The azure haired male stepped into the arena of Aibo Academy. Behind him, a small dragon almost completely covered in flame flew through the same door. At the stage, a white haired boy was reading a yellow book next to a brown haired boy, who jumped up with a grin. "I didn't think you would actually show up! Late as usual…"

"I didn't think you'd leave the house." The azure haired boy shot back with a smile. "Pheobe will be coming up later. She's waiting for Leha to get out of bed. You know how she is…"

"I know. And of course I leave the house, Joseph." The brown haired boy frowned, before turning to the white haired boy on the stage. "This is the buddy I was talking about. I'll let him introduce himself."

The white haired boy looked up from his book, his eyes mercury crescents. "Hello." He said kindly, before spotting the flaming dragon behind Joseph. "Oh! Have we met? You look familiar somehow… what's your name?"

The dragon met his eyes. "Yes, we have met. I'm Lazeb. You can't remember me?"

"The first thing I remember is Severa and Inigo shaking me awake." The boy shrugged. "You'll tell me how I met you. I want to know all that stuff I forgot. Anyway… you're Joseph Rufuji, aren't you? One of my buddy's two best friends. I'm Horus's new buddy, Junior Tactician, Morgan of Legend World." He held out his hand to the azure haired boy.

Joseph took his hand with a grin. "As you know, I'm Joseph Rufuji, and this is my buddy, Flame Dragon, Lazeb. It's always nice to meet someone who can drag our dear Horus out of his home."

"I agree with my brother." A girl with the same amethyst eyes as her brother called down, a mage with a white silk umbrella standing next to her. "Shall I set up the stage for you?"

"Please do so, sister." Joseph replied, and the stage showed the two people's faces. "First ranked fighter, Joseph Rufuji against new fighter, Horus Akagi."

Joseph grinned, pulling out his core deck case in the form of a flaming pendant. "Dragons that circle the world, join me now to fight this war! Luminize! Elemental Dragons!" Lazeb expanded to full size, a fiery, fiendish dragon. Horus gulped, but Morgan held onto his shoulder and nodded.

"I'm with you. You can do it, Horus, I trust you."

Students began to come into the arena to watch. Horus swallowed down his anxiety and unsheathed his core deck case, a dagger with jagged blue and white stripes. "Heroes of a ruined future, unite to open up a new path! Luminize! Future Heroes!"

"Raise the flag!" Lazeb pulled a brownish grey flag into the air, waving it. "Ancient World!"

"Legend World!" He replied, Morgan stuffing a yellow flag in the ground.

"I'll begin! Charge and draw!" Joseph picked up a card and smiled. "I'll show you my favourite. I pay one gauge and buddy call to the right! Flame Dragon, Lazeb." Lazeb flew over to the right, a flaming claw in the air. "When I call him to the right or left, I deal four damage to you! Lazeb, go!"

"Hellfire Scorcher!" Lazeb shouted, slicing him with a claw. "Nothing personal." He added.

HA: 6 JR: 11

"And now, Lazeb attacks you!"

"I'll take it." Horus said, biting down on his lip.

HA: 4 JR: 11

"Go on, Horus." Morgan encouraged. "And hold on. I know you hate people watching you, but… we're with you. Me and Severa and Inigo and everyone. So…" he cracked a smile. "Don't you dare let us down."

He felt a smile brush across his face. "Draw! Charge and draw! I pay one gauge and buddy call Junior Tactician, Morgan to the right!"

"Alright!" Morgan leapt over, spinning green blades of wind in his hand. "Use it!"

"I activate Morgan's effect- Rally Spectrum! Once per turn, I can gain one gauge, one life and draw one card!"

HA: 6 JR: 11

"I'll also call Independent Mercenary, Severa to the left, along with Young Manakete, Nah to the center!"

A red haired girl wielding a white and blue sword appeared, slicing the sword across the air. "Need my help, huh? Well, I guess I have nothing better to do."

A green haired girl with pointed ears appeared in the centre, before she raised up a grey stone into the air and a crystalline glow surrounded her. The glow faded away and a dragon stood in the place of her. She roared in challenge.

"Severa, attack Lazeb!"

"I'll activate the spell card, Loyal Tears and change the target to myself!" Joseph called, bracing himself.

"That would be a good counter, but Severa has the skill, Pass. Her attack cannot be redirected. So carry on!"

"Don't tell me what to do!" Severa shouted back, before slicing her sword across Lazeb. "Our destiny is to kill a god! You don't even come close!"

Lazeb vanished in red sparks. Above, a lilac haired girl looked down at the battle. "He certainly plays them just as well as Asano, doesn't he?" She remarked. A deep voice chuckled.

"Perhaps. Lazeb won't go down that easily though." The voice replied. "I didn't expect to see him again. The world works in strange ways."

A blue glow surrounded Severa. "Severa's second effect. Galeforce! When she destroys a monster, she gains Double Attack! Now, go for Joseph! Morgan's second effect, Solidarity! All other units gain 1 critical for each other unit on the field! So Severa now has 3 critical!"

Joseph was blown away as Severa hit him with the blade. Horus took a step forward. "Hey, are you alright?" He called.

HA: 6 JR: 8

"Never better, Horus!" Joseph laughed. "Show me what you've got- I'll destroy you with it!"

"Nah attacks you! 4 critical with Solidarity!"

"I activate Flame Dragon's Resolution to negate your attack and gain one life!" Joseph replied, a shield with Lazeb's face on it appearing in front of him.

HA: 6 JR: 9

"Morgan, it's your turn!"

The white haired tactician nodded, flipping open a yellow book. "Thoron!" He shouted, a bolt of blazing indigo thunder shooting at Joseph, although he shrugged it off.

HA: 6 JR: 7

"My turn! Draw! Charge and draw! You're good if this is your first time playing, Horus." Joseph smiled, but rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "But I can't let you win! That would let my sister laugh at me forever. I'll call Ice Dragon, Clagier to the left by paying one gauge! When he is called, he destroys a monster on the field! I choose Morgan!"

"Don't you dare lose, Horus!" Morgan winked, before he was frozen into a statue and shattered.

"Then, I play the spell card- Flame Dragon's Chains! I pay two gauge and one life to destroy a monster on your field, while adding a monster of the same size to my hand! I'll destroy Young Manakete, Nah, and add my buddy to my hand!" Nah was dragged through a portal as he spoke. "Resurrect, flame dragon! I pay one gauge and call to the right! Flame Dragon, Lazeb! And you know Lazeb's effect- take four damage!"

"Spell card- Ylisse's Tears! When I have two or more Hero attribute cards in the drop zone, I can reduce all damage I am going to receive to zero, and add one of the Hero attribute monsters to my hand! I'll choose Innocent Flyer, Cynthia!" He pulled out a card depicting a black haired girl on a pegasus.

"Alright. Then, I'll pay one life and equip Flame Dragon's Avatar!" Joseph called, before loops of orange flame danced around his wrists, forming red, translucent swords. "This item can only be equipped if Lazeb is on the field! And now, I'll attack you!"

The crowd let out a resounding cheer. The loud noises around him were drilling into his head like a warzone, disrupting his concentration each time he began to focus again. This… this was why he hated leaving the house. Too loud… too loud… he should have just asked Joseph to fight with him somewhere else. It had been a bad idea to come here… a terrible idea to fight here…

"Horus is having one of his breakdowns." Pheobe muttered. "I should…"

"You should calm down." The mage next to her replied. "Horus chose to fight here, didn't he? That makes this his responsibility. You just have to trust your friend to get through his problems and keep fighting. He probably can do it. You always speak so highly of him, after all.

"You're cold, Leha." She groaned to her buddy, who smiled and turned away. "Buddyfight… I'm glad that Horus has started playing it. Maybe it will help him interact with and understand others better."

Back on the field, Severa turned back to snap at the brown haired boy. "Oi! Morgan trusts you, so we do too! I don't care what problems you have, but this is Buddyfight! Focus! Don't let us down and fight properly, Akagi!"

"Severa…" he whispered, warmth filling him. The card he had placed in his hand glowed, and the world around him seemed to freeze. "Heroes never give up!" An excited female voice spoke. "Don't you dare give up! You're our hero now, so act like it, Horus!"

"I reduce my life to one to activate the spell card, Final Sacrifice! This ends the battle phase!"

HA: 1 JR: 6

"I end my turn! Horus, are you fine with fighting here? I know you have problems with people…" Joseph trailed off as Horus straightened himself confidently.

"If Morgan was here, he'd tell me to ignore all of them, and stay strong. For the buddy that trusted me…" He looked into Joseph's eyes. "I'll win! This is your Final Turn! Draw! Charge and draw! I call Innocent Flyer, Cynthia to the centre! And if you are going to resurrect your buddy… I will too! I pay one gauge… come back to me, Morgan! Morgan goes to the right!"

The two appeared with goofy looks on their faces, and Morgan gave him a thumbs up. "Rally Spectrum!"

He drew his card and gained gauge. "Come on, Cynthia! I pay two gauge!"

"Rally Speed!" She called, a green glow surrounding the three monsters. "All set, captain!"

"Rally Speed gives all my Size 1 or lower monsters an additional critical! Severa attacks! Solidarity gives her two critical, for a total of four!"

"Spell card, Rampage of Dragons! I destroy the attacking monster!" He responded with a grin. A glow surrounded Severa, and she growled out a sentence before vanishing.

"You better win, Akagi!"

"Severa… I'll discard a card and activate the spell card Risen Ritual! When a Hero monster is destroyed, I can call another Hero from the graveyard! Optimistic Mercenary, Inigo! Attack!"

A grey haired mercenary charged forward, slashing across Joseph. The other boy winced. "Ouch… that's going to leave marks."

"You're my enemy for now, so I'm sorry. You're Joseph Rufuji, aren't you? Would your sister-"

HA: 1 JR:4

"No flirting! Go, Cynthia!"

"I activate-"

Morgan nodded to Horus. "I activate the spell card, Tactician's Determination! I destroy Morgan to nullify your spell!"

Joseph gasped. The lilac haired girl whistled. "Asano… it's funny, I thought he'd be like you. Too soft-hearted to do what's necessary. Anyway…"A dragon roared behind her. She sighed. "Yes, yes, I know he's your mortal enemy, Lucian. Stop fidgeting. We'll get our chance soon."

"You're being rude." A deep voice replied.

"Oh dear." She drawled out. "I didn't realise."

"If I didn't like you, Yone, I'd have abandoned you ages ago." The voice grumbled. "But whatever you say, Yone, whatever you say."

She turned back to the fight as Cynthia's attack landed. Joseph's life points fell to zero as he was thrown backwards.

"Winner: Horus Akagi." The robotic voice announced. Pheobe jumped next to her brother. "You lost, Joseph… you actually lost… you know, that means I'm first ranked now."

"You try fighting him, Pheobe. I bet you'd lose too. Wouldn't last two minutes."

"Would too!"

"Would not."

"Would too!"

"Would-" Horus sighed and moved over, Morgan trailing behind him reading a blue book. Lazeb made to move towards his buddy, but paused as he caught the scent of rich liquor and molten gold in the air, coming from the higher floors. He growled in puzzlement and irritation. "Lucian… it smells like Lucian is here. Does that bastard have a buddy too?" He shook off the feeling and moved towards Joseph. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Lazeb. Thanks." Joseph stood up and smiled at Horus. "Well, that settles it. Pheobe and I are calling dibs on you. You'll be our third team member. Now, team bonding time! Lunch time!" He grabbed Horus's shoulder, dragging the boy towards the entrance. Horus nodded, before a flustered look overtook his face.

"Wait, lunch? As in, in the shopping mall?"

"Yep~"

"Joseph, don't you dare-"

Morgan grabbed Horus's other shoulder and smiled at Joseph. "Let's drag him there."

Joseph replied with a wide grin. "I like you already."

"Morgan, you traitor!"

And they all dragged him out screaming.

A/N: And… I can hear the people screaming already. Yes, I know I already don't update Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc V Starlight on anything remotely resembling a schedule, and I apologise for that. Hear me out.

One of my friends had an idea for this fic, and seeing as I am what they call a "card game obsessed maniac", she wanted me to help her with writing it. Anyway, I agreed, as you can see. I think I explained this in Starlight already… yep.

Chapter 7 of Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc V Starlight:

Have you guys heard of Buddyfight? It's a card game that has been around for a very long time. Anyway, one of my friends wants to write a story about Buddyfight and post it on my account here (because she doesn't want to post on her own). Do you think I should?

Also, credits to Demon Lord Luciela for encouraging me to write this. My friend wants me to refer to her as Pheobe for now, after the character she made. I'll pass you over to her.

Hey guys! I may be delaying Eevee's new chapter for Starlight. Sorry! Still, I hope you'll like this story, and please don't be mad at Eevee for possibly updating slower (than she already is :)).

I'll admit it, I am a gigantic fan of Fire Emblem Awakening, so I made the characters into cards. Morgan (spoiler) still has amnesia, and that amnesia will play an important role here.

Hope you enjoyed, and see you!

~Eevee & Pheobe~