desdemona's old house.
The butterfly bobbed its head briefly. "Are you sure? What makes you so sure we'll find it here?"
Isabel looked up briefly at the insect perched upon her head. "Because Desdemona did all sorts of weird research when I knew her. She never let on about it, but I think she was trying to find something - a way to stay one step ahead of whatever our next enemy would be. And she was always going on about humans and Duel Spirits, so..."
"She was trying to find a new way of fighting so we'd be ready for the next enemy that came here..." Ruka muttered, coming to the conclusion herself. Isabel nodded.
"Bingo. So, if there's a way to fix our problem with Cross Synchro...it'll be here."
Ruka nodded, her pigtails bobbing a bit. "Mmn! And if the answer is here, we'll find it!"
As the two came to the front door, Isabel looked around, then stepped away from the door and over to a potted plant hanging from a window sill. "Doesn't look like William and Corey are home, so..." Isabel hesitated for just a second, then reached into the pot. She let out a grunt and pulled her arm back out. In her hand was a ring with a trio of keys on it, but around her arm was a rather thick looking vine. The butterfly let out a noise and leaped off of Isabel's head, while Ruka gasped, one hand over her mouth. Eventually, Isabel braced herself against the house and pulled her arm free, the keys still firmly in her grasp.
"....are you okay?" Ruka eventually asked.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine." Isabel muttered as she went to open the door. "She just. Has some weird ideas on home security..." She opened the door and the two stepped inside. "C'mon, all her research stuff was in the basement." She said. Ruka nodded and followed as Isabel led the way towards another door that seemed to be locked. Isabel produced the second key she'd pulled out of the plant and tried it.
"Why is this one locked?" Ruka asked. The door slid open, and Isabel walked down the stairs, following her. Ruka got her answer as the three of them took a look around the basement, which had a markedly different feel from the rest of the house. There were plants that appeared to have grown untamed and dangerous in the absence of anyone to care for them. Several growls came from the plants as they made their way down the stairs. Ruka took a look around the basement and stepped closer to Isabel. Not missing the gesture, Isabel looked down and put an arm on the younger girl's shoulder.
"S'okay. I don't think they'll attack us." Isabel reassured. Ruka nodded, though the room clearly still made her a bit nervous.
"It's not often you hear plants growl at you..." She muttered. Isabel stepped in front of a desk with all kinds of journals and notepads piled up on it and started rifling through them. As she did, the butterfly floated off her head and towards one of the plants.
"We had plants that talked back at home, but none of them looked this mean..." He said.
"It looks like they've been left alone for a pretty long time..." Ruka said.
Isabel briefly looked up. "She probably asked William and Corey to stay out of here."
"I can understand why..." Ruka said. The butterfly reached one of its arms out at a fly trap. It promptly snapped at him, nearly taking off one of his wings if he hadn't darted away at the last second, letting out a high-pitched scream. "Ah! Be careful!" Ruka warned as the butterfly darted behind her.
"She probably kept them out so nobody would get eaten by the plants..." Isabel muttered exasperatedly, shooting a look at the butterfly.
"Have you found anything yet?" Ruka asked, seemingly refocusing Isabel, who held up one of the journals.
"Yeah, I think so..." She muttered, opening the journal and scanning over it. Ruka got closer and tried to take a look for herself as Isabel started to read aloud.
"Since before I can remember, I've held to the theory that we as Duel Spirits will only seek to grow stronger through partnership with humanity. It is only thanks to partnership with my various Signers, and their adept wielding of my strength over the years that I have been able to enjoy a position of relative higher strength comparatively to the rest of my race. Most recently, I have noted that through my and my siblings' latest incarnation as 'Synchro Monsters', a human creation, our positions of power within the 12 dimensions have only been further consolidated."
Ruka reached into her pocket, fishing out her deck, and glancing at the card on top - Ancient Fairy Dragon. "So they weren't always like this..." She muttered. "That's really interesting...does it say anything else?"
"Yeah..." Isabel kept scanning the page, then she nodded and started reading again. "However, I believe this is not the limit. Through my research, I have come up with two theories as to further paths of evolution that exist between humanity and Duel Spirits. The first, of which I have been able to learn little is, I believe, similar in fundamentals to Assault Mode, an evolution through 'Power' that certain monsters can undertake. All I have been able to ascertain is that through this evolution, a Synchro Monster would not cast away their identity as such, retaining the power and capabilities thereof. Unfortunately, my theories on this are guesswork at best and I fear I will not have the proper time to formulate much better, as I am not long for this world." Isabel turned the page, pausing her reading briefly. "Further evolution...what's that supposed to mean."
Ruka was silent for a good minute or two, before she looked up. "She said it's different from Assault Mode, so maybe...she means a different kind of Synchro Summon?" She supplied.
"Maybe...." Isabel muttered, her attention half on the journal. "I dunno, I've never heard of a different kind of Synchro Summon, though." She said, a hand to her chin. Ruka shrugged, neither of them seeming to have a good answer, so Isabel simply continued reading. "Hey, wait." She placed her finger to the page. "The other path, which I believe I am more sufficiently equipped to comment on, is an evolution through 'union', the union between a Duel Monster and a human into one sufficiently stronger form." Both of their eyes lit up.
"That sounds like it's it!" Ruka said, and the pace of Isabel's reading increased.
"I have seen many powerful Duel Monsters grant a fraction of their power to humans through various means, myself included, but I believe the key difference in this process is that the monster involved would not need to be as strong as myself, half as strong, or even 1/100th as strong. Purely for example, if a low level monster such as Junk Synchron or Dark Resonator were to become one with a human through this process, they would become at least as strong as the resultant union with another Duel Monster would make them, if not moreso. However, the tradeoff inherent in this is that the human and monster would need to be completely of like mind and spirit or the union would suffer, and, I theorize, unravel completely. A union between two beings with any sort of enmity for each other, for example, would be pathetic, comparitively to two who were comrades. I also have concerns as to whether most humans would be able to withstand this process, as it would be taxing to the body and mind at best. To that effect, I have made what is, unfortunately, a stopgap solution, but a solution nonetheless. I have my doubts as to whether it will see the light of day within what's left of my lifetime, or indeed, a time after that. In the interest of full disclosure, I leave this not as a weapon to be used, but as a prototype to be used in conjunction with what knowledge I can beat to those notes and improved when the time eventually comes for such a device to be necessary." Isabel finished, placing the journal down and rooting through the desk immediately. Eventually, she stood up straight with something in her hands, a pink bracer ending in a glove. As she held it in one hand, she placed a finger back to the journal with the other.
"When a source of strong energy, the best example being a card of strong spiritual fortitude, my creation will create a safe conduit between the human and the Duel Spirit, lessening the strain on both without significantly affecting the resultant form." Isabel stopped reading and looked over the bracer. It had a slot on top not unlike one where a card would go on a Duel Disk. She slipped it on to find it fit, covering most of her forearm. She flexed a hand. "...why's it always freakin' pink." She muttered.
"I don't think it's such a bad color." Ruka said brightly.
"Yeah! I like pink!" The butterfly chimed in.
Isabel fixed the butterfly with a look before shouting, "Of course you like pink, YOU ARE PINK!" Which garnered a terrified yell, and caused the butterfly to dart behind Ruka, who began to laugh nervously. "Well, anyway..." Isabel closed Desdemona's journal. "We got what we came here for." She looked around at the myriad of other notepads and journals of which they hadn't even scratched the surface. "...I'd feel guilty just ransacking the place."
Ruka placed a hand to her chin, considering. "That's true, but...if there's other stuff in her research and notes here, I think that's important." Eventually, she smiled. "She wrote all of this stuff so it could help us out later, right?"
Isabel nodded. "Yeah. I think y'got a point." She said, and started stacking the journals so they'd be easier to carry. Eventually, she glanced backwards. "...hey, Ruka."
"Yes?"
"Thanks for...helping me with all this crap." She said, and looked back at the books, breaking eye contact. "After I've settled everything with the Worm, we should like. I dunno. Hang out a little more often or somethin'." As realization came to Ruka, she smiled and nodded.
"I'd like that." She said, stepping forward next to Isabel and carrying a few of the journals herself.
"Yeah! Me too!" The butterfly said happily, flying in between Ruka and Isabel.
"...hey, butterfly." Isabel eventually said. "You don't uh...have a name or anything, do you?"
"Yeah, I do!" The butterfly said energetically. "My name is Enzo!"
"Enzo...that's a nice name." Ruka said, somehow managing to pet the butterfly with one of her hands while Isabel just stared bemusedly.
"Why didn't you ever tell us that before when we were calling you 'butterfly' all the time?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow up.
"Uh...I dunno, cause you never asked, I guess?" Enzo said. "I knew you were talking to me the whole time so I just decided not to question it!" At this, Ruka laughed and Isabel just continued to stare. Eventually, she decided not to question it and the three went on there way. Once they'd made their way out of the basement, and Isabel had left a note on the fridge informing William they'd been there, Isabel locked the door again. As she did, she looked down at the keys, eventually flicking the third one up.
"Y'know what." She eventually said. "I don't wanna ride the stinkin' crowded-ass train in the middle of the day with all these books, do you two?"
"Well..." Ruka looked at the bundle in her arms. There was a lot, and the train did get awfully crowded that time of day.
"The train stinks!" Enzo said so much more eloquently.
"Did you have something else in mind?" Ruka asked. Isabel smirked.
"Glad you asked."
---
The door to the garage flipped open with relative ease once Isabel's hands were free of the journals she was carrying, and just as she'd expected, sitting alone in it was a motorcycle with a sidecar equipped, both in pristine condition.
A motorcycle...made entirely out of plants.
"Wow....what's this?" Ruka asked.
"It's Desdemona's D-Wheel." Isabel explained as the three of them walked around it, each getting a good look. "I rode in this sidecar sometimes - she told me she designed it herself, but she didn't make it."
"It looks just like a regular D-Wheel." Ruka muttered, clearly impressed.
"...COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!" Enzo shouted, causing both Ruka and Isabel to put their hands to their ears and drop what they were holding.
"We gotta work on your inside voice." Isabel eventually growled. Ruka just let out a nervous laugh.
"So does it have a name?" Ruka asked. Isabel rubbed her chin and thought hard.
---
"...that is the dumbest name!" Isabel exclaimed, to someone else's shock.
"Wh- it is not!" Desdemona shouted right back, clearly offended. "It's perfectly fitting!"
"It so isn't!" Isabel snapped. "It's dumb, it's the king and queen of dumb names, you tried to enter this thing in a dumb name contest and they said 'Sorry, no professionals'!"
---
"Yyyyeah. It's got a name." Isabel eventually said. "It's called 'Natural Cure'."
Enzo clapped his hands together. "I like it! I like it! It's the coolest bike ever!"
"Natural Cure...." Ruka looked between Enzo and Isabel. "I think it really fits you two."
"Heh....well there's only one way to find out." She held up the key. Ruka only now noticed that it was made of wood. "Take the journals and hop in the sidecar. Let's see how I do on this thing."
"Okay!" Ruka said and piled into the sidecar with all the journals they'd taken. It was pretty roomy, so she and Enzo had no trouble fitting in together with all of them. Once they were both inside, Isabel turned the key into the ignition and the motorcycle (through a process none of them had the faintest clue about) started up.
Before she accelerated, Isabel looked down at her arm. The bracer was covering it at the moment. She moved it slightly, just enough so she could get a look at the red mark beneath it. Eventually, she let out a low laugh and turned her eyes forward. Revving the throttle, she sent the bike out of Desdemona's garage and back towards Domino City.