Shadowchasers: Tournament of Shadows

by 0ccam's Razor

In the place where Duel Monsters got its start, a tournament like none other has begun... And the Shadowchasers are right in the middle of it! Old favorites, fresh faces, and a few new surprises. A joint fic by Cyber Commander, 7th Librarian, and MultiplePersonas!

41. Eternal Rest

And it's HERE! As we promised, the FINAL chapter of "Tournament of Shadows"!

For this momentous occasion, I'd like to thank my two co-authors, 7th Librarian and Multiple Personas, along with my original co-author Lux-Nero, and Librarian's lovely wife Mei1105, all of them for their dedication and patience in getting through this whole frustrating and at times taxing ordeal.

Special thanks to the readers for sticking with us, assuming you still are, and we'd like to invite you to a second project of this nature which we intend to start sometime after Hell freezes over.

But until that day comes, we hope you can enjoy the true ending to our story.

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Pegasus: How do you say goodbye to something that has taken so much of your time? Often, you're faced with a task that you've worked on so long and so hard to the point where dozens - or maybe hundreds - of times, you felt like throwing in the towel. But no, you saw it through...and now that it's over, what's next? Everything I've worked and hoped for is on the line now. But am I ready?

Time to find out.

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Tournament of Shadows

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Chapter 39: Eternal Rest

In the months that followed, the true extent of the damage Levistus had done to the environment during his brief manifestation was realized. Large swathes of coastal farmland in the South Pacific had been damaged or destroyed by the unexpected blizzards, leading to global shortages of grain, while the freezing of the oceans had disturbed fish migrations and altered the tides. Smaller storms had cropped up spreading to other parts of the Eastern Hemisphere, leading to small hurricanes and an unexpected El Nino. The following fall and winter would be hard for many, with whole nations - including many impoverished ones - enduring a forced fast and economic recession, many communities having to depend on charity and emergency assistance.

But assistance did come. As much as fiends like Levistus try to deny the worth of mere mortals, spirits are hard to crush. Many saw the miserable time as the final dying curse of a defeated Archdevil, but still, once spring arrived, an upside to the disaster could be seen. Melting snow brings life-giving water, both to soil and air, causing dry riverbeds to flow and dry land to become fertile. A promising harvest would soon come, and the world would recover.

But this is getting ahead of ourselves.

In the hours following the end of duel against Levistus, the Shadowchasers had found no time to sit and rest. Jalal had transformed back into humanoid form and even looking rail-thin, bony and utterly exhausted, he had still been every inch the leader as he'd organized the Shadowchasers. Those who were fresh and armed were sent to clean up the remaining demons, others helped create a makeshift field hospital by finding part of the castle that wasn't damaged and melting away some of the ice. Communications had reopened to Shadowchaser HQ, a team already dispatched to shut down and investigate Lessiux Incorporated and a flood of letters, Skype calls and e-mails were sent to reassure panicked families and teammates of both the Shadowchasers and the Blue Knights.

The Blue Knights themselves had been enlisted to help, even if all they'd been able to provide was an extra set of hands to clear debris or treat wounded. If any of them had any concerns or questions about the events that had transpired, they kept it to themselves. The Shadowkind among them would take this whole incident with a rough, quiet stoicism and the humans who had suddenly be made aware of the existence of magic would probably need some help adjusting to the new reality - even if that adjustment was a large sum of money to help them forget it all.

But for now, everyone was busy and had no time to dwell on the day's events any more than necessary.

Everyone was busy, that is, except for Jalal himself.

He was reading, true, but it was not a book that one read to pass the time or escape reality. This book was slender, relatively thin and bound in leather. It bore no title and was in fact so unobtrusive one could have been forgiven for thinking that it was simply a decorative display piece. Yet Jalal held it with care and reverence as if it were a Faberge egg that somehow also weighed a ton.

But then, the names of the dead often carry a weight far beyond the physical.

He wasn't very far into this book of the dead and for that, he was glad. He'd had the book for over a thousand years now and just the idea of this book's pages being full left him with a chill that had nothing to with the ice-covered landscape around him. Blue eyes wandered over the list inside those pages, golden filigree letters that were split into three neat columns.

A name, a date and a cause of death. Any Shadowchaser who perished due to violence was recorded here. And for Shadowchasers, that usually meant your name only got into the book because you were murdered, or you fell in the line of duty.

Too many are in here because of the former. Jalal traced the gold letters with a fingertip. And far, far too many are in here because of the latter.

His fingers touched the latest name on the list - it started a new page and it brought a brief smile to his lips at how he imagined this Shadowchaser would find a way to gloat at having done so.

Kenshin. Died 2XXX. Death by demonic freezing from Archduke Levistus.

So Levistus had killed her, then.Out of all his Shadowchasers, Jalal would have put money on Kenshin every time to be the one who survived the impossible odds. There were times he - and others - debated whether she could truly die. It was a sobering weight to see her name in the book.

Something warm pressed against the top of his head and he looked up from his reverie, surprised to see Maria standing behind him and holding two steaming mugs. The lupine ferocity pointed ears and fangs did not make the smile she was bearing look at all pleasant, but it was still a relief to him. "Is that tea?"

"Of course it is tea." Maria handed him one of the mugs, leaning over his shoulder. Her face settled into a cold look at the sight of the book. "You shouldn't be looking at that right now, Jalal. We need you here in the present, not the past."

"I am aware." Jalal didn't rebuke her - she was right. And the warm tea was going a long way towards chasing away the various chills and cold feelings he'd had since realizing just how much damage Levistus had done. "I just wanted confirmation."

"I could have told you that." Maria said. Her expression was still cold.

He didn't blame her. Kenshin had been Maria's teammate, her friend and Maria had senses beyond what his human ones could perceive. As a kyubi, she always had one foot in the world of spirits and ghosts. A world Kenshin had inhabited. If there was any trace of the game console spirit, Maria would have found it already.

But there wasn't one and she had accepted that. Professional even in her grief. She would weep and grieve but only after the work was done.

Work that was growing more demanding by the minute and Jalal closed the book, the little 'thud' it made sounding far too like a casket lid closing for his ears and the weight the tiny book had seemed to multiply. One more name to the list. One too many names already on it.

Jalal did not write down the names of his fallen Shadowchasers in the book - it was done by the magic tied to their marks. Nor could he edit it, either. If I could, I'd say they all died serving the greater good, each other and the world.

Wishful thinking, that. Jalal knew he could never sugarcoat the truth. It would have been a disservice to try and just blend them all together into one generic consistency of 'heroic defender of peace and justice'. These Shadowchasers had chosen to give their lives for their own reasons, their own beliefs and it wasn't anyone's place to try and make their deaths out to be any more than what they were. A good person doing the right thing.

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Ace had managed to find the deepest, darkest part of the castle that was still intact and hole herself into it. Ironically, it was the dungeon and it was the perfect place for a woman going mad.

It was so dark, she couldn't see her hand in front of her face. Yet even squeezing her eyes shut didn't stop her from seeing everything in her head.

So quiet that it might as well have been a tomb, but Ace swore she could hear the jackhammering of her heart so hard that she was sure it'd explode out of her chest.

So cold her fingertips should have turned blue. Yet she was burning up, soaked in hot sweat as she struggled against the flood of chaotic memories.

Memories that weren't hers - people, faces, places, names. All of it a jumble of light and sound and imagery that wasn't in any kind of order. She was attending funerals, only to speak with the deceased and laugh about something before turning her head to find herself occupied with a duel that was happening in a living room dinner conversation and her opponent heedless of the fact they were standing in the fireplace.

Everything collided together and fell apart like a kaleidoscope accompanied by a chorus of voices and shouts and screams. Ace wanted to scream at how overwhelming it all was, but her voice was caught in her throat, leaving her to wide, nothing stare to bore a hole in the wall and desperate fingers clawed at the bench.

Then, as if someone had just slammed a door, the visions and noises stopped. For several quiet seconds, Ace just focused on breathing. The aching fire in her lungs was unwelcome, but necessary reminder she was alive and if the whole world could just be the little circle of bench was staring at, that'd be great.

"Feel better now?"

She lifted her head. Seated next to her was a woman in flattering Christmas reds and greens. Ace had never seen her before, but her name still popped out her mouth. "Phoenixia."

"Yes." She said with a nod and helped Ace sit herself up. "I met Kenshin several times over the years. That's probably why you know who I am."

"You're a tech spirit...kinda…" Ace rubbed at her face, her eyes, trying to clear away things that weren't there. "Everything is...fuzzy. Hurts."

"It will for a while, I'm afraid." Phoenixia said in sympathy. "You bonded your soul with a non-human one. That has consequences."

"Kenshin's memories." Ace said slowly, quietly. "They keep playing in my head. Like a recording I can't turn off and someone's spliced in the wrong order. I can't...I don't know...I just can't."

"I've been there. I share a powerful connection to a very old, very obnoxious man and we have bled our respective beings into each other before." Phoenixia produced the staff Kenshin had crafted from Snazzlepop's spine, passing it to Ace. "And I've learned a few things about dealing with it." She smiled reassuringly. "It's why you're just having a very painful headache instead of just a splitting one."

"That's like the dentist telling me drilling the second tooth hurts less than the first." Ace took the staff. Kenshin's hair was still wound around it and her thumb traced the soft strands. She'd run her fingers through that hair so recently, snuggled up to it in that cabin after their campfire. Warm and soft, just like Kenshin.

Damp forced its way along her eyes, but she blinked it away, too tired for any more tears. But there was enough energy to be curious when she realized the cracked soulstone they'd destroyed earlier had been replaced by an irregularly shaped crystal. It pulsed with its own light as if it were alive. "What is this?"

"It's a focusing crystal. The kind used to amplify magic rituals or to meditate upon. Levistus had some brought here for his own rituals. I stole the best one of the lots, but I'm glad in it has a use still." Phoenixia explained. "It's what's keeping you from being overwhelmed by Kenshin's memories. So, you'll have to keep the staff close."

Ace nodded holding the staff out in one hand and stretching out the other. The staff winked out, then reappeared in her opposite hand. She smiled despite herself. "Doesn't seem to be a problem with that." The smile fell. "But...I don't know how I did that."

"Kenshin used your body as her own, so I suspect some of her abilities or quirks probably got mixed in with all the power she was throwing around during the duel."

"Oh. Yeah. That makes sense." Ace stared at the crystal, then at Phoenixia. "Will...will I ever get better?" She swallowed a sudden lump in her throat. "If I do...what will happen to her memories? Will I forget them?"

"I don't know, dear." Phoenixia said in a quiet tone. "I'm not all-knowing. No one truly is. This is something that will happen how it happens and not in any other way. And I am sorry that you have to endure it."

Ace nodded, rolling the staff between her palms, watching the light play off the crystal. "Can it kill me?"

"No. Kenshin is dead and her soul is not in this plane." Phoenixia put a comforting hand on the other woman's back as Ace flinched at the words. "You just got pieces of her. Your soul will weave them into itself and then it won't even be like it happened."

"Okay." Ace nodded again. "Okay." Her hands tightened on the staff so hard the vertebrae dug into her palms and her knuckles went white. "Can I...do magic, like necromancy? Can I bring her back?"

Phoenixia shook her head. "She was not alive in the way you are, so she's not dead in the way you would be."

Ace nodded a third time. This time, the tears did happen, and she let them. "She was alive. She was here. With me. And I...I…" The words failed as words, coming out in a choked sob. "I don't know. I don't. I don't know how I feel or if i loved her or she loved me or what it all meant and now I won't ever know." Her head rested on the staff, tears staining trembling hands. "Why can't I know? What did I do wrong?"

Phoenixia was quiet for a long moment. Then, in a voice that was heavy with experience and her own aches, said. "We don't always get the time we want with people we love. We don't even get to know what that love is. But I think, getting a chance to taste those feelings, to make Kenshin happy, means you did something right."

She stood, pulling Ace up by the arm and producing tissues seemingly out of thin air. "Let's go back upstairs to the others. They're worried about you. And someone's managed to find some more food. There's even some rocky road ice cream."

"I don't like rocky road." Ace said. "But I still want some...Kenshin liked it."

"That's the spirit." Phoenixia encouraged gently. "And I think she will find it hilarious if you'd eat a dessert you hate in her honor."

Ace managed to smile at the image of the spirit laughing at the Las Vegas Shadowchaser as she forced down the bites. It hurt, it felt hollow, but it was real.

Real enough, anyway.

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On the other side of the castle from Ace and Phoenixia, a pair of rough, callused hands erupted from the rubble. Pieces of brick that once held the images of pentagrams shifted aside as a hulking, horned, naked figure emerged, followed shortly by a skinnier, more angular (and mercifully clothed) one.

"Well," Catch muttered. "This has been a disappointing day."

"Oh, a week in your harem and you'll have forgotten the whole thing!" Teplotaxl snapped. "But I've been waiting four centuries for that promotion! Ugh, I knew I shouldn't have burned that bridge with Mammon!"

"If this had been Mammon's plan, you'd likely be facing demotion," replied Catch. Noticing Teplotaxl shivering at the thought (or perhaps at the sight of Catch's ever-erect member), he nodded. "Not something to look forward to, is it?"

"You think we're not getting demoted?" Teplotaxl sneered. "We'll have to sell roughly sixty-four-point-seven percent of our soul contracts simply to get out of this!"

"Then I suggest not dilly-dallying any longer," growled the larger fiend.

Teplotaxl sighed. "Agreed," he said. "Every minute we wait is another approximately thirty-point-six years spent trying to claw our way back up the ladder. Well, at least we still have two mortals to turn in, even if they're not worth much."

"Do we own their souls?" Catch asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Levistus turned over ownership of their bodies to us. If they wish to separate their souls from their bodies, then that's their business. Now let's get back to Stygia before roughly eight-point-one percent of your harem hits puberty."

Teplotaxl waved his claw, and a gateway opened to their frigid realm. The fiends sighed and pushed their way through, sealing the portal behind them.

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By the third day inside the mostly demolished castle and on the ruined island, everyone present had much the same question. "What do we do?"

Transport had been arranged, but it was slow getting to the island; while the unnatural blizzard had ended, rescue crews were backlogged with priorities. Tents had been located to give everyone some privacy and shelter, but the greatest weapon the elements had was not the bitter cold but boredom. The Shadowchasers were restless, edgy at how dangerous the tournament had become under their noses and the Blue Knights were just as bad given how many of them were realizing they weren't going to get their money from Lessiux anymore. And more than once, tensions had flared when one side accused the other of being too close to Levistus' scheme. To the point Jalal himself had to knock heads to people to pay attention.

But Duelist Kingdom had originated as one man's desire to make his home a playground for his guests and to give them what he considered the greatest show on earth. Now, despite being ruined, devastated and unrecognizable, there might be enough life left in both man and kingdom for one last hurrah.

Pegasus was standing over one of the intact desks, his Toon deck (really Voltaire's, but it was Pegasus's first, and would be for one more duel) spread out in front of him. He was quiet and still, though it was easy to see his mind was racing behind all that calmness. Alice hovered nearby, energetic with frustration and impatience but forcing herself to remain quiet because she knew how important this was.

Bruno was seated against the wall atop some rubble that'd crushed the couch when the ceiling caved in, going through his own deck. He knew it all by heart, could have done it with his eyes closed, and yet it felt like it was missing something.

Maybe what it's missing is me. Bruno had been thinking that thought a lot in the last few days. Everything that unfolded for him personally in the tournament had rattled him in ways he hadn't felt before. Everything was...loose, like someone had undone the screws that held him together just a couple of turns. Just enough to make him notice at the most awkward times how he wasn't himself.

When was the last time I actually enjoyed myself? That thought, too, had been cropping up lately. Along with 'Rebecca should know, but she's not talking to me.' and 'I wouldn't know what to say if she was' and 'When I did blink and miss all of it?'

He paused over the Alice, Warden of Wonderland card. He'd built a Wonderland deck to make a point, to himself and to others. To share his love of Carroll's works and peculiar insanity and to make that madness a shield against joystealers. After all, you couldn't steal joy from the mad; they wouldn't know it from their boots. Combined with his own cheerful nature, that wacky, slapsticky party clown with baggy pants pockets full of tricks, he'd become the single greatest force to fight the unseelie threat.

So, when did I stop having any joy to steal? The thought was a new one and he knew he didn't want the answer.

He wasn't sure what he wanted right now. Answers, a direction to go in, even just a talk with Rebecca. None of them felt right, because he didn't feel right. He wondered if he'd gone so far into Wonderland and stayed so long, the insane became the norm. And normality, as any good mad person would say, was boringly sane.

"Are you ready, Bruno-boy?"

The Shadowchaser folded his deck together at the sound of Pegasus' voice, lifting his head to see the game creator already shuffling his deck. "Yes."

Pegasus smiled in a patient way. "See, a smart man would have asked me 'Ready for what?' I have a reputation, you know."

"So do I." Bruno shrugged. "I'm ready for anything. That's the only way to be in Wonderland."

Pegasus' smile fell into melancholy. "That would be a terrible thing, my boy. Terrible. If you were ready for anything, what would be left to enjoy?" But only for a moment - then he was beaming, clapping his hands like a master of ceremonies. "Still, I think this is something that's so inconceivable, it just had to happen! The residents of Toon World crashing Wonderland! If only Jean-Claude hadn't been sincere in his motives, I'd have loved to broadcast this…"

"Stop trying to showboat and let's go already!" Alice, making up for the difference in height between them with some aggressive levitation, swatted him on the back of the head with her hat. "You already have a captive audience, what more do you want?"

"Captive-?" Bruno stepped over to the window, surprised to see the little courtyard they'd picked had Shadowchasers and Blue Knights milling along the edges. "What are they doing there?"

"Oh, your boss spread the word. Really seemed keen on it when I asked him. Something about 'morale' and 'easing tension' and 'a good distraction.'" Pegasus shook his head bemusedly. "Honestly, he could do with some downtime. Works far too much for his health."

Bruno didn't know what to say to that. An audience didn't bother him and if this was what Pegasus wanted, then he could have it. So why was that rattling feeling getting worse? Had the audience's presence undone the screws a couple of more turns? I've dueled in front of crowds plenty of times. This one isn't any different.

'Maybe it should be.'

He blinked, turn back towards the pair. Alice was busy berating Pegasus again, but that had been her voice in his head. And she had sounded sad for him. Which made no sense at all - this entire duel was about to be the fulfillment of her lifelong ambition. And Bruno would play his part. Happily, even.

It was still bothering him as they exited the room and he swore he caught a flash of that sadness in her eyes before she pulled the brim of her hat down and looked away.

"Duelists young and old!" Voltaire cried to the spectators all around. He'd somehow managed to repair his clothing, add a stylish scarf and had a second career as an MC. "As we all know, this island was once home to our beloved game's creator and designer of its iconic cards. Now, back for one last time, the great Maximillian Pegasus!"

The crowd gasped and cheered as Pegasus took a bow.

"And it's great to be back!" he chortled. "If only the circumstances for my return were happier."

"What do you mean?" came a voice from the crowd.

"Oh, it's a tragic tale of love and loss," Pegasus announced with a sigh. "And, like so many such tales, it begins in Las Vegas.

"When I was but a boy, I met the love of my life, dear Cyndia, and it was love at first sight for her, too. We did everything together, and all was well. But all too soon, she was taken from this world by a terrible illness, and my world fell apart. I traveled the world, searching for a way to see her again, and in my travels, I came to own my Millennium Eye. It opened a whole new world of possibilities for me, granting me the kind of sight I had never even imagined. But without dear Cyndia, it wasn't enough."

One Shadowchaser hovered on the edge of the crowd, quietly taking in the entire speech as she tried to dry the tears from her face.

"The day came when I performed a dangerous and stupid ritual. Desperate to move on, I tried to carve the sadness out of my heart by sealing a piece of my grieving soul into a card. With that, Alice in Despairland was born. But alas, it solved nothing. You cannot fill a hole by digging more. Worse, before I could reverse my mistake, the card was stolen and sold by an unscrupulous employee and began trading hands in the dueling underground. I was left lonelier than ever, now missing not only my soulmate, but a piece of myself as well.

"In this added grief, my behavior became worse. I was willing to steal souls and destroy lives in a desperate attempt to chase the illusion of what was gone forever from this world. And for that, I could not be sorrier. If it helps, I eventually turned around, though I never again let myself love. I simply couldn't risk the heartbreak again. Or perhaps, without that piece of myself, I never could truly love like I used to.

"Whatever the case, I died, as we all do eventually. But to my shock, I was still not reunited with my dear Cyndia. Severing my soul as I did kept me tethered to earth until the day the pieces were reunited. I was trapped, invisible and intangible, left at the mercy of dark forces who sought to use me for-well, that's not important right now, and this story's sad enough.

"But during my own journeys, Alice in Despairland continued to trade hands, spreading my misery through no fault of her own to whomever was cursed to hold her, until she found her way into the hands of the boy who stands opposite me. Fate smiled upon us as Bruno von Klein cast a familiar glow over her, a duelist whose childhood joy never died, who had a taste for the silly and nonsensical, and who, best of all, was returning to Duelist Kingdom. By luck, I arrived in my own way, and the two of us are finally about to be reunited so that we may move on. And, because I am a showman at heart, I have invited all of you here to see my last hurrah! Should Bruno-boy defeat me, Alice and I can finally be reunited and move on to my eternal reward!

"So now, without further ado, I present what I hope to be the final duel of Maximillian Pegasus!"

The crowd roared as Bruno and Pegasus activated their Duel Disks. As they readied themselves, a lavender haze spread outward across the island.

(Pegasus: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Bruno: 8,000)

"Age before beauty, Bruno-boy," Pegasus chuckled as they drew their opening hands. "Let an old man have the first turn."

"Be my guest," Bruno told him, smiling back. Neither seemed to acknowledge the spreading mist, which seemed to even go unnoticed among the crowd.

"Thank you, Bruno-boy," the game's creator replied. He examined his hand, then selected a card and placed it horizontally on this Disk. "There," he said as a defensive monster materialized. "That'll do for now."

"Just a defensive monster," Bruno noted, staring at the field.

"Just how he began his famous match with Kaiba," Voltaire pointed out. "Oh, I'm so excited! Make this good, Alberno!"

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"You think the old man up there is really Pegasus?" Dinosaur Hakozaki wondered out loud.

"If not, it's a pretty good impression," Ananya told him.

"Whatever the case, I've got fifty bucks on the old man!" Pirates Keith shouted.

"You're on!" Douglas Bowmaker shot back.

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Bruno examined his cards for a moment, weighing his options as he smiled. "Sorry, Pegasus," he said with a smug grin. "But this may be a faster duel than we planned! I'll begin by summoning Tweedledee!"

He slapped down a card, and the plump man in a beanie bounced onto the field, giving a silly grin. (1,600 ATK)

"And, with his ability, I can pay eight hundred Life Points to summon Tweedledum from my deck!"

(P: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,200)

Bruno selected a card from his deck, and a mirror image of the fat little man materialized next to its twin. (1,800 ATK)

"And finally, it's time to bring out the guest of honor in our duel! I activate One for One, discarding a card to Special Summon Sleepy Dormouse!"

He activated the Spell, slipping another card into his Graveyard as the narcoleptic rodent materialized next to the twins, snoring gently. (100 ATK)

"What's so special about the Dormouse?" Voltaire asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not much," Bruno told him with a shrug. "It's the card I discarded that mattered. So, once again, let's welcome the one and only Alice in Despairland!"

Alice's specter sighed as she vanished from Pegasus's side, sucked into Bruno's Graveyard slot before reappearing, notably more transparent, beside the Bavarian Shadowchaser. She cast her spell upon his monsters, but this time with a twist: rather than their expressions darkening, their expressions became even sillier, if possible. Tweedledum and Tweedledee locked elbows and do-si-doed, while the Dormouse snored comically, with colorful "Z" shapes pouring from its mouth. (1,600 ATK) -) (1,800 ATK) (1,800 ATK) -) (2,000 ATK) (100 ATK) -) (300 ATK)

"Okay, this is new," Bruno muttered, glancing over at Alice, who smiled back.

"What can I say?" she replied with a shrug. "I just don't feel so down today!"

"That's the spirit! Now, Tweedledee, take out his defensive monster! Battle rattle!"

The twins continued their swinging dance for a moment before, rather suddenly, Tweedledum released his twin and launched him at Pegasus's set monster. Tweedledee was hurled into the air and pulled out his (well, Tweedledum's) rattle, bringing it down on the card back. In a flash of light, the card back flipped over, exposing Pegasus's monster for all to see. It was a humanoid rabbit of sorts, with dark blue fur and a goofy, manic expression. It did all it could to hold out against Tweedledee's assault, but soon shattered into triangles. Cheerful with a job well done, Tweedledee scampered back beside his brother.

"Dark Rabbit?" Bruno asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why would anybody still use that card?"

Pegasus chortled and wagged a finger. "Now, now, Bruno-boy," he lectured. "You can't judge a card purely on its stats. Besides, this card has a lot of sentimental value to me. It was the very first card I ever designed myself, rather than basing it on ancient carvings."

"Well, now it's in the Graveyard, and your field is clear. Tweedledum, Sleepy Dormouse, attack directly!"

Tweedledum swiped the rattle from his brother and bounced forward, slamming the toy into Pegasus' nose and knocking the old man to the ground. Before Pegasus could recover, the Sleepy Dormouse, its eyes still closed, scampered over and bit him on the arm.

(P: 5,700) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,200)

"Bravo, Bruno-boy!" Pegasus clapped as he returned to his feet, unfazed by the assault. "A wonderful first turn! The crowd is already thrilled!"

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"Are you thrilled?" Nikolov Chariot asked, turning to Greg.

"Meh," Greg replied with a shrug. "I'm not walking out yet, though."

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"And my turn isn't over yet," Bruno bragged. "Because now I'll tune Sleepy Dormouse with Tweedledee! Get it together, you two!"

Sleepy Dormouse gave a wheeze and transformed into a single glowing ring, while one of the twins faded away, leaving only four glowing stars. The stars lined up and everything began to glow brightly.

"When the feast was concluded, the Owl, as a boon

Was kindly permitted to pocket the spoon.

While the Panther received knife and fork with a growl,

And concluded the feast by-"

(*1 + *4 = *5)

"Synchro Summoning the Mock Turtle!" Bruno finished with a flourish.

The glow faded, and Bruno's melancholy cow-turtle hybrid materialized next to Tweedledum, its flippers over its head as it softly wept (2,800 DEF). Alice cast her spell, and its bovine features became more pronounced, its eyes impossibly big and soulful.

"Now I end my turn, and let my Mock Turtle share his pain."

The creature sniffled and bawled louder. Tears stopped dripping and started cascading, and suddenly Pegasus was overcome with empathy for the creature, crying right along with it, but only for a moment. As soon as the Mock Turtle stopped, Pegasus' face was bone-dry again.

(P: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,200)

"A spectacular first turn, Bruno-boy!" Pegasus declared as he seized another card. He smiled and chose one of the others. "But the fun has only just begun! It's time to take you back to your childhood - or mine, at least! I banish the top three cards of my deck to activate my favorite card, Toon Kingdom!"

The Field Spell slot slid open in Pegasus's Duel Disk, and he inserted the card, pocketing three more. A massive hardcover book materialized before him and flew open with an explosive POP! A huge pop-up castle, far too big for the book, shot up, flanked by torches and bare trees. Music began to play, an upbeat and familiar tune that Bruno couldn't quite place.

"Welcome, Bruno, to a world where anything can happen! A world where paintings become tunnels, holes can be picked up and moved, and anvils fall like rain! A world where dynamite to the face is a mere inconvenience, and nobody can ever die! Welcome, Bruno-boy, to the world of Toons!

"Of course, such a place needs residents! And, since Toon Kingdom is treated as Toon World when active, I can Special Summon Toon Mermaid from my hand!"

He slipped down the card, and a giant clam popped into existence. Before their eyes, a giant pair of eyes blinked open on top of the shell. With a sound like a rusty hinge, the shell opened wide, exposing a big-eyed mermaid wielding a bow. She giggled and performed akanbe, and Bruno growled. (1,400 ATK)

"But she won't be sticking around for long," Pegasus continued. The Toon Mermaid's eyes went wide, and she glared at her master. "Sorry, my dear," he apologized, "but I'm sacrificing you for something a little more potent. Come on out, Toon Dark Magician Girl!"

The giant clam and mermaid vanished, replaced by a little girl with oversized eyes and feet, dressed in a Dark Magician Girl costume in bright pastels. She giggled and twirled her staff, doing a couple backflips in midair. (2,000 ATK)

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

This brought more than a few cheers and catcalls from the audience - mostly males.

"All right!" Gomi cheered. "He's bringing out the greatest hits!"

"I'm still waiting for the Toon Dragon," Ember told him.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Since Toon World, or a decent substitute, at least, is active, my Toons can attack directly! And Toon Dark Magician Girl is my favorite, because she can attack on the turn she's summoned! Go, my adorable sorceress! Attack Bruno-boy directly!"

The little Toon giggled and swooped forward, hovering in midair. The Mock Turtle ducked down, still weeping, as she flew over his head. She stopped directly in front of Bruno and swung her scepter, an orb of concentrated magical energy forming at the end. She pointed it directly in Bruno's face as sweat beaded on the Shadowchaser's brow. Then, at the last second, she lowered it and pulled out a pie, slamming it in his face.

(P: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 5,200)

Frowning, Bruno wiped the gunk from his face as the Toon Dark Magician girl giggled. Her laughter was nothing compared to the crowd's, though, especially Voltaire's. Bruno's comrade was whooping up a storm, looking truly happy for the first time today. Meanwhile, cherry goop dripped everywhere as the Shadowchaser tried to shake it off. "This is my best suit!" he complained, trying to rub away the stains. He smacked his lips for a moment. "And why can I taste it!?"

Pegasus's smile grew. "Well, this is a Shadow Game, Bruno-boy!" he replied with a chuckle.

Bruno and the entire crowd (or at least the Shadowchaser half) gasped. Murmurs and whispers spread throughout.

"Oh, don't act so surprised," Pegasus said with a wave of his hand. "A ritual like this obviously involves some magic. But don't worry your round little head. There's no penalty for losing, save being stuck with Alice and mefor another year."

"Okay, now we've got an incentive…" mumbled Bruno.

"Speak for yourself, Alberno," Voltaire told him. "This guy is a hoot!"

"Then maybe you should host them," Bruno mumbled back.

"If you're both finished, there's more to my turn," Pegasus announced. "I activate the Spell, Mind Scan!"

He slipped the card into his Disk, and its image magnified onto the field. The card displayed an image of Pegasus himself, his hair pulled away from his left eye socket to expose the magical golden Millennium Eye beneath.

"You have a Spell Card named after what the Millennium Eye did?" Bruno seemed rather uneasy that he'd have been inspired by something like that. It wasn't exactly the high point of his history.

"Well, you know what they say," said the Creator, "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade! Better than keeping them hidden the fridge until they go bad and stink up the place, right?"

"Fair advice, I suppose," Bruno said. "But what does this card do?"

"Simply put, it's a card that requires you to know your opponent to use it right," Pegasus explained. "I begin by naming a Trap. If you have it, you set it on the field, but you can't activate it this turn. Then I get to draw two. If I'm wrong, you can set a Trap of your choice, can activate it this turn, and you get to draw. Either way, when the card leaves the field, it's banished. And, considering how well I know you and your deck from our time together, I'm rather confident in my chances. So, the Trap I'll name is...Nightmare Mirror!"

Bruno raised an eyebrow and fanned out his deck, selecting a card and slipping it into his Disk. "Interesting choice," Bruno told him. "But it's still a weird card to use. What's your game?"

"A silly question to ask the literal creator of the game," Pegasus laughed as he drew two cards. "But I don't need to tell you how important it is to keep your opponent guessing. For now, I turn things over to you, Bruno-boy. And remember, have fun with it!"

The portly Shadowchaser carefully maneuvered his fingers as he drew his card, his finger still sticky from the pie filling. He finally licked his fingers, wiped them on a clean spot on his expensive jacket, and chose a card. "Let's return to the beginning," Bruno offered. "Let's welcome a fan favorite: Alice, the Warden of Wonderland!"

With a somersault, Bruno's knife-wielding huntress appeared on the field. Alice in Despairland then cast her spell, but instead of turning dour, the Warden's skin brightened, and her dress became clean and bright. Even her knife became shiny and new. Indeed, if you looked at her in the right light and disregarded the weapon, she almost looked like the same girl Carroll himself had envisioned, only slightly older. (1,300 ATK) -) (1,500 ATK)

"And, since a girl needs her accessories, I'll grant her the Vorpal Blade, as well."

Alice's knife morphed into a gleaming double-edged sword, and she gave it a few practice swings. (1,500 ATK) -) (2,300 ATK)

"Off with her head, my Warden!" the Shadowchaser ordered. "Oh, and… try to make it funny."

"She's not Deadpool, Alberno," Voltaire sighed.

Alice complied, charging forward and swinging her blade. With one slice, the Toon Dark Magician Girl's head disappeared, her hat flying into the air. Then, with a loud POP! her head emerged from her collar, unharmed. She caught her hat and smiled.

(P: 4,800) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 5,200)

"Sorry, Bruno-boy," Pegasus laughed as he pocketed a card from his deck, "but my Toon Kingdom affords my beloved Toons all sorts of protection. Just by banishing a card from the top of my deck, I can prevent the destruction of any Toon!"

"I'm well aware of that," Bruno told him, his smirk growing. "Lest you forget, Voltaire is keeper of your deck, and he and I have been friends for years. I just wanted to do some extra damage. Now, I end my turn, and my Mock Turtle's effect kicks in again."

The Mock Turtle wept even harder, and more tears rained down from Pegasus's one good eye. "This monster would be excellent for therapy!" the creator wailed.

(P: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 5,200)

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"How do you defeat a deck full of unkillable monsters?" Sylvester Hothands asked.

"I'm not sure," Johanna voice answered from his iPad, a device which, for the moment, was the best way to speak to any of them. The robot had been totaled, of course, and she would likely have to start building from scratch before another could be used. "But I'm more curious about why he'd let von Klein set that Trap of his."

"It's a puzzle, all right," Juarez Oscuro said thoughtfully. "But, then again, is there anything people like us love more?"

All three of them muttered their agreement with this statement.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Ace dug through the racks of clothing, yanking things off, holding them up to herself for a quick glance in the mirror and then either threw them back onto it or tossed it into the rucksack she'd acquired. The clothing didn't hide the high-end model Duel Disks stuffed inside or the expensive-looking jewelry or the boxes of Duel Monsters cards.

"Considering what's happened here, with the current owner technically alive in Hell or previous owner a ghost, are you looting or grave-robbing Pegasus Castle?"

Ace paused, holding up a shirt that said "Caf-Pow! The caffeinated punch to your tired!'' at the sight of a woman with vulpine features in the room's doorway. "Consolation prize. Since this whole tournament's a bust."

"Of course." Maria said with a nod as if this was a train of logic that made sense. "Did you ask Jalal?"

"Is Jalal going to care?"

"Probably not as long you don't take anything important-looking."

"Then no, I didn't ask Jalal."

"Okay." Maria seated herself on a trunk of clothing, watching Ace resume her clothing sortie. "There's a duel going on outside. Maximillian's last duel on this world. Would you like to go watch?"

"No."

"Kenshin would."

"Well, Kenshin isn't here, is she!" Ace hurled her current shirt into the rucksack violently. "But I am! And I don't want to!"

"That is fine, too." Maria said, nonplussed and resumed watching Ace sort.

After a few minutes of this, Ace sighed and lowered her arms. "I...don't know why I want this stuff."

Maria remained silent and Ace kept talking. "I just feel like...someone owes me something. Something for what happened here. Levistus fucked everything up and he killed Kenshin. But he's still alive down in Stygia."

"Imprisoned in a hunk of ice that will take thousands of years to free himself from, all his rivals ganging up on him to steal his power now that's he's weak and so on."

"Oh good. The archdevil gets to live with his status quo." Ace said flatly. "That doesn't give me anything, does it?"

"I suppose not."

"I want to be mad at Jalal for putting Kenshin on his reserve list, but I have the memory of her hacking herself into the list. I want to be mad at Leroy for hurting his leg and forcing Kenshin to come, but he couldn't help. I want to be so, so mad at Kyon. For being an idiot with his goddamn feelings and making me feel like picking her was the right choice. But…"

"He was an idiot."

"Yeah." Ace kicked at some of the discarded clothes. "I'm sorry. Your friend is dead and I'm talking about myself. Bad manners."

"She was your friend, too." Maria reminded her quietly.

"Yeah." Ace stared at the ground. "...what do I do now? This…" She shook her head, the words dying on her lips.

"First time you've lost someone?" The older woman prodded gently.

"Yeah…" Ace's mind flashed back to Hyde. "Well, no...but it's the first time it's been so…" The words died again.

"It's the first time it's been a death," Maria said. She didn't bat an ear as Ace's head snapped up. "Don't run from it, dear. You didn't give in to cowardice when she was alive, so don't insult her by doing it death."

Ace blinked, gaping. Then shut her jaw and nodded. "What...what now?"

"You need to be debriefed about this situation. And examined, to make sure you're okay. Counseling will also be arranged. And…" Maria let out a breath. "We need to hold Kenshin's funeral. When that's all done, we can talk about what you want to do, rather than what you must do."

Ace stared at her hands, working the fingers together. "Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"...you've done this before. This whole 'losing someone' thing." Ace said finally.

"I have. Teammates. Family. Friends." Maria said with a slow nod.

"...does it ever get better?"

"Yes." Maria reached around the other woman's shoulder and gave her a one-armed hug.

"Okay." Ace leaned into Maria. "...does this mean I have to go back to Backwater with you?"

"If you want to."

"I do." Ace said after a moment. "...can I still keep all my loot?"

Maria laughed. "You can. I don't think anyone is going to care. There's bigger things on their minds." There was an explosion from outside. "Like that duel."

"I know, I just…" Ace closed her eyes, suddenly tired. "I've had enough of people right now. I just want a person...fox lady...thing."

"That's okay, too."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Now, Bruno-boy, you're defenseless for another direct attack!" Pegasus declared as he added another card to his hand. "Show him, my little mage!"

The Toon Dark Magician Girl giggled took off her hat, then reached her arm deep, deep inside of it, much further than should've been possible. With a laugh, she pulled out a large black cartoon bomb. Chuckling, she lit its fuse with a flick of her staff and tossed it in the air, then swung her staff like a baseball bat, sending it flying directly at Bruno. Bruno showed no fear, though. Hiss hand flew to his Disk, his set card lifting to expose the Trap. "Go, Nightmare Mirror!" he declared. "I'll negate your attack and force you to take the damage instead!"

The wicked mirror with the frame of bones materialized between Bruno and the bomb, and the explosive bounced back like it was made of rubber, right back at Pegasus.

"Wrong, Bruno-boy!" Pegasus whooped, wagging a finger. At the last second, the Toon Dark Magician Girl swung her staff again, sending the bomb flying over the mirror and directly into Bruno's outstretched hands. As its fuse burned down, Bruno panicked and licked his fingers, putting out the fuse just in time. As he sighed in relief, the Toon Dark Magician Girl tossed another pie in his face. The crowd roared yet again.

(P: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 3,200)

"Silly boy," Pegasus tut-tutted. "You said you knew the ins and outs of my Toon Kingdom! How could you not know that my Toons are safe from targeting effects?"

"Who says I didn't?" Bruno said back, his smile growing. "I knew that my Trap wouldn't work, but one of its effects still happens: it makes me discard a card from my hand." He punctuated it by slipping one of his cards into his Graveyard. Surprisingly, Pegasus's smile didn't falter, either.

"I do so love to see you plan ahead, Bruno-boy!" Pegasus said with a clap. "But some spontaneity wouldn't kill you, either. Take it from a dead man, life is no good without surprise."

"You'll get it soon enough," Bruno told him.

"Good. But for now, I'll summon Toon Gemini Elf!"

The old man slapped down the card, and there was a sound of a loud wolf whistle as two willowy women snapped into place on the field. A pair of elves, one blonde, one redheaded, stood back to back. Both looked like they'd been stretched like taffy; they were abnormally tall and skinny, their fingers and ears too long, and their facial expressions bizarrely stretched. They fluttered their eyelashes and blew kisses, oblivious to their bizarre, Tex Avery-inspired appearance. (1,900 ATK)

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"This might be one of those cartoons not approved for children under 13," said Ember, looking up at the pair.

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" asked Dinosaur Hakozaki. "Cartoons like this were played all the time in movie theaters way back when - just something for kids to enjoy."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"And now, to ensure that my Toons will always have a place to live, I activate Field Barrier!"

Pegasus activated another card, and a force field materialized over his giant pop-up book, pink and semitransparent. "With this, you can't destroy my Field Spell, or activate your own," he reported. "And that's that for my turn."

"You just handed me an advantage, Pegasus," Bruno bragged as he picked up a card. "Letting me discard a card like that could end up bringing you down. I'll illustrate it by using it right now! I banish my Whispering Gnat to increase the Levels of all of my Dark monsters by one!"

The card slipped out of his Graveyard, and a tiny insect buzzed the field. Dark rings formed around Bruno's monsters, and their Levels swelled by one each.

"Now, I'll use my Level 5 Alice, the Warden of Wonderland and Tweedledum to construct the Overlay Network!"

Tweedledum and the Warden transformed into shafts of purple and orange light as a vortex opened above them. The lights flew into it, swirling together and forming a new shape as Bruno chanted.

"Some gave them white bread;

Some gave them brown;

Some gave them plum cake

And drummed them out of town!

"Xyz Summon...The Lion and the Unicorn!" He finished as the back-to-back Beast-Warrior hit the ground and Alice cast her spell on them. They looked different now. Rather than the political caricatures from before, they looked more like something from an 80's cartoon, overly muscled and brightly colored. The Lion roared and hefted his broadsword, while the Unicorn twirled his lance and whinnied as two purple spheres orbited them. (2,700 ATK) -) (2,900 ATK)

"Must have been the plum cake," said Pegasus with a smirk.

"It's your Toon Kingdom, turning everything into a parody of itself!" Bruno snapped back. "But my monster still has its full strength, thank goodness, so I'll activate its effect. I remove one of its Overlay Units to allow The Lion and the Unicorn to attack twice this turn."

One of the purple spheres twirled around the duo and was absorbed into the tip of the Unicorn's lance.

"Lion, attack the Toon Gemini Elf! Beat them 'round the town!"

The Lion roared and pounced, swinging his broadsword at the twin elves.

"I banish a card to protect them!" Pegasus declared.

As the Lion neared with his blade, the twins conjured a circular curtain around themselves and yanked it up high. The sound of running water came from within. The Lion, undeterred, sliced through, and the curtain came apart. The twins, wrapped in towels and thoroughly soaked, let out a bloodcurdling screech at their interrupted shower. They gave the Lion a simultaneous slap and sent him flying back to the snickering Unicorn with a blush across his face.

(P: 3,200) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 3,200)

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Ugh, I'm gonna be seeing that for weeks," said Z, shaking his head and covering his eyes.

"You've seen worse," chided Sonya.

"Really not sure about that," Z told her, before taking in her outfit. "Wait, why are you dressed like this is Little House on the Prairie?"

"Unrelated time travel adventure," she said with a wave of her hand. "Had to blaze the Idaho Trail."

"You mean the Oregon Trail?" Nichole asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What the fuck's an Oregon?" Sonya asked, staring right back.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Attack again!" Bruno ordered. This time the Unicorn dashed forward, his lance out in front. Pegasus banished another card, though, and one Elf conjured a giant easel while the other produced an oversized brush and a paint can. The second Elf messily splattered the paint - multiple colors - over the surface, then stepped back and presented a highly realistic portrait of a cave entrance, and both jumped into the painting just as the Unicorn's lance reached them. The easel was knocked over, but otherwise unharmed as the Unicorn charged over it, confused, until a swarm of bats flew out of the painting and scared him off. Toon Gemini Elf emerged seconds later, unharmed, and the painting disappeared. The crowd broke into hysterics.

(P: 2,200) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 3,200)

Bruno glared at Pegasus, ignoring his Unicorn as it limped back to its partner, and was silent for a moment. His face flushed, and he seemed at a loss for words. Alice in Despairland stared at him, placing a hand on his shoulder until, finally, he exhaled. Laughter, loud and hearty, boomed from his generous belly. "Tha-" he wheezed, unable to speak clearly. "That was hilarious!"

"I know!" Pegasus laughed back. "I had a feeling you were a fan of the painted tunnel gag! And I love a new twist on an old joke!"

Bruno's laughter finally petered out and he selected one of the two cards in his hand. "Now, to prevent you from finishing me next turn, I activate Lost Time, tributing my Mock Turtle to skip your next Battle Phase!"

He played the card, displaying a hologram of the famed scene of melting clocks, doctored to include Time Wizard, and the Mock Turtle melted away, still softly weeping as it vanished into motes of light. Alice in Despairland gave a brief look of disdain, but then shrugged it off.

"That'll buy you another turn, Bruno-boy, but not much more," Pegasus lectured as he drew a card. As he stared at it, he began to chuckle, then broke out in a triumphant laugh. "Bruno-boy, have I got a turn for you!"

Bruno and Alice raised eyebrows in unison, and Voltaire looked especially eager. "Oh, really?" Bruno asked. "By all means, show me."

"With pleasure! My turn begins by sacrificing both Toon Gemini Elf and Toon Dark Magician Girl to summon a new member of the troupe! Come forth, Toon Dark Magician!"

Pegasus's twins and sorceress vanished into motes of light and were soon replaced by a swirling tornado over the spine of Toon Kingdom. It slowed down, and in a puff of smoke and sparkles, a little boy appeared. He had greenish skin, enormous blue eyes, and was dressed in the garb of one of the most famous monsters of all time. Overall, though, he looked about as much like the real deal as the Toon Dark Magician Girl had. He twirled his scepter with a sly grin. (2,500 ATK)

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"A Toon version of the Dark Magician?" Gomi gasped. "I never would've guessed there was such a thing! Seems like an obvious choice, though, now that I think about it…"

"Maybe it wasn't a thing," Ember suggested. "Not until now, anyway. That's what happens when the game's creator duels."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"You're slipping, Pegasus," Bruno bragged. "Your monster may be a little stronger, but the overall Attack Points you sacrificed outstripped it - as if you could attack this turn, anyway."

"My inability to attack is exactly why I waited until now to summon it," Pegasus chortled back, wiggling a finger. "Toon Monsters can't attack the turn they're summoned, anyway, with the rare exception. But my Toon Dark Magician has other powers. All it takes is a discarded Toon card…"

He slipped a copy of Toon Masked Sorcerer into his Graveyard slot.

"And my adorable Spellcaster can Special Summon any Toon I want from my deck! So, come on out, Red-Eyes Toon Dragon!"

Toon Kingdom snapped shut, and the Toon Dark Magician waved his scepter. The book opened back up, and now there was a new monster within: an adorable parody of Katsuya Jounochi's famous Dragon, with diminutive wings, overly large claws, and huge, crossed red eyes. It hiccupped and sent out a jet of orange flame. (2,400 ATK)

"Another new creation?" Voltaire asked, amazed. "Just how many changes to my deck did you make?"

"Plenty!" Pegasus laughed. "And the Red-Eyes has an ability of his own! Once per turn, he lets me Special Summon a Toon from my hand! And based on what I've already summoned, I'll bet you can guess what's next!"

Toon Kingdom closed again, then popped open once more, but with a different display. This time, it looked like the entrance to an amusement park, with two statues of dragons flanking the sides. In the center, a new monster burst free, zipping around too fast to be seen. There was a flash of white, a hint of blue, and then a loud roar. Finally, the creature stopped for everyone to see, beating its chest with its little claws.

"Welcome back the Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon!"

Indeed, the little creature was one of Pegasus's most famous monsters, the adorable Toon caricature of Seto Kaiba's most famous card, a white Dragon with huge blue eyes and a mouth full of vicious triangular teeth. It flexed its muscles and roared for the crowd. (3,000 ATK)

The darker Dragon took one look at the newer one and his smile drooped. He stepped forward and stomped on the Blue-Eyes' tail. The Blue-Eyes yelped and fired a blast from his mouth, but the Red-Eyes ducked it and it instead hit the Toon Dark Magician in the face, covering him in ash. The Red-Eyes snickered at this and got a jab in the stomach from the Magician's staff. The Red-Eyes let out a wheeze before shoving the Magician backward, where the Blue-Eyes stuck out a foot to trip him. The Dark Magician swatted him upside the head, then poked the darker Dragon in the eyes. With every second, the fight escalated, until their master cleared his throat loudly.

"Seriously, can't you three even make an attempt to get along?" he scolded. The three monsters responded with wide, toothy, shiny grins. "Better. Now, where were we? Oh, yes, normally, summoning your own versions of three great duelists' signature monsters would make anyone's day," the game's creator laughed, his smile growing broader. "But I'm not just anyone. So, I've still got one last card to play. Now, Bruno-boy, can you guess why I used that Mind Scan? It was because I wanted you to discard your Whispering Gnat, all so you could summon that lovely Xyz of yours! 'But what good does that do?' you ask? Simple! I wanted it for myself! Activate Comic Hand!"

As the old man slapped down the card, a white glove on a crisscrossing metal apparatus stretched out from Toon Kingdom. It made its way across the field, where it hovered over the Lion and the Unicorn.

"With this card, I can take control of any one of my opponent's monsters and transform it into a new and better form!"

The hand swatted down and caught both knights in its grasp, then dragged them back into the pop-up book. The book slammed shut again and reopened, this time showing a table set for a tea party. The Lion and the Unicorn reappeared, but the Lion was now hulking and muscular, while the Unicorn was stretched-out and willowy. Both now had exceptionally large eyes and weapons (2,900 ATK) -) (2,700 ATK).

"Of course, with your Lost Time still in effect, I still don't get a Battle Phase," Pegasus sighed. "But I still have the clear advantage."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Something of an understatement," said Kyon. "That's a pretty powerful lineup he has."

"And all in one turn," Rebecca said, nodding. "If this were a cartoon, this would be where to put the commercial break."

"Answer seems simple to me," Celty Strurlson said with a shrug. "Just take out Toon Kingdom."

"Easier said than done with Field Barrier active," Delilah pointed out.

"Nothing on his field, just one card in his hand, and over ten-thousand combined Attack Points facing him down," Kyon observed, shaking his head. "And even worse, all of them can make direct attacks. Bruno's gonna need one hell of a draw to get out of this one."

"Perhaps," Rebecca agreed with a smirk. "But all it'll take is one card to change the game."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Bruno stopped a minute to catch his breath before making a draw. He wiped his brow. For some reason, this was the first time in ages - it seemed - where the sweat wasn't the cold type. And the first time his heart wasn't pounding out of fear or dread. His opponent had him backed against the wall, and he didn't even care! This was dueling without fighting. Without conflict and without a malicious opponent. The stakes had become meaningless to him. The excitement wasn't a heart-pounding experience, but a swelling from within. This was something he had missed so much. This was fun!

"DRAW!" he shouted. He snatched up a card and gave it a brief look, then immediately slammed it into his Spell zone. "This'll help," he said. "Activate Spellbook Inside the Pot! Now we both draw three!"

"What a kind gesture," Pegasus said as he took three cards of his own.

"I aim to please," Bruno replied with a smirk, looking over his new hand. "But now I've got just what I need. And all I need to clear your field is one card. Just one."

Pegasus gasped. "You mean-"

"That's right! Go, Mad Fusion!"

He slammed the card into his Disk, and Alice in Despairland gave a smile before vanishing from sight. "By shuffling Alice the Warden of Wonderland and Alice in Despairland from my Graveyard back into my deck, I can perform a Fusion Summon! Get it together, you two!"

"Then fill up the glasses with treacle and ink,

Or anything else that is pleasant to drink;

Mix sand with the cider, and wool with the wine-

And welcome Queen Alice with ninety-times-nine!"

"Eight-hundred and ten, your point?" asked Pegasus.

"A regular comedian," Bruno answered, "I Fusion Summon...Queen Alice of Despairland!"

In a flash of light, Alice in Despairland returned, now solid and decked out in full chess-themed regalia. (2,000 ATK)

"She may not have a lot of raw power to her, but since you created her, you must remember what happens when she's Fusion Summoned: all Spells on the field lose their effects."

"Oh, no!" Pegasus cried, watching as the Queen of Despairland raised her scepter and sent out a magical pulse that spread across the field like ripples. The Field Barrier shimmered once and faded, and the book of Toon Kingdom itself fell to the ground, its pop-up image collapsing as its pages scattered around the players. The Toons' gleeful, manic energy ground to a halt as all four of them drooped down, their movements halted. Their exaggerated features fell, and they dutifully stood by their master. "Oh, now I miss the antics," Pegasus whined, staring hopefully at his beloved Toons.

"And I miss my Lion and my Unicorn," Bruno told him. "Lucky for me, Queen Alice negated your Comic Hand, too! Come on back, my monster!"

The Lion and the Unicorn's Toon facade fell away entirely, and they marched back to their master, sending back twin sneers the other Toons' way.

"Now, I'll activate their ability, removing their last Xyz Material to allow them to attack twice this turn!"

The last orb swirling around the duo flew in, and the Unicorn absorbed it into the tip of his lance.

"And then there's my Queen's other ability," Bruno pointed out. "For every Dark monster in my Graveyard, she can reduce the Attack Score of one of your monsters by 300! Aim for the Blue-Eyes, my dear!"

Queen Alice raised her scepter again, pointing it at the Blue-Eyes parody. She cast her spell and the Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon's grin faded entirely as it slumped down, depressed. (3,000 ATK) -) (1,800 ATK)

"Finally, without the power of your Toon Kingdom to protect your monsters, it's time to attack! Slay that Red-Eyes Toon Dragon!"

The Lion roared and pounced, slicing the Red-Eyes in half with his broadsword. The Red-Eyes Toon Dragon only had time to gulp before it exploded into pixels.

(P: 2,000) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 3,200)

"Make Toon Dark Magician disappear!"

This time, the Unicorn dashed, spearing the Toon Dark Magician with its lance. The Spellcaster grunted and burst into multicolored triangles.

(P: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 3,200)

"And now, my Queen, the time has come, and I don't mean to talk of many things! Attack the Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon! Off with his head!"

Queen Alice held her scepter at arm's length, and with a flick of her wrist and a flash of magic, it turned into a long-hafted, iron axe, which she then gripped with both hands. She stared at the Toon Dragon and its master for a moment, her face gripped with regret before she smiled and sailed into the air, bringing her blade down on the Dragon's neck. Its head dropped down, and the body followed soon after, and soon both pieces exploded. Queen Alice coldly transformed her axe back into a scepter and walked away without a word.

(P: 1,500) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 3,200)

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"Gonna take me a month to unsee that," muttered Kyon.

"You see?" Rebecca told Kyon with a good-natured elbow to the ribs. "One good draw changed it all."

"Just who are you rooting for here?" Kyon asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"Who cares? As long as it's exciting! Is anybody recording this?"

"Yeah, like, everybody," Gomi told her.

"Not every day a man duels a dead guy," Xiaomu pointed out.

"Remind us someday to tell you about someone named Jalie Squarefoot," said Z in response.

"Squarefoot? How'd he get a name like that?"

"Well, uh… You ever see Faust?"

"Uh, folks, I don't mean to be rude here, but…" said Rebecca, her tone indicating that this wasn't the time.

"Right, sorry," Z apologized, mouthing "later" in Xiaomu's direction.

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"That's enough for my turn," Bruno declared as his monsters took a much-needed rest. "But I'd say it was a pretty good one, wouldn't you?"

"Better than good, Bruno-boy!" Pegasus laughed, prompting a laugh from Bruno as well. "It's...It's...Unbelievable! Destroying three supposedly unkillable Toons in one turn, and taking out my other cards as well? I can't quite say you're the first to do it…" (here he gave a cough that sounded a lot like "Yugi") "but it's still quite an accomplishment! Still, I'm not out yet! Draw!"

The game's creator took another card from his deck and examined his hand. "Okay, this could work…" he mumbled. "I'll begin by paying a thousand Life Points to activate the original Toon World!"

He slipped a card into his Disk, and a second pop-up book materialized next to the first. Compared to the first, it somehow seemed older and clunkier, but just as sturdy. It popped open to a page of a factory with paper smoke coming from the smokestacks.

(P: 500) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 3,200)

"Then I'll summon Toon Cannon Soldier!"

He played another card, and a purple robot sprung up in front of him. It had glowing claws on the ends of its arms, a cannon barrel on top, and a ridiculous grin that soon disappeared when it saw what it was facing. (1,400 ATK)

"Is that all?" Bruno asked, his smile drooping. "I was sort of hoping for something more...you know, powerful. I mean, even with a field full of monsters, that thing's effect won't-"

"I didn't summon him for his effect," Pegasus interrupted, wagging a finger. "I summoned him, and activated Toon World, so I could play my absolute favorite card!"

I have a sinking feeling that it won't be my favorite, thought Bruno.

With a flourish, Pegasus took the card from his hand and inserted it into his Disk. A dark shadow gathered in front of him, and a form shot up from it. It was a dark blue, catlike creature with a manic grin, wild eyes, and long, noodly arms, still anchored to the ground at its waist. It wouldn't have looked out of place on the front of a cereal box. The creature looped its long, elastic torso around and around its master, snickering the whole time as it came face to face with Pegasus, then turned and stretched to laugh in Bruno's face.

"Bruno-boy," Pegasus said jovially, "this is Mimicat. Mimicat, Bruno-boy. Why not shake hands?"

Hesitantly, Bruno reached out for the bizarre creature, who put out a hand of its own. Bruno grabbed its hand, and immediately a strong jolt went through his body. Mimicat snickered and pulled back its hand to reveal the joy buzzer. Queen Alice and Pegasus laughed in unison as Bruno righted himself. Its prank done, Mimicat returned to Pegasus's side.

"That's enough antics for now, Mimicat. It's time for your effect. You see," Pegasus continued, turning to Bruno, "Mimicat, if he's accompanied by Toon World and a Toon monster, can copy a single card on your field or in your Graveyard. The only question is, which one?" He put a finger to his cheek and took on a thoughtful pose, then turned back to Mimicat. "Any suggestions?"

Mimicat snickered and excitedly whispered something into Pegasus's ear. Pegasus's face lit up.

"Oh, fantastic! You always have the best ideas!" The game's creator turned back to his opponent. "Go, Mimicat, go!"

The cartoony creature laughed once more and retracted itself back into the shadow, disappearing from the field and leaving behind a single facedown card.

"Well, which card was it?" Bruno demanded, staring at the new card on Pegasus's field.

"Ah-ah-ah," Pegasus chuckled. "I'm building tension, Bruno-boy. Let me have my fun! I should mention what you're about to see now has never been done before, and likely, never will again! Behold Maximillian Pegasus's magnum opus! Drum roll, please..."

Toon Cannon Soldier obliged, pulling a snare drum from who-knows-where. As said drumroll started, Toon World changed again, opening into a replica of Hollywood's TCL Chinese Theater, complete with spotlights on either side.

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"What could he have taken that would warrant this level of showmanship?" Nichole asked, scratching her chin.

"Well, this is Pegasus we're talking about," Greg told her. "He'd likely make a big deal out of anything."

"True," Ananya agreed, "but not at all the point. What could he have taken? Bruno hasn't used that many Spell Cards."

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"Here it comes! Reveal Spell!"

Pegasus pressed a button on his Disk and gestured dramatically as Mimicat's set card lifted, revealing the familiar image of Mad Fusion.

"It's time to bring out the ultimate Toon!" he announced. "This is something that would make Tex Avery himself envious. Mmm, well, maybe. I shuffle Dark Rabbit and the Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon back into my deck to Fusion Summon my greatest creation!"

The image of Mad Fusion vanished, and Pegasus snatched two cards from his Graveyard slot, shuffling them into his deck as Toon World's theater lit up even brighter, playing the tune from when Pegasus first activate Toon Kingdom. It was even more familiar now…

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"What is that music?" Gomi pondered. He wasn't the only one. Delilah, Greg, and many other younger duelists were all scratching their heads at the brass-heavy tune emanating from the book.

"Ah, the younger generation," Pirates Keith chuckled. "It's a pity, really. That song practically was some people's childhoods!"

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"Mayhem and madness never cease!

On the run from the Bulldog Police!

Catching him is a fool's chore!

His antics always bring you back for more!"

"Okay, okay," Pegasus continued, as the Fusion vortex started to form, "not the best, but I was always better at painting than poetry!"

The vortex expanded, turning into a red screen, which in turn, parted like a stage curtain.

"Nonetheless, here comes the creature that inspired my entire deck! Fusion Summon! Toon King Funny Bunny!"

A monster leapt out of the vortex with a loud "boing!", landing atop Toon World in proud display. It was a man-sized rabbit, very similar in appearance to Dark Rabbit, but with some notable differences. His fur was a soft pink, and his eyes, while manic, had a level of kindness in them, too. He was wearing a set of goggles on his forehead, and a massive gold crown around the base of his ears. Bizarrely, he still wore Dark Rabbit's armor, he also wore red overalls on top of it. (? ATK)

"This is why I included Dark Rabbit in my deck," Pegasus explained. "Funny Bunny can only be summoned by fusing him with a Toon, and you gave me quite the selection! And just like my favorite cartoon, he has all sorts of tricks up his sleeve! For starters, his Attack Score is the combined Attack Scores of his components!"

Funny Bunny let out a wild, rolling belly laugh and flexed his arms as they swelled in size. (4,100 ATK)

"Secondly, Funny Bunny is practically the embodiment of comedy, bringing laughter wherever he goes. Because of this, he is also treated as an active Toon World. Which means I don't need the actual card anymore, so I'll activate Emergency Provisions to eliminate it, along with my other three useless Spells."

He played a card, and the images of the cards Toon World, Toon Kingdom, Field Barrier, and Comic Hand vanished as Pegasus's Life Points surged. Strangely, the book on which Funny Bunny stood stayed put, as well as the Chinese theater behind him.

(P: 4,500) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 3,200)

"And, unlike most of my other Toons, Funny Bunny can attack on the turn he's summoned - just not directly. So, go, my Toon!" he commanded. "Show Queen Alice the meaning of slapstick." Then he added in a hush, "My apologies, Alice!"

Funny Bunny did another belly laugh and summoned a dripping paintbrush from his chest pocket, then bounded over in front of Alice, painting a big red X on the ground. Then, with a psychotic giggle, he tripped her onto the mark and reached into his overalls, pulling out, of all things, a baby grand piano, which he hurled high into the air. Alice's eyes bugged out as its shadow grew around her, a loud whistle filling the air as impact became imminent. At the last second, Alice swept her foot, sending the X zooming away, and the piano crashed harmlessly on top of it in a large pile of wood, ivory, and brass.

"Oh, dear, I guess I missed," sighed Pegasus.

With a smile, Alice got to her feet and dusted herself off, only for what was left of the piano's top to pop open and send a pie hurtling into her face. She exploded into pixels soon after, and what was left of the piano vanished.

"Wait, no I didn't!" he said with a chuckle, overshadowed by Funny Bunny's loud guffawing.

(P: 4,500) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 1,100)

Bruno laughed right along with them but righted himself in a moment. "Well, since you destroyed Queen Alice, I can summon back Alice in Despairland!"

The original version of Alice materialized where her more noble form had been standing, crouching down to protect herself. (0 DEF)

"That's all for now," Pegasus stated, crossing his arms. "But be warned: Toon King Funny Bunny still has a secret or two left."

"I'll take my chances," Bruno told him as he drew. He examined his new card. "Well, you're not the only one who can steal another's moves. I activate Double Spell, discarding a card to take a Spell from your Graveyard!"

"Really?" Pegasus asked, cocking his head. "What could I have possibly used that could interest you?"

Bruno smirked back as he inserted the Spell into his Disk. Its image shifted into a new one, a familiar one of Pegasus himself. "I'm copying your Mind Scan!"

Pegasus looked back at the portly Shadowchaser, still looking perplexed. "I see. And what card did you want me to set, exactly, if I even have it?"

"No question about that. You'd obviously combo this card with Toon Kingdom. I declare Spirit Barrier!"

The Mind Scan card glowed and shot a beam right from the image of the Millennium Eye directly into the real Pegasus's deck. Pegasus nodded and removed the cards from his Disk. "Well, I do indeed have a copy of that in my deck," the game's creator mused as he selected the card. He slipped it into his Disk, and an image of a facedown card appeared behind Funny Bunny. "Though I fail to see how it could help you."

"Well, that's simple," Bruno replied, drawing two before selecting another card. "I'm going to take it with Your Own Medicine!"

Another holographic Spell sprung up, this with an image of a little girl in a black dress, with bunny ears on her head, making a disgusted face as an oversized spoon of brown goop was shoved in front of her.

"Nobody likes the taste of their own medicine, but it's something everyone must swallow now and then. We all need some perspective in life, after all. It teaches an important lesson to never give what you can't take."

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"You see?" Kyon said, nudging Rebecca in the ribs. "He's learning."

"I never said he couldn't," Rebecca muttered back. "I just told you I won't wait forever for him to catch up."

"A rather clever plan too," added Z. "Spirit Barrier is a useful card for Pegasus' deck, but possibly even better for the deck of his opponent."

"Any chance you guys could can it with the commentary?" Dinosaur Hakozaki asked. "I'm trying to enjoy the duel!"

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"But taking is just what this card lets me do," Bruno continued. "When activated, I choose a set Spell or Trap on your field and call out a name. If I'm right, I can activate it as my own. If I'm wrong, though, then I take three thousand points of damage on the spot."

Pegasus let out a little gasp. "But since you yourself made me set it…"

"I couldn't possibly be wrong! And thanks to the effect of your own Mind Scan, you can't counter by activating it yourself, either! So that card is mine! I name Spirit Barrier!"

The image of Your Own Medicine vanished, and Pegasus's set card flew away from its owner and over to Bruno, where it lifted. A golden force field spread over Bruno, shielding his Life Points.

"With this, your direct attacks will do you no good whatsoever," the Shadowchaser bragged.

"Well done, Alberno!" Voltaire cheered. "His monster may be strong, but as long as you have anything at all, it's like a gun without bullets!"

"Not entirely," Pegasus corrected, wagging a finger. "Spirit Barrier only works if you have monsters, after all, and yours are far from indestructible."

"A good point," Bruno agreed. "But perhaps I want one destroyed? I'll tribute Alice in Despairland to bring out something a little stronger. Come on out, Heart Guard!"

Alice smiled and vanished into motes of light, replaced by the rectangular form of the spear-wielding two of hearts. (1,000 ATK)

"And with Alice back in my Graveyard, her ability is back in play!"

Alice shot back out of Bruno's Graveyard slot, back to her ghostly form, and cast her spell on the field. The Lion and the Unicorn's expressions lightened as their physiques changed back to more cartoony versions, while Heart Guard, as with every time this happened, gave no change from the front. (2,700 ATK) -) (2,900 ATK) (1,000 ATK) -) (1,200 ATK)

"Oh, a puppy in a slipper!" Voltaire chuckled, blushing as he stared at Heart Guard's back. "How cute!"

"Next I'll use this boost in power! Lion, Unicorn, attack the Toon Cannon Soldier! Beat him 'round the town!"

The Lion and the Unicorn turned to each other for a moment and gave simultaneous nods before dashing forward, weapons out. They ambushed the comical Machine from both sides, slicing their weapons down in a perfect X, quartering the Toon on the spot. Its pieces fell to the ground and each exploded in turn.

(P: 3,000) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 1,100)

"Finally, I'll set this and end my turn," Bruno reported, slipping another card into his Duel Disk. A set card appeared behind the Lion and the Unicorn. "Now, show me just how funny that Funny Bunny can really be."

"Be careful what you wish for, Bruno-boy!" Pegasus chuckled as he drew another card. "Well, this could be useful. I'll set it." Yet another facedown card appeared behind Funny Bunny. "And now, Toon King Funny Bunny! Show the Lion and the Unicorn the limitless power of imagination! Bomb's away!"

Funny Bunny gave another belly laugh before pulling a huge black cartoon bomb from his pocket, fuse already lit. He tossed it high into the air and, just as it fell to him, pulled out a baseball bat and sent it flying at Bruno's stronger monster.

"It won't be so easy!" Bruno declared, his hand flying to his Disk. "Activate Shrink!"

His card flew up, and Funny Bunny staggered as he was reduced to half of his size (4,100 ATK) -) (2,050 ATK). The bomb slowed down in midair, and the Lion and the Unicorn saw an opportunity. The Unicorn reached behind his back and pulled out a golf club, handing it to his partner, and the Lion let out a roar as he swung, sending the explosive sailing back to its point of origin. Funny Bunny barely had time for an exaggerated double-take before the bomb went off in his face, sending a thick layer of smoke over the field.

(P: 2,150) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 1,100)

"To think, folks say golf is a dull game!" Bruno chortled.

"Nobody ever said it didn't have its dangers, though!" Voltaire added with a laugh of his own.

"Unbelievable!" Pegasus cried in disbelief. "But I'm afraid this game is going well over par! Toon King Funny Bunny still has a trick left!"

As the smoke cleared, Funny Bunny was revealed to still be standing, albeit blackened by gunpowder. He shook himself clean in a few seconds.

"Remember how I said that Funny Bunny himself counts as Toon World? Well, he's also sort of Toon Kingdom. If he would be destroyed in battle, I can prevent that by banishing a card from the top of my deck. My favorite Toon won't be cancelled so easily! Anyway, I'll set this," he set another facedown card, "and turn it over to you again. And remember, Shrink only lasts for one turn!"

As Pegasus said, Funny Bunny shot back up in height, returning to his original size. (2,050 ATK) -) (4,100 ATK)

That rabbit is even more dangerous than I figured! Bruno thought as he drew. If I don't get rid of Bugs' demented cousin soon, he'll take out what few defenses I have! He took a moment to examine his newly drawn card. That'll help, but I'll need more. I must plan this carefully…

He set the card and waved his hand without a word.

"Running low on moves, Bruno-boy?" Pegasus teased as he snatched up another card. "You know, that's never a problem with my Toons. Whatever they need, they can pull it from thin air. Wherever they need to be, they're already there. Physics, to them, are merely a suggestion. So long as it's funny, they can do anything! That's how they captured my heart, you know. They're the embodiment of endless possibilities, with no greater ambition than to spread laughter! I had so much to learn from them…" He stared into the distance for a moment before shaking his head. "Anyway, I'll continue where I left off. Toon King Funny Bunny, once more! Attack the Lion and the Unicorn!"

Funny Bunny gave another maniacal cackle as he bounced forward, leaping high into the air. As he reached the top of his arc, he reached into his pocket again, this time pulling out an absolutely enormous mallet, easily five times his size. He swung it down hard and flattened the Beast-Warriors like they were hit by a steamroller. The pair exploded into pixels seconds later.

"Next, I'll bolster my forces with this," the game's creator announced, slapping a card onto his Disk tray. "This card may be a bit much for those with weak constitutions. Go, Toon Necroface!"

There was a bright flash of light as the new monster slowly rose from the ground…

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More than half of the spectators let out a collective gasp. A few actually shrieked.

"Oh, that's just plain wrong!" Nichole cringed.

"Why would anybody make that?!" Ember demanded.

"It's like Pinkie Pie and the Joker had a baby and chopped off its head!" Mr. Z bellowed.

"And then it was raised by the casts of every rejected show from Adult Swim!" Monika added.

"Did that dog just talk?" Juarez asked, staring in Monika's direction.

Z's description wasn't far off. Pegasus's new monster was obviously based on the classic Necroface, a disturbing Zombie resembling a broken doll head filled with tumors and tentacles. The Toon version was, if anything, even more disturbing. It was still a doll's head, now colored a dazzling powder blue, but the broken part had been patched up with an oversized band-aid, and the tentacles were bright pink braids of hair. The original Necroface's one unblinking eye was still there, bigger and bluer than ever as it took in the field. Its mouth split open to reveal a grin of chipped but very white teeth. (1,200 ATK)

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"Is it weird that I kind of want it when he returns my deck?" Voltaire asked, staring at the horrifying new addition to the field.

"Not at all," Pegasus answered. He was staring, downright lovingly, at his new monster as the hideous creature's tentacles pulsated. "Those prudes at my company refused to print this card, even just for my personal use. They said, 'scaring opponents was no way to win'. I mean, I agree, but look at her! She wouldn't hurt a fly!"

Toon Necroface batted her one eyelash and put on a sweet smile, which was undercut by the swinging slimy braids behind her.

"And it's not like there were never scary cartoons: Beetlejuice, AAAHH! Real Monsters, and who could forget Courage the Cowardly Dog? Mickey Mouse himself often shared the spotlight with a troupe of dancing skeletons! Those were all beloved in their time, blending comedy, storytelling, and jump scares to great effect! And your own monsters come from a work with its share of dark comedy," he added, nodding in Bruno's direction.

"Touché," replied the portly Shadowchaser. "But enough justification. What does this abomination do?"

Pegasus rolled his eye. "Oh, pretty much what you expect. In addition to the normal Toon effects, when she's summoned, we shuffle all our banished cards back into our decks, and she gains a hundred Attack Points for each."

Toon Necroface let out a chilling laugh, and her braids shot into the ground. Ten of them retrieved cards from oblivion and tossed them back to their masters: Eight of them to Pegasus, and Bruno his copies of Whispering Gnat and Nightmare Mirror. The doll head's ATK surged as its braids went into a frenzy. (1,200 ATK) -) (2,200 ATK)

"In a deck like mine that emphasized banishment, it only made sense to invent this card," Pegasus added. "Anyway, like most Toons she can't attack on the turn she's summoned, so that's it for now."

Bruno tried to avoid making eye contact with Pegasus's Zombie as he drew another card. "That thing may have recovered some cards, but it won't be around for long!" he announced. "All I have to do is clear away Funny Bunny, and all your other Toons will topple like dominoes!"

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Yes, please!" Johanna Jonsdottir cried.

"Kill it with fire!" Ember shrieked.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"I'll start by activating my set card, Out Like a Candle!"

Bruno's set card lifted, revealing the familiar Tenniel illustration of Alice examining a mysterious but inviting bottle.

"I'll destroy my own Heart Guard to lower your Funny Bunny's Attack Score by that of my own monster!"

Heart Guard leapt at the cackling rabbit, latching onto him with all four limbs and locking into place by pressing his spear's shaft to the back of Funny Bunny's neck. In a flash, white kid gloves materialized around Bruno's hands, and he whipped out a folding fan. He waved the fan at high speeds, creating a cartoonish gale that made Funny Bunny's face stretch back like he was in a rocket as the Heart Guard shrunk and vanished with a pop! (4,100 ATK) -) (3,100 ATK)

"But that's only the beginning," Bruno continued. "Because when Heart Guard is destroyed, he calls in the cavalry! Come out, Spade Guard, Club Guard, and Diamond Guard!"

The three of spades, four of clubs, and five of diamonds materialized in front of Bruno, and Alice cast her spell on them. (1,000 ATK) -) (1,200 ATK)

To everyone's surprise, though, Pegasus burst out laughing. "Oh, Bruno-boy!" he guffawed, holding his sides, "if this is your idea of a surprise, do yourself a favor and avoid writing! This is one of your deck's most classic combos! Did you really think I wouldn't be prepared?"

"Uh, well…"

"Next you were planning to Xyz Summon your Befuddled Knight and destroy Funny Bunny, right?"

Bruno's face went red. "Uh...no…" he muttered unconvincingly.

"Then you won't mind that I'm activating Toon Briefcase!" Pegasus chuckled.

The creator's set card lifted, revealing a Trap with the image of an open briefcase with big green eyes on top and sharp teeth lining the inside. The image came to life and the briefcase flew at Bruno's card soldiers, chasing them like Pac-Man as it opened and closed, eventually snatching all three of Bruno's monsters into its maw. It let out a goofy laugh and exploded on the spot.

"I can activate this card when you Special Summon one or more monsters," Pegasus bragged. "It instantly returns them to your deck! Guess you won't be Xyz Summoning on this turn!"

"Don't you find it a little ironic that you use a briefcase of all things in a deck built around imagination and whimsy?" Voltaire asked, raising an eyebrow. Alice gave an approving nod at this.

"Not as long as it makes funny faces!" Pegasus answered with a shrug. "If it does that, I'm happy! Besides, even the most boring of things can become fun through a child's eyes. Case in point: Bubble wrap. It was just made as cushioning when shipping packages but popping it can entertain a child for hours on end!"

"Adults, too," Voltaire admitted, and Bruno gave a smirk. "You got any? I'm jonesin'!"

"Well, since that move didn't work, I'll just set these," the portly Shadowchaser announced, placing the last two cards from his hand on his Disk. A set monster and Spell or Trap materialized before him.

"Running out of moves, eh, Bruno-boy?" Pegasus chuckled as he drew.

"Maybe, maybe not," came the reply, even though Bruno was telling himself, Actually, he's not far off. I'll probably survive one more turn, but after that…

"Well, let's get this over with. Toon Necroface, attack his monster! Braid whiplash!"

The adorably grotesque doll's head snickered and whipped its braids forward, slamming them into Bruno's set monster. The card flipped over to expose a grinning tabby cat, which exploded into pixels.

"Looks like your Cheshire Cat just disappeared for good. And now, for the final blow." Pegasus's smile vanished, and he shook his head in disappointment. "You know, I was really looking forward to moving on. Guess it'll have to be good enough being reunited with Alice. Ah, well. Toon King Funny Bunny, attack directly! Spinning chaos strike!"

Funny Bunny let out another belly laugh, then spun in place on his heel. He whirled faster and faster, his laugh never stopping as he shaped into a furious red tornado, rushing at Bruno at top speed.

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"This feels like copyright infringement," Gomi commented.

"It also feels like von Klein's had it," Douglas Bowmaker added.

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"I'm not done yet!" Bruno cried, his hand flying to his Disk. "I activate my Trap! Go, Power Wall!"

Bruno's set card lifted, and Funny Bunny stopped as he hit an energy wall, seemingly made from transparent cards, his face visibly smashed against it. The Toon King teetered as little birds circled its head.

"This card negates battle damage, but I have to discard a card for every five-hundred points of damage I would have taken," Bruno explained, slipping seven cards into his Graveyard.

Funny Bunny gave an expression that could best be interpreted as "SHOO!" waving his hand and causing the birds to fly away.

"Well, that's disappointing," Pegasus commented as Funny Bunny hippity-hopped back to him. "But I think the advantage is still clear. I set this and end."

A new set card materialized behind Funny Bunny.

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"Well, okay," said Greg. "He got out of that one, but… Just how many cards does that leave him with?"

Both too many and not enough, thought Rebecca. This next turn better be one for the ages…

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Nearly thinking in unison with his girlfriend (whatever that means), Bruno looked at his deck and thought, This next turn better be one for the ages! He snatched up what could very well be his final draw, hesitating a moment before looking at it. Oh, frabjous day! he mentally celebrated. That'll help!

"Looks like I've got another chance, Pegasus!" Bruno declared, slipping the card into his Disk. "I activate as fitting a card as there's ever been: The Beginning of the End! Since I have at least seven Dark monsters in my Graveyard - which that last Trap certainly helped with - I can banish five to draw three!"

He looked through his Graveyard and pocketed Tweedledum, Tweedledee, Sleepy Dormouse, The March Hare, and The Lion and the Unicorn, then put the pile back into his Duel Disk and took three new cards from his deck, quickly looking them over. "Oh, that's nice. And you should know, I discarded some other useful cards last turn!"

Pegasus gasped. "Unbelievable!" he cried. "You don't mean…?"

"That's right! I activate Queen's Invitation, banishing my four card soldiers to Special Summon the Queen of Hearts!"

He played the card, pocketing four more and conjuring the classic Tenniel illustration of the fish and frog footmen, which made way for Bruno's famous mad ruler, who swung her ruby heart-tipped scepter as she strutted onto the field (3,400 ATK). Alice in Despairland cast her spell, and the ruby heart turned to pink spinel as the Queen's expression grew loopy and cross-eyed. (3,400 ATK) - (3,600 ATK)

"And though I can't rid the field of Funny Bunny...yet...I can still get rid of your other abomination! Though I can't very well chop off its head…" Bruno mused over this for a while, staring at the disembodied head of Toon Necroface. "Queen of Hearts, attack with Dark Heart Pulse!"

The Queen nodded and held her scepter in both hands, sending a wave of dark energy and pitch-black, heart-shaped motes at the Toon Necroface. The nightmarish Toon grimaced and exploded on the spot.

(P: 750) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 1,100)

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"The horror…" mumbled Sonya, shaking her head. "The horror…"

"It's okay," Z told her, patting her on the back. "It's okay. It's gone now. It can't hurt anybody anymore."

"And now Bruno controls the strongest monster on the field, and Spirit Barrier, too!" Ember observed.

"Barely stronger," added Keith. "His breathing room here is razor thin."

"Obviously you've never seen Bruno duel," Rebecca told him. "Even if Pegasus powers up his monster, destroying the Queen of Hearts in battle does more harm than good, and when your Life Points are in triple digits, it's basically suicide!"

"Big whoop!" Molly O'Malley said, rolling her eyes. "This is Pegasus we're talking about! He's the king of unexpected moves! Even the King of Games couldn't match him there!"

"We may be reaching the endgame," Nichole said, giving the field an intense look. "But this duel could still go either way."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Impressive move, Bruno-boy!" Pegasus complemented with a smile. "But I'm afraid you've forgotten one important thing."

"Almost definitely," Bruno admitted with a matching grin. "But what is it this time?"

Pegasus's smile grew broader. "Toon King Funny Bunny also counts as Toon World! And that means I can activate my Trap! Toon Mask!"

His set card lifted, revealing the image of a blue rubber mask with a top hat and a goofy grin. The image shifted and the mask became real, jetting out by releasing green gas from its ears with a loud fart sound. The bizarre mask flew forward and latched onto the Queen's face. Stunned and furious, the mad monarch's hands flew to the ridiculous accessory, desperate to remove it, but the mask held firm.

"When Toon World is active, I can target one of your monsters, and then Special Summon a Toon from my hand or deck whose Level is equal to or lower than your monster's!"

Alice gasped. "What sort of Toon is he summoning?"

Voltaire looked just as concerned, answering, "The Queen of Hearts is Level 9, he could summon any of them!"

"True," Bruno reassured his friend. "But I've never heard of any Toons that top my Queen in terms of power, and direct attacks do no good with Spirit Barrier active."

"Then I'll just have to get rid of Spirit Barrier!" Pegasus declared. "And I have a Toon in my hand that can do just that! I summon Toon Barrel Dragon!"

The mask exploded into pixels, and Pegasus slammed his last card onto his Duel Disk. With a loud explosion, a new monster formed next to Funny Bunny: a huge purple mechanical dragon with gun barrels for hands. Another gun made up its head and torso, with big orange eyes on either side and a mouthful of shark-like triangular teeth. It stood on two sturdy legs ending in sharp little feet, and a short little wiry tail whipped out behind it. It waved its gun-arms and let out a surprisingly menacing roar. (2,600 ATK)

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Holy-," said Xiaomu. "As if the regular Barrel Dragon wasn't bad enough!"

"And I'm betting that his one has the same effect too," said Ao with a slight nod. "The odds here aren't exactly in Bruno's favor."

"If its effect is truly the same," Ananya pointed out, "the odds are about even."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

It all comes down to this, Bruno thought. Three tosses of a coin. Without a word, he took both remaining cards from his hand and set them on the field.

"All right, Bruno-boy, no sense in rushing this," Pegasus chuckled, drawing a card. "Oh, or maybe there is! I just drew another card that can end this even faster! I activate my Spell, Shadow Toon!"

He inserted the card into his Duel Disk, and a wispy spook with evil red eyes emerged from the book underneath Funny Bunny's feet. It made a shrill, haunting cackle as it looked into Bruno's eyes.

"All I have to do is target a monster on your field, and you take damage equal to its Attack Score! Your Queen of Hearts' strength is your own undoing!"

With a shriek, the ghost flew at the mad monarch, but Bruno couldn't get to his Disk fast enough.

"I won't let this duel end in such an anticlimactic fashion!" Bruno objected as one of his set cards lifted. "I activate Damage Polarizer! This negates the effects of a card that inflicts effect damage, and we each draw a card!"

A heart-shaped mirrored shield appeared on the Queen's arm, and she held it directly in the ghost's path. The ghost bounced off and, crossing its arms in annoyance, vanished into nothingness. The shield disappeared a moment later.

Each player drew a card and examined it closely. This'll win it for me if I survive! Bruno thought, staring at the Wasp in a Wig.

Not bad, Pegasus observed, staring at his new Trap. "Well, on to my original strategy," he said. "Just so everyone's square on how this works," he pointed at his Toon Barrel Dragon's guns. "Each of those laser cannons charges up independently but has a has a nasty habit of jamming - exactly half the time, no less. Once it locks onto a target, it requires no less than two shots to destroy it. So, let's go, Toon Barrel Dragon! Take aim at Spirit Barrier! Begin charging sequence!"

The Machine let out a staticky sound as it tilted its guns downward, three crosshairs aiming at the Trap by Bruno's feet.

"Barrel one!" Pegasus cried.

The Toon's left arm-gun's cylinder spun. A flag popped out of the barrel, with "BANG!" written on it in bright red.

"Oh, that's too bad," Pegasus fake pouted. "Barrel two!"

The right arm-gun's cylinder spun this time. It stopped, and the whole gun lit up in neon green.

"That one's good to go! Oh, I can't stand the tension! Barrel three!"

Toon Barrel Dragon nodded its head and aimed carefully. The cylinder on which its eyes were placed spun, taking an obnoxiously long time - at least ten seconds, more than three times as long as the rest - before stopping. The entire crowd went silent as they waited for the result.

The gun lit up.

"And the duel literally reaches an explosive finish!" Pegasus declared. "Toon Barrel Dragon, fire away! Eliminate his shield once and for all!"

The Toon Machine let out a staticky roar as it fired its two guns. Spirit Barrier was obliterated on the spot. The yellow force field surrounding Bruno slowly peeled away, leaving him exposed.

"Which leaves me free to finish this! Toon King Funny Bunny, it's time for one last attack! Strike him directly with spinning dynamite rocket punch!"

Funny Bunny let loose another of its wacky belly laughs as it reached into its pocket again, pulling out a huge rocket that it strapped to its back, aiming directly at Bruno. It pulled out a match and lit the rocket's fuse as it readied its fist for an attack.

"Three, two, one, blastoff!" Pegasus declared. The rocket exploded forward, ready to obliterate the German Shadowchaser.

"I can pull out a few surprises, too!" Bruno yelled over the roar of the blast. His hand flew out, and his final set card lifted, revealing the image of groundbreaking apart under a pair of feet, an explosion beginning to go off underneath. "Activate Trap of Darkness!"

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"No… way," gasped Keith.

"I believe the proper response here is," replied Rebecca, with a smug smirk, "WAY."

"Now that's a twist!" Juarez whooped, before his smile disappeared. "Wait, wait, what does that one does?"

Mr. Z answered quickly. "It can only be used when you have 3,000 or less Life Points, and then requires you to pay an additional 1,000, meaning Bruno has just enough."

(P: 750) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 100)

"...but then it lets him take any Normal Trap from his Graveyard and activate it. Pretty sure I know what he has in mind…"

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"There's only one card in my Graveyard that'll save me at this point, but it'll cripple you, too!" Bruno announced. "The Trap I'll copy is my Out Like a Candle!"

The image on Trap of Darkness morphed into the familiar Tenniel illustration of Alice examining a bottle before exploding on the spot. The Queen of Hearts launched herself forward, choking Funny Bunny (who had frozen in midair when Bruno activated his Trap) with her scepter. White kid gloves appeared around Bruno's hands again, along with a fan. He whipped the accessory hard, sending a strong wind at Funny Bunny that extinguished his rocket's flames.

"And I'm sure you know; this card does more than just reduce your monster's Attack Score!" Bruno bragged. As he fanned, both the Queen of Hearts and Funny Bunny began to shrink. "If your monster's Attack is reduced to zero, it's destroyed!"

Both monsters were reduced to the size of children, then dolls, and then, in a mini explosion, they disappeared entirely. Bruno's gloves and fan vanished into motes of light, as well.

"What's that, though?" Bruno said with a mischievous grin. "You can still finish me with Toon Barrel Dragon?"

"I mean, I wasn't thinking it, but…" Voltaire said, scratching his chin.

"Think again! Because, as Pegasus reminded you all twice, Funny Bunny also counts as Toon World! And when Toon World is destroyed…"

Pegasus's eyes went wide. "Every Toon on the field is destroyed with it. Oh, why did I give Funny Bunny that weakness? Barrel Dragon was safe!"

It was only too true. The cartoon parody of Barrel Dragon simply fell apart in a clunky heap, the pieces shattering into triangles.

"Of course, you can still summon a new monster and attack with it," Bruno pointed out. "Or you could if Toons could attack on the turn they were summoned. As it is, I've quite literally leveled the field. We've both got nothing left, and only a single card in our hands."

"Have to use what you've got," Pegasus said with a shrug. He took the only card in his hand and set it on his Disk, leaving only a single Spell or Trap to defend himself. "Bring it on, Bruno-boy."

Bruno sighed and drew his card, briefly looking it over. It was Caucus-Race.

"I don't need my Millennium Eye to know that look!" Pegasus chuckled, examining Bruno's face. "Saw it on Yugi-boy's face a few times, if I recall. It's a dead draw, isn't it? And at this stage, too! Hard luck, Bruno-boy!"

Bruno shook his head. "It doesn't matter what I drew," he announced. "You're forgetting about a certain card in my Graveyard. I discard two cards to retrieve Mad Fusion!"

He discarded his hand, and his signature Spell slipped out of his Graveyard. Bruno immediately slammed it into one of his Disk's Spell slots. "And I'll activate it right now! This time, I'll fuse Alice in Despairland with the Cheshire Cat!"

Alice's ghostly form was once again sucked into Bruno's Duel Disk as the portly Shadowchaser shuffled two cards back into his deck. With a flourish, he pulled a card from his Extra Deck and slapped it onto his field, chanting as a vortex formed in front of him.

"If I or she should chance to be

Involved in this affair,

He trusts to you to set them free,

Exactly as we were."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"What does that mean?" asked Ember.

"I doubt even Lewis Carroll knew," said Monika, shaking her head.

"Seriously, is someone going to explain the talking dog?" Juarez asked, still gaping at Monika.

The sphinx simply growled at him, and he backed off. What happened the last time someone mistook her for a dog was something she didn't intend to repeat.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Fusion Summon! Vanishing Alice!"

The vortex vanished as a shadowy figure leapt out, landing on the field on all fours. Slowly, she rose to her feet, revealing herself to everyone. Like Queen Alice and Manxome Alice, she was an older version of Alice in Despairland, but this one had changed her species as well as her outfit. Pointed cat ears erupted out of her snow-white hair, and whiskers twitched on either side of her nose. Soft, velvety grey fur had grown all over her, and her hands now ended in sharp retractable claws. Her boots were gone, too, revealing furry feet with long claws for nails, and her beautiful Victorian gown had become matted grey and torn. She blinked her glowing eyes, and her pupils turned vertical. (2,000 ATK)

"It's time to send you where you belong: to the realm of the dead!" Bruno declared. He hesitated for a moment, giving out a nervous laugh. "Sorry," he added. "Hard to say that in a nice way. Anyway, Vanishing Alice, direct attack! Cheshire claw!"

Cheshire Alice scratched her ears and let out a purr before pouncing on Pegasus, bringing out her claws to maximum length.

"I'm afraid I can't let the fun end just yet, Bruno-boy!" Pegasus chuckled, still smiling wide. "Activate Trap! Go, Soul Prison!"

The creator's set card lifted, exposing a card with one of the most minimal images that Bruno had ever seen. Literally all it showed was a starry background, like an evening sky seen from the country, away from light pollution.

"Your direct attack lets me bring out an old favorite, bypassing the normal trouble of summoning it!" Pegasus bragged. "How about some applause as I Special Summon a Maximillian J. Pegasus blast from the past!"

Soul Prison glowed and vanished, and was replaced on the spot by a hideous, pulsating, nearly spherical mound of flesh. It looked like an enormous bruise covered in ugly bumps. In a flash, though, the mound started to twitch. Two flaps on the back shot up, exposing themselves as vestigial wings, and revealing the more humanoid form underneath. Two muscular arms stretched out, ending in massive white talons on every finger. There were no legs at its base, only a cone-shaped structure and a long, muscular tail behind it. Its torso was, in fact, its face, with a pair of glowing green eyes where you'd expect nipples, and a circular lamprey-like mouth on the abdominals. On its forehead was a very familiar appendage-a long, neck-like stretch of cartilage ending with a glowing golden replica of the Millennium Eye. (0 ATK)

"He's here! He's queer (as in weird)! Get used to it! Give it up for Thousand-Eyes Restrict!"

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Ugh," said Mr. Z with a sneer. "I really hoped we'd get through this duel without him using that thing."

"What the devil is it?" gasped Greg.

"If you ever find out," answered Z, "be sure to tell me. Suffice to say, it's very dangerous."

"Not to ruin the drama, but it's actually based on a demon from Jewish folklore," Sonya told them. "I met one in Prague once. Ketev meriri. Look it up."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Once my wonderful Restrict awakens, his thousand eyes unleash a spell that freezes all other monsters on the field in place, leaving them unable to fight back!" Pegasus pointed out. "So, Thousand-Eyes Restrict, it's time to rise and greet the day! Wakey-wakey, eggs and bakey! Unleash your Thousand-Eyes Spell!"

Slowly, the lumps all over the disgusting Spellcaster's body peeled back the membranes, exposing hundreds of eyes all over, each with golden irises and blue scleras. All of them shifted their gaze, staring at Vanishing Alice, whose spine shivered in disgust. The Restrict's golden eye shifted and let out a flash of light, and Alice froze on the spot.

"And it gets even better, because the final effect of my Soul Prison now kicks in! My Thousand-Eyes Restrict can automatically cast his spell, even though it's not my turn! So now, I'll finish you off with your own monster! Take his Vanishing Alice's power for your own, my Restrict!" Pegasus ordered, pointing a finger at Bruno's monster. "Absorption Force!"

Thousand-Eyes Restrict's mouth flared open and closed, greedily gulping in air, creating a vacuum effect over the field. The main eye let out another flash as Vanishing Alice was pulled in, unable to even struggle as she flew toward the creature's mouth.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Tell me when it's over…" said Keith, covering his eyes. Few others in the group could blame him - after all, seeing this creature devour a monster alive was not known to be a pleasant sight…

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Bruno, however, just laughed. He snapped his fingers, and Vanishing Alice blinked, quickly flickering out of sight just before she could be swallowed by the many-eyed abomination.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Hakozaki hit Keith on the back of the head. "You can look now, you big baby," he said with a smirk.

"Wait," started Xiaomu. "So, the cat-girl has a built-in Interdimensional Matter Transporter?"

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Wha-?" Pegasus stammered. "What was that?"

"Did you think Vanishing Alice was just a name?" Bruno chortled. "She's part Cheshire Cat, after all! If you activate an effect during the Battle Phase, she can banish herself until the End Phase. So yes, it's sort of like an Interdimensional Matter Transporter - except that when she comes back, she has another trick! So now, come back, Alice, and show him what you've got!"

Alice's wide, pearly-white grin appeared again, and the rest of her followed suit. In a few quick motions, she raked her claws across the Thousand-Eyes Restrict, damaging a few dozen eyes and breaking the abomination's spell for good.

"When she returns, she can negate the effect of one of your monsters and attack again!"

"Oh, no!" Pegasus gasped. "Restrict's ability was all that kept you from attacking!"

"That creature sends all the wrong messages, Pegasus," Bruno told him, shaking his head. "One soul isn't meant to leech off others. Mutual teamwork, not parasitism, is the key to strength. And your own Restrict's ability keeps your other monsters from moving, too. It's a symbol of everything you used to be, really - a sad old man clinging to remnants, pushing away those who only have your best interest at heart, leaving you trapped in painful limbo. But you changed, Pegasus. You and Alice. Kind of a shame it all must end now, but it's time for you both to finally move on.

"Finish him, Alice! Cheshire Claw!"

Alice purred once more and pounced upon the Thousand-Eyes Restrict, driving one of her claws deep into its golden eye, then up to the top of its body and down to its base. The grotesque Spellcaster split in half and the pieces dropped to the floor, dead.

(P: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 100)

The crowd burst into cheers and applause as the holograms disappeared. Vanishing Alice made good on her name, but the transparent spirit of Alice in Despairland hung in the air. Pegasus, grinning wide despite his loss, ran forward and embraced the spirit. The duo was enveloped in a soft glow, and both let out a laugh. When the glow faded, Alice had disappeared.

"Oh, it's good to be whole again!" Pegasus sighed. "You really have no idea how it feels to be so incomplete. Well, I suppose it's time I moved on. Hopefully I'll find Cyndia on the other side. You know, I never really entertained the thought that this would be how I would find her! Voltaire, boy," he said as an aside, removing his deck from his Duel Disk, "here's your deck back, complete with some new cards. I know you'll use it well. Now," he said, turning to the crowd, "if anybody has any more questions for the creator of the game, now's your last chance!"

Eager for the opportunity, the entire crowd rushed the creator, gathering on all sides. For the next fifteen minutes people shouted questions to Pegasus and he jovially answered them - everything from card designs to ideas for new summoning methods to his knowledge of the occult. Eventually, though, the questions petered out, and Pegasus turned to Ember and Nichole- the Shadowchasers who, along with Bruno, had survived the horrible duel with Levistus. "Just one last thing," he said. "I really can't thank you enough, especially Bruno, for all the help you've given me. And for that, there's something I need to say." He wrapped his arms around the trio and pulled them in tight.

"I know that this has all been very rough for you, but you should know that you've managed more than you think you have. Sure, nobody got exactly what they wanted, and this tournament didn't go exactly as planned, but what ever does? You came through, had some amazing duels, met interesting new people, and saw a disaster to the end! Most importantly, you stuck with it all the way through and never gave up. A good friend may be gone, but we couldn't have done all this without said friend's contributions. Instead of mourning, you should celebrate what was managed! Trust me, whatever the end result, you did something, which is more than a lot of people can say. And, if I may be so bold, I think you all may actually be disappointed now that this whole thing is finished.

"As for each of you individually," he said, first turning to Ember, "Ms. Michiko, in my childhood, I learned that life is all about moving forward and trying new things. Don't let yourself get bogged down by your reputation or your past. There's always more to come." He nodded in Nichole's direction. "Ms. Belvins, a lot is going to happen from this point, and the best advice I can give is this: Trust what's here," he pointed to her forehead, "and here," to her chest, "and not here," he held his own stomach, "and you'll do better than ever." His gaze shifted to Bruno. "Mr. von Klein, the darker sides of ourselves can be a terrible burden to carry, and can cost us a lot in life, but remember that as long as you live, there is hope. Everything you've done since that duel with Teodahr, you can amend if you try. Live life one day at a time and learn from your experiences. Perhaps you can repair past relationships," he cast a quick look at Rebecca and Kyon, "perhaps not, but either way you must embrace it and move forward.

Still smiling, Pegasus gently pushed the crowd back. He waved his hand, and a shining portal appeared beside him. "And finally, I just need some good last words. And here are some, as a tribute to the young man who finally freed me:

"Through the looking-glass we go,

Where the world is in reverse,

And the ending always starts a new beginning.

Through the mirror even though

Things may go from bad to worse.

Close your eyes and learn to believe

So we can pass

Through the looking-glass."

With that, he closed his eyes and pushed through the gateway. The portal silently closed behind him, leaving the crowd of duelists in awe.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

One week later…

The sun was high in Munich, casting its bright rays into the local Shadowchasers' living room as Bruno and Rebecca hefted their luggage down the stairs. Their djinni, Giondar, ever the workhorse, was behind them with another suitcase over each shoulder.

"I think this trip will be a nice break," Bruno said as they led Giondar outside. "Some nice time off, and for real this time."

"Speak for yourself," Rebecca laughed. "I never went to that tournament to have fun. I went to beat the snot out of you. Should've known I'd have to wait in line for that privilege."

"You sure you two can handle things without us?" Bruno asked, turning to his fellow Shadowchasers, Lars and Franz.

Lars smiled, showing off a mouthful of crooked teeth. "Absolutely. I could keep this city in line by myself!"

"Just come back when you can," Franz told them, waving a hand. "You two are among the best at hunting joystealers."

Bruno returned their grins and shooed them away. They rolled their eyes but obeyed. It was far from the first time he'd wanted a moment alone with Rebecca. He cleared his throat, and she looked him in the eyes. "There's, uh…" he stammered. Her fiery gaze was giving him chills. "There's something I've been meaning to say for a while now."

Rebecca frowned. "What?" she asked. "That you're sorry for neglecting me? For being an obsessive jerk? For taking stupid risks and nearly abandoning everything you love just to chase some excitement?"

"No," Bruno told her. He blushed and continued. "I mean, yes, but not just that. I just mean...well, you're the greatest thing that's ever happened to me, even better than becoming Aware. I should have known what was important all along. I hope you can find your way to forgiving me."

Rebecca sighed and continued to lock eyes with him. She didn't speak for a moment, and Bruno began to sweat. "Apologies are just words, Bruno," she finally said. "I want you to show me that you're back to your old self. Or became a new, better self. Or whatever. And I hope this trip will help you."

"Time will tell. But I think it will. Vladimir knows a few things about spirits and finding yourself. Plus, I'm sure there's a lot of new tricks for an eager young clown to learn at the Wonky Circus."

"Don't tell me you're still planning to learn to juggle knives?" Rebecca asked, putting her hands on her hips. "You work with children, Alberno! What if something goes wrong?"

"It won't. But enjoy your trip. I'm sure Ace will enjoy the company. But...promise you won't waltz with Kyon again?"

"I'll dance with whomever I like!" Rebecca snapped, shooting Bruno a glare. "I no longer have any obligation to remain exclusive!"

As Rebecca's taxi arrived, Bruno helped her load her luggage. "I'll win you back someday," he told her as she climbed in.

Rebecca met him with a half-smile. "Prove it," she said, before closing the door.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

A week after that...

"Your teammates are running the asylum, you know that, right? I mean, they act all nice and normal, but I just know they're all more than a bit crazy." Ace said, leaning her head back against the cold stone behind her. "...but that's probably why you liked them."

The headstone she was sitting against didn't give a reply.

"I mean, at breakfast, Rave dueled Tsubasa over the last of Maria's pancakes. And those were some friggin amazing pancakes, don't get me wrong. But a full-on duel? That's just ridiculous…" Ace laughed to herself. "They were pretty sore I ate it while they were dueling. But Rayearth got them to settle down."

She picked a nearby dandelion. The funeral had only been a few days ago, but with nothing to bury, it had been ceremonial planting of a headstone. "You were right about her, too. She's...well, she's Rayearth. I think she could scare the ocean dry if she wanted. I mean, the blind woman makes her coffee boil by staring at it! That's not normal!"

Ace sighed as some of her bangs fell across her vision. Christmas red and greens were a far cry from her usual auburn. "But then...I'm not normal myself anymore, am I? Every time I go look in the mirror, there's something new. Crazy hair color. Lines like circuitry on my face. I brushed my teeth the other day and then dove for a big glass of orange juice when I saw it...I hate orange juice...but you didn't."

Fingers worked over the dandelion, knocking some of the seeds loose and sending them drifting away. "Every time it happens, I get to know you a bit more...but you never feel so distant, either. I feel like a bully, sometimes. Taking things that don't belong to me and mixing them with my own self. The more I become you, the less of 'you' there is that I can say remember...your life...is becoming mine."

Ace tossed the emptied flower away, staring at her feet. "I'm not sure who I am, Red. The life I had before I met you - it just feels so far away, ya know? Like a dream. And this stuff I have now? Feels like I'm just holding it, waiting for someone to just come and take it off my hands. Or maybe I just don't want to believe it's mine. Cause what do I do with it if it is?"

She sighed and picked up her staff, using it as a prop to haul herself into a standing position. "Well, as crazy as your teammates are, I'm safe here. I know that much. And this town's kinda like magical Vegas, minus all the gambling. And the crime. And the tourists. Okay, it's nothing like Vegas, but I think it could still feel like home. Someday."

Ace rolled the staff between her fingers, feeling the vertebrae dig into her palms as she did. "I...I know I say this a lot, but...thanks. I mean it. For giving me two of the best days of my life." She wiped at her sudden tears, smiling despite them. "And thanks to your memories...I know I gave you two of yours. That...really means a lot, okay? You have no idea…"

Sirens began to echo in the distance and her watch chimed. Ace tapped it, opening the call screen on her Duel Gazer. "All units, all units. This is Dispatch. We have a 11-21. Repeat. 11-21. Magic has been used on a baked good and it come alive and gone rogue. Repeat, gone rogue.

"Dispatch. Confirm 11-21. What baked good are we dealing with?"

"It's a glazed donut, yelling about how it wants to be sprinkled."

Ace muted the noise, watching as a map popped on the Duel Gazer. It was only a few streets away. Sparing the gravestone, a glance and blowing it a kiss, Ace slung her staff over her shoulder and charged out of the graveyard.

She switched to the Shadowchaser channel. "This is Ace. I'm en-route to the 11-21. Who's responding?"

"I'm headed that way, too." A man's voice, easy-going with the thrill of the potential challenge. "Should be able to turn that donut into a don't-nut"

Groans echoed down the line, Ace's included, and a woman's voice fired back, irritated and snarky. "Be careful, Tsubasa! Using puns like that can be considered unauthorized use of a deadly weapon!"

"Bite me, Rave!"

Ace smiled despite herself even as she jumped, a flash of light pulling Kenshin's Duel Board - now hers - out of the ether and into place under her feet as she came down. Weaving in and out of the headstones, she knew at least one thing to be true.

Backwater was never boring.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

And yet one more week Later…

"More news today on the sudden unexpected liquidation of Lessiux Industries and the as-yet unsolved disappearance of its CEO and owner Jean-Claude Martin. The bidding war for the company's holdings and properties at this point seems all but won by Frantisec Enterprises. According to a spokesman for Ms. Josephine Frantisec, the -"

With a loud CLICK, the television turned off. The man who had been watching it shook his head, certain he - and everyone else - had been watching way too much television these days.

It was ironic, really. For a long time, he had trusted Jean-Claude far more than he did Josephine, and while he fully expected her to be the first in line to make a grab at Lessiux, he worried about how much power she now had. Legends always claimed the drow were plotting world domination, although none of those old legends ever stated they'd do so by controlling the media.

Still, Jalal had bigger concerns.

His desk was a mess. He'd been procrastinating for years about putting all these old books on hard drive, always putting it off again and again. He'd also frequently told himself that the reason he hadn't retired yet was the thought of leaving it all for his successor to do.

A buzzing sound told him that he had a visitor - someone he was expecting. "Come in," he said, loudly.

The door opened, and Ember walked in. She had cut her hair since the tournament and had a new pair of jeans and a sweater, not looking much like a young woman who had been brought to the edge of death. Still, she seemed sullen and withdrawn.

"Have a seat," said the leader of the Shadowchasers. "How did it go with the Hands of Sadako?"

"Well, like you suggested, I told them that we had discovered that the promised contribution was funded by a terrorist, something that I suppose was technically true. They reacted the way you'd expect a charity group to react, a combination of disappointment, pride, and shock."

"I couldn't have been avoided," replied Jalal. "How are you doing?"

"I've taken about three showers a day for the past two weeks," she grumbled. "Still feel like -"

"Ember," he said, the tone something she'd last heard her father use.

There was a long silence as he looked at her, knowing exactly what was on her mind.

"You know, Ember, I've seen this happen more times than I'd care to talk about. Of all the Five Stages, 'Depression' is always the hardest to get through."

"I could have done more," said Ember, sadly.

"You did more than anyone expected, again!" replied Jalal. "Given the kind of monster Levistus was, most would call it fortunate there weren't more casualties."

"You think it was all luck?" asked Ember.

"Pardon?"

"Everyone always says it, chief, how the newbie with the red hair did so much on her first day, how she took Ccapac Apu's fist on the chin and lived to tell about it… You think it was all dumb luck?"

To her incredible disbelief, the response from Stormbringer was a small chuckle.

"Know something, Ember?" he said, "I can relate. Come over here."

Like in a trance, she did, and Jalal opened a desk drawer, taking another old book from it. "Remember, Ember, when I told you about Malys?"

"The red dragon who killed your father?" asked Ember. "Yeah, but -"

Jalal opened the book to a dogeared book, which had a full-color illustration. Ember reacted to it with a loud gulp.

"Yes, that's the usual reaction," said Jalal.

The painting was a horrific illustration of a red dragon, perched atop a castle overlooking a burning city, a diabolical grin on its toothy mouth. Below it was the caption, "Vile Malys, Ruiner and Scourge of the city of Unsalor."

"Unsalor?" asked Ember. "I… never heard of that city."

"It's was an island," replied Jalal. "West of Wales, south of Ireland, the city in this illustration was part of it, and I don't blame you for never hearing about it. That's the point.

"I should mention that 'Vile Malys' was only one of her titles. Others included 'Malys the Cruel', 'Malys the Reviled', and 'Malys the Unholy'. Dwarven clans called her 'Death's Envoy', elves called her 'Abomination of Madness', and orcs called her something that translates into, pardon my language here, 'Winged Whore Who Tears Your Entrails Out While Laughing in Your Face'.

"In my darkest hours, Ember, I often realize the reason she sent that assassin rather than face my father personally wasn't for lack of courage or skill. It was because she wanted him to suffer eternally. In short, she was bad news, and no sane person back then dared cross her. I didn't want to confront her alone at first. I tried to find help before going to find her lair, but even among ruined towns full of those who had lost family members to that monster, they refused. Most of them said I was crazy for even wanting to fight her, and at first I believed them."

"She couldn't have killed you…" muttered Ember. Her eyes were still transfixed on the picture.

"Yes, the orc who gave her that last title I mentioned had a similar - yet shorter lasting - defense."

"But… You did manage to slay her…"

Jalal nodded. "Maybe someday I'll share the entire story with you. And for a while, it seemed every living thing said prayers of thanks and sang ballads of joy when it was over. But even then, there were doubters and detractors, those who said my victory was simply dumb luck. It did hurt for a while, Ember, but only for a while." He put his arm around her in a comforting hug. "Luck or not, it was still something to be proud of."

"Maybe," she said with a sigh. "But if the reason you called me here was for more of the same, I don't know if I can. I really need to think about everything, about my future, my life… Not sure if I even want to stay in Japan."

"Would you consider a working vacation?" asked Jalal.

Ember barely caught the folder he tossed to her.

"Chile?" she said. "Fire giants? What -"

"Giants rarely make for good neighbors," explained Jalal, "but the Med'van tribe of the Andes mountains have always been rather… unfriendly. Since the signing of the Great Treaty, their policy regarding humans and other races of Shadow have been simple: 'mind your own business, and we'll mind ours'. But recently, King Blutar passed away, and his younger replacement seems more approachable to trade negotiations. Given the ore they have possession of, that would be a boon to several local economies in the area."

"You want me to be a mediator?" asked Ember. "An ambassador?" Her voice sounded both anxious and excited at the same time.

"More like an emissary. The world of Shadow is growing every day, Ember. More and more opportunities are coming to light, more is being discovered as we speak. The grand irony is, when Levistus suggested the tournament would be a good way to gain back public trust, he wasn't lying. Isolated tribes of Shadow are taking notice, and it seems the idea of stationary teams is becoming inadequate. We're starting to implement a new policy of global Shadowchaser emissaries for places where full groups aren't needed. And -"

"Hold on, chief, seriously, not that I'm refusing here, but I can't do something like this alone."

Jalal smirked. "You won't be. Mr. Masakaru?"

Ember almost jumped. "Gomi?" she said, turning her head. He had been there the whole time and she had never even noticed.

"Hey, Red," he said with a smile. "I wasn't exactly looking forward to this much either, I mean, I can speak Giant okay, but I'm not too good with Spanish."

Ember made a long sigh and stood up. "Maybe a change of venue - and a crash course in a language - would be a nice change of pace."

"So, ready to head for Santiago… partner?" he asked.

They always say, "life isn't fair", and I guess they're right. Castro outlived JFK by decades, and Gandhi died years before the people he opposed. Still, I remember someone saying that it's not really "unfair" either.

Life is, if anything, a challenge. It throws obstacles in your path at every step, and the more you dodge and avoid them, the tougher you get. Maybe everyone's parents had a point when they said adversity and hard work "builds character", whatever that means.

Still, sometimes, as tough as it gets, the rewards can sometimes be worth it all. If you take the risk and face it head-on, then no matter how bleak and hopeless it seems, there's a chance it will all be worth it in the end.

Sometimes.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Original Cards:

Mind Scan (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: Pegasus pulling back his hair to reveal his Millennium Eye.

Effect: Name a Trap Card. If it is in your opponent's deck, they must set it on their field, then shuffle their deck. Afterwards, you draw two cards, and your opponent cannot activate set Spell/Trap Cards this turn. If it's not in your opponent's deck, they can set a Trap of their choice from their deck on their field, then shuffle their deck. Afterwards, they draw two cards, and the set card can be activated on this turn. When the card set by this card's effect leaves the field, banish it.

Toon Necroface (Monster Card)

Zombie/Dark/Effect/Level 4/1,200 ATK/1,800 DEF

Effect: Cannot attack the turn it is Summoned. If "Toon World" on the field is destroyed, destroy this card. While you control "Toon World" and your opponent controls no Toon monsters, this card can attack your opponent directly. When this card is Normal Summoned, shuffle all banished cards into their respective owners' decks. This card gains 100 ATK for each of those cards. If this card is banished, both players banish the top 5 cards from their decks.

Your Own Medicine (Spell Card)

Quick-Play Spell

Image: Ebon Magician Curran sticking out her tongue in disgust as a spoonful of brown medicine is pushed toward her mouth.

Effect: Declare 1 card name, then select 1 set Spell/Trap Card on your opponent's field. Reveal the set card, then, if your guess was correct, immediately activate it on your own field (if the activation timing is incorrect, immediately send it to the Graveyard). If your guess was incorrect, return the card to its original position, and then take 3,000 damage.

Toon King Funny Bunny (Monster Card)

Beast-Warrior/Light/Fusion/Effect/Level 10/? ATK/3,000 DEF

Dark Rabbit + 1 Toon Monster

Effect: This card's ATK is the combined ATK of its fusion materials. This face-up card is also treated as "Toon World". If your opponent controls no Toon monsters, this card can attack your opponent directly, but not on the turn that it is Special Summoned. If this card would be destroyed in battle, you can banish 1 card from the top of your deck, face down, to prevent its destruction. If this card is destroyed, destroy all Toon monsters on your field.

Vanishing Alice (Monster Card)

Beast-Warrior/Dark/Fusion/Effect/Level 7/2,000 ATK/1,700 DEF

Alice in Despairland + The Cheshire Cat

Effect: During the Battle Phase, if your opponent activates a card's effect, you can banish this card. During the End Phase, Special Summon this card, then negate the effect of a card on your opponent's field. If this effect is activated during your turn, this card can attack during the End Phase. If this card is destroyed in battle or by a card effect, you can Special Summon 1 "Alice in Despairland" from your hand, deck, or Graveyard.

Soul Prison (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: A starry background. (This card's image is a reference to the "soul prison" cards that Pegasus used to contain the souls of the Kaiba brothers)

Effect: If your opponent declares an attack, Special Summon 1 "Relinquished" or "Eyes Restrict" monster from your hand, deck, or Extra Deck. You can automatically activate the Special Summoned monster's effect.

And as they say in the movies, that's a wrap.

For those still interested in more Shadowchasers, plus its "expanded" universe, watch my own account page in the near future, as well as those of my co-writers and allies. 2020 may see things slow down a bit, but writing will still remain my hobby, and I hope to get more life out of this before the card game itself goes out of style.

Au revoir!