Path of Memories: Cobalt Reflections
Flashback Three:Troublemaker
"Okay, we're gonna fast forward a few years so you get an idea of what Yuzuki was like. She wasn't shy and timid, couldn't be living in Satellite and being Yusei's sister. He had to chase after her all the time. She liked to literally go looking for trouble." Crow began.
"Hmph, like brother, like sister," Ushio mumbled.
"Shuddaup!" Leo snapped at him. "It's getting good!"
"Listen, you little-- ow!" Carly had jabbed him with a fork and was looking innocent, sitting by Jack. Knowing the ex-duel king would kill him for even looking at Carly the wrong way, Ushio settled for grumbling.
"Can I get on with it now?" Crow demanded.
"Sumimasen," (Sorry) Leo mumbled.
"Arigatou. (thank you) Now as I was saying..."
The Satellite in the year 2025, August 5th
Yuzuki Fudo had arrived at the orphanage alongside her three and half years older brother. Now she was nearly thirteen years old and old enough to cause grief, old enough to give her brother and his friends gray hairs.
"Oh, come on!" Crow groaned, scratching his thick orange hair. Sixteen year old Crow had already gained his first mark for thieving, a gold M and a dot on his forehead slightly slanted. "Where is she?!"
He was standing atop a mostly intact building, scanning the area with the binoculars he stole from an unsuspecting cop. Hey, it was all for a good cause, right? It was the earliest days of Team Satisfaction's reign, their mission to make Satellite safe.
He was wearing his uniform vest for the team with a harvest yellow shirt, blue green pants and rustic green boots strapped with three black straps. The skies were gray and so were the streets, torn up with gaping holes in the asphalt and concrete. "Kuso...sometimes I wish Yuse hadn't made her that skateboard!" Crow sighed, reaching for the walkie-talkie at his waist.
"How did you get walkie--"
Crow ignored Yanagi and plowed on.
The walkie talkies had been foraged from the scraps the City folk threw away and Yusei fixed up. They worked pretty well, too. "Yusei, find her yet?"
"No," Through the faint static, he sounded worried. "I hope she didn't wander into one of the other gang's turf...."
"You know that's probably exactly what she did!" Jack snapped, joining the conversation with his line. "Kiryu, Rylah and I are gonna --."
"Oh hang on a sec!" Crow cut Jack off rudely, the binoculars pressed to his eyes, his eyes locked on an almost invisible distant speck. "I see her!" The thief sighed. "I also spy with my little eyes, a little toublemaker being chased by trouble,"
"WHAT!?" Yusei nearly freaked out, making Jack and Crow wince.
"Don't worry none, Yuse," Crow assured him. "We beat these guys last week. They're from the baseball gang remember? The HellBats? Man, what a dumb name," Yuzuki was evading her pursuers with all her usual grace, shouting taunts and maneuvering her skateboard over hazards in the road, laughing as the land bound duelists attempted to keep up. "I'll go help." the thief assured Yusei, taking out his grappling hook from an inner pocket.
He swung it expertly as he hooked the walkie talkie to his belt again and the hook attached to the railing of the next building. It was only two stories high anyway. Cake. He leapt over the edge, swinging down the window as he detached the hook and dropped to the first floor window ledge landing in the street, armed with his duel disk.
~~*~~*~~*~~
Yuzuki leapt in the air, one hand on the end of the skateboard, skidding down the railing of the steps to a grassless park as the three gangbangers continued in their pursuit. She was a daring, graceful little demon, laughing at the pursuers.
Her hair was raven black with long golden streaks running through it, much like her brother and hung to her shoulders, choppy and cut in layers. Thick bangs fell into her bronzed skin strands of hair drawing attention to piercing eyes, the wind whipping through her hair, cobalt blue laced with aquamarine. She was wearing a blue sleeveless shirt with a purple long sleeved shirt under it and blue jeans with a duel belt holding two deck cases, a pair of short brown boots and purple gloves with black fingers and she wore silver earrings; one was a star and one was a moon.
"Give those cards back, you little bratty kid!"
"Yeah, you don't get away with stuff just because Fudo-san's your brother!"
"I didn't expect to boys! Now come on, can't cha keep up? Ya gotta catch me if ya want these back, ya hear?!"
"Touch her and regret it," Yusei's voice growled. The boys ground to a halt as Crow ran down the steps behind them and Yusei walked out of the thicket of dead trees, his duel disk shining with threatening light. He had on his usual black and red sleeveless but matched with a brown vest trimmed with white, black straps on his biceps and jeans no amber guards and brown leather boots, no gloves.
"You're trespassing," Crow informed the three boys. "And since you don't have duel disks..."
"Well, look whose fault that is!" one with green hair retorted.
"Leave or else!" Yusei ordered. "Now." His cobalt eyes narrowed with the promise of danger smoldering within the twin orbs.
"You'd better listen to him," Yuzuki taunted, skidding to a stop behind her brother, and popping out her tongue in a mocking way.
"Shuddaup!" the thick burly guy snarled, lunging for her.
"Bad choice!" Yusei was across the field in a second, landing a solid punch to his face as Yuzuki ducked around the other, twirling as she slammed her foot into his chin, sending him flying. Crow jumped on the back of the last, pushing him down with his knees and twisting off his back in a flip, landing on the soles of his feet in a crouch by Yusei's side.
He was on his feet again in an instant; the young thief lunged for the duelist who'd already taken a hit from Yusei's fist as he moved to strike Yusei, grabbing his flying fist and twisting him over his back. He landed on the ground with a painful thud.
"Well?" Yusei looked down at the groaning forms of the enemy. "Had enough?"
"Little brat stole our cards!"
"So?" Crow interrupted. "It's not as if you can use them."
"They certainly won't be able to if they stick around," Everyone looked as Jack, Kiryu and Rylah appeared, walking quickly down the crumbling park steps with an air of danger around them.
Rylah was a young, soft faced girl with silvery brown tresses falling into her face, the rest tied into a long waist length braid. She was shorter than Jack, standing at his shoulder, and wore the standard Team Satisfaction vest with a blue dress shirt and a knee length jean-skirt with black bike shorts. All three were armed with Battle City Duel Disks. Jack cracked his knuckles threateningly.
"Hold on. Guys," Yuzuki called. Her brother and his friend looked at her curiously. "Let's get 'em a chance. Jack can one of them borrow your duel disk?"
"WHAT?!"
"Just do It," Kiryu grumbled.
"Fine," Jack snarled handing his duel disk to the apparent leader of the group. "I'd better get it back!"
"Thanks,"
His straight black hair lay flat against his skull, the bangs framing his face with honey coloured eyes and pale skin. His eyes turned up to face the crowd. His white shirt was high collared and covered by a red vest paired with blue jeans and white sneakers. His borrowed duel disk was the standard old Battle City design.
"Okay, here's the deal Richard Nickelson," Yuzuki stated as she slid her own Battle City disk on her arm. "I win, you get lost. You win; you and your friends get the cards back and some of your dignity,"
Rick smirked. "Sounds good," he replied. "But I'll need my deck back."
She shrugged; tossing a light package to him; he shuffled through the deck and slid the cards into the deck holder.
Nickelson--4000 Fudo--4000
1st turn/1st round--Nickelson
"I'll take first turn!" Rick declared, drawing with a flourish, not noticing the roll of his opponent eyes. "From my hand," he continued, replacing the selected card with the one he'd just drawn. "I summon Snowman Eater in defense mode!"
A smiling snowman with sharp teeth with a red bucket-like hat and more teeth at its base appeared on the field turning a blue tint as it slouched forward.
Snowman Eater Lv.3 water attribute Aqua/Effect zero attack points and 1900 Defense points.
"A smart but tragically useless move," Yuzuki commented. "End of turn I presume?"
"One facedown will do it for me. Your move."
2nd turn/1st round--Fudo
"Hmph. Arigatou, then it's my draw!" There was barely a trace of emotion on her face other than the dangerous nearly invisible smile. She glanced at the card setting it in her hand and drawing another. "I play a facedown defense mode monster. Another facedown will end my turn."
"Huh?" said Crow. "Why didn't she attack?"
"It's called strategy," Rylah explained.
3rd turn/ 2nd round--Nickelson
"Bad move. It's my draw! I place one facedown and summon out my Cold Enchanter!"
"Well, that could be a problem," the girl muttered as a pale skinned woman attired in a white and blue assemble of a strapless dress with arm warmers, stockings, a headpiece and boots, armed with a snowflake topped crystal staff appeared on the field.
Cold Enchanter--level 4 water attribute Aqua/Effect 1600 ATK 1900 DEF
"You bet it is! Cold Enchanter, attack her facedown monster!" Whipping her staff, a swirling gust of ice, snow and wind was called forth tearing across the field to force her card to flip face-up.
"Hmph, you demolished my defense but you've just hurt yourself, friend,"
"Huh?"
"Thanks to Old Vindictive Magician's flip effect you've taken out you're own defense! His effect allows me to destroy one monster you control."
Old Vindictive Magician--Lv. 2 Dark Attribute Spellcaster/Effect 450 attack and 600 defense points.
"Your monster won't be eating anything," she told him as her card's image shattered at the same time his Snowman Eater did.
Damn, I didn't expect that!
"I place one more facedown and end my turn," Richard decided. "Let's see what you got,"
4th turn/ 2nd round--Fudo
"Careful," she warned, drawing again and smiling as she glanced at it."...Very nice," I have good hand here. Magical Cylinder, the Magicians Unite spell, Malevolent Nuzzler and the servants Breaker the Magical Warrior, the Mythical Beast Cerberus and Summoner Monk. I've got just the thing.
"I summon my Summoner Monk to the field."
A tall man emerged from a blue portal, clapping his hands together and bowing respectfully to his mistress before turning to the enemy and sitting on the field, head bowed hands in sleeves as he turned a blue tint. He was a pale blue skinned red eyed man with long gray hair emerging from his purple and white red-gemmed hood, dressed in long purple, gold and white robes.
Summoner Monk level 4 dark attribute spellcaster/effect monster with 800 attack points and 1600 defense points.
"I'm forced to place him in defense mode this turn but that's okay since by discarding one spell card..." She slid a green card (Malevolent Nuzzler) into the graveyard. "I can special summon one level four monster to the field from my deck." The card shone gold as it emerged from the stack of cards. She whipped it out and onto the card place. "Let's go, Defender the Magical Knight!"
A man in blue and gold armour with helm, a large body sized shield and a small dagger appeared and turned to a blue tint as he crouched behind his massive shield.
Defender the Magical Knight--Lv. 4 light attribute spellcaster/effect monster with 1600 attack points and 2000 defense points.
"Nice move!" Jack approved. "She has a good defense. Too bad she can't attack!"
"Uh…remind me why," Crow mumbled.
"Cause when you summon a monster with Summoner Monk's effect, you're not allowed to attack with it!"
"…Well I suppose Zuki has some sort of plan…"
Yusei folded his arms watching his sister's duel in silence.
"But I'm not done yet," Yuzuki continued. "I place one more facedown (Magical Cylinder) and then I activate my trap card, Pitch-Black Power Stone."
The magenta card flipped up revealing a black stone on a swirling black and red backdrop with a point down golden triangle in the center. A black dot was in the center and three curving black lines cut though each corner. The magician's symbol, it had also appeared on Old Vindictive Magician and Defender the Magical Knight. It shone as its controller spoke.
"You see, the power of my trap allows me to place three spell counters on it after activation." Three smaller black power stones appeared around the card. "And I can remove a spell counter on it once per turn to place it on another. Hold this one for me, will you, Defender?" The black stone shuffled over and hovered by the Knight.
"I end my turn. Do your worse,"
5th turn/3rd round--Nickelson
"You should always be careful of what you wish for," he warned with a grin. "My draw! Can you cry, Fudo-san? We'll find out once I place these three face downs and discard one card from my hand to give my Enchanter an ice counter! This gives her another three hundred attack points!"
Cold Enchanter--1600--1900 attack points.
"And now I command my Cold Enchanter to attack your Summoner Monk!"
The Enchanter threw her staff and zoomed forward, rushing towards Summoner Monk. "Not so fast, my spell counter can negate your attack!" The spell counter abandoned its holder and zipped forward just mere moments before the Monk would have been destroyed and was shattered into golden shards of light by the Enchanter's deadly staff. The Staff twirled like a boomerang back to its owner.
Richard grinned. "I was hoping to save this but I activate the spell card Fissure and swallow your Monk!"
"Oh, well," She sighed as Summoner Monk was dragged into a dark crack that had sliced across the field by a creepy looking hand. "That poor counter was wasted I suppose. But it did save Defender, that's nice,"
Damn it all! I think his attack screwed the combo I was planning! Yuzuki thought, her face expressionless.
"I end my turn, Fudo-san."
6th turn/ 3rd round--Fudo
Okay... "My draw!" I need to draw a card that can help me land a blow, damaging one! I have three cards. Come on...help me out here! She set her hand against her deck. Come on, I don't care which of you guys I draw just be one I can use right now! She closed her eyes afraid to look.
"She needs a good card…" Rylah chewed her lip.
"Let's go!" She drew with a flourish and glanced at it. Nice! Not the one I was hoping for but it's just as good! He'll get a nasty shock from this! But which monster to play? Cerberus and Breaker both get spell counters upon a normal summon. But Breaker's special ability makes him the prefect choice! "Okay, first I play Breaker the Magical Warrior in attack mode!"
A mage in blood red armour bearing a long, thin green sword appeared beside Defender. Each plate of the armour behind the weapon and shield lined with a golden colour, a pattern from the helm that covered the top half of its face to the boots at the base of its form. Behind it, a large red cape hung from its armour and on its helm, breast plate, sword and shield were lavender gems with the magician's symbol inscribed within them.
Breaker the Magical Warrior level 4 dark attribute spellcaster/effect servant with 1600 attack points and 1000 defense points
"Now, do you know the old saying, treat others the way you want to be treated? Never has it been more true! I play the spell card Fissure!" The duel disk trilled and chimed as she whipped into the slot face-up
"WHAT!?"
"Oh, she's using his own move against him!" Crow cheered.
"I'm sure you realize that you only have one monster!" The card image of the fissure turned into a holographic fissure that ripped across the field as the same hand that had sent her Monk to his doom, pulled the Enchanter into the dark depths as it seized her by the ankle, inducing a gasp before she was gone.
"Nice move but now I activate my trap card! Regret Re--"
"Wrong! Breaker says otherwise! With the spell counter received upon summoning matched with one from my Power Stone trap card, he can eliminate those cards!"
Another power stone appeared as the first hurtled across the field beside it, glowing gold as they collided with the face downs and shattered. Rick shielded his eyes. "Uh!"
"I give Breaker my final counter!" The trap card shattered as the power stone settled into the Magical Warrior's sword hilt.
Breaker the Magical Warrior---1600--1900 attack points
"This move look familiar?" She grinned evilly as she crouched into an attack position as if she also held a sword as Breaker did. "He isn't called such just for show. Now, my Warrior," She slashed the air with her arm. "Cut down his lifepoints!"
Breaker leapt forward, raising his sword as it shimmered with lavender magek. It slashed through the air as Rick held up his duel disk in futile attempt to shield himself. Gold light shattered around him.
Richard Nickelson---lifepoints--4000---2100 loss of 1900 lifepoints.
The watchers gasped.
"Nice shot, Sparrow-chan!" Crow called.
"I end my turn with a facedown," she said, calming down quickly and straightening herself. "Make this count,"
7th turn/4th round--Nickelson
Damn! She took out nearly half my lifepoints with that! He glanced at his hand and grinned inwardly. But with these cards she's doomed. "My draw!" Sweet. "First, I play Freezing Beast in attack mode!"
Freezing Beast--level four water attribute aqua/union monster with 1500 attack points and 1000 defense points
The Freezing Beast was a creature entirely made of ice with a head that swept back like a three pointed icy star, it's long icy tail whipping behind it.
"And now I use the spell card Double Summon!"
"Oh no, Double Summon allows the user to summon another monster!" Crow muttered, frowning
That's right attack me with your most powerful beast! she thought with a tiny smile Richard didn't see. Cause my facedown is going to end this!
"Do you see that?" Jack asked Yusei. "She's smiling. That facedown has to be a trap and he'll bite himself in the ass," Jack chuckled smirking.
"I agree," Yusei nodded, a faint smile on his face. And I have a feeling I know which one it is.
"I summon...Hydra Viper in attack mode!"
Hydra Viper level four water/attribute reptile monster with 1800 attack points and 1000 defense points.
The Hydra Viper appeared from a blue portal along side the Freezing Beast, a violet cobra connected to a red snake on its right and another violet snake on its left. It hissed menacingly.
"What is he planning?!" the MC asked his listeners not really expecting an answer. "Neither of his monsters has the attack power to wipe out her powerful Defender the Magical Knight or Breaker the Magical Warrior! Let's watch!"
"Now, I release them both to summon my most powerful beast! He may have a silly name but you should not judge a book by it's cover! Come my reptile! Gogiga Gagagigo in attack mode!" Both monsters merged as one transforming into a glow rainbow orb. Out of this orb a large golden armoured hand emerged.
'Uh!" Rylah exclaimed. "What is it!?"
Yuzuki tried to keep her expression passive. Calm, calm; it's no problem!
The beast emerged pulling its entire bloodred scaled body out of the summoning orb. His head was reptilian, his shoulders, hands, crotch, lower legs and chest protected by gold armour. It towered a good ten sfeet above both duelists at fifteen feet tal, swelling its chest and unleashing a terrifying roar that shook the stadium.
Gogiga Gagagigo--Level 8 water attribute reptile--2950 attack points and 2800 defense points.
"Okay..." said Kiryu. "Maybe he does have a shot."
"He doesn't." said Yusei coolly, arms folded, legs crossed. "He's forgotten about her facedown. It's over."
She's not going to lose this. Jack thought, with smug smirk on his face.
~*~*~*~*~
"That's some monster. There's no way she can win now!" one of the other spectators
"Totally. Just because she's Yusei's sister doesn't mean she's good at dueling! She's a goner!"
"Now, my beast attack Defender the Magical Knight!" Richard commanded, thrusting his outstretched hand forward. The beasts roared as water began forming around its claws and he lunged forward, slashing the air with water.
Yuzuki....smiled, her white teeth showing. "Um....why is she smiling?" Leo asked numbly. "Her Knight's about to get pounded!"
"It must be her facedown!" Rylah exclaimed. "She can win this!"
"You just chopped off your own head! This is over! I activate my trap card Magical Cylinder!" The magenta card flipped upward revealing the pic of two cylinders, one upward collecting green light the other laying on air a green arrow shooting out of it. "With this I can negate the monsters attack and throw it back at you!" The monster gasped as the cylinder appeared virtually about this size of its controller and magical blue energy shooting out twining around the beast and pulling it into the cylinder.
Richard gasped in horror as the cylinder aimed at him shimmering with collected energy. "Bye, Richie," She waved mockingly as the green energy fired forming into a ghostly version of his fallen beast. "This is the last, Nickelson! Obliterate his lifepoints!" The ghostly energy of Gogiga Gagagigo raised its claws, looking down into the terrified face of its former master. Without remorse, he slashed downwards as Rick shielded himself with his disk. "AAAAHH!" Gold light shattered around him again as his lifepoints dropped.
NIckelson--2100-- loss of 2950 lifepoints--0000 Fudo--4000 lifepoints remaining.
end of 7th turn/4th round End of Duel in Yuzuki's favor.
"Hmph,"
"Fine, you lost!" Jack snatched his duel disk back. "You've lost your cards—"
"He can keep 'em,"
Jack snorted and shoved the cards back at Rick. "Get out of here then, scram!"
The defeated duelists wasted no time in scrambling to their feet and beating a hasty retreat in the opposite direction, kicking up dust.
"Good duel, Zuki," Yusei praised, clapping her on the shoulder. She beamed at her brother then frowned as he sighed.
"But, why the all the trouble?" Yusei reverted back to father/brother mode as soon as the annoyance was gone.
"I was bored."
"That's not a good reason,"
"This getting annoying!" Jack snapped. "We can't be there to save you every minute of the day, ya know!"
"Maybe we should just let her be apart of the group," Crow suggested.
Yuzuki's eyes lit up. "That'd be prefect!"
"No way," Kiryu objected. "The other gangs aren't as easy as those losers. You'll get hurt and you're what? Ten?"
"Urusai na! (Shut the hell up!)" Yuzuki snapped. "I'm thirteen, you baka! (idiot) You're off by three years!"
"Yuzuki, calm it!" Yusei ordered, stepping behind her and bringing his hands down her shoulders to stop a possible attack on their leader. "I think you should just stay with Martha for now,"
"What?! Oh come on, Nii-kun...onegai? (please?)" She pouted, giving him her infamous puppy dog eyes.
"I agree with Karasu (Crow)," Rylah put in.
"Well, I don't." Jack said, folding his arms.
"Onegai, onegai, onegai, Yuse-nii-kun! Please!" (Nii or Onii--big brother)
Yusei sighed, shaking his head. "It's not my choice, Zuki," Yuzuki's face soured and she folded her arms in a huff. Yusei sighed again.
"Aw, come on, Yuzu don't hate him," Crow grinned. "Don't you remember the day he gave you that skateboard?"
"What does that have anything to do with his enjoyment of crushing my hopes?"
Yusei opened his mouth to protest but Crow waved a hand to silence him. "He had bandages on his hands that day, on Christmas, remember?"
"Yeah..."
"He never told you that he smacked his hand with the hammer more times than the wood and got a million splinters to boot?" Rylah grinned. "Your hands were all bloody and bruised remember, Yuse? Couldn't duel for a week."
Jack snickered as Yusei glared at them. "Two." he corrected.
"Right. We told him he didn't need to injure himself just to give you a present but he insisted," Kiryu finished, smiling.
"Are you trying to guilt me into feeling ashamed?" Yusei's sister demanded, rolling her skateboard on the ground with a foot and shuffling through one of the stolen decks.
"Yes," they all chorused as Yusei sighed deeply rubbing his eyes with a palm.
"It's working," she informed them sourly.
"Good," said Yusei clapping her on the shoulder. "If you behave and prove you are responsible--"
"You sound like a grandpa," Yuzuki interrupted. Rylah and Crow shoved their fists in their mouths to keep from laughing, Kiryu snickered and Jack just laughed shamelessly.
Yusei rolled his eyes. "Very funny guys. Fine; if you stop causing trouble on purpose for your personal enjoyment and use your skills to help others, then you can join,"
"Hey, no one said that!" Kiryu objected.
"Overruled!" Rylah and Crow chimed.
"Martha's making Italian tonight," Jack announced, stretching and turning to leave. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm starving,"
"Well..." Yuzuki looked at the stack of stolen cards as she followed her brother and friends. "I don't really need these. I've got a perfectly good deck!"
"That's the spirit!" Yusei ruffled his sister's hair as she protested.
"Nii-kun, stoppit!"
"Come on, are you two gonna stand around all day or we gonna eat!?" Crow shouted back, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Let's go!"
"Coming, Karasu-nii-kun!" Yuzuki called, picking up her smooth wooden black and silver skateboard with blue metal wheels. "Matte! (Wait) Come on, Nii-kun let's go!" She tugged her brother's hand demandingly, nearly dragging the taller boy up the stairs.
~~*~~
"Aw, that's so sweet!" Carly exclaimed. Jack looked at her quizzically. "Ya know, the part when Yusei bashed up his hands making his little sister a skateboard," she explained.
"Wow, she sounds just as good a duelist as Yusei!" Leo gasped.
"She was," Jack remembered, staring at the stars.
"Is she why Yusei's so nice to kids?" Luna asked.
"That's part of the reason yeah," Crow, replied nodding sagely.
"Who's Rylah?" Leo asked.
"Rylah was like our surrogate big sister. Actually she was about our age, no Jack's, I think."
"Older by three months," Jack clarified.
"Okay,so Yusei had a sister named Yuzuki and she liked to get into trouble," Akiza summed up. "But....what happened?"
"What happened was something that never should've happened, especially to a child," Martha muttered sadly, shaking her head. "I remember that day well,"
"Yuzuki saved me that day," Rally remembered, tracing faces in the grass.
"What did happen that day?" Nervin asked. "I only remember a huge explosion and collapsing buildings,"
"What is 'that day'?!" Ushio demanded
"Sounds like Zero Reverse," Saiga commented.
"It wasn't,"
I just wanted you guys to see some of Yuzuki's skills. Hoped you liked the duel