It's time for a new chapter!
And I'd like to say, for the immediate future, new chapters of this fic will be coming at more fequent intrevals.
I'd also like to say that for this chapter, I've adapted the anime version of one card. So please don't point out that I made a mistake.
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In the comics, it's a common theme for a villain, often one believed to be as mean as they come, to reform and become a good guy.
Maybe some terrible trauma happens to him during a battle with a hero, and the result is he does some serious thinking. He repents his crimes, and resolves to leave his evil ways behind.
It's happened many times throughout comic book history.
It is incredibly rare, however, for the opposite to happen. I can't even remember an instance when a hero has had something happen to him that turned him into a villain. At least, it never happened to one permanently. The closest anyone came was Hal Jordan, and even he came to his senses in the end.
But now, a duelist I know who uses heroes as her theme is under a spell, and her heroic Monsters are in danger of drifting into darkness…
I can't let this happen… I won't…
And the Shadow Queen will pay for this…
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CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
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In Blackest Night
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The three teens were wandering down a hallway. The carpet was blood red, and the walls were lit by torches.
Their Disks were in place, and they were ready to draw a card in case anything appeared.
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The Shadow Queen watched them with a smile.
She took a card from her deck of magical cards.
Maybe I'll give them a little test to shake them up… she chuckled.
She tossed the card into her fireplace…
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The team stopped short as a facedown card appeared in front of them.
"Get ready guys…" cautioned Andy. "The Queen is up to no-good…"
The card lifted, showing a Quickplay Magic Card with the image of a knight in shining armor on it.
"I know that card!" exclaimed Francesca. "It's called Bronze Knights! It lets the user summon one Bronze Knight Token for every card he discards!"
And then, a battalion of knights in armor bearing swords started to appear! There must have been about twenty of them! (500/500 x20)
They marched towards the three teens.
"Yeesh!" shouted Andy. "The Queen must have discarded half a deck!"
"I hope this works…" muttered Stan, taking two cards from his deck.
He placed a card on his Disk, and Dark Magician appeared in a flash. (2,500/2,100)
"How's he going to take down twenty Monsters?" gasped Francesca.
"I'll show you," answered Stan, throwing the other card into a slot. "Go, Diffusion-Wave Motion!"
Dark Magician took aim, and fired! One by one, the Bronze Knights were mowed down!
A smoking scorch on the carpet was all that remained of the tokens.
Stan looked up.
"We know you're watching," he sneered. "These tricks are starting to get annoying…"
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The Queen chuckled.
"Well, isn't that just too bad, Stan!" she laughed. "It's only going to get worse from here!"
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They finally got to the end of the hallway and came to a door. They tried the handle and opened it.
They entered another large antechamber. The lights from the torches made the place dim. A lone figure stood in the center…
"Uh…" said Andy.
The torches flared brightly, and they saw the figure clearly.
She was instantly recognizable, with her Wonder Woman costume, complete with her lasso. She glared at them as they looked at her.
"DIANA!" laughed Stan. "So you made it here too!"
"Yes, I made it…" hissed Diana. "No help from you, Stan. And now I'm here to defeat you…"
"What?" asked Stan. "Diana, you made it to the Palace, there's no need for us to duel before we find the finals…"
"I'm doing what I was told to do, Stan," answered Diana. "The Queen has told me to defeat you, and that's what I'm going to do."
Stan drew back in fear.
"You're working for the Shadow Queen?" he gasped. "But why?"
A voice reached Stan, Andy, and Francesca's ears.
"My friends," said the voice, "listen carefully…"
"Merlee?" asked Stan, softly. "Where are you?"
"I'm somewhere in this room, hidden," Merlee replied. "And I'm afraid Diana's soul has been enspelled by the Shadow Queen's magic."
"Can't you break the spell like you did with Yumi?" asked Francesca.
"The evil magic of this Palace is too strong for that this time," answered Merlee's voice. "If you wish to free Diana, you must find a way to do so yourself…"
Stan paused. He spoke to Diana.
"Come on, Diana!" he said. "I saw your deck front and back when I defeated you the last time! You don't stand a chance!"
"I've gotten some coaching," replied Diana. "I now know more things about my Monsters than I did before. I can use them in far deadlier ways!"
Stan sighed.
"Fine," he said. "If you want to duel, I'll be happy to oblige…"
The two duelists swung their Disks into position, and the holo-imagers shot out.
"Now meet my Deckmaster," stated Diana, holding a card aloft. "The mystical Goddess With The Third Eye!"
The card glowed, and a robed, female Fairy with a third eye on her forehead appeared behind Diana. She held her hands as if in prayer.
"All right…" muttered Stan, taking his deck.
So now who? he thought. Vivian was good, but I'm sure there's someone better in here…
His eye caught his Dark Magician Girl.
Hmmm… why not?
He held the card aloft.
"I choose Dark Magician Girl!" he exclaimed.
In a flurry of hearts, the gorgeous female Spellcaster appeared beside him.
In his mind, a gentle female voice sounded.
"Stan, tread with caution," said Dark Magician Girl's telepathic voice. "Our foe is formidable…"
"Okay," answered Stan. "I hope your memory is better than Vivian's…"
"Once per duel," she replied, "I can enable you to draw one card for every Monster you have in your Graveyard. But remember, only once, so call on my power only when you have to."
"Gotcha," answered Stan.
Inside Diana's mind, a conversation was taking place.
"Remember the warning I gave you, Diana," warned the Shadow Queen.
"Yes, my liege," she replied. "His most dangerous Monsters are Goombella the Scholar, Vivian the Shadow Siren, and Ms. Mowz the Tease Thief."
"Correct," answered the Queen. "If he summons one, do all you can to destroy it at once, or it might be bad."
The two reshuffled.
"Let's get started…" said Diana, drawing five cards. "The first move is yours…"
The counters both set to 8,000.
Stan drew six.
"I'll summon Mystical Elf in Defense Mode…" he stated, placing a card down.
The holy elf appeared, kneeling in prayer. (800/2,000)
"That's all for my turn…"
Diana drew a card.
She looked at it.
"I'm sure you'll remember this card," she said, opening her Field slot.
She placed a card into it.
"The incredible Skyscraper!"
Just like before, the dark city arose around them, but this time, they were at street level, apparently in an entertainment district. Flashing, colored, neon lights were everywhere – all that was missing was the cityfolk.
"Now I'll summon Elemental Hero Clayman in Defense Mode," she stated, "and end my turn."
She put a card down, and the bulky hero made of clay appeared, shielding himself. (800/2,000)
"This isn't going to be a very exciting duel if they only play Monsters in Defense Mode…" muttered Andy.
"I think Diana might be up to something…" sighed Francesca. "Don't forget, Clayman is fusion material for a deadly Monster called Elemental Hero Thunder Giant, who can destroy any Monster with less Attack Points than his…"
Stan drew.
The Illusory Gentleman… he thought. With Skyscraper in place, Clayman could destroy him… but I doubt she'd take him out of Defense Mode…
"I summon The Illusory Gentleman in Attack Mode," he stated, placing a card down.
The colorful, one-eyed Spellcaster appeared, holding his cane aloft. (1,500/1,600)
"And I'll also place one card facedown," he stated.
"Your move," he stated.
Diana drew.
"I believe I'll pass for this turn…" she stated.
Stan drew again.
Still nothing that can break Clayman's Defense, he thought.
"I'll summon Magician's Valkyria in Attack Mode!" he exclaimed.
He placed the third Monster Card down, and the beautiful Valkyria appeared. (1,600/1,800)
"And I warn you," stated Stan, "So long as she's on the field, you can't attack any other Spellcaster!"
"Indeed…" muttered Diana, making a draw.
She looked at the card.
"I play Pot of Greed…" she said, playing the card.
The Pot handed her two more cards.
"Now I summon Elemental Hero Burstinatrix…" she stated, placing a card down.
The fiery, female heroine appeared. Flames appeared in her hands. (1,200/800)
"Then I'll Equip Clayman with his favorite Magic Card," she continued. "Clay Wrap!"
She played a card, and a transparent covering coated Clayman.
"And now I invoke my Deckmaster's special ability," she continued. "Power of Fusion! If I discard one Magic Card, she can fuse two Monsters together with no Polymerization required! So I'll discard this…"
She discarded a card. Goddess With The Third Eye glowed.
"And I'll fuse Clayman and Burstinatrix together…"
The two Heroes melted into orbs of brown and red light, and merged together, forming a bulkier shape…
"…and I'll use them to form Elemental Hero Rampart Blaster, and place her in Defense Mode!"
A powerful looking form arose. It was a woman in grey, robotic armor with a huge gun for her right hand and a large shield for her left hand. She wore red shades. (2,000/2,500)
She crouched in Defense.
Great, thought Stan. She put up a stronger defense…
"Here's the fun part," said Diana with a sweet smile. "When Clay Wrap is sent to the Graveyard while Equipped to Clayman, which just happened because I used him in a fusion, I get to destroy one Magic or Trap Card! So say bye-bye to your facedown card!"
Stan's facedown card shattered.
"Also…" continued Diana, "due to my Goddess's effect, a Monster she fuses can attack on the round it is summoned…
"So now it's time for Rampart Blaster to do what she does best… blasting!"
Stan stared at her.
"She can't attack when she's in Defense Mode!" he laughed.
"Oh no?" said Diana with a smile. "Rampart Blaster, attack him… directly!"
Rampart Blaster raised her gun, and fired two missiles! Stan screamed as they hit him in the chest and he was thrown backwards!
His Life Points fell to 7,000.
"So long as Rampart Blaster is in Defense Mode, she can attack you directly for damage equal to half her Attack Score," chuckled Diana. "If you can't summon a Monster with more than 2,500 Attack Points, this duel will be over in seven more of my turns!"
"This is what I feared," whispered Merlee's voice. "The Queen has educated Diana, telling her secrets about the Elemental Heroes that she didn't know before – and she likely informed her of the perfect Deckmaster to use as well…"
"Stan's in for the fight of his life!" exclaimed Francesca.
Stan made a draw.
"Ooh, I have to pass for this turn," he muttered.
"Splendid," said Diana, drawing. "Rampart Blaster, attack him again!"
The Hero fired her gun, and Stan was thrown back again! His Life Points tumbled to 6,000.
"Your move," said Diana with a grin.
Stan looked at his deck.
"Trust in your deck, Stan," urged Dark Magician Girl. "You'll draw the right card…"
Stan drew.
He placed a card down.
"I sacrifice Mystical Elf and The Illusory Gentleman to summon Buster Blader!" he shouted.
The two Spellcasters vanished, and the mighty Warrior appeared! (2,600/2,300)
"Buster Blader, attack Rampart Blaster with blade buster attack!"
Buster Blader made one mighty swipe with his sword, and Rampart Blaster shattered!
"Magician's Valkyria, attack her Life Points directly with bright rainbow blast!"
Valkyria shot forth her multicolored beam! Diana cringed as it hit her.
Her Life Points fell to 6,400.
"Not bad…" she gasped. "But I'm only getting started…"
She drew one card and added it to her hand.
She fit a card into a slot.
"I play my Premature Burial card, to bring Burstinatrix back…" she said.
Her Life Points fell to 5,600, and Burstinatrix reappeared in front of her.
"It may have cost me 800 Life Points, but I'm about to gain a lot more."
She took a card from her hand.
"Next I'll summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman to the field!"
The put a card down, and the caped, cowled Hero armed with tanks and hoses appeared. (800/1,200)
"Now I'll just discard this…" she said, discarding another card, "so that my Goddess can fuse them into Elemental Hero Steam Healer!"
Burstinatrix and Bubbleman melted into orbs of red and blue light and merged together…
And another large form emerged! This one was a hulking man in purple and red armor, with metal claws for hands and large tanks on his back. (1,800/1,000)
"As I'm sure you know," added Diana, "when Skyscraper is on the field, my Heroes gain 1,000 Attack Points when they attack a stronger Monster. And need I remind you, due to the Goddess's effect, he doesn't have to wait to attack!
"Steam Healer, attack Buster Blader with steam blast!"
Steam Healer's Attack shot up to 2,800, and he shot forth twin gusts of scalding hot steam from his claws! Buster Blader groaned, and he was eradicated.
No fair… thought Stan, as his Life Points fell to 5,800.
"And now we get to Steam Healer's effect," stated Diana, as steam rose around her. "When Steam Healer destroys an enemy Monster, that Monster's Attack Score gets added to my Life Points!"
Her Life Points shot up to 8,200.
"Now I'll play one card facedown…" she said, placing a card into a slot.
A facedown card appeared.
"Make your move," she dared.
Stan drew.
"Diana, I don't want to hurt you," urged Stan, "but I cannot let you win this duel! Please, come to your senses!"
Diana just gave him a cold stare.
"Fine…" sighed Stan. "I summon Gemini Elf in Attack Mode…"
He placed the card down, and the twin elves appeared. (1,900/900)
"I know the limits to your Field Card," stated Stan. "It powers up your heroes when they attack, but not when they're being attacked! Gemini Elf, take out her Steam Healer!"
Gemini Elf shot forth bolts of lightning! Steam Healer sparked, and he exploded!
"Ergh…" muttered Diana.
"Magician's Valkyria, attack directly again!" shouted Stan.
Valkyria shot forth her bright rainbow beam, and Diana shrieked as it hit her in the chest!
Her Life Points stood at 6,500.
"That's my turn…" muttered Stan.
"Merlee, this is crazy!" muttered Francesca. "Isn't there anything you can do?"
She saw Merlee in the corner of her eye, in the alley that had been formed by the hologram of the Field Card.
"The Queen's magic is stronger than mine here, Francesca," he said, sadly. "But maybe magic isn't necessary…"
"Huh?" pondered Francesca.
Diana drew one card.
"Okay Stan," she said. "I play a Magic Card… A powerful one called Dark Factory of Mass Production…"
She played the card.
"This card allows me to add two Normal Monsters from my Graveyard to my hand."
Two cards slid out of her discard slot.
"Now I'll summon Clayman in Defense Mode again, and end my turn."
She set the card, and Clayman appeared in a defensive stance. (800/2,000)
Stan drew a card.
"I'll summon Neo the Magic Swordsman in Attack Mode," he said.
He placed the card down, and Neo appeared, brandishing his glowing blade. (1,700/1,000)
"That will end my turn," he said.
Diana drew.
"I'll place a second card facedown," she said, fitting one into a slot. "And then I'll summon Winged Kuriboh in Defense Mode."
The facedown card appeared next to the other one, and then the fuzzy Fairy version of the more common Fiend appeared, fluttering in the air. (300/200)
"That's all for me," she said.
"Be careful, Stan," warned Dark Magician Girl. "I think she has a plan…"
Stan drew.
"A very good draw!" exclaimed the Spellcaster.
"I sacrifice Neo and Gemini Elf…" exclaimed Stan.
The two Monsters vanished.
"To summon Dark Magician!"
Dark Magician Girl looked overjoyed as Dark Magician appeared on the field! (2,500/2,100)
"Dark Magician, attack Clayman!" shouted Stan. "Dark magic attack!"
Dark Magician shot forth his lethal spell, and Clayman shattered.
"Valkyria, take out her Winged Kuriboh!" shouted Stan.
Valkyria fired her beam, and Winged Kuriboh was blown away.
"Clever, Stan…" chuckled Diana. "I didn't think you'd fall for the same trick twice…"
"You mean…" gasped Stan.
One of Diana's Trap Cards lifted…
"Activate Hero Signal!" she exclaimed.
The shining signal shone over the buildings of the dark city!
A card slipped out of her deck.
"As you know," stated Diana, "this Trap lets me summon an Elemental Hero of four stars or less from my deck, and I'm choosing Elemental Hero Wildheart!"
She placed the card down, and the savage-looking Hero appeared, holding his huge sword. (1,500/1,600)
"Then I end my turn," said Stan. "But don't forget, you have to take out my Valkyria before you can attack any other Spellcaster."
"I'm well aware of that, Stan," said Diana, drawing.
"So now I'll activate my Deckmaster ability again…"
She discarded a card.
"Know why? Because I'm fusing Wildheart with Bladedge!"
The golden-armored Hero appeared in the field, and the two Heroes melted into globes of light, which again merged…
"And by doing that, I can summon Elemental Hero Wildedge!" she shouted.
An enormous form leapt onto the field. It was a muscular barbarian wearing a golden, horned helmet and gauntlet, holding a huge sword! (2,600/2,300)
"Some superheroes are strong," laughed Diana. "Some are fast. This guy is strong and fast! He can attack all of your Monsters at once!"
"WHAT? screamed Stan.
"Wildedge, attack his Valkyria!" shouted Diana.
Valkyria screamed as she was cut down.
"AND his Dark Magician!"
The Hero struck Dark Magician with his sword and he shattered.
Stan's Life Points fell to 4,700.
"He's like Asura Priest on steroids!" gasped Andy.
"It's your move…" mocked Diana.
Stan drew.
Nuts! he thought. I have six cards, and not a single Monster I can summon!
"I activate a Trap!" shouted Diana.
Her Trap Card lifted.
"The lethal Life Shaver!"
"Life Shaver?" gulped Stan.
"This was a gift from the Shadow Queen," chuckled Diana. "It forces you to discard one card for every one of both our Standby Phases that it's been facedown on the field! There have been seven, so now you have to discard every card in your hand!"
Stan was dumbfounded. He discarded his whole hand of cards.
"You have nothing to play at all!" laughed Diana. "Just end your turn!"
Stan paused…
He looked at Dark Magician Girl…
"I beg to differ!" he shouted. "I call upon my own Deckmaster!"
Dark Magician Girl waved her staff.
"Soul Circle!" she chanted.
Images of Mystical Elf, The Illusory Gentleman, Buster Blader, Gemini Elf, Neo the Magic Swordsman, Magician's Valkyria, and Dark Magician appeared around Stan…
"What's going on?" gasped Diana.
"Due to her effect, I can now draw one card for every Monster in my Graveyard!" laughed Stan, as seven cards floated off of his deck and placed themselves in his hand.
He looked at them as the images vanished.
"So I'll place one card facedown…"
He placed a card in a slot, and it appeared.
"And I'll play Monster Reborn, to bring back Dark Magician, in Attack Mode!"
The Magic Card appeared, and Dark Magician reappeared. (2,500/2,100)
"I think you're bluffing!" accused Diana.
"Maybe, maybe not," chuckled Stan. "I end my turn…"
Diana drew.
She thought for a moment…
"Wildedge, attack his Dark Magician!" she shouted.
Wildedge charged forward, swinging his huge sword…
"Sorry, Diana, you thought I was bluffing, and now you're gonna pay," said Stan. "Activate facedown card – Shrink!"
His facedown card lifted, and Wildedge shrunk to half his size!
"You shrank my Hero down to the size of a sidekick!" shouted Diana.
"And that's not all," answered Stan. "I also cut his Attack power in half!"
Dark Magician blasted his dark magic, blowing Wildedge away.
Diana's Life Points fell to 5,300.
Diana angrily took a card from her hand.
"I'll end my turn by summoning Wroughtweiler in Defense Mode," she said.
The mechanical dog appeared, and sat. (800/1,200)
Okay, thought Stan. When Wroughtweiler is destroyed, she can retrieve one Elemental Hero and one Polymerization card from her Graveyard…
But I'm guessing that due to her Deckmaster, she removed her Polymerization cards to make room for other cards. So she likely has none of those Magic Cards in her Graveyard, making Wroughtweiler useful only as a shield.
He drew, and looked at the card.
A Trap Card…
"Diana, are you sure you won't think this through some more?" he protested. "Search your mind! You don't really want to hurt me!"
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"Oh, but that's the beauty of it, Stan!" laughed the Shadow Queen. "She really doesn't want to hurt you! But the thing is, she just can't help herself!"
She laughed wickedly.
"You are truly evil, your eminence," chuckled Grodus.
"Why thank you, Grodus," chuckled the Queen. "I do love your compliments. Incidentally, how are my kids doing?"
Grodus looked at his watch.
"Um, they've still got twenty minutes…" he said.
"Well, this duel shouldn't last longer than that," sighed the Queen. "And if it does, well, too bad for them…"
She chuckled.
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"Okay Diana, I'm placing one card facedown," said Stan, fitting the card into a slot.
The facedown card appeared.
"Then I'll summon Blast Magician in Attack Mode!"
He put a card down, and the fiery Magician clad in red appeared. (1,400/1,900)
"And then I attack with Dark Magician!"
Dark Magician fired, blowing Wroughtweiler away.
"Blast Magician, attack directly!" he shouted.
Blast Magician shot forth a wave of fire, striking Diana in the chest.
She took some deep breaths, as her Life Points fell to 3,900.
I could have hurt her badly by attacking with Blast Magician first, thought Stan, but I DON'T want to hurt her badly…
"Make your move…" he ordered.
Diane drew.
She slid a card into a slot.
"I play The Warrior Returning Alive," she stated, "to bring Bubbleman back to my hand!"
A card slid out of her discard slot.
"And now I'll summon him… in Attack Mode!"
She put the card down, and Bubbleman appeared in a burst of bubbles. (800/1,200)
"And not I'll give him more burst with this Equip," she said, playing a card. "BUBBLE BLASTER!"
Bubbleman got down on his knee, and a HUGE bazooka-like cannon appeared on his hands.
"This raises his Attack Score by 800 points!" shouted Diana. "Bubbleman, attack Blast Magician with bombarding bubble barrage!"
Bubbleman shot forth a blast of high-pressure, foamy liquid, and Blast Magician was blown away.
Stan's Life Points fell to 4,500.
"Nice…" growled Stan, making a draw. "Dark Magician, attack her Bubbleman!"
Dark Magician fired his dark spell at the hero… there was an explosion…
But Bubbleman was unharmed.
"Forgot to mention," chuckled Diana. "When Bubbleman is attacked when he has Bubble Blaster, he doesn't pop, his weapon does!"
"Then move," muttered Stan.
Diana drew.
"I play Card of Sanctity!" she declared, playing it. "Now we must each draw until we hold six cards!"
They each made their draws.
"It's almost over, Stan!" she warned. "I have what I need in my hands to call forth a great power…"
She took a card from her hand.
"I'll discard one more Magic Card to call upon my Deckmaster's ability one more time…"
The Goddess With The Third Eye glowed…
"And I'll fuse together Avian, Sparkman, and just for the sake of novelty, let's throw Bubbleman into the mix too!"
The winged Hero of Wind appeared on the field, followed by the sparking Hero of Light, and the cowled and caped Hero of Water flew in-between them.
They melted into orbs, and fused together.
"With their three bodies merged, they form a mighty Warrior whose very name strikes fear into the heart of the underworld…" announced Diana. "Elemental Hero Tempest!"
A huge, humanoid figure appeared. It was a powerful, muscular man in a blue spandex costume and a visor with magnificent feathered wings! (2,800/2,800)
Stan was astonished…
"Tempest!" shouted Diana, "attack his Dark Magician with powerhouse plummet!"
A gust of wind and bolt of lightning blasted forth from the Hero, and Dark Magician was blown to pieces!
Stan's Life Points fell to 4,200.
"Hold on!" shouted Stan. "I activate my Trap Card! Activate… A Rival Appears!"
His Trap Card lifted.
"Since your Tempest is an eight star Monster, I can summon THIS guy to the field! Arise Dark Magician of Chaos!"
He threw a card down, and the master of dark magic arose! (2,800/2,600)
"And don't forget, I now get to retrieve one Magic Card from my Graveyard because I summoned him…"
A card slid out of his discard slot.
"It appears we have a standoff, now, Diana," he said.
"Or so you think," said Diana, with her eyes narrowing.
At this point, Francesca had had just about enough.
"This is terrible!" she shouted. "Superheroes should not be used this way! This goes against… some sort of natural order!"
Merlee's soft voice came out of the shadows.
"The Shadow Queen has clouded Diana's mind," he answered. "She has forgotten what it means to be a superhero… And how much she loves them. Right now, her Monsters are nothing but Warriors…"
He paused.
"But maybe she could use a reminder…"
Francesca thought for a minute at that.
She thought hard…
What did she tell us after her first duel with Stan? she thought.
Stan made a draw.
I don't trust that Monster, he thought. Better safe than sorry…
"I'll place a card facedown," he said, "and end my turn…"
"Good," said Diana, drawing.
"Now, I'll summon another Wroughtweiler to the field…" she said.
Another of the mechanical hounds appeared.
"But he won't be staying long," she continued. "Now I'm going to show you Tempest's effect.
"You see, if I sacrifice one card on the field during a round with Tempest present, one Monster of my choice cannot be destroyed in battle for the remainder of the round.
"So I'll sacrifice Wroughtweiler…"
Wroughtweiler vanished.
"…and I'll choose Tempest himself!
"Do you see my strategy Stan? Since our two Monsters have equal Attack and mine can't be destroyed in battle this round, all I need to do is attack, and your mage will be destroyed, while my Hero will be spared.
"Tempest, attack!"
Tempest powered up his storm again…
"Activate… Shrink!" shouted Stan.
His Quickplay Magic Card – obviously what he had gotten from his Magician's effect – lifted. Tempest shrunk to half his size, and Dark Magician of Chaos fired!
True to Diana's word, the Elemental Hero was thrown back, but he was still there. But her Life Points fell to 2,500.
"Very well," she replied. "I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn."
The Magic Card's effect wore off, and Tempest grew to his normal size, gaining back his full Attack Score.
So now what? thought Stan.
He made a draw.
"I'm sacrificing my facedown card to use his ability again!" shouted Diana.
The facedown card shattered.
"You'll never destroy him!"
Stan looked at the card he had drawn.
He placed it into a slot, and it appeared facedown.
At that point, an idea came to Francesca.
She looked up at a building that Diane's Field Card was creating. A blue neon light was shining.
She took out her Crystal Star.
Yellow and blue make green! she thought.
She ran up to the light.
Hope this works… she thought, holding the Star up to the light.
As she hoped, the blue light shone through the Crystal Star, shining a green glow over the whole area!
"What are you doing?" demanded Diana. "Trying to distract me?"
"Think, Diana!" shouted Francesca. "Doesn't this light remind you of something?
"Think back to the first comic book you ever owned, the one where you discovered your love of heroes!"
Diana paused for a second.
Francesca wracked her mind.
How does that chant go? she thought. Oh yeah…
Francesca started to recite:
"In brightest day, in blackest night,
No evil will escape my sight.
Let those who worship evil's might
Beware my power… Green Lantern's light!"
Diana looked dumbstruck.
"I end my turn Diana…" said Stan, slowly.
He looked at his facedown card.
I was going to use my Dust Tornado to destroy Skyscraper, but if I do that now, it would kill the light… he thought. I hope Francesca's plan works.
Diana slowly drew…
"I place this card facedown…" she said slowly, placing a card into a slot.
The card appeared.
"And I'll use it to activate Tempest's effect…"
It shattered.
"Tempest, attack…"
Stan gritted his teeth as the hero prepared to attack…
"NO! Stop!" shouted Diana.
She paused.
"I end my turn…" she said.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
"What's this?" exclaimed the Shadow Queen. "Diana is resisting my control!"
She got up and fumed.
"I won't allow this! I'll enter her mind myself and confront her!"
She closed her eyes.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Stan drew one card.
He waited.
"Fight it, Diana!" he urged. "The Shadow Queen has clouded your mind, turning it into the true blackest night! But you can break free, and change it to the brightest day it once was!
"Here, I'll encourage you…"
He fit a card into a slot.
"I play Magic Formula! This increases the Attack of my Magician by 500 points!"
Dark Magician of Chaos rose to 3,300 Attack.
"Since you neglected to sacrifice a card, I could wipe out Tempest now. But to prove my sincerity, rather than attacking, I'll end my turn. It's your move now…"
I hope this works… he thought.
Diana shakily drew…
"Diana!" shouted a voice in her head. "Your Skyscraper card is still in effect, and now his Monster is stronger than yours! You don't even need to sacrifice a card now! Destroy his Chaos Mage!"
"Shut up…" she whispered.
"Do as I say!" shouted the Shadow Queen. "I am your master, he is your enemy!"
Diana closed her eyes…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
She was in the seat of her soul…
In the center was a huge contraption. It was a giant green thing that looked like a futuristic camper's lantern, glowing green. But it was bound by chains, as if it was being held captive.
"NO!" she shouted. "Let it free!"
The Shadow Queen appeared in front of her, between her and the lantern.
"You can't hope to drive me out, little girl," she said angrily. "Now pick up your cards and go back to the duel this instant!"
"NO!" shouted Diana. "You won't tell me what to do! You can't make the Elemental Heroes use their powers for evil! And making me do your dirty work for you – all you are is a coward!"
"You think you're powerful enough to drive me out?" chuckled the Shadow Queen.
Diana made a slight smirk.
"Queenie," she said, "how about a little game? That would prove you aren't a coward. I win, you leave my mind forever. You win, I'll submit to you forever."
The Shadow Queen rubbed her chin.
"A contest for your very soul…" she pondered. "I'm intrigued. Pick your poison!"
"Uh, hundred-yard dash?" asked Diana with a shrug.
"Right…" scowled the Queen. "Like I'm going to get into a footrace with a teenager who's a member of her high school track team! I'm twelve-hundred years old! What do I look like, stupid?"
"Okay, grandma, okay!" exclaimed Diana. "I see you have your Duel Disk…"
"Please…" muttered the Queen, looking at it. "You'll never outduel me!"
"I'm proposing a game of luck…" said Diana, shuffling her deck. "We each take the top six cards off our deck, and we're only allowed to use those six. We each have two turns. Whoever can summon the most powerful Monster in two turns is the winner."
The Queen chuckled.
"Okay, I accept your challenge," she said with a grin. "I'll even let you use her if you want!"
Diana turned around, and saw that Goddess With The Third Eye had followed her.
They shuffled their decks. They each picked up the top six cards.
"Heh, heh…" cackled the Queen. "I'll give you one last chance to surrender…"
"You take the first turn…" sneered Diana.
"Fine," said the Queen, putting a card down on her Disk. "For my first move, I'll summon Double Coston!"
A pair of black globs with faces, connected by a strand appeared. (1,700/1,650)
"Your turn…" she chuckled.
Diana discarded a card.
"I'll discard this to use my Deckmaster," she said, "fusing Avian and Burstinatrix together…"
The two heroes appeared and merged…
"Forming the incredible Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!" she shouted.
The merged Hero walked out, and glared at the Queen. (2,100/1,200)
"Not bad…" laughed the Queen. "But now it's my turn. And you should know about Double Coston's special effect…"
"If you use it as a sacrifice to summon a Dark Monster, it counts as two sacrifices," interrupted Diana. "I know…"
"You got it!" laughed the Queen. "So I sacrifice it to summon Invader of Darkness!"
The creature vanished, and in its place arose a hulking man, dressed entirely in black, astride a black horse. (2,900/2,500)
"HA, HA, HA!" laughed the Queen. "Beat that!"
"You're forgetting, I still have one turn!" shouted Diana.
She discarded another card.
"Now I'll invoke my Deckmaster again!" she shouted. "discarding another card to merge Flame Wingman with Sparkman…"
"Forming Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman!"
The two heroes merged, and the shining Hero in brilliant white armor and glorious feathered wings appeared, his brilliance nearly blinding! (2,500/2,000)
"HA, HA, HA!" laughed the Queen. "That guy may be powerful, but my Invader is still stronger. You lose!"
"Check again…" chuckled Diana.
Shining Flame Wingman's Attack went up to 3,700!
"HOW?" shouted the Queen.
"Didn't I ever tell you about his special abilities?" asked Diana. "He gains 300 extra Attack Points for every Elemental Hero in my Graveyard! That means that just by summoning him, he gains 1,200 extra attack points!
"That means I win…
"Shining Flame Wingman, destroy her Fiend with ray of purity!"
The Hero blasted a beam of pure light and Invader of Darkness was vaporized!
The green energy battery shook. The chains binding it shattered, and pure, green light flooded the soul chamber!
The Shadow Queen gasped…
"LEAVE!" shouted Diana. "Begone before he attacks you!"
The Shadow Queen bowed her head. She vanished.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Diana opened her eyes. Only seconds had passed in the real world.
"Stan!" she cried. "What am I doing?"
She looked around.
"Time to end this…" she said. "Goddess With The Third Eye, I summon you to the field!"
"What?" gasped Francesca.
"She's taking a dive!" shouted Andy.
"Attack his Dark Magician of Chaos!" yelled Diana.
The Goddess flew to attack, and Dark Magician fired to defend himself. Diana's Deckmaster was blown to pieces.
Her Life Points fell to nothing.
The holograms shut down.
Diana almost collapsed. Merlee ran out of the shadows and caught her in his arms.
"Th-th-there, there, child," he said. "You'll be fine…"
"Thank goodness…" muttered Stan.
"Stan…" moaned Diana. "I'm so sorry…"
"Don't be," said Stan. "We gave you a push, but you drove that wicked witch out of your mind yourself. That isn't easy to do…"
Diana sighed…
"You were taking a big risk there…" she noted. "You made your Monster stronger when I had Skyscraper on the field…"
"Actually…" replied Stan, taking a card out of his Disk.
He showed Diana the Dust Tornado card.
"If you had declared an attack, I would have activated this, destroying your Field Card, and Tempest would have been destroyed. And I also had this card in my hand…"
She showed her his Premature Burial.
"I could have brought back nearly anyone with this, and no matter what you would have summoned, I could have attacked directly with Dark Magician of Chaos, and you'd have lost… And the Shadow Queen would clearly have punished you for it…"
Diana shuddered.
"My friends…" said Merlee. "I w-w-wish I could stay longer, but I m-m-must get Diana out of the Palace and to safety. I am certain now that the Shadow Queen h-h-has seen me, and my continued presence is not w-w-wise.
"But we will meet again…"
"Bye guys…" sighed Diana. "And pop the Queen a good one for me, okay?"
Merlee and Diana vanished.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
The Shadow Queen walked down the hallway to where her children were being held.
Not a total loss, she thought. I discovered one important thing…
That accursed meddler Merlee has been helping those kids… Who'd have thought he was still alive?
Well not anymore. I'll make sure the Palace's security will keep him out specifically.
The last thing I need is that… jerk messing up my plans…
Not after what happened last time…
0
0
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CLAY WRAP (Magic Card)
Card Specs
Type: Magic/Equip
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK: -
DEF: -
Card Description: This card can only be Equipped to "Elemental Hero Clayman". When this card and the Monster Equipped with is sent to the Graveyard, destroy one Magic or Trap Card on the field.
0
0
0
BUBBLE BLASTER (Magic Card)
Card Specs
Type: Magic/Equip
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK: -
DEF: -
Card Description: This card can only be Equipped to "Elemental Hero Bubbleman". Increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster by 800. When the Monster Equipped with this card is attacked, negate the attack, and destroy this card.
0
0
0
ELEMENTAL HERO STEAM HEALER (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Warrior/Fusion/Effect
Attribute: Water
Level: 6
ATK: 1,800
DEF: 1,600
Card Description: "Elemental Hero Burstinatrix" plus "Elemental Hero Bubbleman"
This Monster can only be Special Summoned by Fusion Summon. If this Monster destroys a Monster as a result of battle, increase the controller's Life Points by an amount equal to the current ATK of the destroyed Monster.
Note: "Clay Wrap", "Bubble Blaster," and "Elemental Hero Steam Healer" have all been used by Jaden in episodes of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". "Bubble Blaster" and "Elemental Hero Steam Healer" will be released as real cards in the booster pack Duelist Pack 1. "Clay Wrap" has yet to be made into a real card.
0
0
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LIFE SHAVER (Trap Card)
Card Specs
Type: Trap
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK: -
DEF: -
Card Description: Image of an hourglass in the sky, its bottom half broken, with its sand spilling into the palm of a hand; cards float by in the background. When this card is activated, your opponent must discard a number of cards from his hand equal to the number of Standby Phases (yours and your opponent's) that this card remained facedown on the field.
Note: "Life Shaver" was used by Kaiba (after getting it from Yugi) in the multi-part anime episode "Clash in the Coliseum". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0
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"Dark Magician Girl": Spellcaster/Dark, Level 6, (2,000/1,700)
Deckmaster SA: "Soul Circle": Once per duel, you can draw a number of cards equal to the number of Monster Cards in your Graveyard.
Note: Tea used Dark Magician Girl as her Deckmaster in the two-part anime episode "Freeze Play". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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"Goddess With The Third Eye": Fairy/Light, Level 4, (1,200/1,000)
Deckmaster SA: "Power of Fusion": You can discard one Magic Card from your hand to fuse together two or more fusion material Monsters without using "Polymerization" or a similar card. A Fusion Monster summoned in this manner may attack on the round it is summoned.
Note: Serenity used Goddess With The Third Eye as her Deckmaster in the two-part anime episode "Mechanical Mayhem". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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Coming up next:
Stan is going to take a well-deserved break, and Francesca is going to step up to the bar. This time, one of HER old opponents returns, but this one isn't under the Queen's spell – he's serving her via his own free will. See some of the new additions to Fran's deck in this thrilling chapter. Those of you with faulty memories might want to backtrack, because you won't want to miss "Stone Cold", coming soon!