Cat: And let the shipping wars officially BEGIN!

Rena: Yeah, we know how Yu-gi-oh! fandoms work. Thanks to Sora's words (but probably even before then, knowing most people), you'll all be split between Yuya and Yuzu or Yuzu and the Dark Duellist.

Cat: WE SHALL TRY TO REMAIN NEUTRAL THROUGHOUT THIS FIC!

Rena: So, please review.

Cat: This story is in Yuzu's POV. Please give me some artistic licence. If i put some stuff that isn't in the anime in here, don't flame. There would be no point in reading, if it was just the anime in words.

Chapter 18- Twin Shadow of Rebellion

Learn Fusion, I said. It'll be cool, I said.

"I activate the Magic Card: Fusion from my hand!" I announced, showing Sora the card, even though he was much more familiar with it than I was. "I'm fusing Aria the Melodious Diva and Sonata the Melodious Diva!"

Slamming it on the disk, I watched as my monsters turned into two base colours and begin to fuse when-

Error.

"Why did the error pop up!?" I panicked. "Why didn't it summon my fusion monster!?"

I think I could finally relate to Yuya and his failure of Pendulum summoning after he first revealed it. I felt really worked up, not understanding.

"Hey, did you remember to put it in your extra deck?" Sora sounded muffled as he chewed his lollipop without holding the handle, so it stuck vertical.

Extra? Oh, does it go there?

"I've told you a ton of times that Fusion Monsters go in your Extra deck, not your deck!" Sora sighed, as I yanked my deck out of the disk sheepishly and found the purple card in the middle of all the monsters, spells and traps.

Today was not my day that was for sure.

In the end, we gave up on the duel because I was completely zoning out and I leaned against a metal container and sighed. Sora sat on top, staring down at me, playing with his empty lollipop stick.

"I could have beaten them easily without fusion but I went ahead and did it just so you could study it properly!" Sora complained from up high, swinging his legs and looking down on me. I cast my gaze to the ground. I felt terrible, in more ways than one.

Firstly, I knew that I should be extremely grateful to have Sora as my teacher. He's a very skilled fusion summoner and was very reluctant to teach me. I probably wouldn't get anyone better. But I just couldn't concentrate.

Secondly, my mind was such a mess, I felt ready to vomit. Charming, I know, but true.

"Sorry," I whispered, as Sora landed perfectly on his feet beside me.

"I bet you were thinking of him again, weren't you?" Sora asked me, his face inches from mine. "I knew it!" he said, as I blushed slightly.

Why the hell am I blushing!? I screamed inwardly. Sora's talking like I have a crush on him not like he's been attacking LDS members!

"So, who is he?" Sora asked, folding his arms behind his head and facing away.

What, does he think I know?

"I don't know…" I shook my head. It wasn't as if I had asked that to myself a thousand times already. But I was convinced that, if this Yuya-look-alike wasn't Sakaki Yuya, I didn't know him.

"His name?" Sora demanded.

Now, how am I supposed to know that, if I don't know him? I wanted to ask but I just answered with the same words. "I don't know…"

"You said it was the second time that you had met him like that?"

"Yeah, the first time was here as well…"

"And that's how he went and stole your heart, then?" I could sense Sora smirking.

What!? He thinks I like him!?

No way!

No way, no way, no way!

Never in one million years!

"That's not what I'm-" I barked, blushing furiously at the accusation.

"I'm pretty excited myself too, though," Sora interrupted, still staring at the sky, away from me. "After all, he seems like a pretty interesting guy," he turned and gave me an unreadable expression.

"No, you can't duel him!" I gasped, as Sora explained that is Kotsu Masumi hadn't butted in, he could have duelled him.

"Why?" Sora asked, as he munched on the chocolate he had pulled out of his blazer.

"Because…" I struggled to find the words to describe him, picturing him and his XYZ dragon. "He's dangerous… Outside of an Action Field created by the Real Solid Vision System, in that warehouse out of nowhere… Why was he able to create actual shock waves?"

"And, on top of that, why…?"

"I don't want you to get hurt anymore…"

"Why would he say that to me?" I stared at the sky, realising that it would be a long time until my questions were answered, if they were answered at all.

Suddenly, bright pink light began enveloping my vision.

No way. Not again. Was he close?

"The bracelet, again!" I shouted to Sora, who could see it clearly anyway. Then, it stopped.

"I knew you'd be here!" a familiar voice called from behind me.

"Yuya…" I said.

"Hey, Yuzu, can't you come back to Duel School already?" Yuya began walking towards us. "I'm getting tired of the principal asking me every day…"

"My bracelet glowed," I said weakly, falling to my knees and staring up at the sky. Why? Why? The masked duellist hadn't been around when it glowed this time. Only when Yuya showed up. Was it some kind of Yuya detector?

"It… glowed…?" Yuya raised his eyebrow as he stopped in front of me. "Hey, Yuzu, you ok?" He knelt down and extended his hand and helped me up. My legs still felt like jelly and my head swam.

"I'm sorry guys, I… I don't feel so well…" I moaned, clutching my head.

"H-Hey, don't over exaggerate…" Yuya laughed weakly, putting his arm around me as a means of support. "Let's get you home…"

With very few words spoken between us, we began hobbling our way to my house, slowed down by the slow dragging of my feet as I forced them to keep moving and not cave out from under me again. Yuya stared over at me with a worried expression as I stumbled and lurched, the only reason I didn't collapse was because of his arm holding me upright. Sora walked on my other side, sucking a new lollipop and gazing in the distance, in deep thought.

"Principal is going to love this…" Yuya groaned.

After I had been deposited at my house to my very confused and concerned father, Yuya and Sora left, walking back to Yuya's house. I lay in my bed for an hour, feeling terrible. Stress and anxiety were probably the cause of this 'illness' I bet I wasn't actually coming down with anything serious.

But try telling my dad.

He fussed over me and didn't give me a moment's peace. Normally I would be grateful, but he was making my headache worse. I sat on the sofa and stared at the ceiling, trying not to think. Thinking hurt more than hitting my head against a wall. So I sat, as stupid as a single-celled amoeba until I felt my energy return.

Finally, I felt brave enough to stand and move about. Thoughts plagued my mind and tried to confuse me but I smothered them with sheer will. I was fine. I wasn't ill.

Then, I remembered the promise I made in the morning. If the bracelet ever glowed again, I would lock it away. I instantly thought of my desk but I realised that wasn't safe enough. Wood could be broken and I would have to use that drawer for other things.

I needed something strong. Something safe. Like… A safe.

"Hey Dad," I stood behind the sofa, calling him in from the kitchen. "Do we have a safe in this house?"

He blinked. "A safe? Like, to lock things in? Errr… No. At least, I've never seen one in here."

"Well, if that's the case, can I buy one?"

"Well, a good quality one can be very expensive and a cheap one is pretty useless. Besides, what would you want to put in there anyway?"

"I… I want to… put something in it…" I said lamely, gripping my bracelet tightly with my other hand.

"Like what?" he stared at me suspiciously. "I promise I've not been reading your diary, or whatever…"

"I don't write a diary," I snapped. "I just need to keep something safe…"

"Yeah, and I'm asking you what. I'm not going to buy an expensive container for something silly, like your pocket money or something," he folded his arms and giving me a look that demanded a straightforward answer.

"Well…" I racked my jumbled brain for an excuse to lock up the bracelet. I couldn't tell him about the glowing and the masked guy and Yuya and all that's been going on. But nothing was coming to mind. "Y'see… I was duelling Sora by the pier and my bracelet fell off my hand and nearly fell in the sea…"

"Uh huh…" My dad raised his eyebrow.

"I was lucky that it, um, didn't roll into the water, it just… rolled and stopped at the side. It was inches away. And you know how special it is, so…"

"Hold on, you want to buy a safe because your bracelet nearly fell in the sea?"

"Y-Yeah! Is there some kind of problem?" I tried to keep the acid from my tone as I demanded what the problem was.

"I do understand that it's precious, Yuzu. I mean, you've had it since you were born but… Can't you just leave it in your room? I'm sure it's safe there-"

"No! I need a something strong to stop it- stop it from getting lost," I bit down on my tongue. I was about to say 'to stop it glowing!'

"Look, honey. I think you're overreacting…"

"No, dad, really. I'll pay for it as much as I can but-"

"We're not buying a safe, Yuzu, that's just ridiculous!" He shook his head, sighing. "Look, you've not been feeling well. You just need to lie down-"

"Stop joking around with me!" I shouted, feeling extremely irritated.

"I keep telling you," my dad indicated with his hands to keep it down, so I wouldn't disturb the neighbours. "You've had it since you were born!"

"In what world does a baby come out with a bracelet stuck on their wrist!?" I wailed. Why was he not listening?

"No, it's not like it was on your wrist then…" he held his hands up, trying to calm me down.

That's not the point! I screamed inwardly. I was fed up. I wasn't getting anywhere with him. I was just going to have to lock it in my desk until I had enough to lock it away in a strong safe. I stormed upstairs and slammed the door, resting on the cool wooden surface. I could hear my dad following me up, not finished.

"More importantly," he called through the door. "I've heard you've been getting fusion lessons from Sora…"

Is that all he cares about? This is not 'more important'! He began demanding why I wasn't attending the duel school and if I didn't like his teaching. I just sighed and leaned away, not answering. The masked duellist's face appeared before my eyes and I sighed.

"Why do I keep seeing his face?" I wailed, shaking my head, trying to fling it out. But it stuck like it had been taped over my eyes. It was all I could see.

I dramatically flopped on my bed and stuffed my face in my pillow. "Even though I need to master fusion summoning as fast as possible to get stronger… If I'm like this… No matter how hard I try, I'm just going to be a liability for You Show Duel School…"

My gaze lingered straight ahead of me, seeing but not processing what I saw, then shifted to the metal bands on my arm. A sudden rage filled me.

What had I done to deserve this? Why me? Why now? Just, why?

Well, it won't glow if it's broken.

I raised it above my head, about to fling it down full force on the wooden floor boards of my bedroom. It would shatter into a million pieces and, if it didn't, I would do it again and again and again until it did.

But I couldn't do it.

I crashed to the ground, holding it between my two hands, squeezing it tightly.

"What's wrong with me?"

Cat: So, review if you can, tell me what you think!

Rena: So guys, YuzuXYuya, YuzuXDark Duellist, or none of the above? ;)