Author's Note: Let's check in on Kirani shall we?
Chapter Fifteen: The Family Secret
Sadness. Nobody enjoys feeling sad, even though some people enjoy causing sadness in others. Kirani Kajika, young woman in her mid-twenties, was not such a person. Which was exactly why she felt horrible.
She had heard Drake, she had done it deliberately, knowing exactly how he would feel when she left. She had known that it was necessary, that she had to leave for many complicated reasons. But even knowing that it had to be done didn't make it right.
He was a good person, despite his past and things he had done. It was like he had been cursed to suffer, experiencing the worst aspects of life as well as some of the best. When she had first met him though, he had been a lot different when he was now.
Kirani smiled slightly, remembering the very first time they met.
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Kirani heard the door open up, and someone walked into the room. Immediately, knowing who it was, she flicked the light on. The lights sprang on, and the person who had just entered flung his arms up to shield his eyes from the light. She smiled underneath her Rare Hunter hood.
Finally the teen recovered from the light, lowering his arms to give her a good look at him. He was about sixteen, and fairly tall with a lithe build and apparently plenty of muscle. He had wild reddish brown hair and vivid violet eyes. He was pretty good looking, in a scruffy punk way.
He looked up at her and smirked. "I got the Blue Eyes, so I guess that means I'm a Rare Hunter now, right? All official and everything?"
Kirani couldn't help but laugh at the way he spoke. His manner of speaking was crude and rude, it was obvious he didn't have respect for most people. Somehow that just seemed funny to her. 'I'm supposed to tell him he's accepted and take the Blue Eyes, but I've got a better idea.'
"You might have gained the approval of the others, but I won't accept you until you've proven yourself a Rare Hunter of true skill. One like me, with the Blue Eyes you're about to give me." The outraged look on his face was just perfect.
"What? This is bullshit! I did everything I was told, and now I'm being challenged to a duel by another Rare Hunter who doesn't think I'm up to snuff? That and I have to give her that is you, the Blue Eyes I won?" In response she tossed back her hood, stopping herself from laugh at the shocked look on his face when he saw her.
"Ready Drake?" The teen grimaced and stepped up onto his side of the Duel Platform, then transferred the Blue Eyes to her side. Immediately she shuffled it up into her deck, then both of them slammed their decks down. (DLP: 2000, KLP: 2000)
He smirked and drew five cards, looking back up at her. "Absolutely."
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He had been crude back then, and a brash tough teenager. However, when push came to shove he had proven himself to be strong and willing to take risks for those he cared about. He began to mature, until he eventually became the strong passionate and honorable man that he was today. 'And I'm so sorry for hurting you Drake, but it had to be done.'
She could still remember back in Battle City when she was first aware of his crush on her. She was a year and a half older than he was, so it wasn't even something she contemplated back then. She had been eighteen, and he just sixteen. He also wasn't her type, but his crush was flattering.
Despite her first impressions of him, expecting him not to care about anyone, she was surprised to learn that he was furious with Malik for putting the Rare Hunters who had trusted and followed him through such hell. That was when her opinion of him began to change.
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Kirani had gone to Drake's room on the Kaiba Craft, the poorly named blimp, in order to ask him his opinions about taking down the god cards and Malik. What she discovered when she silently opened the door wasn't what she had been expecting.
Drake was staring hard at his cards, his fists clenched tight. She could see how hard he was concentrating, and it seemed strange to her that the brash teenager she had thought she knew could show so much deadly focus. "Thinking hard, or hardly thinking?"
The teen jerked his head up, and his eyes softened immediately, his lips turning up from a flat line into his customary grin. "I'm thinking about the upcoming duels. Things like the god cards and…Malik."
Both of them bowed their heads in honor of the Rare Hunters who had suffered because of the insane teenager. They were good people, despite their profession. They did what they needed to do with the job they had and the skills they possessed. 'It really bothers him…it's eating away at him.'
Knowing that she needed to get Drake to relax or have him do something stupid, Kirani jumped on the first thing that came to mind. "Looks…let's focus on something a bit lighter for now. We could both do with a little relaxation. I hear they have a buffet our there, want to check it out?"
The teen grinned like an idiot and hopped to his feet, snagging his leather jacket off his chair. Together they walked out of the room, smiling and laughing. Before they reached the elevator, Kirani felt she had to say something. "Drake…I was wrong about you."
"Huh? What do you mean?" He genuinely looked confused, and Kirani found that somehow endearing.
"The way I was thinking about you, I was wrong. I'm sorry about that, I thought you were just some selfish punk. A jerk who didn't care about anyone other than himself. But really, you're a good caring person." She smiled at him, but was surprised when he looked away.
"No…you were right. I'm not a good person." Immediately she reached out and jerked his head around so he was looking at her.
"Don't say you're a bad person. The fact that you care that other people have been hurt…that says you're not selfish. So please, don't look down on yourself, okay?" Drake stared at for several seconds, and then finally nodded slowly.
"Okay then. Now come on, there's food waiting for us."
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Of course at the time neither of them had been aware that the real threat on the blimp was not Malik, but rather the psychotic evil spirit possessed fifteen year old named Taichi Nobuki. When she had her soul taken, he had been enraged and gone after Taichi with a vengeance.
After that whole situation they had parted ways, but began to see each other quite often after a little while. They got to know each other better and her opinion of him continued to change. Then the situation with Eikyuu erupted, and it seemed like she wouldn't get a chance to tell him how she had come to feel. She had fallen in love with that brash but passionate teenager.
She had been forced to face Taichi Nobuki, and she had found herself paralyzed by hidden terror of the person responsible from taking her soul and nearly killing her. He had proven himself to be a disgusting psychotic little freak, and she had been sure she would remain forever trapped in her own fears…but the part of Drake's soul that was always with her helped her get over her fear.
It was that aspect of Drake, his love for her, that had continued to shine through for her in her struggles. It had helped her defeat Taichi, and most recently it had helped her defeat the darkest aspects of himself. 'He's changed but…he still punishes himself for everything.'
Now, here she was, after crushing his spirit, back at where they had previously been. She was standing outside the door that would lead into their joint apartment and finding herself unable to open the door. "Come on Kirani, it's just a door."
After a bit more effort at mentally berating herself she placed her hand on the door and pushed it open. The apartment was exactly as they had left it, all the way to the open Ramen package on the counter. "Why am I here anyways?"
"You know, I sort of wondered about that myself. What are you doing back here?" Kirani's eyes widened and she fumbled for the light switch. When she hit it, the faces she saw sitting on the couch in the living room were faces she hadn't seen in years.
"Tokuha…what are you doing here?" Sitting in the center, the one who had spoken was an older man, looking about in his late twenties. He had light brown hair and bright blue eyes, and a very professional look about him, including the black and white suit he was wearing.
"You know why I'm hear Kirani, otherwise you wouldn't have sent your boyfriend away. You've been expecting us for some time now. You're done neglecting your duties, and it's time for you to do what you were meant to do." The two women sitting next to him, one on each side, each smirked.
Kirani grimaced. It was true, she had been expecting them to come, but that wasn't her only reason for leaving Drake. "Tokuha, I told you and everyone else that I wasn't going to have anything to do with you anymore. I don't want to be a tool for all of you, to be a tool like the rest of you."
The older looking woman, who appeared just a few years older than Kirani, jumped to her feet, looking furious. Her dark brown hung in braid over her shoulder, and her dark blue eyes burned into Kirani's eyes. "You neglect the duties you were born into! You disrespect all of us, you disrespect your family!"
Tokuha raised a hand in a calming gesture, and the woman sat back down to a giggle from the younger girl. "Miyuki, such outbursts are unnecessary. As The Enforcer you should know better than to use violence unless necessary."
Kirani grimaced and made a slashing motion with her left hand. "This is exactly why I left ten years ago! It's all about our duties, and never about being actual family! You don't even think of her as Miyuki, your younger sister, you just think of her as her position, The Enforcer! So what am I to you, The Watcher, just as always?"
Tokuha frowned, but didn't seem to be overly bothered. "I think of you as Kirani, my younger sister, and also as The Watcher. It's your duty to watch for the two Pillars of Creation, just as it is my duty as The Envoy, to act as a messenger between the family."
She sighed and lowered herself into the chair that sat facing her three siblings. "The Kajika family is always about duty, always about the Pillars of Creation. You know I didn't want that, I didn't want that burden. I wanted to be a regular girl and lead a regular life, not be someone with a duty and a destiny."
The final sibling, the youngest, finally spoke up. She was young, not even in her twenties yet, and had long wavy hair that was so light brown as to almost be blonde, and her eyes were as rich a blue color as Kirani's own eyes. "So really sis, you just wanted to have some fun. I can understand that, and it looks like you've had some fun, what with that hunk boyfriend of yours."
"Don't talk about him, you don't have the right Satsuki. How can you be part of this at all? You've never gotten a chance to be a real teenager; you've always been The Key. You were just a little girl when I left, a little girl who didn't want this anymore than I did. What's happened?" Satsuki smirked, flipping her hair out over her shoulder.
"I learned, unlike you, that there are things that have to be done. Besides, how many girls grow up knowing that they are destined to unlock the power of the Pillars of Creation, the most powerful force in existence? Just me, that's who. So, show me the way to the Pillars Kirani, and maybe I'll show you how to really take care of a man." The teenager smirked, running a hand through her wavy tresses, much to Kirani's irritation.
"You don't know anything Satsuki! You're just a little girl, a seventeen year old who doesn't know any better! This isn't destiny, it's stupidity! A family that has for thousands of years clung to this stupid belief with nothing showing us that it makes any difference? What purpose does it serve to drive every member of this family into the ground when the Pillars of Creation may not even exist!" The two women were up and in each others faces, sparks flying.
Tokuha groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose in irritation. "Satsuki, Kirani, sit down both of you. This isn't the time for a spat between siblings. We've got some discussion to make, and we need Kirani to come along with us peacefully to do what has to be done."
"I won't be going anywhere Tokuha. I have no intention of it. Now get out of my home you uptight jackass!" The stinging of her cheek came to a surprise to Kirani, and she shook her head to clear away the spots. When she focused again, she saw that it was Satsuki who had slapped her.
Satsuki looked furious. "You can't talk about elder brother like that! You haven't been here at all, you're the one who doesn't know anything about this family! Now…you'll come with us, even if I have to force you to do so."
"Force me? What do you think you'll do to force me into coming with you?" Satsuki smirked and raised her left arm, revealing a silvery DD3, which was already clicking into position. At the same time the area around them pulsed, into they were surrounded by endless darkness. (SLP: 8000)
"A Darkness Game, that's how, extended for you to feel the humiliation. Now come on big sister, let me show you what your little sister has learned in the ten years you've been gone. I was just seven when you left, but now I'm all grown up, and I'll show you that I'm the better sister!" She drew six cards from her deck, and waited for Kirani to draw her own cards.
Kirani grimaced, casting a glance over Satsuki's shoulder. Indeed, nobody was included in the Darkness Game but them. That meant that Tokuha and Miyuki couldn't be voices of reason for their impulsive younger sibling. "Fine Satsuki, let's get this over with." (KLP: 8000)
Satsuki held up one of her six cards, and then slid it into the graveyard. "Call in the Cavalry when played goes to the cemetery. Its effect triggers from the cemetery under certain circumstances, but you won't have to worry about that yet."
She smirked and picked up another card from her hand, holding it between two fingers. "Sister, I'm going to show you monsters who are true warriors, not like your Gilfords. A monster who, throughout his life, was rival to Gilford. Yet despite that, he never required the power of lightning to match his rival."
Kirani blinked, surprised by the description. She had never heard of any rival to Gilford in all her time as a duelist. "Fine, show me this rival to Gilford."
"I will! I summon you, Gaia, Knight of Twin Swords(1700/1500)!" The holographic image of a knight in blue and red armor appeared in front of Satsuki. It looked a lot like Gaia the Fierce Knight, but without a mount and the two lances. Instead this knight carried two long swords, one in each hand.
Kirani quirked an eyebrow, surprised at the appearance of the monster. "Gaia? Like Gaia the Fierce Knight, or Swift Gaia? You're saying that Gaia is the rival to Gilford?"
"That's right! Now, I set one card face down and challenge you to come meet your rival in battle!" Satsuki looked so completely confident that Kirani felt like laughing. But she knew her little sister was dead serious about using the Darkness Game to force her to go with them.
Kirani drew and glanced down at her hand of cards. After a quick look she figured it would be best to start defensively. "I set one monster and one magic or trap card. Turn end."
Satsuki giggled even as she drew. "That's the best you can do? Well let me tell you now, that Knight of Twin Swords can attack twice if I have another Gaia in play. So, I summon Gaia, Knight of the Tempest(1000/1000)!"
Another version of Gaia strode out of his card, this one wearing fanciful armor with gold gilded into it. He also held a dark red handled sword, much in the style of Breaker's weapon. "When this monster is normal summoned I destroy one magic or trap on your field for every monster in play with 'Gaia' and 'Knight' in its name! So your only set card is gone!"
Knight of the Tempest swung his blade, and a fierce blast of wind shot out of it, heading straight for the set card. But Kirani was ready. "Instead of letting it be destroyed I'll trigger it! Raigeki Break lets me discard one card from my hand to destroy one card on your field!"
A bolt of lightning shot out from the trap and slammed into Knight of Twin Swords. He screamed in pain, and then exploded into pixels, leaving Knight of the Tempest alone on the field of battle. Satsuki pouted at seeing her monster destroyed. "Fine, if that's the way you'll play it I'll just end my turn."
The elder of the two sisters drew, and then pointed to her set monster. Immediately it shimmered into view, showing an older man in white and blue armor. "Wise One Gilford(700/500) when flipped lets me add one magic card from my deck to my hand!"
A card ejected from her deck and she caught it, then held it out over her hand. "Enter the Storm activates! I pay one thousand life points to summon Gilford the Lightning(2800/1400) to the field, though he cannot attack this turn!" (KLP: 7000)
Her mightiest monster, the cornerstone of her deck, descended from above as a bolt of lightning. He stretched in his shining armor and then reached up one strong hand to the hilt of his sword. "Enter the Storm treats Gilford as if three monsters were tributed to summon him. So, his effect activates! Raigeki Blade!"
Satsuki threw up her hands in defense as Gilford unsheathed his sword, sending a powerful blast of lightning across the field. The lightning arched through Knight of the Tempest and he was no more. "Lucky for you he can't attack this turn."
The younger sister grimaced as she watched her elder sister toss another card out onto the field. "Child of the Storm-Gilford(1200/800) comes out to play! And he'll attack you directly!"
A much younger version of Gilford appeared next to the older form, wearing very light armor, and looking to be about twelve. Immediately he swung his sword, a small thing barely able to count as a sword, and a tiny shot of lightning struck Satsuki. "Little runt…" (SLP: 6800)
Wise One Gilford started to pop his joints out, and then picked up the sheathed blade that had been sitting in his lap. It was the same weapon that Gilford the Lightning carried, what he had carried when he was still Gilford the Lightning, but it looked big against his weakened and elderly form. "Wise One Gilford, direct attack!"
To Satsuki's surprise the old duel monster snapped the blade out of its sheath with as much precision as Gilford the Lightning had, proving that even in his old age he still possessed the same skill. A bolt of lightning struck Satsuki, dropping her to the ground, her clothing smoking. "He'll pay for that as well." (SLP: 6100)
"Talk talk talk, that's all I'm hearing from you Satsuki. Step up your game or big sister is going to walk all over you. Now, turn end!" She slid a final card into her duel disk, and then nodded to her younger sister.
Satsuki drew, and then smirked at what she saw amongst the four cards in her hand. Kirani frowned, wondering just what her little sister was planning. "In order to fight back against the power of the lightning, Gaia knew he had to grow stronger. So he decided to travel."
The younger girl picked up three of the cards she was holding, and fiddled with the one in the middle. "In his travels he came across many dangerous beasts, and fought until he gained greater strength. But once in his travels he encountered a deadly creature that he could not defeat in direct battle, a creature of great magnificence that he couldn't slay without feeling horrible."
Slowly the teenage girl began to twist that one card around. "That creature was a mighty dragon, and instead of slaying the deadly beast, Gaia knew what to do. To defeat a warrior who had gained power in the sky, the power of the lightning, he would take flight! So, with great difficulty, he tamed that dragon."
Kirani's eyes narrowed as she realized just what Satsuki was getting at. Satsuki smirked and finished flipping the card around, but to Kirani's surprise it wasn't a Polymerization. "In honor of Gaia's efforts I play Taming the Dragon Mount! I must discard one card from my hand and send a Gaia the Fierce Knight(2300/2100) from my hand or field to the grave to activate it!"
She flipped the other two cards around, showing that one of them was indeed Gaia the Fierce Knight. Then she slid all three cards into the grave and suddenly two monsters appeared on the field. One of them was Curse of Dragon(2000/1600), hunkering over fallen prey. The other was Gaia the Fierce Knight, without his regular mount.
As Kirani and Satsuki watched, Gaia approached the deadly dragon, holding his hand out in a calming way. The dragon tilted its head up, staring at Gaia, looking rather irritated by the presence. Gaia whistled, still slowly approaching. The dragon didn't bother to move, instead it still watched Gaia carefully. "Are all these holographic sequences so long?"
"Shut up and watch!" And so they did, as Gaia finally finished the approach and placed his hand upon Curse of Dragon's head. The dragon bowed its head, and Gaia mounted it. Together they took to the sky, striking a sudden pose.
"Thanks to my card, I've now summoned Gaia the Dragon Champion(2600/2300) from my fusion deck to the field! But that's not all, because look at how many cards I have in hand." Kirani looked, and saw that Satsuki was holding just one card in her hand.
"Since I haven't summoned this turn, and since it's the only card in my hand, I'll normal summon Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight(2300/2100) without tribute! And now the effect of Call in the Cavalry activates! Since I normal summoned a monster with 'gaia' and 'knight' in its title to empty my hand, I now get to draw two cards!" She drew twice, slightly replenishing her hand.
She looked at the cards, and then slipped one into her duel disk, right below the space that Swift Gaia was occupying. "I equip Swift Gaia with Gaia's Twin Lances, which equip to a monster with 'gaia' and 'knight' in its title and increases its attack by seven hundred!"
Nothing happened at all to the monster, since it was already holding two lances. Instead its attack score rose until it was higher than Gilford's. "Gaia the Dragon Champion, take to the sky and destroy Wise One Gilford!"
The dragon moutned knight flew high into the air, and then threw a lance straight down at the elderly duel monster. At the same time the Curse of Dragon opened its mouth and shot a stream of flame down at the monster. Wise One Gilford was blown away. "Got my revenge didn't I?" (KLP: 5100)
When Kirani didn't respond, Satsuki pouted, but then that instantly transformed to a look of victory. "Next I'll get rid of your strongest monster. Swift Gaia, slay your rival! Whirlwind Lance Strike!"
Swift Gaia began pounding across the field on his horse, one lance raised and ready to strike. "Gaia won't even get close because Gilford is guarded by the power of the storm! Reverse card open, Storm Barrier! This destroys your attacking monster and inflicts seven hundred damage to your life points!"
Swift Gaia's charge led it straight into a wall of electricity, and he and the horse let out one pitiful cry before shattering into tiny little holographic pixels. Satsuki punched a hand into her thigh, looking frustrated. "Damn! And the Twin Lances would have protected him from being destroyed in battle too." (SLP: 5400)
With little else to do, Satsuki took her last card and slipped it onto her duel disk. "That card face down. Go ahead Kirani, let's see if you can fight back against me effectively. Just know that Gaia will crush Gilford in the end."
Kirani drew, and then slammed the drawn card down. "Gilford of Thunder(1800/400) in attack mode! Now I draw one card from the top of my deck and one from the bottom!" She drew the two required cards, giving her four in hand.
"Gilford, attack Gaia the Dragon Champion with Thunderbolt Cut!" A streak of lightning slammed into the dragon mounted knight. Although the two monsters seemed to struggle against it, eventually they succumbed and blew apart. (SLP: 5200)
"Now, Gilford of Thunder attacks you directly!" The smaller Gilford raised his sword and jumped for Satsuki, the blade pointed directly at her chest. She gasped, and then suddenly Gaia appeared out of nowhere and blocked the strike with his lance.
"Thank you for defending me Gaia. Here is a token of my appreciation." She held up a handkerchief, and the fierce knight took it, giving her a bow. Then he spurred his mount and road away, vanishing into the darkness.
Kirani looked at her younger sister blankly, and then at the space where the knight had vanished into. "What…what the heck was that?"
"That was my trap card, Fierce, But Chivalrous. It negates one direct attack against me and lets me add a monster with 'gaia' and 'knight' from my deck to my hand." She popped her deck out, and then flipped through it until she found what she wanted.
"Fine, but that's just a one time thing. Child of the Storm, give it a shot!" This time, when Child of the Storm fired its minimal attack, the damage was there and Satsuki could only shudder as she took the hit, despite the fact that it wasn't as strong as some others. (SLP: 4000)
"You see Satsuki? Had you not upped our life points you would have already lost. You just aren't up to facing me yet, this duel is pointless! Just like our stupid duty! Now, one card face down, and end!" She slammed the card into her duel disk, frustrated that her sister couldn't see what she saw.
The younger sister drew, looking positively furious. "I'll show you…our destiny is that of a family together! Our destiny is true, and I'll prove it when I win! One card face down, and then I summon Quick-Silver Knight Gaia(1600/1500)!"
A lightly armored Gaia, looking younger than the previous version, rode on out one a gray colored horse. His armor was silver, with streaks reaching out from the helmet and at key joints in the armor. "When summoned he lets me draw one card from my deck, and Call in the Cavalry lets me draw two cards!"
The elder sister grimaced as her younger sister quickly drew three cards, giving her the same number that Kirani herself had. "Next I play Graceful Charity!" An angel appeared above them, and points of light fell into Satsuki's deck, letting her draw three cards again.
"Now, I discard two cards, and one of them is Repayment of Losses! So I'll draw an additional card!" She slid two cards into her cemetery, and then a new card off her deck, giving her four cards total.
She paused to look over her cards, and then snapped them shut. "End!"
Kirani looked at her sister suspiciously even as she drew, looking at the two face down cards on the younger girl's field. "Alright, time to test the water so to speak. Gilford of Thunder, attack Quick-Silver Knight Gaia!"
"Yeah, like I'd let that happen. Reverse card open, Waboku!" A group of three robed men appeared in the way, and Gilford of Thunder stopped before his charge got him anywhere. Looking frustrated the warrior returned to where he had previously been.
"Well, if I can't deal damage yet then I'll just build up a powerful force. Kaiser Seahorse(1700/1650) in attack mode. Then I set a card face down. That'll end my turn." A powerfully armored monster with a trident in one hand formed, following by a face down card behind it.
Satsuki drew, and then tossed her new card out onto the field. "Knight's Squire Gaia(1300/1000) prevents other Gaia's from being targeted directly by your spell and trap cards. Plus he can't be attacked while I have other monsters with 'knight' and 'gaia' in their names in play."
What looked like a young version of Gaia, around thirteen, appeared on her field next to her other monster. This was the first Gaia not to be wearing any armor, all he wore was a brown leather jerkin, and had a short sword strapped to his side. "Two cards set, turn end!"
Kirani drew, and then slammed her drawn card into place. "Go magic card, Bolt From The Blue! First I select one Gilford the Lightning and forfeit its attack for the turn, then in exchange…I destroy all monsters on your field!"
Gilford pointed his sword straight up, and then lightning bolts began to rain down on Satsuki's field. Suddenly Quick-Silver Knight Gaia let out a furious yell, causing the Gilfords to back up. "Trap card activates, Raging Battle Cry! When I have a warrior in play it lets me remove your battle phase for the turn!"
Seconds later the two monsters exploded, leaving Satsuki with just her face down cards. Kirani frowned, but knew there was little she could do. "Fine, if I can't attack then I'll just end my turn."
Satsuki drew, then slid two of her cards into her duel disk. "I set two cards face down. Next, I play Coins From Heaven! I draw six cards!" Kirani complied, drawing four until they each held six cards total.
She looked over her cards, and then plucked one out, holding it up. The image of a green grinning pot was easily recognized. "Well now, Pot of Greed activates!"
One quick look at her two new cards, and then she took a different card and tossed it down. "I summon another Quick-Silver Knight Gaia(1600/1500) to draw a new card!" She drew to replace the monster, keeping her at seven cards.
Satsuki reached out and pressed an activation button on her duel disk, and one of her previous set cards flipped up. "Swift Army activates when I normal summon a warrior! It lets me special summon a warrior from my deck with a level less than the summoned monster!"
She slipped a card out of her duel disk and then tossed it down. "Veteran Knight Gaia(1400/1500) in defense mode!" Her newest monster looked like an older version of Gaia, wearing the same helmet, but lighter armor, more suiting of a commander than a soldier.
Finally she took two of the remaining cards in her hand and plugged them into her duel disk. "Two cards face down. Now go ahead sis, show me what you and your pathetic Gilfords can do."
Kirani drew, her fingers gripping the card as she surveyed her sister's field. Finally she held out the card, sending a bolt of lightning flying across the field. "Cyclone to destroy the card on the far left!"
Satsuki shrugged, placing the destroyed card into her cemetery. "That's okay; it was just my Gaia's Phalanx trap card. I can live without it."
Next Kirani placed one of her other cards down onto the duel disk, and a monster identical to one she already had in play was generated by the holographic interface. "Gilford of Thunder(1800/400) brings my hand back up to six cards!"
The younger sister grimaced, bracing herself for an all out attack from the five monsters. But it didn't look like Kirani was done. "I equip Gilford the Lightning with his preferred weapon, the Lightning Blade!"
A new weapon appeared in Gilford's hand, charging his attack power up to thirty-six hundred. "Next I activate the field card, Heart of the Storm, which boosts all of my current monsters by four hundred attack. All except Kaiser Seahorse that is."
Once again Gilford the Lightning got a boost, hitting four thousand, while the other monsters also felt the increase in power. "Now, Gilford of Thunder, attack Veteran Knight Gaia!"
Satsuki's apprehension vanished almost immediately, and she pointed to one of her set cards. It flipped up, and Kirani gasped as she saw what it was. "Activate trap card, Mirror Force! Pay for your overconfidence!"
The attack reflected backwards, and five streaks of lightning slammed into her monsters, blasting them all apart, leaving her with a minimal field. "Damn…looks like I feel for that one. I set one card and end my turn."
Her sister drew once, and then a card popped out of her deck and into her hand. "Veteran Knight Gaia lets me place one spell or trap from my deck into my hand during my standby phase, provided it relates to the gaia knights."
She tucked the card into her hand, and then grabbed a different one. "Your casual destruction of the previous Gaias…it's left them wanting revenge. Now, I sacrifice Veteran Knight Gaia to summon the rage of the knights! Gaia, Knight of Vengeance(1900/1500)!"
The knight that appeared look just like the normal Gaia, only part of his helmet was cracked away, and blood was running down over his eye. His armor was also splattered with blood, and he carried a large broadsword in place of lances. "Wielder of the Gilford, I will reap vengeance upon you!"
Kirani had heard monsters talk before, but this was the first time one had directly addressed her. This was certainly an interesting hologram. "What's so impressive about that?"
"Gaia, Knight of Vengeance gains three hundred attack and defense points for every monster with 'gaia' in its name in the cemetery! Now, Gaia, Knight of Vengeance(4900/4500), attack Kirani directly!" With a roar of rage the monster charged directly for her, ready to strike her down.
Despite the monster charging for her, Kirani wasn't worried. Instead she shoved one of the cards she was holding into her graveyard. "I discard Kuriboh the Lightning(300/200) from my hand to activate its effect! I special summon Gilford the Lightning(2800/1400) from the grave to the field!"
Gilford the Lightning emerged, only to be slashed across the chest and driven backwards by the force of Gaia's attack. Gilford grimaced, latching a hand onto his bloody wound, but didn't fall. "During the turn that he is special summoned by Kuriboh the Lightning he cannot be destroyed in battle!"
Then the wound on his chest faded as energy surged from it to the now face-up metal contraption on Kirani's field. "Lightning Rod absorbs the seventeen hundred damage from the battle!"
Frustrated though she was by her failure to deal damage, she was still confident with her obscenely powerful monster in play. "I set two cards face down. Next turn my Knight of Vengeance will show you my power! Then you'll have to come with us!"
Kirani drew, and at the sight of the card, she calmed down completely. "It's time to show you the power that Gilford is capable of achieving. It's all over now…I remove Gilford of Thunder, Gilford of Thunder, and Wise One Gilford from the game. This lets me summon Gilford, Lord of the Storm(2800/1400)!"
Glowing with his armor, the Lord of the Storm descended from the sky, his blazing sword of lightning held straight up and pointing at the darkness above. "When Gilford, Lord of the Storm is special summoned by his effect I destroy all cards on our fields and in our hands except for him! Storm of Destruction!"
As the energy began to build up, Kirani held up another of her cards. "I play Emergency Provisions, sacrificing my set card and Lightning Rod before they are blown away to gain two thousand life points!" (KLP: 7100)
Thousands of lightning bolts slammed down all over the field, blasting apart their cards. However, unlike the other times when she had used it, Kirani was surprised to see a card still on her opponent's field. Knight of Vengeance was still standing. "The trap card Fighting Through Pain resurrects a warrior immediately after being destroyed, so I still have my strong monster in play."
At the same time its attack score changed, going up by three hundred thanks to the new monster in the grave. Kirani drew a card from her deck, and explained. "I sent Repayment of Losses to the grave with Lord of the Storm's effect. Now, I play the updated Payment of Debt! By removing a monster in my cemetery from the game I draw three cards!"
She placed Kaiser Seahorse in her back pocket, and then slid three more cards off her deck. She glanced at the three cards, and then slapped one of them in, sliding another into the grave. "By discarding one card from my hand I can play Lightning Vortex to destroy your face-up monster!"
Satsuki gasped as her only monster was blown apart. Now her field was entirely empty and she had nothing she could do. "Lord of the Storm, attack Satsuki directly!" Satsuki screamed as the lightning sliced into her body, draining almost all of her life points. (SLP: 1200)
Kirani slid the last card from her hand into her duel disk, and nodded to her recovering younger sister, showing that she was done. "Satsuki, there's nothing you can do at this point. Please, give up and spare yourself the pain caused by a Darkness Game. We may not see eye to eye, but I don't want to hurt you, you're my sister."
Satsuki struggled to stand, looking weak but furious. "Shut up…save your pity for the weak. Leading the Charge…special summons Gaia the Fierce Knight(2300/2100) from my deck in defense. End turn."
As soon as Kirani had drawn, Lord of the Storm launched itself forwards and slashed Gaia in half. "You can't top deck to victory against Lord of the Storm. End turn."
Her sister drew, and then placed her drawn card down. "Elusive Knight Gaia(1800/1000) in attack. Call in the Cavalry lets me draw twice." She drew twice, while a gaia in pitch black armor wielding a rapier appeared.
Suddenly all depression vanished from Satsuki's face, and she began to laugh. "It's over for you big sister…it's over for your pathetic Gilfords! Activate magic card, Image of Dreams!"
The field began to glow, and Kirani heard the sound of a horse galloping. 'Something powerful is coming…'
"Big sister…meet my ultimate monster!"
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Author's Notes: Believe it or not, this is an actual duel I had with a friend.
Next Time: Kirani's sister unleashes her ultimate monster, but Kirani is ready to fight back! What's this though? Satsuki is the weakest duelist in the family…then who's the strongest?
See it all in, Kill the Messenger !
Review Response
WolfGeneral: Yeah, a group fic would be a lot of fun once we figured out what we wanted to do. And I've taken a World Religions class, it was a lot of fun.
Black Death X: What gave you the impression Kirani was dead?
Time Mage: Yeah, I like Pema to. It was annoying getting an actual Tibetan name for him though.
G.O.T. Nick: Personally I loved the combo to get five Mercurys in play. I mean, there are lots of ways to refresh your hand, but five Mercurys? That's good.