Crystal

"No, my dear, I haven't heard a word from him," Paula Montgomery said, coming back from making tea in the kitchen. She and Crystal were having an early breakfast outside the patio overlooking the Atlantic. They had been discussing the new summoning methods Duel Monsters had recently acquired. Xyx and Synchro monsters have found their way into Earth, making the game more complex and competitive than ever before. Then Crystal finally asked for any word on Yuri. Paula knew it would be a matter of time.

"It's been almost a year," said Crystal. "He didn't call or anything?"

"I'm afraid we can't call him where he is," Paula said sitting back down in front of the table. Crystal didn't touch the buttered biscuits Mrs. Montgomery made for her.

"You make it sound like he went to a third world country," Crystal commented.

"Third world, no. Another world…."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing. Don't worry so much, Crystal. I know my Yuri. He would never turn his back on his friends. And the fact he let you keep his necklace is proof of that. He will come back soon, you will see. He has a love for you that I can't even describe."

Crystal grinned.

"I remember the night he and Ren first met you. After we left the stadium, Yuri tugged my skirt and said, 'Mommy! Mommy! Was she an angel?'"

Crystal's lips trembled. She blinked rapidly to keep the tears from coming out. "He said that?" she asked.

"He most certainly did, Crystal. You and Ren and Yuri have formed a bond so strong I could have sworn that all three of you were my children."

"You are more a mother to me than anyone," said Crystal. "Not like mine."

"You mustn't say such things," said Paula. "I know your mother has made her mistakes but she is still your mother, Crystal."

"I hope Yuri comes back soon and sees all the news rules that have been put into Duel Monsters. These Xyx and Synchro Monsters have really made the game interesting! I wish he were here to enjoy the fun."

Crystal left the Montgomery estate after breakfast then strolled to the Ruby Dragon to get any info from Sergei, a man Yuri called uncle. When she arrived, she encountered Jeannie Xyz Summoning of all things. She had quickly gotten the hang of it since it was first introduced by Phobos Corp.

She summoned Heiratic Sun Dragon Overlord of Heliopolis to her opponent's dismay. Her opponent was what everyone called, a traditionalist, meaning he was a Duelist who enjoyed the old rules of the game.

"You've created a monster," said Patty, she was overlooking the game before Crystal came in. "After you took her under your wing, she has been unbeatable in almost every one of Sergei's shop tournaments. Seems like she's winning her fourth. They've started calling her the Princess of Dragons, since you, the queen, are her trainer."

"That's my girl," Crystal said proudly. "I'm taking her with us to the EPX."

Patty whistled. "You sure she's ready? Only the most elite in the world can go there."

"I trained her pretty well," said Crystal. "She qualified months ago."

"After placing fifth in regionals I'm not surprised. Who would have thought a champion lay dormant in that cute little thing?"

"Yup, I got her a Duel Disk customized and everything. We might get the dream match in which she faces her brother for the title of number one Duelist in the world. Send Nick my congratulations by the way. I heard he got in."

"Hard to believe Yuri was trouncing my husband's ass just a year ago, huh?"

"Yup. It must have been a rough road for him to get to the championship tournament. It certainly was for little Jeannie. Seems everybody wants to get Yuri's title."

"It must have been hard for you to learn that Yuri's world title became forfeit after he went missing."

"It was pretty rough," Crystal agreed. The shop went into thunderous applause when Jeannie won the shop's weekend tourney. She got up and did curtsy lightly picking up the hems of her skirt like the little lady she was. "But," she continued, "The world can't have a missing champion, can it?"

"Where in the hell could he have gone to?" Patty asked. "I mean it's not every day someone is crowned World Champion."

"I'm sure Yuri has his reasons," said Crystal. She watched Sergei deliver the prize to Jeannie. A Gold Series box and a cash prize of three hundred dollars.

"Ah, here come the princes now," Patty said, looking out the window of the shop. Their former opponents T.J and Cid came rolling down the street in a black Audi R8 Spyder.

Crystal and Patty went outside to see them while they parked by the sidewalk.

"Morning ladies," said T.J, lowering his sunglasses.

"Wow, don't you boys clean up nice," said Patty.

Cid and T.J were dressed in suits and ties. They had rings of gold encrusted with gems all over their fingers.

"Looks the pro leagues have been treating you well," said Crystal, examining the car. "Wow. Nice set of wheels."

"It's how we roll," said Cid. He held up his deck glimmering with cards from the Gold Series. "You can thank Yuri for this."

Crystal felt like her body just stopped. She looked up at Cid. "Yuri? As in…my Yuri?"

"Yeah, there's word going around that Yuri was the one who gave the thumbs up for all these new monsters. Ever since those Synchro and Xyz monsters started coming in, the games have been heating up like never before. And those sweet new Duel Disks from Phobos Corp have been looking pretty dope too."

"Who told you this?" Patty asked. "What about Ren? Is he okay too?"

"We don't know," said T.J. "We heard the news from some pretty weird looking dudes in Miami when we attended the Gold Series party. Some of them referred to Yuri as a prince, even a king or something."

"A king?" said Patty, crossing her arms. "He's not secretly royalty, is he?"

"Naw," laughed T.J. "My guess is he's gotten so good at Duel Monsters he's been labeled as a king. You know Duelists, always coming up with epic names such as The Fire King, Aqua Master and Crystal's title, Queen of Dragons. My guess is Yuri thought World Champion was beneath him or something."

"That makes sense," said Cid. "Seeing as how he's somehow behind the evolution of the game. And it's a good thing he did if you ask me. Those monsters we used to play with were starting to get stale if you catch my drift."

"I know," T.J agreed. "For goodness sake, I saw people using Mushroom Man in their decks. Mush-Room-Man."

"Did you ask them where they were?" Crystal asked. "Did they know where Yuri and Ren were going at least?"

"All we got out of them was that Yuri was Dueling like a champ somewhere far away," said Cid. "If it makes you feel any better, Crystal, I think Yuri's doing pretty well. Ren must be like his manager or something."

"While it does relive my apprehension, that just makes me even more eager to have him back. If Yuri has gotten this good, I can't wait to Duel him myself."

"He sounds dangerous," said T.J. "I heard Yuri defeated former world champs wherever he is. If he does come back, use great caution. Say, you ladies doing anything tonight? Henry Frost is hosting another get-together on his new luxury yacht, The Great White. Maybe you can bring your little protégé, Crystal. Who knows, you might find yourself a decent man, now that Brett's tucked tail and vanished."

"Yeah, you're single again, babe," said Patty, playfully slapping her shoulder.

"Why does she need to go to the party to find a decent guy?" said Cid. "When she has two flourishing singles sitting right here before her."

Crystal laughed. "I'll be there you guys."

"All right, if you need a ride, feel free to give us a call." Cid winked and gave a click before T.J sped off down the road.

"Crystal, I won!" Jeannie said running out the door of the shop.

"I know, baby, congratulations." She kissed the top of her head. "Oh, I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks for everything, Crystal," said Jeannie. "You taught me to be a great Duelist."

"A great one?" said Patty. "No way, you're one of the best."

"Do you think, if I Duel in Monaco, Yuri and Ren will come back?"

"Who knows," said Crystal. "Perhaps we'll find them over there."

"Maybe I can Duel Yuri if I do." Jeannie hopped up and down excitedly. Her pigtails bouncing on the sides of her head. "Perhaps I could slap him up a bit for making you worry so much."

Crystal laughed. "So long as you let me slap him first."

Meanwhile, inside the shop, Patty was gazing at the posters on the wall, which explained the evolution of the game. She shook her head in disbelief, wondering how and how a game so simple turn overly complex. At first, she had to contend with Ritual Summoning or Fusion Summoning her monsters. But now this!

Synchro Summoning.

Xyz Summoning.

Pendulum Summoning.

And Link Summoning.

What in the hell was all of this?

Patty looked at the poster on the wall in Sergei's card shop displaying all the new forms of summoning that have been implemented to the game. It was horrifyingly confusing. All the different diagrams showing off how to summon a certain monster felt like looking at a complicated math equation. She started to get an idea for how the new cards were played, but some stubborn Duelists were stomping a foot on the ground and giving up. It was way too complicated to play now. Some have started cursing Yuri for ruining the game.

"Yuri?" Patty wondered.

"So it seems," said Crystal, standing beside her in the card shop. "I contacted everyone in the industry. Nobody seems to know where he is or what he's doing. And yet Yuri is the one behind all these changes."

"Well, it will keep the scrubs away, that's for sure," jeered Patty's new friend, Sabrina, a girl she met and befriended at Ms. Anderson's School for Girls. She was as cocky and prejudice towards beginners as Brett was. To say the least... "Fuck me! Those new monsters look wicked."

"I have to admit their artwork is impressive," Crystal agreed reluctantly, for she felt the game should be played by anyone who wanted to give it a go. "But look at all that text on the poster boy for the new packs. Odd-Eyes Wing Dragon." She laughed. "Good Lord, look at that. His effect looks like an essay."

"Here's hoping I can find him," said Sabrina. "I should be receiving my raise at work next week."

Patty rolled her eyes. "Don't you have to save your money for a car? I'm getting awfully tired having to pick your ass up every night."

Sabrina formed a mischievous grin. The glitter on her lipstick twinkling under the lights of the shop. She had silvery hair like Patty, save one half - which flowed over her shoulder - was painted purple. "Hey, if I find that Odd-Eyes Dragon, I think I might have what I need to make it to the pro leagues. When I make it there, I'll get my own car, and you don't have to worry about picking me up anymore."

She whistled, placing both hands on her hips as she examined the hundreds of new Archetypes to play with.

"Look all these bad boys. Generaid. Mystic Fighters. Salamangreat. Elemental HEROs. Gladiator Beasts. Orcust. And check this out over here. New Thunder Dragon support, too."

Crystal folded her arms and shook her head. "I know one person who will be happy about that."

"You mean Brett?" Patty asked. She formed a bubble with her gum and popped it. "For all I know, that jerk off is sleeping with the fishes."

"Were it so easy to be rid of him," Crystal replied sadly. "He's back in town. With all the new cards coming out and the game getting more competitive, his uncle is giving him one final chance in the tournament. If Brett wins that, God help us all."

She turned away from the poster and sat down by the fountain.

"He won't win," said Patty, turning to join her. "I mean did you see all those Zombies and Fiends for me to update my deck? That Doomking Balerdroch makes Zera the Mant look like a kitty cat."

"If you think you can do it, go ahead," Crystal said, followed by a heavy sigh. "I'm getting worried. It doesn't matter if these changes are Yuri's doing. If he doesn't show up by the end of the month, The National Duel Monsters League is going to strip him of his title. Then they're going to pit the top ten best Duelists against one another for his championship. The winner of these games will get a shot at that bout."

Patty bit her lip. "Shit. And I guess that means Brett's competing in the carnival, too, isn't he?"

"Well, duh," said Sabrina. "It's his chance to redeem himself to the family. If he wins these games, nothing is going to stop him from getting Yuri's vacated title."

"Not even Leon," said Patty. "He's gone, too. And Ren as well. For goodness sakes, I wonder where the hell those guys have gone to."

"I don't know," Crystal said sadly. "All I know is, those three men were the ones who kept Brett on a leash when it came to my freedom and my dignity. With them out of the picture, I'm his for the rest of my life."

"You're going to marry him anyway," said Sabrina.

Crystal pouted. "And he is free to do whatever he wants with me. With me working at Phobos Corp now, they're going to want to squeeze me dry for every bit of cash from them."

"Mr. Montgomery will not allow that," said Patty. "He loves you too much to let the Martinettis harm you. Besides, after learning about what Brett did to Nick, RAPTOR and the FBI are keeping a close eye on them."

"I guess you're right," Crystal said. She leaned her head back and took a deep breath. "Still, I felt a lot safer with them around."

Patty placed a hand on Crystal's shoulder and patted it. "Don't you worry about a thing. Yuri will be back. You'll see." Her watch started beeping. "Uh oh. I have to go. I need to give Max his dinner. Crystal, you coming?"

"No. I, unfortunately, have dinner with Brett. I'll catch you later."

"All right. See you."

Patty put on her headphones and walked out of the shop into the night. As she passed an alleyway, her music started getting staticky. It didn't bother her at first; it actually annoyed her. She suddenly felt cold and started hearing voices from her earbuds. They were speaking to her. She yanked them off with all her might.

"What the hell?"

She started seeing her breathing lingering in front of her as though it was winter. But that couldn't be. They were sailing in the waters by Spain right now. It should be scorching.

"I must be imagining things."

"So you think," said a mischievous voice coming from the shadows.

Patty stopped. She wanted to run, but she couldn't. Something was keeping her locked in place. Bright yellow eyes pierced the darkness followed by an annoying chuckle. A red elf-like creature in a night-black tuxedo walked out of the dark. He bore a wide, white, smile.

"Pamela McKnight," he said chuckling. "I have been looking all over for you."

"Witty Phantom!" Patty cried, recognizing the creature. She started laughing. "Nick. If this is some kind of joke, it's not funny. In fact, it's rather pathetic."

Witty Phantom chuckled again. "You think I must be some sort of hologram, don't you?"

Patty's smile faded. "What?"

Witty Phantom touched Patty's face. Patty's eyes widened. This thing was no hologram. It was real. Her cheeks tingled from being touched by the soft velvet of his white gloves. She could smell a noxious, sweet, cologne from him. His breath was ice-cold and minty.

"You...you're not...not real."

"Oh, but I am," he said. He led her deeper into the alley. Her legs followed him as though they had a mind of their own. "My master has had a very keen eye for you, my dear," he said. He reached into the back pocket of Patty's denim cutoffs and pulled out a stick of gum. "Thank you, don't mind if I do," he said in a sing-song manner.

"What do you want me for?" Patty asked.

"I only want you to be happy, my dear," Witty Phantom replied. They stopped in the middle of the alley. He leaned against the wall and tipped his fedora hat up so he could see her. "Word on the street is you've got a nasty little spirit giving you trouble."

"I give her no trouble," Zera growled, rising out of the darkness of Patty's shadow. He lingered over her like a possessive dog. "I protect her. I keep her safe."

"Oh, God," Patty whispered. Zera was alive. She thought it was just hallucinations from being tired at school. But to see it appear in the form a serpent-like shadow filled her with fear.

"She was never meant for you, Zera. The darkness in her heart is way too strong for you. Dark enough that she doesn't need you watching over her. She is completely shielded by a force far stronger than you, and it's been keeping her safe from the ones searching for her."

"Who is searching for me?" Patty asked.

"That matters not," said Zera. "You're mine. No one is taking you away from me. Norman the Conqueror couldn't take you. Neither will this clown."

Witty Phantom laughed. "Zera, old chap. Is that any way to speak to your former right-hand man?"

"You are no friend of mine."

Witty Phantom lips trembled, but he was clearly faking his sadness. "Why, Zera, I'm crushed. How the high and mighty forget. Come on, man. Don't you remember? The group. Kozaki. Dark Balter. Ha Des and the rest of the gang. All of us serving under the watchful eye of King Demise."

Zera's claws hung over Patty's shoulders. "I had nothing to do with you. I was strictly under the eye of Ha Des. I hadn't a clue what he was doing."

"Oh, but you found out, didn't you?" Witty Phantom chuckled. "And I see you made good use of that information. I can't say that I blame you. She is a catch, isn't she? Beautiful face. Dynamite body. I just knew you couldn't resist having a pretty girl as a host. Oooo, you devil."

"It's not like that!" shouted Zera.

Patty walked out from under his shadow. "I don't know what's going on," she said. She turned to face Zera's shadow. "But I call bullshit on you, Zera. I don't know what his joker is talking about, but you...you've used me as your plaything since I was a little girl. You made me do things I would never have dreamed of doing before I met you. Night clubs. Boys. Sex. The raunchy clothes you convinced me to wear."

"Patty, wait..."

"Why did you really want me, Zera? Something tells me you didn't haunt my life with your presence because you wanted me to keep me safe."

"Of course, he didn't," chuckled Witty Phantom. "Let's just say he found the right 'curves' - " he waved his hands down both sides of Patty's hips. " - to get away from the damnation that would be inflicted upon him for his failure in the Shadow Realm."

Zera grunted. "I admit. I let your libido go out of control for my own amusement. That is a sin I know I will never be pardoned for. But I assure you, Pamela, everything I did was for your own good."

"My own good? Having me known as the biggest slut in Aquarius was for my own good? Keeping me up all night and high on those pills was for my own good? I lost the love of my life because of you. You used me! Because of your perversions, I lost the love of the only man who ever cared about me."

"What a horrible thing to do, Zera," Witty Phantom said, rubbing his thumb and index finger together and making a sorrowful violin sound.

"NO!" roared Zera. "There is no excusing how I influenced you, but I kept you close to my heart to shield you. Shield you from the likes of him! Shield you from those who would turn you into a monster."

"You've already turned me into a monster, Zera. Many of my friends walked away from me because of you."

"Pamela!"

"I think the girl has made up her mind, Zera. Leave now and never come back."

"Yes," Patty agreed. She took her deck out of her pocket.

"What are you doing?" shouted Zera.

"I am no longer yours to torment," Patty growled through her teeth. "Whatever your cause was, you fucked it up when you turned me into who I am today." She took out Zera's card. "As of this day..."

"NO! DON'T DO IT!"

"I stand alone!" she ripped the card in half.

"NOOOOO!" Zera shouted. His shadowy form melted into the ground. His arms flailing up and down as though he were drowning in darkness turned into a watery form. His shrunken claws grabbed her by the ankles. They had no solidity. They just melted into her flesh and he sunk deep into the ground never to be seen again.

"Well now," Witty Phantom said happily. "Now that we've got that taken care of, I suppose it's time I introduced you to some very interesting gentlemen. You have the Summoned Skull in your deck, do you not?"

"Of course, I do," Patty answered. "He's one of my favorites."

"Good. Now you're all set." He snapped his fingers.

Five orbs appeared over Patty's face. A blue one, a purple one, a black one, a white one, and a bright blue one. Inside the orbs, Patty could make out the cards of five monsters. Terrible creatures that seemed to resemble her Summoned Skull.

"Who are they? And why should I trust you over Zera?"

"Because, Pats, I know the whereabouts of your Romeo."

Patty balled her fists. "You know where Yuri is?"

"Yes, but if you want me to give you that information, you have to prove your worth. Win the Duel Carnival and I'll tell you everything there is to know about where Yuri is. And these five powerful beasts are the meal ticket to winning."

"Why not just tell me where he is and save us the time?" Patty asked.

"Oh, you're an impatient girl, eh? Sorry, Pats, but it doesn't work that way. I want to know what you can do. And I'm not the only one who does. I've got friends in high places that have an eye for you. And if you think reuniting with your handsome prince is a great reward..." He chuckled. "They will also give you anything your heart desires, kid. Anything you want. Fame? Riches? A house by the sea? Name it and it's yours. You just have to win the Duel Carnival and compete for that vacant crown."

Patty wrinkled her nose. "So if I'm supposed to do this on my own, why are you helping me by giving me these guys?"

"I'm not," said Witty Phantom. "These guys are just my way of getting you to trust me. I mean, look at those effects? They made them themselves. And they did it all for you. They want to work with you."

He held out his hand. "So...do we have a deal?"