"Forgotten" (004)

- Antarctica, Monday, 7:30 pm -

The girl was stranded in a snowfall that was becoming worse by the second, unable to find a good station or a stopping spot.

She continued to walk, covering her delicate face that was fighting to retain a sight forward, but the problematic wind that was gathering itself due to the storm wasn't simple weather to travel by, and walking in the snow makes things excessively difficult.

"Because of the weather... Nothing will be done until it has cleared... Let this serve as a lesson to those who said, "I'll do it tomorrow." Then, again... I still don't know how I got here or how many days passed."

The storm blew stronger, causing the girl to come to a halt on the point and fight to maintain her footing. "And simply fantastic... If I remain out in the frozen woods much longer, I'll most likely catch a cold... This has to be the worst place I could possibly appear... Plus, none of Codey, Tim, or Elliot appear to be around me..."

The girl came to a halt as her clothing terribly waved. "At the very least, it's infuriating..." But, in a split second, she came into a vision of enormous mountains and stopped before entering. "... This is an authentic Frozen Estate... And, of course, if I reach those ridges, there's a greater risk that I'll be trapped in an avalanche or a worse-than-usual snowfall."

The girl who had been going through the snowfields couldn't have been more concerned about the state of her surroundings, but she quickly collected confidence and bravery and prepared to embark across those huge ridges of the snow-covered summits.

- Antarctica, Monday, 8:40 pm -

The rising of the night over her head caused the weather to settle down little, making everything clearer to see and simpler to move through.

"... It might have calmed down, but the night isn't going to improve the reason I could be caught in an avalanche." The girl was stranded on the mountainous route, and she hadn't stopped pushing forward until she came upon an open cave with a tent on the interior.

She came to a standstill when she spotted the uncovered cave and noticed writings on the walls, as well as some type of symbol.

She came to an end near the camp and started to piece together the markings. "This fire looks to be recent, implying that someone is living here... While, in opposition to... these markings, do they present something?" Reading over them, she discovered that the markings depicted some individuals imprisoned beneath a brilliant light, with some of them murdered.

"Death, Civilization, Flare, Stress... all of these words may be found on this rock wall... They remind me of the same incident that brought about this Time Shift... And... is the 'Black Storm' the moniker people have given it?"

Just then, someone walked behind the girl, and the voice was quickly recognized as extremely elderly.

"Oh? A young lady? Are you stuck on the ridges? How could a lovely girl like yourself end up here without adequate assistance or an escape vehicle?"

The girl, who appeared baffled and shocked, turned around to face the woman, who was clothed in a dark cloak and wielding a wooden rod.

"I-Uh was brought here from Yashikami City... There is no adequate explanation for how I got myself here."

"Oh, no... A visitor from a Japanese city that was devastated 25 years ago?"

"W-What are you on about? Yashikami is a city in Japan. I'm sure it's still standing."

"No, I'm afraid... The 'Black Storm' afflicted mankind with a destructive Breaker of Time ambition and many cultures were annihilated as a result... Tell me something, you young fellow. Have you ever come across a weird inquiry for which you may have overlooked a few corrections? For example, were you ever removed from your family, and such ideal logic?"

"Family? I'm seventeen years old... My parents, on the other hand, are entirely absent. My mother is the only one who lives within the Holy Arches; as for my father... He departed when I was five years old..."

"Certainly... Try to understand why you appear to have forgotten your history."

"When the sun shone brightly, a dreadful tragedy awakened, the sunshine faded, the buildings were at lost, and memories were at hand. The body had succumbed to the tragedy of a fragile transformation, thus years had passed and early experiences had been lost, a young body dispersed and unknown to its parent, losing the life while left alone."

"A sun that has faded? And what if a body lost its parent? What type of message are you attempting to convey to me?"

"That is for you to figure out. Who knows, maybe you'll get it someday, or maybe you'll attempt to find the walls, they could tell you more than I have..." The woman's chuckle had been heard, and as she was making it, the girl looked toward the rock marks. "How can these indicators assist me?" However, as she turned around, the woman had vanished, leaving the girl alone.

"She vanished..." Ayuka took a step beyond the mountain trail and glanced around, but the woman was gone.

"Whatever she said had to make some logical sense, and if it didn't, what was the point of telling me? And why would she leave it here, in this cavern with a fire... Is it conceivable that it was planned specifically for me?" The girl was now in the blink of trying to comprehend, so she sat down in the cavern and hoped for an answer soon.

The girl stood in front of the wall, witnessing the reflection of the fire, lighting up the marks while holding her chin to attempt to comprehend.

"By coincidence, the 'Black Storm' is the sunlight as a metaphor for the flash that I've witnessed. And if that's the case, there's a lot more going on that I'm not aware of. And she stated that one of the cities... Yashikami City... had been demolished? But what was the source of this? Is there a villain, or is there some type of explosion? There is a lot I don't comprehend.

"Simply fantastic... I'm caught in the sentence, whatever its meaning is, and I have to piece it together... Was this some sort of joke perpetrated by that granny? But she seemed so certain and determined to tell me that, and she didn't even ask for my name... it's possible that she's the history creator and has an endless capacity of knowledge that none of us have, during the flash that had occurred..."

The youngster knelt and proceeded to slide her finger beneath the marks, attempting to decipher the phrases put down.

"Storms do not come to teach us harsh lessons; they come to wash us clean."

"That seems so familiar in some lines, but it doesn't provide me with a solution to this tragedy and another set of words..."

"I'll have to check more into this option I've been given..." From that point on, the girl took a step away from the wall, at which point one of the symbols shone brightly and, herself, didn't notice.

- Conson Alps, Tuesday, 8:00 am -

The next day arrived, and this time the areas were in luck: the weather had eased and the Alps were as comfortable as they could have been.

Codey sat in the chair behind the table, watching Simeon, who was still sleeping in front of him. "You've got to be kidding me... He's still asleep? He didn't even finish his sentence! Hey! Simeon, wake up - now you're just being ironic!" By pressing his grip on Simeone's shoulder, Codey began to shake him back and forth, slower at first but then faster, until Simeone woke up and shouted, scaring Codey out of his chair and down on his back on the floor.

"What?! What?! Who's there! Watch yourself, I know karate!" Simeone screamed as Codey scratched the back of his head. "Are you insane, hag?! You've been sleeping for hours and finished describing everything without a proper ending! Get a grip, dude!"

"Oh, it's you... Who are you again?" Simeon questioned, and Codey's eyes grew extremely irritated. "It's Codey! How old are you? I know you have a poor memory, but come on! It's only been a few hours!"

"Oh, Codey... Who's that?!"

"Man, you're out of your league!"

The debate was over, and a few minutes passed.

- Conson Alps, Tuesday, 8:30 am -

Because Codey had been awake all night, he hardly had the energy to stay awake. "So... How do you intend on starting your day? Do you happen to know where I may get my Spiritual Blade?" Simeone listened and sung while cooking an early morning soup.

"Who knows? It might have been destroyed, or it could have been transferred somewhere far, far away from where you are now."

"Are you serious? What does this 'Black Storm' have to do with my Spiritual Symbolism or my Spiritual Blade? Wouldn't the blade merely stay within my Symbolism?"

"Why that is a question I cannot properly answer, but it is one that a professional could answer... How about paying a visit to Kaneko Raira, she's at the very back and top of the Alps' construction, and there you'll find a dojo where she spends her time; she could probably give you answers that I couldn't."

"So, Kaneko Raira, you say? If you don't mind, I'll go pay her a visit."

"Of course not, but taste this soup first; you're undoubtedly hungry."

"Oh, thank you very much; I'd like to start my day with some food."

- Conson Alps, Tuesday, 9:00 am -

After finishing his meal, Codey wandered through Conson Town, expecting that the person he'd been assigned to would provide the answers, although he anticipated it to be considerably easier than it turned out.

"This is the dojo... Kaneko Raira is her given name... A woman. But what does a Japanese woman like her do in the company of European relatives? And why is it so...?"

Continuing on his way, he came to a stand in front of the dojo's door and knocked on it. "Also, why are Japanese structures being built in Europe... I understand that Japan is near to Europe and Asia, but nevertheless..."

"Kon'nichiwa, wakai otoko. Nani ga anata o koko ni tsuretekimasu ka?"

"Erm... I came to see Kaneko Raira, and please... There is no need for me to talk in Japanese."

"I sincerely apologize... Lady Raira, of course, is in the far rear of our dojo. You may locate her there and talk to her if necessary. I can bring you to her."

"Please, yes..."

"I see... All right, this way." The guy moved his arm, indicating that our Hero might follow him.

Codey was led through the dojo to the end back room, where a female sat on a cushion, meditating.

"Lady Kaneko... We've arrived with a guest..."

Raira was dressed in red clothing akin to a kimono with extra black threads on her breastplate, as well as long stockings that reached her thighs.

"Who are you?" Raira pondered, gently opening her eyes and returning to her meditation. "My name is Nomura Codey... I came to see you because I had a few questions that you might be able to answer..."

"I might be able to assist you... Please continue on that cushion in front of me..." The man who carried Codey in departed while she led him to the pillow, and Raira was soon alone with our Hero, Codey.

"Please state what you are required to know. I'll respond to as many questions as I can... But, be afraid not... It's possible that I don't have any appropriate responses... Now continue and declare."

"I understand... I simply have a few queries that I'd like to get answered... It's about the 'Black Storm,' as you describe it..." Raira reached in as he was speaking.

"You must be from Yashikami City, is that, correct?"

"Y-Yeah... But how did you discover that one out?"

"I am aware of every calamity that occurs on Earth, which means I can search out the individuals who rose up, only to be brought down by tragedy..."

"I suppose that works... But my main question is regarding Spiritual Blades... When I arrived at these... In the Alps, I came across losing my blade... May you perhaps clarify where the blade could be, or at least address a solution?"

"Your Blade has perished, and it has dispersed into the flare's unknown... The Spiritual Duelists who had been apprehended had their Blade destroyed. Those that were not impacted by the 'Black Storm' stayed silent, but only lost a few memories, but fear not, they've maintained their armament... Your outcome looks to be unsuccessful, implying that you were destined to become stuck within this realm."

"Realm? What exactly do you mean?"

"This 'Realm' to which I speak is Planet Earth's future. You've been moved forward several years, yet you've become younger... We won't be able to proceed until the antidote to liberating our people from this 'Black Storm' is centered. This world we live in now is one of 'Time Breaking.' People are incapable of aging, and their joyful days are now either a gift or a tragedy. Many people have tried to find an antidote, but they have had no success."

"But, nevertheless. It's just not feasible... Why would our Spiritual Blades end up getting destroyed?"

"Those answers, I forgive you. Or myself not, due to not knowing. Although, I have another set of questions, that you should answer."

"Well... I-I'll try my best."

"Good, then let us begin."

To be continued...