What's up guys! RobotFish here!
Ryuu: They know dude. You've said it like 20 times.
What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in Find My Way Back!
Ryuu: Well, I was. Until you put me on HIATUS!
Sorry Ryuu, but everyone wanted me to write this story. They didn't like yours as much...
Ryuu: But that was supposed to be my time to shine! Stupid romance, stupid fluff. Is this what we've come to?
...Pretty much.
Ryuu: ...I hate you.
Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh 5ds. If I did, then Ryuu would force me to make him a real character instead of just writing YuseixAkiza fluff.
IMPORTANT: The italics in the ending of last chapter was NOT actually me speaking. It was Crow praying about how hurt he was over Stephanie. Sorry for the confusion.
Chapter 21
They sat in the booth in the center of the WRGP stadium, waiting for their team to be called. They still had some time before their duel began, and everyone was trying to deal with their nerves.
Yusei stood by the window of the booth, staring out at the track, watching the current duel come to a close. He didn't speak a word, and the rest of the team knew he was deep in concentration and that nothing could break his focus.
Akiza sat shuffling through her deck, checking and rechecking her cards and her runner. They had been ready since two days prior, but it kept her mind off of the unbearable churning in her stomach. She had been confident before, but now, with the spotlights shining and tens of thousands of people watching, the doubts and fears were all rushing back.
Jack sat with his signature bored expression, having done this kind of thing many times before. Bruno was typing on a computer, collecting data on the current duel and making sure the system was in synch with Yusei, Akiza and Jack's runners. Leo and Luna were watching the mechanic work, pretending they understood half of what the blunet was talking about.
But no one was in lower spirits than Crow.
He sat in his cast with a distant expression on his face, trying not to feel anything. He knew it was probably going to end like this, but it had still brought with it a crushing weight of pain and rejection. He had tried to deal with it, tried to face his feelings and accept them like his friends had told him, but it was too much to bear. Instead, he chose to let his mind go blank and numb himself to everything that caused him to remember her...
She had arrived with Carly and Mina when they were in the lobby, waiting for clearance to enter the track. Everyone was wishing Yusei, Akiza and Jack good luck, and Crow had simply stood to the side, allowing his friends to gain a much needed confidence boost. And then she had caught his eye.
He was hoping that she wouldn't notice him, and if she did, would wait to talk to him until the match against Team Unicorn was over. But he would be granted no such wish, and she left the group and approached Crow slowly, almost like a deer making its way towards a strange new discovery.
He remembered every word of the conversation...
"Arm any better?" Stephanie had asked, wringing her hands and avoiding his gaze.
Crow shrugged. "A little. Still too bad to duel though," he replied.
They shared an awkward moment where neither spoke. Crow hated this, he hated what had become of them, hated how they were each scared of the other. He just wanted things to go back to how they were, when they could laugh and enjoy life together. But there was an inescapable rift between them now, and it made any possibility of happiness unreachable. Crow had to resist the overwhelming urge to run forward and wrap her in a tight hug. He wanted to kiss her until he passed out from lack of air, and he wanted to tell her that he loved her until he lost his voice.
But he did none of those things. Instead, he kept these feelings to himself, knowing that speaking them would only make things worse. She was still hurt and afraid over what happened between them, and who was he to ask for her love? Especially after he had treated her with such cruelty, not even considering that she might carry scars from the past, both emotional and physical.
She gave a forced smile. "Well...good luck...hope your friends do well," she muttered. Crow could tell she was trying not to cry.
He nodded, and she was about to turn to leave.
"I miss you," he said, causing her to freeze. "I miss you so badly, it hurts." He stepped towards her, looking into her empty eyes. He couldn't let her walk away again, not without knowing what was left between them, if anything.
She closed her eyes and looked down. "Crow...please don't do this," Stephanie begged.
Crow put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to flinch in surprise. He hated that she was afraid of his touch, and he felt his heart crack even further. "Steph..." he began. "I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry for what I did. And...I deserved every bit of what you said. I was cruel, I didn't even consider that you might be afraid..." he felt his eyes tear up.
"I..." he stuttered. "I still love you. And...I understand if you don't forgive me, but...if you did...I promise I can make things right again."
She made no movement, no attempt to speak after he had poured out his soul. This hurt...God it hurt so badly. He slumped down on the bench, hanging his head after facing the emotions he had locked away for the past few days. He didn't know how he was going to get through another minute of this.
He felt a hand run through his hair and looked up to find her standing over him, a sad expression on her face.
"I'm sorry too," Stephanie said. "I should have told you...and you didn't deserve what I said, you were hurting too..."
She let her hand fall to her side, and Crow stared at her intently. "So...do you still..." he trailed off.
Stephanie's hands began to tremble, and she slowly shook her head. "I don't know...I just...I don't know what I'm feeling right now," she whimpered. She closed her eyes again, holding back the tears that threatened to spill, and her voice was barely a whisper. "I...I do miss you..."
Crow stood up and made to hug her, but she stepped away again, and he realized what he had been fearing for what seemed like an eternity now. "Steph," he began.
"Please stop," she begged. "I...I can't keep doing this with you, Crow. We're no good together...all we've done is hurt each other," she said mournfully.
"I don't believe that!" Crow cried. "Steph, I know I love you! And I've never been happier than when I'm with you. Please...don't give up on me..."
She gave a sad smile. "I'm not Crow...I just don't think I'll ever be able to trust anyone again after...what I went through before..." She felt a single tear run down her face.
He wanted to kiss her so badly, to wipe away any of the grief that she was going through, to heal her wounds and make everything okay. She missed him...but that wasn't good enough. Crow knew that she didn't want to be with him, but he couldn't let go of the blind hope that she might still take him back. He wanted it more than anything, he would have crossed a thousand oceans if it meant having her back.
The loudspeaker sounded, and the announcer called Team 5ds to the observation booth. Crow looked at Stephanie, and he knew that it was time to go.
"So..." Crow said. "I'll see you later?" Maybe there was still hope.
She gave a sad smile. "I...I don't think so actually..."
He felt another sharp stab in his chest where his heart used to be, and he found himself reaching out to her as she walked away, his hope leaving with the woman that had broken his heart.
Crow was oblivious to the crowd and the duels and the runners. All he could think about was Stephanie as he sat.
And for the first time in a long time...
He felt no strength.
He saw no light.
He had no peace.
But he wouldn't stop.
He would love her even if she didn't love him.
He would keep her with him and never let go.
He would fight for her with all he had.
And he prayed with every bone in his body that someday...
One day...
It would be enough.
And that he would find love again.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, JACK ATLAS HAS BEEN DEFEATED BY ANDRE!"
The rest of Team 5ds watched in horror as Jack's lifepoints were drained to zero. Andre had tricked them, used a deck that counters attacks rather than overpowering them, and Jack had fallen for it completely. Now, they were at a major disadvantage with Andre at almost full power and only two riders left on their side.
But things got worse. One of Bruno's monitors started flashing, and a screeching of metal was heard on the track. A small explosion came from Jack's runner, and he skidded out of control, crashing and sliding across the solid pavement.
Everyone gasped. There had been a problem with the exhaust system after all, and Yusei and Bruno had missed in the engine design. Now, if Jack didn't make it back to the pit stop before his speed counters were depleted, Team 5ds would lose.
Akiza stared transfixed on her teammate as he pushed his runner with all his might, a thin line of blood trickling down his face. This was bad, this was really bad. Jack might not make it in time. And even if he did, how could she fare any better in a turbo duel? Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the railing, nervousness clouding her mind.
She was snapped out of her trance by Bruno. "Akiza, get ready on your runner! We have to be fast!"
Akiza pulled herself out of limbo and gave a short nod. She ran to the pit, where her runner had already been wheeled out by Yusei. She mounted it, placing her deck in the interface and powering up the runner's HUD. She started the engine and gave it a few revs to help warm it up, all the while feeling a corrosive fear eating its way through her intestines.
Team Unicorn's speed counters were now at 12, and Team 5ds would now lose counters for every lap Andre completed.
She looked back at the track to see Jack a good 100 meters behind. He was going to have to use every bit of his strength to make it. Akiza resisted the urge to vomit as she stared back at her duel runner, the roar of the crown crashing down upon her like a tidal wave.
A hand came to rest on her shoulder. "You'll do great," Yusei said.
"I..." Akiza stuttered. "I-I hope s-so..." Her voice was weak and shaky.
He gave her a warm smile, and Akiza forced a smile back. She had to be strong for him, for everyone...
"Here," Yusei said. "Take this." He held out a card to Akiza, and she stared at it, wondering what he was planning. "They'll never expect it. And if you want to truly see my world..."
She was confused as she reached out and took the card. She brought it up to examine it, and her breath caught when she recognized the image it held. No, this couldn't be...but it was. The silver wings, the cosmic eyes, the beast she had seen so many times before. Her fears subsided greatly as she held the object of power in her hands, and she felt fearless knowing that a part of Yusei would truly be with her in the ring.
It was Stardust Dragon, Yusei's ace monster.
She looked up into his eyes and felt a surge of deep gratitude towards the man she loved. "Yusei, I...are you sure?"
He nodded. "Akiza, you're the only one I trust with it. And I know you'll play it well."
Akiza nodded, determined to make Yusei proud of her, to see his world in the fullest and to do her part as a Signer. She looked up as the crowd gave a deafening roar and saw Jack only ten meters from the pit stop, pushing his runner with everything he had, determined to pass the torch to Akiza. Carly had broken through to the pits, and she now cheered Jack on, giving him the final morale boost he needed to reach the finish line.
But time was almost up. Their speed counters slipped to one as Andre crossed rounded the corner. One more lap spelled defeat for Team 5ds.
Akiza was shaking, from an invigorating mixture of nerves and excitement. All she felt was an overwhelming desire to ride. She needed to turbo duel, needed to face Andre, needed to release this pent up trepidation she had been feeling for the past three days. She was still afraid, but as she placed Stardust Dragon in her extra deck, she felt an even bigger wave of confidence wash over her. She was ready...
The crowd cheered as Jack crossed the finish line.
What happened next was a blur to Akiza. She felt Yusei slap the armband onto her, tell her to go, go, go, and she revved her engine, peeling out onto the track as she pushed her runner like never before. She accelerated straight ahead, and she almost blacked out from the inertia of her runner's thrust. As the dark spots from her vision faded, she saw the track flying by as she sped towards the first curve.
She looked to the left to find herself neck-to-neck with Andre. He shot her a smug grin as he revved his engine, trying to gain a lead. Akiza's eyes widened as she realized what was happening.
Akiza hadn't rounded the first corner yet, which meant that she wasn't officially tagged out for Jack. All Andre had to do was beat her there and drain her last speed counter, and Team Unicorn would win...
She wouldn't let that happen. A determined glare crossed her face, and she gave the engine more throttle as the two duelists raced towards the first curve. She heard the crowd roar as they saw how close it was going to be, and the everyone in the stands rose to their feet. She saw Andre's runner gain a slight lead, and she revved her engine and leaned lower, slipping ahead by an inch. They were halfway there, each trying to overtake the other...
Suddenly, Andre hit the throttle hard, and his runner lurched forward, putting him a good two meters in front of Akiza. The crowd gasped as they saw him take the lead, and the finish line was only a quarter track away. They came closer and closer, and she caught a glance of her teammates standing on the guard rails with fear in their eyes...
And Akiza smirked.
Because she knew that Andre had gone too early.
She hit the throttle hard, sending her runner into overdrive as Andre had done a moment ago. She sped ahead, coming closer and closer to Andre before barely pushing in front of him. The bright yellow starting line flew under them, and Akiza looked at the scoreboard...
And saw her face with 4000 life points next to it.
The crowd roared and Akiza pumped her fist in the air, invigorated at her victory. But that was only the beginning. Now she was facing Andre with one speed counter against his twelve. Akiza knew he was holding two speed spells, and all he had to do was activate Speed World 2 and sacrifice all of his speed counters, burning her with enough damage to send her lifepoints to zero...
But she suspected that he wouldn't. That would mean facing Yusei with zero speed counters, which was a guaranteed loss and a major disadvantage to the rest of Team Unicorn.
Andre growled as he realized he would have to duel her. "Make your move Akiza, if you dare!" he shouted.
She glared. "Gladly! I draw!"
(Akiza: 4000/2 Andre: 2700/12)
She surveyed her hand. In this situation, she didn't have to overextend and launch a major assault. All she needed to do was damage him, and then burn the rest of life points away. And she knew exactly how to do it...
"I summon Phonexian Seed!" The fiery seed materialized. "Now, by sacrificing Phonexian Seed, I can special summon Phonexian Cluster Amaryllis!" (ATK 2200). "Now, attack DD Unicorn Knight!"
Her monstrous plant reached forth and scorched Andre's beast, burning away his lifepoints.
(Akiza: 4000/2 Andre: 2300/12)
"Now," Akiza cried. "I activate Phonexian Cluster Amaryllis's special ability! It's destroyed after damage calculation, and you take another 800 points of damage!" Her plant exploded and Andre was hit yet again.
(Akiza: 4000/2 Andre: 1500/12)
The man cried out as he took hit after hit from Akiza. He hadn't expected her to be this good, but he wasn't worried. The stupid girl had left her field empty, and now he could attack her directly...
Akiza reached for her graveyard. "I set two cards and activate Phonexian Cluster Amaryllis! By removing a plant from my graveyard, I can special summon him to the field in defense mode!"
She removed Phonexian Seed, and the fiery plant sprung forth from her graveyard, ready to strike at Andre. The crowd roared as they saw Akiza in action, and Akiza even caught a glimpse of her parents as she sped by. Her heart swelled with pride, and she knew that they were proud of her.
Andre growled and reached for his deck. "Not bad, but too little too late! I draw!"
Akiza sat in shock and awe as she recovered from Andre's blows. He had effectively removed her Phonexian Cluster Amaryllis from play and summoned his Thunder Unicorn back to the field, launching a direct attack that was devastating to Akiza's lifepoints. Now, it was her turn, and she was desperately trying to figure out a way to win this turn.
(Akiza: 1800/4 Andre 1500/12)
She had to make a move now. If she didn't win right now, then Andre would defeat her. Even if she stopped his Thunder Unicorn from attacking next turn, he could use Speed World 2's effect and remove only a fraction of his speed counters to achieve the necessary damage. She felt her hand tremble as she reached towards her deck, and she silently prayed that she wouldn't let Yusei down.
"I draw!" she cried.
She surveyed her hand, not liking what she saw. She needed to use a little draw power...
"I activate Angel Baton! Now, I draw two cards and discard one!" She turned over two cards from her deck, and she once again surveyed her hand. She needed something big...wait! Her eyes moved from card to card, and she grinned when a combo began to form in her mind. That would work...it would work perfectly!
She discarded Glow-up Bulb and reached for another card. It all depended on this...
"I summon Witch of the Black Rose!" The ragdoll emerged on her field. "Now, I activate its ability. I reveal the top card of my deck, and if it's a monster, I can summon it!" She reached for her topdeck and slowly drew it out.
'Please deck, you've never failed me before. Please, give me the card I need...'
She turned it over and felt her heart leap. "I summon Rose Fairy!" The fairy sprang forth and took its place by Akiza's other monster. The crowd began to cheer, and everyone knew what was about to happen. The onlookers had seen the Fortune Cup, watched the rival duel at Duel Academy, and everyone in the stadium knew what 3 plus 4 equaled with a tuner and a non-tuner.
Akiza raised her hand. "I synchro summon...Black Rose Dragon!"
The beautiful beast emerged from the rings and flew alongside her runner. Black Rose Dragon (ATK 2400). Everyone cheered, invigorated at the miraculous summon, and they began to chant her name.
"AKIZA! AKIZA! AKIZA!"
She looked up, her confidence at a new high as the crowd cheered her on. This felt great...the wind, the rush, the applause, everything was even more intoxicating that Akiza had imagined. She knew now what Yusei felt when he rode, when he dueled, and she finally understood him on the deepest levels of his heart.
And it was about to get even better.
She activated her trap, summoning a level climb token which swapped levels with Black Rose Dragon. Then, she milled a card from her deck to summon Glow-up Bulb from the graveyard. The crowd watched in confusion as they realized Akiza was about to summon again. But she had never revealed any level 8 synchro monsters...what was she planning?
Akiza raised her hand to the sky as the monsters merged in a blinding light.
"I synchro summon..."
The beast emerged from the light, and everyone couldn't believe their eyes as Akiza now held two of the most powerful dragons in existence on her field at once. They flew side by side, twice as beautiful, twice as fearsome when they were together, much like her and Yusei...
Stardust Dragon (ATK 2500)
Andre's face paled as he surveyed her field. "No, that's impossible!" he cried. He calmed down a bit when he remembered his set card. She would attack, but it wouldn't be enough...
Akiza reached for her last set card. "I activate Windstorm of Etaqua! Now, all of your monster's battle positions are changed!" Thunder Unicorn brought its paws up to shield itself, and Andre was left confused. What was she doing? That would only protect him from any damage...unless...
His eyes widened. She had a plant in the graveyard. And there was a defense position monster on his field...
Akiza smirked. "You underestimated me Andre, and now you're going to pay the price! I activate Black Rose Dragon's special effect! By removing Glow-up Bulb from the graveyard, I can reduce your Thunder Unicorn's attack points to zero and force it into attack mode!"
Her dragon spit forth dark vines, and Andre's beast was ensnared, leaving it helpless in the face of Akiza's field. "NOOO!" cried Andre.
Akiza felt a surge in her heart, and she became determined to win like never before. "Black Rose Dragon, attack Thunder Unicorn!"
Black Rose Dragon blew violet flames at the beast, and it was incinerated by the hot scourge. Andre gave a final cry as his lifepoints were burned away, and his hand reached for a card on his field. "I activate Dimensional Balance! Now, your Black Rose Dragon is removed from play, and Thunder Unicorn is revived!"
Akiza cringed as her dragon disappeared and the four legged beast materialized again, but she felt her heart leap again as she looked up at the scoreboard and saw what she had wanted so badly.
(Akiza: 1800/4 Andre: 0/12)
She had won.
The crowd gave a roar and the announcer went crazy as Andre pulled into the pit. They began chanting once again, and Akiza enjoyed this mantra even more than the last.
"QUEEN OF QUEENS! QUEEN OF QUEENS! QUEEN OF QUEENS!"
She once again swelled with pride as she passed by her pit and saw the rest of Team 5ds wildly cheering and jumping around. Even Yusei, the as stoic as they came in the ring was pumping his fist in the air, shouting out praise to Akiza, and she felt a warm surge as she saw her friends and family cheering her on.
There were few better feelings than this. But even though winning felt great, she felt something even better. She finally understood every part of Yusei, and no one could ever take that away from her.
The rest of the duel was like clockwork for Team 5ds.
The next duelist to face Akiza was Breo, and he wasn't going to be as careless as Andre. Immediately, he activated Speed World 2 and sacrificed 8 counters to deal 1600 points of damage to Akiza, which would have taken away the rest of her lifepoints. Team 5ds paled as they realized that Yusei was going to have to face two duelists by himself, a feat that would be difficult for even the most experienced player.
But Akiza had a plan.
She knew she was about to be defeated after Andre had fallen, and she had made preparations to damage Breo as much as she could. She chained Ring of Destruction, a card that she had received in training from Crow, destroying Thunder Unicorn and dealing damage to each duelist equal to the monster's attack points.
(Akiza: 0/5 Breo: 1800/4)
Akiza had pulled into the pit saddened that she couldn't defeat Breo and leave Yusei with an even playing field, but he reassured her that everything was alright. She had taken out Andre, depleted over half of Breo's lifepoints, left Stardust Dragon on the field, and had made Team Unicorn waste 8 of their speed counters. This cheered Akiza up, especially when the crowd began to chant her title of Queen again. And when her dad started waving a giant banner that read 'Izinski' in big, bold letters. Embarrassing, but sweet.
Yusei took no time at all to close out the duel. Since it was Yusei's turn and Akiza had left Breo with an empty field, one direct attack from Stardust Dragon wiped the rest of his lifepoints away. It was a grueling duel between Yusei and Jean, but Yusei eventually managed to move into position and attack with his newly revealed Dragon Knight Draco-Equeste, winning the first round for Team 5ds.
There was excitement in the air as the team returned to Leo and Luna's, ready to celebrate their victory and get some much needed rest. However, Akiza had one thing to do before she called it a night...
Akiza found her in the parking lot walking away from the stadium. She hastily ran to catch up, calling out the girl's name.
"Stephanie! Wait!" Akiza cried.
The brunette turned in surprise to see Akiza stop in front of her. "Oh, hey Akiza. Awesome duel, I knew you could do it." The waitress forced a smile, trying not to reveal too much.
Akiza saw through it. "Thanks. Listen...I saw you talking to Crow earlier, and...I just want to know what happened between you two. I've never seen him so depressed before."
Stephanie looked away and hugged herself, embarrassed and hurt to know that Crow had been suffering because of her. She turned and started to walk away, but Akiza gripped her shoulder. She started in confusion at the turbo duelist, and Akiza spoke once again.
"Look, I know it's hard to talk about, I've been there. But it won't help to ignore it either," Akiza said as gently as she could. She wanted to help her, to help Crow, and she involuntarily flashed back to her dark time after Sayer's death.
Stephanie shook her head. "I don't know..."
Akiza looked around. The place would be crowded soon, and she gestured to her runner.
"Well...you want some ice cream or something?"
Akiza saw what looked like mournful sorrow flash in Stephanie's eyes before it vanished, and the brunette nodded weakly and stepped onto Akiza's runner.
Akiza sat in disbelief. She hadn't know about Stephanie's past, and everything made sense now.
They sat in an ice cream shop, Akiza listening as Stephanie spilled out everything that was wrong. Crow, her last boyfriend, the fight...everything. The claw Signer felt sympathy for her friend, and she the thought of what she had gone through was enough to chill Akiza to the bone.
Stephanie was on her fourth cup of Dutch Chocolate while Akiza sat picking at her half-eaten Strawberry Sherbet. She was surprised at how heartily Stephanie was eating considering her slim figure. Then again, ice cream was synonymous with heartbreak.
Akiza set down her ice cream. "I'm sorry about everything. I didn't know..."
Stephanie swallowed, her throat stinging from the tears that she had cried. "It...it's not your fault," she weakly replied. She shook her head and gave a sad laugh. "I've been so heartbroken lately. But I couldn't eat ice cream because it makes me think of him..."
Akiza nodded, remembering that her and Crow's first dates were in ice cream shops. The sweet paste held many memories for the couple, and they all came rushing back once Stephanie had taken her first bite. That was when she had bared her soul to Akiza.
The psychic took a deep breath. "Stephanie," she said. "I know it's tough for you, but please...try to give Crow another chance. No one's perfect, he just made a mistake because he was afraid. He didn't mean to hurt you."
Stephanie shook her head. "I can't...I just can't..."
Akiza leaned forward. "Was what he did that wrong? Is it really unforgivable, is it worth throwing him away?"
"No!" Stephanie cried. "You don't understand. It's not him...it's me..." Akiza recoiled in surprise, and Stephanie continued, tears welling up in her eyes. "I hurt him Akiza...because I was too selfish to forgive him...I didn't tell him what happened to me because I didn't want to feel weak and worthless..." She stifled a sob.
"Stephanie," Akiza gasped, knowing all too well what she was feeling.
"I can't be loved," the brunette sobbed. "I...I'm not good enough for anyone...I didn't want Crow to be with someone so...broken and pathetic..." She buried her face in her hands. "I didn't want to hurt him...I hate myself for that...and now he probably hates me too..."
Akiza felt her eyes water upon hearing this. Stephanie wasn't heartless...she was just scared and afraid like Crow had been. And she had let it out as anger, hurting her friends in the process. A situation Akiza had lived through. The redhead leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, ready to relive some hurt to help her friend.
"...Sayer," she said.
Stephanie looked up in confusion. "What?"
Akiza looked up. "He was the one I loved before Yusei. I thought he was my everything, my savior, but he was just using me for my powers. He made me feel like I was worthless without him, and I never thought I could love anyone again after he died..." She smiled. "And then Yusei showed me how to forgive, how to truly love people. And...I fell for him. I fell really hard. But I thought I would never be good enough for him, never be worthy or deserving of his love...
She felt a tear of happiness run down her cheek. "But he showed me otherwise. He showed me that no one is perfect, and that no one can be unworthy of love. He showed me that I wasn't worthless, that I didn't deserve to suffer for hurting him, and now I love him more than anything."
Stephanie was listening to her intently, and she was silent as Akiza stood up from the table. "You're not worthless Stephanie. And you're only unworthy of Crow's love if you think you are."
The waitress shook her head. "But...how can I just let everything go and pretend like I never hurt him?"
Akiza smiled. "Try telling him how you feel. The rest...is something that you have to figure out yourself."
She walked out of the parlor, leaving Stephanie alone. After a while, the waitress stood up and walked out of the door.
She knew what she had to do...
After I saw Akiza vs. Andre, I was like 'WTF Konami? Akiza could have won like three different ways!'
Anyways, be sure to review. It makes me happy :)
Sorry for not wrapping up the Crow/Stephanie issue. Next chapter will be short, and I promise you'll find out what happens!