Courage to a Friend
Neo Domino City sparkled under the glistening morning sun as birds flew past its towering buildings. The air blew into a gentle breeze and the fine weather looked inviting to have fun outside. In her usual attire, Aki Izayoi leisurely walked the sideway of a busy street lined with shops, where early patrons brought goods such as pastries and fruits.
Even if she's hooked to it, Aki decided to take a break from Riding Duels for sometime. After all, her skills and speed in the D-Wheel has improved significantly thanks to her friend (and fellow signer) Yusei's active coaching and with their practice runs together on the dueling courses.
Aki was so absorbed by her thoughts that she wasn't looking where she's going. It didn't take a second for her to lose her footing on a saucer-sized, shallow pothole as she stepped on it. Luckily, as she was falling towards the ground, a pair of sturdy hands caught her in mid-air, with her face only a couple of inches to the concrete. Looking up towards her savior, she tilted her head slowly and was shocked to see who he was. Of all the people out there, she didn't expect it to be him…
His black hair (which oddly looks like a crab) has a streak of gold highlights. His navy, high collar jacket, leather gloves, motorcycle boots and black jeans have amber gems on them. A sleeveless black shirt with a red symbol is hidden inside of his jacket and a yellow criminal marker on his face is a dead giveaway that he was from Satellite. Although unseen, Aki can make out the outline of the dragon head mark on his arm.
"Are you alright Aki?" Yusei Fudo asked with concern in his voice. He then helped Aki stand up from her fall.
"I'm alright Yusei. It's my fault, I wasn't looking where I'm going" replied Aki.
"Are you sure? If I hadn't caught you, you'd injure yourself" Yusei said with concern still in his tone.
"Yes I'm fine now. I'm still standing, don't I? Can we just go for a walk?" Aki requested to Yusei.
"Of course Aki, we can go for a walk" Yusei answered back
Yusei and Aki began to walk. They passed the shops and turned to a corner where the busy streets are. The sound of cars and D-Wheel engines rumbled past them but neither of the two spoke for awhile. Aki was getting uneasy from the lack of conversation between her and the calm and collected Yusei. She pursed her lips without an interesting subject to say. Yusei, as observant as he is, noticed the stillness of the front claw signer.
"Is there something troubling you Aki?" inquired Yusei to the female duelist
"Nothing Yusei" Aki responded but somehow, she was able to sense the worry hidden in Yusei's voice.
"I'll understand if you don't want to talk about it." Yusei said to Aki.
"Oh no, that's not want I meant...I mean, Yusei, do you think I'm ready?" a nervous Aki voiced her thoughts.
"Ready for what?" voiced out by a confused Yusei
"For the WRGP. After what happened to Crow and with only two days left before the tournament. I don't know if I can pull off a good play."
"Aki, I've seen you work hard and I believe you'll be great out there."
"But Team Unicorn is a formidable team. They're really strong"
"Yes, they're strong opponents but Team 5D's strength is our friendship and besides, I've seen improvements lately in our practice runs. You're getting better"
"Really Yusei? But I'm not as good as you"
"You don't have to. Have faith in yourself because we're here for you. Me, Jack, Crow, Bruno, Rua and Ruka will be cheering for you"
"At first, I'm afraid but now I feel confident. Thank you Yusei for the encouragement you've given me. I'll be at my best."
"That's the spirit, Aki"
"Uhm, Yusei?"
"Yes?"
"Can we have a practice duel later?"
"Of course Aki, we can"
Yusei glanced at Aki and smiled at her. The blue eyes, radiating with reassurance, connected with the hazel irises of the former Black Rose Witch. From that moment on, Aki knew that as long as she had Yusei and her friends by her side, she will never be afraid.