Blue Sky

by Shimmering-Sky

Sky Fudo has never lived an 'ordinary' life. From living through Zero Reverse, to finding out her younger brother is a Signer; from battling Dark Signer and Yliaster alike, 'ordinary' isn't even in her dictionary. Still, it is her life, and she is proud of it. This is the story of how she helped her brother and the Signers save the world (twice).

38. Chapter 38: The Real Jack

Me: *Sitting on a chair, staring at the wall*

Crow: What's your problem?

Me: MYAUNTANDUNCLEGOTMETHEGAMEAN DIALREADYBEATITAND-

Sky: *Smacks me*

Me: *Rubs cheek* Thanks… Anyways, I went to visit my family for Thanksgiving, and we kind of celebrated Christmas while we were there, and one of my presents was Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask.

Sky: The game you were obsessing over before the last chapter?

Me: Yep! So I beat it in three days, since I played it non-stop, and I absolutely loved it! Well, except the last cutsceen. Some dude de-masked Descole but I didn't get to see what he looked like! This is TORTURE!

Yusei: You need to calm down…

Me: Yeah, but since tomorrow is Christmas Eve, I don't think that's really possible… Okay, here's the newest chapter of Blue Sky! Enjoy!

Chapter 38

I follow Jack, and we see the tunnel that the Imposter and our friends had been in. The exit is just up ahead, and they come out just as Jack and I jump off the ledge.

"Make way for the real Jack Atlas!" Jack shouts, and rams into the Imposter.

"Jack! Sky!" Yusei shouts.

"Hey Yusei!" I wave back.

Kaz is now confused. "There really are two of them!" he exclaims.

"Duh," I say. "You think I would've let the real Jack beat me?"

Yusei pulls out two cards. "Jack, Sky, catch!" He tosses Trust Guardian and Celestial Dragon-Quasar.

"Thanks!" I say.

"You really want me to use this card don't you?" Jack asks. He places the card into his Deck, which automatically shuffles for him. After a pause, Jack glares at the Imposter.

"You say you're a better version of me, but you're wrong. You're not a better me, you're the worst of me… you're all of my negative qualities come to life. I may have let you beat me once, but it's time for a rematch!"

I go to reach for my Deck too, and say that I'm in on this, but something holds me back. A feeling in my gut was telling me that Jack could handle himself, and it's not the best idea for me going into a Duel looking for revenge. And, for the moment, I'm agreeing with my gut.

Instead, I say, meaning it only as a joke, "Hey Jack, are you going to completely annihilate him, or are you going to let me have a shot too?"

Jack looks at me, and with a straight face he replies, "When I'm done here, this Imposter is going to be little more than a smear on the highway."

The Imposter laughs and says, "We'll see if that threat will hold during our duel. Now come on, let's begin!"

Speed World 2 is activated, and I see the strange infinity symbol appear around both Jacks' Duel Runners. So the Imposter is in league with whoever controls the Meklord Emperors…!

I don't have time to tell this to Yusei, as the Imposter declares, "I'll go first."

Jack's Life Points: 4000, Imposter's Life Points: 4000

Jack S.C. 1, Imposter S.C. 1

"I Summon Archfiend Interceptor in Attack Mode!"

The demonic-looking football player appears in full glory, boasting its 1400 ATK and 1600 DEF.

"I'll then place 1 card face-down and end my turn," the Imposter finishes. He does, however, get in one verbal jab. "Honestly, how do you plan to defeat me when I'm the better you?"

I open my mouth to refute this, but think better of it. Surprisingly, Jack only replies by saying, "Are you ready to eat those words? It's my turn!"

Jack S.C. 2, Imposter S.C. 2

Jack pauses, looking at the card he drew. I'm assuming it's Trust Guardian, since there's also a slightly surprised look on his face. He quickly shakes it off, and continues his turn. "When your field is the only one with any monsters on it, I'm able to Summon Vice Dragon from my hand."

Vice Dragon ATK: 1200, DEF: 1000, Level 5

"Now I'm Summoning the Trust Guardian Tuner Monster!" Jack continues.

A small fairy wearing a blue dress appears next to Jack, and I'm glad that it's a Level 3 monster. It means he can Synchro Summon Red Dragon Archfiend.

Yusei is happy as well, because he exclaims, "Oh yeah!"

Of course, he could just be happy that Jack is using the card… Nah, he's happy for the same reason I am, I assure myself.

Jack speeds up and rides in front of the Imposter. "I'm Tuning Trust Guardian with my Level 5 Vice Dragon," he declares. "The ruler's heartbeats will now file through here! Take witness to its creation-shaking power! Synchro Summon! My very soul, Red Dragon Archfiend!"

In a burst of fire, the dragon appears and growls menacingly. Red Dragon Archfiend ATK: 3000, DEF: 2000, Level 8

"Prepare to lose!" Jack shouts.

At this point, I can hear a car approaching. This is very confusing, since cars aren't allowed on Combat Lanes, so I wonder who would be breaking the rules like this. When I see that it's Carly, I'm not as confused. I know she would do pretty much anything to get a story with Jack in it.

Kaz, however, isn't very amused. He looks back and shouts at Carly, "Pull over, this is a Combat Lane, you can't be here!"

Carly replies by saying, "It's okay! I'm a journalist!" Even though that isn't a very good excuse, Kaz doesn't say anything in reply.

Back with the duel, Jack throws out his arm and says, "I hope you're ready, because Red Dragon Archfiend is attacking Archfiend Interceptor! Go, Absolute Powerforce."

Red Dragon Archfiend's claw surrounds with fire, and starts to come towards Archfiend Interceptor. The Imposter smiles and says, "I'm more than ready, 'cause when you attack Archfiend Interceptor, you take 500 points of direct damage."

A few of Archfiend Interceptor's arms come together, and a small orb of flame appears between them. The ball is then flung at Jack, and it explodes right in front of him. I hear Jack grunt as the damage is real.

Jack's Life Points: 3500

Jack pays little attention to that, and says, "I may have taken a hit, but Red Dragon Archfiend is still going to destroy Archfiend Interceptor." As he says this, the fire-wrapped claw descends on the doomed monster.

Imposter's Life Points: 2400

The Imposter shakes off the damage, and yet still manages to smile. "I place one card face-down and end my turn," Jack says.

"This should be fun!" the Imposter laughs as he draws his card.

Jack S.C. 3, Imposter S.C. 3

"Now you're the only one with monsters on his field, so I can Summon Vice Dragon just like you did." The Imposter smirks, and then adds, "I'm Summoning the Tuner Flare Resonator in Attack Mode."

Flare Resonator ATK: 300, DEF: 1300, Level 3

Then that means…! I know what the Imposter is going to do next.

"Now Flare Resonator Tunes with Vice Dragon," the Imposter continues. "I Synchro Summon my own Red Dragon Archfiend!"

…The dragon is purple, not red, I think humorously. He should call it Purple Dragon Archfiend.

Jack frowns, and says, "A fake, just like you!"

From the corner of my eye, I see Yusei lean forward. "Two Red Dragon Archfiends!" he exclaims. "How is that even possible?"

Carly dangerously leans her head out the window of her car. She's clearly taking pictures. I just hope she doesn't end up running in to or over something while doing it.

"When a Synchro Monster uses Flare Resonator as Synchro Material, it gains 300 Attack Points," the Imposter states.

The dragon is momentarily surrounded by flames. (Imposter's) Red Dragon Archfiend ATK: 3300

That's not good, I think. If that hadn't happened, Jack's dragon could have gotten the upper hand since it had used Trust Guardian. Still, Jack can still turn the tables. There's no way he'll lose.

"Attack!" the Imposter shouts. "Go, Absolute Powerforce!"

The attack shoots through Jack's Red Dragon Archfiend, and he grunts as his Life Points are depleted. Jack's Life Points: 3200

He shakes it off, and says, "When a Synchro Monster uses Trust Guardian as Synchro Material, it can save itself from destruction by giving up 400 Attack Points."

The real Red Dragon Archfiend, which had been surrounded by flames, throws them off. (Jack's) Red Dragon Archfiend ATK: 2600

"I place one card face-down and end my turn," the Imposter finishes. Again, he goes for a verbal jab. "So, in order to keep your dragon on the field, you humiliated it by making in weaker? How pathetic!"

"A duelist who relies too much on power will eventually be defeated by power," Jack says in return. "Allow me to demonstrate!" He whips the card from his Deck, announcing his turn.

Jack S.C. 4, Imposter S.C. 4

"Go, Red Dragon Archfiend, wipe that imposter off the field!"

"What on Earth are you doing?!" I shout.

"Your Red Dragon Archfiend has less power than mine, are you just giving up now or something?" the Imposter asks in surprise.

"No, I'm just activating the Assault Spirits Trap Card. See, by sending a monster with less than 1000 ATK from my hand to the Graveyard, I can give that monster's ATK to Red Dragon Archfiend!"

Oh. That makes much more sense.

(Jack's) Red Dragon Archfiend ATK: 3300

"Now we've got a real clash of the titans," Jack says. The two dragons slam into each other.

"So it's mutually assured destruction that you want?" the Imposter asks.

"You're forgetting about Trust Guardian's ability," Jack says. "I can still sacrifice 400 Attack Points to prevent its destruction."

(Jack's) Red Dragon Archfiend ATK: 2900

The purple dragon shatters, while the true one remains flying. "I place one card face-down and end my turn," Jack says. "That means the effect of Assault Spirits wears off."

(Jack's) Red Dragon Archfiend ATK: 2200

"Hmph, a wounded lizard like that can hardly call itself Red Dragon Archfiend," the Imposter taunts. "Just like you, it's not what it once was! It's a shadow of its former self!"

The Imposter draws his card.

Jack S.C. 5, Imposter S.C. 5

"Now, since there are no monsters on my field, I can Summon Big Piece Golem-without a Tribute-in Attack Mode," the Imposter says.

Big Piece Golem ATK: 2100, DEF: 0, Level 5

"Next I'm activating the Speed Spell-Angel Baton! I can draw two cards from my Deck and send one to the Graveyard since I have more than 2 Speed Counters. I'll also play the Powerful Rebirth Trap, which enables me to Special Summon Small Piece Golem from my Graveyard and then enhance its strength."

Small Piece Golem ATK: 1100 to 1200, DEF: 0, Level: 3 to 4

"And since I have Big Piece Golem and Small Piece Golem, I can Summon Medium Piece Golem as well."

Medium Piece Golem ATK: 1600, DEF: 0, Level 4

Geez, how many monsters is the Imposter going to Summon? I think. Oh wait, if he has Speed Fusion he can Fusion Summon Multiple Piece Golem. Is that what he's after?

Turns out it wasn't, as the Imposter says, "I'll be using that Assault Spirits Trap of yours as bait to Special Summon the Tuner Trap Eater to the field."

Trap Eater ATK: 1900, DEF: 1600, Level 4

The Imposter smiles, at the same time I remember that he had used a second Red Dragon Archfiend against me. That's what he's after.

"I Tune my Level 4 Trap Eater with my Level 4 Small Piece Golem to Synchro Summon, Red Dragon Archfiend!" the Imposter shouts.

This time the dragon that appears is blue. Still, it has way more strength than Jack's dragon, so I hope Jack has a plan for this.

"Wait, you've got another one?!" Jack exclaims. During their last duel, the Imposter must not have used his second copy. I guess this is a surprise to anyone…

"And now, since I've successfully Synchro Summoned, I can Special Summon the Tuner Synchro Magnet from my hand," the Imposter continues.

Synchro Magnet ATK: 1000, DEF: 600, Level 3

Don't tell me he has a third one, I think in disdain.

Sure enough, the Imposter begins to Tune Synchro Magnet with Big Piece Golem, but he also adds, "I'm also playing the Trap Reincarnation Ring, so by releasing my Level 4 Medium Piece Golem I can Special Summon a monster with twice its Level from my Graveyard. Why settle for two, when you can battle with three Red Dragon Archfiends?"

The newly Synchro Summoned dragon is yellow, when the one returning from the Graveyard is purple. I shake my head. Why even call them Red Dragon Archfiend? They aren't even red…

"He's got three Red Dragon Archfiends?!" Jack shouts in disbelief.

"Incredible," Yusei says.

"Ha-ha, this is the big finish you little clown!" the Imposter laughs. "The grand finale, the ultimate climax! My three Red Dragon Archfiends are going to feast on your withering little beast!"

The first two Red Dragon Archfiends attack weakened dragon, and Jack seems to be in pain from the attacks. Jack's Life Points: 1200

"Argh, hang in there Red Dragon Archfiend, stay strong," Jack mutters. (Jack's) Red Dragon Archfiend ATK: 1400

"This is the end! My third Red Dragon Archfiend attacks!" the Imposter shouts, turning to ride backwards.

No, it can't be over, I think. Jack has to have something. He won't lose.

The yellow Red Dragon Archfiend hurls a beam of fire at Jack and his dragon. It hits, and I can't see the field, or if Jack had played something. In suspense, I hold my breath, ready to step in if needed.

I let out the breath when the smoke clears and both Jack and his Red Dragon Archfiend are still there. A Trap card is also face-up, which I take to be what saved him.

Jack's Life Points: 400

The Imposter turns back around, saying, "So you saved yourself by playing Ray of Hope and halving the damage."

"And let's not forget the second effect of Ray of Hope; at the end of the Battle Phase I can Special Summon one Level 1 monster from my hand. So I Summon Dark Bug!"

Dark Bug ATK: 100, DEF: 100, Level 1

"Cute, but it won't do you any good," the Imposter says. "Meanwhile, every time your Red Dragon Archfiend takes an attack, it withers even more, just like you."

"You just don't get it, do you?" Jack asks. "It's true I've been struggling lately, but I've emerged and I'm stronger than I used to be, because I have people in my life that I trust and love."

I can practically hear Carly squeal, "Me?" after that line. It's pretty obvious.

"Red Dragon Archfiend, who continues to battle despite the damage it's taken and Trust Guardian, which continues to protect it both represent the strength my friends give me. You're the selfish Jack I used to be, the Jack that had no use for friends, which makes you the weaker one!" Jack shouts.

A crimson glow emanates from Jack, and Yusei as well. So, the Crimson Dragon is going to help out? I think. Amazing.

"Now, allow me to show you what a real duelist is capable of! I hope you're ready to accept defeat because… you're gonna lose!" Jack says as he draws a glowing card from his Deck.

Jack S.C. 6, Imposter S.C. 6

"I Summon Majestic Dragon in Attack Mode!"

Majestic Dragon ATK: 0, DEF: 0, Level 1

A small pink dragon appears, and I remember it from when Yusei had defeated Goodwin. If that card let Yusei Synchro Summon a stronger Stardust Dragon, does this mean Jack has a stronger Red Dragon Archfiend?

"And now, Majestic Dragon Tunes Red Dragon Archfiend and Dark Bug! A lone polished light, become the true high-ruler and illuminate the earth! Shine your light! Synchro Summon! The great soul, Majestic Red Dragon!"

Majestic Red Dragon ATK: 4000, DEF: 3000, Level 10

When the four-winged red dragon descends, all I can think is, Amazing. I wish I had a card like that. But my minor jealousy recedes as I know that I do have my Accel Synchro monster.

"Unbelievable," the Imposter growls.

"Believe it, you punk. Majestic Red Dragon has a special ability—once per turn, it can absorb the Attack Points of one monster on your field," Jack says. "Go, Power Drain!"

Majestic Red Dragon ATK: 7000

Now Majestic Red Dragon has an even more fiery aura surrounding it, and the Imposter shouts in disbelief, "7000 Attack Points?!"

"It's been nice having you around," Jack says sarcastically. "But it's time for the real Jack Atlas to stand up! Majestic Red Dragon, attack with Ultimate Powerforce!"

The mighty dragon absorbs a cyclone of fire, and then flies at the fake Red Dragon Archfiends. The fire surrounding it burns away the three dragons, and the Imposter screams, but it sounds like a robot. It… It is a robot, and it explodes from the damage caused by the attack.

Imposter's Life Points: 0, Winner: Jack

We all stop, and watch as the cards from the Imposter's Deck disappear. I jump off my Duel Runner and run over to Jack. Yusei, Kaz, and Carly all come over to.

"That was great, Jack," I congratulate him.

"And I witnessed it all, so you'll definitely be out of trouble," Kaz says.

Carly is rapidly snapping pictures, and stops when Crow rides up. "Hold still," Crow says, peering at Jack.

"Okay," Jack says.

"It is you!" Crow says happily. Then he proceeds to basically apologize, and he starts crying.

"It's okay Crow," Jack says. "It's not your fault, I was being stubborn. "Although, if you want to keep groveling, I'll accept it."

"Don't milk it, you jerk!" Crow shouts, and we all laugh.

The next day…

"I don't understand. It was right here! You can't just make a cave disappear!" I say.

Jack and I brought Yusei and Crow to come look at the cave where we were being held, but it's gone. Poof. And now Crow asks, "Are you sure you were being held here?"

"Of course!" Jack says.

"I'm absolutely sure of it," I say. "I just wonder how it up and left. Look, not even our Duel Runner tracks are here. It doesn't add up."

I bend down and reach a hand towards the now-sealed up cliff. I don't know what I was hoping for, but nothing happens.

"…Yusei, do you think this robot had anything to do with the other one?" Crow asks.

"It's very likely," Yusei replies. "I bet that Yliaster has something to do with it as well."

"Yeah," I agree.

I turn back to look at the cliff. Whatever this is, I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of it. Yliaster, the Meklord Emperors, everything.

XXX

Me: That's it!

Sky: Good! You didn't have some insane ending to it for once!

Me: I know… But, since it's almost Christmas, I decided to be nice for once.

Crow: …For once?

Me: *Grins* So, I hope everyone who reads this reviews (they really make my day), and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year as well!

(PS: to anyone that cares, I've started on the last chapter of 5D's Prank War)