Yuanfen

by 7th Librarian

Five years after The Thousand-Year Door tournament, Lyrius Stormcloud must return to Arcadia to combat the evils that rush to fill the void left by the defeat of his wife, the Shadow Queen. Aided by the ruler of all vampires, a worn-down retired Eliminator and the same Unicorn Maiden who defeated his Queen, he must fit together broken pieces of his life into a crown once more.

15. Night 3: Dueling on the Rocks

Yuanfen
By 7th Librarian and Mei1105

Night 3: Dueling On The Rocks

"...so this symbol is some sort of code?"

Dracula's sigh of exasperation could have powered an entire wind farm. "I know that you are a creature of your time, my Songbird - I am very much the same way - but surely you must be at least tangentially aware of how social media works?"

"I know that there is a book of faces and a bird that tweets…and some kind of instant tok…or tik gram?"

The vampire's eyes narrowed. "...you're messing with me, aren't you?"

"Indeed I am," Lyrius nodded, turning back to the screen. "...though I am still confused to the purpose of this hash symbol."

"Just type Mr Markova's name, and see what comes up," Dracula ordered, turning away from the kitchen table and laptop to glance up at the ceiling. "You will have plenty of time to get to grips with how the young people communicate while we are on this little misadventure."

Pulling his eyes away from the screen, Lyrius looked across the room at the vampire. "You are unhappy? Does this plan not meet your approval?"

Dracula huffed, folding her arms. "No, it makes sense. And Mai was right about the two of us drawing attention. But that does not mean I am happy. So many problems would be resolved simply if I could just bite my way through them. Instead I must contend with delicate sensibilities and humans foisting their morals on creatures who are above such petty concerns…"

"You long for a simpler time," Lyrius surmised. "When there were fewer rules and authorities, and fewer eyes - real or digital - to hold you to account." He leaned back in his chair, with a fond smile. "Honestly? I miss those times too, my friend."

The loneliness was familiar but unexpected in this moment. The days where he could command an army, or perform an assassination, where he was not required to think, just obey, seemed so long ago. Maybe that was why he felt antsy sitting at this table, assigned to research. The world still spied, and battled, but the theatre in which those operations happened had changed so dramatically it was almost alien.

Reluctantly, he pulled his focus back to the room. "Nonetheless, this is the world we live in, and we must adapt to it, lest we be left behind. And we must acknowledge the expertise of others. Mai and Francesca are young, but they understand this modern world, and tonight's operation in ways you and I never could."

Dracula scoffed at that, but it was far less derisive than earlier. "Murder would still be quicker."

"You sound like Resonae."

"How very dare you," the vampire feigned hurt, but the smile that tickled at her lips gave her away. She sat down at the table again, sipping at the glass of blood she had been nursing for the last hour. "I cannot deny, Mai has a superior knowledge of the Underground than I. And in our meeting with Pennington she asked questions I would never have considered. If nothing else, it will be good for her mental state to contribute and feel useful by leading this operation. And I will still be there to ensure that she does not falter on her recovery."

"I believe that you have sufficiently terrified her into avoiding addiction for the rest of her life," Lyrius pointed out, going back to the computer, and deciding to just open Google instead of navigating the cesspool of Twitter.

"While that terror is useful, I cannot claim the credit," Dracula said, bitterness tinging her words. "Nevertheless, I am glad I shall be accompanying the group. Glitzville is full of temptation, especially in a high stress situation. I will not have her slip now."

Lyrius eyed her curiously. "Why are you so invested in Mai's recovery? She is under your care, but you are not usually so...forceful."

"She is under my care. Before that, she was in Chance's care - such as it is. I have been watching him for decades, my songbird. I do not use this word frivolously - especially where my children are concerned - but he is a monster. Selling her, and addicting her to drugs are the least of his crimes against her. Were you aware that Mai had a severe case of Awareness Madness?"

"Serenity suggested as much." Lyrius said, his frown deepening. He only had ever seen two cases of Awareness Madness before, but the results had not been pretty. The cognitive dissonance between the new reality and the old one warped the mind ways that made him shiver to consider.

"Are you saying Chance exacerbated it?"

"He was curious to see if overexposing her would serve as a cure - force her brain into acceptance. He has a wide variety of Shadowkind to call upon, and he made sure she was around them at every opportunity in every possible situation - most of them unpleasant. Unfortunately, it seems to have worked somewhat - Mai accepts them now, but it has left her with a deep instinctual fear of non-humans. She probably is not aware of it, but I imagine this solidified her feeling of dependence on him - he was the man who 'cured' her."

Lyrius grimaced. That tactic was something all too common, no matter what century it was. One hand with a silk glove, the other with a mailed fist. Chance was starting to sound like he could give Iris a run in the manipulation department. "And you hope that by bringing her to Arcadia and surrounding her with magical species who are less malevolent, you will desensitise her fear? And that running a mission to the Underground will allow her a sense of power and control around Shadowkind that she has been lacking?"

"One of my children did this to her. I am responsible for making amends." Dracula corrected him curtly. "Do not make it out to be more than the kindness she is owed."

"I apologize." Lyrius dipped his head, as a creak echoed from the staircase in the hallway. Resonae stomped down first, in her human form with her street clothes on, and looking a little grumpy - Lyrius wondered if Mai had vetoed the wearing of her beloved domino mask. Mai herself came next, in a black jumpsuit with long cuffed sleeves, and a plunging neckline, lined with a lapel to give the impression of a tuxedo jacket. As she saw Dracula, she pulled a tiny glass bottle from her clutch bag, and began to unscrew the mister at the top.

"Ah, I see I am to be perfume tonight," the vampire observed, chugging the rest of her glass of blood and licking her lips in preparation for what was to come.

"Unless you want to sit in an empty can with traces of mace all over it, yes," Fran appeared, folding her arms, clearly thinking that the vampire was about to object. She wore a high neck black bodycon dress with diamond-shaped cutouts running down the side. Each cutout was studded with a single pearl, giving the impression that the entire dress could snap off in an instant. Lyrius was surprised to see that her disguise had been removed, and he guessed that Mai had some kind of plan for the Unicorn Maiden.

"Your concern for my comfort touches me deeply," Dracula drawled.

"Well more for our own survival - you can't fight if you're rubbing mace out of your eyes." Fran gave Lyrius an easy smile as Dracula began to dissolve and float into the glass bottle. "We'll take care of her. You gonna be okay on your own?"

She clearly had some reservations after his behaviour earlier in the day, and Lyrius wondered if she was expecting him to go tearing off around the island looking for reports of Lyrissa after all. "I shall be fine. I have a cup of fruit tea, and access to the internet. I just need to understand what purpose the hash symbol serves…"

"It's like assigning a category to a post so people can find it easier." Fran explained, helpfully.

"Why do people not simply search the word? Why is the symbol necessary?"

"I don't know - it just is."

"That is an insufficient reason."

"I have insufficient knowledge," Fran gave a fond sigh. "God, I'm having flashbacks to trying to teach my grandmother how to use her Kindle."

"We're all set here," Mai assured, giving the bottle a shake. The mist inside floated innocently, settling at the bottom to better resemble liquid. To the casual eye, it looked like a very dark pink perfume, which Mai tucked back into her purse. "Let's get going. We've got a bit of a walk to the cable car."

Fran groaned. "Yeah…I forgot about that when I was picking my shoes." She gestured to the chunky heeled sandals with thick black straps that ended half way up her calf. Not for the first time in his life, Lyrius wondered why society imposed such ridiculous fashion expectations on women. From the looks of Francesca's shoes, I'd say it's to stop them from running away…

"Do not fret, Master," Resonae was staring at him in that penetrating way, and not for the first time he wondered if his mount could read his mind. "I shall make sure that your new Silk Knives are safe, while you focus on your investigation."

"His new what?" Mai demanded. Lyrius felt his face colour, and Fran groaned.

"We're not…that's…" she seemed to realise that it was pointless arguing with the horse, and instead turned toward the door. "I'll tell you on the way, Mai. Resonae, move out."

"Yes, Unicorn Maiden." Her voice was obedient as she left the kitchen, but Lyrius could not help but notice that Resonae was smirking as she left. For my mount and supposed friend, she enjoys embarrassing me far too much…

He watched them leave, listening for the sounds of heels crunching awkwardly on gravel as they headed down the path and towards the main road. He waited another five minutes before allowing himself to move, closing the laptop and getting to his feet.

Maybe he wasn't going to look for Lyrissa, but however much he tried to shove the feelings to one side, as he had done a thousand times, it was no more successful than it had ever been. He needed some space. So he locked up the house behind him and headed out across the garden. From a nearby bush, he caught sight of several long pairs of ears, attached to cute round eyes that watched him, almost accusingly.

He glared at the rabbits. "Do not judge me - I am getting some fresh air." He trudged off, trying to reassure himself that it was just a coincidence, and that not even Resonae was talented enough to have recruited the local wildlife in just three short hours.

Talking to rabbits. Lyrissa would have found that hilarious. And he knew it. He could almost hear her peals of laughter as she tried not to coo over how adorable her father was being, and threatening to tell her mother.

He felt his heart ache. That laugh could be on this very island, mere miles away if he could just find it…but he knew he could not. He had not lied to Fran. He had chased so many rumours and whispers, and every one had ended the same way. A bitter reminder that she was gone, never to return…and that it was all his fault. He had failed his little girl, kidnapped scant inches from his grasp, yelling for her Daddy to save her.

He had failed Iris, leaving her trapped and tormented at Graz'zt's hands, while their home decayed, and their possessions were looted by every advantageous thief who happened by. He had let his own fear keep him from stopping her from drinking the Lethe Water, and turning their child into a terrible, painful secret. He had failed to protect her from her own power, always standing behind her, and never drinking from kingship himself less he become drunk on it as she had.

He had failed his Silk Knives, trapped under the Palace helpless to the ravages of time and crumbling magic. He had failed the Shadow Spawn, not supporting them enough against their mother, and leaving them to tidy up Iris's mess. He had failed Arcadia itself, abandoning it to be run into the ground. He had failed Serenity by not protecting her from Castiel.

He could not keep failing everyone like this.

He did not register where his feet had been taking him until he felt the cool shadow of shelter from the evening sun. Without his will, he had wandered down the main road and up to the Palace. A quick check of the phone that Mai had insisted on arming him with told him he had been walking for over an hour, and the sun was nearly gone. This particular entrance was special to him - only accessible to himself or his daughter - hidden from view by a beautiful waterfall that seemed to sprout from nowhere, but which Lyrius knew actually formed part of the sewer system (though thankfully, not a nasty end of it).

Cutting a quick slice across his thumb, he unsealed the entrance and watched as the stone behind the water melted away. He slipped in quickly, still unsure why he was doing so. He had achieved everything he needed to in the Palace on the night they had arrived. Nothing awaited him here but ghosts.

And still he breathed deeply, ignoring the staleness of the air and pinpointing that exact scent that he would always associate with home in his mind. The dark passageway did not deter him, for how could he be unsafe in his domain? The only thing that was out of place was his innate sense of the Palace, and its ancient magicks. He stretched out with his will again, but was met only with stony silence. It was like the building was angry at him for leaving.

He mused morosely, that it could not be angrier with him than he was at himself.

Serenity would be able to do it, he mused as he wandered into the darkness. Even without Iris's necklace and her power coursing through her, she would be able to make the old castle listen. She would stand there, hands on hips, and command it in the same voice she had used when telling him to take bedrest seriously. Doctor's orders!

His lips quirked at that, other memories of those days filtering in like the small motes of light that were starting to coalesce into visible space at the end of the passage. He had been at his lowest when he had washed up on Satellite. A pinnacle of defeat. But Serenity hadn't cared - she had taken him in, nursed him back to health, and listened to his wild tales of magic and loss between bites of cake and convalescing walks around the wasteland.

She had never once told him he had failed.

He paused at that, coming to a halt just before the end of the passage. Beyond was one of the corridors that lead to the main staircase. Serenity does not think me defeated, not even when she found me half dead on the shore. She has always championed me. Another smile crossed his face. The Queen's Shadow - her Champion has his own Champion…a Shadow Champion. The thought tickled him.

Serenity was one of the smartest and most emotionally capable people he had ever met. It would be the highest disrespect to her skills to suggest that she might be wrong about something like this. But that meant that he had not failed. That he had not let so many bad things happen, and still his brain stubbornly refused to accept that.

He groaned, and proceeded up the main staircase, one slow step at a time. Dissecting thoughts and feelings was hard work. He did not understand why some medical professionals dedicated their whole lives to understanding how people felt. He had been right in his conversation with Dracula - he longed for a simpler time…or maybe just for a life like Resonae, where he could bite his problems instead of airing them.

Another memory filtered through his mind, this time of his Nightmare on a hot Nebraskan road, nudging him into talking. Speak your thoughts so that they do not become poison.

He stopped, thunderstruck. Was it really that simple?

Surely not. And besides, it was silly - there was no one here to listen…

…except him. And wasn't that the point? Wasn't he the only one he still needed to convince?

Taking a deep breath, he sat on the banister of the staircase with his back to the cavernous room. A small part of him felt embarrassed at the prospect of talking to himself, but he pushed it aside, and tried to imagine Serenity sitting beside him, listening.

"...I am not…responsible for Lyrissa's kidnapping."

To his shock, he realised that he wasn't. Yes, he was Lyrissa's father, and supposed to protect her. Yes, he could have trained her better, could have had better security in the Palace, could have fought harder…but Jemorille had been the one to kidnap her. There was no could about that.

"...I am…not responsible for Iris's imprisonment."

Also true, he realised. He had tried to stop Iris from taking the path she had, but at the end of the day, she was a grown woman with her own mind and her own will. She had chosen to follow her own path, and paid the price because of her decisions.

"I…am not responsible for Serenity's kidnapping."

He bitterly regretted putting her in danger by association with him. He regretted all that she had suffered during her time with him. But she could have stayed in Japan after the fiasco with the Reaping Tree, accepted the help of the Shadowchasers and lived out her retirement in peace. Instead she had chosen to follow him, knowing the risks, and accepting that getting hurt was a part of life. The fault of her kidnapping lay squarely with Castiel.

He could not believe what he was feeling. The air felt lighter around him, the tightness in his shoulders seemed to have loosened, and his mind felt calmer, ticking over smoothly like a machine that had just been oiled for the first time in years.

"I am not responsible for the fate of the Shadow Spawn."

That was an easy one. Iris bore the responsibility for their upbringing and lack of administrative training. Speaking of which…

"I am not responsible for Arcadia's decline. I am not responsible for the deaths of my Silk Knives." They should have been safe as statues. None of them could have known that the room would collapse like that and demolish everything within. They weren't architects.

Stroking the bannister upon which he sat, he smiled in a bittersweet way. "I am not responsible for the state of the Palace." Those seals should have been checked regularly. He didn't know what the Spawn were thinking - not about looters or the possibility of something truly dangerous making its way into the outside, that was for sure.

It's not my fault. And it wasn't. Other people were perfectly capable of taking actions that caused trouble for innocents. And it wasn't just recent years either. For centuries, he had accepted responsibility for problems in the Empire, and taken blame for defeats on the battlefield. The privilege of any general. Had he internalised the concept so much that now he felt the need to blame himself for everything that went wrong around him? Was that what Serenity had been trying to teach him all these months?

I'm not a general any more. I'm not the Queen's Shadow. If things have unravelled on Arcadia since I was last here, that is not my doing. How could it be? I was thousands of miles away, and forbidden from returning on pain of death. And my friends are not soldiers under my command - they're grown beings with their own wills and choices, and the consequences of those are theirs and theirs alone.

He smiled, feeling more at ease than he had in centuries. Even the Palace seemed less gloomy and decrepit now. He reached gently out, and he felt the building roll over in its sleep again. No movement. But that was alright. Already it felt like less of an effort. He would build back this connection with time. And he could restore some of the glory it had once had. He'd start with all the seals in this place, and make a special point to force any looters he caught to clean up all the energy drink and candy bar wrappers that they had discarded-

A new presence upon his perception shattered his good mood like a rock through a window pane. He resisted the urge to whirl and look for them; no need to tip his hand. He stretched with his aura, feather-light and reaching, reaching until he found them in a balcony above the stairwell.

Shadows swallowed him and spat him out on that balcony but he was only met with a rapidly shutting door. Lyrius tore through it, saw a figure scrambling down a hallway and sprinted out after them. A teleport closed the distance in gulps, but his grabbing fingers brushed only them as they shoved through a door; a hidden door that wasn't obvious. Someone has been exploring.

He knew where that door went and teleported into the room itself; an old storage room that doubled as an ambush point for that hallway. There was that figure vanishing through the far door. Lyrius instead let his shadows carry him straight up into the duplicate room above this one. He shouldered through the door; this time, he was the one gazing down on an intruder from a balcony.

No ranged weapons on hand, he couldn't get the grumpy Palace to seal the doors for him and ranged magic would take too long. Lyrius kicked once, twice, at the battlement in front of him. The brickwork, corroded by the loss of magic and age, cracked apart. He seized two bricks one after the other and whipped them at the retreating figure.

Not at their head - he wasn't looking to kill.

Yet.

The bricks slammed into their upper thigh and mid-back and sent them sprawling. Lyrius teleported down and moved to seize a failing arm to bend behind their back and pin them down, but the figure was surprisingly fast, whirling to kick at Lyrius. It was sloppy, but that boot still hurt as Lyrius blocked it and the figure used that time to jack-knife to their feet.

"You should not have come here," Lyrius warned, his voice rich in darkness and the power of the Shadow Queen. The figure hesitated and even though they were head-to-toe in some kind of black catsuit, he could still read the fear they had. "Yield and I will break nothing but your pride."

He advanced, they retreated, but he didn't miss how those empty hands twitched in sudden anger and clenched into fists. "You're nothing. A shadow. You need to stay in the past." The voice was distorted beyond any recognition, but the heated anger was still blazing through it.

So they knew who he was or at least had some inkling; that was something to address, then. The two circled each other for a few steps before Lyrius moved first. A lunging punch he dropped when the figure threw up a guard, instead taking those extra steps forwards to slam his shoulder into them. Unprepared to take his full weight, the would-be thief went staggering backwards.

A quick slice of his foot on their ankle sent them sprawling and this time, Lyrius slammed his foot down to pin an arm in place. There was no grunt of pain and he could feel something that wasn't an arm under his foot. They're wearing body armour.

Static crackled as a baton appeared in the figure's free arm, but he kicked it away as they swung. Pinning that arm down with his other foot, he fixed them with another cold gaze. "First question - how do you know who I am?"

His response was a building whining noise. Before Lyrius could determine where it was coming from, given he had both arms pinned, a lens irised open on the thief's forehead and erupted with a flash of light that was literally painfully blinding. The loss of his stance let the figure throw Lyrius off, rolling across the floor and then they were on him, trying to bash his face into the floor and use their weight to hold him down.

A bloody nose was enough for Lyrius to focus through the blindness. He slipped into shadows, reappearing behind them. He couldn't see, but he didn't need to. The thief's aura was like a beacon and he parried their attacks with his forearms, the little 'shink' of metal suggesting they'd pulled a knife of some kind.

It didn't matter. The thief wasn't well-versed in a knife fight; he kept trying to use the knife to keep distance rather than get close and skewer him. Lyrius twisted around a stab and slammed his elbow into the attacker's head. There was a helmet there; he heard it crack from his blow.

A warbling grunt of pain and he whipped back around, slamming another punch into their midsection. He heard the armour crack, heard them hit the wall as the world went from pitch-black to blurry lines and edges.

Not so blurry he couldn't see the figure pulling a pin out of something. He reached into shadows, coiling them around him as the object exploded with deafening noise and light.

His timing hadn't failed him; he reappeared back on the balcony with the flashbang spent - and an open door through which the figure had fled. He reached with his aura, but there was no one close enough and the Palace could be no help, either.

"Tch," Lyrius glared at the open door. "That one is my fault…."

OOO

"...if one more person tells me they're my 'number one fan' I'm going to go all Misery on their asses!"

Mai did not look up from the free tourist guide that seemed to be available by the thousands in every establishment they had entered so far. "Welcome to the celebrity world, hon. The admittance fee is your privacy, identity and personal space. No refunds. Even when you're in the bathroom."

Huffing, Fran tried to smooth her hair down in the reflection of the restaurant window, not appreciating how frazzled she looked. Over her shoulder she saw a pair of locals with their heads together, and she just knew they were talking about her. Great, another selfie…

"They appreciate our beauty and fierceness, Unicorn Maiden," Resonae put in, tossing her long dreads over her shoulder and nearly smacking a poor waiter in the eye with them. "Soak it in. So rarely do humans have such good judgement."

Mai snorted derisively. "My human judgement is telling me that you're speaking more for yourself than the collective, Resonae."

"Nonsense - a good Matron knows to credit her whole herd when it is due. The humans have been admiring us all night, and word of our presence is now buzzing through this city like flies on a hot summer day."

"Charming." Fran pulled a face as they stepped out of the restaurant, dodging incoming diners as they went. The two women who had been loitering outside immediately pounced, gushing incoherently about how much they loved Fran and could they please have a photo with her? Fran obliged, and tried to seem into it. After an hour of being showered with praise and having her hands squeezed by kindly citizens, she was very much not into it anymore.

We're helping Serenity. She reminded herself, as she tried to smile into the camera flash. Mai's plan to use her celebrity clout to get into the Underground and draw Greedley's attention was a simple one, but the amount of attention they had drawn in their short time there so far was starting to become unnerving. How much of a buzz does she think we need?

She had to admit though, Mai had chosen a nice spot to stir up the attention of the foot traffic. Glitzville's biggest and busiest plaza was lined with a myriad of cafes and open air restaurants like this one, and Mai had made sure to park them on the edge of the tables in full view of the public. Passengers from the blimps funnelled straight through this area, tossing coins into the giant fountain or stopping to take selfies. Flanking the plaza were two of the biggest casinos and hotels in the city, attracting more visitors like a magnet.

But neither of them were their intended target. Consulting her tourist pamphlet again, Mai led them through the crowds towards the north end of the plaza. A few streets over, Fran could hear the roar of a crowd coming from the Glitz Pit, and frowned as she remembered the last time she had been there. Okay, all things considered, maybe this trip isn't as bad as the last one. At least no one had shot her in the ass with a dart yet.

The Black Nugget was aptly named, if only because its glossy black rock-like façade stood out from the usual parade of colours and lights that permeated Glitzville. The ebony cladding was further inlaid with veins of gold that glittered under the streetlights, and Fran snorted when she saw a few chips on a wall that suggested more than one drunk person had been fooled.

The interior was more of the same, though thankfully laden with A/C. The furnishings had a sleek and decadent style to them, and even the slot machines seemed more sophisticated. To her surprise, Mai led them through the maze of card tables and spinning wheels and into the next room, which held a more conventional arcade and even more people than the gambling room. They weaved through the penny-pushers and 8-bit arcade games that loudly clamoured and flashed for coins, and over to the carnival-style games.

"Child's play," Resonae scoffed, jerking her head towards the milk bottle game, where the vendor was enthusiastically encouraging a drunk man to try again. "I could knock those down with a flick."

"It's harder than it looks," Fran said, deciding not to explain the merits of leaded weights in the lower bottles to the Nightmare. A snort was her only response, as Resonae's beady eyes began examining the other stalls, and Fran tugged her by the belt loop to get her moving again as Mai approached one of the stuffed animal toy vendors.

"Hi there." Mai's charm was in full effect as she leaned on the counter and smiled at the attendee. "We'd like to play."

"Sure." The attendee chirped with what so obviously forced cheer. "It's three Glory for five tokens, five for ten and we'll even send your prize to your hotel if you don't want to lug it around!"

Fran eyed the machine. It was an oversized crane machine, with the plus prizes crammed inside, probably big enough that she could use them for a pillow - and that Dark Magician one in the corner could be a bed. A few were large glass cubes that offered a prize off the shelf if you could them. She was no stranger to drug dens and underground areas having codes or passwords to get in, but this seemed excessive even for Arcadia.

Mai pointed at some of the prizes behind the vendor. The very top row, Fran noted with some amusement and disgust, was some plush versions of the Shadow Queen. "Is the Shadow Queen ticket in the machine?"

"Oh, no you can just buy those."

"I want to play for the Queen." Mai said, casually leaning further on the counter and staring the vendor in the eye.

The vendor, to their credit, didn't even seem thrown but nodded. "Oh, well, I'd have to find a ticket and put it in the machine - we don't get many calls for those. Why don't you have a drink at our bar and I'll send one of my colleagues over when it's ready?"

"Thanks." Mai said and then swept away, leading the other two women away, though Fran could feel the vendor staring in awe and confusion at her back. "Who wants a drink?"

"I am fine, thank you." Resonae said as they seated themselves. Or Mai and Fran did. The Nightmare took up a more casual effort of sitting on the railing separating the bar's dining area from the casino floor, but Fran could tell she was very aware of everything going on around them, even if her eyes did keep flicking to the carnival games.

"It'll be a few before our orders are ready." Mai said as she skimmed the touchscreen menu built into the table. "Hmm…not a bad mocktail selection. Usually they're an afterthought. I'll take a peach bellini."

Fran was relieved - while she hadn't expected Mai to jump straight off the wagon (especially with Dracula lurking in her purse) she hadn't been sure of her ability to stop the older woman if she had tried. "Same."

Mai frowned, looking cross all of a sudden as Fran submitted the order. "I'm a big girl. You don't have to avoid alcohol just because I am. Dracula isn't going to slit your throat and shower in the jugular spray."

The casual way in which she referenced her own mortality hit Fran harder than the anger in her voice. Okay, red flag. Biiiig red flag. She tapped her credit card against the touchscreen before her companion could raise any more objections. "I'm not drinking, because I get super friendly and have no sense of danger when I've had a few…as I proved in Vegas by not even recognising Lyrius at first when Serenity introduced me to him. Oh yeah," she continued, seeing Mai's eyebrows lift at that. "You'd think I'd remember dueling him for my life and murdering his wife five years ago. Nope. I just giggled, told 'Ren that he was hot, and then we went to the strip club. Some bounty hunter I was..."

From the railing next to them, Resonae snorted and Mai's annoyed look seemed to dissipate at the self deprecating explanation. "Fair enough. Though to be honest, Serenity was always a happy drunk too, so that might have rubbed off on you." She chuckled. "I remember, she came to see me in England after she'd finished pre-med. We ended up in a Mexican bar with live music and really good drinks. There was some kind of soccer match on, and these two guys were squaring off at the bar to fight. Serenity's twenty two, lightweight and three shots and a cocktail or two deep, so she's in love with everyone right now. So she flings all five foot two of herself between these two brick shit houses, and says loudly over the music 'you can't do this! We all have to be friends!'"

Fran snickered at the dramatic tone of voice. She could practically visualise Serenity stamping her foot in determination and trying to force the two burly men to hold hands and make up. "Did they have their fight?"

"No, they were both suddenly united in their concern about this tiny girl who was trying to make two strangers with anger management issues hug it out," Mai shook her head fondly. "They were asking where her friends were, if she needed a cab home, if they needed to call her parents. All the while she's insisting at the top of her lungs that she isn't going anywhere until everyone loves each other. Never a dull night out with her…"

She looked melancholy as she gazed at the table, the touchscreen flashing up advertisements for different events and activities going on in the area. Not wanting her to start dwelling on how many years she had spent avoiding her best friend, Fran tried to imagine being that carefree, and found herself coming up short.

"Wish I had friends like that," she said, tapping the heel of her shoe against the leg of the table. Seeing Mai look up, she went on. "I can't think of anyone I could just go out to a bar with and hang, y'know? Maybe my cousin Taylor, but she's at college - she's got her own friends to go drinking with. Vegas was the only real girls night out I've ever had." She chuckled. "You aren't wrong - Serenity showed me a really good time. We didn't just drink and gamble - we played mini golf, rode rides…Serenity nearly fell out of a gondola at the Venetian! It was the best night of my life."

"You never went out with your ex?" Mai asked. Fran shook her head.

"Just to grab fast food on the road or something." She saw Mai roll her eyes, and even Resonae seemed to grasp that that was not a date.

"No other cousins?" Mai asked. "Or school friends?"

"No." Tapping the table, Fran pulled her thoughts out slowly. "It was weird. I had a decent group of friends in high school, but as soon as I came back from Arcadia…it was like that part of my brain was disconnected. I just couldn't understand why junior prom, pep rallies or even my GPA were so important any more. Andy and Stan said they felt the same."

As she spoke, she was suddenly struck by a deep sense of loneliness. She had never been alone while travelling around motels and back alleys, because she had had Andy. Was that why I stuck with him for so long? Because there was no one else?

"I guess you just can't relate to people like that after you've saved the world." Mai said. "And if none of your friends went through the same thing, it makes sense that you drifted away from them."

"It is a great sadness not to have a herd," Resonae put in, a sympathetic look on her face. Fran felt a heavy hand on her as the Nightmare gave her shoulder a squeeze. "But you have one now, Maiden. Master, Mistress and I find you to be a worthy addition."

Fran felt her cheeks colour, and she suddenly wished she could crawl under the table and not come out (never mind that the umbrella-shaped bar table provided no cover at all). "Do I get a say in this?"

"No. You and the blonde human are stuck with us whether you like it or not," the Herd Matron explained, firmly and with no room for argument. "Mistress approved of you both, and that is all the endorsement I require."

"She barely knew me," Fran pointed out, folding her arms. "Blackjack, a rollercoaster ride and drinking vodka from an ice statue's nipple together does not mean we were friends."

Mai laughed. "Sounds like the perfect recipe to me."

Resonae merely smiled, as if she knew a secret. "Trust me, Maiden. You more than qualify."

Fran was still unsure, but she did not ask. She knew unicorns did not give up their secrets, and Resonae took more pleasure than was healthy in holding such tantalising knowledge just out of reach. Whoever raised her as a foal has a lot to answer for…

As the thought dissipated, a flash of insight burst into her mind. A heavy head resting against her chest, hot breath snorting against her arm, and the familiar smell of horse. A golden horn and soft mane danced in her vision before dissipating like a wisp of smoke. …was that…Thespeade?

"Well…I'm not Serenity," Mai was saying, tapping at the options on the touchscreen again. "And I can't guarantee a vodka nipple shot, but we can try and have a good time tonight. Maybe after we're done here we can find something fun to do."

"You wish to slaughter our enemies?" Resonae enquired, a spark of excitement in her eyes. "Or return flush with the triumph of our success for a spirited mating?"

Snapping out of the warmth and comfort of the vision, Fran snorted into her peach bellini, and Mai gave the pony a look.

"I was thinking you and Chanel No 5 in here," she shook her clutch pointedly. "Would go back with the card, while Fran and I stayed in Glitzville for a bit. But you do you, girl. Let's see…"

She flicked through a few windows. "Couple of karaoke bars…exhibition duels at the Glitz Pit…oooh there's a resident drag show in this hotel - they're always fun!"

Fran mulled it over as their drinks were delivered to the table by a server. She had enjoyed Vegas. And Mai had been good company so far. But they were supposed to be here on a job, and Lyrius and Dracula were expecting them to complete it quickly and quietly. Wouldn't it be unprofessional to go and have a good time?

Not too far away, a slot machine burst into a cacophony of celebration, and someone let out a loud cheer. Fran was reminded of the last casino she had been in, sullen, nursing a drink and wondering at how her life had gone. And then Serenity had appeared. Screw it - I spent years feeling guilty about wanting to go out and have fun while I was bounty hunting!

Grinning, she peered down at the touchscreen. "I can't sing, and we'll have done enough duelling if tonight goes well, but I've never been to a drag show."

Mai looked gleeful and tapped the screen to pull the information up. "Then you're in for a treat. Looks like Arcadia has a pretty thriving gay scene actually. Odd for such a tiny backward island."

Fran shrugged. "Funnily enough Iris didn't really care what you identified as, as long as you identified as her subject before everything else."

Mai's answer was interrupted as a waiter approached. He slid a small tray on the table that held a single black card depicting a chibi version of the Shadow Queen being picked up by a claw machine. "Excuse me - I'd like to inform you that your special game request is ready."

"Thank you." Mai polished off her drink before standing up. "Only two of us will be playing. Resonae," she turned to the Nightmare and handed her a roll of bills. "Make sure you lose it in this casino."

She winked playfully to the waiter, but Fran knew Resonae understood the command - to stay in the building and keep an ear out for any trouble. Safe in the knowledge that the Nightmare had their back, Fran got up and fell into step beside Mai.

The waiter led them back to the arcade, weaving through the excited crowds, and other bartenders looking for their patrons. As they approached the claw machine game again, the vendor caught their eye and gave them a respectful nod, as they turned past the games and through a 'VIP ONLY' archway. Instead of heading up the stairs to where Fran presumed the private gaming rooms were, he pushed on a seemingly innocuous part of the wall and it slid open to reveal a rather posh Victorian staircase leading down into darkness. "Please enjoy your evening."

"Oh we plan to," Mai assured him, with a soft pat on his shoulder that slid down to drop twenty glory into his breast pocket. Now that they were at the entrance to the Underground, a strange confidence was spreading over Mai, and with each step down the staircase, her gait became more loose, and her stance more upright. Down here, she had power, and she knew how to wield it. Fran felt herself falling into step behind her, and tried to exude the same confidence, even if it paled in comparison. She and Andy had never done more than scrape the surface of the Underground, and now she was heading into its depths.

The staircase emerged into a small entrance hall, ornately furnished with a fancy desk, and twisted iron wall lamps against the dark blue paisley wallpaper. Two huge thugs flanked the desk and immediately stepped forward as they appeared. Fran's instinct was to flinch away and put some distance between her and the giant men, until she saw Mai hold out her arms. Getting the idea, Fran quickly copied her and tried not to wince as the men patted them both down with thick, beefy hands.

"Easy on the goods, hon," Mai said, with an easy flirtiness in her voice as her thug dragged a hand down her cleavage to check for anything hidden. He did not react, instead taking her clutch from her hands and snapping the catch open. Fran felt her stomach drop into her ass for a moment as he went through Mai's lipstick, money and the perfume bottle. Thankfully, he merely sniffed the nozzle and reeled at the powerful aroma, before handing it back. Fran was relieved - lord knew what would happen if he had tried to spray part of Dracula into the room. Would the rest of her come out too, or would just her fist come out and sock him in the face?

"Try to relax," Mai muttered, as they took the tiny elevator up to the next floor. "These guys might be turned off by strong perfume, but they can smell nerves a mile away."

Blushing, Fran leaned against the leather padded elevator wall and tried to breathe. "Bounty hunter, remember? I'm supposed to be on my guard."

"You're not a bounty hunter tonight," Mai reminded her. "You're Arcadia's hero, young, reckless and up for a good time. And I'm the experienced madam who's befriended you and promised to show you the ropes down here, but really I'm more interested in exploiting your fame."

Fran pulled a face, but she could not hold it for long as the elevator door slid open, releasing them into the Underground proper. Unlike the last one she had visited - a slightly grim basement in downtown Phoenix decorated to resemble a gentleman's club/hunting lodge - this one clearly had a heftier budget and different clientele. The first room was large, clearly designed to be social, with wide booths set into the walls, glass tabletops and pristine white leather seats. The low light was tinged blue, and the whole room had a futuristic feel to it. Even the cage in the centre would not have looked out of place on the set of a sci-fi movie.

The patrons were more familiar - the usual mix of barely disguised criminal and rich people with too much money and not enough sense. Several groups played games on holographic screens built into their tables, while sipping on their drinks, while other booths were full of the hushed talk of furtive business dealings.

Mai only needed a few words to the nearest server and they were being swept over to their own booth, fresh peach bellinis following a moment later. The older woman ignored hers in favour of tapping through the screen on their table.

"It's a bit…fancier than the last one I went to," Fran admitted, her eyes darting to the surrounding booths, a little intimidated by the level of dress some of the punters were displaying. Three booths down from them, a group of businessmen were having a heated discussion, rolling what seemed to be poker chips across the glass table in some kind of furious negotiation. Two large-bouncer types on either side carried briefcases, and Fran was willing to bet her scrap of land back in Nebraska they were stuffed with either money or drugs. One of them felt her gaze, and she quickly looked away as he turned toward her. The last thing she needed was anyone to think she was eavesdropping.

"Yes, Arcadia seems to have a more developed sense of style than the undergrounds in the USA," Mai admitted, with a casual shrug. "But then again, a pig in a wig and tutu has more style than some parts of the USA…"

She pressed a few more buttons and smiled in satisfaction. "Perfect. Now, we wait."

Curious, Fran leaned over and flipped through the screen. It read like a Sears catalogue that had come out just before Christmas. Challengers were advertised with their name, picture, difficulty rating and a prize for beating them. Fran's jaw fell open at some of the prizes on display. Yes money and drugs, but artefacts, precious gems, and the services of the duelist or their patron were also up for grabs - and the nature of some of the full length photographs left no doubt what kind of services were being offered.

She felt her stomach lurch as she came face to face with her own image, and horror burst in her chest as she saw the listing below. "You anted up my Hurricane Dragon?!"

She hadn't shouted, but her angry outburst was enough to carry to a server passing nearby, who's eyes widened at the sight of Fran before she scurried off. Mai tugged her deeper into the booth with one hand, sipping at her bellini with the other.

"Well I'm not anteing up my cards," she said flatly. Fran must have been going red in the face, for the older woman forged on, tapping the screen until she pulled up a new profile. "Look, Greedley's here - he's in the next room where the VIP clientele hang out. We know he has at least one of these dragon cards, and if he's a collector like Pennington says, it stands to reason he would be interested in having a set."

"You're crazy!" Fran hissed, one hand coming to clutch protectively at her purse, as though afraid Mai would reach in and pluck the card out. "We almost got our asses handed to us in Gearville! Lyrius trusted me with it - I'm not risking losing it to some dodgy politician!"

"Would you rather I anted up your Unicorn Maiden card?" Mai asked, pointedly. "Or maybe something else? There's plenty of people in the Underground who'd jump at the chance to spend a night with Arcadia's virtuous hero."

It was a disgusting notion, and Fran felt her stomach turn at the idea of Mai so callously selling her in this place. Didn't she care? She toyed with the idea of walking out right now, but her eyes fell on the screen again, and the name of the patron listed. Hawes Greedley. He had an assortment of items up for grabs - artefacts mostly - but no dragon card. Mai was right, she realised. Their only hope of getting him to ante up his own card was to dangle something of equal value in front of him.

And if she was honest, Mai was also right about the alternatives. The idea of losing the Unicorn Maiden card was somehow more disturbing than any of the other options. If she was going to risk something, the dragon card had the least baggage attached to it.

"We have to bid something," Mai was still arguing. "This is the best option we have."

It was, but Fran still had misgivings. "Maybe, but what if I lose?"

"You aren't going to lose," Mai rolled her eyes. "Nobody in here ranks higher than you - I guarantee it."

"How could you possibly know that?" Fran demanded. "You've never seen me duel!"

"Of course I have," folding her arms, Mai sat back in her seat. "As soon as I was done bullying Dracula and Lyrius to bring me here, I went and looked up everything I could about Arcadia, including watching all the highlights from the tournament five years ago."

Caught by surprise, Fran tripped over her argument, staring at the other woman. "You watched the tournament?"

"Duh," Mai's voice was deadpan. "I had to know who I was working with. I knew Dracula doesn't waste time duelling when baring her teeth is an option. And Lyrius…well, he can duel, but he's nowhere near competitive level. You are easily pro level, from what I've seen, and that was five years ago."

"Stop it," feeling her cheeks flush, Fran's annoyance drained away.

"I'm serious. I've been in this business fifty odd years - I know when people have got it," Mai insisted. "Anyway, my point is, you're not going to lose."

"Okay and what if I do?" Fran persisted. Now that she wasn't embarrassed, bounty hunting habits came to the for. And the first rule was have more than one plan because the first plan never really went anywhere. "If you've been in the business for fifty odd years, then you have to know how big a risk this is."

Mai smiled a bit in approval. "Well, plan B is to throw my perfume bottle where it needs to be and watch the fireworks."

Fran felt a shiver run down her spine at the idea of what a Dracula without any restraint could do. "You're joking."

"No, I'm not. The people in here? They're not innocents, they're not naive and they're all bitches and bastards." Mai said. Her smile was still there, but there was a coldness to her eyes that made Fran feel like she was shrinking in on herself. "This is how you play the game - you win. Or you die."

She sipped from her drink, turning back to the screen. "If that's not how you want to do things, then don't lose. Simple as that."

For not the first time she had been on Arcadia, Fran felt like she was so far out of her depth that the ground had fallen away from her. And once again, she had been reminded that this woman she was idolizing and fangirling over just a day before had suffered and been hardened by it.

A blink swept away the room and the crowd and Mai's shimmering blonde waves, leaving her staring at a battlefield piled with corpses, of a ruddy muck that too red to be caused by the rain and the ache in her arm from how hard she had been swinging her sword. Absently, she could see those still standing - cheering - calling her a hero.

Then another blink and it was back to Mai flicking through the options on the screen, clearly seeing if there was any other interesting information they could glean from Greedley's list.

Fran sat down next to her, letting out the breath she hadn't known she'd been holding in. There was an echo in her in that moment, reaching from her ancestor's past to Fran's present. Clearly, she too had learned the hard way about what it meant to stick to her path. And what it would mean to give up on it.

"Alright." She said at last. "Who am I duelling?"

"Ah well," Mai clicked her tongue, waving a hand over Greedley's profile, where his duelist was listed anonymously. "One of the perks of being in the more exclusive rooms - you have the option to conceal your challenger if you want. All we can see is their ranking." She pointed to the four out of five stars displayed on the page. Fran mentally sighed to herself. So much for the hope that Greedley would go for the cheap option.

There was a ping sound from the screen, and Greedley's profile vanished behind a window that flashed blue and pink with the words "Challenger approaches!"

Mai's lips quirked in a smirk. "That didn't take long. That means he really wants this before someone else can get their paws on it."

As she spoke, one of the waiters appeared by their side and motioned for them to follow. Feeling the pressure of the conversation, Fran knocked back her bellini and followed after Mai, who walked toward the exclusive lounge with the stride of a formidable businesswoman, looking to make a successful deal. She's so down on herself out there, but in here…

The exclusive lounge was similarly decorated to the main lounge, glass and chrome illuminating off the blue lights. The main difference was the atmosphere, which oozed superiority. The other was the fact that the cage was full, two duelists locked in a blaze of flashing lights and holographic smoke. As they entered, electricity ripped into life inside, and one of the combatants howled in agony, as the crowd screamed their delight.

Right, shock bands…Fran reminded herself. She had never duelled with them before, but she had been hit by more than a few tasers, and was confident she could bear it. Now it just depends on who my opponent is-

"Ah, Ms Valentine," there was a screech of metal on the marble floor, as a rounded figure in a custom tailored suit got to his feet, and gestured to both women to join him. "Hawes Greedley. Charmed to meet you. And Ms Benedict, too - pleasure. Please, sit - this is my associate-"

Fran did not mean to interrupt, but the sight of the associate sitting next to Greedley in the booth drove all nerves and reservations she had had from her mind, replaced instead by a hard gut punch. "No way…Yuki?!"

"I go by 'Yuki-Onna' down here." The response was cool and sharp, matching the woman's appearance. Clad in a white/blue dress that had to be as frigid as it looked, Yuki's expression had been carved from the same ice as the rest of her. Harsh. Hard. Unrelenting. Even the faint glitter on her pale skin and hair lent to the idea she was literally covered in frost.

"I see you two know each other," Greedley said in amusement. "Yuki-Onna is a former Glitz Pit Champion looking for some tougher challenges down here. She's quite the duelist but less than warm company." He chuckled at his own joke. "Perhaps if you two duel, she'll warm up."

In response, Yuki grabbed her drink and gulped some of it down. When she set it down, Fran couldn't help but notice that there were a few ice cubes in the glass; there hadn't been any when she grabbed it. "Not likely. Hard to be warm to someone who left you for dead."

Former Glitz Pitz Champion? Left for dead? Fran's mind was a whirl of thoughts trying to connect themselves together in some kind of logic. None of this, particularly that harsh attitude, was anything like her friend. Hell, five years ago, Yuki didn't even know how to use a Duel Disk; it had taken Iris' brainwashing to give her dueling skills. Back then, Yuki had been nervous and scared; now she looked like she owned the place.

Mai gave her a slight touch, a warning to the younger blonde to control her emotions. She slid into her seat, a little numb. What is she doing here? I haven't seen her since the one year anniversary. And that had been so brief - just long enough for her to establish that Yuki had simply never gone home after the tournament. They had made vague suggestions to catch up, but being back on Arcadia had taken such a toll on her mentally that she had never followed up. Shadowchaser training and then bounty hunting had moved into her life, and eventually Yuki had just become another high school friendship that had dissolved in adulthood. But they hadn't parted on bad terms, she had thought. The friendship hadn't been deep enough to create such a rift. So why was Yuki talking like she had stolen her boyfriend and then shown up at prom with her brother?

Meanwhile, Mai was getting stuck in.

"Cute. Did you pinch that glitter from the drag show upstairs?" Yuki looked at her, but gave no sign of irritation. Instead she just stared, like Mai was a particularly bland piece of artwork on the wall of an insurance brokers office.

"I must say, I am surprised," Greedley smacked his lips as he addressed Mai. "It's not every day Chance's pearls grace the Black Nugget…especially unaccompanied."

Confusion and hurt vanished, and Fran felt her stomach drop as she remembered exactly why they were there. Mai's reputation had been useful for getting in, but would it now prove a problem? To her relief, Mai shrugged casually.

"Not all pearls stay on the string, Mister Mayor. Tonight I'm just showing my new friend a good time." She crept a hand along the back of the booth until she touched the back of Fran's neck. A subtle gesture, but Fran knew to lean in and play up the sense of dependency. I'm a naive little hero, and she's my sugar mamma…

Greedley leaned forwards, his smile so eager and hungry that for a minute Fran thought he would spout tusks and oink. "And a good time involves descending into the Underground and playing around with things beyond man's comprehension?"

"Beyond men's, sure. But not beyond a smart woman's." Mai returned, smiling as well. "And money and grams are all well and good, but my tastes are more…refined, these days. Magical artefacts last longer, and look great on my mantle."

"And you're willing to risk a national heroine to get them?" Greedley asked, eyes darting to Fran and she fought back a shiver. Those eyes were the same way all of the Queen's minions had been five years ago - he was magical somehow. "Or are you hoping that if you lose, these people's goodwill will keep the Underground from swallowing you both up?"

Mai snorted. "Goodwill doesn't mean anything down here. But my girl doesn't lose. Now…" Lacing her fingers she leaned forward. "All the overpriced knick-knacks in your inventory are nice - really, some very interesting pieces. But like I said, I'm in the mood to create my own collection. And I am a duelist after all - collecting cards is part of the game."

There was a flicker of a smile on Greedley's face. "I see…and what makes you think I am sitting on a collection of my own?"

"Not a collection - just one," Mai smirked. "I have my sources. Dragons always attract attention, you know. Seto Kaiba made a career out of it."

A nasally laugh barked across the table like a walrus being told a knock knock joke. "Chance's faith in you is not misplaced it seems! Yes, I admit, in amongst my collection there does indeed lurk a sister card to your own ante. But why should I offer that up, when I have so many other delightful treasures instead?"

Fran snorted. "Delightful? One of those necklaces looks like a confusing sex toy!"

"We're not interested in treasures," Mai shot Fran a sharp look, but Fran was more interested in Yuki. The other woman had not reacted, instead casually watching the duel wrapping up in the ring. She did not even flinch as the final blow dealt an almost lethal amount of electricity through the unfortunate loser. "I want an equal ante. No haggling over potential appreciation of some long lost jewel or the cultural value of an artefact. Just a card for a card. As you said…sisters. Equal value."

A little frown crossed Greedley's face. "And what about the sentimental value?"

Mai snorted. "This is the Underground. We don't do sentiment down here."

"Perhaps Chance does not, but I am not ashamed," Greedley declared, his fingers stroking at the screen before him. "My collection is precious to me. Just because I am willing to part with these beauties-" he gestured to the screen. "-does not mean that I will be so willing to part with that card. That is why it is not listed. I attach more value to it than a simple price tag."

Unease wriggled in Fran's stomach. This was proving more tricky than she had anticipated. Mai said he was a hoarder, but he really doesn't want to let go of this card. It made her wonder what lengths he had gone to to get it.

Mai shrugged. "I suppose I can understand that. We duelists do get very attached to our cards. I suppose it was expecting too much for you to go double or nothing." She tapped the back of Fran's neck and indicated she should shuffle out of the booth. "We shall take our leave then, enjoy the cocktails and see if someone else is willing to play."

Fran didn't want to leave - she wanted to stay and find out what had happened to Yuki since she had seen her last. But they had a job to do, and Mai clearly had some kind of plan. So she pulled herself together and grabbed her purse. She had barely swung her legs out to stand however, before Greedley clicked his tongue. "Wait a moment."

It took most of Fran's control not to smirk. Damn, she's good.

Greedley hemmed and hawed for a moment before snapping his fingers. As if by magic, a well-dressed staffer appeared with a photo frame. In it, resting on a velvet notch was a Duel Monsters card. Though Fran was surprised that it was mostly blank, having only the Dragon monster typing. "You speak all the right words, Ms Valentine. Here's my offer. Where's yours?"

Sitting back down with a satisfied air, Mai looked at Fran and inclined her head slightly. Fran pulled out her deckbox, opening it. She pulled out her dragon card and held it up between two fingers.

"Ahhhh, marvellous," The low way Greedley drew out the words and the shine in his eyes told Fran he knew exactly what he was looking at. "Yes, that is definitely a part of the set that my card belongs to. But just how does yours have text and imagery? Mine is rather blank."

"You'll have to pay extra for that," Mai responded instantly before Fran could quip something at him. "And unless you've got a second card to wager, you can't afford it."

Greedley, to Fran's surprise, erupted into laughter and clapped his hands in satisfaction. "So bold and with such sharpness! I had forgotten why I adored you so much before, Ms. Valentine. Pity Chance always said you weren't for sale."

"You could afford me, Greedley, but then you'd be broke."

"Oh, I have very deep pockets -"

Fran let the conversation fade into the background; haggling was Mai's thing. Her thing was to be the duelist and bodyguard. And right now, she was putting all those bounty hunting skills to good use to discreetly observe Yuki.

She was acting as cold as she looked, with a disinterred expression in everything as she eyed up the room. It was an act, as far as Fran could tell, and Yuki was good at it. She's got that ice princess thing down pat.

But there were a few cracks in that icy sheen. Yuki was swirling a champagne glass in one hand, but her other shoulder would twitch and roll; indications that she was gripping something out of sight very tightly. A weapon? It was near her hip, so perhaps a gun or a knife, though she doubted this place would let either into here. Then there was the fact that despite Yuki was clearly a showpiece and some kind of star here, Yuki was seated on the inside of the booth, meaning she'd have to get over Greedley to get out. But that position also had her at the corner with two walls flanking her, meaning Yuki would never have done anything but move her head slightly to see everything going on.

That's a tactic only the paranoid or shady use. If Yuki was deep in the Underground, it wouldn't be too unreasonable to think she'd adopted the habit. But then, why hadn't Greedley insisted he get it? And there was the fact that between the two was a small cold bag filled with ice and the champagne Yuki was drinking. Greedley could afford anything here and not even blink, but that's clearly from outside and only Yuki is drinking it. Is she afraid of poison?

She felt Mai's hand gently shove her shoulder. "Hey, no spacing on the job. Now get up there and win - mama wants a dragon for the top of her Christmas tree."

She leaned back in the booth, folding one leg over the other and casually sipping her drink. Feeling the weight of responsibility suddenly hit her, Fran scrambled to get out of the booth, knowing that the deal was done and all she could do now was win. Across the way, Greedley graciously slid out to allow Yuki her egress, but the other duelist did not even look her way, marching straight to the cage. Fran followed, her mouth half open, but no words forming. What do I even say?

The silence thickened and seemed to grow cold as they both entered the arena and took up positions across from one another. Waiters appeared with serving trays; white-gloved hands lifted the lids to reveal smooth, oblique black bracelets and a necklace. Even the Shock Bands look fancy down here…

"You look worried and concerned, Fran. I hope it's for yourself." Yuki said, her voice cold even as she let the waiters put the lethal jewellery in on her. "Five years is far too late to be worrying about someone you left dead in her grave."

"I didn't leave you dead, Yuki!" Fran barked back, twisting out of her own attendant's grasp to take a step towards her. "How could you say that? You were alive - "

"I was dead the moment the Shadow Queen learned I was your friend, Fran. She kidnapped me, drugged me and made my family believe I was dead. And then you left me in the company of strangers on an island full of evil. In a place like Arcadia," Yuki's eyes glittered so coldly that Fran swore the temperature dropped a notch. "People like me are just fodder."

Fran didn't know what to say to that, her mouth hanging open as the attendants took advantage of her frozen position to snap the cuffs around her wrists. The feeling of cold metal, and the gentle hum of electricity against her skin snapped her back immediately. "I saw you at the anniversary parade - you never said any of this to me!"

"You never asked," Yuki pointed out, powering up her duel disk and connecting the device to the shockband. "Couldn't wait to get away from me and go back to rubbing elbows with the Shadow Spawn."

"You try yanking your arm away from a dao when he's trying to lead you out of a crowd of screaming fans!" Fran protested, her mind running over that encounter over and over. "You looked happy to see me!"

"Of course I was - ghosts don't get a lot of visitors." Yuki responded coldly and Fran felt her heart twist like a fist had clenched it. "Now - we duel."

It didn't feel like a duel to Fran, it felt more like staring down a firing squad. But fear and worry never lingered long in a Benedict's heart; it just became kindling for an angry fire. "You're right - we duel!"

(FLP:8000) (YLP:8000)

A hush fell over the crowd as the lights dimmed outside while the cage lit up softly below. Fran tried to ignore it, but the intense stares and anticipation thrumming through the masked audience was so sharp that it pressed at her like a hundred needles. She could hear murmurs of her name, her title and surprise at her presence, all of it laced with that undercurrent of malice that made her skin crawl.

These people owed her their freedom, yet all they wanted right now was to see her hurt.

This place…no, Arcadia itself…it just…messes people up. Fran clenched her fists to keep herself from shivering. Did the Shadow Queen's anger and hatred just soak into everything? Everyone?

It certainly seemed to have done so with Yuki. In the shifted lighting, she looked ice-like, a statue given life. Though that life never reached her dead eyes. "I take the first turn. I draw."

Adding the card to her hand, she elegantly swept another card into her disk. "I activate the continuous spell card Coffin Vendor." The card shimmered into existence, its image showing a cloaked man strolling through a graveyard with golden coffins on his back, a small horde of undead clawing their way out of the ground for him, money and jewels in hand. "I use this card's effect, discarding one card to add a 'Dark Coffin' to my hand."

"Dark Coffin…?" Fran knew that trap; it was old and relied on being destroyed to work. You couldn't even activate it otherwise. No strategy she could think of involved it.

Yet cheers and agreeable noises from the audience outside suggested that the card was not only important, but somehow key to Yuki's strategy. Suddenly, I feel a lot worse about my chances if she can make a strategy with that card work.

"I set one card and then activate my Coffin Vendor's second ability. I can set one of two different traps from my graveyard to the field, so I pick the Dark Coffin I just discarded." Yuki watched as the two cards materialised face-down to either side of her spell card. "Now I summon Ice Knight in attack mode."

Ice sprouted on her field, tall as a person before unfolding itself to reveal an archaic warrior carved entirely out of ice and snow. "This monster gains four hundred attack points for each Aqua monster in play, including itself." (1300-1700/1200)

Yuki pointed at her Ice Knight. "He also has another ability, which is that I can Normal Summon another Aqua monster this turn. So I sacrifice him to bring about the lord of ice and frost." Ice Knight exploded into shards of icy pixels that reformed in a blast of cold air. The new monster was huge, bigger than either duelist and armoured in mirror-smooth ice from head to toe. Snowflakes sprang to life near him and melted away just as face, his cape fluttering in defiance of the unnatural cold. "Mobius The Frost Monarch." (2400/1000)

"Mobius? But he destroys spells and traps and it's still the first turn - " Fran's eye widened. "Oh shit!"

"Mobius destroys my two set Dark Coffins! Deep Frost!" Yuki snapped her fingers, the noise like a gunshot as her set cards instantly became encased in ice. Mirroring her, Mobius also snapped his fingers and both cards exploded violently, Fran flinching away from the barrage while Yuki didn't even seem to notice. "And since they were destroyed, you now have a choice to make - send one monster you control to the graveyard. Or discard one card from your hand."

"Not much of a choice, is it?" Fran growled. With no monsters in play, she had to discard. But that's fine. Some of my monsters do their best work in my graveyard! Seizing her choices, she shoved them into the slot - and then screamed in agony as the Shock Bands activated without warning. She had been tased before, but this was on another level. Nerve pain was one of a kind - a jolt that seemed to fizz and crackle down her limbs, and left her body feeling tingly. Her heart was racing and she was suddenly very conscious of how easy it would be for this 'entertainment' to disrupt or stop it from beating. What the fuck am I thinking doing this? I could die! (FLP:8000-7600-7200)

"Each time a monster is sent from your hand or field to the graveyard, my Coffin Vendor will burn you for four hundred points of damage per monster." Yuki said, not even batting an eye as Fran gripped her heart through her shirt. "If the Shock Bands don't take you out first. Death does have its advantages, Francesca. You don't feel as much pain. And you get to have your revenge, no matter how long it takes."

Anger dulled the pain, Fran reaching for her deck as her Duel Disk beeped for the start of her turn. "I am sick and tired of people coming after me for revenge! I didn't do this to you, Yuki, the Shadow Queen did! But if you wanna make it a grudge match, fine! I can do a grudge match!" She yanked her card free. "Draw!"

Scanning her diminished hand, Fran slapped a card into her disk. "Just like you, I activate a continuous spell card! Synchronic Resonance!" The card appeared in front of her and a second later, a second spell appeared alongside it. "Then since I have no monsters in play, I can activate Obedience Schooled! I summon three weak beasts from my deck!"

Three orbs of light flew out of her deck and settled down in front of her, resolving into the cute form of Key Mouse, a lazy black tapir called Dark Desertapir and the adorable sugar glider known as Nimble Monmonga. (100/100) (1100/300) (1000/100)

Fran lifted her hand into the air. "Now I tune all of my monsters together! Ride the lightning into glorious battle and blitz the enemy with a storm's fury! Synchro Summon! Level 5! Thunderstrike Unicorn!" Lighting struck all three of her monsters, dissolving them away before all three bolts collided together. With a crackling roar and a whiny of fury, the lightning-patterned blue unicorn appeared in front of her. (2200/1800)

Yuki just lifted a finger to point at her Coffin Vendor. "That was not very bright. My card works on my turn or yours, so now you take twelve hundred points of damage!"

Even bracing herself for it this time did not help - the shock radiated from her wrists and up to the collar, sending her limbs into spasm, and bringing her crashing to her knees. Even as it ended, she could still feel her nerves, twitching in the aftermath. Sweat beaded on her forehead.

"Shake it off, girl!" Mai was not shouting or cheering. Rather she was casually sipping a drink, speaking as she would to a disruptive toddler in a restaurant. The words only irritated Fran, and she growled as she stood again. (FLP:7200-6800-6400-6000)

"Synchronic Resonance's power activates - Thunderstrike Unicorn powers up by four hundred for each monster I used to summon it!" Lightning sparked to life around the Synchro Monster, one of the bolts lancing across the field and slamming into Mobius. The emperor reeled, smoking and fell to one knee. "And I'll use his own effect to blast off three hundred points off your monster for everyone monster we have and power himself up!" Thunderstrike Unicorn reared up, crackling and snapping bolts of lighting arcing all over it now. (2200-3400-4000) (2400-1800)

"You wanted things to hurt, Yuki, then they'll hurt! Thunderstrike Unicorn! Attack Mobius! Skewer him with Thunder Charge Horn!" Fran punched at Yuki and her monster responded, charging across the field and slamming bodily into Mobius. The ice monster groaned, straining against the smaller monster. But his bulk was no match for the lightning as it began to perforate his cape and body before Fran's monster smashed him with a slam of his horn.

Yuki's Shock Bands lit up like a down power line, pouring volts into her. And to Fran's shocked horror, Yuki just stood there. Not even a twitch of her lips or styled hair jerking out of place to indicate the pain she had to be in. "No way-!"

"I guess the ice water in my veins doesn't conduct electricity well." Yuki said after the lightshow had finished, frost lips settling into a thin line as icy eyes narrowed. "Still, it doesn't hurt nearly as much as what you did to me, Francesca. A betrayal, I would have understood. I can see the logic in that. But you…and Andy and Stan…you just stopped caring." (YLP:8000-5600)

"Caring goes both ways, Yuki!" Fran snarled. "Yes, maybe I didn't keep in touch or go the extra mile. But you have a phone too! You didn't reach out to me either!"

"A phone, on this island. That actually gets decent reception." Yuki's anger melted into a cold smile. "You always were the funny one between us."

Fran couldn't help but snarl again. "God dammit, Yuki! I set one card face-down and end my turn!"

"My move." Yuki drew. "I activate Pantheism of the Monarchs, discarding a Monarch spell or trap card to draw two more cards." She did so and then gestured, three holographic larger-than-life cards appearing in front of her. "Then, by banishing Pantheism from my graveyard, I pick three more Monarch spells and traps from my deck. You pick one and I shuffle the other two back into my deck."

Fran grit her teeth. Yuki was showing Restoration of the Monarchs, another Pantheism and a card she hadn't heard of called The Clashing of the Monarchs. Restoration will let her revive a monster and Pantheism will just give her more draws! "I choose The Clashing of the Monarchs!"

Yuki nodded, catching the card her deck slid out and letting it auto-shuffle before she started her next move. "By flipping your Thunderstrike Unicorn face-down, I can special summon Landrobe the Rock Vassal from my hand." Thunderstrike winked out, replaced by a face-down card and a little monster appeared on Yuki's, garbed in desert-dwelling robes and cracked armour. (800/1000)

"A Vassal?" Fran frowned, then swore under her breath. "Hard to be a Monarch when you don't have anyone to rule over!"

"Correct. First, I activate the continuous spell card The Clashing of the Monarchs. Then I sacrifice Landrobe for his master, Granmarg the Rock Monarch." Yuki pointed and Landrobe was lost behind a sudden sandstorm. When it cleared, looming in front of her was a giant of a monster, an ancient statue brought to life. And given how deep and dark the rumble he was giving off, a very angry life. (2400/1000)

"Oh no…" Fran glanced down where her Thunderstrike Unicorn had been.

"Yes. Granmarg, when summoned, destroys one set card on the field. Like your monster. Rock Wrecker!" Yuki snapped her fingers and Granmarg punched the ground, a wave of stone spikes erupting and zig-zagging across the field before they perforated Fran's monster. To her horror and disgust, the card transformed back into Thunderstrike and left her with the image of her beloved monster speared like a stuck pig. "Now the effect of Coffin Vender activates."

Fran screamed with this time, pain mixed with anger. Her heart was roaring in her ears, the image of Thunderstrike's demise leaving her brain burning with the image of a once-pristine unicorn dangling from a noose trap and stained with a thousand cuts and everything - the eyes, the horn, the hooves, the mane and tail - all gone. "You're going to pay for that!" (FLP:5600)

For the first time, Yuki's icy shell cracked. Her eyes widened minutely as she took a half-step back, the crowd reacting with surprise and curious murmurs. Even Mai was looking surprised, clearly not expecting Fran to possess such a booming, angry voice.

"Reverse card open! Synchro Nova!" Fran stabbed a finger into the air and the card lifted, cards spilling out of her graveyard. "I banish every card from my graveyard and then Synchro Summon a monster from my Extra Deck!" She held up a fan of cards. "With seven cards banished, I call forth a monster to avenge Thunderstrike! Ride the lightning between this world and the next; evil souls shall never escape you! Synchro Summon! Level 7! Voltic Burst Bicorn!"

Lighting skittered across the playing field, weaving with itself in a chaotic dance. Then with a snarling explosion of power, the lighting twisted into the wire-shape of her monster. A monster that rapidly became more real - a muscular golden body, twin pink horns jagged and sparking, a mane made of nothing but blue electricity. (2500/2500)

Yuki had regained her composure, though. "That monster cannot save you, Francesca." She gestured to her The Clashing of the Monarchs card as it glowed. "When a WATER or EARTH Monarch destroys at least one card on the field, I draw one card and power-up my monster by six hundred." Granmarg glowed as his power ticked upwards. (2400-3000)

"Good for you. You can attack." Fran said, her growling words just slightly less fierce than the tooth-bearing grin she was sporting. "I'll just pay it back double!"

Again, Yuki's eyes widened slightly but that composure slipped back into place. "Granmarg attacks Voltic Bicorn! Rock Crusher!" Granmarg punched the ground with both fists, giant slabs of stone rising up to either side of Fran's monster. Then they slammed together, crushing Voltic Bicorn into nothing but the filling of a pixel sandwich.

Pain danced over Fran's body, but it felt distant, unable to pierce the angry haze wrapped around her. She just kept staring at Yuki, kept smiling - and that smile grew as Yuki opened her mouth and found no words. (FLP:5200)

Fran had plenty. "The effect of Voltic Burst Bicorn activates since you destroyed it - we both banish the top three cards of our decks." She pulled the cards free and slid them into the proper slot, watching as Yuki did the same. "But my deck likes that kind of thing. Yours? Not so much."

"My deck functions just fine, Francesca and all the gloating in your own heroic ego won't change that at all." Yuki slid a card into her graveyard. "I discard a card to set one Dark Coffin from my graveyard and then set another card face-down to complete my turn."

Fran drew, her eyes narrowing in delight at the card. Perfect. "I activate the field spell card Avondale Forest!" Transparent trees, shrubbery and more sprouted out of the ground around her and cast the whole arena in a tranquil twilight. "With this card in play, I can once per turn turn recall one of my monsters from the banished pile! Come out, Wind-Up Dog!"

Toy-like and adorable, her monster bounded from the forest's depths with a happy yipping. It sniffed this and that before turning in a circle and barking, wagging its tail. (1200/900)

"Then, I summon Unicorn Foal from my hand." Unlike the dog, the small unicorn strutted from the treeline like she owned the place. Wind-Up Dog tried to play with her, barking and bounding, but she just lifted her head high and huffed. (400/200)

Fran pointed at her new monster. "Unicorn Foal's ability activates now! I reveal one Light Beast Synchro in my Extra Deck, then subtract her level of one from it and make another monster that level!" Wind-Up Dog tilted his head in confusion as his three level stars appeared above his head, then glowed and expanded to a total of seven. "And since Unicorn Foal is a tuner monster…"

Both monsters vanished back into the woods like they were made of mist, a sharp and slowly increasing flickering sparks arcing this way and that in the background. "Strike as fast the lightning, your hooves the thunder of judgement! Lead the storm itself in a stampede across a world of evil! Synchro Summon! Level 8! Lightning Surge Tricorn!"

Lighting roared out of the trees from all directions, colliding together and transforming into Fran's new monster. Golden armoured with a blazing blue mane and crackling lighting forming horns on its sides and forelegs. Synchronic Resonance activated as well, Tricorn rearing up as more lighting erupted from it in a display of ferocious power. (2800-3600/2200)

Yuki's game face didn't break in the face of the new monster and neither did her game plan as she pointed at her Coffin Vendor card. "You sent two monsters to the graveyard, so now you will take four hundred damage for each one! But no amount of self-flagellation will cure the pain you've given me, Fran!"

Fran's protest was cut off by a shriek of pain. She hadn't meant to - she would normally rather die than show weakness - but her nerves felt raw, like they'd been dipped in an acid bath, and the pain dug deep into her bones this time, and left her limbs feeling weak and empty. She tried to raise her Duel Disk, but her Amazon strength had deserted her. Come on! You can't let this happen! (FLP:5200-4400)

"Looks like our dear heroine has gone a bit soft after beating the Shadow Queen." Greedley's voice reached her ears over the hubbub and delighted noises from the rest of the audience. "Perhaps you bet yourself a bit high with this, Miss Valentine."

"Don't you know duelists like her are their best backed into a corner?" Mai retorted, sounding more amused than concerned at Fran's pain. "She crushed the Shadow Queen when she owned the whole damn island. Your little slice of the pie here is nothing."

Fran closed her eye and forced herself to focus on her breathing. In and out, in and out. The rest of her didn't matter, just the breathing. If she was breathing, she was alive. And if she was alive, she could fight. And if she could fight, she could win.

She opened her eye, fixing her gaze on Yuki. And if there's any duel I want to win more than anything, it's this one. Just so I can march over there and slap the stick right out of her ass!

"I activate the effect of Unicorn Foal - since I used it for Synchro Summon, I banish it and one other Beast monster in my graveyard to draw two cards!" Fran held up the cards she wanted. "And since I just banished Voltic Burst Bicorn from my graveyard, it summons itself!" Lighting lanced down on her field, resolving into the form of her monster. "Then I use Lighting Surge Tricorn's ability! I revive Thunderstrike Unicorn!" More lighting and the blue unicorn was back, snarling in unison with the lightning crackling around it.

"Thunderstrike's ability! I am targeting Granmarg! Your Monarch is about to kneel!" Fran pointed and the earth monarch shuddered, sagging over as lighting danced and arced over him. He was so bulky he couldn't kneel, but was leaning heavily on his two overlarge arms. (3000-1800) (2200-3400)

The crowd cheered as her three monsters crossed horns, the surging lightning as ferocious and alive as any real monster. "Voltic Burst Bicorn! Attack Granmarg! Burst Slam Charge!" Her monster obeyed, launching forwards in a blaze of electricity and crashing right through Granmarg, sending hunks of armor and earth everywhere.

Yuki lit up again, but she was more concerned with knocking away a piece of her monster before it could hit her face than of the volts being blasted into her nerves. (YLP:5600-400)

"Lightning Surge Tricorn! Attack her directly! Galvanizing Trident!" All three of the monster's horns light up with blue volts and the monster lunged forwards. Only to be shoved back as a clanging bell sounded, Fran and her monsters all staggering a step back from the sheer volume of the noise.

"When you attack me while I have no monsters, Battle Fader special summons itself and ends your battle phase." Yuki pointed at the little fiend monster on her field. (0/0)

"Tch…" Fran clenched her fist for a moment, the crowd exploding in another round of excitement as her dramatic finish was halted. She then seized one of her remaining cards. "I set one card face-down and end my turn!"

"Draw." Yuki pulled her card free, then plugged it into her disk. "I activate Swords of Concealing Light!" Wreathed in pale green light, person-sized black swords slammed into Fran's field and began to ooze shadows. "When I play this card, all of your monsters are put into a face-down defence position!" The three unicorns all vanished to be replaced by brown-backed cards.

I still have this. Fran forced herself to breathe again. In and out. Granmarg can only target one face-down card. I'll still have two of my monsters left. And I can destroy the swords on my next turn with my Surging Charge spell card.

"The effect of Coffin Vendor activates, setting my second Dark Coffin to my field." The card appeared in front of Yuki's field and then Battle Fader vanished in a swirl of ice crystals and snowflakes. "Then I sacrifice my monster to summon my second Mobius and destroy both of my Dark Coffins!"

The Monarch snapped his fingers, icicles violently shredding the two cards. Fran swore as the effects activated. "I discard the last card in my hand and then send my set Thunderstrike Unicorn to the graveyard!" The monster shattered and Fran bit back another scream as the shock bands poured a short blast of electricity into her. (FLP:4800-4400)

"Since Mobius destroyed cards, he gains six hundred attack and I draw one card." Yuki snapped up the card. "Mobius attacks! Ice Spear!"

"Shit!" Fran watched as stone spikes tore apart her monster, Voltic Burst Bicorn's form flashing briefly in front of her. "We banish the top three cards of our deck and my Bicorn goes back to the Extra Deck!" She had barely pulled the cards free when the shock bands triggered and she let out a twisted cry before nearly dropping them all. (FLP:4400-4000)

Yuki held up the card she had just drawn. "I activate Quick Summon! I sacrifice my Mobius to summon another Gramnarg!" Earth sucked Mobius under the forest floor and Granmarg erupted out in a spray of stone. "Rock Wrecker!" (2400-3000)

Fran grit her teeth as her Lightning Tricorn was torn into pixels by rock spikes, the shock bands tearing into her already frayed nerves. "When - When you destroy Lightning Surge Tricorn, I can revive one of her sisters!" Lightning flashed, thunder echoed and Thunderstrike Unicorn was back in front of her. (2200)

Yuki froze in the middle of ordering Granmarg to attack. Her eyes darted between the two monsters, weighing it up. Granmarg was currently stronger than Thunderstrike, but she had no idea if Thunderstrike's effect was able to activate on her turn. If it did, her monster would be destroyed in the fight and she'd been defenceless. "I set one card and end my turn."

"My move!" Still feeling shaky, Fran drew. It was the only card she had to work with it and it was the best one for the moment. "Monster Reborn! Come back, Lightning Surge Tricorn!" Golden light flared as the massive Synchro monster reappeared in front of her. "And with her effect, I special summon Voltic Surge Bicorn!" More lightning and the third of her unicorn trio was back in play. "Go, Thunderstrike! Weaken Granmarg!"

"Reverse card open!" Yuki's card flipped up and Granmarg began to glow with a protective sheen of rainbow light. Thunderstrike's lightning bounced off it and shot out between the cage bars randomly, the patrons oohing and aahing that the impromptu fireworks display. "The Monarchs Awaken! This trap targets Granmarg and renders him immune to any of your card effects!"

Fran froze. "Well…that's that, Yuki. Your monster is stronger than any of mine." Then she smiled slowly and Yuki's confident expression fell away. "But I wasn't done with my move, anyway."

The blonde pointed at her set card and it flipped up, all three of her Synchro monsters gaining a green surge of power that linked them all together. "I activate Synchro Alliance! I pick one monster on my field and all my other Synchro monsters gain its effects! So now both Lightning Surge Tricorn and Voltic Burst Bicorn have Thunderstrike's effect!"

She punched a fist towards her monsters. "And guess what? I don't have to target your monster, Yuki! So Tricorn and Bicorn both drain twelve hundred points from Thunderstrike and give it to Tricorn!" All three unicorns raised their heads and crossed their horns, a crash of energy jolting into Granmarg like the fist of a mighty giant. It tore through the monster like it was made of paper, before slamming into Yuki, the sheer brightness and intensity driving her back a step. (2800-4000-5200) (2200-0) (YLP:4000-1800)

"Voltic Bicorn! Direct attack!" Still supercharged from the joint effort, Voltic Burst Bicorn swung her head around, building up a blaze of energy that she fired straight at Yuki.

Fran watched as Yuki soaked up those volts, electricity writhing around her opponent like living snakes hunting for a weak point to sink their fangs into. It should have left Yuki spasming on the ground, body jerking and twitching in sheer agony. But it didn't. (YLP: 0)

And Fran hated herself for wishing that it did.

Yuki's cold glare followed her as she ripped the bands and necklace off, shoving them at the attendant before storming from the cage. The pain was faint now, the heat from her rage drowning it out. She wasn't paying attention to the guests or the crowd or even Mai and Greedley. Fran knew she was being unprofessional, that she was showing everyone present how volatile and emotional the Unicorn Maiden was.

How easy she was to catch.

She didn't care, just found the bar. The bartender already had a beer waiting and she knocked back half of it without even tasting it. It didn't quench the heat in her gut. I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! This fucking island ruins everyone who comes here up!

Yuki had been her friend - was her friend. They'd been that way till just before the tournament. And now - now it was like she'd been replaced by an alien, warped and twisted by the darkness that soaked Arcadia so deeply for so long that it stained you like ink that never, ever came off.

All because she had been Fran's friend. That was it. A friend who didn't even duel, who didn't even know who Seto Kaiba or Yugi Mouto was, who's big goal in life at sixteen was to be a champion lawnmower racer. Kidnapped specifically because it would hurt Fran more to die at her hand. Or to watch Yuki die if she failed.

Lyrius had told so many stories of Iris over the last two months that Fran knew that one of the Shadow Queen's favourite things in the world was engaging in a plan that took years to complete, watching it unfold and savouring the resulting suffering like wine. And lo and behold, this one had paid off. More than anything, Fran wished she could just strangle the life out of Iris right this second. Maybe twice, just to pay her back for ruining both lives.

Instead, she finished her beer, slammed it down and was grabbing the second when she felt Mai slid into the space next to her. "Don't say it, I don't want to hear about what a fuck-up I am!"

"Then hear about how you need to shut up." Mai was sitting facing the rest of the room, elbows on the bar and smiling while hissing out of the corner of her mouth. "You are painting the world's biggest target on our backs right now."

"It's Arcadia; I've always had a target on my back here!" Fran groused back. "And considering we just won something from Greedley, it can't be any bigger!"

Mai leaned in and to an outside observer, it probably looked like she was congratulating her duelist, but the sheer force in her whisper conveyed enough anger to make a volcano look tame. "It's what we won that's the issue - most people think it's just a weird, expensive card. But Greedley knows more than he's letting on - and now he's learning that Yuki is a very good way to yank your leash!"

"Who cares? We got what we wanted from him, and now Yuki will never have to see me again - just like she wants!"

"Excuse me."

Both blondes turned to see a broad-suited man standing behind them, face implaccable behind his sunglasses. "The Yuki-Onna requests your presence for a drink."

"That cold-hearted bitch can take her drink and -"

Mai's firm, painful grip on Fran's leg was a perfect textbook example of using nerve pain to make someone shut up; the mouth moved but no sound came out. "We'd be happy to accept her offer. Where to?"

"The Yuki-Onna has a private room ready." The man didn't guide so much as herd them away from the bar and into said room. He moved aside the velvet rope and ushered them inside before taking up a guard position outside.

The room was plush, comfortably cosy and had a tray of decadent sugary treats and wine. Yuki was standing instead of seated, watching them. The door clicked shut and tension frosted the room. Fran started at the frigid beauty, mind churning, soul seething and fire in her mouth as she opened her lips. "You heartless little -"

"Ohmygosh, I'msosorry! Ididn'tmeananyofit! I'msohappytoseeyou! Pleasedon'tyellatme!"

The barrage of words was topped off by a warm, forceful weight throwing itself at Fran and wrapping her in a warm, tight, almost painful hug as Yuki practically sobbed into her shoulder. Stumbling against the weight, and fighting the instinct to pull her taser out, Fran glanced sideways at Mai, who looked equally confused.

"Uhh…I know you lost, princess," the older duelist said. "But can you not choke my meal ticket? I kinda need her…"

Thanks Mai…Fran thought dryly as Yuki released her obligingly. Gone was the air of disdain and coldness, instead replaced by softness and tear-filled eyes. "...what the fuck, Yuki? I thought I was the architect of your screwed up life five minutes ago?"

"Yeah, that - um, that, Fran, is just…" Yuki laughed sheepishly, hands clasped in front of herself and doing that little twisty-turn that she had done since she was a kid. Adorable as Fran remembered. "It's an act. I really don't feel that way about you. But I needed to keep my rep up against the crowd - hard to get hired as talent if you can't be showy."

"Wai…talent? Rep? What are you on about?" Fran could not make sense of it. A moment ago she had been ready to give back the anger that had been thrown at her tenfold. Now Yuki was gushing and flapping around like nothing had changed.

"I get it," Mai's look had turned shrewd. "You used to be in the Glitz Pit. Yuki-Onna is a persona you developed to appeal to the crowds - make them like you, and give you the support you needed to do well. You've kept it as a dueling persona and brought the reputation with it…and the confidence boost too, am I right?"

Yuki nodded, beaming and blushing. "Yeah. I wasn't lying about the part where my family thinks I'm dead. And while the Shadow Spawn promised to help me get home, I was kinda near the bottom of the payout list. So I learned dueling to pass the time - it was all anyone did for the first year or two after the Queen's defeat. Got good at it, then leaned into the rumors that the Queen turned me into an assassin to…um…leverage a few bets. I did well in the Glitz Pit for a while, but then I had a run-in with some kind of superhero, booked it and wound up here."

Fran's mind was abuzz as she tried to keep all this straight. "Wait - you said I didn't screw up your life, but now you're rubbing elbows in the Underground with criminals?"

Yuki's smile wilted a bit. "It's…well, it's a stable source of income. There's not exactly a lot of jobs going and those that are don't last long. I'm honestly looking for a way to bounce out of here, but I want to make a lot more money 'cause the Glory exchange rate sucks." She blew air out between her lips in amused annoyance. "Though the Unicorn Maiden tanking my winning streak is gonna make it hard."

"Hmm…speaking of our win, where is your employer?" Mai asked, scanning the room as though expecting Greedley's portly form to pop up from behind one of the blue velvet couches. "Smarting over losing one of his collection?"

It sounded casual, but Fran suddenly realised that this could just as easily be a set up to ambush them both and steal back their winnings. Yuki shook her head.

"I don't know. He was really salty so he told me to take the rest of the night off. Pretty sure I'm going to have a termination notice in my inbox tomorrow morning. Shame - I was enjoying the pay rise. Almost had enough for passage off the island."

"So…you're really not mad?" Fran could not help but wince at the almost pleading note that came into her voice. Just for once could something go right on this island?

"At you? No!" Yuki looked aghast. "Never at you! The Shadow Queen, and all the bureaucracy on this damn island, yes - really ticked off at that - but none of that is your fault! You were a victim too. I'd have to be a real moron to hold any of that garbage against you!"

She engulfed Fran in another hug. This time she hugged back, feeling tears well up in her eyes. Everything was okay. She'd won. They'd got another card. And she had a friend back. And this time, she would make sure that she kept her.

"I'm sorry my act hurt you," Yuki said, pulling back. "Can I make it up to you? Odds are this might be the last night I can afford to stay in the Black Nugget if I get fired tomorrow, so do you want to abuse my tab? I know you had dinner already, but we could go see the drag show and catch up over drinks?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," Mai stood up, dusting herself down and double checking her clutch for their prize. "Too many ears in the Underground. You two can reminisce upstairs."

She clearly was not convinced that Yuki's private room was indeed such, and truthfully, Fran wasn't either. Seeing Yuki squeak in excitement, she frowned. "Wait. How did you know we had dinner already?"

Yuki looked surprised. "Social media. I knew you were on the island so I was keeping an eye out. Honestly, I was tempted to tell Greedley that I had plans, and then I saw that you were in Glitzville tonight with Mai, who has a bit of a rep down here-"

Fran glanced at Mai. The smirk on her face, as she ushered both the younger girls out the door said everything. Told you so!

Fran didn't complain. Mai's plan had not only given her her confidence back, but it had given her her friend back. And right now, that was all that mattered.

OOO

A/N: So it only took a year to get back to this. What happened?

Real life.

No further questions.

Mei: We actually really liked bits of this chapter. It was just the duel that kicked our asses…well, 7th Librarian's ass. I normally keep my ass clear of card game tomfoolery. Gotta protect my best asset.

7th: …yes, because card games totally rots your brain.

Mei: He's shooting for flattery. He must REALLY want reviews. And you know you want to leave them to, so please go ahead. We love hearing all your feedback.

Until next time, dear readers. Protect your assets!