"Attention! The matches for the semi-finals have been arranged! The first round will pit Dark Ice against Ace, and the last round will have Inferno face-off against Flash! The semi-finals will take place tomorrow! Get some rest duelists!", Luna said. After that announcement, everyone started to clear out and head home. Everyone except Burst and his friends and Dark Ice and the girls from Crystal Prep. Ace was the first one to speak his mind while the girls were catching up.
"Okay. Drop the act.", Ace said sternly.
"What are you going on about?", Dark Ice asked.
"The whole...happy thing! I'm not buying it! The Dark Ice I know is a heartless, cold monster who has no place for friends or family!", Ace was tearing up as he spoke. "Mom and Dad were heart broken when you partnered with Dark Mist! You caused them pain no physical harm could inflict! They had to hide Shadow because of the monster you became! I first set out to stop you so I could save you! So I could bring you back home! And what did you do? You stole Timaeus from me! And after that you stole the treasured cards of every duelist you defeated! I realized then that you didn't want to be saved! The only way to stop you was to destroy you! And now you're back? Why?! What could a legendary dragon ever see in you? What do you have to say?! What do you have to say after all the pain you've caused?!" Tears were streaming down Ace's face.
"..........I'm sorry." Ace was shocked! For the first time, Ice actually looked like he regretted something! "And as for what Red Dragon saw in me, I don't know. All I know is that he feels....like the monster I was meant to bond with. He also said he liked the fire I had in me."
"Then why are you here at the tournament?"
"Simple. I want to avenge the defeats you've dealt me. However now that Dark Mist isn't nagging me, I can't even remember why I wanted to destroy you. For whatever reason, he was pretty scared of you."
"And what about Zap and her friends? Would you throw them away for your vengeance?"
"They're my only friends. Why would I do something so stupid?!", Ice shouted. "For the first time I actually feel happy! Really happy! What makes you think I would give that up?!"
"Because when I first met you, you were a deranged duelist who wanted nothing more than to end Ace's existence.", Moon said as she walked up to them. "But I suppose I should thank you for making me realize my own mistakes."
"That, and you haven't been exactly the nicest guy in the time we've known you.", Burst said with a glare. "I know two girls who're pretty mad at you for kidnapping Sonata."
"Not to mention you tried to take us all out back when you manipulated Sonata into dueling Ace.
"Maybe I did!", Ice said. "But now I know how much that would hurt.", he said as his thoughts turned toward Zap. "I only came here to beat Ace. Maybe after that, I'll go back home." Ice then began to leave with his friends.
".......Ice.", Ace said.
"What is it now?"
".......Mom and Dad still kept your room the same as you left it."
".....Tell them I said thanks.", Ice said as he and the girls from Crystal Prep headed for their bus. Timaeus soon materialized near Ace.
"I sensed no evil intent from him Ace. Maybe...you should give him a chance. I know what he's done, but if a legendary dragon was willing to bond with him maybe he isn't so bad anymore."
"Maybe. But there's only one way to know the true answer. I'll face him in our duel tomorrow. Then we'll see if we can all move on."