By: M Monroe Casey
Part One
“Marchie?”
(Yeah, V?)
“What updates do we have on our project?”
The brown-haired and brown-eyed identical twin of Monica stood next to her beloved as he sat on the left side of their own yellow Mt. Couch. Not knowing this stuff as much as her sister, Veronica Dancer got some guidance on how to be a “Windowsill-Watcher” from the two greatest in the game. So, she knew what to expect and knew it shouldn’t be too hard. It ultimately was just a fun way to spend some quality moments with her beloved in their peaceful prairie paradise.
More accurately, in a small hut in the midst of it all.
Well, it all being a basically endless prairie of golden grasslands as far as they could see.
Similar to Monica’s world but different, they too found a piece of their ultimate dream together. Nestled outside was the massive birdnest of one Crow of the Mountain, sleeping and resting too after its recently completed majestic soar around the vast landscape.
For Marche, it was almost exactly like his hut before the life-changing time travel adventure except it wasn’t filled with a nearly endless level of despair, loneliness and sadness. So, as one could assume, a definite upgrade.
Instead, it was complete with all the scents one could expect from being in love with a Dancer woman. With the soft scent of popcorn, coffee and lilac and a nearly endless to-do list around their house. But much like the other two, they had all the time in their timeless world to get them done.
No longer having his armor on constantly as a reminder of his warborn shame, Marche instead sat in a comfortable pair of black slacks and a blue sweatshirt that she picked up from an Earthly mall for his last birthday when they went to visit his in-laws.
Awaiting a visit from his brothers soon too, they worked away on this new video project first though as Marche’s half-blonde, half-brown hair was softly played with by his beloved. Sitting down closely next to him, staring into his one blue and one brown eyes, she awaited his reply with the deep sense of an intoxicating love on her brain.
Completely and happily lovestruck by the man who literally broke time and space just to give her a story.
(Well… not much honestly. The ‘16 Crew’ is still assembling and preparing for their mission but we really don’t know much yet about that and Bubbles is just going along still. Challenging any person who is ranked above her in the world rankings and of course, she is winning.)
“I wouldn’t expect anything else from her… well, I’ll let Mon know so I guess… what do you want to do?”
(Push Up Challenge?)
“Oh… it’s so on.”
As the two lovers first kissed then flexed their competitive nerve with each other, Monica and CJ continued the project watching on their own screen. Their endless seas of calm waters and islands provided the perfect backdrop to see just how Lillie would continue on after her very impressive dethroning-by-dragon-fire to the World’s #250 ranked player.
Click.
Feeling the same feeling as when I acquired my deck for the first time, I knew it wasn’t a complete coincidence. I knew there was something truly magical happening in those warm fingers of mine. But knowing this match and day in the club were over, I would have to try and find that out on a different day.
Walking home almost immediately after, I got back with a big, genuine smile on my face then continued right into doing my English homework because I may or may not have forgotten that I have a 10-page paper due tomorrow on how a Native American princess relates to a hero-turned-villian of a popular movie franchise. Classic me.
Sitting down to finish the assignment, after a quick peanut butter sandwich, I knew words would have to combine together to form these paragraphs but first, there was something I had to do. Something very important.
Hey Voice?
“Yeah Lillie?”
So, those kids at school seemed all like crazy flabbergasted and weird when I played Thunder. Do you know why?
“Yeah… so Thunder the Constellations Dragon was a very famous card in the game. It was created as an eventual power creep but then because of its raw power, it was coveted like a rare jewel. I’m pretty sure it was worth more than your average monarch’s whole fortune at one point which was just absolutely insane. Everyone wanted it, people fought for it, traded for it, lied for it. Stole for it. You know… bad stuff. But then, seeing how his precious game was being used more as a commodity than an actual game, the creator of Six Point traded his entire fortune to buy that card back from who currently had it.”
He sold everything he had for a card?
“Yeah then he collected the other cards in your deck before they were lost yet again.”
How did they get lost? And are there even more cards that were lost too?”
“Well, some players play with something known as an ‘ante,’ where they take the best card from the people they beat. Some players are worse though. They take the whole deck… and yeah, otherwise, some other legends around the game say that there are 28 cards in the game that were made but never released. They weren’t the strongest but Crowopolis legends say they were the most important cards to their history, well besides your beloved Thunder there.”
Noooo… that’s awful and woah… You mean Crowopolis, like the big floating rock in the sky? I know we don’t know much about their history but woah… that’s all so crazy. They have some of the best cards from the best players… I want to see that… But… wait no… Thunder… someone might take him?
“Yes, that same Crowopolis and possibly but don’t worry about it too much. I didn’t mean to alarm you with that story, I just wanted you to be aware that even having Thunder will make you a target in the game. Everyone will want to beat you and some might even try to take it from you. But luckily for you, just taking the card from your deck wouldn’t be worth it to those people. They want to prove they are superior to you by defeating you then taking it after.”
Thanks for letting me know but you do know, I would have to lose if that were to happen… So, as long as I keep winning, Let. Them. Come.
“Love the confidence, kiddo. Hahaha, so, are you ready for the match tomorrow?”
Oh. Yeah.
“Good, you should finish your homework now though because we got some training to do after. I think I found a cool combo you can use in your deck and I want to teach it to you before you sleep.”
Deal. See you soon.
“Deal.”
As I closed the connection for now, a pit was slowly and metaphorically opening up in my stomach. Nah, a whole trench. I could act tough to the Voice but I knew something now that I couldn’t unknow and if I let it, it would break me. Because now, this giant mountaintop I felt like I took forever to climb and reach the top of was somehow transformed into the world’s biggest target. What if I couldn’t protect him? What if I lost and someone stole Thunder from me?
But refusing to go down that dark path of excessive worrying for nothing, I decided to put words to a page and work on my book report instead.
I know that I can’t tell the future, obvio, but I do also know one other thing: the new me wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Part Two
The next few days kind of went by like a blur, all I remember was going along in my days in school while training in Six Point in the nights. You might think that for being a person who basically has an inter-dimensional connection to the “basic deity of the game,” I would be naturally good at this game.
Well, not true.
Honestly, I’m really not even that good.
Well, not yet. Hopefully.
Losing my next match badly to a score of 3 – 0, I tweaked my method a little bit and got right back into the Flaming Stars on the following Monday with a new plan. The Holiday Break was upon us soon and I wanted to start the new year and new semester off with a banging series of bombardments.
But as I completely miscalculated a few moves and drew poorly for a few matches in a row, it was becoming more and more possible that my victory over Kent was maybe only a fluke.
Checking my profile in the world rankings, I saw it go down from #230 after my consecutive second win, to the mid couple thousands with every loss that subsequently came after that.
One time in this sad new streak, I misguided myself with an effect, completely mistiming it and leaving myself exposed to a match-ending hit.
Another time, I just drew terribly. Like really bad.
One of those could be fixed but the other, just the luck of the draw. Or was it?
Maybe my deck was responding to the uncertainty and fear in me and that was it, yeah? The deck can tell that I’m basically forcing myself on that field every time I throw down? Or am I just going crazy with the “soul inside the deck stuff?”
No… I’m not crazy. I felt something when I held Thunder for the first time and I will NOT give that up. Maybe they all can sense my uncertainty but I will not remain uncertain for too much longer. Because I will not give up on this connection and I will not be convinced by the others that I’m on the wrong path. My parents and brother can say what they wish. Maybe it’s hard. Maybe it’s possibly even impossible but I don’t care.
I will make this work.
Because no matter how many times I refresh this screen showing my 2 – 6 record, I know it doesn’t show the full story. I know there is more to Lillie LaDestino than that. There just has to be. I’ve worked too hard and waited too long to just give up now. Right?
So, maybe there is just something I’m missing… maybe… wait… no? Yeah? I should just ask…
Hey Voice?
“What’s up Lillie?”
Why does Thunder say Unstoppable on it?
“Ohhhhhh, that’s right. You never had to use this effect yet… so, an Unstoppable card can be revived from anywhere back to your hand. Once you draw it, it’s basically never going to go away as long as you can discard 2 cards to bring it back to your hand.”
Oh, that’s coooooool.
“Yeah and you know when someone prevents a bombardment of yours?”
Yeah and I lose all my Characters because I declared an attack but it wasn’t successful but because I declared, I still lose them then I’m basically almost guaranteed to take a hit after if I can’t properly defend myself? I pretty much lost like 4 of those 6 doing that…
“Exactly that and ouch. Haha, well, bombardments done by an Unstoppable force can not be prevented. If you declare with many characters at once, it would stop those other ones only but when Thunder joined them, it wouldn’t stop him. Basically, 10,500 would just be 10,000 then. Like the truest definition of what Unstoppable means, it can not be stopped.”
I love that. You know… I think I have an idea…”
“Yeah?”
So, I love all my cards, duhhhh, but I’m kind of thinking that I should plan the deck around a few as my sort of aces. You know? Like the best cards of my deck and I design my whole strategy around them. The others are useful but because they help me set up the big plays… I feel like it’s super basic and typical but I like it. One team, one dream, you know? That way I’m really reducing how often I leave myself open after an unsuccessful attack, yeah?
“I think that could work great.”
Alright. I’ll try it tomorrow. Thanks as always.
“Lillie, you don’t need to thank me. Just like you are a team with your dragons, we are a team too, you know that.”
You’re right. I still might say thanks on occasion but I’ll try not to do it too much then. Good night, my awesome friend.
“Good night, my incredible friend.”
Laying my head on the pillow, I knew it would be hard to sleep even after closing the connection line across the planets, dimensions or whatever. I may have a big test tomorrow in Biology but it might be even harder if I couldn’t solve this first. Because all I could do now as I closed my eyes was just attempt to slow down my brain as I began to piece together combo after combo using my newest deck design in mind. Because for the first time, it really didn’t feel like I was using my dragons. It felt like we were together, accomplishing goals with the other’s best interest in mind.
Ultimately now, it wasn’t going to be just Lillie using a dragon deck, it was going to be Lillie and the dragons.
A real and bonafide team, through and through.
Part Three
Continuing on in their project, Marche and Veronica simultaneously took notes in their notepads as Bubbles moved forward in her own quest. Hearing some legends the night before about the “legendary lost card being found,” Bubbles was feeling extra aggressive and antey as she moved along. Knowing that she might have a new target after all, even if she accomplishes this first and current goal relatively quickly.
Her fingers lightly grazed the top of her deck as it sat in her hip holster. Smirking up a storm while gripping her Power Amplifier tightly. She was merely waiting at the meeting spot for her newest target on the list. The next rung on the ladder as she attempted to progress up and up. Today, she would try and take down #24 in the world. A Wizard player from Chicago who is known primarily for a Locations based strategy. But frankly, she didn’t care too much about what he was known for or where he was from. All that mattered was that he was part of it all. He was one of them. One of the best ones.
With this singular focus on the brain while her amber eyes eyed him up, he walked into the large, lightly tree covered and gray stoned public plaza. With all sorts of ego about him. Her black leather jacket and pants combo screamed something fierce to him in that first interaction they had but he didn’t care much either, he was the #24 ranked player in the world so he would be fine. She was a rookie who just lucked her way into a many-match-win-streak. #27 or not. #24 is still better so he’ll show her just how much of a difference their ranking really was. It shouldn’t be too hard, yeah? So, as he said the customary phrase to get started, Mr. Astie drew his 6 cards first as his Power Amplifier sat in the ready.
With it beginning officially now, her mind was quickly cleared of all other thoughts except for one big goal.
Become the best Six Point player to ever live. Simple as that.
Then, focused on and working with that goal in each and every match, Bubbles drew the 6 cards from her deck as well then went first.
“I play Robotic Ape #1, Robotic Ape #2 and Robotic Ape #3. Go. ahead.”
Chuckling as his opponent played nothing but a collection of Characters with a total of 600 power, Mr. Astie played his ace Location, naturally drew on the first turn as was his luck.
“Oh, so… intimidating…” he mocked, “but I have something for you. Welcome to school, little girl. I play THE MASSIVE FORTRESS OF IMMENSE MAGICAL STUDIES!!!!!!”
Laying down his card, the whole ground began to shake as Bubbles felt a change in the air pressure around her. The card he just played wasn’t just any card. It was a Location that is known as one of the strongest cards in the entire game but what this old man didn’t realize in his 45-years-of-being-a-loser-with-that-haircut is that this Fortress had but one weakness. Then, with being the literal worldwide celebrity he was, it really wasn’t that hard to figure out. Smirking back underneath, she played dumb and hosted a confused and terrified look on the outside as he attempted to establish his dominance on the match. But inside, she knew this was all but won.
“With the power of my Fortress, you must attack me once per turn but when you do, it is immediately prevented. After that, I’m able to add any 3 Concepts to my hand while you then take 1 hit of damage after. Now, if you did any homework on your great and illustrious opponent, you would know just what Concepts I will add. My 3 card combo. Magic Triangle Side #1, #2 and #3. With those in my hand, it will be a complete autowin that drops you to 0 within only one more turn. I pass now. It is over, little girl.”
Smuggly looking down at her, he didn’t stop to ask why her own “scared face” was replaced with a smirk of her own.
“Oh nooooo… if only I would have thought about that before I played you right into my hand. Oh wait… I did. Don’t you think it’s a little strange that I challenged you? Sure… maybe it’s because I’m trying to increase my rank or maybeeeeee… it’s something else entirely. Maybe it’s because I know something yoooooou don’t. Maybe it’s because I studied your deck up and down and I know exactly how to counteract every silly and pathetic move that you call a strategy in your sooooo-called deck. Ooooooooh, I also knooooow that I’m better than you. In. Every. Possible. Six. Point. Way. So… how does that feel coming from this little girl, huh?”
“How dare you?! Don’t you know any respect for your elders? You are one of the rudest and most offensive opponents I have ever faced!!”
With the small crowd growing around the public-square-based-entertainment, Bubbles knew it was time to end it here and now.
“Rude, maybeeee. Maybeeeee not. You keep calling me, little girl. Which is not the nicest either. But frankly, it does NOT matter because even if I’m the rudest, I’m also still the greatest. Remember that. It’s like in your best interest to do that. Buuuuuut now, honestly, you tire me. Sooooooooo… buh-bye!”
Showing off her signature sassy nerve, Bubbles tiredness wasn’t lying. But it wasn’t the match itself that brought these feelings of hers out, it was of mocking her opponent and putting his “pompous butt in its place.”
It was just something about that walk he had in here.
Ignoring the hypocrisy of her own pompousness out of convenience for herself, Bubbles activated the effect of her Robot Ape brothers when they are united to bring this already very quick match to its even speedier conclusion.
Each one of her apes on the field could discard one card in her hand for a chance to attack again.
“Wait… does this mean?”
“Exactly. I get 2 more bombardments in one turn. But I think yooooou know it’s not over yet, huh?! By discarding 2 copies of ‘Robotic Mega Heart,’ in those 3 cards I discarded, I allow my little mechanical friends here toooo hit you twooooo more times again. 4 total bombardments in one turn. It doesn’t matter that one is blocked. Do the math, dude. NOW. YOU. ARE. OVER.”
Snapping her fingers while her ape friends brought the pain to the former #24 in the World Rankings, Bubbles smirked even harder now as she immediately just turned her back from the billowing smoke that erupted from his defeat. The usual pressure applied left him laid out too.
Walking away towards the next match she had scheduled today, she knew it wasn’t nearly over it. She still had a few more rankings to climb before this day could be considered complete.
Then, watching Bubbles continue on her basically-hit-list-of-Six-Point, Veronica and Marche held hands on Mt. Couch while she quickly overtook the #1 player in the world within the next 24 hour Earthly time cycle.
Crushing them under the weight of their Merfolk’s Citadel crashing down on top of them, she now stood alone in the arena as the victor. The thousands upon thousands of adoring fans chanted her name as the loser was removed from the stadium in a stunned and shocked form.
It only took her a few months but she went from “distant traveler returning to Earth” to “World Conqueror.”
Standing on top of the new mountain of her success and fame, there were pillars of smoke and ash that lay in every direction on her way there. From Adirondack to Mizzou Cuse and Mr. Astie, the new age of Bubbles boasted something dark and sinister but undeniably oh so powerful too.
The Bubbles who didn’t care may have been missing some manners but she sure wasn’t missing any skill. Then as Marche’s brown eye watched the live image play out with no deep connection to it, his blue eye had a bit of sadness in it for the complete opposite reason.
Because despite being gone for a while now, the part of him that housed Santiago the II’s soul and memories wept silently inside.
Seeing just what became of his once kind, sweet and amazing friend.
Part Four
Continuing onto another project of theirs, Veronica and Marche softly chomped on some popcorn while watching the plotline of the whole “16 Crew” develop even further before they decided to be done for the moment. With them doing nothing more than one last briefing on their mission, they took their notes about topics they had already heard about before and then decided to go for a ride around the area to the south on the Crow of the Mountain. They had all the time they could ever need to do anything but even with that in mind, it still felt like the perfect “time” to celebrate them. To separate away from the woes of the outside and just focus on what they shared together. Hand-in-hand. Heart-in-heart.
Packing a small picnic basket, it was going to be a splendid moment spent in each other’s long awaited love and devotion while meanwhile, the current emotional state of one Lillie LaDestino was feeling far less joyous or happy.
With the two original Windowsill-Watchers diligently doing their duties still, Lillie paced in her pajamas and slippers. Back and forth across her room in another early January morning, discussing with the Voice her newest problem in her always unique and very interesting life.
Click.
Uggggghhhhhhh…. My head hurts….. Nooooooooooooo……
“Lillie, what’s wrong?”
I don’t know… it just hurts a lot, okay? Get off my back!
“Lillie…”
Ughhhhhh… you are so annoying sometimes. It’s always like “you can do anything you wish” or “you can be anything you wish,” with you. Just once, I want you to be like negative or something…
“I’m only trying to help…”
I know, okay? Way to make me feel worse… but let me just breathe and awwwwwhhhhh… okay, yeah… I guess I’ll admit it, you’re right. Or whatever. You are only trying to help. I don’t know why I’m getting these headaches though. It’s been like this for a few days…. It hurts soooooo bad…
“Well, it’s not anything caused by Six Point because you haven’t played in a few days… wait… unless…?”
What are you trying to say?
“Do you think it comes from not playing? Okay… be honest with me. Why haven’t you played in a few days? You shook your losing streak and even developed a very impressive winning streak lately. Kiddo, you swept your way through an entire tournament in Burlington and didn’t even take a hit in return. You are doing MUCH better now with your whole ‘one team, one dream’ strategy, so why haven’t you returned in a few days?”
I just don’t want to, okay? I don’t wanna and that’s it. Nothing more. Okay?
“Hmmm… I don’t believe you, Ms. LaDestino. You live in the Six Point capital of the Cosmos. You have every opportunity around you to increase your rank by quite a bit in a few more short matches, much like you already have, but you aren’t. Why?”
It’s true, yeah, I do but I just don’t wanna for right now. Okay?
“I do believe it’s important to take breaks but this doesn’t seem like that. This seems like something more so be honest, what’s bothering you, Liliana? You can tell me…”
Do. NOT. Call. Me. That. My. Name. Is. Lillie.
Closing the connection immediately upon hearing that name and then responding to the insanity it represented, I crashed on my bed with the pain splitting pain in my brain and tears now forming in my snow-white eyes.
Lillie. My name is Lillie. That’s who I really am. Lillie is a real person. Lillie has fun. Lillie can dream. Lillie is actually alive. My. Name. Is. Lillie. Not that mask-wearing child she just called me. Not that little so-and-so perfect little princess. I’m not her… I can’t be her… My name is Lillie… I. Am. Lillie…
Wallowing in my anger and sadness for a few moments, I sighed and knew this would get me nowhere except a bad place, so then I decided to do the scary thing and open it back up and continue the conversation. I cared about the Voice and they clearly cared about me. It was time to talk through it, together, whatever may be said. Because like we talked about with what felt like ages ago, the greatest danger I could ever put myself in was staying exactly how I was when we first met. The ups and downs are just life itself but the only way to never experience even the ups is to never even try. So, we needed to finish this conversation. Even if it did piss me off on occasion.
Part Five
Sorry, I’m back now.
“It’s fine, I’m sorry too but that response summed it up for me easily there. That’s it. I know what’s bothering you.”
What do you mean? As I flipped over on my bed from a position of sadness and weakness to one of sitting in intrigue, I listened on in the conversation as it began to get more and more juicy.
“You are afraid.”
Afraid? Afraid of what?
“You are afraid to lose now that you learned what it is like to win…”
Of course, I’m afraid! Who wouldn’t be afraid of that?! I now have something that matters more to me than anything ever before and I don’t want to lose it… I can’t lose it. You said it yourself, so many people and forces want Thunder and will hunt me down and try to defeat me just to take my most precious connection from me… how am I just supposed to be okay with that?
“Ahhhh… it’s the pressure then.”
Yep. Always is and always has been the story of my life. I’m not me. I’m everything they imagine or think me to be. Even with Thunder or you in my corner, I can’t escape the shadow of Lilana…
“It doesn’t have to be.”
You just love that phrase, don’t you? But okay, sure, I’ll bite and we can just assume the impossible is possible. Why?
“Well, Ms. Negative, because at the end of the day, you are the ONLY person you need to impress. Does your connection with Thunder matter and do you think you deserve the right to be able to fight for your dream? Prove it. Show them who you truly are.”
And just who is that, oh wise guru? Still feeling a little sassy, the headache wasn’t 100% gone yet but it was definitely lessening now so it was no matter that I didn’t fully agree with the Voice yet. They were still helping me somehow so I can’t complain about that.
“I can’t tell you that. Only you can. Remember what you said back in December?”
Which part? What are leaves to dragons?
“Exactly, that. Show them all just what happens when they try to bury silly little leaves all over the strongest dragon of them all. Because after all, the strongest dragon of them all isn’t in your deck. It’s not even your precious buddy Thunder. It’s you.”
Me?
“Yes, you. The one and only. You are unchained now like a dragon. Fierce, legendary, rare and powerful like one too. So, my friend, act like it. Become the strongest dragon of them all.”
With a smile on my face and headache chased away, I responded with a playful eyeroll after this clearly potent pep talk worked its magic into my soul, okay….. fineeeeee…. deal.
“Great. Now, you know what you need to do. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. I need to rest.”
Good night, my amazing friend.
“Good night, my incredible friend.”
After closing the connection fairly abruptly but on a much happier note this time, I immediately pulled out my phone for one last activity I needed to do. Logging into my World Profile for Six Point, I saw the all-to-important ranking first.
50th in the World.
Proudly smirking at that, I then registered for the next tournament in the big city. That and bought my train ticket there as well. Because after all, it seems that my “days of intense dragon fire” were not over just yet.
Part Six
The next few days were merely preparing for the tournament by training and combo planning while trying to spend time with my family too.
They knew what I was doing, obviously and it wasn’t like they were completely in agreement or disagreement honestly. It was like they kind of, sort of supported me in it. They loved to see me out of the house and doing more but behind every comment or question, there was a bit and small hint of “realism” dug in there too.
Or as I talked about with the Voice before, “pessimism with a mask of realism.” Now, I’m not saying that having realistic goals is all bad. In fact, I think it’s the best and the preferred way to set goals.
But part of realism is identifying that success is a possibility.
A 50% chance for failure is still a 50% chance for success.
So, whenever they tried to bring me “back down to Earth” or try to make me look at the bigger picture beyond making a career in Six Point, I would just smile and say thanks. Just like their perfect little Lilana would. A finally designed candle burning brightly but controlled. But on the inside, Lillie was something else. I was a raging fire roaring and building, almost uncontrollable in the most fun and best way.
So, naturally, it only made sense that it felt like dragon fire. Like the Voice said. I was the strongest dragon of all and this MASSIVE tournament in New York City, inside a literal small arena filled to capacity, was going to show just that.
Bringing my deck to the tournament with the senses on high-alert like an apex predator on the hunt, I swept yet another tournament without taking a hit. Not a single bombardment reached me but all my mine reached all of them.
Knocking out 11 other top ranked players, I knew I was onto something when I activated the effect of the VI, the Infinite Dragon for the first time in the final match.
Having the other 5 in my discard, his power rose from 0 to literally infinite. A power so high that only a few cards shared that likeness with it. A power able to surpass and deliver a hit across any and all, except another Infinite or a blocked attack.
Staring down 4 characters of 1,000 each would normally intimidate most players and rightfully so but there was something different about me lately. I was beginning to notice things more and more now. The combos were making more and more sense and it was becoming easier with every match. It was almost like every part of the game was slowing down for me.
I was improving through my practice and it was beginning to show. Faster and quicker wins. Less hits taken. Stronger Characters.
I was becoming everything I wished I could always be.
Slowly but surely.
So, as I finished delivering an Infinite to the 4,000 combined power on their side, it was no match and they dropped to 0 like all the rest before.
The #7 player in the world just lost to me.
THE. NUMBER. SEVEN.
SEVVVVVEEEENNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But it was then and there that I sensed it for the first time as my dragon finished the job and my Power Amplifier turned off. I could feel a tenseness in the room as the announcer donned a nickname for me. Youngblood. Or the newcomer on the block/ the young talent who is turning heads. But those heads who once sat in wonder now looked at me strangely this time. Maybe it was because they didn’t like how I talked to my cards like they were my friends. Or they were weirded out how I would mumble to the Voice sometimes in the match. Or maybe, it was almost like they feared me and my power itself. Quite possibly like that weird power that still makes my fingertips tingle after every match.
Either way, they could say what they wished. The Voice, and my cards, are my friends and I will not feel shame for that. If they wanted to split us up, beat me then.
Looking around and not bothering to take the time to figure out why they stared so much, I packed up my stuff then walked out with a few congratulatory messages to my fellow competitors. After I accepted the small golden, engraved trophy and some prize money too, naturally.
Because no matter what they say, one thing is still true now as I waited at the terminal to board my train back to Glens Falls. One thing that brings that dorky smirk from before, almost instantly.
Lillie “Youngblood” LaDestino was now #6 in THE World Rankings.
Part Seven
With Monica and CJ fully enveloped in the new storyline of Lillie’s Ascension while Cal the Cobra slept across both of their laps and Tadala, the giant space monster of near infinite power, did the same outside, a singular message from Veronica crossed over the top of the Windowsill for their four eyes to read. Interrupting them watching her journey home. Reading it aloud, CJ then questioned Monica immediately after about the newest complication to the growing and thickening plot.
“Hey Mon, so what do you think? Should we check out that ‘16 Crew?’ The way that Ver described them… They don’t seem like they have the Cosmos’ best intentions completely in mind.”
“Definitely babe. It can be supes hard to trust a group which gathers in a dimly lit cavern in dark cloaks. Straight up Delanie vibes…”
“Oh totally.”
Unknown that somewhere in the Cosmos in the 1950’s, Delanie Evelyn heard her name mentioned by those two Windowsill-Watching youths, and responded with a chuckle. She then continued washing the dishes from her and Harold’s recently finished Taco Tuesday dinner as another night in her new old life continued on.
Holding onto CJ’s well manicured left hand with her right, Monica’s left hand clicked the button which brought them away from their new protagonist to a different growing possible threat on the rise. Just as it arrived on Earth live via a portal directly from Crowopolis itself.
Click.
As the larger-than-most silvery portal closed, all sixteen members had successfully gone through. All of them standing in their favorite semi-circle formation with an intimidating stance. Hoods up and faces still covered, they stood at the ready in the shaded and woodland glen in Upstate New York. Just outside Hudson Falls to be specific.
Looking amongst each other, the smallest in the group then pulled out an even smaller metallic device. Shaped like a compass, it merely had two dots on it. One in Manhattan, New York City while another was leaving New York City headed in their northern direction.
Replying to the update, the oldest woman among them, relayed the information from the younger man’s tracker.
“The girls are on the move. They are near.”
“Both of them?” Asked the rugged voiced individual with the gray beard poking through the hood’s facial blocking features.
“Yes. The Champion and the Heir.” She replied with a strong and scary sense of conviction in her voice.
“Okay. Are you all ready?” Said the leader in the center of the half-formed circle.
“Yes sir.” Replied the other fifteen in unison.
“For the Cosmos,” he said.
“For the Cosmos,” they all replied. Fourteen of them with that same sense of scary conviction as the older woman and one a little bit wavering.
Then, moving towards the Fort Edward-Glens Falls Station, they stealthy took to the thick darkness of the night. Blending in the cold and chilled surroundings with their own cold and chilled sense of duty and honor.
Reaching the small one building stop on the railway, all sixteen members gathered in the shade of the night, waiting and watching as a train pulled up. Standing on the right side of the tracks, they hardly noticed the other small force gathering on the left.
Well, what would soon be an actual force but for now, it was merely just one man standing alone. His brown hair and brown eyes were covered by a black hooded sweatshirt and thick red pants of his own.
One man though that waited for the doors of that train to open so he may talk to a snow-white hair and eyed teenager on that vessel but before he could focus anymore on the all-to-important mission ahead, he merely looked across the tracks before their vantage view was lost only to look into the brown eyes of the younger hooded woman whose voice wavered before.
Four eyes gazing at each other for only a moment.
Sadly then, the many-car-based-train then stopped between them, separating their fated gaze but not separating the instant connection of love that they just felt.
Muttering to himself before the doors opened at the complete and utter stop the blue and white train just made, At-Las verbally confirmed what his eyes only recently just saw, “I just saw an angel…”
Part Eight
With the different forces slowly gathering in Glens Falls, it only made sense that a few more souls were going to join the already slowly mudding and disjointed fray.
Looking at each other as two new notices about four souls popped up on the Windowsill, CJ and Monica gave each other a quick kiss as Monica then laid her head on CJ’s chest. Kissing the top of Monica’s brunette hair, the two of them then continued on, clicking the button that brought them to a place in which they definitely did not expect. Back to the suburbs of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Earth.
Back to the Luisa house’s metallic door as it closed once more.
Click.
Walking out of their house into the cold January air, Heldum Luisa began walking towards the school bus, early in the morning. Lately, things have been a bit slow for her but that’s fine. With a few more years gained in her life, she has developed a new hobby like most of the Cosmos and her new obsession with checking the Six Point World Rankings made even more sense to her than most of her classes in school.
Looking up the recent leaderboards, she saw all the most recent updates in a quick and devoted moment as she sat down on her bus seat as fast as possible.
Someone named Bubbles stormed onto the scene and quickly became the #1 player in the World. The previous #1 was now all the way in third. Third?! Insane…
Oh and a newcomer from New York was now #6. Someone named Lillie LaDestino.
But whenever Heldum looked at her photo and her bio, there was just something about her eyes.
They weren’t good and they weren’t bad.
She wasn’t mad and she wasn’t happy.
She just was.
It was so hard to explain but it’s almost like she was this unpredictable force that was waiting to explode in either an immense amount of destruction or joy.
Looking at a different bio some more, she noticed something else very peculiar when she stumbled upon an interesting factoid: Bubbles has successfully gained her ranking by challenging only people in the Top 50.
Even her first win ever recorded in the World Rankings was a player in the Top 50.
Seeing how she successfully challenged every last person within that threshold, even as a rookie on the scene as a whole, it made sense that the breaking news and video that subsequently joined it had something very intense and scandalous featured on it.
It seems like Bubbles has declared another challenge.
Of course, in dramatic fashion like she has with all the others. You can say whatever you wish about her personality but never doubt that she has some serious flair.
Clicking on the video, the Windowsill began to watch the video within the video too. Bringing Monica and CJ’s attention to it now instead. With the audio playing from the video that Heldum Luisa was now engrossed in, it showed events that just happened only a few minutes ago late on a sunny morning in the city center of Glens Falls, New York, USA, Earth.
“Well… well… well… Ms. LaDestino is it?”
“Ummm… who are you?” Lillie stood off with her on the main street. Coming back from the train station and on her way home, she was stopped immediately by this new figure. A small group of paparazzi gathered on every street corner around them so it only made sense that the seventeen hooded individuals amongst them hid in the growing crowd too. Sixteen matched while one did not.
She was in the center of the circle with nowhere to go so the drama was only building from here and as much as At-Las wanted to see how this played out, he also took glances to steal a look at his “hood-wearing angel.” She was over to his left and as much as he wanted to go over and talk to her, this wasn’t the time. Nevermind that she stole glances back at him too. It would have to wait. This was sadly far more important for every member of the Cosmos that has ever lived or ever will live.
They both knew the stakes.
“My name is Bubbles and I’m THE number 1 player of Six Point on Earth. I’ve been waiting for you for a while and I don’t like to be kept waiting. I saw your little tournament results from last night. Well played…”
“Ummm… thanks. Soooo, what do you want?” Standing in her black coat, black winter hat and white pants, Lillie looked at her with a bit of caution. There was just something about her amber eyes that she didn’t trust. Something aggressive.
“I’m here to challenge you.”
“You want to challenge me?”
As the hundreds of phones began recording and snapping photos in the area, Lillie knew just what was happening. Bubbles was declaring this in public so if she said no, she would be a massive coward and her face would basically become “the meme capital of the world.”
It was a mean strategy but a smart one to almost guarantee a match.
“Uhhhh… duuuhhhhh!!! I juuuuuuust said that! So, like whaaaaat?! Are you going to accept?”
“I will. When and where?” Feeling the need to match her intensity with a powerful stance and tone of her own, Lillie replied coldly as some members of the crowd chuckled with Bubbles’ taunt.
“Next Friday. Los Angeles, California. The biggest arena they have. I’ll send you the address on your profile. 8 PM. Don’t. Be. Late.”
“You’re on.”
As she replied and the internet chatrooms went into hypedrive and overdrive at the same time over who would win in this massive match, the crowd began to disperse as the video ended.
With a geeky smile on full display, Heldum Luisa knew exactly what she needed to do now.
Seeing this and deciding to message her parents to see if Baleigh could take her and KJ to see this massive match play out. A reply was met almost instantly as Baleigh and KJ both saw the news too. Their sister text chain was absolutely exploding as the three of them began to make their plans as fast as possible.
Within minutes, Baleigh used her babysitting and lawnmowing money to buy them all three tickets to the biggest match so far this year. It would be a trip of a lifetime because the three of them were going to LA next to see just who was the best newbie on the scene.
World #1 Bubbles or World #6: Lillie.
Now, as the countdown apps were set, every last person on Earth and their grandmother eagerly awaited the biggest showdown to date.
Only 6 days, 6 hours, 6 minutes and 16 seconds remained until it was showtime.
The End.
Castle Johnson Publishings 