~~Hello readers, I'm back with a new chapter.
Yu-gi-oh Zexal doesn't belong to me.
I only own my original characters.~~
~Heartland Academy~
Yuma and I had just got off the train.
Astral floated behind us as we walked toward the courtyard to meet our friends.
Many people were running up and down the walkways.
Yuma opened the gate and allowed me to enter first.
"Thanks Yuma," I said quietly.
"No problem Sioku," Yuma replied as he kindly led me toward the wooden bench.
Bronk and Tori were waiting by the fountain.
The streaming water sounded peaceful as ever.
Good morning," greeted Yuma.
"Hi Yuma," replied Tori.
"What's up," added Bronk.
It felt good to see their friendly faces again.
I put on a smile in order to keep them from worrying about me.
"Hello friends," I greeted casually.
"Hey Sioku," they replied in unison.
I sat down between Yuma and Bronk.
Astral hovered in front of Yuma.
I smiled while staring into his mismatched eyes.
Bronk immediately noticed my uneasiness and spoke up. "Sioku, you're looking a little down this morning. Is something bothering you?"
"Yeah, this isn't like you at all. You're usually very cheerful around us," continued Tori.
"I just had a really bad dream about Julie last night. Please don't worry too much," I answered quietly.
Yuma put his arm around me and said in a loving way. "Your concern for us is much appreciated Sioku, but we're all here to protect you when those fears take over."
"Yuma is right," continued Tori.
"Agreed," added Bronk.
I gratefully wrapped my arms around him and replied. "Thanks Yuma, that is one of the reasons why I love all of you very much. You guys are like siblings to me."
A long period of silence passed by as we relaxed.
Being surrounded by my wonderful friends helped me forget about my nightmare for now.
Our moment of peace was soon interrupted when I saw Flip excitedly burst through the gate with a wide grin on his face.
Seeing him again made me smile.
"Hello everybody!" he shouted.
My ears perked up at the sound of his cute voice.
"Hi Flip, come over here!" I hollered joyfully.
Flip happily rushed over to us before he threw his arms around me in a hyper way.
Yuma quickly released me so he wouldn't get in the way by accident.
A huge grin spread across my face.
Bronk suddenly stood up and was about to intervene until he saw how happy I looked.
He then sat back down with a heavy sigh.
I returned the hug with the same amount of energy.
"I missed you Sioku," he said while hugging me tightly.
"I missed you too Flip," I replied softly.
"Hey Flip," greeted Yuma.
"Good morning Yuma," replied Flip.
Bronk and Tori only kept to themselves.
They still seemed suspicious about Flip.
I looked down at Flip's pink cheeks and started to laugh out loud.
"Flip, you're so adorable," I said.
Flip only blushed harder at that.
Being in Flip's energetic embrace made the effects of my nightmare seem invisible.
I felt so free with him around.
"Hey Sioku," started Flip.
"What is it?" I replied.
"How was your evening?" he continued.
"It was okay," I answered blankly.
I didn't want to tell Flip that I had a nightmare since I finally managed to get rid of the effects for a while.
Also, I was afraid of him being clingy and over protective of me.
Yuma pulled out the Baby Tiragon card and smiled at Flip.
"Thank you for the new XYZ's monster," he said graciously.
"You're welcome Yuma," Flip replied gladly.
The first bell rang, causing me to frown.
Flip and I reluctantly released each other.
"I'll see you later," I said before I lightly patted his shoulder.
Flip quietly made his way out of the courtyard.
I didn't see Julie anywhere which was odd.
Julie's absence made me feel very suspicious toward the officer, but I didn't want to believe that she might actually be in the hospital.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I thought about the scary incident from yesterday.
"What if that video was real?" I whispered.
I began to tremble slightly as Julie's shallow breath sounds echoed in my mind again.
"Are you okay Sioku?" asked Bronk.
I only shook my head.
Tori scanned the courtyard's entrance and said. "Hey guys, I'm a little confused. Julie hasn't arrived yet."
"I don't have a problem with that woman not being here. She brings nothing but trouble," replied Bronk.
Yuma stood up before interrupting. "Wait a minute Bronk, this is a serious situation."
"Really? How so?" replied Bronk confused.
"You two haven't told us anything. What happened yesterday?" added Tori in slight annoyance.
I turned away from her to avoid any drama.
Bronk rubbed my back in reassurance.
Yuma sat back down and sighed heavily.
"Don't get mad Tori, but this incident happened after school. Sioku and I were called to the principal's office. The officer who attacked Sioku blamed her for Julie getting in my duel monster's way. He showed us a terrifying video of Julie in the hospital. She looked severely sick," he explained.
Bronk and Tori stared at each other with stunned expressions on their faces.
"That sounds rough," replied Bronk.
"That might explain Julie's mysterious absence. She's probably in the hospital," added Tori.
I lowered my head in fear.
Yuma gently grabbed my hand and spoke softly. "Hey Sioku, I'll walk to class with you since Julie isn't here."
"Thanks Yuma," I whispered sadly.
Astral hovered between Yuma and me.
I stared desperately into his mismatched eyes.
Astral leaned on me as he sensed my distress.
"I'm right here Sioku," he assured.
"Thank you Astral, you're a great friend. I'm glad you're here," I replied as a tear rolled down my cheek.
"We'll see you guys later," said Yuma as we stood up.
"Bye for now," replied Tori.
Without a word, Yuma and I exited the courtyard.
We then made our way toward our first class.
I distracted myself by looking at all of the beautiful plants as we walked by.
Yuma and I waited patiently on the metal ramp.
The tension caused by yesterday's incident kept us from having an enjoyable conversation.
Our teacher soon arrived, and she graciously opened the door for Yuma and me.
Yuma and I walked in and then quietly took our seats.
We had a brief moment of silence.
A few minutes later, the door burst open revealing a crowd of angry students.
"Good morning," greeted Yuma with a smile as he tried to avoid the oncoming chaos.
All except Tori and Bronk surrounded Yuma's desk while yelling many accusations at him.
They also showed him various pictures of a person doing terrible activities at school.
Yuma timidly shrank down into his chair.
Caswel immediately glared at Yuma and hollered. "Yuma! You have a lot of nerve showing your face around here after everything that you've done!"
"What exactly did I do?" replied Yuma still confused.
"Don't play dumb Yuma, we've all seen the photos! They went around the whole school! All I have to say is that you should be ashamed of yourself! You've stomped on flower beds, pulled pranks on teachers, cheated during exams, and worst of all... you ate Spencer's lunch and then replaced it with a toad! Check out the look on your face," Caswel answered angrily.
Yuma looked at a photo on Caswel's phone.
His eyes were wide with shock.
"Wo, I didn't do that! Where is Spencer? I've got to clear my name," he pleaded.
"We can't find Spencer. He must be home sick or something," replied Tori.
Bronk then pointed to Tori while looking at Caswel with a serious expression.
"But still, we're with Yuma, and he would never ever do those things!" he yelled.
"I used to feel the same way Bronk. We all did until we saw these awful pictures," replied Caswel.
Caswel then turned to Yuma with a saddened expression on his face.
"I'm sorry Yuma, but we're not friends anymore," he said.
The rest of those angry students continued with mean comments toward Yuma.
"Wait! I'm innocent!" Yuma called out.
The crowd still didn't believe him.
Yuma lowered his head in utter defeat.
Astral and I stared at the scene in horror.
I decided to brush my nightmare aside for now and focus on helping Yuma.
"Hold on, what is going on here?" I asked as I protectively leaned over Yuma.
Yuma lifted his head and stared at me.
"I'm here for you," I assured.
"Yuma is a total prankster!" screamed Caswel.
I glared in response to his accusation.
"What? No he's not!" I yelled back.
"Yes he is, look at these pictures! The whole school knows about it!" Caswel argued.
My eyes widened in surprise as I studied the photos.
I saw Yuma in all of them but refused to believe that he did any of those terrible activities.
My mind briefly flashed back to when Yuma bravely defended me in the principal's office yesterday.
I defensively got in Caswel's face and hollered. "Listen up buddy, I hang out with Yuma all the time! He didn't pull any of those terrible pranks! These pictures don't mean anything! Yuma does not behave that way at all!"
The whole room fell silent at that.
Yuma grinned proudly at me before he whispered. "Thank you Sioku, your support means a lot."
I smiled and patted Yuma's head in response.
Amazed by my courage, Tori and Bronk immediately rushed over to us
"Sioku is right, Yuma is innocent!" hollered Tori.
"Yuma would never pull a prank on anybody! He is a kind and loyal person!" continued Bronk.
"That's the truth," I added.
The swarming crowd eventually disbursed, and the chaos dissipated as well.
Yuma and I breathed a sigh of relief.
"I guess in the end, we saw a different side of Yuma; a side we never knew," said Caswel as he walked away.
Yuma let out a heavy sigh.
"Shut up Caswel," I snapped back.
Yuma giggled in response to my comment.
I was happy knowing that I made him laugh.
Our English lesson began once everybody was seated.
The teacher had an independent assignment planned for us this morning.
I decided to spend the entire class period with Astral while Yuma worked with his friends.
Fortunately, Yuma didn't mind at all.
"Excuse me Sioku, what is your assignment?" he asked curiously while staring down at my book.
"I'm supposed to read a short story and then answer a series of questions," I answered as I flipped to the assigned page.
"Interesting," he simply replied.
Astral listened intently as I read the story to him.
I imagined myself reading it to Dark Mist.
Reading to my celestial friend also provided another distraction from my fears.
After answering the questions, I placed my paper into a plastic tray on the teacher's desk.
Astral hovered next to me as I quietly worked on a homework assignment from another class.
Class was dismissed once the bell rang.
I decided to stay with Yuma and his friends.
People gave Yuma dirty looks as they walked by which annoyed the heck out of me.
My friends and I exited the classroom once the bigger isles had finally cleared out.
The fresh air felt very relaxing.
Thankfully, duel period was next.
An unhappy look remained onYuma's face.
"Man... it stinks knowing that everyone is upset at you. I know you, Bronk, and Tori aren't, but the rest of the school sure is," he started.
"Don't worry Yuma, I'm positive that this whole situation will blow over soon. They are all foolish for believing images over real people," I replied.
Yuma nodded his head in agreement.
Our conversation was immediately cut short by a familiar voice calling for Yuma.
I turned around to see Flip walking toward us.
"Hey Yuma! How's it going buddy?" he hollered with an excited grin on his face.
"Hi Flip," replied Yuma dejectedly.
"Hello again Flip," I greeted cheerfully.
Flip eagerly ran up to us before he stood next to me.
He then put his arm around my shoulders.
I blushed internally at his friendly gesture.
"Hey Flip, how did your first class go?" I started.
"The same as always," Flip answered casually.
Yuma couldn't help but smile as he stared up at us.
"You really do like her Flip," he teased.
Flip's cheeks turned bright red at that.
"Yuma, Sioku and I are just friends! I don't want a girlfriend yet," Flip replied nervously.
I burst into laughter at Flip's reaction to Yuma's playful comment.
Tori and Bronk laughed along with me.
Bronk then turned to Flip with a glare and demanded. "What are you doing here anyway?"
"I came to challenge Yuma to a duel," answered Flip as he grinned.
Yuma immediately perked up at that and said. "Flip, I accept your challenge."
"May I please watch your duel?" I added.
"Of course," answered Yuma.
"Awesome! I can't wait to see Flip's deck in action," I replied excitedly.
Flip patted my shoulder in response.
"Bronk and I are about to go to our next class," said Tori.
"We'll see you guys later," added Bronk.
"Bye for now," I replied.
Yuma happily led Flip and me to the dueling arena.
"I'm so glad to see Yuma looking happy again," I thought.
Astral stared at Yuma and said apprehensively. "I have a bad feeling about this duel. Yuma, I think you should pass."
"Why? do you also think that Flip is a bad person? Astral, are you jealous?" Yuma teased in annoyance.
"That's enough Yuma," I interrupted.
Flip looked over at Yuma confused and asked. "Hey Yuma, are you talking to me?"
Yuma let out a nervous laugh and shook his head.
He then looked at Flip and answered. "Anyway, let's get on with this duel. I'm feeling the flow!"
I immediately perked up at Yuma's adorable catch phrase.
Hearing him say it brought a joyful grin to my face.
""Duel gazer, let's roll," said Yuma as he pulled out his duel disc.
He then powered it up and added. "Duel interphase set."
"Augmented reality vision link established," said the AR voice.
"Do you mind if I go first?" asked Flip.
"Not at all," answered Yuma.
Flip drew a card from his deck and laid it face down in one of the slots on his duel disc.
"I play a monster in defense mode. It's your turn now," he started.
"Playing it safe is a smart idea," Yuma complemented.
"I have to play it safe since I'm facing a great duelist like you Yuma," Flip replied.
Astral stared suspiciously at Yuma and said. "I think Flip's praise is masking his true motives."
"No, he just thinks that I'm a great duelist!" Yuma argued.
Yuma thought about his first move before he drew a card from his deck.
"First, I summon Gagaga Magician," he said.
The magician took its place on Yuma's side of the field.
"Attack that face down monster," Yuma commanded.
Flip grinned as his Porcupine Fish turned face up on the field.
"That monster only has 400 defense points. Gagaga Magician wins!" Yuma cheered.
"My monster's flip effect activates," said Flip.
Yuma looked at Flip confused and asked. "What is a flip effect?"
"You must have missed that day of school Yuma. "A flip effect is a special ability that activates when a face down monster is flipped face up. Its flip effect makes you take 400 pointes as damage," Flip answered wickedly.
Yuma stumbled backward as Flip's monster attacked him.
"Hang in there Yuma," I said.
Yuma gave a thumbs up in response.
He then looked at Flip and said. "My magician can still attack you since it has higher attack points."
Flip frowned as his monster disappeared from the field.
"Nice move Yuma," I praised.
Even though Flip took damage, he cheered happily for Yuma.
I saw Bronk and Tori passing by and waved at them.
"Hey you two, did you find anything?" I asked curiously.
"No, we can't find Spencer anywhere either. His mom said that he came to school today," answered Bronk.
Tori looked at the pictures again and said hopefully. "Maybe we can find a hint in these photos that will prove Yuma's innocence."
"Good luck," I replied.
Flip continued the duel by drawing a card from his deck.
"I play a monster in defense mode," he said.
He placed two more cards into the slots on his duel disc and added. "Then I'll end my turn with two face downs."
Yuma drew a card from his deck and said. "All right, it's my turn. I summon Flelf."
An elf took its place on Yuma's side of the field next to Gagaga Magician.
"I'll attack your face down monster with it," he said to Flip.
"Hold on Yuma, do you not recall what happened last time?" Astral interrupted.
"Yes, but I don't care if I take flip effect damage. My magician will attack Flip directly afterward," Yuma answered.
I looked at Yuma with a worried expression and pleaded. "Yuma, Astral is trying to protect you. Please don't attack Flip's monster again."
Yuma ignored my plea and proceeded to attack Flip.
"Flelf, attack Flip's face down monster," Yuma commanded.
Yuma's elf was instantly stopped again when Flip's monster turned face up.
He also took 400 more points of damage.
"I activate another flip effect. Now I summon three Chewbone Juniors from my deck to your side of the field in defense mode," said Flip.
Three Chewbone Juniors appeared on Yuma's side.
Yuma looked at Flip confused and replied. "Wait, why would you summon them to my side?"
"Yeah, that was really weird," I added in agreement.
Flip grinned proudly at his last move.
"I just pulled a sweet summoning move," he bragged.
"Yuma smiled back at him and replied. "Yes, but they won't help you at all on my side."
"Flip lowered his head in shame and said sadly. "Oops, I made a huge summoning mistake."
"Flip, don't worry about it. That happens to us all," Yuma replied kindly.
"Gagaga Magician, attack flip Directly!" Yuma commanded.
Flip stumbled backward as his life points dropped even further.
"Nice job Yuma, you're winning this fight by a lot of points. Keep up the good work," I praised encouragingly.
"Thank you Sioku, I won't let you down. I promise to win this duel," Yuma replied.
Flip perked up and smiled at Yuma.
"You should summon your XYZ's monster. That's the result of the mistake I just made," he suggested.
I looked at Flip dumbfounded and asked. "Why in the world would you want Yuma to summon an XYZ's monster? Are you trying to lose this duel?"
Flip shook his head at me in annoyance.
"Maybe there really was something off about this kid," I thought.
Astral stared at me with a fearful expression and said. "Sioku, Yuma is being set up by Flip."
"How can you tell?" I replied quietly.
"He is trying to get Yuma to summon an XYZ's monster on purpose so he could trap him," the being answered with deep concern.
"I'm starting to believe that now," I whispered.
"Yuma drew a card from his deck and said proudly. "I'll use these three level one Chewbone Juniors to build the overlay network."
The three monsters instantly disappeared from the field.
"Yuma! No!" shouted Astral.
"Now that I have, I can summon an XYZ monster. Come on out Baby Tiragon!" Yuma called out.
Baby Tiragon appeared on Yuma's side of the field.
That little monster may be adorable, but I knew that Yuma shouldn't have summoned it.
"Yuma, why did you do that? You just made a huge mistake!" I hollered fearfully.
"No I didn't," Yuma argued.
I glared furiously at him and continued. "Let me tell you something Yuma, you haven't been thinking this entire time! You've been led into a trap and refuse to believe it! I'm sure Bronk and Tori would have said the same thing to you!"
Yuma's face saddened as he looked at me.
My heart sank with sadness after I finished yelling at him.
I sighed heavily in disappointment with myself knowing that I had just upset Yuma.
"You did the right thing Sioku," Astral said softly.
Tears of anger welled up in my eyes.
"Astral, are you sure? I'm just as bad as Julie now," I replied brokenly.
Astral hovered by my left side and assured. "Sioku, that is nowhere near true. Please don't ever compare yourself to her. You are one of the best friends Yuma could have in his life."
I smiled warmly at him and said. "There you go again, acting like Dark Mist."
"I'm just telling you the truth," Astral replied with a smile of his own.
"Thank you Astral," I whispered.
Yuma turned his attention back to flip who was laughing villainously.
I threw Flip a glare after hearing him laugh like that.
"You totally fell for my trap! I tricked you into summoning that XYZ's monster so I can activate the face down card on the right side of my field," Flip said wickedly.
"What trap is it?" asked Yuma curiously.
"That trap is called Ultra C. It allows me to summon one XYZ's monster from your deck to my field. Utopia belongs to me now," Flip answered with an evil grin.
Astral turned to me with a worried look and said. "Sioku, Flip planned this from the very start."
"I believe it," I replied.
Flip grinned proudly as he revealed another secret. "I am the person who sent all of those fake photos of you around the entire school. I knew they would make everyone hate you."
Instead of being disappointed with Yuma, I was beyond angry at Flip.
I stood up from the bench and threw Flip a piercing glare.
"Flip! Are you serious?" I hollered.
Flip only nodded at that.
Yuma's eyes widened with horror at Flip's words.
"Why would you do that?" Yuma replied sadly.
"Yeah! Why?" I yelled in Flip's direction.
"I needed to get you all alone Yuma. I also knew that if you were down about everybody disowning you, you would let me be your friend. Friends duel each other," Flip answered.
Without thinking, I stomped up to Flip with pure rage spreading across my features.
"I cannot believe you just did that horrible thing to Yuma! Yuma trusted you when nobody else would! After this, I don't trust you anymore either! Yuma still has three people who will stay on his side forever! Guess what Flip, your little plan to make Yuma have no friends has failed! Don't even think about talking to me again!" I yelled furiously.
Flip only shook his head and grinned maliciously at Yuma.
Yuma looked up at me with a shocked expression and said quietly. "Sioku, I thought you were mad at me. I didn't expect you to defend me like that."
My expression softened as I stared at Yuma.
"Please listen to me Yuma, I should not have yelled at you. You and I both fell into Flip's hands. I will always defend you because you're one of my best friends," I replied gently.
"Thank you Sioku," Yuma said with a small smile.
Flip then pointed at Yuma's back and continued. "Since you and I are friends now, that note I left on you will tell you what we're dueling for."
I glared at Flip again and replied. "Why would you stick a note to Yuma's back? What is your next evil trick?"
Flip ignored me and turned away.
Yuma reached behind him and tore the folded piece of paper off of his shirt.
He unfolded the paper and then read the contents out loud. "If I lose this duel, I will give the winner one card from my deck."
"Now that you found out about our little agreement Yuma, you must honor it!" Flip ordered.
I stared at the two boys with a look of disbelief and shouted. "What? That's not right at all! Yuma never agreed to this rule!"
"Sioku is right Flip! I'm not doing that," Yuma added.
I furiously grabbed the note from Yuma's hand before I ripped it up into pieces.
Flip gasped in surprise while frowning at me.
"Sioku! You foiled my plan!" he hollered desperately.
Yuma smiled in relief at my action.
I grabbed the collar of Flip's jacket and dragged him toward me.
Flip whimpered in fear as he tried to pull away.
"Listen to me Flip, nobody is giving anything to you! Yuma and I are done with your dirty tricks! Your little stealing game is officially over," I said coldly
After releasing my hold on Flip, I walked quietly back to the bench and sat down.
Astral floated over to my left side and asked. "Sioku, how are you feeling?"
"Fine I guess," I answered sadly.
Flip gleefully activated his trap and said. "Thanks to Ultra C, I summon Eutopia to my field."
Utopia took its place on Flip's side of the field.
"Utopia will stay with me as long as it is equipped with Ultra C," Flip added.
"That's bad news," I commented.
Marks in the form of number 39 began to appear on Flip's hand.
Flip cried out in pain and fell to his knees as he got zapped by an energy force.
Yuma looked at Flip concerned and asked. "Wo, are you okay?"
"No, I've never felt better," Flip replied wickedly.
"Astral, what the heck just happened to Flip?" I asked in surprise.
"What on Earth is going on?" added Yuma.
"Flip has been possessed by a number," answered the celestial being.
"What does that mean?" I asked in a fearful tone of voice.
Before Astral could explain, his body suddenly began to weaken.
I stared into his mismatched eyes with a look of deep concern.
"Astral? Please talk to me," I said sadly.
My celestial friend didn't respond.
"What's going on? What's happening to you?" Yuma added.
"Yuma, do you know anything about Astral and these number cards?" I asked with a hopeful expression.
Astral will fade away forever if he loses the numbers," Yuma answered.
I turned back to my celestial friend and pleaded sadly. "Stay with me Astral, I'm right here."
Yuma thought to himself before he ended his turn.
"Giving up already? Let me show you how a winner duels," Flip taunted.
"Utopia, attack Flelf," he commanded.
Yuma's elf disappeared along with some of his life points.
"No... Yuma!" I cried out.
"It looks like I've taken the lead in life points. I aim to keep it," Flip bragged.
He then placed a monster face down in defense mode.
"You can do this Yuma! Don't let Flip win!" I hollered encouragingly.
Yuma gave a thumbs up in response.
"Go on, try it again," Flip urged.
"Be careful what you wish for Flip," said Yuma as he drew a new card from his deck.
"I summon Rai Rider," he added.
I couldn't help but giggle as I watched Yuma's monster ride onto his side of the field.
"That monster looks cool," I commented.
Yuma resumed his turn and continued. "Next, I'll activate Gagaga Magician's special ability. This allows me to change its level to a number between one and eight during my turn. I'll change it to level three to match Rai Rider."
Both of Yuma's monsters disappeared into the overlay portal.
"I'll overlay these two level three monsters to summon out Leviathan Dragon!" he called out.
The huge water dragon appeared on Yuma's field and roared loudly.
"I recognize that dragon from that time when Shark had it. It looks beautiful," I thought.
"Nice move Yuma!" I praised with a proud grin.
Just when Yuma thought he was going to win, Flip played another trap card from his hand.
"I activate the trap card known as Traitor Fog. It allows me to take control of the monster you just summoned," Flip said before he laughed.
The dueling field was then covered by a wall of thick fog.
Leviathan Dragon instantly switched over to Flip's side of the field.
"This kid will never give up until he wins," I whispered nervously.
More marks appeared on Flip's other hand in the form of the number 17.
"Leviathan Dragon... no!" Yuma cried.
Yuma lowered his head in defeat.
I looked over at Astral and noticed that his body was growing even weaker.
My heart sank for this poor being.
"Oh no... Astral!" I cried desperately.
"Astral, are you okay? Say something!" Yuma called out.
The celestial being didn't respond to either of us.
My phone suddenly began ringing in my pocket.
I pulled the object out and answered it. "Hello?
Tori spoke to me on the other end. "Hi Sioku, Bronk and I did some research on these photos. These pictures have all been photo shopped by somebody. We are about to go prove that Yuma is innocent and locate Spencer as well."
"Both of you have done some great detective work. Thank you for the good news. I'll catch up with you two later," I replied in relief.
"Bye for now," said Tori before she hung up the phone.
My face saddened as I looked at the fading celestial being next to me.
"Don't worry Astral, Yuma and I will help you get through this. Please hang in there for us," I said softly.
Flip glared at Yuma in annoyance and yelled at him. "Quit talking to yourself Yuma! It's clear to me that you've lost your mind! You might as well lose this duel too!"
Yuma faced him and yelled back. "Flip, I want to know why you are so mean to people all the time!"
"You tell him Yuma," I encouraged with a delighted smile.
Flip then answered with a shocking statement. "I'm only mean because the world is mean to me!"
Yuma and I wore stunned expressions as we stared at him.
"What do you mean?" asked Yuma.
I decided not to chime in since I was still very angry at Flip.
Flip went on to tell Yuma and me that kids treated him the same way back in elementary school.
They tricked Flip into giving up most of his cards every time he lost a duel.
Those bullies were nice to Flip whenever they talked to him, but they pulled tricks on him behind his back.
The only way that Flip could get out of the situation was by mastering the flip side.
"That is one sad story," Yuma said quietly.
"I know right?" I whispered back.
My anger toward Flip slowly began to dissipate as I listened.
I felt all of the pain and sadness in Flip's voice as he told his heartbreaking story.
It reminded me so much of how badly I was treated in school due to having Julie as my academic assistant.
Flip then revealed that he had gotten all of his lost cards back by tricking people and cheating during duels.
"Flip, that's where you're wrong. Dueling isn't all about winning. it's about having fun and giving it your best," Yuma argued.
"Only total losers like you would believe something such as that!" Flip shot back.
Yuma let out a growl of frustration.
I finally decided to chime in and spoke to Flip in a gentle voice this time. "Flip, I know from personal experience how bad it hurts to get bullied by other kids at school. I also understand what it's like being disliked by everybody. Believe me, I've been in the exact same position before I met Yuma and his friends. However, making terrible choices like constantly playing tricks on people and cheating did not solve any of your problems. Those choices only turned you into a bully. Please listen to me Flip, I've seen your good side. You don't have to continue acting like a bully in order to gain respect. People have to earn respect by being kind to others. I believe that you can change your life for the better and become the good Flip that I know and love."
My phone rang inside my pocket again.
I pulled it out and answered. "Hello?"
"Hi Sioku, it's Tori again. Bronk and I have located Spencer. Flip tricked Spencer into hiding in the old gym so he couldn't tell everyone that the photos are fake," Tori explained.
"Good work to both of you. I'll see you soon," I replied before I hung up the phone.
Yuma thought to himself before Astral weakly interrupted. "Yuma, you must protect Baby Tiragon. It is our only hope."
"Astral doesn't sound so good," I said sadly.
"Astral, are you okay?" called Yuma.
"Protect Baby Tiragon," Astral answered softly.
"Baby Tiragon can't fight a number monster. It's too weak," Yuma argued.
"Protect Tiragon," Astral whispered.
"Astral, please stay with us. Yuma and I are right here," I said desperately.
Yuma switched Baby Tiragon into defense mode before he set a card face down in a slot on his duel disc.
"That will be the last card you play," Flip said before he laughed wickedly.
He then drew another card from his deck and shouted. "You are through!"
Flip used one of Leviathan Dragon's overlay units to raise its attack points by 500.
"The dragon now had 2,500 attack points.
"Now I'll play a flip summon," he added.
"What's a flip summon?" Yuma replied curiously.
"I can turn a monster that's face down and in defense mode face up. I can also change it to attack mode," Flip answered.
He then revealed his face down monster and commanded. "Rise, Flipangutan!"
A huge ape monster appeared on Flip's field.
"Flipangutan's flip effect changes your monster from defense mode to attack mode," he informed.
He then ordered Leviathan Dragon to attack Baby Tiragon.
"So much for protecting Baby Tiragon," Yuma groaned.
Before Leviathan could attack, Yuma quickly played a card from his hand.
"I play the trap Half-Unbreak! One monster on my side cannot be destroyed during this turn. Also, the damage I take is cut in half," he explained.
Leviathan Dragon's attack hit Yuma, decreasing his life points in the process.
"Let him have it Utopia!" Flip commanded.
Utopia slashed at Yuma with its two swords which decreased his life points down to 300.
"Yuma! No!" I cried fearfully.
Flip played another card and added. "I'm not done yet. I activate the spell card Book of Flip. It allows me to turn Flipangutan face down. On my next turn, I can use its special ability again."
"If I switch Baby Tiragon back to defense mode, I'll be in big trouble if Flipangutan switches it back to attack mode and Flip attacks me again," Yuma said sadly.
"Bingo! You only have 300 life points left. I'll be able to take you down for good on my next turn and get your Utopia," Flip boasted.
I put on a smile to help Yuma cheer up and said. "You can do this Yuma! Astral and I believe in you!"
Yuma looked up at me in response.
We suddenly heard a familiar female voice calling for Yuma.
"Tori? Bronk?" I responded.
"Hi Sioku," greeted Tori.
"Thank you for staying with Yuma," added Bronk.
"Somebody had to back him up," I replied.
Tori and Bronk joined me before they checked out the dueling field.
"Yuma, what's happening?" asked Tori.
Before Yuma could answer, Flip interrupted. "I'll tell you what's happening. I'm about to beat your buddy."
"Flip is winning by a ton," Tori commented.
Bronk pointed to Yuma's field and said in shock. "Why are Utopia and Leviathan Dragon on Flip's side? Those are yuma's monsters!"
"They were his until I snatched them from him," Flip bragged.
Yuma thought to himself before drawing a card.
He frowned while staring at the Stinging Swordsman card.
Flip burst into laughter as he looked at Yuma.
"Based on your expression, you didn't draw the card that you wanted. I wouldn't blame your duel deck too much. After all, I doubt you could do much to me with any card at this point. With that useless XYZ's monster on your field, its attack points are a joke," he taunted.
"Attack points don't make the monster!" Yuma shouted back.
"That's right Yuma," I agreed.
Yuma paused as he thought about Astral's request. "Protect Tiragon."
"Astral didn't want me to Protect Baby Tiragon for its attack points. He wanted me to do that for its ability. A great ability is the flip side to lots of weak monsters," he said in realization.
"Good thinking Yuma," I replied.
Yuma looked at Baby Tiragon as he played the card.
"Get ready Tiragon, I summon Stinging Swordsman," he said happily.
The swordsman took its place on Yuma's field.
Flip grinned at Yuma and replied in a teasing manner. "Only 300 attack points? That thing can't possibly hurt me."
Yuma smiled at Flip and countered. "I wouldn't be so sure Flip, do you want to know why? Baby Tiragon is not so useless. I am also feeling the flow! Baby Tiragon can use one overlay unit to let Stinging Swordsman attack you directly!"
The swordsman landed a direct hit on Flip.
Flip didn't seem fazed when he lost 300 life points.
I perked up at that catch phrase once again.
A huge grin spread across my face as I praised. "Nice work Yuma, you managed to turn this duel around! You have a chance to win it now!"
Yuma continued the duel and added. "I play Stinging Swordsman's special ability. When Stinging Swordsman successfully deals you damage, all spell and trap cards you have on the field return to your hand."
Flip looked at Yuma with a worried expression and asked. "All of them?"
"Bingo! Utopia and Leviathan also return to me," Yuma answered happily.
"No... please... you can't do this to me!" Flip cried.
"Awesome move Yuma!" I hollered.
A powerful hurricane swept all of Flip's trap and spell cards off the field.
All of the effects wore off as well.
Both Utopia and Leviathan Dragon returned to Yuma's field.
Yuma and I saw Astral start returning to normal as the two number monsters were freed from Flip's hold.
I breathed a sigh of relief and said. "Oh Astral, I'm so happy to see you. Yuma and I were very worried about you."
"I'm sorry Sioku," the being replied softly.
"Astral, are you okay?" asked Yuma.
"Not yet," the being simply answered.
Yuma stared up at Astral in confusion.
"What do you mean?" I added.
"Go Leviathan! Attack Flip's face down monster!" Astral commanded.
My face lit up with joy as I heard Astral raise his voice.
"Wait, this is my duel! Don't go!" Yuma shouted.
Yuma then paused for a moment before he spoke again. Then again, that's a good call."
"Go Leviathan, Attack Flip's face down card with Sonic Shredding Stream!" he commanded.
Flip's face down card was instantly destroyed.
Yuma then pointed to Utopia and ordered. "Attack Flip directly with Rising Sun Slash!"
Flip's life points were also wiped out.
He fell backward from the impact and returned to normal.
"Yeah! That's how you flow!" Yuma shouted with glee.
"You did it Yuma!" I hollered with a wide grin.
"Way to go buddy!" cheered Bronk.
"Nicely done, you saved me from a bad fate," Astral complemented.
"Awe, I didn't do it for you. I just wanted to win," Yuma replied.
I looked at Yuma with a surprised expression and said. "Yuma, that wasn't nice."
Tori and Bronk ran up to Yuma before they embraced him.
Yuma giggled happily at his friends.
"That was an amazing comeback bud," said Bronk.
"I know right?" I replied.
Flip sadly stayed behind since he had just been defeated.
Yuma kindly approached Flip and offered to give back the Baby Tiragon.
Flip refused to take it since Yuma won the duel.
Yuma also told Flip that all of the respect he had before wasn't real.
Flip backed away from Yuma in fear and asked. ""Wait, are you sure this isn't just a trick to make me look like a big fool?"
Yuma remained calm and smiled at Flip.
"No, it's impossible for me to make you look foolish," he answered.
He then pointed to Flip's glasses and complemented. "Those dope specs you're always sporting look pretty hip."
I couldn't help but giggle at Yuma's complement.
"He is so adorable," I said to Astral.
Flip burst into tears and hugged Yuma tight.
"That was one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me! Forget the flip side! "I'm turning over a new leaf right now. Yuma, you should keep the card," he said joyfully.
Yuma perked up at that suggestion and replied. "Really? Do you mean it?"
"Sure," Flip answered.
"This card will be a symbol of our friendship," Yuma replied.
The two boys then burst into laughter.
"There may not be a flip side anymore, but there is an annoying side," said bronk.
I couldn't help but laugh at that.
I stood up and then calmly walked over to Flip and Yuma.
"Please excuse me, but I need a moment alone with Flip," I said politely.
Flip paused with slight hesitation and replied. "Hold on Sioku, are you sure you want to talk to me?"
"Of course I do," I answered with a smile.
I then led Flip to a secluded area before we sat down on a brick planter box.
The warm sun shined down on us.
"What do you want to talk about?" Flip started.
Without thinking, I pulled him into a tight embrace.
"Oh Flip, I am so sorry for the way I yelled at you today during your duel with Yuma. I seriously didn't intend to hurt your feelings. Your actions toward Yuma really upset me," I said softly.
Flip returned the hug and replied graciously. "Don't worry Sioku, I deserved everything that you said to me. You are part of the reason why I'm starting to change my attitude. I've been inspired by you. I couldn't be angry at you even if I wanted to. Thank you for helping me understand the truth about myself."
"You're very welcome Flip," I said happily.
A brief period of silence passed between Flip and me.
Flip spoke up as an idea crossed his mind. "Sioku, why did you apologize to me so quickly?"
I let out a heavy sigh and answered. "The moment after I yelled at you, I started comparing myself to my academic assistant Julie. I felt like a total jerk."
"Sioku, you're the sweetest person i've met in my whole life. You warmed up to me right away," Flip said with a smile.
"Your kind words mean a lot to me," I whispered back.
Flip and I relaxed at that peaceful spot for a few minutes.
I looked away from Flip as we heard footsteps coming our way.
"Hey, are you two all right?" asked Yuma.
"We're fine," I answered.
Flip and I slowly released each other as our friends approached us.
"I'm so glad you two have made up," Yuma commented.
I only blushed in response.
"It's almost time for lunch," said Tori.
"Hey Flip, would you like to sit with us?" I offered.
"That would be lovely," Flip answered.
"The more the merrier," replied Bronk.
After standing up, Flip and I followed our friends to the lunch room.