Disclaimer: I do not own YDO 5Ds,

A/N: As promised, there's the new chapter XD

Yusei's duel runner stopped at the Fortune Cup arena with Leo and Luna sitting in front of him.

"Yusei!" Blister walked up to greet him.

He was followed by Tanner, the ex-Domino City duelist and old man Yanagi, both of whom were friends Yusei made during his stay in the Facilities.

"Hey guys," Yusei greeted, carrying Luna and Leo off his duel runner.

Tanner picked Luna up so she was sitting on his shoulders. Leo jumped up and down and demanded the same.

The group trailed towards the stadium, with Akiza joining them at the entrance. If all went according to plan, and Blister should make sure that it does, Leo would replace Luna in the first round.

I looked on at the scene from Goodwin's office in the tower (yes, it is actually a tower!) at the edge of the stadium, looming over the duel arena.

"It's odd," Rex Goodwin said quietly behind me, "that Yusei Fudo should have chosen to come."

"Why is that?" Jack asked annoyed that Goodwin might think it's odd for anyone to jump at a chance to duel him.

"I had tried to get Yusei's friends to convince him to join the tournament," Rex Goodwin replied tacitly, I could feel his gaze on my back. "None of the Sector Security could get them. And yet here he is."

"He means he tried to kidnap Yusei's friends and take them hostage to force Yusei into the Fortune Cups, but couldn't because of my team." I translated for Jack, "But yeah, I asked Yusei to come here."

"And why is that?" Rex Goodwin asked.

"I put money on it," I replied matter-of-factly.

"On his participation in the Fortune Cups?"

"On him winning." Turning around and seeing the dark look on Goodwin's face, I added, "I'm not sure if I can beat him, so it's easier to bet on him winning the game."

"You would lose on purpose for money?" Jack sounded offended. I don't think it occurred to him yet that I was betting on Yusei beating him also.

"It's a lot of money," I said defensively, "Like retire and buy an island money!"

And we need it. I do plan on buying an island.

Mina herded me down and I joined the other seven duelists in the waiting area

We waited for the MC to call on each participant and for our platforms to rise onto the stage. It looks much less impressive from this angle.

"Please welcome!" The MC spoke loudly over the speaker system, "our contestants for the Fortune Cup!"

"He knows what you're thinking, The Professor!"

"He knows what you did last summer, Detective Kodak!"

I had to give him credit.

"The Stone Wall Greiger."

"The Master of Warriors, Yuki Tono!"

I like it, it feels appropriate. Nonetheless, I hope the nickname doesn't stick, I've been contemplating changing my deck for some time now.

"The enigmatic Black Rose Akiza Izinski!"

The crowd hushed at the appearance of the urban legend Black Rose, then grew louder than ever. Akiza looked at the crowd, her head held high.

"The adorable Luna!"

Leo came up, waving and smiling.

"The Spectres of Duel Monsters, Shira!"

A cloaked figure appeared onto the field.

"And last but not least, the Shooting Star of the Satellite, Yusei Fudo!"

At the announcement that Yusei was from the Satellite, the crowd went wild in protestations. Greiger stepped up, taking the mike and spoke in Yusei's defense. I guess being judged for where he came from really struck a nerve with him.

After the stadium quieted down, the MC was able to proceed.

The dueling schedules were hardly a surprise, each suspected or confirmed Signers would face off against one of Goodwin's lackeys.

So it's me against the Professor. Luna (i.e. Leo) against Greiger. Yusei against the carnival knight, Sir Randsborg, and Akiza facing off against Commander Koda.

I couldn't help looking at Goodwin as I heard the listings, he waved discreetly with a smile but didn't say anything more.

Seriously? He's seriously asking me to face off against the guy who was defeated by Luna and Sunshine Unicorn? Sunshine. Freaking. Unicorn.

I could've beaten Luna's deck with the deck I had back in the original Yugioh series. For one thing, I never put Horn of Unicorn into my deck. Its effect of returning to the top of your deck when destroyed may waste a draw and does more harm than good and can be detrimental when you're in a pinch.

"You're up first," Yusei smiled and patted me on the shoulder as he walked off the stage.

I returned the smile if a little reluctantly, dueling the Professor would no doubt be the low point in my career.

"Let's give it up for Yuki Tono and Professor Frank!" The MC announced excitedly.

Oh god, that guy's name's actually Frank. Frank. As in 'they frankly put no thought into designing his character'.

I took the stage, facing Frank with a barely suppressed smile and feeling somehow apologetic on behalf of people from my dimension. He matched my smile with a slight bow.

"Why don't you go first, as a sign of my goodwill," Professor Frank began smoothly, "I look forward to nurturing our mutual understanding during the duel. I hope to see you flourish like the Satellite has under your care."

The crowd grew a little rowdy at the knowledge, I wondered briefly if Goodwin had asked him to do this or if it was only him.

"Alright," I shrugged, I didn't think it mattered when dueling him. "I summon, Legend of the Six Samurai, Shinai (lv3, 1500/1500) to the field in attack mode. I'll put two cards facedown and end my turn."

"Yuki's starting off her first turn with a powerful monster in attack, let's see how The Professor will respond." The MC commented through the loudspeaker.

"I shall continue the duel then," Frank said. "I bring to the field, Symmetry Rorschach (lv3, 1200/1200)" in attack mode and place a single card face down. "

If that's all he has, he's going to be clobbered.

A large amorphous blot appeared on the field. I derided its attack and defense, but my eyes kept being drawn to it as though against my will.

"Now, Yuki, I want you to look at my monster, study it, tell me what you see." He slowly tried to lure me into his trap.

"Why?" I asked flatly, rolling my eyes.

"Through dueling we understand our opponents, but most importantly, we gain an understanding of ourselves. Like a pebble on the beach shaped by the repeated turnings of the tide, as are we constantly changed by the world around us, and thus must strive for constant introspection."

"Fine," I replied, seeing as he wasn't going to shut up until I complied. "Let's see, moth, moth, sacrum, batman, fat moth, skinny moth, Lazar, I mean clown."

There were some laughter from the crowd.

"You seem very guarded," Frank observed, unaffected by the commotion "I noticed you only say the most artificial response, never anything that strikes you on a deeper level. Why is that?"

"Because this is a duel," I answered impatiently, "These people came for the Fortune Cup, not for you to advertise your psych clinic. They want to see a duel, isn't that right?"

Roars from the crowd answered me, I waited expectantly for him to announce the end of his turn.

"But what about you?" He asked patiently.

"What?"

"You're worried about what everybody else wants, but what about you?" He asked again, "What do you want?"

"Me?" I repeated, I hadn't exactly been prepared for the question, nor is it one I've had time to think about for a while. You know, end of the world and all.

"You can see anything when you look at it," He said slowly, his voice growing quieter with each word, "Your friends, your family, maybe someone you miss? Or someplace far away that you thought you'd never see again? You can see it all again if you just concentrate hard enough, now isn't it worth it to at least give it a try?"

I felt like I had suddenly been stabbed in the back. All the air escaped from my lungs and I could only let out a quiet whimper. I had tried very hard to forget the other life, because it doesn't help me when I might die at any minute.

I've become so good that I've even stopped dreaming about it.

Now all the memories I had tried to keep suppressed for the last month came flooding back, drowning me so I could barely breathe.

"Isn't it?" He prompted.

"It is," I repeated. I knew he was trying to hypnotize me but I couldn't resist. Because he was right. It was well worth the risk if I could see everything again, even if it's only in my own head.

"That's right," He urged gently, "Look closer, open your mind, and let it take you where you want to go."

I stared Rorschach Symmetry, feeling a little stupid but also hopeful.

"You want this to end, don't you?" He continued slowly, "So you can be where you want to be? Where you belong?"

"I do," I murmured, I missed my world more than I dared to put into words.

"Then let me help you, take me to your world," His voice seemed to have come from very far away, "Show me what it's like."

And it hit me. As in it literally hit me. Symmetry Rorschach attacked. The monster changed shape, a face emerged from it and destroyed Legendary Six Samurai-Shinai. While I wasn't paying attention, Professor Frank had equipped his monster with the Axe of Fools, increasing its attack by 1000 to 2200, thereby dealing me 700 damage.

In a trance, I didn't activate the two trap cards I had on the field, Scrap-Iron Scarecrow (deflect one attack per turn) nor Dual Style- Six Samurai (return two cards to opponent's hand).

From the outside, Yuki Tono stood frozen on the spot. Her eyes now vacant, not responding to any of the boos or jeers from the crowd.

Even if I had known, I wouldn't have cared in the least. But I didn't know.

I looked at the familiar room that I hadn't seen since a lifetime ago, my mind a complete blank. Truth is, I hadn't been sure if I would ever see it again.

It was a pathetic one-bedroom apartment not much more comfortable than my place in the Satellite, albeit with a fully-stocked fridge.

Bugs littered the floor because I was supposed to have cleaned the place two days ago. The faucet is leaking again, my landlord said he'd get somebody to fix it but never did, I'll probably just take a wrench to it myself just like I did last time. It never lasts long though, and I keep on thinking one of those days I'd just break the entire plumbing system, and I'll have to pay for it because I broke it. I still had two used plates in the fridge that I was supposed to wash from when a friend came over the night before but I woke up late and drove to work in a rush.

I hated this place.

And if I could, I would have traded that entire world for this single apartment.

I dove face-first onto my bed, my bed, with teddy bear sheets and matching pillows that my grandma got me because she still thinks I was thirteen, even the lumps fit my body perfectly.

Lying there, with my eyes tightly shut and my face buried in the sheets, I could almost pretend this is real. That nothing ever happened.

Maybe it was all a dream. Maybe if I wished hard enough, it would all stay this way forever. Even as the thought occurred to me, I felt the model of the Momentum around my neck, pressing uncomfortably into my chest.

If nothing disturbed me, I might have stayed there forever, but to my irritation, I felt an intrusion.

Right, I was here because 'Frank' had the guts to toss me here in order to weaken me. God he has no idea.

"So this is where you're from? It's a little, simpler than I thought." The Professor waltzed into my apartment, picking up the photo on the table, "And these were the people you were hoping to see?"

The photo! It's been so long I'd forgotten about it. It had seemed hopeless enough that I had forced myself to forget about it.

It was from the last time we went camping, my parents and I. We all hated camping but we all agreed that we needed the fresh air. I had a strained smile and a spider on me that I discovered immediately after this picture was taken. The subsequent pictures were still on my dad's phone and he refused to delete them. My mom didn't even bother hiding her annoyance and made a face at the camera. My dad looked largely stoic except for the cat on his head. Rufus, their British shorthair, was the only one who actually enjoyed camping and stood proudly licking his front paw.

I meant to get a frame for it but I didn't get around to it yet, so the photo laid on my desk. It would have been the last photo they had of me. And I guess the last one I have of them.

"This is the people you miss?" Frank said carelessly, tossing the photo onto the ground.

I saw red.

"You forget," I smiled mirthlessly, "You're in my mind. This is my world."

Because even I can tell this isn't my original reality. For one thing, I'm still 4'8 with green hair.

"I brought protection," Professor Frank replied, gesturing to Symmetry Rorschach behind him, "I tribute my Symmetry Rorschach to summon Ido the Supreme Magical Force (lv6, 2200/800). Now that you have nowhere to run, what would you like to do?"

A purple lizard with golden stripes appeared in my living room, crushing my armchair with its tail.

"You really don't get this do you?" I asked incredulously. "Have you been working with children for most of your career?"

His expression confirmed my suspicions.

"Because I don't need monsters in this world, this is my world! I AM the monster." I reached out and Ido the Supreme Magical Force shrunk as it flew towards me, until it stopped beneath my feet no larger than a bug. And I crushed it.

Professor Frank turned pale, realizing his error in underestimating the home field advantage of a mature adult mind.

"I could let you go," I said slowly. Even Rex Goodwin is unlikely to locate me from just the glimpse of memories Frank had seen, let alone deduce that I'm from another world.

"But I don't want to."

I don't want share this innermost part of my soul with anybody, the only part that's fundamentally mine. Somebody forcing their way here, I felt contaminated, possibly more so than any physical attack could have done.

Professor Frank turned to run, but it was too late. It was too late the second he stepped into my mind. I looked at him, wanted him gone, and he was. The remaining part of his mind, the part that didn't venture into mine, would likely recover with time, but that part would know nothing about what he saw here today.

The duel stadium erupted into an uproar as Professor Frank collapsed in the second turn of the game, abruptly cutting short a duel that didn't promise to be very interesting in the first place. I was vaguely aware of what's happening outside, but it all felt so distant.

It always had.

Everybody in the Satellite and now Domino City knew I didn't belong there, I stand out like the Ace of Spades in a deck of children's trading cards. It's hard not to stand out when you move to a new city, it's impossible when you move to a new dimension and timeline.

I still have people to laugh with, but I don't have anyone I can cry on.

I still have people who rely on me, but nobody I can lean against.

I still have people who trust me, I presume, but there's nobody I can trust.

Neither the Paragons of Good nor the Embodiments of Evil can know what I have planned for their gods. For now, that's my sole source of amusement.

I'm living half a life.

It's sort of appropriate, isn't it? since I've already died once.

If I still could, here, of all places, would have been the place for me to break down, bawl my eyes out, but I can't. I can only be weak if there's somebody to be strong for me, and I don't have that anymore.

I went outside, into either an illusion of the mind or an actual world that existed because I thought it did, I frankly didn't know which and I wasn't sure if I cared. The one thing good about my apartment was the view, so I thought I'd enjoy it one last time while I still had the chance, drawing courage from a world in which I was absolutely safe. It was about seven in the morning here, I had just missed the sunrise. But this is my world, and time wasn't going to be an obstacle.

Holding my hand out for effect, I watched as the sun quickly dip below the horizon again before rising up. It was, because I willed it so. Because by definition, this is my world.

I wonder if I'm its God.

I wonder if it's the kind of power the Netherworld monster would have over this world if we lost.

I wonder if it's the kind of power the Crimson Dragon has now...

Yusei Tono came to as her opponent passed out unconscious on the field, leaving the duel half finished.

"Um, what an unexpected finish to the first game of the tournament!" I told you he was good.

"Congrats, Yuki," Akiza smiled as she stepped up to begin her own duel.

"Thanks," I smiled back, "And remember what we talked about tying guys up with vines?"

"Don't do it except to Yusei." Akiza nodded firmly in all seriousness.

"Or at least not on national television." I laughed.