She gets her name when she's 7, but she starts learning about being trans when she's 6. She's looking at her cards while sitting behind a tree and then on the other side, two people start talking.

"Sister, I… I'm not sure if I'm really transgender."

She remembers putting her cards down, because she'd never heard that word before and wanted to know about it.

"What makes you think that, Katy?"

"Uhh, well… a trans person is someone who is told they're one gender, because of their… parts, but learns that they're a different gender when they get a little older. I thought I wasn't a boy, but, I still wear my old clothes and love my caps. I still look like a boy. So am I really a girl, even though I don't look like one?"

She remembers how she held her breath, how it shook her to her core that there was someone like her out there who felt the same.

"That's up to you to decide. There are plenty of tomboys in this world, Katy and they're still girls. Being a trans girl who wants to wear dresses, like me, is normal. But it's normal to be a trans girl who wants to wear boy cloths, too. Wanting to get surgery and take hormones to look like a girl is perfectly natural. But it's okay if you don't want to do that stuff too. There's no easy way to work out your gender identity, but I'm always here for you, little sibling. I love you."

"I love you too, sister. Thank you."

She remembers how she cried, because knowing she could be a girl, even if she didn't look like one, meant the world to her. Even if it was only a stranger talking to another stranger about it.

She remembers how she told Yubel that night, that she thought she was a girl. She remembers how Yubel would call her their Little Princess while she practised and tried out being a girl. It only took her 3 months to realize how much happier she was being a girl with the person she trusted the most. It took another 3 months, after her 7th birthday to find the courage to tell her parents.

Who only met her with hatred.

"Whoa, slow down Yuuna, or you're going to be sick!" Syrus warns, watching her nervously.

Yuuna swallows her fried shrimp, grinning, "Oh I'll be fine, I can't wait!"

Chumley gives her a weird look, but she doesn't pay him any mind, "What's got you so excited before 8am anyway?"

The three of them are in the Slifer Red dorm, eating lunch on a Saturday morning. The weather could not be more beautiful, the sun shining bright as the students talk about their weekend plans, be it visiting the card shop or catching up on homework. The first week of classes has been a little rough, but Yuuna can take it. She lived with Mother and Father after all.

Yuuna finishes her mouthful, swallows hard and after drinking some water, she beams at the pair, "I'm going out with Jasmine, Mindy and Alexis today! Just us girls, I'm so excited!"

Syrus and Chumley look between each other, blinking and Yuuna giggles as she does back to eating.

Then Syrus looks at her, pointing a little, "And you're going out dressed in your uniform?"

Yuuna blinks at looks down at herself, then looks at Syrus. She finishes her mouthful and bites her lip nervously, putting down her food.

"Do you think it's too formal or something?" Yuuna tugs at her red skirt.

She only has her outfit from the exams and her uniform jacket to wear, that was part of why she wanted to go to the mall today. After she won her Entrance Exam Duel, she hide every single coin and piece of money she could find in her bag, money she'd been saving and hiding since she was 7 years old. She'd spent it on nothing while she tried to get out of that evil house and now it paid off. She probably had enough money to last her a year at Duel Academy, is she spread it thinly enough.

Yuuna made it out the evil house alive, but now she'll have to find a way to get money if she wants to stay out of the house. Preferably options that keep her out of jail.

"No, not at all." Syrus says.

Yuuna blinks, coming out of her own head, "I'm sorry, what?"

Syrus blinks at her and smiles, "I don't think there's anything wrong with wearing your uniform, I mean, we are technically on school grounds. I didn't have that many other clothes when I came to Duel Academy, so you're not alone in that, haha."

Chumley stares at Syrus and then yelps, stammering out, "Yea-yeah, what he said!"

Yuuna blinks at the pair and slowly starts to smile. She didn't think she'd find any human who would support her and make her feel safe, but here she is. Syrus and Chumley right in front of her, offering their kindness. Her heart feels warm and her head a little light, knowing people like them care about her.

"Thank you, that means a lot." Yuuna nods to the two and swears, "I'll face whatever comes today with a great big smile then!"

She goes back to eating, as do the other two boys. Roughly 30 minutes later, she walks out and wanders the school grounds, trying to find the mall, the excitement still running through her veins. She giggles as she wanders down the path, seeing the thick forest on one side and the ocean cliffs on another. Duel Academy is paradise.

Yuuna laughs and spins, looking up at Yubel in joy, "Isn't it great?! I'm going to the mall!"

Yubel smiles, nodding, "It is, Little Princess. I'm glad you're going to have fun today." They narrow their eyes though, looking to the woods, "After though, we need to investigate the forest."

Yunna blinks up at them in confusion, "Why?"

"Because I could sense a power in there. A power of darkness." Yubel turns back to her, eyes serious. "As the Supreme King's reincarnation, it is your duty to investigate it and make sure these dark powers aren't hurting anyone."

Yuuna's eyes widen and she looks down at the forest. Her senses aren't as good as Yubel, having not been able to practice her powers when she was under her parents' thumb. But even she can feel… something in there. Something scary.

Yuuna nods. She won't let it hurt anyone. "Okay then. I'll make sure to check it out after the sun's set. May as well do it in my element."

Yubel gently pets her head, beaming, "Worry about it later then. Just have fun today."

Yuuna grins and goes to hug them, trying hard to not pass through them, "I love you, Yubel. Thank you."

Yubel pets her head and after hugging for a while, Yuuna pulls back and takes off running for the campus mall, while Yubel watches her go. They look into the forest, where they feel the darkness spilling out. The darkness that Yuuna controls is Gentle. It's the night sky, the world of dreams, it hides the innocent and misleads the wicked. But this darkness…

It feels crawling and insatiable, waiting for something to happen, to unleash it on the world, to wreak havoc and destroy, for it's the only thing this insatiable darkness is meant to do. The same kind of darkness they encountered in the Spirit World 5 years ago.

Yubel presses a hand to their dragon heart and curses, before flying into the forest, to do some investigating on her own.

Yuuna blinks, setting down her pink lemonade, "You mean Rescue Cat isn't a card you use in your Deck?"

They (Alexis, Yuuna, Mindy and Jasmine) are sat around a circular table in a small cafe on the third floor, a busy hallway one side with big windows in the roof, letting in all the light. Mindy, Jasmine and Alexis are all in their school uniforms too, so Yuuna's glad she isn't the only girl out.

"No." Mindy shakes her head, fingers curled around her bubble tea, "Rescue Cat isn't compatible with my Deck, since I use Fiend types. But my little sister wanted me to take her with me to Duel Academy, so I know she's always with me."

Jasmine cooes, head in her hands, staring at Mindy dreamily, "That's so sweet."

"I know right?" Mindy giggles, pulling the card from her Deck Box. "Rose just wants me to have the best time I could when I went to Duel Academy, since it was such a big step for me." Her smile turns a little wistful and vulnerable. "I've never moved, let alone lived without my protective parents and my little sister. I was kinda crying when the helicopter came to take us to Duel Academy."

Yuuna feels something twist and coil around her heart. She thinks it's jealousy.

Jasmine reaches out her hand and puts it over Mindy's that's still on the table, "Well, you're not alone now. You've got us."

Mindy stares at her in shock, blushing just a little. Yuuna feels a coo bubbling in the back of her throat, but she keeps it to herself. Yuuna smiles and turns to Alexis, making eye contact with her. The blonde has been quiet for most of the time, silently observing and still makes something Yuuna doesn't understand flare up in her heart. She still doesn't know how to feel about this feeling in her chest.

Mindy giggles softly, "Thanks Jasmine."

"Jasmine's right, Mindy. This is a big step up for all of us and we should all be there for each other." Alexis hums.

Yuuna nods, then turns back to Mindy with a smile, "Yeah, that's what's Duelling is all about! Helping each other out, doing our best and growing from facing tougher obstacles!"

Mindy smiles at the pair of them and gives a determined nod, "You girls are right!"

Yuuna giggles, closing her eyes. She's hanging out with the girls and having fun. She IS one of the girls and having fun. It's like a dream come true, she hopes it never ends.

She opens her eyes and looks down the hallway, "Where should we all go next?"

Mindy glances at her bags at her feet, "Well, we already went into the shoe shop, so how about a trip to a clothes shop? Anyone have any preference?"

Jasmine raises her milkshake, taking a sip from the straw, "I know the perfect place to get a few cute t-shirts."

Alexis nods, taking a sip of her iced coffee, "We should go there next then. I also know a shop that's having a sale on mini-skirts."

Mindy and Jasmine are on it like moths to a flame, "Mini-skirts?!"

Yuuna laughs, "Why don't we go there first and check out the cute shirts after?"

The two nod and giggle. Yuuna turns to Alexis with a small smile, but she's still not smiling, quietly sipping her iced coffee. Yuuna frowns a little, looking her up and down. She can't figure her out. Alexis is like a wall of ice in the middle of winter, impossible to get through and harder yet to climb. Why is she so closed off? What makes her tick?

"Yuuna, you almost ready?" Jasmine asks, her milkshake glass empty.

"Almost!" Yuuna chugs the last of her glass, gently slamming it on the table, "Done!"

Mindy's already up, spinning in circles as she holds her bags, Alexis keeping hers at her side. Jasmine is grinning while offering a hand to carry one of Mindy's bags, but the two decide to carry them together. Yuuna picks up her own bag of new sneakers, boots and a pair of sandals, then off they go.

Mindy and Jasmine walk ahead, sharing a bag and giving each other eyes when the other isn't looking. They look so happy and so close. Yuuna wonders how long they've been together. And if she'll ever meet someone who makes her feel like that…

A hand on her shoulder makes Yuuna jump as she turns to see, "Alexis?"

Alexis is… smiling a little, "Why don't we give these two some alone time? They look like they'd enjoy this becoming a date for them."

Yuuna blinks in surprise and watches Jasmine and Mindy walk further ahead. They don't even noticed that Alexis and Yuuna have stopped, as if they're in their own little world. Plus, this is the first time Alexis has smiled. Maybe this is Yuuna's chance to find out what makes her tick, to learn about Alexis.

So Yuuna turns to her fully, smiling trustingly, "Sure thing, lead the way. But I wanna drop my bags off at the Slifer Dorm first."

Alexis nods, smile disappearing and she starts pulling Yuuna somewhere else.

Yuuna looks around the forest in confusion, "Why are we out here?"

"I wanted to Duel you privately, if that's okay." Alexis is head of her, still holding her wrist.

Yuuna swallows, feeling nerves brew in her gut. "Yeah, that's fine."

The two of them are walking deep into the forest, the same one that Yubel had warned Yuuna about having a dark power this morning. Yubel isn't here to help her, though. She's on her own. Alexis has always given her a weird feeling, but she can't be a bad person, right? She's just a normal girl, like Yuuna, so she has nothing to be scared of.

Not that Yunna is all that normal, but details.

Yuuna doesn't have to be scared of Alexis at all. She needs to calm down on the paranoia.

They break through the trees and Yuuna gasps in awe at the view. They're near the cliff face, with the waves crashing on the rocks below, the sea gulls flying high above. Yuuna runs towards the edge, looking down. There's a beach much further down, near the water and rocks, where people are playing volleyball and swimming.

"It's beautiful, right?" Alexis walks next to her.

Yuuna nods, turning to look at Alexis, "Yeah, it's awesome."

Alexis nods, smiling just a little. Yuuna beams at her, giggling. She has a nice smile, but it's not quite meeting her eyes. Yuuna hopes she can change that.

"We ready to go then?" Yunna grabs her Deck on her hip.

Alexis looks up at the sky, then nods, turning to Yuuna, "Yes."

"Yay!" Yuuna cheers, running back towards the trees. She inserts her Deck in her Duel Disk, then turns it on, the shadows of the trees reaching for her. Yuuna smiles at them, then turns to Alexis, "Get your game on!"

Alexis nods, activating her Duel Disk, "I'm first!"

ALEXIS RHODES: 4000

YUUNA YUKI: 4000

Alexis draws, the sun shining down on her. She looks at her cards, then selects two, "First I'll play two facedowns. Then I'll summon Etoile Cyber."

A beautiful ballerina in red and light blue appears on the field, with 1200 ATK Points at the ready. Her long ribbon like ginger hair spills down her back in little ringlets Yuuna's a little envious.

Yuuna smiles, heart racing as the excitement from the Duel starts to get to her, "Oh wow, this is going to be awesome! You got anymore tricks?"

Alexis stares at her, then closes her eyes, "Your move."

Yuuna blinks. Well she's gone cold fast. But Yuuna won't waist this opportunity!

So she smiles and giggles, drawing, "Here I go!"

Yuuna looks at her cards, blinking in confusion. Her hand is really different this time. In her last Duel, Stygian Street Patrol and Regenerating Rose were bickering in her hand. Instead, she's got Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World shouting and bouncing around, talking about how he's going to absolutely wreck this girl and Brron, Mad King of Dark World laughing his head off. Dark World Brainwashing, Dark Corridor, Dark World Dealings and Dark World Lightning are in her hand, too.

Yunna giggles and hushes her monsters, "Easy guys, you'll get your fun soon enough."

Beiige cheers and Brron starts cackling. Yuuna laughs with them, then grins at Alexis. This is going to be a fun Duel, she just knows it!

"Hope you're not afraid of the dark, Alexis." Yunna grabs a card, "Because you're going to meet the Mad King of Dark World, Brron!"

Brron takes to the field, bound in his chains, cape flapping around him with 1800 ATK points to boot. Brron breaks out of his chains, laughing as he stretches his arms in ways a human really can't. Alexis gives him a glare and Brron laughs at her, poking his tongue out and flapping it. Etoile Cyber glares at him, raising her arms for a fight, which only makes Brron turn around and slap his behind repeatedly.

Yuuna shakes her head, "Alright, alright, save it for later. We got a Duel to win." She points forward and declares, "Attack!"

Brron back flips towards Etoile Cyber, who rushes to meet him.

"Traps, activate." Alexis calls.

Yuuna gasps, watching the cards flip up.

"Doble Passe allows your Monster to directly attack me, instead of attacking my Monster." Alexis has her arms folded, as if this doesn't bother her in the slightest.

Brron jumps over Etoile Cyber and laughs victoriously.

"And Spirit Barrier means that so long as I have a Monster on my Field, I take no battle damage." Alexis starts to glow, a barrier of ice appearing.

Brron punches it and flies back, shaking his hand, sobbing about how cold it is. Beiige in her hand laughs at his misfortune and she hushes him. Not the time!

Yuuna grits her teeth, "Okay, but why do all that?!"

"For the second effect of Doble Passe." Alexis glares right through her, "After allowing your Monster to directly attack me, I get to wage a direct attack on you."

Brron shouts and tries to get in the way, but Etoile Cyber is already standing in front of Yuuna, tall and strong. Yuuna takes a step back, looking up at the ballerina, mouth open wide.

"Etoile Cyber's ATK points increase by 600 when she attacks a player directly." Alexis's warning rings out-

The same time Etoile Cyber spins on her toes and kicks Yuuna across the face. Yuuna stumbles, falling to her knees.

ALEXIS RHODES: 4000

YUUNA YUKI: 2200

Brron hides his face in his hands, peeking through his fingers.

Yuuna pants heavily and looks up through her bangs, staring at Alexis hard. With two traps, she's completely shut down Brron's attack and ability, while destroying nearly half of Yuuna's life points. If she'd been able to land Alexis even 100 damage, she'd have been able to discard Beiige and get him on the Field to continue the fight. Alexis is strong, there's no doubt about that.

Yuuna laughs as she gets to her feet, "That was amazing, Alexis! You're something else!"

Alexis looks at her, the sun shining down on her, casting shadows under her eyes. The Spirit Barrier shimmers in the light, nearly blinding Yuuna.

"Are you done?" Alexis hums.

Yuuna laughs and shakes her head, standing steadier, "Not even close!"

She looks at her hand, swallowing a little nervously. She's not done, but she's not looking too great right now. She couldn't summon Beiige, who is now tamping and jumping up and down, demanding to get in there. She can't use Dark World Lightning unless Alexis plays another facedown.

But that means she has 5 cards in her hand. If she puts Dark World Brainwashing face down, she'll be able to get Brron back in her hand and then she'll discard Beiige, which'll let her Special Summon him. She could also use Dark World Dealings to draw something new, discard Beiige now and give Brron some back up. But that could give Alexis something new, even if it'll take away from her hand. Or she can use Dark Corridor to get a different Dark World Monster in her hand and discard it to use it's ability now, if it suits her.

Yuuna hums and looks at Brron, looking for ideas. Brron just shrugs and looks at his nails. Yuuna sighs as he pulls out a nail file and starts eating it. She's not going to have any of those left at this rate.

"I play Dark World Dealings!" Yuuna grins as she plays her spell, "We each draw one card and then we each discard one card. Sound good?"

Alexis draws from her Deck and wordlessly selects a card from her hand to send to the Graveyard.

Yuuna goes to draw her card and hears a gentle, "Kuri!"

She beams as she draws, smiling wide at her friend, "Winged Kuriboh, it's good to see you!"

The little monster flaps his wings, cooing right back at her.

Yuuna giggles and then discards Beiige, "Now, because Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World was discarded, I get to Special Summon him from the Graveyard!"

Beiige takes to the field, spinning his sword of bones between his hands, his 1600 ATK points begging for some action.

"I'll throw down a facedown and call it a turn." Yuuna puts Dark World Brainwashing face down.

Now, she only has 3 cards in her hand, so she can use Dark World Brainwashing on Alexis' turn. Sadly, none of her current cards get beneficial effects from Discarding, but Dark Corridor will let her search for a Dark World monster to take on whatever Alexis throws at her next. Hense why she saved it. She's got this!

"Draw." Alexis does just that. She glances over the 4 cards in her hand, then picks 2, "I play Polymerization, fusing the Etoile Cyber on my Field with the Blade Skater in my hand!"

Yuuna gasps, starting to wriggle in excitement. Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow!

Etoile Cyber and another ballerina in lavender and darker purple appears, the two dancing together and then the Fusion Monster takes to the field, in red and purple, with long flowing black hair and 2100 ATK points.

"Cyber Blader has a different special ability, depending on how many Monsters you have on your Field." Alexis holds up two fingers, "Because you have two Monsters, her ATK points double."

Yuuna gasps, as Brron screams and starts running around like a headless chicken and Beiige waves his sword, ready for combat. No way is she leaving them to face a 4200 ATK point Monster!

"I activate my trap, Dark World Brainwashing!" Yuuna points to the Fusion Monster, "If I have at least 3 cards in my hand, when an opponent's monster activates it's effect, I can return a Dark World monster to my hand and change Cyber Blader's ability! Beiige, return!"

Beiige rages against the decision, but comes back to her hand. Brron screams and continues running around, looking at Yuuna as if she's mad. Cyber Blader's ATK stays at 2100. Alexis grits her teeth.

"Now Cyber Blader's ability is to discard one random card from the opponent's hand." Yuuna smiles, pointing to herself, "Meaning, me. Take your pick, Alexis."

Alexis sighs and folds her arms, "The one on your far right."

Yuuna grins, discarding, "Beiige, looks like it's your lucky day!"

Beiige takes to the field, this time in DEF position with only 1300 DEF points, but it's better than leaving him and her life points open. She couldn't do anything to save Brron though, unless…

"Alexis, you gonna continue your-" Yuuna flinches as Brron screams one last time, turning into specs of data, "attack?"

ALEXIS RHODES: 4000

YUUNA YUKI: 1800

Alexis glances at the two cards in her hand and sighs, "I end my turn."

Yuuna wipes the sweat off her brow and looks at Winged Kuriboh, "That was close. Hope Brron doesn't kill me for this."

Winged Kuriboh furiously flutters his wings, as if promising to protect her from him. Yuuna laughs and smiles at him, then looks over the field.

She can't do any damage to Alexis thanks to Spirit Barrier and she needs to summon a 2100 ATK point Monster at least, if she wants to get rid of Cyber Blader, thus rendering Spirit Barrier useless and letting Beiige finally do some damage to Alexis' life points. She can think of a combo she can use to break through that defense, but she's going to need all the cards for it. Dark Corridor can help her find one, but can she draw the other card?

"Come on Deck, don't fail me now." Yuuna giggles and then, "I draw!"

She hears an angry hiss and looks at the card she just grew, "Scarr!"

The beast hisses, making Winged Kuriboh squeak and hide. Yuuna shakes her head. This isn't the play she was hoping to be able to make, but she can still do something. She just has to get a tougher creature on the Field.

"I play Dark Corridor, so now I'm allowed to look for a Dark World Monster in my Deck and then discard a card in my hand." Yuuna puts her spell into motion, grinning at Alexis, "Is that awesome, or what?!"

Alexis blinks, looking like she's finally a little interested. Good, because it's going to get interesting! Yuuna searches her Deck, then picks her Monster. This is going to be fun.

"Since I discarded Silvia, Warlord of Dark World, I get to summon him!" Yuuna points to her field as the monster appears.

Beiige gives a roar, as a terrifying warrior takes to the Field. The midday sun shines on him, reflecting off his shiny armour and feathers. He glares at the Fusion Monster and holds his sword high, his 2300 ATK points at the ready.

Alexis's eye twitches, but that could be the barrier, "Nice try, but my Spirit Barrier means I won't take any damage from Cyber Blader's battle."

"Yeah, but it won't save Cyber Blader from destruction or stop you from hurting when Beiige attacks you, which I'm allowing him to do now!" Yuuna switches Beiige to ATK position and punches the air ahead of her, "Go!"

Silvia roars and rushes Cyber Blader. The ballerina throws her hands out, trying to negate her destruction, but she doesn't make it. Neither does Yuuna's Dark World Brainwashing, which is destroyed along with her. The Spirit Barrier stops Silvia from touching Alexis' life points, so he returns to her side. Beiige charges for Alexis, his sword raised high and he brings it down hard on her head.

ALEXIS RHODES: 2400

YUUNA YUKI: 1800

Yuuna laughs as Beiige returns to her side, raising her hand high, "That's the way to Duel! I end my turn."

Yuuna smiles at Silvia and Beiige. Silvia scowls at her, Beiige grins cockily and she just laughs. She knows they love her. Yuuna focuses on Alexis though, grinning even as she scowls.

The Spirit Barrier is down and it'll stay down if she doesn't get a monster on her Field sooner rather than later. Yuuna's finally managed to attack her too and it was a strong attack. But as soon as Alexis draws, she'll have 3 cards in her hand. She's such a strong Duelist, it's hard to tell what she'll do. Yuuna just hopes she can get through whatever tough spot Alexis will throw her in.

"Yuki."

Yuuna gasps. That's the first time Alexis has used her name all day.

"Do you want to know why I wanted to Duel you?" Alexis looks at her with ice in her eyes.

Yuuna blinks, tilting her head in confusion, "Figured you wanted to see my skills. That's what you said on the first day, right?"

Alexis doesn't look happy, like she gave the right answer. She looks annoyed. Yuuna swallows again.

"Consider this a warning." Alexis's eyes are like jagged icicles.

She looks up at the sun and Yuuna watches in awe as she starts to… glow? Is Alexis glowing?! The whole world suddenly seems a little bit brighter, as if the sun is focusing it's light on this spot, just for Alexis. She looks like an angel in it, her hair looking closer to white for just a moment.

Yuuna feels dread fill her stomach at the thought, her chest aching.

"I draw!" Alexis shouts, drawing her card and the moment disappears.

Yuuna feels like the breeze from it slices through her hair, scratching her cheek.

"I summon Cyber Tutu in ATK mode!" Alexis raises her card up high, the sun's rays reflecting and scattering off the card.

A tiny little girl, in a similar outfit that Etoile Cyber wears, appears on the field, in a fluffy tutu with ballerina shoes, pink hair, a visor and 1000 ATK points.

"Cyber Tutu can attack the opponent directly if your monsters are stronger than her." Alexis comments.

Yuuna blinks as she looks at the unassuming Monster. What could Alexis be thinking?

Alexis puts her second card high, "I play Monster Reborn to bring back my Cyber Blader!"

Yuuna gasps as the ballerina comes back to the Field, her 2100 ATK Points standing strong, even in the face of Silvia's stronger ones.

"But why do that?" Yuuna murmurs, "Your Tutu and your Cyber Blader aren't strong enough to defeat Silvia or Beiige and you already used your summon."

Even if Cyber Blader attacks Beiige and Cyber Tutu attacks Yuuna directly, she'll still have 300 Life Points. It's not perfect, but she'll be able to hang on and she has Silvia on the Field, the strongest monster in play. Is Alexis trying to make a last stand?

Alexis raises her last card, "I equip Cyber Blader with Fusion Weapon, granting her 1500 more ATK and DEF Points!"

Yunna gasps as Silvia takes a protective stance before her and Beiige roars, sword over his head. Cyber Blader screams as her right hand mutes into a grotesque form, almost like a trident with a small orb of light in between the forks. Her points rise high, to 3600.

Yuuna squeaks as she does the math in her head, "Oh fish."

She can't stop this.

Alexis closes her eyes for a moment, then she opens them wide and points, "Attack!"

Cyber Tutu goes in first, dancing around Silvia and Beiige, kicking Yuuna across the face. Yuuna shouts as she hits the ground, her arms hurting, her chest aching. It feels like she's been stabbed as the sky is overlayed with the sunset for a moment, but it's a sharp moment.

ALEXIS RHODES: 2400

YUUNA YUKI: 800

Silvia raises his sword and charges for Cyber Blader, even as she fires her weapon. It takes one strike to obliterate him.

ALEXIS RHODES: 2400

YUUNA YUKI: 0

WINNER: ALEXIS RHODES!

Yuuna stares at the tree above her, feeling the loss roll over her like a winter wind. She feels cold to her core, feelings not her own threatening to swallow her.

"Good to know you're not unbeatable." Alexis says, walking towards her, "It'd be a shame if you were."

Yuuna forces herself to sit up, wincing all the same. Alexis' eyes are colder than the worst winter she's ever known and Yuuna feels shivers wreck her body.

"You can't even speak? I didn't think you'd take a loss this badly." Alexis glares down at her, "Stay down, then. If you want a rematch, just DM me."

Alexis walks right past her, but Yuuna doesn't turn to watch her walk away. She's too busy trembling, staring at her cards. Winged Kuriboh cooes at her in worry and even Scarr's growls and huffs sound concerned. But she can't lie and say she's fine.

"Consider this a warning." Alexis said.

"There appears to be traces of the Light of Destruction here." Yubel said.

The light seemed almost attracted to Alexis and she glowed, like it was shining just for her.

Yuuna rolls onto her side, curls up and cries.

She knew she'd have to follow the Supreme King's destiny at some point. She knew she'd have to fight the Light of Destruction, the Princess of Light, the Vessel and the other monsters and creatures Yubel told her about at some point. She knew she'd have to go on a one-man war against the Light at some point, likely dying in the process, though Yubel swore they'd protect her.

Yunna just thought she'd get to see her 16th birthday before then.

Alexis sighs as she walks deeper into the forest. She places her Cyber Girl Deck back in it's box and then pulls out her other Deck.

She draws the top card, "Mission complete."

"Mission complete, you say? If I recall, you left the Prince of Darkness alive, Alexis." White Night Queen sounds like she's barely holding her temper. "Which means that your brother is still trapped in the darkness. Why didn't you use your true Deck on him?"

Alexis remembers the way Yuuna smiled and laughed with her two best friends, how they couldn't stop talking about her on the way to meet her in the mall. She remembers the way Yuuna tried to get her involved in their conversations, even when she acted stand offish and cold.

"Is it possible that we misfired?" Alexis looks at the card, "Other than the cards she used, I don't think that girl was dark at all."

She wants that to be true, but she knows it's not.

White Night Queen tuts her, "Ice Princess, we've been over this. The Supreme King commands darkness. The ability to hide. Illusions. Lies. He was able to hide that he's a man, has he not? Even you can't see through his illusion, if not for me."

Alexis grits her teeth. She remembers that lesson, that was repeated again and again in hopes of it getting through her head. It's in there, she just doesn't want it to be true.

"It is your destiny to fight and destroy him, Ice Princess. You failed once and it cost the universe 10,000 years of torture, under the darkness' thumb." White Night Queen gets colder in her hand. "You knew it was him the second you made eye contact and he knew it was you. That's why he tried to become your friend, so you would let your guard down around him."

Alexis feels the cold biting at her fingers and swallows her cries of pain down. She mustn't let go, or she'll lose the one person who's helping her find her brother.

"Even if that's true, I needed to test my strength against him first. No point in squandering the powers of light if he can't even defeat my Cyber Girls." Alexis looks ahead as she walks through the underbrush, "Besides…"

She soon finds herself in front of a warn out building, falling to ruin and rubble. Her eyes harden.

"This is the place he originally disappeared. We have to investigate it and bring my brother back." Alexis looks down at the card, "That was the deal."

White Night Queen hums, but she doesn't sound pleased. "If you insist, Ice Princess. Don't you dare go easy on the Supreme King in your next Duel. If you do…"

Alexis bites her lip as ice suddenly appears on her finger tips, sticking them to the card. She should be used to this punishment, but it still hurts, catching her off guard when it feels like the blood in her very body turns to ice.

"Understood, White Night Queen." Alexis grits out.

The ice slowly recedes and Alexis can breathe again. She looks the abandoned dorm over and when she strains her eyes, she sees a camera in one corner of the building. Curses. She's going to have to find it's feed and mess with it if she wants to investigate the dorm. The only place that would have access to that would be Chancellor Shepard's office. She's going to have to sneak in anyway to gain access to her brothers' files.

Alexis turns on her heel and leaves the forest behind.

She doesn't see the three eyes that watch her.