AN: Just replying to a reviewer's question why Stardust is female. XD
Well, it's simple, I need that small bit of "umph" and chemistry between her and Yusei. The same reason that Black Rose is male. Think about Seto Kaiba and his Blue Eyes White Dragon, lol. Of course I won't push their relationship into Set/Kisara level; it's still perfectly pure camaraderie and friendship, and Yusei's love of his life is Aki, but still, it's just cuter this way. Ancient Fairy is proven to be female (by voice) so I won't mess with that, which is okay because Ruka also has Regulus. And Red Dragon Archfiend. Okay I can in no good conscious make Archfiend female, no, he and Jack both just scream testosterone.
It might be difficult to imagine, but Fudo Yusei, ridiculously skilled motorcycle rider, King of Turbo Duels, and wonder-mechanic, actually really enjoys hiking. Sure, it was something he picked up from Aki, but he really grew to love the activity. Feeling the wind in your hair (not really, more like helmet) while speeding down a smooth black-top highway is nice, but you can't smell the flowers and appreciate the bird songs on a motorcycle. Thus, weather permitting, Yusei always walked to and from work.
His walk took him through a large, beautiful park, filled with lush wild flowers and teeming wildlife that included everything from blackbirds to weasels. Still, a city park's fauna should not include a dragon, like the one standing in front of his path right now. Black Rose Dragon's wings spread out wide like an impenetrable wall, the black, serpentine neck curve low, and a pair of sinister golden eyes stared at him, too close for comfort. Yusei sighed inside.
"Fudo Yusei," Black Rose Dragon said menacingly, "We need to settle a few things."
"What did I do to make you unhappy, Black Rose?"
"There is one thing I want to make absolutely clear to you," Black Rose Dragon said, "Fudo Yusei, you might be marrying my mistress, you might be the love of her life. Still, you have only known her for a few years; I and all of those in her deck, we have been with her since she was a wee little girl, only this big." Black Rose Dragon actually held up his claws and gestured, showing how small Aki had been when first they met.
Yusei tried to picture a little girl version of Aki, with shoulder length pink hair and large golden cat eyes, and a small smile surfaced on his lips before he realized it. He tried to insert the enormous Black Rose Dragon into the mental picture, and had to shake his head a little. That image seemed sorely in need of a St. George the dragon slayer.
"If you try to take her away from us, you will have me to answer for!" Black Rose thumped his tail on the ground for emphasis.
Yusei blinked a few times, before sighing, out loud this time. "Of course I would not try to take her away from you! What put such an idea in your head? Black Rose, you are her heart, her soul mate…" When he said those words, Yusei could not help but stop and frown. Well, that sounded just a little prickly in his ears. Black Rose Dragon may be a giant lizard, but he was still a thinking, talking, and loving male. Yusei was actually a little miffed at himself for calling another male Aki's soul mate, just a little.
He coughed once, and tried again, saying, "You are a part of her heart and soul…" Damn, that was still off. He pondered for a few more moments, and finally saying, "You are such an important friend for her, Black Rose. I love her too much to take you away from her. Just like I know that she would not begrudge Stardust's place in my life either."
"Alright, so you realize how important I am to Mistress Aki," Black Rose Dragon said, serpentine head leaning closer still. Geez, that dragon sounded smug as he continued, "So why can't I be at the wedding? Let me come to the wedding; she would want that."
"Nice try Black Rose, but I am not falling for that," Yusei said, "Aki is doing most of the wedding planning, and she picked the ceremony and reception venues. If we could have you there, Aki would have invited you long ago. I trust you already asked her? If she said no, then that is that."
"Fudo Yusei!" A threatening dragon roar, then that thorny tail curled closer to Yusei, as if to hit him.
But Yusei was unfazed. "Even when Aki was at her worst, you did not manage to intimidate me, dragon."
"Indeed?" Black Rose Dragon's head was hovering right above Yusei's, mouth open wide to make a show of those pointy teeth. "I know Stardust is not here today. So what else have you got in your deck that can protect you from me?"
"Black Rose, I am going to be late for work," Yusei said.
"If you insist on refusing me, you have much more to worry about than being late for work!"
"Black Rose, I warned you," A growingly more impatient Yusei was about to call out his Junk Destroyer (who can give Black Rose a good run for his money in terms of destroying things), when an authoritative female voice sounded from behind trees.
"Now children, behave!"
And with that, a couple emerged. The lady who spoke was exceedingly tall, perhaps just shy of six feet, with flowing silvery green hair that reminded one of leaves under the moonlight. She wore a simple summer dress of blue and gold, but somehow still managed to look like a fairy queen despite the unassuming dress. Standing beside her was a man of indeterminate age, with long golden hair and golden eyes, dressed in blue shirt and jeans.
Yusei blinked slowly. He was pretty sure he had never seen those people before, and was now utterly lost why the woman would reprimand him as if she had known him all her life. Black Rose Dragon seemed less confused, but just as surprised.
"Fairy…Ancient Fairy Dragon, is that you?" He spluttered.
"Yes, it is me, you unruly child."
"Hey, watch it!" Black Rose Dragon roared again, "You are not a single day older than me!"
"Then you should learn to act your age. You are supposed to be the guardian and protector of the young ones, not the obstinate creature giving them a headache over unreasonable demands!"
At this point Yusei finally woke up. He stared at the woman incredulously. "You are Ancient Fairy Dragon?"
"That's right Yusei, 100% Ancient Fairy Dragon, guaranteed!" Rua's energetic voice rang out as the twins emerged from the behind trees also. Beside him, Ruka laughed and said, "And the other one is my faithful prince Regulus. Don't they look great, Yusei? Like King and Queen of the fairy realm, just as they should."
"Like Galadriel and Celeborn*, right out of the movie," Yusei replied in all seriousness, though there was a detectable little smile on his face.
"Galadriel and Celeborn? Nah, the hair colour is wrong," Rua, the typical nerd who is into all sort of fantasies, objected, "Ancient Fairy's hair colour doesn't fit into Middle-earth at all, and Regulus would have to be…oh I know, Finrod Felagund**!"
"Rua!" His sister nudged him, "Don't compare them to tragic heroes, it's bad luck!"
Regulus the lion-turned-man faced Ruka and said in the most earnest and love-filled voice, "Nay, do not object, Ruka; it is only a story. And the comparison is apt enough. For you I am willing to do everything Finrod Felagund did for Beren, and a thousand times more. I will always protect you."
Ruka knew it was a giant lion from a fairytale-like spirit world speaking to her, but being on the receiving end of such intensely adoring look, she could not help but blush. And here Rua jumped between the lion-man and his sister. "Hey!" He barked at Regulus, "Don't make those eyes at my sister, you overgrown cat! And it's my job to protect her!"
Yusei was struggling between the urge to laugh and the urge to knock some sense into them all. Good thing he had that perfect poker face. He only said, "Guys, I am really going to be late for work. Can we settle this quickly?"
"Go on to work, young Fudo," Ancient Fairy Dragon said, "We are only here to see Black Rose and give him some advice."
"Which is?" Even Yusei was curious about this.
Ancient Fairy Dragon's perfect red lips slowly curled into a mischievous smile, one that seemed at odds with her majestic beauty. She said slowly, "Oh, only that if you want to go to a ball, you should go to the fairy godmother."
* Galadriel and Celeborn are, of course, from Lord of the Rings. They are husband and wife, co-rulers of Lothlorien. Galadriel is, in a lot of ways, the archetypal warrior queen/fairy queen, depending on what stage and what story she features in, lol. And, Celeborn has silver hair, and Galadriel has golden hair shot with silver.
**This is from Silmarillion. He is an elf-king who died saving Beren, his mortal friend. Oh yeah, and he is a blond,