Crimson Star Priestess

The Fortune Cup

After the incident with Akiza aka the Black Rose Witch in the Daimon Area, Yusei drove Dexter and Leo home before returning to Blister's garage. Blister himself packed his stuff and left us before the moon conquered the sky, promising us he would contact us soon as he reached Yusei's hideout.

Yusei slept in the garage, just like last night. I got to sleep in Blister's bed while Tanner and Yanagi shared the couch in the apartment. Ash drove over to the Tops to stay with Leo and Luna. I first offered to let Yanagi sleep in the bed, since he was elderly, but he insisted that I get proper rest for the Fortune Cup.

I couldn't fall asleep at first because of the many thoughts and questions in my head. To be honest, I was worried about the Fortune Cup. Who was I going to replace and who would I end up dueling? Which chain of events would change it's course due to my interference? I tried to shut my brain down and not dwell on it, thinking about something pleasant instead. Soon, my eyes closed and I was lost in the world of dreams once again.

I woke up to the smell of bacon and eggs coming from the main apartment, causing my stomach to rumble in hunger. I got out of bed and entered the apartment, seeing Tanner had cooked up a small feast.

"Mornin', Estelle!" Tanner greeted as he placed two places with bacon, eggs and toast on the desk in the middle of the room.

"Good morning." I yawned while I covered my mouth.

"I'm glad you woke up!" Yanagi grinned as he sat by the desk and ate his share of the breakfast. "I was just about to check on you."

"I'm fine, but thank you, Yanagi." I nodded as I rubbed my eyes underneath my glasses. "I'll just wash my face before eating."

"Sure, but you better hurry or the food'll get cold." Tanner said as he went to the door leading out of the apartment. "I'll go get Yusei so he can eat as well."

I went to the bathroom and did my business before returning to the main room and sitting down to eat my breakfast. Seconds later, Tanner returned with Yusei who once again didn't have the jacket on. I assumed he woke up early in the morning to check his Duel Runner again.

"Good morning." I greeted Yusei, secretly eyeing his arms, before returning my glance to my plate of breakfast.

"Morning." He nodded as he sat down next to me.

"Did you sleep well?" I asked.

Yusei nodded.

"Thanks. I did." He glanced softly from the corner of his eye. "You?"

"Pretty much okay." I confessed. "I had a hard time falling asleep at first."

"Well, at least you got a few hours of rest, Estelle." Tanner commented from the other side of the desk. "You're gonna need a clear head for this huge tournament."

"That kinda scares me, since I never dueled in such a tournament before." I told him.

"We're all in the same boat." Yusei commented before eating a piece of bacon.

"Still, I don't like the feelin' I have bout Goodwin." Tanner said while crossing his arms. "He's got some kind of weird obsession with you, Yusei. You need to be careful how you play your cards and I don't just mean your deck."

"That was a nice pun Tanner!" Yanagi laughed heartily. "I can't wait to see more of your cards, youngsters! Make sure you give everyone a great show."

"I'll try my best to fulfill that wish, Yanagi." I smiled softly. "After all, I haven't revealed my ace Synchro yet."

Yusei stopped his actions before turning to me with slightly widened eyes. "You mean, none of the Synchros you've summoned this far is your ace monster?"