I'm back everyone! I needed that time off more than I thought, but here I am! Before I get started on the new arc, I want to let you guys know that I will still be taking my time to write my chapters to make sure they come out just right. That, and my job searching is still ongoing. I don't want to feel rushed in doing this, so once again, please do not ask me when I will have the next chapter up or anything like that. It will not help me get it done sooner. With all that being said, it is at last time to start the Arcadia Arc, where we see what happens with Yusei and his friends! Please enjoy this hopefully enjoyable long first chapter! This chapter has a certain plot that got abandoned in the 5D's anime I just felt should be resolved. I like to think I did justice to it!
Yugioh: The Hope of Six
Chapter 46: Arcadia Arc – Part 1
"A pool party at your place? Really, Rua!?" Asked a young boy wearing glasses.
"Yeah Tempei! You guys are all invited!" Rua told him and their other friends.
On a bright sunny day in Neo Domino City, Rua and Ruka had just exited their school, having finished for the weekend. The twins waited until all their friends had caught up. One was Tenpei Hayano, the twins' closest friend and and the smartest kid in their class. Another was Bob, a dark blue eyed, chubby, friendly boy who liked to hang out with them most of the time. There was also a green eyed, dark skinned, blonde haired girl named Patty. She was a close friend of Ruka and hung out a lot.
"Sounds like fun! Count me in!" Bob shouted happily.
"Me too. What's the occasion?" Patty asked, curious.
"Well, it has been about a month since news of Divine's escape was reported. Everyone's been pretty tense about him and his current whereabouts. It's also been hard on Yusei and Aki… especially Aki." Ruka said in a sad voice. "But Rua and I suggested that we should all try to loosen up a bit by having a fun event at our home." Rua nodded.
"We talked to them, including Jack and Crow, and they said it was a great idea. We are all going to spend our time up there swimming and just having a blast!" Rua added.
Patty smiled. "That's great. It'll be good to see Aki again. We haven't seen her since she got pulled from school." The others nodded. Not long after hearing of Divine being at large again, Aki's parents decided that until that maniac was caught, they should keep their daughter as close as possible. They then called the school principal and explained the situation. He was told that Aki should be home schooled for the time being for her safety. The principal understood and agreed to their idea, as long as Aki would return to school once the crisis was over.
Aki herself wasn't too thrilled with the idea, but her parents wouldn't hear any objections. Even Yusei had a difficult time convincing her it was for her own safety. Aki reminded Yusei that he too could be a possible target for Divine, but he assured her that he would be alright. The couple agreed that as long as Yusei would stop by to see her everyday, Aki would remain at her family estate to continue her school work.
After a month, Aki was starting to get stir crazy and really wanted to be out of the house. That was when she heard of the twins' proposed pool party at their penthouse. It took more than a bit of coaxing from everyone, including Yusei, but finally Aki's parents relented and allowed Aki to go. Their only condition was that there would be a Security detail in and out of the apartment building. Jack made a quick call and Mikage agreed to have a team there to keep an eye on any suspicious activity.
"Yeah, school hasn't been the same without Aki around." Tenpei said.
"I know." Rua told him. "We all miss her not coming to school with us everyday."
"When we all get together, let's be sure to help give Aki a great time." Rua told them.
"Definitely." Patty said with a smile.
"Yeah. Oh, wait!" Ruka smiled more when she saw a certain someone coming their way. "There's Sly! We should have him come with us!" Ruka said, sounded pleased.
Rua groaned, not sounding so pleased himself. 'Nooo… not him.'
Heading their way was another boy around their ages. His eyes were pale purple and the bangs of his dark hair covered where his right eye was. He was one of the quiet types who hardly spoke to anyone. In short, he seemed like a loner. Despite that, he found himself hanging out with the twins and their little group. Although he appeared reluctant to do so.
Sly kept his gaze on anyone but them, intending to get away before… "Hey Sly! Hold up a second!" Sly glanced to see that troublesome girl, Ruka, waving at him. He kept walking, annoyance clear on his face. "Sly! Stop! I want to ask you something!" The boy couldn't get much further before Ruka ran up and stopped in front of him.
'Crap… why can't she just leave me alone? It's bad enough that I have to go to school with her and her loser of a brother everyday.' It really irritated him that Ruka wanted to spend so much time with him. As much as he wanted to just run away, he wanted to avoid public confrontation. "Hey."
"Sly, why didn't you stop when I called you? I know you had to have heard me." Ruka complained.
"My mind was on other things." He told her, which was true. He had plans that nothing to do with hanging out with a pathetic group like hers. "What's up?" He asked, trying to sound casual. Ruka smiled again.
"Rua and I just told Tenpei, Bob, and Patty that we're having a pool party at our penthouse later today. I was hoping you can join us. Do you want to come? We'll have lots of fun things to do."
Sly really couldn't care less about some lame pool party. He would rather spend his time elsewhere, where no pests couldn't bother him. "Sorry… pass." He then tried to walk away, but Ruka grabbed his arm with both of hers.
"Aw, come on. I know you will enjoy yourself! Please come over!" Ruka insisted. Rua felt he had to step in now.
"Ruka, if that jerk doesn't want to come, that's his choice. We're all better off without him anyway." Ruka frowned from her brother's attitude.
"He's not a jerk. Sly is just a private person, that's all. I know you two aren't best buddies, but you can at least try to get along with him." Rua huffed before turning his back on them, arms crossed.
"No chance. Something about him just rubs me the wrong way. I don't see why you like him at all."
"He's actually right. I don't want to go." Sly said as pulled his arm free and turning away. "Especially if he is going to give me a hard time." Ruka looked dismayed.
"Guys, please! This is for Aki! I want all of us to be there for her! We shouldn't be fighting!" Rua and Sly refused to talk to one another. Ruka sighed in defeat before turning to Sly. "You really don't want to come, Sly?
Before Sly could repeat his answer, a loud argument could be heard nearby.
"I promise you Yugo, you will find it. You just have to look harder, that's all."
"But Rin, you're talking like I misplaced it! I'm telling you, someone stole it!"
"Accusing nearly every kid in school of stealing was not exactly helpful, was it?"
Most of the kids turned to see their two newest friends, all sighing exasperatingly. After Yusei and his friends returned from the war against Leo Akaba and Academia, they got Yugo and Rin enrolled in the same school as Rua and Ruka. It took them a while to get used to their new surroundings, but the pair managed to fit in. Rin had no trouble adjusting to her new school life, including wearing the new dark red girl's uniforms. Yugo, however, felt disgusted at wearing the dark blue boy's uniform he was provided (he called it "prissy as hell"). Regardless, he wore it to school as he should, but would immediately ditch it once he was back at the apartment complex where he and Rin were staying.
Still, it wasn't all bad. The couple met and quickly bonded with Rua and Ruka's school friends. By now, the group were all used to Yugo's frequent outbursts.
"He's at it again." Bob said with annoyance.
"I guess he still hasn't found it yet." Tenpei said.
"I don't blame him. I would be pretty mad too if my favorite card went missing and I couldn't find it anywhere." Patty added.
"Poor Yugo." Ruka said softly.
"Yeah." Replied Rua. Sly said nothing, seeing as the matter didn't concern him in the slightest.
Yugo yelled as he began pulling his hair in frustration. "Ahh, I can't believe this! Where is it?! Where the hell is my Clear Wing Synchro Dragon?!" Yugo did not have a particularly good day. At first, it was just another typical day at school. When later in the morning he was asked by another student what his favorite Duel Monsters card was, Yugo immediately took out his Extra Deck and planned to show him his Ace Monster. To his utmost shock, Clear Wing Synchro Dragon was not among his many Synchro Monsters. Since then, Yugo had been desperate to try to find it, but had not been successful. His mood soured throughout the rest of the day. He later became convinced someone had taken it from him, but Rin told him he didn't know that for sure. She believed he had merely misplaced it or it had fallen out somehow. Of course, Yugo didn't buy that. He kept asking (rather roughly) other students if any of them had the nerve to have stolen his precious dragon. Rin had to make sure he wouldn't get into serious trouble, so she promised to help him look for his card later. Reluctantly, he agreed.
Rin could see how much this was bothering her boyfriend, so she decided to console him. "Look Yugo, I'm really sorry your dragon is missing. I'm sure we will find it. Just don't let it's disappearance bother you so much at Rua and Ruka's pool party. It might help take your mind off it."
A clearly distraught Yugo looked over at his girlfriend, who gave a comforting smile. The boy sighed heavily. "Yeah, I guess so. Maybe while we're there, Yusei can also lend a hand."
This actually got Sly's attention. 'Yusei Fudo is going to be at that stupid party?' An opportunity seemed to present itself to the boy. Maybe he should go after all… "I was just kidding. I'll be there." This surprised everyone, especially Rua.
"What?! Are you serious?!" The boy said in shock, not believing what he was hearing. Sly only smirked.
Ruka seemed much more cheerful. "I'm so glad to hear that Sly. I hoped you would actually come."
"So you're all coming to the party?" Rin asked the younger children, who mostly nodded. Sly just shrugged. "Great! The more the merrier."
"Yeah. Pools are a lot of fun. I should know; I've been in one myself." Rin frowned at him.
"That was a total accident if I recall… and you pulled me in too." Yugo just chuckled.
"Hey, it still turned out to be fun, right?" He said with his goofy grin, making Rin laugh.
"So it's settled." Ruka said. "The pool party is 5 pm. Be sure to bring your swim suits and stuff. We'll see you all there." With that, the twins, Yugo, and Rin headed back to the apartment they all shared for the past month. Tempei, Bob, and Patty went to their own homes to get ready.
Sly smiled deviously when he knew no one was looking as he walked away. A plan was forming in his mind. 'If Yusei will be there, then he'll be bringing his cards with him… including Stardust Dragon. Today, that card will finally be mine.'
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Are you sure this isn't too much? This is a kid's pool party after all." Crow asked as he saw the dozen officers of the Neo Domino City Police Department standing guard both outside of the apartment building and in the building's lobby. He, Yusei, Aki, and Jack had just arrived to help get everything set before the other kids show up.
"My parents insisted that I needed a tight security detail while I'm here, as well as for Yusei." Aki explained. "Believe it or not, this is only a fraction of the security at my place."
"She's right." Yusei added. "There are twice as many back at the mansion. And that's not including Kiryu, Sherry, and Mizoguchi." The latter three had chosen to stay with the Izayoi's in addition to the extra security. Aki and her parents didn't mind, since they had plenty of room and were glad to have good friends of Yusei's to help keep watch.
"Mikage and Ushio made it clear how important it was to keep Aki and her parents safe. They won't let us down." Jack said.
"Damn right we won't." The Signers turned to see two people exit the building. One was a tall, muscular man in a police uniform with a scar on the right side of his face. The other was a shorter, dark blue haired woman with yellow eyes and wearing a business suit. The man was the one that had spoken. "No one is gonna get past these guys while they are on duty." Tetsu Ushio said confidently.
"Good to hear, Ushio." Crow said to him.
"I promise you all that nothing bad will happen here." Assured the woman, Mikage Sagiri. "Also, since all of our men will be on patrol on ground level, the party itself won't be disrupted."
"I believe you Mikage." Aki said with gratitude.
"Thanks for everything you two." Yusei said. Ushio and Mikage both nodded.
"No problem. We need to head on back to HQ. Let us know if anything happens." Mikage advised.
"We will." Yusei assured the pair before they got in their car and drove away.
Just then, everyone heard a familiar sound turned to their right. Four vehicles and their riders were heading their way. One was normal sized black and white D-Wheel with a hornet-like design. The other was a smaller, slimmer model painted light blue and green with a snowflake on each side. Coming up behind each D-Wheel was what looked like a high tech skateboard with a smaller rider on top. The one behind the white D-Wheel was blue, while the one following the light blue and green one was pink. Yusei and the others knew who those riders were before they stopped in front of them.
"Hey you guys! How was school?" Crow asked, smiling to see the newcomers as they stepped off their respective vehicles. Rua and Ruka took off their helmets after stepping off their Duel Boards.
"It was fine. Glad it's the weekend." Rua said.
"Same here. I'm glad you guys are here, especially you Aki." Ruka said to her fellow female Signer. Aki smiled at her.
"Me too. It feels good to get out of the house for a fun event. I wouldn't miss it for the world." She then looked over at the rider of the smaller D-Wheel. "So you're enjoying your new ride, Rin?"
Rin grinned after removing her helmet. "Oh I sure am! Winter Breeze is perfect!" The girl replied while fondly patting her D-Wheel. "And Yugo's remodeled Clear Wind is doing just as well!"
During the previous month, Rin expressed interest in having her own D-Wheel like everyone else did (something Yugo remembered her saying something similar the night they met Yusei). Yusei, Crow, and Yugo all worked together to build Rin her D-Wheel, which she named Winter Breeze. Once it was completed, Rin used it to take the qualification test to get her D-Wheel license so she could use it legally (which she passed with flying colors). Yugo got his license as well, which was easy with all his past experience. Like the other D-Wheels, Rin's was designed to have a Duel Disk attached (Rin got her own Disk prior to receiving her D-Wheel). Yugo's D-Wheel, now called Clear Wind, was remodeled so that the Duel Disk could be removable (it wasn't made that way previously).
"I'm glad you're happy Rin." Yugo muttered bitterly as he took off his own helmet. "Hey Yusei, Aki, everyone." He said without really looking at the group.
"What's wrong Yugo?" Yusei asked. Rin looked over at her boyfriend with pity.
"He's had a bad day. Somehow his Clear Wing Synchro Dragon card went missing and he hasn't been able to find it." This surprised everyone.
"You lost your dragon?!" Jack said, astounded by this.
"How the hell did that happen Yugo?" Crow asked in disbelief. Yugo gritted his teeth, his frustration evident.
"I don't know. I know I had it before I went to bed last night, but now it's gone! Dammit, dammit! How could this have happened to me?!" He shouted, yanking his hair again.
"Maybe you dropped it somewhere in the apartment before you left for school?" Aki suggested. Yugo shook his head.
"No way. I checked my Deck and Extra Deck before I went to sleep, and Clear Wing was definitely with me then! All my cards were secured in locked Deck boxes! This shouldn't have happened! All I can think of is someone had to have stolen it during school without me noticing!" Rin and the twins sighed.
"We've been over this already. You had your cards with you all day. There was no way anyone could have taken it or any card." Ruka reasoned. Yugo stomped his foot hard.
"Then where is my dragon?! Tell me!" He snapped, making Ruka flinch as she stepped back.
"Hey! Don't talk like that to Ruka!" Rua interjected, defending his sister.
"Stop Yugo!" Rin stepped in between the two. "I know you are upset, but don't take it out on our friends!" It took Yugo a moment to realize what he did and immediately felt remorseful.
"You're right." He said before turning to the younger of the twins. "I'm sorry Ruka. I'm just really pissed that my Ace Monster is gone and I have no idea why."
"It's okay, Yugo. I really don't blame you." Ruka said in a forgiving tone.
"Good to know. Look, I think I better head inside before I say another stupid thing." Yugo then detached his Duel Disk from his ride and slowly marched into the building, his head lowered and his shoulders slumped. The whole group felt sorry for the teen.
"Poor Yugo." Aki said.
"Isn't there anything we can do?" Rua asked. Yusei seemed to have made a decision.
"I'll go talk to him." He said before going in as well.
After entering the building and passing the security officers, Yugo sat down on a chair near the elevator. He had never felt so miserable in his life. Up to this day, he had never been so careless with his cards. He could not fathom how he could have lost his most valuable card, his dragon.
"Do you really believe someone stole Clear Wing?" Said a voice that came directly from Yugo's Duel Disk. Yugo gazed down to see an computerized eyeball looking up at him. The boy sighed.
"I can't think of any other reason, Windy." Yugo said quietly. The Wind Ignis wanted to come out and help comfort him, but he didn't want to risk being seen by the nearby officers.
"I believe you when you said none of your cards could have fallen out anywhere. But I had not observed any attempts for your cards either. I should know; I was with you all the time." Yugo nodded. Windy had been staying with Yugo and Rin at the twin's place. He had become Yugo's "roommate" for the past month. Whenever he and the others would leave for school, Windy usually accompanied them. Though they were concerned about him being discovered, Windy promised he would not draw attention to himself. And he had not.
"This sucks. I don't know what I'm gonna do. I had Clear Wing for a long time, since I was little. I feel lost without it…" Yugo complained.
Windy's eyeball form gave a sad look. 'Yugo…'
"Yugo." Yugo looked up and saw Yusei approach him. "Can we talk?"
Yugo shrugged. "Sure, I guess." Yusei sat in the chair next to him.
"He really is miserable." Windy noted.
"I see." Yusei said to the Ignis before facing the boy. "Yugo, I'm sorry this happened to you. I actually know how you feel."
"You do?" Yugo asked. Yusei nodded.
"I lost Stardust Dragon a while back."
Yugo gaped at him. "Say what?! No way! How?"
"A friend of mine was in danger by someone misguided and I had to make a choice: my friend or Stardust Dragon. I chose to save my friend. By the time we both got back to safety, that person had gone… with my dragon."
"Yusei…" Yugo muttered in shock.
"I eventually caught up with that person and got Stardust back, but I'll never forget the pain of losing it. It felt like losing another close friend. For me, Stardust Dragon was a symbol of making bonds with others."
"Yeah. I always felt that Clear Wing is a part of me. On the inside, you know?" Yusei nodded again with a smile.
"I get it. Which is why… I want you to have this." Yusei took out one of his Deck boxes, took out a specific card, and handed it over to Yugo. The boy gasped in shock.
"Woah, wait a minute! I can't take that! That's your…!"
"I know. You can hold on to it until you get your dragon back. It's not the same as Clear Wing, but if you use it right, it won't let you down." Yugo looked from Yusei to the card and back again.
"Are you sure? Won't you need it? And aren't you afraid I might lose it too?" Yusei smiled.
"I can manage without it for a little while." The young man assured him. "It's okay. I really don't mind lending it to you. I trust you to keep it safe for me. I don't know how Clear Wing disappeared, but I don't believe it was your fault. I know my card will be okay with you."
"Yusei…" Yugo said in awe. He then looked completely serious as he took the offered card. "Thank you. I swear to you that this card will be safe as a baby with me!" He declared. Yusei nodded with a smile.
"I know it will be."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
A while later, the pool party was in full swing. All of Rua and Ruka's school friends had arrived, including Sly (much to Rua's displeasure). Yusei and Aki were watching as the kids played in the big pool, swimming, splashing, and snorkeling. Jack was laying nearby taking in some sun, while Crow was grilling up some burgers and hot dogs.
Sly himself didn't join in on the fun. Instead, he just stood back and leaned under the shade. He had no interest in playing in the water. He looked over at where Yusei was sitting, then inside the apartment. 'Everyone is outside now. Yusei left his clothes in one of the bedrooms after changing into his swim suit. Now would be the best time…' Sly made up his mind. If he was going to get his hands on Stardust Dragon, now was the time…
"Heads up! Cannonball!" Yugo yelled just before he jumped in the pool, knees curled up like a ball. The splash that followed was big enough to hit everyone in the pool.
"Hey! Dial it down over there, will ya?! You're gonna get the food all wet!" Crow complained.
"Sorry!" Yugo apologized while laughing.
"So guys! Who's up for some water volleyball?" Rin asked.
"Yeah!" Said all the kids.
"Sweet! How about boys versus girls?" Bob suggested.
"Sounds good to me!" Tenpei said.
"Sly! Join us! It'll be fun!" Ruka said to the loner. Sly frowned and turned away.
"No thanks. I'm going to the bathroom." He replied flatly before walking away. Ruka appeared sad.
"I don't understand him. Why doesn't Sly want to play with us?" She complained sadly.
"It's his choice, Ruka. We can't force him to join if he doesn't want to." Patty told her.
"I know. But still..." Ruka wished she could read Sly's mind to know what he was thinking. "He's always all by himself. I noticed it at school. I've been trying to get him to hang out with other kids. You know, help him be more comfortable around others. At the very least, he hangs out with us."
"Because you made him." Rua said. Ruka scowled.
"It wasn't like that. Sly decided to come here on his own." She said. Her brother snorted.
"Only after changing his mind for some other reason. He didn't want to be here at first. Ruka, did it ever occur to you that he doesn't want to be with anyone? That maybe he actually prefers to be alone?" Rua asked.
"I don't believe that. I feel Sly just needs a push in the right direction so he can be happy." Ruka told him.
"Well I believe..."
"That's enough." Rin firmly interjected. "It's Sly's choice to decide how he chooses to spend his time. If he wants to be by himself, then just let him be." Ruka sighed again.
"Okay, fine." She said, disappointed.
"Well then..." Bob popped in to help the others get past the awkward moment. "How about we get started playing?"
Rua was only half listening. Rua watched Sly enter the apartment. It bothered him. Something told Rua that the jerk was not really going to the bathroom. "You guys play the first game without me. The number of players would be the same that way."
"Why don't you want to play first?" Tenpei asked.
"I want to go get a drink. I'll be back to play later." Rua answered as he got out of the pool.
"Are you okay Rua?" Aki asked as Rua passed her.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"You sure?" Yusei questioned. Rua smiled innocently.
"Totally fine. Just getting something inside. All that splashing around made me really thirsty." Rua then made his way to the apartment.
"Why did Rua go in? All the bottled waters and sodas are out here." Crow asked, pointing at the cooler with Yusei and Aki.
"I don't know." Yusei told him. He then turned his head around in time to see Rua enter the apartment with an unusually serious face. Yusei could tell that something was really bothering Rua. But what?
After he stepped inside, Rua saw that Sly was no where to be seen. He silently made his way to the bathroom, where Sly said he would be. Except... the bathroom was unoccupied. 'He's not in there. I knew he lied about that!' Rua thought as he crept to the bedrooms. He peaked inside the room he shared with Yugo first, and got lucky.
Sly stood in front of where Yusei's clothes were and seemed to be trying to find something in them. He didn't seem to notice Rua was there behind him.
'What's Sly doing?' Rua asked himself in his mind as he watched just behind the door.
Unaware he was being observed, Sly rummaged through Yusei's clothes until he found his belt. He could hardly believe he was this close to finally obtaining that card. He had been obsessed with taking it ever since Yusei used it to defeat that dumb Vice Principal Heitmann. Sure, it wasn't Stardust Dragon itself that finished the guy, but it was still a powerful Monster. Unfortunately, due to school, the WRGP, and that whole thing with Z-One, Sly never found an opportunity to steal the card. Now, all his patience was about to pay off.
Sly opened one of the two Deck boxes attached to the belt. He smiled when he found that the Deck contained only Synchro Monsters and a single Fusion Monster. "Yes. Yusei's Extra Deck. This is where it will be."
'Wait... he's searching through Yusei's cards? What is he looking for?' Rua thought, completely suspicious of the other boy's actions.
Sly was pleased that his plan was working so far. All he had to do was find the card he wanted, take it, hide it among his stuff, and pretend nothing was amiss without being noticed. When he went home later, he would have his prize and no one would suspect his involvement.
"Now, to take it." However, Sly had hit a snag after he searched the Extra Deck. He went through it again to make sure he didn't miss it. Three times he searched, and each time his annoyance grew. "What the? It's not here. But it should be..." Sly looked inside the box it came from to see if his desired card had slipped out inside, but it was empty. Sly gritted his teeth and groaned. Becoming desperate, he searched through the rest of Yusei's clothing (but still being careful to make it look like they hadn't been touched). The shirt, jacket, pants, and even the socks and boots. Yet, the boy couldn't find it. Sly's anger showed as he hit the floor with his fists. "Darn! Where is it? Where did Yusei put Stardust Dragon?!"
Rua gasped in shock upon learning the boy's objective. 'Sly is trying to steal Yusei's Ace Monster?!' Rua had to put a stop to it.
"Could Yusei have left it back at his place? Why would he leave Stardust Dragon behind like that? Would I really have to go all the way there to get it?" Sly asked himself in confusion. He then shook his head. "No. It has to be here somewhere. Where could it be?" He was so fixated on his obsession with Stardust Dragon's whereabouts that he didn't hear Rua sneak up behind him.
"I was right!" Sly yelped and jumped as he turned around. He was stunned to see Rua standing before him and not looking happy. "I knew you were up to something!"
"W-What are you doing in here?!" Sly nearly yelled, still rattled by his appearance. "And what do you mean "up to something"? I don't know what you're talking about!"
"I do! You were going to steal Stardust Dragon from Yusei, weren't you?" Sly flinched before he sneered at him.
"Who said anything about Stardust Dragon?" Sly said, still sounding in denial.
"You did! I heard you asking yourself where it could be! I heard you planning to steal it!" Rua shouted. "Stardust Dragon belongs to Yusei! I won't let you take it!" Rua declared as he rushed in the room and stood between Sly and Yusei's belongings.
Sly's sneer became a snarl. He was so close to getting what he wanted, and he wasn't going to let some dumb dweeb stop him.
"Get out of my way, dimwit!" Sly ordered.
"Make me, you no good thief!" Rua yelled back.
Back outside, Yusei and the others turned to the direction of the apartment. They all just heard a loud crashing noise inside. "What the hell was that?" Yugo said.
Yusei immediately got up from his chair and dashed inside. He was stunned to see Rua and Sly rolling around on the floor in the hallway, one trying to hit the other. "Rua! Sly! Stop this!" He ordered after grabbing the boys and pulled them apart. He kept them at bay with each hand. "Why were you two fighting?!"
The two stared at each other with undisguised hatred. "Sly was up to no good and I was trying to stop him!" Rua shouted.
"He's lying! I was just coming out of the bathroom and minding my own business when he knocked me to the floor!" Sly retorted, clearly pissed.
"You're the one who's lying!" Rua yelled back.
"That's enough!" Yusei said, not pleased with either of their behaviors. "Friends shouldn't fight each other!"
"He's not my friend!" The two younger boys said to each other with clear animosity.
"What's going on?" Aki, Jack, Crow, Ruka, Yugo, Rin, and the other kids had just arrived. "What happened Yusei?" Aki asked, concerned.
"Rua and Sly were fighting. I just now broke them up." Yusei told her. Everyone stared at the two boys in shock.
"Fighting?!" Yugo asked, stunned by the news.
"You two should be ashamed of yourselves!" Rin scolded.
"It wouldn't be the first time they fought." Tenpei said. He recalled one other time the two came to blows. It was when everyone thought Jack had turned criminal and attacked others. Sly was admonishing Jack while Rua believed in Jack's innocence. Of course, Rua turned out to be right in the end, as that other Jack turned out to be an imposter. He was later beaten by the real Jack, who was cleared of all charges afterward.
"Rua, Sly, why were you fighting?" Ruka demanded to know. Rua pointed at Sly.
"I was trying to stop him from stealing Stardust Dragon!" This got a gasp from the whole group.
"Steal Stardust Dragon?" Yusei asked, surprised the most. Rua nodded.
"Sly wasn't in the bathroom like he said when I came in! I found him in me and Yugo's room, searching through your clothes! He was looking for something that didn't belong to him! I heard him admit he was after your dragon!" Sly scoffed from his accusations.
"That's all lies. I never touched Stardust Dragon."
"That's because I caught you before you could find it!" Rua countered.
"Were you really in my room?" Yugo asked. Sly snorted.
"Of course not. I didn't do a thing. That moron will say anything to make me look bad. He's had it out for me since day one."
"You were never a good person from the start!" Rua said.
"Quit it!" Crow ordered. Rua and Sly continued to stare hatefully at one another, though neither of them said another word.
Yusei had a dilemma. He knew Rua would never make up something like that, but he didn't want to believe one of the kids he saved from being expelled would steal from him. He needed more than just the word of two boys that shared nothing but hatred. "You guys watch Rua and Sly to make sure nothing else happens. I'm going to go look for any evidence." Yusei then made his way to the bedroom where he left his belongings.
Sly wasn't too worried while he and the others waited. 'Yusei won't find anything. His clothes will look undisturbed. Sure I may have dropped all his Extra Deck Monsters when that boy scout snuck up on me, but I could just say he did that to frame me. There's no way to prove I was after Stardust Dragon. No proof at all…'
A couple of minutes later, Yusei came back. To everyone's surprise, he was carrying Yugo's Duel Disk with him. Yugo wondered about that. 'Why bring out my Disk? Wait, he's not going to show Windy in front of everyone, is he?' Fortunately, that wasn't Yusei's plan.
"Someone has been in there. The contents of my Extra Deck were scattered all over the floor." Yusei told the group.
"That was his doing." Sly said cockily, tilting his toward Rua. "He's trying to put the blame on me so I would get in trouble."
"That's not true!" Rua shouted furiously. "You dropped those cards when I caught you looking at them!"
"Yeah right." Sly said.
"Silence!" Jack ordered in his powerful voice. The two boys fell quiet.
"What about Stardust Dragon?" Crow asked. Yusei smiled as he turned to Yugo.
"Would you mind?" Yugo smirked.
"Not at all, pal." Yugo walked over to where he lay his white jacket (which was hanging over the sofa), took out his own Extra Deck from one of the pockets, and pulled out a card that surprised everyone. It was Stardust Dragon. "Still safe and sound, just like I promised."
Sly couldn't hide his immense shock. 'What?! That idiot had Stardust Dragon?! Why would Yusei give it to him?!' The possibility that someone else had that card never entered his mind. It seemed inconceivable.
"How come you have Stardust Dragon, Yugo?" Ruka asked. Yugo turned to her.
"Yusei lent it to me until I find Clear Wing Synchro Dragon again."
"Turns out I made the right move in giving it to Yugo. Otherwise, it would have indeed been stolen." Yusei then looked over at the boy Rua accused of attempted thievery. "Right, Sly?"
Everyone in the room now stared at the wide eyed boy, who was stunned by what Yusei said. "W-What do you mean? I told you, I didn't do anything! You can't believe what he said about me!" He yelled, pointing at Rua. Yusei felt nothing but pity for Sly.
"I do believe Rua. And the proof is right here." Yusei then held up Yugo's Duel Disk, and a holographic video appeared above. It showed the inside of Yugo and Rua's bedroom, where Sly had just entered and began to look through Yusei's clothes. The group watched as Rua came in and overheard Sly muttering his frustration at being unable to find Stardust Dragon. Then they heard the heated exchange between Rua and Sly just before their brawl started. The video ended when Yusei arrived to end the fight.
When Yusei had entered the room earlier and saw the mess within, Windy popped up and informed him of the incident with Rua and Sly. He then revealed that he used the Duel Disk's holographic capabilities to record everything that was being seen and heard. Yusei thanked the Wind Ignis for his help, but still felt bad for the would be thief.
Sly had turned pale, feeling flabbergasted and horrified. He couldn't believe this was happening. How did everything go so wrong for him? He was speechless. 'I… I was being… recorded?!'
"I told you!" Rua said in triumph.
"So it is true! You really were after Stardust Dragon!" Crow said, looking pissed by the boy's stunt.
"Unbelievable! You tried to take something that wasn't yours and lied about it! Have you no shame?!" Rin admonished.
"Yeah! That's a low and dirty move to try to pull! Hold it. Was it you that stole Clear Wing Synchro Dragon from me?! Was it?!" Yugo demanded. Sly growled.
"No! I have no idea where your dragon is! Whatever happened to it had nothing to do with me!" Sly admitted. Yugo groaned with disappointment.
"Sly… How could you?" Ruka asked, her voice full of disbelief. "Yusei saved us from being expelled from school, including you. You even gave him one of your cards to help him. And this is how you repay Yusei, by trying to steal his most precious card and making my brother look like a liar? Why would you do something so wrong after all Yusei did for you?"
Sly glared at her, furious that he had been exposed. "I have nothing to say to an annoying pest like you!" His words definitely appeared to have hurt her. Ruka seemed close to crying.
"Don't say that to my sister!" An angered Rua yelled before charging at him, but Yusei held him back.
"Let me handle this, Rua." Yusei advised calmly before approaching Sly himself. "Sly. Why do you want Stardust Dragon so badly? What is the reason?" Arms crossed, Sly refused to look Yusei in the eye and stayed silent. The young man waited patiently. Rua didn't believe Sly would ever confess his reasons. To his surprise, the latter eventually opened up.
"Stardust Dragon is the most famous Monster in the world and one of the best. A card like that could make me the best. I was just fascinated by it at first, but after seeing it played right before my eyes that day, I knew I had to have that card. I didn't matter to me how I got it, as long as it became mine."
"Being interested in a card does not give you the right to steal it from it's rightful owner. It is wrong and disgraceful." Aki told the boy.
"You should know better than that." Patty added. Sly grunted.
"I don't care what any of you think of me." He said without any trace of remorse. Yusei just then thought of something.
"You're saying that if you had Stardust Dragon, you could become a champion yourself?" He asked.
"I know I would be. No one would be able to beat me." Sly answered, sounding very sure of his answer.
"What kind of bull crap is…?" Crow started but Yusei raised a hand to quiet him.
He narrowed his eyes at Sly, then to Rua, and finally at Yugo. Yusei had an idea of how to teach Sly a lesson. What he had in mind was risky, but he felt it would work. "Yugo… give Stardust Dragon to Sly."
Everyone was more than a little surprised by the request, especially Sly.
"Yusei?!" Rua, Ruka, Tempei, Bob, and Patty all shouted, not believing what they just heard
"Wait, what?! You want me to give your dragon to the kid that was going to take it from you?!" Yugo said incredulously.
"You can't be serious!" Rin shouted.
"Are you crazy?!" Crow yelled.
"What are you doing Yusei?" Aki questioned. Jack was the only one who didn't say anything, just narrowing his eyes at his friend and rival.
"What I feel needs to be done." Yusei told everyone before addressing to the stunned younger boy. "Sly, if you truly believe Stardust Dragon can make you the best, then you should have the chance to prove it. I will allow you to use Stardust Dragon in a Duel. If you win, you can keep it. If your opponent wins, then you have to give it back and must promise never try to steal it or any other card ever again."
'He's betting his own Ace Monster?!' Yugo and Rua thought in disbelief.
"Are you sure about this?" Ruka asked uncertainly.
Yusei nodded at her, telling her he knew what he was doing.
Sly couldn't believe the opportunity he was given. Stardust Dragon could truly become his. All he had to do was win a Duel. He felt it shouldn't be any trouble since he made a new Deck recently… "I can really have Stardust Dragon if I win?" Sly asked.
"Yes." Yusei confirmed.
Sly grinned. "I'll do it. Who am I dueling?" Yusei looked over at Rua again.
"Rua will be your opponent." Rua was surprised even more, as was Sly.
"Me?" Rua said, not expecting to be the one to duel Sly. Yusei placed a hand on Rua's shoulder.
"I figured this would be a much better way for you two to settle things." Yusei turned back to Sly. "Do you accept this?"
Sly couldn't have felt more confident. 'This is just too perfect. I'll get Stardust Dragon and beat that hopeless dork at the same time. He has no chance of winning against my Deck.' "Fine by me. I can kick his butt any day of the week."
"Not if I kick yours first!" Rua yelled back, clearly agreeing to participate.
"Sounds like we got a match on our hands." Crow said with a sigh.
"So it would seem." Jack muttered.
"Then it's agreed. Yugo, give Stardust to Sly." Yusei requested again. This time, although very confused and concerned, Yugo did as he was told and handed the dragon to Sly. The boy gave a very big grin upon finally holding the object he desired, knowing it would soon be officially his.
Not long after, Rua and Sly stood outside again in their regular clothes (after the former dried off from earlier), Duel Disks on their arms. Yusei and the others stood nearby to watch. Windy, now appearing out of Yugo's Duel Disk, was watching from a nearby bush. Yugo cleverly hid his Disk there while no one was looking so that Windy could watch the Duel without being seen. This was to ensure Tempei, Bob, and Patty would not notice him. Yugo told Rin, who had discretely told Ruka and the older Duelists. They were pleased to know Windy wouldn't miss the action.
Sly smirked as he inserted his Deck and activated his Duel Disk. "Are you ready to get beaten, loser?"
"Are you?" Rua challenged back as he did the same with his Disk. The match that would decide the ownership of Stardust Dragon finally began.
"DUEL!"
(Rua: 4000) (Sly: 4000)
"I'm going first! My turn! Draw!" Sly declared as he made his first move and smiled. He had a good hand already. "I Set a Monster facedown in Defense Mode, then I end my turn."
'There's no way I'm letting him have Stardust Dragon. I have to take him down.' Rua thought determinedly before he started his first turn. "Only a Set Monster? That shouldn't be a problem. My turn! Draw!" He was going to show Sly that he shouldn't underestimate him. "First, I banish Deformer Cleanan from my hand to Special Summon a Tuner Monster, Deformer Scannen, from my hand!" (EARTH; Level 6; ATK: 1500; DEF: 600) A big yellow robot resembling a box-like scanning machine appeared on the Field. "I activate Scannen's Monster Effect! Since it is in Attack Mode, I can add a "Deformer" Magic or Trap card from my Deck to my hand once per turn! I'm taking a Trap, Deformer Surge Protector! After that, I place a card from my hand to the top of my Deck!"
'Like that would help him.' Sly thought smugly.
"Battle! Deformer Scannen, attack Sly's facedown Monster!" The robot's glass box center opened up and launched a green energy beam at it's target. The destroyed Monster looked like a dragonfly with lightning bolts on it.
"So predictable! When my Elecyellowdarter is destroyed by my opponent's card either from battle or a card effect, I can Special Summon a "Elec" Monster from my Deck! I'm Special Summoning Elecgiraffe!" (LIGHT; Level 4; ATK: 1200; DEF: 100) A giraffe with two lightbulbs on either side of it's head and a purple bolt of lightning on it's forehead appeared in the destroyed Monster's place.
"Elec?!" Rua exclaimed in surprise.
"Sly changed his Deck!" Bob said.
"He used to play with a Spellcaster-type Deck before. Why would he change it?" Tenpei wondered.
"This could be a problem for Rua." Patty said. Ruka disagreed.
"I believe in my brother. He won't lose, no matter what Deck Sly is using." She told her friend.
"I hope you're right." Tenpei replied.
"Why did you change out your Deck?" Rua asked his rival. Sly smirked.
"My old Deck wouldn't be compatible with Stardust Dragon once I got it, so I picked something better."
"Whatever! You still won't win! I Set one card facedown and end my turn."
"Sly's new Monster is weaker than Rua's. He must need it for something other than attacking." Windy noted to himself. "Could it be that he's…?"
"I'm done warming up! Now see what my new Deck can really do! My turn! Draw!" Sly was pleased with the cards he held. 'Rua won't be expecting this.' "I play a Field Magic card, Elecastle!" Behind Sly emerged a red, blue, and yellow castle covered by bolts of electricity.
"What does that do?" Rua asked.
"You'll find out soon enough! Next I Summon my own Tuner Monster, Eleckiwi!" (LIGHT; Level 3; ATK: 600; DEF: 100) Next to Elecgiraffe was a small, wingless bird with a lightbulb as it's main body.
Tenpei noticed something right away. "Wait a minute! That Tuner is Level 3!"
"So?" Bob asked.
"So, if Sly was planning to Summon Stardust Dragon, he would need a Level 4 Tuner along with his Elecgiraffe. Eleckiwi is one Level short."
"Maybe Sly will play a card to change either of his Monster's Levels?" Patty guessed.
"Or he plans to Synchro Summon something other than Stardust Dragon." Ruka said. Rua had similar thoughts.
"What's the deal? I thought you wanted to play Stardust Dragon?" He questioned. Sly grinned.
"I will when the time is right. I just feel like showing off my new Deck. Now I'm Tuning my Level 4 Elecgiraffe with my Level 3 Eleckiwi! Two beasts that spark with light, turn on your true power seven fold! Synchro Summon! Appear! Eleckirimu!" (LIGHT; Level 7; ATK: 1500; DEF: 1500) Standing before Sly was a huge blue dragon-like beast with seven horned heads that were red and light green. It also had a tail like an eagle's that was blue with electric yellow.
"Kinda weak for a Level 7 Synchro Monster. If you attacked now, both our Monsters would be destroyed." Rua pointed out. Sly snickered.
"Your little bot isn't the one I'm attacking…"
"Meaning what?" Rua asked, not getting the hint.
"My Monster can attack you directly! That's what I mean, you dunce!"
"What?!" Rua shouted.
"Not good." Windy said.
"Battle! Eleckirimu, Direct Attack! Seven Spark Bite!" The creature stretched out it's seven heads, opened their electrified jaws, and struck Rua at different places of his body. The unexpected assault knocked him down on his back.
(Rua: 4000 - 1500 = 2500)
"That was a shocking blow." Crow said.
"No kidding." Rin replied.
"Come on Rua." Ruka whispered as she watched her brother get up again.
"Crap. I didn't see that coming." Rua said frustratingly.
"Shows how hopeless you are." Sly told him. "Because you took damage from a direct attack by Eleckirimu, I can banish a card from my Deck, but it gets added to my hand during my second Standby Phase after using this Effect! After that, I Set a card facedown and end my turn."
"Sly does seem to have the upper hand… so far." Aki said.
"Heh. The Duel's only just getting started. I'm sure Rua will turn the tables on that little thief." Yugo said confidently.
Yusei also believed Rua would find a way to counterattack.
"You're wrong about me, Sly! I'm anything but hopeless! I'll show you! My turn! Draw!" Rua was set for his comeback. "I've got some bad news for you! I got some new cards recently, and one of them is a new, upgraded version of Power Tool Dragon!"
"Upgraded?" Sly said, sounding slightly nervous.
"Oh yeah! All I need now is this Monster! I Summon Deformer…!"
"No you don't! Counter Trap open, Elecancel! By discarding an "Elec" Monster, like Elechick, from my hand, I can negate the Summon of an opposing Monster and destroy it! You won't Summon your new junk pile this turn!" Sly declared.
"Yes I will! Counter Trap open, Deformer Surge Protector! For the rest of this turn, the Summoning of all "Deformer" Monsters cannot be negated!" Rua countered.
"Humph. Lucky move." Sly said grudgingly. Still, his own move wasn't a total waste… something that Rua will learn the hard way later.
"Now it's safe for my Monster! I Summon Deformer Boardon!" (EARTH; Level 3; ATK: 500; DEF: 1800) A white and light blue robot that resembled a rocket powered skateboard appeared next to it's fellow Monster. "Time for my big reveal! I am Tuning my Level 3 Deformer Boardon with my Level 6 Deformer Scannen! New and improved docking strength with courage to protect peace for all! Synchro Summon! Envoy of love, truth, and justice! Power Tool Braver Dragon!" (EARTH; Level 9; ATK: 2500; DEF: 2300) The new form of Rua's Synchro was an impressive sight. It was slightly bigger and bulkier than the original Power Tool Dragon, with a huge drill on it's left arm and a far bigger blue claw on it's right arm.
"Sweet!" Bob said in amazement.
"Same here!" Patty replied.
"I wonder what Effects it has?" Tenpei wondered.
"I think we are going to see." Ruka told him. Sly scoffed at Rua's new Monster
"Just because it looks bigger doesn't mean it's better." Rua smirked.
"It does in this case! When Power Tool Braver Dragon is Special Summoned, I can equip up to 3 Equip Magic cards with different names to it from my Deck and/or Graveyard! From my Deck, I'm Equipping my Monster with Break Draw, Power Pickaxe, and Central Shield! With Central Shield in play, you can't attack me directly anymore!" Sly silently cursed.
"Good play." Windy commented.
"Next up is the Effect of Power Pickaxe! Once per turn, I can banish a Monster from your Graveyard with a Level that is equal to or lower than the Level of the Equipped Monster! I'm banishing your Elecgiraffe!"
"What good will that do you?" Sly asked.
"More good than you think! Battle! Power Tool Braver Dragon, attack Eleckirimu! Drill Breaker!" Using it's drill, Rua's new Monster charged forward toward it's enemy. "The other Effect of Power Pickaxe activates! When the Equipped Monster attacks the same turn Pickaxe's first Effect was used, half the Attack Points of the banished Monster get added to my Monster's Attack Points during the Damage Step!"
"Elecgiraffe's Attack Power was 1200, so Power Tool Braver Dragon gains 600 Attack Points during this time." Windy said as Rua's Monster powered up.
(1200 / 2 = 600)
(Power Tool Braver Dragon's ATK: 2500 + 600 = 3100)
"Moron! You just activated the Effect of Elecastle! When a Monster attacks an "Elec" Monster, the attacking Monster loses 1000 Attack Points after Damage Calculation!" Sly revealed.
"It what?!" Rua said just before Sly's Monster was destroyed. After that, Power Tool Braver Dragon's Attack Points return to normal.
(3100 - 1500 = 1600)
(Sly: 4000 - 1600 = 2400)
"Their Life Points are almost even!" Bob said.
"Nice work Rua!" Yugo cheered. But then remembered what Sly said about Elecastle weakening Rua's Monster. 'Oh crap!'
(Power Tool Braver Dragon's ATK: 2500 - 1000 = 1500)
"My Monster may be weaker, but you have no Monsters now! Plus, I still have the Effect of my third Equip card! Because Power Tool Braver Dragon destroyed a Monster by battle while Equipped with Break Draw, I can draw a card from my Deck! After I use this Effect 3 times, Break Draw will be destroyed!" Rua declared before he drew his card, which made his eyes widen. 'Yes! I can use this when Sly uses Stardust Dragon!' He was looking forward to playing that particular card. "I Set one card facedown and end my turn."
'Even though Sly is putting up a fight, Rua is doing well against him.' Yusei thought to himself, confident in the boy's dueling skills.
"You thought you got the upper hand, only to be proven wrong! It's only going to get worse for you, I promise! My turn! Draw!" Sly saw a way to keep Rua from trying anything else until his next turn. "I Set a Monster facedown in Defense Mode, Set my 2 remaining cards facedown, then I end my turn."
"I'll still take you down Sly, no matter what you pull! My turn! Draw!" Rua smiled from what he just drew. "I Summon Deformer Igniton!" (FIRE; Level 3; ATK: 1200; DEF: 600) An orange robot that looked like a lighter with a spout as it's head appeared next to the robotic dragon. "Next I play Twister! By paying 500 of my Life Points, I can destroy a face-up Magic or Trap card! I'm blowing away your Elecastle!" A tornado briefly appeared and obliterated Sly's Field card. "And with it gone, my Monster's Attack Points go back up!"
(Rua: 2500 - 500 = 2000)
"Tch." Sly grunted as the Synchro Monster's Attack Power became 2500 again.
"Battle! Power Tool Braver Dragon, attack that facedown Monster!" Sly's only Defense, a yellow fox with lightning bolts on it's ears and tail, was taken out without effort. However, Sly smiled.
"Sucker! When Elecfox is destroyed from either by battle or card effect from my opponent's card, you can't Special Summon Monsters, activate cards or any card effects for the rest of the turn! Which means you don't get to draw another card from your Break Draw!"
Rua gritted his teeth. He would love to wipe that smile off his rival's face with his other Monster's attack, but he didn't want to risk triggering one of Sly's facedown cards. One of them could complicate his situation further. He had to end it here for now. "I can still Set cards. I Set this card facedown and end my turn."
"Of course you couldn't do much else. My turn! Draw! Since I'm in my second Standby Phase after using Eleckirimu's Effect, I can add my banished card to my hand!"
'What could that card be?' Rua wondered.
"Next I play Pot of Greed, letting me draw 2 more cards!" Sly grinned unpleasantly before facing Rua. "Guess what dweeb, I have all I need to beat you to the ground and make Stardust Dragon mine!"
Yusei narrowed his eyes, curious as to what Sly's plan was… as well as how Rua will deal with it.
"I don't believe it!" Rua shouted back. "Yusei's Monster will NEVER belong to you!" Sly still smiled.
"It will after my next move! Continuous Trap open, Elecannon! Then I play Monster Reborn to revive my Elecyellowdarter from the Graveyard! Once per turn, when a Level 4 or lower "Thunder" Monster is Normal or Special Summoned to the Field, I can inflict 600 points of damage to you!" A ball of electricity blasted out from Sly's Trap and hit Rua.
"Gah!" Rua yelled from the impact.
(Rua: 2000 - 600 = 1400)
"Hang in there Rua!" Bob yelled.
"I think I've teased you long enough, Rua. Now I'll get serious! I Sacrifice my Elecyellowdarter to Advance Summon the card I banished earlier! Feast your eyes on the electrifying Electaildragon!" (LIGHT; Level 6; ATK: 2500; DEF: 1000) Descending from above was a dark blue, armless dragon with a tail made of pure blue energy.
'That must be his Ace Monster!' Rua guessed.
"Due to Advance Summoning Electaildragon, the Effect of my Tuner, Elechick, in my Graveyard allows me to Special Summon it to my Field!" (LIGHT; Level 1; ATK: 100; DEF: 100) Sly's new Tuner is small blue baby dragon with sparks in it's eyes. "Now for Elechick's second Effect! When it is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, I can Special Summon 2 more "Elec" Monsters from my Deck! I Special Summon Elecgreenpheasant (LIGHT; Level 4; ATK: 1000; DEF: 800) and Elecgoldenmole!" (LIGHT; Level 3; ATK: 0; DEF: 100) Sly's newest Monsters were a dark green and blue pheasant with yellow bolt markings on it's wings and a mole wearing sunglasses and golden claws.
"I see where this is going…" Tenpei said, starting to truly worry for Rua.
"Rua…" Ruka said softly, knowing what her brother was about to face. Rua steeled himself, while Yusei widened his eyes just slightly. Sly chuckled.
"I think you know what I'm going to do next! I'm Tuning my Level 4 Elecgreenpheasant and Level 3 Elecgoldenmole with my Level 1 Elechick! Let the winds give way to the thunder storm that follows! SYNCHRO SUMMON! FLY FOR ME NOW, STARDUST DRAGON!" (WIND; Level 8; ATK: 2500; DEF: 2000) Yusei's pale blue and white dragon emerged and roared onto the Field.
"He's Summoned it!" Patty exclaimed.
"That kid actually pulled it off." Jack said softly, though with some distaste.
'Stardust Dragon!' Rua hated the feeling that he would face Yusei's Monster like this. Sly laughed gleefully.
"Check it out! Stardust Dragon is here, fighting for me now! But it only gets better! Because Elechick was used as a Synchro Material, Stardust Dragon becomes a "Thunder" Monster and gains 800 Attack Points!" Stardust's usual sparkling aura was then replaced by a surge of lightning bolts.
(Stardust Dragon's ATK: 2500 + 800 = 3300)
"It's stronger than Power Tool Braver Dragon now!" Bob said with great worry.
"And it's only going to get stronger! With Stardust Dragon now a "Thunder" Monster, I can Equip it with Elecube! This gives the Equipped Monster 100 more Attack Points for each "Thunder" Monster in my Graveyard! There are 7, so Stardust Dragon gets 700 more points!"
(Stardust Dragon's ATK: 3300 + 700 = 4000)
"Stardust Dragon's Attack Power is 4000. The odds are definitely against Rua at this point." Windy said. "But that doesn't mean he is finished." The Wind Ignis strongly believed Rua still had a chance, however small it may be… a belief shared by Yusei.
"Here I come loser! Battle! Electaildragon, attack Deformer Igniton! Thunder Wave!" Encasing itself in blue electricity, Sly's own dragon soared at Rua's weaker Monster and scorched it upon impact. However, Sly noticed something was off. "Hey wait! Why didn't your Life Points go down?!"
"That's because of Central Shield's other Effect! When a Monster I control other than the Equipped Monster is attacked, I take no damage from that battle!" Rua revealed to Sly's annoyance.
"You will from this! Time to finish you off nimrod! Stardust Dragon, attack Power Tool Braver Dragon! Shooting Sonic!" Stardust Dragon's well known attack began to charge up to strike…
"Rua!" Ruka, Yugo, and Rin yelled for their friend.
"It's over for you! After this, Stardust Dragon will be all mine!" Sly declared.
"No it won't!" Rua retorted. "Trap card open, Synchro Big Tornado! With this, I can lower the Attack Points of a Monster you control by the Defense Points of a Synchro Monster I control! Power Tool Braver Dragon's has 2300 Defense Points, so Stardust Dragon loses that same amount of Attack Points!"
(Stardust Dragon's ATK: 4000 - 2300 = 1700)
"Stardust Dragon will be destroyed if this battle finishes!" Rin said.
"Why you!" Sly yelled angrily. "I won't lose Stardust Dragon! Quick-Play Magic, Elecdown! This can be activated during a "Thunder" Monster's attack! It ends the Battle Phase and Special Summons a "Thunder" Monster from my Graveyard in Defense Mode! I'm bringing back my Eleckirimu!" Sly's first Synchro Monster returned to his Field. "You won't be lucky next time! I end my turn!"
"Phew. Rua made it out of that one." Yugo said in relief.
"Yeah, but he still hasn't won yet." Tenpei told him.
"He will." Yusei said with absolute certainty.
Sly growled. "You stubborn idiot! Look what you did to Stardust Dragon! Why won't you just lose?!" Rua smiled.
"Because I know I can win! I'm a lot better than you think I am! I've been through too much and faced too many bad guys to lose to someone who thinks down on others and try to take what doesn't belong to them!" He answered proudly. Sly snorted.
"I'm not buying that! You are going to lose and then Stardust Dragon will remain with me!" Rua hardened his gaze.
"You're wrong on both counts, Sly! I will prove how strong this "loser" really is! My turn! Draw! I play Deformer Recharge! This let's me draw a card for each "Deformer" Monster in my Graveyard! There's 3, which means I get to draw 3 more cards!" After drawing his cards, Rua knew Sly wouldn't last after this turn. "I got everything I need to beat you now!"
"You're bluffing." Sly said, not believing his rival.
"No I'm not! First, I Summon the Tuner Monster, Deformer Telefon!" (EARTH; Level 1; ATK: 100; DEF: 100) A white telephone-like robot with two horizontal digital eyes appeared. "I activate Telefon's Monster Effect! Once per turn, I can roll a die and gain Life Points equal to the result times 100! Deform Roll!" A white roll appeared and rolled onto the ground. It landed on a 3. "Yes! This means my Life Points go up by 300!"
(Rua: 1400 + 300 = 1700)
"That hardly did a thing! I'll still wipe you out!" Sly said. Rua smirked.
"There's more! Telefon's Effect also allows me to Special Summon a "Deformer" from my Graveyard with a Level that is equal to or less than the result of my dice roll! Since it is 3, I can Special Summon a Level 3 Monster! Come back, Deformer Igniton!" Rua's recently destroyed Monster returned and stood next to it's Tuner counterpart. "Next, I'm Tuning my Level 3 Deformer Igniton with my Level 1 Telefon! Twins that share a bond through technology and love! Transform yourselves with your power! Synchro Summon! Appear! Deformer Earfon!" (EARTH; Level 4; ATK: 1200; DEF: 1800) Almost everyone gaped in surprise.
"My gosh! That Synchro Monster looks so much like you and your brother!" Patty exclaimed. Ruka nodded, looking very touched.
"It does." She said to her best friend. Ruka remembered giving her brother that card for his birthday last week. He loved it like she thought.
Earfon definitely strongly resembled the Signer twins. One of the two robots looked like a mecha version of Rua with blue eyes, had a blue mark on the chest, had the letter "L" on it's head, and held a blue energy blade on each of it's wrists. The other was a Ruka mecha modeled similar to it's twin, except it's eyes and chest mark were pink and had an "R" on it's head. As for it's weapons, it held a ray gun in it's right hand while a metal shield was attached to it's left arm.
"What good is that thing? It can't beat either one of my Monsters! Even in it's weakened state, Stardust Dragon can still tear it to shreds!" Sly said with a snarl. Rua chuckled.
"You'll see! Next, I Equip Earfon with Life Extreme! It'll come in handy in just a second! Now I activate Power Tool Braver Dragon's second Effect! Once per turn, I can send one of the Equip cards equipped to it to the Graveyard so I can either negate the effects of an Effect Monster on the Field until the end of the turn or change that Monster's battle position! I'm sending Central Shield to the Graveyard to switch Stardust Dragon to Defense Mode!"
"What's Rua up to?" Bob wondered.
"No clue." Tenpei said.
"I pray he knows what he's doing." Patty said.
"I'm sure he does." Ruka told her.
"Now for the Effect of Life Extreme! Once per turn, when a Monster's battle position has changed, I can target and destroy one card on the Field! With Stardust Dragon switched to Defense Mode this turn, I'm getting rid of your Elecannon!"
"I won't let you! I activate Stardust Dragon's Monster Effect! When my opponent activates a card that destroys one or more cards on the Field, I can Sacrifice Stardust to negate and destroy that card! Then it will return to my Field during the End Phase of this turn! Victim Sanctuary!" Sly declared, reluctantly sending his desired Monster to the Graveyard to prevent his Trap's destruction. Unfortunately for him, this was Rua's true aim.
"Ha! I was hoping you would do that! Continuous Trap open, Respect Synchron! When my opponent sends a Synchro Monster they control to the Graveyard by my opponent's card effect, I can Special Summon that Synchro Monster to my Field, ignoring it's Summoning conditions! Then, that Monster remains with me as long as this card is in play! Stardust Dragon is on my side now!" Rua proudly declared, playing the card he waited to use when Stardust Dragon's Effect was used.
"YOU DID WHAT?!" Sly screamed in disbelief before Yusei's Ace reappeared (with it's full 2500 Attack Points again) next to Rua's Synchro Monster.
"Rua took Stardust Dragon away from Sly!" Patty said in amazement.
"Great move Rua!" Ruka cheered. Yusei smiled warmly, also pleased that Rua's plan worked. The only one not impressed was Sly. On the contrary, he was fuming.
"Why you! That card is supposed to be mine! You won't get away with this!" Sly shouted, sounding seriously pissed off. Rua frowned at him.
"No… Yusei is the real owner of Stardust Dragon. I won't let you or anyone else take it from him! And one other thing… you made another mistake in destroying my Equip card!"
"What now?!" Sly shouted in confusion.
"When Life Extreme is sent from the Magic and Trap Zone to the Graveyard, I can Sacrifice a "Power Tool" Monster I control to Special Summon it's real form in it's place!" Sly and the others watched as Power Tool Braver Dragon's armor was blown apart to reveal the creature underneath. "Evolve into your true self: Life Stream Dragon!" (EARTH; Level 8; ATK: 2900; DEF: 2400) Rua's yellow and brown dragon emerged and roared at his master's opponent.
"Rua is not holding back anymore." Jack said, smiling at last.
"No, he isn't." Aki replied, agreeing with him.
Sly growled, angry that Rua duped him like that. 'How could that dumb idiot have outsmarted me this way?! He's not better than me!'
"Life Stream Dragon's Effect activates! When it is Synchro Summoned, all players that have less than 2000 Life Points become 2000!" Rua informed an infuriated Sly.
(Rua: 2000)
"Keep it up Rua!" Yugo and Rin both cheered. Rua planned to do just that.
"I play Deformer Guard! It allows me to Special Summon up to 2 "Deformer" Monsters from my Graveyard in Defense Mode! I'm reviving Deformers Telefon and Igniton!" The two weaker Monsters used to Summon Earfon returned to Rua's Field.
'What's he doing now?' Sly wondered, now starting to feel a tiny bit nervous.
"I now activate the Effect of Deformer Earfon! I can equip it to a Synchro Monster once per turn! I'm equipping Earfon to Life Stream Dragon!" At once, the pair of mecha twins transformed into little colored ear phones. The blue one attached itself to the left side of Life Stream's head, while the pink one settled on the right side. As they got into place, the dragon's weapons changed. The laser gun appeared in Life Stream Dragon's right hand, while the metal shield and one of the blue energy blades took the place of the red scale-like shield and silver metal blade.
"Now Rua's dragon looks even cooler than it already does!" Bob commented, liking the new techno appearance.
"Just one more thing before I beat you Sly!" Rua said before making his final preparations. "I also equip Life Stream Dragon with D Master Arm! This gives the Equipped Monster 300 Attack Points for each "Deformer" Monster I control! With the 2 I have, my Ace Monster gets a 600 point boost!" The left arm of Life Stream glowed and changed into a cybernetic version.
(300 x 2 = 600)
(Life Stream Dragon's ATK: 2900 + 600 = 3500)
"You won't beat me! Even if I lose both my remaining Monsters, I'll still have some Life Points left after both of your attacks!" Sly informed Rua… who grinned confidently.
"That's what you think! The Synchro Monster equipped with Deformer Earfon can make up to 2 attacks on Monsters each Battle Phase!"
"WHAT?!" Sly yelled in alarm.
"That means Rua can actually attack three times this turn!" Patty said happily.
"Rua thought this out pretty well. I'm impressed." Windy said, sounding pleased.
"First, I'll clear the Field! Battle! Life Stream Dragon, attack Eleckirimu! Twin Blaster!" Rua's dragon took aim with it's laser and fired a pink blast that blew Sly's Synchro Monster to pieces. "Now for Monster number 2! Life Stream Dragon, attack Electaildragon! Twin Blade!" Using it's blue energy sword, Life Stream sliced Sly's own dragon in half before it disintegrated.
(3500 - 2500 = 1000)
(Sly: 2400 - 1000 = 1400)
"One more strike and it's over!" Tempei said.
Sly stared up at the only Monster left that had yet to attack… and trembled with fear. Somehow, he could feel the anger of the dragon that Sly himself attempted to steal. 'No… No! This wasn't supposed to happen! This shouldn't happen to me!'
"Sly, I'm ending this with the Monster you wanted to take away from Yusei! Stardust Dragon, Direct Attack! SHOOTING SONIC!" Sly could do nothing to save himself. He screamed from the sparkling energy blast that knocked him to the ground, defeating him.
(Sly: 0)
"Rua did it!" Tenpei cheered.
"He won!" Bob and Patty shouted happily.
"Hell yeah!" Yugo said.
"Definitely your best Duel yet!" Rin exclaimed.
"I knew you could do it!" Ruka said to her brother.
Jack, Crow, and Aki all smiled from Rua's victory
"Well done, Rua." Yusei said to the younger boy. Rua smiled at them all.
"Thanks guys!"
Sly sat up, feeling angry and upset at his loss. He couldn't believe he lost to that pathetic wimp, Rua. It wasn't right. Sly stared down at the Stardust Dragon card, which had fallen to the ground after the Duel. "Stardust Dragon. Why did I lose? I had you and used you in my Duel! You were supposed to help me win! Instead you… you let me down! How could this have happened?!" He cried, ashamed of his humiliating defeat.
"The answer should be clear." Sly looked up to see Yusei standing above him.
"Huh?" Sly asked, not getting what the older Duelist was trying to say.
"You can't become a true Duelist by stealing other people's cards. You need to believe in the cards you have chosen to build your Deck. Only by trusting your own cards and in yourself can you really become a Duelist." Sly looked over at Yugo, who stood next to Yusei.
"But you gave your dragon to him." Yusei nodded.
"Yugo believes in the kind of Duelist he is and in his Deck. Therefore, I believe in him too and know he would use Stardust Dragon well." Yugo smiled sheepishly.
"Aw, thanks Yusei." He said. Rin smiled from Yusei's compliments about her boyfriend.
Sly looked away as he got up again. He picked up Stardust Dragon and stared at it. Without a word, he tossed the card at Yugo, who caught it. "I promise I'm not going to try to steal any cards in the future. That's the deal, right?" He asked Yusei, who nodded back. Sly then turned and began to walk away. "Good. Now I'm outta here." Jack, Crow, Aki, Yugo, and Rin watched him step past them. When Sly passed Rua, he paused and looked at him. Rua stared back. Sly scoffed at him before he continued on his way. He then passed Ruka, Tenpei, Bob, and Patty without so much as a glance. Of course, he never saw Windy at his hiding place. Just before he was out of sight, Sly stopped and looked back at Ruka with cold eyes. "Don't ever talk to me again. I'm happier being alone." That was the last thing he said before he left through the apartment front door, slamming it behind him.
"Sly…" Ruka muttered sadly.
"Are you okay, Ruka?" Rua asked after a moment, worried about his sister's feelings. Ruka sighed.
"You were right about him. I'm sorry I didn't listen."
"Don't worry. People misjudge others all the time. You just have to make sure you get to know them well enough." Rin advised.
"Absolutely. Don't forget, you have a lot of great friends right here that really do care about you." Aki added. Ruka nodded at them and smiled at everyone else.
"Thanks everyone. I think I'll be okay." Ruka said.
"Well, with all that drama of the day in the past, how about we start filling up our bellies? Who's up for a burger or hot dog?" Crow asked as he checked the food.
Windy stayed where he was, watching everyone moving on. He knew Yugo and the others would come for him after the other kids leave. Windy was glad he helped expose Sly's thieving ways to everyone. The Wind Ignis felt it was another good step on his road to redemption. His first step was helping Playmaker defeat Bohman, and then he helped Ray and the other Ignis find the chosen Four to save Ray's world. He intended to do more good while he was here. He just hoped he could do more to make up for his time as Lightning's unwilling minion.
Once everyone got their paper plates filled, Yugo stared out into the clear blue sky. Rin joined him.
"What is it Yugo?" She asked. Yugo turned to her.
"I'm just thinking about where the hell Clear Wing is. Do you think I'll ever find it again?" Rin pecked on the cheek, making him blush.
"I'm sure you will." Yugo smiled back.
"Thanks Rin." He looked back over the sky and enjoyed the view as he chowed down on his burger. 'Wherever you are Clear Wing, I hope you're alright...'
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Later that night, Divine was looking over Neo Domino City from his secure location. He felt the evening breeze on his face and smiled. He could feel it. Soon, this city will fall before before him and the Arcadia Movement… and no one, not even the Signers, would be able to stop him.
He took out two pictures from his pocket and grinned evilly. "My dear Aki and little Ruka. When this is all done, Yusei Fudo will be dead… and both of you will belong to me."
To be continued.