This story was done in collaboration between me and Jriddle41 (Sodormatchmaker on DeviantART), and we both own the OCs that are used in the story. Credit to author AaronCottrell97 for a few ideas and character suggestions (especially the duel layout for the story). Everything else belongs to their respective owners:
Thomas and Friends (c) Hit Entertainment and Mattel
The Railway Series (c) Rev Wilbert Awdry
Yu-Gi-Oh! (c) Konami
Song used in Intro and Outro (c) Unknown
WARNING: Again, the story is rated T (13-plus) for moments of violence and some suggestive themes. Viewer discretion may be advised.
Opening up in a fierce blizzard somewhere in a north pole-like area, poor Emily was still trying to make her way through. Unfortunately, since it was so white out right now, her vision wasn't exactly very sharp.
"Ugh! I... can't see... in this... blizzard!" The dark green-haired girl cried out.
Emily knew that she needed to find a place to stay and wait out the blizzard soon enough. Otherwise, it would be game over for her.
"But where? Where could I even stay? There are no villages or cabins in this area. And if I don't find a place to rest, I'll freeze to death."
Once again, unknowing to Emily, she was being watched by a number of ice-type monsters from behind some snowdrifts. Were they friend or foe? That was unknown.
"She looks cold." said a penguin-like monster.
"Not as 'cold' as our queen." joked a snowman-like monster. "Get it? Cold? Like the temperature?"
"That's not funny." scolded the penguin. "That poor girl could die out here if she stays in this blizzard for much longer."
"Then come on. We'd better go and help her."
Back over with Emily, she was still trying to make her way through the harsh blizzard, but it was taking a serious toll on her.
"HELLO?!" The dark green-haired girl called out, before coughing. "IS ANYONE OUT THERE?!"
Her cry echoed all around, but no one seemed to answer. Emily started to feel very tired and sick.
"Oh it's hopeless." she sighed to herself. "I'm going to die out here alone."
Even then, Emily couldn't give up. Unfortunately, it soon happened - her eyes started to drop as she felt herself losing conscious.
"No... not...now..."
But Emily collapsed to the snowy ground, anyway. Soon enough, she was surrounded by a bunch of monsters. What were they going to do with her? That...I cannot tell you. ...not yet, anyway.
Title: Heart of Ice
Outside a huge ice castle, some prissy laughter was heard coming from inside.
"Oh ho ho! It feels so wonderful to be queen." chortled the voice.
(elsewhere...)
Inside her bed chambers, a Duel Monster known as 'Ice Queen' was gazing into a mirror and seeing her own reflection.
"I bet there are countless men out there who would die just to get a glimpse at my beauty." she said vainly, playfully wiggling her hips.
Just then, a knock on the door came (much to Ice Queen's annoyance).
"Ugh! Just when it was getting good... Enter!"
The door opened and the same ice monsters from earlier came in.
"What do you two want?" Ice Queen asked in a snooty tone. "You know I hate to be interrupted when I 'need' my alone time."
"We found a human girl out in the snow." reported the penguin. "She looked frozen like an ice cube."
"Do I look like I even care?"
"C-Could you let us finish?" stuttered the snowman. "We d-didn't want to let the girl die in a blizzard, so we brought her back here to rest up."
"WHAT?!" screamed Ice Queen. "YOU BROUGHT A GIRL TO THIS CASTLE?!"
The two monsters cringed in fear. They were in for it now.
"You two, as well as the castle staff, know FULL well that another girl, especially if she is as pretty as me, is NEVER to be brought to this castle!"
"B-But, your Majesty, why not?" asked the penguin.
"Because I said so, that's why!" snapped Ice Queen.
"We didn't want to leave her out there to die." protested the snowman. "It would have been mean."
Ice Queen cast a furious glare at the poor, frightened snowman. "Mean? What are you even saying? Wait! Am I...not good enough for all of you?"
"N-No, no, no!" quivered the penguin. "It's nothing like that, your Majesty. We just didn't think it right that someone should freeze to death all alone. We were only trying to be nice."
"Get out!" ordered Ice Queen. "When that girl is awake, tell her that I request to see her."
The two terrified monsters raced quickly away. When she was alone again, Ice Queen turned to look back into the mirror.
"Such incompetent servants." she sighed irritably. The cold-hearted queen then gave a horrified gasp. "M-My face!"
Her outburst of anger towards the penguin and snowman had caused her makeup to smug. With an angry/vainish scream, Ice Queen picked up and hurled a large block of ice at the mirror, shattering it into pieces of glass.
(elsewhere...)
Inside a guest quarters, Emily was asleep in a warm bed. A knock on the door was heard, but the unconscious teenage girl didn't awaken. The door opened and the same penguin and snowman walked into the room.
"Excuse me, miss?" asked the penguin.
Emily still didn't wake up. Curiously, the snowman and penguin both approached the bed to get a good look at the dark green-haired girl.
"Is she as pretty as our queen says?" whispered the snowman.
"Only one way to find out." answered the penguin.
They crept closer and closer until they were a few inches away from Emily's face. The snowman even removed the covers off the girl's body.
"Oh, wow..." breathed the two monsters, blushing slightly.
They saw that Emily was indeed very pretty...maybe even moreso than Ice Queen.
"Our queen is right." whispered the snowman to his friend. "This girl is more lovely looking than her."
Suddenly, Emily stirred in her sleep.
"Oh-oh!" gasped the penguin. "She's waking up."
Emily soon slowly opened her eyes.
"Ugh... where am I?"
She looked around at her new surroundings until she noticed the two ice monsters.
"WAH!" Emily yelped, feeling afraid.
"Hello." greeted the penguin cheerfully. "Nice of you to finally wake-up."
"Wh-who are you?"
"Isn't it obvious?" smiled the snowman. "We're a snowman and penguin. You're currently in the kingdom of the Ice Queen."
Emily blinked. "Ice Queen?"
"Yes." said the penguin. "The ruler of this domain."
Emily merely blinked and remained silent. Just then...
"WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?!" shrieked a voice. "STOP STARING AT HER THIS INSTANT!"
The two monsters quivered in frigt. They knew that voice very well.
"Who was that?" asked Emily, speaking at last.
"Ahem! Behold the ruler of the frozen domain!" announced the snowman.
"The Ice Queen!" finished the penguin.
The Ice Queen entered the room. She didn't look very happy with her announced arrival.
"That's the great and most beautiful ruler of all!" The cold-hearted queen pointed out. She then looked at Emily. "So, you're the girl I was told about..."
Ice Queen gave Emily a quick look over. This girl had a rather slender-looking body, gorgeous curves, a very pretty-looking face, soft and delicate skin, and had long, dark green (almost emerald) colored hair. Ice Queen didn't look very impressed, while Emily felt rather uncomfortable with the atmosphere.
"Um... why are you looking at my body like that?" asked Emily uneasily.
Ice Queen gave a laugh. "I've been hearing that you're as beautiful as I am. Huh! I honestly don't see it."
Emily felt insulted. "I wasn't trying to be prettier than you! I was lost in a blizzard and I could have died if I didn't find shelter. When I passed out, I woke up here!"
"My servants found you." said Ice Queen. "And now that you're awake, I want you gone from my kingdom!"
"You mean you want me back out in that blizzard?" asked Emily in shock. "I could freeze to death!"
Ice Queen walked up to the dark green-haired girl and looked straight into her eye.
"Do I look like I care?" she demanded. "Any woman who is about as pretty as I am is considered a great threat to me. If I have to throw you back out into a raging blizzard just to be rid of you, then so be it!"
"It wouldn't kill you to be kind to others!" snapped Emily.
Quickly, the girl was slapped across the face by the vain, cold-hearted queen.
"I'm a queen! I can do anything I want!" insisted Ice Queen.
Suddenly, Emily slapped Ice Queen right back, much to the horror of the snowman and penguin.
"You're not one to tell me what to do!" retorted the dark green-haired girl in a very aggressive tone.
"Did she just hit our queen?" whispered the penguin.
"No one brave enough has ever done that before!" agreed the snowman.
Ice Queen was seething that her beauty was tarnished by this lowlife girl.
"How dare you strike me!" she snarled.
"Well, how dare you abuse your title just to bully others!" argued Emily. "Rulers are supposed to be benevolent and care for the well-being of their subjects! You're nothing like that at all!"
"You little brat!"
Ice Queen raised her fist to try and slug Emily across the face once more...but then stopped and gave a small smile.
"Actually-" The vain queen began. "-I've got a better idea."
"Huh?" blinked Emily.
With a wave of her staff, a Duel Disk appeared on Ice Queen's arm like magic.
"You know of the game of Duel Monsters, yes?"
"Yes, I do." nodded Emily, showing off her own Duel Disk.
"Then why don't we settle this in a duel? If you think you can defeat me, then prove it!"
Feeling fired up over the cold and vain nature of this ruler, Emily jumped off the bed and got into a dueling position.
"Bring it on!" she dared.
Suddenly, Ice Queen turned to leave. "This room is far too small though."
"Can we suggest using the throne room for the match?" suggested the penguin.
"A fitting idea." chortled Ice Queen. She then looked to Emily. "Follow us."
Emily reluctantly did so.
(elsewhere...)
Within the throne room of the castle, many of the servents (ranging from penguins and snowmen to yetis) were getting ready to watch the duel between Emily and Ice Queen.
"Are you ready to lose?" asked the Ice Queen (LP: 4000).
Emily drew her hand (LP: 4000). "Only if you're the one who is ready to lose!"
"Then let us begin!"
The entire crowd of ice-type monsters began to cheer, much to Ice Queen's happiness and such.
"Do you hear that?" she teased. "They love me! Not you, but me! And now you'll see just what my ice babies can do!"
She drew her card.
Turn One: Ice Queen (LP: 4000)
Deck: 39
Current Hand (6): ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, and ?
Ice Queen gave a giggle. "And this should be a good start."
A monster card called Snow Fairy materialized face-up.
"I summon Snow Fairy in attack mode!"
Appearing to the field was a fairy made entirely of snow and ice (Level: 4/ATK: 1100).
"Snow Fairy..." mumbled Emily, but loud enough to be heard.
"I take it you've heard of this monster?" asked Ice Queen. "So long as she's on the field, you can't activate Spells from your hand or during the turn they're set."
"Nuts!"
Chuckling, Ice Queen took another card from her hand and slotted it into her Duel Disk.
"And to finish my turn-" she continued. "-I'll set this card facedown."
"Then it's my turn!" said Emily, drawing.
Turn Two: Emily Sterling (LP: 4000)
Deck: 44
Current Hand (6): Soul of Purity and Light, Waboku, Burial from a Different Dimension, Shining Angel, Angelic Gift and Happy Lover
The dark green-haired girl's hand contained Soul of Purity and Light, Waboku, Burial from a Different Dimension, Shining Angel, Angelic Gift and the just added Happy Lover.
"Since I cannot activate Spell cards right away, Burial from a Different Dimension is of no use to me." Emily thought to herself, taking a card from her hand. "I summon Happy Lover in defense mode!"
A small, cute fairy with pink wings materialized (Level: 2/DEF: 500). Ice Queen began to laugh like a high school mean girl.
"Do you really think that little pipsqueak can scare me?" she asked. "It looks absolutely pathetic to me!"
Emily ignored the comment and took another card from her hand.
"I place one card facedown and end my turn!"
A facedown card materialized behind Happy Lover.
"And here I was expecting more than that." taunted Ice Queen, drawing a card. "Let me show you how it's done!"
Turn Three: Ice Queen (LP: 4000)
Deck: 38
Current Hand (6): ?, ?, ?, ?, and White Night Fort
Her drawn card was a Spell card called White Night Fort.
"If you thought the blizzard was bad, well...you're wrong."
Emily raised an eyebrow, but remained silent. Just then, White Night Fort materialized face-up.
"Continuous Spell - White Night Fort!" announced Ice Queen. "Thanks to this card, no player can activate Trap cards during their opponent's turn."
"What?!" exclaimed Emily in alarm. That meant her set Waboku card was useless.
"And I'm not finished yet." continued the vain queen, taking another card from her hand. "I also summon Illusion Ice Sculpture in attack mode!"
Appearing to the field was a huge statue of ice (Level: 1/ATK: 0).
"Now I know it looks pathetically weak, but it has an effect."
Some of the penguins, snowmen, and yetis looked to each other like they knew what their queen meant by that. Suddenly, the Ice Sculpture began to change form until it was a duplicate of Snow Fairy.
"Your monster turned into a copy of Snow Fairy!" gasped Emily.
"Right." confirmed Ice Queen. "My Illusion Ice Sculpture's attack and defense becomes equal to my Snow Fairy's attack and defense points! In addition, my Illusion Ice Sculpture is the only monster you can attack!"
"Darn it!" said Emily to herself. "And I still can't use Spell cards without at least setting them!"
And now was Ice Queen's battle phase...
"And now... feel the piercing chill!" The vain queen bellowed. "Snow Fairy, attack and destroy that Happy Lover!"
Snow Fairy obeyed, firing a spell of snow towards Happy Lover.
"And because it's my turn you cannot activate your set card!"
Happy Lover cried out before shattering into pieces of glass.
"Happy Lover!" called Emily. She then gave a low growl.
"My battle phase is not over yet!" continued Ice Queen. "Illusion Ice Sculpture still has yet to attack!" She then pointed forth. "DIRECT ATTACK!"
Illusion Ice Sculpture shot a bolt of ice at Emily, striking her in the chest (LP: 2900).
"That hurt!" she mumbled in pain.
"Now I shall freeze you!" announced Ice Queen in a sadistic tone, raising her staff up.
Emily didn't know what to make of this. "What's she up to?"
Bad idea... suddenly, it was like Emily was back out in the blizzard. The whole throne room had suddenly turned to outside in the cold blizzard.
"You're in my domain now!" laughed Ice Queen. "You and I will settle this in the cold!"
Poor Emily was beginning to shiver.
"So...cold..."
Even then, she would not give up that easily. Emily drew her card, while Ice Queen gave an annoyed sigh.
"Still want to go at it, do you?" she grumbled. "Whatever! Just show me what you've got!"
Turn Four: Emily Sterling (LP: 2900)
Deck: 43
Current Hand (6): Soul of Purity and Light, Burial from a Different Dimension, Shining Angel, Angelic Gift and Swing of Memories
Emily gasped upon seeing her drawn Swing of Memories card. She remembered it very well.
"Thomas's gift..." she murmured.
A flashback began.
FLASHBACK
Thomas, meanwhile, was blushing almost crimson red as he nervously stood up and approached the dark green-haired girl with something behind his back.
"Um... Emily?"
Emily looked to the blue-haired boy. "Yes, Thomas?"
Thomas was shuffling his feet a bit bashfully as he struggled to find the right words.
"I, err, got this for you." he finally said, taking a small box from behind his back.
Curiously, Emily took hold of the box, unwrapped it, opened it up, and gasped.
"Oh, Thomas..."
Inside the box were two things; a Spell card called Swing of Memories, and a heart-shaped locket.
"Happy Birthday, Emily." said Thomas.
Emily curiously held the card up. "What is this card, Thomas?"
"It's called Swing of Memories." explained Thomas. "I found two of them in a booster pack, and I thought you would like one of them."
Emily gave another curious look.. Thomas immediately cleared his throat and decided to explain something about that card Not its effect... but something about it.
"This card represents the precious memories we share together." he explained. "From we first met, and especially after you were saved from yourself."
Emily closed her eyes for a moment to remember those good times. Soon, she opened them and looked to the blue-haired boy.
"I...remember..." Emily muttered, recalling those good times.
Thomas smiled. "I've never forgotten those special times...and I bet you haven't either."
Emily smiled as she embraced Thomas in a hug.
"It's wonderful, Thomas." she said happily. "Thank you so much."
Thomas remained silent as he blushed harder than ever before.
END FLASHBACK
The flashback ended, and Emily was still looking at the card.
"Thomas..."
With renewed determination, Emily ignored the piercing blizzard and slotted the drawn card into her Duel Disk.
"I set a card facedown!" she announced, before taking another card from her hand. "And I summon Shining Angel in attack mode!"
Appearing to the field was an angel with blonde hair (Level: 4/ATK: 1400)
"Attack Illusion Ice Sculpture now!"
Shining Angel obeyed, firing a ray of light at the Doppelganger, destroying it, causing Ice Queen to grunt (LP: 3700).
"My turn is over!" finished Emily, and in her thoughts... "If I draw Wingweaver next turn, I'll activate my set Swing of Memories to bring Happy Lover back. From there, I can tribute both monsters to summon Wingweaver!"
"It's my turn!" announced Ice Queen, drawing a card. "And first I'll deal with your set card!"
Turn Five: Ice Queen (LP: 3700)
Deck: 37
Current Hand (5): ?, ?, ?, ?, and ?
On cue, a Spell card called Icicle Sacrifice materialized face-up.
"I activate the Spell card Icicle Sacrifice!" Ice Queen said. "Using this card, I can select one of my monster zones and special summon an Icicle Token! In addition, my monster zone cannot be used at all!"
An Icicle Token materialized (Level: 1/ATK: 0/DEF: 0).
"That's not all! It counts as two tributes for a tribute summon!"
"Two tributes!" thought Emily, sweating a bit despite freezing from the blizzard.
"Do you know what that means?. It means I can summon a higher level monster far more quickly than normal!" declared Ice Queen, before readying a new card. "Now watch as I sacrifice my token in order to summon another ice-like queen!"
Icicle Token faded into a blue streak as the storm grew worse and worse.
"Meet White Night Queen!" announced the vain and cold-hearted queen, slamming her card onto a monster field slot on her Duel Disk.
Appearing to the field was a woman with blue hair, and a body made entirely of ice (Level: 7/ATK: 2100/DEF: 800).
"Thanks to my monster's effect-" tittered Ice Queen. "-your recently set card is about to bite the dust!"
"No!" thought Emily. "The card I just set was...!"
The selected card rose to reveal Swing of Memories. It then shattered into pieces of glass.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!" laughed Ice Queen. "So much for THAT worthless card!" She kept her smile. "And now for the battle phase... White Night Queen, attack Shining Angel now!"
White night Queen obeyed, sending a wave of ice towards Shining Angel, freezing him and destroying him. Emily shivered from the cold as she took damage (LP: 2200).
"I play Shining Angel's special ability!" she said weakly, taking a card from her deck. "When he's destroyed in battle and sent to the graveyard, I can special summon a light attribute monster with 1500 attack points or less from my deck in his place. And I choose my Fairy Archer!"
A light attribute archer materialized in a battle position (Level: 3/ATK: 1400).
"Like that makes any difference!" shrugged Ice Queen, as she gave a rather prissy laugh. "Your pathetic Swing of Memories card has been wiped out! Never to be used again!"
Emily sank to her knees. Not entirely from the cold mind you, but also from the feeling of shame for not being able to use Swing of Memories.
"I'm sorry, Thomas..." she mumbled, shivering still while close to bursting into tears. "I'm so sorry..."
"You might as well stay down!" continued Ice Queen. "Someone as ugly as you can never defeat someone as beautiful as me!"
Emily clutched her fist in anger. Her feelings of pain, shame, and sadness was fading away while being replaced by those of fury.
"How dare you...?" The dark green-haired girl whispered.
Ice Queen stopped her laughter and insulting when she heard that dark tone.
"Eh...?"
Slowly, Emily raised her head up, her eyes now turned red.
"How are you considered beautiful when you're nothing but a cruel, selfish hag?" The dark green-haired girl spat hatefully. "You're nothing but a vain, cruel, self absorbed witch who doesn't care for anyone but herself!"
"HAG?!" cried Ice Queen in outrage. "Why, you little bi-"
"SHUT UP!"
The scream actually caused the vain queen to fall silent.
"True beauty lies on the inside." Emily went on, still seething with anger. "That's something that you will never understand. That card you destroyed was a present given to me by a very dear friend, and I am going to make you pay for destroying it as well as bullying your subjects!"
With that said, the dark green-haired girl drew her card.
Turn Six: Emily Sterling (LP: 2200)
Deck: 41
Current Hand (4): Soul of Purity and Light, Burial from a Different Dimension, Angelic Gift, and Fairy's Gift
On cue, a monster card called Fairy's Gift materialized face-up.
"I summon my Fairy's Gift in defense mode!"
A butterfly-like fairy materialized in a defensive stance (Level: 4/ATK: 1400/DEF: 1000). On cue, fairy Archer also switched into a defensive stance (DEF: 600).
"Now I switch Fair Archer into defense mode!" continued Emily, before readying yet another card. "Then I banish Happy Lover and Shining Angel both from my graveyard!"
The two monsters appeared briefly before vanishing. Emily then slammed her card onto a monster field slot on her Duel Disk.
"Now I special summon Soul of Purity and Light in attack mode!"
Appearing was a white spirit angel with blonde hair (Level: 6/ATK: 2000).
"And while I knew it's not as strong as your White Night Queen-" Emily pointed out. "Its effect drains 300 of your monster's attack points whenever you enter your battle phase!"
"What?!" exclaimed Ice Queen in shock.
"And that's not all... I activate my Fairy Archer's effect! For every light attribute monster I control, you take 400 points of damage!"
All three fairy-type monsters began to glow as three arrows manifested into Fairy Archer's Bow.
"400 points per monster?!" gasped Ice Queen. "That can't be right!"
"I'm afraid it is!" confirmed Emily hotly. "Now fire!"
Fairy Archer obeyed and fired the arrows. Ice Queen cried out as the arrows struck her in parts of her body. 400 x 3 = 1200 life points lost (LP: 2500). And finally, Emily entered her battle phase.
"Soul of Purity and Light!" she called. "Destroy her Snow Fairy now!"
"Not Snow Fairy!" thought Ice Queen to herself angrily. "If she goes, then that girl can play Spell cards again normally!"
Soul of Purity and Light immediately charged a ball of light, and fired at Snow Fairy, striking and shattering her into pieces of glass.
"Why you...!" growled Ice Queen (LP: 1600).
"And I'm not finished still!" continued Emily, taking another card from her hand and slotting it into a Spell/Trap slot on her Duel Disk. "Next I activate the Spell card Burial from a Different Dimension!"
The mentioned Spell card materialized face-up. Two monster cards reappeared within Emily's graveyard.
"This lets me return up to three banished monsters to my graveyard. I've removed my Happy Lover and Shining Angel to summon Soul of Purity and Light earlier, and so they both returned to the graveyard."
Continuing still, the Angelic Gift Spell card materialized face-up.
"Next I activate another Spell card! It's called Angelic Gift!" Emily spoke on, with two fingers placed near the Spell/Trap slot she inserted her card into. "By banishing as many fairy-type monsters from my graveyard, I draw two extra cards."
Shining Angel and Happy Lover both flew out of the dark green-haired girl's graveyard once more. Emily then drew four cards.
"Thanks to banishing Shining Angel and Happy Lover, I draw four cards!"
"Tch!" scowled Ice Queen. "What a show-off! Are you finished yet?"
Unfortunately for the vain queen, Emily was not quite finished yet.
"Not so." retorted the dark green-haired girl, slotting another card into her Duel Disk. "I finally activate Emergency Provisions!"
The mentioned Quick-Play Spell card flipped face-up and revealed itself. The set Waboku flipped up and faded into a blue streak, causing Emily to smile slightly as she recovered 1000 life points (LP: 3200).
"By sending my facedown card to the graveyard, I was able to gain 1000 life points."
This made Ice Queen very cross.
"How dare you gain the advantage!" she growled. "The great and beautiful me will not allow you to win!"
With that said, Ice Queen drew her card.
Turn Seven: Ice Queen (LP: 1600)
Deck: 36
Current Hand (3): Stray Lambs, Cold Sleeper, and Card of Sanctity
On cue, her facedown card flipped up and revealed itself to be...
"First I'll play my set Trap card Call of the Haunted! Using it, I'll revive my Snow Fairy in attack mode!"
Snow Fairy reappeared. From there, Ice Queen placed another card onto a monster field slot on her Duel Disk.
"Then I'll summon Cold Sleeper in attack mode!" The vain, cold-hearted queen announced.
Appearing to the field was a cryogenic freezing chamber on robotic legs (Level: 4/ATK: 1100).
"Planning to freeze someone inside that thing for about a thousand years?" joked Emily, despite shivering still. "If you're thinking of doing it to me, I'm not interested."
Ice Queen ignored the quip and just held out yet another card.
"Then I'll activate Card of Sanctity! Thanks to this, you and I must draw until we hold six cards in our hands!"
The two duelists drew form their decks until they each held six cards.
-Emily drew three cards
-Ice Queen drew five cards
"Well now... get a load of this little number..." snickered Ice Queen, and prepared to show what one of her cards was.
Emily kept a calm, yet still angered, look on her face...just before gasping at what she saw was a powerful card.
"Hammer Shot?!"
"So you know of it..." laughed Ice Queen, holding her card up. "This destroys one monster on your side of the field that is in attack mode and has the highest amount of attack points!"
A giant hammer appeared from the sky and slammed down on Soul of Purity and Light, destroying her.
"Like your Soul of Purity and Light..."
Emily, for a rare (and I mean it by rare) moment, cursed aloud in frustration.
"And there's more to come." said Ice Queen, still smiling. "I will now strike down both of your weak monsters with Cold Sleeper and Snow Fairy! ...and then attack you with my White Night Queen..."
Cold Sleeper struck down Fairy's Gift, while Snow Fairy destroyed Fairy Archer.
"And now, my White Night Queen, attack that girl directly!"
White Night Queen sent a blast of cold air at Emily, making her shiver even more so.
"So c-c-c-c-cold..." she whimpered (LP: 1100).
Alas, Ice Queen wasn't through yet and slotted two cards into her Duel Disk, along with holding up a copy of Emergency Provisions.
"I'll then set two cards-" The vain queen continued. "-and play my own, better copy of Emergency Provisions!"
Another Emergency Provision Spell card appeared beside the two facedown cards before they all vanished, causing Ice Queen to regain 2000 life points (LP: 3600).
"By getting rid of my two set cards, I gain 2000 life points!"
By this point, Emily was feeling so cold and faint that she yet again collapsed to her knees.
"That's right..." taunted Ice Queen cruelly. "Just lie there and accept your fate!"
Emily felt defeated, but a familiar sound was heard...
"Kuribi!"
"Kuribon?" blinked Emily, noticing a faded image of her friend. "W-What are you doing here?"
The female Kuriboh shook her head and said a few words in the Kuriboh language, which Emily understood.
"Oh, so you're from the card in my hand? I get it now!"
"Whatever are you talking to?!" demanded Ice Queen. "Will you just make your move or something?"
Emily realized that Ice Queen could not see the faded image of Kuribon for some reason, but decided to not dwell on it. Instead, she (Emily) stood back and drew her card.
"My turn!"
Turn Eight: Emily Sterling (LP: 1100)
Deck: 33
Current Hand (7): Kuribon, Cestus of Dagla, Monster Reborn, Swords of Revealing Light, Fairy Queen Autumn, Fairy's Defender and Wingweaver Priestess(!)
The dark green-haird girl's drawn card was a monster card called Wingweaver Priestess. It was something she never saw before at all (like Heavenly Light - Type B).
"W-What is this card?" Emily thought to herself, looking surprised. "Wingweaver Priestess?"
Her hand contained Kuribon, Cestus of Dagla, Monster Reborn, Swords of Revealing Light, Fairy Queen Autumn, Fairy's Defender and the added Wingweaver Priestess.
"How did I...?"
"Kuribi!" peeped the image of Kuribon.
"Kuribon..." Emily said in confusion. "Did you-?"
Kuribon nodded cheerfully, and began to explain what it was and what its strengths were. Once the explanation was finished, Emily gave a smile.
"I get it, you want me to play it, right?"
Kuribon nodded. Ice Queen grew impatient from her opponent's delayed turn.
"Hurry up!" she called rudely. "Quit talking to yourself and make a move or something!"
"Fine." growled Emily, readying her card. "I summon Wingweaver Priestess in attack mode!"
A teen-aged version of the Wingweaver, but wearing a beautiful white gown and with long dark green (almost emerald) hair showed herself from the light (Level: 4/ATK: 1950/DEF: 1600).
"Wingweaver...Priestess?" stuttered Ice Queen. "B-But she looks so much like... like..."
"Like me?" asked Emily, with her eyes still narrowed.
It was true - Wingweaver Priestess looked like a striking resemblance to Emily in every single way...well, except the clothing, but you get the idea. Kuribon, however, secretly knew that Wingweaver Priestess was actually something far more than looking like Emily.
"I-It doesn't matter!" sneered Ice Queen, putting up a brave facade. "Your monster is strong, yes, but my White Night Queen is stronger!"
Emily merely entered her battle phase without another word.
"Attack Snow Fairy."
Wingweaver Priestess obeyed, firing a blast of light at Snow Fairy, shattering her into pieces of glass. With Snow Fairy destroyed, Call of the Haunted was destroyed as well.
"I activate my Cold Sleeper's special ability!" cried Ice Queen (LP: 2750). "At the end of the battle phase, I can revive Snow Fairy in defense mode! ...although its battle position can not be changed, and one of my monster zones becomes unusable."
Emily kept her angry look as Wingweaver Priestess started glowing all white.
"Now I activate my Wingweaver Priestess' effect!" she announced. "When she destroys one of my opponent's monsters during my battle phase, I can tribute her and special summon from my hand, deck, or graveyard...Wingweaver!"
"What?!" gasped Ice Queen.
Wingweaver's Priestess vanished in a blue streak as the beautiful Wingweaver appeared in her place (Level: 7/ATK: 2750/DEF: 2450). Emily felt very happy to see her ace monster once more.
"Wingweaver..." The dark green-haired girl thought, looking up. "I know you're still back at the Sanctuary in the Sky badly injured, but I know you're always with me in spirit..."
Ice Queen, on the other hand, was not so happy to see Emily's ace monster.
"A monster as beautiful as that..." she seethed. "She clashes with 'my' beauty!"
Emily immediately gave the vain queen a dark glare and muttered only a few words...
"Attack Cold Sleeper now..."
Wingweaver obeyed, firing a blast of light at Cold Sleeper, shattering it. The force of the blast was so strong that it sent Ice Queen flying back while screaming into the wall of a rocky cliff.
"The power...!" The vain queen mumbled (LP: 1100), falling from the wall onto her knees. "How was something like that...so strong?"
"Had enough?" asked Emily in a dark tone. "If not, then I would be more than happy to give you more pain!"
Ice Queen looked at the mark she left on the rock wall. She actually left something like that on a cliff wall! The vain, cold-hearted queen turned and looked back at the dark green-haired girl with anger melting onto her face.
"HOW! DARE! YOU!" she roared, punctuating her sentence for emphasis.
Emily kept her eyes narrowed, but remained silent as Ice Queen furiously motioned her hand out.
"Because your battle phase is now over, I can bring Snow Fairy back in defense mode!"
Snow Fairy reappeared kneeling in a defensive position.
"And now, you will pay for ruining my beauty with your horrid Wingweaver!" shouted Ice Queen in the most vain of tones, drawing a card.
Turn Nine: Ice Queen (LP: 1100)
Deck: 30
Current Hand (4): Monster Reborn, White Night Dragon, White Veil, and White Blizzard
Her drawn card was a Spell card called White Blizzard.
"And now... the storm is about to worsen for you."
Emily watched as the Monster Reborn Spell card materialized face-up.
"I activate the Spell card Monster Reborn!" said Ice Queen. "Be revived Cold Sleeper!"
Cold Sleeper reappeared...before instantly being absorbed, along with White Night Queen, into the harshly snowing sky.
"Now I offer up my Cold Sleeper and my White Night Queen in order to call forth my most powerful monster!"
The blizzard grew even worse. The blow of the wind caused Emily to cry out from surprise.
"What's going on?!"
"You're about to meet the most deadly ice creature known in this world!" answered Ice Queen with a laugh, before showing her card. "White Night Dragon, come forth!"
A huge block of ice manifested onto the field. Suddenly, it shattered, and out came what looked like the Blue-Eyes Dragon carved from ice (Level: 8/ATK: 3000/DEF: 2500).
"White Night Dragon..." thought Emily to herself, looking up while shivering from the cold.
"My dragon's abilities will totally blow you away!" boasted Ice Queen. "It can negate and destroy any Spell or Trap card that targets it! While if you try to attack any of my other monsters, your attack gets thrown into my White Night Dragon instead!"
Emily was worried, while Kuribon was scared. Unfortunately, it was about to get much worse for the dark green-haired girl.
"Now I activate another Spell card!" continued Ice Queen, holding a card out. "Continuous Spell - White Blizzard! Now when I destroy one of your monsters, you take 600 points of damage!"
"What?!" exclaimed Emily. "I'll take 600 points of damage?"
Ice Queen STILL wasn't done yet. "And finally, I'll equip my dragon with White Veil!"
The mentioned Spell card materialized face-up.
"Thanks to this... when I declare an attack, all of your Spell and Trap cards will have their effects negated and be destroyed!" explained Ice Queen, before giggling. "While if you destroy the monster equipped with this card, I'll take damage equal to my own monster's attack points! ...but what are the chances of you even pulling it off?"
Emily scowled.
"And now for my battle phase! White Night Dragon, lay waist to that Wingweaver with your Blue Dragon Breath attack!"
White Knight Dragon obeyed and began to power up a dragon breath attack. Suddenly, Emily's graveyard started glowing all white.
"Huh?!" gawked Ice Queen. "What's happening?!"
"That's another special ability of my Wingweaver Priestess." explained Emily, taking the card slding out of the graveyard. "If Wingweaver becomes the target of an attack, I can special summon Wingweaver Priestess from my graveyard in defense mode and have her become the target of attack instead!"
Wingweaver Priestess reappeared in a defensive stance (Level: 4/DEF: 1600).
"So be it." huffed Ice Queen. "White Night Dragon, turn your attention to that Wingweaver Priestess instead!"
White Night Dragon obeyed, firing a blast of ice at the Wingweaver Priestess, destroying her in an instant.
"And now say goodbye to 600 life points!"
But Emily's life points didn't drop (LP: 1100). They instead remained where they were.
"Your life points didn't drop?" gasped Ice Queen. "Why didn't they? Your monster was-"
"When my Wingweaver Priestess is destroyed after being special summoned by her own effect-" explained Emily, cutting off the vain queen from beginning a rant. "-she is not destroyed, but rather removed from the game."
Ice Queen was rather angry. "And because White Blizzard only works if your monster is destroyed, you take no damage if the monster is banished instead!"
"That's right!"
The vain, cold-hearted queen clenched her fist in anger. She was so close, SO close! But even then, she was sure there wasn't anything that girl could do to win!
"It's your turn now!" called Ice Queen. "But is the point in continuing? My White Night Dragon is unbeatable! And with Snow Fairy back once more, you cannot play any Spell cards from the hand!"
"I will never give up!" retorted Emily, but then started shivering from the cold. "I've come too far..."
"Tough talk for someone who's freezing to the bone!"
Regardless, Emily managed to shrug it off enough to draw her card.
Turn Ten: Emily Sterling (LP: 1100)
Deck: 31
Current Hand (7): Kuribon, Cestus of Dagla, Monster Reborn, Swords of Revealing Light, Fairy Queen Autumn, Fairy's Defender and Gellenduo
Immediately, a facedown card (sideways) materialized, followed by Wingweaver conceiling her body with her wings.
"I lay a monster in defense mode and switch Wingweaver into defense mode." said Emily. "And that is all I can do right now!"
"Of course that is all you can do!" mocked Ice Queen, drawing her card. "Thanks to my Snow Fairy, you cannot play any Spell cards directly from the hand!"
Emily just ignored her.
Turn Eleven: Ice Queen (LP: 1100)
Deck: 29
Current Hand (1): ?
"Now, let us try this again..." continued Ice Queen, pointing to Wingweaver. "White Night Dragon... destroy that Wingweaver for good!"
White Night Dragon fired a blast. This time, Wingweaver was hit by the attack, and got destroyed.
"Your Wingweaver has met its end!" announced Ice Queen triumphantly. "More importantly, my White Blizzard now activates and deals you 600 points of damage!"
The intense blizzard grew even worse for Emily, causing her to collapse to her knees while shivering intensely (LP: 500).
"I...can't...go...on..."
(elsewhere...)
Thomas immediately shot awake inside a tent.
"Emily!" he exclaimed, before beginning to breath hard. "Was it all a nightmare? ...or do I feel like she's in trouble?"
Thomas was inside one of the tents that he and everyone else had set up. It was nighttime, and the gang obviously needed their sleep.
"Emily...please be safe..."
(elsewhere...)
Back in the middle of the monstrous blizzard, Emily was about ready to pass out from the intense cold and Ice Queen was laughing loudly.
"You might as well surrender." chortled the vain queen. "You can't beat me, and you know it!"
"N-No..."
Ice Queen raised an eyebrow. "Hm...?"
"I will n-n-never surrender!" insisted Emily, still shivering. "I-I..."
"I know, I know!" groaned Ice Queen in annoyance. "You will defeat me, and all of that... Blah, blah, blah! Ugh! Just hearing that gives me a headache! ...and a headache is terrible for my beauty."
Emily, still on her knees and shivering like a leaf, braced two fingers onto her deck.
"This is it." she thought. "If I don't draw anything helpful now, I will lose the duel and freeze to death." The dark green-haired girl closed her eyes. "Please, Thomas, let your spirit guide me..."
At last, Emily drew her card, slashing a wave of color in the process. It was a sign that the dark green-haired girl had just performed a Destiny Draw. Ice Queen was vastly surprised at seeing the action happen.
"W-What?! What did she-?"
Turn Twelve: Emily Sterling (LP: 500)
Deck: 30
Current Hand (7): Kuribon, Cestus of Dagla, Monster Reborn, Swords of Revealing Light, Fairy Queen Autumn, Fairy's Defender and Angel O7
Emily's drawn card was a monster card called Angel O7. It was exactly what she needed right now.
"Now... I flip summon my set monster!"
Emily's facedown monster flipped up to reveal itself to be...
"Gellenduo!" announced Emily.
Two little aliens (colored pink and green respectively) came out of the card (Level: 4/ATK: 1700). They both then faded awake into a blue streak.
"My monster's effect allows me to treat them as two tributes for a light attribute fairy-type monster!" The dark green-haired girl raised her card into the air. "Now I summon Angel 07 in attack mode!"
Appearing to the field was a rather odd looking fairy monster with blue skin, and white armor (Level: 7/ATK: 2500).
"Angel 07?" blinked Ice Queen.
"This monster gains an effect when he is tribute summoned." explained Emily. "Which is...all monster effects on the field except for Angel 07 are negated!"
"What?!" gasped Ice Queen.
"The biggest is your Snow Fairy's effect of preventing me from playing Spell cards from my hand. With it now rendered useless, I can play Spell cards normally once more!"
To prove her point about it, Emily took and held a card out (Monster Reborn).
"Like this one; Monster Reborn!" declared the dark green-haired girl. "Be reborn at once - Wingweaver!"
The six-winged angelic-like monster reappeared to the field.
"Next I equip my revived monster with Cestus of Dagla!" continued Emily, slotting another card into her Duel Disk.
The mentioned Equip Spell card materialized face-up...before a new weapon appeared in Wingweaver's hands.
"Not that!" wailed Ice Queen.
"This powerful equipment card increases my Wingweaver's attack power by 500 points." said Emily. "In addition, I'll regain life points equal to the amount of damage I inflict on you with the monster equipped with "
Wingweaver grew even stronger (ATK: 2750 - 3250).
"And your White Night Dragon is equipped with White Veil. If the monster equipped with that card is ever to be destroyed..."
"Then I'll take damage equal to its attack!" finished Ice Queen, getting a look of horror on her face. "No, oh no!"
"Wingweaver!" commanded Emily. "Strike down White Night Dragon with your Luminous Spark Rain!"
Wingweaver obeyed, throwing her weapons into the snow-falling sky. Suddenly, rays of light rained down at White Night Dragon, melting it after a few seconds of being hit. Suddenly, the weather started to warm up considerably.
"M-My dragon!" whispered Ice Queen (LP: 850). "You...you..."
"And don't forget your White Veil!" reminded Emily (LP: 750). "Because White Night Dragon has been destroyed while equipped with that card..."
"I take damage!" cried the vain, cold-hearted queen, just as a ghost of her fallen dragon appeared and fired a blast of cold ice at her (LP: 0). "AAAAUUUUGGGGHHHH!"
DUEL RESULTS: Emily Sterling wins!
Suddenly, just as Ice Queen collapsed onto the ground, the whole area morphed right back into the throne room of the castle. All of the penguins, yetis, and snowmen were very surprised indeed.
"Our queen has been defeated." murmured a yeti.
"No one brave enough has ever done that." added a snowman.
All of a sudden, Ice Queen melted away into nothing but water (like she had died). Emily, meanwhile, was breathing hard from that dangerous duel.
"That was so intense." she panted. The dark green-haired girl then looked at the puddle of water that used to be Ice Queen and got greatly surprised. "She's gone..."
Very quickly, all the penguins, snowmen, and yetis in the throne room surrounded Emily in seeming disgust.
"You killed our queen!" accused a yeti.
"I-I didn't mean to!" protested Emily, frightened that she had seemingly commited murder. "It was an accident, I swear it!"
Before anything more could be said or done, the animals...suddenly bowed before Emily in great respect, much to her confusion.
"Huh?"
"Hail our new ruler!" called a penguin. "The Ice Queen is dead!"
"All hail our new ruler! All hail our new ruler!" chanted the animals.
Emily was so overwhelmed by the praise, the duel, and exhausted/frozen from the cold, that there was only one thing she could do about it...
...she fainted on the spot.
"Oh no!" cried a snowman in a panic. "Now she's dead, too!"
One penguin walked over and carefully placed his head onto Emily's chest. He could thankfully feel (and hear) a heartbeat going on.
"No, she's alive! ...just very exhausted."
The ice creatures were very relieved, and I'm pretty sure a certain someone would be as well if he had found Emily... sadly, it was gonna be a while before that ever happened. But I'm sure Thomas will succeed in finding his friend, am I right?