Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh! Zexal or any of its characters. This story is purely a work of fanfiction; no profit is being made from it.
Author's Note: For anyone who is unaware, Sei and Sachi are Kotori's friends. They appear in a few episodes, including (but not limited to) episodes 22, 45 and 50.
Sei's personality in this story is partly inspired by the works of Vile. EXE who has written several amazing Yugioh! Zexal stories on this site. I highly recommend them.
Also, I've no idea whether or not D-Gazers can be used to record video footage but since they can be used for telecommunications and even modern day mobile phones have that feature I don't think it's too much of a stretch that D-Gazers can have it too.
Sachi gazed intently at the practice mats spread out before her and took several deep, calming breaths as she steadied and focused herself. She wore her usual pink and white leotard and her long brown hair was tied back into a neat bun with bangs on either side of her face.
After a moment she ran forwards and threw herself into a cartwheel. Her hands came down on the mat and then left it just as quickly as she gracefully tumbled across the floor before launching herself up and spinning in mid-air. She landed perfectly balanced on her feet.
"Sachi, that was awesome!" a familiar voice exclaimed.
She turned and smiled as she saw her best friend Sei. She wore her school uniform, also pink and white, and her short blue hair was swept outwards on either side of her head like a pair of wings.
Sachi giggled softly. "Thank you" she said as she walked up to Sei.
"So are we still meeting Kotori at the mall as we arranged?" Sei asked.
"Yes we are" she replied. "I'll just go and shower and then I'll be ready to go."
"Okay."
A few minutes later Sachi had showered and changed. As they were leaving Sei spotted something and peered over curiously.
"What's wrong?" Sachi asked.
"Look over there" Sei replied.
She pointed to another gymnast, an older guy with short black hair, who had just attempted a cartwheel only to fumble his movements and fall to the mat. Another guy went over and offered a hand.
"Are you okay Yanagiba?" he asked.
"I'm fine" replied Yanagiba brusquely as he ignored the offered hand and got up. "I just need to rest for a minute." Without another word he went off to the changing area. The guy shrugged and resumed his own practice.
"What was that about?" Sei wondered as she and Sachi left the gymnastics hall.
"Yanagiba has always been like that" her friend answered her. "He's obsessed with winning and being the best. He can't stand the idea of needing help from anyone and making a mistake like that in front of everybody must have embarrassed him a lot."
Sei frowned. "I hate guys like that."
"Me too" Sachi agreed. "But I can't help feeling a little sorry for him. I mean of course I want to do great at gymnastics but I also have a lot of fun with it. Yanagiba is so focused on success I don't think he has fun anymore, if he ever did."
"I guess not" Sei agreed.
Her friend's expression brightened as she added, "but let's not dwell on that. Let's just meet up with Kotori and have a great time."
Sei smiled "Sounds good to me" she said as they walked off.
Back at the building they had just left Yanagiba made it to the changing area just as his hands began to tremble. He looked down at them in surprise.
Damn, I hadn't realised it had been that long he thought. He realised that his mouth had gone dry and his vision was turning blurry.
He hurriedly stumbled to his bag, opened it and took out a bottle filled with yellow pills. He struggled to get the lid off with his shaking hands. After a moment he managed to do so and immediately he gulped down one of the pills.
Within moments his shaking stopped and he calmed down. Yanagiba closed his eyes and sighed as renewed strength coursed through him.
He strode back out into the main hall and resumed his training.
The next day Sei, Sachi and some of their friends were in Heartland Square. They had finished classes and Sachi didn't have any gymnastics training that day, so they had plenty of time to spend.
"So what should we do first?" Sachi asked.
"There's a new arcade that's just opened" said Sei. "Let's check it out."
Before anyone could answer her they all heard the sound of running feet and a voice yelling, "stop thief!"
They spun around to see a guy burst out of an alleyway and go charging past them. He was clutching a purse and wore a black balaclava that concealed his face.
Chasing after him was an elderly woman. "Stop him, he took my purse" she yelled.
"I'll get him!" Sei yelled as she ran after the thief while Sachi and Kotori hurried up to the woman and caught her arms just in time to stop her from collapsing. "Whoa take it easy" said Kotori as they supported her. She leaned on them, breathing heavily from the running.
"Maybe you should sit down" Sachi suggested
"Thank you girls" said the woman as they helped her over to a bench. As she sat down Kotori took out her D-Gazer. "I'll call the police" she said.
Sachi crouched in front of the old woman. "Don't worry. I'm sure Sei can get your purse back from that guy" she said reassuringly.
Sei dodged around a bin the thief had pushed in front of her and quickened her pace. He was fast but she had managed to keep him in sight and now she was gradually closing the distance between them. Fortunately by now most people had heard the commotion and so were getting out of her way.
On the other hand it's too bad nobody's trying to trip or hold that guy Sei thought ruefully. I guess it's up to me.
As the thief made it to a road a motorcycle drove up and came to a halt in front of him. The rider, his face hidden by a black helmet yelled, "hop on Yanagiba!"
No! Sei sprinted forwards but it was too late. The thief clambered onto the back of the bike, still gripping the stolen purse, and the bike sped away.
She glared after them for a long moment, her fists clenched in fury before sighing in disappointment and turning around to start heading back the way she had come.
Sei took one step forwards and froze as she suddenly realised what the motorcycle rider had said and recalled where she had heard the name before.
"Sorry ma'am, he got away with your purse" she said to the old woman a little while later.
"Never mind, you tried your best and I thank you for that" the woman replied. She nodded at Kotori and Sachi. "Thank you again as well."
"It was our pleasure" replied Kotori.
Soon after that the Heartland City police arrived. The girls described what had happened, trying to describe the thief as well as they could. The police thanked them for their information and asked them to inform them if they remembered anything else.
When the police had finlly left Sei sat down on the bench and leaned back with her eyes closed. "Thank goodness that's over."
"I talked to Akari yesterday" said Kotori as she and Sachi sat next to their friend. "She told me that there have been quite a few cases like that recently."
"Really?" Sachi asked.
"Yes. Apparently there's been a rise in petty crimes all over Heartland. Akari said that she's been looking into it and it's all because of some new street drug. I think she sid it was called Surge because people who take it get a huge surge of strength and energy but when it wears off they get weaker and their reflexes and co-ordination fade. It's highly addictive so when people are on it they become so desperate that they'll do anything to get money to pay for more."
Sei listened with growing trepidation as the pieces began to assemble inside her head.
"That's awful" said Sachi.
"Tell me about it" Kotori agreed.
"Bye guys" said Kotori some time later. She waved to her friends as she started off for home.
"Bye Kotori" they replied, waving back.
As Kotori left Sei turned to Sachi and said, "I think there's something bad going on with Yanagiba."
"What do you mean? What's wrong?"
"I told you how that thief got away on a motorcycle. When it first showed up the guy riding it called him Yanagiba."
Sachi's eyes widened. "Yanagiba is the thief?"
"It looks like it and I have a good idea why he did it. You remember how he messed up that cartwheel? You said he's obsessed with winning and you heard what Kotori said about that drug and what happens to people when it wears off."
"It does make a lot of sense" she agreed. "But we don't have any proof. It would just be our word against his."
"I know. I've got an idea."
As Yanagiba was leaving the gym a sudden feeling of weakness came over him. His knees buckled and he had to lean against a wall for support until it had passed. He glanced around to make sure there was no one around and then took out his pill bottle only to see that it was empty.
"Damn it!" Yanagiba exclaimed as he threw the bottle away. "I was sure I had more!"
"Relax man" said a voice. He turned to see two other students from Heartland Middle School, Takeru from the boxing team and Yuji from the soccer team. Like him they were both third year students.
"You need more, let's go and get more" Yuji went on. "It's not that far to the pick-up point. You can make it until we get there can't you?"
"Yeah sure" he muttered, refusing to show weakness to the others.
None of the group noticed that Sei and Sachi were hiding behind a wall and watching them intently. Sei was holding her D-Gazer and had it pointed at them, recording everything that happened.
"Well that sure looks suspicious" she said quietly. "Pity we can't hear what they're saying."
Just then the three guys started to walk off. Sei put her D-Gazer away and hissed, "I bet they're going to pick up some more Surge. Let's follow them!"
"Are you sure Sei?" Sachi asked. "It could be dangerous."
"We'll be fine. Come on let's go" she replied.
Just then she noticed an obot about to eat the discarded bottle and quickly snatched it up. "This is evidence" she explained as she hurried off in pursuit.
Sachi did not share her friend's certainty about the plan but she followed her anyway, thinking to herself, I can't let Sei go off alone. After all, that's what friends are for.
She would have felt better if they had brought some more of their friends along but all of them were busy with their Numbers club activities. It's just the two of us then.
Fortunately they did not have to go far and there were plenty of walls, parked vehicles and other cover for them to hide behind as they followed Yanagiba and the other two. Before long the three athletes stopped at a corner as a sleek black car pulled up in front of them.
"This is it" Sei whispered. "I have to get closer for a clear picture."
"Sei wait" Sachi hissed but Sei was already scurrying closer, D-Gazer in hand. The blue-haired girl grinned as she got a clear view of Yuji handing money to whoever was in the car and the car's occupant, hidden behind tinted windows, handed back several bottles of pills. The car drove off as Yanagiba hastily opened his bottle and swallowed a pill.
Perfect, I even got the car's license plate Sei thought with a grin.
Even as she thought this, Yuji turned around and his eyes bulged as he saw her peering out from behind a car.
"Someone's spying on us" he shouted.
"RUN!" Sei yelled. The two of them raced off, the three guys in hot pursuit.
"This way, we can lose them in here" Sei called as she ran for a nearby construction site. Sachi was right behind her.
"I'll go left, you go right" said Sei.
"Okay" Sachi replied.
The girls fled into the construction site in opposite directions, hoping to lose their pursuers in the maze of piping and scaffolding.
Sei hid behind a wall of scaffolding. For a moment she thought that she had lost them but then she heard their voices.
"Keep looking, she's got to be around here somewhere" said Yanagiba.
"We can't let either of them get away" said Yuji. "If they get that recording to the cops then we're finished."
Sei was about to try and sneak away when she noticed that there was a pile of steel rebars next to her. Taking care not to make any noise she picked up one of the metal bars and held it ready.
As her pursuers came around the corner of the scaffolding wall she leapt out whilst yelling out a war cry.
"AAARRRGGGHHHHH!"
BAM! BAM!
Sei looked down at the two guys she had just knocked out. When she was content that they were out cold she ran off, still holding the rebar.
"I'd better find Sachi and get out of here" she muttered. "I hope she's okay."
Sachi ran around a corner and came to an abrupt halt just in time to avoid running headlong into a cart filled with pieces of debris. There was scaffolding on either side of her and a solid concrete wall in front; no way out.
Oh no!
She turned around and froze as she saw Takeru blocking her way. He grinned nastily and then rushed forwards.
Sachi managed to snap out of her daze in time to climb up onto the debris cart. As he drew near she jumped up and somersaulted over his head. He slammed right into the cart.
With a snarl of anger Takeru whirled around and was about to charge again when he realised that Sachi wasn't running away. Instead she jumped up, caught hold of the scaffolding and swung herself up onto the platform.
He watched as she climbed up the scaffolding like a monkey. "You're not getting away that easily" he growled as he started to climb up as well. He didn't possess her agility or suppleness, but he was strong and was certain he could catch up without a problem.
As she clambered up to a higher level Sachi looked back and saw Takeru following her. Focused totally on his target he didn't notice he had stepped into a coiled pile of steel cable.
She however did notice it. She also realised that the cable ran past her.
Sachi took hold of the cable and pulled as hard as she could. Takeru cried out as the cable suddenly tightened around his ankle. He stepped back in surprise, lost his balance and fell from the platform.
He didn't hit the ground though as his foot was tangled up in the cable. Instead his fall stopped with a sudden jerk and he was left dangling upside-down in mid-air.
"Hey! Get me down!" Takeru yelled as he swung his arms around futilely
Sachi giggled as she climbed down and ran off to find Sei.
The two friends soon ran into each other and Sei had to stop herself from swinging the rebar at her.
"Sei! Are you all right?" Sachi asked.
"I'm fine. You?"
"I'm fine too."
Sei smiled. "I'm glad. Now let's get out of here and get the evidence we've collected to Heartland police."
The following day Kotori met up with Sei and Sachi on their way to school.
"Hi guys" she said cheerfully.
"Hi Kotori."
"So how did your Numbers club meeting go?" Sachi asked.
"It was interesting. We watched Yuma Duel this guy" she replied. "He was tough but Yuma beat him."
The other two girls glanced at each other. They suspected that Kotori wasn't telling them everything but that was okay. They trusted that if she kept anything from them it had to be for a good reason and she would tell them when she was ready.
"Oh, later we went back to Yuma's place and his sister was really excited about this new scoop she'd just gotten. Three Heartland Middle School athletes were picked up by the police last night for using Surge. They've confessed everything, including their suppliers. Akari says the police are confident they'll soon be able to completely shut down the supply of Surge in Heartland."
"That's awesome" said Sei.
"Definately" Kotori agreed. "So how about you guys? What were you doing yesterday?"
Her friends both smiled coyly. "Oh nothing much" said Sei. "Sachi did some extra gymnastics practice while I took some very interesting pictures. We'll tell you more about it after school."