Also, this fanfic will have dueling scenes, but I'll just describe vague things. >.> I still don't know how to go about describing the specifics of the duels because there are so many cards to remember, and all their effects and shit. >~< So don't expect good dueling scenes.

"This room has the same properties as your headset," Shing explained as she took off his headset and set it on a table in the room. "It'll heal the damage done to your brain. Just don't leave this room without it."

"Yes, my queen," Yuma replied mindlessly.

Shing smiled brightly. "Good. Use today to rest. Tomorrow, you will be put through training."

Yuma nodded and went to the bed made for him. In no time, he was asleep.

~.~.~

"Grandma?!" Akari called from upstairs. "Have you seen Yuma!?" She hurried back down to the living room to see if he was just playing a prank.

"No, I haven't seen him today," Haru replied. 

"We go out for one minute, and he's suddenly gone! I can't believe it!" Akari crossed her arms in anger, but the anger quickly turned to worry. "It just doesn't make sense. He should have been here by now."

Haru just shook her head. They both told Yuma to be home as soon as school was out to do chores around the house. While she and Akari knew he would get on the chores later than expected, he was a good kid. He would never just skip out on what he promised to do. "We need to find him."

Akari nodded in agreement. "We should. You stay here. I'll search his friends' houses to see if he went to visit." Without waiting for an answer, Akari rushed to her room, threw on her biking clothes and helmet, ran back outside, and mounted her motorcycle. She revved the engine and sped off into the streets.

~.~.~

Yuma was awake now. Shing watched him explore the building and look at the machinery. She sighed as she rested on her chair with a smile. He was going to be the key to her rule. With him at her side, they would be the most powerful in the city, which would become her new kingdom. She would be happy as long as Yuma was by her side. He was what she was missing this entire time.

She noticed how his hand absently floated to the dull Key around his neck. Shing wondered if she could control the spirit who lived in there. If there was two, even better. From experience in her own world, she knew that the dark one was more of a powerhouse than a duelist. With his strength, she would have a body guard or a castle guard. The pure one, the one named Astral, was able to fuse with Yuma to form a powerful being. No one would defy her with that. Unfortunately, the Key seemed to be unresponsive, as if locked.

"Yuma, are you doing alright?" Shing called.

Yuma looked over and slowly released his grip on the Key. "I'm fine, my queen. Do you require anything?"

"Not at the moment, my knight."

"I am well enough to train, if you would allow me."

Shing stood up and examined her knight physically and mentally via the same machine she used to control him. He recovered surprisingly fast. Of course, the damage wasn't gone yet, but it would go away in time. "Alright, my knight. I'll go show you the training room, then."

She took his hand and led him to the training room, which would help condition his physical and mental strength in case he came across a hard duelist or a powerful foe. While he did that, Shing looked at the pictures of Yuma's friends and thought of how she could use them. They weren't the strongest, that much was sure, so she couldn't exactly use them as soldiers. Well, what else did a queen need? The answer to that was simple. They could be servants. A queen needs servants, after all. Knights weren't the only ones needed.

Shing put the pictures away and went to the training room to watch her knight train.

~.~.~

Yuma wasn't at his friends' houses, but they helped Akari look for him. They all split up and searched for the entire rest of the day. He wasn't in the park, the school, the alleys, or anywhere else in Heartland City. Discouraged, they met up at the park at dusk.

"Any sight of him?" Akari asked, hoping that they did even though she knew they didn't find him.

"No," Kotori sighed. "He wasn't anywhere I checked."

"In conclusion," Takashi spoke up, "I think he must have been kidnapped."

Akari stood up from the bench and ran her fingers through her hair. "If he was kidnapped, he could be anywhere right now. Where was the last place you guys saw him?"

"In this park," Tetsuo replied. "We just finished dueling, and then we walked to our houses together. His was first up, so he just left."

"He was definitely home," Akari sighed. "He left his gazer on the table. He wouldn't leave without it."

"Then someone must have known where he lives," Cathy gasped. "Like a stalker."

"A stalker..." Kotori repeated. "But who would stalk him?"

"Some sicko, that's who," Akari grumbled. "Let's go home. We'll keep searching tomorrow."

The rest walked home while the red-haired journalist mounted her motorcycle and rode home.

~.The Next Day.~

Yuma's group of friends went out to search again without Akari because she and Haru had to go out on an errand again. So, it was just them. Once again, they searched around the park.

"Hey guys!" called a familiar voice behind them. "What are you looking for?"

Cathy turned around and let out a gasp. "Yuma!?"

The others turned and saw their previously missing friend running up to them with his usual huge smile. The only difference that they could see was a headset over his ears. It didn't seem to be connected to anything, but maybe it was wireless.

"Where have you been?" Kotori asked incredulously. "Akari said you were missing yesterday."

"Oh, that!" Yuma laughed. "I went to a friend's house. She invited me over last minute and gave me this really cool headset." He brightened up suddenly. "Hey, maybe I can get her to get you guys one! It's super cool!"

"Well, let's get you back home," Flip said. "Your sister was pretty mad last night when you disappeared."

The red-eyed boy shook his head. "I'd rather not face her right now. How about we have a duel? You know, like a rematch for yesterday."

The others were skeptical, but Yuma insisted. They had the duel underway soon. For some reason, he had no need for a duel gazer.

From behind a set of bushes, Shing watched the duel with great interest. Her knight was pretending to lose right now to keep up the image that he was still himself, but he soon turned the duel around quicker than his friends could keep up. When he finally ended his turn, his friends were gaping at the highly intelligent moves he pulled.

"That was incredibly impressive," Tetsuo commented. "Is Astral helping you out here?"

Yuma shrugged nonchalantly. "Astral's given me more tips yesterday."

"So much that you're suddenly improved?"

"Come on, Tetsuo! It's your turn, isn't it? Let's see what you've got!"

Tetsuo narrowed his eyes and played his turn. He played a few spells, summoned a monster, and set a trap. His turn ended.

On Yuma's next turn, he finished the entire duel. Upon winning, his expression suddenly turned blank. "Now?"

"Now," a mysterious voice called from behind a bunch of bushes. Shing popped out of the bushes and walked over to Yuma.

Yuma looked at his friend and held out his hand. A sort of essence escaped from Tetsuo and gathered into the possessed boy's outstretched hand. Meanwhile, Tetsuo grew weaker until he could no longer move.

"Yuma, what are you doing!?" Kotori cried out, unable to do anything to stop her friend.

"I'm keeping you from preventing my queen from ruling. And you will soon join her," Yuma replied in a monotone. Then, his mouth curled into an empty smile. "It's not that bad, I promise."

"Yuma, you can't do this!" Kotori exclaimed. "Snap out of it!"

"He's my knight now," Shing said with a smile. "He'll do what I want." She looked at Yuma. "The others are obviously not going to cooperate. You know what to do."

"Yes, my queen." The boy reached into his pocket and drew out a pocket knife. Quick as lightning, he snatched Kotori and slashed the main tendons so that she couldn't move. When he looked up again, the others were gone.

"Don't worry about them for today," Shing said. "Let's just get these two back to our place to get ready for recruitment.

Yuma nodded and helped his queen take Tetsuo and Kotori back to her building. Before locking them both up, Shing operated on Kotori to fix the tendons so that she wasn't completely useless. Then, into the prisons they both went to wait for their friends.