So, last chapter went well, I think. I'm glad I got some interaction, and plus, we're over 100 views, so thanks for that. Hopefully, I can keep up the momentum, since I'm already having fun with this.
Speaking of, this chapter was especially fun for a number of reasons, the key one being that it was a test of Archetype Design for me. Lemme know if you like the idea for the deck I showcase in this duel. I'm not exactly concerned with if it would be a functional deck, since y'know, fanfic, but I think it's a fun set of cards that I made.
Anyway!
Guest: Becky is 18, and both Wes and Hikaru are 15. I don't know exact minutes, I just know Wes was born last, so he's the baby of the family.
ChroniclerDL: Not gonna lie, that was part of the fun of making a character who's kind of 'in the know'. It's something I can use to spark some interesting situations.
For the second day in a row, it rained in the depressing little town that Becky had been staying in. Her stay at the hotel that night was with no physical issues, but all throughout it, her sleep had been restless. So many thoughts assailed her mind, and she could not escape them in her dreams either. She was still worried…
'Still no signs of either of them…'
Today, holed up in a small diner and quietly sipping away at some black coffee while she awaited her breakfast, Becky's mind continued to wander back to her little brothers. Wes and Hikaru were still out there somewhere, and she had no idea where. What if they were lost, or in trouble? Or god forbid they end up getting kidnapped?
'Okay, calm yourself,' she said, trying to retain her optimism. 'Wes and Hikaru are tough, they can handle themselves. But even so… they're still only teenagers. There's a lot of people out there who could take advantage of them.'
Her breath caught in her throat for a bit. Oh, how she hated such thoughts.
Her meal had been brought to her table, and she thanked the waitress, eagerly stabbing into the pancakes and bringing a mouthful to her awaiting maw. If nothing else, some good food would help take her mind off everything.
"So, any luck?"
Becky perked up upon hearing a voice right behind her. She didn't like to eavesdrop usually, but right now, she needed to focus on anything other than her ever-growing list of concerns. So, against her better judgment, she listened in.
"Afraid not, DJ," a second voice chimed in. "No sign of the people I'm looking for, and it's not like I can just wish them here."
"Man, I'm sorry Timmy. I know what it's like to miss your family…"
"Yeah… and to make matters worse, some random girl fell right on my head. Literally, right on my head, straight out of a portal. I'm lucky she didn't snap my neck."
"Well that's weird. Did you get her name?"
"Nope. She just apologized in a panic and walked away. She seemed scared if I'm being honest."
"Well, she's new, so she probably is."
"Yeah…"
For a brief second, the boy paused, and that only furthered her curiosity. A new girl in town? Who was she? Where was she from? Would she be okay?
"I'm sorry, are we speaking too loud?"
Becky cringed, looking over, and seeing the two boys looking to her. The one directly behind her was taller, black, and very well-built, with a white hat, a beard, and an innocent look in his charcoal eyes. The other was shorter, white, with brown hair and blue eyes, a pink hat on his head and what appeared to be a star wrapped around his neck.
"I'm sorry, what?" Becky fibbed.
The shorter of the two scoffed. "Listen, you've had that piece of bacon on your fork since we started talking, so clearly your focus is somewhere else right now. Were we talking too loud?"
"No no, it's my fault," she answered. "It was rude of me to listen in like that. I apologize."
"Don't worry about it," the larger one told her. "Name's DJ, and that's Timmy Turner. Nice to meet you."
She smiled. "I'm Rebecca Mizuhara, though everyone just calls me Becky."
Timmy raised an eyebrow at that. "Mizuhara? What is that, Korean?"
"Japanese, actually. I'm half-Japanese, on my father's side specifically."
"Neat," Timmy grinned, his buck teeth now visible to her, and giving her a clear indication that it was indeed him - albeit an older version of him. "So, back to the question at hand; exactly how much did you hear?"
Becky sighed. This was going to be an interesting conversation, she could tell…
After a good breakfast and a little discussion of the topic of a girl who supposedly fell out of a portal, Becky was left with more questions than answers. The only saving grace of it all was that by the time it was done, the rain had finally stopped.
As she wandered around aimlessly for the second day in a row, her mind raced with thoughts about the implications of their chat. First, she was certain of whom she'd discussed the topic of, and as crazy as it sounded, she found it crazier how easy of a time she had accepting it.
Then again, she too had been pulled from her world, so why couldn't others?
And yet, despite that, they kept their voices down in the diner for the most part, Timmy saying he didn't want to get dirty looks from people. But why they would get dirty looks from people was beyond her. Was it taboo to discuss your home worlds or something?
'Might be…' she surmised. 'I suppose if there are quite a few displaced souls in one place, it would bring back some bad memories to just talk about it in the open.'
And then, there was the topic of that girl. Timmy had given her a very vague description, but something about it struck very close to home, no pun intended. Before they had left and before… they got separated, she'd watched a movie with Wes. A movie that popped up in her mind, now that she'd heard about what she looked like.
"I said leave me alone!"
Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard a voice in a narrow alleyway. Granting it a cursory glance, she was met with the sight of the girl in question. Or at least, she assumed it was given the yellow skin, two-colored hair, and the distinctive leather jacket. On her arm was an orange Duel Disk, reminiscent of the oldest models.
And not too far from her was… Jack Grey?
It looked like him, at the very least, but dressed a bit more aggressively, having on a black leather long coat and a strange necklace. He was staring down this girl like a lion about to kill a gazelle, and that made the protector within Becky step in.
"Jack!"
He looked past the girl and was a bit shocked to see Becky there. Needless to say, she was not happy.
"Oh, well ain't that a pleasant surprise," he said with a chuckle. "After I'm done taking down this greenhorn, I'll get my payback for yesterday."
"I don't want to fight you!" The girl protested, her teal eyes half-fearful, half-furious. "I just got here! I don't even know what this thing on my arm is, or why it's got a deck of cards on it!"
Becky scowled. "Picking on a newcomer, Jack? That's low."
To this, Jack scoffed. "Spare me the lecture, blondey. I've got a neat new card I gotta test out, and frankly, I'm not taking no for an answer."
In a flash, an eerie green light radiated from Jack's Duel Disk, and before the redhead even knew what was happening, her disk energized, and five cards shot out, waiting to be taken. Before either of them could react further, Jack Grey immediately placed a spell in the Field Card zone, and the real duel began.
Occult energies pooled underneath Jack's feet, as a massive green circle appeared and expanded outward from his feet. Its perimeter ended right behind the two competitors, pushing Becky out of it, and forcing her to watch.
"… Okay, did this alleyway get bigger or something?" She asked aloud, before shaking her head. "No no, questions for later! Hey, you okay in there!?"
The girl looked back, panic visible in her eyes as she glanced back to Jack. He had a malicious grin on his face, that only instilled further fear in her.
"Sorry, but I couldn't have you escaping on me," Jack said with a chuckle. "Ol' Jacky boy has a quota to meet. And unfortunately, that means I need to duel you."
"D-duel!?"
"Of course," Jack said. "You… do know how to duel, right?"
She looked away, and that gave him all the answer he needed. To Becky's surprise, gone was the grin, and instead, it was replaced with a look of disappointment. Then, as if to double her surprise, she found herself pulled by magic INTO the barrier, and then through it, stopping right next to the other girl.
"I'm not much of a teacher, and I'm not going to fight against someone who literally can't fight back," Jack told her. "You get this girl caught up to speed, then I'll mop the floor with her."
Becky was not buying this for one second. "What's your angle, Jack?"
"It's simple, really," he answered. "I'm your enemy right now, but I'm no monster. She deserves a chance to fight back, however small that chance might be."
She WANTED to doubt him, but even with the reddish tint in his eyes and the Seal on his forehead, she couldn't detect any dishonesty from him. Becky liked to think herself a good judge of character, and given Hikaru's antics, she had a nose for lies, yet here in front of her, Jack seemed genuinely… well, genuine.
She sighed. "So, let me see if I understand you. You want me to help Sunset Shimmer here to learn how to Duel, potentially risking your life in the process, due to the fact that this duel is under the influence of the Seal of Orichalcos?"
Jack nodded without any hesitation. "I still have my pride, and some fancy magic circle won't change that."
Silence reigned supreme for a few seconds, as the words hung in the air like a cloud over the arena. After a bit, Becky took in a deep breath, and looked Jack directly in the eyes.
"Fine," she said. "Against my better judgment, I'll trust you, and I'll teach Sunset how to duel."
"… How do you know my name?"
Becky turned to the girl in question, her eyes burning with confusion and rage at that little slip-up. It only then occurred to the blonde what she did wrong, and what she'd have to say…
"Okay, look," Becky told her calmly, trying not to make the situation worse. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions-"
"That's putting it mildly!" Sunset cut her off, her voice nearly a shriek. "Like seriously! Where am I!? Who are you!? What's going on he-"
"HOWEVER… we're currently in a very dangerous situation."
She craned her neck, gesturing to the seal on the ground.
"This Seal of Orichalcos possesses powerful magic, and if it's anything like the Seal as I've known it, losing or surrendering would mean forfeiting your soul. And I'm certain you don't want that."
Sunset gulped, and nodded, giving Becky some much-needed relief. She had not been convinced that the girl would have believed her right off the bat like that.
"So, let's do this," offered Becky. "When you win, I'll answer every question you might have, if it's within my ability to answer. Sound fair?"
"… Fine. I hope you're sure about this."
"Very well then. Now, let's begin your crash course in Dueling."
And so, for the next 5 minutes or so, Becky went over the barest basics of Duel Monsters, not exactly eager to overwhelm Sunset. Starting out with the six phases of a turn, what they meant for the turn itself, and what could be done in each phase was the easiest part. From there, she explained the different types of cards, as well as the concepts of Normal Summoning and Special Summoning, and the various different monsters of the Extra Deck. And last, before getting into things, was the explanation of how battle happened, and what different attacks meant and did.
"There's a lot more to a Duel than that, and a few specific niche things that aren't worth mentioning unless they come up," Becky told her, concluding the little pseudo-lecture. "But other than that, just read your cards to know what they do, and you should be fine."
"'Should be fine'?" She asked incredulously. "Forgive me if I'm not so sure about that. I don't even know what's in my deck."
Becky offered a reassuring smile. "A Duel's not just about what's in your deck. It's about what's in your mind. Trust me, you'll do great."
"… Okay. I guess I don't have much of a choice."
And with that, the two of them stood back up, and Sunset finally took her opening hand out of her Duel Disk.
"So, we good?" Jack asked.
"Whether or not we are, you've been more than fair," Becky answered. "At least as far as letting us get ready after you forced us into this..."
"Fantastic. So then, it's still my Main Phase, and my first move was to play the Seal of Orichalcos. Next, I'll Normal Summon my Beast King Barbaros!"
(1900/1200)
"Normally, he'd take 2 tributes, but I can summon him without, and in exchange, his attack becomes 1900. However, he won't remain at that level for long."
Before long, the massive beast king roared, and the same green sigil appeared on its forehead, eyes glowing a sinister red as the effects of the Seal overtook it.
(ATK: 1900 + 500 = 2400)
"And, because I control a 'Barbaros' monster, I can Special Summon from my hand my 'Barbaros Faithful'!"
As soon as he placed the card on the field, out popped a small, leonine being, standing on two legs and adorned in tattered robes. It glared at Sunset as the Seal overtook it as well.
(1200 + 500 = 1700/500)
"With that, I'll set two face-downs, and end my turn. It's now your move, redhead."
[Turn End, Hand: 0]
[Turn 2, Sunset Shimmer, Hand: 5]
Sunset took in a deep breath upon hearing that and placed her hand on top of her deck. It was the start of her turn – the 'Draw Phase', as she'd been told. So, she did just that, adding the card, and then taking a minute to read over her effects.
'Okay, so…' she thought, trying to make sense of things. 'This one lets me add a monster, that one activates during that Standby Phase thing she told me about, this one I can… reveal in my hand to add attack points?'
Sunset shook her head and looked over the cards. Under the circumstances, it looked like she could do something good with a couple of them.
"So, I'll activate the spell 'Harmony's Reincarnation'," she explained, Becky having told her it was proper etiquette to at least explain your card effects. "It activates two Standby Phases from now. And next, I'll Normal Summon my 'Harmony Soul – Honesty'."
Soon as the card was placed face-up on her side of the field, a ball of radiant orange energy formed, before shaping itself into a humanoid form. She initially didn't recognize it too well, but upon seeing the green lights taking shape as eyes and the form of a Stetson hat atop her head, the appearance of the card became as obvious as could be.
And that made Sunset's breath catch in her throat.
"W-wait… Is tha-"
"Stow that thought for later," warned Becky. "Whatever it is, I guarantee you it can wait."
Despite the difficulty with that, she eventually shook off the thought, Becky was right. She had a move to make.
(1700/2000)
"When Harmony Soul – Honesty is Normal Summoned, I can add a 'Harmony' monster from my deck to my hand."
Removing her deck from her Duel Disk temporarily, she gave her cards a cursory glance before she had to look away. It didn't take a genius to figure out the gimmick of her deck, but knowing it caused a great pain in her heart.
'They're all looking at me…' she thought, taking in a shaking breath. 'Staring at me with the same scorn they had…'
"HEY!"
The disgruntled yell of Jack pulled Sunset from her trance for a split second. He was tapping his foot impatiently.
"Listen, I know you're a greenhorn, but try to speed up your moves," He told her. "I still got things I need to do today."
"Well good for you," Sunset answered, trying to keep a modicum of defiance. "But you're the one who started all this, so deal with it! Now then…"
Without really reading the effects, she grabbed the first card that caught her eye. It was an Effect Monster, and when she grabbed it, she felt a jolt run through her mind, and a voice ring through her ears.
"Awesome! You won't regret this!"
Sunset took a deep breath to calm herself, before seeing the card she added to her hand, and letting the auto-shuffler do its job. Reading its effect, she couldn't help but grin. Despite not actually getting a chance to read them initially, she made a good call.
"Because I control a 'Harmony' monster, I can Special Summon this card from my hand! I summon the Harmony Soul – Loyalty!"
Right next to where Honesty was, another ball of cyan energy appeared, materializing into a similarly athletic feminine form, this one with rainbow-colored wings and bright red eyes.
(2000/0)
"And next, I'll activate the effect of my Harmony Soul – Generosity in my hand," Sunset continued, revealing another effect monster to her opponent. "By revealing this card to my opponent, I can make all Harmony Monsters I control gain 800 attack points until the End Phase."
From the sky above, the white and purple energy being appeared, wrapping her arms around Honesty, then doing the same to Loyalty before dissipating. Suddenly, the electricity around the two crackled more intensely, their own colors being mixed with bolts of purple now.
(Honesty's ATK: 1700 + 800 = 2500)
(Loyalty's ATK: 2000 + 800 = 2800)
"Now, I enter my battle phase, and I attack your Barbaros Faithful with my Harmony Soul – Loyalty."
Jack smirked. "Afraid not. While I control the Seal of Orichalcos, you cannot attack the monster I control with the lowest attack, at least until it's the only monster remaining."
And so, as Loyalty went in to attack Barbaros Faithful, her wings suddenly forced her to change course, narrowly avoiding the lance of the Beast King himself, and piercing the monster with her sheer speed.
(Jack's LP: 4000 – 400 = 3600)
"Fine then, I'll attack your Barbaros Faithful with my Harmony Soul – Honesty!"
Honesty wasted no time, pushing off the ground and rushing toward her opponent, to unleash a devastating kick that completely obliterated Jack's last remaining monster.
(Jack's LP: 3600 – 800 = 2800)
"After the battle phase, I'll enter my Main Phase 2, and set two cards face-down. With that, I end my turn."
[Turn End, Hand: 2]
[Turn 3, Jack, Hand: 0]
Jack nodded. "Then it's my turn, meaning I draw! And immediately upon drawing, I'll activate Upstart Goblin! With this, I can draw 1 more card, in exchange for you getting a thousand more Life Points!"
(Sunset's LP: 5000)
"Wait, why?" Sunset asked. "Why give me more life points in exchange for an extra card?"
"You'll see. Now then, allow me to show you a move I learned yesterday while Dueling this girl I met. I play Call of the Haunted to summon back my Barbaros Faithful! And then, because he has 1200 attack points naturally, the conditions are perfect for my Inferno Reckless Summon! With this, I can summon as many of this monster as I can, and in exchange, you pick a monster on your field and summon as many copies as you have."
Sunset nodded at the explanation, removing her deck once again to look over her cards. Considering the effects, she thought having extra Loyalties would be nice. However, no matter how hard she tried, there were no extra copies to be found of her, or of 'Honesty'…
"I… I can't summon anything…"
Jack chuckled, as three versions of his leonine priest appeared on the field. "That's too bad. Oh well, I suppose it won't matter anyway. Next, I'll tribute two of my monsters, to special summon my ultimate monster. I summon King Beast Barbaros!"
And much like before, onto the field appeared the great Beast King, but in a different way than before. Something about this one seemed more ornate, more decorated, and above all else, more ferocious. His roar shook the ground beneath their feet.
(3000 + 500/1200)
"Now then… let's end this, shall we? By banishing my Beast King from my graveyard, I can target up to 2 cards on your field and destroy them. I think I'll go with your Harmony's Reincarnation, and your Harmony Soul – Loyalty."
Becky winced at that, assuming it to be a pretty crushing blow for Sunset. But to her surprise, the girl still looked as defiant as ever, and judging by her hand switching the position of one of her monsters, she seemed to have a plan.
"I activate Harmony Soul – Honesty's effect!" Sunset said. "While I have no monsters in my graveyard, by switching its battle position, I can protect two cards on my field from being destroyed until the End Phase! I'll protect the cards you just targeted!"
And suddenly, the great roar that would have shattered her two cards was rendered ineffectual by the kneeling Thunder monster. She looked to Loyalty, giving her a thumbs up.
Jack scowled. "Hmph… Fine then. But just because you can deny me there doesn't mean you can stop me in battle! King Beast Barbaros can attack all monsters you control once each! So go and attack Honesty first, then Loyalty!"
Before either monster could react, Barbaros' giant lance ran through Honesty, causing the monster to dissipate in a burst of light. Loyalty flew skyward in hopes of avoiding such a fate, but the Beast King hit his target once again, impaling the winged Thunder monster before it exploded off the battlefield.
Sunset grit her teeth, feeling extreme pain both in her body, as the damage was dealt, and in her mind as she heard the screams of two familiar girls…
(Sunset's LP: 5000 – 1500 = 3500)
"Next, I'll attack you directly with Barbaros Faithful!"
(Sunset's LP: 3500 – 1700 = 1800)
"With that, I'll end my turn!"
[Turn End, Hand: 0]
[Turn 4, Sunset, Hand: 2]
It took all she had just to get off the ground, the real damage having left its mark. Her breathing was heavy, and her vision a bit blurry. That hurt way more than she could ever have been prepared for…
"I draw to start my turn," Sunset managed to say. "And… I play my Mystical Space Typhoon! Using its effect, I will destroy the Seal of Orichalcos!"
The whirlwind burst forth from her Spell Card, the powerful gust aimed directly at the ground below. A small smirk of triumph appeared on her face, expecting the Seal to have left the field.
… And it immediately faded upon seeing the card was still on the field.
"Wh-what!?" She asked incredulously. "But that card's supposed to destroy a Spell or Trap! What happened!?"
"Afraid the Orichalcos is too strong for that," Jack answered. "Once per turn, it can't be destroyed by a card effect."
"You have GOT to be kidding me!"
Jack shook his head. "So then, anything else?"
By this point, Sunset's face had gone as red as her hair. Oh, how she wanted to wipe that smug grin off his face. Wanted to break his monsters. Wanted to see him-
'… N-no. I-I… I can't think like that anymore…'
Her breath became hitched in her throat once again. The fact that her mind even went there left her filled with abject disgust. It was that kind of thinking that left her feeling so terrible in the first place. What had left her in that circumstance.
'What… what made me run away. Caused me to be here…'
"Hey, stay with us, Sunset."
A jolt ran through her body as she felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Looking over, she saw Becky smiling at her, the kind of smile she'd expect from a mother soothing a child.
"Easy does it," she told her calmly. "You're still in this. You're doing fine."
Silence overtook them both, as Sunset was left completely unsure how to react to this. Why was this person she just met being so nice to her? Sure, her soul was on the line, but this seemed to go above and beyond, at least from what she expected from a perfect stranger. Maybe she was just a really nice girl? Or did it have to do with how she somehow knew her?
"Now then, continue your turn," Becky continued. "You've still got things you can do."
"R-right," she finally responded, looking to the spell card in her hand. "My next move… is to play Monster Reborn, summoning my Harmony Spirit – Loyalty from my graveyard."
(2000 ATK)
"And next, I'll activate my face-down Spell, Harmony's Return. With this, I add my Harmony Soul – Honesty back to my hand. And since I haven't used my Normal Summon yet, I can use it on her, and then add…"
(1500 ATK)
"… Harmony Soul – Kindness to my hand! And finally, I activate the face-down Trap, Harmony's Mirror!"
The trap card flipped face up, and a mirror appeared in between Honesty and Loyalty. The two charged it up with their energies, the trap beginning to glow brightly.
"I can only activate this while I have 2 or more face-up Harmony Monsters on the field," Sunset explained. "In exchange for not conducting my battle phase this turn, I can destroy as many face-up monsters you control, then banish them if I succeed!"
From the mirror, a burst of energy shot out, aiming at both King Beast Barbaros and Barbaros Faithful.
"At this moment, I activate the graveyard effect of my Barbaros Faithful!"
Both girls' eyes widened at that declaration, as the blasts directed at the two monsters were instead sent directly to another copy of Barbaros Faithful who took the attack head-on before disappearing.
"Pretty nifty card, ain't he?" Jack asked, almost mockingly. "I can banish him from my grave by his own effect in order to protect my Barbaros monsters from destruction by card effects. Your only hope is to destroy 'em by battle. Oh, but you can't battle this turn, and even if you could, last I checked, the highest you can get to is still 700 points too low."
"Grrr… damn it. I end my turn."
To this, both Harmony Soul Monsters looked to Sunset, their 'eyes' having taken the shape she most closely associated with concern and… with disappointment. She turned her head away and found herself face to face with Becky once again.
"Don't beat yourself up over it," the older girl offered. "Sometimes the best laid plans go awry."
"Seems to happen a lot to me lately…" Sunset lamented.
"There's always next turn."
[Turn End, Hand: 2]
[Turn 5, Jack, Hand: 0]
Jack's chuckle echoed through the arena. "If she survives that long, that is. Now then, I draw! … And from my hand, I activate this: Cards of the Sacred Stone! And with this, I can draw 2 more cards from my deck!"
And draw two more cards he did, smirking maliciously upon seeing what he'd drawn.
"To start!" He said, "I'll Normal Summon my SECOND Beast King Barbaros!"
(1900 + 500 = 2400)
"And for my next move, I'll play my own MST, destroying your Harmony's Reincarnation!"
Once again, a mighty whirlwind burst forward from the spell, and unlike before, it actually succeeded at shattering her face-up card. Sunset hung her head in sadness, and even the encouraging looks on her monsters' faces could not break her out of it.
"Awesome, now I've broken your spirit, and I'm only a move or two away from breaking your body," gloated Jack. "Now then, let's finish this."
"Don't be so sure, Jack," Becky countered. "It's not over until the last effect goes off."
To say Sunset was flabbergasted was an understatement. And that confusion immediately gave way to anger.
"How can you be so calm about this?" She asked, in part in fear and in rage. "Are you seeing something I'm not? Because right now, this looks like I'm about to die!"
"Well, your card that just got destroyed, it has an effect, doesn't it?"
She paused. Did it?
It took a couple seconds to read through the effect, but when she did, the anger melted slightly. As it turns out, it did indeed have an effect that went off if it was destroyed by an opponent's card effect.
"I get to add 1 'Harmony Soul – Magic' or 'Harmony Soul – Proxy Magic' from my deck to my hand?" She asked. "So wait, you knew about this, but you didn't tell me?"
"I thought you knew," Becky answered honestly.
"Clearly not," she shot back, pulling out her deck and fanning it out. "Well, let's see if I have either of those."
A cursory glance told her that 'Magic' was nowhere to be found – as she'd expected; she'd figured out this deck's theme the moment she saw 'Honesty', so it only makes sense she wouldn't have the one that she needed. However, she did land on 'Harmony Soul – Proxy Magic', and seeing it summoned an emotion she could only classify as 'guilt'.
"… Yep, that's her," she sighed, grabbing the card. "Let's see if this does anything."
"Afraid you won't get the chance to find out," Jack told her. "I'm going to activate the effect of my King Beast Barbaros, now. Sort of useless, I'll admit, but I'm feeling like being mean. So I'll banish the last Barbaros Faithful in my grave to destroy your monsters!"
"Harmony Soul – Honesty switches to defense mode to protect the two cards!"
"As I figured you would. Staying defiant 'til the bitter end, but you seem to forget: My monsters are STRONGER than yours. King Beast! Destroy Honesty and Loyalty!"
Second verse, same as the first, the King Beast Barbaros pounced, his lance piercing through Honesty first, then ripped through Loyalty. Sunset had been expecting her monsters to try to avoid or something of that manner, but to her surprise, they stood confident. And before being destroyed, he saw Loyalty look back, as if to give her a vote of confidence.
And something about that made the sting of the attack lessen.
(Sunset's LP: 1800 – 1500 = 300)
"And finally, my Beast King will attack you directly! You're finished!"
"You sure about that, meathead?"
Jack looked to her side of the field and found her smirking. In her hand was a single card, which she revealed to him with great pride.
"While I have no monsters on my field, and you declare a direct attack, I can special summon my 'Harmony Soul – Kindness' and end the battle phase!"
And in a flash, Beast King's attack stopped dead in his tracks, as a cream-colored Thunder monster appeared on Sunset's field, fluttering her pink wings.
(1300/1200)
Jack let out a low growl. "Gettin' real sick of you holdin' on like that. But fine, I end my turn!"
[Turn End, Hand: 0]
[Turn 6, Sunset, Hand: 2]
"I draw!"
With her confidence renewed a little, Sunset Shimmer looked her opponent dead in the eyes.
"First thing's first," she began. "I'll Normal Summon my 'Harmony Soul – Proxy Magic', and with her effect, I can Special Summon a 'Harmony' monster from my hand or grave. Using her effect, I summon back Loyalty!"
The first one to come to the field was the lavender colored Harmony Soul 'Proxy Magic', pointing her arm at the monster zone next to her, and summoning forth Loyalty once again from the grave.
(Harmony Soul – Proxy Magic: 1500/1100)
(Harmony Soul – Loyalty: 2000/0)
"Next, I'll activate my second 'Harmony's Return' to add Honesty back to my hand! And because I have no monsters in my grave, I can activate Proxy Magic's effect, allowing me to add 1 'Harmony' Spell or Trap from my deck to my hand!"
For what she hoped would be the final time, Sunset pulled her deck out of the Duel Disk, and began to look through her options. She had no real play from here, and all she could hope to do was figure it out.
'Keep it together, it's like this 'Becky' girl said,' she said to herself. 'It's not just about the cards, it's about what's inside your mind. And I have a pretty good mind, if I do say so myself.'
After finally giving her cards a good once-over, a conclusion was reached, and one card was added to her hand.
"Now then," Sunset continued. "I'm going to activate my Harmony's Call! With this, I can add my 'Harmony Soul – Laughter' from my deck to my hand! And next, I'll use the effect of Loyalty to return 'Harmony Soul – Kindness' to my hand!"
Sunset looked at her field and her hand and couldn't help but smile for once. The irony that the very things that left her like this were now going to save her bacon was not lost on her. What else could she do but smile an exhausted smile?
"And next, I'll use the other effect of Kindness: by revealing it in my hand while I have no monsters in my graveyard, I can Special Summon any other Harmony monster. So I'll Special Summon 'Harmony Soul – Laughter'!"
(1600/1000)
In a flash of pink, the newest member of Sunset's lineup of themed Thunder monsters appeared, bringing with her a myriad of effects. Firstly, she threw some thunder to the sky, and it burst like confetti, and did something that no one on the field was expecting.
The Seal beneath their feet, once glowing fiercely green, slowly lost its radiance, before being nothing more than some lines on the ground.
"What the…?" Jack asked, voice barely above a whisper.
"Oh, by the way, when Laughter's Special Summoned by the effect of another Harmony monster, I can negate cards on my opponent's field equal to the number of other Harmony monsters I control. And that's not all…"
Suddenly, much to Becky's continued surprise and Jack's dismay, his monsters lost their composure, the display causing them to start laughing uncontrollably. They couldn't seem to stop themselves, even as a powerful energy overtook the two monsters.
(King Beast Barbaros: 3500 – 500 = 3000 – 800 = 2200)
(Beast King Barbaros: 2400 – 500 = 1900 – 800 = 1100)
(Barbaros Faithful: 1700 – 500 = 1200 – 800 = 400)
"So, as it turns out, laughter's good at disarming. While I have no monsters in my grave, she lowers all your monsters' attack by 800. Combined with the 800-point boost from Generosity, whose effect I'm activating right now…"
(Proxy Magic: 1500 + 800 = 2300)
(Laughter: 1600 + 800 = 2400)
(Loyalty: 2000 + 800 = 2800)
"I'm going to take you down! First, I attack your King Beast Barbaros with my Harmony Soul – Proxy Magic!"
Unlike the incredibly physical approaches of the other two Harmony Souls, 'Proxy Magic' did not move from her standing position. Instead, she simply raised her arm to the sky, and then brought it back down. As soon as she did, a bolt of lightning struck from up above King Beast Barbaros, causing the laughing monster to be destroyed in an instant.
(Jack's LP: 2800 – 100 = 2700)
"Second, I'll attack your face-up Beast King Barbaros with my Harmony Soul – Laughter!"
The pink menace jumped up into the air, and summoned forth a ball of lightning in her hands, which she threw right at Beast King Barbaros. Much like when she first came onto the field, the blast exploded on contact right alongside the monster, showering the battlefield in what seemed to be electrified confetti.
(Jack's LP: 2700 – 1300 = 1400)
"And to end it, I'm going to attack your Barbaros Faithful with Harmony Soul – Loyalty!"
As soon as the command was given, the speedy thunder jumped right at Jack's last remaining monster, her wings being used to cut the beast in two, bolts of rainbow-colored lightning crackling from the two halves before the monster completely dissipated.
(Jack's LP: 0)
[Duel Over, Victory: Sunset Shimmer]
The Seal beneath their feet vanished, and so too did the monsters on her field. The sound of stone against stone could be heard as the alleyway quickly reshaped itself to the way it was pre-duel.
"Okay… add that to the list of questions, I suppose," Becky mused, as she went over to check the unconscious Jack Grey.
"Speaking of…" Sunset walked over as well, putting her cards away, but letting her gaze linger on the 'Harmony Souls' for just a bit longer. "You said you'd answer all my questions if we wo-"
"When, Sunset. When YOU won."
"… Okay, when I won, you said you'd answer my questions!" She responded through gritted teeth. "Now spill!"
Becky nodded, placing Jack against the alleyway. "Alright, no need to be so testy."
"You knew my name before I told you it, and clearly you know about what THAT was all about! Oh, and to make matters worse, apparently I'm starting to hear familiar voices in my head, and have a deck full of monsters that hit a little too close to home! So you'll have to forgive me if I'm not in the most patient of moods!"
A simple shrug of the shoulders was the only answer Sunset got, and that only pissed her off more.
"Look, are you gonna tell me or not!?"
"Of course," Becky answered, not shaken by the sudden raise of voice. "Now then, what's your first question?"
"How did you know my name!?"
Becky smiled, which only unsettled Sunset.
"Well, let's start with a little bit of context," she said. "As I'm sure you've figured out, we're not in the same world you'd once been in."
She nodded, signaling for Becky to continue.
"Now then… what if I told you I was from another world as well?"
Meanwhile…
"Wait, repeat that last part to me!?"
"The Seal of Orichalcos was negated by the effect of Sunset Shimmer's 'Harmony Soul – Laughter' monster."
"NEGATED!?"
"Yes, milord. Due to this, any Duel Energy that would have been accumulated has been rendered null and void."
"God! Dammit! I knew its effect needed some more oomph!"
"In addition, Jack Grey has been freed from our control, and Wes Mizuhara continues to refuse to use the Orichalcos, despite having 4 duels in the last 2 days."
"And the good news just keeps coming!"
"… I would not quantify this as 'good news', milord."
"We really need to teach you sarcasm… anyway, is there anything good to come out of this mess?"
"With enough Duel Energy, the Orichalcos and associated cards can be upgraded. This is merely a minor setback, all things considered, and can be rectified with a bit of effort on our parts."
"Well then get to it, what do you think I'm paying you for!?"
"You do not pay me. I am a robot."
"Be that as it may, we need to get on that. It's all coming together. Becky used that Orichalcos Crystal we placed in her deck, and sooner or later, Wes will be in a circumstance where he's gonna use the Seal. Give it enough time, and we'll all be together again!"
"I shall begin spreading Orichalcos Stones to talented Duelists within the nearby city then. Is there anything else I can assist you with?"
"Bring me someone to Duel. I'm feeling like contributing right now."
"As you command, Lord Mizuhara."
"Mmm… love the ring to that."
Barbaros Faithful (EARTH, Level 4, Beast-Warrior/Effect, ATK: 1200/DEF: 500): You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) if you control a face-up "Barbaros" monster. Once per turn (Quick Effect): you can banish this card from your GY; until the end of this turn, "Barbaros" monsters you control cannot be targeted or destroyed by card effects.
Harmony Soul - Honesty (LIGHT, Level 4, Thunder/Effect, ATK: 1700/DEF: 2000): When this card is Normal Summoned: Add 1 "Harmony" Monster from your Deck to your Hand. Once per turn, while there are no monsters in your GY (Quick Effect): you can change this card's battle position, then target 2 "Harmony" cards you control; those cards cannot be targeted or destroyed by your opponent's card effects until the End Phase.
Harmony Soul - Loyalty (LIGHT, Level 4, Thunder/Effect, ATK: 2000/DEF: 0): You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) if you control a face-up "Harmony" monster. Once per turn: you can target 1 "Harmony" monster on your field or in your GY; return that target to your hand. You can only use each effect of "Harmony Soul - Loyalty" once per turn.
Harmony Soul - Laughter (LIGHT, Level 4, Thunder/Effect, ATK: 1600/DEF: 1000): When this card is Special Summoned by the effect of another "Harmony" card: you can target cards on the field equal to the number of "Harmony" monsters you control with different names (other than "Harmony Soul - Laughter"); those cards have their effects negated until the End Phase. While you have no monsters in your GY: all monsters your opponent control lose 800 ATK.
Harmony Soul - Kindness (LIGHT, Level 4, Thunder/Effect, ATK: 1200/DEF: 1300): While this card is in your hand: you can reveal this card; Special Summon 1 "Harmony" monster, except "Harmony Soul - Kindness". You cannot Normal Summon "Harmony Soul - Kindness" the turn you activate this effect. During the Battle Phase, if your opponent declares a direct attack while you control no monsters; you can Special Summon this card, also end the battle phase.
Harmony Soul - Generosity (LIGHT, Level 4, Thunder/Effect, ATK: 1800/DEF: 500): While you control no "Harmony" monsters: you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). While this card is on the field, and you have no monsters in your GY: you can Normal Summon 1 "Harmony" monster in addition to your Normal Summon/Set. Once per turn: you can reveal this card in your hand; all "Harmony" monsters you control gain 800 ATK until the End Phase.
Harmony Soul - Proxy Magic (LIGHT, Level 4, Thunder/Effect, ATK: 1500/DEF: 1100): When this card is Normal Summoned: you can Special Summon 1 "Harmony" monster from your hand or GY. Cannot be destroyed by battle. While you have no monsters in your GY: you can add 1 "Harmony" Spell/Trap from your deck to your hand. You can only activate this effect of "Harmony Soul - Proxy Magic" once per Duel.
Harmony's Call (Quick-Play Spell): Add 1 "Harmony" Monster from your deck to your hand.
Harmony's Return (Quick-Play Spell): Target 1 "Harmony" Monster in your GY; add that card to your hand.
Harmony's Mirror (Counter Trap): Activate if you control 2 or more face-up "Harmony" monsters. When this card is activated: destroy all face-up monsters your opponent controls, and if you do, banish those cards. You cannot conduct your Battle Phase the turn you activate this effect.
Harmony's Reincarnation (Continuous Spell): During your 2nd Standby Phase after this card's activation: destroy this card, and if you do, draw 1 card. If you control a "Harmony" monster when this card is destroyed by its own effect: draw 2 cards instead. If this card is destroyed, except by its own effect: add 1 "Harmony Soul - Magic" or "Harmony Soul - Proxy Magic" from your deck to your hand.