Chapter 21: Mother Knows Best
Zora pauses sweeping the walk outside the front of her building with a gusty sigh.
Yusei, Skylara, Jack, Crow, Bruno, Akiza, and the twins approach her. Skylara is holding Chibi Chibi in her arms, who's licking a lollipop. The rest of them are carrying a metal part or two, which perhaps indicates that they're on their way back from shopping or scrounging for duel runners. "Hey. What's wrong, Zora? You seem a bit upset." Crow asks. "Mind your business!" Says Zora. "You do seem a bit down." Yusei says. As usual, Zora smiles and simpers when speaking to him. Crow glares at Yusei, infuriated. "Ohh, Yusei, thank you for inquiring. The truth is I am down. At the town meeting it was decided that my beloved clock must be replaced." Says Zora. She turns and looks up at the clock on the front of the building, which has, for as long as they have known it, been stopped at 5:32 or so. "It has been broken for some time." Crow says. "Butt out, you punk!" Says Zora. Crow cringes. "Well, that is a shame." Skylara says. "It really is." Says Zora, melancholic. "Uhh, could someone tell me why Zora's picking on me here?" Crow asks. "Ohh, it's just that my youngest son Linden is coming to town." Says Zora. She suddenly goes into a rapid mood shift. "And he and I are fighting! So, I'm practicing!" Zora says, shouting in Crow's face. "Aw man, there's nothing quite like a mother's love!" Says Crow. The rest of the group laughs. Zora's mood lightens up when she notices Chibi Chibi, who's still licking at her lollipop. "Would you mind if I held her?" Zora asks. Skylara hands Chibi Chibi over to her, who takes her and holds her in her arms. "She's such a delightful child. I take it there's still no sign of her parents?" Asks Zora. "No, not yet." Skylara says. "Oh, such a shame. I don't understand how someone can lose such a sweet and innocent little girl like her." Says Zora. She places Chibi Chibi down on the ground. Chibi Chibi then runs over to Jack and Skylara. "Dada. Mama." Chibi Chibi says, cutely. She stops to stand before Jack and Skylara, and soon goes back to licking her lollipop.
Sometime later. The clock on Zora's building still reads 5:32.
Inside, work on Skylara and the guys' runners is well underway. Bruno's computer screen shows a series of bar graphs, line graphs, pie charts, lists of data, and runner schematics. He's sitting next to Yusei on a small folding stool, with the desktop computer monitor and keyboard propped up on a box, and the CPU right beside it. Yusei's sitting on his runner, and to his right, Skylara is sitting astride her runner, as well. Jack, to Skylara's right, is sitting on his runner, too. And Crow, on Bruno's left, is also on his runner. Akiza and the twins are watching from behind the test runner, to Jack's right. Chibi Chibi is playing with some building blocks on the floor, sitting between Jack and Skylara's runners. Bruno types a bit. "All righty. How does the balance look now, Yusei?" Asks Bruno. "Well..." Yusei says.
"Looks good to me."
"All right, then can ya fix up mine, next?" Asks Crow, addressing Bruno.
"Huh, what's to fix up? Your duel runner looks totally awesome as-is!"
"Thanks!" Crow says.
"And that goes double for Jack's duel ride!"
"Got that right! The master of faster maintains his machine at all times!" Says Jack.
"And it shows. The girl's runner is just as magnificent as she is herself. In fact, I'm super-impressed with all of you. You're even cooler than I thought you'd be! And the girl's even more pretty than I heard she was, words aren't enough to justify just how beautiful you are!"
"Such kind words. However, I just have one question. Who is the one saying them?" Skylara asks.
"Me!"
"Huh?" Asks Akiza, Leo and Luna. Everyone looks.
Standing in the wide-open garage doorway is a guy about the same age as most of them or a bit younger, in jeans, sneakers, a bright orange jacket, with rolled-up sleeves, over a bright green T-shirt, and that over a lavender, button-up shirt, with long, bushy blond hair under a bright red bandanna.
"Who are you?" The Signers, Leo and Bruno all ask. "Chibi?" Asks Chibi Chibi. She gets up and runs over to Skylara, reaching up to her. "Mama." Chibi Chibi says. Skylara looks down at her and picks her up, holding her in her arms.
"Who am I? C'mon, guys, we're practically family! Hehheh, 'who am I', they ask..."
"Whaddaya think?" Asks Crow, aside to Bruno. "Could be a spy, sent by one of the other duel teams." Bruno says, aside to Crow. "Or maybe he's even a duel-bot. You know, like a new, goofy kind of model." Says Jack.
The stranger sheepishly runs a hand through his bushy hair, confused. "I dunno what you're talking about, but, I do know I love what you've done with my room."
"Your room? How is this your room?" Yusei asks.
"Because I used to live here! Hi, I'm Zora's son Lyndon! She musta told you I was comin'! We-e-ell, here I am! Where should I put my stuff?"
"Wait, so he's staying with us?!" Asks Crow.
"Yeah, and I am so super stoked! We are gonna have the best time ever gettin' to know each other over this month!" Lyndon says.
"Over this month? So, that's why Zora's on bad terms with this kid, he's a freeloader. Oh well, Skylara and I already share a room. So, I'm sure Crow's got space in his room." Says Jack. "That seems reasonable." Skylara says. "Chibi." Says Chibi Chibi, as if in agreement. "Yup." Yusei says. "Done deal." Says Bruno. Crow whimpers, comically.
"Nah, that's not why we're fighting. Mom's mad because I wanna be a pro duelist." Lyndon says.
"I don't understand, why would she be mad about that?" Asks Yusei.
"'Cause, she's always wanted me to follow in my father's footsteps, and become a boring ol' clocksmith!" Lyndon says.
Flashback. "It all started when the town clock mysteriously, broke down one day." Says Lyndon, in voice-over. A younger Lyndon is up in the small room that houses the clock gears, leaning over the rail to see them. "My mom insisted that I go up there and fix it, so that's exactly what I tried to do. But, it was tough going." Lyndon says, in voice-over.
Zora is waiting below, watching the clock on the front of the building with a few other townspeople, they hear a crunching noise and gasp, that doesn't sound good! "No matter what I tried, things stayed completely cuckoo." Says Lyndon, in voice-over.
Change flashback. Lyndon stands in the doorway, wearily.
Zora is leaning on the table with both arms, her back to him. "If you didn't waste all your time dueling and were more like your father, the town clock would be working!" Zora says, tensely and angrily.
Lyndon was just as angry at being scolded, arms tensed into fists at his sides, eyes squeezed shut. "Dueling is not a waste of time, it's the best! If you only saw my duel deck, maybe then you'd understand!" Says Lyndon.
Zora turns away from the picture frame on the table. "I have seen your duel deck!" Zora says, incensed. The picture behind her shows a family of three, Lyndon as a kid, maybe five years old, herself back when her hair was dark brown, smiling and laughing, and Lyndon's father Reginald, a cheerful-looking bearded man, lifting Lyndon on his shoulders to cheer to the bright blue sky. "And I do understand, I have since you were a boy!" Says Zora, incensed. The flashback ends.
Back to the present. Lyndon is sitting on a chair telling his story, with everyone else standing around him. "Wow, so this fight's been goin' on for a while." Crow says. "Must be tough." Says Jack. Lyndon looks down sadly, fidgeting his shoulders. "Yeah. I miss being close with my mom." Lyndon says. "I'm sure she misses being close, too. Why not patch things up?" Asks Akiza. Lyndon perks up, immediately, and the goofy grin is back. "Funny you should say that, 'cause that's exactly the reason that I'm here! To make good with my mom, and get our lives back on track! And how do I plan to do that, y'ask? Well, I'll tell ya! I took a clock repair class not too long ago, and I plan to finally fix that old clock!" Lyndon says. "Well, then, you'd better get a move on. The town's planning to replace that ticker with a brand new one." Says Jack. "They're tearing my mom's clock down?" Lyndon asks. "I'm afraid so, Lyndon. Apparently, they just had a meeting, and it was decided." Says Skylara. "Well, that's that." Lyndon says. "It doesn't have to be." Says Crow. "Right. That is, unless you're really not serious 'bout making up with your mother and being close again." Akiza says. "Yeah." Says everyone else. "Chibi." Chibi Chibi says, smiling. Lyndon jumps up and grabs both of Akiza's hands, surprising her a bit. "You're right! This is my chance to be a big-time hero!" Says Lyndon. Skylara grabs him by the shoulder and pulls him back to the center of the group. "Easy, Lyndon. You still have a lot to prove." Skylara says. "If you're provin' anything ya better hurry, word is that they're tearing that clock down today." Says Crow. "Whoa, they move pretty fast! Well, I better go!" Lyndon says. He sprints for the door.
"Hold on! You're not goin' anywhere like that." Says Akiza.
"I'm not?" Lyndon asks.
"Not if you wanna impress your mom, you're not." Says Akiza. "It is time for a tune-up." Skylara says.
A little bit later. Lyndon is trying to tie his dark green tie, nervously. He's now wearing a snappy black business suit. "Okay, the rabbit goes in the hole an' around the tree, an'..." Says Lyndon.
Jack grabs him by the front of his suit, aggravated. "Enough already, that's your tenth try, I'll do it, gimme that!" Jack says. He pulls on the tie, strangling him.
Skylara and Akiza separate them. "Stop it." Says Skylara. "It's his first suit!" Akiza says, snapping at Jack. Skylara moves Jack off to the side, while Akiza gently ties the tie. "Here we go, how's that?" Asks Akiza.
Yusei and Crow have also been watching, elsewhere in the room. "Not too shabby." Yusei says.
"Psychic dueling and neckties, my two specialties." Says Akiza. She smiles at the necktie, cheerfully, and straightens up. "Mm. All set." Akiza says.
"Great, then take a deep breath." Says Crow.
Lyndon does, looking terrified.
"'Cause it's time to make up with your mom!" Crow says.
Lyndon's soon standing before the front of the building in his snazzy suit. "Ohh, I hope this works." Says Lyndon. He approaches the door.
Jack and Crow peek out from around the side. "It will! Go!" Crow says.
The front door opens, the bell attached rattles, and Zora looks up from a desk surrounded by many different makes of clocks. "Can I help you?" Asks Zora. She blinks, surprised, and gasps aloud, standing. "Ahh! Lyndon!" Zora says.
"Hey. What's happenin', Mom? Don't look so surprised. I, I toldja I was coming." Says Lyndon, nervously.
"Not all dressed up." Zora says.
"Aw, well, this is the new me. Look, Mom. I know we've had our share of troubles and all, but..." Says Lyndon, awkwardly.
"But what?" Zora asks.
"Heheh, whaddaya say we just put all that behind us, okay? That's right, Mom! Your little Lyndon's all grown up! Gone is the stubborn, back-talking kid you knew. I finally took your advice, I took a break from dueling and went to clock repair school! So, you can quit all your nagging!"
Meanwhile, the Signers, Leo and Bruno have been watching from the window. "Ooh! 'Nagging'?! Zora's not gonna like that!" Says Jack.
As he predicted, Zora picks up the wooden chair she was sitting in and raises it over her head. "You think me telling you to go to clock repair school was nagging?! How dare you!" Zora says.
Lyndon yells, runs out the door and ducks to the ground, the chair smashes on the sidewalk outside behind him.
Zora stands over Lyndon outside the shop, while the Signers watch from behind her. "You haven't changed since the day you broke the town clock!" Says Zora. "Huh?" Everyone else asks. "Wait, who broke the clock? You?!" Asks Crow. "Well... sort of..." Lyndon says.
Flashback. Back to Lyndon up in the clock tower, he pulls down on a heavy lever to the side several times, winding the big clock. "See, back when I was a kid, one of my chores was to make sure the clock was always wound. It was back-breaking work! So, one day I got to thinking, maybe with a few little adjustments, I could get the clock to run more efficiently! So, I started tinkering..." Says Lyndon, in voice-over. "Let's try this!" Lyndon says. He puts a blunt metal chisel to the center of the stopped gear in the center, and hammers once. It clatters and starts spinning. "Yeah! Huh?" Asks Lyndon. He notices another stopped gear. "And then tinkering more... and then tinkering more, and more, and more, until pretty soon I was tinkering everything in sight! Only, I wasn't really tinkering anymore, I was hammering! And hammering hard!" Lyndon says, in voice-over.
Zora and the townspeople listen from below, and exclaim as the clock makes a loud, ominous 'sproing' sound, and the doors that reveal the little figures in the front of it swing closed. "I couldn't help myself, I just kept banging and banging and banging until…!" Says Lyndon, in voice-over. The flashback ends.
Back to the present. "Until my beloved clock was banged into oblivion! You hammer-heavy harebrain!" Zora says. "But... I'm here to fix it, Mom..." Says Lyndon. "Lyndon, you're my son and I love you, but get outta here! You don't fix things, you put people in fixes! Now go!" Zora says. Lyndon looks about ready to break down in tears, wide-eyed and hurt. Then it gets covered up with anger. "Fine, then, I'm gone!" Says Lyndon. He stands up, and starts all but running away.
Crow starts to run a few steps after him. "Wait, Lyndon! Ugh, hold up!" Crow says.
Lyndon turns back.
"Don't go. Your mom's just upset, let's all just take a few minutes to cool down..." Says Crow.
"I don't wanna cool down! I just want outta here! She doesn't care about me, she just cares about her..." Lyndon says.
"Come on, you know that's just not true, Lyndon." Says Crow.
"All I know is that my mom doesn't care about my dreams! Not one bit!" Lyndon says.
"Huh?" Says Crow.
"That's why I want outta here! And for good!" Lyndon says.
"Okay, you wanna go and I want ya to stay! So, that leaves one option!" Says Crow.
"Huh? It does?" Lyndon asks.
"Yeah, and as a pro duelist in training, I have a hunch you'll like it! You and I are gonna duel, and if I win you give your mom another chance! On the other hand, if you win, you go on your way! I won't try and stop you, you can take off and never come back for all I care!" Says Crow.
Zora frowns.
"Fine." Lyndon says.
"Ah?" Asks Zora, surprised.
"You got yourself a deal. Now, let's get it on!" Lyndon says.
"Wow. Crow must really want Lyndon and Zora to patch things up, huh?" Asks Jack, aside to Skylara and Yusei. "Yeah." Yusei says, aside to him and Skylara. "However, the question is, will one duel actually do the trick?" Asks Skylara, aside to him and Jack.
Crow and Lyndon, who's back in his regular clothes, soon square off on the plaza sidewalk outside Zora's building.
"Let's do this. You go first." Crow says.
"Aw, with pleasure! Draw! Alrighty, I summon to the field Monster Clock!" Says Lyndon. Monster Clock has zero attack points and is a level 1 monster.
"But, that monster has zero attack points! What're you up to?" Crow asks.
"Nothing! I end my turn!" Says Lyndon.
"Then it's my move! And with it, I summon Blackwing-Fane the Steel Chain!" Crow says. Blackwing-Fane the Steel Chain has 500 attack points, 800 defense points and is a level 2 monster.
"Ohh, what a scary monster! Be careful, son!" Says Zora.
"Embarrassing." Lyndon thinks to himself.
"Lyndon, it sure sounded like your mom cared about ya right then, don'tcha think?" Crow asks.
"If she cared about me, she'd let me live the life I want!" Says Lyndon.
"Lyndon, I know you've been mad with your mom a long time. But when you're mad, you can't always see things clearly! But, maybe by the time our little duel is over, that won't be the case anymore. Speakin' of our duel, since Blackwing-Steel Chain is on my field, I can now summon this card from my hand, Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind!" Crow says. Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind has 1300 attack points and is a level 3 monster. "Go, Blackwing-Whirlwind! Attack!" Says Crow.
"Not so fast! I play Monster Clock's special ability! You've heard the old saying that 'time's on your side', right? Well, not this time around!" Lyndon says.
Monster Clock flicks out a big, sloppy pink tongue, and grabs Whirlwind like a frog catching a fly, sucks it into its gullet, and then pops its tongue back out again as a little spring, with Gale the Whirlwind as the little cuckoo bird on the end of it.
"My Blackwing?!" Asks Crow.
"Huhuh! Now, Monster Clock gains attack points equal to the attack points of the monster it just swallowed! And that means, my rough-and-tumble timepiece's attack points tick up higher than your Blackwing-Steel Chain's attack points!" Lyndon says.
"Doesn' matter! With Steel Chain's special ability, I can still wage a direct attack! So, let 'im have it, Blackwing!" Says Crow.
Lyndon takes the direct hit, to Zora's reaction of concern, and is down to 3500 lifepoints.
"It's your move, Lyndon! And everyone's watching!" Crow says.
Especially Zora.
"Everyone's watching, Lyndon! If you really wanna run away from home and never come back, ya better make this turn count!" Says Crow. His lifepoints stand at 4000.
Lyndon's at 3500. "You better believe I will! Watch n' learn! It's my draw! Alright, first I'm summoning Clock Knight Number Twelve to the field!" Lyndon says. Clock Knight Number Twelve has 1200 attack points and is a level 4 monster. "Then, from my hand, I activate the spell card 'Clockwork'! With this card, I'm allowed to summon out a monster whose level is lower than the Clock Knight on my field! So here goes, I'm summoning Clock Knight Number Three!" Says Lyndon. Clock Knight Number Three has 300 attack points and is a level 1 monster. "I know, I know, 'what's with the Clock Knights'. Well, they have an ability that lets me flip a coin, and if it lands on heads, then they'll gain twelve hundred attack points until the turn's end phase!" Lyndon says.
"Twelve hundred?" Asks Crow.
"But the best part is, that since there are two of them out at the same time, if either of my coin flips lands in a way that I don't want, I'm allowed to toss a do-over!" Lyndon says.
"A do-over?!" Asks Crow.
"So, he's got two chances to power up?" Jack asks. "Yeah, and two redo's if things don't go his way on the first go-around." Says Yusei. "I'm no mathematician, but I'm pretty sure that means the odds of those Clock Knights getting a whole lot stronger are good." Akiza says.
"Yep, but bad for Crow! Now, let's get flipping! Heads'll be the sun!" Says Lyndon. The two Clock Knights flip a coin. Lyndon does a little dance. "C'mon, sun! Let's go, sun!" Lyndon says. One of the Clock Knights catches the coin on its wrist, and reveals it… "Aww! It's the moon! No prob! Thanks to Clock Knight Number Three being out on the field, I'm allowed to just flip again!" Says Lyndon. Clock Knight Number Three flips a second coin. "C'mon, now, sun!" Lyndon says. The second coin flip is revealed. "Yeah! Sunny side up! Now, my Clock Knight Number Twelve's attack points increase by a bell-ringing twelve hundred!" Says Lyndon. That gives it 2400 attack points.
The spectators gasp.
"And next up, is Clock Knight Number Three! So, whaddaya say we get right to it and flip out!" Lyndon says.
"Rrghh!" Crow growls under his breath.
"Let's go, sun! Let's go, sun!" Says Lyndon. Coin flip, and it's the sun on the first flip. "Hoo-hooray! Day breaks again! And you know what that means, twelve hundred extra attack points!" Lyndon says. That gives Clock Knight Number Three 1500. "And now to put those attack points to use! Clock Knight Number Twelve, attack Steel Chain!" Says Lyndon.
Fane the Steel Chain is destroyed, and Crow's lifepoints plummet to 2100.
"I'm not done! Now, it's Clock Knight Number Three's turn to wage battle! And since there's no monsters on the field, guess he'll be battling you!" Lyndon says.
"Not quite! I'm summoning out, Blackwing-Ghibli the Searing Wind in defense mode! Ya see, if Ghibli's in my hand and I'm attacked directly, his ability lets 'im come to my aid!" Says Crow. Blackwing-Ghibli the Searing Wind has 1600 attack points and is a level 3 monster.
"Oh, no, clock-wing! Abort, abort! Even with your power up, you don't have enough points to win that battle! Let's just end this turn while we're ahead!" Lyndon says.
"You call this being ahead, Lyndon? You're losing! But, this duel should be the least of your concerns! I only hope that you can see what I see before it's too late! It's my draw now." Says Crow. He glances at his card. "'Mirror Force', perfect. This destroys all monsters in attack mode!" Crow thinks to himself. "I place one card face down! And then, I'll summon out Blackwing-Blizzard the Far North!" Crow says. Blackwing-Blizzard the Far North has 1300 attack points and is a level 2 monster. "And when this card is successfully summoned to the field, I can bring out Blackwing-Fane the Steel Chain, from my graveyard, in defense mode!" Says Crow. Blackwing-Fane the Steel Chain has 500 attack points, 800 defense points, is a level 2 monster and is a dark type monster.
"Ahh!" Lyndon says.
"Now, level-two Blizzard the Far North, tune with level-two Fane the Steel Chain, and level-three Ghibli the Searing Wind! Tune and let your wings give flight to a new and even mightier bird of prey! The synchro monster, Blackwing Armor Master!" Says Crow. Blackwing Armor Master has 2500 attack points and is a level 7 monster.
"Ahh!" Lyndon says.
"And now, Armor Master, attack that Clock Knight Number Three! Flying Fist Strike!" Says Crow.
The attack lands, Lyndon's down to 1300 lifepoints. "Ahh! That's it, I've had enough." Lyndon says.
Both Zora and Crow listen silently, somber and serious.
"I give up. You win." Says Lyndon.
"You mean, you're quitting?!" Crow asks.
Lyndon waves an accusing finger, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Yes, I'm quitting, why go on! You have a super-tough monster and I'm practically out of lifepoints! There's no way that I can win!" Says Lyndon.
"Not with that attitude! Come on, Lyndon. Don't ya see? That's been your problem, all along. You only see the negative in your situation, like you only see the negative with your mom! But, there is a positive side, if you only took the time to look for it!" Crow says.
"But... I... did take the time!" Says Lyndon.
Flashback. Lyndon sweeps the sidewalk outside a store with an ornate clock on the front, then shines the side of an old, fancy clock, looking miserable. "I went to clock repair school like mom wanted!" Lyndon says, in voice-over.
A mean-looking man with a big mouth and a trim hairdo, probably the teacher, yells at Lyndon, impatiently showing him the inner gears of a pocket watch. He keeps yelling, as Lyndon meekly cowers before his wrath, two other students watch glibly in the background. "The teacher was crazy! The class conditions were awful! I was yelled at daily! But still..." Says Lyndon, in voice-over.
Change flashback. Lyndon is hunched over, his face inches from the desk, with a magnifying lens on one eye, working on delicate clock mechanisms. "This is fun!" Lyndon says. The gears tick, in perfect rhythm, quietly. Lyndon's desk lamp is the only light in the room, the other guys who share his room are fast asleep, as he keeps tinkering with clocks late into the night. "In fact, the only reason I was able to tolerate the day and night study sessions was... because... I loved it." Says Lyndon, in voice-over. The flashback ends.
Back to the present. "Did you just say you loved it, Lyndon? I think that we're finally gettin' somewhere, kid! And I think that we can get a lot further if we keep dueling." Crow says.
"Huh?" Asks Lyndon.
"So whaddaya say, Lyndon? Wanna keep going? If not for me, then for your mom. Whaddaya have to lose, huh? Come on, Lyndon! You can do this!" Crow says.
"Fine, if you say so. Here goes." Says Lyndon. He draws. "Ah? Oh." Lyndon says. He drew Time Wizard. "Whoa, I can't believe it! This card?" Asks Lyndon.
Flashback. As a little kid, Lyndon sits sobbing under a tree.
His dad sits down next to him. "What's wrong, son? Didja get in another fight with your mother?" Reginald asks. "Y-yeah. She asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up." Says young Lyndon. He looks up. "But, when I told her I wanted to be a duelist, she said no, that wasn't allowed!" Young Lyndon says. "I see. Well, son, take heart. Your mom loves you and I know for a fact that she only wants what's best for you." Says Reginald. He takes a card out of his pocket and hands it to young Lyndon, Time Wizard. "Here." Reginald says. "Ahh! Awesome, a Time Wizard! I always wanted one a' these!" Says young Lyndon. "I know, and now you've got one, son!" Reginald says. "Yeah! Thank you, dad!" Says young Lyndon. "You're welcome, son. Just try not to stay mad at your mom, okay? Because believe it or not, Lyndon. It was your mom who told me to get this card for you." Reginald says. The flashback ends.
Back to the present. "I wonder how she knew? Ah, I can't give up. I gotta see this duel through to the end! So for my move, I play Time Wizard!" Says Lyndon.
Time Wizard is a level-two spellcaster-type monster, with five hundred attack points and four hundred defense points.
Crow looks a little startled at the appearance of Lyndon's new monster. "Looks like someone got wound up." Crow says. He grins.
"Well, let's see how much you like it, when I take you down and win this duel! And Time Wizard's gonna help me do just that!" Says Lyndon. Time Wizard's scepter has a small spinner on top. It's divided into six equal parts, two red crests, and four white skulls. "See, with Time Wizard, I spin the arrow. If it lands on red, all your monsters are destroyed! But, if it lands on white, all my monsters are destroyed, and I take damage equal to half the total amounts of their attack points!" Lyndon says.
"Lyndon's putting a whole lot on the line with this spin. However, if it goes his way, it might just be worth it." Says Skylara.
"All righty! Time Wizard, do your thing! Let's take this duel for a spin!" Lyndon says. Time Wizard's spinner begins to spin. Skull, Crest, Skull, Crest…
Series of flashbacks. When Lyndon was a baby, Reginald's hair was a dusty blonde, he laughs as he plays with baby Lyndon. "Whoa! Time Wizard's not just taking this duel for a spin, he's taking me for a spin- Down memory lane!" Says Lyndon, in voice-over. Lyndon as a baby was very rosy-cheeked and cute. Zora holds him in her arms, laughing, and Reginald plays with him.
Lyndon as a toddler was still very rosy-cheeked and adorable, with almost the same hairdo he has now. He leans over the desk, watching his dad tinker with a watch. "All those moments in the past, they're flooding back! I remember watching my dad work on clocks, and how much I loved it!" Lyndon says, in voice-over.
The happy family of three walks through the park, Reginald with young Lyndon on his shoulders, all three laugh, happily. "And how my mom was always there watching me." Says Lyndon, in voice-over.
Change flashback, with Reginald and young Lyndon sitting under a tree. "Your mom loves you, and I know for a fact that she only wants what's best for you." Reginald says. The flashback ends.
Back to the present. "I get it!" Lyndon thinks to himself.
More spinning dial flashbacks. While little Lyndon leans over Reginald's desk and watches him work on clocks, Zora chuckles and sweeps the floor in the next room, watching them over her shoulder.
Zora and Reginald laugh when baby Lyndon grabs a lock of his mom's hair. The flashback ends.
Back to the present. "Now, to win this duel! Time Wizard, stop!" Says Lyndon. The spinning arrow starts to slow down, and stops… "It landed on red! You know what that means, Time Wizard destroys Armor Master! Go, Time Magic!" Lyndon says.
The little clock hand on Time Wizard's face spins faster and faster, creating a portal of shimmering multicolored lights above the duel. Armor Master looks up into it, trapped, and disintegrates into dry, brittle dust. It falls to the ground in a pile and blows away.
"And now that your field is clear, Crow! I'll have Monster Clock and Clock Knight Number Twelve attack you directly!" Says Lyndon.
"Whoa! If this hits, Crow is done-for!" Leo says.
"Monster Clock and Clock Knight Number Twelve, attack Crow directly!" Says Lyndon.
"Tha-a-at's right, Lyndon! Come and get me! Finish this! I knew that you could do it." Crow thinks to himself.
"Crow's gonna lose!" Yusei says. "Yes, just like he planned." Says Skylara.
Crow's 'Mirror Force' remains face down, he doesn't activate it. Crow takes the attacks, first from Monster Clock, then from Clock Knight Number Twelve. "Rrrrghh!" Crow growls under his breath. Crow's lifepoints fall to zero. He's lost.
There is a long silence.
Lyndon catches his breath.
"No way!" Leo says. "Lyndon won!" Says Luna.
Crow recovers his strength and straightens up. "Congratulations, Lyndon. You beat me fair and square. Guess you can leave as ya please now." Crow says.
"Huh?" Asks Lyndon.
"Go on, now! That's what ya want! So, get goin' already!" Crow says.
"No, I-I was wrong. This is where I belong!" Says Lyndon.
Zora gasps.
Crow grins.
"Ya see, I've finally realized something. Something I should've realized long ago. Only problem was, I was too stubborn to. But now, thanks to this duel, it's all become so clear! I thought I wanted to be a duelist, but the truth is, my favorite part about dueling is when I get to use monsters and spells that have clocks in them! Clocks like the ones my dad used to always fix." Lyndon says.
The spectators are listening silently, surprised.
"And my mom knew it! She saw my deck when I was a kid. She knew what I was before I did. I... was a clock smith." Says Lyndon.
Zora walks over to stand next to Crow.
Lyndon is in tears. "That's why she was always pushing me to learn the trade! Because she knew it would make me happy! But, the more she pushed, the more I pushed back! Well, I'm done pushing! I'm gonna fix the town clock, Mom!" Lyndon says.
Zora's crying, too. "Son...!" Says Zora.
"'Cause fixing clocks is what I love!" Lyndon says. He runs past Zora and Crow into the former's building.
Zora watches him go. "Son!" Says Zora.
Yusei and the others join Crow. "Way to go, pal, but how did you know that dueling Lyndon would solve this?" Yusei asks. "Yeah, how, Crow?" Asks Jack. "I know how. Crow peeked at Lyndon's deck." Zora says. "Yeah. When he first got here, I saw all the clock cards. And, well, I just had a hunch." Says Crow.
Sometime later. The sun is setting over New Domino when the hands of the clock whir around to show 6:00 and the bell within begins to toll.
The twins, standing in front of the building, turn with surprise. "Huh?" Asks both Leo and Luna. The front of the clock opens up, and the twins begin to laugh and cheer, watching a little wooden band swivel around outside the clock as it chimes the hour. "I-it's working!" Leo says. "Look, everyone!" Says both Leo and Luna.
Yusei, Skylara, who's holding Chibi Chibi in her arms, Jack, Crow, Bruno, Akiza and Zora run over and join them. "Oh wow, that's awesome!" Bruno says. "My...! He actually did it!" Says Zora. "Yeah, I'll say!" Crow says.
Lyndon walks out to meet them from the side of the building. "So... you like?" Asks Lyndon, nervously.
Zora runs to him, arms outstretched. "Oh, Lyndon! It's beautiful!" Zora says. "Thanks, Mom!" Says Lyndon. They hug. "You've made me so proud!" Zora says, crying. "Do ya mean it?" Asks Lyndon. "Oh, of course I mean it, Lyndon! I'm so glad you're back." Zora says. They hug again.
Yusei puts one of his hands on Crow's shoulder, and they share a smile. Yusei nods in silent praise of what Crow did for them. "Uncle... Crow." Says Chibi Chibi, cutely. Crow looks over at her, as she lies in Skylara's arms, surprised by what she just called him. Chibi Chibi giggles, cutely, and reaches her hands towards Crow. "You actually want to come to me?" Crow asks. Chibi Chibi continues to reach for him, all smiles and giggles. "Um, okay." Says Crow. Skylara hands Chibi Chibi over to him, who takes her and holds her in his arms. "Well, this is the first." Crow says. Chibi Chibi reaches up to play with his headband, pulling at it and messing up his hair.
On the clock above, over the heads of the little marching band, sits a wooden family of three around a little wooden table.