Note: Sorry for the long delay! Between the site being glitchy and my internet dying, that took longer than I intended. Hopefully there will be no more disruptions. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Higuchimon for kindly looking over my attempts at writing a duel and correcting my mistakes.

Aki Hears a Bedtime Story

By: SilvorMoon

It was a silent and solemn procession that finally arrived on Satellite. Mikage, who was in the lead, halted her jeep just beyond the Security checkpoint, and the others pulled to a stop to see what she wanted. Ushio was driving the other jeep with Rua and Ruka in tow. Yusei had managed to get his D-Wheel running again, though the trim still looked battered in places. Jack had recovered his Wheel of Fortune, and Carly had scrounged up a spare helmet and Duel Disk from somewhere. She had insisted on coming along, and had raised enough of a fuss when Mikage had gently suggested that she might stay behind that no one had felt it was worth it to push the matter.

"I didn't think I'd ever end up back here again," she said, looking around apprehensively. "At least, not on purpose."

Mikage got out of her vehicle and spread her map out on its hood. Everyone gathered around for a better look.

"The closest tower is here," she said, pointing at a spot on the map with her pen. "The others are here, here, and here. This point is where the old Momentum was, obviously."

"We should go to the closest one first!" Rua opined.

"It would be best if we split up," said Yusei. "We don't have a lot of time to spare. Kiryu said he would be at the Ccapac Apu tower..."

"That's this one," said Mikage, indicating a site a few miles to the northeast.

"Then we'll go this way," said Jack, pointing at the far side of the island.

Ruka looked thoughtful a moment, as if listening to something, then nodded.

"I think this is the one I want," she said, touching a place on the map.

"I know how to find that," Ushio assured her.

"Then I guess the last one is mine," said Aki.

Yusei nodded. "Let's meet up at the bridge to the old Momentum. That's a dangerous area - we may not want to cross alone."

"I'll be there. Don't keep us waiting," said Jack.

He revved his engine and took off so quickly that Carly gave a squeak of surprise and nearly fell off the bike. Yusei almost smiled.

"Jack is right. We should hurry," he said. "I'll see you all soon. Good luck."

As Yusei drove off, Ushio turned to Mikage.

"Looks like we're going the same way for a while," he said. "Want to travel together?"

"We might as well," Mikage agreed. "I have a map, but I don't really know my way around..."

"Leave it to me," said Ushio. "I know this whole island back to front."

"I'll follow your lead then," she replied. She began to fold up the map, then stopped. "Shoo! Get off!" She brushed at a spider that was wandering across the hood of the jeep. It landed with a plop on the asphalt and went scuttling off into the shadows.

They began to drive, keeping a slow pace on the rough roads. Making any progress at all across the shattered pavement took all the attention they could muster, but their passengers were left with nothing to do but stare at the passing scenery.

"I can't believe this place," Aki murmured. "Do people really live like this?"

"It's all broken up..." said Rua. "Where do the people live?"

"Wherever they can," said Ushio. "This ain't exactly what you'd call a tourist attraction. It's a rough place. You should have known that."

"But I thought it was better than this," said Ruka.

Aki silently agreed. She had heard stories of Satellite before, but for all the notice she'd taken of them, they might as well have been talking about the far side of the moon. Other people went there, but no one she would ever meet would have anything to do with it. It was hard for a girl born to wealth and privilege to even imagine how someone would live in a place like this. What did they do for food, for light, for clean water? What did they do when it rained, or when the weather turned cold?

This is where Yusei grew up. How can he be so generous when he had so little?

The further from shore they drove, the worse the destruction became. The clouds overhead became thicker and darker, until they were forced to turn on their headlights just to be able to see where they were going. There wasn't even as much lightning as there had been before; it all seemed to be congregating over the center of the island, leaving the rest of the world in darkness, as though all the other available light had been caught up by it. There was little conversation. What could they discuss, besides the one thing they were trying hardest not to think about?

At length, they came to what looked like it had once been an old parking garage. It had withstood the passage of time fairly well - some of its decks were crumbling in spots, but overall, it seemed to be sound. There were a few hulks of vandalized cars, their useful parts long since stripped out and carried away. Other than that, there didn't seem to be much sign of human presence. It seemed the inhabitants of Satellite preferred to hole up in more protected space than the wide-open garage. Mikage pulled to a stop at the front gate, and Ushio pulled up next to her.

"It should be near here," she said.

Aki looked up at the garage. "A tower should be easy to see. Perhaps if we went to the top level and looked out...?"

"That's what I was thinking," said Mikage.

"I want to help look, too!" Rua piped up.

"Easy there, kiddo," said Ushio, reaching out to snag him before he could scramble out of the jeep. "We've got our own work to do, remember?"

Rua gave him an accusing look. "Then why'd you stop?"

"It will probably go faster with help," said Aki, saving Ushio from having to answer. "We can all scout the area and tell each other if we find anything."

They scattered, some to search at ground level and some to scale the stairs to the roof. Aki was one of those who climbed. She had an urge to get a bird's-eye view of this ruined metropolis, as if seeing it all at one go would make it more real to her. She found a rusted door leading to a staircase and picked her way carefully up the concrete steps, trying not to slip on the grime that had accumulated on them over the years. The guardrail had become little more than a collection of rusted pipes and flaking paint, and parts of it had fallen away altogether.

It would be ignominious if I ended this adventure by falling and breaking my neck before I ever got anywhere near the Dark Signers,she thought as she climbed.

At last, she reached the top. The door there had fallen off its hinges completely, and wan light filtered down through the opening. Aki stepped carefully onto the roof, hoping the whole thing wouldn't cave in underneath her. It was windy up there, and she shivered a little as she walked. Being so high up, close to the stormy sky, made her uneasy, and it took her a moment to muster enough courage to move further out onto the roof.

It was then that she realized that she was not alone.

"Hello, Aki," said Misty. "I knew you'd turn up here eventually."

"How could you know? We didn't even know we were coming here," Aki replied.

"You knew you were searching for the tower that stands closest to here," Misty said. She smiled. "You talked a bit too freely. Every spider is a spy for us, and we overheard all your plans. Your friends will find a surprise waiting for them when they reach their destinations... those who get that far, at least."

"What do you mean?" Aki demanded.

"You brought three unprotected civilians with you," said Misty. "The only way you will get past me to the tower is to duel me and defeat my god. When one of the Earthbound Gods are summoned, all living souls in the vicinity will be gathered up as sacrifices to it. The presence of a Signer would have protected them, but you let them wander off on their own. You let them stay here and help you fight what should have been your own battle. You made the wrong choice again."

Aki clenched her fists. "I don't have to fight you."

"Did you think I was going to give you a choice?" asked Misty, her expression hardening. "No, I've waited too long for this. You aren't going to slip through my fingers again."

Aki's mind was racing. How much of what Misty was telling her was the truth? Was there still a chance to get away? If she didn't defeat her, deactivating the tower would probably be a vain gesture - Misty could simply reactivate it again. Could she really risk the world to try to keep her friends safe?

She can't summon the god right away, or she would have done it the first time we dueled. If I can defeat her quickly, before she has a chance to get it on the field... that may be my only chance to save everyone.

"All right," she said.

Meanwhile, Rua was exploring. He was determined to be of some use on this trip, with or without the approval of the red dragon. He scrambled through the wreckage of an old car to see if there was anything interesting left in the glove compartment, discovered it was rusted shut, and bounded away again. He looked over the edge of the floor at the parking lot below, noticed Mikage and Ushio duly searching the ground, and waved to them, but they didn't see him. He made a face; what good would it do him to find anything if they were ignoring him? He turned away to see what else he could find.

"Hey, kid. Over here."

Rua jumped, looking around frantically for the source of the voice. Standing in a shadowy corner, surrounded by tattered cobwebs, was a man - the one Misty had told Rua was a co-worker. The last time Rua had seen him, he'd been wearing a black trench coat and dark glasses, instead of the almost ceremonial looking black robes he was wearing now, and there were red markings on his face that hadn't been there before, but Rua was certain it was the same man.

"You again!" he blurted. "I should have known you were one of them!"

"Never mind that," said the man brusquely. "There's no time to argue. I'm here to help, all right?"

Rua scowled. "I don't believe you."

"Why not? Because I'm one of the Dark Signers?" The man shook his head. "Listen, kid - there's more to life than just 'us' and 'them'. You think just because I'm on the opposite side, I can't have anything in common with you?"

"Um," said Rua.

"Right. Now, listen close. Misty is here - she's on the top floor, looking for that Izayoi girl. If she finds her, they'll fight to the death, and neither of us want that. You can stop it, though. Misty likes you. She'll listen to you, but she hates me. It has to be you."

"But why..."

"Look, you really don't have time to argue."

Rua swallowed what he had been going to say. It didn't matter why he was getting this tip - what mattered was the chance to help Aki before something really bad happened, and maybe help Misty as well.

"Thanks!" he said, and sprinted for the stairs.

He reached the top just as Aki was on her way down. Rua flung his arms out, blocking the passage.

"Don't go!" he said.

"Get out of my way," said Aki calmly.

Rua shook his head. "You can't! It's too dangerous!"

"It's what I came here to do."

"Rua." Misty's voice was surprisingly gentle. "I understand what you are trying to do, but it's beyond that point now."

"I won't let you fight!" said Rua. "Aki isn't the one who killed your brother! It's all a big mistake!"

"Did she tell you that? How do you know you can trust her?" asked Misty.

"It's not like that! She didn't even-"

"Enough," said Misty. "I don't want to stand here and argue all night." She turned to Aki. "You go on to the tower. You can see it from here - that spire in the empty lot. I will catch up to you when I've settled things with Rua. Don't worry. I don't think you'll have to wait long."

Aki looked at her suspiciously.

"It's okay," said Rua, trying to sound brave. "I can manage."

"Go on," said Misty. "Rua isn't a Signer. I have no reason to want to hurt him."

Aki didn't look convinced, but she reluctantly edged past Rua and made her way down the stairs, casting several looks over her shoulder as she went. Misty remained where she was, watching silently until Aki was out of sight. Once Aki was gone, Misty reached out and gathered a few shreds of fog, which curled in her hand like bits of ribbon. She clenched her fist around them, crushing them into powder, which she blew away into the air like a kiss. It blew away towards the city skyline, moving in a direction that had nothing to do with the wind.

"What did you do?" Rua asked.

"Nothing much," said Misty. "I just sent Aki someone to keep her company until I catch up to her. Someone she might be glad to see. You can't blame me for that."

Rua scowled. "You're up to something. Were you always like this, and I just didn't notice?"

"I'm sorry, Rua. This was too important to let anything get in my way," said Misty. "I did genuinely like you."

"But you... were you... you were dead the whole time!" Rua blurted.

"Yes," she said softly. "After Toby died, I... I just couldn't go on."

Rua felt a chill. For a fleeting instant, he imagined how he would feel if something took his sister away from him. Would he be able to continue his life without her?

"Misty..."

Impulsively, he flung his arms around her and hugged her. She stared at him, her expression one of pure bafflement, before she pushed him roughly away.

"Don't do that," she said. "Do you think this situation can be solved that easily?"

Rua reluctantly let go. He looked up at her questioningly, but she only shook her head.

"You don't seem to understand," she said. "I have pledged my soul to the underworld gods in exchange for my revenge. I no longer have any choice in the matter. That is why, even though it pains me, since you have cast your lot with the Signers..."

She readied her Duel Disk. Green light flared around her. Rua instinctively backed away and nearly fell back down the steps.

"We must duel," she said.

Aki walked towards the tower. It had seemed so far away when she had looked at it from the top of the garage, but her mind was working so quickly that her feet scrambled to keep up with it, and she had no choice but to follow them. Soon, she found herself standing in the shadow of the control tower. It was a villainous-looking thing, reaching towards the sky like the lightning rod in a mad scientist's lab. She half expected Misty to appear before her in a burst of light.

Instead, there was only a light breeze. It fluttered around her, sweeping her hair back from her face, caressing her cheek. Then it coalesced into a ribbon of fine black dust, which formed itself into a vaguely humanoid shape. As Aki watched, the shape began to take on clearer outlines, slowly gaining color, gradually becoming more familiar. Aki's heart began to pound. Standing before her was a middle-aged man, impeccably dressed in suit and tie, his beard neatly trimmed. He looked exactly as she remembered him, save that his face seemed a bit more lined, and his eyes had an unnatural darkness to him. A green sigil like a lizard glowed on his arm.

"Papa?" Aki whispered.

"Aki." His expression was unfathomably sad. "I'm glad... you're still all right."

"Papa, what are you doing here?" she asked. She didn't know what to think. The last time she'd seen him, he'd looked so happy - he'd been glad she was gone. She'd been nothing but an irritant that kept him from getting his work done. He had shunted her out of the house as fast as he could. So why was he looking at her so sadly?

"I'm not sure. I only remember seeing a fog..." He shook his head. "Something is moving me I don't think I can fight it..." He gasped, clutching at the mark on his arm. "You... you should go, before..."

"Why?" Aki demanded, suddenly angry. "Why are you always pushing me away?"

"I'm not... I'm just..." He gasped again, shuddering. Dark mist wrapped around him, forming a Duel Disk on his arm. A deck of cards appeared there, gleaming gently in their own greenish light. The light reflected in his eyes briefly. Aki felt something clench inside her, and rebelled against it. Hadn't she vowed she would never have anything more to do with her father? Hadn't she told herself she no longer cared about him? He had made it clear that he hadn't wanted her around, and she had complied with his wishes. That should have been the end of it. So why did it hurt her to see him like this? She turned away, closing her eyes to blot out the sight.

"I don't want you either," she said.

"No, Aki, don't go..."

Aki felt a sudden slap of cold air against her face, and she jerked backwards, opening her eyes to see that she was surrounded by a ring of green flame. She looked accusingly back at her father.

"I can't let you go," he said. "I've been sent to duel you. Nothing else is allowed. I'm sorry."

Aki gave a despairing little laugh. "You never would play when I actually wanted to duel..."

He flinched as though she had struck him. "Aki..."

"Never mind," she said. "I will duel you. Begin."

He drew a hand and glanced at it.

"I summon Lady of Faith," he said.

Aki stared. "You never had that card in your deck before..."

"This is a new deck. It was created just now, for this duel," her father answered softly. "It reflects my heart. It is my gift to you."

"Gift...?" Aki repeated.

Automatically, her hand went to her deck. It had been a gift, too, a long time ago, on the day when everything had started to go wrong. She had never played any other deck. Not even Divine had ever tried to make her use any other cards. It had never crossed her mind to wonder why she didn't change them; her father had given them to her because she'd wanted them, and she had always told herself that she kept them because they were the kind of cards she liked, but it would have been the easiest thing in the world to get them replaced with something else...

"I set one card face-down," he said. "Pay attention, Aki. This is important."

She shook her head. "I don't want to hear anything you have to say! I play Lord Poison in attack mode. Attack the Lady of Faith!"

The serpentine beast launched itself at the unfortunate maiden. She gave a squeak of pure fear before vanishing in a burst of sparks, and Aki's father winced as though the blow had fallen upon him as well.

"Yes, that's just how it was," he said.

Aki looked at him quizzically as she set a card and ended her turn. "What do you mean by that?"

He held out a hand. "Spell card - Silent Doom! Lady of Faith is returned to the field in defense mode."

"What's the point?" Aki snapped. "She's just going to get destroyed again."

"I know," her father replied. "You used to have faith in me, once. I disappointed you over and over again. I wish it was this easy to restore your faith..."

Aki felt her anger begin to waver. This is a new deck... It is my gift to you...What kind of duel was this?

"I play the equip card, Amulet of Ambition!" he announced. "If your monster has a higher level than mine, then for the duration of this turn, my monster receives an extra five hundred attack points for every additional level yours has. Since your Lord Poison has four stars and Lady of Faith has three, her attack raises to 1600. Now, attack Lord Poison!"

Aki flinched as her monster was destroyed. The damage to her life points was minor, but it stung to feel her father attacking her.

I'll make you pay... I'll make you feel the pain I feel!

"Trap card, open! Doppelganger!" she announced. "When your monster inflicts damage to me, you take the same amount!"

A blast of energy burst from the card, engulfing her father and dropping his life by a hundred points.

"I expected that," he said softly. "My other gift to you backfired on me, too."

Aki stared at him. "You mean...?"

"From my hand, I play the spell card Sad Story Sorrowful Memories," he said, and a card unfolded before him. Aki stared as the air around her began to grow dark, obscuring her vision. She looked around desperately, trying to find something she could see. A point of light began to grow in front of her, gradually expanding until she could make out... her own home. She was seeing it, but not from her own perspective. This was her home as her father saw it, and she was watching through his eyes, hearing what he heard and feeling what he felt. Right now, what he felt was... hope, the kind of hope that went hand in hand with anxiety. He wanted very much for something to go right, and feared that it would go very wrong.

"I never should have missed it," he was saying.

"Don't worry, Hideo. I'm sure she'll be fine." That was Aki's mother speaking, uncertainly, as though she really didn't believe what she was saying. "You're sure you're cleared for today?"

"Absolutely," her father replied. "It took some juggling, and I may have to work late every other night this week, but my calendar for today is completely free."

"Then there's nothing to worry about," Aki's mother replied. "There's no birthday present that could make her happier than to have the day with you."

There was a squeal of delight from somewhere upstairs. Aki's mother smiled.

"I'd say your comes in a close second, though," she said.

There was a patter of feet, and then Aki herself came racing down the stairs, hair and skirt flying, a deck of cards clutched to her heart.

"Daddy, it's perfect! It's just what I wanted! Thank you!" She flung her arms around her father's middle, hugging him so tightly that he sloshed his coffee on his newspaper. He smiled anyway and put his arms around her.

"That's for being so patient with your troublesome old man," he said.

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with hope - and also doubt.

"Will you play with me later? After work?" she asked. "You'll come home on time tonight, right?"

"Wrong," he said, "because I'm not going to work today at all. I'm taking the day off so we can spend it together. Now, let's find our Duel Disks and have a game or two."

"Okay!" said Aki. She scampered off towards her room, then stopped and doubled back to hug her father again. "I love you!"

His eyes pricked with tears, but he blinked them away and smiled.

I'm so glad I haven't let you down this time, Aki. If only every day could be this way...

The scene dissolved into blackness, and then the shadows lifted, leaving Aki blinking as she tried to adjust to the scenery around her. Her father was watching her impassively, as though nothing had happened. Had he even realized she had seen anything? Had any time really passed?

Maybe I'm hallucinating,she thought. But how else could she explain the tracks of tears on her father's face?

"When this card is active," he said, "neither of us can play any other spell cards this turn. From this point on, when we draw our cards during the draw phase, if either of us draw a monster, we must send it to the graveyard."

No monsters?thought Aki. She looked down at her hand, thinking hard. She had only one monster left, not even a very strong one. What was she supposed to do if it failed her?

"Turn end," said Hideo. "Aki... be very careful. I can't help but duel you, but if you lose, you will die."

"And if I win?" she asked. "Will you be free?"

He hung his had. "No. No, I won't."

Aki felt a chill settle in the pit of her stomach. He hadn't said it, but the implication was clear: if she won this duel, her father would die.

What difference would it make? You never planned to see him again, said a little voice inside her, but the other half of her said, But he's your father...

"My turn!" she said. She mentally sent up a prayer to the gods of dueling, took a breath, and drew a card. She turned it over and felt her stomach sink. It was the Black Rose Dragon.

My best card...

Reluctantly, she slipped it into the graveyard.

Don't worry about it. Make the most of what you've got.

"I summon Violet Witch," she declared. She was taking a risk, summoning her in attack mode. Her attack level was equal to that of Lady of Faith, now that the effect of Amulet of Ambition had ended. Her only hope lay in the luck of the draw. "Witch, attack Lady of Faith!"

The witch flung herself at the Lady of Faith, and the two of them vanished in a burst of dazzling light.

"When Violet Witch is destroyed," Aki continued, "I can add one plant-type monster from my deck to my hand, as long as it has a defense of 1500 or less."

Her father smiled slightly. "That's my girl."

Aki searched her deck and selected a card: the Rose Bird, the one she and Ruka had played with on the day they'd first met.

This will be useful later,she decided.

"I place one card face-down and end my turn," she said.

Hideo nodded and drew his next card. Evidently it wasn't a monster, because he slipped it into his hand.

"My turn. I summon the Unhappy Maiden in defense mode," he said.

In a glow of pale light, a girl appeared on the field. She was slim and pale, wearing a tattered dress, and she looked at Aki with an expression of deep sadness. Her hair was red, and she carried a basket of roses in her hands. Hideo must have seen the expression in her eyes, because he nodded.

"She looks very much you, doesn't she?" he said. "Just like that day..."

"Just like..."

Hideo removed a card from his hand. "I play the spell card Dreadful Day!"

A new card appeared on the field, and once again, Aki felt darkness closing around her. When it cleared again, she was looking at herself, in her own room. She had a Duel Disk on her arm, and she was smiling, clearly delighted to be playing the game she loved best. Even when her monsters were destroyed, she laughed and applauded her father, happy simply to be with him. Aki watched her younger self, feeling the echoes of her father's pride in her.

He's happy, she realized. If playing with me made him so happy, why didn't he do it more often?

Her question was answered when her father's phone began to ring. She felt his stomach sinking, and heard him thinking, Not now, please, any day but today...

He answered the phone. "Yes, hello?"

"Izayoi, where are you?"

"I'm at home. I have today off," he said. "I put in the request weeks ago."

"Well, never mind that. We've got an important client on the way over, and we need you here to handle things."

"Can't you get someone else?"

"No, Izayoi. We need your expertise. Nobody knows their way around the accounts better than you do. If you aren't here, we might lose the deal."

"There's got to be someone..."

"Look. We need this deal. It could mean millions in extra revenue. Now, you can take the day off or you can come in, but if we lose this deal, you're out of a job. Understood?"

"I..." Worries surged through him. If he lost this job, where else would he go? How would he pay off his house, his car, Aki's schooling? He wanted so badly for Aki to have the kind of life she deserved. He wanted to do what was best for her.

"How long will this take?" he asked, resigned.

"Not long. A couple of hours, tops."

"Fine," he said. "But I'm holding you to that."

He hung up the phone and turned back to Aki, who was watching him accusingly.

"Aki, honey, there's been a little emergency," he said gently. "I need to go to work, but it will just be for a little while, okay?"

She glared at him. "You liedto me."

"I didn't lie to you. It's only going to be for a little while, I promise..."

"You promised the whole day!" she said, stamping her foot. "You lied to me! You lied, you lied, you lied!"

Heat flared out around her. Suddenly, the whole room was in flames, and Hideo felt a powerful force slam into him, pinning him to the wall, so that he was suspended several feet off the ground.

What... what's going... how?he thought, his head spinning from the impact. Through the flames, he could see Aki standing very still, a calm point in the midst of the chaos. A red mark was glowing on her arm.

"Daddy, what's going on?" she said. "Daddy, I'm scared, make it stop..."

"Get back," he gasped. Flames were fanning around him, making the air so hot he could hardly breathe, and he was sure that at any moment, they would engulf him. Why were the flames curving away from her as she walked through them? She had to be doing it somehow. He didn't understand how, but she was attacking him, punishing him for angering her. "Stay away from me..."

She stopped, staring at him, and the expression in her eyes went straight to his heart. She had no more idea what was going on than he did - less, perhaps. She needed his comfort and support. She needed him to put his arms around her and tell her it was all going to be all right. He knew that... but he couldn't do it. He was too terrified even to touch her, and what he was afraid of most right now was her.

"Stay back," he said again. "Please don't come near..."

Aki stared at him a moment longer. Suddenly, she burst into tears and fled the room, and the fire went out in her wake. Hideo slumped to the floor and lay there, immobile, pinned there by guilt and fear. If only there was something he could do...

He closed his eyes in defeat, and darkness obscured Aki's vision. She stood rooted to the spot, trying to absorb everything she had seen.

He was a coward, she tried to tell herself. He could have done something, but he was too afraid...The other half of her was not convinced. In her child's mind, she had believed that her father was fearless, capable of doing anything. The only conclusion she could draw was that he hadn't comforted her and helped her because he hadn't wanted to, because he really didn't care enough to try. To feel his fear, his helplessness, his guilt...

He was still wrong. No matter what he felt, he could have still tried to help. You can't forget that.

She forced herself to raise her eyes to look at her father, to not show him what she was feeling. It was hard when his expression now wasn't so very different from the way he had looked in her vision.

"When this card is activated," he said, "during both of our draw phases, if the card we draw is a trap card, we must return it to our decks."

So that's how it's going to be, she thought. Already, she thought she could feel a noose tightening around her. Somewhere in that deck of his, there was bound to be a card that would bind off her spells as well, and then she would be completely defenseless. Is this what you wanted? To take away these powers of mine and leave me with nothing?

Something in her rebelled. She'd had enough of being told what to do and how to do it. A voice inside her that sounded a bit like Yusei's was saying to her, Your power is yours to do what you want with.She was not going to let herself be pushed around anymore, not even by her father.

"My turn," she said.

She reached for the next card almost dreamily, as though she already knew what it would be. She glanced at it and smiled slightly. Perfect. She slipped it onto her Duel Disk.

"I play the spell card Ivy Shackle! Now every monster on your side of the field is a plant-type," she said. "Then I'll play Fragrance Storm. I can now destroy one plant-type monster on the field of my choosing and draw one card. If the monster I draw is a plant- type, I can show it to you to draw one more card."

A storm of rose petals whipped up on the field, demolishing the Unhappy Maiden, who vanished with a gasp of shock. Aki reached for her deck, eyes closed, and drew one card. She held it up: a monster card, Rose Bird. She drew again, adding another trap card to her hand.

"I play Rose Bird," she announced. "And now that your field is empty, it can attack you directly!"

The bird gave a shriek and dove, its thorny claws and sharp beak leveled at him. Aki tried to keep her expression immobile as she saw her father flinch away from the attack.

"I end my turn," she said.

"Very well," said Hideo, sighing. He straightened up slowly, moving as if in a dream the kind of nightmare where the air is so heavy that escape is impossible. "I play spell card, Sad Story - Unwavering Truth! Now you will see..."

Night fell over the field. It was a night of twinkling stars, and for a brief moment, Aki thought that somehow the game had ended and the dark fog had disappeared. Then she realized that once more, she was seeing the world through her father's eyes, and he was looking out the window at the softly lit sky.

"Do you think she's really all right out there?" he asked.

"She'll be fine," his wife assured him. "This was the best thing you could have done for her."

"I hope so," said Hideo. "She's never had so many other children around before. I don't want her to be overwhelmed."

"It will be good for her," Aki's mother repeated. "Having some friends her own age around will help her settle down."

She didn't need to say what "settle down" meant. They both knew: it meant "Maybe if she's happy - if she has something else to invest her energy in - maybe if we just wait long enough, those strange powers of hers will go away."

"Maybe you're right," he said. "I know I shouldn't worry so much, but... Well, I can't help it. And I miss her. Even if we haven't been... as close as we used to be..."

"Of course I'm right," Aki's mother assured him. She held up a bottle. "Come on, now, let's relax and enjoy ourselves. It isn't every night you have that chance, and I won't let you waste it with worrying."

He laughed. "You're right. Well, then, why not have a toast?" He filled their glasses and raised his high. "Here's to Aki, and her success at Duel Academia!"

"I'll drink to that!" Aki's mother replied.

They clinked their glasses together, laughing, and raised them to their lips to drink.

Then their glasses exploded. The wine bottle split into fragments, spilling wine like blood over the furniture and the carpet. Picture frames cracked, vases shattered, chandeliers fell to pieces, lights went black as their bulbs burst. Every piece of glass in the house, from perfume bottles to dishes to picture windows, exploded into shards. In the suddenly dark room, the street lights outside seemed unnaturally bright. In their pale light, a small figure could be seen, standing and watching the house with burning eyes. Hideo got to his feet and rushed to the window to look out at her. She stood there a moment, making certain that he'd recognized her, before melting into the night.

Gone. Hideo slumped to the glass-covered floor with a groan. His daughter was gone, probably for good. He had failed her, and maybe now he'd never get her back. The light had gone out in his world...

The image faded, but it remained in Aki's inner vision. Her father nodded, as if guessing what she was thinking.

"That is the truth, Aki. I wasn't a good father to you - I admit that. I was never around when you needed me. I let you down countless times. I gave in to my fears just when you need me most. But Aki, I want you to know that I always loved you. I always hoped I would have a chance to make up for my mistakes." He hung his head. "I'm sorry I'll never get that chance..."

"Father..." she began, but he held up his hand.

"I'm sorry," he said again. "I don't have any more time. The duel must be finished."

"No! We can stop this," she protested. "We can stop the duel, and..."

He shook his head. "I'm sorry. This is... beyond my control." He was breathing hard now, as if fighting some tremendous pressure. "Do what you have to do, Aki."

"What do you mean?"

He looked up at her, his eyes suddenly flaring green, and when he spoke, his voice had an uncanny echo to it.

"Storytime is over, little girl," he said. "Now we get serious. Trap card, open - Bad End - Sorrowful Chain! When I have one copy of each Sad Story on the field, I can special summon Bad End Queen Dragon!"

There was a roar that seemed to come from somewhere within the depths of the earth. A crack appeared, eyes glinting like a cursed treasure. Then it burst fully into view with a rush of wings and scales. Aki took a step back, shielding her face with an arm.

"When this card is on my side of the field, the effects of the Sad Story cards no longer apply to me," he continued, "and whenever the Bad End Queen Dragon inflicts damage to you, you have to send one card from your hand to the graveyard, and I get to draw a card."

Trapped. Aki realized that she had been trapped - she had no monsters strong enough to destroy the dragon, and every turn would deplete her hand, while every draw phase would serve only to send more cards straight to the graveyard. And she had been too wrapped up in his story to pay attention. Now she was defenseless.

"Now, Queen Dragon," he said, "attack her Rose Bird!"

The dragon heaved a deep breath and blasted a gust of foul air directly at her. The Rose Bird vanished with a squawk and a flurry of rose petals. The force of it was enough to send her flying, and she landed hard on the rough ground, wincing as it scraped her skin. She sat up carefully. Her sleeve was torn, and the side of her arm was dotted with flecks of blood. One knee was badly cut, and she hissed in pain as she tried to pull herself to her feet. Her father, or the thing that was controlling him, watched her impassively.

"Go on," he said.

She scowled at him and discarded one of her cards.

I have one chance at this. If this turn goes wrong, the next one will finish me. She took a deep breath. I just can't let it go wrong, then.

"When Rose Bird is destroyed," she said, "I can draw two Tuner Monsters from my deck and special summon them to the field in face-up defense mode. I choose Naturia Rosewhip and Night Rose Knight!"

Rose petals fluttered again, red as blood and black as night. Two monsters appeared, staunchly facing the dragon that loomed over them.

"Next," she continued, "when I successfully summon a Plant-type Tuner monster, I can summon Dark Verdure from my graveyard!"

A third monster appeared alongside the first three, its eyes glaring balefully.

"Do you think that will save you?" her father asked. "They'll be gone in two turns at the most. You can't bluff me with those Tuner monsters. I gave you that deck, and I know as well as you do that the only Synchro monster you have is already in your graveyard."

"I've done what I needed to do," said Aki.

"Fine," he said. "I end my turn. Show me what you'll do with those poor monsters."

"I will," she said. "I play the spell card Shining Rebirth! By selecting one Synchro Monster in my graveyard and sending the appropriate synchro material monsters from my field to the grave, I can special summon that monster."

He stared, his expression one of pure consternation. "How did you... you didn't have that card before!"

"I've been through a bit," she said, "since the last time you saw me." She reached for her Disk and slipped a card from the graveyard slot. "Be reborn, Black Rose Dragon!"

The dragon appeared, flaring its petals and arching its neck proudly. Aki looked up at it, feeling a sense of reassurance steal over her.

I will win, with this card, the card my father gave me... because he loves me.

"Once per turn," she said, "by removing from play one plant-type monster in my graveyard, I can reduce your monster's attack to zero. Your Bad End Queen Dragon's power is gone. Now, Black Rose Dragon, attack!"

Her father shouted something, but it was drowned out by the roar of the Black Rose Dragon as it rushed towards him. His monster was enveloped in a blast of energy, bursting into fragments that faded into nothingness. Hideo was thrown off his feet and went rolling across the bare earth. The ring of green flames around the duel field vanished. Aki raced over to her father's side, and he painfully levered himself up onto his hands and knees, raising tired eyes to look up at her. They were brown, just as they had always been.

"Aki," he whispered.

"It's all right," she said, putting her arms around him. "Just... just hold on..."

He shook his head slightly. "Be brave, Aki. There's worse coming. I... I know you'll make me proud."

"Don't go," she said. "Please, we only just..."

"I'm sorry," he said. He reached up a hand to touch her cheek. "I love you, Aki."

"I know," Aki whispered.

He closed his eyes and gave a long sigh. Then he gave a slight shiver and suddenly melted into fine black dust. Aki knelt where she was for a long while, watching it blow away in the wind until there was nothing left. Only when even her imagination could not convince her that she could see it anymore did she slowly get to her feet and walk away.

To Be Continued...