For the past two days, the skies had been darkened by grey clouds, and GDS had seen an almost constant downpour, and at the end of every class, the teachers reminded their students to carry an umbrella.

As Celeste opened her own umbrella, which bore a very distinct shade of royal purple, she noticed a pair of girls huddled together under one umbrella as they walked to their next class. She smiled at the sight of the pair, feeling somehow envious of them.

Celeste, whether due to her boyish appearance, or her unique speech mannerisms, somehow always had a way of naturally standing out, no matter where she was. As timid and socially awkward as she was, she had also become accustomed to having all eyes on her; as they certainly were right now.

"Ooh, how I'd LOVE to walk to class sharing an umbrella with The Prince~!" She heard a group of friends giggle delightedly as they passed by.

"I guess it does have a rather distinct appearance…" Celeste mused, as she looked up at her own umbrella. Scanning the walkways around her, she didn't see anyone whose umbrella bore anything close to the vivid color her own exhibited. "That couldn't be an accident; Yurihime knew exactly how much it would make me stand out when she gave it to me!"

She stopped just as she turned off of the normally traveled route between classes, as she heard someone running and panting raggedly. She turned around, just in time to see one girl very clearly drenched by the rain, carrying her schoolbag over her head to try to shelter herself from the rain.

"Must have lost her umbrella?" Celeste thought. She was ready to continue on her way, until she heard the girl yelp as she fell down in the slippery, deeply-soaked grass.

"Are you alright?" asked Celeste caringly as she hurried to the girl, holding her umbrella over her to shield her from the downpour. "Did you forget your umbrella?"

"No," The girl sighed as she got to her feet. "Reiko stole mine because she lost hers. So, here I am left to…" She went quiet as she looked up to see who she was speaking to. "Ah, P-Prince?!"

"Hotaru?" Celeste said, a note of amused surprise in her voice. "I hope you're prepared for the test I have planned for you."

"I would say that I am." Hotaru replied, giving a slight shiver. "…If I can get to my next class without having to swim there, at least."

Celeste chuckled at Hotaru's joke, and held her umbrella out. "Here you go."

Hotaru gazed at The Prince with disbelief. "S-seriously?"

"Oui." Celeste grinned. "I think you need it more than I do."

"Um… thank you." Hotaru said, pleased but confused. "I'll return it first chance I get, promise!" She called as she hurried off to her next class.

"Don't worry about that." Celeste smiled weakly as she waved Hotaru off.

She continued on her way, barely minding the rain as she traveled uphill onto a walkway lined with finely-cut slate stepping stones leading up a small hill, upon which stood a greenhouse, separated from the rest of the Academy.

As Celeste stepped into the greenhouse, she was hit by a wave of warm air that heavily contrasted the autumn cold outside, and she was met by the sight of countless gorgeously colorful flowers, each one healthy and vibrant, clearly having seen very much love and care.

Walking towards the center of the greenhouse was a girl who was one year older than Celeste, with very long, flowing honey blond hair. She had a very calm, pleasant air about her as she serenely watered the various flowers that colored the greenhouse, her deep blue eyes turned up at the rain that tapped on the transparent roof above her; her face fairly perplexed.

"I wonder, Prince." She mused aloud, not looking away from the clouded sky. "Which is truly happier? A flower that blooms naturally in the wild; one that also faces the dangers of the wild? Or, one that blooms in the safety of a greenhouse, never to know the world it looks out upon?"

Celeste was stunned silent, left with no idea how to answer, or even what to think.

"If flowers could speak, I wonder what they would say. Would they see this greenhouse as a paradise? Or, is it seen as a prison to them?"

"I… I don't know…" Celeste said honestly. "That's…. a very complicated question."

"And what about a flower that's only known the greenhouse its whole life, only to be released into the world?" Yurhime continued her musing. "Will it know true happiness breathing the open air? Or, will it long to return to the safe confines of the home it's always known?"

"…It depends on the flower, I suppose?" Celeste shrugged, lost for any other possible answer.

"I suppose you're right…" Yurihime sighed, clearly still deep in thought. "If you think about it, our academy is a greenhouse that shelters many budding flowers, but one day, after they bloom, they'll have to leave their safe haven. Will it be for better, or for worse?"

"What are you trying to say?" asked Celeste, not sure at this point whether to be confused or worried for her senpai.

"Oh, nothing." Yurhime giggled lightly as she rounded the greenhouse to make sure every flower was perfectly healthy and well-nourished. "Just a little nervous about my coming exams." She put down her watering can, only now noticing that her underclassman had been lightly soaked in the rain; too lightly, given the rapid pounding of raindrops on the roof. "What happened to your umbrella?"

"Oh? I… lost it in my room somewhere." Celeste invented feebly. "…I'm sure that it'll turn up sooner or later."

Yurihime didn't show Celeste her face as she smirked, not believing her lie one bit. "Well, I hope whoever you lent it to will return it soon."

Celeste blushed, though she scooted to the side to hide her face from view behind a few hanging plants.

"Who was it that you shared your umbrella with, may I ask?" Yurihime inquired.

"Hotaru Hanazono." Celeste answered.

"Ah, she's the one that you're examining for the representative selection, isn't she?" Yurihime smiled. "You fancy her, don't you?"

Celeste went very red in the face. "…I-I don't know what you're talking about…"

"You wouldn't just give an umbrella to someone you don't care about, would you?" Yurihime teased.

Celeste was silent; her senior wasn't necessarily wrong…

"Anyway," Yurihime said, amused as she looked over the greenhouse. "What brings you here? I'm sure you didn't just come to see the lovely flowers that I'm tending to."

"I want to ask a favor of you," Celeste explained. "I have a test in mind that I would like to give to Hotaru; I want to see her capabilities in a Riding Duel. And since she obviously has no D-Wheel of her own, I would humbly like to ask if she could use yours for the purposes of this test."

"A Riding Duel?" Yurihime looked to Celeste with fascination. "Now that's interesting. Alright, I'll allow it. On one condition."


Love and Duels in Full Bloom

Eighth Acceleration


When Hotaru came down for breakfast, she was expecting this morning to be just like any other morning. However, when she went to join her friends at their favorite table, it was to be met by none other than Celeste: the Synchro Star of GDS.

The very sight of the Prince held the undivided attention of everybody in the dining room as she stood proudly, dressed in an extravagant all-white suit, whose tailcoat was trimmed with gleaming gold around the cuffs and collar, with an ornate amethyst brooch fixed to a blue tie.

Hotaru blushed at the mere sight of Celeste, as she understood from looking at her elegant appearance why she was known so far and wide as 'The Prince.'

"Hotaru Hanazono," Celeste called, using a voice that she knew would draw the attention of everybody in the room as she crossed one hand over her heart to give a polite bow. "I formally challenge you to duel me. Will you accept my challenge?"

Excitement filled the dining room, and as Hotaru stood completely speechless at Celeste's display, everyone who bore witness to the Prince in her full regalia murmured with excitement at the idea of seeing her duel.

"Y-yes." Hotaru said simply. "I accept your challenge."

"Then, I will expect to see you on the Dueling Track at 1 o' clock." Celeste stated. She handed Hotaru an envelope addressed to her as she bowed again, and walked away.

Hotaru stood frozen in place as she watched Celeste's billowing coat tails, and the dining room eased back into its normal state, though plenty abuzz with murmurs of excitement at witnessing their Prince taking part in a duel.

"Um, Hotaru?" Yuna called from her table. "Are you coming?"

"Y-yeah." Hotaru snapped herself out of her little trance as she took a seat opposite her friends. She remained awkwardly silent as she sipped her coffee, Celeste and her challenge very much on her mind.

"So, what was that all about?" Reiko wondered, amused as she glanced down at the envelope that Hotaru held. "'I formally invite you to deewwl me~~!'" She imitated Celeste in an almost mocking, flowery voice. "Someone certainly has a flare for the dramatic, am I right?"

"Indeed…" Hotaru muttered as she tore open the envelope to read the letter inside:

Hotaru,

Please meet me at the Dueling Track at 12. I am aware that you have experience from the Tops with a D-Wheel, and so, you will be tested in a Riding Duel; as such, preparations will need to be made. In addition, I have an important matter that I wish to discuss with you before we duel, regarding your test for the representative selection, as well as our place in this Academy.

-Celeste

"What does it say?" asked Yuna. Hotaru was quiet for several minutes as she stared at the note. "…Hotaru?"

"It just says to meet her at the track an hour before our duel." Hotaru replied.

"For what?" asked Reiko.

"Riding Duels take some prep time," Hotaru said plainly as she stood. "And I haven't been on a D-Wheel in some time…"

"D-Wheel?" Reiko and Yuna repeated together.

"…I should go." Hotaru stood and left the table, folding up the letter and jamming it into her pocket.

"What was that about?" Reiko shrugged. Yuna shook her head, not sure herself.


Hotaru hurried back to her room, and wasted no time taking out her deck, seeking to make necessary preparations before the coming duel. However, the more she thought about her coming duel, the less her mind focused on the duel itself, and more on the circumstances surrounding it; circumstances she knew had little, if anything, to do with being GDS's representative.

She recalled a part of Celeste's note: "You have experience from the Tops with a D-Wheel." She knew exactly what The Prince was referring to, prompting her to reflect upon her old life: a time where she lived in wealth, luxury… and deep ignorance. She slid open her desk drawer, to lay her eyes upon two cards that she had stored, vowing never to use them again.

Although she now held onto them to remind her of her shame, she originally wielded these cards proudly in her deck; they were her favorite cards; her best cards, and she achieved nothing but victory after victory every time with them. However, she learned the hard way that every victory came at the expense of others; victory meant pain and despair for those she defeated.

She thought so many times about getting rid of these cards, but knew that she already acted cowardly when she ran away; she would be something far worse than just a coward if she hid her shame by throwing them away.

"Hotaru?"

Hotaru jumped as Yuna stepped through the door. She hastily threw her deck into her desk drawer, and whirled around.

"Yuna?! W-why didn't you knock first?" She snapped.

"Oh," Yuna gasped, only now realizing how rude she was being. "S-sorry… Um… I just wanted to know if you were okay. You've been acting strangely since The Prince's invitation."

"I'm fine, I'm fine…" Hotaru sighed dishonestly. "I'm just… Just a bit nervous, that's all."

"I don't blame you." Yuna said. "I mean, I had a neighbor with one, but I've never ridden a D-Wheel before, let alone dueled on one. It looks scary!"

"It kind of is." Hotaru admitted. "But, that's not the only thing about this duel that's got me so nervous."

"What is it?" asked Yuna. "You know that you can talk to me, Hotaru."

"Well…" Hotaru sighed. "It's a pretty long story. Are you aware of the Four Dimensions?"

"Sort of." Yuna recalled the name some time ago, when she had been helping Kazumi in the library. She had been meaning to ask Kazumi about this, as well as so many other questions on her mind, but was never able to.

"Well… the world we live in is only one of four." Hotaru explained. "It's a world known as the Pendulum Dimension, having been the origin of Pendulum Summoning. Similarly, there are: The Fusion Dimension, Xyz Dimension, and the world that I come from: the Synchro Dimension. And I was a very different person when I lived there. And, that's something I think our Prince knows about."

Yuna remembered when she first met Hotaru in middle school a few years ago. Although she had first come to school dressed in very rich-looking clothes, they appeared ragged and frayed, as if she had seen great hardships. She wanted to ask, but knew it was insensitive to do so; instead, she simply invited Hotaru to be her friend, and do whatever she could to make her feel welcome in her new home.

Reiko had asked where she came from, but Hotaru's only answer was "Somewhere far, far away from here," and she would refuse to answer any further. Now, that answer made perfect sense to Yuna.

"So?" Yuna blinked.

"Huh? 'So?' What do you mean 'so?'" Hotaru asked, flustered.

"I don't care where you came from, or what you were where you came from, Hotaru." Yuna said with a smile. "Because right now, you're my friend."

Hotaru sighed, knowing that Yuna wouldn't understand, but hugged her friend happily anyway. "You don't know what it means to hear you say that, Yuna. I just hope that others would see it the same way."


The time had finally come for Hotaru to make final preparations for her Riding Duel, and she changed into what, at first, was a very baggy, oversized full-body bike suit in GDS's blue and gold; though, with a simple turn of a switch on the suit's wrist, it tightened, and perfectly conformed to her body.

She sighed as she took up a provided helmet, worrying about whatever The Prince would have to say to her as she left the changing room, and went to the garage, which was lined with a variety of motorcycles; some clearly being personally owned, while others were simplistically and uniformly designed, clearly academy provided.

Despite the extravagant way she had dressed earlier, Celeste was donned in much more simplistic clothes for her Riding Duel: a black leather jacket and boots, well-padded pants interwoven with kneepads and shin guards, and a very old helmet that had obviously seen very much use, its paint faded, chipped, and scratched to the point that Hotaru had no idea what it would have looked like when it was brand new.

"Surprised to see me wear something so humble?" Celeste smiled weakly, not looking Hotaru in the eye.

"Well… yeah." Hotaru admitted. "…So, which one is the costume, then? That regal outfit? Or this new, roguish look?"

"In a way, they're both just costumes, and at the same time, they both reflect the real me." Celeste replied. "I was born into a rich family in the Tops, but, of course, the regal splendor didn't last forever; not after I'd failed my family."

Hotaru cringed, knowing exactly what Celeste was talking about.

"In Synchro Dimension, either you were a champion, and you lived the high life, or you were a failure, and suffered in poverty and oppression." Celeste continued, putting the beaten-up old helmet on. "Few can say they've lived both lives, but I certainly can. I was given the best cards, and the best training, and I was expected to be the best in return." She lowered her helmet's visor as she turned away grimly. "And I failed…"

Hotaru's stomach turned at the delivery of her words, feeling very guilty for the strife she knew that Celeste endured as each of them mounted their D-Wheels.

"Everybody listen!" Nagisa called from the commentator's booth. "It's finally time for the first Riding Duel of the selection exams to get underway! First up, is the Shooting Synchro Star of GDS: Prince Celeste!"

Very loud cheers sounded from the audience as the Prince drove out into the dueling track through a burst of smoke and colorful sparks on the back of a sleek white and black-trimmed D-Wheel; the front of which resembled a horse in full gallop.

"And next is her challenger; she's smart, she's cute, and she's no stranger to the dueling track: Hotaru Hanazono!"

Yuna and Reiko were among the loudest cheers in the audience as Hotaru drove out onto the field, looking up at the commentator's box with disappointment at such a lacking introduction. Though, she admitted that she didn't exactly have the same kind of flair that Celeste displayed, given that both her outfit and D-Wheel were borrowed; academy provided.

"Are you ready?" asked Celeste as Hotaru pulled up to the starting line next to her.

"As I'll ever be…" Hotaru muttered.

"Then I activate Speed World Neo Accel!"

As the duel mode for each bike engaged, and the autopilot activated, Hotaru spotted what were unmistakably Action Cards scattering across the field.

The moment the starting whistle blew, both D-Wheels rocketed passed the starting line, and though Hotaru kept up really well, Celeste was well ahead of her, easily making the first curve, and claiming the first turn.

"DUEL!"

Hotaru: 4000 Celeste: 4000

"I'll start this duel by summoning Shield Wing in Defense Mode!" Celeste declared. A small green dragon emerged from a portal behind her, and soared on her tail, its wings crossed defensively (LV 2 DEF: 900). "And that's the end of my turn."

"Wait, how can she do that?" asked Yuna. "I thought you couldn't Normal Summon monsters in face-up Defense Mode?"

"You can in a Riding Duel." Yuna jumped as Kazumi appeared by her side, taking a seat just behind her in the stands.

"K-Kazumi?!"

"I was intrigued when I heard that The Prince had challenged Hotaru to a Riding Duel, so I just had to see it for myself." Kazumi said enthusiastically.

"How do these Riding Duels work?" asked Yuna. "I know the rules are different, but…"

"The first change is that monsters summoned in Defense Mode can only be summoned face-up." Kazumi explained. "However, the real difference in a Riding Duel will show itself during Hotaru's turn."

"It's my turn." Hotaru declared. "Draw!"

Hotaru SC: 1
Celeste SC: 1

"I summon Neo, the Magic Swordsman in Attack Mode!" A young warrior jumped through a portal at Hotaru's side; a sword in one hand, and a wisp of blue light in the other (LV 4 ATK: 1700). "And then, I attack your Shield Wing! Magic Slash!" Neo charged at the opposing monster, and brought its sword down on his enemy, only to stagger back as his sword bounced off of the dragon's crossed wings."

"Twice per turn, Shield Wing can't be destroyed by battle." Celeste grinned. "You'll have to work a bit harder to get through this defense!"

"Then, I'll end my turn." Hotaru decided.

"And my turn begins." Celeste stated, performing her opening draw.

Hotaru SC: 2
Celeste SC: 2

"And I summon Speed Warrior!" A humanoid shape in an all-concealing pilot's helmet and suit skated onto the field in front of Shield Wing. (LV 2 ATK: 900) "And, since he was Normal Summoned this turn, Speed Warrior's ATK is doubled! (Speed Warrior ATK: 900 – 1800) Now attack Neo the Magic Swordsman!"

With impressive speed and agility, the monster dashed across the arena, dodged a slash from Neo's sword, and with landed a skillful spinning kick, which shattered Neo instantly. (Hotaru: 4000 – 3900)

"I set one face-down card, and end my turn. And with that, Speed Warrior's ATK returns to normal." (Speed Warrior ATK: 1800 – 900)

Hotaru SC: 3
Celeste SC: 3

When Hotaru made her opening draw, her stomach turned uncomfortably as she saw what she drew: Arcane Apprentice. With what she had in her hand right now, there was very little she could do to break her current deadlock; at first, she was ready to end her turn, until she saw a gold glimmer out of the corner of her eye. She looked back to spot what was unmistakably an Action Card, giving her an idea.

She swerved her D-Wheel around to snatch up the card that she had passed, and made another sharp turn to get back on track, speeding up to catch back up with Celeste.

"I pay 2 Speed Counters to activate the Action Card Angel Baton. This allows me to draw two cards from my deck, as long as I discard one." (Hotaru SC: 3 – 1)

"Okay, I'm not following this…" Reiko said, scratching her head.

"During a Riding Duel, each duelist gains 1 Speed Counter at the Standby Phase." Kazumi explained. "And Action Cards can only be activated at the cost of those Speed Counters. However, that's not the only use for Speed Counters."

Hotaru drew two cards from her deck, happily exchanging them for Arcane Apprentice, which she discarded.

"I'm going to summon Defender, The Magical Knight in Defense Mode." A warrior decked out in very bulky, sturdy armor emerged in front of her, bringing down a massive shield (LV 4 DEF: 2000). "And when Defender is Normal Summoned, he gains one Spell Counter." The red crest in the center of its shield glowed. "And then I activate Double Summon, allowing me to Normal Summon again this turn, allowing me to bring out Breaker, the Magic Warrior." Defender was accompanied by a combat-ready mage dressed in red, a sword at the ready (LV 4 ATK: 1600).

"And when he's Normal Summoned, Breaker also gains a Spell Counter, raising his ATK by 300." The crest in Breaker's sword glowed like Defender's shield (ATK: 1600 – 1900).

"Very interesting." Kazumi smiled, watching the duel with great intrigue. "The Prince put up a strong defense and equally strong offense, which Hotaru matched spectacularly."

"All these Counters, though. Geez…" Reiko sighed. "I remember she used to use coins to keep track of the Spell Counters on her monsters back in middle school. Sometimes, we needed to chip in, because she put so many on her cards."

"Ah, so she uses a Spell Counter deck, does she?" Kazumi raised her eyebrows. "Then this IS going to be interesting.

"Next, I activate Breaker's effect: by removing his Spell Counter, I can destroy one Spell or Trap on your field." With a swing of his sword, Breaker slashed the face-down card. (Breaker The Magic Warrior ATK: 1900 – 1600)

"And now, I'm going to attack! Destroy Speed Warrior!" Although the speedy fighter tried to evade the battle mage, it was no match, and was destroyed in a single slash.

(Celeste: 4000 – 3300)

"I set one card face-down, and end my turn."

"Why did she look so desperate to get rid of that card?" Celeste wondered curiously. She recalled that when Hotaru played the Action Card, there was one card that she seemed more than eager to be rid of, discarding it before she had even fully drawn the two she got from Angel Baton. "Could that have been…?" She frowned as she began her turn, silently drawing her next card.

Hotaru SC: 2
Celeste SC: 4

"Your dueling's changed, and yet your deck hasn't." said Celeste as she looked over her hand to figure out her next move. "I remember how your tactics used to be: aggressive, unrelenting, merciless. And yet, you've set up a solid defense to compliment a modest offense; nothing like the Hotaru I'd dueled before."

"Dueled before?" Yuna and Reiko repeated, neither one of them having any clue what the Prince was talking about.

There were similar murmurs across the crowd musing over this exchange.

"I don't know what you mean," Hotaru frowned. "But the Hotaru that you're referring to no longer exists."

"You don't remember me?" Celeste frowned. "I suppose everyone looks the same to you when you've defeated them, but I'm not planning on losing this time. I summon the Tuner Monster Junk Synchron!"

A tiny mechanical orange man with an engine on its back, and wore a long white scarf and big, wide glasses jumped from the summoning portal (LV 3 ATK: 1300).

"Tuner?" Hotaru repeated.

"And you know what that means," Celeste stated. "But first, I activate Junk Synchron's effect: When it's Normal Summoned, I can call one Level 2 or below monster in my Graveyard back to my field. Return, Speed Warrior!" Junk Synchron threw out a hand, creating a new summoning portal, from which Speed Warrior skated out of.

"And now, I Tune my Level 3 Junk Synchron, with my Level 2 Shield Wing!"

Junk Synchron yanked on a pull cord on its side, revving up the engine on its back. The monster transformed into three green rings, which encircled Shield Wing, who disappeared into two stars that aligned perfectly into a straight line inside of the rings.

"Gathering stars will call upon a new power! Become the path its light shines upon. Synchro Summon! Come forth: Level 5 Junk Warrior!"

A brilliant beam of light shot through the three rings, and from them emerged a purple mechanical warrior that bore the same scarf as Junk Synchron, with red headlights for eyes, its right fist clenched, equipped with brass knuckles (LV 5 ATK: 2300).

"And now, Junk Warrior's effect activates," Celeste continued. "He gains the ATK of every monster Level 2 or below on my field, which means that Speed Warrior powers him up as well (Junk Warrior ATK: 2300 – 3200). Junk Warrior, attack Breaker the Magic Warrior! Scrap Fist!"

Junk Warrior flew across the battlefield with its jets, its big metal fist pounding into Breaker, and causing Hotaru to lose control of her bike for a second.

"By removing the Spell Counter placed on Defender, I can prevent one of my monsters from being destroyed by battle." Hotaru stated as she recovered her control over the D-Wheel. "Though, I still take the battle damage." (Hotaru: 3900 – 2300)

"Why do you wish to be GDS's representative, Hotaru Hanazono?" Celeste inquired.

"What?" Hotaru asked, surprised by this sudden question.

"Are you still as competitive as you were before?" Celeste demanded. "Is this your way of climbing to the top, now that the Topsiders/Commons caste system no longer exists in Synchro Dimension?"

"No!" Hotaru shook her head. "I never want to return to such a life; a life where you live in fear of the smallest failures."

"Then why are you pursuing this path?" asked Celeste. "The representative of GDS has the highest of expectations placed upon her shoulders! A true representative is more than just a good card player: She's someone who carries the pride of our academy on her own. Pursue this path, and that's exactly the kind of life that you'll get."

Hotaru had no answer for Celeste. The more she thought about it, the more she realized the Prince was right; that continuing down this path would only be bringing her back to the horrible place that she started from…

"I set a face-down, and end my turn." Celeste said, disappointed by Hotaru's silence.

"It sounds like The Prince takes the representative role very seriously." Yuna mused.

"Not surprising; she was last year's representative, after all." Kazumi grinned. "And, had the staff not decided on electing a first year, I have little doubt she would have been given the title again, with little or no competition."

"Is that why she looks like she wants to run Hotaru down?" Reiko said, alluding to the question the Prince had posed about why Hotaru wanted to be a representative.

"…Kazumi, what do you know about the Synchro Dimension?" asked Yuna.

"Hm?" Kazumi looked at Yuna inquisitively. "Well… until just a few short years ago, they had a very strict, oppressive social caste system, based foremost on one's capabilities as a duelist."

"Celeste mentioned a 'Topsider/Commons system?" Yuna recalled.

"Right; the Tops was a small, yet powerful portion that lived in wealth, privilege, and regal splendor," Kazumi explained. "While the Commons were untouchables; given no money, no rights, no… anything."

"That sounds horrible…" Yuna cringed, scarcely able to imagine what life in the Commons must be like.

"Which is why the system was abolished in recent years." Kazumi nodded. "However, everybody has lived in this caste system their entire lives; so while the Commons might rejoice in their newfound freedoms, many Topsiders are unwilling to relinquish their high status, believing themselves above things such as equality."

"And Hotaru lived in that kind of place?" Reiko grunted. "No wonder she didn't like talking about it."

"It's my turn." Said Hotaru. "Draw!"

Hotaru SC: 3
Celeste SC: 5

"I activate my face-down: Pitch Black Power Stone. This card is equipped with 3 Spell Counters, and once per turn, I can move one of those Counters to a card that I control, and I give one of those counters to Defender, who I switch to Attack Mode (Defender the Magical Knight SpC: 1 ATK: 1600." The crest on Defender's shield illuminated once more, the magical knight standing ready for whatever attack that could be thrown at it.

"And now, I summon Royal Magic Library in Defense Mode." Outside of the track, a small tower emerged, atop which stood a figure in dark violet robes, an arcane book in his hands (LV 4 DEF: 2000).

"Then, I use Spell Power Grasp: This Spell allows me to place a Spell Counter on one of my monsters, and I chose Breaker (Breaker the Magic Warrior SpC: 1 ATK: 1600 – 1900). In addition, after I use one Spell Power Grasp, I can add another one from my deck to my hand, though I can't use it this turn. And thanks to Royal Magic Library's effect, every time a Spell is activated, it gains a Spell Counter as well (Royal Magic Library SpC: 1)."

"Defender, attack Speed Warrior!" Hotaru commanded. Defender dove in towards Celeste's field to strike down the weaker of her two monsters, but it was no use:

"I activate my Trap: Scrap Iron Scarecrow! Not only is your attack negated, but I'm allowed to set this card face-down again to use next turn."

"Then now it's Breaker's turn!" Hotaru said. "Attack!" With Celeste unable to defend from this next attack, her Speed Warrior was destroyed. (Celeste: 3300 – 2300)

"Without Speed Warrior, Junk Warrior's ATK returns to normal (Junk Warrior ATK: 3200 – 2300). And with that, my turn's done." Hotaru conceded.

Hotaru SC: 4
Celeste SC: 6

"So now, your aggressive tactics resurface." Celeste observed, eyeing Defender in its now offensive stance.

"Junk Warrior, attack Defender the Magical Knight!" She discarded one card. "And now, by sending Rush Warrior to my graveyard, I can activate its effect, doubling Junk Warrior's ATK for the rest of the battle! (Junk Warrior ATK: 2300 – 4600) Finish this duel! Rush Fist!"

Junk Warrior's entire body turned gold, reflecting Rush warrior, and it vanished in the blink of an eye, Defender being destroyed in a bright flash that occurred so fast, most of the audience didn't even see what had happened.

(Hotaru: 2300 – 800 SC: 4 – 1)

"What happened?" Celeste wondered.

"Phew…" Hotaru panted, barely able to believe she endured this attack herself. "I activated the Action Spell Miracle Accel. By paying 3 of my Speed Counters, my monster wasn't destroyed by battle, and my battle damage was halved."

"When did you even get an Action Card…?" Celeste asked. She played back the last several turns in her mind; nowhere could she recall a point where Hotaru had, or could have, picked up this extra card.

"During my 'resurfacing aggressive tactics.'" Hotaru smirked. "I'm not foolish enough to leave myself exposed like that; which is why I searched the field for an Action Card during my monsters' attacks. Oh, and by the way, since I'd just played a Spell card, a second Spell Counter is placed on Royal Magic Library (SpC: 2).

"You really aren't the same as you were in the Queen's Duel Academy…?" Celeste marveled, impressed by this tactic.

"Queen's Duel Academy?" Yuna and Reiko repeated together. They glanced curiously up at Kazumi, certain that she would have the answers they were looking for.

"It's a very prestigious all-girls Duel Academy in the Synchro Dimension." She explained. "Only the highest-ranking Topsider girls could attend. I'm sorry to say that I don't know very much more beyond that."

"No, I'm not." Hotaru frowned. "After I'd learned about what consequences my victories held, I couldn't stand to continue living in the Tops." She gripped the handlebars of her D-Wheel tightly as her hands started shaking.

"I-I had no idea what I was really doing: I had just been told to win, and to grow stronger, because the more you won, the more you ascended the social ladder, and the higher up you were, the happier you were. But, one day, after I'd failed a training duel, my parents gave me a grave warning. I was shown to…"

"The Underground Labor Facility." Celeste finished. "The absolute bottom rung of the social ladder. A forced labor camp, whose inhabitants slave away, recycling the endless garbage produced by Neo Domino City for the rest of their lives. The place where I was sent when I failed… The place where YOU sent me!"

"W-what?!" Hotaru gasped, her heart almost stopping at Celeste's angry outburst.

"One day, there was a special event held at the Queen's Duel Academy," said the Prince, remembering the event as though it were yesterday. "The winner of which would have a chance to take part in an exhibition match with Jack Atlas for that year's Friendship Cup. And I was moments from claiming victory, but then, I faced you, and in one short duel, you had beaten me down, and everything that I had worked so hard for was all for nothing. I was thrown out of the Queen's Academy, and into the Underground Labor Facility.

"I harbored… so much anger towards you." Celeste sighed, her face relaxing as she gripped her handlebars tightly. "I despised you so much. I despised myself for being so weak…" She shook her head. "I have so many horrible memories of that place, and even life in the Commons after I worked my way out of the facility. And, when you're in such a terrible place, where you have to fight just to have a scrap of food, your mind goes to even more terrible places. I wanted revenge more than anything in the world; I wanted you to pay for every day, every minute, that I suffered in that facility. I wanted YOU to suffer."

"I know you would." Hotaru nodded, trembling so hard. "After I learned about that horrible place, and how many people I had sent there, I couldn't live with myself. I was scared so terribly of going there, I fought even harder to win than ever before, but it wasn't long before I realized how I was dooming everyone who I dueled, even if it wasn't necessarily the Underground Facility they were going to. I couldn't stand to hurt any more people, so I discarded my life as a Topsider, and ran away… like a coward."

However, much to Hotaru's surprised, Celeste shook her head, and looked back at Hotaru with the charming smile that everyone knew the Prince for so well.

"No, it wasn't cowardly of you to run at all." She said honestly. "In fact, I don't think anybody in the Synchro Dimension would have had the courage to run away from such an oppressive social system. I know that I didn't."

Hotaru, still not convinced, looked away nervously. "Why are you telling me all of this?"

"So that you know why this duel is being held." Celeste replied. "For so long, I'd dreamed and planned for revenge; I'd imagined you to be a horrific person, if you could so mercilessly destroy my life. I wanted this duel to see you for what you really are, and how far you've come. But now, after we've both escaped the City's caste system; after that caste system has been abolished, revenge would be completely pointless."

"So, what is this duel, then? Just for fun?"

"Yes," Celeste nodded, smiling. "Just for fun."

"In that case," Hotaru grinned. "I think your fans might've like it more if you wore something a bit more… fancy for this duel." She and Celeste shared a laugh.

"Wow, who'd have guessed our Hotaru would have such a history?" Reiko said, stunned by the exchange the two Riding Duelists just had.

"The Prince went through… through all of that?!" Yuna sobbed, sympathetic for Celeste and her tragic story.

"That does explain her deck's interesting motif." Kazumi mused, fascinated to learn the Prince's history. "…Although, they do remember that they're still in the middle of a duel, right?"

"That's enough with our little trip down memory lane," Hotaru said. "My turn! Draw!"

Hotaru SC: 2
Celeste SC: 7

"First, I remove the Spell Counter from Breaker the Magic Warrior, to destroy Scrap Iron Scarecrow!" With a slash from Breaker's sword, the face-down card was cut in two, never to be activated again. "And next, I remove a second Spell Counter from Pitch Black Power Stone, and place it on Royal Magic Library. (Pitch Black Power Stone SpC: 2 – 1) (Royal Magic Library SpC: 2 – 3) And now by removing all of its counters, Royal Magic Library allows me to draw an extra card from my hand!" (SpC: 3 – 0)

Hotaru held her breath as she reached for her deck, hoping that she would be granted the card that she needed. In one swift stroke, she drew…

"Perfect! I activate Monster Reborn, and call the Arcane Apprentice in my graveyard to the field!" A small cloaked figure materialized, its face hidden completely in shadows, save for its beady, glowing red eyes. (LV 3 ATK: 1300)

"Wait, when did Arcane Magician go to the graveyard?" Yuna wondered. "I don't remember Hotaru playing him…"

"Because she didn't." Kazumi pointed out. "That must have been the card that she discarded, back when she used that Action Spell Angel Baton."

"But that's a… Tuner Monster?" Reiko interjected. "When did Hotaru ever have a Tuner?! And why wouldn't she play that sooner? That would have been really useful before!"

"And since that was just a Special Summon, I Normal Summon Night Wing Sorceress." Accompanying the hooded magician was a pale young woman in an ebon dress, soaring across the field on raven wings (LV 3 DEF: 1200)

For so long," Hotaru sighed. "I was afraid of using this monster, and the card that it's tied to. It was my best card; my favorite card, and it won me duel after duel! But after I learned about the pain that it'd caused, I wanted to never play it again. I wanted to get rid of it; throw it away, leave it behind, tear it up… but I couldn't."

She stared at Arcane Apprentice, and reflected upon the innumerable victories she had achieved with it. "I held onto this monster, and the cards associated with it, to remind me of my old shame… so that I would never walk down that road again. But now, I'm going to give them new meaning!"

Celeste smiled as she watched Hotaru. She knew perfectly well that her defeat was inevitable, but she barely cared; she was proud to have dueled Hotaru on equal terms, as friends.

"I tune my Level 3 Arcane Apprentice with my Level 4 Breaker the Magic Warrior!" Arcane Apprentice waved its wand in a circle three times, before vanishing into three green rings, which encircled Breaker.

"When magic of the Arcane is imbued with the warrior's valor, the true master of sorcery will reveal itself! Synchro Summon! Come forth! Level 7 Arcanite Magician!" From the beam of light emerged a magnificent sorcerer with a hooded white and dark blue cloak over what appeared to be dark armor, a staff imbued with a glowing green orb in its hand, poised for battle (ATK: 400).

"Whoa! I didn't know that Hotaru could Synchro Summon!" Yuna marveled.

"Looks really cool and all…" Reiko muttered sheepishly. "But, I was kinda expecting more than just 400 ATK…"

"When it's Synchro Summoned, Arcanite Magician gains 2 Spell Counters, and it gains 1000 ATK for every Counter it has. (Arcanite Magician SpC: 2 ATK: 400 – 2400) And now, because of Arcane Apprentice's effect, I'm allowed to pull a certain card from my deck to my hand, which I'm going to place face-down."

"I activate Arcanite's effect: By removing Spell Counters from anywhere on my field, I can destroy any card you control. So, I remove a Spell Counter from Defender the Magical Knight, and the last Counter from Pitch Black Power Stone, to destroy your Junk Warrior and Scrap Iron Scarecrow!"

Arcanite Magician raised its staff, pulling power from Defender and the stone, which shattered upon having its final Counter extracted, and the cards on Celeste's field were obliterated in a single stroke.

"Now, Arcanite Magician! Attack Celeste directly! Arcane Flash!"

"I don't think so!" Celeste interjected. "I pay 4 Speed Counters to activate the Action Card Sakuretsu Counterstrike! (Celeste SC: 7 – 3) If you've destroyed a monster on my field this turn, I can negate your monster's attack and destroy it!" Hotaru grinned, not willing to give up just yet.

"I use my trap card: Assault Mode Activate!"

"You can't activate a Trap the same turn that you set it…." Celeste corrected.

"In this case, I can." Hotaru clarified. "Because of my Night Wing Sorceress, I can use Assault Mode Activate on the same turn it was set! Ascend! Level 9 Arcanite Magician /Assault Mode!" Arcanite Magician was engulfed in bright white light, which burned away its cloak, to reveal a suit of dark blue and orange armor coated in glowing green gems underneath. (SpC: 2 ATK: 900 – 2900)

"Finish this duel! Arcane Assault Blast!"

Celeste remembered her last duel as a Topsider: the duel against Hotaru that had changed her life forever. She had taken powerful hit after hit from her aggressive beatdown tactics, and yet with every hit, she saw a little bit of hope to recover. However, when she used Assault Mode Activate, any hope was quickly destroyed along with her remaining life points.

Now, however, Celeste looked upon Arcanite Magician as if it were an old friend, happy that she no longer needed to be afraid of it.

(Celeste: 2300 – 0)

Winner: Hotaru

With the duel concluded, Celeste's D-Wheel came to a complete stop. Hotaru, not far behind her, came to a stop next to her, and pulled off her helmet. She dismounted her D-Wheel, and stood expectedly, waiting for Celeste's verdict.

The Prince got off her bike, and she took off her helmet, holding it under her arm as she slowly walked up to Hotaru, and shook her hand.

"C'est Super, Hotaru." She said proudly. She got down onto one knee, and planted an affectionate kiss on the back of Hotaru's hand. "I am proud to have dueled you at last, and I would be even more proud to see you be GDS's representative." Hundreds of girls in the audience squealed and cheered at the Prince's endorsement.

"Uh, th-there's no need for… theatrics, is there?" Hotaru said sheepishly.

"A Riding Duel brings duelists together like no other," said Celeste as she stood up. "Even without our verbal exchange, we've connected in a way that only we can."

If Hotaru hadn't already turned red in the face by Celeste's theatrics, it certainly was now; she understood fully what The Prince was trying to say, but it was hard for her to think of a situation where 'connecting in a way only we can' could be taken in an innocent context.

"Come see me tomorrow, and we can discuss your next test." Celeste instructed. "Until then," She kissed Hotaru lightly on each cheek. "Au revoir!"

"Ah! Hey, wait!" Hotaru called, suddenly remembering something. "I forgot to give your umbrella back...!"

But just as she spoke, Celeste had already revved up her D-Wheel, and her fans squealed in loving admiration from the stands, as she drove back to the garage.


Later that day, as they sat in study hall, Yuna and Reiko had questions for Hotaru, now that they knew her real background.

"So…. Topsider, huh?" Reiko said. "That means you're a super-rich girl, isn't that right?"

"Well… I was." Hotaru shrugged. "I ran away from home, with nothing but my deck and the clothes on my back."

"I would have stolen my family's riches first; have something to run away with." Reiko teased.

"Gee, never thought of that." Hotaru grumbled sarcastically.

"How did you make it to this dimension?" asked Yuna. "…Actually, how did you even know about the multiple dimensions? Because I had no idea, until you told me."

"…That," Hotaru sighed. "Is a long, and complicated story. I'll tell you another time, but…. You two heard about what I'd done in my old life, didn't you?" Yuna and Reiko nodded. "And… you still want me to be your friend, even knowing the awful things that I'd done?"

"Of course." Yuna smiled. "I told you earlier: it doesn't matter where you were from, or what you used to be."

"Yeah!" Reiko nodded. "Because right now, what you are…."

"Is our friend!" Yuna and Reiko said together, hugging Hotaru from either side, much to her embarrassment.

"Ahem!" Asuka cleared her throat loudly as she stood directly over the three. "As much as I enjoy your cute bonding moment… you're making too much noise."

Sure enough, everyone else in the room by that point had eyes on the them, many giggling and snickering at them.

"Sorry, Mrs. Yuki." All three girls said together.

To Be Continued….


Oh, man, this was another one that took so much longer to do than I wanted. And, just like ch5, it's gone through lots of changes.

In particular, it was going to be the start of Yuna's second test, or at least showing who her next opponent would be, but then I realized that, since I'd shown Yuna quite a bit, and featured Hotaru in the last chapter, I was due to have something for Hotaru, so… here we are! ^^

Additionally, I've been looking to write a "rainy day" chapter for quite a while now, and the first part of this chapter was created with that story idea in mind. I've made another attempt at a "rainy day" chapter, which ended up spinning off into a whole different story altogether (Keep an eye out for a new series called "After Dark" ;P).

Celeste was a joy to write; from the beginning, I've always wanted to include the "Prince" bifauxnen type character in this story, inspired by Amane from Strawberry Panic, and I saw no better opportunity than with the Synchro Star. As you might have guessed, I created her to be kind of a mix of Yusei Fudo and Sherry LeBlanc; in fact, I've even mused about the idea of her personally knowing Arc-V's incarnation of Sherry, hence her tendency of using French words.

Speaking of Hotaru and Celeste, their duel also got cut down quite a bit, because it'd ballooned way out of control XD! I had it running a bit longer, so as to show off more of the Synchro monsters in both players' decks, particularly Celeste's "Yusei Deck" (I'd even rewatched all of 5Ds Season 1 for this occasion), and having the duel end with a clash between Hotaru's Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode, and Celeste's Stardust Warrior!

Speaking of which, even though it's an archetype that really does not work as well as it wants to in the real game, I have to admit, I'm kind of a sucker for the "Assault Mode" monsters, and their concept of transforming already powerful Synchro monsters into extra beefed-up Effect Monsters. So, I decided to have them be a part of Hotaru's deck; with whom I'm looking to expand upon the Assault Mode concept.

Hotaru's concept, having once been a Topsider in the Synchro Dimension, is something I've been itching to dig into ever since my first attempt at this series back in 2015, and so it was super satisfying to finally be able to break it in!

Lastly, I wanted to talk for a moment about Yurihime: even though she only got a minor part here, I have big plans for her in another series that I'm hoping will see the light of day soon: Without going into too much detail, a friend of mine, Azure Dragon of the East, is working on creating a college hentai series taking place 1 year later after this Season, where Yurihime will be among the main cast.

Next time… Well, honestly, I don't really know what exactly the next chapter will bring. Maybe that rainy day chapter? Either way, since there have been 3 duel chapters in a row now, I think next chapter will relax, and have a bit more yuri fun.

See you then!