Predictions and Observations:
The Dark Light

For some reason, I'd had Aster on the brain over the past few days. Maybe that was some subtle manipulation. This entire section is what I *just happened* to think up while I was sitting around waiting for my ride home. Firstly, I was so curious as to why it was he played the roles he did in many events, nudging them along or telling others about them but never much caring about them one way or another. When Bastion challenged the White Dorm, Aster was there watching but nothing more decisive or friendly like, for instance, advising Bastion not to go. When Sy challenged Zane the other day, Aster had been baiting Zane, just to see if he could goad him into a duel. To me it's seemed recently as though Aster doesn't really trust anyone, after first losing his dad at that young age and then being betrayed by Sartorius, who used to be his friend (Heart of Ice I), earlier this year. He keeps everyone at a distance, some further than others. I reminded myself that when Bastion researched him on the internet (wonderful thing, the internet), he discovered that Aster is a pro at pretty much every sport known to man. I also recalled that in the The Demon duel, Aster kept calling Zane "old man", hinting that Aster is at least a couple years younger, perhaps about Jaden's age or a shade older. He certainly acts ahead of his years. Also, color scheme is actually a bit of an indicator in GX: I've mentioned before how Chazz's black/dark brown blazer sets him apart. What about Aster? He wears a light gray suit. It's not even a blazer. However, the grayish-white, between Chazz's nonconformity and the Society's uniformity, but more towards the latter… It also occurred to me that we've been seeing a lot of Pegasus recently, and he's talked, both times, about what makes a good card designer. A good card designer like Aster's dad, who "put his heart into every design he created." I can't believe it's taken me this long to piece together that Pegasus actually *does* have more than a pop-in minor character's role in this.

So, according to Pegasus and Sheppard, the Dark Light is to the Gx Tournament as the Egyptian God Cards are to Battle City. Okay.

Ten years ago…? What was happening, besides Aster's dad getting kidnapped, ten years ago?! I'm dying to know! I'm a chronology nut, and all of this vaguery is driving me bats!

Industrial Illusions has a scientific team? This is quite some card company, though I suppose Pegasus likes to keep track of things like this. This isn't the first time that he's been the bearer of such bad news; remember the Orichalcos?

Every major violent upheaval in history, they said. How major? On the scale of World-War-major to fistfight-major, where's the cutoff between magically-stimulated and people being jerks? Was the great big battle in Egypt five-thousand-odd years ago prodded by the Light, then? What about Atlantis? That could explain why the Orichalcos stones inexplicably dropped from the sky…

Sheppard's a sharp one… he asked about Aster's dad just as I was thinking, no, it's a plot device, they won't get it, they won't reveal it that easily…

It took Aster this long to realize that the card Sarina spoke of could have been his dad's card?

There are way too many "greatest duelists in the world", if you ask me. Whatever happened to the guys who duel with honor?! How can first Aster (who was hard to believe enough) and then The D (who apparently had held that title for ten years although Aster is credited with it at the beginning of this year) be considered the greatest duelists in the world while Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey are around, along with a few of their friends, all of who could kick the tushes of any of the somewhat deranged competition?! Dueling has descended into fear-driven muscling, and I haven't seen a single person give the Kaibadome a truly magnificent match since KCGC! The dueling world is descending back into the mentality that began Duelist Kingdom: the best duelists are those who are ruthless, cunning, and cruel. Where are the heroes we know very well are still out there, to show the world what dueling is really about? Will we have to wait for Jaden to graduate? Probably, and that's the whole point, but I find it absolutely infuriating that the Powers that Write somehow contrived to keep the original true champions, all of them, away and let the Game fall into such ill condition.
By the way (*fume fume* grrr…), perhaps Aster and The D can both be considered Duelist League champions because of age divisions? I mean, Aster dueled Zane, who can be considered a few years older than him at the most, so they were in a similar age range, and likewise with The D and Dr. Collector.

Familiar cards from Dr. Collector and D: Dr. Collector used mostly spellcasters like Magician's Valkyria (Yugi, Pyramid of Light) and Cosmo Queen (not actually ever in the show, I don't think, but I recognize it), and familiar spells such as Graceful Charity and Dimension Fusion (didn't Kaiba use that at some point…? One Step Ahead, perhaps?). In fact, I think this duel was meant to have the feeling of older pros, in the form of cards that are familiar from the days of Battle City and onward.

The D was kind of a smack-upside-the-head out of nowhere, but Aster had started to catch my attention recently. There was little way to see this coming besides that.

Another episode named after a card, if the hero's actually called the Dark Light. First one since The Maiden In Love, and this makes, uh… eight, I think: The Legendary Great Moth, Shining Friendship, The Ties of Friendship, Obelisk the Tormentor, Legendary Fisherman I, Legendary
Fisherman II, The Maiden in Love, and now, The Dark Light.

A New Breed of Hero II, re Aster's Dad: "According to Aster, he "put his heart into every design he created." It's so strange that Aster didn't get the chance to learn that dueling is about heart, and that means the ability to love the game like his father so plainly seemed to love making cards. It's not just about dueling for a reason, nor about dueling with all of your heart; it's about having the game and its creatures in your heart, and that's what makes the real champions
great. Aster also said that his dad "taught me that justice would always prevail…but he was wrong! Justice is a lie!""

The main question: Are they going to duel? My answer: Does the sun rise? Does Jaden love to duel? Does Damon poop in the woods?

Similarly to every other relationship in Aster's life, I have to wonder how Aster relates to The D. Probably just from knowing him well, he could tell that he wasn't going anywhere as champ, not to the chump he was facing. He seems very reserved even towards the person who's been his guardian for ten years, who taught him how to duel. Admittedly, we know that that's a good thing, but isn't there anyone on Earth that Aster *does* trust or care deeply about? Perhaps this mistrust is a recent thing, considering The D just blew up half the Kaibadome before the match was even over.

The Hermit, as promised:
" Upright: Counsel, inner strength, prudence, caution, vigilance,
patience, withdrawal, annulment, a loner
Reverse: Imprudence, hastiness, rashness, foolish acts, immaturity"
-http://www.themysticeye.com/info/tarotcardm.htm
Well, I'd say yesterday had a good deal of the reverse (*snicker snicker*), but I think the main thing was that Isenstein had been called out of retirement, out of "withdrawal", and Bastion was seeking advice, counsel, on his dueling and so forth. Dueling scientifically would be a good deal of patience, vigilance, caution, and so forth.

Ultimate Destiny and The Key Factor are the next two GX episodes, on Wednesday and Thursday respectively. Shining Friendship and Champ vs. Creator I, by the way, are this
coming Saturday.

That's about it. `Til tomorrow (in about fifteen minutes, but you know what I mean…), that's all, folks! -Clio