Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, and the character of Raven is the creation of sammycrusinix.
Chapter 25: Overlaid Hearts! Birth of the Meklord Slayer!
"I shall end my turn." Aporia announced. "Try whatever move you like. It will do you no good. Whatever hopes you have for winning this duel will only be dashed."
Yusei drew his next card after recovering from the last blast he and Aki had gotten from the Despair King. "You know Aporia, I'm tired of hearing all this crap about the power of your despair. The truth is it's not despair that's driving you, it's hope!"
"What do you mean?" Aporia asked with a raised eyebrow.
"When your parents were killed in the beginning of the Meklord invasion, you still kept going." Yusei explained. "You grew up and joined a resistance group against the Meklords. Then when the woman you loved was killed, you still kept on fighting. Even when it seemed like you were the last human left alive on the planet you kept on searching for others. And you're still fighting for the future even now, even though it's the wrong way to achieve saving the world. The bottom line Aporia… is that you have as great a capacity for hope as any of us!"
"Ridiculous." Aporia scoffed. "Even if what you're saying is true, each of those times you spoke of only led me to more despair. The reality is that despair cannot exist without hope. It is what's created when hope is lost."
"Even so, hope is still stronger than despair." Yusei argued. "It's what's been keeping you going this whole time. And Aki and I are going to prove to you that hope is stronger than despair! I tribute Fortress Warrior to Special Summon Turret Warrior from my hand!"
Fortress Warrior shattered into bits of gold light. In his place appeared a large stone warrior made of brick. It had a single slot for an eye and on its shoulders were small rotating cannons.
"I now discard Quillbolt Hedgehog to Special Summon the Tuner, Jackie Jumper from my hand!" Yusei announced. The ski jumping robot appeared on the field. "Next I summon another Tuner, Mono Synchron!"
Materializing on the track was a small green and yellow robot with a somewhat human shape. At the end of each of its arms was a red stamp in the shape of a Number One.
"Since I have a Tuner on the field, I can summon Quillbolt Hedgehog to the field!" Yusei announced. The brown rodent materialized next to Mono Synchron. "I tune the level three Jackie Jumper into the level five Turret Warrior for a level eight Synchro Summon!"
Jackie Jumper flashed orange and changed into three green rings of light. The rings encircled Turret Warrior and changed it into five balls of white light.
"Clustering hopes will become a new shining star! Become the path its light shines upon!" Yusei chanted. "Synchro Summon! Take flight, Stardust Dragon!"
The lights flashed into a blinding wave of white light. The lights cleared and Stardust Dragon roared onto the field.
"When Mono Synchron is used for a Synchro Summon, the other monster that's used is treated as level one!" Yusei announced. "So I tune the level one Mono Synchron into the level one Quillbolt Hedgehog for a level two Synchro Summon!"
Mono Synchron aimed one of its arms at the hedgehog and fired a red beam from its stamp. A large red Number One appeared on Quillbolt Hedgehog's cheek. Mono Synchron transformed into a green ring and encircled Quillbolt Hedgehog, causing it to turn into a single ball of light.
"Clustering wishes will call out a new speed's horizon! Become the path its light shines upon!" Yusei chanted. "Synchro Summon! The power of hope, Synchro Tuner, Formula Synchron!"
The lights flashed together and the racecar robot appeared on the field.
"You may have summoned Formula Synchron, but you can't use its effect to draw a card." Aporia informed Yusei. "Due to Meklord Empire, the effects of Synchro monsters that activate when summoned are instantly negated. Which means you just used up your entire hand."
"That doesn't matter." Yusei told him. "I end my turn."
Aki drew her next card. "I summon the Tuner monster, Glow-Up Bulb!" The large seed monster appeared and opened its single eye. "Because I have a Tuner on the field, I summon Dark Verger back from the Graveyard!" The small green plant sprouted back onto the field. "I now tune the level one Glow-Up Bulb into the level two Dark Verger for a level three Synchro Summon!"
The seed monster turned into a single ring of light and encircled Dark Verger. The plant sprout in turn became two balls of light.
"The flames of hope spark into blazing flowers! Their scattered petals create the path toward tomorrow!" Aki chanted. "Synhcro Summon! Ignite, Synchro Tuner, Cyber Rose Angel!"
The lights flashed into a small pillar of flames. The flames died down and Aki's cybernetic angel appeared on the battlefield.
"I activate a Spell card, Past Life!" Aki announced. "With this card, I can tribute a monster to summon a Synchro monster from my Extra Deck with the same level and ATK. So I tribute Fallen Angel of Roses to summon Black Rose Dragon!"
Fallen Angel of Rose began to glow with a red light and change shape. The light cleared and Black Rose Dragon appeared in the angel's place.
"I end my turn." Aki announced.
"Well, looks like they're both geared up for an Accel Synchro Summon." Crow observed.
"Yes, but I don't think it'll do any good. Neither of their Accel Synchro monsters can stand against the Despair King." Bruno pointed out. "And because of Aporia's Track Field Spell, Blazing Rose Dragon's effect to destroy Spell cards and inflict damage won't activate. I don't see how they can win."
"There is a way." The Skeleton Knight assured them. "But to do it, Yusei and Aki will have to perform an Accel Synchro Summon at the exact same moment."
"What will that do?" Raven asked.
"Just watch." The undead knight chuckled.
Aporia drew his next card. "How naive of you to think that Accel Synchro can still save you."
Yusei and Aki ignored him and both closed their eyes. They each took a deep breath at the same time as the other.
"Clustering crystal dreams open the door to a new evolution! Become the path its light shines upon!" Yusei began to chant.
"Ice cold flames ignite into a new burning star! Crimson Flower bloom into a new evolution!" Aki began to chant at the exact same time.
"I activate the effect of Despair King 666 and equip it with Stardust Dragon!" Aporia announced.
"Accel Synchro!" Yusei and Aki called out at the exact same time.
Just as the Despair King launched its red energy chains down at Stardust Dragon, both Yusei and Aki took off with their monsters down the bridge, vanishing in a single streak of pinkish-red light. A moment later the same streak of light reappeared behind Aporia and his monster. Yusei and Aki burst out of the light with their evolved dragons, but as soon as they did the dragons collided and exploded in a blinding explosion of white light, causing Crow and the others watching the duel to stop their D-Wheels. The light faded after a moment to reveal a single dragon hovering in the sky above the mechanical city. It resembled Shooting Star Dragon a great deal, but was larger and its whole body was glowing, lighting the darkened sky above.
The dragon's neck had grown longer and had gained five crystalline horns that went back on its head. It had four massive wings covered in red rose petals that looked like crystals due to the light they gave off, and covering its tail were red crystalline thorns. The dragon's hands and feet ended in red claws. On its wrists were two long golden bracelets, and gold armor covered its upper torso. The seal of the Crimson Dragon blazed red on the front of the chest plate around a large blue gemstone. Orbiting around the dragon were two balls of light, one red and one blue.
The light being generated from the dragon caused the lights in the buildings of the Meklord Empire to go out. The red energy core inside the Despair King's torso faded to nothing and the light in its single eye suddenly shut off.
"What the hell kind of monster is that?" Crow wondered.
"Where are Yusei and Aki?" Luna asked as she looked around. "I don't see them anywhere."
"Up there!" Leo called as he pointed up at the new dragon.
Yusei and Aki were sitting on the back of the glowing dragon's neck, with Yusei sitting in front. In Yusei's hand was a golden rope that led to a bit in the dragon's mouth and served as the reigns. Both of Yusei and Aki's riding helmets had disappeared. Yusei had on a gold jacket with a flap on the front that reached over to the left and buttoned up, along with a pair of long gold pants, boots, and gloves. The red design that was on Yusei's normal shirt was on the jacket. Aki meanwhile was wearing a golden version of her normal riding suit with the same red design on the torso. The criminal mark on Yusei's face had turned red. Aki had gained a similar mark on her own face and her normal hair ornament had become sparkling gold. Both of their dragon marks were glowing and they each had an ornate golden duel disk.
"What… what is this?" a stunned Aporia demanded to know.
"Because Aki and I summoned Shooting Star Dragon and Blazing Rose Dragon at the exact same time, we were able to overlay them and Xyz Summon Hope Star Dragon-Morning Rose." Yusei explained.
"Xyz Summon?" Aporia repeated. "I've never heard of such a thing!"
"Good, it seems that my theory was correct." The Skeleton Knight remarked.
"What theory was that?" Kiryu asked with a suspicious eye.
"I had theorized that if both Yusei and Aki's dragons entered the Momentum stream at the same moment, the simultaneous evolution would cause them to merge and create a matter to antimatter inversion." The Skeleton Knight explained. "Thus creating an entirely new monster."
"You seem to know a good deal about this sort of thing." Bruno observed.
"I may not be an expert in Accel Synchro, but I do have a good deal of experience working with Momentum Energy." The undead knight replied.
"I don't care what kind of monster you have!" Aporia declared. "Its power can't even compare to the power of my Despair King!"
"I wouldn't be too sure of that." Aki told him. "While Morning Rose is on the field, it negates the effects of all Machine-type monsters."
"Which means the ATK of your Despair King has dropped to zero!" Yusei added.
"What!" Aporia exclaimed.
"Since you seem to be done with your turn, I'm going to start mine!" Yusei announced as he drew his next card. "I now activate Hope Star Dragon's effect! By detaching both of its overlay units, I can summon four Synchro monsters from my Extra Deck! Appear now, Catapult Warrior, Scarred Warrior, Mighty Warrior, and Seven Swords Warrior!"
The two balls of light that were orbiting Morning Rose entered the gemstone on its chest. The dragon roared and four balls of light shot down from the sky to hover beside it. The lights took the forms of Yusei's four Synchro monsters, each of them glowing with a brilliant white aura.
"The monsters summoned by Morning Rose's effect can attack or activate their effects." Aki revealed. "But Morning Rose gains the ATK of each Synchro monster on the field. Which means its ATK goes up from 4000 to 11600!"
"How can this be?" a shocked Aporia demanded to know. "How can such a monster exist?"
"Morning Rose, destroy Despair King 666!" Yusei and Aki commanded together. "Hope Star Impact!"
The dragon roared and took off full speed towards Aporia and his lifeless machine as its body began to glow even brighter. The dragon struck the front of the Despair King and created a blinding explosion that wiped out all of Aporia's life points. After a few moments the light of the explosion finally died down. The sky had returned to normal and the land was once again desolate, lacking buildings of any sort. Crow and the others began to look around.
"The Skeleton Knight's gone." Kiryu observed.
"Good riddens." Raven replied.
"Forget about him. What about Yusei and Aki?" Crow wondered.
"Over there!" Luna called with the point of her finger.
The group quickly rode over to where Luna spotted Yusei and Aki's D-Wheels. Yusei and Aki were standing not far away from them and resumed their original appearance. The couple was standing over a fallen Aporia, who had a cracked face and a missing lower half. The others pulled up and gathered around the fallen android. Aporia was still conscious.
"I… never imagined… that such a monster could exist." Aporia spoke.
"As long as there's hope, there are always more possibilities." Yusei told him.
"Then I suppose… that Z-one has lost his hope." Aporia chuckled darkly. "For he could only see… this one option. My hopes were placed in someone who had already lost his own."
Yusei kneeled down closer to Aporia. "Your hope isn't lost. We'll find a way to prevent that future from happening."
"I… have no doubt… that if anyone can… it would be you." Aporia replied.
"Yusei, do you think you and Bruno could maybe… fix Aporia?" Raven suggested.
"I wouldn't even know where to begin." Yusei told her.
"I'm afraid that repairing Aporia is beyond my abilities as well." Bruno added.
"It's… alright. I have… lived long enough." Aporia told them. "In fact… this is probably… what I deserve… for all the acts that I committed through my embodiments. But if… it is any comfort… I feel no pain. Only hope. All of you… are the hope that I have been searching for… all along."
"We won't let you down." Yusei assured him.
"Antinomy. You must… do everything you can… to help the Signers." Aporia requested. "I now know… that Z-one… must be stopped."
"You have my word, old friend." Bruno assured him. "I'll do everything in my power to help Yusei and his friends. Z-one will be stopped!"
Aporia nodded and turned his head back to Yusei. "I wouldn't blame you and Aki… for hating me after… everything I've done. I don't think I could even begin to make up for it… even if my life wasn't coming to an end. But… I would at least… like to try… by giving you these two things. The first… is this."
The ring on Aporia's back suddenly flew off and entered Yusei's D-Wheel. The motorcycle glowed briefly with a red aura.
"Do not worry. I have… merely given your D-Wheel… the power you will need… to face Z-one." Aporia explained. "It will activate… when the time comes."
"Thanks. I'll try and make good use of it." Yusei assured him.
"The other thing… I have that I can give you… is some advice." Aporia continued. "Do not trust the Skeleton Knight. If he… and his comrade have their way… they will create a catastrophe… just as disastrous… as the Mekord invasion."
"Okay." Yusei replied. "We'll stop the Skeleton Knight too, if we have to."
"Then it seems I can… die… in peace." Aporia observed before closing his eyes for the last time.
Yusei worked to put the finishing touches on Aporia's grave marker. It had only been a few hours since he and Aki had dueled the android, and life at the Bird's Nest seemed to be returning to normal. After Aporia had shut down permanently, the gang prepared a simple grave for him near the Nest. Once Yusei had finished, he pounded the marker into the ground with the shovel that was still there. The headstone was actually a thick piece of metal that Yusei had painted letters on using black paint. The marker read, "Here lies Aporia. Though he suffered great despair throughout his life, his hope never died."
As Yusei stood to look at the work he had done, Aki walked up next to him. "You know, I'll probably always hate Placido, hate Aporia, for everything he did to me and my family. But I guess I can understand why he did some of the things he did, knowing the kind of life he must of lived in that future."
"I kind of wonder what Aporia would've been like if his life had been different." Yusei admitted. "Maybe we all would've been friends."
"The three of you would've gotten along quite well." Bruno interrupted, causing the couple to turn. "Sorry. I don't mean to intrude."
"It's okay." Yusei assured him.
"I'd understand if the two of you felt uncomfortable around me." Bruno told them. "After all, I come from the same time period as Aporia. In fact I'm not even human. Like Aporia, I'm only an android based upon a person who once lived."
"Bruno, we don't care what you are or where you're from." Yusei assured him. "All that matters is that you're our friend."
"Thanks. That means a lot." Bruno replied.
"So how much of your memory have you gotten back?" Aki asked.
"I remember a lot more than I used to, but there are still some pretty big gaps." Bruno answered. "Unfortunately I don't remember much about Z-one or how he plans to destroy Neo Domino."
"What do you remember about him?" Yusei asked.
"…Only that he seems to be a lot like you." Bruno answered after a moment. "Though now that I think about it, that doesn't make much sense. So it could be a flaw with my memory banks. I also know that even though you've stopped Aporia, he'll still find a way to come to this time."
"Then I guess we'll have to figure out how to stop him." Yusei decided.
"Is this a private heavy conversation, or can anyone join?" Crow's voice cut in. The three looked to see Crow walking up with Raven, the twins, Kiryu, and Sect.
"We were talking about how to stop Z-one." Yusei explained.
"I think Z-one might have to wait." Raven told them. "Aporia said that he might be a problem before he died. And I think he was right. I could sense a lot of evil power from him."
"Well of course the dude's evil. He's a living skeleton!" Sect pointed out.
"And he gave me and Luna that freaky card." Leo added.
"You're right. The Skeleton Knight may have helped us, but only so we'd get rid of Aporia for him." Yusei agreed. "It's clear that he has his own agenda."
"So what're we going to do about him then?" Luna wondered.
"The first thing we need to do is find Jack." Yusei decided. "We'll probably need his help against both the Skeleton Knight and Z-one."
"Oh come on! Are you kidding me?" Crow protested. "You want to ask that jerk for help after what he did? I know about that duel you had down in the Pit with him, Yusei!"
"Crow, Jack is still our brother." Kiryu pointed out. "And he fought alongside us for a long time."
"Plus he is a Signer too." Raven pointed out. "What you told me about that mark of his proves it. This was going to have to happen sooner or later, honey."
"Okay, fine! Let's all go have a big touching reunion with Jack!" Crow said very sarcastically. "But you know what that means, right? We'll have to go to Neo Domino City! Even if we could get over there by some miracle, we sure wouldn't be very welcome."
"We still have to do it." Yusei told him. "Besides, I have a score to settle with Jack anyway."
Rex Goodwin stood gazing out the window of his office. Night had fallen over the city of Neo Domino, and Rex's eyes were focused squarely in the direction of Satellite. On a normal night, one could see light from the Infinity Spire. But it had not been a normal day. There was a time that afternoon when the sun had been blocked by the moon. And as far as Rex knew there wasn't supposed to be a solar eclipse that day, let alone one that lasted for such an abnormal amount of time.
The eclipse passed of course, and things seemed to return to normal as far as the average person was concerned. But Rex was not the average citizen. He knew that there was more to the eclipse than just a random celestial anomaly. And his suspicions were confirmed that night when he looked out towards Satellite and saw no light coming from the Infinity Spire. As Rex continued to gaze out at the island, the Skeleton Knight appeared on the other side of his desk from a dark mist.
Rex noticed the knight's reflection in the window and smiled. "How did it go, Rudger?"
The Skeleton Knight removed his helmet, and with it the skull that was supposedly his face. His true face looked very much like Rex's. Only his skin was tan and he had spiked white hair. Painted onto his cheeks were vertical red markings.
"It all went perfectly, brother." Rudger answered. "Yusei Fudo was able to eliminate the Infinity Triad once and for all, just as we thought he would."
"Excellent!" Rex declared as he turned around. "Now that the Infinity Triad is no more, we can finally proceed with our plans."
"What about Yusei?" Rudger asked. "He might be of further use to us."
"Are you suggesting that we let him and his little friends come to the city?" Rex inquired.
"At the very least we should reward him for his efforts in some way." Rudger pointed out. "And besides, we might be able to make good use of his friend, Kiryu."
"You wouldn't happen to be feeling a bit of guilt over the business with Yusei's father, would you?" Rex asked with a quirked brow. Rudger remained silent. "Ah well. It doesn't really matter, I suppose. Yusei could still serve a purpose as the city's new champion. The public has grown tiered of Jack recently. I think a change might finally be in order."
"It would save him from sharing the same fate as the rest of Satellite." Rudger agreed.
"It truly is a pity, but sacrifices must be made to save this city and the world itself." Rex reminded him. "In the end there is no choice but for the people of Satellite to parish."
END OF BOOK 1
Author's Note: To those who might be ticked off that I used an Xyz monster in a 5D's story, I'm sorry. The reason I did is because I wanted Yusei and Aki to defeat Aporia using a fusion of their dragons. A Fusion monster would've been too predictable, and using both dragons for a Synchro Summon would've involved drastically reducing both their levels. Still, I had some reservations about using an Xyz monster because I felt there'd be readers who wouldn't like it at all. So I hope this didn't ruin the story for anyone.
Well, I hope everyone enjoyed reading this first installment on 5D's Alternative. I certainly had a blast writing it. It's been a story I've been wanting to do for a long time. Yusei, Aki, and Aporia, are my top favorite characters from 5D's. And I've noticed that there don't really seem to be any Yusei and Aki stories that feature Aporia and his embodiments as the villain(s). So I wanted to do something to change that a little. But while this may be the end of Stardust and Roses, the rest of the 5D's Alternative story has yet to begin.
Stay tuned for 5D's Alternative Book 2: The False King
In the meantime, please review and let me know what you think.