Confessions of a Lone Vagabond

by Azure5555

Duel 00 Pt1: The Vagabond

What was it about that day? Was it something I did? Something I said? Someone I hurt? Just what was it?

Trees surrounded me as I walked my lone walk. Every four days it was the same walk. I went into that town, peddled my wares, and walked away with that week's produce.

The only difference was that every two weeks was a different walk. Not the path mind you… it was how I walked… or more specifically what I walked as.  

I'm getting ahead of myself. The name's Vince Price. No relation to the actor I swear! I guess you could say I got here the way most of the others got here. Not by the same hands though. This man was playing a far more dangerous game… he didn't do this for fun. There was an endgame only he would benefit from.

“DUEL!” I shouted with as serious a shout I could shout. The snap of several cameras went wild as I maintained a fierce pose.

A blood red baseball cap sat upon my head, Neo Domino's emblem emblazoned on the front and a pair of goggles to go with it.

I was dressed in black boots, a red jacket with its sleeves rolled up, a white tee and clean jeans.

I heard good things, bad things, cringy things… but the comments all had one thing in common.

“Check out the dude in the Kamen Rider get up!”

“No way! He's obviously an extra from some Disney Channel show!”

“With THOSE goggles!? No way, totally from Digimon! Hey have you checked out my blog?”

Everyone got the costume wrong. Hmm? Oh right… why was I at AX dressed up?

Not for a photoshoot obviously. I showed up because word through the grapevine was that Konami was finally going to release actual Crystal Beast support and I wanted in on that.

Imagine my utter disappointment when the panel was canned… so I walked the premises in a slump. The stalls we're mostly the same things being sold at differing prices… except for that which shall not be named.

Asshole actually tried to get me to buy something too.

I happened upon him and his wares as if by chance. When those lurkers on the net said this guy had everything… they literally meant “everything”.  Swords from various media, from the Z Saber to Supernatural’s The First Blade (With Mark of Cain Wristband), to accessories and apparel like Orion's Belt from Men in Black to Gon Fleek’s jacket (Jeez he even had a wig).

“Ohoh! Afternoon stranger, lots of good things to-” I put my hand up right quick and he clammed up immediately.

“No. I'm not dumb. Find some other victim.” I said as I began to walk away.

“I'd be careful out there if I were you Vagabond,” I heard him say. It was like ice upon my skin as the world started to spin… “I’ll only say this once stranger. Fate is a cruel mistress.”

The heat returned to my body and I found myself rushing for the door. I needed air…

“Howdy there fella! Don't think I've seen ya round these parts. Lookin’ to buy?” The familiar droll of the town apple farmer kicks me out of my day dream and back to my current state of affairs.

I take a second to clear my throat and steady my nerves. “Yes I suppose I could use a basket of your best, and maybe a smooth drink to ease this wretched throat.”

“Shucks, sounds like ya’ll had a heck of a day. Have a bit of cider, on me fella.” The mare hoofs a plastic cup my way and I empty its contents eagerly.

A gasp and sigh of relief leave me as I throw the empty cup into a waste basket. “You are far too kind to this wicked soul, mayhaps I could hear the name of my saving star?” 'Your name’s Applejack and we've been doing this song and dance for months now.’ I whisper in my mind.

The farm pony chuckles a bit as she drops a full basket of the shiniest apples you or any other living being will ever see.

“Name’s Applejack. Now ah don't mean nothing by this, but you sound awfully familiar. Care to give me yer name? Ease my thoughts.” She says with a knowing smile.

Today’s bi-weekly disguise was one Nordic Beast.

I smile and place my ten bits on the counter. “It's Garmr, my fair lady.” She leans in and whispers “Run”.

This was my sign to rush to my next place of business before I was caught by The Pink One. Everything was timed perfectly so as to let me slip in and out without so much as a mis step.

Funny how that all came to be…

I found myself on a table, my face plopped down and staring at an untouched order of fried lobster balls, one of my many decks sitting just next to it.

“No shit, is that the Vagabond?” I jumped at the sound of the intruding voice and looked left and right in abject paranoia. Me eyes finally found their target when the sound of a deck box dropping made me flinch and turn. “Hm, someone seems jumpy today. You look like you've seen a ghost.”

My surprise visitor was a medium sized... someone… dressed in a black cloak and hood with ash gray metal vine like pauldrons kinda like Vanity's End.

“I'm sorry… who are you?” I ask the mysterious stranger.

He laughed a dark laugh, opened his box, and began to shuffle his deck. “Just someone looking for a challenge. Won't you humor me?” His tone switched and I felt my hairs stand on edge.

I gulped and took a bite of my lobster before shuffling my own deck. “Loser buys the winner a round of fried lobster.” I say with conviction.

My opponent only laughs. “Loser gets tossed through the void.” He says ominously.

'Riiigght’ “I play Sapphire Pegasus for a pony in the back row. Promise Pegasus for another pony in the back row and Promise that pony to get Carbuncle in the backrow. I set a card, play Rainbow Ruins, and overlay for 39. Your move.”

The mysterious stranger giggled madly as he casually dropped a dark hole from his hand.

I place my Sapphire Pegasus and Carbuncle into the back row and send Utopia to grave. “Kind of a waste isn't it?” I asked.

“Is it?” He asked with an amused tone as he played Trap Eater of all things, destroying my face down. He summoned Gene Warped War Wolf and synchroed for Stardust Dragon and threw down the remainder of his hand in the backrow.

“This may sting!” He cheers as a tiny Stardust flies from the card and whips me across the face with it's tail.

“SON OF A BITCH!!” I screamed as I held my face, blood running along my fingers.

A stat screen popped up out of the corner of my eye… it was as if...

My eyes went wide as the stranger just started cackling.

“Oh ho! Catching on!? Good good, you'll need that astute awareness where you're going!” He said as he began the most condescendingly slow clap in the history of slow claps.

“Ffffuck… I am not losing to some fucking space demon!! Draw!” Throwing all caution to the wind I jumped out of my seat and said fuck it as I went full anime.

I stared intently at the spell I drew and slammed it on the table, much to the amusement of my opponent.

“My my~ Such theatrics…” His tone became cold as his gaze bore into my soul. “Theatrics alone won't save you.”

“Shut up you bitch made freak! Rare Value! You know what it does, now pick!”

He scoffed and pointed at my pegasus. “You can at least read the effect can’t you?”

I drew my cards and stole a look at my life points. “You mean to remind the counter over there to factor in Rainbow Ruins second effect? I took twelve fifty from a twenty five hundred beatstick without having to explain shit.”

I took a look at my cards, Crystal Blessing and Rare Value. I played Blessing and put two of my ponies in the backrow.

“Interesting you call them ‘ponies’.” The Stranger said in a playful tone.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” I asked as I played Rare Value and sent a pony to grave.

“There it is again~ My my, you'll so very much enjoy the world I send you to.”

I froze. “Have you been reading my mind?”

He slow clapped again. “YES! THAT INTUITION OF YOURS!”

I grit my teeth, placing Emerald Tortoise face down. At least it would tank the hit…

He laughed again.

He drew and summoned D.D. Warrior. A young man rose from the card, sword at the ready. “I activate torrential tribute!” He shouted happily.

Something about that play didn't seem right…

Until he flipped Starlight Road, essentially letting him summon a second Stardust Dragon. “Now then, ASSAULT MODE ACTIVATE!”

As soon as this new dragon materialized from gathering dust, an armored core slammed into it's chest. It roared as more armor began to decorate it's limbs.

“Warrior! Give me an opening!” He cried as D.D. Warrior kicked my turtle face up and stabbed itself and my turtle, removing both from play.

“Stardust! Sonic Destruction Wave!” A cluster of spacial debris began to gather in the Assault Mode Dragon’s maw as it tore through my shoulder.

I screamed in pain as the second Stardust shoved it's claw into my sternum, gouging out the cartilage.

He bowed his head, signaling the end of his turn. It was at this point, I had to hold back the blood from a grievous neck wound while trying to play with a barely responsive arm. I drew as best I could…

“Crystal Beacon!” I shouted in defiance as he just laughed and put Assault Mode Stardust Dragon in the grave, negating my one move.

I hung my head in defeat… I slumped back down to my seat and started to cry. It was BY far the worst way anyone could go…

“Oh come now… you'll like your new life!” He cheered, forcing me to look back up.

A crimson, rounded duel disk had appeared on my good arm, and the stranger was standing up. Standing next to him were both Stardusts, and swirling behind him was a violet vortex.

“Don’t screw it up.” He said in a drastically cold tone.

Before I knew it, both dragons let me have it.

I hauled ass as quickly as I could, already feeling that sense of dread whenever The Pink One drew near. I ducked into the open door of the resident tinkerer.

“Rather early aren't you?” The tanned earth pony asked me.

“She's starting to catch wise, Turner.” I replied as I morphed back into my bipedal form, dropping a bag of scrap at my feet. “What does this get me?”

Time Turner began to ooh and ah as he carefully removed the contents of my sack. “How's ninety bits sound?” He asked with a warm and appreciative smile.

“Done, now hurry.” I whispered. Pocketing my spending money, I took a card from a box along my belt and placed it into an open slot along my Disk.

I was ushered out the back door just as The Pink One had entered the workshop. Thankfully, KagetoKage kept me invisible as I crawled away to safety…

I gasped for air as I shot up and awake, desperately gasping for air I didn't need as my hands ran along my body.

My shoulder had a distinct lack of a hole through it, my sternum was where it should be and I couldn't even feel the tell tale signs of scarring on my nose.

Hell, even my clothes looked and felt immaculate. I reached around and noticed I was sitting on a gravel path.

I steadily got up, dusted myself off and walked the rather shady road. It was like walking through a swamp… weeping willows flanked my right and a stream had been flowing alongside me.

I sighed in defeat, the very thing I thought I managed to escape ended up happening anyway. Could be worse I suppose, I could get mauled by a bear, but what are the chances of running into a bear in the swamps?

I bumped into a furry brown wall within seconds. I took a step back and stared at an upright grizzly bear staring back at me.

It roared as I screamed a manly and in no way high pitched scream of absolute terror as I turned around and started to get the heck out of dodge.

Unfortunately for me, the bear was quicker, so I did the first thing that came to mind. I stopped running and shoved a deck I pulled from God knows where straight into my brand spanking new Duel Disk.

The deck began to shuffle and the blue orb in the middle of the thing went white. When the light faded, the bear had skid to a stop, took one look, and ran the other way.

“Huh, that happened.” I flinched. My voice was not my voice. I put my hand on my throat and noticed that it was a bit… bony.

I looked back at my hand and screamed again. I stole a look into the running river and screamed again, and pulled away. Hand on my chest, I took several calming breaths and looked at the stream again.

My face was an ugly looking skull, I had horns, I was a lot taller now, and my flesh was exposed.

“Oh shit I'm the Summoned Skull.” The clip clopping of hooves shook me from my trance and I started to fiddle with my arm. A voice began to call out and I frantically spread my new wings and flew into the awaiting forrest...