I figured if I added a Duel in the last chapter, it would be too long to read all together. So I hope you'll enjoy this chapter with a new fresh Duel.
I'd like to thank and credit M.H. Pintner for the idea they gave me for this chapter to feature a Duel between Estelle and one of the canon characters. As for the Duel featured, I used the same technique as for the Duel in Chapter 4 to write it; using Duelingbook to create Carly's Deck and Dueled myself against that Deck with my/Estelle's Deck.
We also have the 675 review shout-out winner! And it's the same person who I've just credited for giving me an idea for the fanfic; M.H. Pintner! Congratulations! The next review shout-out will be by the 700 review.
I have a new poll up on my profile. It's about what kind of short chapters fanfic or one-shot I should write to celebrate the fifth year anniversary of CSP! The poll will be open until 3rd February, so hurry up and add your votes, please!
The chapter begins in Carly's point of view.
Disclaimer: I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!
Chapter 38: A Fortune-Telling Duel
I woke up from another nightmare again, but this time I was drenched in sweat. My heart beat so fast I had a hard time to calm down. I took deep breathes for a while until my heart stopped trying to jump out of my chest. The mysterious nightmares kept crawling back to me every single night since I talked to Estelle earlier this week, and they weren't just getting worse, but they were starting to feel highly realistic.
The shadow in my nightmare had slowly gained a shape instead of looking like a haze with bright evil eyes. It looked now more like a bird with a long beak and orange highlights on its body. Whenever it chirped, it sounded like a tuning fork like one of Jack's Resonator Monsters that used their tuning forks before a Synchro summoning.
And speaking of Jack, I saw more and more of him in the nightmares. He was driving his Duel Runner and seemed to chase after me. I was driving a crimson Duel Runner and seemed to be in a Turbo Duel with him. I had never ridden a Duel Runner before, so how did the dream me know to drive one?
I shivered by a cold chill that ran down my spine when I recalled the latest nightmare. The Fortune Ladies and Red Dragon Archfiend were battling each other, but the mighty dragon beat them as Jack got closer to me. His hand was within my reach and I could grab it if I wanted. His pleading eyes and the blood running down his face… I wanted to end the Duel, but just as I was about to take Jack's hand a mysterious power took control over me and forced me to drive further away from him. I could hear Jack calling my name, but I let out a dark laugh that didn't sound like me.
I curled into a ball as I stayed in my bed, hugging my legs close to my chest. I rested my forehead against the knees as I released a sigh. What were the nightmares trying to tell me? Did I really Turbo Duel Jack? Did I have psychic powers like Akiza and I almost hurt him?
No… It can't be… I had never wished any harm towards anyone, not even Angela, despite what she did to me in the past.
After graduating high school, I was more or less kicked out of the family house with some of my belongings, but I got an old car from my parents as a "graduation gift". I wanted to become a reporter or a journalist, and so with my tiny merits I actually became an intern for the newspaper Daily Duel where Angela worked at before. I became her assistant, but I was treated more like a slave than as an equal human being. At that time, she wasn't a very successful reporter, so she often used dirty tricks to get the best stories before anyone else. She even stole my stories and had them printed under her name, never crediting me. I tried telling the boss how fake Angela was and how she stole other reporters' stories, but he never listened to an intern.
One day, Angela made a huge mistake that could have cost her career and job at Daily Duel, but she got defensive and blamed me for the mistake. The Daily Duel newspaper fired me instantly and they didn't even pay me the last wages. It crushed me so badly and I didn't get a good reputation afterwards. I struggled for a long time to find a new job and the only newspaper that hired me was the current gossip magazine I was still working for.
I made myself a promise on the day when I got fired from Daily Duel; I would become the best and honest reporter ever in New Domino City and I would one day push Angela down on her knees and make her apologize for all the evil things she did to me.
I snapped out of my memories when my cell phone began buzzing. I put on my glasses before picking up the phone and answered the call, seeing it was Estelle. "Hello?"
"Hi, Carly. I'm sorry for calling so early. I hope I didn't wake you up."
"No, that's fine. I was already awake…"
My voice grew silent as I remembered the nightmare of me hurting Jack.
"Did you have another nightmare?"
"Yeah…"
"I'm actually calling you because of them."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Are you free this afternoon? It may be Saturday today, but I don't know if you're working today."
"No, I'm free. Since I'm a reporter for the magazine, I've got an independent schedule."
"Alright. Akiza and I are going to meet up with Misty. She came home last evening and she heard how you've been struggling with your nightmares, so she wants to talk to you."
"Misty's back?" I remembered meeting Misty on the grand opening for the movie about Jack and how I asked her questions about the now ruined Arcadia Movement. "Do you know if someone's interviewed her yet?"
"I don't think so. Maybe she'll let you have an exclusive interview before anyone else."
I threw the covers off my bed and slipped my feet into the white slippers resting next to the bed. "Where are we meeting up?" I was almost getting giddy by excitement to interview Misty, but that also meant I had to try getting some gossip out of her that my boss would love to hear.
"By the reception of the building where she's living, around 2 P.M."
"2 P.M., gotcha! I'll be there!"
XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV
Akiza, Carly, and I sat on the couch in Misty's apartment with said model. Akiza and I were sipping some delicious tea she had brought back from Paris while Carly was busy interviewing her. We agreed that the reporter would interview the model first before getting into the more dark part of our meeting. Misty was dressed in a light grey dress, emerald green bolero, black heels, and the locket she got from her little brother years ago.
"Thank you for letting me interview you, Misty!" Carly smiled widely as she put away her notebook in her bag. "This will spike up my career!"
"You're always welcome to interview me", Misty smiled softly. "But try not to add the tiny embarrassing sides in your article, okay?"
"Try telling that to my boss", Carly sighed. "He always wants the latest 'delicious' scoop, and I don't like his way of thinking, but what else can I do? I can't get a better job with my reputation and it's all because of Angela Raines."
"What do you mean?" I wondered, hearing something I never read about in my dimension.
Carly let out another soft sigh. "I used to work as an intern in Daily Duel before she switched job, but she fired me after putting the blame on me for a mistake she did."
"That's so low!" Akiza growled irritably as she carefully but a bit forcefully slammed her delicate tea cup on the coffee table. "I remember seeing her on TV couple of times and I knew I didn't like her for a reason."
"I don't have any good memories of her either", Misty revealed. "The few times she interviewed me, she always wrote something else or changed the story a bit. Therefore, I had asked my agent not to accept interviews from Angela."
"Let's add her on a collective list of women we would love to give a big slap on their faces", I suggested sarcastically. "I've got someone from Sector Security I would love to humiliate a bit."
"I didn't know you had this bad side of you, Estelle", Akiza giggled.
"We all have our good and bad sides", I smirked. "And if I reveal everything about myself all at once, how will I be able to surprise you with my other secret sides?"
Carly and Misty joined the laughing party, but then Carly's smile dropped as she looked down on her lap. The rest of us stopped laughing when we noticed her change of mood.
"Carly?" Akiza called softly.
"Secret sides, huh… I guess I've also got a side I've never been aware of", the reporter said.
"Is it about your nightmares?" Misty questioned gently.
Carly nodded slowly. "Yeah…"
"Tell us. What's bothering you?" the model asked as she gently took one of the reporter's hands and held it with both her hands.
Carly told us briefly about her nightmares and I could tell they were getting clearer for each dream. She was now seeing the hummingbird Immortal and that wasn't a good sign in my point of view. And she was remembering the Shadow Turbo Duel when she almost killed Jack.
"I don't know why, but it feels like I've been through all of this stuff, yet I can't remember if it's been real or not", she said after summarizing her nightmares, massaging her forehead with her fingertips. "But what worries me the most…was the part when I hurt Jack…" She looked down at her hands as if she was expecting to see blood stained on them. "Do I have psychic powers like you, Akiza?"
My eyes widened in realization. Was Carly worried that she had psychic powers and had hurt Jack?
"Nooo… I don't think so", Akiza said, hesitantly drawing out the "o".
"Are you worried you have psychic powers and you might hurt someone in a Duel?" Misty questioned.
"Yeah…", Carly nodded slowly before looking up, her serious eyes glowing through the thick lenses of her glasses. "So I need to find out if I'm a psychic Duelist or not. Can I Duel one of you guys? I've got my Deck with me."
Akiza, Misty, and I looked at each other, sharing a glance. I nodded first, telling them silently that I could Duel her. The female Signer and the model nodded in return, giving me the OK sign.
XXXXXXXXXX – Jack's POV
I had been trying to come up with an idea to help Carly with the nightmares that were messing with her, but I had nothing in my head. I didn't know it was that hard to come up with something. I was the type who preferred to start and end the Duel fast with a massive attack. I wasn't the thinking type like Yusei.
I was currently driving around on the streets randomly on my Duel Runner to clear my head and enjoy the nice weather. I had been outside for more than an hour and it was bit of a relief to not hear Crow's annoying voice whenever he told me to get a job and pay my part of the rent and food.
I snapped my head up when I heard the ringing tone echoing inside my helmet. Akiza's name appeared on the inside of the visor, so I pushed the answer button on the dashboard of my Runner. As soon as I did that, a small megaphone appeared next to Akiza's name.
"What is it, Akiza?" I asked irritably.
"Nice greeting, Jack", Akiza replied sarcastically. "I have a message for you from Estelle."
"A message?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah… There's been a change of plan about Carly."
"What do you mean?"
"She… Um… They're going to Duel."
"WHAT?!" I braked my Duel Runner so sudden I almost flew out of it. "I told Estelle not to Duel her! It could trigger her memories of her dark past!"
"It wasn't Estelle who suggested it. It was Carly."
"Carly? Why?"
"Because-"
"Wait! Don't tell me that! Where are they going to Duel?!" I demanded as I beat the accelerator pedal.
I didn't care if I drove over the speed limit. I had to stop the Duel before it was too late!
XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV
Misty's apartment building had a big Duel stadium next to it that was just ten steps away. The stadium had three fields for Ground Duels and right now, no one was occupying them. The model got me and Carly two Duel Disks, both of them the standard version, so we prepared our Decks and inserted them in the devices. Carly and I took our place on the field as Misty and Akiza stood next to it.
"Good luck, you guys", Akiza called.
"Do your best, both of you", Misty added.
"Are you ready, Carly?" I questioned.
"Yeah, I think so", Carly nodded hesitantly.
"If you want, I can take the first turn."
"Sure, that'd be good."
With that said, we activated our Duel Disks and said the two magic words.
"Let's Duel!"
Estelle: 4000 LP
Carly: 4000 LP
Carly and I drew the top five cards from our Decks. I got Monster Reborn, Shining Angel, Sakuretsu Armor, Dragon Shield, and Kuribandit. I drew my sixth card and got one of my two Breakthrough Skill cards. This was an okay hand, but I had to improvise a bit.
"I start my turn by summoning Shining Angel in attack mode!" I called.
Shining Angel flew out from a gate and spun around before floating a few inches above the ground.
Shining Angel, Level 4: ATK 1400
"I place one card facedown and end my turn", I finished as I put Sakuretsu Armor facedown.
"Okay, it's my turn", Carly declared as she drew her sixth card.
I waited patiently as she looked through her hand and thought about how she should play against me.
"I start my turn by activating the Field Spell, Future Visions!" the reporter called.
The field turned into a mysterious room with colors that reminded me the inside of a nebula. It was beautiful, but its effects were very powerful.
"Whenever a Monster is Normal summoned, it's removed from play until the next Standby Phase of the Duelist who summoned it", Carly explained. "Now, I summon Fortune Lady Light in attack mode!"
The blonde Fortune Lady flew out from a gate and spun her wand around before standing tall.
Fortune Lady Light, Level 1: ATK ?
"Fortune Lady Light gains 200 attack and defense points for each of her Level, so her attack points are 200!"
Fortune Lady Light, Level 1: ATK ? – ATK 200
"Because of Future Visions, she's removed from play, but when she leaves the field, I can use her effect to Special summon another Fortune Lady from my Deck."
Fortune Lady Light faded slowly, but she raised her hand and released some of her energy to open another gate.
"I Special summon Fortune Lady Earth in attack mode!"
Just as Fortune Lady Light faded from the field, Fortune Lady Earth floated down from the open gate and spun her wand around before getting into an attack pose.
Fortune Lady Earth, Level 6: ATK ?
"Fortune Lady Earth gains 400 attack and defense points for each of her Level, so she's got 2400 attack points!"
Fortune Lady Earth, Level 6: ATK ? – ATK 2400
I hissed slowly through my teeth. This was going to hurt.
"Fortune Lady Earth, attack Shining Angel with Cursed Thorn!" Carly shouted determinedly.
Fortune Lady Earth spun her wand before slamming it on the ground, causing a chain of stone thorns to sprout as they headed towards Shining Angel. Shining Angel tried to dodge the thorns by flying higher up, but a tall thorn shot up and pierced him into pieces.
Estelle: 4000 LP – 3000 LP
Carly: 4000 LP
My hair ruffled by the Solid Vision effect, but I didn't get hurt, so that was enough proof Carly didn't possess psychic abilities like Akiza. "When Shining Angel is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, I can use his effect to Special summon one Light Monster with 1500 or less attack points from my Deck, and the Monster I choose is Vylon Stella!"
My Duel Disk shuffled the Deck until the top card stuck out a bit. I grabbed it and confirmed it was the Tuner Monster, so I summoned it. Vylon Stella flew out from a gate and punched the air.
Vylon Stella, Level 3, Tuner: ATK 1400
"Oh… Wow! I didn't expect that!" Carly said in awe before checking her cards. "I end my turn. I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"No, I'm all fine", I replied before drawing my next card. "I draw."
I got United We Stand. I was going to save it for later. It was time to heat things up a little.
"I play the Spell, Monster Reborn, to summon Shining Angel back to the field!" I called as I played said card.
"What?!" Carly gaped.
Shining Angel's curled figure floated up from a gate, but stretched out as he was free from the Graveyard.
Shining Angel, Level 4: ATK 1400
"And now, I tune Vylon Stella with Shining Angel to Synchro summon the future version of Synchron dragons!"
Vylon Stella turned into three tuning rings in which Shining Angel flew into before they fused into one bright yellow light that slowly changed into a bright green color.
"Join us, Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!"
Clear Wing Synchro Dragon raised from the light and released a roar as she took over the field, hovering dangerously above Fortune Lady Earth who seemed to cold sweat at the sight of the dragon.
Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, Level 7: ATK 2500
"Uh-oh…", Carly commented while cold sweating. "That dragon is stronger than Fortune Lady Earth."
"Only by one-hundred attack points", I explained. "Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, take down Fortune Lady Earth with Clear Wind Tornado!"
Clear Wing Synchro Dragon roared as her wings glowed and released a powerful wind that shaped into a bright green tornado that swallowed the Fortune Lady. The humanoid Duel Monster cried inside the tornado before she was destroyed by the force.
Estelle: 3000 LP
Carly: 4000 LP – 3900 LP
"I place one card facedown and end my turn", I finished my turn by placing Breakthrough Skill facedown.
"Alright. I draw!" Carly called as she drew her next card. "And Fortune Lady Light returns to the field by Future Visions' effect!"
Fortune Lady Light's transparent body appeared on the field until she was completely solid.
Fortune Lady Light, Level 1: ATK 200
"But I release her to Tribute summon Fortune Lady Dark! Just like Earth, she gains 400 attack and defense points for each of her Level, so she has 2000 attack points!"
Fortune Lady Light transformed into a rainbow orb that shapeshifted into the next oldest Fortune Lady sister. Fortune Lady Dark spun her wand around and aimed it at Clear Wing Synchro Dragon to show her she wasn't intimidated by the dragon.
Fortune Lady Dark, Level 5: ATK ? – ATK 2000
"But she's removed from play due to Future Visions", Carly continued as the new Fortune Lady faded into nothingness. "With that, I end my turn."
"Okay. My turn", I nodded as I drew my next card.
It was the Field Spell, Dragon Ravine, which was perfect. "I activate my Field Spell, Dragon Ravine!"
I placed the card on the Field Zone before the stadium changed a bit. Transparent mountains appeared around us with a gentle orange sunset, but it was fused with Future Visions since both Field Spells were active at the same time.
"Wow… It's amazing what Solid Vision can come up with when two Field Spells are active at the same time", Carly said as she looked around to take a closer look at the now mysterious Dragon Ravine.
"Maybe we should call it 'Future Dragon Ravine Visions'?" Akiza suggested from the side of the field.
"I like it", Misty smiled.
"It's far from over, since I now activate Dragon Ravine's effect", I continued, getting the girls' attention. "I send one card from my hand to the Graveyard to then send one dragon Monster from my Deck to the Graveyard."
"Wait, what?!" Carly exclaimed, surprised. "Why would you do that?"
"It's called strategy, Carly", I replied as I sent Dragon Shield from my hand and Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand from the Deck to the Graveyard before my Duel Disk shuffled my Deck. "But brace yourself, because I'll attack you directly! Go, Clear Wing!"
Clear Wing Synchro Dragon let out a soft cry before she headed towards Carly. The reporter stared at her in slight shock before shielding herself with her arms and Duel Disk. The Synchro Monster raised her right arm and slashed Carly. She didn't cause any physical damage, but the slight force of the attack caused the reporter to fall down on her backside.
Estelle: 3000 LP
Carly: 3900 LP – 1400 LP
"Oww…", Carly whined softly as she stood up and rubbed her backside. "That hurt."
"You okay, Carly?" I asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine", she nodded with a smile. "I can take a lot more than that."
"You're a tough girl", I smiled softly. "Show me that in your turn, since I end mine now."
"Oh, I'll show you what I've got! I draw!" Carly said seriously as she drew her card, acting more confident than moments ago. "Future Visions' effect activates! Fortune Lady Dark returns to the field!"
Fortune Lady Dark appeared on the field in a gentle purple light, smirking viciously as she held her wand close to her body.
Fortune Lady Dark, Level 5: ATK 2000
"Her Level might have not gone up, but her attack points will when I play the Continuous Spell card, Solidarity!" the reporter called.
"Solidarity? What does it do?" I asked, remembering seeing the card once on the Internet, but I forgot its effect.
"It's a Spell card that's effective as long as you only have one original type of Monsters in the Graveyard", Akiza explained. "Since Carly only has spellcasters in the Graveyard and Fortune Lady Dark is a spellcaster, she'll gain 800 attack points."
Fortune Lady Dark was enveloped in a purple aura as she gained those attack points.
Fortune Lady Dark, Level 5: ATK 2000 – ATK 2800
"It's stronger than Clear Wing now…", I mumbled in slight disbelief.
"Fortune Lady Dark, send the dragon to the Graveyard with Dark Fate!" Carly shouted.
Fortune Lady Dark spun her wand around as it gathered purple and black energy. Seconds later, a beam was fired at Clear Wing Synchro Dragon. My partner cried in pain and shattered into pieces, causing me to shield myself with my right arm from the wind caused by Solid Vision.
Estelle: 3000 LP – 2700 LP
Carly: 1400 LP
"Fortune Lady Dark's effect activates!" Carly declared quickly. "When she destroys a Monster, I can Special summon one of my other Fortune Ladies from the Graveyard, so join us again, Fortune Lady Earth!"
Fortune Lady Dark aimed her wand on the ground and opened a gate, which Fortune Lady Earth flew out from and joined her sister on the field, but she also gained the extra attack points by the Continuous Spell card.
Fortune Lady Earth, Level 6: ATK 2400 – ATK 3200
"3200 attack points?!" Akiza gasped in disbelief.
"That's enough to defeat Estelle, since it's still Carly's Battle Phase", Misty commented. "She's gotten very powerful."
"I'm sorry, Estelle, but this is my win today!" Carly called confidently. "Fortune Lady Earth, destroy Estelle's Life Points with Cursed Thorn!"
"Not so fast!" I called as Fortune Lady Earth spun her wand around. "I activate my Trap; Sakuretsu Armor!" Said Trap card flipped up. "When my opponent's Monster declares an attack, that Monster is destroyed!"
The Trap card released a slashing wind that cut Fortune Lady Earth before she could fire her attack at me. She cried in pain and shattered into pieces. Fortune Lady Dark looked stunned to see her big sister being destroyed.
"Nice saving", Carly smiled softly. "I set one card facedown and end my turn."
Okay, so now Carly had one Trap card facedown on the field. Whatever it was, I had to approach her with caution.
"I draw!" I called, drawing Apocatequil.
Okay, I got another Monster card now, but it wasn't enough to destroy Fortune Lady Dark. That, and if I Normal summoned Apocatequil or Kuribandit, they would be removed from play due to Future Visions. But there was a way to turn things around and stay alive a few more turns.
"I activate Dragon Ravine's effect!" I declared as the orange sunset seemed to get brighter. "I discard one card from my hand to send another dragon from my Deck to the Graveyard."
I discarded Apocatequil from my hand as my Duel Disk shuffled my Deck before the top card was a bit ejected. I grabbed it and saw it was Arkbrave Dragon, so I sent the Monster card to the Graveyard.
"With that, I end my turn", I finished.
Carly looked confused by my actions. "You didn't summon a Monster this time?"
"No", I shook my head. "I couldn't do it now. It's your turn."
"Okay. I draw!" Carly called, drawing a new card. "Fortune Lady Dark's effect activates! Her Level increases by one during my Standby Phase, and that means her attack and defense points increases by 400 points!"
Fortune Lady Dark, Level 5 – Level 6: ATK 2800 – ATK 3200
"Now, I-", Carly continued.
"Arkbrave Dragon's effect activates during the Standby Phase!" I quickly called before the reporter could move on to the first Main Phase.
"What?!" Carly yelped.
"Since Arkbrave Dragon was sent to the Graveyard on the last turn, I can use his power to Special summon a Level 7 or Level 8 dragon from my Graveyard", I continued.
My Duel Disk spat out Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand from the Graveyard, so I grabbed it and put it on the Duel Disk. "And the dragon I choose is the golden radiance itself; Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand!"
A golden gate appeared on the field before the dragon lord flew out and raised tall with a deep roar. He opened his wings and caused golden particles to fly around us.
Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand, Level 8: ATK 2800
"Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand's effect activates! When he's Special summoned from the Graveyard, I can target one Monster on my opponent's field or in their Graveyard and remove it from play! Not only that, but Divine Dragon gains attack and defense points equal to the removed Monster's original Level! The Monster I choose is Fortune Lady Dark!"
"No, not her!" Carly whined.
Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand fired a thin golden beam from his mouth and hit Fortune Lady Dark with it. The beam went through the humanoid's body before she vanished without an explosion. Her soul, though, remained on the field before it transformed into a golden light and enveloped Divine Dragon with it, giving him the boost-up.
Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand, Level 8: ATK 2800 – ATK 3300
"Estelle turned it around before Carly could finish her", Misty commented.
"Estelle used Dragon Ravine to send her dragons to the Graveyard, but she had to discard them in a certain order for the combo to work", Akiza nodded. "If she did it the other way around, sending Arkbrave Dragon first to the Graveyard before Divine Dragon… It wouldn't have worked. She could have summoned Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, but it doesn't have any effects to remove Fortune Lady Dark, and she was still stronger than the Synchro."
"Okay…", Carly hesitated a bit. "I summon Fortune Lady Fire in attack mode. She'll gain 200 attack and defense points for each of her Level, so she's got 400 attack points, and she gains an additional 800 attack points, thanks to Solidarity."
Fortune Lady Fire spun around as she flew out from a gate, swinging her wand around.
Fortune Lady Fire, Level 2: ATK ? – ATK 400 – ATK 1200
"But because I Normal summoned her, she's removed from play due to Future Visions."
Fortune Lady Fire closed her eyes as her body faded into nothingness, just as her sisters did before, leaving Carly's field empty, except for that one facedown.
"I end my turn", Carly sighed as she shrugged softly. "Your move."
"Alright. I draw", I nodded, drawing A Feather of the Phoenix and adding it to my hand. "I-"
"STOOOP!"
I jumped by the sudden yell and turned around to see what was going on. My eyes widened in surprise when Jack stormed towards us, looking red in his face by anger.
"Jack-", I began, only to get rudely interrupted again.
"End this Duel right now!" Jack demanded as his eyes were at me while marching towards me. "I told you not to Duel Carly, Estelle, and yet you break your own word-"
"No, Jack!" Carly shouted, getting the blonde Signer's attention. "Don't blame Estelle! I wanted to Duel!"
Jack stopped in his tracks, his angry eyes turning into slight confusion, as he turned to the reporter. "What? But why?!"
"Because I need to find out if I've got psychic powers, like how I had them in my nightmares!" Carly explained. "I need to know whether I'm a danger to anyone I'll Duel in the future! I don't want to hurt you again, Jack!"
Jack literally froze when he heard that. "Carly… Do you remember…?"
"Jack, perhaps you should step aside and let them finish the Duel", Misty spoke up. "You're kinda in the way, since you're on the field."
The male Signer looked around, realizing he was standing in the middle of the field with Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand leaning above him. He let out a soft growl and walked slowly away from the field.
I shook my head softly, knowing he was intentionally trying to stall the Duel. "I end my turn."
"Eh… You do?" Carly questioned. "You don't want to attack?"
"Not while Jack is hanging around", I replied.
Jack just snorted loudly as he finally stepped out of the field and joined Akiza and Misty.
"Okay. My turn", Carly drew a card. "Fortune Lady Fire returns to the field due to Future Visions."
Fortune Lady Fire's transparent body appeared on the field before she became solid.
Fortune Lady Fire, Level 2: ATK 1200
"I switch her in defense mode, place one card facedown, and end my turn."
Fortune Lady Fire went down on one knee and clutched her wand close while Carly placed another Trap card facedown.
Fortune Lady Fire, Level 2: ATK 1200 – DEF 400
"I draw", I drew my next card, seeing it was Ascator, Dawnwalker. "I discard one card from my hand to Special summon Ascator, Dawnwalker in defense mode!"
I discarded A Feather of the Phoenix and placed Ascator, Dawnwalker on my Duel Disk. A gate opened next to the golden dragon and the Incan spellcaster floated out before getting down on one knee.
Ascator, Dawnwalker, Level 5: DEF 1500
"Ascator, Dawnwalker's effect activates. When he's Special summoned like this, I can Special summon Fire Ant Ascator from my Deck."
My Deck was shuffled by the Duel Disk before the top card was ejected. I grabbed it and checked it was the Tuner Monster before summoning it. Fire Ant Ascator crawled out from a gate and stood next to the spellcaster, being two times bigger than its summoner.
Fire Ant Ascator, Level 3, Tuner: ATK 700
"Now, I tune Fire Ant Ascator with Ascator, Dawnwalker to Synchro summon the king of the sun!"
Fire Ant Ascator turned into three tuning rings before Ascator, Dawnwalker jumped into them and they fused into a bright light that felt like the warmth of the sun.
"Come forth, Sun Dragon Inti!"
The light got replaced by the mighty sun dragon as his four heads released a united roar.
Sun Dragon Inti, Level 8: ATK 3000
"Sun Dragon Inti, destroy Fortune Lady Fire with Sunlight Blaster!" I shouted.
Sun Dragon Inti opened his mouth as he collected energy, but Carly had a sneaky comeback.
"Not so fast! I play my Trap; Dimensional Prison!" the reporter yelled, flipping said Trap card up. "When my opponent's Monster is about to attack, it's removed from play!"
A purple beam shot out from the Trap card and hit Sun Dragon Inti straight on his sun stone. His four heads roared in panic as he vanished into a black hole, leaving the field.
"Nice save", I commented. "But I still got Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand. Go, Lord Felgrand, destroy Fortune Lady Fire with Clara Amalgam!"
Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand's scales started glowing before he emitted a bright light that swallowed the entire field. I had to shield my eyes for a moment while I heard Fortune Lady Fire's painful cry. As soon as the light died down, Carly's side of the field was empty with no Monster.
"Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand's effect activates", I declared.
"He's got another effect?!" Carly said in disbelief.
"When Divine Dragon successfully destroys my opponent's Monster and sends it to the Graveyard, I can Special summon a Level 7 or Level 8 dragon Monster from the Graveyard, so join us, Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand's brother, Arkbrave Dragon!"
I grabbed Arkbrave Dragon's card that came out from the Graveyard and placed it next to his brother. The other golden white dragon raised from a gate and spread his wings wide, roaring in joy for being on the field with his older brother.
Arkbrave Dragon, Level 7: ATK 2400
"And now, Arkbrave Dragon's effect activates! When he's summoned from the Graveyard, he can use his power to remove all face-up Spell and Trap cards on my opponent's field and he'll gain 200 attack points for each card!"
"WHAT?!"
Arkbrave Dragon released another roar that echoed in the stadium. The roar caused Carly's face-up Solidarity and Future Visions to shatter into pieces. The effect of Future Visions vanished, so it was only Dragon Ravine that dominated the field.
Arkbrave Dragon, Level 7: ATK 2400 – ATK 2800
"It's still my Battle Phase, so this is the end! Arkbrave Dragon, obliterate Carly's Life Points with Alba Aureum Magnum!"
Arkbrave Dragon collected white and golden energy in his mouth before he fired a golden white beam with a cry. Carly shrieked in fear as she used her arms to shield herself from the direct attack. The beam hit her as it drained the last of her Life Points.
Estelle: 2700 LP
Carly: 1400 LP – 0 LP
"Carly!" Jack called as he dashed towards her.
Carly looked a bit weak after the Duel that her knees gave up, but the blonde Signer caught her before she could collapse. While doing that, the Solid Vision faded now that the Duel was over. Misty, Akiza, and I rushed to the duo to check if Carly was okay.
"Carly, are you okay?" Akiza questioned worriedly.
"Y-Yeah…", Carly nodded as she was tightly held by Jack who refused to let go of her. "J-Jack, you're holding me too tight."
"Oh… Sorry", Jack said as he hesitantly let go of her, but still held her arms to make sure she could stand on her own.
"Was the Duel too much, Carly?" I asked as I noticed a change in Jack's eyes and in his emotions due to the bond with our Marks.
"A little bit", Carly smiled tiredly. "I've never had such an exhausting Duel before. And this was the first time I came close to win too."
Jack's body went rigid after that. He was probably thinking about his Shadow Turbo Duel with Carly of how she had been close to defeat him, if it hadn't been for his quick actions.
"I was very impressed, Carly", Misty smiled softly. "You've got the potential to become a great Duelist."
"Really? Me?" Carly said confusedly before she laughed sheepishly. "But I'm usually clumsy and-"
"Carly", I interrupted her gently. "You've got the skills to be a Duelist. You just need to believe in yourself, just as you did during the Duel. I saw the change in your aura. You became a whole different person I couldn't recognize you for a moment."
"Yeah, you were so full of confidence and played great combos", Akiza nodded in agreement. "If you keep up like this, you could even join the big leagues."
"Really? Little me, a low-class reporter, could actually become something big…?" Carly mumbled to herself as she seemed intrigued by the idea.
"I disagree", Jack shook his head.
"What?" Akiza said in disbelief.
"Jack…", I said with a warning voice.
Jack ignored me as he wrapped an arm around Carly's shoulders. "You are a low-class reporter, so you still have a long way to go." His left hand that rested on Carly's left shoulder squeezed her for a second before letting go. "If you want…we can Duel each other once in a while."
My eyes widened a bit in surprise. I didn't expect Jack telling Carly they could Duel to improve their skills.
"Really, Jack?" Carly said excitedly.
Jack removed his arm and turned to her with a stern and serious expression. "But don't expect me to go all soft on you, 'kay? A true Duelist accepts defeat just as much as they accept victory!"
"Okay!" Carly smiled brightly with red cheeks. "Can we Duel each other once a week?"
"Sure, why not", Jack's eyes traveled down her body and they widened in fear when he finally noticed Carly's dark orange coat. "Just don't wear anything in orange!"
"What? But why?" Carly questioned confusedly, looking a bit hurt. "It's a nice color…"
"You don't look good in that color!" Jack retorted as he turned around with his arms crossed. "You look better in blue… Sky blue."
Carly's lips returned into a smile as she blushed hard. "Okay!"
Akiza and I looked at each other as we tried to hold back our grins for seeing the interaction between Jack and Carly and how the man tried to keep his pride while complimenting his crush…if it really was a crush or he was just trying to be nice. Sometimes it was hard to tell even while I could sense his emotions.
"Are you feeling better now that you were able to confirm you don't have psychic powers, Carly?" Misty wondered.
"Yeah", the reporter nodded. "Now I feel relaxed that I won't hurt others in a Duel."
"I hear you", Akiza nodded with a slight sad expression. "It took me a while to control my powers, but now I'm glad I don't feel the desire to destroy everything around me like I used to."
"That's because you actually have a soft and kind heart, Akiza", I told her as I wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Sayer was the one who shut your heart and manipulated you to think everything can be solved with violence."
"Speaking of Sayer, Estelle…", Misty spoke up. "How's the investigation about the Arcadia Movement going on?"
XXXXXXXXXX
Carly's Deck in this chapter was based on her Ground Deck in the DS game "Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's: Reverse of Arcadia".
"Clara" in Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand's attack is Latin and means "Bright", while Arkbrave Dragon's attack "Alba Aureum Magnum" means "Great White Golden". This is what Google Translations comes up with, but I'm not 100 percent sure, so let's just roll with it.
Don't forget the poll on my profile, please!