A New World

She turned to face him, a big smile on her face. "Apparently, you've never been to a library in your realm! Come on, I'll show you what to do." She grabbed his hand again and led him through a maze of people to a set of computers in the center of the library. She found a pair of unoccupied computers next to each other and dragged Zeon along to them and sat him down at one, seating herself next to him.

"Ok, basically, this computer here will help us find what we're looking for. Just type in what you're looking for in the subject line, press Enter, and a list of books pertaining to that subject will come up. After each title, a group of numbers and letters will appear. You use that as a kind of code system to find the desired book...." She waved her hand to all the book shelves around them. "...in one of these shelves." One would think she was in love with the library....and one wouldn't be too far from the truth. "See? Just like this!" Ami typed in the word 'alternate dimensions' in the subject line and pressed Enter. A long list of books appeared on the screen, along with their codes. "Now, just pick some, write them down, and go to town!" She beamed at him, seeming as if she was expecting him to be impressed or at least in awe.

Zeon was fascinated by the computer. He had never seen anything like it before. Although he wrote down all the info about the books on a piece of paper and pencil the library provided.

"I suppose I'll start looking for them now. And this hasn't been the first time I've been in a library. It's just, well..." After trying to thing of a good way to tell her about that, he quickly ran off to look for the books. What was he supposed to tell her? That the libraries in his world required permits from the religious leaders of his worlds to use, and that he had attempted to get a book without the papers? That the library was full of deathtraps for unwary people? He had to fight the receptionist just to get out of there alive; and he could have handled the situation a lot better then he did.

As he went and gathered the books, Zeon thought about the library in his world. It was such an empty place, devoid of anyone besides a few trusted library staff. After all, getting a permit from one of the 10 prodigies was no easy task. The books back in that library looked like they were taken care of well for the most part, but it was depressing seeing all of those books in that place; books that would probably be never read. Here though, there were a lot of people here checking out books, reading them, or doing other things in the library, which meant that this place would be relatively safe. Although he had to make sure. Zeon found the first book he was looking for, put his hand on it, then jumped back, taking the book with him in his grip. Nothing happened, apart from someone looking at him like he was crazy.

*No trap holes with spikes. That's good.* Zeon thought to himself. He continued looking for the books. After about an hour, he managed to locate about 10 of the books on the list. He went back to Ami carrying the books, and after setting them down in a stack, picked up one entitled "Alternate Dimensions and Universes."

When Zeon left, just like that, Ami kinda just sat there quietly for a moment, her eyes widened. He had cut his sentence before finishing...and then had taken off to disappear behind the shelves of the library. Were the libraries back at his home really that bad? So bad he couldn't talk about it? Ami could not imagine a library being such a bad place.

She shrugged and began looking up more titles on the computer. She decided she should wait for him here, rather than go lounge in a chair with a book. He was already lost.....no sense in getting him lost in a public library.

It didn't take him too long to return, and when he did, Ami was a little shocked to see him carrying about ten books. She really didn't take him for a reader....though he was more or less doing research and not really planning on reading all those books...right? "Wow! Do you need any help looking through any of that, Zeon?"

"Sure, if you want to help." Zeon was skimming through the book, looking for anything of interest. He read all the chapters that could possibly help him. After awhile of doing that, he put the book down and went on to the next one.

She didn't have to be told twice, and immediately Ami grabbed the thickest book of the stack and opened it to the index. "Dimensional Travel 101," she read the title softly. "I honestly didn't think we had books on such things." As she skimmed the title chapters, she realized that she had no earthly clue as to what she was looking for. All she knew was that he needed help returning to his realm.....how was she going to help him do that?!

She flipped to a chapter and began reading, curious as to what treasures this book held. She had traveled to other realms before, always with the help of the Shadow Realm. She'd visited a strange wonderland and battled an evil archrival who had given her powers of darkness as well. She had traveled to a world where duel monsters were real, and the Egyptian Gods were trapped and helpless to break free. She had been to the Shadow Realm itself. So yes, she did have realm experience....the only problem was: she'd never traveled to any of these places voluntarily, nor did she have any desire to mess with the darkness again. She'd learned her lesson.

Zeon didn't bother to try to hide his frustration. None of this was getting him anywhere. After going through the book "Wormholes and Other Phenomena", all he had done was confirm what he already knew. He needed a lot of energy to get open a dimensional portal. Even back on his world where he could use magic, dimensional portals were beyond him. Unless if he got help from a divine being, a demon, or something else out of the ordinary. Even if Zeon got the energy for a dimensional portal, he would have to find some way to make it go back to his dimension. After going through one last book without luck, Zeon slammed it shut. "This has turned out to be a waste of time. I need to find something that can produce a high amount of energy, or find someone who has the power to open portals." Zeon was headed towards the exit, when he paused and turned around. "I suppose I'll help you go through the books though." Zeon picked up another and started reading.

Ami nodded solemnly. She could only confirm, with what she had read so far. A high amount of energy was required, at least in this realm. There was no way that any power plant on this planet, even when combined with others, could produce enough energy. She quickly calculated the amount of power that could be produced and compared it to what the book was saying was needed.

"This explains why we've never tried exploring new dimensions..." She said softly.

"Ami.....you have the power....."

Ami felt a warmth come over her and closed her eyes. That voice....

"What do you mean?" Her voice was a whisper in the library, but in her head, and in her heart, the conversation was clear and loud. "What do you mean, I have the power?"

"You are the Guardian....you hold the key....you know how to open the pathway....you have the power...."

"Nephthys....I don't understand! How can i have such power!"

"I can only guide you....you must find the key yourself....."

"Wait! Nephthys! Don't go!"

Ami opened her eyes to see people staring at her, some with their finger to their lips making the 'shhhh' gesture. Her face turned beet red and she cringed at her computer. Nephthys rarely ever talked to her....rarely ever gave her guidance. Ami could only remember two other times in her past when Nephthys ever made contact with her mind....what could Nephthys have been talking about?

Zeon was now staring at her intently. "Who is Nephthys?"

A soft meep escaped from her mouth and she blushed even more. He'd heard her too...now she probably looked crazy. "N-Nephthys? Sh-she's a duel spirit....ehe..." Ami pulled her deck out of her duel disk and found a card and showed it to him. On the front of the card was a flaming image of a large phoenix, the title reading "Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys. "Its a bit of a long long story.....but I am actually her guardian. Her right hand girl so to speak...."

"So does this mean you're a holy person? In my world, the people who run it are chosen by cards that represent the Light gods of old. But the Light Gods left, and entrusted the Envoy of God cards to chosen people. Is that card something like that?" Zeon looked around. "We should probably go somewhere else and talk about this. Can we get back to your place?" Zeon started going towards the exit.

She was taken aback by his inquiry....never before had someone asked if she was a holy person. But before she could answer, he was already heading out the door. "W-Wait!" She quickly pushed her cards in their slot, and grabbed the books, setting them on the desk of the librarian. "A-ano....Gomenasai!" She bowed apologetically, then ran out the door to catch up with Zeon.

"You have god cards on your planet too?" Ami asked as she caught up with him. "I don't know if I'm considered holy...but it does feel as if i were chosen sometimes." She wondered if she should tell him about Obelisk and her story of being chosen as his Guardian as well. But something told her to refrain from that conversation, at least for now.

Zeon walked out of the library, walking down the street, making sure Ami was next to him.

"Yes I do. And it's these cards that started everything, directly and indirectly. The Order of Solari worships the light gods, and those cards represent the powers of the gods. So those who were chosen by one of the nine gods are worshiped and revered above everyone else. Backed up with the powers of those cards and the many people who believe in their religion, they soon took over everything, and forced everyone to follow their believes, including on what type of decks you could use. Eventually groups were created that opposed them, although those groups had their own ways of doing things, and didn't get along with each other either. There has been a war going on between the faction and the order for quite some time now. Most of those people think they have the right to shape the world they want because they have those cards. I hope that you don't look down on others because you have power."

Ami looked away as she remembered her time being evil, just before she first obtained Guardianship over one of the Egyptian gods. She had not exactly been the nicest person, and she knew she had treated others like garbage during that time. But now, things were different. She had power...but she never used it unless it came to her when she needed it. Obelisk had a knack for only showing when she needed him, and never at any other time.

She decided not to respond to his last remark, feeling somewhat ashamed of her evil chapter of her story. "Are you a part of the Order? Or a part of the Opposition?" It was a bold question, but she was genuinely curious....and anxious to get the spotlight off of her for now.

"I'm a part of one of the groups of opposition called the Illuminati. There are 3 other groups that I know of. One of them, the Order of Attero, is one of the nastier ones, especially since I've heard rumors that their 10 generals wield cards called the Legendary Planets that are powerful in their own right. I've never seen one though, so I can't say for sure. I'm convinced at this point that the Order of Attero wants to overthrow the Order simply to replace it with their own ideals. There is also a clan of dragon users, but they just want to be left alone and practice their own culture the best they can. And then there is this other group that believes in nothing but peace; I forgot the name, it was really long. Amazingly, a few of the Prodigies have turned over to his groups. Not all the Prodigies are bad, but that doesn't change the fact that things are not right the way they are."

They had made it to the front of Ami's building.

"What is a 'Prodigy'?" Ami stepped inside the apartment, waved to the front desk, then made her way to the elevator. She felt like she was reading a history book from another planet, or rather having one read to her. Wars and rebellions, superpowers and dieties. It also had the feel of a fantasy adventure novel. Either way, she was intrigued and definitely interested in hearing more.

"So, you have the followers of the 9 gods....and the followers of the 10 planets....dragon users....and pacifists. And they're all warring with each other...It sounds like chaos to me." She shook her head and pressed the button for her floor. "I'm not sure if I could survive long in such a world. Even if I was a holy priestess or something."

"The prodigies are the 9 leaders of the Order of Solari, and own the Envoys of God. And to be honest, I'm only alive due to a couple of lucky fixes. Taking on the normal members of Solari and even the higher ranking members known as Templars I can deal with. The prodigies are on a whole other level though. Dueling with one is practically suicidal for several reasons." The elevator opened up and Zeon stepped out onto the hallway and made his way to the door to Ami's apartment.

Ami shot him a quizzical look as they headed down the hall to her apartment. "You make it sound like I might run into some of them." She took her keys and unlocked her door. "Please, come inside. It's not much....but it's alright for a home away from home." She sighed as she unclipped her belt and hung it on a small wire hook rack, then removed her disk and placed it on a small nightstand. Amazingly enough, the wrist-hugging piece of equipment made for an excellent centerpiece.

"Make yourself at home. Ano....can I get you anything to drink? I'm not sure what you're used to drinking...but I have a couple different sodas and some water."

"Just water thanks." Zeon had no idea what a soda was; he suppose he might try it later. He would just stick to what he knew he would like to drink right now. He then took off his cloak, revealing that he wearing a grey shirt with sleeves that had huge sides, and black pants, both of which were made of a custom fabric of his own home world. He put his round black duel disk on the ground, and then took his deck out of it, and held onto it.He then looked around the room, taking in the attire. This was one of the nicest rooms he had ever been in. Come to think of it, it was the nicest room he had ever been in. He was impressed with the furniture and the rest of decor of the house. He then noticed what looked like a strange long black box with a few buttons on it. He pushed the biggest one, and the screen came to life, and images of people talking appeared on it. Zeon jumped back, surprised. People were talking about the results of a "duel monsters tournament." whatever that was. He had dropped his deck in surprise, and the a few of the cards like "Ally of Justice core destroyer", had landed face up.

Ami poured a couple glasses of water and entered the living room, handing Zeon one of the glasses. She noticed a few cards laying around and picked them up. "I've never seen these cards before....are they yours?" She pushed them in his direction to let him have a look. At the same time she looked at the TV as the announcers mentioned duel monsters.

"Oh, the most recent Nationals tournament has just finished." She eyed the screen, searching for a name....and she found it. There, standing on the 2nd place pedastool, stood her archrival, Allison Wonderland. The figure didn't say a word, but accepted her trophy, prizes, and invitation to the World Championship with silent gratitude. "Of course...." Ami sighed and turned off the TV. How did she know that Allison would follow her to the DMWC?

"So, Zeon...." She turned, crossing her legs under her skirt as she sat on the floor looking at him. "Tell me more about your planet's situation? Maybe there is something i can do to help?"

"Yep, that's my deck." Zeon picked up his deck and put it in his pocket. "Well the main problem on my planet is that there's just a lot of factions fighting for control. I'm doing the best I can to end things, but toppling a religious government is no easy task. You probably couldn't help much unless if you were there yourself, not that you would want to be there." Zeon then realized something. "Wait a minute, did you know the person on that... machine? And they have duel monsters tournaments?"

"oh, I see. I'm not meaning to impose...I just....i have a bit of sympathy for you and your people...by the sound of it, you could use some back-up. Then again, I suppose I wouldn't want to get involved with that which i don't understand...." Her voice trailed off a little as she thought of what Nephthys had told her earlier. She held the key. Key? What key? And what power could she possibly have that would be of assistance here?

Then his next question for her snapped her back to the present. "On the tv? I guess you don't have television where you come from. Yes, duel monster tournaments are extremely common....its like a major sporting event almost. Duelists come from all over the world, winning local tournaments, then driving through regionals, blasting into nationals, finding their way into the World Championship....all with the hopes of becoming the World Champion. This takes place every year. This is the first year I've ever made it past Nationals....that girl who just took second place on the event shown on the TV....she is my archrival...an old academy friend." Ami cringed inwardly at the thought of facing her archenemy again. The last time they'd fought had not been pretty at all.... "She's not actually a friend....we have a relatively....bad history together."

"So you have a rival too? Well mine is actually my mortal enemy. She is the absolute worst person ever. She's the ultimate sadist. Why that Envoy of God card chose her is beyond me." Zeon realized something else. "People play duel monsters for fun here?" Zeon asked. "In my world, a duel monsters duel is a duel of life or death; if you're lucky, you get out of one alive. The leader of the prodigies created a system called the rules of engagement, which anyone who can use magic can conjure up. The person conjuring it sets some rules, like "if you win, you can leave, but if I win, you have to do what I say." After that, a magic circle appears, and neither player can leave until someone wins. And you if you try to go against the conditions after the duel, well, you die. It's the Solari's favorite method of controlling their realm."

Zeon then turned away, and then said. "I'm sorry, it's just that the concept of duel monsters for fun is really strange for me. I've never done a game for fun." He said with a touch of bitterness in his voice.

"That....sounds just like a shadow duel!" Ami gazed at him with awestruck eyes. Perhaps he didn't know what the shadow realm was....but..... "This...rules of engagement...and a circle....that is exactly what a shadow duel is here! There are some duelists here who fight for an evil called the 'shadow realm'....and a shadow duel works exactly the same way. I...." she paused, wondering if she should even tell him of her darker past. Would he trust her if she did? Or more pressing, did she trust him enough to entrust him with her secret? "I used to be involved....more or less....with shadow games....so i have extensive experience in that area."

Then an idea came to her. "You've never had a duel for fun, huh?" She raised a finger to her lips, her eyes still on him. "....would you like to try one?" This might be dangerous for her, but she also saw it as an opportunity to change the subject before he could delve too far into her past. Besides, she'd been itching for a duel since before she'd come here almost a week ago.

"The rules of engagement create a seal of light, and it doesn't put you into another realm. It just creates a barrier. And the seal isn't evil itself, although it's designed so that it encourages people to do bad things. I don't know if the leader of the prodigies made it with that in mind though when she created it." Then Zeon realized she had just asked him to duel. Should he do it? He had never tried dueling for fun before. Although he'd have to refrain from using that new card on her; she probably didn't have anything that could stand up to that card.

"Alright then, I suppose I will. duel you." Zeon went over and grabbed his duel disk, and put his deck in it. "So where do you want to duel?"

"Well it sounds very much like the Shadow Realm...." Ami muttered under her breath as she stood. Then she let her voice grow to be heard. "I still think it works the same way. Except for you its Light...here its Sha-...." A thought struck her....a possibility out of nowhere. What if...what if this Rules of Engagement thing....was meant to fight the shadow realm? She quietly mulled over that idea as she began moving furniture to give them space for the duel they were about to have. It was a wild idea....but she could see it happening. If one did the math right, one might see all the connections. But then again...perhaps it was just another one of her random daydreaming ideas.

"We'll duel here." She grabbed her duel disk as well and took her place on the side of the tv. "The duel won't break anything....unless you decide to make this a shadow game. But then that defeats the purpose of doing this just for fun....and I would have to take you down." Ami giggled softly and smiled. "I'm sorry...i've dealt with so many shadow duelists that i'm somewhat paranoid i guess." She slid the disk on her left forearm and activated it, the wings coming together and the hologram projectors lighting up. The deck shuffler began shuffling the deck and immediately pushed out the top 5 cards for her. She took them out, never looking at them. "Because you are a guest in my house, I will let you make the first move. Please...we are not doing this to be serious." She smiled at him. "Try to have some fun! May the best win!"