Hey guys. If you see a bunch of updates going on, that's just me adding short chapters at the beginning. They're not story altering or anything just a few writing exercises and small duels I wrote in my free time. The new parts in my computer were sadly faulty and it crashed and died. Even more unfortunate, the latest chapters to this and a few other stories were in there. Just waiting for the new stuff to come and I'm writing small updates to vent my frustrations away. Work sucks and I'm going back to school to finish getting my masters. I really wish I could go back to the days when I could do these more often. Just wanted to give a big thank you to Psychogirl577, Captain Tony Prime, becks121, and CrazyQuilava for following. Thanks for your support everyone.
Kasumi burst out laughing as they entered the docks the next morning.
"Oh, Goddesses! Seriously, Cora? You Dueled in a glittery bunny outfit? Man, that would have been a nice sight to see. Uh, well, funny is what I mean."
"Oh, ha, ha, ha. Laugh it up, Kass," Cora said with a roll of her eyes. "That's one outfit I'm never going to wear again. Ugh, I still feel it riding up my butt."
Krissa giggled. "Well, you gave it so much to work with. I see those sessions at the gym have been really working out for you."
Cora smiled and looked at her. "Coming from you, I find that rather sweet."
"Oh, I'm gonna barf," Kasumi groaned, walking ahead of them. She expected them to start making out by now, but she didn't even hear a kiss. She looked back and saw that both girls were quiet and walking quite a distance from one another. Odd. A month ago, they would have been hand in hand or hugging and kissing as they walked, not caring who or what was in the way. Trouble in paradise?
"Holy shit!" Krissa said, spotting the private superyacht of Prince Michael looming over them, shadowing the docks from the morning sun. From where they stood, they saw a fleet of jet-back VTOL aircraft on a landing pad at the bow of the ship. Kasumi pointed at the water and saw three smaller yachts ready to dock inside the super-yacht.
"That thing is so big it has its own harbor," said Cora. "Fuck me! Prince Michael loves spending his money."
"He's the third richest person in Eredas," Kasumi said with a chuckle. "And that's just because his mommy, The Queen, loves him so, so much."
"If only my father was like that," said Cora.
Krissa coughed into her fist and said: "Speaking of which, don't you feel like a heel going on some tournament cruise while he's sick."
Cora stopped. "No! My father is a strong man and he's being taken care of by the best doctors in this bloody continent. He's going to wake up, you wait and see. And when he does, it's going to be hell on earth for that bitch, Madame Angelmen. She's going to rue the day she humiliated me like that."
"I'm sure he'll wake up, too," said Kasumi. "Seto Kaiba is a powerful man. The Blue-Eyes are also guarding him as his spirit monsters. I can feel it. They'll give him the strength to overcome this mysterious Rosenkruz Syndrome. He'll wake up at any second."
Cora suddenly beamed at Kass like she never had done before. "You really think so?"
"I know so," Kasumi said with a wink. "Oh, look, there they are now. Um, is M crying?"
"Oh no," Cora said, rushing to see what was wrong. They were gathered around a fountain. M was bawling as he sat on the edge of the fountain with Nixie by his side, patting his back.
"For goodness sakes, M!" Jericho shouted. "Get over her, will you!? She never liked you and she never will! She said so herself."
"I wanted this to go on forever," he sobbed. "It's not fair!"
"What's going on?" Cora asked.
Jericho shook her head. "This numbskull over here contacted Little Miss Fanny again. He left her a long apology but she chose to ignore him and blocked him."
"Ouch," said Krissa.
Cora pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "Well, what were you expecting, M? After the way you told her off the other day, who can blame her? Not that I'm faulting you, by the way. You did the right thing by calling her out. But you need to stop feeling bad that this person is no longer a part of your life."
"I wanted her to be a part of my life. I tried so hard and..."
Cora stamped her foot on the ground. "M, you heard what she said. You're not even important enough to her to be reminded if you forgot her birthday."
"She iz right," said Madeline. "Zat says a lot about how she felt about you. Everyone else gets a free pass but you get treated like sheet. It iz not only unfair to you, but it iz downright cruel. You deserve better zan her, darling."
"I didn't mean to snap at her," M continued sobbing. "I was just...so frustrated. All those times she told me not to talk to her was just getting to me. I was beginning to feel worthless."
"Then she was not a friend!" said Jack. "Friends don't make you feel worthless. Dry those tears and look up. Look up, damn you!"
M did as he was told, his lips trembling as he tried to hold back his feelings.
"Oh, M," Amy said, leaning forward to wipe away his tears. "It's okay." She started to cry too. "You're making sad, dear."
"You see these girls?" Jack continued. "They are all a testament to how full of shit Fanny was. They are all busy and have lives of their own and have goals they want to accomplish. But none of them, you hear me? NONE of them used their dreams as an excuse to keep you out of their lives. And let me tell you something else. Not only did this girl tell you not to talk to her for long periods of time, but she was SPECIFIC with how long she wanted you out of her life."
"She's right, baby," said Nixie, rubbing M's back. "You remember what she said. 'Oh, I've got a big test coming up, so I can't talk for two weeks. Oh, there's another one after that and I won't talk for another two weeks. Oh, I forgot, there's another big test coming, so now I can't talk for a month cuz I have to study.' M, tell me, what kind of a person just commands someone they care about not to speak to them for a MONTH!"
"I just thought..."
"Don't say another word!" said Brandy. "So, even if she told you not to talk to her for two years, would you sit on your ass and wait around?"
M shook his head, big tears rolled down his cheeks. Madeline reached into her blouse and took out a handkerchief for him to use. He gladly took it and wiped his tears away. "But it's my fault, too. I annoyed her. I got way too protective of her."
"And you had every right to be!" said Cora. "She started going to rowdy places and went partying with stupid people. People I wouldn't even want to be with. You were just looking out for her well-being, and there is nothing wrong with that. Now, look here. I'm only going to say this once. You have only one life. Don't waste it expecting her to come back. She doesn't want to come back and she never will come back. You have to accept that it didn't work out and move on."
"But I loved that kid," M said, wiping another tear with the handkerchief. "I loved her like she was my own sister."
"Well, tough shit!" Cora yelled, slapping her arms on her sides. "She didn't love you. The friendship mattered more to you than it did her. That alone is a recipe for disaster. One person can't love another more than the other in a relationship. Our lives and our goals are important, but we should never leave behind the people that care for us and love us just like you loved her. Tests, school, work, Duel Monsters. Those are just obstacles that test the foundation of our friendships. We overcame them, she did not. She didn't even try."
M sniffled again and patted away a few more tears.
"Come on, M!" Cora said, raising her voice. "She put her fucking birthday before you! She put it before your friendship, the promises you made to be better with one another, and your family. Your baby sister was born and she didn't even bother to put her anger aside for that. Your mom passed away and she didn't even care to unblock you to give you her condolences. She treated you and everyone you care about like SHIT! And for what? Because she couldn't bother to remind you that you forgot to say happy birthday the way a real friend would!"
"She's right," said Yumi. "Look at what she's done to you. Instead of talking to you about it, she decided to act like a spoiled brat and balled up her anger as she plotted her revenge against you for missing her birthday. Don't you see? She wanted this to happen. She wanted to pick a fight. Friends don't do that!"
M started to nod. Slowly, he was beginning to understand.
Yumi patted his back until he calmed down. "If she doesn't get her way or get you to abide by her rules, you don't mean shit to her. And she more than proved that when she bragged about how she would 'happily' remind everyone else if they forgot her birthday except you! Get her out of your fucking head and move on! Now, I don't want to talk about this anymore."
"I want to keep on trying though. It just can't end this way."
"Fine! Do whatever you want. But you listen to me, mister. I don't want any waterworks while we're on the cruise. Either you man the fuck up or don't bother speaking to me again because I don't want to have to go through with this every day. Got it!"
"Yes, ma'am," said M. "Aww, come here!" He held out his arms. The girls all dove in for a group hug.
Kasumi patted his cheek and said: "Remember, M. Sometimes the people we'd take a bullet for are the ones pulling the trigger. It's okay to love people, but you have to love yourself even more."
"Okay. I promise."
Krissa stood where she was and nodded her head. "One person can't love more than the other, huh? I'm beginning to understand now."
"Trouble in paradise?" Prince Clovis said, arriving with his posse. They were all wearing matching windbreakers and sweatpants colored black with red streaks over the chest and on the side of the legs. Clovis stood in front of the group, brandishing his championship belt. "Is that M'Bakuuan weeping?" He let out a horrid laugh. "Boy, I find it embarrassing that this big cry baby is your muscle, Cora."
"Oh joy," said Jericho. "The Boy Scouts of Loserville are here. What's going on, Clovis? Did Prince Michael assign a room for arts and crafts or something?"
"Laugh it up, you wench! I can't wait to see the looks on your faces when I defeat Zane and successfully defend my title. Oh, look, boys. There she is. Miss Yumi Muto, daughter of the King of Games. You've made quite a name for yourself at school these past few months. What rank have you achieved so far?"
Yumi scratched her head. "Fifteen."
Clovis and his boys started laughing at her. "Fifteen? Oh, daddy must be so proud of you! How pathetic."
Cora sighed, "Get lost, Clovis. Or do you want Kasumi smashing your balls again?"
"She will do no such thing. Thanks to your Headmistress, if that beast comes within five feet of me, she will be arrested and I'll sue the royal family for everything they've got. Down to the very last ha'penny."
"Oh, sure," Kasumi said crossing her arms. "You always need dear Madame Angelmen to get you what you want and protect you. Seriously, when are you going to start fighting like a man?"
"Do not speak to me, Princess! That alone could get you into trouble with the courts. These games are where you and I are going to settle the score once and for all, Cora. After I take on Zane, I'm challenging you to a Duel. And your Blue-Eyes White Dragons will be put the line."
"You cannot force her to do that!" Krissa yelled.
"Oh, I can. And she must accept. As we're both members of two elite Great Houses, I invoke the right of the Dueling Pact."
"Oh, man," said M. "That means you have to, Cora."
"Yes, Cora, you have to! My family has worked tirelessly this past couple of years to get those artificial dragons from Kaiba. To know he gave them to some bum off the streets is just insulting! I am well-bred! I have royal blood in my veins, and I was the Rank 1 student at school! I deserve the Blue-Eyes White Dragon! Not you."
Suddenly the sound of nine-inch heels clopping on the pavement silenced him. Clovis and his gang turned in unison to see who it was and when they saw the person, their eyes widened and their tongues dropped out. They howled like wolves and giggled like hyenas when they saw that it was Princess Alexis Rhodes, finally back from her great quest in the West. She wore a crisp, white blouse, a black skirt and the heels of her slippers were made of gold and shaped to look like skeletal columns wrapped with vines and blooming flowers. A rare and magical necklace known as the Vendreth Nexyal (Heart of the Star Lady) shimmered around her slender neck, flashing brightly as though a horde of cameramen were snapping pictures thousands of times.
Clovis tilted his championship belt towards the sun so it could flash and slid his hand down his hair. "Why, Princess, I am charmed to see you came all this way to see me defeat your buddy, Zane. You honor me."
"And you disgust me. Seriously, you seem to be throwing the Dueling Pact around every time someone has something that you want. You did the same to Zane when he first appeared back in grade school with his Cyber Dragons. And again with Chazz when you saw his Armed Dragon Level 10. They all bested you and so will Cora. So, don't go running around with delusions that you'll be the next owner of the Blue-Eyes."
"Oh, those are fighting words," Clovis said stepping forward. "You dare insult a Prince of Termnnia?"
Alexis scoffed. "You sound as though you're part of the Alliance."
"I should be part of the Alliance. Master Yugi knows how great I am, but I suppose he doesn't want me to outshine Prince Yuri and those other losers he has in his council. I could make a fine Noble Knight of the Round Table, no?"
"Those losers are far better men than you'll ever be, Clovis. And don't even dream of it. You could never be a Noble Knight. You're not even a prince. No, you're nothing more than the son of a nobleman thinking he's king in his petty kingdom."
If there's one thing Clovis hated more than Cora, it was having someone call his family's lands a 'Petty Kingdom'. He stepped closer towards her. "Well, well, well. Looks like this princess needs a lesson in manners. I think your mother didn't spank you enough as a little girl, Alexis. I'll just have to correct that mistake, won't I?"
"Causing trouble already, Clovis?" Zane said, coming out of the crowd.
"Z-Z-Zane," Clovis stuttered.
Zane adjusted his black tie. His golden, diamond-studded watch flashed brighter than even Clovis's championship belt. He stopped next to Alexis and shook his head in displeasure.
"Harassing a princess? You truly are the most pathetic human being it has ever been my displeasure to come across. If it weren't for that title you constantly keep disgracing, you wouldn't even be in my event."
"Back off, Zane! This doesn't concern you!"
"Not as much as your uniform does," Zane said, stepping in front of Alexis, but not to protect her from Clovis. No, he was instead protecting Clovis from her. He knew of the power Alexis had gained while she was out in Thara searching for the lost Gems of Entuli. With just a thought, Alexis could summon Vrash or Dakini and he would have a massacre to clean up afterward, as well as having to deal with the trouble of a dead prince on his hands.
"Easy," he said to her. He saw her hand flashing with small arcane circles. She was ready to summon something and have it cut Clovis and his boys to ribbons.
Alexis smiled and she made a complex sign with her fingers, turning down the conjuration spell.
Zane nodded once and smiled back. "Control your power. This asshole isn't even worth it." He then turned to look back at Clovis. "I don't want anyone making trouble in my event. Champion or not, if I catch you threatening my friend again, I'll throw you off the boat on a dingy. Do I make myself clear? There are far more opponents to play against who are worthier than you."
"I'll make you eat those words in the ring!" Clovis said. He brandished his belt again. "Take a good look, Zane. This is the closest you'll ever get to a championship belt. And after I beat you, I'm coming for little Miss Kaiba and her Blue-Eyes. Those dragons are the real prize here."
"Come and get them, Clovis!" Cora said holding up her hand and bending her fingers toward herself.
"Oh, I will. Come on, boys. Let's go get ourselves accommodated." He snapped his fingers and they followed him onto the ship, sneering and laughing confidently.
"You okay?" Zane asked.
"Yeah," Alexis said sighing and putting her hands on her hips. "It's not the first time a guy thought they could get the better of me. So, this is my opponent, huh?"
Cora looked around and pointed at herself. "What? Me? Zane, you put me in a Duel against Alexis Rhodes?"
"I told you I would find you a worthy opponent for the match card. Alexis has always wanted to try her hand against the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, but since Seto Kaiba is a busy man, having a Duel with him is hard to do."
"He was one of my greatest teachers though," said Alexis. "My mother is one of his most loyal investors, so he repaid her a bit by teaching me some tricks to play the game. Seeing as how he's got someone else to wield the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, I think I've spotted my chance to finally try my hand against them. By the way, Cora, are you in any way a descendant of House Rosenkruz?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Well, it's only natural that someone from that House has the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Or are you perhaps a Vollanti?"
Zane chuckled. "Come on, Alexis. Does Cora look like she's got bluish-white hair or glowing blue-eyes? Besides, the Vollanti have been extinct since the First Age of the Sun. There's no way they'll just magically pop up now."
"Hmm, I dunno. We never really thought a baby boy could destroy a Dark Lord and summon God Cards, but there it is. We've got Prince Yuri. Anything is possible in this world you know."
"I see your point. Still, I doubt Cora's a Vollanti."
"Then how can she use the Blue-Eyes?"
"I don't know either," said Cora. "Except for the Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon card I randomly got, I had no idea why they would call on me. All I know is someone or something forced my father into making these three copies for a 'special heir'." She reached into her pocket and held up the cards, safely sealed in plastic sleeves.
"Wow, they're beautiful," said Alexis. She leaned forward to get a better look at them. "That's Premium Gold Rare, right?"
"Uh-huh," Cora replied. "I just walked into the diner and Seto said they started glowing. Why they chose me, I have no idea. Normally if these guys don't want to be used by you, they'll let you know it. Sometimes they've been known to kill people who they find unworthy to use them. But so far, they've all been little angels to me."
"Which is why I questioned your lineage," said Alexis. "Only the Vollanti or those with the blood of House Rosenkruz can use these dragons. And you have no clue as to where you come from?"
"I don't even know who I am," said Cora. "I swear this is the truth. It feels as though someone just turned the lights on in my life and I found myself just walking on the road for years."
"That's very interesting," said Zane. "If you want, Cora, I could help you look into that. All I'd need is a sample of your blood."
"Oh, I uh..."
Alexis elbowed him in the stomach. "I don't know, coming from you that sounds rather creepy. It's okay if she doesn't want to talk about it. What matters is, we've got ourselves a Blue-Eyes Duelist and I want to Duel against her. Cora, it was nice meeting you. I'm looking forward to our match."
"Yeah, me too. I heard you Cyber Angels are beautiful. Can't wait to see them up close."
"Oh, you will," Alexis said with a wink. She then looked at Zane and tugged on his sleeve. "Come on, Zane. You promised we'd have breakfast in the galley."
"Of course. Cora, I hope you and your friends enjoy the event. Make yourselves at home."
The sun had gone down and Prince Michael's yacht was now miles and miles away at sea, alone in an endless abyss of black. The water reflected the stars so well, it looked like they were sailing through The Void. But the yacht was exploding with noise, multicolored lights, lasers, and strobe lights. Up on the main deck, the guests were splashing around an arena-sized swimming pool, tossing beach balls in the air and waving glow sticks as a DJ in knight's armor was playing songs from his booth overlooking the party. Candy watched from a balcony with a chocolate sundae in her hands. She saw Cora, Kasumi, Nixie, Jericho, Madeline, and even Princess Alexis at the very center of the pool dancing and waving their arms around. A red ball came towards them. Nixie shot out of the water like a missile and smacked it with her hand towards the other side of the pool. A group of boys celebrated her actions with a loud cheer and raised cans of beer. Bright lights in the pool started flashing, turning the water into neon greens, blues, and pinks. Cora was sporting a black bikini with glowing blue cybernetic patterns.
"To my dad!" shouted Cora. "That son of a bitch is gonna wake up and unleash hell upon this earth!"
"Woooo!" cheered Kasumi, clad in a fiery red two-piece, which she hoped with captivating Cora. Needless to say, it was working. Cora winked at her more than once and even gave her butt an unsuspected pat earlier as they entered the pool. Perhaps it worked a little too well. Suddenly Cora ripped off Kasumi's top and held it up in the air. Kasumi's sudden exposure caused the crowd to become excited. She screamed, crossing her right arm over her breasts and darted after Cora. She grabbed hold of her bikini bottom, yanking it back enough to give the crowd a quick view of her derriere. Cora pulled them back up and swam away, tossing Kasumi's top at Nixie, who shot out of the water again to catch it.
"I don't understand how anyone can behave in such a way," Candy said, sadly eating another spoonful of her sundae.
Mr. Gael, tucked underneath her arm, let out an annoyed tsk. "Because they know how to have fun. They're not scared little pussies like you. I seriously can't believe you brought me along on the main deck. I like the view from around here and this party is fire, but don't you think you look a little stupid holding a teddy bear at your age?"
"I can't go anywhere without you, sir," Candy said timidly. "You're the only one who can protect me."
"Oh, give me a break!" Mr. Gael shouted. "Seriously? Seriously? I know I've got a mind of my own and can move around, but for the sake of Horakhty, girl, I'm just a teddy bear. What exactly can I protect you against?"
"You can cast magic spells?"
"Yeah, for a few minutes. My mana pool isn't as complex as yours. Come on, girl. You need to be a part of that group! I sacrificed a lot getting you a ticket aboard this barge, and now you're gonna do your part. Mingle, damn it!"
"With that?" Candy said.
"You asked for it!" Kasumi shouted. She suddenly shot out of the water and smashed her fist on the surface, creating a tidal wave that formed into a watery serpentine dragon. It roared and waved its body from side to side. The dragon's body changed colors with the water. It looked down and snarled at Nixie.
"OH SHIT!" Nixie cried as the dragon roared and headed straight for her. She crumpled the top into a ball and tossed it at Alexis. The dragon cared not and smashed into Nixie. She shielded herself with a green hexagon-tiled barrier that sent water splashing in all directions. The dragon shook its head, snarled and soared after Alexis.
"HEY I WANTED NO PART IN THIS!" she shouted, throwing the top at Cora. The dragon summoned a wave that headed straight for Alexis. She held up her palm and froze the wave solid with an ice spell. The dragon smashed his head on the wall, sending tiny pieces of ice into the air, which rained down on the guests like snow. "I DON'T HAVE IT!" she tried to tell the dragon.
BOOM! A huge pillar of water shot up into the air. The dragon was gone and the battle was over. The crowd cheered and whistled. They started chanting for them to battle again.
Zane and Prince Michael watched the whole ordeal from a balcony overlooking the pool. Prince Michael chuckled and said: "College girls."
"You gotta love 'em," said Zane.
They clinked their glasses together as congratulations for a successful event.
Meanwhile, Candy was shaking her head, refusing Mr. Gael's demands to go join them at the pool party. "I couldn't possibly!" she said squeamishly. "I...I...they're too rough. Did you see what Kasumi just did? She animated the water to form into a dragon."
"They're the kind of friends you need to make it to the top. They're the best in the school and the future of this industry. Come on, Candy. Stop being such a baby."
Cora climbed out of the pool to get herself a drink, but she was stopped halfway by a challenger. Out of the crowd emerged a young man from the local Davenport Academy had taken up his spot on the other side of the pool. He was tall and chubby, sporting long, spiked brown hair. He had a dash of freckles across his face and he wore a tropical shirt that was unbuttoned and red swimming trunks.
"Oh, Goddesses! Cora Kaiba!" he said, jumping up and down in excitement. "I'm such a huge fan of yours. Can I have your autograph? Please."
"Uh...sure," Cora replied.
The young man ran for the bar and pulled a napkin from the dispenser. He took a pen out of its pocket and handed the items to Cora. She walked to a nearby table to write her name. "Sorry about that," she said. "I didn't think Kasumi would take it so rough."
"Are you kidding!? That was awesome! Oh, thank you!" he took the napkin from Cora. "Oh, Miss Cora, please. One more thing. If I could trouble you for a Duel."
"A Duel?"
"Yes! Yes, please! My followers are gonna flip when they see that I Dueled Seto Kaiba's daughter. My name is Chad Fellroy, otherwise known as the HandsomeDuelist3434 from the TwilightGaming clan in Duel Links. I've got sixty million subscribers on DuelLIVE. Perhaps you've heard of me."
Cora chuckled. "I...uh. No, I can't say that I have. I mostly spend my time Dueling and studying for my exams at school. I don't really have time to watch personas on DuelLIVE."
"Cora!" Nixie said running towards her. "You've never heard of HandsomeDuelist3434? Girl, you've had your nose in the books for too long. Sorry, Chad, this one's always got a stick up her ass just like her father."
"Hey!"
Chad laughed. "Aw, it's okay. I sort of figured a Kaiba would be too busy for these kinds of things. So what do you say, Cora? How about a match?"
"Oh, I say accept!" Nixie pressed her on. "Come on, Cora! This is going to go viral."
"Viral?" Yumi approached from the bar with a frozen daiquiri in her hand. "Does this mean we're all going to get sick? Is there a disease in the air we should be concerned about?"
Cora, Nixie, and Chad laughed at her.
"No, silly," said Nixie. "It means it's going to be the next biggest thing on the internet."
Cora grinned and had that look in her eye. "Well, I guess so."
"Aw, sweet!" Chad said, pumping his fist. "But if you lose, Cora, you've got to subscribe to my channel. Deal?"
"Deal."
"DUEL! DUEL! DUEL! DUEL!" the crowd chanted. Cora suddenly walked up to the edge of the pool.
"What's going on?" Candy asked from above.
Mr. Gael looked over her shoulder so he could watch the match. "A Duel is what's going on, stupid. Can't you hear the chants? And it looks like Cora's up to bat. Watch and learn kid. This should be really educational."
Chad finally got to his side of the pool. The swimmers gathered under him gave him some space for his face-down cards. One of his friends came by with his Duel Disk and he slapped it on. M hurried with Cora's duffle bag containing her Duel Disk. She unzipped it and put it a white crop top before strapping on her Duel Disk. She put the gazer over her right eye and then the holographic cards appeared in front of her in a neon blue window.
"Duel!" they both shouted.
"I'll go first!" said Chad. "Oh, man! Those new Duel Disks your dad made are so lit! Care to hook me up sometime?"
"When my dad gets better, I'll put in the good word for you."
"You're the best, Cora. Now, I'll start things off by activating a continuous spell. Now I'll tribute it so I can summon Majesty Maiden the True Dracocaster!"
ATK/2300 DEF/1500
He summoned a pretty blonde-haired sorceress, wearing ornate white robes and she had two, large, pink dragon wings sprouting from her back. She spun her staff and came to a halt over the water.
"Next I play the Field Spell Card, Dragonic Diagram! I'll use its effect to discard this card and add one from my deck. Also, my True Draco monsters will get a 300 attack and defense point boost. Now Majesty Maiden is standing at a whopping 2500 attack points and 1800 defense points. Now, I'll activate Pot of Greed, and draw two cards. Nice. I play the spell card, True Draco Heritage. Thanks to this card, I'm allowed to draw a card for each True Draco card that gets sent to the Graveyard. So far, I got one in there and I draw a card. Oh, I'll set it face down and end my turn."
"All right," Cora tapped her dealer and a card was added to the holographic hand in front of her. "I reveal a Blue-Eyes White Dragon in my hand to Special Summon, Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon!"
The massive beast shot out of the pool and spun around, splashing everyone with water. The Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon got a standing ovation from the crowd.
"Kaiba! Kaiba! Kaiba! Kaiba!" they all chanted in support for Cora's father. Seeing them cheer for him and hoping for a speedy recovery brought a tear to her eye.
"Thank you all so much," said Cora.
Jack watched her as he lounged with Kasumi in one of the jacuzzis by the pools with two large and exotic drinks in their hands. Jack all of a sudden could not contain himself anymore. Cora standing there with her dragon was just a glorious sight to behold. She was too much. Her beauty mixed with their power were the ingredients to a deadly cocktail of lust that he couldn't help but drink.
"Now my Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon will destroy your Majesty Maiden. Go, Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon! Blue Lightning!"
"Good move! But not good enough, Cora. I activate Majesty Maiden's special ability and chain it with this Trap Card. True King Return! With it, I will revive Dreiath III, the True Dracocavalry General!"
ATK/2100 DEF/2800
"Next, I add a card to my hand."
The Blue Lightning attack soared over the swimmers, who cheered and whooped as the powerful attack zoomed towards Majesty Maiden. All of a sudden, Dreiath III spread his four steel wings and held out his lance. It absorbed the spell and canceled it out.
"What?"
"When Dreiath is on the field, you cannot target or destroy my True Draco monsters. So Majesty Maiden is safe. Heh, heh, heh."
"Okay. Nice save there, buddy. But I'm not done yet. I use a Pot of Greed of my own and draw two cards. Next, I summon Sage with Eyes of Blue!"
She conjured a handsome, white-haired mage wearing magical robes of many shades of dark blue with gold accents. He spun his staff, whose top was crafted to look like the crest on the Blue-Eyes White Dragon's jawline.
"Good, I'll activate my True King's Return!" said Chad. "Now, I tribute Majesty Maiden to summon Dinomight Knight the True Dracofighter!"
ATK/2500 DEF/1200
"Fine. I'll use Sage with Eyes of Blue to tune with Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon. Now, I Synchro Summon, Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon!"
"Ah, there's the card that saved her life!" said Jack, watching with awe and amazement as a colossal, bright, white, dragon hovered over the ship like an angel. At the tip of its tail was a long tuft of golden hair.
ATK/2500 DEF/3000
Cora, you truly are magnificent. The most beautiful mystery of our time. The Blue-Eyes White Dragon and all its forms were made specifically for the Vollanti and their last remnants in the House of Rosenkruz. You don't seem to be either but they come to you. They fight for you. They obey your every whim as though you were Seto Kaiba himself. Or Princess Trish of Rosenkruz. Cora, you add such grace to those beasts.
Cora blew kisses at the crowd as they cheered her father's name over and over again.
O' Anna, Goddess of Love. Why? Did you have your cherubs strike me? I've never seen anything like it. Power has never looked so beautiful.
"Now from my hand, I activate a monster effect!"
"Cool," said Chad. "I'll activate my Dinomight Knight's effect and place a trap card on the field. True Draco Apocolypse. Now, what's the card in your hand."
"The card is Danger! Nessie! I reveal it to you. Now, you have to choose one card in my hand. And if it's not Nessie, I can summon it. So chose."
"That one. The second to the left."
"That was Bigfoot," said Cora. "You chose wrong. So now I summon, Danger! Nessie!"
The water in the center of the pool bubbled. Out from the depths, a prehistoric monster rose out and roared. Its upper body was the color of sand while the underbelly was aquatic blue. It blew steam from its nostrils and stared at Chad and his True Dracos. Nessie roared again, announcing that it was ready for a fight.
ATK/1600 DEF/2800
Cora laughed. "Take it easy, baby. You'll get your chance. Now, since Nessie was successfully summoned, I get to draw a card. And since Bigfoot is in the graveyard, I get to destroy one of your spells or traps. See ya, True King Armageddon."
Chad had a chance to do something there, but he missed his mark. Now he was in the for the ride of his life.
"I use Polymerization and fuse all three of my Blue-Eyes White Dragons together for the all-powerful, Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"
A blue laser shot out of the water followed by a massive explosion. The pool started glowing bright blue as Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon arose from the water. It spread its wings, water cascaded down its body, splashing in all directions. The crowd whistled and cheered as the mighty beast reared up all three of its heads and roared.
Jack had completely lost it at that point. His teeth shattered as he fought the urge to go after her. She was just too much for his overinflated ego. And she looked so amazing. Her round breasts bounced as she waved her arms in the air to pump up the crowd. She turned. Her poor bottoms had so much to work with. Her heart-shaped ass was so plump that her swimwear was barely visible. Time slowed down for Jack. He felt as though the whole world had paused to bask in Cora's glory and beauty. He suddenly felt as though he exploded. No, he thought. Kasumi is not worthy. Cora is the one. Cora! I must have you! You are mine!
Neo-Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon launched a deadly assault on Chad's True Dracos. She sent another Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon and a regular Ultimate Dragon to the grave so she could attack multiple times. Then Nessie dove in for a direct attack, followed by Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon. BOOM! It was all over for Chad.
Candy, still watching all the action from above, was in awe at what she just saw. Her sundae was now just a chocolate gloop in her cup. "She's amazing!"
"Ain't she?" said Mr. Gael. "You'd do well to join her ranks. It's what you need, girl. You always wanted a better life, right?"
"Yes."
"Well, Cora Kaiba is the key to that life. So you'd better start figuring something out soon."
Candy nodded and threw away her slush. Suddenly, a stage rolled in from the walls and the guests gathered around it. The curtains digitized revealing Prince Michael and his band The Royal Fiends. The night exploded with heavy metal music. As much as Candy wanted to stick around, she was growing awfully tired. It was three in the morning now. Even Mr. Gael thought it was past her bedtime.
"Okay, you. Get back to the room and dress into your pj's. You've got a big day ahead of you."
"Thank you, sir," Candy said, rubbing her eye. She went downstairs and noticed there was a crowd of people in the halls. Just as she squeezed her way through, she bumped into Cora.
"Oh, hey there. Careful now," Cora said. She had a towel wrapped over her neck.
"Oh, Cora Kaiba! I-I I'm terribly sorry."
"Now's your chance!" Mr. Gael whispered.
Cora grinned and waved her hand, telling her it was okay. She chugged some water and said: "Hey, I know you. I saw you Dueling one of Clovis's dorks at school. Yeah. You're that girl who used the Magician Girl deck. Uh..." She snapped her fingers. "Candy. Right?"
"Yes, yes. That's me."
"Ah, you played a good game. Sweet name by the way. Uh, no pun intended. Are you going to Duel here?"
"I hadn't planned on it."
"Aww, come on. I know there's a badass Duelist in there somewhere. I hate Clovis's friends but they play really well. It takes a lot of skill to hold your own against them. Let alone beat them. You don't suppose you can give me a little demonstration later on, huh?"
"Oh no, I just couldn't. I don't have what it takes to play against you or your friends."
"Nonsense. What you lack is confidence. Can I take a look at your deck sometime? Oh, how about tomorrow? You want to meet for breakfast?"
"Meet? With me? You really want to?"
"I don't see why not. I want to help a fellow Duelist in need. Nixie and Jericho told me a lot about you."
"You...you know Jericho?"
Cora laughed. "Girl, you act like she's a monster."
"Um, well, she is. Well, towards me anyway. She gives me wedgies in the locker room and stuffs me in the lockers."
Cora gasped. She suddenly frowned and looked out the door. "What? Oh, hell no! We'll just see about that. Thanks for bringing that up to me, babe. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's bullies. I won't stand one hanging around me, that's for sure. I'll have a little chat with her later."
Candy shook her head frantically and waved her hand. "Oh no, I don't want any trouble."
"There won't be any trouble, believe me. I can handle this. Just show up tomorrow and we can work something out. I want to help you, Candy. I just don't know why, but I just have this urge to do so. Heh, maybe you just have that effect on people, I don't know."
"Well, I really appreciate it, Cora. Where do you want to meet?"
"The Royal Stone Cafe. Be there at nine, okay."
"Yes, ma'am. I certainly will be there. Thank you for giving me this opportunity."
"Of course. See you tomorrow." She walked away.
"I can't belive she talked to me!" Candy whispered. "She wants to meet me for breakfast tomorrow."
"Yup," said Mr. Gael. "I just knew this was a good idea. Things are finally looking up for you, Candy. Hurry and get back to bed. I have a feeling tomorrow will be our big break. You wait and see."
