The Quartet Dragons

by AnnalovesElsa

Set 1,000 years in the future, this is the story about a boy who is destined to obtain the four Quartet Dragons, Emerald Dragon, Ebony Dragon, Ruby Dragon, and Sapphire Dragon, who are rumored to be more powerful than the Egyptian Gods.

4. A Taste of Tyler's Training

"The Quartet Dragons"

Chapter Four

A Taste of Tyler's Training

The sky was serene, the birds were chirruping, and the squirrels were gathering acorns for the winter harvest, though it was only March.

However, Tyler was not able to enjoy any of it, because he was waiting for Knat to commence training him for the upcoming String Tournament. They were indoors, and Knat had just popped a DVD into the DVD player.

"We're going to watch a recording of a previous premier match to a String Tournament that took place about four years ago."

On the screen, they saw a girl (about thirteen years of age), with light-orange hair, and wearing a blue bonnet. Her opponent was a burly, virile boy of nineteen, who looked slightly put-out at being forced to face a little girl.

"And now," said the host, "the match between Amy Villipend and Benjamin Marrelo will now commence!"

4000/4000

"Why don't you go first, pipsqueak?" Benjamin asked, menacingly.

"Don't mind if I do! And I'll start by summoning my Cyber Tutu!"

A lithe, pink-haired female monster appeared on the field.

"Aww, does the little girl like to play with dollies?" her adversary said in a babyish tone..

Amy tried to ignore his impudence as she set two face-down cards and ended her turn.

"Fine, it's my move, and I summon Chainsaw Insect!"

"Activate face-down, Next to Be Lost! Now I can send a Cyber Tutu from my Deck to my Graveyard."

Tyler had an incredulous look on his face. "Why on earth would she do that?"

"Just watch," came the retort.

"Oh, thinning your Deck, aren't you? Well, let me help you there: Chainsaw Insect, attack Cyber Tutu with Geared Death Super-Slash!"

The agony of Cyber Tutu as Chainsaw Insect sliced her cleanly in two was almost unbearable.

2600/4000

"Then I'll set my own face-down, and let you go."

"Well, well, this is a nice surprise," said Amy. "As you were aware, your Chainsaw Insect allowed me to draw a card. I'd say I got the advantage, especially when you see what it was. Come out, Cyber Dragon!"

A metallic, data-compressed dragon appeared on the field. Even though his body was made of the same material as a robot's, his mind was dragonic. He was ready to charge into battle, even against something as powerful as Chainsaw Insect.

"And now, for my favorite equip, Cyber Roller Skates!"

Cyber Roller Skates
Equip Spell Card
You can only equip this to a Machine-type Monster. A monster equipped with this card gains 300 ATK points. Once per turn, when this monster would be destroyed as a result of battle, negate the destruction. Damage calculation is applied normally.

"But that's not all! Meet my friend, Cyber Morpher!"

A black blob appeared on the field. It looked like a figure made of jello.

Cyber Morpher
LV 3/ DARK/ Machine
ATK???? DEF????
Effect: This monster takes the ATK and DEF equal to that of the last monster of your opponent's destroyed in battle.

"Cyber Dragon, do your thing!"

The blast from Amy's monster swerved in swirls around Chainsaw Insect. Since both were of equal attack strength, the latter sent his own destructive blast back at Cyber Dragon. However, the roller skates allowed Cyber Dragon to dance out of the way, and he was safe.

Immediately, Cyber Morpher became to change into the form of Chainsaw Insect. However, it retained its black color.

"Now my Morpher has 2400 ATK, and I have him attack you!"

"Sure, kitty. Like I'd let that happen. My face-down will save me, Hallowed Life Barrier! All it costs is one useless card from my hand, to reduce all damage I receive this turn to zero." "Kitty" is a thirty-first century term for a little girl.

"Whatever. Make your move."

"Gladly. And I'll start this turn by activating Vespine Divinity, and using it to summon Mutant Wasp!"

Vespine Divinity
Normal Spell
Effect: Pay 500 of your Life Points. Special Summon one monster with 'Wasp' in its card name from your deck. For each monster on your opponent's side of the field, you may summon Wasp Tokens, with the same Attribute, ATK, DEF, and level as the newly summoned monster.

Mutant Wasp
LV 3/ WIND/ Insect
ATK: 800 DEF: 300
Effect: You may sacrifice all monsters with Wasp in their names on your side of the field. If you do this, combine the ATK powers and destroy a monster on your opponent's side of the field with an attack equal to or less than this combined ATK.

2600/3500

A four-foot tall arthropod with multifaceted eyes, six legs, and heavy, butter-colored wings appeared on Benjamin's side of the field. It was green in hue, and quickly multiplied into three, one for the Cyber Dragon and one for the Cyber Morpher on Amy's side of the field.

Amy's face became verdant, as if she were about to vomit. Apparently, her stomach was not able to take the sight of bugs.

"And now we can say adieu to Cyber Dragon. How? By Mutant Wasp's special ability, that's how! I sacrifice all three wasps on my side of the field, combine their strength, and destroy your dragon!"

800 X 3 2400 Cyber Dragon + Cyber Roller Skates

"Not so fast. I activate my face-down, Shift! Now your maneuver is redirected to Cyber Morpher!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Benjamin shouted.

The crimson ball that Benjamin's wasps had created went off course in the direction of the Chainsaw Insect-transformed Cyber Morpher. The latter was blasted to smithereens.

"Who would've thought a girl could do that?" Benjamin asked aloud.

"Hey, we women are excellent duelists! It's prejudices like yours that lead people to think otherwise."

"Well, whatever. I set one monster face-down, as Mutant Wasp was a Special Summoning, as well as a card in my Spell and Trap Zone. That'll be it."

"Good. And I now summon Etiole Cyber!"

"Okay, now activate A Feint Plan! There'll be no attacks on face-down monsters this turn."

"Just go."

"With pleasure. And first I'll flip up my face-down, Parasite Paracide! Now it goes face-up into your deck!"

Amy scowled. If there was anything she hated more than fighting insects in Duel Monsters, it was actually having an Insect in her Deck.

"Now I activate Jade Insect Whistle! Parasite Paracide will come out of hiding, you'll take damage, and all your monsters will become insects. Doesn't that sound absolutely divine?"

"No," Amy replied, watching angrily as the red monster with eight tentacles appeared on her field.

1600/3500

"Also, your Cyber Roller Skates disappears, because it cannot remain equipped to an Insect-type monster like your Cyber Dragon is now."

Knowing this was the truth, Amy watched disdainfully as her favorite equip went on a early trip to the Graveyard.

"Well, isn't this something?" Benjamin said in a Weevil Underwood-ish tone. "I activate Insect Barrier! From now on, Insect-types on your side of the field are sitting ducks! And thanks to Parasite Paracide, they are all sitting ducks. But enough chitchat. I activate Card of Sanctity! Now we both must draw until we have six cards in our hands."

For the first time since the duel commenced, Amy seemed worried. Depending on what Benjamin got, he may've already won. And she had no face-downs to save her. But she did get: "Watapon, I summon you!"

"It's still my turn!" Benjamin bellowed.

"But that's Watapon's effect: it's summoned whenever it's drawn."

"Yes, yes, of course. However, now's not the time for games with pink pluffballs. But it is time for a little déjà vu. I activate another Vespine Divinity, and use it to Special Summon another Mutant Wasp!"

1600/3000

Again the green arthropod appeared, and again Amy looked ready to hurl. The feeling was exacerbated when four Wasp Tokens showed up: for her Cyber Dragon, Etiole Cyber, Watapon, and Parasite Paracide.

"I sacrifice three of my tokens in order to summon Giant Lacewings!"

A monster with a wwide, gaping mouth, cuspids the size of boulders, a body as large as three barns put together, a thorax as golden as jewelry, and wings that could've swiped Mt. Everest off the face of the earth, was now on Benjamin's side of the field.

Giant Lacewings
LV 9/ WIND/ Insect
ATK: 2300 DEF: 2300
Effect: For each Insect-type monster you have removed from play, this monster's ATK increases by 300.

Amy could not stand the sight of this new monstrosity. She stood crestfallen. There was no way to stop it.

"It seems the kitty can't stand the sight of my Lacewings."

"You're right about that. But as this is the rarest card in your Deck, when I win, I'll have the rights to it. And you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to rip it to shreds, and throw the pieces in your face!"

Tyler was greatly disturbed by this remark. Who in their right mind would tear up a rare card? He asked Knat.

"Just watch. We'll talk later."

"There's no way you can win, kitty," Benjamin said, comtemptuously. "However, talk is cheap. I'll have to show you. I sacrifice the two remaining Wasps on my side of the field to destroy your Etiole Cyber!"

The purple monster on Amy's side of the field disintegrated into ashes, without ever having served a purpose.

"And now I activate Vengeance Ilk! And I remove all the Insects in my Grave from play, making Giant Lacewings even stronger!"

Vengeance Ilk
Normal Spell
Effect: Choose either your own or your opponent's Graveyard. Then select a type. Remove from play all monsters in the chosen Graveyard of the selected type.

"Giant Lacewings now has 3200 attack power, as Chainsaw Insect, Mutant Wasp and Mutant Wasp were removed from play. And now it attacks your Cyber Dragon with Shuddering Wing Blast!"

Amy's Cyber Dragon looked down at his feet to see if the roller skates were still there. Not seeing them, he began to panic. But Amy always saved him in battle; surely she would do so now as well?

Giant Lacewings rapped itself around the astonished dragon, and crushed him like a pulp.

0500/3000

"Now I'll set two face-downs and end my turn."

Amy drew her card, then activated Tribute to the Doomed.

"I was expecting something like that," Benjamin said. "And I've come prepared. Activate trap, All-Encompassing Annihilation!"

All-Encompassing Annihilation
Normal Trap
Effect: You can only activate this card when a monster on your side of the field is about to be destroyed by a card effect. Destroy all monsters of the same time as the one about to go to the Graveyard.

"By destroying my Lacewings, you've allowed me to destroy all of your monsters as well."

A blast akin to the explosion of a cannon shook the field as Giant Lacewings, Parasite Paracide, and Watapon disappeared from the field.

"'Umm…now there seems to have been no point in your playing Insect Barrier," Amy pointed out.

"Ah, it seems so, doesn't it? Well, it's lucky my other face-down is Emergency Provisions, then. Bye-bye, useless spell card, hello 1000 points."

0500/4000

"Activate Symbol of Heritage! Now Cyber Tutu comes back from the Graveyard."

"How unlucky, kitty. But, tell me, how is it that you had three of those discarded, when I only saw two of them go to the Grave?"

"How do you think? Tribute to the Doomed has a cost. And I paid it with Cyber Tutu's blood. However, it's time for you to me my next spell, Cyber Pluralization!"

Cyber Pluralization
Normal Spell
Effect: When you have a monster with 'Cyber' in its card name that has 1000 or less ATK, you may Special Summon two of the same name from either your Deck or your Graveyard. Destroy the monsters summoned in this way at the end of the turn."

Shortly there were three Cyber Tutus where before only one had been.

"Ooh, I'm really scared of three mannequins!" Benjamin said, rudely.

"You should be, as you have no spells or traps out. But would you like more? Fine then. I summon Cyber Feldspar!"

Cyber Feldspar
LV 2/ EARTH/ Machine
ATK: 600 DEF: 100
Text: The Cyber Minerals exist to protect other Machine-Type Monsters.

"Like I'm going to be afraid of a piece of feldspar!"

"It doesn't matter whether you're afraid of it or not. I have all my monsters attack you directly."

0500/0400

"Then I set one face-down, and that concludes my turn." Amy was now Hand-less. The two Cyber Tutus summoned by 'Cyber Pluralization' also vanished.

Benjamin now had two cards in his hand, after drawing. He summoned Insect Knight, and called an attack.

"Not so fast," Amy said. "Reveal face-down, Cyber Peril! By sacrificing my Feldspar, I'm able to negate all attacks you make this turn."

Cyber Peril
Normal Trap
Effect: Sacrifice one monster on your side of the field in order to negate all attacks aimed at a Machine-type monster this turn.

"That's the rarest card in your deck. And when I win it – notice I don't say if, but when – I'm going to rip it to pieces and throw them in your face, Kitty."

"Stop calling me 'Kitty'! I'm sick and tired of it! And your not going to win!"

"Yes, I am. And I set one face-down, and that'll have to do."

Amy drew her card. Wow, the joker wasn't expecting this. "I activate Mystical Space Typhoon!"

Benjamin's face became pallid. "Not that card! Please, anything but that!" His Mirror Force was seen as it was swept away by the heavy torrents of Amy's spell.

"Now, Cyber Tutu gets to attack you directly, since you have no monster with fewer ATK points than her on your side of the field. That's game."

0500/0000

The host held up Amy's arm. "Our participant, Amy Villipend, gets to go onto to the actual tournament, whilst Benjamin Marrelo is disqualified. He must give her his unglazed moon chip, as well as his rarest card, 'Giant Lacewings'!"

Benjamin reluctantly complied. Giving up his favorite insect to a little girl who had defeated him was no easy thing to do.

Out of malice, Amy did exactly what she said she would do during their duel. She ripped 'Giant Lacewings into sixty-odd pieces and tossed it into Benjamin's face.

The screen went snowy.

"Do they really do that? Rip up their opponent's cards I mean?" Tyler queried, very much disturbed.

"Yes. Frequently."

"Why?"

"Such is the way of the String Tournament. In fact, if you fight in the premier match, you're pretty much expected to do so."

"Weird."

"There are some peculiar rules as well. For instance, everybody must have a 'Card of Sanctity' in his or her deck or he or she is disqualified."

"Really?"

"Yes. And there's a lot of banned cards as well, including E-heroes, D-heroes, C-Heroes, B-Heroes, A-Heroes, and V-Heroes."

"What?!? My Atomic Heroes are my best monsters."

"Well, you're going to have to get some new powerful beasts."
"Why are those banned?"

"Too much support. Too many ways to fuse. Polymerization, Contact Fusion, Future Fusion, Time Fusion, Backwards Fusion, to name only a few."

"Well, I'm glad to have a friend like you helping me."

Knat walked away. If you could've seen his face, you would've noticed a malicious grin creep across it. "You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into, Tyler."