Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's: Rainbow Stardust [SCRAPPED]

Chapter 9: And Then Everything Went Wrong

Stardust Dragon and Red Dragon Archfiend, side by side, stared Yusei down on the opposing side of the dueling field. Yusei, determined to take his dragon back, drew his next card, then went on the defensive for the time being.

Just seeing those two dragons sent a shiver down Sylvia's spine. Her arm was actually beginning to sting a little now. Maybe it was getting warm because she kept holding it?

Yusei summoned Shield Warrior in Defense Mode and switched Junk Warrior to defend along with it, then set a card face-down and ended his turn. She couldn't tell if he was actually struggling, or if he was biding his time, waiting for the right opportunity, but regardless, it didn't look good for him.

I hope he knows what he's doing... she thought.

Atlas wasted no time in attacking Junk Warrior, and, thanks to Red Dragon Archfiend's effect, both it and Shield Warrior were destroyed. Stardust was free to attack Yusei's exposed Life Points. In an instant, a bright, glittering light was fired from Stardust's mouth, a star-speckled breath attack aimed straight at Yusei, bringing him down to a mere 500 Life Points.

Next was Yusei's turn. He summoned Sonic Chick, which couldn't be destroyed by monsters with 1900 or more Attack Points, in Defense Mode, then set a card face-down in addition to the one from the prior turn. Despite that, on his next turn, Atlas attacked Sonic Chick, aiming to destroy it with his monster effect. Yusei's Trap card saved it from destruction and he tried to destroy all of Atlas's monsters in Attack Position-- that is, both of his dragons.

However, that's when Atlas activated Stardust's effect, something Sylvia would be seeing for the first time. Apparently, it had the power to sacrifice itself to prevent his monsters' destruction by a card effect.

Stardust's power is self-sacrifice, Sylvia thought to herself. How sad... Atlas is forcing Yusei to watch his dragon play martyr for a demon.

"Stardust Dragon believes in Yusei," Cloud mused. "Just like Sonic Chick, Speed Warrior, Quillbolt Hedgehog, and everyone else."

"He will get his card back," Sun assured her. "I know he will."

She nodded. I know, too. What I want to know, however, is how. And what comes after he does.

Even as Stardust Dragon disappeared from the field, it vanished into golden sparks of light, scattering into the sky. Atlas set two cards face-down, then ended his turn.

And just as he did, Stardust returned to the field, completely unharmed. Then, the second act began. Yusei activated his Trap card, Harmonia Mirror.

Using its effect, he was able to take Stardust Dragon back from Jack Atlas since it was Special Summoned in a method other than Synchro Summoning. In other words, thanks to Stardust's effect, Yusei had planned the entire back-and-forth between Sonic Chick and Red Dragon Archfiend to go out in his favor.

He got back his dragon by force. 

He lingered for a moment, appreciating as his beloved ace monster loomed over his Runner. Sylvia realized this was most likely the sight Rally and the others felt so inspired by: Stardust's overwhelmingly huge figure flying behind Yusei, glowing as if it was made of stars itself. On the opposing side, Red Dragon Archfiend roared at Stardust, to which it responded likewise.

The two looked ready to tear each other's throats out. Sylvia could feel the malice and contempt even from where she stood.

From the moment Yusei got Stardust back, chaos began to ensue and she began losing track of time as everything within her-- her heart, her head, her throbbing arm-- began to pound furiously. Yusei activated the Speed Spell Silver Contrails to power Stardust up by 1000 Attack Points, then declared an attack on Red Dragon Archfiend.