FicWad

I was having a beautiful dream about Yusei when I was awakened by Leo screaming. I sat up on the bed and rubbed my tired eyes before putting my glasses and morning robe on. I met Luna in the hallway as we approached the living room where Leo was, looking around for Yusei.

"He's gone! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, NOOO!" Leo screamed.

"Tooth fairy forget you again?" Luna asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Luna! Estelle!" Leo ran over to us. "He took his Runner and left!"

"Well, did he leave a note or something?" Luna asked her brother.

"No!"

I walked towards the kitchen to start making breakfast, ignoring them because I knew what was going on.

"This is all your fault, Luna!" Leo said as he ran around the living room. "You should have been nicer, like Estelle! He was gonna teach me to become the best duelist ever!"

"Will you calm down?" Luna sighed before noticing their upgraded Duel Disks on the coffee table. "Look at these."

I watched from the kitchen as the twins, especially Leo, were excited and happy to receive Yusei's gift.

"It fits now!" Leo happily exclaimed as he strapped his Duel Disk to his arm. "How does it look, Luna?"

"Pretty good." Luna wasn't focused on her brother. "Now I just wish we knew who he was, so we can properly thank him."

"Well, it's his own fault for not telling us his name." Leo frowned. "I mean, he had amnesia and we helped him. If he wanted to thank us, he should've stayed."

"I guess so, but why no goodbye?" Luna asked.

"Don't you guys get it?" I questioned, making them turn to me as I continued making breakfast. "He thanked us and said goodbye by upgrading your Duel Disks. I caught him customizing them around midnight. He's quite a handy man."

"Do you know why he left, Estelle?" Luna asked me.

"He's a selfless man who doesn't want other people to be involved with him since he's a 'criminal', but he has a good heart." I answered.

"So that's why he left? Because of his marker and Sector Security lurking around here yesterday?" Leo guessed.

"Partially." I nodded.

"But why couldn't he tell us goodbye personally." Luna wondered. "Maybe he wanders the city streets and helps struggling duelists out. Kind of like a knight in shining armor, but with a deck."

"A knight?" Leo raised a eyebrow. "He sounds more like a superhero and his name is something secret."

Just then, we heard the house phone ring. Leo ran over to it and answered the call. And the phone wasn't like the ones from my dimension, no. It was a huge screen that allowed the callers to see and talk to each other at the same time, like Skype.

"What's up, my main man?" Dexter greeted Leo.

"Dexter, get this! Some guy-" Leo began, only to be interrupted by the brown-haired boy.

"Boss! There's no time for that! I got us a lead!"

"A lead?"

"Duh! The Black Rose?!"

"Come on, Dex! The Black Rose is just some urban legend!"

"You miss me, Dexter?" Luna teased him in the background.

I finished making breakfast and set the table up before walking over to the children to join their conversation as Leo held his Duel Disk up with a determined aura.

"Then let's go!" The boy declared.

"Leo! How come your Duel Disk isn't falling off anymore?" Dexter asked, adjusting his glasses.

"Right! So this superhero stopped by, and-" Leo began.

"He's not a superhero, Dexter. He's a knight!" Luna butted in.

"What are you two talking about? Who fixed up your Duel Disk?"

"Okay! This guy's Duel Runner is red and-" Leo began to describe Yusei when Luna shoved her brother back.

"Leo!" Luna exclaimed before whispering. "Until we know more about this guy, maybe we should keep this between us."

"Okay, good point." Leo agreed with his sister.

"Hey! What's going on?!" Dexter shouted.

I turned to the phone and flashed a gentle smile. "Nothing Dexter, but we were about to eat breakfast. We'll call you back once we're finished."

"Okay, but really, call me back later! This is a one in a million chance!" Dexter shouted.

"We will. See you soon, Dexter." I ended the call.

Luna turned to Leo once again. "Listen, this is our secret!"

Leo nodded before looking at his Duel Disk. "Luna, Estelle. Do you think Mr. Amnesia Man flies or has a jet pack?"

I raised a eyebrow. "Where do you get all these ideas from, Leo?"

"From my comic books and TV!" Leo replied happily.

I shook my head as I walked over to the kitchen table. "Well, breakfast's ready, so come and dig in, children."

XXXXXXXXXX

Just as we promised, we called Dexter back who came over before he, Leo and I left with our Duel Disks. I told Luna lunch was in the fridge, and it only needed to be warmed up before she ate it. I was definitely going to watch over the boys. I wouldn't let them go to shady places alone.

We went to a area that screamed poor where the Black Rose was supposed to show up. Dexter seemed to be both excited and scared at the same time, but he refused to show any signs of weakness.

I noticed there were a lot of men with markers around these parts and they were staring at me with wide eyes. I felt a bit uncomfortable, but tried to ignore the stares.

"Hey, babe!" A man shouted.

I turned to the man who had called out to me. He had a Duel Disk on his arm as well.

"Wanna hang out with me and my friends? We'll treat you well." The man snickered.

I walked away with Leo and Dexter who stood close to me.

"Hey! I don't take no for a answer!" The man shouted. "Let's duel!"

I stopped walking, something the kids noticed and also stopped. I turned to the man who wanted to challenge me to a duel.

"A duel?" I hummed, suddenly feeling very confident which wasn't like me.

The man smirked. "What babe? Too scared?"

"Estelle?" Leo wondered.

I smirked at the man before raising my left arm with the Duel Disk on it. "Challenge accepted. But if I win, leave me and the boys alone."

The man laughed. "We shall see, babe."

"Let's duel!"

XXXXXXXXXX

The day went by so fast I didn't realize it was already sundown. Maybe because I was constantly challenged by perverts and beat all of them. To tell the truth, I was very surprised by my hidden skill with Duel Monsters. I always lost duels against other duelists in my dimension.

I stopped for a minute to massage my forehead, feeling really exhausted after all the duels. I heard loud shouting and looked up to see we were now in the center square of the Daimon Area. Leo and Dexter walked over to a man to ask him if he had seen the Black Rose, only to be fanned away.

I sighed as I walked over to the boys. "Leo, Dexter. Don't walk off on your own in these parts. You could be kidnapped by criminals."

"Sorry Estelle, but you were nearby anyway." Leo retorted before turning to Dexter. "Maybe the Black Rose doesn't exist, Dex."

"Well, I know the blogs don't lie." Dexter said. "She'll be here! I know it!"

"You sure? I mean, does anyone know who she really is?" Leo raised a eyebrow.

"Well she better show up, cause my deck is ready for her." Dexter glanced down at his Duel Disk.

"Well, Dex, we've been looking for the Black Rose all day and Estelle is the only one who got to duel." Leo pointed out. "Maybe we should go home."

"Go home?! The Black Rose is the greatest duelist ever!" Dexter exclaimed with excitement. "They say her cards make real monsters! Her spells are like real spells! And her traps are like-"

"Real traps?" I interrupted, resting my right hand on my hip.

Dexter snuffled. "If you don't want to help me, fine, but I'm staying right here...got that?"

"Don't cry, Dexter. I'll stay." Leo teased him.

"I don't cry!" Dexter snapped.

I chuckled before hearing someone call mine and Leo's name.

"Leo? Estelle?"

I looked up and almost felt myself choke on my own saliva when I spotted Yusei. I had almost forgotten that he and his new friends would be here.

Leo was excited to see Yusei again as he ran over to him. "Dex, look! It's the superhero who fixed mine and my sister's Duel Disks!"

I quickly followed Leo, leaving Dexter behind before he collected himself and followed us.

"So, we meet again." I smiled at Yusei.

"Yeah, I didn't expect to see you here." Yusei nodded.

"So what's up?" Leo smiled at the raven-haired man.

"What are you doing here, Leo? This is a dangerous place for little kids." Yusei pointed out as his friends walked over to us. "Where's your sister?"

"She didn't want to come, and I've got Estelle to protect me!" Leo pointed his thumb towards me.

Dexter gasped when he reached us.

"Leo, Estelle...I don't think this guy's a superhero. Check his face." He whispered.

"That's his secret identity." Leo told his friend.

"What are you doing here?" The old man with a gold tooth, Yanagi, asked with a smile. "And who's this beauty?"

"We've been looking around for the Black Rose." Leo explained.

Yusei turned to his group of friends. "The woman and the young boy helped me regain my memory. They're cool."

Whoa! Did Yusei just call me cool? No one ever used that word to describe me before.

"Yes! I'm cool!" Leo smiled before turning to the nervous Dexter. "And this guy's my best friend Dexter."

"Um...hello." Dexter nervously greeted them.

"That guy's the best. He's got this combo that's like 'Whoa!'. You should definitely duel him!" Leo encouraged his friend.

Dexter nervously looked at Yusei who had a intense expression on his face, which scared the brunette. "Maybe another time." He glanced down to see that Yusei was holding a envelope with the Fortune Cup symbol on it. "Look at that!"

I smiled when I spotted the envelope. Things were progressing like they were supposed to.

"That's a invitation to duel in the Fortune Cup." Leo explained when he saw the envelope. "You'll be there too?"

"Yep." Yusei nodded.

"I get to duel you~! I get to duel you!~" Leo chanted before he pointed at Yusei with a determined expression on his face. "But this time, you're going down!" He turned to Dexter. "Maybe if I win, he'll make me his sidekick like in all of my comic books. Cool, huh?"

"Yeah!" Dexter nodded.

I chuckled at the two.

"Leo, didn't we go through that this morning?" I turned to Yusei. "When did you get the invitation?"

"Right after I left the Tops." Yusei replied. "By the way, I still need to repay you for the hospitality and food."

I shook my head. "I told you before. I only need a good duel for you to pay me back, but I guess we'll duel during the Fortune Cup."

Yusei smirked briefly before he suddenly grimaced and fell down to his knees, holding his right arm while hissing in pain.

"Yusei?" I asked in a worried tone and knelt down to hold onto his shoulders.

"What's wrong?" Yanagi asked.

"It hurts just like before." Yusei hissed through his teeth.

"Before?" Tanner questioned.

"When it first appeared...the Crimson Dragon." Yusei replied in slight pain.

I started to feel a tugging on my heart, but tried to ignore it. People around us began screaming in fear, shouting something about the Black Rose coming. I looked over my shoulder when I felt a tornado blow around us.

"B-Black Rose?" Yanagi stuttered.

"She's just a myth." Blister said.

"Oh yeah?!" Tanner retorted.

"There's a reasonable explanation here!" Blister countered.

Then roots and vines emerged from the concrete and lodged into buildings, knocking people down before they could flee.

One root came towards us before it cracked the ground, separating our group. Just before the root could reach us, Yusei grabbed me and leaped clear. We landed safely, while the others, including the children, fell to the ground.

Yusei and I were on our knees once again when we spotted the shadow of a dragon in the dust, it's eyes and mouth glowing red.

"Who's dragon is that?" Yusei asked before groaning in pain.

I watched him remove his glove to pull up the sleeve of his jacket and reveal the Tail Mark of the Dragon that was glowing red.

"My Mark!" Yusei exclaimed.

Blister, Yanagi and Tanner gathered around us and gasped when they spotted Yusei's Mark.

"Oh my!" Yanagi gasped.

"That's no tattoo." Tanner stated.

"You're right, Tanner. It's the Mark of the Dragon!" Yanagi nodded.

Now I felt something burn strongly on my right arm. I clutched it before pulling up the sleeve of my shirt to reveal a red glowing pentagram, the same one I had seen a few nights ago!

"No way!" I gasped.

"She has a glowing Mark too!" Blister exclaimed in shock.

"In the shape of a pentagram." Tanner added.

"I've never heard anything about a Mark of the Dragon that's shaped like a star!" Yanagi shouted.

Just then, there was a strong light coming from the dragon so we had to shield our eyes until the light faded. I heard the dragon roar when I felt another tug on my heart.

"Help..."

My eyes widened when I heard a voice in my head.

"Help my mistress..."

I stood up, holding my arm and ran towards the dragon that was crying out for help. I heard Yusei call my name, but I ignored him as I ran into the dust. I stopped several meters from the black dragon that had magenta wings and a body made of magenta rose petals. It was behind a woman wearing a mask, as well as a black cloak and red dress. She had dark burgundy hair spilling out from underneath the hood. The woman had a red Duel Disk strapped to her arm and cards in her hand.

"Akiza." I whispered.

I flinched when Yusei ran past me and stood protectively in front of me. I blushed for a second before noticing Leo standing next to me as he gasped after seeing the Black Rose aka Akiza.

"Black Rose?" Yusei asked.

"I think so, but be care-" Leo was about to take a step forward when I put a hand on his shoulder, holding him back.

The others ran over to us and gasped when they spotted the Black Rose.

"Okay, so she's not made up." Blister said. "Now what, grandpa?"

"I don't know." Yanagi answered nervously.

I could feel Akiza staring at each of us as the tug on my heart got even worse. I clutched the part of my outfit where my heart was with my right arm, revealing my Mark to Akiza.

"Your arms! You two also have a Mark!" Black Rose shouted.

Yusei and I shared a look before we looked at our Marks that were still glowing. I started to pant heavily when the tug slowly became unbearable. I hoped that the others didn't notice my condition.

"We do." Yusei said before taking a few steps forward.

"Stay away from me!" Black Rose screamed before throwing a card onto her Duel Disk.

A beacon of light appeared where Akiza was standing, the air whipping madly around the area. It was too much for the others to handle as they were all knocked over. As for me though, I was the only one still standing. The wind felt like a gentle breeze to me and I wasn't even affected by the blinding light.

When the wind and light finally died down, there were only sparks of electricity left. There wasn't a sign of her or the dragon.

"She's gone." Tanner pointed out.

"Amazing!" Yanagi exclaimed. "That's what I call a exit for the ages! What do you think her encore looks like?"

"We found her." Dexter shivered as he and Leo held each other, looking really scared. "The Black Rose is real."

"That was so awesome." Leo stuttered.

I looked around to see people helping those who were injured as they shouted profanities at the Black Rose. Deep down, I was angry with those people and felt sorry for Akiza at the same time.

"The Black Rose said you two also have a Mark." Blister said. "What did she mean by that?"

I glanced down at Yusei's arm and saw that his Mark was no longer there. The others gasped when they noticed that his Mark was gone.

"Where'd it go?" Leo asked.

"Vanished! Like magic!" Yanagi exclaimed.

I looked down at my arm to see that my Mark was still there, but it was no longer glowing.

"The gal's Mark is still there, though." Tanner pointed out.

Everyone turned their attention to me as Yanagi grabbed my arm to take a closer look at the pentagram Mark.

"How did you get this Mark in the first place?" He wondered.

"I believe the Black Rose has a Mark of her own." I stated, causing the others to become silent. "And thanks to that Mark, she can make her cards become real, but..." I placed a hand on my Mark. "She's letting the power control her, not the other way around...she's suffering." No one said a word as I turned to Leo and Dexter, pulling the sleeve down to hide my Mark. "Come on, children. Let's go home now."

"Okay." Dexter agreed with me.

"Yeah, I think we've had too much excitement for one day." Leo nodded before turning to Yusei. "We'll see you at the Fortune Cup tomorrow, right?"

Yusei nodded after remaining silent for a few seconds. "Make sure to rest properly. Leo, Estelle."

"We will." I nodded. "See you tomorrow, guys."