"Yes."
A silent answer with no more meaning.
Ryo just walked to where Ray was standing, at the exit of park. And he saw Ray and that same expression as always, with caring for others just doing what is to be done.
Ryo met his eyes with hers for a second, and then looked away with swift.
"Sorry for late." Ryo said, while looking downside.
"?"
Ray's focus was taken seeing her little brother act differently.
"Did something happen while I wasn't around? You look depressed no sad."
Ray said while her hand rubbing with care on her little brother's head.
"Nothing. I just don't... feel good suddenly."
"Did you got fever? No your temperature is normal. And you didn't seem in bad mood this morning."
"No I am fine." Ryo said in light voice, little audible to Ray.
"No." Ray cut his sentence.
"You are gonna go to have check with doctor."
"Seriously it's okay!" Ryo burst into anger.
"!"
Ray without noticing take a step back.
"No... sorry," Ryo let his anger and sudden feelings burst into wrong person. "I was taken aback... that's all sorry."
Ryo said looking down.
"..." Ray just started at him. No anger, no shock.
With the silent Ryo thought to just walk again.
And Ryo just took 2 steps and Ray said from behind. Clearly looking at him.
"Did something happen again? With that bully you know." Her eyes seem to give worried look but with anger.
Ray : "Or not that you are definitely acting like someone else."
"Ah..."
Ryo : "Bully? Did I had a bully? Wait I don't remember this kind of conversation ever happening."
"No." Ryo said waving hand in annoyed way. "Nothing. And this isn't your matter so don't get in way."
Ryo said like a cold hearted little brother.
He said without looking at her.
He said without any concern.
Bang!
A sound came from Ryo's face.
And in his vision Ray's expression was all angry.
"Nee...-san" Ryo said like murmur.
"Don't take problems to just yourself! Share it with others!"
A very loud voice that echoed through while park.
Ryo's eyes widened. Not in surprise or pain but seeing his big sister angry and her eyes show some wielding tears.
Ryo : "Is she worried for me?"
For Ryo who never had much of a family relationship with good terms, he had forgotten all things which are different between a acquainted person and family member.
But is me have that far gone to yell my my big sister, am I that away from talking good with my people? Ryo thought as his hands wuthered on his waist. And his legs shake.
Ryo just looked down, hid eyes, his head not looking at not just Rab but not sky nor anything else.
Ray sighed.
"Is you won't talk then I will do anything to make you talk." Her voice caring for her little brother was unwavering and solid.
But Ryo didn't say a word and just walked. Remebering the fragments of memories he had. The way to his house.
"You are still not gonna tell me!?"
People's gaze at Ryo but, it didn't affect him in the slightest.
For him, he had thrown himself into self-questioning . Thinking he have far than changed himself.
And making her nee-san more worried is on top of all this.
And before Ryo look anywhere else, he was at a entrance that showed big garden on the other side.
And Ryo paused at seeing that far old scene that wasn't even remained picture in his mind. But seeing it again it was like hid childhood had returned, even if just memories where he have grown up.
"Is this really a dream? That slap was more than just real or illusion. Is this what they call memories of regrets? Everything is too real for me to be in dream."
Ryo for few seconds stared at garden and those beautiful flowers, some long some short, some with big petals and some yet to bloom but it was beautiful scenario for not just a nature loving person but for anyone who.
Looking at this would clear the mind and frustration of anyone. And same happened to Ryo.
"Seriously why aren't you saying anything!? Do you like making your nee-san worried!?
Ryo's eyes still fixed on his childhood memories. But he broke that with just few words.
He started speaking slowly but in deep voice.
"Sorry. But really isn't going on. I just didn't saw you for more than time so I was scared. How to look at you."
"What? We just met before I was gone to take a look at park and you are not a kid... no sorry." Ray stoped saying anything.
Closing jer eyes thinking Ryo is acting more than just different.
Him being usual meant, Ryo would say "I want to eat at our favorite restaurant today. I am bored from that homemade food."
Ray : "Something is definitely different."
"And I don't really mind eating in dinner whatever you make. I will sleep until than in my room."
"... okay. I will make something today that you will definitely like. But don't eat your fingers when you finished it! Hah." Ray tried to lighten Ryo's mood. But there was already symbol of annoyed on his face.
"I am looking forward to it."
Ryo said and went inside and there he saw the lobby not large but bigger than normal.
Ryo : "Now that I think all the structures and buildings and everything was same as it was before. As I was walking here every sound, every noise felt nostalgic same."
And Ryo looked at the place where shoes where placed. Everyone's and he did same and placed his. And after that...
"Come to think of it, his is where I normally placed my shoes."
Maybe instinct or old habit, he just did what he usually used to do.
And on left side hid pure-black shoes and on left side his white shoes and in middle his pure-black shoes but different designs and size.
"Heh. Yeah, I likes just simple colored and cool looking shoes but I used to have same shoes. As I grow up and my legs to I just buyed same ones with different size."
Thinking about childhood, nostalgic hit him and his blank expression till now was broken into laugh and smile.
"Ho. guess you finally smilled. Do you like those old boots more than your big sister."
"These are shoes first of all. Maybe I feel sleepy."
"Fine. It's just 5:15 pm if you don't feel good sleep first, but I will take you to doctor and you have to tell dad first."
She lectured Ryo like a teacher.
"Fine."
Ryo, who had bented his legs till now to place shoes has stand up and gone to his room.
Ryo : "Everything is same. I might be just remembering things actually seeing them but everything is certainly same as it was."
Same floor. Same big, colorful carpet with a bird design in living room, three big sofas and big TV jointed on wall.
Living room was in left side as Ryo extend lobby or hallway and on straight was kitchen with big dining table, up to 8 people could sat and have dinner. And big platform. With knives and other things. And shelves and so for taking and storing other things. And big, two door fridge.
Ryo take a big bottle of mix fruit juice and drank down all. Within few gulps.
"Great." He said slowly, savoring the taste of his favorite juice brand.
"It is amazing! I just remembered why I liked this brand's juices."
Ryo was so fallen into the taste that he didn't hear coming light steps.
"Ryo!"
Behind he saw Ray. Both of her hands wrapped with eachother.
"You know that one was mine! You already jad finished your and now mine too!"
"Sorry."
Ryo : "I did do those things but how am I to remember them now. Which bottle is which's"
"I was thrusty."
A simple explanation but it won't save Ryo.
"Fine. I will forgive you for today."
Ryo didn't lied. He was really thrusty but Ray was same, she thought it Is just another of million pranks of his little brother. But she decided to forgive him today.
"Weren't you were sleepy?" Ray said frowing her eyebrows in suspicion.
"I... i needed energy to sleep."
"Energy Heh. Then you will not have those juice bottles for rest of this week. You probably had enough energy till now."
Ray said Both of her hands on her waist
"... sorry."
"Then you should go to sleep. I will start preparing dinner."
"Yes! Nee-san."
Natural obedience from his childhood traumas. He knew result of making her big sister angry is bad scenario that he don't want to see again.
As he already saw her anger rising and started to go.
Ryo : "Are those devil wings and horns!? Or am I hallucinating?"
And Ryo just gone to his room upstairs.
"The stair is also big and same I feel I have already walked-up here."
And he gone and he saw four rooms two facing each other.
And other two facing each other.
"Come to think of it. Me, Zarc and Ray have the three of four rooms here mom and dad used to live downstairs where the bedroom was other than living room and kitchen. And behind is garage where dad had used with his experiments and trying to create inventions. But after passing of mom he used most of his time on garage."
Without thinking more he just went into the last of third room. Which belonged to him.
And there on door he saw a drawn figure on the head of door.
"Cool as always. I can't remember how did I manged to draw it on such a height."
He saw a figure. Two wings rising like flames of victory and going to sky and peck and head pointing upside, to sky. And the figure's color seemed to made of flaming.
"Probably Psace Phoenix... I think there were more but why only one. Maybe I will search later."
Huh?
Ryo than checked his pocket and saw his second soul, his hear, His deck.
The true, his original, his united world's deck.
"Heh. Space Phoenix is still here. But technically this would be original world's deck. No it still is."
He opened the door.
He then just took it and placed on his study desk.
With a light. Hardly audible voice he said.
"Good night."
# Time Passed
Yawn.
Ryo went up from his bed and goes downstairs.
He forget to take a look at his racing cards printed clock on his room. But is he had looked the hands of clock would be at 8:03 pm.
He scratched his head and his forehead as he walked downstairs.
"Ray is dinner ready?..."
He was taken aback. He saw two figures saitting face to face.
One still and his hair and was tanned from heat and sunrays.
And the other had bright and energetic smile and was still on activate more. Luke the load of day didn't affect. Through all he did was duel nonstop.
"Is everything okay Ryo. You seem in bad mood could it be you had bad sleep? Your face tells me you are annoyed." Leo said drinking wanter from bottle of glass.
"Don't tell me did you lost another duel and are you depressed." Zarc taunted but it didn't affected much.
"Not really." Ryo said in surprise but calm manner. "I was just feeling bad today."
"Well you should take care of yourself. Huh?" Leo said. And his eyes widened a bit.
"What happened?" Ray said making dinner and the fragrance of whatever she was making was very delicious.
Leo started saying in confusing tone. "Nothing I feel I have already seem and talked this." His hands on his mouth.
"Maybe a time paradox or something. Heh." Zarc laughed and said while looking at Ryo.
Ray was wearing apron on her regular cloths. And Zarcin regular cloths too but Zarc's were messed up. Seeing him Ryo thought, "How did this guy always makes mess of cloths from duel?"
And Leo still in his lab uniform.
"Oh yeah Ryo there is gonna be competition in two weeks let's participate together." Zarc said looking at Ryo with expectations.
"Come on Nii-san. You should know Ryo isn't good at duel. Having craziness for duel and knowing how to duel both are different things." Ray said he face still facing the still preparing dinner.
Ryo : "Yeah. After passing of mom Ray used to make dinner a lot. Actually most of time. Me saying I want to eat at restaurants must've damaged her feelings."
"Huh?"
Ryo looked at himself from his vision. His hands, his legs, his chest, his cloths. He didn't, for the slighted moment looked at himself but he saw that.
"Aren't I am at my 12 years old body?"
"What are you talking about Ryo?" Leo said."You are 12 years old. Ray 13 and Zarc 14." Leo said. Taking a quick glance at Ryo.
"Ah? No sorry I must be in sleep."
Ryo : "So I am not just in original world but 2 years prior than my current age... actually I was 18 when I died and 14 at that synchro world. But somehow Yugo had suspicion about my age. I just felt even if he didn't say. Then how much old I am. I should take a look at my birthday date."
"Dinner is ready." Ray said in light and caring voice. As she started to place plates on table. And other things too.
And 35 minutes dinner was over.
"Come to think about, we had habit to eat slow and talk while eating. Talking about all things we did and what happened to us."
"Oh yeah Ryo! There was a call from your friend. He said let's go buy duel monster card packs tomorrow."
Ryo : "My friend huh? I can't recall. But asking for name... I don't know how to ask I am certain I didn't had much friends."
"Who was he."
"I didn't ask but he said just tell him this and he will know all. "
"Okay thanks."
"Guess it will have to wait until tomorrow." Ryo muttered.
Dinner was finished. Time had passed while talking of daily incidents.
And Ryo was in his headroom again.
"Hmm... yes it is clear."
He said looking at the mirror of his bathroom.
"My body wasn't that different s8nce there is just little more than 1 year's difference. And same goes to Ray and Zarc. So I am at that time when I had buyed all those "Distruction" and "Creation" decks and card packs for myself."
He had looked at his pocket money and his wallet and his savings.
"Yeah I have already buyed everything. More than I could had afford. Than my current deck is actually, certainly the one of few things I had cherished most."
He said his hand on his chest where heart was. And his other hand on his deck.