Fable Writeworth

I wasn't expecting this. Shay was the last character interaction I watched so seeing everyone forgive Dennis so easily I was expecting Shay to have the same kind of attitude. Or, at the very least, a mix of Yuto's and Celina's.

This man just wanted to beat him into the ground and walk away.

Which I am totally fine with. This is the Shay I wanted to see at the Arc-V Finale.

Yes, I'm still talking about it and no, I will never stop being salty about it.

It was late one night in Academia. After another day of hunting down Xyz rebellious scum most of the students were tired and were all fast asleep. All except one, who couldn’t seem to clear his head.

Yuri awoke that night from an uneventful sleep. It wasn’t uncommon for Yuri to wake up in the middle of the night but as he rolled over to go back to sleep he realized that the room was quiet.

Too quiet.

Yuri sat up and looked around but the room was dark and empty. The quiet part was odd since Yuri’s roommate snored like a cow. Yuri looked over at his partner’s side of the room to see that his blankets that were on his bed was pushed to the side and was vacant. Yuri lets out a sigh and stood up, pulling on his boots in the process.

His partner has been doing this nearly every night for the past month. Now Yuri really wouldn’t look too much into this. After all, what his partner did late at night wasn't his business, but at this point in time Yuri really couldn’t afford to have his partner’s dueling skills lacking because of a loss of sleep.

The hallways were long, dark, and ominous. Yuri kept on walking with purposeful strides, his purple duel disk clutched in one hand till he reached the front doors. He pushed them open and looked around. The sky was dark, saved for the lights of the stars and the moon.

When Yuri immediately didn’t spy his partner he pulled out his deck and took out his ace monster’s card. A card with a purple border. A Fusion monster.

Starving Venom Fusion Dragon.

“Hey, wake up.” Yuri spoke softly. It didn’t take much to rouse Starving Venom from his slumber. Yuri waited a few seconds and he soon felt the familiar sensation of Venom's shadow wrapping around him. “He’s gone again. Can you find him?”

His dragon grunted in acknowledgement and Yuri watches as his dragon’s shadow disappeared from his own and slipped into the night. Yuri decided not to wait and followed after his dragon, wanting to get back to his warm bed as soon as possible. As he walked he hugged himself to keep the chill away. His purple pajamas were thin and the air was chilly.

Academia was a large school, but the school and dorms didn’t take up much room on the island they were on. Maybe about 20%. The rest was dense forest and woods, beaches with boating docks, and even an active volcano that no student was allowed near.

Of course, Starving Venom had no trouble tracking down his roommate, returning to Yuri’s side only after Yuri had taken just a couple of steps into the dark forest.

“You found him?” Yuri question. The Dragon-Type hissed and slipped away again. Yuri followed, picking his way carefully through the woods till he ended up at the boating docks.

“Of course.” Yuri thought, annoyed. “He would be at the docks. Because he couldn’t pick an area closer to the dorm rooms.” As he approached, Starving Venom waited patiently at the start of the docks. Yuri could see his partner more clearly.

A boy his age, with dual colored hair, yellow bangs swept to the right and blue in the back. He was still dressed in his white and red pajamas, but had on his black boots. He was sitting at the edge of the docks, his head tilted up at the sky.

Yuri didn’t have to say anything to make his presence known. He already knew he was there.

“Yuri? What are you doing up?” He asked without turning around. Yuri didn’t answer until he was standing right beside him.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Yuri counter. His partner finally looked up at him. His roommate’s eyes were an aqua blue color. It sort of reminded Yuri of the morning sky.

“Couldn’t sleep.” He answered. Yuri glance to his left where he could make out the soothing presence of Clear Wing Synchro Dragon. A card with a white border. A Synchro monster.

Starving Venom curled up beside Clear Wing, in which Clear Wing began purring softly. Being together since their two Duel Masters were kids, of course the two ace monsters would be comfortable with each other.

“Every night? That’s some insomnia you got.” He only mumbles in agreement before looking back up at the stars. Yuri waits for him to provide more insight but he doesn’t.

Because nothing was ever simple with him.

Yuri is silent until he notices that his partner was playing with something in his hand. A card, in fact. Clear Wing’s card to be exact. And that’s when everything fell into place.

And Yuri couldn’t help but face palm.

“You have got to be kidding me, Yugo.”

“Eh?”

“This is what’s keeping you up at night?” Even in the darkness Yuri could see Yugo’s cheek flush red in embarrassment at getting caught as he quickly hid away the card.

“What?! I-uhh…” Yuri lets out a long sigh.

“Are you really that ashame of your dragon?”

“O-of course not! Clear Wing is awesome! I just-” The words die at Yugo’s throat as Clear Wing lets out a whine of understanding. “The sis-”

“The Taylor Sisters?! Them?!” Yuri shook his head in disapproval as Yugo bites his lip. “Oh Yugo, those two are so beneath you. Their words mean nothing.”

“I-I know...but…”

“But nothing, Yugo. I could wipe the floor with them. You could wipe the floor with them. And if we did a tag team duel as they so love to do, we would destroy them.” Yuri waits for him to start agreeing with him, but that doesn’t happen. Instead Yugo’s gaze drifts back down to his card.

“Yugo, you’re not the only student who uses a summoning method other than Fusion. Dennis uses Xyz and you don’t see him getting all moody about it.”

“But he still uses Fusion. He has Performage Trapeze Witch and the Ancient Gear Hounds. I don’t have any Fusion Speedroid Monsters. I-I...I don’t belong here, Yuri.” Now that actually shook him.

“What are you talking about? You belong here just as much as anyone else. You’re one of the top students here, only second to me.”

“I know all that, but...the way everyone looks at me and Clear Wing. Like we’re freaks….” Clear Wing lets out a soft rawr, his wings drooping down. Yuri blinks at him. This was going to be a lot harder than all the other times. What were those kids saying to him when Yuri’s not around? Yuri sat down on the docks beside him.

“Yugo, look at me.” At first, he didn’t do anything, then slowly he turned his head to face Yuri. “There’s a reason you’re my partner. The Professor wouldn’t just partner me up with anyone. You and your dragon are strong and you know how to get a job done. You’re just as loyal to Academia as anyone else.”

“I know. I know.” Yugo said softly, turning away.

“The Professor is a smart man. He knows that you and Clear Wing belong together or he would have made you get rid of it long ago.”

“Damn it, Yuri! I know! I know! I know all of that!” Yugo exploded. “But it doesn’t matter how much stronger I am than them! It doesn’t matter how much good I do for this school! I have a Synchro Monster so that makes me an enemy of Academia!” Yuri was shocked as actual tears began to brim Yugo’s eyes. This was much, much worse. Those kids weren’t just teasing him.

Yuri suddenly grabbed the sides of Yugo’s face with both of his hands, forcing him to look at Yuri in the eyes. Yugo grabbed his wrists and tried to pull away, but Yuri kept him firmly in place.

“What have those idiots been telling you?” Yuri asked calmly. Yugo’s lips tremble and his eyes are wet with tears.

“The-they said that...when it’s time to take over th-the Synchro Dimension, the Pr-Profesor is going to...card me, because Fusion is superior and there’s no room for…”

“You are such an idiot, Yugo."

“H-huh?”

“If you actually believe those kids you’re more of an moron than I thought.”

“Hey! I am not!” Yugo protested.

“Yugo, that will never happen. Even if your grades are lackluster your dueling skills are on a much higher scale than anyone I have ever seen. It would be a dumb move on the Professor’s part to card you.” A few lone tears escaped Yugo’s eyes. “Besides, the only one in this school who would have the actual skills to beat and card you would be me.” Yuri wiped away the tears gently with his thumb. “And I would never do that to you.”

Starving Venom’s tail curled around Clear Wing protectively as he roared in agreement.

“You...you promise?”

“...Sure.” Yuri said, rolling his eyes as he lets go of Yugo’s face. “If it will make you go back to bed faster.” Yugo actually smiled.

Yuri has always been Yugo’s only friend. Despite his cold appearance and barbed tongue, Yuri was really the only one Yugo could talk too. At first, the one thing that really caught Yugo’s attention was Yuri’s likeness to him. They both shared the same face but with such major differences in personality. Yugo could only assume that’s why Yuri was so drawn to him as well.

When the Professor assigned him as Yuri’s partner Yuri wasn’t all too happy about it. Even though they shared the same face, Yuri would rather work alone. Their partnership was like putting oil and water together for the first few months, but after awhile they both got used to each other. Yugo has proven that he was just as capable as Yuri in a duel and Yuri wasn’t ‘always’ a complete asshole to him. Yugo knew the softer side of Yuri that no one really knew existed.

“Now stop crying, you’re a duel soldier for Slifer’s sake.” As Yugo wiped away the rest of his tears he felt an arm wrap around his waist. The next thing he knew, he was being pulled into Yuri’s chest.

“Y-Yuri?!”

“And if those kids say that type of shit to you again, you come find me.” Yugo sense Starving Venom’s presence flaring to life. Yugo knew better than to argue when Yuri was in this state so he just nods.

“Ok-okay Yuri.” The presence dies down after that and Yuri removes his arm.