Chapter Eight: Mechanized Match
Fifteen minutes later, everyone entered the Dragon Roost Gym. Everyone gasped as the stadium was built over a lava pit. Two large platforms were suspended over the lava, each with a duel platform attached. Reaching the platforms was only a matter of going up a small staircase. Komali ran over to his and set his dueling deck into the deck area. Saria followed suit and did the same.
"OK, this is a one-on-one match for a Mech Medal correct?" Komali asked. Saria nodded.
"Then, it's time to duel!" Komali commanded as he drew from his deck. He scrutinized his hand.
"I go first, and I'll set a monster in defensive mode and I'll place one extra card facedown, ending my turn," Komali declared. Saria drew from her deck and glanced at Komali's down cards.
OK, you're on your own for this duel so don't look like an idiot in front of your new friends Saria. Saria thought.
"I'll summon Giant Orc (2200/0) in attack mode!" Saria declared as she placed the card on the field. A giant club-swinging ogre appeared.
"Attack Komali's defending monster with bone club crush!" Saria commanded. Komali grimaced as the Pendulum Machine (1750/2000) was revealed and reduced to nothing. Everyone noticed that Giant Orc then crouched over.
"What's up with the Giant Orc?" Becky asked.
"It goes into defense mode immediately after it attacks," Patrick replied.
"And since that monster has zero defense points," Tristan began.
"That monster can be easily destroyed," Teran finished. But Saria wasn't done.
"To end my turn, I'll place two cards face down," Saria declared. Patrick, who had the ability to read his daughter's mind, saw the two cards.
"Extremely clever," Patrick mumbled as he watched Komali drew.
"OK, I'll first summon Giga Tech Wolf (1200/1400) in attack mode, and then I'll play a magic card known as Anti-Magic Beam," Komali declared. Saria watched as a metallic-looking wolf appeared and fired a dark green energy beam at her two magic cards. Saria could only watch as her two cards vanished in a flash of fire.
"Clever Komali! You destroyed my Book of Sun magic card and my Skill Drain trap card. If I had played them, my Orc wouldn't have had to revert to defense mode after it attacked," Saria explained regretfully.
"Speaking of your Orc, my wolf will attack and destroy your Orc!" Komali stated. Saria grimaced at this.
"Giga Tech Wolf! Attack with hyper laser blast!" Komali commanded. Everyone watched as the wolf fired a blue laser out of its mouth. The whole arena shook at the shock of the attack. When the light of the laser died down, Saria saw that her monster was gone.
"So much for your Orc. I shall now end my turn," Komali said. Saria studied the field as she drew her card.
OK, that wolf of his is extremely weak, but I bet that's what that face down card is for. But is it a magic card? Or a trap? I have no idea. If only I had a way to see what that card is... Saria thought. She looked at the card she drew and smiled.
This is a start. Saria thought.
"OK Komali! I summon A Man With Wyjat (1600/1600) in attack mode!" Saria declared. Komali grimaced as a man in a red robe appeared. Two blue flames hovered over his hands and the eye of Anubis was on his forehead.
"My monster's special ability will let me see the card you played face down!" Saria explained, "Man With Wyjat! Reveal Komali's face down card!" A gold ray fired from the man's head and everyone watched as the card became visible.
"Clever: You hid a 7-Completed card on the field. But my magic card, DeSpell will deal with that!" Saria declared. Komali watched as his card vanished.
"Now, I'll place this card face down and have my monster attack your wolf! Man With Wyjat! Attack Giga Tech Wolf with sight ball of Anubis!" Saria commanded. Man With Wyjat fired a ball of blue flame at Komali's wolf. Komali turned away as the attack hit.
"Alright! That move gave Saria the lead!" Joey said.
"Keep it up Saria!" Becky cheered.
"Go for it! Wipe him out!" Teran commanded. Saria nodded, a cocky smile on her face.
Saria is believing in herself and her cards. She's dueling like a true champion. Yugi thought. Yami nodded in agreement.
Yes, she's got a lot of courage, just like you. Yami replied.
Now, why don't you join the party? Yugi asked as he tapped the power of the Millennium Puzzle. The Millennium Puzzle briefly glowed and Yami appeared in Yugi's place.
"Don't get cocky Saria! This duel has only just begun!" Yami warned. Patrick turned to face Yami.
"My daughter will win this duel Yugi. Of this I assure you," Patrick said and then he turned his gaze to the playing field. Komali had drawn his card and grinned.
"OK! It's time for me to retake control of the duel! I'll first summon my Robotic Knight (1600/1800) to the field in attack mode!" Komali began. Saria stood stone-faced at the new monster.
"And then, I'll add this magic card: Limiter Removal!" Yami gasped at this.
"I've never heard of that card," Saria said as she looked down towards Yami.
"It's a powerful magic card Saria," Yami replied.
"Yeah, it doubles the attack of all machine-type monsters on the field for one turn, then destroys the machines that were powered-up," Joey explained. Saria grimaced at this and looked at her monster with worry.
"Robotic Knight! Attack Saria's Man With Wyjat with robotic saber blade!" Komali commanded. Saria gripped the dueling platform as Komali's monster cut her monster in two.
"So much for your magician, and it looks like I took a good deal of your life points," Komali stated. Saria's life points had dropped to 2400, but she was grinning, then she went into a fit of laughter.
"I missed the joke," Komali said coldly.
"Sorry, but you fell into my trap!" Saria stated, "Behold my magic card: Revenge Sacrifice!" Saria's friends smiled at this.
"Told you she would come through," Patrick said.
"This magic card lets me sacrifice the monster you used to destroy mine. So say goodbye to your Robotic Knight and hello to my Chaos Command Magician (2400/1700)!" Saria declared. Robotic Knight flew over to Saria's side of the field, blew up and vanished in a swirl of smoke, only to reappear as a new monster.
"It looks just like Yugi's Dark Magician," Serenity commented. Saria's new monster resembled the Dark Magician, except for the fact it was a creature of light and that it had green garb and a green rod.
"What do you think? Impressive huh?" Saria taunted.
"My turn ain't over yet! I'll place this one card face down, and end my turn," Komali responded. Saria drew from her deck.
Alright, he has only one card on the field and only one card in his hand. He's anticipating an attack, I know it. But this move should finish the duel! Saria thought.
"OK Komali! I summon Neo the Magical Swordsman (1700/1000) in attack mode!" Saria began. Komali grinned.
"Go my creatures and attack Komali directly!" Saria commanded.
"Bad move! Activate Mirror Force!" Komali responded. The magic attacks of the two magicians collided with a barrier of rainbow light.
"Repel the magic and fire it right back at those monsters!" Komali commanded. The magic attacks flew back and hit Saria and her monsters, destroying them.
"But in this tournament, when Mirror Force destroys your monsters, it's like your monster with the highest attack attacks the weaker attacking monsters. The differences in the attack points are deducted from your life points!" Komali explained.
"I lose 700 life points then," Saria noticed as her life points plunged to 1700.
"By the look of things, I'd say your turn is over," Komali observed as he drew from his deck.
"You should give up now, with what I just drew! I summon a Cyber Falcon to the field (1400/1200)!" Saria cringed, as a cybernetic falcon appeared high above the ground.
"Attack Saria directly with falcon laser attack!" Komali commanded. The falcon quickly made its way to Saria's side of the field. Saria stared at the monster in fear as it neared.
"Saria" Becky cried worryingly.
"Watch out!" Tristan and Joey shouted simultaneously. Saria screamed in pain as a green energy beam flew from the falcon's mouth and hit her in the right shoulder. Smoke simmered off of Saria's clothes as the falcon flew back to Komali's side. Saria gripped her shoulder as her life points dropped to 300.
"Had enough, or do you want some more?" Komali taunted.
"Don't give up Saria!" Yami shouted. Saria wearily looked down at him.
"This duel isn't over until the last card is played! Trust in yourself and your cards! Trust your heart, and let it be your guide! The heart of the cards will guide you! Trust me!" Yami advised. Saria nodded, then was seized by another spasm of pain. Tears began to appear in Becky's eyes as she saw Saria struggling with the pain.
"Saria... She's hurt," Becky whispered, "Isn't there anything we can do, Patrick?" Patrick gave her a consoling hug and looked up at Saria.
"All we can do is have faith. She can pull through. Right now, she needs to follow Yugi's advice and trust in herself and her cards. If she does, she can still claim victory," Patrick replied. For a brief moment, Saria's eyes met her dad's. Patrick gave a faint nod and Saria nodded back weakly.
I may be hurt, I may be losing this duel, but I haven't lost hope. I can win! I have my friends, my family, and myself. I can do this. I know it! Saria thought desperately. Her hand flew to her deck, but as it did, her hand began to give off a golden light. It wasn't a faint light, but a bright light that lit the field.
"What's going on?" Serenity asked.
"She's done it. She's finally done it," Patrick replied. Tristan turned towards Patrick.
"Done what?" Tristan asked.
"Awakened the Triforce within her," Patrick replied. Becky turned to him.
"Are you sure?" Patrick nodded and he smiled. The light began to fade as Saria looked at her card. She had changed in many ways. Her face was more determined and she wasn't in pain anymore. Her clothes had changed: She now wore a purple tank top, magenta cape, jean shorts, her usual socks, but she wore boots similar to her dad's. But what was the most shocking piece of her ensemble was the Triforce earrings and tiara that sat atop her head.
"Patrick, you were right. She did awaken the Triforce of Courage!" Becky realized.
"What's the Triforce?" Serenity asked.
"A relic that has been in our family since the beginning of time. It was recently passed on to my daughter, but she showed no signs of using it until now. She has just tapped into her magical power, healing herself, and giving herself more courage, not that she needs it: She's courageous enough for anybody to know she's related to me," Patrick explained.
"OK Komali! You may have me down, but I'm definitely not out! I play the Pot of Greed magic card, which allows me to draw two new cards from my deck to refresh my hand," Saria explained as she drew two more. There was definitely more courage in her voice.
"Then, I'll play the magic card, Monster Reborn!" Saria continued.
"Yikes! That lets you bring any monster back from the graveyard!" Komali replied.
"Yup, and I'm reviving an old friend, my Chaos Command Magician (2400/1700)!" Komali stared at the monster as it rose out from a small white disc that appeared out of the lava.
"Then, I'll have my Chaos Command attack your falcon with chaos magic attack!" Saria finished. Komali shielded his eyes as a ray of white light fired from the magician's wand and vaporized his falcon, reducing his life points to 2600.
"Up high!" Serenity said. Serenity and Tristan high-fived.
"Oh yeah! That attack knocked a good chunk of Komali's life points out!" Tristan replied. Yami and Joey nodded.
"Yes, but she's still behind by a good number of life points," Yami said.
"Don't forget though, she's got the strongest monster on the field right now," Teran pointed out.
"Lets just hope Komali can't create another strong monster," Joey hoped.
"To end my turn, I'll place this last card face down," Saria declared. Komali drew from his deck and glared at the card he drew.
"I didn't want to play these unless I got desperate, but it looks like I got no choice. I'll place a card face down, and play the magic card, Card of Sanctity! This magic card forces both of us to draw cards until we both have six cards in our hands," Komali explained.
"Just in time for my trap card to activate! Reveal Solemn Wishes!" Saria replied. Komali banged one hand on the table. Patrick let out a whoop of victory.
"Yes! Excellent play!" Patrick cheered.
"I'll say! That trap card lets Saria gain 500 life points for every card she draws, and she just gained 3000 life points!" Joey explained. Saria's life points had risen to 3300 and Komali's was stuck at 2600.
"Yes, but it gave Komali a fresh hand, which could prove difficult for Saria," Yami pointed out.
"Don't forget Yugi: Saria got a new hand too," Becky pointed back. Yami nodded and turned his gaze back to the playing field.
"Your Solemn Wishes card may have given you more life points, but I assure you it won't happen again, because I'm playing the Remove Trap magic card. It shall destroy you Solemn Wishes!" Komali began. Saria watched as her trap vanished in a ray of light.
"I'll then place two more cards facedown and I will summon a monster in defensive mode, ending my turn. Saria barely heard him though as she was too busy studying the field.
Three cards facedown and a monster in defense mode. I smell something, and it's not the sulfur. This new hand helps but it won't do me a lot of good unless I use these. Saria thought as she gripped two of her cards.
"I too will place two cards facedown and a monster in defense mode," Saria began, "And then, I'll have Chaos Command attack your facedown monster!" Chaos Command revealed another Robotic Knight. Komali stared at Chaos Command as it destroyed his machine.
"Thanks, Michizure activate!" Komali responded.
"Not good! That trap lets Komali destroy any monster after one of his is destroyed," Yami exclaimed.
"And since Saria has two monsters on the field, Komali can destroy one of Saria's monsters with ease!" Becky realized.
"I think you know which monster I want gone, don't you Saria?" Komali asked.
"Let me guess: My Chaos Command Magician right?" Saria replied. Komali nodded.
"Exactly! Goodbye Chaos Command! Go back to the graveyard!" Komali commanded.
"Graveyard? I don't see a graveyard around here," Becky noticed.
"He means back to the discard pile, Mrs. Floyd," Teran explained.
"Oh."
"Alright, it's time for me to cause some damage, and I'll do it with your monster! I play the magic card, Autonomous Action Unit!" Komali declared, "It lets me take any monster card out of your graveyard and summon it to the field at a cost of 1500 of my life points. But enough about that card, I'm taking one of yours! Come back Chaos Command Magician!" Komali slapped the card on the field and everyone watched as Saria's magician reappeared on Komali's side of the field.
"Then, I'll play a facedown card: Polymerization!" Komali continued.
"Polymerization!" Saria exclaimed.
"I'll fuse together my Giga Tech Wolf and Cannon Soldier in order to summon the Labyrinth Tank (2400/2400)!" A giant purple tank emerged from Komali's Polymerization. It had a red drill on the front that sprouted many other small drills. Its black eyes gave Saria a sense of insecurity.
"Finally, I'll reveal my second facedown card, Quick Attack and have my tank attack your defensive monster!" Komali finished. Saria stood unwavering as the tank raced forward towards her monster.
"Hold it! Reveal facedown cards! Four Sword and Mirror Shield!" Saria interrupted. All three of her face down cards flipped up revealing her monster, Four Sword Hero (1000/1000) and her two magic cards.
"The magic of the Four Sword will..." Saria began.
"Will be wiped out by my trap! Reveal Magic Drain! Unless you can discard a magic card from your hand, your Four Sword's magic will be wiped out!" Komali explained. Saria glanced at her hand and scowled.
"I don't have a magic card," Saria said.
That I want to discard. Saria thought.
"Then say goodbye to your magic card!" Saria watched as a fierce wind blew away her magic card.
"I still have my Mirror Shield trap card! It raises my monster's attack so that it will be 500 points higher than your monsters!" Saria pointed out, "So say goodbye to your Labyrinth Tank!" Komali's eye twitched as Saria's creature cut down his tank.
"Oh yeah! Your Mirror Shield's primary effect lasts for only one attack, so my Chaos Command can still destroy your warrior!" Komali pointed out. Saria gasped as her own magician destroyed her warrior, reducing her life points to 2400.
"That'll end my turn!" Saria looked at her hand.
I've got one option left, and that's to summon the Hero of Time. But I only have the ritual monster in my hand. I need it or a monster I can use to defend my life points! Saria thought as she drew from her deck. She looked at the card and frowned.
"I'll place a monster in defense mode and end my turn," Saria declared.
"What's wrong? Running out of good cards to use?" Komali taunted as he drew from his deck, "It's time for a little spirit power! I remove my Giga Tech Wolf from my graveyard in order to summon Spirit of Flames (1700/1000)!" Saria frowned as a man-like monster made entirely out of magma appeared out of the lava below.
"Chaos Command! Attack Saria's facedown monster with chaos magic attack!" Saria watched as her Mystical Elf (800/2000) was destroyed.
"Spirit of Flames will now activate his special ability. His attack points increase by 300 for the duration of this attack! Spirit of Flames! Attack Saria directly with wave of magma attack!" Saria gasped as the spirit gathered lava all around it. It then rushed forward, firing a wave of magma towards her. Saria cried out in pain as lava swirled around her, causing great damage to her life points. The lava took all the oxygen around her, making it unbearably hot!
"It looks like you've had enough!" Komali commented as Saria's life points plunged to a mere 400. Saria was on her knees, head resting on the platform. She was sweating profusely and she was gasping for air.
"Saria! Are you OK?" Serenity shouted. Saria wearily turned towards her friends.
"I've felt better," Saria mumbled as she struggled to her feet.
"Why don't you just forfeit? I've got two strong monsters on the field, and you have no monsters, magic or trap cards on the field. Why get hit like that again when you can surrender now and save yourself some pain?" Komali asked.
"Because, I like to go out in a blaze of victory," Saria replied as she reached for her deck.
"That's right!" Becky shouted.
"Don't give up!" Patrick cried.
"Trust in yourself and your deck! Maybe you can draw something that will help turn this around!" Yami advised. Saria nodded as she gripped a card.
Goddesses! Please let me draw the card I need! Saria prayed as she drew. She glanced at the card and smirked.
"Well, Komali. You've played a good fight, but it's time for me to end this!" Saria declared.
"Why? Giving up?" Komali asked.
"No! I'm going to win!" Saria said as she reached for her hand.
"With what? You've got no monsters!"
"Wrong! I can use this! The magic card, Master Sword Ritual!" Saria replied, showing her card. Serenity and Tristan jumped into the air with joy, holding hands, while everyone cheered.
"That's the way to believe!" Patrick shouted.
"Master Sword Ritual summons a strong monster, but first, I need to sacrifice these two monster cards, Courageous Dark Magician and Shadow Tamer in order to summon my Hero of Time (3200/2700)!" Saria explained as she summoned the two monsters for the sacrifice. Her two creatures vanished in a ray of rainbow-colored light and a new creature walked out. It was Saria's Hero of Time, and it was poised for battle, carrying a fine sword. He emanated a soft white glow that gave Saria a feeling of relief.
"My new creature has a very unique special ability! He gains 100 extra attack points for every warrior and magician in my graveyard," Saria explained.
"That means her monster gets 400 extra attack points!" Patrick realized.
"Now that the stage is set... Hero of Time! Attack Komali's Spirit of Flames with sword of evil's bane attack!" Saria commanded. Komali could only watch as Saria's warrior leapt up high, then cut his monster in two, then let loose with a horizontal slash that turned into a beam that flew right into Komali, reducing his life points to zero.
"It looks like I win!" Saria pointed out. Her hand glowed again as she reverted back to her t-shirt wearing form. She gathered her deck up and got down from the playing field. Komali came down to her and held out his hand. In it was the Mech Medal, which had the Robotic Knight engraved in it, and a booster pack.
"Take these as proof of your victory," Komali said as Saria took the items. He then turned away to gather his deck up.
"What's his problem?" Joey asked.
"He's always like this when he loses," a voice from behind said. Everyone turned to see it was Skylar.
"Don't worry, he'll jump back when another challenger appears," Skylar assured them as he reached behind him for something. When his hands came back, he was holding a shining orange pearl, which gave off a small orange glow. On one side were three lines that resembled waves.
"I talked to Valoo Patrick and he doesn't mind you having this. He said you could find the others on Greatfish and Forest Haven," Skylar whispered as he handed the pearl off to Patrick. Patrick put it in his backpack.
"I don't got time to go get both now! I'm needed at the university! Who can go for me?" Patrick asked.
"Dad, what's going on?" Saria asked.
"I need some special pearls for some research I'm doing. This pearl, Din's Pearl, is one of them. I still need Farore's Pearl and Nayru's Pearl to complete my research. It looks like they are hidden on islands in different directions. It's imperative that I get these pearls as soon as possible," Patrick explained. All of Saria's friends had gathered around to hear Patrick's tale.
"Can we help?" Serenity asked.
"Maybe you can! First, go to the Overlook Gym and challenge the leader, then I need your group to split in two," Patrick explained.
"Let me guess: Half of us go to Greatfish Island to get one pearl and the other half go to Forest Haven to get the second?" Joey guessed. Patrick nodded.
"I'd hate for you to take time out of the tournament for me but I really need the help. I promise I can make it worth your while later!" Patrick apologized.
"Don't worry about a thing! We'll help, but we need to find gyms too. Yugi and I didn't travel a long way for nothing you know," Joey reminded him.
"If it makes you feel better, there are gyms on Greatfish and Forest Haven. You won't have to worry too much about your status in the tournament," Becky added. Everybody brightened at this.
"OK, so why are we standing around here for? Lets go to Overlook and win you guys some medals huh?" Tristan cheered. Everyone whooped a cheer of joy as they left the caverns to go to the docks. Just as they got to the beach, a metallic knight appeared out of the sand and landed in front of the group. He looked exactly like a Robotic Knight.
"Hey! Clear the way! We're in a hurry!" Patrick commanded. The knight pointed a sword at him.
"Only if you give me Din's Pearl... NOW!"
Fifteen minutes later, everyone entered the Dragon Roost Gym. Everyone gasped as the stadium was built over a lava pit. Two large platforms were suspended over the lava, each with a duel platform attached. Reaching the platforms was only a matter of going up a small staircase. Komali ran over to his and set his dueling deck into the deck area. Saria followed suit and did the same.
"OK, this is a one-on-one match for a Mech Medal correct?" Komali asked. Saria nodded.
"Then, it's time to duel!" Komali commanded as he drew from his deck. He scrutinized his hand.
"I go first, and I'll set a monster in defensive mode and I'll place one extra card facedown, ending my turn," Komali declared. Saria drew from her deck and glanced at Komali's down cards.
OK, you're on your own for this duel so don't look like an idiot in front of your new friends Saria. Saria thought.
"I'll summon Giant Orc (2200/0) in attack mode!" Saria declared as she placed the card on the field. A giant club-swinging ogre appeared.
"Attack Komali's defending monster with bone club crush!" Saria commanded. Komali grimaced as the Pendulum Machine (1750/2000) was revealed and reduced to nothing. Everyone noticed that Giant Orc then crouched over.
"What's up with the Giant Orc?" Becky asked.
"It goes into defense mode immediately after it attacks," Patrick replied.
"And since that monster has zero defense points," Tristan began.
"That monster can be easily destroyed," Teran finished. But Saria wasn't done.
"To end my turn, I'll place two cards face down," Saria declared. Patrick, who had the ability to read his daughter's mind, saw the two cards.
"Extremely clever," Patrick mumbled as he watched Komali drew.
"OK, I'll first summon Giga Tech Wolf (1200/1400) in attack mode, and then I'll play a magic card known as Anti-Magic Beam," Komali declared. Saria watched as a metallic-looking wolf appeared and fired a dark green energy beam at her two magic cards. Saria could only watch as her two cards vanished in a flash of fire.
"Clever Komali! You destroyed my Book of Sun magic card and my Skill Drain trap card. If I had played them, my Orc wouldn't have had to revert to defense mode after it attacked," Saria explained regretfully.
"Speaking of your Orc, my wolf will attack and destroy your Orc!" Komali stated. Saria grimaced at this.
"Giga Tech Wolf! Attack with hyper laser blast!" Komali commanded. Everyone watched as the wolf fired a blue laser out of its mouth. The whole arena shook at the shock of the attack. When the light of the laser died down, Saria saw that her monster was gone.
"So much for your Orc. I shall now end my turn," Komali said. Saria studied the field as she drew her card.
OK, that wolf of his is extremely weak, but I bet that's what that face down card is for. But is it a magic card? Or a trap? I have no idea. If only I had a way to see what that card is... Saria thought. She looked at the card she drew and smiled.
This is a start. Saria thought.
"OK Komali! I summon A Man With Wyjat (1600/1600) in attack mode!" Saria declared. Komali grimaced as a man in a red robe appeared. Two blue flames hovered over his hands and the eye of Anubis was on his forehead.
"My monster's special ability will let me see the card you played face down!" Saria explained, "Man With Wyjat! Reveal Komali's face down card!" A gold ray fired from the man's head and everyone watched as the card became visible.
"Clever: You hid a 7-Completed card on the field. But my magic card, DeSpell will deal with that!" Saria declared. Komali watched as his card vanished.
"Now, I'll place this card face down and have my monster attack your wolf! Man With Wyjat! Attack Giga Tech Wolf with sight ball of Anubis!" Saria commanded. Man With Wyjat fired a ball of blue flame at Komali's wolf. Komali turned away as the attack hit.
"Alright! That move gave Saria the lead!" Joey said.
"Keep it up Saria!" Becky cheered.
"Go for it! Wipe him out!" Teran commanded. Saria nodded, a cocky smile on her face.
Saria is believing in herself and her cards. She's dueling like a true champion. Yugi thought. Yami nodded in agreement.
Yes, she's got a lot of courage, just like you. Yami replied.
Now, why don't you join the party? Yugi asked as he tapped the power of the Millennium Puzzle. The Millennium Puzzle briefly glowed and Yami appeared in Yugi's place.
"Don't get cocky Saria! This duel has only just begun!" Yami warned. Patrick turned to face Yami.
"My daughter will win this duel Yugi. Of this I assure you," Patrick said and then he turned his gaze to the playing field. Komali had drawn his card and grinned.
"OK! It's time for me to retake control of the duel! I'll first summon my Robotic Knight (1600/1800) to the field in attack mode!" Komali began. Saria stood stone-faced at the new monster.
"And then, I'll add this magic card: Limiter Removal!" Yami gasped at this.
"I've never heard of that card," Saria said as she looked down towards Yami.
"It's a powerful magic card Saria," Yami replied.
"Yeah, it doubles the attack of all machine-type monsters on the field for one turn, then destroys the machines that were powered-up," Joey explained. Saria grimaced at this and looked at her monster with worry.
"Robotic Knight! Attack Saria's Man With Wyjat with robotic saber blade!" Komali commanded. Saria gripped the dueling platform as Komali's monster cut her monster in two.
"So much for your magician, and it looks like I took a good deal of your life points," Komali stated. Saria's life points had dropped to 2400, but she was grinning, then she went into a fit of laughter.
"I missed the joke," Komali said coldly.
"Sorry, but you fell into my trap!" Saria stated, "Behold my magic card: Revenge Sacrifice!" Saria's friends smiled at this.
"Told you she would come through," Patrick said.
"This magic card lets me sacrifice the monster you used to destroy mine. So say goodbye to your Robotic Knight and hello to my Chaos Command Magician (2400/1700)!" Saria declared. Robotic Knight flew over to Saria's side of the field, blew up and vanished in a swirl of smoke, only to reappear as a new monster.
"It looks just like Yugi's Dark Magician," Serenity commented. Saria's new monster resembled the Dark Magician, except for the fact it was a creature of light and that it had green garb and a green rod.
"What do you think? Impressive huh?" Saria taunted.
"My turn ain't over yet! I'll place this one card face down, and end my turn," Komali responded. Saria drew from her deck.
Alright, he has only one card on the field and only one card in his hand. He's anticipating an attack, I know it. But this move should finish the duel! Saria thought.
"OK Komali! I summon Neo the Magical Swordsman (1700/1000) in attack mode!" Saria began. Komali grinned.
"Go my creatures and attack Komali directly!" Saria commanded.
"Bad move! Activate Mirror Force!" Komali responded. The magic attacks of the two magicians collided with a barrier of rainbow light.
"Repel the magic and fire it right back at those monsters!" Komali commanded. The magic attacks flew back and hit Saria and her monsters, destroying them.
"But in this tournament, when Mirror Force destroys your monsters, it's like your monster with the highest attack attacks the weaker attacking monsters. The differences in the attack points are deducted from your life points!" Komali explained.
"I lose 700 life points then," Saria noticed as her life points plunged to 1700.
"By the look of things, I'd say your turn is over," Komali observed as he drew from his deck.
"You should give up now, with what I just drew! I summon a Cyber Falcon to the field (1400/1200)!" Saria cringed, as a cybernetic falcon appeared high above the ground.
"Attack Saria directly with falcon laser attack!" Komali commanded. The falcon quickly made its way to Saria's side of the field. Saria stared at the monster in fear as it neared.
"Saria" Becky cried worryingly.
"Watch out!" Tristan and Joey shouted simultaneously. Saria screamed in pain as a green energy beam flew from the falcon's mouth and hit her in the right shoulder. Smoke simmered off of Saria's clothes as the falcon flew back to Komali's side. Saria gripped her shoulder as her life points dropped to 300.
"Had enough, or do you want some more?" Komali taunted.
"Don't give up Saria!" Yami shouted. Saria wearily looked down at him.
"This duel isn't over until the last card is played! Trust in yourself and your cards! Trust your heart, and let it be your guide! The heart of the cards will guide you! Trust me!" Yami advised. Saria nodded, then was seized by another spasm of pain. Tears began to appear in Becky's eyes as she saw Saria struggling with the pain.
"Saria... She's hurt," Becky whispered, "Isn't there anything we can do, Patrick?" Patrick gave her a consoling hug and looked up at Saria.
"All we can do is have faith. She can pull through. Right now, she needs to follow Yugi's advice and trust in herself and her cards. If she does, she can still claim victory," Patrick replied. For a brief moment, Saria's eyes met her dad's. Patrick gave a faint nod and Saria nodded back weakly.
I may be hurt, I may be losing this duel, but I haven't lost hope. I can win! I have my friends, my family, and myself. I can do this. I know it! Saria thought desperately. Her hand flew to her deck, but as it did, her hand began to give off a golden light. It wasn't a faint light, but a bright light that lit the field.
"What's going on?" Serenity asked.
"She's done it. She's finally done it," Patrick replied. Tristan turned towards Patrick.
"Done what?" Tristan asked.
"Awakened the Triforce within her," Patrick replied. Becky turned to him.
"Are you sure?" Patrick nodded and he smiled. The light began to fade as Saria looked at her card. She had changed in many ways. Her face was more determined and she wasn't in pain anymore. Her clothes had changed: She now wore a purple tank top, magenta cape, jean shorts, her usual socks, but she wore boots similar to her dad's. But what was the most shocking piece of her ensemble was the Triforce earrings and tiara that sat atop her head.
"Patrick, you were right. She did awaken the Triforce of Courage!" Becky realized.
"What's the Triforce?" Serenity asked.
"A relic that has been in our family since the beginning of time. It was recently passed on to my daughter, but she showed no signs of using it until now. She has just tapped into her magical power, healing herself, and giving herself more courage, not that she needs it: She's courageous enough for anybody to know she's related to me," Patrick explained.
"OK Komali! You may have me down, but I'm definitely not out! I play the Pot of Greed magic card, which allows me to draw two new cards from my deck to refresh my hand," Saria explained as she drew two more. There was definitely more courage in her voice.
"Then, I'll play the magic card, Monster Reborn!" Saria continued.
"Yikes! That lets you bring any monster back from the graveyard!" Komali replied.
"Yup, and I'm reviving an old friend, my Chaos Command Magician (2400/1700)!" Komali stared at the monster as it rose out from a small white disc that appeared out of the lava.
"Then, I'll have my Chaos Command attack your falcon with chaos magic attack!" Saria finished. Komali shielded his eyes as a ray of white light fired from the magician's wand and vaporized his falcon, reducing his life points to 2600.
"Up high!" Serenity said. Serenity and Tristan high-fived.
"Oh yeah! That attack knocked a good chunk of Komali's life points out!" Tristan replied. Yami and Joey nodded.
"Yes, but she's still behind by a good number of life points," Yami said.
"Don't forget though, she's got the strongest monster on the field right now," Teran pointed out.
"Lets just hope Komali can't create another strong monster," Joey hoped.
"To end my turn, I'll place this last card face down," Saria declared. Komali drew from his deck and glared at the card he drew.
"I didn't want to play these unless I got desperate, but it looks like I got no choice. I'll place a card face down, and play the magic card, Card of Sanctity! This magic card forces both of us to draw cards until we both have six cards in our hands," Komali explained.
"Just in time for my trap card to activate! Reveal Solemn Wishes!" Saria replied. Komali banged one hand on the table. Patrick let out a whoop of victory.
"Yes! Excellent play!" Patrick cheered.
"I'll say! That trap card lets Saria gain 500 life points for every card she draws, and she just gained 3000 life points!" Joey explained. Saria's life points had risen to 3300 and Komali's was stuck at 2600.
"Yes, but it gave Komali a fresh hand, which could prove difficult for Saria," Yami pointed out.
"Don't forget Yugi: Saria got a new hand too," Becky pointed back. Yami nodded and turned his gaze back to the playing field.
"Your Solemn Wishes card may have given you more life points, but I assure you it won't happen again, because I'm playing the Remove Trap magic card. It shall destroy you Solemn Wishes!" Komali began. Saria watched as her trap vanished in a ray of light.
"I'll then place two more cards facedown and I will summon a monster in defensive mode, ending my turn. Saria barely heard him though as she was too busy studying the field.
Three cards facedown and a monster in defense mode. I smell something, and it's not the sulfur. This new hand helps but it won't do me a lot of good unless I use these. Saria thought as she gripped two of her cards.
"I too will place two cards facedown and a monster in defense mode," Saria began, "And then, I'll have Chaos Command attack your facedown monster!" Chaos Command revealed another Robotic Knight. Komali stared at Chaos Command as it destroyed his machine.
"Thanks, Michizure activate!" Komali responded.
"Not good! That trap lets Komali destroy any monster after one of his is destroyed," Yami exclaimed.
"And since Saria has two monsters on the field, Komali can destroy one of Saria's monsters with ease!" Becky realized.
"I think you know which monster I want gone, don't you Saria?" Komali asked.
"Let me guess: My Chaos Command Magician right?" Saria replied. Komali nodded.
"Exactly! Goodbye Chaos Command! Go back to the graveyard!" Komali commanded.
"Graveyard? I don't see a graveyard around here," Becky noticed.
"He means back to the discard pile, Mrs. Floyd," Teran explained.
"Oh."
"Alright, it's time for me to cause some damage, and I'll do it with your monster! I play the magic card, Autonomous Action Unit!" Komali declared, "It lets me take any monster card out of your graveyard and summon it to the field at a cost of 1500 of my life points. But enough about that card, I'm taking one of yours! Come back Chaos Command Magician!" Komali slapped the card on the field and everyone watched as Saria's magician reappeared on Komali's side of the field.
"Then, I'll play a facedown card: Polymerization!" Komali continued.
"Polymerization!" Saria exclaimed.
"I'll fuse together my Giga Tech Wolf and Cannon Soldier in order to summon the Labyrinth Tank (2400/2400)!" A giant purple tank emerged from Komali's Polymerization. It had a red drill on the front that sprouted many other small drills. Its black eyes gave Saria a sense of insecurity.
"Finally, I'll reveal my second facedown card, Quick Attack and have my tank attack your defensive monster!" Komali finished. Saria stood unwavering as the tank raced forward towards her monster.
"Hold it! Reveal facedown cards! Four Sword and Mirror Shield!" Saria interrupted. All three of her face down cards flipped up revealing her monster, Four Sword Hero (1000/1000) and her two magic cards.
"The magic of the Four Sword will..." Saria began.
"Will be wiped out by my trap! Reveal Magic Drain! Unless you can discard a magic card from your hand, your Four Sword's magic will be wiped out!" Komali explained. Saria glanced at her hand and scowled.
"I don't have a magic card," Saria said.
That I want to discard. Saria thought.
"Then say goodbye to your magic card!" Saria watched as a fierce wind blew away her magic card.
"I still have my Mirror Shield trap card! It raises my monster's attack so that it will be 500 points higher than your monsters!" Saria pointed out, "So say goodbye to your Labyrinth Tank!" Komali's eye twitched as Saria's creature cut down his tank.
"Oh yeah! Your Mirror Shield's primary effect lasts for only one attack, so my Chaos Command can still destroy your warrior!" Komali pointed out. Saria gasped as her own magician destroyed her warrior, reducing her life points to 2400.
"That'll end my turn!" Saria looked at her hand.
I've got one option left, and that's to summon the Hero of Time. But I only have the ritual monster in my hand. I need it or a monster I can use to defend my life points! Saria thought as she drew from her deck. She looked at the card and frowned.
"I'll place a monster in defense mode and end my turn," Saria declared.
"What's wrong? Running out of good cards to use?" Komali taunted as he drew from his deck, "It's time for a little spirit power! I remove my Giga Tech Wolf from my graveyard in order to summon Spirit of Flames (1700/1000)!" Saria frowned as a man-like monster made entirely out of magma appeared out of the lava below.
"Chaos Command! Attack Saria's facedown monster with chaos magic attack!" Saria watched as her Mystical Elf (800/2000) was destroyed.
"Spirit of Flames will now activate his special ability. His attack points increase by 300 for the duration of this attack! Spirit of Flames! Attack Saria directly with wave of magma attack!" Saria gasped as the spirit gathered lava all around it. It then rushed forward, firing a wave of magma towards her. Saria cried out in pain as lava swirled around her, causing great damage to her life points. The lava took all the oxygen around her, making it unbearably hot!
"It looks like you've had enough!" Komali commented as Saria's life points plunged to a mere 400. Saria was on her knees, head resting on the platform. She was sweating profusely and she was gasping for air.
"Saria! Are you OK?" Serenity shouted. Saria wearily turned towards her friends.
"I've felt better," Saria mumbled as she struggled to her feet.
"Why don't you just forfeit? I've got two strong monsters on the field, and you have no monsters, magic or trap cards on the field. Why get hit like that again when you can surrender now and save yourself some pain?" Komali asked.
"Because, I like to go out in a blaze of victory," Saria replied as she reached for her deck.
"That's right!" Becky shouted.
"Don't give up!" Patrick cried.
"Trust in yourself and your deck! Maybe you can draw something that will help turn this around!" Yami advised. Saria nodded as she gripped a card.
Goddesses! Please let me draw the card I need! Saria prayed as she drew. She glanced at the card and smirked.
"Well, Komali. You've played a good fight, but it's time for me to end this!" Saria declared.
"Why? Giving up?" Komali asked.
"No! I'm going to win!" Saria said as she reached for her hand.
"With what? You've got no monsters!"
"Wrong! I can use this! The magic card, Master Sword Ritual!" Saria replied, showing her card. Serenity and Tristan jumped into the air with joy, holding hands, while everyone cheered.
"That's the way to believe!" Patrick shouted.
"Master Sword Ritual summons a strong monster, but first, I need to sacrifice these two monster cards, Courageous Dark Magician and Shadow Tamer in order to summon my Hero of Time (3200/2700)!" Saria explained as she summoned the two monsters for the sacrifice. Her two creatures vanished in a ray of rainbow-colored light and a new creature walked out. It was Saria's Hero of Time, and it was poised for battle, carrying a fine sword. He emanated a soft white glow that gave Saria a feeling of relief.
"My new creature has a very unique special ability! He gains 100 extra attack points for every warrior and magician in my graveyard," Saria explained.
"That means her monster gets 400 extra attack points!" Patrick realized.
"Now that the stage is set... Hero of Time! Attack Komali's Spirit of Flames with sword of evil's bane attack!" Saria commanded. Komali could only watch as Saria's warrior leapt up high, then cut his monster in two, then let loose with a horizontal slash that turned into a beam that flew right into Komali, reducing his life points to zero.
"It looks like I win!" Saria pointed out. Her hand glowed again as she reverted back to her t-shirt wearing form. She gathered her deck up and got down from the playing field. Komali came down to her and held out his hand. In it was the Mech Medal, which had the Robotic Knight engraved in it, and a booster pack.
"Take these as proof of your victory," Komali said as Saria took the items. He then turned away to gather his deck up.
"What's his problem?" Joey asked.
"He's always like this when he loses," a voice from behind said. Everyone turned to see it was Skylar.
"Don't worry, he'll jump back when another challenger appears," Skylar assured them as he reached behind him for something. When his hands came back, he was holding a shining orange pearl, which gave off a small orange glow. On one side were three lines that resembled waves.
"I talked to Valoo Patrick and he doesn't mind you having this. He said you could find the others on Greatfish and Forest Haven," Skylar whispered as he handed the pearl off to Patrick. Patrick put it in his backpack.
"I don't got time to go get both now! I'm needed at the university! Who can go for me?" Patrick asked.
"Dad, what's going on?" Saria asked.
"I need some special pearls for some research I'm doing. This pearl, Din's Pearl, is one of them. I still need Farore's Pearl and Nayru's Pearl to complete my research. It looks like they are hidden on islands in different directions. It's imperative that I get these pearls as soon as possible," Patrick explained. All of Saria's friends had gathered around to hear Patrick's tale.
"Can we help?" Serenity asked.
"Maybe you can! First, go to the Overlook Gym and challenge the leader, then I need your group to split in two," Patrick explained.
"Let me guess: Half of us go to Greatfish Island to get one pearl and the other half go to Forest Haven to get the second?" Joey guessed. Patrick nodded.
"I'd hate for you to take time out of the tournament for me but I really need the help. I promise I can make it worth your while later!" Patrick apologized.
"Don't worry about a thing! We'll help, but we need to find gyms too. Yugi and I didn't travel a long way for nothing you know," Joey reminded him.
"If it makes you feel better, there are gyms on Greatfish and Forest Haven. You won't have to worry too much about your status in the tournament," Becky added. Everybody brightened at this.
"OK, so why are we standing around here for? Lets go to Overlook and win you guys some medals huh?" Tristan cheered. Everyone whooped a cheer of joy as they left the caverns to go to the docks. Just as they got to the beach, a metallic knight appeared out of the sand and landed in front of the group. He looked exactly like a Robotic Knight.
"Hey! Clear the way! We're in a hurry!" Patrick commanded. The knight pointed a sword at him.
"Only if you give me Din's Pearl... NOW!"