Nexus 020: Nothing New Under the Moon
Zach's LP: 3400 Marie's LP: 8000
"My turn!" Zach needed two Lunalights, Purple Butterfly(4/1000/1000) was already summoned. "Lunalight Black Sheep!" The second he could normal summon; a white-haired woman(2/100/600) in a black tuxedo. The horns and wool on her back gave away what kind of animal they were dealing with. "And I activate Fusion Substitute!" Black Sheep fused with Purple Butterfly; two Lunalight monster materials. "This is my Fusion summon! Dance for me, Lunalight Cat Dancer!" Together they returned to the form of a feline, a dancing redhaired cat-woman(7/2400/2200) in a long flowing blue dress. "Visually, not much changes. Does it, Creffield?" Iria smirked. No matter the period, it seemed her partner preferred a musical lady's touch for his deck. "Perhaps not. But the execution will bring all the difference! When Black Sheep is used as a fusion material, one of my fallen Lunalights can get another chance to shine!" The effect of the Black Sheep moved one of the Blue Cats from the graveyard to Zach's hand. "Now. Let's dance, Marie!"
"I don't do dancing." She claimed. "That sounds like what Silver would say!" Zach let out a quick laugh, which he regretted even quicker. "What did you say, Creffield?" The comparison did not amuse her. "Uh.. I mean, If I banish Lunalight Purple Butterfly from my graveyard. One Lunalight can be special summoned from my hand!" The purple lady exiled herself to another dimension, and let its lingering stardust guide Lunalight Blue Cat(4/1600/1200) back to Zach's field. "Lunalight Blue Cat has another effect that activates after I special summon her! She will double the attackpoints of another Lunalight on my field!" The lesser cat made a playful swipe with her paw, sending new energy into the more mature Cat Dancer(4800/2200). "Cat Dancer can attack all monsters on the field, twice, if I sacrifice a Lunalight for her!" Zach activated his spell, Monster Reborn, to resummon Lunalight Black Sheep. And he immediately sacrificed her to awaken Cat Dancer's powers. "Cat Dancer, attack the Ultimate Pound Golem!" Zach's new fusion monster spun around and cut into the metal golem with her crescent blades. Marie took battle damage, yet also lost 100 lifepoints.
Marie's LP: 6100
"Tch. Cat Dancer inflicts extra damage when it attacks?" Apparently the guild was not the only one with dangerous fusions. "That was just the first verse, Marie!" The Golem was not destroyed by the first attack. The effect of the Cat Dancer kept its prey alive once, just so she could attack it again. "Bah." The second strike destroyed the Ancient Gear permanently, and caused another 1800 plus 100 points of damage. "But now that my machine destroyed, I get some new cards!" Thanks to Ultimate pound's effect, Marie secured a Polymerization from her deck and an Ancient Gear Hydra from her graveyard. "Duly noted... Blue Cat, attack the opponent.. Marie Celeste!" The moonlight feline used her claws to deliver some more pain Marie's way. "Gah." Lastly, Zach placed one more trap on the field and passed the turn to his opponent. Cat Dancer(2400/2200) lost her attackboost at that point. "Looks like I have the upper hand now, Marie!"
Marie's LP: 2600
"Don't get all excited. I know how to proceed with your cards... " Marie quickly activated the field spell, Geartown. "Ancient Gear Catapult can be activated from my graveyard to destroy one of my cards and to create an Ancient Gear Token." The catapult spell was banished and not too quietly. The card exploded and took Geartown down with it. Only a small winding gear(1/0/0) survived the destruction. "And now I can summon one Ancient Gear monster from my deck! Geartown can at least!" Her destroyed field spell used its effect to special summon the Ancient Gear Gadget(3/1000/1000). "I know what you plan. I will meet you with my Dimensional Barrier!" Zach unveiled his trap. "I declare fusion, so that neither of us can fusion summon this turn!" A fusions monsters effects would also be sealed during that time. "What? Of all the.. Curse the man who invented that card!" Marie's hand twitched. "That would be master Dom." Zach chuckled proudly
"Then I will tribute summon Ancient Gear Hydra!" Both the token and the Gadget were sacrificed for a flying snake/dragon/bird-headed machine(7/2700/1700). "I tributed a Gadget and an Ancient Gear for the Hydra. So the Hydra can banish any monster it battles, and it can attack all monsters on your field!" And as always with Ancient Gears, traps and spells could not be used during their attacks. "Not so swift, my lady Celeste! I activate Horn of the Phantom Beast, and equip it to my beastwarrior!" Thus Zach activated his trap before the attack could be declared. Cat Dancer was given two antler horns, which added 800 attackpoints to its new wielder(3200/2200). "Ngah!" The banishing effect of the Hydra only worked if the Hydra survived the fight. "At least I will kill your other cat!" The Hydra's fourth head at the tip of its tail grabbed Lunalight Blue Cat and bit her in half. "Ugh.." Ancient Gear Hydra also prevented effect activations during the damage steps, meaning Lunalight Blue Cat could not summon a new monster. Even if she could, the Hydra would destroy that one too.
Zach's LP: 2300
"Pay her back, Zach!" Eric yelled. "Huh? Where did you two come from?" An exasperated Marie muttered out loud, when both Emily and Eric barged in through the hole. "Like a couple of machines can stand up to us!" Eric's new demon dragon made quick work of them in the end. "And we followed the noises. You weren't that hard to find." Emily smirked. "Well. You can wait your turn. Except your friend here said you would all surrender if I win. So.." Marie passed the turn to her opponent. "Then it is a simple matter of not losing, Celeste!" It is my turn!" Zach drew a spell card. "..Cat Dancer attacks!" He was out of monsters to sacrifice for the fusion dancer. A standard attack would have to suffice. Lunalight Cat Dancer kicked the hydra with her leg, and inflicted another 100 points of effect damage to Phoebe with her hand. "I draw one card! Thanks to the effect of the Phantombeast Horn!" Each time the equipped monster destroyed another monster, the Horn trap would pull one card from the deck. It was sorely needed at this point. "Zach. You better not lose. Our honor is at stake as well." Iria rasped. Zach was not just dueling for fun here. "Pfeh. As if she even knows the meaning of that word." Eric scoffed.
Marie's LP: 2000
"Don't even start to bring honor into this. None of you are gonna get out of here with cheap talk." Marie activated her trap card. "Oh, when I said, 'If I win'. I meant to say.. When I win! I activate Ancient Gear Reborn to special summon one Ancient Gear monster!" It was a continuous trap that revived Ancient Gear Wyvern(4/1700/1200). "I lied by the way. It was my plan all along to discard those cards on my first turn!" Now that the ancient wyvern was summoned, an entire deck of Ancient Gear cards was at her disposal. "I add Ancient Gear Box to my hand! Which, matter of fact, lets me add another earth-machine with 500 attack or defense points to my hand!" The added Box opened, inside was an Ancient Gearframe monster card. "It takes this card from my deck! Now, my turn!" She summoned the monster, the skeletal frame(4/1600/500) of a golem, to her field. "If I discard a card, I can add another Ancient Gear card to my hand." Marie used the effect to hand Ancient Gear Box to the graveyard, while she added the original Ancient Gear Golem to her hand. She then checked some data on her visor and smiled. "Time for some fun."
"I activate Polymerization!" Her fusion recipe included Ancient Gear Golem as the key material and two Ancient Gears, Geaframe and Wyvern as the extra components. "And fusion summon Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem!" With its new parts, the tin giant became a tin centaur(10/4400/3400). "Damn. That thing is ginormous!" Eric was shocked to see the machine actually fit inside this space. "Meheh. There is room for more, actually!" Marie activated another spell; Overload Fusion. "Oh crap." That fusion spell was meant for dark-type machines, and could banish the needed materials from the graveyard. "Well put, Stonewell. I must use four Ancient Gear monsters!" The fusing vortex absorbed the Wyvern, Hydra and Box and Frame from the graveyard. "To fusion summon Chaos Ancient Gear Giant!" The beast-armored titan of war(10/4500/3000) rose from the darkness. "Chaos Ancient Gear is unaffected by spells and traps. You cant use any effects when my monsters attack either. What I am trying to say is.. you are done. Ultimate Golem, attack..!"
"One thing, Marie!" Zach held his hand above his trap. "One thing? What one thing?" In spite of everything, Marie could still not be sure if Zach was bluffing or not. "Just a little card called.. Defusion!" His spell flipped face-up before the attack declaration could be made. "! You.." Defusing his own Cat Dancer at this point would do nothing, with one of her materials banished and the other having to face two piercers on her own. "He can defuse her monster!" Defusing the Ultimate Golem was a far better choice. None of its materials were in Zach's graveyard, meaning that it would return to the extra deck and leave Marie nothing. "Faaaaantastic." Marie angrily shook her hand. "I learned that trick from Phoebe. You may thank her." Zach said with a cocky smile. "Bah!" Marie responded with the trap in her graveyard: Breakthrough Skill. "But your cat is out of her nine lives now! I negate her effect!" The banished skill trap sealed Cat Dancer's battle defenses away. "Chaos Giant!" The other fused machine ended her life with a a blast of flames. "I hate this. I should have just summoned Ancient Gear Howitzer! I should have won by now!" Marie placed a trap down and ended her turn.
Zach's LP: 600
"It is not always up to us who decides who wins. Fate has a stake in this card too... and Instincts. You do not seem to like dueling, you let your computers make too many decisions for you. That may be why you missed your chance to stop me." Zach drew his next card. "But I wont hold that as an absolute. All I know is that, for the first time in a long time, I am enjoying a duel again. So thank you, Marie." He summoned the card he drew. "But now I must end this! I summon Lunalight White Rabbit. She can special summon one Lunalight monster from my graveyard, with their effects negated!" From the lunar sky, a masked girl(2/800/800) in a white-bunnyhood descended. With one hit of her hammer, she called Cat Dancer(7/2400/2200) back into the land of the living. "And White Rabbit can return my face-down traps to my hand?" Marie checked the remaining effects of the Rabbit with her visor. "No. Not likely! You summoned a monster, so I activate Torrential Tribute!" The fusion duelists's final trick revealed itself. "All monsters are destroyed. Except mine!" Her Chaos Giant was immune to destruction. The Lunalights were not.
"I am affraid not, Marie! I activate Flash Fusion!" As the tidal wave trap swept across the room, an immediate fusion took place on Zach's field. "I can fuse Cat Dancer with another Lunalight, White Rabbit, to fusion summon Lunalight Panther Dancer!" The two entered the fusion vortex. "Fusion climb?" Cat Dancer evolved to the next stage; her hair and dress turned dark, her skin turned red and her body(8/2800/2500) became more feral. "Panther Dancer cannot be destroyed by effects!" The Torrential waves did not reach his new fusion monster. "Ugh. But wait.. your monster is weaker than mine! And you're out of cards!" Marie did not see how Zach could fight his way out of this. "Unless." And then she remembered one specific card. "You are getting it. I activate Fusion Substitute!" Zach banished the pseudo fusion spell from his graveyard, which then returned his fusion Cat Dancer to the extra deck and arranged a draw from the top of the deck. "You are going to risk it all on that card?" If this draw failed, then the next turn would end with Panther Dancer's death at the hands of Chaos Ancient Gear Giant.
"Like I said. Fate is a part of this too. That.. and the trust I place in my master's cards." Zach pulled the card from the top of his deck. "I..." He closed his eyes and brushed his hand through his hair. "... activate my spell card: Lunalight Perfume!" A ray of moonlight cracked the floor. "Lunalight Perfume can special summon one Lunalight from my graveyard! I will return Lunalight Blue Cat!" Drawn by the perfume's scent, Lunalight Blue Cat rejoined the duel with her gift already in her hands. "Not again." The special summoned cat targeted the new fusion. Panther Dancer(5600/2500)'s attackpoints were doubled. "Panther Dancer can attack a monster twice each turn! And the first attack wont destroy that monster! And each time it attacks it gains 200 attackpoints." This monster was basically the Cat Dancer amplified. "Let's tango!" One strike from the panther(5800/2500) brought the Chaos Giant to its knees. "And to have this dance, it takes two!" Her(6000/2500) second attack delivered the killing blow. Sharp claws tore through metal plates and cracked the Giant's core.
Marie's LP: 0
"Awesome!" Eric shouted as the fireworks filled the room. "Uno should have seen that!" The audience would have to do with the four of them... "Mgrhrhr..Why did I make this wager." .. and the fusion duelist stewing in her own failure. "You have lost, miss Celeste. Follow through on your promise." Iria repeated their demands. "Fine. Not like I can get away with saying no." She pressed a button on her dueldisk to shut down all templars and guild dueldisks in the area. "There. It's done. Your friends should be safe too now." Marie claimed. She would have to do more than that. "Show us where they are..." As far as Emily knew, some were already carded. "Yes yes. Again, they should be okay. I didn't get notified of any wins on my end. Because why would they win?" She activated one of the screens in the room and showed everyone a cam-feed of the upper levels. Jet and the others were there, no worse for wear. "Thank goodness. I suppose a mechanical duelist can only do so much." Zach could breathe easily, now that the worst was over.
"Wait. Where is our man Uno?" Eric inevitably noticed; there was one important absence. "Huh? He should be there. Wait.." Marie frantically searched through the recorded footage of the last 30 minutes. "If you've done anything to him.." Emily cracked her knuckles. "I did not! He wasn't even approached by a templar unit!" Marie swore. "Even if he was.. If he was defeated, you could undo it right? You can also help Akai and Dana and everyone else your guild turned into cards." Emily worded her next question a little less strongly. "Undo? No I.. I can't do that from here. The device that reverses the process is stationed back at our original base. The casino that you so handily locked up behind your new land-wide forcefield. And even if I did have the tools, I wouldn't have enough... oh!" She stopped the rewind as soon as Uno popped up. "Uhh.. I cannot explain that one." Once time moved forward again on the screen, Uno's fate was visible.. but not clear. One second he was standing in a hallway, the next he was gone without so much as a flash. "June.." Emily realized what was going on. "Uno went back to the timeless dimension.. That means.. maybe he's found Alice!"
"Then... I am sorry, wait. What did you say before that? You do not have enough of what?" Though the news of Uno's disappearance did matter to Iria, they could not do as much there as they could with the victims of the guild. "Data.. and energy. Normally we store the energy of each person we convert into our supercomputer, while the cards serve as pattern storage. It's the same setup as the Monument prison in the other timeline. But.. that routine changed with Phoebe. Now.. she is the one storing them. You probably saw it already.. the fusion dragon. It just.. eats them whole, cards and all. It's incredible how much power that monster can devour." Marie shuddered. "No way." The others never even imagined that this was what Phoebe was doing. "Then that means.. to save them, we have to confront Phoebe." Zach shook his head. "We need Uno for this. I pray to god that he returns soon."
...
"Hi-Hiii!" Another familiar face welcomed Uno when he returned to the world without time. "January.. They found you." The zodiac team was almost complete. "Duh! Of course!" The kid's stay in this nightmare-ish world did not seem to have dampened his spirits in the least. "Do not make it sound that easy. It took us forever." August was filled with enough rancor for two anyway. "Well I knew you'd find me eventually. Anyone would spot that place." Everything seemed fine with him. So much so that Uno could not help but wonder why he needed to be here. "What place do you mean? Is that where.." And if this was not about January, then.. "Alice is, yes. We know where she is, but it's for the best if you see the place for yourself." June began to walk an invisible path, one that led down into the abyss. "Where are we going?" The way images and objects sometimes just popped up into existence, he could not even be sure if they knew where they were going. "You'll see!" Neter claimed excitedly. "Why can't.." Uno did not have to wait long for clarity.
"Whoa." It was as if he had stepped through a one-way mirror. The void was on one side, a cloud-filled sky on the other. "This is.. still outside of time?" Birds were flying in front of him, a river flowed beneath him, the wind blew through the trees. "It is. This is not reality." The fact that they could hover in the air gave that away. "But how is this here? Is this another memory?" Uno could see as far as the horizon. No other memory was ever this detailed. "This is more, this is the past. What we're seeing is a piece of our planet, a remnant of time. I don't know how or why this is possible. Perhaps the guardians of time failed to erase it completely." June guessed. "Or maybe it's proof that the guardians don't erase time at all!" January had his own ideas. "It is a strange place. But what matters here is that I sensed life in here.. strong life. This is where we found January, and where your friend is hiding." August told Uno, surprising him. "Hiding?" He didn't understand. "Yes. We saw her, glimpses of her. But she ran from us. Perhaps she fears us. That is why we came to get you. If anyone can approach her. It would be you."
"Oh." He got it now. "Yes. I will." He would find her in this strange patch of nature, he made that promise to her family. "And remember, Uno, we also need to move on to the next phase. Like August before, we need to find someone who can share January's power. It can be her.. but only if she wants it."
(To be Continued in Nexus 021: What's Good about Goodbye?)
New Cards used by Zach Creffield
Lunalight Black Sheep
Lunalight White Rabbit
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Lunalight Cat Dancer
Lunalight Panther Dancer
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Monster Reborn
Lunalight Perfume
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Horn of the Phantom Beast
New Cards used by Marie Celeste
Ancient Gear Hydra
Ancient Gear Box
Ancient Gearframe
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Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem
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Overload Fusion
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Ancient Gear Reborn
Skill Breakthrough