Well dang, you guys once again surpassed my expectations! 14 reviews on the last chapter! And to express my gratitude, here's the next chapter half a week early.

Thanks to AnimeKiwi369, TFRiD Queen, ptd163, Shinn Tsukishiro, RunoandAkizafan, FiringShootingStar, jtdarkman, amk8930, ObsessiveCompulsiveValkyrie, dbzgtfan2004, Mixer 18, Tornado-22, Aitheon, and xXxSaiyanPrincessxXx for reviewing!

Important: I can't believe I forgot to do this before, but I need to give a shout out to my good friend Xen Kenshin. Without him, this story wouldn't have been possible. And if you haven't already, go check out his story Oh, How I Hate Myself. Faithshipping awesomeness!

As always, a special thanks to my lovely beta ObsessiveCompulsiveValkyrie.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh 5D's or any other aspects of the Yugioh franchise. All rights belong to Kazuki Takahashi.

Chapter 4

"What about these?" Akiza asked, holding up a pair of dark blue jeans. They would fit her snugly, showing off her behind very nicely. Or at least, that was what the Dark Magician Girl claimed.

Yusei must have recognized this as well. "I think... that you'll make them look really good," he replied, not quite realizing the flirtatious nature of his comment.

Akiza blushed and smiled at Yusei's compliment. The Dark Magician Girl was floating just behind Akiza, and she was wearing a mischievous smirk."Man, if he's this shy now, imagine what'll happen when he sees you in those jeans," she commented.

After Yusei and Akiza left from Poppo Time, they went straight to the mall. The walk had been pleasant, as it gave the two time to talk. The Dark Magician Girl was mostly silent on the way, letting the two teens have a friendly conversation. Akiza listened as Yusei told her about the new engine project and how they had yet to find a working design, and Yusei listened as Akiza told him about school and her subjects. She was having a little trouble in physics, but nothing that the teen couldn't handle.

When they got to the mall, both Yusei and Akiza were at a complete loss of what to do. At that point, the Dark Magician Girl gave Akiza directions to the nearest clothing store, and Akiza followed, feigning to Yusei that she was the one doing the navigation. Once inside, the Dark Magician Girl had Akiza walk around the store with Yusei and browse through the women's section. They fell into a routine of the spellcaster picking out an article of clothing for Akiza, Akiza asking Yusei if he liked it, and Yusei giving some sort of affirmative. Akiza was thankful that she was the only one who could see and hear her new friend.

She folded the jeans over her arm and continued browsing, guided by the Dark Magician Girl. Yusei followed closely behind, appearing as if he was still convinced he was simply helping a friend in her time of need.

"Oh, try that one," the Dark Magician Girl said, pointing to a magenta blouse. "That would look cute on you."

Akiza picked up the blouse and held it up for Yusei to see. "How about this? It would look good with the jeans I just picked out."

Yusei smiled and nodded. "Looks great," he said. Akiza knew that Yusei had no clue about what would look good and was just agreeing with everything that was suggested. Still, she was happy that Yusei cared enough about her to be respectful, and she wanted him to know that she valued his opinion.

"Hey, Akiza?" Yusei said.

Akiza turned and faced him. "Yes, Yusei?"

He opened his mouth to speak before shutting it quickly. Akiza could tell that he was choosing his next words carefully, so she waited. Patience, the Dark Magician Girl had said. Patience, and everything would work out.

"It's just..." he started. "When exactly did you get the sudden urge for a new wardrobe? I mean, you look good in what you're wearing right now. I guess my question is, why is this so important to you?" Yusei frowned, unsatisfied with how his words came out. "I mean, I have no problem with it. I just want to understand, that's all."

Akiza nodded, understanding Yusei's curiosity. After all, she did owe him a bit of an explanation after dragging him to the mall on such short notice. Of course, she couldn't tell him that she was doing this to be attractive in his eyes. She waited for some advice from the Dark Magician Girl, but the spellcaster was silent. Apparently, she was leaving Akiza to her own devices on this one.

'Show him that you trust him,' the Dark Magician Girl's words from earlier echoed in her head.

"Well," Akiza said. "I...I think it's time for a fresh start. These clothes, the corset and all, were what I wore as the Black Rose. And I want to move on from that, I want to be a better person. I guess I'm buying new clothes to show myself that I can leave the mask off. I don't want to be the Black Rose Witch anymore; I just want to be Akiza."

Yusei nodded his head. "Well, then, I'm glad I can be here to help you, Akiza."

"Thank you, Yusei," Akiza said. "You were the one who helped me take off my mask in the first place, and I wanted you to be with me during this step away from the darkness I left behind." She averted her eyes in shyness. "And... thanks for saying I look good in this. I've heard otherwise," she stressed, directing her comment towards the Dark Magician Girl. Still, the spellcaster was silent.

"Well, whoever said otherwise is an idiot," Yusei said. The Dark Magician Girl looked a bit indignant at this comment, but the spellcaster knew that Yusei was only looking out for his best friend. "And thanks, Akiza. It means a lot that you trust me so much."

"Told ya so," the Dark Magician Girl said, knowing only Akiza could hear. Akiza bit back a retort, unable to speak to her magical friend in front of Yusei. But on the inside, she was thankful for the Dark Magician Girl's advice.

The browsing continued for a few more minutes, and the two had been in the store for half an hour before they knew it. Yusei had been carrying most of the clothes Akiza picked out at his request. He was always such a gentleman to Akiza, and she was grateful for his kindness. When they had selected all they could carry, Akiza led Yusei to the ladies dressing room.

"Sorry, no guys allowed," the employee in front of the door said to Yusei.

Akiza's spirits fell, knowing that her plan would fall apart if Yusei couldn't come with her. "It's okay," Akiza said. "I really need some help picking out my purchases." She hoped the rule was bendable.

"Sorry, company policy," the girl replied.

Apparently, it wasn't. "We won't be long," Akiza insisted. "I just need to try out these, and then we'll leave, I promise."

The girl looked as if she was about to refuse again, but she paused for a moment and her eyes went blank. Her slumped shoulders straightened up, and her crossed arms folded respectfully to her sides. Immediately, her expression softened and a smile crept onto her face. "Well... I guess we can make an exception just this once for you two," she said with a friendly wink. She handed Akiza a number for a dressing room. "Have fun!"

Akiza got a suspicious feeling and glanced to her left. Her eyes widened when she saw the Dark Magician Girl's staff raised towards the employee. It was glowing a faint blue, and there was no doubt that the clerk was under the Dark Magician Girl's spell. Akiza tried to conceal her shock, but she couldn't help her hairs standing on end. Was the Dark Magician Girl manipulating that store worker?

"Don't worry, I'm just casting a little charm on her," the Dark Magician Girl explained, aware of Akiza's distress. "It alleviates stress and makes the target much more agreeable and relaxed. It's actually a popular form of therapy in the spirit worlds, much like a massage or a spa day."

Yusei smiled back at the girl. "Thank you, miss. We appreciate it," he replied. Of course, Yusei didn't have a clue what was really happening since he couldn't see the Dark Magician Girl or her magic.

The two walked into the dressing rooms, which, strangely enough, were empty on a Saturday. Akiza suspected that the duel spirit-turned-matchmaker had something to do with this as well, but she had bigger things to worry about. She was about to be modeling clothes for Yusei, and she was supposed to be sexy while doing it! Her stomach was doing back-flips at the mere thought.

Yusei awkwardly looked around in the outside hallway, realizing that he was indeed in the ladies' changing rooms. "I, ah...guess I'll wait out here," he said.

Akiza smiled and nodded. "Sounds good. Just let me know what you think of each outfit, and be honest," she said.

After taking all the clothes she selected from Yusei, Akiza entered the dressing room and closed the door. She locked it behind her, threw the clothes on the wall hanger, and collapsed into the seat. She took off her fingerless gloves and rubbed her eyes in frustration. "Oh, Ra, what have I gotten myself into?" she whispered.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop stressing out?" the Dark Magician Girl said, appearing out of thin air in the dressing room.

Akiza jumped, startled at the sudden appearance. She immediately glared at the Dark Magician Girl. "Give me a break!" she hissed, quietly enough so that Yusei couldn't hear. "You're not the one who has to model for her crush!"

The Dark Magician Girl crossed her arms and gave Akiza a stern look. "You know, this whole process would be less painful if you stopped being so difficult."

Akiza's shoulders slumped. "Ugh, someone just shoot me," Akiza whined. "Is it too late to back out of this?"

"Yeah, just tell Yusei that you changed your mind about the new clothes after all the help he's given you. That'll go over well," the Dark Magician Girl said, not even trying to mask her sarcasm.

Akiza's spirits fell for the umpteenth time that day. She turned her back to the Dark Magician Girl and closed her eyes in dismay. The idea of winning Yusei's affection seemed so perfect until she actually tried to do so. In fact, there was nothing perfect about how Akiza felt at that moment. Maybe it was all one big mistake...

"Hey," the Dark Magician Girl said softly. "Stop worrying. This isn't the time for you to feel insecure and inadequate. This is what you've been waiting for, Akiza; a chance to impress Yusei. This is your time to shine."

Akiza shook her head, still unable to face the Dark Magician Girl. "What if... What if he doesn't think I'm attractive? I'm not anything special to look at..." She hugged herself, starting to feel a stinging in her chest. "W-what if Yusei t-thinks I'm ugl-"

"Alright, that's it!" The Dark Magician Girl cried. She snapped her fingers in Akiza's direction, and spoke a few words in a quiet undertone. Akiza felt what she could describe as a strong breeze that lasted for an instant. When she opened her eyes, all of her clothes were piled on the floor, leaving Akiza in nothing except for her bra and panties.

The Dark Magician Girl grabbed Akiza's shoulders and spun her around to face the mirror inside the dressing room. "Look at yourself, Akiza. Any guy would go crazy if they saw your smokin' hot body right now! You look like a freaking super model, for Ra's sake!"

Akiza took a moment to examine herself in the mirror, the Dark Magician Girl peering over her shoulder. Everything that she experienced during her time as the Black Rose Witch had taught Akiza that there was nothing beautiful about her. Those years made Akiza believe that she was an abomination that never should have been brought into existence, not that she was an attractive young woman, which was the last thing Akiza believed herself to be.

Akiza tried to cover herself with her arms, but the Dark Magician Girl slapped them down. "No more hiding, Akiza. I know you've seen the worst in people, and I know the world has made you feel unwanted. But trust me, you are very beautiful, and Yusei thinks so more than anyone else alive."

A small smile of gratitude and sadness crossed Akiza's face. "I want to believe that... but I'm not sure I can."

"Well, you should believe it, because it's true."

Akiza looked into the Dark Magician Girl's eyes. "You really think I'm pretty?"

"No. I think you're completely and irresistibly gorgeous," the Dark Magician Girl replied. "Let me put it this way; if I was into girls, I would be all over you right now."

Akiza blushed and gave the Dark Magician Girl a look that clearly meant 'did you really just say that?' The Dark Magician Girl suddenly looked a little sheepish. "Hehe... Was that too much?"

"Just a little," Akiza said. She took a deep breath. "Okay, I think I'm ready. But can I at least start off with something not too revealing?"

"Of course you can. Nothing wrong with working your way up the ladder of sexy," the Dark Magician Girl replied. "It's probably also better for Yusei that way. Why don't you try on those jeans and blouse you picked out?"

Akiza nodded. "Sounds good," she replied. She still didn't believe she was that attractive, but she was willing to trust the Dark Magician Girl. After all, this was closer than she had ever come to openly displaying her feelings for Yusei. She steeled herself and slipped the jeans off of their hanger, hoping the spellcaster knew what she was doing.

After a moment of tugging, Akiza managed to slip into the tight jeans. She threw on the red blouse and smoothed it out in the mirror, examining herself. The teen had to admit that she liked herself in the new apparel. It made her seem more approachable at the very least. She took a deep breath and faced the door.

"Well, here I go," she whispered. The Dark Magician Girl smiled gave her a thumbs up.

She turned the handle and pushed open the door. Slowly, she edged her way out and closed it behind her. Yusei was outside, still sitting in his chair. He straightened up when he saw Akiza come out, and he smiled.

"Hey, you-... Wow, Akiza, you look great in that!" Yusei said.

Akiza smiled sheepishly, not knowing what to do with herself except stand there. "You really think so?" she asked, glancing down at her outfit.

"Definitely," he replied. Akiza shifted a little bit, showing off the jeans, and Yusei nodded with approval.

"Turn around," the Dark Magician Girl said, who was also observing. "Show Yusei how well those jeans show off your behind."

Akiza grew nervous upon hearing this, but she didn't allow herself to think about it. She gathered up all the courage and brevity she possessed and spun around, revealing her backside to Yusei.

"Are you sure, Yusei?" Akiza asked, barely realizing what she was saying. "They are a little tight..." She wiggled her hips ever-so-slightly for emphasis. Trying to be seductive felt extremely awkward at first, but when Akiza looked back over her shoulder, she was greatly rewarded for her risk.

Yusei's gaze was fixed on her ass, and his mouth hung slightly open. After a few seconds, he pulled himself out of his trance and gave a nervous laugh. "O-of course I'm sure! T-they look really good, not too tight at all!" he repeated. For the first time ever, Akiza noticed a tinge of nervousness in Yusei's voice. He wore a ripe red blush on his cheeks.

Akiza suddenly felt giddy. Was this really happening? "Alright, I'll get these then," she said. "I'll go put on something else, okay?"

Yusei nodded, still trying to recover from his loss of composure. "Sure, I'll be out here," he replied.

Akiza stepped back into the dressing room, locked it, and let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. After taking a moment to let the last minute sink into her brain, a joyous smile crossed Akiza's face. "He... He liked it," she breathed to herself.

The Dark Magician Girl materialized in the room again. "Now that was what I call sexy," the Dark Magician Girl replied. "The way you shook your hips was perfect, Akiza!"

The teen blushed. "T-thanks. I just went with the vibe, I guess."

"Then do it again. And maybe next time, say something like, 'Do you like it, Yusei?' But make it really low and seductive."

"Let's not get carried away," Akiza said, stripping off her jeans and blouse. She picked up a pair of cargo shorts and a yellow tank top. "You think Yusei would like these?"

"I think you're starting to have some fun," the Dark Magician Girl replied.

And she was right. Akiza was having more fun than she could ever remember experiencing. She was modeling for Yusei, and he liked it! Yusei thought that she, Akiza Izinski, was sexy! Her fears gone, Akiza resolved to impress Yusei with everything she had. If he liked seeing her body displayed for him, then she would not disappoint.

Akiza donned the shorts and tank top, and she displayed them for Yusei much like the jeans and blouse. He gave his approval for them too, but with less difficulty than before. Her first outfit was a bit sexier, but Akiza knew that there would be plenty of time for Yusei to gawk. She really did need new clothes, after all.

Next, Akiza tried on a few more outfits that included long bottoms and either shirts or blouses. Most of them were fairly conservative, showing off only a little bit of her skin. This was in line with her wishes, as she didn't want things to go too fast with Yusei. He liked all of them, and his smiles heightened her confidence even more.

Then, Akiza decided to take a risk. She dug through the pile of clothes in her dressing room and found a pair of black short shorts and a white strapless top. They left little of her figure to the imagination, and the top showed off a generous amount of cleavage. It was the most revealing thing Akiza had worn in years, and she gulped as she slipped the clothes on. The Dark Magician Girl was there to give her support, and Akiza found herself walking out of the changing room again, hands behind her back.

"How about these?" she asked. "I need something I can be comfortable in, after all." Akiza wouldn't dare wear the shorts and top in public, but only when she was alone or with Yusei.

Yusei was starstruck. "A-Akiza... you... I-I... Wow," he finished. He blushed as he did with every new set of clothes.

"So, that's a yes then?" Akiza asked. Yusei nodded fervently, and Akiza could tell he was trying to control his words in fear of saying something wrong. She knew the feeling, she experienced it every time she spoke with him.

"Good, I like them, too," Akiza said. She stepped back in the dressing room. It wasn't until she reached up to remove the top that she realized her hands were trembling. Whether it was fear, excitement, or both, Akiza didn't know, but she knew that she was having the time of her life.

The Dark Magician Girl appeared, who had been relatively silent since the modeling began. Akiza had been the more active one, and all the spellcaster had been doing was nodding yes for good-looking outfits Akiza suggested. But this time was a little bit different.

"I must say, I'm impressed with you, Akiza," she said. "You've really come out of your shell today."

"All thanks to you, Dark," Akiza replied. "I can't believe it! Yusei really thinks that I'm attractive!"

"Speaking of which," the Dark Magician Girl said. She tossed something to Akiza, which the teen caught. "Put this on." Akiza looked quizzically at the Dark Magician Girl, before examining the article of clothing. A closer look made her eyes widen.

"How did you get this?" Akiza demanded.

"Umm, magic?" the Dark Magician Girl joked. Akiza was not amused. "Fine, I took it from a rack while you weren't looking."

"No way," Akiza hissed. "No way in hell am I modeling that for Yusei."

The Dark Magician Girl gave a begrudged sigh."Akiza, I almost hate to do this." She raised her staff, which began to glow a faint blue. "But if you refuse to wear it, then I will teleport you in front of Yusei stark naked."

Akiza glared. "You wouldn't."

"Oh, I would."

The two women stared each other down for an intense moment before Akiza caved, knowing she was beat. She shook her head and pulled the piece of clothing in question off of its hanger. "For the record," Akiza said as she unhooked her bra, "I really hate you right now."

"Duly noted. Now put it on."

Yusei sat outside the dressing room, his hands fidgeting with themselves. The normally calm and collected turbo duelist was a nervous wreck in light of his current situation. He gave a sharp exhale and wondered how he had gotten into this situation in the first place. Once again, he tried to think of something distracting to alleviate the intense pressure in his lower extremity, but nothing worked. All he could think about was her.

Over his many years in the Satellite, Yusei had never expressed much interest in girls. Sure, he found a lot of them attractive, but the Head Signer had never placed much stock into dating or relationships. His life had been too hectic, too ambitious for him to fall in love, or even to express interest in a girl. But now things had slowed down for the first time in... well, ever. And things were different for Yusei Fudo.

He silently berated himself again for letting his self control slip away so easily. Akiza was trusting him with such an important task, was confiding in him one of her most personal issues, and all he could think about was how good her body looked in her new apparel.

It was a fact; Yusei now thought Akiza was sexy as hell.

Yusei had always admired Akiza for the person she was. Even during her time as the Black Rose, he was able to see past all the hate and malice, and into the scared soul of the real Akiza. His admiration only increased as she joined the Signers and became best friends with him, but everything between the two was strictly platonic. He fell victim to Jack's and Crow's teasing on almost a daily basis, his friends poking fun at Yusei about his feelings for Akiza. He always blew them off and denied it. They were just close friends, he would say, and nothing more.

But over time, that phrase began to mean less and less to Yusei. The months he spent with Akiza made him acutely aware that she gave him a feeling no one else could. He didn't know what to call it. Hell, he wasn't even sure what the feeling was, only that it was a good one. In the end, the only conclusion Yusei could come to was that Akiza was such a good friend that he wanted only the very best for her, and that his feeling was one of close companionship. He valued the bond they shared, and her trust meant more to him than anything.

Yusei tried to support Akiza in everything she did and set aside his interests in favor of hers. She was his friend, and the last thing she needed was the person closest to her developing an agenda. Sayer fit that description perfectly, and his treachery almost destroyed Akiza, both physically and emotionally. After seeing how broken Akiza was over Sayer, Yusei promised himself that he would always think of her before himself.

And that was why Yusei's current situation was a problem. Yusei cursed himself again for his barbaric thoughts.

'I can't keep doing this to her, he thought. She doesn't need another guy that just wants to use her for her body or powers. She needs a friend that she can trust, and I want to be that person. I won't be like Sayer, I won't put my own desires before Akiza's happiness. She's my best friend, and I never want to hurt her. So come on, Yusei, get a hold of yourself!'

It was easier said than done. Akiza always had a certain amount of appeal to Yusei, but he never held any amount of lust for her. Now, the past few hours had shattered Yusei's platonic image of Akiza and replaced it with a much more sensual one. He was starting to second-guess his assumption that the deep, penetrating feeling Akiza gave him in his heart was only a stronger form of friendship.

Yusei sighed. "What a mess," he said to himself. There would be time to explore his feelings later. Right now, Akiza was trusting him to help her with something important, and he needed to focus.

The changing room door opened, snapping Yusei out of his trance. He jumped and dropped the empty clothes bag he was holding. "Sorry," Yusei said. He leaned down to pick up the bag and hastily straightened back up. "I zoned out there for a min-"

Yusei's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. Holy shit...I...oh, Ra...

Akiza was standing right in front of him, wearing a two piece scarlet red thong bikini that, unbeknownst to him, was even more revealing than her underwear. She was posed with one hand on her hip, eyes closed, shoulders back and chest out. Her breasts were unashamedly displayed by the top, and the teardrop shaped mounds put Yusei's gaze in a stranglehold. The bottoms curved sensually over her hips and down to her nether regions in an almost teasing fashion. Every contour, every curve of Akiza's body was displayed for him, from her toned legs up to her flat stomach, over her succulent breasts and ending with her glowing face.

"A...Ak-kiza..." Yusei stuttered. He was stunned at the sheer beauty of the woman in front of him. This was a different side of Akiza than Yusei had ever seen, and he decided that he liked this one best of all. All cogent thought fled from Yusei's mind in the face of the flawless work of art in front of him.

Her closed eyelids fluttered half-open. "Do you like it, Yusei?" Her voice was low and smooth as silk.

Yusei barely felt the trickle of blood making its way down from his nostril. He became uncontrollably aroused, and his pants suddenly felt like and extremely restricting obstacle. His mind was overloading as Akiza, his best friend, also became the sexiest girl Yusei had ever laid eyes on. And then, something happened that not even the most accomplished fortune teller could ever predict.

Yusei Fudo felt his head spin, and then he fainted on the spot.