Tea's Time to Shine
Tea: Hi folks! We've got a cool episode for you today! There's another exciting duel, and we all get to learn a little bit more about Zev. Really, I'm wondering why she's so nuts.
Magicman: Hey! It's my job to introduce the chapters! Ah, how could I stay mad you?
Tea: ^_^
Joey: Author's pet!
Tea: _
Pegasus: Don't annoy her Joey-boy. You know very well that she can spit nails when she gets mad. Remember that episode when Kaiba beat Yugi and she let him have it with both barrels?
Joey: Oh yeah.
Tea: Now that that's done with, let's get started.
Magicman: ^_//
***
The night stars twinkled beautifully against the black-blue velvet sky that seemed to wrap itself around the Earth. The warm night wind whispered through the trees and the crackling glow from the fire lit the campsite with a cheerful gleam. The occasional spark flickered off into the darkened forest zone. Tea lay back against a log, her legs stretched out and her arms behind her head, and heaved a sigh of contentment.
'Four star chips and a full belly. Life is good.'
The little gang had gone to one of the concession stands that Pegasus had set up since last tournament. This especially helped, because they were equipped with washrooms. Akki had shown them that duellists ate for free, and they'd gleefully stuffed themselves. The most priceless moment had been when Yugi put straws up his nose and made Yami spray root beer from his. Of course they had had to clean up the mess, but it was worth it.
Tea yawned. Bacon double cheeseburgers always made her sleepy, and it was so late. They had barely managed to set up camp an hour ago. Maybe she should close her eyes for a minute...
A rustling in the bushes heralded Yami's arrival and Tea's eyes popped open. He looked sooo hot in the firelight. She only hoped that the glow masked her sudden blush.
The former pharaoh walked over to Tea and sat down next to her. "It's some beautiful night, isn't it?"
"Is that a rhetorical question?"
Yami smiled. "Kind of."
Tea yawned again. My, she was sleepy!
"You know Tea, I never really congratulated you." Yami said. "You don't have much duelling experience and you've already earned four star chips from two really tough duellists. You should be very proud of yourself."
Tea smiled serenely. "I should be thanking you, you know. You and Yugi."
Yami raised an eyebrow. "Why's that?"
"You two believed I could do it. When I wanted to sign up for this tournament, Bakura was a scornful ass, Ryou just stared at me, and Joey laughed. You two never doubted that I could successfully compete." She smiled as she reached up a hand and stroked Yami's cheek. "Thanks."
Yami closed his eyes and felt the smooth gentle touch. His soul stirred with emotions he longed to act on.
A crackle of noise tore through the beautiful moment. Tea and Yami's heads snapped left, staring into the forest that had once been so peaceful and comforting. Tea didn't know why, but fear welled up in her heart.
The forest crackled again and a rush of leaves flew on a sudden gust. Yami moved in front of Tea, shielding her from danger.
Then for a time, the crackling stopped. There was naught but silence but for the spitting fire. The wind died down again. The two teenagers relaxed just the tiniest bit.
Then the most God awful, blood-curdling howl shrieked through the forest.
Tea screamed in terror, clinging to Yami's arm. Yami's eyes widened and stood his ground, prepared to fight off any onslaught. 'What sort of demon can make a cry like that?!' he thought wildly.
The cry continued for an eternity before slowly dying out. There was silence for three seconds. Then a new sound echoed through the forest. Human laughter. It was cruel, mocking, and more than a little insane but it was human laughter nonetheless.
The laughter was joined by words, gasped in between breaths. "Oh, that was incredible!" the voice cackled. "I haven't done something like that in years! I'd forgotten how much fun it could be. Look at your faces!" The voice descended into manic cackles again.
A shape strolled from the shadows of the forest. The shape coalesced into the figure of a woman. Regaining her breath, Tea scowled when she recognised the woman. "You!" she spat. "What do you want?"
Zev Crawford shrugged and leaned lazily against a tree. "What do any of us want, really?"
"Well, I for one want to know why you just jumped out from nowhere, screaming like a demon and scaring the wits out of us!"
"Fair enough. I like scaring people. I find it funny." Zev fanned herself lightly with one hand. "For some reason though, other people don't share my sense of humour."
"You're sick!"
"No. I'm eccentric. There's a big difference." Zev shrugged and eyed Tea calculatingly. "So you've obviously managed to survive through the first day. And you've got four star chips I see. Not bad. I've got four chips myself." She waved her hand carelessly and her chips sparkled in the firelight.
"What? Couldn't you find anymore helpless victims than that?" Tea snapped.
"Actually, I just started looking a little while ago." She smirked carelessly. "You wouldn't believe how much fun it is to surprise unsuspecting duellists in the dark. It's almost as much fun as beating them."
Tea snorted. "You really are sick!"
"What kind of fiend challenges unsuspecting duellists in the dark?!" Yami snapped, a vein popping out of his forehead. "You're nothing but a cowardly bully!"
Now Zev turned her attention to the pharaoh, her smirk becoming more focused as she took him in. "I'd watch yourself if I were you." She cautioned. "You may be the King of Games in Domino, but you're on my turf now."
"I'm not afraid of you Crawford, no matter how much you'd like me to be." Yami pointed at her accusingly. "If this wasn't a girls only tournament, I'd teach you a lesson."
"Don't let that stand in your way Yami-boy." Her smirk had transformed into a big sinister grin that sparked memories in Tea. "Only girls are allowed to wager star chips. The rules don't say we're the only ones who can duel."
Tea grabbed Yami's arm before he could answer. "Yami, you don't have to duel her. She's dangerous, and...well, I don't want to see you hurt!"
Yami smiled at Tea and her knees turned to jelly. "Thank you Tea" he said softly, "But I'm not about to allow her to get away with bullying you. You're so much better than that."
Tea could only gap as her heart fluttered.
Yami faced Zev, glaring righteously at her. "I hereby challenge you to a duel!"
Zev threw her head back and laughed her distinctive manic laughter as the arena rose from the ground. "I guess now you'll learn why I'm the Dark Destroyer!"
Yugi and Akki arrived just when the two duellists were settled in their booths. They had been gathering water from the concession stand and had just arrived now. Seeing the rising duelling arena, they dropped the jug of water they were dragging where it stood and rushed over to where Tea stood agonising. "Tea? What's going on?" Yugi asked.
"Yami challenged Zev Crawford to a duel!" Tea was near heart attack with worry for Yami.
Tea's diminutive friend looked puzzled. "Isn't she that girl from the boat?"
Akki's hair nearly stood on end. "Zev Crawford?! This is insane! Nobody beats her, especially not on a field like this! Yami's good, but I don't think he's ever met a duellist like her before!"
Yugi 'hmm'ed. "I don't think Yami's in too much trouble" he said slowly, "But you never know. This whole setting in the darkness reminds me an awful lot of Panik."
Tea shuddered at the thought of the eliminator. "He nearly beat you two!"
"I know." Yugi was grim-faced. "That's why I'm glad that he's duelled like this before."
Up on the arena, things were getting warmed up.
"I'll start things off, if you don't mind" Zev declared.
Yami nodded. "Ladies first."
"Ah good" Zev sneered. "So they really did have manners back n ancient Egypt."
Yami blinked. 'What the?'
"Lets turn down the lights, shall we? Castle of Dark Illusions (920/1980) in defence mode! I believe that you're familiar with its effect of covering the field in darkness."
Yami scowled as Zev's side of the field was shrouded in darkness. "I've seen this trick before. I'll counter it with Celtic Guardian (1400/1200) in defence mode!"
The warrior materialised, standing with his sword angled down over his head in a defensive stance.
"I was hoping for better than THAT weakling!" Zev laughed as she lay down another monster, hidden in the dark. "He's no match for this card, let alone the might of my shadow deck! Now my monster, attack Celtic Guardian with Shadow Light!"
Sinister black waves emanated from beyond the darkness. They struck Yami's monster, which shrieked and clutched his ears in agony before shattering.
Zev laughed. "One shot and he's down for the count? I sure hope the rest of our duel won't be like this Yami boy! I thought you pharaohs were supposed to be good at this game."
"My first move was a ploy" Yami countered confidently, "To see what kind of a duellist you are. I've seen your kind before and I know just how to deal with you."
"Oh?"
"Your Castle of Dark Illusions may have changed the field, but if I play a dark type monster I can still gain a power bonus! So, go Dark Magician!" The Dark Magician appeared with a flourish. "Now attack the castle with Dark Magic!"
Dark Magician (3325/2800) thrust his staff forward, and fired a massive energy blast. It struck the castle and blasted it to rubble, showering pieces of rock onto the duelling arena below. Yami smiled victoriously. "Your cards can no longer hide in the darkness. You are exposed."
"Am I? Guess again!"
Yami frowned, as the darkness didn't lift. Then his amethyst eyes widened as a second Castle of Dark Illusions arose from Zev's field. Zev laughed.
"You really thought I'd leave my field unprotected?"
Yami smiled. "It figures. Cowardly bullies always hide behind something when somebody stands up to them. I've seen your whole strategy before, and it's not surprising. You're just like Panik; you're too afraid to fight in the open so you force your opponents into the dark."
"You are SUCH an idiot!"
Yami was taken aback by the scornful response. "What?"
Zev stared at Yami intensely; the manic look in her eyes receding for a bit. "You never have respected other duellists much, have you? Don't bother denying it. I make it a habit to watch tapes of all the best duellists around. You like to trash your opponent's strategy during your duels. You may win a lot, but you never learned to respect your enemy. I do. I know how dangerous other duellists can be. And that's why I love beating them so much; they use everything they have to try and defeat me, but their best is no use and I love it." She smirked and her grey eyes resumed their sadistic light. "You really don't want to take me lightly. I learned to duel from the real master of Duel Monsters. I learned from my uncle, Maximilian Pegasus!"
Akki gasped from the sidelines. "Oh my God! I'd heard the rumours, but I never even dreamed...that..." She trailed off, too shocked to convey words.
Yugi froze. "Oh dear" he murmured.
"Yami!" Tea yelled, "Be careful! She's no ordinary duellist!"
Yami nodded in acknowledgement before glaring at Zev, who was humming cheerfully as she surveyed her hand. "It doesn't matter who you're related to. I beat Pegasus and I can beat you too!"
"You weren't listening when I said not to take me lightly, were you?" Zev snapped. She drew a card and smiled at the sight of it. "Just because the shadows are my tool and ally doesn't mean I'm afraid to stand in the light! I play Swords of Revealing Light!"
Yami shielded his eyes, which had become used to the darkness. Now the entire field was brightened with a brilliant light as swords rained down and blocked his Dark Magician. It also illuminated Zev's field and he could now see a facedown card she had played in the darkness. 'What is she up to?' he thought. 'She's taken away her advantage just to prove a point?'
"Of course" Zev continued as she played a monster, "The field power bonus for dark types is gone. But that's okay. My Summoned Skull (2500/1200) is now just as strong as your Dark Magician." The fierce skull demon arose from the depths of Hell, howling its battle cry and facing off against Yami's monster. "And now that the field is covered with light, lets make some shadows! Go Shadowspell!"
Chains lashed down from the sky and bound the Dark Magician tightly. He struggled but his attack was drained down to 1800. Zev cackled with delight. "Summoned Skull, attack with Lightning Strike!"
Yami (1300 LP) winced as the Summoned Skull blew his favourite card to atoms. "I'm not finished yet! I'll defend with this monster!"
"And I'll destroy that one too! Lightning Strike!"
Yami's Four Star Ladybug of Doom (800/1200) went the way of his Dark Magician. He drew again and studied his hand. "I'll play Despell to destroy your Swords of Revealing Light. Next I'll play one card facedown and summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior (1400/1700) in attack mode!" He smiled. "And that ends my turn."
Zev frowned for a moment then smiled again. "Clever, but it won't work. You don't have any trap card down. It's just a worthless throwaway card designed to throw me off. Well bucko, it won't work. Especially since my Summoned Skull is now powered up with the dark bonus! But to be on the safe side, I'll set two cards facedown. Now attack that Magnet Warrior! Show him whose boss!"
"Actually, it was a trap. A Magical Hats trap, to be precise. You just wasted your attack!" The hat on the right was destroyed revealing nothing. Yami smiled. "You only have three hats to go. Make your next attack count. And in the meantime, I'll switch my Magnet Warrior into defence mode."
"That won't save you Yami-boy!" Zev stretched and smirked. "Now I'll summon Beast of Gilfer (2200/2500) to join my Summoned Skull. Now my monsters attack the Magnet Warrior under the right and left hand hats!"
Beast of Gilfer destroyed the right hand hat to no effect, but the skull got lucky and destroyed the Magnet Warrior on its attack. The remaining hats vanished, leaving Yami as he had been before.
Except for one difference. He was smiling. "I've assembled the cards I need to win this duel. I play Dark Magician Girl (2000/1700)! Your field power bonus boosts her up to 2600 attack points, my Dark Magician in the graveyard increases her to 2900, and I'll add Magic Formula to increase her attack by another 500, so her attack is now 3400! Now I'll destroy the castle! She'll lose her power bonus but she's still at 2800 attack points."
Dark Magician Girl smiled happily and blasted the castle to bits. The lack of a power bonus left her the strongest card on the field. Zev growled.
"Alright Yami!" Tea cheered. "You've got her on the ropes now!"
Zev then smiled. "You may have the strongest monster, but you're desperate. No one puts that many power ups on a monster; it's too wasteful. So I'll call your bluff. Attack Beast of Gilfer!"
Beast of Gilfer launched its flame attack at Dark Magician Girl. She dodged, leapt to the side of the fiend, pointed her wand right between its eyes and...
The explosion rocked the clearing. Akki was knocked off her feet, but fortunately she landed on an already prone Yugi. Tea stumbled against the side of the arena and Yami shielded his face from flying shrapnel before his eyes widened in alarm.
"Oh no! You sacrificed your monster and your lifepoints to weaken my Dark Magician Girl!"
Zev (1400 LP) nodded. "You're obviously aware of Beast of Gilfer's ability to weaken a monster when it's sent to the graveyard. He'll steal 500 points off your Dark Magician Girl (2300/1700) and my Summoned Skull will finish her off!"
Another blast shook the clearing, and Yami (1000 LP) growled in disbelief.
"And now" Zev said smugly, "I'll summon Dark Necrofear (2200/2800) in attack mode. Your move."
Yami drew and relaxed again. "I summon Kuriboh (300/200) in defence mode and play Multiply!"
The fuzz ball appeared, only to multiply. And multiply. And continue to multiply. Soon Yami's entire field was covered with Kuribohs. He was totally unreachable. Tea cheered. "Good move Yami!"
"Thanks Tea!"
"Aw! How sweet. Was this what Mai meant when she called Tea the Queen of Games?" Zev smirked at their sudden blush. "But enough of that. Since she's best in defence, and to draw this out a bit, I'll switch Dark Necrofear to defence mode. Now I'll attack with Summoned Skull!"
Yami shook his head as Zev launched her attack. "You can only destroy one Kuriboh at a time."
"Maybe at first, but now I play Mirror Force to reflect my attack!"
The Skull's lighting attack struck against a magical mirror, which reflected the attack back. This confused Yami. "What are you doing? Why are you reflecting your own attack back at yourself?"
Akki stared again. "I heard she was crazy, but this!"
"Did you not notice my facedown card? Take this! Doppleganger!"
The cartoon weasel thing leapt from its card, cackled a bit, and then took form. Another sparkling mirror appeared on the field. Zev's deflected attack struck it and fired back.
Zev condescended to explain. "Summoned Skull could destroy only one Kuriboh per turn. But when Mirror Force reflects an attack, it destroys all monsters on the other player's field. The only problem is that Mirror Force sends an attack back the way it came. So what's the answer? Two Mirror Forces! And since it destroys all the monsters on your field..." The blast struck the mass of Kuriboh with a wailing crash. When the smoke cleared, they were all gone. Zev grinned. "...You have no more Kuriboh left to Multiply." Her voice turned challenging. "Make your last move so I can finish you off!"
Yami frowned grimly. 'There are no monsters in my hand. If I don't pick the right card, it's curtains for me. This could be it.' He drew and his eyes lit up. "Yes! Say goodbye to my fiend army as I play Exile of the Wicked! It destroys them all!"
Zev screamed as her Summoned Skull and Dark Necrofear were banished to the graveyard. "My monsters! My precious fiends! You'll pay for that, you little runt!"
"Alright Yami!" Tea cheered. "You've almost got her!"
"Nice work Yami!" Yugi shouted, pumping his fist in the air.
Akki stared. "Exile of the Wicked. Of course! I don't know why nobody has thought of it before!"
Zev turned and glared down at Akki, making her cower. "That's because it's been tried before. It didn't work and I destroyed that runt who used it!" She returned to glaring at Yami. "You may have destroyed my monsters, but I still have my most powerful fiend. My Dark Ruler Ha Des (2450/1600)!"
Ha Des arose from the field and faced off against Yami, laughing evilly. It was not unlike Zev's own laugh, actually.
'Go ahead and attack' Yami thought. 'My own Mirror Force Trap will take you out.'
"I hope that's not an important trap you have facedown, because I'm going to destroy it." Zev slapped down a magic card. "Go Mystical Space Typhoon!"
Yami's last hope was vaporised is a burst of wind. He could only stare in shock.
"Now" Zev said, "I'm only going to give you one chance to give up now. If you don't, I'll just take you out the hard way."
"I will not give up Crawford" Yami whispered.
Zev shrugged. "Suit yourself. Ha Des, go do that voodoo that you do so well!"
Dark Ruler opened fire with his Black Magic Strike. Yami's lifepoints were instantly reduced to zero and the holographic arena shut down.
Afterwards, Zev stood and watched Yami stand in shock while Tea held him and whispered soothingly.
"It's okay Yami," she whispered into his ear. "It's just one duel. It doesn't mean anything."
Akki was nearly hysterical. "I can't believe it! The King of Games lost!"
"That's why he's in such a shock now." Yugi's face was sad. "He's never lost before and it's a huge blow to his confidence."
"Down after one loss? That's just pathetic."
"What do you expect?" a new voice growled. "I always knew he was a weakling."
Bakura materialised from the dark forest, grinning like a fiend. "I'd hoped I'd see you shot down one day, and I'm glad my hopes came true. Thanks to my lovely friend here." His eyes scanned Zev's figure and he licked his lips. She smirked.
"Down boy", she admonished, shaking her finger. "Now that this business is done, I'll be off. I trust that the rest of you are happy?"
Tea glared at Zev furiously. "No I'm not, you bitch!"
Yugi stared at Tea. He had no idea Tea used such language. Neither did Bakura apparently, because his smirk was gone and his eyes were bulging. Zev looked at the dancer right in her brown eyes, soft yet filled with rage.
Tea continued. "Yami doesn't deserve what you did to him! He doesn't deserve to be made a toy in some stupid game of yours! Is this why you duel? So you can see people like him broken up inside? Hmph! If anyone is broken up on the inside it's you! You've lost your soul and you're taking it out on everyone around you. I can understand this and I can forgive an awful lot but you made the mistake of going after someone who I care about." She pointed accusingly at the target of her wrath. "All I can say is to watch your back Crawford, because I'm gunning for you now!"
Silence echoed through the clearing following Tea's pronouncement. The look on Zev's face was hard to interpret. She seemed furious, her hand clenched into a fist. But in the depths of her eyes there was a sadness that spoke volumes in an unknown language. All she said was "I look forward to it." Then she turned around and stalked from the clearing into the forest. Bakura bowed mockingly to Yami and followed her.
"Bitch" Tea muttered one last time. Then she returned to soothing Yami. She'd get Crawford later, but for now this was most important.
***
Tea: Holy crap! Is Yami going to be alright???
Magicman: You'll just have to wait and see, won't you? *Cough*Yes*cough*.
Tea: Yay! ^_^
Pegasus: I have relatives? Oh this is so wonderful! I must plan a reunion and stuff!
Magicman: Until next time my readers, don't run with scissors!
Tea: Hi folks! We've got a cool episode for you today! There's another exciting duel, and we all get to learn a little bit more about Zev. Really, I'm wondering why she's so nuts.
Magicman: Hey! It's my job to introduce the chapters! Ah, how could I stay mad you?
Tea: ^_^
Joey: Author's pet!
Tea: _
Pegasus: Don't annoy her Joey-boy. You know very well that she can spit nails when she gets mad. Remember that episode when Kaiba beat Yugi and she let him have it with both barrels?
Joey: Oh yeah.
Tea: Now that that's done with, let's get started.
Magicman: ^_//
***
The night stars twinkled beautifully against the black-blue velvet sky that seemed to wrap itself around the Earth. The warm night wind whispered through the trees and the crackling glow from the fire lit the campsite with a cheerful gleam. The occasional spark flickered off into the darkened forest zone. Tea lay back against a log, her legs stretched out and her arms behind her head, and heaved a sigh of contentment.
'Four star chips and a full belly. Life is good.'
The little gang had gone to one of the concession stands that Pegasus had set up since last tournament. This especially helped, because they were equipped with washrooms. Akki had shown them that duellists ate for free, and they'd gleefully stuffed themselves. The most priceless moment had been when Yugi put straws up his nose and made Yami spray root beer from his. Of course they had had to clean up the mess, but it was worth it.
Tea yawned. Bacon double cheeseburgers always made her sleepy, and it was so late. They had barely managed to set up camp an hour ago. Maybe she should close her eyes for a minute...
A rustling in the bushes heralded Yami's arrival and Tea's eyes popped open. He looked sooo hot in the firelight. She only hoped that the glow masked her sudden blush.
The former pharaoh walked over to Tea and sat down next to her. "It's some beautiful night, isn't it?"
"Is that a rhetorical question?"
Yami smiled. "Kind of."
Tea yawned again. My, she was sleepy!
"You know Tea, I never really congratulated you." Yami said. "You don't have much duelling experience and you've already earned four star chips from two really tough duellists. You should be very proud of yourself."
Tea smiled serenely. "I should be thanking you, you know. You and Yugi."
Yami raised an eyebrow. "Why's that?"
"You two believed I could do it. When I wanted to sign up for this tournament, Bakura was a scornful ass, Ryou just stared at me, and Joey laughed. You two never doubted that I could successfully compete." She smiled as she reached up a hand and stroked Yami's cheek. "Thanks."
Yami closed his eyes and felt the smooth gentle touch. His soul stirred with emotions he longed to act on.
A crackle of noise tore through the beautiful moment. Tea and Yami's heads snapped left, staring into the forest that had once been so peaceful and comforting. Tea didn't know why, but fear welled up in her heart.
The forest crackled again and a rush of leaves flew on a sudden gust. Yami moved in front of Tea, shielding her from danger.
Then for a time, the crackling stopped. There was naught but silence but for the spitting fire. The wind died down again. The two teenagers relaxed just the tiniest bit.
Then the most God awful, blood-curdling howl shrieked through the forest.
Tea screamed in terror, clinging to Yami's arm. Yami's eyes widened and stood his ground, prepared to fight off any onslaught. 'What sort of demon can make a cry like that?!' he thought wildly.
The cry continued for an eternity before slowly dying out. There was silence for three seconds. Then a new sound echoed through the forest. Human laughter. It was cruel, mocking, and more than a little insane but it was human laughter nonetheless.
The laughter was joined by words, gasped in between breaths. "Oh, that was incredible!" the voice cackled. "I haven't done something like that in years! I'd forgotten how much fun it could be. Look at your faces!" The voice descended into manic cackles again.
A shape strolled from the shadows of the forest. The shape coalesced into the figure of a woman. Regaining her breath, Tea scowled when she recognised the woman. "You!" she spat. "What do you want?"
Zev Crawford shrugged and leaned lazily against a tree. "What do any of us want, really?"
"Well, I for one want to know why you just jumped out from nowhere, screaming like a demon and scaring the wits out of us!"
"Fair enough. I like scaring people. I find it funny." Zev fanned herself lightly with one hand. "For some reason though, other people don't share my sense of humour."
"You're sick!"
"No. I'm eccentric. There's a big difference." Zev shrugged and eyed Tea calculatingly. "So you've obviously managed to survive through the first day. And you've got four star chips I see. Not bad. I've got four chips myself." She waved her hand carelessly and her chips sparkled in the firelight.
"What? Couldn't you find anymore helpless victims than that?" Tea snapped.
"Actually, I just started looking a little while ago." She smirked carelessly. "You wouldn't believe how much fun it is to surprise unsuspecting duellists in the dark. It's almost as much fun as beating them."
Tea snorted. "You really are sick!"
"What kind of fiend challenges unsuspecting duellists in the dark?!" Yami snapped, a vein popping out of his forehead. "You're nothing but a cowardly bully!"
Now Zev turned her attention to the pharaoh, her smirk becoming more focused as she took him in. "I'd watch yourself if I were you." She cautioned. "You may be the King of Games in Domino, but you're on my turf now."
"I'm not afraid of you Crawford, no matter how much you'd like me to be." Yami pointed at her accusingly. "If this wasn't a girls only tournament, I'd teach you a lesson."
"Don't let that stand in your way Yami-boy." Her smirk had transformed into a big sinister grin that sparked memories in Tea. "Only girls are allowed to wager star chips. The rules don't say we're the only ones who can duel."
Tea grabbed Yami's arm before he could answer. "Yami, you don't have to duel her. She's dangerous, and...well, I don't want to see you hurt!"
Yami smiled at Tea and her knees turned to jelly. "Thank you Tea" he said softly, "But I'm not about to allow her to get away with bullying you. You're so much better than that."
Tea could only gap as her heart fluttered.
Yami faced Zev, glaring righteously at her. "I hereby challenge you to a duel!"
Zev threw her head back and laughed her distinctive manic laughter as the arena rose from the ground. "I guess now you'll learn why I'm the Dark Destroyer!"
Yugi and Akki arrived just when the two duellists were settled in their booths. They had been gathering water from the concession stand and had just arrived now. Seeing the rising duelling arena, they dropped the jug of water they were dragging where it stood and rushed over to where Tea stood agonising. "Tea? What's going on?" Yugi asked.
"Yami challenged Zev Crawford to a duel!" Tea was near heart attack with worry for Yami.
Tea's diminutive friend looked puzzled. "Isn't she that girl from the boat?"
Akki's hair nearly stood on end. "Zev Crawford?! This is insane! Nobody beats her, especially not on a field like this! Yami's good, but I don't think he's ever met a duellist like her before!"
Yugi 'hmm'ed. "I don't think Yami's in too much trouble" he said slowly, "But you never know. This whole setting in the darkness reminds me an awful lot of Panik."
Tea shuddered at the thought of the eliminator. "He nearly beat you two!"
"I know." Yugi was grim-faced. "That's why I'm glad that he's duelled like this before."
Up on the arena, things were getting warmed up.
"I'll start things off, if you don't mind" Zev declared.
Yami nodded. "Ladies first."
"Ah good" Zev sneered. "So they really did have manners back n ancient Egypt."
Yami blinked. 'What the?'
"Lets turn down the lights, shall we? Castle of Dark Illusions (920/1980) in defence mode! I believe that you're familiar with its effect of covering the field in darkness."
Yami scowled as Zev's side of the field was shrouded in darkness. "I've seen this trick before. I'll counter it with Celtic Guardian (1400/1200) in defence mode!"
The warrior materialised, standing with his sword angled down over his head in a defensive stance.
"I was hoping for better than THAT weakling!" Zev laughed as she lay down another monster, hidden in the dark. "He's no match for this card, let alone the might of my shadow deck! Now my monster, attack Celtic Guardian with Shadow Light!"
Sinister black waves emanated from beyond the darkness. They struck Yami's monster, which shrieked and clutched his ears in agony before shattering.
Zev laughed. "One shot and he's down for the count? I sure hope the rest of our duel won't be like this Yami boy! I thought you pharaohs were supposed to be good at this game."
"My first move was a ploy" Yami countered confidently, "To see what kind of a duellist you are. I've seen your kind before and I know just how to deal with you."
"Oh?"
"Your Castle of Dark Illusions may have changed the field, but if I play a dark type monster I can still gain a power bonus! So, go Dark Magician!" The Dark Magician appeared with a flourish. "Now attack the castle with Dark Magic!"
Dark Magician (3325/2800) thrust his staff forward, and fired a massive energy blast. It struck the castle and blasted it to rubble, showering pieces of rock onto the duelling arena below. Yami smiled victoriously. "Your cards can no longer hide in the darkness. You are exposed."
"Am I? Guess again!"
Yami frowned, as the darkness didn't lift. Then his amethyst eyes widened as a second Castle of Dark Illusions arose from Zev's field. Zev laughed.
"You really thought I'd leave my field unprotected?"
Yami smiled. "It figures. Cowardly bullies always hide behind something when somebody stands up to them. I've seen your whole strategy before, and it's not surprising. You're just like Panik; you're too afraid to fight in the open so you force your opponents into the dark."
"You are SUCH an idiot!"
Yami was taken aback by the scornful response. "What?"
Zev stared at Yami intensely; the manic look in her eyes receding for a bit. "You never have respected other duellists much, have you? Don't bother denying it. I make it a habit to watch tapes of all the best duellists around. You like to trash your opponent's strategy during your duels. You may win a lot, but you never learned to respect your enemy. I do. I know how dangerous other duellists can be. And that's why I love beating them so much; they use everything they have to try and defeat me, but their best is no use and I love it." She smirked and her grey eyes resumed their sadistic light. "You really don't want to take me lightly. I learned to duel from the real master of Duel Monsters. I learned from my uncle, Maximilian Pegasus!"
Akki gasped from the sidelines. "Oh my God! I'd heard the rumours, but I never even dreamed...that..." She trailed off, too shocked to convey words.
Yugi froze. "Oh dear" he murmured.
"Yami!" Tea yelled, "Be careful! She's no ordinary duellist!"
Yami nodded in acknowledgement before glaring at Zev, who was humming cheerfully as she surveyed her hand. "It doesn't matter who you're related to. I beat Pegasus and I can beat you too!"
"You weren't listening when I said not to take me lightly, were you?" Zev snapped. She drew a card and smiled at the sight of it. "Just because the shadows are my tool and ally doesn't mean I'm afraid to stand in the light! I play Swords of Revealing Light!"
Yami shielded his eyes, which had become used to the darkness. Now the entire field was brightened with a brilliant light as swords rained down and blocked his Dark Magician. It also illuminated Zev's field and he could now see a facedown card she had played in the darkness. 'What is she up to?' he thought. 'She's taken away her advantage just to prove a point?'
"Of course" Zev continued as she played a monster, "The field power bonus for dark types is gone. But that's okay. My Summoned Skull (2500/1200) is now just as strong as your Dark Magician." The fierce skull demon arose from the depths of Hell, howling its battle cry and facing off against Yami's monster. "And now that the field is covered with light, lets make some shadows! Go Shadowspell!"
Chains lashed down from the sky and bound the Dark Magician tightly. He struggled but his attack was drained down to 1800. Zev cackled with delight. "Summoned Skull, attack with Lightning Strike!"
Yami (1300 LP) winced as the Summoned Skull blew his favourite card to atoms. "I'm not finished yet! I'll defend with this monster!"
"And I'll destroy that one too! Lightning Strike!"
Yami's Four Star Ladybug of Doom (800/1200) went the way of his Dark Magician. He drew again and studied his hand. "I'll play Despell to destroy your Swords of Revealing Light. Next I'll play one card facedown and summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior (1400/1700) in attack mode!" He smiled. "And that ends my turn."
Zev frowned for a moment then smiled again. "Clever, but it won't work. You don't have any trap card down. It's just a worthless throwaway card designed to throw me off. Well bucko, it won't work. Especially since my Summoned Skull is now powered up with the dark bonus! But to be on the safe side, I'll set two cards facedown. Now attack that Magnet Warrior! Show him whose boss!"
"Actually, it was a trap. A Magical Hats trap, to be precise. You just wasted your attack!" The hat on the right was destroyed revealing nothing. Yami smiled. "You only have three hats to go. Make your next attack count. And in the meantime, I'll switch my Magnet Warrior into defence mode."
"That won't save you Yami-boy!" Zev stretched and smirked. "Now I'll summon Beast of Gilfer (2200/2500) to join my Summoned Skull. Now my monsters attack the Magnet Warrior under the right and left hand hats!"
Beast of Gilfer destroyed the right hand hat to no effect, but the skull got lucky and destroyed the Magnet Warrior on its attack. The remaining hats vanished, leaving Yami as he had been before.
Except for one difference. He was smiling. "I've assembled the cards I need to win this duel. I play Dark Magician Girl (2000/1700)! Your field power bonus boosts her up to 2600 attack points, my Dark Magician in the graveyard increases her to 2900, and I'll add Magic Formula to increase her attack by another 500, so her attack is now 3400! Now I'll destroy the castle! She'll lose her power bonus but she's still at 2800 attack points."
Dark Magician Girl smiled happily and blasted the castle to bits. The lack of a power bonus left her the strongest card on the field. Zev growled.
"Alright Yami!" Tea cheered. "You've got her on the ropes now!"
Zev then smiled. "You may have the strongest monster, but you're desperate. No one puts that many power ups on a monster; it's too wasteful. So I'll call your bluff. Attack Beast of Gilfer!"
Beast of Gilfer launched its flame attack at Dark Magician Girl. She dodged, leapt to the side of the fiend, pointed her wand right between its eyes and...
The explosion rocked the clearing. Akki was knocked off her feet, but fortunately she landed on an already prone Yugi. Tea stumbled against the side of the arena and Yami shielded his face from flying shrapnel before his eyes widened in alarm.
"Oh no! You sacrificed your monster and your lifepoints to weaken my Dark Magician Girl!"
Zev (1400 LP) nodded. "You're obviously aware of Beast of Gilfer's ability to weaken a monster when it's sent to the graveyard. He'll steal 500 points off your Dark Magician Girl (2300/1700) and my Summoned Skull will finish her off!"
Another blast shook the clearing, and Yami (1000 LP) growled in disbelief.
"And now" Zev said smugly, "I'll summon Dark Necrofear (2200/2800) in attack mode. Your move."
Yami drew and relaxed again. "I summon Kuriboh (300/200) in defence mode and play Multiply!"
The fuzz ball appeared, only to multiply. And multiply. And continue to multiply. Soon Yami's entire field was covered with Kuribohs. He was totally unreachable. Tea cheered. "Good move Yami!"
"Thanks Tea!"
"Aw! How sweet. Was this what Mai meant when she called Tea the Queen of Games?" Zev smirked at their sudden blush. "But enough of that. Since she's best in defence, and to draw this out a bit, I'll switch Dark Necrofear to defence mode. Now I'll attack with Summoned Skull!"
Yami shook his head as Zev launched her attack. "You can only destroy one Kuriboh at a time."
"Maybe at first, but now I play Mirror Force to reflect my attack!"
The Skull's lighting attack struck against a magical mirror, which reflected the attack back. This confused Yami. "What are you doing? Why are you reflecting your own attack back at yourself?"
Akki stared again. "I heard she was crazy, but this!"
"Did you not notice my facedown card? Take this! Doppleganger!"
The cartoon weasel thing leapt from its card, cackled a bit, and then took form. Another sparkling mirror appeared on the field. Zev's deflected attack struck it and fired back.
Zev condescended to explain. "Summoned Skull could destroy only one Kuriboh per turn. But when Mirror Force reflects an attack, it destroys all monsters on the other player's field. The only problem is that Mirror Force sends an attack back the way it came. So what's the answer? Two Mirror Forces! And since it destroys all the monsters on your field..." The blast struck the mass of Kuriboh with a wailing crash. When the smoke cleared, they were all gone. Zev grinned. "...You have no more Kuriboh left to Multiply." Her voice turned challenging. "Make your last move so I can finish you off!"
Yami frowned grimly. 'There are no monsters in my hand. If I don't pick the right card, it's curtains for me. This could be it.' He drew and his eyes lit up. "Yes! Say goodbye to my fiend army as I play Exile of the Wicked! It destroys them all!"
Zev screamed as her Summoned Skull and Dark Necrofear were banished to the graveyard. "My monsters! My precious fiends! You'll pay for that, you little runt!"
"Alright Yami!" Tea cheered. "You've almost got her!"
"Nice work Yami!" Yugi shouted, pumping his fist in the air.
Akki stared. "Exile of the Wicked. Of course! I don't know why nobody has thought of it before!"
Zev turned and glared down at Akki, making her cower. "That's because it's been tried before. It didn't work and I destroyed that runt who used it!" She returned to glaring at Yami. "You may have destroyed my monsters, but I still have my most powerful fiend. My Dark Ruler Ha Des (2450/1600)!"
Ha Des arose from the field and faced off against Yami, laughing evilly. It was not unlike Zev's own laugh, actually.
'Go ahead and attack' Yami thought. 'My own Mirror Force Trap will take you out.'
"I hope that's not an important trap you have facedown, because I'm going to destroy it." Zev slapped down a magic card. "Go Mystical Space Typhoon!"
Yami's last hope was vaporised is a burst of wind. He could only stare in shock.
"Now" Zev said, "I'm only going to give you one chance to give up now. If you don't, I'll just take you out the hard way."
"I will not give up Crawford" Yami whispered.
Zev shrugged. "Suit yourself. Ha Des, go do that voodoo that you do so well!"
Dark Ruler opened fire with his Black Magic Strike. Yami's lifepoints were instantly reduced to zero and the holographic arena shut down.
Afterwards, Zev stood and watched Yami stand in shock while Tea held him and whispered soothingly.
"It's okay Yami," she whispered into his ear. "It's just one duel. It doesn't mean anything."
Akki was nearly hysterical. "I can't believe it! The King of Games lost!"
"That's why he's in such a shock now." Yugi's face was sad. "He's never lost before and it's a huge blow to his confidence."
"Down after one loss? That's just pathetic."
"What do you expect?" a new voice growled. "I always knew he was a weakling."
Bakura materialised from the dark forest, grinning like a fiend. "I'd hoped I'd see you shot down one day, and I'm glad my hopes came true. Thanks to my lovely friend here." His eyes scanned Zev's figure and he licked his lips. She smirked.
"Down boy", she admonished, shaking her finger. "Now that this business is done, I'll be off. I trust that the rest of you are happy?"
Tea glared at Zev furiously. "No I'm not, you bitch!"
Yugi stared at Tea. He had no idea Tea used such language. Neither did Bakura apparently, because his smirk was gone and his eyes were bulging. Zev looked at the dancer right in her brown eyes, soft yet filled with rage.
Tea continued. "Yami doesn't deserve what you did to him! He doesn't deserve to be made a toy in some stupid game of yours! Is this why you duel? So you can see people like him broken up inside? Hmph! If anyone is broken up on the inside it's you! You've lost your soul and you're taking it out on everyone around you. I can understand this and I can forgive an awful lot but you made the mistake of going after someone who I care about." She pointed accusingly at the target of her wrath. "All I can say is to watch your back Crawford, because I'm gunning for you now!"
Silence echoed through the clearing following Tea's pronouncement. The look on Zev's face was hard to interpret. She seemed furious, her hand clenched into a fist. But in the depths of her eyes there was a sadness that spoke volumes in an unknown language. All she said was "I look forward to it." Then she turned around and stalked from the clearing into the forest. Bakura bowed mockingly to Yami and followed her.
"Bitch" Tea muttered one last time. Then she returned to soothing Yami. She'd get Crawford later, but for now this was most important.
***
Tea: Holy crap! Is Yami going to be alright???
Magicman: You'll just have to wait and see, won't you? *Cough*Yes*cough*.
Tea: Yay! ^_^
Pegasus: I have relatives? Oh this is so wonderful! I must plan a reunion and stuff!
Magicman: Until next time my readers, don't run with scissors!
