Author's Note Part 1: Thanks goes to Ulrich362, iloveyugiohGX93, mcdinh, Mizashi Haruka, Doccy Larsson Seraphim, and the Guest (who I am convinced is trolling at this point) for reviewing the previous chapter.
Ah, band camp is done… and I still have a week until school starts up again. So you get this story's update :)
I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs. Enjoy!
***This chapter is brought to you by Dialga's Fight to the Finish, from Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky***
Chapter 37
When I can see again, I let out a sigh of relief as my dragon has survived the destruction. When I realize that our surroundings are still the ancient city, I remember that Realm of Light can survive destruction by card effect by removing 2 Shine Counters from it, and Toby must have done just that.
Realm of Light SC: 2
His dark eyes glower at me with hatred. Even though I know this isn't really Toby, it still unnerves me to see him glaring at me. "Fine, so your dragon lives… but your Life Points can still take a hit! Judgement Dragon, attack Daigusto Tornado Dragon! Heaven's Wrath!"
Light gathers around one of Judgement Dragon's claws, and he charges at me. My dragon tries to shield me from most of the damage, but it doesn't stop all of it. Some of the light still hits me, but at least it doesn't hurt too much.
Angel's Life Points: 1000
"That ends my turn," Toby says, "meaning Judgement Dragon mills the top four cards of my Deck…"
Realm of Light SC: 3
I look at my Deck, my hand resting on top of it. If I don't get one of the few cards that can get me out of this situation, I'm doomed. Please, Deck. Give me what I need, I think. "It's my… turn!" I draw, and look at the card.
It's one of the ones that can get me out of this bind. Even more than that, it'll let me win on this turn.
Is that really what I want, though? It means hurting Toby…
I shake my head. It's alright, I remind myself. Toby will be fine; he said so himself. I won't hurt him if I do this.
"I activate the Spell Contact with Gusto!" I shout. "By returning Kamui, Hope of Gusto and Caam, Serenity of Gusto in my Graveyard to my Deck, I can destroy a card you control—like Judgement Dragon!"
"N-No!" he screams furiously.
But he can't do anything as a powerful blast of wind tears apart his dragon, leaving him wide open.
"Daigusto Tornado Dragon… attack Toby directly!" I declare, pointing at my boyfriend.
The tornado my dragon causes blasts him into one of the buildings, and I'm already running for him before the dust even settles.
Toby's Life Points: 0
I find him unconscious, on the ground below a large crack in the building's wall. "Toby!" I shout. I kneel down, and lift him up so that he's lying on my lap now. "Toby, please wake up!"
This is way too much like when Sky died.
And Toby said he would be fine.
"Nnn…" he grumbles, slowly opening his eyes. He blinks a few times. "Angel…? What's going on?"
His response is me kissing him. Hard.
And when I stop the kiss, I say, "Ayame possessed you, and we had to fight. When I launched that last attack, though…"
"Oh…" Toby says. "Hey, it was a Tag Duel, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, it was," I say.
"That's why Realm of Light is still active, then," Toby says. "And I bet… I bet she's using it to keep her Earthbound Immortal on the field."
"Yeah, I bet she is," I say. Helping him to his feet, I add, "Well, we need to find Yusei now. I'm still a part of the Duel, if I can get to them." But then my chest flares up in pain, forcing me to kneel back down. "Ngh…!"
"Angel! Are you okay?" Toby asks, worry laced in his voice, as he kneels down next to me.
I take a few quick breaths. The pain lessens, but doesn't go away. "I'm… I'm alright, "I say slowly. "Just a little… sore."
His blue-green eyes look away from me, and his face falls. "This is my fault, isn't it?"
"No way!" I retort, a little to forcefully. Wincing at the new rush of pain, I add, "It's Ayame's fault, not yours. She was controlling you."
"Still…"
"Hey! Toby! Angel!"
I turn my head slightly, and a half-smile appears on my face. Crow, with Natsumi right on his heels, is running towards us. Following my twin and Yusei's little sister… are all of the other Signers except Yusei. Which makes sense, because Yusei's still Dueling his mother… "Hey guys!" I call, which is shortly followed by, "ack…" Raising my voice is apparently a bad idea in my condition.
"Man, it took forever to find you," Crow says once he gets to my side. "This weird city… Uh, Angel? You alright?"
"L-Like I told Toby a minute ago, I'm fine," I reply. Although I don't feel very fine…
"Here, let us help," Luna says, grabbing her brother's hand.
That confuses me for a second, but then I remember they're healers. So I let them do their work, and after a few moments, I really do feel fine. Still a little sore, but at least I don't feel like death anymore.
"Where's nii-san?" Mimi asks quietly.
"I'm not sure," I reply. "We were separated right after the Duel started…"
"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Jack asks. "We have to go find him!"
XXX
It's actually easier than we expected it to be, to find them. Mimi can sense where Choco Airutan is, and Toby knows his way through this city… for some reason. I mean, I know it's his card, but that doesn't mean he should know the ins and outs of the streets.
Ayame's Life Points: 2000, Yusei's Life Points: 400
The two are in some sort of grassy courtyard. The massive, green-lined dark butterfly hovers next to Ayame, with a small, green pumpkin with a face, arms, and legs is beneath it. She doesn't have any face-down cards, but Yusei does—he actually has three. He has some sort of monster I don't recognize; a man in crimson robes, with the Seal of the Dragon glowing in the air in front of him. But whatever this card is… it has no Attack Points…
Not to mention the fact that he has several cuts on his face and arms—and a gash over his left shoulder that is bleeding heavily.
"It's not too late, Mother!" Yusei shouts. "You don't have to fight me anymore! You don't have to be this creature's puppet!"
The brunette Dark Signer closes her eyes, and says, "I can't change this… the fact that I'm a Dark Signer means I can't stop until one of us is dead. And in that case…" Her eyes snap open. "Finish this, Earthbound Immortal Choco Airutan!" Ayame shouts. "Attack his Life Points directly!"
"I won't let you!" I shout, running up next to Yusei. "I activate the effect of Daigusto Tornado Dragon, banishing Radiance of Gusto and Forbidden Chalice from my Graveyard to negate Earthbound Immortal Choco Airutan's effects until the End Phase!"
With several flaps of his wings, my dragon lets out an arrow of wind energy, which hits the Immortal head-on, forcing it to back away.
"Perfect timing," Yusei says to me.
"Tell me about it." A few seconds later, and it would have been too late.
"Grr… I suppose you would show up eventually," Ayame says, glaring at me. "Hmph! It doesn't matter! Choco Airutan can still attack Crimson Star Mage!"
I suck in a giant amount of air—that's no different than her attacking Yusei directly. If he doesn't have something… I look at my friend. As always, he's calm and perfectly collected. And he has that look in his eyes that makes me think he wants this attack to go through…
Not that I have anything to counter the attack with, anyways.
The butterfly stabs the crimson-robed man with its mouth, shattering him. And yet, a barrier appears around Yusei's Life Points despite him not activating anything, protecting his Life Points from the damage.
"H-Huh?" This surprises Ayame as much as it does me.
"When Crimson Star Mage battles, I take no damage," Yusei explains.
"Tch—it doesn't matter! You lose on my next turn!" Ayame says. "I end my turn with a face-down!"
Yusei looks at me, "It's your turn, Angel."
"Right. I draw!"
Suddenly, a surge of energy flows through me. Like I have the full power of the Crimson Dragon inside of me.
'Quick! During the Standby Phase after Crimson Star Mage is destroyed, his controller can Special Summon a "Crimson Star" monster from your Deck!' Yusei tells me telepathically.
'But… I don't… I only ever draw one of them when I desperately need them!' And I don't desperately need one—Yusei does.
'Trust me!'
"I… I use Crimson Star Mage's effect to Special Summon… Crimson Star-Envoy of the Light from my Deck!" I shout.
Crimson Star-Envoy of the Light ATK: 1800, DEF: 200, Level 4
A crimson star appears in front of me, glowing too bright for any of us to tell what it looks like.
To be able to Summon that monster again… it could be just what I need to win, and keep Yusei safe as well. "I Tune my Level 4 Crimson Star-Envoy of the Light with my Level 8 Daigusto Tornado Dragon! Clustering storms form a barrier against despair! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! Tear apart the darkness, Crimson Tornado Dragon!"
Crimson Tornado Dragon ATK: 4500, DEF: 4800, Level 12
Out of the column of light flies a new dragon, with four feather-covered wings and a body with darker-green scales. The rest of him is covered with crimson armor that looks thick and ready to take many hits without denting or breaking.
"When Crimson Tornado Dragon is Synchro Summoned—"
"I activate the effect of Effect Veiler in my hand!" Ayame shouts. "I discard it to negate your dragon's abilities until the End Phase!"
That catches me off-guard. That card is one, out of place in a Naturia Deck, and two, belongs to Yusei. "Why…?" I shake my head. "Crimson Tornado Dragon can still attack that pumpkin of yours and wipe out the rest of your Life Points!"
At this, she smirks. "Oh, you're wrong about that. I activate Mirror Force!"
My breath catches in my throat. I don't have a way to counter that card. A quick glance at Yusei tells me he doesn't have one either, and I have to watch in horror as my dragon falls to his own attack.
"No… that's… no…" There's not much else I can do… Yusei and I are going to lose on her next turn…
"I activate the Trap Harmony Crystal!" Yusei shouts. "During the turn a Synchro Monster was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, I can remove it from play, along with another monster in my Graveyard—like Crimson Star Mage—in order to Special Summon a different Synchro Monster from my Graveyard, and deal damage to you equal to half its ATK. So… I bring back Stardust Dragon!"
Stardust Dragon ATK: 2500, DEF: 2000, Level 8; Ayame's Life Points: 750
I watch as my friend's dragon appears from the inside of a crystal, but I fail to see how it helps right now… Choco Airutan can still attack us directly.
"Just trust me," Yusei says. "I know what I'm doing."
"Okay…" Now I look at the card I drew. Monster Reborn. I want to use it to revive Daigusto Tornado Dragon, but something tells me I should save it… "I set a card, and that ends my turn."
"Hehe, it seems that even with your strongest monster, you couldn't do anything!" the Dark Signer laughs. "It's my turn, I draw!"
"And I activate the Trap Synchro Barrier!" Yusei shouts. "By Tributing a Synchro Monster I control, neither Angel nor I take damage until the end of the next turn!"
Shock quickly gives way to anger, and Ayame hisses, "Quit stalling and let me end this Duel!"
"No, we'll be the ones victorious," Yusei says.
"No, you won't! I refuse to lose again!" A dark aura surrounds Ayame, and she maliciously states, "I release Earthbound Immortal Choco Airutan in order to Special Summon Netherworld Immortal Choco Airutan!"
Netherworld Immortal Choco Airutan ATK: 3900, DEF: 3500, Level 12
For a moment, her butterfly is enveloped in shadows. When they disperse, it reveals that the green lines that had adorned the butterfly's body are now gone—the only ones left are the ones that form the creature's eyes.
"When Special Summoned, Netherworld Immortal Choco Airutan allows me to Special Summon any number of Plant- or Insect-Type monsters from my Deck, and it gains 1000 ATK and DEF for each one I choose to Summon," Ayame says. "So… I bring out Naturia Dragonfly, Naturia Bamboo Shoot, and Naturia Stag Beetle!"
Naturia Dragonfly ATK: 1200 to 3000, DEF: 400, Level 4; Naturia Bamboo Shoot ATK: 2000, DEF: 2000, Level 5; Naturia Stag Beetle ATK: 2200, DEF: 1500, Level 6; Netherworld Immortal Choco Airutan ATK: 3900 to 6900
A small, red dragonfly with pink wings and leaves around its body appears, followed by a sprig of bamboo with tiny feet and arms, and a large beetle with pink wings and giant eyes.
How are we supposed to get through all of those monsters? I just don't see how we can possibly turn this in our favor.
"Since your stupid Trap prevents me from dealing damage to you, I'll end my turn with a face-down," Ayame says. "But you can't stall forever… and when you can't, I'll be ready."
Yusei narrows his eyes. "I don't need to stall anymore, because I have just what I need to turn this around! It's my turn, I draw!"
A shiver runs up my spine, and I look at my mark. It's glowing brighter than normal—as bright as when I use a 'Crimson Star' monster… Whatever he's doing, it better be good…
"Angel, mind if I use your card?" Yusei asks.
"You mean my face-down? Yeah, no problem," I reply.
He nods, "In that case, I use Angel's Spell, Monster Reborn, to bring back Stardust Dragon!"
Once again, the silver dragon appears on the field.
"And for the final touch… I Summon the Tuner Crimson Star Priestess!"
Crimson Star Priestess ATK: 500, DEF: 500, Level 4
A woman in an elegant, yet ancient-looking crimson dress appears on the field. She holds a staff in one hand, and the Seal of the Dragon glows on her back. I can't help but notice she looks kind of like an older version of Natsumi, though…
"I Tune my Level 4 Crimson Star Priestess with my Level 8 Stardust Dragon!" Yusei shouts. "Clustering wishes bring sealed-away light back to the surface! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! Take flight, Crimson Star Dragon!"
Crimson Star Dragon ATK: 5000, DEF: 5000, Level 12
The new dragon looks a lot like Stardust Dragon, but there are still a lot of differences. This dragon has two sets of wings, and crimson armor covering his arms, legs, and head. Also, the gems on the dragon's chest are no longer purple, they're a deeper red than the armor.
"The effects of all monsters you control are negated while Crimson Star Dragon is on the field," Yusei says.
Ayame's dark eyes widen. "What?"
Naturia Dragonfly ATK: 3000 to 1200; Netherworld Immortal Choco Airutan ATK: 6900 to 3900
Ah! He's done it! He's turned the tables, and now we're about ready to win!
"Crimson Star Dragon, put an end to Netherworld Immortal Choco Airutan and end this Duel! Crimson Mirage!"
The armored dragon glows in a bright light, and flies directly at the dark butterfly. The insect stands no chance, and falls to the attack. Through the smoke that the butterfly's destruction creates, we can hear Ayame's screams.
Ayame's Life Points: 0. Winners: Yusei Fudo and Angel Hogan.
To be continued…
Author's Note Part 2: So. I'm pushing off the teary goodbye and blah blah for the next chapter. Trust me though, it'll be upsetting. And then it transitions right to Wiraqocha Rasca showing up, so it won't stay sad for long. Or will it…?
Fufufu… Well, I hope this chapter warrants a review from all of you! They encourage me to keep writing! And don't worry, I'm working on Shimmer. I just hit a roadblock by the name of Lucy.
Also, it's been far too long since I've done one of these…
EFOTWOFDRFL
LAREMAINUAP
RELALIVEVCEI
UHAKRTONBV
YERHEYETHER
FIGHTHEAHDU
HERATHEDHKE
IRAJLIGHTRNEC
Hint: One word per line.
PS: To the guest who is trolling me, I guess it's all a matter of opinion. You like Leo the best, I find him ridiculously hard to write for some reason. I like Yusei and Crow, but you don't. I don't know why, but that's just how it is. Not everyone has to have the same opinion. Although, if you want to read an interesting story with Leo mostly as the main character (I say mostly because Luna also gets the spotlight), read Six Signers, by Earth Beast (unfortunately the story hasn't updated in over a year, but it's still really, really good).