This tournament is getting weirder by the minute.
When someone in the village mentioned a dragon named Hooktail and a treasure in his castle, I was skeptical. I figured it was nothing more than something that the tournament heads put in as an extra, like a secret level to a video game…
But Melissa was not the average duelist. I have a feeling she was quite serious when she said I would "be stricken with a punishment too horrible for words" if I lost my duel to her. And it seems that there truly is a "Shadow Queen" of sorts lurking around this island.
And judging by the looks of the duelist who's facing me right now…
Well, let's just say that my skepticism is very quickly fading…
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CHAPTER SIX
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Unfriendly Fire
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In the dark Palace of Shadows, a form knelt before the Shadow Queen…
"So," said the Queen, "I take it you know what you're doing?"
"I've calibrated my attack strategy, milady," answered the kneeling figure. "Little Francesca won't stand a chance."
"Good," said the Shadow Queen, with a pleasant smile, "but don't get too sure of yourself. There is one thing you should look out for…"
She paused.
"I know one aspect of your strategy," she continued. "You are not, repeat, NOT to try to use Francesca's own cards against her. If you try, it could be… bad."
"Bad?" asked the figure. "How so?"
"Trust me," warned the Queen. "Bad. Now go, and don't disappoint me."
The figure rose and left.
The Shadow Queen went to her viewing globe, and saw the three teenagers sleeping. Her eyes focused on Francesca.
"So young…" she purred, "so pure and innocent…"
She paused.
"Maybe before my servant gets there, I'll shake her up a bit…"
She picked up a deck of cards, and leafed through them. She looked at a card.
Dreamsprite.
She tossed the card into her fireplace, and the flames blazed green.
A girlish giggle filled the room, and the cute plant-fairy flew out of the flames.
"Go, my Dreamsprite!" ordered the Shadow Queen. "Give Francesca a taste of your nocturnal naughtiness!"
Dreamsprite giggled, and vanished into sparkling mist…
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Next to the ancient bones of Hooktail, Stan, Andy, and Francesca slept. The chamber was surprisingly warm and cozy. Outside, the clouds passed by a full moon…
A shimmering appeared over Francesca, and Dreamsprite appeared…
The Duel Monster giggled, and raised her hand. She sprinkled sparkling dust over Fran's face.
Francesca winced in her sleep… Her dreams started to turn strange…
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She dreamt that she was in a rocky valley surrounded by foreboding mountains. She was dueling, and her opponent was one of the best there was – Seto Kaiba!
Thunder flashed…
"Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" ordered Kaiba, "annihilate her Fighter with white lighting!"
The mighty Dragon shot forth its blast; Amazoness Fighter screamed and was blown to atoms!
"I'm not out of this yet, Kaiba!" cursed Francesca.
She drew.
"Time to slay your Dragon!" she shouted, as lighting flashed again. "I sacrifice my Amazoness Swords Woman to summon Penumbral Soldier Lady!"
She put the card on her Disk, and her Swords Woman vanished. The beautiful Warrior of darkness leapt up, ready to attack!
"Now, attack his Dragon with Sword of Shadows!" she yelled.
Penumbral Soldier Lady leapt up and cleaved the huge Dragon through the chest! It roared and burst into a blast of pixels!
"Hmm, impressive…" said Kaiba, "but this duel is far from over…"
He drew a card.
"I'll play my Pot of Greed!" he announced, placing it into a slot.
He drew two more cards.
"Now I'll play Monster Reborn, to bring back the Blue-Eyes you just destroyed!"
He played the card, and the huge dragon reappeared, and bellowed!
"Humph, I'll just kill it again…" sneered Francesca.
"I don't think so…" said Kaiba with a smirk, taking three cards from his hand. "Because now, I play Polymerization, to fuse this Blue-Eyes with the other two in my hand!"
He played the cards, and two more Blue-Eyes White Dragons appeared! They swirled into a vortex, and the immense form of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon arose!
"Your Penumbral Soldier Lady is strong against creatures of Light, but she's not strong enough to defeat one this powerful!"
Penumbral Soldier Lady drew back in fear…
"Now my Dragon," shouted Kaiba, "destroy her Soldier with neuron blast!"
The Dragon's three mouths roared, and shot forth three lethal streams, blasting Penumbral Soldier Lady to nothing!
Francesca shivered in fright…
"Make your move…" mocked Kaiba.
There's got to be something I can do… thought Francesca in fear.
She drew…
And her cards turned to dust!
"NO!" she shouted in panic.
"Since you seem incapable of making a move, I'll make mine…" said Kaiba, drawing.
He looked at the card.
"Well," he smiled, "I could blast you with this Dragon, but I've got a better idea… I play… De-Fusion!"
Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon swirled into a pool of light.
"This separates my Dragon into its three component Dragons," he continued, "each one with 3,000 Attack Points aimed directly at you!"
The three Blue-Eyes glared at Francesca.
"NO, PLEASE!" begged Francesca. "That's overkill!"
"Bah, you deserve it for having the gall to challenge me!" scoffed Kaiba. "Now my Dragons, attack her directly!"
Francesca screamed as the three blasts of white lightning thundered towards her…
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As Francesca woke up with a start, Dreamsprite giggled and vanished.
Francesca held her head.
I guess it's true what they say, she thought, whoever is in charge of dreams won't let you die in them… Maybe I should get more experience before actually trying to find Kaiba…
She looked at Stan and Andy who were sleeping.
Ah, I'll never get back to sleep, she said. Maybe I'll go for a walk…
An inner voice made her look at her Disk. She shrugged and picked it up.
She walked out the doorway into the long hall that led to the chamber. She stared to wander down.
Then she saw a door on the side of the hallway.
Huh? she thought. Didn't notice that before…
She opened it. She looked down at a dark stairway going down.
"Francesca…" whispered a voice from the darkness. "Francesca…"
"Okay," said Francesca, straitening her jeans, "whoever is down there wants to see me… Far be it from me to disappoint him…"
She walked down the stairs…
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Stan got up, still half asleep.
"Andy?" he muttered.
"Yeah?" moaned Andy.
"Did you hear that?" he asked.
"No," responded Andy.
"Eh, me neither," replied Stan.
They went back to sleep.
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Francesca reached the bottom of the stairway and entered a creepy hallway, filled with dust and cobwebs. Suits of armor carrying halberds flanked the walls.
"That's it Francesca," beckoned the voice, which was now clearly feminine. "Just follow my voice…"
Francesca walked down the hallway, and it soon ended at a door.
She was surprised when she looked at it. The door was painted with a violent scene, depicting her Amazon Warriors fighting some fiendish creatures that she couldn't identify. And the Amazons were clearly losing. Many of them were being mercilessly tortured to death by the beasts. Fran frowned.
"If this is your idea of an attempt to demoralize me, spooky," she angrily said, opening the door, "you're doing a lousy job…"
She looked inside the door, and entered a large, circular room. Weapons racks full of swords, axes, and maces lined the walls, and shields hung above them.
"Huh, no one here…" she muttered.
"Oh, that's where you're wrong…" chuckled a voice.
A tall female figure materialized at the other end of room…
Francesca gasped. She recognized the female Warrior in front of her well. The black, graying hair tied in a long braid with a headband; the shoulder guards studded with spikes; the black, tight-fitting shirt, elbow-length gloves, long breechcloth, and knee-high boots; not to mention the sword slung at her side…
The Unfriendly Amazon locked eyes with Francesca and smiled a slight smile.
"Hello, child," she said with an evil smile. "I've been waiting a long time for this…"
Francesca slowly reached for her deck…
"If you're thinking of conjuring a Duel Monster to attack me with, forget it," snapped the Amazon. "I'm different than those Zombie Warriors – I can't be destroyed that way."
Francesca gulped.
"And now I have you right where I want you, Francesca," she continued. "By destroying you, I'll finally have my revenge against the ones who ruined my life… namely your pathetic Amazons!"
"What?" asked Francesca in fear. "You're going to kill me?"
"Eventually," replied the Amazon. "But not outright. That wouldn't be fair. Before I can do away with you, we have to do things the usual way… if you're not too scared…"
She raised her arm, and a Duel Disk appeared on it.
"Me? Duel you?" asked Francesca, now very scared.
The Unfriendly Amazon nodded.
"Unless you just want me to make it quick," she said with a smile, fingering her sword.
Francesca looked around.
I could try to make a run for it, but I doubt I could outrun her, she thought. If my own story is true, she's deadlier than most Amazons… I have to try to beat her…
"Okay," said Francesca with a shudder, "I'll take you on…"
"You're a fool," said the Amazon with a wicked smile. "The quick way would have been less painful! And less humiliating. No human can duel better than an actual Duel Monster! And once I've defeated you, my revenge will be complete, and my master will reward me well!"
"Master?" asked Francesca. "Who's your…"
"None of your business!" interrupted The Unfriendly Amazon. "It's time to duel!"
The holo-imagers shot out, and the Disks flipped into position.
The Life Point counters set to 8,000 apiece, and they drew their first hands.
"Since it's only fair," said the Amazon, "I'll let you go first."
"Gladly," smiled Francesca.
She drew.
Not bad… she thought.
"I'll summon… Amazoness Paladin!" she shouted.
She placed her card down, and the fierce Amazon general appeared in Attack Mode! (1,700/300) –) (1,800/300)
"That will do for now," she said.
"Bringing out your big guns early, I see," commented the Amazon. "Well she won't help you…"
She drew.
"I summon a creature known as Jirai Gumo in Attack Mode!" she announced.
She put the card down, and a frightening creature appeared. It was a huge spider with slobbering jaws and scythe-like claws on its front legs! (2,200/100)
"And that will end my turn," she said.
Hmmm, thought Francesca. She didn't attack… and for good reason. If she attacks with that Monster, there's a fifty percent chance that she'll lose half her Life Points… but why even have such a Monster in her deck?
She put a card down.
"I summon Amazoness Swords Woman in Attack Mode!" she announced.
The furious female Warrior holding her huge sword appeared. (1,500/1,600)
She sneered at The Unfriendly Amazon.
"She seems to remember you!" chuckled Francesca.
"Yes…" said the Amazon with a scowl. "I hated her… She was the one who argued the loudest for my exile…"
"Well, thanks to her, my Paladin now has an Attack of 1,900!" stated Francesca, "and it's your move!"
The Amazon drew.
"I'll summon this Monster in Attack Mode," she said, putting a card down. "The mighty Giant Orc!"
A huge form appeared next to Jirai Gumo. It was a hulking ogre with white skin, a bald head, and sharp teeth. It carried a club made from a huge femur. (2,200/0)
Francesca gasped.
"But I'm not ready to attack yet," stated the Amazon. "Make your move…"
Now why didn't she attack? thought Francesca. I know Giant Orc has to shift into Defense Mode after it attacks, but losing it would be a small price to pay for destroying my Amazoness Paladin…
She drew.
Hey! It's that card I won from Melissa! Think I'll take it for a test run…
She added it to her hand.
"First, I'll summon my Amazoness Blowpiper!" she announced.
She placed a card down, and the slim Warrior carrying her blowpipe appeared. (800/1,500)
"And now I'll play this Magic Card… Earth Tremor!"
She played the card, and it revealed itself, showing a village shaking under an earthquake.
"Earth Tremor?" asked the Amazon. "What does that do?"
"To activate this card, I first have to sacrifice an Earth Monster," smiled Francesca. "So, I'll sacrifice my Blowpiper…"
Amazoness Blowpiper smirked at The Unfriendly Amazon, and then she vanished.
"And now…" smiled Francesca.
The chamber started to rumble…
"The power of the card creates a tremor on your side of the field, and you take damage equal to 500 Life Points times the star level of your most powerful Monster! Since your highest level Monster – actually both of them – has four stars, you lose 2,000 Life Points!"
The Unfriendly Amazon was thrown off her feet by the tremor, and she landed on her rump!
Her Life Points fell to 6,000.
Ooh! she thought. Where'd she get a card that powerful? No matter… I'll have the last laugh in the end…
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Up in Hooktail's chamber, Stan actually woke up.
"Andy, wake up," he said, nudging him.
"Huh?" asked Andy.
"You remember that thing we didn't hear?" asked Stan, suspiciously.
"Yeah, what about it?" replied Andy.
"Well I'm not hearing it again, and I don't like it…" answered Stan.
Andy turned around.
"Stan, Francesca's gone!" he exclaimed.
"Okay," said Stan, looking around, "let's not panic… She couldn't have gone far…"
"She might be in trouble," muttered Andy. "I knew sleeping in this place was a bad idea…"
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"It's your move, murderer," mocked Fran.
"How dare you…" cursed the Amazon, drawing.
She looked at her card.
"I choose to pass for this turn," she said.
"Okay," smiled Fran, drawing.
She grinned as she looked at her card.
"All right!" she laughed. "I summon the mighty Command Knight in Attack Mode!"
She threw a card on her Disk, and a fiery bonfire appeared. A beautiful woman stepped out of it, with long, strawberry blonde hair, dressed in brown ceremonial armor with a cape, and a fur cap with feathers. She drew a golden sword. (1,200/1,900)
"This lady may not be an Amazon, but she's a big help to them," explained Francesca, "because so long as she's on the field, all of my Warriors gain 400 Attack Points!"
Amazoness Paladin's Attack rose to 2,300, Amazoness Swords Woman's rose to 1,900, and Command Knight herself's rose to 1,600.
"Amazoness Paladin, attack her Giant Orc with blade of the Amazons!"
Amazoness Paladin leapt into the air, and slashed though Giant Orc! The ogre gasped, and burst into fragments.
The Unfriendly Amazon's Life Points fell to 5,900. She sneered.
"Having fun, Francesca?" she asked with a smug grin.
"Naw…" said Francesca, sarcastically. "I'm having a terrible time kicking your ass!"
"Well it's my move now," said the Amazon.
She drew.
"I'll place two cards facedown on the field," she said, fitting two cards into slots. "And that will end my turn."
Francesca drew.
"Heh, heh," she chuckled, adding it to her hand. "Get ready, cause here it comes!
"Amazoness Paladin, take down her Jirai Gumo!"
Amazoness Paladin leapt into the air, and buried her sword in the huge spider's thorax! The creature squealed and then burst!
"Now, Amazoness Swords Woman and Command Knight, attack the exile's Life Points… directly!"
Amazoness Swords Woman lifted her huge blade and charged! She struck The Unfriendly Amazon, sending her staggering back!
Command Knight's sword burned with fire, and she smote her foe! The Amazon fell over.
The Unfriendly Amazon's Life Points were reduced to 2,300.
"This has to be the easiest duel I've ever had!" laughed Francesca. "I've taken you down to almost a quarter of your Life Points, and I still have all of mine!"
Foolish girl… thought the Amazon. Can't you see that I've LET you get ahead?
She got up.
"My move now, Francesca," she announced.
She drew.
This will do nicely, she thought.
"I'll place one card facedown," she stated, fitting a card into a slot.
The card appeared next to her other two.
"And then I'll summon a Warrior known to comic book fans as Zombyra the Dark, in Attack Mode!"
She put the card down, and a dark-looking superhero in a black costume with a cape and a skull-like mask appeared, striking a heroic pose. (2,100/500)
"Is that all?" laughed Francesca. "Maybe criminals would be frightened of Zombyra, but he doesn't scare me!"
"You're so sure of yourself?" said the Amazon, coldly.
"Lemme do the math for you," said Francesca, with a smile, "once my Paladin destroys Zombyra, my Swords Woman and Command Knight will attack, bringing you down to…"
She made a quick calculation.
"…negative 1,400 Life Points!"
"Make your move…" snarled The Unfriendly Amazon, as if she didn't care.
Her finger caressed a button on her Disk…
Francesca drew.
She chuckled as she looked at the card.
"Well," she laughed, "I'm gonna end this with the biggest bang ever! Ready for the big finish? I summon Amazoness Tiger, in Attack Mode!"
She put her card down. The fierce Tigress appeared and roared! (1,100/1,500) –) (2,300/1,500)
"Now…" started Francesca.
"I activate a Trap!" shouted The Unfriendly Amazon.
One of her facedown cards lifted, showing Dark Ruler Hades suffering from some painful curse…
"Activate Skill Drain!" she yelled.
"Skill Drain?" gasped Francesca, startled. "What the heck is that?"
"A very powerful Trap," answered the Amazon with a smile. "I have to pay 1,000 Life Points to activate it…"
Her Life Points fell to 1,300.
"But so long as this Continuous Trap is on the field, all Effect Monsters lose their effects!"
"NO!" gasped Francesca in horror. "Without their effects… my Amazons are…"
"…weaklings!" interrupted The Unfriendly Amazon with an evil grin.
Amazoness Paladin's Attack Score dropped to 1,700, Swords Woman's dropped to 1,500, Command Knight's dropped to 1,200, while the Tiger's dropped to 1,100.
"On the other hand," smiled the Amazon. "Zombyra the Dark actually benefits! Without his effects, he no longer loses Attack Points after he attacks!"
Francesca was stunned.
"I'll shift my Paladin, Swords Woman, and Command Knight to Defense Mode…" she grunted, turning the cards.
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Meanwhile…
"Hey Stan," noted Andy, "where do you think this leads?"
Stan looked down the dark staircase.
"I don't know," he answered, "but I have a feeling Francesca went down there…"
"It looks kind of scary…" muttered Andy, shivering.
"This from a guy who stood up to two Dark Necrofears…" said Stan.
He paused.
"Hold on… Necrofears? Or just Necrofear? What's the plural of Dark Necrofear?"
"Who cares?" shuddered Andy.
"We have to go down there," sighed Stan. "Francesca might be in danger.
"Frankly… I have a bad feeling about this…"
"Okay…" said Andy with a shiver.
They descended the staircase…
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"Before you end your turn," stated The Unfriendly Amazon, "I'll activate my other Trap Card…"
Another of her facedown cards lifted.
"Solemn Wishes!" she exclaimed. "This Trap will restore my Life Points by 500 whenever I draw for any reason!"
"Clever…" snarled Francesca.
"Now it's my turn…" chuckled the Amazon, drawing.
A shower of gold fell upon her, and her Life Points went up to 1,800.
"Now I'll summon the mighty Flash Assailant in Attack Mode!" she exclaimed.
She put a card down, and a fiendish-looking pirate with a skullcap and an eyepatch, dressed in a red scarf and green pants and carrying a dagger appeared. (2,000/2,000)
"Normally, this Monster would lose 400 Attack and Defense Points for every card in my hand, but my Skill Drain card removes that handicap!
"And if you thought switching your Monsters into Defense Mode kept your Life Points safe, think again…"
She hit a button on her Disk, and her final facedown card lifted.
"I activate Meteorain!"
"No!" gasped Francesca. "That lets you damage my Life Points even when my Monsters are in Defense Mode!"
"Correct!" grinned the Amazon. "And in case you didn't notice, your Paladin only has 300 Defense Points!
"Flash Assailant, attack Amazoness Paladin with flash dagger attack!"
Flash Assailant grinned and leapt forward, slashing through Amazoness Paladin! She screamed and vanished.
Francesca's Life Points took a dive to 6,300.
"Zombyra," continued the Amazon, "attack her Tiger with super-powered punch attack!"
Zombyra the Dark flew forward, and slugged Amazoness Tiger, blasting her out of existence!
Francesca's Life Points fell to 5,300.
"Has it sunk in yet, Francesca?" asked the Amazon. "The Duel Monsters world is full of creatures like me… four-star Monsters who sought greater power and achieved it. But in order to stay four-star, we had to pay terrible costs! It's called the Four-Star Curse, for lack of a better term. People like Zombyra, Flash Assailant, Nuvia the Wicked, Susa Soldier… There are lots of them! Because of this, we're all practical exiles, our cards nothing but trade-bait!
"Skill Drain is a blessing to us! And my deck is loaded with those who suffer the Four-Star Curse – my Trap Card sets them free!"
"You must feel so proud…" said Francesca, sarcastically. "Maybe you can start a rebellion… lead an uprising for Monsters who suffer because they have to take penalties for being powerful and four-starred!"
"The thought did cross my mind," sneered the Amazon. "Now make your move."
Francesca drew a card.
"I have to pass this turn…" she said meekly.
"Your funeral…" chuckled the Amazon.
She drew, and her Life Points went up to 2,300.
"Now I'll play the Magic Card… Full House!" she laughed.
"Full House?" gasped Francesca. "What does that do?"
The Unfriendly Amazon plugged it into a slot, and the image of a hand appeared, and produced a hand of cards.
"Full House is a rare and powerful card that let's me draw until I hold a full hand of six cards!" answered the Amazon. "It's like Card of Sanctity, except I don't have to share the effect with you!"
Three cards flew out of her deck, and she took them.
"And since I just drew, I gain another 500 Life Points from Solemn Wishes!" she continued. "Not that I need more Life Points to defeat you, but it can't hurt!"
Her Life Points went up to 2,800.
"Now I'll summon Dark Elf in Attack Mode!" she exclaimed.
She threw a card down, and a sinister looking elf with black hair in a dark robe and a golden tiara. (2,000/800)
"And thanks to my Trap Card," continued the Amazon, "I don't need to spend Life Points for her to attack!"
"Enough with the Skill Drain card!" cursed Francesca. "I get it!"
"Then get this," smiled the Amazon. "Flash Assailant, destroy her Command Knight!"
Flash Assailant ran forward and cut down Command Knight! The Warrior collapsed and vanished in a burst of flame.
"Dark Elf, attack that lousy Swords Woman with dark elven magic!"
Dark Elf cackled, and blasted forth a beam of black magic, obliterating Amazoness Swords Woman!
"Zombyra the Dark, attack Francesca directly!"
Zombyra flew forward and slammed his fist into Francesca's gut! She gasped and fell over!
Her Life Points fell to 3,200.
"How'd you do THAT?" gasped Francesca, cringing. "Zombyra can't attack directly!"
"The Skill Drain card removes ALL his effects, remember?" said the Amazon, coldly.
Then The Unfriendly Amazon cackled.
"Heh, heh," she chuckled. "I don't mean to laugh at you, Fran, but next round, you're finished! Nothing you can summon can defeat my army of creatures now that I've stripped them of their handicaps!"
"Fran!" shouted a voice. "Fran!"
At that moment, Stan and Andy ran into the room.
"Guys?" said Francesca, turning around.
"Fran?" questioned Stan. "And you're dueling… The Unfriendly Amazon?"
"Well, isn't this sweet!" exclaimed the Amazon. "Your friends are here just in time to witness your demise!"
"Stan, this is bad!" exclaimed Andy. "That Amazon has Skill Drain on the field! All of Francesca's Monsters are hindered by that card… and those three Monsters she's facing are strengthened by it!"
"Don't I know it…" moaned Francesca.
"Francesca!" shouted Stan. "Don't give up! Have faith in yourself, and you CAN defeat this creature!"
Francesca looked at her hand.
I have two cards that could make a combo that could help, she thought, but I need a third!
She reached for her deck.
Okay, remember what Stan said… have faith in yourself, and believe in the Heart of the Cards…
She drew. She looked at the card.
"Okay, witch," she said with a grin. "Time to take control of this duel!"
"How do you intend to do that?" chuckled the Amazon.
"I'll show you…" frowned Francesca. "First I'll play Monster Reborn, to bring back Amazoness Paladin!"
She threw the card into a slot, and the powerful Paladin returned. (1,700/300)
"Bah, I'll just destroy her again!" laughed the Amazon.
"Let me finish!" snapped Francesca. "I'll also summon this Warrior… A fierce fighter by the name of Warrior Dai Grepher!"
She placed the card on her Disk, and a powerful male warrior appeared. He was dressed in black leather armor, wore a headband, and carried a large greatsword. (1,700/1,600)
"Huh?" quipped Stan. "Why does she have him in her deck?"
"And now," said Francesca, "I'll bring them together… with Polymerization!"
She threw a card into a slot, and the two Warriors were drawn into a vortex…
"Fused together," continued Francesca, "they form a mighty Amazon Warrior known and feared as… AMAZONESS QUEEN!"
A tall, powerful female form leapt out of the vortex. She was wearing an armored one-piece that didn't hide her voluptuous figure; she also wore a large red cape, a golden crown and a gorgeous necklace. She bore two razor-sharp scimitars. (2,500/1,400)
"NO!" screamed The Unfriendly Amazon. "Not her! Not her!"
"Yes, the one who banished you right?" answered Francesca. "Well she doesn't care about your Skill Drain, because she doesn't need an effect to be powerful!
"Since I can't attack with her this turn, I'm ending my turn now…"
The Amazon shook as she drew. The shower of gold fell upon her, and her Life Points went up to 3,300.
"I'll…" she stuttered, "I'll move all my Monsters into Defense Mode and end my turn…"
Dark Elf, Flash Assailant, and Zombyra the Dark all knelt in Defense.
"Good," smiled Francesca, drawing. "Amazoness Queen, take out Zombyra the Dark with your royal slash attack!"
Amazoness Queen raised her two scimitars and leapt forward, slicing Zombyra in twain! He burst into dark pixels!
"Go, Fran!" yelled Andy.
"Your move," smiled Francesca.
The Amazon drew. Her Life Points went up to 3,800.
She looked at her hand.
I have one card that I could use to crush Francesca now… she thought, but I need two others!
"I'll pass this turn…" she snarled.
"Good," smiled Francesca, drawing. "Amazoness Queen, attack her Flash Assailant!"
Amazoness Queen pounced, and swiped at the pirate! Flash Assailant moaned, and burst into fragments.
"Your move again," sighed Francesca.
The Amazon started to sweat. She drew, and her Life Points went up to 4,300.
The second card I need! she thought. Now all I need is the right Monster Card… Fortunately, my deck has three copies of it…
"I pass again…" she said.
"Okay…" said Francesca, drawing.
She placed a card down on her Disk.
"I summon Amazoness Fighter in Attack Mode!" she shouted.
The bulky female Warrior materialized and flexed her muscles. (1,500/1,300)
The two Amazons looked at each other, and nodded.
"She may not have her effect," exclaimed Francesca, "but she's strong enough to take down your Elf! Amazoness Fighter, destroy Dark Elf with savage kick!"
Amazoness Fighter leapt forward and slammed her knee into Dark Elf! The Spellcaster toppled over and vanished.
"Amazoness Queen, attack The Unfriendly Amazon directly!" shouted Francesca.
Amazoness Queen leapt up with her twin swords and slashed at The Unfriendly Amazon! The evil Warrior fell over.
Her Life Points fell to 1,800.
Amazoness Queen shook her head in disappointment, and walked back to Francesca's side.
"Yes!" cheered Stan.
"You go, girl!" yelled Andy.
"Had enough?" asked Francesca.
"Never!" snarled the Amazon, getting up.
She drew, and her Life Points went up to 2,300.
She looked at the card.
Yes! she thought with glee. Now I have her just where I want her!
She grinned at Francesca as she took a card from her hand.
"First I'll summon Goblin Attack Force in Attack Mode!" she exclaimed.
She put a card down, and a team of four goblin fighters armed with clubs materialized. (2,300/0)
"You think I'm scared of that?" chuckled Francesca. "Amazoness Queen is still stronger!"
"I'm not done!" laughed the Amazon.
She fit a card into her Disk…
A Magic Card lifted up, showing the image of Magician of Faith on a hillside, casting a spell over a mass of impoverished peasants.
"I play Gift of Magician of Faith!" she exclaimed.
"Huh? What does that do?" asked Francesca.
"Yeah, what?" asked Andy.
"Simple," replied the Amazon. "I name one Magic Card that you have in your Graveyard, and you return it to your hand… and I'm naming your Earth Tremor card!"
A light shone in Francesca's discard slot, and a ball of light shot out of it. It floated towards her hand, and formed into the card.
"What good will that do you?" she asked.
"Simple…" grinned the Amazon, wickedly.
She selected another card.
"I also play… Exchange!"
Francesca gasped as the card revealed itself.
"You know the rules, Francesca," smiled the Amazon. "Now kindly hand over your Earth Tremor card…"
Francesca hung her head. She walked over to her foe and held out her hand.
"Thank you!" laughed the Amazon, snatching the card.
She held out her own hand.
"Now pick any card you like!"
"Oh, Heavy Storm will do!" snarled Francesca, snatching a card.
She went back to her position.
I've lost… she thought. Amazoness Queen is a seven-star Monster… once she plays that card, I'll lose 3,500 Life Points… and I only have 3,200 left!
"Fran, how many stars does your Queen have?" asked Andy, somewhat frightened.
Fran didn't answer.
"Quite a powerful card…" chuckled the Amazon, looking at it. "I think I'll keep this once I've destroyed you!"
She placed it into a slot.
"Now, I'll sacrifice my Goblins…" she cackled.
Goblin Attack Force vanished.
"…and prepare to lose!"
She laughed out loud.
There was a long pause.
"Well?" said the Unfriendly Amazon.
Strangely, there was no earthquake.
Nothing happened at all!
"WHAT?" gasped the Amazon. "You should have lost 3,500 Life Points! It… it didn't work!"
Francesca was slowly taking this in.
"I don't know why it didn't work," she growled, "but I'm not complaining! Finish your move!"
The Unfriendly Amazon started to sweat heavily… she looked at the cards in her hand…
"Uh…" she said. "I'll… I'll place three cards facedown and end my turn!"
She placed the last cards in her hand into slots, and they appeared next to her Skill Drain and Solemn Wishes.
"What a shame," smiled Francesca, drawing. "Did you forget about the card I just took from you?"
The Amazon turned white…
"I play Heavy Storm!" yelled Francesca, slamming it into a slot.
A fierce wind blew across the field. First the Skill Drain blew away, then the Solemn Wishes. Then the two other cards, revealed to be two more Skill Drain cards and a Seven Tools of the Bandit, blew away.
"Humph, only bluffs," shrugged Francesca. "Amazoness Queen, finish her off!"
Amazoness Queen charged across the room, and made two slashes at the Amazon with her swords! The Unfriendly Amazon screamed as her Life Points fell to zero.
"No!" she moaned, falling to her knees. "I lost…"
"That's right," frowned Francesca, walking up to her. "You fell before Amazoness Queen, just like you did the first time…"
She bent down and reached for her foe's discard slot.
"And by the way," growled Francesca.
She removed the cards from it.
"…I'm taking back my card!"
"Great job, Fran!" shouted Andy.
"So," muttered Stan, "what do we do with her?"
They saw that The Unfriendly Amazon was now a pitiful wreck, sobbing on the ground…
And then a dark portal opened behind her, and she was drawn through it.
"That was odd…" said Andy.
"Odd or not," questioned Stan, "we have a lot to think about… who sent that creature after Francesca? And why didn't the Earth Tremor card work when she used it?"
"I don't know," sighed Francesca.
She looked at the card.
"Maybe this is more than just… a card…"
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In a dark room in the Palace of Shadows, The Unfriendly Amazon was crouching on the floor.
The Shadow Queen was in front of her, in wild fury. She had a Duel Disk on her left arm, and a scepter in her right hand.
"Idiot!" shouted the Queen, clubbing the Amazon with her scepter. "Imbecile! Moron!"
"Mercy, please!" begged the Amazon. "Don't hit me again!"
"What did I tell you before you left?" yelled the Queen. "What did I tell you? I specifically told you NOT to use Francesca's own cards against her! BUT YOU TRIED TO ANYWAY!"
"It was my only option!" pleaded the Amazon.
"Why didn't you just attack her Fighter with Goblin Attack Force?" demanded the Queen.
"Her Amazoness Queen would have destroyed it!" protested the Amazon.
"Really?" stated the Shadow Queen. "See what you would have drawn on your next turn…"
The Unfriendly Amazon shakily drew a card from her deck.
She showed it to her master…
"Snatch Steal, I see," scowled the Shadow Queen. "If you had listened to me, you would have won!"
"But why didn't the Earth Tremor card work?" asked the Amazon.
"Fool!" shouted the Queen, clubbing her again. "Earth Tremor is no average card! Not everyone can wield its power! Certainly not you!"
She hit the Amazon again.
"Mercy, please…" begged the Amazon.
"Mercy?" said the Queen with a frown.
She flipped her Disk into position.
"You should have thought of that before disobeying me…"
She picked a card from her deck and looked at it.
Grave Arm.
"What are you going to do?" gulped the Amazon.
"You're a Duel Monster," said the Shadow Queen with a scowl on her face, "you've been defeated, so you're going where all defeated Duel Monsters go…"
She threw the card into a slot.
"I banish you to The Graveyard!"
The floor underneath The Unfriendly Amazon started to churn, and then a huge, gruesome claw broke up and grabbed her!
"NO!" she screamed.
The Shadow Queen remained stone-faced as the Amazon was pulled under…
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Back at Hooktail Castle, the three youths tried hard to get some sleep for the remainder of the night…
Eventually, morning dawned on Monster Island…
But when Francesca watched her friends wake up, she couldn't help but feel spooked by the whole encounter.
Sure, she had won, and she had been spared whatever horrid fate The Unfriendly Amazon had been planning. As far as the tournament went, it was an unsanctioned duel which she had been forced into…
But deep down, she felt she didn't deserve to win. She wouldn't have – if the Earth Tremor card had worked for her opponent.
What had gone wrong? Had the Amazon read the card's instructions wrong? No… she looked at the card over and over. Her opponent had done just what the instructions had required. Goblin Attack Force was an Earth Monster, and she had sacrificed it…
So why had this powerful card decided to play favorites?
As the sun started to rise, the skepticism in Francesca's heart was fading to nothing…
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FULL HOUSE (Magic Card)
Card Specs
Type: Magic
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK: -
DEF: -
Card Description: Image of a hand holding a hand of cards. Draw until you hold six cards in your hand.
Note: This card first appeared in "City of Souls".
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0
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GIFT OF MAGICIAN OF FAITH (Magic Card)
Card Specs
Type: Magic
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK: -
DEF: -
Card Description: Image of Magician of Faith on a hilltop casting a spell upon a group of impoverished peasants. Chose one Magic Card in your opponent's Graveyard. Your opponent returns the card to his hand.
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0
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AMAZONESS QUEEN (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Warrior/Fusion
Attribute: Earth
Level: 7
ATK: 2,500
DEF: 1,700
Card Description: Amazoness Paladin plus Warrior Dai Grepher.
This fierce warrior is the ruler of the Amazon Tribe. She rewards anyone brave enough to challenge her with a quick death.
0
0
0
EARTH TREMOR (Magic Card)
Card Specs
Type: Magic
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK: -
DEF: -
Card Description: Image of a village shaking under an earthquake. To activate this card, offer one EARTH Monster on your side of the field as Tribute. For every level star of the face-up opposing Monster on the field with the most level stars, inflict 500 points of direct damage to your opponent's Life Points.
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Why didn't the Earth Tremor card work when The Unfriendly Amazon tried to use it? That question will go unanswered for now.
Coming up next, Francesca is going to take a well-deserved break from dueling. The trio of heroes enter the windy Boggly Woods, where Andy comes face-to-face with a duelist who just wants what they want. It's going to be "A Devil of a Time", coming soon…
