Fanfic / A Tale of Wandering Stars

The Four Dimensions weren't the only world to be Sundered. There was another called Etheirys, once a paradise ruled by angels, now a broken world of fire and sorrow, joy and light. One day, the two worlds met.

A few months after Golbez's defeat, the Commoners of Avalonia receive a warning that Academia is on the move. Yugo Brightstar and his girlfriend, Rin, decide to investigate. Thus begins a new tale, one of lost souls and wandering stars.

A Tale of Wandering Stars is a Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V and Final Fantasy XIV crossover fanfic written by Elia41 that begins shortly after the end of Endwalker and features Yugo searching for his counterparts as Etheirys prepares to wage war on Academia.

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This Work Contains Examples Of:

• Adaptational Badass:
  • Having gone through the events of Heavensward all the way to Endwalker's end, Yugo, Rin and Crow are much stronger than they were in the Anime. Rin is notably able to hold her own against Starve Venom Fusion Dragon in what amounts to a boss fight.
  • Yugo later gives Yuya the Dancer Job Crystal. Before that, dueling alongside his counterpart allowed Yuya to learn Synchro Summoning much earlier than canon. Sora then decides to personally teach him Fusion.
• Adaptational Skill:
  • Thanks to their time in Etheirys, Yugo learned Weaving, Carpentry and Leatherworking while Rin learned Blacksmithing, Armoring and Goldsmithing. Finally, Crow is both a Cook and an Alchemist. Yugo gives the justification that, since she loves tinkering, Rin picked the trades to further her mastery. Crow wanted to keep people fed and learned what was edible and how, and how to make medicine. Finally, Yugo himself wanted to make warm clothes for the Commoners, seeing as Avalonia is colder than New Domino City.
  • During his friendly duel with Yuya, Nymeia grants Yugo his own Pendulum cards, themed after Eorzean astrology. Not even Yugo saw it coming, and he must ask Yuya to teach him how to use them.
• Age Lift: In the Anime, the two pairs of Dimensional Counterparts are fourteen. In the story, they are sixteen instead. The same way, Yusei, Jack and Crow are old-enough to have raised Yugo and Rin, Jack even having a biological son with Carly.
• Always Identical Twins: Out of curiosity, Reiji runs a DNA test on Yuya and Yugo. The results are that the pair has a one-hundred-percent genetic match, making them identical twins. Yuto is confirmed to be the same, and Yuzu and her counterparts are confirmed to be similarly related.
• Ambiguous Gender: Upon properly meeting Reira, Yuya and Yugo argue about their gender, which has been kept neutral so far. Reiji, who doesn't know neither - Himika didn't care and he went with it - decides to check. The answer ? Girl.
• Amnesia Missed a Spot: The Sundering of the Four Dimensions unleashed a wave of aether that wiped the last six months of everyone's minds... except for Carly Carmine, who was shielded by Aslla piscu. Thanks to seeing her memories through the Echo, Jonathan is able to put two and two together when the Bracelet Girls turn to be related to Reiji and Himika: their Unsundered Self, Ray, was Reiji's elder sister.
• Anatomy of the Soul: When Ray Sundered Z-ARC, she did it in a very specific way. Namely, she split him into four Aspects, each corresponding to a part of Egyptian Mythology, then bound each Aspect to a letter of his Name (Ren). Krile, G'raha and Urianger note this is a point on which the four Dimensions differ from Etheirys.
  • Yugo used to bear Z-ARC's Life (Ka), bound to the letter Z. According to him and Rin, the Aspect fought to the bitter end for its continued existance and the fierceness of the fight resulted in Yugo's two-weeks-long coma.
  • Yuya bears Z-ARC's Heart (Ib), bound to the letter A. After a heart to heart with the soul fragment, A acknowledges it is a tumor in Yuya's soul and agrees to be destroyed when it becomes clear it and Yuya cannot coexist.
  • Yuri bears Z-ARC's Self (Ba), bound to the letter R. Without Serena's influence, Yuri's own Self came to match R, leading to him being closest to Z-ARC in term of character.
  • Yuto bears Z-ARC's Shadow (Sheut), bound to the letter C. Since a person's Shadow is their Shadow Archetype, C is everything Z-ARC is not and advises Yuto on the matter before welcoming its destruction. Before finally vanishing, he also warns everyone about Yuri and R.
• Angel Unaware: Maira Astraphane, the woman who appears during Yuya's duel with Michio and has them fight in Ktisis Hyperborea, is actually Nymeia in disguise. Yugo recognizes her name from Jonathan's retelling of his stay in Elpis, where he helped her design some monsters, and her reactions to his indicates she knows he knows.
• Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: During his duel with Hokuto in Alzadaal's Legacy, Yuya uses an Action Spell to prevent Prolemy M7 from attacking. The spell is called "Oh, shiny!" and turns into a gemstone that the dragon starts playing with, much to Hokuto's frustration.
• Badass in Distress: Shortly before Yugo met the Warrior of Light, his Parental Substitute, Yusei, fell in love with a Tops girl called Akiza Izinski. Roget decided to Make an Example of Them and arrest them, causing Yusei to Hold the Line while Akiza went to Etheirys to find help. When she returned, she found Yusei surrounded by Security corpses, and an Echo vision later revealed Roget sealed his soul in a card, leaving him comatose.
• Ballroom Blitz: During her duel with Masumi in the Grand Cosmos, Yuzu finds an Action card in the middle of the ballroom. Its name? The trope. Its effect? Add up the ATK of each side's Monsters and have them fight, with the highest number winning. So, while Master Diamond could individually beat Mozarta and Canon, together, their ATK trump his. Cue the three brawling across the room while Sweet's Ballroom Blitz plays.
• Bare-Fisted Monk: During the Shirmish at the Docks, Gongenzaka takes several Phantom Knights and Raidraptors with his bare fists. He does have some scrapes afterwards, but that he only needs his bare hands to destroy them shows how strong he is.
• Blade Below the Shoulder: Having no weapon like Yuya and Yaiba do, Sora instead uses his duel disk as a wrist-mounted blade, destroying a few Phantom Knights that way.
• Big "WHAT?!": Shuzou reacts this way when Yugo reveals his Pendulum cards. Reiji has a similar reaction.
• Big "YES!": Hokuto cheers like this when Yuya Xyz Summons for the first time during his duel with Michio.
• Black Knight: Crow became a Dark Knight while in Eorzea. His sword is shaped like a feather.
• Butt Biter: During the trial by combat, Jonathan is assisted by Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter, whom he uses as a Familiar. When Alphinaud finds himself in a bind, the Lightsworn chomps on Grinnaux's rear, giving the teen an opening to subdue the Heavens' Ward. People find it so hilarious they make a song about it.
• Call-Back:
  • During the You Show vs. LDS conflict, Nymeia makes the Action Fields into Alzadaal's Legacy, The Grand Cosmos and Doma Castle. All three places are dungeons Yugo visited, and he has anectodes about all three places. Later on, Sora duels Masumi in the Heaven of Fire, one of the places visited during the "Myths of the Realm" Alliance Raid, and Yuya duels Yugo in the Manderville Gold Saucer.
  • During his duel with Yuya, when the redhead is undergoing a Heroic BSoD, Yugo recalls the events of the Final Days in Thavnair and recites the words Matsya said during the crisis. Along with some cheering up, it snaps Yuya from his blues.
  • Yuya's duel with Michio happens in Ktisis Hyperborea. When they find themselves in the snowfield area, Yuya uses an Action Spell to make himself invisible, much like the dungeon's first boss.
  • Yuya's duel with Eita Kyuando happens in Acadaemia Anyder, and one of the Action Spells quizzes him about sharks. Not only is the dungeon's first boss a pair of amphibious sharks, Maira remembers how Hythlodaeus once got swarmed by crazy shark concepts to the point of being fed up with it, something he rants about during the Warrior of Light's journey in Elpis.
• Cannibalism Superpower: Goth-Eyes and Wild-Eyes Pendulum Dragon both have the ability to gain something from what they destroyed. Goth-Eyes permanently gains the effect of a Spell or Trap he destroyed with an overlay unit while Wild-Eyes gains the ATK of any monster he destroyed by battle.
• Chameleon Camouflage: An Action Spell in Ktisis Hyperborea is named exactly that and allows Yuya to blend in a snowfield, to the point of being invisible. Effect-wise, it makes him immune to direct attacks.
• Classical Elements Ensemble: The four Dragon Boys are shaping to be one.
  • Yugo is Wind. Besides playing a WIND Attribute Archetype, he sometimes invokes "Winds of Destiny, Change!" when using his time manipulation and his spells manifests as green healing winds. He is also adventurous, lively and quick to act.
  • Yuya is Fire. Besides being a Fiery Redhead, he alternates between bright, vivacious and expressive as a performer and gentle, caring and empathic with his friends. He is also a Dancer, and his dancing can hurt as much as a dancing flame. Finally, he meets Z-ARC's soul fragment in a burning city.
  • Yuto is Water. His adoptive father is Ryoga "Shark" Kamishiro, known for playing a WATER Attribute Archetype and, though it's a Berserk Button, Yuto himself is nicknamed Baby Shark as a result. As a person, he is calm, values life and is understandly brooding, but his Hidden Depths go deep (once being The Runaway) and war has made him dangerous once roused. Finally, he meets Z-ARC's soul fragment in a ruined coastal city while the weather is raining.
  • Yuri is Earth by way of Green Thumb. His Dragon and Archetype are Plants, and his fair looks hide a truly nasty personality much like a poisonous flower or a rose's thorns. He is also slow yet implacable and vengeful, swearing revenge on Rin after she hurt Starve Venom Fusion Dragon.
• Conflicting Loyalty: Sora is naturally loyal to Academia. However, after spending time at Yuya and Yuzu's side, he has grown to deeply care for the pair and is worried about what will happen to them when Academia invades. Nald'thal, sensing his turmoil, advises him to consider "what weights heaviest in his heart's balance" - understand: what matters most to him. Sora decides to play it so the Sakaki and Hiiragi supported him during his stay and are thus allies, in the hopes Academia would spare them. As he puts it, his heart's balance doesn't have to sway if both sides are on the same scale. Later becomes Averted after Nald'thal tells Sora about the Professor's plan: his care for Yuya and Yuzu ends up trumping his loyalty to Academia and makes him undergo a Heel–Face Turn.
• Cool Big Bro: Even before the Lancer Initiative is canceled and Himika considers Reira to have outlived her usefulness, Reiji proves very caring toward his younger sister. He reads her bedtime stories, most notably the epic Yugo wrote about the Warrior of Light, and hoards anything that makes her feel happy. When Yuya's Magic Dance is shown to have therapeutic effects on her due to her Empty Shell nature, he takes her to each of his performances, knowing she loves them and they help her recover.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: Poor Shun really didn't stand a chance against Yuya and Yugo. The moment Clear Wing shut down Rise Falcon's effect, he is essentially stuck. Then Yuya Synchro Summons and blasts him with Copt-Eyes Pendulum Dragon.
• Dance of Romance: To blow some steam after being unable to join the Youth Championship, Yuya decides to dance a little. When Yuzu joins him, the pair begins to dance together in a clearly flirtatious way before ending with a Big Damn Kiss.
• Death by Adaptation: In the anime, Z-ARC's fragments survived to the end of the series and ended reuniting inside Yuya. In the story, Yugo encountered the fragment in his head and, after realizing it belonged to an Omnicidal Maniac, destroyed it with the Scions' help. He and Yuya agree the other fragments need to be destroyed as well but, since the process leaves them comatose for several days, they can't do it until Yuya qualified for the Youth Championship.
• Death Glare: Sora delivers a murderous one to Masumi, complete with crunching his lollipop, after she offers to teach Yuya Fusion Summoning. Nope, that is his job. Everyone is freaked out.
• Deal with the Devil: After her home and family were destroyed by Z-ARC, Carly went to find Aslla piscu and sold him her soul in return for killing the Supreme Dragon King. Aslla piscu agreed, especially after learning Z-ARC was going to destroy the world. However, Z-ARC managed to defeat them. Following the Sundering, the pair struck a new deal: as long as Aslla piscu defends Carly's new family and home, she remains bound to his will.
• Defeat Means Friendship: Yaiba and Gongenzaka became friends after their tie during the You Show vs. LDS conflict. They regularly spar and discuss martial arts, and Gongenzaka decides to ask Yaiba to teach him Synchro Summoning.
• Deity of Human Origin: Nymeia is confirmed to be one as Maira, one of the researchers met during a secondary questline in Elpis. She uses her mortal identity to go around unnoticed.
• Determinator: Etheirys is naturally tenacious, but surviving the Final Days made them really stubborn. Yugo and Rin are no exception. Nymeia actually uses Yuya's duel against Eita Kyuando to teach him the lesson: everyone fails at some point. The question is whether we let it be the last thing we do.
• Draconic Humanoid: Just like Z-ARC before, Yuya and his counterparts can fuse with their dragons, which turns them into Winged Humanoid wearing an armor shaped like their partner.
• Dramatic Irony: Because they spent the past year surviving Academia, Yuto and Shun are warry of anyone who may be working for the organization. Because Yugo sounds like yuugou, Fusion, they assume he works for Academia. They are also aware Sora is one of the group's agents. So, since both teens are close to Yuya, Yuzu and Reiji, they conclude that both You Show and LDS Corporation have ties with Academia... which couldn't be furthest from the truth. Yugo and Etheirys are quietly preparing to fight Academia and Sora eventually performs a Heel–Face Turn while LDS Corporation, from the very start, was training fighters to defend against Academia.
• Education Parents: Hokuto's parents are extremely strict when it comes to his studies. Not only do they not allow him to have any hobby, they also get angry when he seeks a parttime job or asks for money. Hokuto has to ask his uncle behind their back and practice archery in secret, and everyone is stunned by the reveal he has no source of income whatsoever.
• Family of Choice: Yugo's family is... not exactly nuclear. Jack, Yusei and Crow are foster brothers. Jack and Carly are Happily Married and had a son together, Vian. Crow raised Rin. Yusei raised Yugo. Yugo, Rin and Vian see the four adults as their parents, though Yugo and Rin don't have Yusei and Crow's last names. The pair see Vian as a cousin. Finally, both are dating. As Yugo notes, when no one is related, family is a question of how you see the other.
• Fate Worse than Death: Etheirys considers carding to be worse than death, on the ground that death quickly ends any pain while carding maintains people in a state of agony. As such, they kill any Obelisk they meet.
• Flat "What": Shun's reaction to seeing Yuya sing Magic Dance during his duel with Mieru is a completely deadpan "What."
• Floral Theme Naming: Scholar fairies tend to be named after flowers. As per the Scholar's storyline, Jonathan's fairy is called Lily. Sora, meanwhile, names his Violet.
• The Glomp: Having been beaten by Michio before, Hokuto and Masumi react to Yuya's victory by tackling him into a hug.
• Godzilla Threshold:
  • Avalonians never use dueling to fight. They use it to play or solve disputes. However, when Durendaire knights engage Ysayle before she can draw her staff, she had no choice but to sic Gungnir, Dragon of the Ice Barrier on them, to lethal results. She sees it as a betrayal of her principles.
  • Yugo is perfectly capable of rescuing Yuya after Yuto and Shun kidnap him. However, messing with his family is a Berserk Button and Yuto and Shun's Poor Communication Kills has been a problem for too long. So, Yugo decides to call Jonathan to the Standard Dimension for assistance.
  • Following the fall of Cloverfield, the last nation in the Xyz Dimension, Kaito realizes his home is lost and gathers the survivors to flee the Dimension altogether. Their destination? Etheirys.
• Going Native: Though they originate from New Domino City's Commons, the Commoners of Avalonia consider themselves to be Etheiryans and have adopted most of Eorzea's customs. Yugo, Rin and Crow are no exception.
• Half-Human Hybrid: The children of Shinji and Khyra, Kira and Wylah, are half human, half Miqo'te. Wylah looks mostly Miqo'te, but with her father's blue hair. Kira, while having Miqo'te facial markings and fangs, has neither ears nor a tail.
• Happily Married: Most couples in the story, if they tied the knot, are shown to be happy together.
  • Jonathan and Haurchefant married during the celebration for Ala Mhigo's liberation and seem happy so far.
  • Jack and Carly are also married and have a son together.
  • The biggest reveal is that Yugo and Rin also tied the knot. In fact, they "borrowed" Jonathan and Haurchefant's wedding ceremony and Kan-E-Senna was concerned about their age. Their last name, Brightstar, is the family name they chose since they had Only One Name.
  • Shinji Weber is married to a Miqo'te woman called Khyra and has a boy and a girl with her. According to Khyra and Yugo, Shinji has a bit of a Love Makes You Dumb around his wife...
• Heroic BSoD:
  • Though he is - initially - on Academia's side, Sora has a breakdown upon seeing Yuya perform Xyz Summoning because it is Heartland's Summoning method. So, him being able to use it throws a massive wrench in Sora's plan to protect him by making it appear as if Yuya and his friends are allies of Academia. Nald'thal snaps him out of it by explaining how his plan had no chance to succeed anyway.
  • Thanks to the anti-Tempering porxies, Reiji remembers the six months the Sundering removed from everyone's memories. Unfortunately, what he was doing in those six months was assisting Ray in her plan to defeat Z-ARC. Remembering the events is so painful he is reduced to a crying mess.
• I Choose to Stay: Given the choice to go back to their birth family, the Akaba, or staying with the people who raised them, Rin, Ruri and Yuzu all decide to stay with their adoptive parents - or, in Rin's case, with her husband. Reiji and Himika accepts their decision.
• I Need a Freaking Drink:
  • And since he just went through a Heroic BSoD, Reiji knows he has little excuse not to indulge. So, down goes the bourbon. The consecutive revelations make Himika similarly reach for the bottle.
  • After Himika delivers "The Reason You Suck" Speech to Leo Akaba, the Professor is in dire need of something stiff. He then goes Cut a Slice, Take the Rest with a bottle of vodka, giving the shot to the Doktor and chugging half the bottle.
• Insult Backfire: During his duel with Gongenzaka, Yaiba grows increasingly frustrated by his inability to break through his defenses. Since the Action field is Doma Castle, the LDS boy compares dueling him to besieging a castle. Gongenzaka agrees: like a siege, trying to beat him is tedious, tiresome, casualty-heavy and a generally risky endeavor.
• Interspecies Romance: Two couples in the story belong to different species and are still happy together. The first is Jonathan and Haurchefant, a Midlander Hyur and Wildwood Elezen. The second is Shinji and Khyra Weber, a Synchro Dimension human and Keeper of the Moon Miqo'te.
• Laser-Guided Amnesia: The Sundering of the Four Dimensions erased the last six months of everyone's minds, meaning no one remembered how the Original Dimension was Sundered, that it was Sundered in the first place, or who was Z-ARC and Ray Akaba. Jonathan likens it to Realm-wide phenomenon that followed Carteneau and is able to use porxies to undo it.
• Laser-Guided Karma: Being the deity of Fate, Nymeia believes in that. More exactly, she teaches that Fate is the consequence of every action we make, good or bad, and this is why one should hold themselves responsible for them. She does teach, however, that there are times where responsibility is shared so, when Yugo blames himself for bringing Yuto and Shun in Standard, she reminds him they are the ones who chose violence.
• Laughing Mad: When Sora and Nald'thal tell Dennis the truth of the Professor's plans, the knowledge hurts him so much he starts to laugh insanely before asking how he can help.
• Left the Background Music On: Whenever Nymeia interferes in one of the duels to play an Action Field, the area's theme plays along to set the duel's mood.
• Let Me Get This Straight...: Sora has this reaction to Nald'thal telling him about the Professor's plan for Yuya, Yuzu and the Four Dimensions. Once Nald'thal confirms every point, Sora summarily drops any allegiance to Academia.
• Long-Lost Relative: Beside the Dragon Boys and Bracelet Girls being genetically identical, the Girls' DNA test reveal that, as Ray's Sundered Selves, they are also biologically related to Reiji and Himika.
• Mama Bear: Carly doesn't like it when her son, Yugo or Rin is in trouble. The two Security agents who raised their batons while the kids were with her got burned to a crisp by Aslla piscu.
• Meaningful Name:
  • Yuya's Synchro dragon, Copt-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, has Coptic script written on its ring.
  • Jonathan's name, Solwright, roughly translates as Sun-Smith. As Azem's reincarnation, the Sun is his main symbol.
• Mercy Rewarded: During his duel with Gongenzaka, Yaiba is nothing but respectful toward his opponent, if frustrated by his sheer resilience. Gongenzaka returns his respect and, when falling debris threaten to crush Yaiba, the muscular teen effortlessly hold them and throw them away, to the shorter boy's awe. It leads to their friendship.
• The Migration: Faced with complete genocide at the hands of Academia following the fall of the Dimension's last country, Kaito has no choice but to take the survivors to the one safe place they have left: Etheirys.
• The Mole: Daichi Misawa turns to be a member of Fusion's You Show School who spies on Academia, keeping tabs on their actions and scouting potential recruits. This is how he meets Sora, and how Sora in turn meets Yusho Sakaki.
• Mood Whiplash: The duel between Yuya and Yugo is supposed to be a friendly spar as Yugo shows Yuya how to properly Synchro Summon. It happens in the Manderville Gold Saucer, Yuya is wearing his brand-new Dancer outfit while Yugo glamours himself in a Playboy Bunny uniform, and Vamo alla Flamenco plays over it. And, indeed, at first, both are having a great time. Then Yugo shocks everyone by revealing his Pendulum cards. Then he destroys Yuya's ace, Copt-Eyes Pendulum Dragon. Yuya falls into a Heroic BSoD that requires a pep talk from Yugo, where he aludes to the events of the Final Days. This gives Yuya the strength to go on, gain his new ace Fierce-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and finally defeat Yugo. Needless to say, the duel is a rollercoaster of emotions.
• Mugging the Monster and Bullying a Dragon: Yuto and Shun knew as a fact Yuya and Yugo are both talented duelists, Shun having lost badly to the pair when they last met. Sadly, Yuto suffers from Synchronization whenever Yuya duels, and they need answers. So, what do they do ? Kidnap Yuya, of course ! While they do make a point of removing his deck and duel disk, they are unaware of the Dancer Crystal and mistakenly believe his chakrams are harmless toys. They are mistaken on both account, and it bites them in the rear when Yuya not only uses the Crystal to gear up, but also demonstrates how sharp his chakrams are by slashing Shun across the face before taking several Raidraptors and Phantom Knights at once.
• Mythology Gag:
  • Yugo, Rin and Crow joined the Warrior of Light during the events of Heavensward and are an Astrologian, Machinist and Dark Knight respectively. The three Jobs are the ones made available during the expansion.
  • Yugo's Pendulum Summon Chant is the same words G'raha said to summon the other Warriors of Light before the fight with Hades, and the animation is the same as the Traveler's Call. Yugo himself notices.
  • Yuya's climatic duel with Gongenzaka happens in the Action Field - Kugane Ohashi, which is where Yojimbo reveals himself to be Gilgamesh in the Hildibrand storyline. Every Action Spell is based on his attacks and Battle on the Big Bridge plays in the background.
• Named by the Adaptation: In the Anime, Yugo and Rin have Only One Name. In the story, both share the last name Brightstar. Similarly, Yuto has the last name Kamishiro, being adopted by Ryoga and Rio Kamishiro. Finally, while he is only known as Supreme King Dragon Z-ARC, Himika reveals his full name to be Zoltan Arc.
• Necessarily Evil: Nobody likes the fact Carly is essencially Aslla piscu's slave. Unfortunately, the Earthbound Immortal is a powerful entity and his deal with Carly ensures he is firmly on Avalonia's side. So, until either side breaks the deal, Carly serves Aslla piscu and the Earthbound Immortal defends Avalonia and its people.
• Noble Demon: Let there be no mistake, Aslla piscu is still an Earthbound Immortal. He is, however, also a War God with his own Code of Honor. When Carly first offered him her soul for Revenge, he acknowledged that her target, Supreme King Dragon Z-ARC, was an Omnicidal Maniac that needed to be stopped and her damnation was essentially a Heroic Sacrifice. When they failed and Ray Akaba defeated him instead, their agreement changed: her soul is still his... as long as he defends her family and home. Since Aslla piscu wants to keep Carly as a servant, he must protect Avalonia, a duty he fulfils to the letter and in spirit. This is why he gives Alphinaud, Estinien and the others some of his feathers to protect them from being Tempered by Ravana, and why the people of Avalonia tolerate him in turn.
• No Body Left Behind: Nald'thal was ready to incinerate Sora to aether if he decided to side with the Professor. Fortuntely, after learning the Professor's end goal, Sora went the other way and chose to oppose Academia.
• No-Sell:
  • Regardless of its Synchro materials, Copt-Eyes Pendulum Dragon is unaffected by Spells, Traps or monster effects when battling. This makes it completely immune to the Morton's Fork effect of Quiz Monkey while also shielding it from Not So Fast!
  • To stop Yuya and his friends from fleeing, Shun has Raidraptors - Satellite Cannon Falcon blast them. Jonathan proceeds to shield them from the beam with Passage of Arms. Combined with Yugo's Collective Unconscious and Yuya's Improvised Finish, the group is completely unhurt.
• Odd Job Gods: Nymeia is considered the deity of Duel Monsters because of her association with cards.
• Official Couple: Several. Yugo and Rin are together while Jonathan and Haurchefant, as well as Jack and Carly, are Happily Married. While Yusei is comatose, he and Akiza were lovers before Roget stole his soul, and Yuya comes together with Yuzu following their Dance of Romance.
• Papa Wolf: Yugo fondly remembers how Jack would annihilate anyone threatening him, Rin or Vian.
• Parental Substitute: Jack, Carly, Yusei and Crow raised Yugo and Rin alongside Vian, Jack and Carly's biological son. However, Yugo never took Yusei's last name.
• Patron God: Over the story, the Twelve choose several characters as their champions. Yugo, being Pals with Nymeia, has the Spinner's favor, and Rin is implied to share a similar relationship with Byregot, judging from the pocket dimension workshop he gives her. Althyk, meanwhile, all but claims Gongenzaka as his following his duel with Yuya, and while there's nothing official between them, Nald'thal and Sora are fairly close.
• Pass the Popcorn: As Yugo watches the You Show vs. LDS conflict, Azeyma tells him to grab some snacks. Later, for his own duel against Yuya, Yaiba tells the pair to wait while he grabs popcorn and soda. When Yugo reveals his Pendulum cards, Hokuto drops his popcorn in shock.
• Pooled Funds: Alzadaal's Legacy, the Action Field Yuya and Hokuto duel in, is based on the dungeon of the same name, which served as Vrtra's fall-back treasury. As such, some of the areas contain piles upon piles of coins. Prolemy M7, to Hokuto's disbelief, dives into it the moment it's summoned.
• Poor Communication Kills: Like in the Anime, Yugo's name sounding like "Fusion" causes massive mistrust between him, Yuto and Shun, who attack him on sight. Not only is Yugo firmly on their side, he even got a letter written by Ruri, which explains the situation. The pair's hostility means he is unable to hand it over.
• Power Incontinence: When Mieru's precognitive powers first manifested, she kept seeing all possible futures at the same time, which left her unable to act. Principal Unno gave her the apple-shaped crystal ball as a focus.
• Product Delivery Ordeal: After saving Ruri from Yuri, Ruri gives Yugo a letter for her brother and Yuto. Sadly, Poor Communication Kills and Yuto and Shun assume Yugo is an enemy, which causes them to attack on sight and keep him from delivering the letter. It takes Yuto and Shun kidnapping Yuya for Yugo to go Let's Get Dangerous! and call Jonathan for assistance. The Warrior of Light summarily scares the pair into submission... and hands them the letter.
• Promotion to Parent: Since Shun and Ruri's parents are gone and Shun is an adult, when Ruri decides to stay with him rather than going with Reiji and Himika - her biological brother and mother - Himika has paperwork ready to make Shun Ruri's guardian. She also arranges to give him a home and eventually a job to provide for her.
• Puppy-Dog Eyes: Reira, of all people pulled it on Himika to go and see Yuya's duel. Reiji is surprised.
• Rapid-Fire "No!": In contrast to everyone rejoicing, Sora reacts thusly to Yuya Xyz Summoning for the first time.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: To Shuzou's surprise, Himika Akaba turns to be fairly reasonable when Rin, Ruri and Yuzu decide to remain with their adoptive families. As Himika explains, You Show School was business. The girls being her biological daughters makes it personal. And, since Crow, Shun and Shuzou have done her job as a parent in her stead, she is going to properly compensate them.
• Record Needle Scratch: During Yuya and Yugo's duel, Vamo alla Flamenco (the Dancer's theme) is playing in the speakers. The moment Yugo reveals his new Pendulum cards, the music screeches to a halt with a distinct record needle sound.
• Run or Die: The Xyz survivors have no choice. Either they flee their Dimension or they are carded. They are aware of it, and this is why they aren't complaining about their new home being a different world altogether.
• Scars Are Forever: In retaliation for his kidnapping, Yuya slashes Shun across the face the moment Sora frees him. Yugo then heals the gash in a way that leaves a scar, as a reminder of his actions.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here:
  • The Avalonian Commoners are Common natives of the Synchro Dimension who, upon finding the Interdimentional Tunnel to Etheirys, decided to leave New Domino City and settle in Avalonia because they were unable to stand life in the Commons, so the land was a chance for a new start.
  • Zane Truesdale dropped Academia like a hot potato the moment they tried to card Syrus. He found his way to Etheirys and warned them of Academia's actions, leading to Yugo's journey.
• Shipper on Deck: Sora staunchily supports Yuya and Yuzu. When they kiss at the end of their Dance of Romance, he jumps from his seat with a Big "YES!".
• Side Bet: Yuya and Yugo make one upon properly meting Reira, whose gender has remained neutral so far. Yuya bet fifty yen on boy. Yugo accepts but bets on girl. Yugo wins.
• Smooch of Victory: After their victory over Grinnaux and Paulecrain, Haurchefant is overjoyed to see Jonathan and Alphinaud safe and promptly gives his lover a full-mouthed kiss. In the middle of the tribunal, with everyone watching. Count Edmont can only sigh at the loss of secrecy.
• Spared by the Adaptation: While he originally died during Heavensward, Haurchefant is very much alive in the story and actually married Jonathan after the Liberation of Ala Mhigo. According to Yugo, the celebration was huge. The movie Heavensward later reveals Yugo, in his distress, used his Limit Break to rewind everyone back to health after the Vault. Haurchefant was healed just enough Alphinaud managed to stabilize him.
• Spit Take: Yugo revealing his Pendulum cards elicits this in both Yaiba and Masumi. Yaiba spits his soda. Masumi swallows it wrong and has a coughing fit.
• Straight Gay: Jonathan and Haurchefant are both men and deeply in love with each other, yet neither express typical gay stereotypes. Besides being a tall and muscular Elezen, Haurchefant is commander of Camp Dragonhead with the fighting skills that come with the position. Jonathan, meanwhile, is the Warrior of Light with all that entails.
• The Straight and Arrow Path: To everyone's surprise, Hokuto reveals he practices archery behind his Education Parents' back.
• Team Switzerland: Avalonia is a "nation" made of Hraesvelgr's children, New Domino Commoners, Ishgardian refugees and various natives from Eorzea's city-states. They are also staunchily neutral in the Dragonsong War and do their best to avoid getting involved while trading with the rest of the Eorzean Alliance.
• Tempting Fate:
  • Himika Akaba, during the You Show vs. LDS dispute, boasts that Hokuto, Masumi and Yaiba can take on whatever Shuzou and the You Show crew can throw at them. Yugo is watching at a distance. Nymeia, the Eorzean deity of Fate and his patron, decides to take on her challenge. End result: both Yuya and Yuzu win, and Yaiba forces a tie but is almost crushed by falling rubble. Reiji himself calls his mother out on it.
  • Averted during Yuya and Michio's duel. Reiji notes that, since he knows Synchro and Fusion Summoning, it's only a matter of time before Yuya learns Xyz Summoning. He does so... one turn later. Reiji tells Yugo to pass his apologies to Nymeia, only for Yugo to reassure him. This time, it wasn't the Spinner. It was Yuya's connection to Yuto.
• Textile Work Is Feminine: Inverted. Yugo is a Weaver and makes his living out of it when he isn't adventuring. On the opposite side, Rin is The Blacksmith whose specialty is crafting metal.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Himika Akaba delivers a merciless one to her husband, calling him out on how his plans disrespect Ray's actions and he is doing all this because he is too soft-hearted to mourn their daughter and the Original Dimension, so he is ruining countless lives, including that of perfect innocents, all out of selfishness. The Professor needs half a bottle of vodka to recover.
• Throw the Book at Them: Alphinaud (initially) fights with a grimoire, which he uses to cast spells. Against Ser Grinnaux, however, he uses it to block the Heavens' Ward's axe, then disarm him and hit him over the head repeatedly when Ryko gives him an opening. People make a song about it.
• Vengeance Denied: After Supreme King Dragon Z-ARC destroyed Carly's home, she swore herself to Aslla piscu in return for the Immortal killing him. Sadly, Z-ARC not only proved stronger than them, their fight weakened him enough RAY-A could defeat him instead. After the Original World was Sundered and Z-ARC became the four Dragon Boys, Carly didn't target the Dragon-King's Synchro incarnation, Yugo, either because she didn't know or because she considered Yugo wasn't Z-ARC.
• War Refugees: What Yuto, Shun and Ruri end up being under Maiami legislation, courtesy of Himika Akaba. This way, all three can go back to a normal life... and Shun now has the means to properly raise Ruri.
• Willing Channeler: Inspired by Ysayle using herself as a catalyst for Shiva, Ravana entrusts Jonathan with the Heart of the Hive, in order to do the same and thus protect the people of Avalonia without accidentally Tempering them. Jonathan reluctantly accepts.
• The Worf Effect: Against the Xyz Dimension's military, Obelisk Force was able to bring the entire world to heel with little effort. Against Etheirys, and especially the Eorzean Alliance, Obelisks barely have time to activate their disks before getting killed. Notably, the thousand men Edo took to Avalonia to hunt the Xyz refugees were incinerated in short order after walking into a trap.
• You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Nald'thal makes it clear to Sora that Academia themselves will get carded once they're no longer useful to the Professor.
• Your Normal Is Our Taboo: When it comes to warfare, Academia cards their victims, and Heartland adopted the practice to survive. When he and Rin cross the ruins, Yugo notably remarks the air doesn't smell of blood, which he finds unusual. To Etheiryans, carding is a Fate Worse than Death, so they prefer killing as a more merciful fate. This shocks the Heartlanders Yugo and Rin save from Obelisk Force, though not enough to make them hostile to the pair.

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