Chapter 26: Beyond The Emotions Created By The Cards!

Ushio's jeep and Sakura, on her D-Wheel, with Grim standing on his specially built-in platform, secured to it by the harness that's fastened around him and to the D-Wheel by the chain that's hooked up to his collar, are racing along a highway near the edge of the sign. Purple flames drift up below them.

"Who's geoglyph is it?" Sakura thinks to herself. "It is too dangerous ahead! I'm going alone!" Sakura says.

"What?" Asks Ushio. "It's fine, Sakura! Even if we enter the geoglyph, I can protect Ushio, Lua, Subaru and Velvet as long as I stay with them." Luca says. "That's right! We're a team, Sakura! We're going with you!" Says Lua.

Sakura nods. "Fine. I shall go ahead and find the duelists. Follow me later!" Sakura says. With that, she leans to the side, merging toward the edge of the road. "Grim, down." Says Sakura. Grim obeys and lowers himself down to the platform, tucking his unnaturally long tail close to himself. Sakura twists the acceleration handle and jumps the edge of the highway.

Ushio, Luca and Lua are aghast. "Mommy!" Velvet says. "Be careful, Mother!" Says Subaru.

Sakura lands, bouncing on her back wheel and then forward onto her front, before landing solidly and riding onward, determinedly. "Who is dueling?" Sakura thinks to herself.

Meanwhile, Crow's still in free fall on his D-Wheel. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!" Crow screams.

Flashback, to the moment he realized his nestlings were gone. Crow's arms are empty, and the kids running toward him are vanishing. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "I refuse to lose!" Crow says. He opens his D-Wheel's wings, and shoots the mechanism. Gliding with his wings, Crow sails in a wide arc upward, tethered by the cord between the stand/claw and the bottom of his D-Wheel, and back onto the track. The grappling stand rips out of the track and retracts, bouncing his D-Wheel one more time. Crow folds his wings back up and keeps riding.

Bommer's some distance behind him. "He's tough. He managed to stay on the course." Bommer thinks to himself. "I set one card and end my turn. Diving Exploder's effect switched Trap Reactor•Y FI's attack and defense points, but they now return to normal." Says Bommer.

"This really is a shadow Riding Duel! The impacts I feel are powerful!" Crow thinks to himself.

Flashback. "You don't understand. You risk your life in a battle against the Dark Signers." Yusei says. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Yusei, you were right. I'm risking my life in this Riding Duel. But..." Crow thinks to himself.

In his mind's eye, he sees the kids.

"Their regrets are much worse!" Crow thinks to himself. "I won't be scared! Here comes my counterattack! Here I go! It's my turn!" Says Crow. He draws, Blackwing-Bora the Spear. "From my hand, I activate the 'Speed Spell-Angel Baton'! I can activate this card when I have two or more Speed Counters. I draw two cards from my deck! Then I discard one card from my hand! I summon Blackwing-Mistral the Silver Shield in defense position!" Crow says.

Blackwing-Mistral the Silver Shield has 1800 defense points and is a Level 2 monster. "When there's a Blackwing monster on my field, I can Special Summon this from my hand! Come! Blackwing-Bora the Spear!" Says Crow.

Blackwing-Bora the Spear has 1700 attack points and is a Level 4 monster.

"He instantly summoned two monsters." Bommer thinks to himself.

"Go, Bora the Spear! Attack Trap Reactor•Y FI! Death Spiral!" Crow says.

Bora attacks, and the explosions from Y FI's wild blasts take a chunk out of the side of an adjacent building, which then falls down toward Bommer. "Daaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Bommer yells. It falls on top of him, kicking up a huge cloud of dust.

"Did I win?" Asks Crow.

Then Bommer roars out of the cloud on his D-Wheel, his life points dropping to 3100.

"That wasn't enough to faze him." Crow thinks to himself. "What? His monster wasn't destroyed?" Crow asks.

"I activated this card before you attacked! The trap card 'Fake Explosion'! When you attacked my monster, this card protected it from destruction! Then I can Special Summon Summon Reactor•SK from my hand!" Says Bommer.

Summon Reactor•SK has 2000 attack points and is a Level 5 monster.

"What? Everything I did improved his status. This is bad. Since he has Trap Reactor and Summon Reactor, the next one will be Spell Reactor•RE. If he gathers all three… he'll summon Flying Fortress SKY FIRE, his ace monster that punished Yusei during the Fortune Cup. If he does that, I'll lose!" Crow thinks to himself. "I have to do something." Crow says.

Meanwhile, Sakura rides down the track somewhere within the sign. "The power of a shadow Riding Duel definitely caused this destruction. That means they are nearby." Sakura thinks to herself. She keeps riding, her new course of action clear, and before a minute has passed, she sees a light up ahead. "Huh? There they are!" Sakura thinks to herself.

"I'm dueling against a non-Signer. Of course I'll win! This duel is mine… Huh?" Asks Bommer. His D-Wheel beeps, and he breaks off to look at it. A camera shows the track behind him, where another rider and D-Wheel are coming up on him fast. The beep must've been some kind of proximity alarm.

"Huh?" Crow asks.

He looks back.

"Sakura!" Says Crow.

"Did you say Sakura?" Bommer asks.

Sakura is smiling, as she rides up beside the duelists. "Crow, it was you?" Asks Sakura. Grim barks, in his form of enthusiasm. Then, Sakura looks over at Crow's opponent, no more smile. "Bommer? Those eyes… Bommer, you can't be…" Sakura says.

"That's right, Sakura. In order to get my revenge against Godwin, I've resurrected with Dark Signer power! Just wait, Sakura! Since you're Godwin's minion, you're also my enemy! After I'm finished with Crow, I'll be bringing you to your father, by any means necessary!" Says Bommer.

Grim's blazing red eyes are now fixed on Bommer, as his fur starts standing on edge. "Bommer… Crow, stop this duel immediately! Let us handle it! The Signers will duel against the Dark Signers!" Sakura says.

"Rrrgh! Sakura, even though this request is coming from you, I can't accept!" Says Crow.

"Hm?" Sakura asks.

"Due to the Dark Signers, all the kids at my home are gone!" Says Crow.

"What?" Sakura asks. She reaches for her head, slightly, the smiles of the little kids, who gathered around Yusei when he visited Crow's hideout, flash through her thoughts, she's seeing them through her brother's memories due to their blood bond. "The children?" Asks Sakura.

"I'll get my revenge! Even you can't stop me!" Crow says.

"Crow!" Says Sakura.

"They were my hope! They were me! My parents died seventeen years ago in an accident." Crow says.

Flashback. Crow as a little kid, seven-years-old, stands alone on a beach of the Satellite, his the only footprints in the sand, staring out at the City. He bears no tracking dye. "For as long as I can remember, I was wandering around Satellite with nowhere to go. I was alone. I had no friends. No one loved me." Says Crow, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Bommer's listening, silently.

"It was pathetic. I always had to search for food and a place to sleep." Crow says.

Sakura and Usagi are also listening, somberly.

Flashback. Trash flows past on a conveyor belt at a dump somewhere in the Satellite. Little Crow walks among the piles of trash, and gasps with delight, runs over to one of them and crouches down, he found his first ever duel card. He picks it up, brushes it off and then searches the ground nearby for more. "But Duel Monsters saved me." Says Crow, in voice-over

Sometime later. Little Crow walks down the street, a card held up in each hand, wide-eyed and innocent.

Then, some big guy approaches him, towering over him and casting a shadow over him. "Hey kid, you got some cards there, thanks." He takes them from him, causing little Crow to fall over and scuff up his elbow a little bit. "Hey, those are mine." Little Crow says. "What are you gonna do about it, shrimpy?" Little Crow's eyes are tearing up and close to running down his cheeks.

"Hey, leave him alone!"

The bully turns and little Crow looks back over his shoulder.

Standing there is Sakura as a little kid, eight-years-old. Even back then, she still has that dark edge to her. Her wavy, raven black, red gradated hair, which is done up in her signature partial twin tail style and tied with black ribbons, falls at her shoulders, no red marking under her left eye and face. Her dark-crimson red eyes as determined and fierce just like they are present wise. As a child, she wore a sleeveless, red shirt, which became looser fitted at the end of it, a black skirt, black tights and red, ankle-length boots. She completes this attire with a small, loose, black infinity scarf wrapped around her neck, and black ribbons are wrapped around her right forearm. Grim, who's nowhere near his current size, only reaching up to Sakura's ribcage, is standing beside her. Regardless of his size, he still looks pretty supernatural-looking.

Little Crow runs over to little Sakura and Grim, hiding behind them.

"What do you want, girlie? You wanna get what he got to?"

"How about I duel you instead?" Asks little Sakura. She activates her duel disk, a smaller version of the one she uses now.

"You'll regret challenging me, girlie."

"You don't have to do this, ya know." Little Crow says. He's still hiding behind little Sakura and Grim, but he's now keeping his distance a little bit.

"I know." Says little Sakura. It only takes one card to take him out. "I summon, Cynder the Black Dragon!" Little Sakura says.

Cynder towers over her, Grim and little Crow. "Cynder, teach this bully a thing or two about messing with innocent kids. Teach him, with Spectral Lightning!" Says little Sakura. Cynder's powerful fire-electricity attack shakes the ground, making little Crow and the bully lose their balance, she stands her ground. Her attack stops, and the bully is freaking out, crying like a little girl. Cynder vanishes and goes back to little Sakura's deck.

"Maybe next time, you shall think twice before messing with innocent kids that are younger and smaller than you." Little Sakura says.

The bully approaches her, but she quickly punches him right in the nose, causing his nose to bleed and she also manages to back-kick him right in the side of the head. When she did that, little Sakura was able to get a hold of little Crow's two cards that he stole from him. "Grim, sick him." Says little Sakura. Grim snarls, bares his teeth and runs straight for him.

The bully then runs off, crying and whimpering like a little girl.

Grim halts and turns back to little Sakura, walking up to stand before her. "Good boy, Grim." Little Sakura says. She hugs Grim close to herself, burying her face and fingers into his messy, black fur.

Little Crow walks up to little Sakura and Grim, slowly, sort of scared to approach them. "Um, hi." Says little Crow. Little Sakura then stops hugging Grim and turns to face him. Little Crow looks down at the two duel cards in her hand. Little Sakura extends her arm out, with the cards in her hand. "Here, take them." Little Sakura says. Little Crow hesitates a little bit, but removes them from her hand, gently. "Are you alright, kid?" Asks little Sakura. Little Crow nods, innocently. Little Sakura smiles, innocently. "Good." Little Sakura says. She then starts walking away, with Grim following at her heels, heading off somewhere.

"Huh?" Asks little Crow.

Little Sakura looks over her shoulder, looking towards him, determined to get him to follow her.

Little Crow takes a few small steps towards her.

Little Sakura has her little smile again and runs off, with Grim running after her.

"Wait!" Little Crow says. He runs after little Sakura and Grim, keeping his distance though, still a little scared of them.

Little Sakura and Grim run further into town, little Crow following after them, catching up to them. She suddenly stops and he then collides into her, making them both fall to the ground. Little Sakura's laughing, this must have been her more joyful days. "Oh, I'm sorry." Says little Crow. "For what? That was fun." Little Sakura says. She stands up and helps little Crow up. Grim comes to stand at little Sakura's side. Little Crow looks at his two cards again, grateful for her help getting them back.

Little Crow looks up from his two cards, suddenly. He, Little Sakura and Grim are surrounded by six kids, all in their elevens and twelves. This doesn't look good. Little Sakura steps in front of little Crow, he stays behind her, not again.

Pause.

The kids laugh, and suddenly look a lot friendlier. Little Sakura's laughing, as well, as if she was in on this. She then steps aside, knowing there's no real trouble. "Show me! What cards do you have?"

Sometime later, a couple of this group of kids duel table-style on the sidewalk between doorsteps, with little Crow, little Sakura, with Grim standing between them, and the other four standing around as spectators. "I never went to school. No one ever taught me. I was a kid who couldn't read, write or do math." Says Crow, in voice-over.

Little Crow's still looking at the two cards he found in the dump, and little Sakura looks over his shoulder, pointing to one of them, most likely teaching him about the card. "But I learned them all from you and Duel Monsters. Creativity, knowledge, wisdom… You and Duel Monsters gave that to me." Crow says, in voice-over. Another kid walks up and leans over little Crow's shoulder, whispering to him behind his hand. "She's the best young duelist there is around here and she's never once lost a duel. So, we've been learning to duel from her. If you want anyone to teach you how to duel, she's the one to learn from." Little Crow's eyes widen, amazed by what he just heard, and moves closer to little Sakura. "So, what's your name?" Asks little Crow. "It's Sakura." Grim suddenly jumps up on little Crow, knocking him over to the ground. "And that's Grim. Sorry, that's just his way of saying hello." Little Sakura says. Little Crow laughs, awkwardly. "Well, it's nice to meet you too, Grim." Says little Crow. Grim licks his face. "Eck!" Little Crow says. Grim gets off of him and moves to sit down at little Sakura's side. Little Crow then sits up and wipes the dog slobber off of his face with his arm.

More and more kids of similar ages appear around him, and finally little Sakura and Grim appear again, with two others well recognized, Jack and Yusei as little kids. Little Jack is nine-years-old, while little Yusei is the same age as little Sakura, eight-years-old. Absolutely adorable, too. Little Jack stands at one side of little Sakura and little Yusei the other, with Grim standing between the two young half-twins. "Even though I had no money or schooling, Duel Monsters gave me friends. Then, through you, I met Yusei and Jack. By that time I realized, I was no longer alone. Duel Monsters were magical cards that freed me from my prison." Says Crow, in voice-over. Little Crow cries with joy, as he jumps into little Sakura's arms, hugging her, with little Jack and little Yusei hugging them, too. Group hug. The flashback ends.

Fade back to Crow himself, grim under his helmet. "There are many kids like me in Satellite." Crow says.

As he speaks, he now has all his marks and he's with his nestlings, little Crow, little Yusei, little Sakura and little Jack laughing together, and little Crow standing on a beach all alone. "I want to share with them what you and Duel Monsters taught me. I want to let them know that they have friends that will help them. I don't want anyone to have to feel how I felt!" Says Crow, in voice-over. The vision ends.

Back to the present. "Crow…" Sakura says.

"But the Dark Signers…" Says Crow.

Flashback/vision, as the dark cloud approaches, the five nestlings stand in the street outside Crow's hideout, too trusting and curious to run for cover, and watch it approach. The flashback/vision ends.

Back to the present. "They turned my hopes into dust! You won't get away with this!" Crow says.

"Bring it, Crow! The darkness in your heart wants revenge!" Says Bommer.

"Stop it!" Sakura says.

"Huh?" Asks Bommer.

"Crow and Bommer, you have to stop! You both have scars on your hearts! So you must understand how the other feels! Bommer! Even if you're a Dark Signer, I know you still care about your hometown!" Sakura says.

Flashback. Bommer, 'Sakiko' and Yusei talk the night before the former and latter's duel on the twins' patio. "When we looked up at the sky to find our future, I know we weren't looking for a battle, Bommer!" Says Sakura, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Then where can we point our anger?" Crow asks.

"Crow! Revenge only creates more revenge! Why can't you understand that?" Asks Sakura.

"My head understands, but my heart doesn't!" Crow says.

"Crow!" Says Sakura.

"Please understand, Sakura! You have kids of your own, right? If it was them, what would you do? We have to fight!" Crow says. He puts a forearm to his visor, wiping his eyes. "If you're my best friend, then watch our duel with your own eyes! Ugh!" Says Crow. He flings his arm backward and tears fly from his hand, hitting Sakura's visor and sliding off with the wind.

She gasps. This is serious. "Crow..." Sakura thinks to herself. "Fine! I shall watch your duel!" Sakura says.

"Sakura..." Says Crow.

"Then let's continue the duel!" Bommer says. He toggles the right-hand accelerator and the jet engines on the back of his D-Wheel kick in.

"Bring it, Bommer!" Says Crow.

And the duel is ready to continue, both players bent on vengeance.

"Here I go! My turn!" Bommer says. He draws. "I summon Spell Reactor•RE from my hand!" Says Bommer.

Spell Reactor•RE has 1200 attack points and is a Level 3 monster. "Then I activate Summon Reactor•SK's effect! Summon Reactor! Spell Reactor! Trap Reactor! I send the three Reactors to the graveyard!" Bommer says.

"Bommer's ace monster is coming!" Says Sakura.

"I Special Summon this monster from my deck! Appear, Flying Fortress SKY FIRE! Ehuhuhuhuheheheheh!" Bommer says.

Flying Fortress SKY FIRE has 3000 attack points and is a Level 8 monster.

"That giant freak appeared!" Says Crow.

"I activate Flying Fortress SKY FIRE's effect. Once a turn, by sending a card in my hand to the graveyard… I can destroy one card on your field." Bommer says.

"Ugh." Says Crow.

"I destroy Mistral the Silver Shield! Sharpshooting!" Bommer says.

SKY FIRE machine-guns Mistral into oblivion.

"Then Flying Fortress SKY FIRE attacks Bora the Spear! Death Air Raid!" Says Bommer.

"Bora the Spear!" Crow says. He toggles his right-grip, barely staying ahead of the force of the explosion. "Mistral the Silver Shield's effect activates! When this monster is destroyed this turn, I take zero battle damage once!" Says Crow. He's safe from the blast.

Sakura, still following behind, breathes a sigh of relief.

"You dodged it. I end my turn!" Bommer says.

"Rrrggh!" Crow growls under his breath. "He's really tough. I can see why Yusei had a hard time against him during the Fortune Cup. If I didn't know Flying Fortress SKY FIRE's effect, I would've taken damage. If I don't do something about it soon, there's no way I can win." Crow thinks to himself. "My turn!" Says Crow. He draws, it's Gale the Whirlwind. "Due to Flying Fortress SKY FIRE's effect… he can destroy my summoned monster or Set card, and I take eight hundred points of damage. I know what I have to do!" Crow thinks to himself. "I summon Blackwing-Vayu the Emblem of Honor in defense position!" Crow says.

Blackwing-Vayu the Emblem of Honor has 0 defense points and is a Level 1 monster.

"It's no use! The instant you summon your new monster, I activate Flying Fortress SKY FIRE's effect! Once during your turn, I destroy your summoned monster, and you take eight hundred points of damage! Death Drop!" Says Bommer.

SKY FIRE bombs Vayu and Crow. The explosion rocks Crow forward so only his front wheel is near the ground, and he takes flight again, flying forward top first. "Waaaaaaa-gh!" Crow yells. He lands on his front wheel, bounces, and at this point is flying toward the flaming wall.

"Crow!" Sakura says.

Crow presses a button on a right-hand grip, and twists a left-hand one to sit vertically. His D-Wheel's wings extend and grate along the sides of the track, kicking up sparks. Crow jumps and lands back on the track, wincing. His life points are down to 2600. "I managed to survive!" Says Crow.

"However, if Crow keeps taking those impacts, his stamina will run out." Sakura thinks to herself.

"The battle is just beginning!" Crow says.

"You don't even have a monster. There's nothing you can do!" Says Bommer.

"No, this was what I was aiming for! Vayu the Emblem of Honor's effect activates! By removing this card and one non-Tuner Monster in my graveyard from play, I can Synchro Summon!" Crow says.

Blackwing-Elphin the Raven is a Level 6 monster.

"Synchro Summon from the graveyard?" Asks Bommer.

"I tune Elphin the Raven and Vayu the Emblem of Honor by removing them from play from the graveyard!" Crow says.

A glowing red symbol projects from Vayu like a shadow. Vayu's one star and Elphin's six begin the dance of a synchro summon. "Black wind, turn into wings that rise to the heavens! Synchro Summon! Blackwing Armor Master!" Says Crow.

Blackwing Armor Master has 2500 attack points and is a Level 7 monster. "When there's a Blackwing monster on my field, I can Special Summon this card from my hand! Come, Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind!" Crow says.

Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind has 1300 attack points and is a Level 3 monster.

"You expected Flying Fortress SKY FIRE to destroy Vayu the Emblem of Honor. That allowed you to Synchro Summon from the graveyard and use a monster effect to have two monsters on your field. But they have less attack points than Flying Fortress SKY FIRE!" Says Bommer.

"Don't underestimate me! Armor Master attacks Flying Fortress SKY FIRE!" Crow says.

"You've lost your mind, Crow! Armor Master will be destroyed because it has less attack points!" Says Bommer.

"We'll see about that! Go, Armor Master! Black Hurricane!" Crow says.

"This strategy is…" Sakura thinks to herself.

The wind clears, Armor Master is still standing, fist-to-front with SKY FIRE.

"Armor Master isn't destroyed?" Asks Bommer.

"Too bad! Armor Master isn't destroyed in battle, and battle damage becomes zero!" Crow says.

"Then what's the point of attacking?" Asks Bommer.

As Armor Master pulls away, he leaves a black splinter sticking in SKY FIRE's main gun turret. It gleams.

"I stuck it with a wedge!" Crow says.

"A wedge?" Asks Bommer.

"Armor Master's effect activates! By removing a Wedge Counter from a monster, its attack and defense points become zero until the End Phase of this turn!" Crow says.

SKY FIRE starts to crack where the counter stuck.

"What?" Asks Bommer.

"Gale the Whirlwind, attack Flying Fortress SKY FIRE!" Crow says.

Gale the Whirlwind attacks, and SKY FIRE starts exploding, blasted out of the sky.

"Noooooooooo!" Says Bommer. He ducks as it explodes, but his D-Wheel is caught in it. It bucks up on its back wheels, spins and donuts, gets passed by Sakura, and finally runs into a pillar of a bridge over the road.

She rides out of the dust, looking back over her shoulder. "Bommer!" Sakura says. She pulls even with Crow.

"How's that, Sakura? Even though I'm not a Signer, I can fight a Dark Signer!" Says Crow.

"Don't let your guard down, Crow! Bommer won't lose that easily!" Sakura says.

Bommer comes hurtling out of the mist, airborne.

Sakura and Crow gasp.

"His D-Wheel's incredible!" Says Crow.

"How dare you, Crow!" Bommer says. His life points fall to 1800.

"With 'Speed World', you lose one Speed Counter for every one thousand points of damage you take at once! Now you can't catch up to me! I set one card and end my turn!" Says Crow.

"If I can't catch up to you, then I'll pull you back to me! My turn!" Bommer says. He draws. "When there are no monsters on my field, I can Special Summon this card from my graveyard!" Says Bommer. He takes it from his graveyard and holds it up, his cheek marker glows purple. "Appear, Dark Tuner Doom Submarine!" Bommer says.

Dark Tuner Doom Submarine has 0 attack points and is a Level 9 monster.

"You summoned a Level Nine monster without paying a cost? I've had enough of your unfair effects!" Says Crow.

"I can do this because I have the power of the afterlife! Then I summon Darksea Rescue!" Bommer says.

Darksea Rescue has 0 attack points and is a Level 1 monster. "Level Nine Doom Submarine dark tunes Level One Darksea Rescue!" Says Bommer.

The two hooded guys rowing the little rescue raft start to look scared, Doom Submarine detaches its periscope tower and its many stars explode from a small bomb or weight. They swirl around the rescue boat, and you've really got to feel sorry for the guys rowing it. They become outlines and the stars gouge and sink into them, altering their very atomic makeup.

"I hear the lament from the depths of darkness! Wear the grim reaper's armor and show yourself!" Bommer says.

The raft explodes, leaving only a circle of dark stars crackling in a crisscross of black electricity. They spin faster and faster, and from the center appears a column of black. Stabs of purple light drop from the sky in a circle that becomes a ring of streaming purple. Something begins to appear out of the clouds.

"Dark Synchro! Appear, Dark Flattop!" Says Bommer.

It's a floating aircraft carrier about half as big as his D-Wheel. Dark Flattop has 3000 defense points and is a Level 8 monster.

"Dark Flattop…" Sakura thinks to herself.

"Just because it's big doesn't make it special!" Crow says.