Candy


"Come on!" shouted Mr. Gael. He paced back and forth on the bed with his hands to his back. "You were supposed to be there forty minutes ago."

"Well, it's not my fault I overslept!" Candy protested as she tossed clothes out of her suitcase, trying desperately to find the right ones to wear. "I wanted to go to bed when I was supposed to. But instead, you make me stay up until the early hours of the morning just to watch some Duels and stalk Cora. I wanted to meet her my own way."

"If you had done things your own way, you would have never met Cora. I told you, babe, I've always got a plan. Things would go a lot more smoothly for you if only you'd just listen to me."

"Well, she said I could take all the time I need, so don't rush me!"

"Taking all the time you need doesn't mean take an eternity!"

"I'm working on it! I have to look perfect. She's friends with the likes of Princess Kasumi. Madeline the Lionheart, winner of the royal spring pageant more than five years straight and a daughter of a Royal House! Nixie Marsh, too! I've read some interesting things about her in the papers. She's just an intern yet she discovered six new dinosaur species last semester and Maximillion Pegasus turned them into cards. Regaliazowler, Two-Headed Kaiser Rex, Royal Sword of Dragon, and so many others. She said Prince Yuri should be given them first."

"Well, I saw her using those new dinos at school the other day. So, they didn't go just to him."

"Not yet anyway. She discovered them so it makes sense that she gets them, too. I hope to see them in action. They look really cool."

She grabbed a denim skirt and a yellow tank top with blue streaks.

"I think this will do." She started to change.

Mr. Gael stood wear he was, watching her put her clothes on. "And what do you plan to do about Jericho?"

"Cora said she was going to work something out. Maybe I don't have to worry about her after all."

"So long as you're part of her group, I don't care what goes on between the two of you. This is the kind of exposure you need, Candy! Cora and her friends are the tickets to fame and fortune. And they'll teach you how to properly play the game, too. Maybe even give you a little more confidence."

"I hope you're right. My flowers and my toys are not making me enough money for anything. If I don't make enough gold by the end of the break, I can't go to school next semester."

"You will. Especially with what I've got planned for ya," Mr. Gael said as he rubbed his paws together.

After she finished dressing up, Candy picked up her bear and hurried for the atrium, which doubled as a large pool with a bar at the center where some students were helping themselves to bowls of exotic fruits, pancakes, and cold glasses of orange juice. Candy looked around nervously and had her eyes to the ground to avoid eye contact with people who passed by her. She just gazed at the baby blue nail polish on her toes poking out from behind her white sandals. She walked to one of the tables by the pool and set Mr. Gael down.

And she waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

But there was no sign of Cora. She checked her Merfae watch. The fluffy pink Duel Monsters bounced on a little cloud from second-to-second. Twenty minutes past the time that Cora requested to meet her. Perhaps she slept in, too. She heard Mr. Gael grumbling in frustration behind her. She gulped. If Cora didn't show up, she was going to be punished. And Mr. Gael was like a grizzly bear when he was pissed off. Suddenly, she heard someone singing by the pool. A girl in a red and black swimsuit with a red pareo wrapped around her waist was dipping her feet into the water.

"It's Madeline!" Candy gasped. She examined her from top to bottom to make sure it was really her. Yes. The diamond eyes and her long, curled, golden hair, which was highlighted in black and red here and there. She was of the Lionheart race.

"Oh, it is her. She's the girl in Cora's group who uses the Noble Knight warriors. Wow, I've always wanted to meet her!"

"Now's yer chance!" Mr. Gael said, trying to push her off her seat. "Go, go, before it's too late."

Candy suddenly froze stiff like a frightened goat and she started to quiver. "I...I can't. What if she doesn't want to speak to me?"

"Move!" Mr. Gael shouted. Claws sprung out of his paws and he slashed her in the back to get her moving.

"Ouch!" Candy gasped, jumping out of her seat. That got Madeline's attention. She turned her head to look at her.

"Iz everyzing all right?"

Candy rubbed her back. The claw marks reddening her delicate skin magically disappeared. "Uh, yes. I'm fine. Um, do you by any chance know Cora Kaiba? I was supposed to meet her here a few minutes ago."

"Why yes, I do. Ah, you must be zat girl, Candy. Oh, you are such a cute little thing, aren't you? Yes, Cora said you would be coming down here in a bit. I apologize if Cora izn't around. She had a little too much to drink at ze rave last night. I told 'er to go to sleep, but she just insisted on partying her ass off until dawn. She should be down any moment now."

"I find it quite odd how she can be so carefree with her father being so sick."

"Cora believes her father can pull through whatever sickness he has. I read a book by Yugi Muto that teaches that sometimes faith is all we 'ave to overcome tough obstacles. Mr. Kaiba iz a man of great fortitude. I, too, believe zat he can overcome zis Rosenkruz Syndrome. Goddesses 'ave mercy on us all if he falls. I sometimes believe he iz ze only one in Eredas who can hold Domino together. Word of advice, do not mention ze sickness of her father. Cora's trying her best to keep in high spirits. She may be a wild card out zere on ze field, but deep down, she hurts inside."

"I understand. So how did you come across meeting Cora?"

"Rosenkruz Academy is set to 'ave a team tournament at ze end of ze month. I applied to join ze group, and Cora was most impressed."

"I would be too! Wow, I heard it takes a lot of skill to use the Noble Knights."

"Oh no. I mean, zey are not an archetype for beginners, but zey are quite easy to use once you understand zere effects. I make use of equip-spells a lot, which also helps out another tough monster in my deck. Phoenix God Gearfried. He iz quite the powerhouse and a great ally to ze Noble Knights."

"I saw you use him a few days ago. You were so impressive. I hope I can play as well as you one day." She paused. "Well, sort of."

Madeline cocked her head to the side. "Sort of? You either are wanting to be a great Duelist, or you're not."

Candy timidly crossed her legs and placed her hands behind her back. "Well, I want to be a good Duelist, but what I really want to do is make toys for children and grow flowers. Ever since I was little I loved flowers. Well, I come from a Noble House of Gardenrealm, so I guess that explains it."

"Aww. I guess it does. But you can't do all three? I imagine opening your own shop will require quite a lot of money. Why not test your skills in the pro leagues and earn your keep? After you make a good living as a Duelist, you can open your shop."

See! See! What did I tell ya! Cora and her pals know what to do!

"I never really thought about that. I just wanted to settle and live my dream right away."

"But you can't do zat, darling. Dreams require hard work and dedication to come true. You need to build a strong foundation to keep it standing strong. If you just jump into it, it will surely crumble. Nowadays, magic doesn't make ze world go round. It's money. And Duel Monsters is the best way to make money. Ze competition is going to be fierce, but if you believe in yourself and your deck, you will go far."

"Thank you, Madeline! I will do my best."

"Good. So, did you make zat bear on ze table?"

"Mr. Gael? Um, yes. I did."

"Oh, excellent craftsmanship, Candy, well done. You must be very fond of 'im. You carry 'im wherever you go. Do you not like parting with it?"

"Oh, no. Never. I know it sounds silly to you, but I do love him. I can't go anywhere without him. Besides, he gives me really good advice. He's really smart, you know."

Madeline coughed into her fist, finding Candy horribly awkward. She formed a smile and said: "It's not my place to judge what people do. Nixie kisses her cards and sweet talks them. My father believes his sword knows where to hit the heart of another man. I once dated a guy on ze football team who refused to wash his jockstrap in years because he thinks flies are lucky."

"Ew."

Madeline laughed. Yeah, Candy did not need to know that. "I digress. Cora should be down soon. Don't worry."

"Thank you, Madeline. Uh, it was nice to meet you."

"Oh, it was a pleasure meeting you, my dear. I do hope we can see each other often. You seem like a very nice person."

Before Candy could thank her back, her time with Madeline was stolen just like that. Someone walked past her, smelling heavily of manly cologne. He sported a black blazer and carried a bouquet of roses in one hand. He had long, honey-colored hair tied into a wavy ponytail and his skin was radiant and smooth. He stopped behind Madeline and greeted her in their native language.

"Oui," Madeline said. "I am her. Oh, are zose for me?"

"Yes, yes they are," said the gentleman. "Allow myself to introduce...myself. Merde..."

Madeline giggled. "Getting nervous? Come on, you're doing so well."

Mr. Gael was not impressed. He peered over Candy's shoulder and pouted. "This guy is a loon! Does he really think he's got what it takes to court her?"

The poor boy laughed. "Forgive me. I'm awfully new to these kinds of things. Let me start over. I'm Bartolf from the Noble House of Ludevicus."

Madeline held out her hand. "Pleased to meet you, Bartolf."

Wasting no time, he took her hand and kissed it. "The pleasure is all mine."

"And what brings you to me today? You're all spiffed up and carrying flowers for little me. Why?"

Bartolf coughed into his fist to clear his throat. "Well, I'll be honest, I'm not one who is rather fond of making relationships. I never tried. Ever. My mother and father forced me to find a bride many times, but I would always sail to Normandia to escape their follies. Even if one got lucky enough to be engaged with me, I'd have my men blackmail the House the would-be bride came from."

"Oh, you are plain hard to get, no?"

"I was never interested in finding my special someone. I just want to rule the court on my own. That is...until I saw you at school. I saw you summon those Noble Knights and I followed your Binder page. The more I learned about you, the more I started to gather the courage to speak with you. And here I am."

He handed her the bouquet. Madeline took them and sniffed them. "Oh, zey are lovely. Thank you. But why?"

"Because I think you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. And a skilled Duelist to boot. Your Noble Knights are lucky to be in the service of one such as you. Please, if you would do me the honor of having dinner with me tonight."

Madeline placed her finger to her lip and looked up, pretending to be difficult. "Oh, I don't know. I sure do have my hands full tonight."

"You should know it's not good for a lady to lie. Especially one as divine as you, Madeline."

"Ah, you see through me like an open book. Well, I suppose we could do something tonight. But you 'ave to impress me first."

"What would you like me to do, my lady? I am willing to do anything."

"Anything?" Madeline bit into a petal of one of the roses with a devious grin. "Mmm, I know. Take off all your clothes and jump into the pool."

"Ugh!"

"Madeline!" Candy gasped.

Mr. Gael hid his eyes behind his paws. "No, no, no! I don't want to see sausages this morning, thank you! Tell me when it's over!"

The girl let out a laugh. "Just kidding. No, we're Termnnian nobility, yes? So how about you show me what you've got wiz a Duel?"

"A Duel? Of course. I am willing to do that. Come, let us play."

He held out his gold watch. It started to glow and formed into D-Pad. He ran for the other side of the pool, which conveniently had enough space to make for a decent playing field. Madeline stood up and her pearl bracelet formed into her Duel Disk. She took out the eyepiece from the slot above the dealer and placed it over her right eye.

A holographic coin flipped. Bartolf won the coin toss and went first.

LP 8000

"You wanted a Duel, Madeline. Well, you got it. Just because I want to have dinner with you does not mean I'm going to go easy."

"If you are going to go easy on me, zen be gone with you. Don't underestimate me, boy, give me everything you got."

Mr. Gael patted Candy's shoulder. "Watch and learn, kid."

Bartolf drew. "I'll start things off first. I use Generaider Boss Quest!"

Madeline took a step back. "Merde! A Generaider deck!"

Bartolf smirked. "I see you are familiar with this archetype. Good, because you're in for it. I reveal this Generaider monster in my hand. Now, my Generaider Boss Quest allows me to add these two trap cards from my deck to my hand. Now, the revealed monster goes to the bottom of my deck, like so. Next, I play the Field Spell, Generaider Boss Stage!"

The water in the pool rippled. Then a crystal rose out from it and hovered over their field.

"What iz zis?" Madeline wondered.

"You'll see soon enough. For now, I set three cards face-down and end my turn."

Candy giggled. "What a loser. No monsters to defend himself with. Madeline has got this."

Mr. Gael tugged on a strand of her hair.

"Ow!" she whined.

"What did I teach you about underestimating yer opponents, you dumb bitch! If the kid is confident enough to leave himself with an empty Monster Zone, then his face-down cards could spell bad news for Maddie."

Candy whimpered and rubbed the spot where he pulled. "Oh, right. I forgot. I'm sorry."

Madeline shivered at the sight of Candy speaking to her teddy bear. "Goddesses, she needs to grow up. I draw!"

"And my Generaider Field Spell activates! I can summon Loptr, Shadow of the Generaider! Also, my field allows me to summon as many Generaider Tokens as possible, but I lose them at the end of the turn."

Four crystals hovered onto the field. They spun ominously and displayed 1500 attack points.

"Ah, and thanks to Loptr, my Generaider monsters will gain a 1000 point boost, raising each of my tokens to 2500."

"Well, I'm in a tough spot, that's for sure," Madeline said examining her hand. "But, my Noble Knights will beat those boss monsters of yours. You wait and see. I play the spell, Heritage of the Chalice!"

"And my Loptr will activate his effect. I sacrifice a token to special summon the mighty Hoárr, Generaider Boss of Rumbling!"

The token shattered. The atrium started to shake as a choir began to sing a boss battle theme. Out of nowhere, a giant armored in black and gold loomed over the playing field. He had 3000 ATK but with Loptr's effect, it was now at 4000. The guests around the atrium let out a loud cheer.

"Oh my!" Candy gasped. "Four thousand attack points!"

Mr. Gael nodded. "I told you. Never underestimate your opponent. They'll always have something up their sleeves. Idiot."

"Are you impressed yet, my lady?" Barltof asked as his monster loomed over him.

"Well, as Cora says. Ze bigger zey are, ze 'arder zey fall. As I was saying, my spell allows me to transfer a Noble Knight or Noble Arms card to my hand."

"And my Boss of Rumbling's effect activates!"

"And I chain ze effect of my Flame Noble Knight Olivier! By sending a Fire Warrior monster from my hand to ze Grave, I can special summon him!"

"And my Boss of Rumbling allows me to offer two tokens! Your knight's effect is canceled! Next, I use the trap, Generaider Boss Fight. This allows me to activate a new Boss Stage field from my deck and you get to draw a card. Now, I call upon Nidhogg, Generaider Boss of Ice!"

The giant crystal then summoned a block of ice. It shattered to reveal a giant wyvern colored black with white accents and decorated with gold ornaments. It had 2100 attack points, now 3100 thanks to Loptr.

Madeline bit her lip. Hmm. The Generaider monsters were tougher than she remembered.

Damn. No matter what I do, zey always activate zere effects and summon something bigger for my knights to contend with. And with zat Loptr monster out, zey gain an additional grand. I better be careful or it's game over for me.

"I summon Flame Noble Knight Ogier! And wiz his effect, I send a Flame Noble Knight to my Graveyard."

She summoned a knight in white, red, and black armor. Fairies flew around him, gleefully as if he were their master. One of them touched Madeline on the tip of her nose, telling her everything was going to be alright.

"And now that I 'ave a Fire warrior out, I can special summon, Flame Noble Knight Renaud! Now, wiz his effect, I return Olivier to my hand. Next, I equip Ogier with Flame Noble Arms - Joyeuse and Durendal!"

Ogier held out his hands and two marvelous flaming swords materialized in his grip. He swung the blades around and felt their power surging through him.

"Now, that they are equipped to my monster, I will use him to Synchro Summon ze mighty Flame Noble Knight Vanguard Roland!"

The monster made a gallant appearance to the field with a display of flames. But he did not stay on the field for long.

"Not so fast, Madeline! Your knights are not hot enough to stop the bone-chilling power of Nidhogg. I offer my token and destroy him."

"Oh no!"

Nidhogg fired a beam of absolute zero at Vanguard Roland, freezing him solid. Then it screeched loudly to shatter him to pieces.

"I 'ave had enough! I use the effects of my Flame Noble Arms and bring back Olivier and Astolfo! Now I will tune my knights together and Synchro Summon, Ignoble Knight of High Laundsallyn!"

The black knight of the Round Table laughed menacingly as he appeared out of a vortex of darkness.

"Now, from my deck, I equip him with Noble Arms - Gallatin! Then, my fallen Flame Noble Knights will become equip-spells themselves and will latch on to my dark knight!"

"What's this? But how?"

"Yes! Now I'm all set to take down your bonus! Laundsallyn! Attack and destroy his Loptr!"

Laundsallyn held up Gallatin, which was now flaming with the souls of the Flame Noble Knights that had equipped themselves to him. The sword increased his attack points to 3100. He charged across the pool, running on the water, and then sliced off Loptr's head, destroying him and removing the 1000 point boost.

Bartolf sighed and stuck his hands in his pockets. "I must say, Madeline, that was very impressive. Even though my Generaider monsters threw everything they had at you, you still managed to overcome them and summon more knights to do battle. Now it looks like I must contend with the black knight of the Round Table. Lanudsallyn. Well, lets see what my bosses have in store for him. I draw!"

He examined his options. Not much, but he figured he could make something incredible happen with what he had.

"Again, I play Generaider Boss Quest. I reveal this Generaider monster, send it to the bottom of my deck, and add two Generaider cards to my hand. Excellent! The time has come for you to test your strength against the mightiest boss in my deck, Madeline. Are you up to the challenge?"

Madeline accepted it and balled her fists in anticipation. "You bet. Show me what you've got!"

"Be careful what you wish for, my dear. For now I Overlay my Boss of Ice and Boss of Rumbling to Xyz Summon, the mighty Jormungandr, Generaider Boss of Eternity!"

The atrium suddenly darkened. Only the eerie blue light of the crystals lit the darkness, but not by much. Soon the wind howled and lightning flashed. A loud clap of thunder followed, but Madeline soon realized that it wasn't thunder. It was the roar of the monster. Jormungandr was a towering serpent with black scales, though his underbelly was a purplish-gray color. Red spikes protruded from its head all the way down to its tail, which seemed miles and miles away. He seemed to go on forever, hence the name Boss of Eternity.

He gained 1000 attack points times the materials used to summon him. Since there were only two, his attack was 2000. It wasn't much, but Madeline knew better than to get cocky. These Generaider monsters always have something up their sleeves.

"Look at the size of that thing!" Candy gasped. "He's so massive! Oh, I hope I never have to contend with something like that."

"Are you fucking kidding me!?" Mr. Gael said. "You have to be ready to go up against anything in this game! Use your head for once, ya dunce! Come on! Watch. If Madeline can take down these heavyweights, so can you. All monsters got a weakness, and it's up to you to discover what they are."

"But how can something so massive have a weakness?" Candy wondered. "He's so powerful."

"I see you're speechless," said Bartolf. "My opponents usually have nothing to say when Jormungandr comes into play. I will activate his effect. I detach one Xyz material from him and we both draw a card. Now, we have to attach a card from our hands or fields to Jormungandr."

"Fine!" Madeline shouted, tossing her a trap she drew.

Bartolf caught the card and sniffed it, for it had her sweet scent. "Beautiful." He attached it to his Jormungandr card. "Your card will now power my monster. With two more materials attached to my boss, his attack is now 3000. Now, I will use the effect of my Generaider Boss Stage, and call upon Hela, Generaider Boss of Doom! And that shall end my turn."

"I draw!"

"And my Generaider Boss Stage activates!"

"No, not zis time I use zis spell card to negate it and…"

"Yes! I was hoping you would! I reveal my face-down card. Generaider Boss Room. This card works every time you respond to my Generaider cards. Now, I discard a card and my trap will change your effects to have us draw one card. Now, I discard a material to activate Jormungandr's effect! You know what that means! Your card and my card gets attached to my boss, increasing his attack to 4000! Now, with my Boss Stage's effect, I bring back an old friend who refuses to say goodbye. Loptr! And when he's on the field, my Generaider monsters get a 1000 point boost, so now Jormungandr's attack increases to 5000!"

"Oh, Goddesses," Madeline whispered.

"Yes, now I will use my field to…"

"No, not zis time! I discard Morgan the Enchantress. So long as I 'ave a Noble Knight and Noble Arms on ze field. I destroy Gallatin and she can negate ze activation of your spell."

"Nice play. But here's my trap, Generaider Boss Fight. This will switch out my field, for a new one. And now I can resume the fun. I use my Boss Stage to summon Dovelgus, Generaider Boss of Iron!"

The creature he summoned was as tall as a mountain. It slowly rose out of the ground behind Bartolf, making sinister sneers on each of the skull faces it had on its body. It's attack was 1500, now 2500 with Loptr's effect.

"Very well, summon your brutes," said Madeline. "I activate Gallatin's effect from ze grave and re-equip it to Laundsallyn!"

"And I will use the effect of my Boss of Doom to special summon the Boss of Rumbling once again."

Candy felt like she was going to wet herself from the anxiety. They just kept coming and coming. And no matter how many of her gallant knights she summoned, it just wasn't enough to stop Bartolf. Her legs quivered and he hid her face behind her hands.

"I use the effect of Olivier," said Madeline. She didn't want to explain it, for she knew something on the other side of the field was going to activate.

Sure enough, Boss of Rumbling held out his palm and tributed both Boss of Doom and Boss of Iron to negate the summoning of Madeline's knight.

"Merde!" she cursed. She hated this deck. From the Graveyard, she activated the effect of her Flame Noble Knight Maugis, banishing him to return a few cards back to her deck and she drew a card.

Rumbling, once again, held out his palm to activate an effect. His eyes glowed bright blue.

"Oh, now what!?" shouted Madeline.

"When you add a card to your hand, Boss of Rumbling forces you to send a monster from your hand to the Graveyard.

"Oh no," Madeline said sadly, discarding God Phoenix Gearfried to the Graveyard. "I use Heritage of the Chalice and add Flame Noble Knight Ogier. Now I summon him and…"

"Are you going to use an effect? Sorry to disappoint you, my lady. But a little Solemn Judgement will put you into place. It may cost me half my Life Points, but it's a small price to pay to keep those knights from taking down my monsters. Face it, I'm the better Duelist today."

"Well, you gave me ze lead, so I wouldn't be celebrating if I were you. I equip Maugis to Laundsallyn and use him to attack your Boss of Rumbling."

The black knight heeded his master's call and stormed across the water. He jumped up high and slashed the Generaider boss across the face, destroying him. That allowed Madeline to add a card to her hand and she ended her turn.

"I draw! I must admit this is getting interesting."

"It really is," Candy said to herself. "They play so wonderfully. I hope I can Duel in this tier one day."

"I think it's time to end this game, no? I use the effect of my Boss of Eternity. I remove a material and we draw a card. Now, add cards to my Boss, raising his attack back to 5000."

Madeline sighed.

"I will also use the effect of my Boss Stage."

"No, I activate Ash Blossom."

"Ah, ah, ah, remember my Boss Room card? I will change the effect to have us draw a card."

"No, I didn't forget. But at zis point, I'm going to need some cards. I won't lie to you, I'm getting awfully annoyed."

"I'm sorry to hear you're not having fun. But if you just surrender, it will be over soon."

"I will do no such thing. Continue with your turn."

"Very well, my Boss Stage resumes its effect and I summon Utgarda, Generaider Boos of Delusion."

A living, white castle then rose out of the ground. It was brilliantly accented with gold and had yellow roofs on the tops of the pointed towers. It stood in defense mode with a wall of 2700 DEF points to keep Bartolf safe.

"It's time to say goodbye to your Laundsallyn, Madeline, my dear. First, I set a card and I'll attack your Ignoble Knight with Jormungandr!"

The serpent fired a fiery blue beam at her knight. Laundsallyn went on one knee and held up his sword to block the attack. Madeline yelled and grunted as the attack rocked her field. Her Life Points went down to 6400.

"What happened? Why was he not destroyed."

"My Flame Noble Knights protect him from being destroyed," Madeline coughed as she stood back up. "You're going to have to do better than that worm to take them down. They will conquer anything you throw at me. Even your bosses."

"A valiant effort. I end my turn."

"I draw."

"And I summon Boss of Doom with Boss Stage."

"Summon them, I don't care. It won't do you any good anymore."

"So you say, but watch as I use Jormungandr's effect. We draw, we attach and his attack increases to 6000! Now, with my Boss Stage, I summon Generaider Tokens to the field. Next, with Boss of Doom's effect, I sacrifice one to summon an old friend. Boss of Rumbling."

"Great," Candy grumbled. "Now he has what he needs to cancel out all her effects."

Mr. Gael sat down and tapped his paw against his black plastic nose. "I ain't gonna lie, but it looks like our Lionheart friend is indeed in quite a pickle."

"Now that it's ze second turn since I activated his effect, I summon Flame Noble Knight Astolfo!"

"Interesting. Go on."

"You sure about zat? Because he allows me to summon a Fire-Warrior from my Graveyard. Behold, God Phoenix Gearfried!"

"God Phoenix!" Bartolf cried out in shock. "What's this?"

"Now, I summon Flame Noble Knight Roland and give him one of my Flame Noble Arms cards. However, he won't stick around for long. I use him to Link Summon, Isolde, Two Tales of the Noble Knights."

"Sorry, my love. But I activate Solemn Warning. I pay 2000 of my Life Points and negate your monster's summoning. Too bad."

Madeline smiled. "Are you sure about that, Bartolf? I use ze effect of my Flame Noble Arms…"

"And I counter with Boss of Rumbling. I sacrifice two Generaider Tokens to negate the effect of your card."

"I think not, for I use ze effect of God Phoenix Gearfried. I send an Equip Spell, in this case my Flame Noble Knights attached to Laundsallyn, and I can negate your Boss of Rumbling's effect and destroy him."

"NO!"

God Phoenix Gearfried rushed towards the Boss of Rumbling. He held out his bladed arm and cut the beast all the way down to the ground. Boss of Rumbling groaned and exploded.

"Where was I? Oh, yes. I summon Flame Noble Knight Olivier. Then I banish Maugis, returning these cards back to my deck and I can draw a card. Now, I attack your Boss of Delusion with God Phoenix Gearfried."

"Good! Because when it's destroyed, your God Phoenix Gearfriend is banished!"

Madeline stood still and watched as her monster brought down the giant castle, doing so caused her flaming champion to be banished from the game.

"I will not tolerate this any longer. I will now summon the mightiest of the flaming knights of the Round Table. I will use Olivier to Tune with Laundsallyn. Oh, emperor of the holy empires of old. Come forth and use the flames of the swords of justice to bring down the forces of evil! I call upon thee, Flame Noble Knight Emperor Charles!"

"What is this all about?" Bartolf said, shielding his eyes from the bright red flames flickering behind Madeline.

A well-dressed ruler in red and gold stepped out from the flames. His golden hair waved in the wind and his gear clinked with every step he took.

Flame Noble Knight Emperor Charles

ATK/3000 DEF/200

"Now, from my Graveyard, I equip him with Vanguard Roland and Olivier. Roland gives him a 500 point boost. Next, I equip him wiz Noble Arms Gallatin, and in doing so, he will automatically destroy your Boss of Eternity."

"What? NO!"

Emperor Charles held out Gallatin, and transformed it into a flaming sword with new decorations and ornaments. He yelled and summoned a flaming horse, which he mounted quickly. He pointed his sword at the giant serpent and galloped towards it. The horse grew flaming wings and he flew up to the serpent's head. A flaming aura around the sword made it look like it increased by a hundred feet. Charles slashed the beast across the neck, decapitating it and removing it from the field once and for all.

"My monster!" Bartolf shouted. "You...you defeated him!"

"At last," Madeline said in relief. "And wiz that, I end my turn."

"And I end mine. Go on, my dear. Attack. I have nothing left to play."

Madeline smiled. "As you wish. Emperor Charles, attack!"

Charles raised his sword and then sprinted towards Bartolf. He jumped and then slashed his sword vertically down his body, reducing his Life Points to 0.

"Well played, Madeline. That certainly was an impressive Duel. One of the best I ever had. I have to admit, it was kind of fun."

"Ha, for you anyway. Zey weren't kidding when zey said Generaider monsters were like ze final boss of a video game. Well, I said impress me and you have. So I think you've earned yourself a dinner date, my friend."

Bartolf smiled. "No. I have not. I have not earned that right. I don't think I deserve you until I've defeated you. I want to truly prove myself to you, Madeline. I want to prove that I am worthy enough to have you. Hmm. If that makes any sense."

"No, it does not, but I sort of understand where you're coming from. If that's how you feel, that's how you feel. Thank you for the Duel, though. If you ever want to face me again someday, you know where to find me."

Bartolf bowed. "Thank you, my lady. Until we meet again."

He turned and walked away. And when he did, Madeline and Candy heard a clap coming from the entrance of the pool. Cora had arrived at last. And low and behold, Jericho was right beside her, clad in a tank top to show off her muscles. Candy felt her heart dropping as soon as she saw her and scooted away to avoid being seen.

"Hey, there you are," Cora called out to Candy. She saw the girl looking away and remembered what she told her the night before. "Ah, yes. Jericho. I believe we have some stuff to talk about."

"Like?"

"Candy told me what you've been doing to her, Jericho. Don't act stupid. I can't believe you bullied her! What the hell did she ever do to you?"

Candy put a great deal of effort to turn around and look at Jericho eye-to-eye. "Um, please. I don't want to start any confrontations."

Jericho shrugged and took a quick sip of her espresso. "That's why. What can I say, Cora? She annoyed the shit out of me. She was always so petit, so pathetic. It made me sick. And she always speaks in this squeaky, whispery, voice! She got taken advantage of all the time. I hate seeing anyone act so weak. In a way, she reminded me of that pipsqueak Syrus from Duelist Academy."

"Syrus?"

"Truesdale. Zane's younger brother. How that guy is related to such a badass as Zane is beyond me. I don't see the resemblance at all. I digress. I can't explain it, Cora. People with a lack of confidence are one of my major pet peeves."

"And you believe torturing them is going to give them said confidence?"

"It's the only way she was going to learn. She would have never had the guts to take to the arena had it not been for me. Admit it, Candy. The only reason you started playing was to prove me wrong."

"I won't lie, but yes. I did want to prove you wrong. You and so many others who doubted me."

"Well, look at the way you dress in school. Who wouldn't think of you as a petit little wimp? What the hell is with that loli getup you wear at the academy?"

"It wasn't my idea. Mr. Gael told me to wear it. It...it makes him happy."

Jericho noticed Cora cringing when she said that. She sighed and looked at her. "See? She's a bozo. She blames the state of her attire on her teddy bear."

Madeline shook her head at the ridiculousness of that statement. "That bear isn't the only thing that uniform is making happy at school. Even if that thing did tell you to be all ruffly and fluffy, you can't just decide for yourself?"

"I can't make any decisions for myself. All my life I've had things done for me. I don't even know how to tie my own shoes, or brush my own hair. The only thing I'm truly good at is growing flowers and making stuffed animals. That's what I want to do. I...I don't want to be a Duelist."

"So why the hell are you enrolled in the academy's Dueling Program?" Cora asked. "It doesn't make any sense to me."

"Mr. Gael told me to."

"Oh, fuck me," Jericho said, turning around. She wanted to walk away from the madness. Deep down, she wanted to toss Candy into the pool and rip her bear to shreds or toss it overboard. "Cora, come with me. We need to have a talk."

Cora glared at Jericho for a few seconds before patting Candy on the head. "Hold on, baby. I'll be right back."

Madeline approached Candy and said: "Come, let's see how your Magician Girls fare against my Noble Knights."

Cora looked back and saw Madeline already swarming the field with her knights. Candy only had a Berry Magician Girl out so far, but if she played it right, she could pull off something epic to counter Madeline's knights.

"Come on!" Jericho called.

"Can we talk about this later? I want to see the match."

"No, it's important, Cora. Come on. We need to talk about this."

Cora groaned. She followed Jericho to the entrance. "What?"

"You asked me to be your bodyguard, Cora. You wanted me to protect you, and that's what I'm going to do."

"Protect me? From her? Sure, she's off her rocker, but she's such a darling. She looks like she wouldn't even hurt a fly."

"Look, I know you have it out for every cute girl you meet, but there's something you need to understand, Cora. Have you heard of the Vexen Suite Massacre, Cora?"

Cora nodded. "I heard a few details about it. Uncle Mokuba mentioned it not too long ago, but I wasn't paying attention to much of the details."

"Well, if you had, you would know your little 'darling' was part of it."

All of a sudden Cora felt as if the temperature had dropped. Her chest felt hollow and cold like an empty fridge. "What? No. Her? Really?"

"Seven men were found brutally murdered in the suites of the Vexen Hotel two years ago. There was so much blood that it dripped through the ceilings and flowed down the halls. When the King's knights went up to investigate, they saw something out of a nightmare on the other side of the door. There were men hanging from the ceiling with their intestines. There was another in the bathtub. He had his heart jabbed into his mouth. Body parts were strewn all over the place and a man's head was found boiling inside a cooking pot. When they opened a closet, they found Candy, naked and bloody; holding on to that fucking teddy bear. And she kept muttering the same thing over and over again."

She leaned forward, held her hand over her mouth and whispered: "It was Mr. Gael. Mr. Gael did it."

Cora backed up against the wall, breathless. "Her? Jericho...I...Wasn't she put in jail?"

"Nope. Apparently, those guys were kidnappers who grabbed her while she was shopping in the mall. Slavers, no doubt, so I have no sympathy for their deaths. And there was not enough evidence to convict her. They checked all the murder weapons and her fingerprints weren't on any of them. Some say it was a vigilante; it does happen around here, you know. The Cyber Knight and his protege, Infinity. The Knight of Destiny, the Crystal Defender, and Jaden Yuki. But they're good heroes. None of them would brutally murder those guys the way they did. The Knight of Destiny maybe, since his D-HEROES are pretty nasty Eidolons. Still, it doesn't explain Candy constantly blaming that fucking bear. There are some, myself included, who think she's the one who did it. It had to be her. But, what can I say? If you're fond of her, be my guest. Bring her along. We'll all look good with a murderer in the crew."

"If Master Yugi can trust her, so can I. You said so yourself, there wasn't enough evidence. And you're right. There are vigilantes running around Domino, it could have been anyone. Candy...I just feel it in my gut that she's something special."

"Yeah, you thought the same thing about Krissa and look how that turned out. You're not good at making judgments about people, Cora. So far that feeling in your gut has led you to a hell of a lot of problems."

"I don't know what's up with Krissa. That's a more complicated matter. She just can't make up her fucking mind."

"Well, what did you expect, Cora? She seeks you out, gives you a powerful card and then, zing! You get all hot for her. You didn't even give her time. You thought because your name is Kaiba that you can just have anyone you want without any effort. You shoved tons of money at her and bought her expensive gifts expecting to buy your way into her heart. That isn't true love. Of course, she was confused and lost. There was probably something about you she liked if she managed to stick around this long, but I guess she just doesn't like you that way. And you have to accept that."

"I can't. I love her."

"No, you just want to get in her pants. There's a difference between loving someone and lusting for them. You have a problem, Cora. I suggest you fix it. You're like that dancing asshole Johhny Steps but with a vagina."

Cora chuckled. "You really think so, Jericho? I mean, I can't help but feel attracted to pretty girls. It's who I am."

"Nothing wrong with that. If that's your thing, that's your thing. We're free to love whoever we want. But you can't have something with Krissa. You dragged her into a big mess and she isn't happy, Cora. If you truly love Krissa, you'd give her what she wants. And that's space. She forced herself to work at a diner to stay here and pay for that apartment. She's a Priestess from the Temple of Saafani. I'm sure she wants to get back to her duties there, but she has you as a burden. Think about that."

"I don't want to be a burden. That's the last thing I want. I don't want to lose her. I'll talk to her before the event is over. Hopefully, we can figure something out. But if she wants to move on, I guess I have to let her go."

"Hey, keep a chin up. There are plenty of fish in the sea, babe."

"But most of them wind up being piranhas like Clovis."

"Piranhas? Nah, I'd say he's a guppy. Speaking of which, I can't wait for the big match tomorrow night. Oh, and there's also that Duel between you and Alexis that everyone is talking about."

"I can take her."

"Don't be so sure, Cora. She's a legend. They don't call her Queen of Obelisk Blue for nothing. And she's keen on keeping that title even in the university levels. But if you want to give Candy a try, there's nothing I can do to stop you. You're the boss. But, if you promise to be careful around her, I promise I'll try to get along with her. Deal?"

"Deal."


The Next Day...

The sky was beginning to turn metallic blue on the horizon. Cora lay in bed, fidgeting with the crisp edge of her pillow, sliding her fingertips up and down the fabric. Tears slowly dripped down her face. The blue was the same shade as her father's eyes. She sniffed and hiccuped, missing him. He was a strict son of a bitch, but he brought her in from whatever kindness was hidden in that giant stone he called a heart. Just as they were finally getting used to each other, the Rosenkruz Syndrome was reaching its final stages and started taking him away from her. She couldn't even have a chance to say goodbye.

Sleep...A soft voice said in her head. Cora felt as though she had one of those moments when her soul had left the body.

The grace of the white dragon is with him. Do not weep any more, child. He is with me. Sleeeep...

Cora found the voice to be rather soothing and even wonderful. It was familiar. As if she had heard it before. She felt a cool, refreshing sensation overtake her. Her eyes grew heavy and she closed them just as she saw the bright image of a woman standing over her.

Sleep...


Seto


"I'm sleeping, can't you see?" Seto muttered in his slumber.

He suddenly realized he was not back home. Nor was he in his own world. He heard the sound of birds chirping, waterfalls thundering down a mountain, and the wingbeats of giant dragons overhead. He opened his eyes. Blue-Eyes White Dragons. Hundreds of them. They were flying around in a valley teeming with flowers in all shades of white and blue. They soared in great numbers like a giant flock of birds.

He was laying on a white couch with blue pillows underneath a white pavilion festooned with ivy and glowing, blue flowers that rang like bells from another world. Two bluebirds flew over him, singing gleefully. He followed them and stopped when he saw a beautiful face looking down at him. A woman with pale skin and white-blue hair. On her brow, she donned a tiara of white crafted to resemble a Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon flying around her head. She wore a transparent white gown with the straps clasped to her shoulders with brooches shaped like Blue-Eyes White Dragon heads of sterling silver. Their aquamarine eyes twinkled in the morning sunlight.

Seto reached for her face. He had to make sure this was real. The woman lowered her head so his weak fingers could reach her delicate skin. She was soft and cool to the touch. His fingers burned with a biting chill as if he touched ice. The woman closed her eyes and sighed, rubbing her cheek up and down the palm of his hand.

"I've died and gone to the gardens, haven't I?"

The woman opened her eyes and grinned. "Were you so lucky," she said in a heavenly whisper. She leaned forward and kissed him. Kaiba couldn't move but he didn't care. He felt as if her kiss had rejuvenated him. It was minty and cold. Her hair smelled of lilac and her skin perfumed with something sweet and divine. Possibly not of the world Seto lived in.

The woman released him from her kiss and nuzzled his nose with hers. "It's not your time to die, Seto Kaiba. There is still much you have to do."

"I don't want to go back." He grabbed her by the wrist. "Let me stay with you."

The woman wagged her finger playfully over his face. She got up from the couch and walked towards the edge of the cliff to watch the Blue-Eyes White Dragons fly over her valley. The mountains beside her were shaped like their heads and they spewed towering waterfalls into the pond below where little white dragon hatchlings were learning how to catch fish under the watchful eyes of their mothers.

"Are you a Vollanti?" he asked.

The woman said nothing, but she looked back at him. He couldn't see her eyes behind that beautiful curtain of bluish-white hair, but he saw her lips forming into that warm smile.

"I've been meaning to ask you for the longest time. Did you bring her to me? Cora?"

The woman nodded. "Yes."

Kaiba sat up. "What is she? Why does she get to control the Blue-Eyes? You said they were for me!"

The woman slowly turned and walked back to him. She sat down and placed her hand on his forehead to calm him. "They were meant for all with the blood of the people of Vollantia running through their veins."

"And is she?"

"Is she? What do you think?"

"Don't talk in riddles!"

"There will be a time when all will be revealed. But for now, you must care for her. She needs you. Cora has a far greater purpose in those world than being a Duelist with rare cards in her deck. Cards you worked tirelessly to keep her from having."

"Because those were cards that I thought were rightfully mine. I had to kill in order to find them! I know it was you who commanded me to make three more copies. But I did so reluctantly. Your word matters a great deal to me, but I didn't want this to happen. I didn't want an heir. I didn't want the Blue-Eyes White Dragon to go to anyone else. No one! Especially not her! Some smelly, ill-mannered, spoiled brat from the streets. I couldn't let them go to her. Having her call on them would strip them of their pride."

"They are not yours, Seto."

"You promised they would be mine and mine alone. They were a symbol of how much I meant to you."

The woman shook her head. "The three beasts you've been using all these years are my gift to you. The symbol of a love that has spanned through ages and ages. But the three that have been given to Cora are different. You know them. They told you what to do. Volerion, Anaveen, and Xalden are the Blue-Eyes that Arasik has blessed Cora with. They are why I asked you to make those cards. So they could house their spirits and be with her. Her and only her."

Seto grunted. "So that's why they almost killed my brother."

"They didn't mean to. But how else could they make you understand that they wished to serve another? Do not fret, my dear. The true master of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon this age is you. They are all under your command. Soon, Cora will be as well."

"Her? I don't understand."

"The world needs her. And so do you. She is the key to preserving your dynasty."

Kaiba looked away. "I find that hard to believe. She's defiant and stubborn."

The woman giggled and ran her fingers down his hair. "And are you any different? You've raised her beautifully these past few months, Seto. And as a reward for your good deeds, Cora's hidden power will be yours to control."

"So you did send her my way?"

The woman smiled and looked to the valley. "I did. She is another gift to you from me. You have taken good care of her. Now it's her turn to take care of you."