Chapter 12

Author's Note: I'm really sorry this is late. I didn't mean for it to take so long, but work kept me busy all week. I am hoping that this situation won't happen again, but I have taken measures in case it does. I have created a Twitter account where I will post notices of delays as well as expected update days. Again, I'm sorry and I thank you for your patience. Now, on with the chapter.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's or anything related to it. I only own Rin.

"Welcome back to the Fortune Cup Finale, where the Master of Faster, Jack Atlas, already has a commanding lead. Can the Satellite Shooting Star, Yusei Fudo, catch up, or will this be his final lap? Let's watch and see!" The announcer declared.

Suddenly, Luna gasped and looked up at the sky. "What's that?!" she asked.

Everyone looked up and gasped as well. "I don't think the forecast called for scary purple clouds!" Leo exclaimed.

"It's a sign! The Crimson Dragon is coming!" Yanagi said, fear seeping into his voice. "And if he's coming, then we should all get going!"

"Take it easy, Gramps!" Tanner told him. "I mean, it's probably just some acid rain drifting in from the Satellite."

'I highly doubt it Tanner. After everything else that's happened these last two days, I think Gramps is right. And in that case, I fear for us all. Yusei and Jack had better finish this duel and fast!' Rin thought as she bit her lower lip nervously.

"It's my turn, Jack! First, I'll activate my trap: Descending Lost Star! So now, by powering down my Junk Warrior, I can then bring it back out to my field. Then I summon Hyper Synchron! (Lv. 4 ATK: 1600 DEF: 800) And now I tune Junk Warrior with my Hyper Synchron in order to Synchro Summon Stardust Dragon!"

"Oh my! This is amazing!" Yanagi said in awe, appearing to have already forgotten about his previous concerns.

"Yusei!" Leo and Dexter cheered.

"Here comes his ace," Rin whispered mostly to herself.

"Let's Rev It Up!"

"Welcome to the party, Stardust," Jack said smugly.

Luna groaned as her mark started glowing, grabbing everyone's attention. Rin wrapped a protective arm around Luna, concerned about what would happen next.

"My arms glowing!" Yusei exclaimed.

"This is the moment we've been waiting for, so get ready, because these two beasts are about to battle it out!" the announcer said. "Welcome back! And it's Dragon versus Dragon!"

"And now Hyper Synchron's special ability activates! You see, Jack, when it's part of a synchro summon, the new monster gets an extra 800 attack points! So now my Stardust Dragon's got 3300!"

"Well, then, I guess I'll play my trap card: Tuner Capture! This enables me to take control of the monster you used to make your synchro summon happen! What goes around comes around, Yusei!"

"Whoa! While Yusei's Hyper Synchron goes Benedict Arnold, Jack out-monsters him two to one!" the announcer stated.

"Well, then, Stardust Dragon! Why don't you even up the playing field!"

"Come on! That pathetic dragon's no match for me and my deck! I trigger the trap card Tuner's Mind! And this is just one example of why I'm The Master of Faster and you're a worthless wannabe! Now I can de-tune my dragon to double my defense!"

'With Twin-Sword Marauder out, Jack can just re-summon his dragon next turn. Yusei only has one course of action,' Rin thought.

"Stardust Dragon, attack Twin-Sword Marauder with Cosmic Flare!" However, Jack's Dark Tinker moved in front of Marauder, taking the blow and getting destroyed instead. "No way!"

"Surprise, surprise! You see, my trap forces you to attack my Dark Tinker! When are you gonna learn that you'll never be a match for me, Yusei? I'll beat you in front of the whole world just like I beat you way back in the Satellite!"

'Jack does know everyone in this stadium can hear him, right? That remark of his just gave away that he's from the Satellite!' Rin thought. Thankfully, everyone else in the stadium were too focused on the actual duel to care what side comments were said.

"Well, that was then and this is now! Go, Synchro Blast!

Yusei: 1900

Jack: 2300

"Thanks to that trap card, when any Synchro monster like my dragon attacks, you automatically lose 500 life points!"

"The difference between us is that I can afford it! Now I can draw another card."

"It won't help you, Jack."

"Oh, really, Yusei? I tune Hyper Synchron with Twin-Sword Marauder! In order to synchro summon Red Dragon Archfiend one more time! Let's kick this turbo duel into overdrive! And just like Hyper Synchron added 800 attack points to your dragon, now that it's helping me with my synchro summon, I get to reap the benefits of its power as well! And remember, after I win this, your Stardust Dragon is mine! Ready?"

'Everyone heard that, too, Jack,' Rin retorted in her head.

"Bring it!"

"Consider it brought!"

Yusei: 1400

Jack: 2300

"It looks like you forgot that since Hyper Synchron was used, neither dragon can be destroyed now."

"Good thing I got this, then: my trap Fiend Cannon! Now you lose 500 life points because I couldn't destroy your monster!"

Yusei: 900

Jack: 2300

"Yusie, no!" Leo exclaimed.

"This isn't good! Yusei better think of something, and fast," Tanner added.

"I couldn't agree with you more, Tanner, especially with those clouds circling around like that," Yanagi said, bring their attention skyward.

The dark, ominous clouds were circling in what liked like an upward vortex. Suddenly, crimson lightning cracked across the sky before striking the center of the arena.

"Here it comes!"

"The Crimson Dragon!"

"Sweet," Tanner said.

Yanagi gasped. "Th-th-th-th-th-this is bad!"

"Oh no! Yusei! Jack!" Rin cried out.

"I… I see it but I do not believe it!" the announcer stated in shock.

"The Crimson Dragon. It's huge!" Yanagi cried in horror.

Rin attention had been drawn elsewhere, however. "My arm. It's glowing again!" Luna told her.

"Crimson Dragon, welcome to my Arena!" Jack said arrogantly. "Now watch and witness how your future master rules this duel!"

"Jack! Be careful! The Crimson Dragon might rip this place apart and everyone in it!" Yusei tried to warn him.

"Don't tell me you're scared! I am a Signer, Yusei Fudo, and this is my destiny! Goodwin told me that the power of the Crimson Dragon will help me save this world!"

"Even if it gets Rin and everyone else here killed in the process!?" Yusei demanded.

Just then, Luna's mark began to glow brighter, causing her pain. The Crimson Dragon roared and whipped up a massive wind. Rin, who still had an arm around Luna, tightened her hold protectively.

"What's going on?!" Jack shouted.

"Ahhh!" Yusei grunted as the wind knocked around his runner.

Luna groaned in pain as she and Rin were engulfed in a bright, white light. Rin had closed her eyes from the intensity of the light. When she opened them, however, she was no longer in the Kaiba Dome. She and Luna were hovering inside a transparent red sphere, floating through a star-filled sky. Beside them was Akiza in a different sphere. Below them, Yusei and Jack were riding there runners along what seemed like an endless, glowing white road. Their dragons flew beside them.

"Where are we?" she heard Yusei ask.

"Beats me!" Jack answered.

"Oh! Where's the Stadium?! Oh! What's going on?!" Luna asked.

"I don't know!" Akiza told them. "Yusei!" Akiza cried out, when she noticed him below her.

"I'm not sure he can hear you, Aki. I don't think either of them can hear us," Rin told her.

At that moment, one of the stars overhead glowed crimson and a huge pyramid-like temple appeared before them.

"Look there!" Jack exclaimed.

"Rin, Akiza, I'm scared!" Luna told them as she grasped Rin's jacket tightly.

As they got closer, they could see a large crowd of people bowing before the structure, as if in prayer. Near the top, five figures stood with their arms stretched upwards towards the heavens. It was something else about them that really caught the attention of the five.

"Yusei! They look exactly like the People of the Stars!" Jack explained.

"What are they doing here?" Yusei asked. Then both he and Rin realized something. "Hey, Jack!"

"No Way!" Rin cried out.

"They're all Signers!" The both exclaimed at once.

"Like us!" Jack agreed. "Goodwin told me about these people. He said somehow we're all linked to the Crimson Dragon."

Once they passed the temple, they approached what looked like two cities. Rin's eyes widened in recognition. "That's New Domino City and the Satellite Sector!"

"Down there looks a lot like the Satellite, Jack!" Yusei said, confirming Rin's realization.

Suddenly, a wall of purple flame erupted from beneath the Satellite, destroying everything in its path. Luna gasped. "What's happening?!" she asked.

The walls of fire continued to expand until they eventually merged. "Luna, Rin, look there!" Akiza exclaimed. "Is that a giant spider surrounding New Domino City?"

"If that's New Domino, then the City must go through some pretty rough times," Rin told them both. "It looks like the spider is surrounding the Satellite."

"I can't believe this is happening!" Yusei exclaimed. "We have to stop it!"

"It can't be real!" Jack said in disbelief. "Perhaps it's the future."

"Well if that's the future, then we better stop this duel right now! We gotta get home!"

"We will. Once we finish this."

"What?" Yusei asked.

"Jack cannot be serious!" Rin exclaimed.

"Yusei, this is a duel. The Crimson Dragon won't let either of us go back until one of us wins!"

"Come on!" Yusei questioned.

"Don't you get it? Dueling brought us here, and dueling's gonna bring us back home. And whoever wins will show the Crimson Dragon they deserve the power to save the world! And I'm gonna be that person! I throw down two face downs!"

Yusei growled. "You're nuts!" he exclaimed as he drew a card.

"While I think Jack is letting power go to his head, he may be right about finishing the duel. I don't think we'll be able to get back until one of them wins," Rin commented.

"But if you want to keep dueling, then you'll get more than you bargained for, Jack! I just activated Silver Contrails! It gives 1000 more attack points to any wind monster on my field, and guess what my mighty beast is! Stardust Dragon, attack Red Dragon Archfiend, and take us home!"

Yusei: 900

Jack: 1800

Jack screamed out in pain as the attack hit. Causing the spectators to gasp in shock.

"Jack!" Rin cried out to her brother.

"Next I activate my trap card, Synchro Blast!"

Jack screamed again as he was hit with the cards effect.

Yusei: 900

Jack: 1300

"And you thought I had short memory. Since Hyper Synchron help summon both our dragons out, neither one can be destroyed in battle!"

"I'll throw down three face down's and end my turn."

"Here we go! I can't slay your dragon, but I can still take out your life points. Go, Red Dragon Archfiend, attack!"

This time, it was Yusei who cried out in pain as the damage from Jack's attack hit him.

Yusei: 400

Jack: 1300

"Yusei!" Luna cried out.

"He's really hurt!" Akiza exclaimed. "It's just like when I duel people!"

"What was that?! I could feel his attack!"

"That's right, Yusei. This duel is winner take all!"

"Jack! The damage we take in this duel is real!"

"That's right, pal, and now you'll see what it's like to duel with more than just your life points on the line."

"I don't know if that's true, but if it is, then I plan on defending myself and taking you down! I activate my trap Crossline Counter! Now if I take battle damage during your turn, I double it and add it as attack points. Plus, now my dragon gets to attack you!"

"Heh. Well? Whaddya waitin' for?!"

"Stardust Dragon, let's not keep him waiting any longer!"

Jack once again cried out as his life points dropped further.

Yusei: 400

Jack: 800

"Jack?!" Yusei asked, concerned.

"Don't worry about me! In fact, you should be a lot more concerned with yourself! I activate the speed spell Overboost! So now I get 4 extra speed counters this round, nearly maxing me out!"

"With that kind of power, there's no telling what he'll play next."

"That's right! So get ready for me to call on one of my favorites! Now, from my hand, I activate the speed spell, End of the Storm. And with the power of this card, Yusei, I can now put you in your place…and since first place is going to be all mine, I guess that you'll have to settle for second!"

"I'm not settling for anything, Jack! And that's because Stardust Dragon's ability can counter your End of Storm!"

"Perhaps, but at what cost? Just look! That counter only works if you sacrifice stardust, and with him gone, you're wide open! Making this the perfect time for my favorite trap: The Sneak Exploder! So during your next standby phase, you lose 500 life points for every monster on my field. And since I've got one, that means your life points don't stand a chance!"

"Oh, no! That trap will finish Yusei off, and next round he'll lose!" Luna exclaimed.

"Then I better keep this round going! So I activate Stardust Dragon's special ability and bring him back to the field. And then I'll activate Meteor Stream! Stardust Dragon, end this now!"

"Just what I was waiting for!"

"Huh?"

"There's a reason I'm the champ! Jack Atlas is destined for great things, while you're just destined for defeat! This adventure's over. I play Crimson Fire! Not only does it block you thousand-point trap, but it boomerangs it right back to you, at double the damage! Goodbye, Yusei!"

"Watch out!" the three girls screamed.

"Sorry Jack, but I play my trap: Shining Silver Force! Which douses your come back and destroys all the spells and traps on your field!"

"You're still as annoying as ever!"

"I never was one to give up, and with your speed counters about to run out of gas, I don't plan on starting anytime soon! How's the new view?" Yusei asked as Jack fell behind. "See ya, Jack! Time to get us home! I play my trap Final Attack! (A/N: It's actually a speed spell. I blame crappy translations.) And since I have 8 speed counters, the attack points of my Stardust Dragon are doubled!"

"5000?! It's too powerful!"

"I don't want to hurt you, Jack, but if ending the duel is the only way home, then I gotta attack! Stardust Dragon, take out his life points!"

Rin covered her ears and closed her eyes as Jack screamed in pain, his remaining life points dropping to zero.

Yusei: 400 – Winner

Jack: 0000

Like before, they were engulfed in light. However, Rin did not immediately return to the Arena. She found herself floating in an endless sea of white, accompanied by none other than Magician's Valkyria.

"Valkyria? What's going on? Where are we?" she asked.

"We are in the space between worlds. And I must you, milady. The vision of the spider that you witnessed was sign, an omen of what is to come. Very soon, you shall face a darkness the likes of which you've never known before. If the darkness prevails, the whole of both worlds, yours and mine, will be destroyed," the mage explained.

"I will not lie to you. This is a great evil, and facing it will put you and your friends in grave danger. However, I believe that united, you can defeat this evil and save us all."

"I understand, but what does this evil look like? When will it come?" Rin inquired.

"The darkness takes many forms, but you will know it when you see it," Valkyria told her as she began to fade. "As for when, never let you guard down. I do not know the exact time Perhaps in a week, perhaps tomorrow, but you must always be wary. I wish you good luck."

In another blinding light, Rin found herself back in the stadium. It was as if no time had passed while she was in the other world. Just then, Jack was thrown from his runner as it crashed. Yusei skidded to a stop some distance away.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we seem to be experiencing some technical difficulties at this moment. Your patience is appreciated as we try to sort this matter out," the announcer said sheepishly.

"What just happened?!" Tanner shouted.

"First, they were dueling, then they disappeared, now their back and their dragons are gone!" Yanagi exclaimed in a panic.

"Ohh! Look there!" Leo shouted while pointing at the score board. "Check out Jack's life points!"

"Is that the right score?" Dexter asked.

"Yusei won," Rin stated.

"He's the champion now," Luna added.

"Huh?" Yanagi and Leo gaped at them.

'Oh, Jack…' Rin thought as she watched Yusei run to his side.

"Are you ok?!" he asked.

"You beat me. I don't know how you did it, Yusei, but you're the champ now," Jack mumbled painfully.

"If that vision was true, none of this matters, because it looks like we all might lose. We're in danger and our cities might be destroyed. And we have to unite to stop it from happening."

"You always wanted to be a hero. Now here's your chance," Jack uttered before he lost consciousness.

"Has anyone heard from the director?!" the announcer asked in a panic. His tone changed suddenly though. "It's over! Yusei is our Winner! From the refuge of refuse he rose, from the slums of Satellite, he now reigns supreme. I proudly present New Domino City's newest Hero: Yusei Fudo!"

Rin frowned. 'Yeah, but for how long. If Valkyria is right, our next challenge is right around the corner. And it'll be the most dangerous thing we've faced yet.'