Tsukiko listened to the full extent of the lecture that Ben kindly offered her as he handed [i]Void Dragon[/i] back to him. She noticed that Ben was trying to comfort her though she found letting someone get closer to her rather difficult. [b]"I..."[/b] She mumbled toward Ben hardly letting him hear a word she said. She tried to say it again, but she stuttered right as she tried to say the next word. Something inside her was preventing her from saying what she wanted to. [b]"I don't know who the real me is anymore."[/b] She said unsure of herself and with her face engraved with denial. The doubt could be seen in her eyes as the radiance left her face and the coldness of being abandoned started to overtake her.  

The words he offered her did alleviate some of the pain, but it did also burrow another wound anew inside her. A painful wound that reminded her that her brother was never going back to his old self. It was a cruel reality she had to be faced with, the brother that was kind and polite in the past and had lots of respect from other people was just devoured by the shadows and there was nothing she could about it. She put her cards down and palmed her hands on her head staring downward trying to hold back her tears. 

[b]"Why..."[/b] Tsukiko mumbled under her breath as she stared down keeping head face down so Ben couldn't see her face. Her face was wrought with calamity which tried to pour into her body through her veins as her past continued to haunt her. [b]"Why won't that bastard see what he is doing to me!"[/b] Tsukiko replied as her voice began to raise a little bit at the end of her plea. She hated the thought that there was nothing she could do to get her brother to stop thinking about the past. That it was impossible for her to get to see that old radiant smile he used to show to his mother and father. [b]"If mother were here, SHINREI WOULD GO BACK TO NORMAL!!! All I want is him to be happy again. I can't stand seeing him like that. THAT'S NOT WHO HE IS! THE WAY HE LIVES NOW IS A COMPLETE LIE! COMPLETE LLLIIIEEE!!!"[/b] She screamed out loud as she slammed her palms that were extended outward flat onto the desk. When she said that she remembered the memories that she shared with him with her mother. It was a part of her memory that had just returned. She remembered that Shinrei had become like he was after he qualified for the World Circuit when he won Nationals. She remembered that radiant beautiful smile on her mother's face and the liveliness of her spirit which brought warmth to them all. Shinrei was even smiling widely happy that he managed to make his dream of becoming a professional duelist a reality.