Hey, people! So, just a heads-up before the chapter begins, two of the cards featured will be ones of my own creation.
Here's a bit of info about them beforehand:
1) Little Leo - Level Four, 1300 Attack Points, Beast Monster
2) Amos, Lion of the Skies - Rank Four, 2100 Attack Points, Winged Beast/XYZ/Effect Monster
Special Ability: Roar of the Pride - By using one Overlay Unit, and decreasing their attack strength by 1000, this monster can attack an opponent directly. Attack Points return to normal total at the end of the turn.
Their appearances will be detailed in the action itself.
Feel free to tell me what you think; read on and be happy!
A new hour leans closer towards the evening of this, the Second Day of the World Duel Carnival Preliminaries, and our view casts over to a seemingly abandoned metal dome building that was once part of an unknown factory...
Inside, we find a very large pack of dogs varying from strays to wayward pets gathered in front of a big blue crate, growling and snarling in anticipation for the one dog with dark blue/cream white fur (possibly a Blue Heeler) standing above them to give the order to disperse...
A howl is released, before that canine leaps off the crate in front of the rest to lead the charge out of the gutted building.
...
"Whoa, sounds like Cas and I missed alot while we were in the hospital recoverin' from that damn Quattro's dirty duel. Now I feel real glad that I saw him home before comin' to meet you guys here."
We now pan over to one of the city's main park complex areas, as Jamal catches up with his friends Athena, Astral, Tiffany and Flip on recent events while he was in recovery. Other than sporting a bandage on his left cheek and around his left elbow, along with forgoing his green button shirt since it got scuffed up during his last duel (exposing his white t-shirt branded with the Red-Eyes Black Dragon image), the young male with olive coco-brown skin looked like he was doing well.
His expression is currently set in serious mode, mind you, as he processes the new information conveyed by his only friend remaining in the Duel Carnival, from what happened aboard the airship to the most recent two-on-one match she had with Nistro and Dextra...which wasn't the only battle she'd be participating in during the time...
"So, not only did you have another brief run-in with that creep Trilos after the airship freakout, but you also got into a fight with Number 96 inside the key, while you were duelin' those regulators to keep Flip from facing some super gnarly consequences for cheating?"
At the same time the brunette boy with green glasses would laugh through his teeth with a nervous smile as Jamal give him a knowing smile-glare, the girl wearing the white tube top under her signature black leather jacket nods in confirmation.
"That's pretty much the short version of it."
"...Geez, you can't catch a break, can ya, kid?"
Athena shrugs with a somewhat wry and bitter smirk,
"'parrently not."
Stepping closer so there was but a foot or so of air between the two, Jamal then asks while placing a protective hand on the girl's shoulder,
"You, are okay after that inner ordeal, right, you and Astral? From the sounds of it, Black Mist was trying to surge his darkness into you two..."
Blowing out a small puff of air, Athena nods a little numbly but assuredly.
"I'm managing, as is he. (Looks at Astral) We're mostly just glad to be back outside the Key again."
The being with blue skin bops his head in agreement, and the boy with olive-coco skin removes his palm while replying,
"Well, alright, if you're sure...But if you guys need to talk about anything later, don' hesitate to speak up."
"Right."
A pregnant pause comes to hover over the group...before the other girl with the black bob of hair and lime green halter top under a baby blue vest suddenly crosses her arms and purses her lips while thinking aloud,
"That aside, what's really puzzling me right now is how Nistro and Dextra could possibly know about Astral World. The only person I can think of who has that kind of knowledge and hasn't been a friend to us...is Kite."
The four humans and one Astral World being stiffen simultaneously at the mention of the Number Hunter, before Athena goes into her own train of thought over the new details laying atop that invisible table.
"Well, those two were using Photon Monsters, the same type that he uses, so there's a connection there...And Nistro and Dextra both work for the mayor of our grand city...I wonder..."
Flip cuts into the red-eyed teen's cognitive rail line with a question.
"Hang on: you're not thinkin' that Mister Heartland somehow knows about Astral and his homeworld, are ya?"
"I am...I remember during the day before this tourney began: he looked abnormally interested in my pendant...And while Kite may not admit it directly, I can see that he's not doing what he's doing purely for his own agenda, rather, for a higher-up unknown to us...until now."
Athena dips her face back up straight to look at the other four in the eyes.
"You guys remember when Mister Kay helped us track down Kite to that warehouse?"
"Uh-huh..." "Yeah..."
"Yep." "Yes."
"Who'd the teach' identify as the owner of that warehouse?"
...A wave of realization washes over the young souls.
"Mister Heartland!"
"Exactly."
Jamal forms a frown as he begins wondering aloud,
"But if that's all true...then what the heck does Heartland want?"
The shorter male with the D.A.-styled brown hair reasons,
"Probably the same thing alot of people have been going after: the Number Cards...Uh! So that would mean, (looks at Athena) your suspicious vibe was right all along, Addy. There is something happening on the flip side of this Carnival!"
"Told ya. My gut's never lied to me before...But I'm not gonna start a panic session over this gathered info. That just won't do at all."
A small smirk curves onto the blackette's lips as she concludes,
"I'm not the kind of person who backs down easy if I can help it. I'll just need to act like I have eyes in the back of my skull from here onward, so I don't get caught completely by surprise."
Her friend with the aqua green irises forms a smile and nudges a fist against her upper arm in a friendly mock punch.
"That's the right attitude, bud, 'specially since now that Flip's out of the tourney, you're, or, should I say, (glances at thin air) you and Astral are the last competitors still in it for Number Seekers Anonymous."
Tiffany and Flip emit the lightest of groans from hearing that familiar secret club name, but with smiles on their faces all the while...
"Jamal is correct."
Athena pivots around to look up at Astral, who then says,
"Only the very best duelists now remain, Athena...and so..."
"(Nod) Right. I gotta be at my par to keep us in the running."
The girl with cornflower blue irises suddenly remembers,
"Oh! Wait wait! Addy and Astral aren't our only friends still competing in the Carnival."
"Tiffany's right."
Everyone jumps and spins around to where the bench nearest to their proximity was, spotting noneother than Caden Katherine, a small but somewhat prideful smile on his face as he sat on the polished wood. His clothes, much like Caswell, hadn't changed since the first day, still comprised of the gray dress-shirt with matching skinny jeans, a fake sandy-brown tail spotted with gray peeking out from around the tailbone area, a sandy-brown undershirt, the black collar choker with a silver star charm, and black-gray high-top converses.
Uncrossing his arms, which displayed those gray gloves with the sharp, white claw-like nails, he rose to his feet and started a walk over to the group.
"I've managed to avoid getting knocked out of the tournament."
"Oh! Cade, hey!" "Caden!"
"Good ta see ya, dude!"
Jamal then asks,
"How far along have you come completing your Heart Piece?"
"See for yourself."
Caden pulls out his special tournament ante, displaying two jewel fragments in the left side.
"It's not as much as I would've liked, but still, it's something."
Athena nods and replies encouragingly,
"Hey, I call that progress. (Wry smile) Mind you, you're gonna have to step on it a little if you wanna reach the finals. (Pulls out her Heart Piece) As you can see, I've been lucky - or unlucky - enough to be a magnet for trouble and having people coming after me."
"Yes, I've been keeping tabs through my purrfect sources on what's been going on with my friends. (Worried smile) Sounds like no one wants to leave you alone for even an hour or two."
"Keh, I wish I could get that long of a break!"
The two teens laugh a little, sharing an exchange of mirth and, friendly endearment...the latter half the expressions causing a bristled feeling to rise in the blue-skinned being.
Hm, here is once more: this unpleasant sensation in my chest...
They are but just friends, (very light glare) yet still. Why am I not comfortable with these moments of, affection, between Athena and Caden?
Little time would be given to this familiar question of Astral's, when suddenly, a little red-brown Shiba Inu comes leaping between the two teens on his mind, and snatches up Athena's Heart Piece between its teeth!
"Auh, hey!"
The small dog does not slow upon landing from its jump, running off with four other canines for who knows, much to the victim's dismay.
"What the hell?! Come back here, ya mutts! Heel!...Urgh!"
As the girl grips her copper red-tipped black plait of hair with a frustrated groan, Flip comments,
"Looks like the only command those mutts follow is Fetch."
As Jamal shoots the shorter boy a pointed expression, Tiffany asks aloud in worry,
"What'll you do, Addy?! Without those Heart Pieces-"
"I know; I can kiss my spot in the finals goodbye!...Okay, okay, can't work myself into a tissy; I need to think..."
Seeing his more treasured friend fighting against the tides of despair made Caden's heart ache...so he would quickly decide to offer his own special brand of assistance. Forming a determined expression, he spins around to face one direction of the path through the park, before letting out a very loud feline call to arms!
"Mrraaaaooooooow!"
His outcry bounced off the walls of the many city buildings throughout Heartland, reaching the ears of several cats from his clouder of feline friends. They do not hesitate to heed the call, and hurry to where their human companion was. Caden's friends would be awed by the sudden appearance of more than a dozen cats standing before them.
"Whoa..." "Huh?"
"Where'd these guys come from?"
"Cade...did you make a cavalry call or somethin'?"
Smiling the slightest, the boy with sharp brown irises replies to Jamal,
"Something like that. They're my friends from the animal world who've been with me for a long time."
He kneels down to pet the one cat with light blue fur and that little gold ring on its tail, before straightening up with a more serious frown on his face.
"And I called them here to help get back what those dogs just stole."
Brandishing out a single arm, Caden then rings out a strong feline growl, giving the dozen or so true cats the order to start tracking down the canine thieves...Watching them go for a second, he then turns to add with an almost sheepish smile and tiny blush,
"I don't know exactly how, but, I've just had this ability to communicate with cats for as long as I can remember."
Tiffany compliments,
"It's certainly a unique ability, that's for sure."
"Thank you...Now, we wait."
It would be about twenty minutes...before a few of the cats sent out for the search would return with good news.
"Ah, prefect. They found the hideout of those dogs...Let's go!"
So with Caden and his main feline friend leading the charge, the small group of teens would run all the way to that abandoned factory building posted outside the bulk of the city near the river...
Wandering through the rusty doorway now, Jamal comments,
"Seems a little dingy for a hideout...Hang on, wasn't this place an old manufacturing plant at some point?"
Athena replies,
"Yeah, I think it mass-produced tires or something else to do with cars. Terry would know a little more; one his auto classes did a field trip down to this area once...Hm?"
Her ears then pick up on the sound of several canine growls melded into a single entity, and looks forward to meet the several pairs of irises belonging to the roughly two dozen dogs of that pack from earlier...
"Uuuh, alright, we found 'em...Now how'do we get back Addy's Heart Pieces without becoming a pile of chew toys?"
Caden replies to Flip while moving to the red-eyed girl's left side,
"By making our own stand and showing our own prowess."
In which case, the boy in the cat-themed garb was referring to the much larger mass of felines that made their way into the factory building, who growled and hissed at the snarling dogs...
"We don't have to worry. These mongrels are just acting tough."
Tiffany shifts closer to Jamal's side as she inquires with a nervous stutter,
"Y-Y-You sure about that? Those rows of teeth say otherwise..."
"He's sure."
"Mm?"
Eyes fall on Athena's form, she overlooking the dogs with a calmer air similar to Caden's when she connects this grandstand to events she was more familiar with.
Putting aside the obvious species difference, their overall behaviour's not too far off from the unruly young guns I once knew at the Fallen Stars...
The tough talk was all show so they're not seen as weak...which is exactly the intent of these mutts.
Caden then calls out,
"Now roll over like good little pups, and give Addy back her Heart Pieces!"
The dogs just growl a little more...until a new voice cuts in.
"Make way for the pack leader!"
The defensive aggression immediately drops from the canines, making way for a new level of collective nerves...directed towards a rather large chocolate brown Shepard, whom had a scar running down his right eye, and wore a strange barrel device with two bug red horns at its ends atop his back, held on with a thick white rope tied around his upper torso and around near his neck like a harness.
"Now what's all this about?"
To say that the humans and one being from outside this world were surprised to see a talking canine would be an understatement. Athena and Tiffany exclaim respectively with dumbfounded expressions,
"Gh! That dog can talk?!"
"Since when do dogs know human speech?!"
The Shepard stops in front of the stolen tournament ante:
"What's this here? Someone's Heart Pieces?"
He looks over the other dogs with disdain, quickly putting the story together.
"You stole this, didn't you? You're bad boys. YOU'RE ALLLLL BAD BOOOYS!"
Flinching back from the echo of that very stern and angry scold, Athena then asks aloud,
"Okay, someone mind offering any explanation that can make sense of this?"
Flip was just as confused:
"Yeah, how's that big dog know about Heart Pieces?!"
Calming down, the brown-coat Shepard addresses the strangers in the room.
"I don't typically beg, but in this case, I will. Please, accept my apology for any trouble that my pack may have caused you."
"...Um, whatever, as long as I-"
Athena's interrupted by Caden, who was not quick to accept the 'I'm sorry' from these canines.
"Apologies, you say? How about instead you apologize for not keeping your mutts on a tight leash?!"
"Now now. They've been disciplined, so let's just move on."
"I think not! Your dogs have been causing quite a heavy amount of mischief as of late, and my tolerance has reached its end."
The young male with the custom pageboy haircut points a clawed finger at the little canine that took Athena's Heart Piece in the first place.
"For example, I've caught that Shiba pup stealing steaks and other meats from the local butcher a number of times this past month."
He then directs his pointer to another dog:
"And that pug is making a nuisance of himself with his digging addiction, leaving holes all over where the city is green! It's a twisted ankle hazard waiting to happen!"
Caden's feline companions yowl and hiss in agreement with their human friend, also feeling that their rivals are becoming very cumbersome. The large Shepard, of course, was ready to retort, feeling heavily insulted.
"What? How dare you! Cats are worse than us: they sleep all day, and they scratch up anything they can get their paws on!"
A series of barks, snarls and yowls echo all over the room, banging against eachother like the terribly-played notes of two competing amateur bands, until the rough-toned leader of the canines shouts at them all to cut the noise.
"That's enoooough!...To settle this, we need to have a duel."
Once again, the bystanders of this growing quarrel are thrown into a loop.
"Have a duel?!"
Caden forms a lightly surprised expression...before curving his lips into a smirk and replying,
"An excellent idea."
His friends look at him like he's gone insane, while he ignores them and proposes,
"But if I win, you mongrels must leave Heartland City and never return."
Nodding, the Shepard counters,
"And if I win, then you cats beat it, forrrever!"
Tiffany forms a sad frown at this dispute:
"Aw, what a drag. I like both cats and dogs," and Athena facepalms while grumbling,
"All this bullshit just to get my Heart Pieces back? God help me..."
Astral, whom had been observing the situation in silence, finally makes his opinion known.
"This takes precedence, Athena. Cats and Dogs are age-old rivals. Finally, they have a chance to settle it..."
"Settle what?! This is a load of petty-feely crap, not a war between species!"
The challenge is met anyway regardless of any objecting protests, as Caden pulls out his Duel Monsters equipment at the ready.
"Duel Disk, set to action!"
The Shepard does the same, strapping his own black disk onto his left front leg.
"Duel Disk, get set!"
We see that Caden's gazer was a dark grey with sandy brown spots.
"Duel Gazer, show me the impossible, mreow!"
Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.
The two large opposing parties take the fight to the top of the old factory building, with the dog pack sitting on one side, and the cats, humans and one Astral World being on the other.
"(Both Duelists) Let's Duel!"
Looking back and forth between the Shepard Dog and Caden, Athena then lets out a groan directed to the skies above.
"Uuugh, this is just taking the whole 'raining cats and dogs' phrase way too far. Forget my Heart Pieces for a second..."
She reaches over to gently scratch the head of that blue-furred cat that decided to hop aboard her shoulder.
"I just hope Cade doesn't trip over his own insults while taking down that mutt."
Her brown-eyed friend didn't look worried, and would make his first move with confidence.
"I'll be making the first pounce, if you don't mind! Draw! First, I summon Stray Cat to the field in Attack Mode!"
The Level One monster with 100 points of power rises to the field, much to Athena's confusion.
"Huh? That's a bit of a weak choice to start with..."
"It is, but that may be the plan."
The girl looks over at Astral in further befuddlement, while Caden forms a secretive smile as he peers over the rest of his hand.
Those mongrels will licking their chops to get a piece of my little stray...and when they do, they'll be feeling the blunt end of the switch.
"I then place two cards face-down! Your move, boy, if you got the guts behind those teeth of yours!"
The large canine with the odd apparatus on his back obliges, using his paw to slide a card out in a draw.
"It's time to let the dogs out now!"
The girls in the audience on Caden's side exclaim,
"He can draw too?!"
Jamal and Flip follow them in their own shout of,
"Now I've seen everything!"
"You ain't seen nothin' yet! I summon, Tribulldog!"
The monster rising to the field next was a Level Four with 1200 Attack Points, and harboured the appearance of a bulky dog made from light salmon pink metal and three purple bullseye-like points on its forehead and sides.
"And when Tribulldog is unleashed onto my yard, I'm allowed to summon another one from my hand."
Using his paw, the Shepard slides a card from the ground onto his duel disk, summoning another dog-themed monster similar to the first one, only with a white coat and two out of three bullseyes on its forehead.
"But that's not the only trick I know! Next I play Double Dog! Thanks to this Spell Card, when there are two Tribulldogs in my yard, I can summon another one straight from my deck!"
Athena and Flip note as the third black-coat metal dog rises to the field between the first two,
"Uh oh, that's three Level Fours..."
"Here we go...!"
"I now overlay this threesome of Tribulldogs, aaand, since I have, I can now build the Overlay Network! Which means things are about to get really rrrruff!"
Three streams of orange light go shooting into the red vortex on the battlefield...
"I XYZ Summon, Sumo King Dog!"
This XYZ Monster, Rank Four and with 2600 Attack Points, was definitely a part of the massive variety, making the very ground shake as it rose through the crumbling concrete. Their appearance was actually fairly similar to the Shepard's, only it was made of metal and mirrored that of a black-coated Rottweiler.
"Okay, seriously, how can a dog possibly know how to make that play?! I mean, I get that training can open the doors to some pretty amazing tricks, but still..."
"There is much about the animal kingdom you humans remain in the dark to. Perhaps this is one of those examples."
Athena shoots Astral a look and mutters,
"I dunno if that's suppose to be an insult to my species or not, so I'm just gonna let that one comment pass..."
Sensing the pending charge, Caden feels a little smirk tug onto his lips as he thinks,
That's it, fido, take the bait...and prepare yourself for a flurry of claws.
"Next up, I play the Spell Card, Pooch Party!"
A pair of balloon-like dogs wearing party hats rise on either side of Sumo King Dog, each Level One with no Attack Points to be had.
"This allows me to summon two Pooch Party Tokens out to my yard...And next, I activate the Equip Spell, Dog King! Go!"
The Shepard's XYZ rushes forward, before hopping into the air to attach with a thin-winged jet engine.
"And since Dog King will be joined with Sumo King Dog, my Sumo's Attack Points go up 500 points for every dog in my yard! I've got three, so that's a power boost of 1500 points!"
At that, Sumo King Dog's power rose to settle at a strong 4100! Athena curses,
"Damn, that canine's packin' heat. Cade better have a plan, or he's gonna be taken out in one hit...!"
"And now, gooo! Attack that little stray!...Heh, he's not even gonna see it comin'."
"Oh really? My stray begs to differ."
"Mm?"
Caden holds out his free hand with a knowing smile, and plays a counter.
"I activate the Trap, Cat Confusion! But don't let the title muddle you; I can lay it down easy. Since your monster attacked my little kitty, that attack is negated, and your monster returns to your hand."
The missiles launched from Sumo King Dog begin to fuzz out, but the Shepard didn't seem overly concerned that his attack was failing...or was it?
"I've been more confused chasing my own tail than by that card."
"Uh?"
"I play Sumo King Dog's special ability! Now, by using one Overlay Unit, I can negate, then destroy your Trap Card!"
At that, the XYZ shoots a beam of ringed yellow light straight at the Cat Confusion card, completely obliterates the Trap in an explosion. Astral was impressed and wide-eyed by the smooth counter to the counter.
"That, is an extraordinary ability."
Jamal calls out Caden's name, while the brown-furred shepard chuckles and comments,
"That card's gone to the dogs..."
"Wrong!"
"Whuh?!"
The smoke clears, revealing what appears to be a deep red umbrella with yellow eyes, belonging to a monster with the appearance of a young girl wearing a yellow raincoat with cat ears on the hood, Level Four and with 600 Attack Points.
"Before I took Sumo King Dog's attack, I played my other face-down, Cat Food! This tasty Spell allows me to tribute Stray Cat for Stray Cat Girl, and when she's in Attack Mode, she can't be destroyed in battle."
In other words, the young teen with sharp brown irises was able to escape total annihilation...though with a very low amount of life left.
"What difference does it make? You only have 500 Life Points left. You've been all but declawed! I place one card face-down and end my turn. Now that my turn is over, my Pooch Party Tokens are destroyed."
As soon as those pups popped, Sumo King Dog's attack power dropped down to 3100...
"My turn, then! Hope you're ready to feel a catastrophic strike from my claws, fleabag!"
"Fleabag?! I just had a bath!"
Blowing out an annoyed puff of breath, Tiffany cries out to the duelists,
"Enough with the childish insults! They're getting old!"
Acting like he didn't hear his cornflower blue-eyed friend, Caden swipes out his next card.
"My draw! I'll admit that you knocked some air out of me during that first turn, but I'll show why my felines always land on their feet...I summon forth, Little Leo in Attack Mode!"
This Level Four Monster had 1300 Attack Points, and stood as a young boy just a few years younger than his wielder, wearing a costume of a full-body suit of golden yellow fur with a tail longer than his legs with a brown tuff at the end, short little round ears atop his brown hair, and big cat paw gloves. He lets out a child's imitation of a fierce animal roar, before Caden continues on.
"I then Overlay him with my Level Four Stray Cat Girl, to build the Overlay Network, and XYZ Summon the most proud of all the wildcats...Pounce forth, Amos, Lion of the Skies!"
And the XYZ monster to come spinning up in a soar from the vortex, was a Rank Four with 2100 Attack Points, and held the imposing appearance of a very large, yellow-red furred lion with a prominent dark brown mane, and snow-white wings trimmed with golden amber fur protruding from its back...
The next gesture performed by the feline enthusiast would surprise his audience, when he takes a step forward, then kneels in respect to the beast before him.
"It's been a long time, oh mighty Amos...I humbly thank you for coming to help me in this duel."
...The enormous cat dips his head to the young man with sandy brown/grey hair in acknowledgement to the show of respect, prompting raised brows from Jamal and Flip.
"Uuh, alright then..."
"Here's somethin' else you don't usually see happening in a duel."
Tiffany would turn her head Athena's direction to ask,
"Is it normal to interact with duel monsters like this?"
Watching her friend currently doing battle, and recalling her own similar instances with a certain smaller but still very strong XYZ monster, the girl with red irises smiles a little and replies simply,
"...It can be."
Getting back to the duel, Caden will have straightened back up to add onto his latest plan.
"Next comes the Equip Spell, Catnip Turbine! This card allows me to increase the Attack Points of one of my cat monsters by 1200 points, giving Amos all the more strength he needs to tear apart your Life Points!"
A tornado of silver vine leaves comes streaming onto the field to circle the large, white-winged lion, the scent forcing a loud purr of satisfaction to rumble from his throat before covering it with an even louder roar, his power increasing to 3300! The brown-eyed boy's smirk falters a little as he adds,
"Unfortunately, due to Turbine's effect, my fierce friend won't be able to sink his teeth into your Sumo King."
Scoffing, the Shepard inquires with a mocking tone and laugh,
"So then what's the point? It's useless to you!"
Caden's upturn of mouth stretches again:
"Oh? Think again...I now activate Amos, Lion of the Skies's special ability! By using one Overlay Unit, and decreasing his power by 1000, I'm able to attack you directly!"
"That big cat can what?!"
"Go, Amos! Attack that dog directly with Roar of the Pride!"
The XYZ monster charges forward before letting out a near earth-shattering roar, its jaws releasing a striking yellow ring of energy to go blasting through the air and hit the talking dog hard, taking his Life Points down to 1800 Attack Points!
"Alright Cade, wayda hit 'im hard!"
Said boy felt a slight blush tickle his cheeks in flattery from hearing Athena's cheer, before he focuses on finishing up his turn.
"I end my turn with two face-downs...which also means Amos's strength returns to normal. (Small smirk) Hope you liked that taste of the wildcats, mutt."
"Grrh, you'll be feeling the bite of the hound as this duel goes on! No way I'm gonna roll over and keep taking this!"
...
As threatening and confident that retort may have been, it would lose its fire when we get a closer look at the Shepard's back...and see the true conveyer of these canine-themed sentences, in the form of a little girl with pink hair styled in a short bob with bangs customized to look like big, floppy ears framing her light ivory complexion, aqua blue eyes, wearing a pastel yellow/pink striped dress with a white kerchief tied over the collar, a white pompom tail, soft brown boots, and a light brown boater hat!
"You hear me?! I'll make ya sorry!"
...
The bystanders in the middle of the cat clouder exclaim in shock (save Astral),
"Where'd she come from?!"
Caden meanwhile, could only drop his jaw speechless...Noticing that the spotlight was now on her, the little girl with the dog-like features makes a few sounds of anxiety before ducking behind the big dog's back...
"Well...this would certainly explain the so-called 'talking dog' bit."
Flip looks at Athena incredulously for quickly switching to a nonchalant attitude about the new revelation.
"Really? That's your takeaway?! Did you not see that girl pop out of the barrel?!"
"My eyes are working fine, thank you very much!"
Walking over as a group so they were standing by Caden (who puts the AR on pause), Tiffany concludes,
"So this means she was dueling the entire time and not the Shepard."
Astral hums and comments,
"Interesting. So it is possible to train an animal to stand in for a duelist..."
Tilting her head slightly in confusion with a furrowed brow, his human dueling partner mutters,
"Only question is why?"
Caden would be the one to take the necessary steps for answers, crouching a little so he met this mysterious pinkette's irises with his own.
"Uhm, hi there...What do you go by?"
Keeping most of her form behind the Shepard, she mumbles,
"...-ip."
"I'm sorry, say that again?"
"...Pip."
Frowning a little at how timid her voice sounded compared to earlier through what's understood as a voice modulator, Caden decides to push a little further.
"Kindly speak up so we can all hear you."
Forming an irritated expression, the small girl obliges rather brashly, her soft, feminine tone getting lost in the fake, rough male voice again.
"I said my name's Pip! Is that loud enough?!"
Then upon realizing what she just did, Pip's face erupts into a very embarrassed blush before ducking back behind her Shepard dog companion...
"Thank you. Now then, Pip, could you please explain to us why exactly you're posing as a dog?"
"...That's easy."
Moving back out into view again, the pinkette shyly but clearly makes her case.
"You see, dogs are the most loyal animals there are, and loyalty is super-duper important to me...because you can't always count on people. They can be mean...But I can always count on my dogs. In fact, that's how I learned to duel in the first place."
She glances over at the big brown Shepard dog:
"Roscoe and I would practice on the beach all day long. That's how he learned to draw cards, and how he learned to make sense of the cards he saw. We became a team!"
Raising a brow, Jamal thinks to himself in half amusement,
I guess you really can teach an old dog new tricks after all...
"And since I didn't want to be hurt by any mean people, well...I just thought, it'd be easy, to keep on dueling other people as a team too. That's when, I started hiding in the barrel and using this phony deep voice."
"...Not all people have dark hearts."
"Hm?"
Pip looks up to see Caden giving her a firm look, and he argues back,
"Humanity does have its faults, but we do understand what it means to be loyal. You would know that too if you hadn't chosen to hide in the shadows of your Shepard."
The pinkette whimpers and shuffles closer to Roscoe, causing the older teenage boy to shake his head in disappointment.
"There you go again, letting your anxiety get the better of you."
Athena's mouth forms into a frown at this exchange of attitudes, also not appreciating the meekness.
"Caden's got a point."
"I wouldn't bother, Addy. Based on the barking of her pack, Pip's mind is reserved to her current ways."
"Hm, and you're not wrong. I don't see her standing on her own two feet in the coming future, dueling or otherwise."
The barking and yapping starts to increase, making Pip whimper even more from the social pressures...
"Well, what're you waiting for, Pip?"
"Go back in the barrel!"
She snaps her aqua blue irises back up to meet that of the sharp brown and ember red.
"No, you're both wrong!"
"If we're wrong, then prove it to us, by not hiding anymore!"
"Show some courage like the wolves your pack descends from!"
Pip's eyes begin shining with tears, unsure of what to do...until a sharp bark from Roscoe catches her attention, and she looks up her right to see him staring at her intently...He nods, sending the message that it was time for the 'younger pup' to stand tall on her own, and she in turn would form a nervous but somewhat firm frown, clenching her fist determinedly.
Alright...I'll do it!
"Duel Disk, set!"
She then shifts the paused AR duel's focus to her own gazer.
"We're ready to gooo!"
Smirking a little, Caden unfreezes the action as his friend move back out of the way to stand with the cats again.
"As are we."
The cats and dogs jeer at one another once more, and Astral comments more to himself,
"Simply amazing. A duel that was about dogs and cats, is now about a little girl coming out of her shell."
Glancing up at the blue-skinned being, Athena quirks back through their telepathic link,
Yeah, this makes alot more sense than the loser getting their animal buddies booted out of the city...Besides, there'd be a major cause of alarm from Heartland's citizens if all the cats or dogs suddenly ran out for good.
Very true.
Pip's voice cuts into their realm of conversation as she takes the first steps to dueling on her own.
"It's my turn now! I Draw! First, I play a Spell Card, one that's gonna make you howl! Go, Raise the Woof! Now, since I have no Level Three or above monsters in my yard, I'm allowed to summon four Woof Tokens!"
These Level One monster tokens were different than the Pooch Party Tokens, harbouring an appearance similar to mini Dachshunds.
"And with more dogs in play, Sumo King Dogs gains more Attack Points! 2000, thanks to my Dog King's effect! Now Sumo, rise to the air, and attack Amos, Lion of the Skies!"
The 5100-strengthened XYZ Monster floats upward on the wings of its jet engines, and readies to fire its rockets...
"I play my Trap, Gold Coins for Cats! Because you aimed to attack Amos, half of your monster's Attack Points are added to his total!"
So now the winged lion's strength rested at 5850, making Caden's victory assured...in theory.
"I play Sumo King Dog's special ability! Now, by using one Overlay Unit, your Trap's effect will go bye-bye!"
With Gold Coins for Cats taken out in one blast of power, Amos would be left growling in indignation as his boost disappears and his Attack Points drop back down to 3300, making him weaker than Sumo King Dog! Athena curses through her teeth, and Tiffany mutter with a worried frown,
"What will Caden do now? Without that power boost, Amos will be taken down."
"Not quite, Tiffany."
"Hm?"
She looks over at the boy of topic, who was smirking rather than cringing.
"You see, I expected such a move from that giant mutt, but here's the thing: Sumo may be able to stop Traps, (grin) but he can't stop Spells."
Pip forms an expression of worried surprise, and Caden activates his second face-down.
"Go, Counter Meowsure! Since you destroyed one of my Traps, I can retaliate by destroying a Trap or Spell on your field, and the Attack Points of my monster are doubled for the rest of this turn!"
"Doubled?! Oh no!"
"Now, which card...Let's go with Dog King, and reduce Sumo King's power back to 2600! Meanwhile, Amos will be roaring up to 6600...Need I explain the situation any further?"
Pip winces, feeling much smaller and in the dark than before.
...He's right. I'm gonna lose. Guess I should've never come out of that barrel.
Guess I should've stayed away from people...
She's interrupted out of her negative thoughts when Roscoe nudges her with his snout, and they look eye-to-eye for a moment, before Pip looks down again, feeling ashamed that she was feeling ready to give up already...
"Eyes forward, Pip!"
"Hm?!"
Aqua blue irises meet that sharp brown, and Caden asks,
"Or are you prepared to surrender that quickly?"
She lets out a small yelp, before holding a hand over her heart with another nervous whimper...
"You better not be throwing in the towel, kid!"
Eyes turn to Athena, who was looking at Pip with a glare that wasn't antagonizing, but rather, reflected the hardness of a no-nonsense teacher.
"Winning and Losing are not the focus points of this match. This is about finishing what you started...Keep dueling to the end no matter the outcome, Pip!"
Sensing her friend's intent, Tiffany smiles and calls,
"Yeah, she's right, Pip! Don't quit now when you've come this far!"
Smirking knowingly, the girl with the copper red-tipped black plait adds,
"You were talkin' about Loyalty earlier, right? If it's truly that important to you, then affirm your own loyalty with your cards as your pack does with you."
...Pip looks down at her deck, then at the face-down on the field, before feeling the words sink in and her worries wash away from her facial expression.
"You're right...I've got to stay loyal! There's still some fight left in this dog!"
She turns to her pack of dogs with a smile:
"And I know there's still some fight within all of you!"
The canines, Roscoe included, all howl in unison, showing that they believed in their human leader...
"I play my Trap Card, Superior Howl! With this, by destroying one of my Equip Spells, I can return all monsters on the field to their original Attack Points."
At that, Sumo King Dog's total remains on 2600, while Amos, Lion of the Skies holds himself strong to the current of wind blown his way as his Attack Points dropped back to their original 2100...Yet, Caden wasn't worried, smiling in fact for his opponent's return of courage.
"Well, little pup, it seems you're about to have your dog's day...I commend you."
"Now goooo, Sumo King, attack Amos!"
So with no more cards left in Caden's arsenal to protect his monster, the winged lion would be charged at by the giant metal Rottweiler, both exchanging a brief fight of swiping front paws, before the latter monster strikes the muzzle of the former hard, making them fly towards the ground and bust apart in a cluster of pixels! The impact would blast further backwards to the boy with sandy-brown/gray hair, who lets out a yell as his last 500 Life Points are eliminated, he tumbling back in a stone's hop to the hard roof floor...
"Huh? I won?"
The shock lasts for a few more seconds, before Pip lets out a little giggle and jumps with a fist-pump to the air, happy and proud of her accomplishment.
"Yaaay!"
On the other side of the fading AR field, Caden struggles to get up into a sitting position, his cats coming to circle him. He shares a smile of assurance with the one with blue fur and the gold ring on its tail, knowing that this loss was more of a win...
"You alright there, tiger?"
"Hm?"
Pivoting his head left, he sees Athena reaching a hand towards him with a small smirk...before forming a similar expression and grasping the offered appendage.
"Yeah, I'm good."
...
The whole mass will then have moved off the roof and out of the abandoned factory building, over towards the grassy incline leading to the upper level sidewalks. By this time, the sun had began its slow dip from the sky, its rays starting to cast a rosy orange hue over the blue...
"I used to think that only a dog could be my best friend...but now I know better."
Pip holds out Athena's stolen Heart Piece to the latter, who takes it while replying a bit kindly,
"I imagine you do. Thanks..."
"Pip?"
Eyes turn to Caden, who kneels a little to present his own World Duel Carnival ante to the little girl.
"These are for you."
"What? But, they're yours...!"
"Correction: they were mine, until you won our little match."
"...Really?"
"Truly, Pip."
Taking the Heart Pieces with astonishment still written on her face, Pip watches as her previous opponent turns attention to their other species friends.
"Cats and Dogs may have their differences, but underneath, there's alot more similarities that can make for becoming good friends...We're all the same, really."
"Hm?"
"I used to have the same problem as you. I thought that people we're completely unknowable, especially for a shy soul like mine."
He steals a glance at Athena before adding,
"But thanks to the duel I had with a certain girl with a battered but strong heart of gold, I was able to come out of my shell as you did your barrel. And the more I kept dueling and interacting with people, I started to see that not all of humanity is bad, as well as regain the confidence I lost when I sheltered myself."
"Hm...I guess I am feeling more confident. That's so cool, all thanks to dueling!"
"Mhm, and you see there?"
Pip looks behind her, and sees that the canines and felines were now mingling more nicely than previously.
"The city has plenty of room for both cats and dogs."
The sight was enough to make her heart swell with joy, and she giggles before replying,
"Let's just hope people learn to pick up after their pets!"
Looking back and forth between the animals and his human friends, Astral makes the following conclusion.
Observation Number Nineteen: people say a dog is a man's best friend...
Athena's personality seems to fit closer to that of a lone wolf...and yet, (slight smile) she hasn't hesitated to step up, as an 'Alpha' of sorts to her own pack of friends.
Said red-eyed girl stows away her Heart piece into her leather jacket pocket, thinking to herself in affirmation,
Okay, now that that's been taken care of, we can get back on track.
...Just one last fragment to go, and then it's 'Finals, here I come'...along with everything and everyone waiting for me there.