*Donovan is playing Duel Monsters with Bakura, and CD is gobbling chocolate in the corner. Griff is nowhere in sight*
Bakura: *puts down a card* So, what's Griff doing, anyway?
Donovan: *dully* Catching Pokémon.
Bakura: *raises eyebrows* Pokémon?
Donovan: *nods*
CD: More candy!
Donovan: No. *puts down a card* Go play in traffic.
CD: 'Kay! *runs off*
*a blue-and-purple streak flies by*
Bakura: What was THAT? *puts down two cards*
Donovan: *shrugs* I attack you directly with the Serpent Night Dragon.
Griff: *runs by wearing a red vest and black tanktop – apparently stolen from a certain dice-loving bishonen – and carrying a PokéBall* I'll get you, Suicune! *runs off*
Bakura: Guess it was a Pokémon. I summon Dark Necrophilia.
Donovan: But why was she wearing Otogi's clothes?
Otogi: *runs by – sans shirt and vest* Give me my shirt back, authoress-baka! *runs off*
Slink: *chasing shirtless Otogi* *wailing* Come back!!
Donovan: *blinks*
Bakura: Griff doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh! – she doesn't own Pokémon, either, except for a copy of the Crystal Version game. Hah! My Dark Necrophilia takes out the last of your Life Points! I win!
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Dragon's Daughter, Demon's Hope
Chapter X
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[Morgan – 3900 ~~ Alvis – 7700]
Morgan smirked as she slapped a card down on the field. "I play the Thunder Dragon [1600/1500] in attack mode!" A great green-and brown dragon appeared, surrounded by crackling bolts of lightning. "Thunder Dragon, attack the face-down monster!"
The sorceress's smile never wavered as the rubbery, purple, almost-cute Electric Lizard appeared, sending out its own sparks to trap the dragon for one turn. Then the Lizard vanished, destroyed by the dragon's attack.
"I end my turn."
Alvis bit her lip. She had bought a little time. She drew – Stamping Destruction. No use, unless she got a dragon onto her side of the field. Morgan couldn't attack her with the Thunder Dragon next turn, but she probably had another monster in her hand. Alvis placed the Jigen Bakudan in face-down defense.
"Your move," she called to Morgan.
The older woman drew, the confident smirk still spread across her face. "I place one card face down," she declared. "And I end my turn."
Alvis drew again – Flame Cerberus [2100/1800]. "Pass."
Morgan did the same – a single monster in face-down defense.
As she slid the next card from her pile, Alvis shut her eyes and hoped for something {Ooh, lookie, italics! *pokes italics*} that would help her. But when she opened her eyes again, she was holding the Mask of Brutality. No help at all. "I pass."
After drawing, Morgan placed another monster in defense mode. "It's your turn. Or would you rather quit now?"
Alvis scowled. "You know the answer to that." She looked down at her deck, again hoping with all her might. I need something to destroy Umi or Tornado Wall. If I can do that, Morgan'll loose two thousand Life Points a turn. I could win in two turns. Alvis snatched the card from the top of her deck – Mystical Space Typhoon.
"Yes!" She slammed it onto the field. "I use Mystical Space Typhoon to wipe out Umi, again, and, again, taking out Tornado Wall in the process!"
The clouds above boiled, and a vortex appeared, spitting lightning. It sucked the twisting pillars of water that were Tornado Wall up into itself. Then the clouds meshed together again, as if the vortex had never existed.
Morgan's smile slipped for a moment, replaced by a fierce scowl. But the scowl instantly disappeared, the sorceress's face again a mask of cold confidence. She looked hard at Alvis. "Do you honestly think that that one small victory will win you the match?"
"Probably not, but at the very least it'll help me."
"Does that finish your turn?"
The girl nodded. "Yes."
As Morgan drew her next card, Mirror Wall sucked away another two thousand Life Points, leaving her with 1900. "Well," she said, grinning slyly at Alvis, "It looks like that Mystical Space Typhoon won't help you as much as you had hoped. I use Monster Reborn to summon the Griggle!"
The small leafy creature reappeared on the field. When Morgan's turn ended, she would gain three thousand Life Points. But the witch wasn't finished yet.
"I sacrifice my two face-down monsters to summon the Serpent Night Dragon!"
"What?" yelped Alvis. She heard several similar exclamations of surprise from her friends as she leaned forward to stare at the deep blue dragon who had just appeared beside the Griggle.
Grey met garnet as the dragon stared back at her. His eyes were sad, as if he didn't want to be here, didn't want to be doing this.
"Donovan?" she whispered. Was Morgan using Donovan's card? She had stolen it, after all. The dragon slowly nodded.
"My turn's over, so are you going to move, or are you going to admire my newest acquisition all day?"
Alvis looked up at the smirking woman, her eyes like storm clouds. "You monster," she spat.
Morgan raised her eyebrows at the insult. "Calling names now, are we?"
Alvis didn't hear her, but continued her tirade. "He's not an 'acquisition'! You talk about him as if he's a trinket to put on your mantelpiece! He's got feelings, just like – well, I'd say 'just like you and me,' but that wouldn't be accurate. You don't have feelings."
Morgan's face was twisted with hatred and rage, and her cold, expressionless mask shattered like ice. "Are you going to play or not?" she hissed.
As Alvis drew, her opponent's Life Points shot up to 4900. The Griggle had done its work. The card Alvis held was Rush Recklessly. That could be useful later. "I sacrifice my Jigen Bakudan to summon the Flame Cerberus in defense mode!" The huge dog appeared, three purple tails lashing, three flame-colored heads growling, six green eyes glowing angrily. "I end my turn there."
When Morgan saw her next card, she began to laugh, even as her Life points dropped by two thousand. The laugh started low, but grew until it seemed to echo off the clouds. "You're done for, dragon's daughter," she cried, using the name mockingly. "This card has sealed the match. I've as good as won!" She threw the card down onto the field. "I play Soul Exchange! I can use one of your monsters as a sacrifice instead of mine. I sacrifice my Griggle and your Flame Cerberus to summon the Red Eyes Black Dragon [2400/2000]!"
Alvis heard a surprised shout from the side of the field – from Seto Kaiba. "Ankh didn't have a Red Eyes in her deck!"
"No," Morgan replied quietly. "He's mine." Then she once again became haughty. "I'm not going to attack you this turn, Alvis. I'll give you one last chance to win – not that you'll be able to."
Alvis simply glared and drew. Dragon's Rage. There was nothing she could do this turn. She thought quickly – despite what Morgan had said, she wouldn't be able to take out all of her Life Points in one turn. Though it was slim, she might still have a chance. "Pass," she muttered reluctantly.
Morgan looked incredulous. "You're not even going to try? I expected more of you."
Alvis said nothing.
The sorceress shrugged. "Well, if that's how you want it." She drew, her Life Points dropping to 900, and threw down the card. "I play Remove Trap to destroy my Mirror Wall, and then equip my dragons with a Malevolent Nuzzler each, adding seven hundred points to each of their attacks. In addition, I equip the Red Eyes with the Black Pendant, adding another five hundred points.
"Now, Red Eyes, attack her Life Points directly – Inferno Fire Blast!"
The Red Eyes spewed a glowing red globe, cracking with black lightning, directly at Alvis. She gripped the sides of the dueling platform as her Life Points slipped down to 4100.
"And Serpent Night Dragon, do the same – Nightmare Sonic Blast!"
Donovan's eyes flickered apologetically as black shadowy things surrounded him, then sped toward Alvis. She was knocked back again, this time barely managing to stay in the booth. Her Life Points dropped further – 1050.
"Let's face it – you're done for! You should quit now."
"No."
Morgan shrugged. "If you want to be demolished. Go ahead. Draw."
Alvis's hand hovered over her deck. Could she do this? Would this card be able to win the duel for her?
Sensing her hesitation, Ryou called up to Alvis. "We believe in you, Alvis! We know you can do it! We're all behind you." All the other spectators, human and Duel Monster alike, nodded and murmured assent.
Bakura was staring at the card on top of Alvis's deck, his eyes narrowed to chocolate slits, as if he could see through the back. He looked into Alvis's face and grinned madly. "You can win this."
She nodded solemnly, and drew.
Alvis stared, her eyes wide, at the card in her hand. She didn't have one of these. She didn't have a...
Wait a minute. She looked back at Ryou questioningly. He grinned, for a moment looking nearly as mad as his yami. Then he winked.
All the confidence she had had at the beginning of the duel came back as she slapped Ryou's card onto the field.
"I play Change of Heart!"
Morgan's teeth ground together as the half-angel, half-demon appeared on the field. She flew toward Donovan and kissed him on the nose before disappearing in a shower of sparkles.
The dragon glowed and disappeared similarly before reappearing on Alvis's side of the field, his eyes now glittering happily.
Morgan snickered slightly. "You can't beat the Red Eyes with that dragon, let alone wipe out my Life Points!"
"Guess again." Alvis was pulling cards out of her hand, smiling. "I have everything I need right here. Donovan's already equipped with the Malevolent Nuzzler, and I'll add Rush Recklessly, Sword of the Deep Seated, and Sword of Dark Destruction, giving him a total attack of 4650, while the Red Eyes's is only 3600."
Alvis grinned as she saw the look on Morgan's face – utter disbelief. "Donovan, attack the Red Eyes! Nightmare Sonic Blast!"
The black, feathery shreds, like fragments of nightmare, sped toward the black dragon, making him disappear as he was destroyed. At the same time, Morgan's Life Points fell to zero.
Alvis had won.
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Griff: *rubbing Pokéball against cheek, now wearing her usual clothes instead of Otogi's*
Donovan: Now explain to me again why you were wearing Otogi's clothes?
Griff: Because I wanted to!
Donovan: -_-;; Great.
Griff: Right. That was officially the LONGEST chapter we have yet had. There will be at least one more, most likely two. Now, reviewers.
Skyla – Well, Alvis did what you told her to do... *pries Morgan out of the ground*
Blueraven – Don't damage your brain! Not until you write the next chapter of Icetor Spire!
Silvie – Glad you're enjoying it! Remind me to use that for an excuse next time I'm lazy. And yes, the Get-A-Chibi-Un-Hyper-Spray is very useful.
Ethelflaed – Hello! *waves* I'm glad you like it! *bonks Beowulf*
Slink – *pokes you* Stop doing that, will you? Remember, I do have less chapters than you.
A*A*F – Well, I enjoyed writing it! Yes, I do like country music. My favorite group is SheDaisy, but I don't know if you'd exactly call them country – though you find them in the country section at Best Buy. And you're welcome!
SDGD – Alvis thanks you for your support. *pokes Mini BEWD* Where'd he come from?
Lauren Black – Thank you!
Griff: Before I get people yelling at me for being stupid – I know that in real life, Change of Heart is a fairly common card as far as starter decks are concerned, but for the sake of the story, Ryou is the only person we know who has one. 'Kay? Donovan, where'd the chibi go?
Donovan: He went to play in traffic.
Griff: !!!! What?!?!?!? *runs out*
Donovan: Eheh...
Griff: *walks back in, toting CD*
CD: ^_^ Hewwo!
Griff: You are crazy, did you know that?
CD: Yep! ^_^
Donovan: *rolls eyes*
CD: Weview!