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My cell phone started ringing around the time I set the alarm for. I groaned as I reached for the cell phone and turned it off. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, realizing that I had been sleeping with my glasses on my face.

I sat up at the edge of the bed and rubbed the exhaustion out of my eyes before I stood up. I walked out to the silent corridor and went to the bathroom. I washed my face and did my usual morning routine before walking back to my bedroom.

I put my jacket and Duel Disk on before walking downstairs, listening for sounds if someone was awake. And so far, I didn't hear a thing.

While I was downstairs, I looked at the door that led to the infirmary. I could feel Yusei suffering from a nightmare. I looked around before slowly opening the door and heading inside. There was a curtain in the middle of the room, which I slowly moved to the side.

Yusei was sleeping on a medical bed. His face was twisted because of the nightmare he was having. I felt bad seeing him like that as I approached the bed. I didn't say anything. I just watched him. But then I decided to do something about the nightmare he had.

I carefully brushed Yusei's bangs to the side with my fingertips and planted a small kiss on his forehead. Yusei's eyes stirred for a moment before his body started to relax. I smiled after seeing his reaction before leaving the infirmary and walking outside.

I thought it would be best if I summoned one of my Duel Monsters somewhere else and not straight outside of Martha's house. I didn't want to cause a commotion.

I headed to the deserted streets of the Satellite. When I was in the middle of a big plaza, I raised my Duel Disk up to the air.

"Light End Dragon!"

A white light emerged from the deck and the dragon materialized in front of me.

"Good morning, Mistress." Light End Dragon greeted me. "I was informed about what happened from Star Eater and the celestial twins."

I nodded. "Then I don't need to bother explaining." Light End Dragon let me sit on her neck. "Let's go back home."

"Yes, Mistress."

Light End Dragon flapped her wings as she took off into the sky.

XXXXXXXXXX

When Light End Dragon made it to the Tops, she dropped me off at the terrace where Tanner and Yanagi were waiting for me.

"Yo." Tanner greeted me. "Glad to see you're okay."

"I was worried when Luna woke us up and told us you didn't return last night." Yanagi said.

"A lot of things happened." I replied. "How're the twins?"

"Really worried about you." Tanner said.

"And Leo's thinking he's the fifth Signer because Luna said she had a dream about the first battle between the Crimson Dragon and the shadows, and there was one dragon that looked like Leo's Power Tool Dragon." Yanagi explained.

I sweat dropped. "Why am I not surprised? But it's kinda understandable." The two men blinked in confusion. "Leo wants to be there for his sister and help her as much as he can. They have a bond only twins understand."

"You've got a point." Tanner nodded.

"Estelle!"

A second later, I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist. I looked down to see a excited Leo.

"I realized I must be the fifth Signer! I've got the same dragon that Luna saw in her dream!" Leo let go of my waist to jump up and down excitedly. "I'm a superhero just like you and Yusei!"

I laughed sheepishly. "Maybe..."

We all walked outside and I received a hug from Luna too. We sat down by the couch as I told them what had happened.

"The Army of Shadows must have become stronger while they were asleep." Yanagi said after I finished telling the story.

"It was terrifying." I shivered. "When the Earthbound Immortal was summoned, I felt my power and energy being drained, and when Yusei was injured." I intertwined my hands in prayer. "The darkness felt more powerful than I ever imagined."

"Is Yusei...going to be okay?" Luna asked, concerned.

I nodded. "Yeah, I hope so." I relaxed my body as I turned to Tanner. "Did you contact the Arcadia Movement?"

"Yeah, I was about to tell you that, but I felt like you should tell us what happened during the night first because the news said the Nazca Line of the Giant appeared in the Satellite." Tanner said. "Anyway, I arranged a meeting with Sayer, the leader of the Arcadia Movement, and we're invited to dinner this evening."

"I hope we can get Akiza on our side." I said.

"Sorry if I say this, but I'm a bit skeptical about Akiza." Tanner interrupted. "She might be a Signer, but her powers are destructive."

"Because Sayer manipulated her into believing violence is the only way to solve problems." I retorted. "But if I can talk to her and make her open her heart and eyes, she'll become a new person."

"Your speech...somehow reminds me of what happened to Jack Atlas." Yanagi said.

"You must mean the time when Star Eater used Starlight Breaker to open his heart and see things another way." I said. "I guess it worked because Jack finally realized what he had done and turned back into the old Jack he was back in the Satellite."

"So the rumors about Jack being born in the Satellite are true?" Leo asked.

"Yes." I nodded. "But I won't say anything else about it now."

"Understandable." Tanner nodded. "By the way." He opened Blister's laptop computer and typed on it. "The exclusive interview you had with Carly Carmine is up now."

"Really?" My eyes widened in surprise.

Tanner nodded as he moved the computer over to me. "Take a look."

The twins sat on both sides of me as Yanagi looked over my shoulder to read the interview. There were a couple photos among the interview; one from the Kaiba Dome when I became the new champion and a picture Carly had taken while I was in disguise.

"Very positive answers to the questions." Yanagi commented.

"It really shows you're not full of yourself like Jack used to be." Luna agreed.

"And you even said at the end of the interview that Jack is still the King of Games. You just became the Queen of Games, meaning both of you should be champions and duel together as a team." Leo read the last part of the article. "Cool!"

I blushed after receiving all the compliments. "Thank you, guys."

Tanner stood up from the couch. "Well, I'll make some breakfast for you if you're hungry, Estelle."

"Thanks Tanner, but I can make breakfast myself." I said as I moved the computer to the side and stood up. "I wonder if I hold something in my stomach after last night's horror show."

XXXXXXXXXX - Normal POV

"Akiza hasn't been herself lately." One of the psychics of the Arcadia Movement told Sayer.

Sayer looked up from his computer. "What do you mean?"

"Well, she almost lost a duel against one of our duel drones."

Sayer frowned as he got up from his chair and walked out of his office, heading to the duel arena in the Arcadia Movement. He didn't like Akiza's new development. She had slowly started to think on her own and would often lose herself in deep thought, and the most important thing, her powers were becoming weaker. Sayer growled through his teeth as he remembered the two people who could be responsible for Akiza's new actions.

'Yusei Fudo and Estelle Malmstrom. Those two could be big trouble. I have to speak to Akiza and revert her back to her old self.' He thought with a manic smile.

Akiza was standing outside the arena, thinking about what Estelle and Yusei said to her during the Fortune Cup. 'What if what they said is true? And what about Estelle when she said she's just like me? I...I don't understand...but...I want to.'

"Akiza."

She looked up to see Sayer approach her.

"That was an impressive duel." Sayer said.

"Yeah, right." Akiza snorted, knowing that Sayer didn't mean it.

"You're too hard on yourself. Whatever is troubling you, you can always tell me. We're family."

"I'm fine. I just need to rest."

"Come on. I've known you for too long for you to start lying. I saved you, or don't you remember? You were a outcast with frightening powers. You had no friends. No one wanted to be around you. They'd stare at you from afar, watching, whispering, laughing. Even your own parents didn't want anything to do with you. And when you were ready to throw away your future, who was it that saved you? Me; Sayer. And now you're one of the Arcadia Movement's most powerful women, surrounded by friends who share your abilities. All thanks to yours truly. At the very least, you could tell me what's really going on. Why are you distracted? What's so important that you're risking all that we've accomplished?"

Akiza was feeling down about the pain from her past, but she didn't want to tell Sayer the truth.

"I said it's nothing." She walked past Sayer without saying anything else.

Sayer just smirked. "Or is it Yusei Fudo and Estelle Malmstrom?" That made Akiza stop in her tracks. "You don't have to be psychic to figure it out. You think you can run off, living a normal life and having friends fight your battles for you? I'm afraid your place will always be here."

Akiza clenched her fist before she walked back to her room. She stepped out to the balcony and remembered her talk with Estelle during the first day of the Fortune Cup, then the semifinal duel with Yusei and when she ran out to stop her.

"They were the first individuals to see me as a normal person." Akiza murmured before looking up at the sky. "Could they...truly understand what I've been through? Can they look past my powers?"

XXXXXXXXXX

At the same time, in Martha's house, Yusei was once again suffering from his nightmare.

XXXXXXXXXX

Yusei was running in a black universe with purple light shows and the Nazca Line of the Giant glowing above him. He could hear Kalin's manic laughter echo around him as he kept running with sweat running down his face.

"You can never escape the darkness, Yusei!" Kalin's voice echoed. "Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu, crush him!"

Yusei looked over his shoulder to see the giant Earthbound Immortal reach out for him. He gasped when he suddenly tripped and fell to the ground, He looked up to see the hand approach him, but then Stardust Dragon flew by.

"Stardust Dragon!" Yusei yelled.

Stardust Dragon roared at Ccapac Apu, but the giant Earthbound Immortal punched the dragon really hard and it was sent into one of the purple light shows while roaring in pain.

"NO!" Yusei screamed as he slowly got to his knees.

Ccapac Apu once again reached out to the Signer. Yusei was scared. This was going to be the end of him.

Yusei closed his eyes, preparing to accept his fate when there was a bright crimson light and the pained roar of Ccapac Apu could be heard. The raven-haired man opened his eyes to see a woman standing in front of him, holding her right hand up to generate a crimson shield, which sparkled when the Earthbound Immortal tried to reach them.

The woman was wearing some kind of red outfit with a pair of red, bird wings on her back and her chocolate hair ruffled violently due to the impact.

"Who are you?!" Yusei demanded.

The woman slowly turned her head, her face obscured by the shadows, flashing a familiar smile.

XXXXXXXXXX

Yusei gasped as he finally woke up and quickly sat up on the bed he was laying on. He grunted in pain after feeling his sore abdomen throb from the sudden action.

Martha moved the curtain surrounding the bed to the side. "Well, look who's awake."

Yusei gasped when he saw his foster mother. "Martha? What happened?"

"You took a nasty fall off your Runner and Crow brought you here." Martha explained.

"Nasty fall?" Yusei was confused before he remembered what happened last night. "Oh yeah, I dueled Kalin!"

"When you were little, I told you that dueling was dangerous." Martha scolded the young man. "Now you're a wreck!" She nodded to the window where Yusei could see the children in the orphanage and other people taking care of his mangled Duel Runner. "Check out your Runner." Yusei was surprised to see his Runner outside Martha's house. "Surprised? Your friends pushed it all the way here."

"Through the Satellite?" Yusei asked, shocked.

"They ran into a lot of thieves, but thanks to Estelle they got here safely." Martha explained.

Yusei blinked in confusion. "Estelle?" Then he gasped after remembering seeing Star Eater during the Shadow Turbo Duel and that the young woman tried to protect him. "Is she still here?"

Martha shook her head. "No, she left early in the morning before any of us were awake." Yusei's shoulders sank in disappointment, which Martha noticed. "You two are close, aren't you?"

Yusei avoided eye contact with his foster mother, feeling a bit embarrassed. "We're...good friends." He decided to change the topic. "How's the Satellite, Martha?"

"Things have been tough lately." Martha sighed. "Sector Security is confiscating all of our decks and criminals are taking anything else with value. But people here have always looked up to you, Yusei. They thought you might get out of here and start a new life, which is why it breaks my heart to see you're back here dueling." Martha walked over to a chest of drawers and peeled a apple. "I hope you at least won your little game."

"It's not what you think!" Yusei retorted. "There are people out there who want to destroy our home. All of us here are in great danger! It's complicated, but there're these Dark Signers that-"

"You need to calm down, Yusei." Martha interrupted the young man as she cut the peeled apple into slices. "I believe you. But if we all are in great danger, why'd you try to save us on your own?"

"It's my job." Yusei replied in a low tone.

"You never change." Martha sighed. "Trying to do everything by yourself and then ending up in a hospital bed. You have friends out there who would follow you anywhere. Look what they did just for your Duel Runner. And Estelle. She tried to leave during the night after Dr. Schmidt finished performing surgery on you, but she almost fainted because she hasn't been sleeping properly lately. She didn't have to come and help you, but she ignored her own needs and came to the Satellite with her dragon just to protect you. And then there's Jack. You two were like brothers once. You need each other. Whatever happened, it's time that the two of you forgive and forget. Life's hard enough, but it's even harder without a best friend. And if it's true...if these Dark Signers you're talking about want to turn our home into a parking lot." She turned to Yusei with the plate of sliced apples. "Then you're gonna need all the friends you can get cause mark my words; I'm done bandaging your blacks and blues. Your life is too important to ride solo. Now, eat this." She walked back to the bed and gave the plate to Yusei.

"Thank you...for all your help." Yusei said, taking the plate.

"There's just one more thing. If you run out there before I say you're ready to go, then know these scars are just the beginning." Martha said. "Good luck, Yusei. You'll need it." The woman then left the infirmary leaving Yusei alone with his thoughts.

Yusei glanced at the slices of apples on the plate before he looked for his jacket. He found it and his sleeveless top on a chair just next to the bed. He reached out for the jacket, grunting in pain from his wound and picked it up. He reached for the pocket inside the jacket and pulled out the spell card Estelle had given him. A Feather of the Phoenix.

'She knew.' Yusei thought. 'She knew I was going to duel Kalin because she wouldn't give this card to me if I was going to duel another Dark Signer. Estelle. She knows things we don't. It's like she can see into the future or something. Who is she?'

XXXXXXXXXX - Estelle's POV

Early in the evening, my group went to the Arcadia Movement, dressed up for the dinner. Leo and Luna had bought a pair of suits for Tanner and Yanagi while Leo wore his own suit and Luna had a dress on.

I wore a red tunic which looked like a dress that ended at the middle of my thighs, black stretch tights, the black bolero I wore when I looked for Jack, and my black boots. I tied my hair in a low side ponytail on the left side of my head and carried a small wine red bag. I even took the opportunity to apply pink lipstick.

We all sat around a table with Sayer to explain to him why we needed Akiza's help. While the others took turns explaining, I noticed that Sayer often glanced in my direction with a sneaky gleam in his eyes. Why was he looking at me like that?

"...And now, because Luna, Estelle and I are superheroes too, we're going to help our friend Yusei fight the Dark Signers and save the city." Leo finished.

Sayer turned to Tanner with a amused expression on his face. "Your young friend here certainly has quite the imagination."

"We know." Tanner sighed.

"But...it makes sense." Sayer said. "I've been monitoring some strange occurrences lately. We would love to help you."

"You would?" Leo said happily.

The rest of us were surprised by Sayer's offer, but I knew better.

"My Arcadia Movement is here for good. If any of my psychic duelists, especially the lovely Akiza, could help, what sort of person would I be if I turned my back to you?" Sayer said "gently". "I promise you all, I'll do everything to stop this threat."

Leo smiled at his sister. "Alright!"

"Thank you!" Luna smiled.

Sayer stood up from the table. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go get Akiza." He walked out of the dining room, closing the door behind him.

"So there!" Leo grinned. "You said he was so weird and scary, but that had to be wrong."

I raised a eyebrow. "This was way too easy if you ask me. I have a bad feeling about this."

"Why is it a bad feeling? I thought we were going to eat dinner. That's a bad feeling for having a empty stomach." Yanagi said.

"Hold on!" Tanner said. "You guys smell something funny?"

"Oops, it could be my age." Yanagi grinned. "Gastrointestinal problems."

I smelled carefully before gasping. "Sleeping gas!" I quickly grabbed a serviette from the table and held it to my nose and mouth. "Don't breathe the gas in!"

The others were about to follow my lead when the gas flowed in like a cloud, filling the whole room. The others fell asleep immediately as I tried to stand up and move towards the door. Even though I used a serviette like a mask, it didn't help. The gas still passed through the thin paper.

I was slowly getting drowsy and losing my balance, but I tried to strain myself. I reached the door and was about to use my power when it suddenly opened. I was about to look up and see who it was when I was hit on the head.

XXXXXXXXXX

My head was throbbing when I regained consciousness. I slowly opened my eyes and everything was blurry for a second before I could see clearly. I rubbed my sore head, feeling a small bump on it. I sat up and realized I was in a plain-looking room.

I turned to the right and spotted Akiza sitting on a chair a few feet away from me. She had a distant look in her eyes. "Akiza?"

"I see you're awake now." Akiza said in a monotone voice.

I looked around to see if the twins or the two men were in here. "Where are the others?"

"The boy went through a test to see if he had any psychic powers." Akiza replied.

I missed that part? "Is Leo okay? He's not hurt, is he? And Luna? Is she with him?"

"He's fine, and his sister is with him." Akiza answered.

"But...why couldn't you stop the duel?" I asked her. "You know deep down inside the way Sayer conducts his experiments is wrong."

Akiza shook her head. "You're wrong. He tests potential psychics to see if they have similar power to mine." She raised her right arm with the Mark on it. "But for now...you and Luna are going to stay here in the Arcadia Movement."

I widened my eyes in shock. "Why?"

"For your own safety." Akiza replied.

My patience was wearing thin.

"You think I'd feel safe here with a man who's using technology to hurt innocent people?" I asked, a bit harshly.

"That's not true-"

"How many times have you witnessed those experiments, like the duel just now between Leo and Sayer, seeing people getting hurt? I thought you don't want to hurt people, but Sayer managed to convince you that violence is the only way to solve problems. But that's wrong!"

Akiza hatefully glared at me. "You think you know everything, don't you?!" I noticed tears forming in her eyes. "You don't know that I was abandoned by my own parents who neglected me after sending me to Duel Academy." The tears now ran down her cheeks. "They didn't want anything to do with me...my father...my own father called me a monster when my powers were awakened while I was a little girl."

I stood up from the bed and walked over to Akiza to give her a hug. Akiza gasped in surprise, but then she relaxed and cried into my chest, gripping my clothes.

I rubbed her hair to comfort her. "I'm sorry to hear that, Akiza, but..." I grabbed her shoulders and made her look up at me. "Sayer cannot be trusted. He's a psychopath."

"He's not." Akiza wiped her tears away, with my help. "He's like the father I never had, and I trust him."

"Well...do you trust me?" I asked her.

Akiza looked up at me with a hesitant expression. "I...I don't know...you and Yusei affected me so much after the Fortune Cup that I'm not even sure about myself."

"I understand." I nodded. "But we're friends, right?"

"F-friends..." Akiza said, like the word was foreign to her.

"True friends are there for each other." I smiled warmly. "I don't know if you were ordered to watch over me, but if you weren't...then that means you truly care about me because we share a bond that's even stronger than normal friendship."

Akiza blinked in confusion just as the door to the room opened. We turned to the doorway to see Sayer standing there. He eyed me with a...I had to be honest now...he looked like he wanted something other than my power.

"Akiza...it's past your bedtime. You should go and get some sleep." He said.

I let go of Akiza as she walked out of the room, like a puppet. Sayer eyed her with a smile before he turned to me. I held my right arm up to shield myself in case he wanted to do something, but Sayer simply smirked.

"I hope you can sleep tight in your new bed, Estelle." He said. "Good night." He walked out of the room and closed the door, locking it.

I let out a sigh of relief as I approached the door to listen, hearing Sayer talk to Akiza.

"Stay away from her, Akiza. I'm afraid she's trying to manipulate you."

"But Sayer-"

"No more arguments. You're too tired for that. Now, go to your room and rest."

"Okay."

I raised my eyebrow after hearing Akiza trying to argue with Sayer. I couldn't remember if she tried that in the anime. Just then, I gasped after remembering something really important. My bag!

I checked around the bed to see if I still had my bag containing my deck, but alas I didn't. Did Sayer take it while I was unconscious? Not good...without my Duel Monsters, I couldn't do anything to save myself and the others.

I tried to calm down, which helped a little. But I was worried about my deck and Duel Monsters...if Sayer burned the cards...he was going to pay. Doubly so if he also hurt my friends.