I do own Yu-Gi-Oh! Really! Okay, I don't, BUT I OWN THIS STORY!
Note, my soldiers, those that flame me are punished, but those that review are greatly rewarded.
SulliMike23: Was she, now? Well, now you'll begin to realize that I didn't say she was a duelist as an afterthought . . .
Wise Man Domingo: Ooh, a Labyrinth set, hm? I like it.
link the traveler: How am I supposed to respond to this?
Time Mage: Actually, I would have considered it a flame had I not totally agreed with you! Yeah, from now on, hands and facedown cards will not be revealed to the audience (which apparently consists of just six people!). As for the strategies, well, they'll be pretty simple for a while, but I'll come through eventually. Still, Term's duel was pretty awesome, right? What would you give if you could pull that off?
Sorry this chapter took so long. I've had writer's block for a while. That, and it's long.
Now, let's return to the tournament.
/Yami to host/
Host to Yami
-Thought speech, when not between a Yami and a host-
Tokyo Tournament
Chapter Five: Of Fairies and Zombies
Also Entitled: The Walking Corpse Returns!
Yugi and Tea were in the most embarrassing situation imaginable. Joey, Tristan, Giyan, and Term harassed them on all sides about the incident with Hunter. Taking advantage of the fact that the kidnapper had mistakenly thought that Tea was Yugi's girlfriend, the two had not been given a chance to revert the shade of their faces to anything but beet red.
Lin, on the other hand, was trying to find someone to duel, as several competitors already had two chips. Looking about him for a good match, his eyes fell on a pale boy with white hair and a hideous face. The boy was already striding up to the group, and about ten feet away from them he shouted above the teasing, "Hey, Wheeler!"
Joey stopped long enough to glance at the boy, who was none other than Bones, one of Bandit Keith's ex-lackeys.
"I want a rematch!" Bones continued.
Joey's face broke into a grin. As his DD2 activated, he rushed up to Bones and shouted back, "Okay, but the result's gonna be the same as last time. I wager one chip."
"Fine, that's all I've got anyway," Bones replied honestly, "but I think that you'll be the one who comes up on the short end this time. Remember, I had you on the ropes until you pulled out that Shield and Sword card."
"Yeah, but enough with the reunions. Let's just get to duelin'!"
Beeps emitted from their DD2s as their Life Point counters came on.
Bones: 4000 Joey: 4000
Yamato joined Yugi and the others in the audience. "The poacher's been taken care of," he said simply. He turned his attention to the two duelists, "Ah, so Joey's first duel is starting." Looking at Bones a bit longer, he then turned to Yugi and muttered, "So, who's the corpse?"
Bones overheard, "Hey, you!" he yelled in fury, "After I'm done with Joey I'm coming after you!"
"Don't make promises just yet, Bones," Joey warned, "especially if you can't keep 'em."
"Well, let's see if you can take your own advice," Bones replied.
"Hey, Yamato," Giyan whispered to his friend, "did you happen to see Kirbin on your way down here?"
He had, and recalling Kirbin's situation at the time, he decided to have some fun. "Kirbin, oh yeah, he was with this redhead."
"Yeah, we ran in to her just a few minutes ago," said Giyan. Then, his eyes flashed with curiosity, "What were they doing."
"Doing? Well, I don't really remember . . ."
"Hey! Cut it out! Come on, tell me."
"Well, really, it's none of your business."
"I'm making it my business! What was happening?"
"I'm not saying."
"DAMN YOU!"
Had Giyan actually known what had been going on at the moment Yamato was refusing to give information about, he would have been uninterested. The two had simply been getting to know each other a little better. The girl's name was Joy. After about ten minutes of chatting with one another, however, the subject of Duel Monsters came up. One thing had led to another and now the two were preparing to duel each other. The two friendly opponents faced each other as their Duel Disks activated.
Joy: 4000 Kirbin: 4000
As the DD2s activated, Kirbin began to concentrate hard.
-So, who wants to duel?-
-I think I will. One duel's as good as another to me.-
-Okay, good luck, Spike.-
-Thanks.-
Kirbin opened his eyes, which now glowed a bright orange. His pink hair also turned orange, and it now stuck up in three spikes. A black jacket with spike sleeves also appeared.
Joy was confused by what was happening, "Wh- wha-?"
"Don't worry," assured Kirbin, now Spike, "I am Spike, one of Kirbin's seven essences. We dwell within his mind, surfacing when we are required. Each of us has a unique set of powers. Mine are pretty obvious." As he finished, Spike held out a fist. From it sprouted three sharp blades, like something out of X-Men. The blades then retracted.
Joy was a bit shocked, but she was still curious, "How did. . ."
Spike smiled disarmingly, "That is something he'll have to explain to you another time. For now, let's duel."
Joy regained a bit of confidence, and drew five cars from her deck. Spike did the same. "You can have the first move," Spike said to her.
"Okay," replied Joy, as she slipped a sixth card off the top of her deck. After looking at her hand a little while, she selected three cards from her hand and laid them on the field, "I play a monster facedown in defense mode, plus two more cards facedown. Your turn."
"Then I'll play the Skull Red Bird (1550/1200), in attack mode! I'll also set a card facedown. Now, Skull Red Bird, attack!"
The red bird appeared, and flew at the facedown card, which was replaced by a yellow-robed woman playing a harp. As the Skull Red Bird flung its sharp yellow feathers from its wings, a barrier came up around the woman deflecting the blades. Several of them struck Spike, who in turn lost Life Points.
Joy: 4000 Spike: 3550
"You've attacked my Spirit of the Harp (800/2000)," Joy explained, "With a defense of 2000, she was able to overcome your bird's attack."
"Nice. It's your turn now."
"Alright then, I'll just play a monster in defense mode."
Spike tried to calm himself. It would be tough to get through to her defenses, he could tell. But all he needed was a good magic card to tip the duel in his favor. He drew a card and smiled as he recognized it. However, he had to wait to use it. For now he'd distract her with another card. . .
"I'll play Fissure, to destroy your Spirit of the Harp!"
"I don't think so! I activate my Trap Card, Fairy's Hand Mirror! That means instead of destroying my monster, you'll instead be destroying your own Skull Red Bird!"
Spike watched without expressing emotion as the Fissure card appeared, then was reflected at his bird. The ground under it shook and gave out, and the bird fell into the deep crevasse below. "You may have destroyed my Skull Red Bird, but here's another monster to defend my Life Points."
The single card appeared in defense mode, and Joy took her turn. Drawing, she shouted in triumph. "I'll now sacrifice my two monsters to summon the mighty Wingweaver!"
Spirit of the Harp and the facedown card (Shining Friendship) disappeared. In their place stood a pink human-sized fairy. She wore a yellow dress. Six wings sprouted from her back. She looked very peaceful, but there was nothing peaceful about her power (2750/2400).
"I'll go first," stated Bones.
"That's fine with me."
Bones drew a card before announcing, "I'll play the Armored Zombie (1500/0) in attack mode." The green zombie appeared, wearing red samurai armor and holding a rusty katana. "Next, I'll play the field card Mystic Plasma Zone, which powers up all Dark Monsters!" A huge swirling vortex appeared above the field, and a white beam emitted from it to strike the ground below, sending volts of electricity through it. The Armored Zombie's power rose to 2000/0. "and I'll end my turn there."
Joey tried to think of how to get rid of the zombie. Before, none of Bones's monsters had had such a high attack power. But as he drew, Joey tried to hide a grin. "I play Axe Raider (1700/1150) in attack mode, plus two cards facedown." The orange-skinned warrior appeared, hefting its axe.
"You fool! You've just left your Life Points open for an attack! I play Skull Servant (300/200) in attack mode, and he gets a power boost from Mystic Plasma Zone, making his attack power 800!" The purple-robed skeleton appeared, immediately receiving a power boost from the magic card and growing to 800/0. "Now, Armored Zombie, attack!" The undead zombie rushed forward, swinging the katana like a maniac, when suddenly-
"Activate Kunai With Chain!" shouted Joey, and one of the two cards flipped up, revealing a card that had served him well on many occasions. The tri- pronged boomerang shot forth, connected to the chain that Axe Raider was holding. The chain wrapped around the Armored Zombie, stopping its attack. "This trap stops your zombie from attacking and shifts it to defense mode, and it gives my Axe Raider a 500 point increase to his attack." Bones watched in horror. Unable to shift the Skull Servant to defense mode, he could do nothing but prepare to lose some Life Points.
"Now it's my turn, and I'll play Swordsman of Landstar in attack mode. Swordsman, attack the Armored Zombie!" With a defense power of 0, the chained Zombie easily fell to the Swordsman's onslaught of several jabs from it butter-knife. "Now, Axe Raider, attack the Skull Servant!" The Axe Raider, now at 2200/1150, easily cut through the skeleton with a single swipe of its axe.
Bones: 2600 Joey: 4000
"All right Joey!" cheered Serenity.
Joey grinned back. But Bones wasn't ready to give up. "Okay, it's my turn now, and I play The 13th Grave (1200/900) in attack mode!" Another skeleton appeared, this one wearing a torn blue garment and wielding a red staff. It gained power from the Mystic Plasma Zone and was now at 1700/500. "Now I'll equip him with the Sword of Dark Destruction, meaning now he's at 2100/300!" Sure enough, as the sword appeared in the zombie's hands in place of the staff, its power grew. "Now, I'll attack the Swordsman of Landstar!"
But as the 13th Grave charged at the small warrior, Joey shouted, "Hold on! I activate Skull Dice!" A tiny figure dressed in black appeared holding a red die. "Depending on what number the die shows, your zombie will lose attack power." Both duelists watched as the figure tossed the die, which bounced on the floor a few times until it landed on. . . "Oh no!" a 3. Though the 13th Grave's power decreased to 700, it was still enough. The Sword of Dark Destruction cut the Swordsman of Landstar to ribbons, and Joey lost 200 Life Points.
Bones: 2600 Joey: 3800
Bones heaved a sigh of relief. "I'm not done yet, Joey! I'll now play the Magic card Tribute to the Doomed! I'll discard a card from my hand to destroy the Axe Raider!" The Axe Raider was wrapped in bandages like a mummy and dragged into the ground. "And I lay one more card facedown."
Joey began was getting a little nervous. While he could easily get rid of a The 13th Grave, Bones had still managed to destroy his powered up Axe Raider, which he could have used later. "My turn now," he drew his card, "and I'll play Alligator Sword (1500/1200) in attack mode, and destroy your crummy skeleton!"
A humanoid alligator wearing red and black armor and carrying a broadsword appeared. It rushed forth and cut through the skeleton with ease.
Bones: 1800 Joey: 3800
"Your lead isn't going too last long, Wheeler. I lay a monster in defense mode, and activate Call of the Haunted!" A monster clawed its way out of the ground, revealing, "Pumpking the King of Ghosts (1800/2000! And don't forget the power boost. . ." As Bones spoke, the enormous one-eyed jack-o- lantern's power grew to 2300/1600.
"Wait a minute," argued Joey, "how did Pumpking get in your graveyard?"
"Remember Tribute to the Doomed?" reminded Bones, "Pumpking was the card I discarded to play it. Pumpking, attack the Alligator Sword!" The king of ghosts wrapped its vines/tentacles around the reptile and squeezed it until it shattered.
Bones: 1800 Joey: 3000
"Well, this is getting interesting," mused Term.
"Definitely," consented Giyan.
"You think your overgrown vegetable's gonna when this for you?" challenged Joey, "Well, I've beaten bigger things than this before! You just wait, you're monster's gonna end up at this Thanksgiving's dinner table." He drew his card and grinned. The card just might do it for him, but it would be a risk. "I lay a card facedown, and the Tiny Guardian (1400/1800) in attack mode!"
"If you think I'm going to fall for you putting a monster in attack mode again, then you've got another thing coming!" spat Bones as the small, blue- clothed figure appeared floating in front of Joey, its sword and shield held ready. "Hah! Thought you fooled me didn't you? But I know what you're up to, that card's not a Trap at all! You're just trying to bluff me into not attacking long enough for you to draw a good card! Unless. . .unless it is a Trap card, and you knew I'd think you were bluffing, but if you were able to figure that out, then you would also know that I would know that you knew that I knew that you were bluffing, so you really didn't put down a Trap card."
"Can't pull the wool over your eyes," Joey muttered sarcastically.
"I'm not done yet! If you had anticipated that I would figure out that you had been bluffing about not bluffing about bluffing about. . .Aw, Hell with it. I flip Castle of Dark Illusions (920/1930), which boosts the attack and defense of all Zombies by 200, and Pumpking gains another 200 attack and defense as long as the Castle is on the field. Now, I'll destroy your pathetic Tiny Guardian!" As the Castle of Dark Illusions appeared in the air, its power changing to 1420/1530, Pumpking's strength shot up to 2700/2000. it reached for the Tiny Guardian as it had reached for the Alligator Sword. Suddenly, a giant purple box closed around the Tiny Guardian, causing Pumpking to stop his assault. "What in the-"
"I activated my trap, the Fairy Box," explained Joey, "See those holes? Well, my Tiny Guardian will pop out of 'em, drop back in, and come out of a different one constantly. You have to choose when to let Pumpking attack. Time it right, and Tiny Guardian will be destroyed, but if you miss, Pumpking's attack will drop to 0." Just as he had said, the Tiny Guardian began poking its head in and out of the holes in the top of the box rapidly. Pumpking's eye followed the head as best it could, trying to keep up with its target to prepare when his master ordered the attack.
Bones hesitated for about fifteen seconds, when he could take it no more. "Argh! Pumpking, attack now!" Pumpking reached for the Tiny Guardian, but it sprung back into the box just in time. Pumpking's tentacle was caught in the hole! The box's sides broke apart, allowing the Tiny Guardian to exit. It swung its small sword at the trapped pumpkin, slicing the orange plant clean in two before it shattered.
Bones: 400 Joey: 3000
"All right!" whooped Joey, "Your Pumpking's been reduced to pie!"
Serenity and the others all cheered loudly. "Wow, Joey's almost won!" she said in excitement.
"Don't count out the corpse yet," warned Yamato, "I've noticed something. He seemed really happy with his opening hand, and there are two cards he hasn't even set on the field yet for the whole duel. He's up to something, and it just might take one more card to turn the tables."
"Okay," said Joey, "my turn now. I'll destroy Fairy Box so I don't have to pay 500 Life Points to keep it." The purple box vanished, "And now, I'll summon Panther Warrior (2000/1500) in attack mode. He needs a sacrifice to attack, so I'll sacrifice the Tiny Guardian so he can slice and dice the Castle of Dark Illusions!" The purple-furred panther appeared, clad in armor and a cape, with its sword ready. The Tiny Guardian turned blue and was absorbed by Panther Warrior, which leapt high in the air and cut through the Castle with one mighty swing.
Bones knew he was on the ropes. But Yamato had been right. He just needed the right card now, and he'd easily have a monster strong enough to beat Joey. He drew a card and laughed aloud.
"What's with you?" said Joey in an annoyed tone.
"I just drew the card that will win this duel for me! Activate Polymerization! I can discard Ancient Brain and Tainted Wisdom to the graveyard to summon my strongest monster." The two monsters, one a fairy with a large brain, the other simply a large, rotting brain, momentarily appeared before swirling together. From the distorted image emerged a hideous being. It had absolutely no lower body. Its green skin was mostly covered by its armor. The breastplate was one humongous skull, the shield on its left arm was the face of a skull as well. The helmet on its head was made of a third skull, with two long brown horns jutting from its sides. The only thing it carried not made of bone was a large sword in its right hand. "Behold, the mighty Skull Knight (2650/2250)!" The Skull Knight's power rose due to Mystic Plasma Zone to 3150/1850. "I can't attack this turn because Skull Knight is a Fusion card, so you'll live for at least one more turn. But next turn, I should have another monster in my hand, and your Life Points will be history!"
"Wingweaver, attack!" cried Joy.
"Then I'll activate my Trap card, Mirror Force!" countered Spike.
"No!" As Wingweaver launched a ray of light at the facedown card, a barrier formed in front of it and reflected the blast. Wingweaver was destroyed by her own attack.
"And now I'll play Cocoon of Evolution in defense mode," the facedown card flipped to reveal a Petit Moth, which was encased in a cocoon immediately, its stats changing to 0/2000. "In four turns, the cocoon will break open, revealing one of the strongest cards to ever exist. I'll also play one card facedown."
"Well, I still have four turns to destroy your cocoon," Joy pointed out. After drawing a card, she whooped in triumph, "Yes! I play Raigeki, destroying all of your monsters!"
"Think again, I activate Dust Tornado, countering Raigeki and allowing me to set another Magic or Trap card facedown." The Raigeki lightning bolt lanced down to destroy Spike's monsters, but a tornado sprung up and sucked up the blast, then dispersed. Another facedown card appeared on Spike's field.
Joy frowned, then played another card, "I lay a monster in defense mode."
"My turn," Spike drew and said, "I play Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress #1 in attack mode (what a mouthful)! Winged Dragon, attack!" The blue, man-sized dragon appeared. It quickly shot a fireball from its mouth at the facedown card (Shining Friendship-1300/1100) and destroyed it. "Your move. Just three more turns." To dramatize the situation, Spike once again sprouted three spikes from his knuckles to symbolize a countdown.
Joy drew her card. She sighed, then put a monster in defense mode before signaling Spike to go.
He also drew, then ordered the Winged Dragon to attack. The facedown Petit Angel (1000/400) was instantly engulfed in flames. Spike retracted one of the spikes into his knuckle. Two turns left.
Joy drew a card, then smiled in triumph. "I play monster reborn, to revive my lost Wingweaver!" The fairy reappeared, and the Winged Dragon drew away in terror. "Now, I'll get rid of that cocoon. Wingweaver, attack!" The Wingweaver shot a ray of light at the cocoon, which vaporized rapidly. "Now I have the advantage."
"We'll see how long," said Spike. He knew, however, that this next draw was very important. He began to ask for the assistance of the Heart of the Cards. He drew his card. "I play Graceful Charity!" he shouted. "He then drew three cards and yelled, "I discard these two cards, then play Monster Reborn, to revive the Great Moth that I discarded!" The mighty Great Moth (2600/2500) appeared, flapping its immense wings in preparation of battle.
Joy was a bit stunned, but quickly regained herself, "So you managed to get the Great Moth out, but face the facts. It's not strong enough to beat my Wingweaver."
"Not yet," admitted Spike, "but you've forgotten about the facedown card I set when I activated Dust Tornado. Activate Laser Cannon Armor, to power up my Great Moth!" As the magic card activated, armor sprouted about the Great Moth's thorax, with a laser cannon perched between its wings, boosting it up to 2900/2800. "Great Moth, destroy the Wingweaver!" ordered Spike. The laser cannon powered up and launched a blast at the fairy, destroying it. "Now," continued Spike, "Winged Dragon, attack her Life Points directly!" One fireball blast later, the score had changed considerably.
Joy: 2450 Spike: 3550
"My turn," Joy managed to mutter after recovering. The card she drew was exactly what she needed. "I play Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two more cards." The cards she drew were exactly what she needed. "First off, I'll remove Shining Friendship and Petit Angel from my graveyard out of play to summon the Soul of Purity and Light (2000/1800)," a pale blue female ghost appeared, its eyes half-closed in a calming gesture. "Now, I equip her with Elf's Light," the Soul began to emit waves of yellow light, and its power changed to 2400/1600. "Finally, I play De-Spell, destroying your Laser Cannon Armor." The armor that Great Moth was wearing vanished, and its power reverted back to 2600/2500. "And I'll end my turn by destroying the Winged Dragon!" The Soul of Purity and Light let loose a blast of the yellow energy emanating from it, blowing away the blue dragon.
Joy: 2450 Spike: 2550
Spike took his turn. He knew of the Soul's effect: all of his monsters would lose 300 attack points during his battle phase, meaning that attacking would be fruitless. But the card he drew immediately solved that problem. "Joy," he said, "you have fought a good duel. But here is where it ends. I play Dark Hole!" The large abyssal tear in space appeared in the middle of the field, drawing in the Great Moth and the Soul of Purity and Light before disappearing completely. Joy gasped as she saw her last defense vanish. "Now to finish this. First, I remove the Skull Red Bird in my graveyard from play to summon Garuda the Wind Spirit (1600/1200). Next I summon Girochin Kuwagata in attack mode (1700/1000). Now they'll both attack your life points and finish you off."
An aven and a large, pink insect appeared. They lashed out at Joy's Life Points with talon and pincer, destroying the rest of her Life Points.
Joy: 0 Spike: 2550
Joy slumped as the holograms faded. She had been beaten. Spike relented control back to Kirbin, who walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder in comfort. "Hey," he said, "don't feel bad. You dueled amazingly."
Joy looked back up at him and smiled, then shuffled through her cards until she found her Wingweaver. She also fished out her one chip and offered them to Kirbin. "Here, you won these. They're yours."
Kirbin accepted the chip, but hesitated to take the card, "I think you should keep your Wingweaver," he explained, "It's your strongest card and I know it means a lot to you."
"Don't worry," said Joy, "I have a spare. Go ahead, keep it."
Kirbin smiled nervously, and finally took it from her hand. "There are some people I'd like you to meet," he said, "they're downstairs."
"Sure," she answered, "I'd like to know your friends."
"Great." With that, they headed down the hallway, the memory of the duel already far from their minds.
Joey stared at the fearsome Skull Knight, ready to do all he could to shield his Life Points. He drew a card and said, "Okay, I shift Panther Warrior to defense mode, and play the Scapegoat magic card." Panther Warrior went into a crouch, and four furry little balls with goat horns appeared around it, each one a different color. "I also play one more card facedown and end my turn."
"I hope Joey can beat that Skull Knight," Tea said worriedly, "and soon, or else he's doomed."
"My turn now," Bones grinned at the card he had drawn, "I play Dragon Zombie (1600/0) in attack mode!" As soon as it appeared, the zombie's power grew to 2100/0 thanks to Mystic Plasma Zone. "Skull Knight, Dragon Zombie, destroy two of the Scapegoats!" The Skull Knight cut through the Panther warrior with a single swing of the sword it carried, and the Dragon Zombie destroyed one of the Scapegoats by using its corrosive breath.
Joey grinned, then said, "Well, I can't keep you from destroying either of 'em, but I can still activate my Trap card, Graverobber!"
"What?"
"With the Graverobber, I can take a Magic card from your graveyard and use it against you. I have to wait until my turn to use it, though."
"What card do you think Joey took?" wondered Tristan.
"Oh, you'll see soon enough," said Lin with a smile.
"Well, I can't do anything else," muttered Bones, "so get on with it."
"Okay. First off, I play Goblin Attack Force!" six goblins, each one carrying one of a large assortment of weapons, appeared in front of Joey, who grinned before continuing, "next, I'll play Giant Trunade, to return all magic and trap cards on the field to our hands." A large hurricane appeared overhead, blowing away the Mystic Plasma Zone and Joey's three remaining Scapegoats. "Now I play Tribute to the Doomed, discarding my returned Scapegoat to destroy your Skull Knight!" Skull Knight was instantly wrapped in bandages and dragged into the ground. "Now, to top things off, Goblin Attack Force, destroy the Dragon Zombie!" The Dragon Zombie, now back to its normal 1600/0, was covered by the goblins and beat by sword, axe, spike, and hammer.
Bones: 0 Joey: 3000
Serenity cheered as the holograms faded. Bones dropped to his knees. His two strongest monsters had been beaten in one duel. Joey walked up to him with his hand held out. "Come on, hand 'em over, your rarest card and your microchip."
Bones dug out his Skull Knight and chip and handed them over to Joey, who pocketed them temporarily. Bones stood up and held out his hand to Joey. "It was a good duel. I hope we can have a second rematch."
Joey smiled and accepted the handshake. "Count on it." With that, the two duelists went their separate ways.
-pant pant- Over 4000 words. This is the longest chapter yet.
Please submit a review if you read this.
Note, my soldiers, those that flame me are punished, but those that review are greatly rewarded.
SulliMike23: Was she, now? Well, now you'll begin to realize that I didn't say she was a duelist as an afterthought . . .
Wise Man Domingo: Ooh, a Labyrinth set, hm? I like it.
link the traveler: How am I supposed to respond to this?
Time Mage: Actually, I would have considered it a flame had I not totally agreed with you! Yeah, from now on, hands and facedown cards will not be revealed to the audience (which apparently consists of just six people!). As for the strategies, well, they'll be pretty simple for a while, but I'll come through eventually. Still, Term's duel was pretty awesome, right? What would you give if you could pull that off?
Sorry this chapter took so long. I've had writer's block for a while. That, and it's long.
Now, let's return to the tournament.
/Yami to host/
Host to Yami
-Thought speech, when not between a Yami and a host-
Tokyo Tournament
Chapter Five: Of Fairies and Zombies
Also Entitled: The Walking Corpse Returns!
Yugi and Tea were in the most embarrassing situation imaginable. Joey, Tristan, Giyan, and Term harassed them on all sides about the incident with Hunter. Taking advantage of the fact that the kidnapper had mistakenly thought that Tea was Yugi's girlfriend, the two had not been given a chance to revert the shade of their faces to anything but beet red.
Lin, on the other hand, was trying to find someone to duel, as several competitors already had two chips. Looking about him for a good match, his eyes fell on a pale boy with white hair and a hideous face. The boy was already striding up to the group, and about ten feet away from them he shouted above the teasing, "Hey, Wheeler!"
Joey stopped long enough to glance at the boy, who was none other than Bones, one of Bandit Keith's ex-lackeys.
"I want a rematch!" Bones continued.
Joey's face broke into a grin. As his DD2 activated, he rushed up to Bones and shouted back, "Okay, but the result's gonna be the same as last time. I wager one chip."
"Fine, that's all I've got anyway," Bones replied honestly, "but I think that you'll be the one who comes up on the short end this time. Remember, I had you on the ropes until you pulled out that Shield and Sword card."
"Yeah, but enough with the reunions. Let's just get to duelin'!"
Beeps emitted from their DD2s as their Life Point counters came on.
Bones: 4000 Joey: 4000
Yamato joined Yugi and the others in the audience. "The poacher's been taken care of," he said simply. He turned his attention to the two duelists, "Ah, so Joey's first duel is starting." Looking at Bones a bit longer, he then turned to Yugi and muttered, "So, who's the corpse?"
Bones overheard, "Hey, you!" he yelled in fury, "After I'm done with Joey I'm coming after you!"
"Don't make promises just yet, Bones," Joey warned, "especially if you can't keep 'em."
"Well, let's see if you can take your own advice," Bones replied.
"Hey, Yamato," Giyan whispered to his friend, "did you happen to see Kirbin on your way down here?"
He had, and recalling Kirbin's situation at the time, he decided to have some fun. "Kirbin, oh yeah, he was with this redhead."
"Yeah, we ran in to her just a few minutes ago," said Giyan. Then, his eyes flashed with curiosity, "What were they doing."
"Doing? Well, I don't really remember . . ."
"Hey! Cut it out! Come on, tell me."
"Well, really, it's none of your business."
"I'm making it my business! What was happening?"
"I'm not saying."
"DAMN YOU!"
Had Giyan actually known what had been going on at the moment Yamato was refusing to give information about, he would have been uninterested. The two had simply been getting to know each other a little better. The girl's name was Joy. After about ten minutes of chatting with one another, however, the subject of Duel Monsters came up. One thing had led to another and now the two were preparing to duel each other. The two friendly opponents faced each other as their Duel Disks activated.
Joy: 4000 Kirbin: 4000
As the DD2s activated, Kirbin began to concentrate hard.
-So, who wants to duel?-
-I think I will. One duel's as good as another to me.-
-Okay, good luck, Spike.-
-Thanks.-
Kirbin opened his eyes, which now glowed a bright orange. His pink hair also turned orange, and it now stuck up in three spikes. A black jacket with spike sleeves also appeared.
Joy was confused by what was happening, "Wh- wha-?"
"Don't worry," assured Kirbin, now Spike, "I am Spike, one of Kirbin's seven essences. We dwell within his mind, surfacing when we are required. Each of us has a unique set of powers. Mine are pretty obvious." As he finished, Spike held out a fist. From it sprouted three sharp blades, like something out of X-Men. The blades then retracted.
Joy was a bit shocked, but she was still curious, "How did. . ."
Spike smiled disarmingly, "That is something he'll have to explain to you another time. For now, let's duel."
Joy regained a bit of confidence, and drew five cars from her deck. Spike did the same. "You can have the first move," Spike said to her.
"Okay," replied Joy, as she slipped a sixth card off the top of her deck. After looking at her hand a little while, she selected three cards from her hand and laid them on the field, "I play a monster facedown in defense mode, plus two more cards facedown. Your turn."
"Then I'll play the Skull Red Bird (1550/1200), in attack mode! I'll also set a card facedown. Now, Skull Red Bird, attack!"
The red bird appeared, and flew at the facedown card, which was replaced by a yellow-robed woman playing a harp. As the Skull Red Bird flung its sharp yellow feathers from its wings, a barrier came up around the woman deflecting the blades. Several of them struck Spike, who in turn lost Life Points.
Joy: 4000 Spike: 3550
"You've attacked my Spirit of the Harp (800/2000)," Joy explained, "With a defense of 2000, she was able to overcome your bird's attack."
"Nice. It's your turn now."
"Alright then, I'll just play a monster in defense mode."
Spike tried to calm himself. It would be tough to get through to her defenses, he could tell. But all he needed was a good magic card to tip the duel in his favor. He drew a card and smiled as he recognized it. However, he had to wait to use it. For now he'd distract her with another card. . .
"I'll play Fissure, to destroy your Spirit of the Harp!"
"I don't think so! I activate my Trap Card, Fairy's Hand Mirror! That means instead of destroying my monster, you'll instead be destroying your own Skull Red Bird!"
Spike watched without expressing emotion as the Fissure card appeared, then was reflected at his bird. The ground under it shook and gave out, and the bird fell into the deep crevasse below. "You may have destroyed my Skull Red Bird, but here's another monster to defend my Life Points."
The single card appeared in defense mode, and Joy took her turn. Drawing, she shouted in triumph. "I'll now sacrifice my two monsters to summon the mighty Wingweaver!"
Spirit of the Harp and the facedown card (Shining Friendship) disappeared. In their place stood a pink human-sized fairy. She wore a yellow dress. Six wings sprouted from her back. She looked very peaceful, but there was nothing peaceful about her power (2750/2400).
"I'll go first," stated Bones.
"That's fine with me."
Bones drew a card before announcing, "I'll play the Armored Zombie (1500/0) in attack mode." The green zombie appeared, wearing red samurai armor and holding a rusty katana. "Next, I'll play the field card Mystic Plasma Zone, which powers up all Dark Monsters!" A huge swirling vortex appeared above the field, and a white beam emitted from it to strike the ground below, sending volts of electricity through it. The Armored Zombie's power rose to 2000/0. "and I'll end my turn there."
Joey tried to think of how to get rid of the zombie. Before, none of Bones's monsters had had such a high attack power. But as he drew, Joey tried to hide a grin. "I play Axe Raider (1700/1150) in attack mode, plus two cards facedown." The orange-skinned warrior appeared, hefting its axe.
"You fool! You've just left your Life Points open for an attack! I play Skull Servant (300/200) in attack mode, and he gets a power boost from Mystic Plasma Zone, making his attack power 800!" The purple-robed skeleton appeared, immediately receiving a power boost from the magic card and growing to 800/0. "Now, Armored Zombie, attack!" The undead zombie rushed forward, swinging the katana like a maniac, when suddenly-
"Activate Kunai With Chain!" shouted Joey, and one of the two cards flipped up, revealing a card that had served him well on many occasions. The tri- pronged boomerang shot forth, connected to the chain that Axe Raider was holding. The chain wrapped around the Armored Zombie, stopping its attack. "This trap stops your zombie from attacking and shifts it to defense mode, and it gives my Axe Raider a 500 point increase to his attack." Bones watched in horror. Unable to shift the Skull Servant to defense mode, he could do nothing but prepare to lose some Life Points.
"Now it's my turn, and I'll play Swordsman of Landstar in attack mode. Swordsman, attack the Armored Zombie!" With a defense power of 0, the chained Zombie easily fell to the Swordsman's onslaught of several jabs from it butter-knife. "Now, Axe Raider, attack the Skull Servant!" The Axe Raider, now at 2200/1150, easily cut through the skeleton with a single swipe of its axe.
Bones: 2600 Joey: 4000
"All right Joey!" cheered Serenity.
Joey grinned back. But Bones wasn't ready to give up. "Okay, it's my turn now, and I play The 13th Grave (1200/900) in attack mode!" Another skeleton appeared, this one wearing a torn blue garment and wielding a red staff. It gained power from the Mystic Plasma Zone and was now at 1700/500. "Now I'll equip him with the Sword of Dark Destruction, meaning now he's at 2100/300!" Sure enough, as the sword appeared in the zombie's hands in place of the staff, its power grew. "Now, I'll attack the Swordsman of Landstar!"
But as the 13th Grave charged at the small warrior, Joey shouted, "Hold on! I activate Skull Dice!" A tiny figure dressed in black appeared holding a red die. "Depending on what number the die shows, your zombie will lose attack power." Both duelists watched as the figure tossed the die, which bounced on the floor a few times until it landed on. . . "Oh no!" a 3. Though the 13th Grave's power decreased to 700, it was still enough. The Sword of Dark Destruction cut the Swordsman of Landstar to ribbons, and Joey lost 200 Life Points.
Bones: 2600 Joey: 3800
Bones heaved a sigh of relief. "I'm not done yet, Joey! I'll now play the Magic card Tribute to the Doomed! I'll discard a card from my hand to destroy the Axe Raider!" The Axe Raider was wrapped in bandages like a mummy and dragged into the ground. "And I lay one more card facedown."
Joey began was getting a little nervous. While he could easily get rid of a The 13th Grave, Bones had still managed to destroy his powered up Axe Raider, which he could have used later. "My turn now," he drew his card, "and I'll play Alligator Sword (1500/1200) in attack mode, and destroy your crummy skeleton!"
A humanoid alligator wearing red and black armor and carrying a broadsword appeared. It rushed forth and cut through the skeleton with ease.
Bones: 1800 Joey: 3800
"Your lead isn't going too last long, Wheeler. I lay a monster in defense mode, and activate Call of the Haunted!" A monster clawed its way out of the ground, revealing, "Pumpking the King of Ghosts (1800/2000! And don't forget the power boost. . ." As Bones spoke, the enormous one-eyed jack-o- lantern's power grew to 2300/1600.
"Wait a minute," argued Joey, "how did Pumpking get in your graveyard?"
"Remember Tribute to the Doomed?" reminded Bones, "Pumpking was the card I discarded to play it. Pumpking, attack the Alligator Sword!" The king of ghosts wrapped its vines/tentacles around the reptile and squeezed it until it shattered.
Bones: 1800 Joey: 3000
"Well, this is getting interesting," mused Term.
"Definitely," consented Giyan.
"You think your overgrown vegetable's gonna when this for you?" challenged Joey, "Well, I've beaten bigger things than this before! You just wait, you're monster's gonna end up at this Thanksgiving's dinner table." He drew his card and grinned. The card just might do it for him, but it would be a risk. "I lay a card facedown, and the Tiny Guardian (1400/1800) in attack mode!"
"If you think I'm going to fall for you putting a monster in attack mode again, then you've got another thing coming!" spat Bones as the small, blue- clothed figure appeared floating in front of Joey, its sword and shield held ready. "Hah! Thought you fooled me didn't you? But I know what you're up to, that card's not a Trap at all! You're just trying to bluff me into not attacking long enough for you to draw a good card! Unless. . .unless it is a Trap card, and you knew I'd think you were bluffing, but if you were able to figure that out, then you would also know that I would know that you knew that I knew that you were bluffing, so you really didn't put down a Trap card."
"Can't pull the wool over your eyes," Joey muttered sarcastically.
"I'm not done yet! If you had anticipated that I would figure out that you had been bluffing about not bluffing about bluffing about. . .Aw, Hell with it. I flip Castle of Dark Illusions (920/1930), which boosts the attack and defense of all Zombies by 200, and Pumpking gains another 200 attack and defense as long as the Castle is on the field. Now, I'll destroy your pathetic Tiny Guardian!" As the Castle of Dark Illusions appeared in the air, its power changing to 1420/1530, Pumpking's strength shot up to 2700/2000. it reached for the Tiny Guardian as it had reached for the Alligator Sword. Suddenly, a giant purple box closed around the Tiny Guardian, causing Pumpking to stop his assault. "What in the-"
"I activated my trap, the Fairy Box," explained Joey, "See those holes? Well, my Tiny Guardian will pop out of 'em, drop back in, and come out of a different one constantly. You have to choose when to let Pumpking attack. Time it right, and Tiny Guardian will be destroyed, but if you miss, Pumpking's attack will drop to 0." Just as he had said, the Tiny Guardian began poking its head in and out of the holes in the top of the box rapidly. Pumpking's eye followed the head as best it could, trying to keep up with its target to prepare when his master ordered the attack.
Bones hesitated for about fifteen seconds, when he could take it no more. "Argh! Pumpking, attack now!" Pumpking reached for the Tiny Guardian, but it sprung back into the box just in time. Pumpking's tentacle was caught in the hole! The box's sides broke apart, allowing the Tiny Guardian to exit. It swung its small sword at the trapped pumpkin, slicing the orange plant clean in two before it shattered.
Bones: 400 Joey: 3000
"All right!" whooped Joey, "Your Pumpking's been reduced to pie!"
Serenity and the others all cheered loudly. "Wow, Joey's almost won!" she said in excitement.
"Don't count out the corpse yet," warned Yamato, "I've noticed something. He seemed really happy with his opening hand, and there are two cards he hasn't even set on the field yet for the whole duel. He's up to something, and it just might take one more card to turn the tables."
"Okay," said Joey, "my turn now. I'll destroy Fairy Box so I don't have to pay 500 Life Points to keep it." The purple box vanished, "And now, I'll summon Panther Warrior (2000/1500) in attack mode. He needs a sacrifice to attack, so I'll sacrifice the Tiny Guardian so he can slice and dice the Castle of Dark Illusions!" The purple-furred panther appeared, clad in armor and a cape, with its sword ready. The Tiny Guardian turned blue and was absorbed by Panther Warrior, which leapt high in the air and cut through the Castle with one mighty swing.
Bones knew he was on the ropes. But Yamato had been right. He just needed the right card now, and he'd easily have a monster strong enough to beat Joey. He drew a card and laughed aloud.
"What's with you?" said Joey in an annoyed tone.
"I just drew the card that will win this duel for me! Activate Polymerization! I can discard Ancient Brain and Tainted Wisdom to the graveyard to summon my strongest monster." The two monsters, one a fairy with a large brain, the other simply a large, rotting brain, momentarily appeared before swirling together. From the distorted image emerged a hideous being. It had absolutely no lower body. Its green skin was mostly covered by its armor. The breastplate was one humongous skull, the shield on its left arm was the face of a skull as well. The helmet on its head was made of a third skull, with two long brown horns jutting from its sides. The only thing it carried not made of bone was a large sword in its right hand. "Behold, the mighty Skull Knight (2650/2250)!" The Skull Knight's power rose due to Mystic Plasma Zone to 3150/1850. "I can't attack this turn because Skull Knight is a Fusion card, so you'll live for at least one more turn. But next turn, I should have another monster in my hand, and your Life Points will be history!"
"Wingweaver, attack!" cried Joy.
"Then I'll activate my Trap card, Mirror Force!" countered Spike.
"No!" As Wingweaver launched a ray of light at the facedown card, a barrier formed in front of it and reflected the blast. Wingweaver was destroyed by her own attack.
"And now I'll play Cocoon of Evolution in defense mode," the facedown card flipped to reveal a Petit Moth, which was encased in a cocoon immediately, its stats changing to 0/2000. "In four turns, the cocoon will break open, revealing one of the strongest cards to ever exist. I'll also play one card facedown."
"Well, I still have four turns to destroy your cocoon," Joy pointed out. After drawing a card, she whooped in triumph, "Yes! I play Raigeki, destroying all of your monsters!"
"Think again, I activate Dust Tornado, countering Raigeki and allowing me to set another Magic or Trap card facedown." The Raigeki lightning bolt lanced down to destroy Spike's monsters, but a tornado sprung up and sucked up the blast, then dispersed. Another facedown card appeared on Spike's field.
Joy frowned, then played another card, "I lay a monster in defense mode."
"My turn," Spike drew and said, "I play Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress #1 in attack mode (what a mouthful)! Winged Dragon, attack!" The blue, man-sized dragon appeared. It quickly shot a fireball from its mouth at the facedown card (Shining Friendship-1300/1100) and destroyed it. "Your move. Just three more turns." To dramatize the situation, Spike once again sprouted three spikes from his knuckles to symbolize a countdown.
Joy drew her card. She sighed, then put a monster in defense mode before signaling Spike to go.
He also drew, then ordered the Winged Dragon to attack. The facedown Petit Angel (1000/400) was instantly engulfed in flames. Spike retracted one of the spikes into his knuckle. Two turns left.
Joy drew a card, then smiled in triumph. "I play monster reborn, to revive my lost Wingweaver!" The fairy reappeared, and the Winged Dragon drew away in terror. "Now, I'll get rid of that cocoon. Wingweaver, attack!" The Wingweaver shot a ray of light at the cocoon, which vaporized rapidly. "Now I have the advantage."
"We'll see how long," said Spike. He knew, however, that this next draw was very important. He began to ask for the assistance of the Heart of the Cards. He drew his card. "I play Graceful Charity!" he shouted. "He then drew three cards and yelled, "I discard these two cards, then play Monster Reborn, to revive the Great Moth that I discarded!" The mighty Great Moth (2600/2500) appeared, flapping its immense wings in preparation of battle.
Joy was a bit stunned, but quickly regained herself, "So you managed to get the Great Moth out, but face the facts. It's not strong enough to beat my Wingweaver."
"Not yet," admitted Spike, "but you've forgotten about the facedown card I set when I activated Dust Tornado. Activate Laser Cannon Armor, to power up my Great Moth!" As the magic card activated, armor sprouted about the Great Moth's thorax, with a laser cannon perched between its wings, boosting it up to 2900/2800. "Great Moth, destroy the Wingweaver!" ordered Spike. The laser cannon powered up and launched a blast at the fairy, destroying it. "Now," continued Spike, "Winged Dragon, attack her Life Points directly!" One fireball blast later, the score had changed considerably.
Joy: 2450 Spike: 3550
"My turn," Joy managed to mutter after recovering. The card she drew was exactly what she needed. "I play Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two more cards." The cards she drew were exactly what she needed. "First off, I'll remove Shining Friendship and Petit Angel from my graveyard out of play to summon the Soul of Purity and Light (2000/1800)," a pale blue female ghost appeared, its eyes half-closed in a calming gesture. "Now, I equip her with Elf's Light," the Soul began to emit waves of yellow light, and its power changed to 2400/1600. "Finally, I play De-Spell, destroying your Laser Cannon Armor." The armor that Great Moth was wearing vanished, and its power reverted back to 2600/2500. "And I'll end my turn by destroying the Winged Dragon!" The Soul of Purity and Light let loose a blast of the yellow energy emanating from it, blowing away the blue dragon.
Joy: 2450 Spike: 2550
Spike took his turn. He knew of the Soul's effect: all of his monsters would lose 300 attack points during his battle phase, meaning that attacking would be fruitless. But the card he drew immediately solved that problem. "Joy," he said, "you have fought a good duel. But here is where it ends. I play Dark Hole!" The large abyssal tear in space appeared in the middle of the field, drawing in the Great Moth and the Soul of Purity and Light before disappearing completely. Joy gasped as she saw her last defense vanish. "Now to finish this. First, I remove the Skull Red Bird in my graveyard from play to summon Garuda the Wind Spirit (1600/1200). Next I summon Girochin Kuwagata in attack mode (1700/1000). Now they'll both attack your life points and finish you off."
An aven and a large, pink insect appeared. They lashed out at Joy's Life Points with talon and pincer, destroying the rest of her Life Points.
Joy: 0 Spike: 2550
Joy slumped as the holograms faded. She had been beaten. Spike relented control back to Kirbin, who walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder in comfort. "Hey," he said, "don't feel bad. You dueled amazingly."
Joy looked back up at him and smiled, then shuffled through her cards until she found her Wingweaver. She also fished out her one chip and offered them to Kirbin. "Here, you won these. They're yours."
Kirbin accepted the chip, but hesitated to take the card, "I think you should keep your Wingweaver," he explained, "It's your strongest card and I know it means a lot to you."
"Don't worry," said Joy, "I have a spare. Go ahead, keep it."
Kirbin smiled nervously, and finally took it from her hand. "There are some people I'd like you to meet," he said, "they're downstairs."
"Sure," she answered, "I'd like to know your friends."
"Great." With that, they headed down the hallway, the memory of the duel already far from their minds.
Joey stared at the fearsome Skull Knight, ready to do all he could to shield his Life Points. He drew a card and said, "Okay, I shift Panther Warrior to defense mode, and play the Scapegoat magic card." Panther Warrior went into a crouch, and four furry little balls with goat horns appeared around it, each one a different color. "I also play one more card facedown and end my turn."
"I hope Joey can beat that Skull Knight," Tea said worriedly, "and soon, or else he's doomed."
"My turn now," Bones grinned at the card he had drawn, "I play Dragon Zombie (1600/0) in attack mode!" As soon as it appeared, the zombie's power grew to 2100/0 thanks to Mystic Plasma Zone. "Skull Knight, Dragon Zombie, destroy two of the Scapegoats!" The Skull Knight cut through the Panther warrior with a single swing of the sword it carried, and the Dragon Zombie destroyed one of the Scapegoats by using its corrosive breath.
Joey grinned, then said, "Well, I can't keep you from destroying either of 'em, but I can still activate my Trap card, Graverobber!"
"What?"
"With the Graverobber, I can take a Magic card from your graveyard and use it against you. I have to wait until my turn to use it, though."
"What card do you think Joey took?" wondered Tristan.
"Oh, you'll see soon enough," said Lin with a smile.
"Well, I can't do anything else," muttered Bones, "so get on with it."
"Okay. First off, I play Goblin Attack Force!" six goblins, each one carrying one of a large assortment of weapons, appeared in front of Joey, who grinned before continuing, "next, I'll play Giant Trunade, to return all magic and trap cards on the field to our hands." A large hurricane appeared overhead, blowing away the Mystic Plasma Zone and Joey's three remaining Scapegoats. "Now I play Tribute to the Doomed, discarding my returned Scapegoat to destroy your Skull Knight!" Skull Knight was instantly wrapped in bandages and dragged into the ground. "Now, to top things off, Goblin Attack Force, destroy the Dragon Zombie!" The Dragon Zombie, now back to its normal 1600/0, was covered by the goblins and beat by sword, axe, spike, and hammer.
Bones: 0 Joey: 3000
Serenity cheered as the holograms faded. Bones dropped to his knees. His two strongest monsters had been beaten in one duel. Joey walked up to him with his hand held out. "Come on, hand 'em over, your rarest card and your microchip."
Bones dug out his Skull Knight and chip and handed them over to Joey, who pocketed them temporarily. Bones stood up and held out his hand to Joey. "It was a good duel. I hope we can have a second rematch."
Joey smiled and accepted the handshake. "Count on it." With that, the two duelists went their separate ways.
-pant pant- Over 4000 words. This is the longest chapter yet.
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