FicWad

I woke up half past 9 in the morning, feeling refreshed but slightly nervous about today's duel. After I did my bathroom routine and changed my clothes, I went downstairs to the living room and spotted Yusei sitting on the couch and going through his deck.

"Good morning." I greeted him.

Yusei looked over his shoulder with a small smile on his face. "Good morning. Sleep well?"

"Kinda." I covered my mouth when I yawned. "And you?"

"Pretty good."

I looked around to see if the twins were awake, but they weren't.

"The children are still sleeping?" I asked as I walked past the kitchen.

"Yeah, I heard Leo snore loudly when I walked past his door." Yusei chuckled.

I chuckled lightly. "I'm not surprised. Have you eaten anything?"

"No, I haven't." Yusei answered.

"Want me to prepare something? Any requests?"

"Just some toast, thanks."

I picked out the bread and made some toast and two cups of Earl Grey tea for us. We ate silently and finished just as the twins came downstairs together.

"Good morning." Luna smiled.

"Mornin'." Leo yawned.

"Good morning, you two." I greeted them. "I saved your dinner. Will that do for breakfast?"

"Yes please." Luna nodded.

Leo had a guilty expression on his face, probably due to yesterday's fiasco. I noticed that and sighed before walking over to him.

"Leo." He looked up at me. "We need to talk."

Leo nodded slowly as we walked outside onto the terrace to talk about yesterday. I wasn't going to scold Leo, just...tell him not to sabotage anything just to help me and Yusei.

"Leo-" I began.

"I'm sorry!" Leo interrupted me. "I was just trying to help you and Yusei..."

I sighed. "I know that, Leo, but cheating is never the answer. Besides neither Yusei or I have to cheat in order to win." Leo lightened up when I said that. "Just don't do anything reckless again or I will have you do Luna's chores for three months."

"What?! No fair!" Leo exclaimed.

"It is very fair, Leo." I crossed my arms. "Do you understand?"

Leo pouted in defeat. "Yes, I understand."

I smiled. "Good. Now, go and eat your breakfast with Luna before we head to the dome."

"Okay!" Leo smiled widely before running back inside.

I chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm for food. I walked back inside and saw the twins eat their dinner for breakfast. Yusei was going through his deck and switched a few cards with one from a side deck. I smiled at the scene before I walked up to my room to get my bag and Duel Disk with my deck.

XXXXXXXXXX

We arrived at the Kaiba Dome a half hour before the Fortune Cup semifinals would start. The arrangers wanted us contestants to register half past 11, so they could see if all duelists had checked in.

Leo and Luna went with Dexter, Tanner and Yanagi while Yusei and I went to the lounge to wait for our duels. While we were heading to the lounge, I spotted Akiza up ahead.

"Akiza!" I called out to her.

Said woman stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder with a confused expression on her face.

I smiled at her, knowing that she was surprised someone other than Sayer cared about her. "Hi, Akiza!"

"Uh...hi?" Akiza replied with some uncertainty.

I chuckled at her reaction as Yusei and I walked up to her.

"Are you feeling nervous about today?" I asked her.

"Y-yeah." Akiza nodded after glaring at Yusei.

"Want to go to the lounge together?" I stood next to the burgundy-haired woman.

Akiza nodded shyly, probably not used to receiving so much kindness from a stranger who knew she was the Black Rose Witch.

The three of us went to the lounge together. Once we were there, I began going through my deck and switched cards out with ones from my side deck. Akiza sat next to me and kept glaring at Yusei who ignored her glances.

When I was done with the deck, I inserted it into my Duel Disk and placed the rest of the cards in my bag. Since I was still nervous about my upcoming duel, I took my MP3 out to listen to music. Music helped calm me down.

Akiza glanced curiously at me before she tapped on my shoulder with her finger. I paused the song and took one of the earphones out. "Hm?"

"What are you listening to?" She asked me.

I held one of the earphones out to her, telling her to put it in her ear. Akiza hesitated before grabbing the earphone and putting it in her ear. I played the song again.

Akiza listened for a moment before pointing something out. "The lyrics...they're not English."

I nodded. "That's because it's a Japanese song."

Akiza removed the earphone from her ear and handed it back to me. "You understand Japanese?"

I made a so-so gesture with my hand. "I can speak a few words in Japanese and know the meaning of them."

"But how do you understand the meaning of the song?" Yusei asked.

I smiled gently. "I used to look the English translation of the Japanese song up and then understand what the song is about. Otherwise, it's just the title of the song that gives me the hint."

I looked around and noticed Greiger wasn't in the lounge. I checked the clock on the wall behind us and saw that the first semifinal duel was about to begin shortly.

I paused the MP3 player once again and walked over to a staff member.

"Excuse me?" The man looked up from his clipboard. "Do you know if Greiger has come to the dome?"

"Greiger registered a hour ago, so he's here." The functionary replied.

"Okay, thank you." I nodded.

I walked back to the table and sighed lightly. I wondered if Greiger was looking through Goodwin's private files on the computer and discovering the truth about his family and village.

"Um...are you okay?" Akiza asked me.

I looked up at her with a nervous expression. "Yes, I think so..."

"You're thinking about what Greiger told us yesterday, aren't you? About his village and family?" Yusei wondered.

I nodded. "Kinda..."

Akiza looked confused, but didn't say anything.

I turned the MP3 off and put it in my bag before standing up. I opened a locker and put the bag in it then closed it gently. Then I sat down and went through my deck once again to see if I needed to switch a card out or not.

When I was satisfied with my deck, I inserted it back into the Duel Disk and tied my hair into a low ponytail when the functionary walked over to us. He cast a nervous glance at Akiza while holding the mic of his headset. "Miss Estelle? They're calling you to the stage."

I nodded. "Okay." I became even more nervous as I stood up and adjusted the Duel Disk on my left arm. "It's time."

"Just relax and take it easy." Yusei told me. "If you let the nervousness take over, you won't be able to focus."

I nodded. "I'll try to relax once I get on the stage."

"Estelle." Akiza mumbled, making me look down at her. "G-good luck." She had a slight shade of pink on her cheeks. She was probably feeling a bit shy about communicating normally with people.

I smiled. "Thank you, Akiza."

XXXXXXXXXX

I was elevated up to the stage as the MC introduced me after they first elevated Greiger up. I tried to see if Greiger was still upset, but his face looked emotionless. He was hiding his pain well.

"Well Greiger, one of us will win today." I said, trying to cheer him up. "But the question is, who?"

Greiger smirked a little. "It's going to be a pleasure dueling you, Estelle. But I need to tell you something after the duel."

I nodded. "I'll be all ears, Greiger."

"Duelists, activate your Duel Disks!" The MC called.

Greiger and I held our arms up and activated the Duel Disks.

"Let's duel!"

Greiger: 4000 LP

Estelle: 4000 LP

We each drew five cards from the top of our decks.

"I'll make the first move, Estelle." Greiger said. "I draw! And I think I'll start with this. Spell Reactor . RE!"

The reactor monster appeared in front of him.

Spell Reactor . RE, Level 3: ATK 1200

"And next I throw down three face downs. You're up!" Greiger placed three cards face down.

"I draw!" I drew my sixth card.

I looked at my hand and saw that I had Divine Wrath, Hunter Dragon, Sorcerous Spell Wall, Oracle of the Sun, Galaxy Dragon and Rallis the Star Bird. I had to play smart if Greiger went with the same strategy from the anime.

"I place one card face down and summon Hunter Dragon in attack mode!" I set the Divine Wrath trap card as Hunter Dragon appeared on my side of the field.

Hunter Dragon, Level 3: ATK 1700

"In that case, I activate my face down trap Hidden Soldiers!" Greiger declared, flipping up said trap card. "Now yours truly gets a level 4 monster from my hand." He picked one of the two remaining cards in his hand. "And I've got just the one for you. He goes by Trap Reactor Y . FI, and with this card on my field, Estelle, I only need one more for a big surprise."

Trap Reactor . Y FI appeared next to Spell Reactor . RE

Trap Reactor . Y FI, Level 4: ATK 800

I cold sweated, knowing what Greiger had planned. I had one of my own cards that I needed to give the muscle man my own surprise in a few turns.

"Hunter Dragon, attack Spell Reactor!" I commanded.

Hunter Dragon roared as he attacked the reactor monster with his claws and fangs, causing a explosion.

Greiger: 4000 LP - 3500 LP

Estelle: 4000 LP

But when the smoke faded, we saw that Spell Reactor . RE was still on the field.

"Don't tell me you're shocked." Greiger snorted. "I had two more face downs on the field, and one of them was Fake Explosion, and not only does this prevent my monster's destruction but I also get a bonus. As in a level 5 monster from my hand, bringing out your surprise early. Summon Reactor . SK, join the party!"

The third reactor joined the other two on the field.

Summon Reactor . SK, Level 5: ATK 2000

But Greiger wasn't done yet. "Now I activate Delta Reactor! This card sends Spell Reactor, Trap Reactor and Summon Reactor to the graveyard." The three Reactors flew up into the sky together. "I hate doing this to you, Estelle, but like I told you and Yusei last night, two of us have to lose. And today it's you and then Yusei!" The three reactor monsters fused together in a white light. "I summon Flying Fortress SKY FIRE!"

The enormous mecha looked even bigger up close and seemed to be very deadly if the monster had been real and not holographic.

Flying Fortress SKY FIRE, Level 8: ATK 3000

"Greiger brings out his big bang beast in the second round!" The MC said. "Can Estelle find a way out of this or will she be pulverized before she can say Duel Monsters?"

"You know the deal, right?" Greiger asked me. "You take 800 points of damage if you ever summon a monster or place one card face down. And if that wasn't enough, the card you just played will also be destroyed!" Flying Fortress SKY FIRE floated above me and Hunter Dragon, covering us in it's shadow. "You have to face it. You can't make a move without getting hurt! My family needs me which means you're going to have to lose this match, Estelle!"

I growled through my teeth as I started to feel the seriousness in the air around us. "I end my turn!"

"It's my turn." Greiger drew a card. "Flying Fortress SKY FIRE, take Estelle's Hunter Dragon out!"

Flying Fortress SKY FIRE fired bullets at my dragon. Hunter Dragon avoided them for a while before he was hit by the machine monster's wing.

Greiger: 3500 LP

Estelle: 4000 LP - 2700 LP

"Estelle has taken a lashing! But, thankfully, she's still standing with more than half her life points remaining! But the question is; can she get past Flying Fortress SKY FIRE'S power without taking any damage!" The MC questioned.

I was glad that I had my well-trained poker face so no one could read my expression that I had a plan.

"You seem like a nice enough girl, Estelle." Greiger said. "But you've gotta fall, cause I've got too much riding on this duel to risk losing it!" He placed his new card face down.

"And so do I." I replied, drawing a card, which was Dust Tornado. "Since you control a monster and I don't, I can special summon Oracle of the Sun!"

The spellcaster monster appeared in front of me, kneeling down in defense mode while turning blue.

Oracle of the Sun, Level 5: DEF 2000

"Too bad your oracle can't shield itself from my assault!" Greiger warned me. "Remember, when you play a card, that card is destroyed and Flying Fortress SKY FIRE rains down 800 points of damage from above."

I smirked. "That's not gonna happen, because I activate my face down Divine Wrath!" I flipped up said card. "By sending a card from my hand to the graveyard..." I sent Galaxy Dragon to the graveyard. "...I can not only negate your monster's effect but also destroy it!"

"What?!" Greiger exclaimed in shock.

A thundercloud appeared above Flying Fortress SKY FIRE before lightning struck the machine monster. Greiger screamed loudly as Flying Fortress SKY FIRE crashed down in front of him and exploded into a cloud of smoke.

"Incredible! Estelle not only saved her monster, she also destroyed Greiger's killer machine without taking any damage!" The MC shouted excitedly. "Who could have foreseen that move?!"

People were shouting excitedly, seeing a simple female duelist, such as me, take down a muscle mountain's armed monster.

I continued my turn. "And since that was a special summon, I can normal summon another monster to the field. Say hello to Rallis the Star Bird!"

The winged beast roared as he appeared next to Oracle of the Sun.

Rallis the Star Bird, Level 3: ATK 800

"I think I add this spell card to the mix." I placed the Sorcerous Spell Wall field spell in my Duel Disk. "I activate the field spell Sorcerous Spell Wall!"

A large shiny pentagram appeared in the middle of the field that released gentle light around my monsters.

"What does that card do?" Greiger asked after getting over seeing the shock of his monster fall.

"Simple. During each of my turns, my monsters gain 300 attack points, while during my opponent's turn they gain 300 defense points." I explained.

Rallis the Star Bird, Level 3: ATK 800 - ATK 1100

"Rallis, attack him directly with Star Wind!" I ordered.

Rallis opened his wings and flapped them so hard it created a small hurricane around Greiger with star powder flying around in the air.

Greiger: 3500 LP - 2400 LP

Estelle: 2700 LP

"But because Rallis the Star Bird attacked, he's removed from play and returns to my field at the beginning of my next turn's Battle Phase." I explained as I removed Rallis' card, causing the winged beast to disappear from the field. "I place a card face down and end my turn."

I placed Dust Tornado upside down in the Duel Disk as my spellcaster monster gained 300 defense points due to the effect of my field spell.

Oracle of the Sun, Level 5: DEF 2000 - DEF 2300

"Estelle made a powerful comeback, turning the tide! But will Greiger turn it back in his favor?" The MC wondered.

Greiger recovered from the direct attack, smiling softly.

"Not bad, but the duel's not over." He drew a card. "I place one card face down and end my turn."

"It's my turn." I drew a new card, which was Swords of Revealing Light. "First I activate my face down Dust Tornado!" Said card was revealed. "I can destroy one of your face downs and I choose the one you just set." A whirlwind shot out of my trap card and destroyed Greiger's trap card, which was Chariot Pile. "Next I play the spell card Swords of Revealing Light! For the next three turns, you cannot attack." Six swords of light appeared around Greiger's side of the field, creating a shield around him to keep him caged for the next three turns. "Well, I know it's now time for my Battle Phase, which means Rallis the Star Bird returns to my field."

I placed said card on my Duel Disk, as the winged beast appeared next to Oracle of the Sun in attack position.

Rallis the Star Bird, Level 3: ATK 800 - ATK 1100

"But I think I'll skip it this time. I end my turn." I declared.

"Estelle is really keeping Greiger at bay. Could she be planning something because she skipped the Battle Phase, even though she could have attacked with Rallis the Star Bird?" The MC commented.

I did have a plan, but I needed to buy some time and get the right cards before Swords of Revealing Light's effect wore off.

XXXXXXXXXX - Normal POV

In the stands, Leo and Luna's group was a bit nervous and yet excited about Estelle's game play.

"Estelle was amazing with the trap card that took Flying Fortress SKY FIRE without taking damage." Dexter said excitedly.

"Yeah! And she played smart by activating Swords of Revealing Light to buy some time." Tanner nodded.

"What do you mean, Tanner?" Yanagi asked him.

"I think Estelle's trying to get a certain card she really needs to take Greiger down before he attacks her again." Tanner explained. "And in the mean time, she used that star bird to do some damage while keeping her oracle on the field."

"But why didn't she use Rallis the Star Bird to attack Greiger again if she has the advantage?" Leo wondered.

"I don't know Leo." Luna shook her head. "But it could be she has a plan that requires a monster and she might want to keep Rallis the Star Bird on the field."

"Good point, Luna." Tanner nodded.

XXXXXXXXXX - Estelle's POV

Greiger drew another card. "I skip my turn."

"Okay." I nodded and drew a new card, which was Mini-Guts.

It would be good to use right now, but I had to get a tuner monster before Swords of Revealing Light's effect wore off.

"I switch Rallis the Star Bird to defense position and end my turn." I said as Rallis turned blue when he went into defense position.

Rallis the Star Bird, Level 3: DEF 800 - DEF 1100

"It's my move." Greiger drew a card. "And I summon Black Salvo!"

A big black bomb monster appeared in front of Greiger.

Black Salvo, Level 3, Tuner: ATK 100

"So with the power of my Black Salvo, I'm bringing my Trap Reactor . Y FI back and now I tune my Black Salvo with my level 4 Trap Reactor . Y FI!"

"Oh no." I cold sweated.

"You're surprised? You're not the only duelist who uses Synchro monsters." Greiger said. "I give you Dark Strike Fighter!"

Said Synchro monster appeared in front of Greiger.

Dark Strike Fighter, Level 7: ATK 2600

"Remember, you can't attack with Swords of Revealing Light still on the field." I reminded Greiger.

"I know, but after my next turn, the effect of the spell card will wear off and I can then attack you." Greiger told me. "I activate the Ultimate Flare trap card, which allows me to summon a Ultimate Flare Token."

The spiky token appeared next to Dark Strike Fighter.

Ultimate Flare Token, Level 10: DEF 0

"I'm warning you, Estelle." Greiger said. "A few turns from now, I will activate Dark Strike Fighter's effect to sacrifice the Ultimate Flare Token and deal 2000 points of damage to you." I cold sweated at the threat. "I'm afraid your fate has been sealed, Estelle. There's nothing you can do to win this duel now!"

"It's too early to jump to conclusions, Greiger." I put my fingers on my deck.

Everything was up to the next card I would draw. I took a deep breath and drew the card. I flipped it over and sighed in relief.

"It's over, Greiger." I said. "I summon the tuner monster Fire Ant Ascator!"

The insect monster appeared next to Oracle of the Sun.

Fire Ant Ascator, Level 3, Tuner: ATK 700 - ATK 1000

"A tuner monster?" Greiger asked.

"Exactly." I nodded. "I tune Fire Ant Ascator with Oracle of the Sun."

Said monsters glowed before they shot up into the sky. The sun suddenly shined brighter as the Synchro summon occurred.

"Come forth, the guardian of the sun, the king of the sky...Sun Dragon Inti!"

A stone pattern in the shape of the sun with a face appeared as four red/orange necks grew out with four dragon heads. The sun pattern glowed soft orange as the four dragon heads roared simultaneously.

Sun Dragon Inti, Level 8: ATK 3000 - ATK 3300

"Whoa! Yesterday, people, we saw the moon dragon and today we see it's twin Sun Dragon Inti! Is it just me or does the sun feel a bit hotter than usual?" The MC wondered.

I kissed the Mini-Guts spell card. "I activate the spell card Mini-Guts!"

"Mini-Guts?" Greiger questioned.

"With Mini-Guts, I can sacrifice a monster on my field and then target one of your monsters. It's attack points will be reduced to 0 until the End Phase. And I choose Rallis the Star Bird to target Dark Strike Fighter."

Rallis the Star Bird dissipated as his remaining star powder swirled around Dark Strike Fighter, draining all of it's attack points.

Dark Strike Fighter, Level 7: ATK 2600 - ATK 0

"And the next effect of the spell card will activate as soon as Sun Dragon Inti destroys your Synchro monster." I told Greiger before turning to my dragon. "Sun Dragon Inti, attack Dark Strike Fighter with Sunlight Blaster!"

The sun pattern started to glow as the four heads of Sun Dragon Inti opened their mouths to gather energy for the attack. They unleashed Sunlight Blaster together and took Dark Strike Fighter out.

"Now when Dark Strike Fighter is destroyed by battle and sent to the graveyard, you take damage equal to your monster's original attack points!" I told Greiger.

"NO!" Greiger screamed as the remaining energy of Dark Strike Fighter enveloped him as his life points dropped to zero.

Greiger: 2400 LP - 0 LP

Estelle: 2700 LP

"That's it, people. After six turns of white knuckle action, this duel has roared to a close with a stunning finale! New Domino City's Shining Star has managed to whip up a combo out of nowhere!" The MC commented.

Sun Dragon Inti was still floating in the air as I noticed Greiger had fallen to his knees. I became concerned and ran over to him.

"Greiger, are you okay?" I asked him as soon as I was one meter away from him.

Greiger got up while pulling a microphone out of his pocket. "I'm fine, Estelle. But it's not over." I blinked in confusion as I heard his voice echo around me. "I was hoping to do this differently, but if it needs to be like this, so be it."

"What...do you mean?" I asked, knowing where this was going.

"I told you and Yusei about my village, Estelle." Greiger began. "I told you about the fire and destruction. But I have learned the truth. Goodwin isn't going to help me rebuild my village like he promised. How could he when it isn't even there anymore?!"

"Greiger." I mumbled sadly.

"Look!" Greiger pointed up at the sphere above the dome. "That was my village, before Goodwin came along!" The sphere shifted pictures and showed a village in a mountainous area. "I hacked into Goodwin's personal files before the duel and discovered it wasn't a natural disaster. Goodwin came along and decided to use our valley as a little testing ground. He tried to resurrect his precious Crimson Dragon, but he couldn't control the energy. It was too powerful, and then..." The sphere showed powerful energy burst through the village until there was nothing left. "The village is gone! Everyone who lived there, all gone! Vanished! Nowhere to be found!"

I felt tears forming in my eyes. The power of the Crimson Dragon and the darkness...was a lot stronger than I could have imagined. But...this world existed for real, not a anime world.

"Thank you, Estelle." Greiger said, causing me to look at him confused. "You told me to go and find the truth on my own instead of listen to rumors. And I am grateful to you. Just like your name, you have a inner star that shined stronger than ever during the duel."

I moved my left hand up to my mouth, slightly covering it while touched by Greiger's words. No one had ever said that about me excluding my parents.

"Now Goodwin's going to answer for all his lies!" Greiger shouted.

Just then, a loud ear-splitting noise echoed through the dome as Greiger's Duel Runner burst out to the track self-automated. Greiger ran past me as I followed him with my eyes.

Greiger jumped down from the stage and perfectly landed on his Duel Runner before it accelerated. "Now that the world knows what you did, it's time for you to pay! For my friends! My family! My home! Your Ivory Tower is about to come tumbling down, Goodwin!"

"No!" I turned to Sun Dragon Inti, not even thinking about how he was still on the field even when my Duel Disk was no longer active. "Sun Dragon Inti, stop him!"

My dragon roared before heading towards Greiger who activated the spiky things on his Duel Runner. Greiger was up in the air, heading towards the Ivory Tower, when Sun Dragon Inti appeared in front of him blocking the Duel Runner's path. One of Sun Dragon Inti's heads caught a spike with his mouth. He bit it off, causing the spike to head towards the tower.

The spike was then swallowed by a blast of energy. Omnimon had made his way to the Kaiba Dome.

Sun Dragon Inti knocked Greiger off course and let the duelist crash down to the ground on his Duel Runner. My dragon headed towards me as I ran towards Greiger, jumping onto one of my dragon's necks to safely get down from the stage to the muscle man.

When Sun Dragon Inti allowed me to jump off him, I ran towards Greiger who seemed to be okay after the terrible crash. "Greiger, are you-"

I couldn't finish my sentence because Greiger grabbed me and knocked me to the ground, his arms trembling because of his inner anger and sadness.

"Estelle, how could you?! I had him!" Greiger yelled.

I put a hand on Greiger's fist. "I'm sorry, Greiger! I'm so sorry that Goodwin lied and used you, but you have to listen to me! Going after him or trying to murder him won't solve a thing!"

Tears ran down Greiger's cheeks as he glared at me. "What do I do?!"

"I promise that I will do everything I can to figure it out." I assured him, feeling tears form in my eyes again.

Greiger let go of my jacket and screamed at the top of his lungs. "GOODWIN!"

My instincts rushed over me as I did the only thing I could think of. I hugged Greiger close to my chest as I let the heartbroken man cry out his sorrow while feeling his giant arms embrace my waist. I let tears run down my cheeks as I stroked his thin, soft hair. I heard Sun Dragon Inti roar loudly and angrily in the background, sharing my emotions.