I decided to shorten the time of the poll! The last date to vote will be on June 22, so hurry up!
You might have noticed the fanfic has a new cover. I was the one who drew Estelle in her Priestess Form. You can find the full-body artwork on my DeviantArt account.
I decided to skip the long part when Goodwin told Yusei about the Dark Signers and the darkness that's in the Satellite; it was supposedly to be at the end of this chapter, but I removed it.
The chapter begins in normal point of view.
Disclaimer: I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!
Chapter 20: Departure
Somewhere, in the shadows and below the surface of the Satellite, stood a table with three chairs around it and several candles burning on candlesticks. Three figures sat on the chairs, all of them wearing black cloaks, having purple glowing eyes and male body shapes.
A wind blew the light of the candles, but it wasn't strong enough to extinguish them.
"It appears our drone was cleansed by the Crimson Star Priestess", the Dark Signer with red marks on his hood spoke up.
"So, your web wasn't strong enough to hold back the little butterfly", the second Dark Signer with blue marks on his cloak chuckled. "Poor Yusei couldn't be a man and protect the Priestess; she had to do all the dirty work herself."
"Her sudden appearance has disturbed our plans", the third Dark Signer with yellow marks on the cloak pointed out. "What action should we take next?"
"We shall just wait for the right moment", the first Dark Signer replied. "We need to weave a much stronger web and make sure she cannot escape her fate."
"I can't wait to see the rest of the Signers' expressions when they find the Priestess's dead body!" the second Dark Signer laughed maliciously.
The third Dark Signer stayed quiet while playing with a certain card in his hand. The first Dark Signer just smirked at the thoughts of what his next actions to ambush Estelle would be.
XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV
Yusei and I deactivated our Duel Disk now when the Shadow Duel with the Shadow Drone was over. The Energy Ring had vanished straight after our victory, so we were free to go. I rushed straight to the fallen Shadow Drone and could confirm Trident Dragion's flames had burned the Shadow Drone's cloak into ashes. The innocent man was lying on the ground, weak and a bit burned by the real attacks. His clothes were tattered and burned as well. The glowing Spider Mark he had on his arm had also vanished.
Yusei didn't waste any time and ran over to the man and grabbed him by the collar, shaking him violently. "Wake up! Hey, you owe me some answers, got that?! Start talking!"
The man woke up by the shakings and looked around disoriented. "Start talking about what? Who are you? What am I doing here?"
"Stop fooling around and tell me what your Spider Mark has to do with the Satellite!" Yusei demanded.
"It's no use, Yusei", I turned to him while shaking my head. "His Mark is gone, and so is the evil darkness that corrupted him. The darkness erased his memories of the Shadow Duel."
I didn't get surprised when Carly showed up out of nowhere and joined us, but Yusei blinked his eyes confusedly at the new character.
"Hi, I'm Carly Carmine, and I was hoping you'd tell me what it's like to be the first amateur to take on Domino City's new champ", Carly introduced herself, her question mainly aimed at the tattered man.
"And why are you askin'?" Yusei raised an eyebrow.
"Oh… Well… 'Cause I'm a world-around reporter", Carly replied, obviously lying. "And this is gonna be my biggest story ever!" She picked up a voice recorder from her bag. "Now, perhaps you wouldn't mind answering a few things."
While that was going on, I picked up the former Shadow Drone's Duel Disk that got blown off his arm after Trident Dragion's attack and removed the Deck to check the cards. The cards the Shadow Drone used were still there.
I felt a cold run down my spine when I sensed a tiny hint of darkness. I glanced down and flinched lightly when I spotted a spider leaving the confused man's shirt before dissolving into the shadows. I looked down at the Deck in my hand and flinched back when a purple cloud of darkness emitted from it. I almost dropped the Deck, but I held myself back before returning my eyes at the Deck, seeing the Shadow Cards were gone.
I sensed Yusei was standing behind me, so I turned around and showed him the cards. "The Dark Tuner and Dark Synchro are gone, Yusei", I told him.
Yusei took the Deck out of my hand and went through it. "You're right. He's got none of the cards he used before."
Carly was busy interviewing the innocent man and I couldn't help but catch a few words he told her. "-Reminds me of something! I was down in the narrows waiting for a couple of Duel buddies when out of nowhere I felt something crawling on my back. It felt like some kind of spider stung me or something." He clutched his head as he started to grunt due to a headache.
"A spider?" Carly questioned, but stopped her questions when she saw the man was not feeling well.
Yusei put back the man's Deck in the Duel Disk and put it down on the ground when both of us moved our heads up when we heard the sirens of Sector Security vehicles echoing in the distance, but they were getting louder as if they were heading towards the parking garage.
"Who called Security?" Carly wondered.
"We better get out of here before they start asking questions", Yusei turned his eyes at me.
"Right", I nodded.
"B-But my interview…!" Carly whined like a child who didn't get the toy she wished for.
"We'll finish it later", Yusei told Carly.
With that said, he ran towards the open walls of the parking garage. I followed him, but my eyes widened in shock when I saw him jump down from the second floor. I reached the edge and let out a sigh in relief when I saw he didn't get hurt, but he was waiting for me.
"C'mon, Estelle! Jump!" Yusei called.
"It's the second floor, Yusei! I can't jump from this height!" I shouted to him while shaking like a leaf, fearing to break a bone.
"I'll catch you!" Yusei held out his arms. "Just hurry!"
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes before jumping up in the air and out of the parking garage. I could hear the wind in my ears as I fell towards the ground. I curled myself into a ball by instinct and waited for the crash. The pain I expected never came. Instead I heard Yusei grunt as I felt myself falling into a pair of arms. I opened my eyes and looked up, only to blush in embarrassment. Yusei's face was like ten centimeters from mine and he was holding me bridal style.
This was probably every Yusei-fangirl's dream.
"Thank you…", I mumbled shyly.
Yusei just gave me a soft smile before putting me down on my feet. But to my surprise, he grabbed my right hand and pulled me along as we dashed from the parking garage. I blushed even harder because Yusei had never done something like this before. It made my heart beat faster, but I made sure to swallow back my feelings for him. I was afraid my crush on Yusei would continue to develop and in the end become a love that could hurt me for many reasons.
XXXXXXXXXX
Yusei and I made it to the apartment building where the others were staying, but we snuck into the garage to hide for a while in case Sector Security was going to patrol the area and ask the residents for information about the underground Duel. We ended up sharing the couch as we leaned our heads against each other while sleeping in a sitting position.
A few hours later, we took the courage to walk up to Blister's apartment. Yusei removed his Duel Disk before we headed to the apartment, only to find Tanner in the main room who was by himself and checking something on a laptop.
Tanner looked up from the laptop when he saw we were back. "Hey. Where'd you two run off to last night? I was gettin' worried."
I went straight to the kitchenette and poured cold water into a water boiler to make some tea while Yusei told the former pro-Duelist. "There was a really strange guy outside and we followed him."
"What happened?" Tanner asked frantically as he stood up from the chair. "Did he challenge you to a Duel?"
"I chimed in to help Yusei, so it was a Tag Team Duel", I added as I turned around to face the men while I waited for the water to boil.
"You Tag Teamed against him?" Tanner raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah", Yusei nodded. "And he was being controlled by a group called the Dark Signers."
"Did you say 'Signers'?" Tanner questioned.
"He had a Mark", Yusei stated. "And it glowed like mine and Estelle's, but it was in the shape of a spider."
The water boiler started whistling to tell me the water was done. I clicked it off and picked up two cups from the cupboard and two tea bags. It was then I noticed something. "Where are Yanagi and the twins?"
"They went to buy some breakfast because we're short on supplies", Tanner replied. "They'll be back soon."
XXXXXXXXXX
Yusei spent the entire day by typing on the laptop to find clues and information about spider marks. He only left the laptop when he had to go to the bathroom or grab something to eat. Tanner found another laptop and helped Yusei with the searching while Yanagi, Leo, and Luna were a bit bored. I wasn't really that bored because I was busy writing a novel I came up with, but I was slowly running out of empty pages in the notebook. Leo complained several times that he wanted to Duel, but he didn't have his Deck with him. Luna would just sigh and shake her head and tell her brother to stop yelping like a Chihuahua.
The sun was starting to go down for the day and Yusei was still on the laptop, his eyes never losing concentration. Tanner fixed two cups of coffee and returned to the desk, placing one of them next to Yusei's laptop. "How's it goin'?" he asked.
"Not good", Yusei shook his head before grabbing the cup and sipped on the coffee. "My searches on spider symbols aren't turning up any solid leads."
"I know you'll find a way to save the Satellite, Yusei", Yanagi tried to encourage him.
"Count on it, Yanagi", Yusei nodded as he stood up from the chair. "But first I'm gonna have to get some answers."
I was writing on the other side of the large desk in the room before I stopped my hand that held the pencil from moving. I grabbed the right side of the notebook and shut the notebook before looking up. "You mean Goodwin?"
Yusei nodded to confirm my guess.
"But you can't trust him!" Yanagi exclaimed.
"Yeah, you forget he locked you two up?" Tanner agreed with the old man. "He's not your friend!"
"But he's the only one with answers", Yusei argued.
"Who?" Luna suddenly spoke up.
Leo and Luna had gone outside to look at some cards in a nearby shop they came across with earlier with Yanagi, and they just came back to hear our conversation. Both of them had concerned expressions and Leo was trying to comfort his sister by wrapping his arms around her shoulders and holding her left arm.
"You're leaving?" Luna questioned worriedly. "But it's not safe for you out there."
"Please don't go", Leo begged.
"I have to", Yusei told the twins. "The people in the Satellite are in danger and I have to try and help them somehow."
"Stay here! You'll be safer in the city!" Leo begged. "'Cause who knows what's out there, and what if it's true? What if some spider's gonna destroy all of the Satellite?!"
"He's right…", Luna nodded with tears in her eyes. "Don't leave. What if you get stuck and can't get back here ever again?"
"That won't happen", I said as I stood up from the chair, getting the twins' attention.
"What do you mean?" Leo questioned.
I walked over to the twins and kneeled down before hugging both of them, letting their chins rest on my shoulders. I rubbed their backs to comfort and assure them nothing would happen.
I pushed them back gently to look at them in the eye. "Because I'm going with Yusei. Remember what Yanagi told us about the Priestess? She was the mother figure for the Signers, so there's no way I'm letting Yusei go alone. That and I'm also worried about our friends in the Satellite."
"But what if you get hurt?" Luna asked as she grabbed my jacket.
I smiled softly before I patted Leo and Luna's heads. "Then we'll raise up again like the bird Phoenix reborn from its ashes. We're not that easy to break." I looked over my shoulder to glance at Yusei. "Right?"
Yusei nodded, "Don't worry about us. In fact, I already made some arrangements for some backup."
"You're getting a bodyguard?" Luna questioned.
It didn't take seconds when the sirens of Sector Security echoed from outside, making all of us turn our heads towards the windows. I straightened up and went to Blister's bedroom to grab my Duel Disk and satchel. I brought them out to the main room and put away my notebook and pencil as the others had gathered by the now open windows.
"Alright, Yusei, I got your message. Now, get your Deck and get down here! I'm not gonna wait just because we're teaming up temporarily! You understand me?!" Trudge's voice called from the outside through a megaphone.
"Trudge is your protection?" Tanner questioned.
"He's more", Yusei replied, surprising the others. "If he gets us to Goodwin safely, we just might have to call Trudge one of the good guys."
I put on the satchel and strapped the Duel Disk on my arm before walking over to the group. "We better go now before Trudge drags us out, Yusei." I turned to Tanner and Yanagi. "Promise me you'll look after the twins."
"Don't worry, we'll keep them safe", Tanner nodded.
"Just be careful, youngsters", Yanagi said, concerned.
Yusei and I nodded to the old man before I glanced down at the twins. Both of them had worried expressions. I gave them another soft smile before Yusei and I walked over to the front door and exited the apartment.
We took the elevator down to the ground floor and stepped out of the apartment building, getting a "warm" greeting from Sector Security. Trudge gave us an irritated look as he spotted Yusei.
"You've got a lot of nerve asking for my help, you Satellite reject", the Sector Security growled.
The officer was about to grab the collar of Yusei's jacket to give him a beating, but the young man caught his arm before a fight could break out.
"Good to see you too, Officer Trudge", Yusei replied calmly.
He let go of Trudge's arm and walked past him as if nothing had happened. I followed him to a Sector Security vehicle which he opened the back door, but he didn't get in. I blinked my eyes confusedly about the action, but when our eyes met each other I understood the hidden message. I got in first and moved over to the other side of the vehicle before Yusei got in and sat down before shutting the door. The window of the door was rolled down, so we could hear Trudge's ranting.
"Let's get something straight", Trudge said, frustrated. "You want my protection; you need to respect my authority." We both ignored him as he rushed to the window. "Hey, did you hear what I said?! If you keep ignoring me, Yusei, the deal's off, you got it?!"
"Let's get going", Yusei said simply.
The Security men got on their Duel Runners or vehicles and drove away from the Daimon Area. I looked over my shoulder and saw how Trudge drove on his Duel Runner behind us and he still had a scowl on his face.
"What is it with you and Trudge, Yusei?" I questioned out of curiosity. "He can't be that bitter because of what happened in the pipeline more than a month ago."
Yusei crossed his arms and closed his eyes before he started to speak. "I honestly don't know myself. He began picking on me around the time when Jack stole my first Duel Runner and left the Satellite. At first, he approached me and our friends as a regular visit controls. He was like a…worried father, I think."
That caught my attention. Trudge actually cared about Yusei like a father before?
"But when he caught the words of me trying to build another Duel Runner, he warned me several times there will be consequences", Yusei continued as he opened his eyes and looked out the window. "Weirdly, he left me alone until the day Rally found that acceleration chip. I never expected to see him again after several months, and now he's obsessed with me."
I turned my head to look out the window to hide a grin that slowly grew on my lips. Trudge had at one point taken a liking to Yusei and started viewing him as a son, but he hid that well by trying to act a bad cop. Oh, the irony. I had always suspected that was a similar case in the anime, especially in the last episodes when Trudge approached Yusei the evening before Team 5D's officially split up.
XXXXXXXXXX
Yusei and I were escorted to a room with a television, couch, and a desk to wait for further instructions, and wait for Goodwin who was currently presenting the movie "Atlas Rising: The Rise of Jack Atlas". The television was on, so we could watch the presentation live from the Party Hall where the even took place. We even got to see the moment when Angela Raines revealed to everyone in Japan that she had done her research and found out Jack wasn't born in New Domino City, but he was born in the Satellite. That caused an outbreak among the journalists and they started to flood Goodwin with many questions. The Director declined the questions and left the Party Hall.
Yusei said nothing, but he frowned and looked away from the screen. I had no idea what he was thinking, but I could sense he was conflicted with his feelings. At the same time, I could sense Jack's anger through the Mark and he was furious now that the truth of his birthplace was revealed.
We snapped our heads up when the door to the room opened, revealing Trudge and two other officers behind him. "Enjoying the film?" he asked with a mischievous grin.
"When can we talk to Goodwin?" Yusei questioned.
"Be patient, Yusei", Trudge replied. "The Director is a busy man. If you're bored, we can always pass the time with a Duel. What do you say? Are you game? Or are you afraid you might lose your title before your first endorsement deal comes through?"
"Hah! Now, that would be an interesting development", Lazar spoke up as he joined us. "Though, I seriously doubt our new champion would fall to a man of your character, Officer Trudge."
"Why you!" Trudge growled at the clown.
Lazar walked up to me and Yusei, bowing slightly. "Sorry to keep you waiting. The Director is ready to see you now." Yusei and I nodded to him before the clown turned to the officer. "Mr. Goodwin would like to thank you for escorting the champion and his female friend here. Now, we'd like you to go to the hospital and fetch Jack!"
Trudge grimaced, but saluted. "Whatever he needs, sir."
With that said, we split up into different groups. Trudge went on his own and Yusei and I followed Lazar to the garage where a limousine was waiting to drive us to the unknown destination.
XXXXXXXXXX
We were escorted to the unfinished Daedalus Bridge when the sun had gone down and the moon had taken over the sky. Goodwin joined us like two hours later and told Yusei the tale of the Daedalus Bridge, the Signers and the Dark Signers, the old Ener-D Reactor and the meltdown seventeen years ago, Negative Energy, the Army of Shadows, and everything that he mentioned in the dub anime. By the time he finished his tale, the sun had already come up to start a new day.
"What about Estelle?" Yusei questioned all of the sudden, getting my attention.
"What about her?" Goodwin asked.
"Did you suspect her to be related to the Signers ever since the beginning?" Yusei added. "Is that why you asked for her back at the Fortune Cup?"
Goodwin turned his eyes on me before nodding. "Yes. I could tell she's related to the Signers, considering the bonds she was able to create with you, Luna, and Akiza in such a short time." He gave me a tiny smirk. "Are you the one who I suspect you are?"
I hesitated for a moment, but I pulled up the sleeve of my tunic to reveal my Star Mark. "If you mean I'm the Crimson Star Priestess, then yes."
"Excellent", Goodwin nodded in delight. "With the Crimson Star Priestess, the Signers will have a higher chance to defeat the Army of Shadows. With her powers of creating miracles, not even the darkness can stop her."
"But the Shadow Drone warned us they want to destroy and banish Estelle to the Netherworld because she's a threat to the Dark Signers", Yusei added.
"That's why the Signers must protect her at all cost", Goodwin told him. "She will become the essential key to end the war with the Dark Signers. She is the solid connection to the Crimson Dragon. If she loses her life, well…" He looked away for a second. "The Crimson Dragon's powers will fade and the Dark Signers will be strong enough to destroy the world, even if the Signers try to intercept them."
I held back a gasp of shock in my throat. Was that true?
"Yes, it is, Little One", the Crimson Dragon spoke in my head. "That is why you need to be cautious with every move you will make from now on."
That really scared me now. I was once close to face my death back in my dimension. Now I had to be extra careful and not act so reckless. I felt like I had more responsibilities than the Signers because of my connection to the dragon God.
"What am I to do? Am I supposed to beat this Army of Shadows on my own?!" Yusei asked, frustrated. "Am I supposed to put the safety of all of my friends in my Deck?!"
Goodwin narrowed his eyes lightly before pointing at the horizon. "The people need a hero, Yusei! Be that hero! Defeat the Dark Signers or let them take over! The choice is yours. What's it going to be?"
Yusei calmed down and looked aside to think. I watched him carefully as his eyes shone with confusion. He then blinked his eyes, replacing the confusion with determination, and turned back to Goodwin. "I'll take these Signers on. But wait…" His eyes widened in realization. "You said there's five of us, didn't you? I'm only counting four Signers. Who's the fifth?"
"I'm still working on that, Yusei", Goodwin lied. "But I'm sure they'll show up. For now, let's get you back to the Satellite."
A chopper flew above us before it descended down to the bridge. It opened the cargo hatch to reveal Yusei's Duel Runner in the cargo hold. It looked extra shiny, as if they had polished it to make it shine like the red cape of the hero.
"Don't let the world down, Yusei, Estelle", Goodwin told us. "Now go and stop the Dark Signers. I will gather the other Signers in due time."
Yusei and I looked at each other, but I could tell the young man wanted me to stay. "You should go back to the others."
"No, I'm going with you", I shook my head.
"Estelle, you heard what Goodwin just told us. The Dark Signers wants you gone and if something happens to you-"
"Stop!" I said strictly and raised a point finger, stopping him from speaking. "I'm aware of the danger, but I'm also part of this war. I'm going with you whether you like it or not. Besides, your friends are also my friends and I'm worried about them just as much as you are."
Yusei eyed me with surprised eyes before a chuckle erupted from his lips. "I guess I can't hold you back."
I returned the smile with a soft giggle. "Nope."
The chopper lowered itself so the hatch rested on the bridge. Yusei got on it first before he held out his hand to me. I reached out and grabbed it before helped me up and led me to the cargo hold. Once we were inside, the cargo hatch reversed and trapped us inside the chopper. We could feel it flying away and headed towards the Satellite where the next battle would take place.