Feline Frenzy

TEASER

(A crescent moon shines over Yuma's house. A small, grey-and-white cat walks on the tip of the slanting roof, turns, and meows. The cat darts away, as a human shadow appears on the roof, one with the pointy ears of a cat. A bronze rooster-shaped weathervane creaks nearby in the breeze. The shadow leaps down in front of the window over Yuma's loft hammock. Inside, Yuma is snoring, oblivious, muttering in his sleep.) Yuma: ...Chocolate pancakes...! (The shadowy figure has opened the window, shining moonlight into the room. The cat burglar leaps to perch on the windowsill, dressed all in black, then darts into the room and flits around it, as though searching for something or rearranging things. Astral appears and silently watches her. Yuma keeps talking in his sleep.) Yuma: Put the biscuits in the pajamas and add some papaya juice! (The invader pauses, crouched on the floor, tensed for Yuma to wake up; her eyes glow green in the dark, like a cat's. Yuma stretches and resettles, never waking up. She straightens with a giggle.) Cathy: Hmhm! Mission accomplished!

(Opening)

ACT 1 <1:40>

(Another sunny day at school. In Yuma, Bronk, and Tori's class, students sit at desks or socialize sometime before or after class.) Bronk: I'm *tellin'* ya, it *doesn't make sense*. Tori-- we both know *Yuma can't duel*.

(Flashback. Yuma and Utopia stand victorious over Shark. Yuma jumps up and high-fives the sky.) Bronk (VO): But all of a sudden outta nowhere, he's rockin' his deck! He's winnin' duels left an' right! (Change flashback. Yuma defeats Mr. Kay, and jumps for joy in the ruined mall arena after his duel with Flip. End Flashbacks.)

Tori: So-o-o, maybe he just got *better*. <2:00> Bronk (folds his arms): The only thing that makes sense is that there really *is* an invisible ghost duelist from another universe following him around and giving him advice. Tori: Hang on, you think *that* makes sense? Bronk: It's the only explanation where the logic *actually adds up*. Tori: Hmmm... Yuma: What's up, guys? Tori: Huh? Morning, Yum-- Ugh! Bronk: Ohh-hh-hh! (Yuma is standing in the doorway wearing spotted leather pants with a red swirl on one leg, held up by suspenders over a bare chest, his school tie, key, and over it all, a fluffy, tiger-striped coat. He seems completely oblivious to how ridiculous he looks, but his classmates sure aren't.) - Look at Yuma! - What's he *doing*? Yuma: Hey, what's everybody all worked up about, Tori? Tori: Uugghhh...! (explodes) I'll *tell* you what the 'what' is!! Yuma: Huh? Tori: I don't like to *criticize*... but I'm sorry, Yuma, I can't not say *anything* anymore, I can no longer hold it in!! There was yesterday...

(Flashback. Yuma's costume yesterday was at least as absurd; big black cape with big metal shoulder pads, black pants with big metal kneepads, and again, bare chest.) FB Yuma: Hey, everybody! (End Flashback.)

Tori: *And* the day before...

(Flashback. The day before that, Yuma was in yellow spectacles, a round red cap and long-sleeved red shirt, and relatively normal pants.) FB Yuma: What's up, people?? (End Flashback.)

Tori: ...And the day before *that*!

(Flashback. Yuma was dressed up as a giant bee, complete with big fuzzy black armbands and legwarmers and a great big stuffed bee abdomen attached to his rear.) FB Yuma: Who wants to *duel*! (End Flashback.)

(The entire class is having a good laugh, except one grey-haired girl sitting alone at her desk in the corner.) Tori: Do you not see *everyone laughing*?! Do you not *hear* them?! Yuma: I figured someone told a joke. Tori: *You're* the joke! (Tori shows him a full-length mirror.) Tori: Look at yourself, Yuma! *Look what you look like*! Yuma: What'm I *wearing*?!?! Bronk: Huh? We were hopin' *you* could tell *us*. Yuma: Rrrgghh! I have no idea! <3:00> I'm always half-asleep in the morning-- I just throw on whatever's on the *floor* and run out the door! Tori: It's not just the costumes-- it's like, a *lot of things* have been different with you lately, Yuma.

(Flashback. A golden glow seems to pour from Yuma's lunchbox; inside is a cooked lobster.) Tori (VO): Your lunches have been, like, little *five-star restaurants*. (End Flashback.)

Tori: Yesterday in the gym--

(Flashback. Yuma gets ready to do the twenty-box vault in P.E.) FB Yuma: Get ready, Bronk, 'cause I'm gonna high-five the sky! (He jumps on the springboard.) FB Yuma: Up, up, and awa-a-a-a-a-ay-- huh? (Suddenly, he stops midair. There are cords attached around his waist that hold him up, over the vault boxes, like a movie stunt.) - Is he kidding me? FB Yuma: Wha? What's with the *wire*? Aaahh! (Then he loses his balance and starts spinning head over heels on the supporting wires, while the whole class laughs. End Flashback.)

Yuma: You're right, Tori-- it's almost like someone's *messing with me*! I hadn't really thought about it before, but-- (The key lights up and Astral appears.) Astral: It *seems* you do not think about *much*. Yuma: I think about *lots a'* things! Astral: Then think about *this*.

(Flashback. The mysterious cat burglar darts around Yuma's room, messing with his stuff.) Astral (VO): For the past several nights, someone has been sneaking around in your room while you sleep. (End Flashback.)

Yuma: Someone's been sneaking around in my room and you just *keep it all to yourself*?! Astral (innocently): You *never* ask me to keep you informed. How was I to know that someone *being in your room* is an *unusual* occurrence? Yuma: Are you serious right now?! Of course it's an unusual occurrence!! <4:00> (Yuma throws off the tiger jacket.) Yuma: Guh! That does it! I'm gonna get to the bottom of this!! (Tori is unimpressed; many of the girls in the class are still giggling, probably because Yuma is now completely shirtless.) Tori: Ya might wanna put on a decent *outfit* first... Yuma: I'm not dressed like this 'cause I *wanna* be! Tori: Yeah, you didn't even *notice* that you were dressed like that. Time to face facts, Yuma-- you're oblivious when it comes to fashion. Yuma: Uh, what about *you*? It's not like *you're* a *fashion model*! Tori: Uh! *I'm* not the one dressed like a seventies *has-been*! Yuma: Well, *you're*... you're wearing your school uniform! Tori: 'Cause I'm at *school*, genius. Okay, let's put this to a test! Tomorrow afternoon we hit the mall. We each get one hour to pick out an outfit. We post pictures on Spacenook, and we let our *class* decide who's hot and who's not! Yuma: It is *on*! (The whole class has been watching this exchange with amusement-- again, except for the grey-haired girl sitting alone by herself at a desk in the front right-hand corner of the classroom.) Yuma: City Center, three PM-- don't be late! (The grey-haired girl stands, but doesn't turn.) Tori: Says the guy who's *never on time*! (The gray-haired girl looks over her shoulder toward the crowd, out of the corner of one teal-green eye...)

(The moon is bright above a dark mansion with cat-shaped decorations perched atop its barred gate. The little grey-and-white cat leaps from a tree onto a balcony rail, then leaps to the tiled floor of the balcony. We notice that it has a gold ring around the tip of its tail. It meows quietly at the door, glass with a stained-glass fanlight above, and the door opens for it. <5:00> Loudly-meowing cats of all shapes, sizes, and colors follow it inside the mansion.) Cathy: My friends. You're the only ones who care about me... (The green-eyed girl stands before a quorum of cats, their eyes glowing yellow in the near-dark. She brandishes a handful of photographs.) Cathy: And now, I need your help. I need you to deal with an annoying little *mouse*! (She flings the photos; the cats look down at them. The grey one meows.) Cathy: This mouse has things I don't have... (The cats are looking at pictures of Tori, winking cheerfully and hanging out with other girls from her school, in PE class. Cathy continues to speak, and she sounds about ready to cry.) Cathy: She has... *friends*. *One* friend in particular... It's not *fair*! She makes me a *sad* kitten; we don't like her, *do* we! (Cathy hisses in her throat as cats do, raising her hands as claws, and the felines answer her with assorted meows. She repeats the hiss, and the cats meow again.) Cathy: I want you to *find* this little mouse! (The long, clawlike fingernails of her gloves glint silver in the moonlight.) Cathy: And when you do-- I want you to *pounce*!

ACT 2 <5:41>

(It's another bright, sunny day...) Tori: Who *does* this, Tori?! Who's late to a *fashion-off* because she couldn't decide what to *wear*?! (Tori is running down the sidewalk, dressed rather nicely in a ruffled white dress under a light blue shirt, with a light pink and brown backpack/purse. She groans as she watches a nearby clock tower (digital) change from 3:09 to 3:10-- then stops short. She is the subject of a whole crowd of cats' undivided attention. They surround her, meowing angrily, tails waving ominously, including the grey one with the ring.) Tori: Heheheheh. *Nice* kitties... (The grey one is the first to pounce, and the others a second behind; Tori is being attacked from all directions.) Tori: Aaaaahhh! <6:00>

(Meanwhile, at City Center, Yuma is tapping his foot with impatience.) Yuma: Man; and Tori says *I'm* never on time! Maybe she's *forfeiting*. (Then Yuma, too, hears meows, and finds himself surrounded by a wide assortment of cats. The grey one is in the lead, carrying something in its mouth.) Yuma: Wahh! (Astral appears, every bit as startled.) Astral: What are *these*? That *awful noise* they are making is making my spine tingle. Ah! It is terrifying! (The cats happily keep meowing.) Yuma: Hang on a sec-- are you tryin'da tell me that you're scared of *cats*? Astral (yes...): They are simply not in my observation report. Yuma: Well-- let me tell ya 'bout 'em. (Yuma makes big scary weird eyes and speaks in a sarcastic, spooky voice. Astral seems to be genuinely buying it, and horrified.) Yuma: Cats prowl the earth looking for glowing ghosts they can gobble up for breakfast; that's why they're all staring at *yo-o-o-o-ou!* Astral: Actually, Yuma-- these creatures appear to be staring *at you*. Yuma: Huh? Ohh... (He spots the grey one, and its delivery; a note with a red ribbon wrapped loosely around it.) Yuma: Ah...

(Flashback. Tori wears a ribbon just like it in her hair.) Yuma (VO): That looks like the ribbon Tori wears in her hair...! (End Flashback.)

(Yuma takes the ribbon and note from the cat and reads the latter.) Yuma: What's this? 'We have your friend. Follow us to get her back.' (The grey cat meows, and the cats start walking; Yuma runs after.) Astral: Yuma! Wait! (Yuma doesn't listen.) <7:00>

(Overhead, the sun is obscured by dark grey clouds, casting a bleak, overcast light over the mansion with the cat gate. Yuma bursts through the front door, letting light pour into the room behind him.) Yuma: Tori-i-i-i-i!!! (The doorway illuminates a second-story gallery supported by white columns; thick red drapes drawn back from windows full of bleak overcast sky; ornate black railings along the gallery and stair; unlit candelabras; fancy chairs and portraits of cats on the wall, one in a dignified suit; and two crowds of cats, one to each side of the stairs forming a neat aisle. One more cat sits on the stairs halfway up. Yuma runs in, Astral swooping after.) Yuma: Are you in here?! Whoa...! (Yuma stops and looks around. Another cat portrait depicts the fluffy white subject in a uniform with a thick ruff and carrying a spear in one prehensile paw. There's also a stuffed head on the wall; a domestic feline large enough to hunt raccoons.) Yuma: It's like a *cat mansion*...! (One statue in green stone depicts a cat with its paw raised, another in blue stone is a cat yawning from a pillow. Behind it is a portrait of a hefty orange cat with trench coat, cap, and pipe.) Yuma: Everywhere you turn, it's *cats, cats, cats*! Huh? (Someone is descending the stair; she joins her ring-tailed grey, and it twines happily around her legs, covered in knee-high striped black and white socks, a white tail hangs down by her knees.) Cathy: Thank you for coming, Yuma. (Her dress is black, with a bell-shaped skirt and a thick white petticoat underneath, round shoulders, and a white button-up shirt visible through the low neckline. Around her neck is a black collar with a large bell, and black bands are buckled around her arms below the shoulders. Her long, red nails show through her tidy black gloves; one holds a fancy cat-eared half-mask to her face, framing her bright green eyes.) Cathy: I'm Cathy Catharine. Yuma: *Cathy Catharine*? Cathy: Yup... (She removes the mask, revealing that her grey hair matches its ears and her green eyes are framed by glasses.) Cathy: But you can just call me 'Cat'! Yuma: W-whatever you say... Astral: I believe that I recognize this girl.

(Flashback. Bronk leads the whole class in laughing at Yuma's latest attempt at the twenty vault boxes. Tori shakes her head with a sigh. Behind them, halfway hidden by Tori's elbow, is a grey-haired girl, barely noticeable but indicated with a bright red arrow.) Astral (VO): She attends your school. (Change flashback. While Yuma's coughing up pool water, Bronk guffaws and other students watch curiously, and a grey-haired girl in glasses stands quietly behind them, again picked out of the crowd with the flashing arrow.) Astral (VO): She is often *alone*. (Change flashback. When Yuma challenges Shark, Cathy stands off to the side, completely ignored, the arrow pointing her out.) Astral (VO): Standing off to the side. (End flashbacks.)

Yuma: Oh yeah, you're... Cathy (eagerly): That's right, I'm... Yuma: Never seen ya before! (She hangs her head, deeply let down, letting out a small sob, before regaining her composure, holding her mask back in place.) Cathy (choked up): It's fine-- I'm used to it. Yuma: Look, let's just get to the point here! What've you done with Tori? Cathy: 'Tori, Tori, Tori'! Is she *all* you think about? (The clouds above the mansion begin to flash with lightning. <8:00> Yuma unconvincingly denies the accusation.) Yuma: No, I think about *lotsa* stuff, but... aaah! (hopping up and down) Whatever! Just let her go! Cathy (turns away): Only if you defeat me in a duel. Yuma: Uunngghh! A *duel*?! (She turns back to him.) Cathy: You're not a *scaredy-cat*, are you? (She giggles girlishly at her pun.) Yuma: Astral-- ya think she's got a Number card? Astral: If she *does* have a Number, then you have to win this duel. Yuma: I was planning on winning either way! Let's do this! (Outside, the clouds rumble and a single blue-white lightning bolt crashes through. Inside, Yuma's already activating his duel screen, unfolding his duel disk, putting on his gazer.) Yuma: Duel disk, go! Duel gazer, let's roll! (Cathy activates her bright purple gazer with a catty squeal. Green numerals pour themselves throughout the fancy hall. Yuma and Cathy stand on opposite galleries, the stairs directly between them.) Yuma: Duel interface, set! Computer: Augmented Reality Vision Link established. (Both duelists' gazers glint brightly, each holds up a hand of five.) Yuma and Cathy: Let's duel! (Outside, the lightning crashes again, lighting up the gallery's large, many-paned windows and spotlighting the duel. Yuma and Cathy each begin with 4000 lifepoints.) Cathy: My claws are sharp, and I've got *all my lives*! So *get ready*! I draw!! *First*, I'll activate the "Inviting Cat" card from my hand! Yuma: So she's kicking things off with a *spell*. Cathy: Thanks to Inviting Cat, <9:00> I can add a Stray Cat to my hand. But *that's not all*! Next I'm activating the continuous spell "Cat Meeting"! Yuma: A continuous spell...?! Astral: As long as she meets the conditions, she can activate that spell over and over. Cathy: Here, kitty, kitty! First I summon Stray Cat in attack mode! [Stray Cat 100/300/L1/earth] (A white cat with a black spot on its back, tail turned to Yuma and waving, face hidden in its paws.) Cathy: And when I *summon* a cat monster, Cat Meeting activates, allowing me to summon *another* stray! After all-- no kitty likes to be alone. [Stray Cat 100/300/L1/earth] (This one's fur is solid grey. One of them meows.) Yuma: Maybe not-- but those mangy alleycats only have a hundred attack points, they're totally harmless! Cathy: Ya *think so*? Yuma: Huh? Cathy (innocently): You're probably right, I'm not *sure* what I was thinking, silly me! I'll just place a card facedown and *end* my turn. (She bats playfully at the air with a red-nailed, gloved hand.) Cathy: Well? It's *your move*, Yuma. Yuma (draw): All right, then-- get set to get decked! I'm summoning, Achacha Archer! [Achacha Archer 1200//L3] <10:00> Yuma: And when Achacha Archer is successfully summoned, he can instantly dish out five hundred points of damage! Achacha Archer: Achacha! (He lets loose a fire arrow at Cathy; she yelps, and her lifepoints decrease to 3500.) Yuma: And there's more where that came from! Astral: Yuma, wait. Let us talk this through. Yuma: What's there to talk about! Achacha Archer, attack! (Achacha nocks an arrow, sighting on one Stray Cat, then the other, then back to the first.) Yuma: Well, what's the holdup, big guy! Just take out one a' the Stray Cats! That, *white one* over there! No, maybe the grey one! Daaahh, I can't decide! Cathy: My, my, my. I've just remembered, that when Stray Cat is in attack mode, you can't target *any other monster*. (Her gazer gleams.) Yuma: So wait, but-- I mean, if... Astral: Interesting tactic. This poses a bit of a dilemma. Yuma: Huh? Astral: *Both* of her monsters are Stray Cats. Yuma: Well-- yeah. *And*? Astral: If you target one, then the other one will leap in and become the target of your attack. This cycle will go on and on and on. <11:00> Yuma: So basically I can't attack! Rrgghh-- this isn't good...

ACT 3 <11:06>

(Achacha Archer hesitates between one Stray Cat and the other.) Yuma: Ugh, I don't know what to *do* here...! (Cathy giggles to herself; the lightning flashes through the window at her back.) Astral: Yuma; I think I know a method that will get us out of this situation. Yuma: Stop talking!! I'm trying to concentrate! (Yuma takes a few steps forward and sits on the ground, legs folded, looking at his hand.) Yuma: I *know* I can do this! I know I've got what it takes to save Tori! (Cathy hears that, and looks hurt.) Yuma: Maybe if... oh no-- 'cause *then*... Cathy (think, angrily): I bet you're thinking about *her*!! (Cathy's eyes glow red with fury.) Yuma: Yeeaahh!! All right! I think I *got it*! (Yuma rolls back and jumps into a backflip to land on his feet; he's back in the duel.) Yuma: I've got a little Flip Flop (usually "Flip Flap") spell card action for you *and* your strays! With this card, I can now change the battle mode of one monster on the field! Cathy: Aaaahh! (The white Stray Cat is now huddling inside a cardboard box.) Yuma: Let's go with the *white one*! All right, Archer-- you're up! Target that *grey one*! <12:00> (The grey one lifts its face from its paws and hisses, showing very uncatlike giant glowing red eyes, purple markings on its face, and huge sharp teeth. Achacha flinches, but fires.) Achacha Archer: Achacha! Cathy: My kitty! (Cathy quails like a cat splashed with water; her lifepoints are reduced to 2400.) Astral (think): The Stray Cat's ability was *dependent* on it being in attack mode. So by forcing one of them into defense mode, Yuma made the other one vulnerable. That was the suggestion *I* was going to make... perhaps it is better that he came up with that move on his own. Yuma: Cat-- you're gonna wish you hadn't messed with my friend Tori! *Just you wait*!! Cathy: It's not *fair*! I'm standing here *right in front of you*, (about to cry) and all you care about is *Tori*? Just forget about *her*-- you're supposed to be focusing on *me*!! Yuma: (flinches back) Ahh! What is *with* you?! Cathy: Before you even *think* of making another move, I'm activating a spell card! *Since* you destroyed my cute little Stray Cat, I can use the "Mysterious Cat Transformation" spell card and summon Monster Cat! (It's a big, ghostly cat that really looks more like a huge bear or wolf, standing on two legs, eyes glowing red.) [Monster Cat 0//L1/] Yuma: Whoa! That thing is *freaky*! Cathy: When Monster Cat comes to the field, <13:00> it comes raring to destroy all your *weak* monsters. (Monster Cat roars, and Achacha Archer gets shattered.) Cathy: And what makes this such a purr-fect combo, is that for every monster that Monster Cat destroys, you get hit for eight hundred points of damage! Yuma: Ohhh-aa-aaa-aaahhh! (Yuma gets knocked to the ground, and his lifepoints reduce to 3200. Cathy appears on a cross-field screen.) Cathy (on screen): That's what'cha get for thinking about *Tori* while we're *dueling*. (Yuma gets back up.) Yuma (sarcastic): Yeah, sure, *lesson learned*-- you've got my *undivided attention*! (plays a facedown) I end my turn! Cathy (draw): I hope ya like my kitties' tricks; 'cause Monster Cat's got another one! Once every turn, it can rescue one Stray Cat from my deck or my graveyard and place it in my hand! (Monster Cat's eyes light up again.) Cathy: And *once* it's in my hand, I can summon it out to play! [Stray Cat 100//L1/] (This one's grey, like the one that got destroyed earlier.) Astral: She has three level-one monsters on her field. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Yuma: She's busting out her Number card! Cathy: I overlay my two Stray Cats and my Monster Cat, to build the overlay network!! <14:00> (The two Stray Cats become gold streams, the monster cat dark purple, and they swirl into a bright reddish spiral forming in the center of the foyer below.) Cathy: I Xyz summon, Twin-Tail Cat Lady! (She backflips gracefully up to the chandelier and lands on Cathy's field. She's a female warrior in form-fitting red armor, with clawed gloves and catlike eyes.) [Twin-Tail Cat Lady 1000//R1/] Cathy: Careful-- she's a little testy! (Cat Lady roars. Yuma and Astral are stunned.) Astral: Why did she not use the Number card? Cathy: I now activate Twin-Tail Cat's special ability! Once a turn, by using an overlay unit, she can increase her attack power by eight hundred points! Yuma: Whoa! Are you serious?! You've got *two more overlay units* left, so, uh-- (counts on his fingers) If you use both a' those, we're talkin', uh... Astral: Sixteen-hundred more gives her thirty-four hundred. Yuma: Rrggh! I woulda gotten it! Cathy: It's been *fun*, dueling with you. (giggle) Astral (think): Perhaps she does *not* have a Number... (Yuma turns back to the duel with a big smile.) Yuma: I don't know who you are-- but you're a great duelist! Cathy (gasp, blushing): You think I'm... (enthusiastically) You haven't seen *anything* yet! Watch this! (Her next spell card appears against a pastel backdrop of stars, moons, and happy cat faces.) Cathy: Stray cats shouldn't have to live in dirty alleys! (wink) *Meow*!! <15:00> I'm gonna activate the "Cat World" field spell! (Yuma startles to find himself and Astral standing on a grassy meadow with flowers and petals drifting through the air, with ethereal columns topped with cat statues. The robin's-egg-blue sky is bright with sunshine and puffy clouds.) Yuma: Whoa! Did we just *teleport*?! (Cats lounge happily on the grass, around a giant pink stone statue of a cat.) Cathy: Welcome to Cat World, a world where cats can play in the grass and lie in the sun! (Yuma and Cathy face each other across a sparkling lake, with the giant cat statue standing directly between them and cats of every kind sprawled around on the grass.) Cathy: For them, it's a paradise; for *you*, it's a *nightmare*!

ACT 4 <15:18>

Cathy: Here in *Cat World*, all cats gain attack points equal to their original attack points! (That makes Twin-Tail's attack total now 2800.) Yuma: That Cat Lady just keeps getting more powerful! Cathy: I've got your attention *now*, don't I! Ha! Go, Twin-Tail Cat Lady! Attack Yuma directly! (Cat Lady roars, and lunges for Yuma with her claws, slashing him down to 400 lifepoints.) Yuma: Yaaah! I was hoping you would do that, so I could do *this*! I can activate "Pixie Gong" when I take a direct attack, and its sound wakes up a pixie in my deck, and summons it in attack mode! <16:00> Joe the Pixie, report to the front line! [Joe the Pixie ///] Cathy: Aww-- he's *precious*! Let's see what he can *do*! Your move! Yuma: Man! This is a great duel! You're *awesome*! Cathy (blushing): Yeah? Ya think so? Yuma: You bet! Cathy (looks away): It's just... it's just so nice to hear you say that, because well... in the real world, there's this *boy*... he doesn't even know I *exist*. We see each other all the time, but, he just *looks right through me*. Yuma: This guy sounds like kind of a jerk. Cathy: I *tried* playing all sorts of little tricks on him, just to get 'im to *say* something to me, but it didn't work. I'm just so shy; I wish I could walk right up to him and tell him that I like him. Yuma: You should! Cathy: Huh? Yuma: He'll never know how you feel if you keep it to yourself! Just *go for it*! Put it out there for the world to see! Cathy (blushing): You're right, Yuma! (She giggles, Yuma's smiling face reflected in her eyes.) Cathy: I'm *gonna* do it! I'm gonna go for it! <17:00> Okay, here goes! Yuma, I think you're really-- Yuma (draw): Okay, it's my turn! I draw! Cathy (startled): O-oh? Yuma: It's time to bring out Acorno! See, by sending Pinecono to my graveyard, I can bring this little guy to the field! [Acorno 200//L1/] Yuma: And now, Pinecono's special ability can activate! When he gets sent to the graveyard, I can summon him *straight out*! [Pinecono 400//L1/] Cathy: Hang on a second, don't-- Yuma: All righty! Here we go! Now *I* can Xyz-summon *too*! I overlay my three level-one monsters in order to build the overlay network! (The three golden-orange streaks pour themselves into a bright red galaxy toward Yuma's shore of the lake.) Yuma: Say hello to Baby Tiragon! [Baby Tiragon 900//R1/] Yuma: For my next move, I'll be summoning-- Gagaga Magician! [Gagaga Magician 1500//L4/] Yuma: I activate Gagaga Magician's special ability, so now he's a level-one! <18:00>And next, I activate Baby Tiragon's ability-- by using one overlay unit, Baby Tiragon empowers a level-one monster to attack you directly! (Baby Tiragon swallows an overlay unit, and glows gold.) Cathy: Yuma, wait, I wanted to say that-- Yuma: Gagaga Magician, attack! Go, Gagaga Magic! (Baby Tiragon sits on Gagaga's shoulder, giving him the power to attack. Cathy's lifepoints get slammed down to 900.) Cathy: Aaaaaaahhhh! Yuma: I'm on a *roll*! Baby Tiragon, attack Twin-Tailed Cat Lady! (Baby Tiragon has 900 attack points, Cat Lady 2800. Astral is understandably concerned.) Astral: Do *what*? It does not have enough attack points! Yuma: I got that covered-- don't you worry! 'Cause from my hand, I'm activating the "Ego Boost" spell! (A bigger shadow of Baby Tiragon appears around Baby Tiragon itself.) Yuma: It gives my monster a thousand attack points during battle; so Baby Tiragon's gettin' a power-up! (Baby Tiragon's points rise to 1900.) Cathy: Yuma, wait! I just wanna say-- Yuma: But-- the fun doesn't stop there! 'Cause Ego Boost *lowers* Cat Lady's attack points back to their original total! (That gives Cat Lady 1000.) Cathy: Yuma, I think that I-- oh... <19:00> Yuma: I am seriously feelin' the flow!! Go, Baby Tiragon! Time to bring us home! Baby Stream!! (Baby Tiragon breathes a bright stream of gold fire. Cat Lady shrieks, then shatters, and Cathy gets knocked off her feet.) Cathy: Huh? Aaahh? (high-pitched scream) Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh! (The cross-field screen indicates Yuma's win. Baby Tiragon shatters, and the Cat World field begins to dissolve.) Yuma: All right! I did it!! (With the field spell gone, they're back in the main hall of the cat mansion, and golden, late-afternoon sunlight is streaming through the windows. Astral somberly extends a hand to absorb the Number card. Cathy doesn't twitch, and no card appears from her; she lies on the floor motionless, her flung-off gazer beside her. Astral pulls back the hand.) Astral: She did not possess a Number card. (The grey cat with the ring on its tail approaches Cathy, meowing with concern. She's come to and propped herself up on one elbow, looking disappointed. A shadow falls over her; Yuma has walked over to join her.) Yuma: You okay? (She looks up; he's offering her his hand, to help her stand up, smiling.) Yuma: A deal's a deal. This is the part where you tell me where Tori is... Cat. (Her cheeks turn slightly pink; even if he managed to not hear her big admission, he still calls her by her nickname like a friend.) Cathy: All right, Yuma.

(The late afternoon sun is bright golden overhead, and the clock tower reads 5:05.) Tori: Green light... green light... (The cats advance, meowing.) Tori: Red light! (All the cats stop walking. Tori giggles.) <20:00> Tori: You guys're *great*! (She turns away again.) Tori: Green light... (The cats start walking forward.) Tori: Green light... red light! (Tori looks over her shoulder from hiding her eyes against the clock tower, at the crowd of cats surrounding it. Yuma runs up to them.) Yuma: Tori!! What're you doing? Tori: Yuma! Yuma: Well I'm glad to see you're not in any trouble. (She blushes a bit, laughing awkwardly.)

(At school, Yuma, Bronk, and Tori walk through the quad.) Tori: The cats wanted me to play with them, and they were *so cute*, I couldn't refuse! I just lost track of time. *Yuma*, how long are you going to stay mad at me? Yuma: I am *not mad*! Tori: Well, you coulda fooled *me*. Yuma (grumpily): Mmm...! (A shy grey-haired girl in a school uniform tentatively approaches them, blushing slightly pink.) Cathy: Um... Tori: Do you need something? (She looks up, and smiles shyly at them.) Cathy: Just, um, *good morning*. (Yuma waves gregariously.) Yuma: What's up! (She runs away embarrassed, giggling; she talked to Yuma! He watches her go, smiling.) Bronk: O... *kay*, who was that? Tori: Don't be *rude*, Bronk! That girl's in our class, her name's, uh... think it's, uh... Yuma (nonchalantly): It's Cathy; she goes by Cat. She and I dueled the other day! (Tori gasps with indignation, blushing slightly.) Tori: You did? You... you didn't tell *me*. Bronk: By the way... did you ever find out who was pulling those *pranks* on you? <21:00> Yuma: Nope! That trail has officially gone cold. (Tori's manner of walking away falls just short of storming off.) Tori: So it's a *hopeless case*, just like *you*! Yuma: Hey-- what's that supposed to mean? (Astral floats in the bright blue sky above their heads.) Astral: Observation number eleven; it seems that Yuma is totally and utterly incapable of understanding the females of his species.

END <21:19>