"Akiza, you don't have to wear that mask when you're dueling me."

'Why did he have to sound so sure of himself? He doesn't know me!' She stopped, eyes wide and a light blush dusting her cheeks. 'But he wants to…isn't that all that matters Akiza?'

Akiza Izayoi sat upright on her bed, gazing at the very black, very moonless sky, lit up by Neo Domino's 24/7 lights.

'But I've never let anyone in before…how am I supposed to let Yusei in?'

Akiza sighed and lay back on her pillow. She closed and opened her eyes restlessly, trying desperately to release thoughts of the outlaw duelist from her tired mind.

He was her only friend though, the only one who cared about her. She had never had that. She wanted a true friend, even if he was from Satellite. She had to let him in, even if she was going to have to step out of her comfort zone. She wouldn't let him slip through her grasp like so many others had.

Yusei was suspened in air, obviously in pain, but determined to make her understand he wanted to help.

"I'm gonna enjoy this!" Akiza was panting, tired from the exitement of it all, "Now, attack!"

A vine shot for Yusei and wound around him, trapping his dueling arm.

"Look at you up there! Helpless and alone! No one can help you and no one wants to! Now you know how it feels like to be me in this cruel cold world!" Akiza shouted at the boy suspened in air. Yusei looked at her levelly for a time, wishing he could convince her he only wanted to help.

Akiza didn't want his help, his sympathy, his friendship though. Her monster suddenly slammed Yusei into the ground.

The announcer's voice boomed in the arena, drawing everyone's attention, "Whoa! Akiza's attack has the stadium in panic! The place is in complete chaos! Just like we thought, Akiza is a witch!"

The crowd boo-ed and yelled insults at Akiza. She steeled herself against them, they couldn't get into her head.

"Cheater!"

"She's dangerous!"

Yusei was ignoring them too; he was trying to drown them out, to get through to her, "Akiza, I want to help you, I wanna be your friend, and I'm gonna use every card I have to prove it to you." Yusei squared his shoulders in determination, "And I'll start by playing Sheild Warrior in defense mode. Next, I play two cards face down and end my turn." He stopped, deciding to take another crack at it, "I think I undertsand it now; what makes you tick, Akiza. Because of all that people have put you through. You enjoy it!" Yusei yelled.

"Enjoy what?" Aki shouted.

"You enjoy people's misery. You like how it makes people feel. You like how it makes YOU feel."

"You're right, and for the rest of this duel, I really plan on enjoying myself!" Aki laughed and glared at Yusei, planning her next destructive move.

He'd opened her eyes to new things, new feelings. He'd given her the strength of a friend. She had destroyed the mask in the duel, pyshically and emotionally, that she's always worn. He taught her that she should try to harness such a gift that she was given and use it to help, rather than to destroy. She didn't know how yet, but the two of them would find out together. She knew it.

"Thank you, Yusei. I really owe you one," She chuckled, "Or more."