Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's – Magical Whip Girl Pretty Lotten-Chan
by Yusei
Summary – "The journey of a woman in a distant town, growing as new challenges come her way. Including the desire to make her feelings known to a special someone. Pure crack".
Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's or any of the characters.
A / N – After a review for the latest chapter, I promise that there'll be another show of the Tenors in the story of Lotten-Chan. For now, the story is about to take a dark turn and prove it actually has a plot; it's not just fun and games. Never mind that; it is. Either way, hope you enjoy. Please read and review.
Episode 4: Do You Want to Disgrace the Family Name? Lotten-Chan?
Pappa Ushio's patrol bike raced through the streets of Cracktown, heading for the Marco home with the Team Satisfaction case files tucked away in his beneath his bike's seat. His eyes were narrow and uneasy as he stormed across the town. What was on his mind was a dark matter – the chances that Lotten-Chan could be linked to Bad Kiryu Man without being aware of his past, putting herself in danger. But his worries didn't end there – there was Mean Barbara and the arranged marriage that that the two families were in the progress of planning; would something happen to his daughter if it was to go ahead?
The road changed to that of Lotten-Chan's street, pushing Pappa Ushio's feet on the brakes, slowing his bike outside Lotten-Chan's home. He climbed off the bike, slipped his helmet off and set it down on the ground. He pulled the seat open and snatched the secret files, tucking them under his arm and transferring the helmet to the now empty space. His boots hit the ground heavily as he crossed the dusty road to the house where the door opened. A young woman wearing a maid outfit not unlike Miss Meido Mikage smiled in the space.
"Welcome, Mr Pappa Ushio" she chirped.
"Uh… hello" Pappa Ushio replied. "Is Oto-sama in? I'd like to speak with him".
"Of course, I'll fetch him" the maid answered, bowing. "Please come in".
She bounced away, leaving Pappa Ushio to stroll in and close the door behind him. He crossed the room to the sofa and seated himself on the edge closest to the door, watching the hands of the clock opposite click without moving.
"Pappa Ushio" a commanding voice from behind uttered.
Pappa Ushio twisted his neck and peered over his shoulder, seeing Oto-sama climbing down the stairs.
"I wasn't expecting you today. Lotten-Chan and Mean Barbara are out, if you were looking for them. Is something the matter?" Oto-sama asked, tilting his head.
"Actually, I believe there is" Pappa Ushio stated with a frown.
Oto-sama moved towards him cautiously. "Would you like some tea while we talk about it?"
"Uh… Yeah, please. Whatever kind you're making".
Oto-sama turned to the maid that had fetched him, flicking his hand to beckon her nearer, she took a step. Then his hand directed her to the kitchen, tasking her with making the tea. The man seated himself in a large armchair, slouching against the back as he settled and then leaned forward, locking his wrists together on his knees.
"What's troubling you about the girls, Pappa Ushio?" he asked.
"What do you know about the Team Satisfaction incident?" Pappa Ushio questioned.
"Only what was in the papers – that some guys got killed one night snooping about" Oto-sama answered. "Weren't they trying to rob the place? If I recall correctly, they were trying to get into the till when one of the employees arrived and they tried to shoot him, only to gun down each other. The guy ran off after that, scared that he'd be accused of murdering them".
"I see" Pappa Ushio mumbled, grabbing his chin for a moment as his eyes fell to the ground.
The other arm snaked around him, grabbing the edge of the envelope and tugging it from under his hand; he moved it to Oto-sama, his eyes dark. Oto-sama took a moment before he understood and touched the opposite end, taking it from Pappa Ushio's possession. The maid walked in holding two cups of tea, with a sugar bowl on the side. She set the tray down and retreated without a word, but smiled and bowed. Oto-sama pulled the sheets of paper from the envelope. Pappa Ushio cleared his throat.
"I think Lotten-Chan may be in danger".
~Lotten-Chan~
In the square, Lotten-Chan and Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess glared at each other across their battlefield. Lotten-Chan snatched her whip from the ground; the weapon she had managed to avoid using against Bad Kiryu Man, Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess clutched her twin whips while lowering her head slightly.
"So, onee, you're using two whips. I guess that gives you more coverage" Lotten-Chan commented blandly.
She crouched, ready to dive at her elder sister when the more experienced Magical Whip Girl tossed both of her whips into the air. Lotten-Chan froze, both she and Bad Kiryu Man watching when they began to spin wildly, essentially becoming improvised spinning discs. Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess set her eyes coldly on Lotten-Chan, throwing her hand in the direction of the girl.
"Fire" she mumbled darkly.
The two whips spun towards Lotten-Chan, like boomerangs closing in. Lotten-Chan tensed her muscles and leapt over the first one, smiling whilst coming down as the truth made its way into her – she was off to a good start. Her boots hit the ground and she opened her eyes, gasping when the second whip was yards in front of her. She dropped to the ground, safe from the weapon that whizzed overhead.
"I'm not the only one covered" Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess scowled. "I covered for you when you dropped off the face of the Earth. I did a much better job than you ever would". Lotten-Chan clenched her jaws as she glared fiercely at her sister.
Behind the sisters' battle, Bad Kiryu Man, reverted to his human form, moved his eyes to Yusei-kun when a groan came from the body. The boy picked himself up and stood beside his father's former-friend, looking to him.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"Weren't you almost dead a few minutes ago?" Bad Kiryu Man asked, pointing at the younger with a confused face.
"Kiryu, it's a Magical Girl series. No-one important is going to die other than the bad guys" Yusei-kun replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "Besides, you know there's a certain company in America that doesn't approve of that stuff".
"Wouldn't they disapprove of a lot about us two?" Bad Kiryu Man commented, tilting his head.
"Yeah, but that's what makes us bigger than random people running around in the background" Yusei stated, looking back to the battle. "You going to tell me or not?"
"Seems Lotten-Chan's a Magical Whip Girl" Bad Kiryu Man mumbled. "She's fighting her older sister over stuff. Over us".
"'Magical Whip Girl'?" Yusei echoed, grabbing his chin thoughtfully. His eyes moved to Lotten-Chan, and through seeing the outfit she wore, pieces of the fragmented evening with her began to return. His hand dropped and eyes widened when he recalled what exactly had happened that night. "Wait, she's done this before". Bad Kiryu Man watched him in the corner of his eye. "She transformed into one of those to save me from some guy a while back".
"So she exposed herself, huh?" the pale-haired man muttered to himself. His eyes moved back to the pair, pointing to the elder and more experienced of the pair. "Their whips marks their rank – Lotten-Chan has a single whip; she's still an apprentice. But Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess has two whips; she's both stronger and has more experience than Lotten-Chan. She's better and overcoming her sister shouldn't be too hard for her".
Yusei took his eyes from Bad Kiryu Man and trained themselves to follow the battling duo. "Lotten-Chan…"
The sisters had cut their shouts and focused solely on taking the other down, only sounding grunts and heavy breaths. Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess spun her whips into rings, launching them at Lotten-Chan in a matter of seconds. The younger sister dodged both, slowly learning the techniques of her superior; then realised the flaw in her plan – with both whips spinning free as rings, there was nothing to defend her from a counterattack. Lotten-Chan began to spin her own whip before launching it at her sister, who smirked in response to the attempt.
Just before the strike hit her, the two rings returned like a pair of boomerangs, racing around her in the place of a shield. Lotten-Chan's attack hit and the whip fell, having failed to penetrate the defence set up, Lotten-Chan scowled as she glared up at her sister; no matter what she did, Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess had a way to counter it. To retrieve her whip, Lotten-Chan dove forward, evading one of her sister's whips that had shot from her circular defence and sharpened like a spear. As she darted past it, Lotten-Chan snatched the whip from the floor and turned to face Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess; one idea came to mind – the same technique that had taken out Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku.
"This it getting dangerous, we have to do something" Yusei stated on the imaginary side-lines.
"Yusei, we're spectators. We do nothing but stand here and comment on what's happening, isn't that what always happened in the city?" Bad Kiryu Man snorted, folding his arms over his chest.
Across the square, Lotten-Chan darted towards her sister, who was close enough to an emptied building for the technique to work. She leapt up and launched the whip towards the building. Like on the ghost train, the whip began to snake its way around the back of the building, out of Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess' view, she turned to her younger sibling and smirked cockily.
"Either you're tired already or your aim just got worse in the last couple of minutes" she laughed. "You're not going to beat me with terrible throws like that".
"You're so ignorant; you honestly think you're the only one who can come up with techniques?" Lotten-Chan scowled, glaring at her sister.
She lifted her arms and began to unleash her power, transferring it to the whip circling around the building and quickening its laps, spinning faster. The building began to crack and moan, slowly eaten away by the power building up inside of the whip. Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess' eyes widened and she turned to find the attack well in motion, slowly tearing the building behind her apart.
"Deal with it, onee. I'm just as strong a Magical Whip Girl as you".
Rubble began to topple, smashing the structure apart and throwing it down onto Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess, who watched the storm in horror. Dust rose in a stampede as the debris hit the ground, floating over half of the battlefield. Nobody said anything.
~Lotten-Chan~
The low rumble of the building collapsing travelled across Cracktown, reaching Pappa Ushio and Oto-sama at the Marco mansion. Pappa Ushio's neck twisted instinctively to the door, in the direction of the sound. He turned back to Oto-sama and hastily stood, bowing immediately.
"Uh… please forgive me, Oto-sama" he quickly spoke. "I have to go, something's happening".
"Worry not, Pappa Ushio" Oto-sama answered softly. "I understand; you have much work if there is trouble running amok in this town. The police cannot give up their time just to talk to me about my daughter. But I appreciate your coming".
Pappa Ushio smiled and paced leisurely to the door, his hand gripped the handle when he looked over his shoulder to Oto-sama seated alone with the file and cup half-filled with tea. "Thank you for allowing me into your home again, Oto-sama".
Oto-sama nodded in response to the words and said nothing as Pappa Ushio stepped out. Once the door clicked shut, he leapt at his bike and threw his helmet over his dark hair, and then his leg over his ride. The engine roared to life as he panicky kicked the ignition, within seconds of hearing the sound, he was on his way to the source.
~Lotten-Chan~
Lotten-Chan stood still for the first time since discovering her sister on the scene while smoke billowed from the destroyed building, lying in ruins on the ground. Her heart began to slow; even if her sister was a limb wreck beneath the boulders of cement and brick, at least she could calm down and catch her breath.
"So you came up with a new trick, doesn't make you any better" a familiar voice came from behind.
Lotten-Chan turned on her heels, finding twin whip disks heading towards her. A gasp slipped out of her before she ducked beneath the first and leapt over the second. A sigh of relief was about to part from her when her eyes opened during her descent to find a third whip heading her way. She said nothing as the weapon ploughed into her stomach and knocked her back. A cry was suppressed as Lotten-Chan flew back, crashing against the hard ground ungracefully; whip sliding out of hand. The girl moaned weakly as she struggled to pick herself up, finding her sister standing opposite; not unharmed, but not beaten.
"It's a shame you can't keep up, Lotten-Chan" she scowled. "Otherwise, you would have been able to tell that I'm a Three-Whip grade Magical Whip Girl, not just a Two-Grade, or lower, like yourself".
Lotten-Chan narrowed her eyes coldly as she glared at her sister furiously; she had been keeping far too many secrets while knowing many of her sister's. Trust, clearly, was something valued little in the Marco household. On the edge of the area, a Nasty watched from the shadows, clutching the corner of a building outside the range of the feuding sisters. A shadow stretched out of it and onto the building in front of it, despite the sun's position on the other side of the town, and it crawled through, passing into Evil Evil Ramon Guy's hideout, the same cave he had assigned Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku his mission.
"Ramon-tama" the creature hollered. "Ramon-tama, are you here?"
Evil Evil Ramon Guy appeared through the shadows, setting his narrow eyes onto the reporting creature, who gave what resembled a salute to his superior.
"What is it?" he asked coldly.
"I thought you should know that something big is happening in Cracktown" the Nasty reported. "There are two Magical Whip Girls reaching each other. With that happening, the Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato's influence will be weakened as will her power".
"I see" Evil Evil Ramon Guy responded with a devious smirk. "The Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato uses the Magical Whip Girls as avatars to expand her own powers. If that fight between two keeps getting more intense, her power will be drained quickly and easily".
He began to rub his hands together, the Nasty, meanwhile, tilted his head. "I know that already, that's why I'm here".
"You do. Outsiders don't". He pointed to where a third party would have been standing had there been one; he had stated the truth about the Goddess' power for the benefit of no-one in the cave.
"Anyway, this means we can launch our master plan" the black-haired man laughed darkly. "And with two Magical Whip Girls fighting, the Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato will be far too busy sorting them out to stop us. Come, let's go get things started".
Evil Evil Ramon Guy's shadow stretched out and he climbed down it like a set of stairs were hidden in the darkness. Crossing through the setting, the shadow grew from nothing at the foot of the Mountain of Doki Doki, allowing the Nasty leader and his minion to pass through and reach the prison for their kind. He rubbed his hands together, chuckled through a toothy grin.
"This should be fun".
~Lotten-Chan~
Across Cracktown; Mean Barbara, Nico and West all set their eyes in the direction of the collapsed building, having heard the rumbling and identified it as the source. Silently, they feared for Lotten-Chan, wondering if she was at the scene and praying she was alright, whatever was happening. Mean Barbara pressed her hands together over her chest, glaring uneasily at the site and thinking about their meeting at the hospital a week before, perhaps she had finally returned home.
As her sister struggled to get to her feet, Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess smiled coldly, pressing her hand against her hips as she watched the pitiful display. The trio of whips returned to her, snatching them as they swung around like boomerangs.
"What's the matter, Lotten-Chan? I thought you wanted to be a big Magical Whip Girl" she scoffed. "If that's the case, you have a lot stronger than me to fight. Then again, I'm not surprised you're not prepared. You don't focus on what you have to do, you're too busy jumping from blind guy to blind guy; a Magical Whip Girl would remember what exactly they're fighting for".
"I do remember. That's what helped me stop Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku" Lotten-Chan groaned fiercely, on one knee with her hands against the hardened ground.
"I'm sure" Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess snorted, rolling her eyes. "You couldn't even stand up to a single attack, even though the attack was lighter than it's supposed to be. Perhaps it's time we just finish this off".
The three whips began to soar again, rotating in the air and forming a small tunnel, her arm slipped into the middle, grabbing the bottom ring as she prepared for the final blow. One more Three-Whip Tier attack and Lotten-Chan would be put down for good, there was no fear in the younger sister's eyes and there was no remorse in the elder's.
She was about to bring down the three rings and her arm when Yusei-kun suddenly appeared in front of her, his arms spread out at the side. Lotten-Chan flinched at the abrupt shield and turned her eyes to Bad Kiryu Man whose arm fell; he had tried.
"Stop this now" Yusei-kun growled stoically. "I won't let this continue, you'll have to tear me apart before you deal any more blows to Lotten-Chan".
Lotten-Chan stretched her arms and stood shakily, laying a hand onto Yusei-kun's shoulder, drawing his eyes. He was about to speak when she shook her head, stopping him prematurely.
"No, Yusei-kun" she sighed, moving her eyes to her elder sister. "No matter how much I get beaten down by Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess, I have to do this. Even if I lose. She's always cast a shadow over me; getting better grades, more boyfriends, a nicer chin that no-one taunts her over. I have to do this to prove I have something".
Yusei-kun stepped aside, retreating gradually towards Bad Kiryu Man. Lotten-Chan took her eyes from him and stretched the whip in her hands, opposite her, Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess dismantled her attack and did the same. They were about to lunge at each other once more when a pounding feeling suddenly rocked their heads and they dropped to their knees simultaneously, clutching their heads and dropping their weapons. Yusei-kun paused his retreated and darted forward, laying his hands over Lotten-Chan's shoulders, Bad Kiryu Man also stepped forward slowly, closing the distance between them.
"Lotten-Chan, are you okay?" Yusei called. "What's happening?"
"Lotten-Chan, Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess, in the break of your fighting, I've detected something strange happening near the Mountain of Doki Doki" the Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato whispered in the minds of the girls. "I fear that Evil Evil Ramon Guy is up to something – he must be trying to unleash all the Nasties trapped in the mountain. We must stop him".
~Lotten-Chan~
At the base of the Mountain of Doki Doki, Evil Evil Ramon Guy turned in the direction of Cracktown and scowled; he'd been discovered already. The Nasties around him paused, watching him with weary eyes.
"Shame, I was hoping to have more time" he sighed. "Ah well, at least we'll get some guys out".
An explosion tore through a large section of the mountain, launching boulders and rubble into the air. A string of imprisoned Nasties leapt through the tear in the mountain's side, Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku among them. They clambered down to where Evil Evil Ramon Guy stood with his minion, a large group passing through before a transparent blue shield sealed the tear, keeping the others out. The trapped Nasties banged against the barrier, yelling and shrieking, wanting out of the mountain. Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku moved to Evil Evil Ramon Guy's side, gazing up at the prisoners.
"We've got a good number out" the latter chuckled.
"What about the others?" Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku asked, watching his companions bang against he solid barrier.
"We'll get them out, eventually" Evil Evil Ramon Guy replied with a smirk. "First we have to get rid of those Magical Whip Girls, that should weaken the Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato, then the barrier will fall and they'll be free to run about. Come, we've got work to do".
Evil Evil Ramon Guy lad the group away from the mountain and into his rapidly growing shadow, opening a passage to another place. On the opposite end of the darkness, they walked into the square where Lotten-Chan and Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess had been fighting, both on their knees as they clutched their heads. The other Nasties crawled out behind him, realising they had entered a human town. Across the battlefield, Lotten-Chan growled as her eyes met the sight of Evil Evil Ramon Guy, Yusei-kun followed the focus and widened his eyes when he recognised the man.
"That's-" he gasped. "Lotten-Chan, what's going on?"
"I wasn't able to get him when we fought" Lotten-Chan hissed, pressing her right hand against the side of her head tighter. Her eyes moved to Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku standing by the superior's side. "But I did banish him, how did he get out?"
The portal behind the army closed, leaving them stranded in the dusty town, regardless, Evil Evil Ramon Guy smirked at the downed Magical Whip Girls.
"What do you want?" Lotten-Chan asked him bitterly.
"Were just surveying" Evil Evil Ramon Guy chuckled. "Don't worry your little heads; we'll march through her for real in mere days. The blackness behind him snapped open and swirled around, luring the Nasties inside. Evil Evil Ramon Guy stood still, allowing them to go through before him and set his eyes on Bad Kiryu Man, who watched him coldly. "How about it? You're like us; they want to get rid of you. Let's fight together".
"Kiryu!" Yusei-kun snapped in protest.
"I know where I need to be – it's not with you" Bad Kiryu Man mumbled at the Nasty leader.
Evil Evil Ramon Guy shrugged his shoulders, still grinning; even without Bad Kiryu Man, he was confident in his chances. "Suit yourself".
He passed through the blackness, which shrank until it was no more, leaving the four of various roles standing in the emptied plaza. The two Magical Whip Girls reverted to their human forms; enveloped in light as their clothes reshaped themselves to the outfits they had been wearing before their battle, Bad Kiryu Man approached them.
A hoarse cough came, the sound of someone clearing their throat. All four standing fixed their eyes on the sight of Pappa Ushio standing beside his bike, fists pressed against his hips. The officer stormed towards them, his face unusually cold and unsympathetic.
"What the fuck are you do-?" he barked.
"I already made that reference in the last chapter" Yusei-kun interjected, bringing the raised voice to a halt.
"Gah! I wasn't here, and I'm not interested in that old backstory, I have my files". His eyes scanned across the group before him, back and forth as they watched him silently. "Anyway, I think it's time you all went off home, but I have to speak with Lotten-Chan" his voice was unnaturally grim.
Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess cast a glance at her sister and moved on without hesitation, passing Pappa Ushio as he strode towards the remaining Marco daughter. Bad Kiryu Man laid his hand on Yusei-kun's shoulder, drawing the younger's eyes.
"Come on, let's go get you patched up" he spoke with a gentle smile – something that hadn't appeared since the days of Team Satisfaction.
"But Kiryu-"
"No buts, let's go" Bad Kiryu Man quickly repeated. He glanced at Lotten-Chan, flashing her a smile. "I'm sorry about all this, good luck".
Lotten-Chan offered him a nod and watched as Bad Kiryu Man led Yusei-kun away, keeping his hand on the shoulder of his former partner's son. They passed Pappa Ushio, leaving without another glance over their shoulders at the scene, the officer instead came to a halt in front of Lotten-Chan, crossing his arms over his chest and flaring his nostrils as he glared at her.
"So, you going to tell me what's going on?" he asked frostily.
"You're not going to believe it" Lotten-Chan sighed, her shoulders sagging. "But I'm a Magical Whip Girl, like my onee. We fight to protect everyone from the Nasties that get banished from the Mountain of Doki Doki. That's what onee and I were fighting over, because she's much stronger than I am, but I wanted to prove myself. The problem was that while we were fighting, some Nasties were able to get out of the Mountain of Doki Doki and they're planning to storm Cracktown, including the one that I stopped at the amusement park".
Pappa Ushio took a moment to gather everything and file it as one truth. He scratched the back of his head and sighed; the story did sound farfetched, but he had heard stranger, always would. He opened his eyes; a glint of remorse flickered amidst the disappointment and frustration. It didn't feel right, but it had to be done.
"Listen, I know you're trying to do what's best, but if you're going to keep dragging Mean Barbara into everything, then I can't allow the marriage to go on" he sighed with a heavy heart. "You're a danger to those around you; did Yusei-kun get hurt? Was that what Bad Kiryu Man meant when he said about getting him 'patched up'?" Lotten-Chan's eyes fell, there was nothing she could say that would get her out of that one; Pappa Ushio had hit the nail on the head. "I have little choice but to annul the arranged marriage with Other Pappa. Furthermore, I think… I think it's best you and Mean Barbara keep apart".
"What?" Lotten-Chan cried in horror.
"I'm sorry, but it's for the best" he sighed, keeping his eyes from her. His left hand rose, pointing over his shoulder to the patrol bike parked at the edge of the open space. "Would you like me to take you home?"
~Lotten-Chan~
A few days had passed since the clash of the Magical Whip Girl sisters when Pappa Ushio and Other Pappa formally called off the marriage. Since the fight, Lotten-Chan hid in her room; terrified of facing Oto-sama, not only over the matter of the marriage, but also over her extended travels across the globe. Her wounds healed in the days of hiding, restoring her to the same condition she had been in whilst travelling with Bad Kiryu Man. The boys frequently passed through her mind, but to get to them, she had to get past her family.
With half a week gone, Lotten-Chan dragged herself down the stairs within the mansion, finding Oto-sama seated with his back to the staircase. There wasn't enough time to choose between fleeing in secret or facing him over everything and getting it over and done with before he turned around, his arm sliding over the back of the sofa.
"Lotten-Chan" he grunted.
"Oto-sama" Lotten-Chan mumbled nervously. "I'm sorry, not just about the marriage, but for everything".
"Normally, I wouldn't say that you should be, but this case is an exception" Oto-sama growled. "We were dependent on good relations with Pappa Ushio and his family; we needed the money of combining our families to keep our business going. We have to rebuild out finances, we can't do that without them".
"I didn't mean-"
"And what have you been doing? Running off with random boys?" Oto-sama snapped fiercely. "That Fudo kid is living in a hotel with his drunk of a father and as for the other one; he's the prime suspect in the shooting at that old salon. You really think they're suitable people for you to be hanging out with? You really think that I'm going to let you throw your life away for one of those useless slobs?"
Tears welled up in Lotten-Chan's eyes, her legs threw her forward and to the door, throwing it open and leaping through before Oto-sama could rise and catch her up. In floods of tears, she ran blindly, to the only place she felt she could be alone. And happy.
It took longer than she remembered, but she arrived at the edge of the shore, staring at the glittering ocean. The sight was normally enough to warm her heart and make everything seem better, but not this time. It did nothing to elevate her and numb the pain.
Behind her, Yusei-kun staggered towards the sand, pausing when he recognised her silhouette against the setting sun, he moved closer, his wounds sustained trying to protect Bad Kiryu Man almost completely healed.
"It's my fault, I should be the one to blame" he stated.
Lotten-Chan spun around, feeling her heart beat hastily as she realised she had been discovered. Her face softened, shaped into one of sorrow and regret as her friend moved closer.
"No, it's not. It's all my fault, Pappa Ushio was right" she sobbed. Yusei-kun tilted his head, oblivious to what it was the man had implied. "I'm a danger to everyone I care about; Bad Kiryu Man, Mean Barbara, Nico, West, you. You all keep getting hurt because of me and these stupid powers. I don't want them anymore, let onee save everyone".
Tears spilled down her face and towards the ground, splashing into the soft sand and buried quickly. A ring of energy began to flicker around Lotten-Chan, transparent blue power spinning around, encircling her. Yusei-kun groaned, lifting his hands when gusts began to blow wildly, coming from Lotten-Chan and the ring around her. The Marco daughter sobbed regardless, ignoring the power rotating around her, burning the sand and the dirt. Yusei-kun's legs bent slightly as he struggled to keep himself on his feet.
"Lotten-Chan, what are you doing?" he called.
"I'm getting rid of these powers, even if it means getting rid of myself" Lotten-Chan sobbed. "Everyone would be better off without the danger around me anyway".
"That's not true" Yusei-kun shouted in protest.
He stepped forward, battling the gales to move one step closer, and another. He stepped through the ring, shocks and burning sensations flowing through him, slowing him down as his body screamed out. But he pressed on regardless, closer to her, inching towards the confused and distraught girl. A sob rippled through the air, a cue for him to launch himself forward and wrap his arms around her. Lotten-Chan began to calm down, slowly, gradually, but her sobs began to grow in distances apart.
"That's not true; you saved me twice, the least I can do is save you" he stated.
"But I put you in danger to begin with" Lotten-Can hiccupped.
"I'd rather it be you than Kiryu" Yusei whispered with a smile. "Even if you're trouble, I like you Lotten-Chan. You're a friend, and I won't turn my back on a friend, not after before".
Lotten-Chan's eyes softened, final tears slipped down her damp cheeks. The lids moved further down, closing completely as another – softer – burst of energy departed from her body. The power flickered like a flame, dying slowly and dispersing across the beach. Yusei-kun called her name, a sound that echoed in the blackening mind. Her collapse dragged him down to his knees, watching over her anxiously; he wasn't sure exactly what had happened, but Evil Evil Ramon Guy was already preparing to attack. They had two days left.
