Crystal

Seagulls, the calming waves, the sway of palm trees. And not a soul in sight. Even after so many years, the secret spot she and Yuri set up was still unknown to the rest of the world. It amazed her that even on a manmade island city such as this that there could be places just for her and her friends to sit and spend time with one another. As Crystal sat on the sand, tears flowing down her eyes, she watched the waves rolling over the surf. She began to see the ghostly figures of three little children playing in the water, hopping around and splashing each other. She saw the children building sandcastles, taking off their clothes, and swimming until the sun went down. Under the palm tree, where she sat to shade herself from the sun, was where they would spread a blanket and have a picnic.

Those three little children were her, Ren, and Yuri.

Coming here to their secret cove always brought the ghosts of Crystal's past back to life. And she cherished every moment of it because it brought her back to happier, similar days. The nostalgia always washed away the dread she felt of living in the present. She remembered the birthday parties in Yuri's backyard. How cute he looked with that big, gold, birthday crown on his head, clutching his stuffed dinosaur, Mr. Rex, who sadly was lost long ago as Yuri matured.

Crystal still had her stuffed polar bear, Dr. White. His pristine fur was browned from the slow decay of time and the bowtie he once had around his neck was gone. That toy was what she called Mr. Rex's best friend. The irony in that her bear lost its best friend stung her hard. Mr. Rex was gone, much like Yuri was. Every day she spent stuck with Brett, she felt Yuri slipping farther and farther away. Crystal never told anyone, but the fear she had of losing Yuri was extreme. To lose him would be to lose her sole reason for existing. The nightmares she had of the platinum knight helped her none either. She dreamt about him again and, as he always did, the knight warned her not to get too close to Yuri.

Poor Crystal sniffed and batted her eyelashes to let the tears flow down, plopping on top of her knee. She looked at the surf again and saw herself playing with Yuri and Ren. Every detail in her mind was as clear as a high definition TV. She saw Ren's jeans up to his ankles. Yuri running around in his underwear, and her younger self in a crisp, white, summer dress. She had a white flower tucked in her hair. Yuri gave it to her and put it there himself, calling her his princess.

Too much! Crystal closed her eyes and sobbed, wrapping her arms around her knees.

How she longed to go back to those pleasant, calm, and wonderful days. Before Brett. Before the responsibilities of their houses. Before Duel Monsters. That game changed their lives forever. As they grew to be more and more skilled, they started to drift farther and farther from one another. Ren started getting invited to invitational tournaments and then his band started taking off. Soon, they were always on the run and he eventually started to take his classes online because he was so busy. And ever since the Martinetti family arranged a marriage between Brett and Crystal, she began to get sucked into the world of music and Duel Monsters. Her busy schedule started tearing her friendship with Yuri apart, and he began to grow up with his new friends, Nick, Tyson, Carter, and Patty.

For the longest time, Crystal feared they would take priority over her. As she traveled the globe performing, the thought of him forgetting all about her kept her up all night. She would cry herself to sleep. She never told anyone but the day she found out he was dating Patty killed her. Ever since they first met, Crystal felt like it was her destiny to be with Yuri forever.

"Princess Crystal!" Young Yuri said, bowing to her as she got out of the limo. "So good of you to join us today."

"I am pleased to be here with you, Prince Yuri," she said doing curtsey.

Prince and Princess.

That's what they called each other growing up. And many a time when they played Knights and Princesses, they always ended with Yuri saving her from the tower and marrying her. Each time they played, she always hoped he would kiss her before the game ended. One day, he eventually did. She smiled, remembering how warm and happy she felt.

"I want to be with you forever, Prince Yuri," Crystal said. "Will you always be there for me?"

Yuri, still red in the face for kissing her, eventually spoke. "I…uh…sure. Just so long as I don't have to kiss you again."

Crystal was so lost in her thought that she didn't even notice the young man coming out of the palms. "Oh," he said when he saw her. He wasn't expecting anyone else to be here. The spot seemed so secluded and distant that it felt like no one would even know about it. It goes without saying that he was dumbstruck by Crystal's beauty. She looked like an angel sitting there under the warm rays of the sun. Well, a fallen angel anyway. Her cheeks glistened with tear trails and her nose was pink with weep.

"Hello," he said.

Crystal almost choked from the shock and stood up. "Who are you?" she cried. "Go away! This is my spot. You can't be here."

"Oh, I…I'm sorry," said the young man. He was clad in an expensive white blazer with a shirt and tie underneath, and khaki shorts. His clothes had the logos of very expensive brands, meaning he was very wealthy. Then again…this was Aquarius. "I was just walking down the highway and I saw the path leading down here."

"You were walking down the highway?" Crystal asked.

"Well…yes."

"Kind of stupid, don't you think?"

The young man chuckled and put his hands in his pockets. "Well, you must have done the same if you discovered this little cove."

Crystal smiled. He got her there. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, this is a private spot. No one but I and my friends are allowed here. Please leave."

"I didn't even get your name."

"Say what? Uh, do you listen to music at all?"

"Depends on what kind of music. If you're referring to pop, hip-hop, or whatever it is everyone else is listening to nowadays, I don't."

"I'm Crystal Anderson."

"Oh, that does ring the bell. Yeah, that's right! You're also the former Duel Monsters World Tag Team Champion. Wow, my little sister is a big fan of yours. She bought all your albums and I believe she has a poster you signed when she went to one of your concerts. I must say this is a great honor. My name's…."

"Thank you," Crystal interrupted. "Now please leave."

"Is…is something wrong?"

"There are a thousand things wrong but they're none of your business. If you'll please excuse me, I have to get ready."

"Where are you going?"

"You are so nosey!" Crystal said. "If you must know, I'm going to attend the grand opening of the island's newest tower. The Excalibur. It's strictly VIP so if you don't mind, I must be getting ready."

"What a coincidence. I'm going there, too!" He pulled out his invitation.

Crystal couldn't help but titter at the sight of the card. The boy was full of surprises. "Who are you?"

"Lance Danamark," the boy said. "I'm the son of Lambert Danamark."

"Oh, wait! He's that telecom mogul my mother speaks of so much?" said Crystal. "Wow. And you two have been invited to the inauguration of the tower, huh?"

"No, just my father. But he has important business to attend to in Panama so I came in his place. I've got to say, it won't be fun going into that huge tower all alone." He looked over the palms and saw the newest addition to the Phobos Corp headquarters. It was so tall that it vanished above the clouds. "You know, I could use a date."

"You serious? I barely even know you."

"Woo, slow down there, cowgirl. I just thought we'd go as acquaintances."

"I don't believe in those anymore. Too much bad blood."

"Can you at least give me a chance? It'll make a big fan and a little sister very happy."

Crystal paused for a moment and let out a sigh. "All right. All right. We can hang out for a little while. But after my friend's speech at the inauguration, we split. Got it?"

"Sure. And wow, you have a friend making a speech there? Who?"

"The Prince of Aquarius himself," Crystal boasted, crossing her arms.

"Yuri Montgomery?"

"Of course. He is the sole heir of the Phobos Corp Empire and soon-to-be owner of the game of Duel Monsters. This whole city is going to be his own little kingdom."

Lance whistled. "Well now, Crystal. I'm impressed. You sure do have powerful friends. But if you want to hang out just until the speech, I respect that."

Crystal tilted her head to the side as if she encountered the greatest mystery of her life. "You...respect that? So...you're not going to challenge me to a Duel with a date or a night in bed on the line?"

Lance smirked. "What kind of person do you think I am?"

"Well...it's just that I've been surrounded by a bunch of pigs and creeps my whole life. All they ever want of me is to get into my pants or put my rarest card on the line. I kid you not, just yesterday, some rich kid from Majorca challenged me to a Duel with my panties on the line as a prize."

Lance reared back his head and burst out laughing. "Good Lord! Just how egotistical can a person be? Wow, Crystal. I'm sorry you've had to deal with that. I take it it's become a pretty common thing dealing with folk like that guy?"

"You have no idea, Lance. I even have an alert on my phone that counts down the day I don't run into some asshole. The most I've ever gone is about a week and nothing has ever topped that. When you're in a city where most of the kids grow up with money filling their pockets, and power is handed to them like candy, egos will grow. They'll begin to think that everything and anything belongs to them. Women especially. As beautiful as this place is, we get treated like trinkets to be won in a Duel. Thankfully we have gentlemen like Yuri and Ren Kakihara who still show signs of chivalry."

"Chivalry. Now that's something rare in these parts, I wager. I hope in time you'll see me as one of those rarities, Crystal."

"Well...from past experiences, meetings with potential gentlemen always started with the gallant introductions. Then after a while...meh, they turn from knights to vagabonds. But...there's something about you that feels different. Of course, I have been proven wrong before."

"I challenge you to a different duel then."

"Oh?"

"While we're at the tower's inauguration: if I can prove to you that I am different than those rogues you've met in the past, perhaps you'll let me take you out to dinner."

"You know I'm taken, right?"

"I'm not interested in having a sexual relationship with you, Crystal. I just want to get to know you. Please. Give me a chance."

Crystal looked at him sternly for a moment Her mouth then formed into a smirk. "All right. All right. I'll take your challenge. And just to make things difficult for you, I'm going to wear the most expensive dress in my wardrobe. It's also one of my sexiest. I warn you...it reveals a lot."

"Intriguing."

"Yeah. If I so much as see your eyes go any lower than mine, you lose and we're done."

"Challenge accepted. I'll see you at the party then."

Avi

When the doors opened, Avi saw three dragons entombed in giant crystals. Once she stepped foot inside, there was a bright light and she felt herself getting shot upwards into the sky. She closed her eyes as fear suddenly overtook her. What had she done? What did she just unlock? Then...as quickly as it started...the rushing stopped. She heard the sound of birds and felt sunlight warming her skin. Avi still shook, her eyes shut tight. There was a thunderous growl that disturbed the sudden calm. The growl shook the earth again, and it sounded demanding. Whoever was making that sound was telling Avi to open her eyes at once.

She did. Baby Tiragon and Mythic Dragon were flying right in front of her. She cheered, happy to see that they were safe and sound. She was about to embrace them in hug, but the little dragons flew off. They revealed two huge feet. The creature whom they belonged to was fifty-feet tall, sporting six wings, and his flesh was glowing green with red accents on his belly. On his right was a skinny beast with the head of a pteranodon and its body was dark blue. The third was an armored white dragon with a mischievous grin.

Avi got on her knees and bowed her head. "My Lords," she said.

"Stand up!" said the green six-winged dragon. "Do not humiliate yourself by kneeling in the dirt. Up! Up! It is an honor to meet you Avellena Lofnmagni Ethelfleda. I am the Evolzar, Laggia."

The tall blue one bowed. "I am the Evolzar, Solda."

The white one spread his wings and held out his arms. "And I am the Evolzar, Dolkka. We are at your command, My Lady."

"Thank you all so much!" Avi said. "I can't..."

"Stay still," said Solda. He leaned his head forward for a better look. "Let me see your face. Hmmm. Yes, you are the one from our dreams. Then you are the chosen one commanded by Safaani to wake us and our sleeping brethren."

"How fortuitous that you have awoken!" Avi said. "Great and powerful, Evolzars. The land of Feldia is in dire straits. Civil war is upon them and the radicals who put massacred your brothers and sisters are very close to gaining power across the kingdom."

"So it seems," said Solda. He sniffed the air. "Augh. They still reek with the same stench as they did thousands of years ago."

"They must have grown bold," said Dolkka. "Especially if they think they can conquer the homeland of Norman the Conqueror. Take us to them, Lady Avi, and we will deal with them at once."

"Thank you! But I'm afraid my mission here is not done."

"Oh?"

"There is still a dragon sleeping here. He's one of your friends so I heard. Tidal, the Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls. In fact, he is the one who led me here in the first place. He's the sole reason I found all of you."

"Tidal!" said Laggia. He flapped his wings and took flight. Avi shrieked as she braced against the fierce wind he created. "Yes, the old rascal. His resting place is at the bottom of the lake. It's going a be a long swim, though."

"Perfect," said Avi. "I'll go down there at once to wake him."

"Not on your life!" shouted Solda. "There is a monster lurking down there keeping watch on the temple like a guard dog. You'll never reach him alone."

"I'm not afraid," Avi said. She turned sharply and marched to the edge of the shore where she began to strip down to a white two-piece. She tied her hair into a ponytail and then strapped her swordbelt around her waist. She then held out her hand and summoned her staff. "I am not afraid!"

"She's either brave or foolish," said Laggia. "Be careful, Lady Avi. We'll do our best to hold him off, but I fear we cannot dive any deeper. We cannot swim."

"I understand," said Avi.

As the dragons took off, Avi took a deep breath and dived into the lake. The water was cold and as blue as an aquamarine. A veil of bubbles blocked her view for a moment, but she finally could see in front of her. She should have brought goggles. The water was stinging her eyes. She closed the shut and swam and swam, then opened them up again. Down below in the dark depths of the lake, surrounded by sunken ships, was a fallen tower or a citadel. A bell was on the top of the tower, covered in algae and rusted beyond belief. Even though Baby Tiragon was not with her, she could feel his powers surging into her eyes and she could see the trail he marked for her, leading straight into the citadel.

Yes. Yes, Tidal was sleeping in there. But just before Avi could celebrate, woosh! A large, worm-like creature with a mouth lined with razor-sharp teeth swam right by her, missing her by a few inches. Avi drew her sword. She clutched the handle with both hands and waited for the creature to come. Her lungs then started to burn. She couldn't stay here and fight. She had to swim to the tower below and wake the dragon. But if she didn't fight, she would make an easy meal for the creature. Zone Eater turned and let out a deep bellow that was muffled by the water. Just then a green blazing beam shot down from the surface and blocked the creature's way. Zone Eater bellowed again and swam in another direction. Avi felt the water around her getting boiling hot. One of the Evolzars must have attacked him. She looked up and saw their silhouettes over the glassy surface of the water. Up above, the three Evolzars saw the dark shadow of the sea monster squirming around.

Dolkka shot two fireballs from his hands directly in front of the giant worm's path. Again the Zone Eater bellowed in frustration.

Swim, Avi! Swim!

Arvas spoke to her from the gem around her neck. She didn't argue with that. Avi swam as fast as she could toward the tower. Her throat and chest ached. Every moment the tower got closer and closer, Avi felt like her body was getting heavier and heavier.

Zone Eater yelled again and swam towards her. He was catching up to her with lightning speed, but then the green beam of fire pierced through the water, striking it on the head. Zone Eater yelled in agony and swam away, choosing to search for an easier meal to eat. Avi was far from safe, however. Her lungs could take it no more. She needed air.

Follow the light!

Avi heeded Arvas' words. She swam and swam and followed Baby Tiragon's light spell into a chamber that mercifully had space for her to stick her head out and breathe. She launched herself out of the water and bumped her head. She cared not. The pain in her lungs was far more irritating. She breathed in heavy gulps of air until she felt her chest feeling lighter.

"Oh, Goddesses," she huffed. "Oh, Goddesses. I am never doing that again."

Once Avi calmed and collected herself, she took notice of the trail of light. It led up a flight of steps toward a doorway with a blue light radiating from within. Avi swam towards the steps. Up she went toward the doorway, which took her to a grand chamber light up with blue crystals. The cracks on the ceiling let in water from the lake, which rushed in like waterfalls, pooling into a lake that surrounded a blue orb that was hovering over the water. It seemed to push the water back with a magical force, for the black and white-tiled floor under the orb was dry.

"Tidal?"

Lady Avi! Welcome!

"Is that you in there?" Avi asked. She waded across the water and eventually came out of it like a wall into the area where the water was kept back by the orb's magical force. She got on her knees and started to pray. Each second she was locked in prayer, the orb started to crack. Avi was so focused on her blessings that she didn't even notice. The cracks and the ringing sounds coming from inside were oblivious to her. Avi's focus was extreme. Her mind was at ease, so much so that she could hear nothing but water and her own prayers.

When she was done, she opened her eyes, and the orb burst. Tidal the Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls burst out of the water.

He spread his wings, water splashed from them and flowed down from his neck and teeth. He let out a mighty roar that caused Avi to laugh in utter joy. Another one! She had another beautiful dragon in her arsenal. She felt so invincible at that moment, watching Tidal look around and move his body around, getting used to the feeling of being in physical form. His roar then turned into a deep, rumbling laugh that caused the ceiling to collapse, filling Avi with fear.

"I have returned!" he shouted.

"What are we going to do?" shouted Avi. "The tower is collapsing!"

"Fear not, Lady Avi!" Tidal shouted in great happiness. "You will be fine."

"But, Tidal! I...I'm only human! I'll drown."

"Not with this, you won't!" Tidal said. He raised his claw and a cocoon of water rose out from under Avi's feet and enveloped her. Fountains formed around the cocoon and light sparked all around Avi's body as her two-piece vanished. The water began to take the form of silk and formed a dress that looked like it was fused with a suit of armor adorned in sapphires, blue diamonds, and aquamarines. Her legs and arms were enveloped in layered gauntlets and greaves colored blue and trimmed with gold. Chestplate in the same fashion formed from a bubble over her breast. Before Avi could comment on the armored dress, the water consumed her. She thought for a moment that she was going to drown. She waved her arms around in fear but suddenly, she stopped. Avi took a deep...breath? She was breathing. Avi was breathing underwater. It must have been the new garments Tidal presented her with. She looked up at him and smiled. Tidal nodded and then swept her in his claws before flying up to the surface.

Avi felt so relieved to feel the light of the sun warm her skin once again. The three Evolzars roared triumphantly over the clouds, welcoming their old friend back into Termnnia. Tidal flew up to greet them and roared happily with his companions.

"Ah, my friends!" he said. "It has been too long."

"Far too long," said Laggia. "Breathe in the fresh air again, Tidal. Stretch your wings."

"Ha! Ha!" Tidal shouted. "Get on my back, Lady Avi!"

Avi giggled joyfully and climbed up the dragon's arm and secured herself on the back of his neck. "GO! GO! GO!" she screamed.

"Hold on tightly now!" Tidal said. And he zoomed up into the sky. Avi held on tightly to one of his spikes and closed her eyes to shield them from the wind. She squealed and laughed, feeling Tidal doing flips and spins through the clouds. "Yes!" he shouted. "Yes! Open skies! Clean air! I have been denied this for far too long!"

Avi summoned her staff and conjured Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos to join them on the flight. He appeared from out of the clouds, roared, and flew in circles around Tidal and Avi. "Brother!" he shouted.

"Blaster!" said Tidal. "We are free! Free at last!"

The Evolzars flew out from the clouds as well and joined them as well. "I did this..." Avi thought. "I did this." Laggia flew over her head. Dolkka made a triumphant cry as he soared to her left. Solda and Blaster raced underneath the sunlight.

"What will you have us do, Avi?" asked Laggia.

Avi didn't take long to answer. She stared at the horizon and grinned mischievously. "We fly to the Feldian capital!" she commanded. "There's a friend there who needs our help!"

Crystal

After a long elevator ride to the very top of the Excalibur, Crystal fixed her hair and stood up straight. The elevator doors opened and revealed a world of glass, gold, and steel. A man in a rich, white, suit bowed and extended his arm.

"Welcome to the Excalibur, miss."

Avi walked out, wearing a long, white, ballgown with a long train. The people in the room stared at her in amazement as she walked by, almost blinding them with her million-dollar dress. The plunging v-shaped neckline over her breasts was clasped by a giant diamond that shaped like the sun and surrounded by smaller diamonds. The dress was also bejeweled with thousands and thousands of diamonds. Even the white bow on the back of her head and her high-heeled platinum stilettos were studded with diamonds. The low cut opening on the rear of her gown revealed the entire line of her back. Because of the value of the dress and the jewelry weighing her down, Crystal was surrounded by her own security team, two men in black suits, ruby-lensed sunglasses, and red ties. Speaking of security, Crystal noticed soldiers in tactical gear standing guard in front of lounges, rooms, and doorways to classified locations. These soldiers were obviously the most elite of the RAPTOR PMC. They wore red berets and the patches on their shoulders and chest plates were emblazoned in solid gold with the symbol of the Excalibur tower.

Needless to say, a lot of heads turned as Crystal passed. She was the crown jewel of the ball in no time at all. Cameramen flocked towards her and herded her to a wall with the Gucci logo all over it so they could take pictures of the gown she wore just for this occasion. It was a gift from the Martinetti Family, who were nowhere to be seen, much to Crystal's joy. The scenery was just too beautiful and she wanted to enjoy every second of being here without the worry of being hounded or humiliated by Brett. The entire chamber where she and many of the guests lingered towered hundreds of feet tall. The walls from the floor all the way to the top was all glass, revealing nothing but clouds and the light of the afternoon sun peeking through. Fountains with waterfalls dotted the atrium where waiters holding silver platters of champagne awaited thirsty guests to serve.

As she went up the stairs to the floor where the inauguration was held, she heard Mr. Montgomery's voice thundering over the chamber. She made it to the top as he finished his speech. "And now I'd like to present to you the heir of my beloved franchise, my son, Yuri Montgomery."

The guests clapped. Crystal cheered and waved, hoping he would get her attention.

"Champagne, ma'am?" asked a waiter.

"Oh, thank you!" Crystal said taking it. She opened her purse and gave the man a crisp one-hundred-dollar bill before making her way into the throng.

"Ah, there you are," Lance said stepping out from the crowd.

"Oh, it's you," said Crystal. "Well, I guess you weren't joshing after all."

"Of course not." He stepped back and marveled at the gown she was wearing. "Amazing! Are those real?"

"Yeah. Now, shhh! My friend is going to make a speech."

Lance nodded and stood next to her as Yuri nervously made his way to the podium. He was adorned in a handsome black tuxedo with gold buttons and a bowtie with a diamond at the center. Behind him, the glass walls revealed a curtain of clouds, shaded into the color of gold by the light of the sun. Huge gold ornamentation

"Thanks, Dad," he said. "Woo," he said taking a deep breath. He smiled as the crowd applauded him. "Thank you, thank you. Wow. First off, I'd like to thank you all for coming here today as we celebrate the completion of this beautiful skyscraper my father made...for me. It was supposed to be an eighteenth birthday present but there were some minor delays that prevented that from happening. No problem dad, thanks for the tower. It's a great present."

The audience laughed.

"Wow. My very own skyscraper. And not just any skyscraper. The Excalibur tower has not only turned the Phobos Tri-towers into the Phobos quad-towers. It's also a big slap in the face for me. Because it reminds me of the responsibilities I will soon bear when my father hands the company over to me. Pop. I promise I won't let you down. Not only that but I just learned this tower has broken the world record for the tallest skyscraper in the world."

The audience applauded.

"You know...that got me thinking really hard about all this. Imagine. A tower as tall and massive as this built on top of a floating city in the middle of the ocean. I don't know how they did it but...man, they did it."

Again, the audience laughed at his wan humor.

"And wow. That also got me thinking about what's at the center of this city. Our very own artificial sun is powering up this aquatic metropolis. It's amazing what we can build when we set our minds to it. You know...some people have called Aquarius nothing more than some fancy club for the one percent to come and play. A little playground for the rich. But I see more than that. To me, Aquarius is a symbol of what we can do when we work together and pool our resources in the right place. If we stopped spending so wastefully on weapons that maim, cause suffering, even annihilation: marvels such as this could be built all over the world for everyone to enjoy."

Yuri paused and waited for the crowd's applause to die down. "At Phobos Corp, we build more than just games. We build the future. Aquarius is a city where dreams come true. And starting next week, hundreds of dreams are about to come true. Thanks to our collaboration with the new mayor of Aquarius, Alan Cummings, the slums known as Los Angeles Rojas is going to be transformed into a new, hospitable refuge for our foreign friends, who will go through a special program that will take them down the road to official citizenship."

When Yuri's speech was done, there was a round of applause. Confetti fell from the ceiling and jazzy piano music started playing. Crystal smiled and held up her glass as did everyone else in the atrium when Yuri declared a toast for the Excalibur. Lance was ready to talk to Crystal, but she suddenly squealed delightfully and ran for Nick, Natalya, Tyson, Carter, and Patty, who brought Sabrina as a guest. They were standing by a water fountain waiting for Yuri to come down when he was done taking pictures for the press. The friends all raised their glasses and cheered. Patty waved for Crystal to come on down. She hugged each and every one of them and kissed Patty on the cheek.

"Aww! Look at all of you!" Crystal said. "You're all so dolled up and looking nice! Nick!" she approached him and fixed his bowtie.

She stepped back and admired his hair cut. What once was long, shaggy, messy blond hair, was now short and faded at the sides. His beard was nice a trimmed and the color of his hair seemed to radiate like gold, it was so clean.

"My goodness, Nick, you look so dapper. I thought you were someone else. I see Yuri wasted no time making you his guests, huh?"

"Actually, we were invited here," said Patty.

"All of us," Nick said, showing her his invitation. "Personally sent by the Montgomery family themselves."

"Nick!" Crystal said, her mouth wide open in a smile. "Wow! What can I say?"

"Nothing at all, doll face. My grades have gone up and I scored high on my midterms. Mr. Motgomery was so proud of me and put me on a special scholarship for Aquarius University. If I can keep my grades up at a 3.0 or higher, I'm in. And Mr. Montgomery said he'll pay for my education."

"That's my boy!" Tyson said, slapping his hand on Nick's shoulder.

Crystal clapped her hands. "Wow, Nick. Congratulations."

"Yes," said Natalya. "You've earned it. And as you know, it's Ruby Dragon Gaming's policy to give students with good grades a free booster pack. But since this is a special case, you get this." She pulled a

"Oh, wow! Oh, wow!" said Carter, dressed in a black and purple gown. "Girlfriend, look at all that ice all over you. Did somebody steal you from the cave of wonders? Turn around, turn around, let me see that booty. Oh, does your dress have that back-thingy that shows off the line of your back?" Crystal turned and posed for him. "Oh! Yeah, you do! I love it! I love it! I looove it! Honey bunches I'd go straight for you."

Tyson shut his eyes and reared his head back as he howled with laughter.

"Are these Yuri's friends?" Lance asked approaching the group.

"Yes," Crystal answered and introduced them.

"Hold on," Lance said to Patty. "Aren't you that girl who's going out with Yuri?"

Patty pursed her lips. "I was seeing him."

"Oh, you broke up. Would you mind if I asked why?"

"I do mind. I don't want to talk about it. We broke up but he's still my best friend. Nothing will ever change that."

"Of course, my apologies, Patty." He looked around. "Where's the man of honor? I was hoping to get to meet him."

"I don't suppose you mean me?" Yuri said from behind him. Lance jumped and turned around. Before he could react, the friends all shouted: "Yuri!" in unison.

"Yo, nice speech, man!" Tyson said. He and Yuri slapped hands and slid them apart. "I didn't think you had it in you."

"Neither did I," Sabrina agreed. "You know for a second there, Yuri kind of looked like a CEO."

"You did!" Crystal said. "You really did. I can't believe how much you've grown these past few years. You're a totally different person."

"Who's this?" Yuri asked.

Crystal stepped back and extended her arm to Lance. "Yuri, this is my friend Lance Danamark. He's also the heir of a huge business empire, DanaMETRICS."

"Oh, yes," said Yuri. "Your mother and father have come over for dinner at our house numerous times. Why is this the first time I've ever seen you?"

"Oh, dinner parties aren't my thing, Yuri. And I attend a fancy prep-school in the Shenandoah Mountains so my time is pretty limited."

"I see. Well, welcome. If I may ask, how do you know Crystal?"

Lance chuckled and looked at her. "Well, I actually just met her today. She's my date."

"Date?" Yuri said in shock.

"No, no, I'm not," said Crystal. She pinched Lance on the arm and gave him a cold look, to which he laughed. "I'm here to keep him company and that's that."

"I was about to say," Sabrina said. "What a scandal that would be if Crystal was the kind of girl who was playing around. What would Bretty-boy have to say about that."

"Speaking of which," said Yuri. "Where is he? I'd figure he'd be here with you tagging along."

"He's not invited, remember?" Crystal answered. "Especially after the...incident between you two. Besides, even if he was, he wouldn't come. He hates you, and he's extremely jealous that you got this HUGE skyscraper built just for you. The last thing he wants is to help you commemorate it. Anyways, he decided to leave Aquarius for a few days until the festivities dedicated to the tower have died down."

"What a loser," said Carter.

"Yeah," Crystal agreed. "Too bad for him. He's going to miss the Duel Carnival next week. You'd think he would have liked to attend that and prepare himself for the big games in the summer."

"Ah, the less we see of him the better," said Tyson.

That was something they all agreed on. Once the sun went down, fireworks burst outside the windows. It was time for dinner and Yuri took his friends to a level above the atrium that was wide and empty; save for a divine-looking lotus-shaped structure that stood all alone at the center of the level. The area around it was almost as long as a football field, and the walls and ceiling stretched thirty feet high. Around the lotus-shaped building was a moat with all kinds of tropical fish and even sharks. They crossed a bridge over the moat and were seated inside the building to have dinner in a private suite. Feeling like a social outcast, Lance decided to be seated next to Crystal, who chose to sit next to Yuri. As soon as they were seated, a waiter came in. Lance picked the bone-in ribeye that cost more than his entire ensemble put together. He was shocked by how much everything cost. Even the wine, which was worth more than his salary working at his mother's clothing store years ago. Still, he didn't complain much. Right before they all sat down, Yuri held up his arms and said: "Hey, guys, guys, guys! It's all on me tonight."

Free dinner in the world's tallest building. A beautiful date. Yes, there was nothing to complain about, and the meat was tender, sweet, and juicy. Once the food was done, they spent hours conversing, telling jokes, and taking a few shots. Being from the mainland, Lance had forgotten that the drinking age in Aquarius was 18. Not that he cared about drinking ages. He was used to drinking at parties with his friends even at sixteen. Now he was starting to get bored. He knew he was asking for much, but he really wanted to Duel against Yuri. The past few hours he heard about his Duels against Randall, Pink_Dragon Gaming's leader, and the bounty hunters flooding into Aquarius to hunt him down. Just as he was about to ask him to play, Crystal tapped Yuri on the shoulder.

"Can I see your Kaiser Black Tyranno card?" she asked.

"Kaiser Black Tyranno?" Lance said in confusion. "You're meaning to tell me that thing's got more forms?"

"That he does," said Patty. "Show him, Yuri."

"Sure," Yuri said. He took out his deck, tucked inside the interior pocket of his blazer. He flipped around until he found the unusual card. He handed it to Crystal. She took a long time looking at the detailed artwork of the card. In fact, it was unusual from all the other Duel Monster cards out there. This was was a full art card and there was no color on it at all, except for the gold text and the red eye of the armored dinosaur. The card was black and metallic gray, making the card look like it was made of steel. She rubbed her thumb up and down to feel the raised images and the inlaid text.

"Where did you get this?" Crystal asked.

"Dad gave it to me," Yuri lied. He heard Ser Norman making a tsk sound from over his shoulder.

"I'd like to try my strength against that card," said Lance.

Crystal slowly rolled her head toward his direction. "Uh...you sure about that? You've already got enough of a challenge with his regular Black Tyranno."

"Monsters are monsters, Crystal. They can all be beaten. And I'm confident I can beat that fancy card of his."

Patty snorted. "Wow. That's confident all right." She looked at Sabrina who nodded in reply.

Lance stroked his chin as he looked at her, eyes flashing at her confidence for her friend. "And you, my dear, are confident that Yuri can beat me. You haven't seen me play, honey. And, I've got cards from the new Maximum Gold Royalty series box."

"Oooo, golden cards," Natalya mocked. "Yuri be sure to bring your sunglasses. You're going to need them since most of Black Tyranno's victims are going to flashy gold monsters."

They all laughed. Lance was indeed a good sport about it. There wasn't a single complaint out of him and he had no desire to prove anything. He just wanted to play against Yuri. Most of all, he hoped seeing him in action would impress Crystal. "What do you say, Yuri? Let's have ourselves a match."

"Of course," Yuri replied. He stuffed his deck back into his pocket. "However, now's not the time to do it. The dueling arenas haven't been linked up yet. How about tomorrow? After all, it is the first day of the Duel Carnival. We'll have plenty of opportunities to play. All of us."

Nick ate one last scoop of ice cream and dried his mouth. "Well, before this hotshot takes on Yuri, he's going to have to get through me."

"Wow!" Crystal said. "Looks like you've got yourself a gauntlet, Lance."

Lance nodded. "So it would seem. "Very well. I'll take you both on at the carnival then. And Yuri, I'll be sure to keep an eye out for you. Crystal told me about the bounty hunters. Man, that's really low. I'm sorry you have to deal with that."

Yuri sighed heavily and drummed his fingers on the edge of the table. "Yeah, that's going to take the fun out of playing at the carnival." He smiled. "However, I've got these guys and gals on my side. And there's nothing we can't handle so long as we're together."

Tyson looked at Lance, bobbing his head in agreement. "And having our new friend along is going to help out. The more the merrier, huh?"

"You'd consider me a friend?" Lance said, placing his hand over his chest. "Well...I uh...thank you."

"No problem, babe," said Carter. "You'd make a nice addition to the crew. Mmm-mmm-mmm. A handsome one."

"I'm flattered," said Lance. "Yuri, it will be my pleasure to be a part of your company of friends. I look forward to our match tomorrow."

When the hour was late, the friends said their goodbyes and went home. Lance and Crystal went down the elevator alone, both feeling rather good about their night. Crystal looked at Lance. She considered herself prideful and hated being proven wrong. But tonight, she was willing to make an exception. Lance wasn't a bad guy after all. Yuri and his friends fell in love with him at once and he was willing to put himself in danger. A little dramatic of a word, but after seeing how Shun played the other day, she knew those bounty hunters weren't regular Duelists. The price on Yuri's head was big, and these scumbags would most likely go through any low to get it. Lance looked like a capable player himself. But just how capable was he? Well, she wanted to find out for herself.

"Can I walk you home?" Lance asked.

"Walk? Uh, I have a limo, Lance."

"Well, it's such a lovely night. The air is fresh and warm. We might as well make the most of it for now. By tomorrow morning, we'll be up north next to Canada. The weather is going to be pretty cold. Maybe we can use this as a chance to get to know each other a little more."

"You didn't think mingling with my friends couldn't help with that?"

"Well, I learned a lot about them. But I still don't know that much about you. Like, who's this Brett guy? Why does he hate Yuri so much."

Crystal stopped and gave a loud rustle. "Fine. If you're going to hang out with me, you'd best know who he is and what his beef with Yuri is."

"We can talk about it over some hot chocolate," Lance suggested. "I'll buy."

Crystal looked at him, smiled, and looked away giggling. "You don't have to do that."

"Oh, we're in luck," Lance said. He pointed to a vendor nearby, his food truck was covered in Christmas lights and warm holiday songs played on the radio. Sure enough, he was selling hot chocolate. Lance offered Crystal his arm. She accepted it, and they walked together to the vendor and ordered two big cups of hot chocolate. As they walked down the pier, now getting chilly from the arctic air, Crystal told Lance her story. She told him about when they first met. Her relationship with him and Ren. And the fierce rivalry with Brett. When she revealed Brett was the nephew of Aquarius's most powerful crime lord, Lance stopped in his tracks and almost dropped his cup.

"You're kidding!" he said.

"No. My boyfriend is with the mafia. Since the day I introduced him to Yuri, he hated him with a passion. I guess...he was aways jealous about how much I loved spending time with Yuri instead of him. During our middle-school prom, they got into a big fight. Yuri took me out as his date and I obliged. Had I known what Brett was going to do, I would have said no."

"What happened?"

"Brett and his friends ambushed us as we danced outside the gardens of the ballroom where the prom was held. Brett slapped me hard and then pushed Yuri into the sea. But Yuri wasn't going to settle for that. Especially after he learned that Brett beat me when he took me home."

"Crystal..."

"Yuri was furious. He wasn't a strong guy, but he didn't care. If he was going down, he was going to take Brett down with him as best he could. But Brett didn't fight like a man. He had to get his friends to help him. They beat him so badly." Crystal paused and looked at the Excalibar. "There was a big gash on his arm where one of Brett's friends attacked him with a knife. And Brett and his buddy, Santiago, kicked his head so many times he was knocked into a vegetative state for almost a month. Naturally, since Brett's family has so much power here, there was no consequence for what he did. Well, not in terms of law anyway. His family disowned him and the boss, Uncle Lee, was ashamed of him. Brett was punished but that wasn't enough to make him pay for what he did to me and Yuri. Yuri's father was so mad, he dropped Yuri out of Phobos Academy and sent him to the local high school instead."

"But he owns this city!" said Lance. "He practically built it!"

"The mafia has gotten too powerful. Even Mr. Montgomery is afraid of them. I wish there was something we could do to stop them, but there's no way. It would mean that Aquarius would have to ask for foreign aid, and we don't want that. We want to be our own independent nation. Pfft, and if we ask America for help, we'll never hear the end of it. They are watching our city and its resources like kids drooling at rare cards through a card shop window. You know how the yanks are. They always want something in return for their help. Bastards. The EU is even worse. Too many Isms pollute their government."

"This is insane," said Lance. "While there's not much we can do in regards to the Aquarian mafia, I know I'll do everything I can to help you with Brett."

"There's nothing you can do that will help. You're asking for a death wish if you plan on getting in the way of Brett Martinetti."

"I'm not afraid of him. Unlike Yuri, I can fight back. I have powerful friends in the states as well. And my mom is a congresswoman. She'll know what to do to deal with Brett and his goons if they ever crossed me."

"Lance, you're really brave and really sweet. But I can't let you get involved."

"But I want to get involved. I want to help you." He grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "Let me help you."

"Lance..."

"Have I at least earned the right to help you, Crystal?" he smiled as he said this. "I won the challenge, did I not?"

Crystal smiled back at him. "Hmph, so you did. Still, your challenge against Yuri was kind of bold."

"The deal was that I treated YOU with respect. Yuri had nothing to do with our agreement. And he seems to like me."

"I suppose so," Crystal said. "All right. But I warn you, Lance. Don't get too involved with me...it's hazardous to your health."

He moved closer to Crystal and lifted her chin up with his fingers so she could look him in the eyes. "I'm willing to risk anything to get what I want. And what I want...is you."

"No!" Crystal moved her head to the side and walked toward the railing over the ocean. "What did I just say to you, Lance! Don't get involved with me."

"I make no promises, Crystal. I want to free you from him. You deserve better."

Crystal shivered in the cold wind and rubbed her exposed shoulders. "I do. But you're not him." She looked at the stars. "No one deserves me more than him."

"Him who?" He pursed his lips and swallowed. "You mean...Yuri?"

"I've said too much. Goodnight, Lance. I'll see you at the carnival."