Chapter 5; the end of a rivalry.
Sonic was dueling. But all around him was black. Above him was the sky ruler dragon. And against them was a shadowy figure and an exact copy of the sky ruler dragon. The dragons collided. the collision created a blast. The blast stroke Sonic.
"NOO!" he screamed.
He looked around him. He was in his bed with Amy next to him. She was awake and staring at him in shock.
"Are you ok?" she asked him while still shocked.
"I had a crazy dream. I was against my own card."
"Does that mean you are afraid it will be stolen? But you proved you can beat it."
"No. I controlled sky ruler. But there was another sky ruler against us. And it seemed like.. it was made of pure darkness."
"You creeped me out now. Thank you. Let's get up and wake the others. We have to set out for Munich."
Then Sonic remembered hearing the name of that city in his dream.
"No Amy."
"No what? It is already too late. We must begin our journey. Munich is south. And we're gonna go there with our runners."
"I don't think we should go there. I think something's gonna happen there."
"Then this is exactly why we should go there. Maybe you were shown that dream by the lunar dragon to show you the location of a new god card."
"I'm sure it's not about that."
"Come on. Don't chicken out now."
She begged him with her eyes. Sonic reluctantly accepted.
They woke up the team and rode their runners through the autobahn with Μunich as their destination. After 3 hours of riding they stopped in a fast food restaurant to eat. There Sonic narrated his friends his dream.
"Maybe it is your fear for the upcoming storm." Tails said.
"But how do you explain the darkness dragon?" Sonic asked him.
"I heard that when someone sees a dark version of themselves in a dream it means they are pessimistic about the future or have problem in self-belief." Wave said in a professor's style.
"But it wasn't a darkness version of me. It was a darkness version of my dragon."
"It's still the same" Knuckles reminded him " a duelist and his ace are one. This is your teaching Sonic."
"Hmmm.. I guess you're right Knucks." Sonic said while thinking it through.
After a big meal they rode their runners again and 2 hours later they arrived in munich. It was already late in the afternoon. They didn't have time to search the city. So instead they found a hotel and checked in. Sonic and Amy got one room, Tails and Knuckles and Silver got another and finally (it was Sonic's idea) Jet and Wave got one. They all went to their rooms and then decided to have a taste of the city's nightlife. while getting ready Wave was posing for Jet so he could tell her his opinion on her appearance. In the end she chose a pink challenging shirt that revealed her belly and a white short skirt. When she showed herself in front of Jet he lost a heartbeat.
"You are a goddess" he said before he could hold himself. Wave blushed and felt her heart trying to break out of her chest.
"Th-thank you. You look very handsome too" she said while standing in front of him. They were so close they could feel each other's breath. And they felt they were attracted by magnets. They got closer and closer.
At that very moment a knock was heard at the door.
"Jet, Wave! We are all waiting for you." Tails said sounding impatient.
Jet and Wave opened the door and met with their friends at the corridor. Sonic and Amy realized Tails had destroyed their moment.
They roamed the city center on foot. In the end they entered a nightclub for dance they came across. They stayed in there for 5 hours and left at 4AM. They all had a great time. Sonic and Amy enjoyed once again their love by dancing together and punching someone who tried to seduce Amy, in the eyes at the same time, Tails rejecting every single girl who tried to seduce him since he already had Cosmo for his girlfriend, Knuckles and Silver trying to get other girls to dance with them and had several achievements. Finally Jet and Wave actually managed to overcome their hesitations and danced together. Afterwards they left the club and visited the TV tower. They enjoyed the view of the city. Sonic and Amy managed to get the others away from Jet and Wave so they can have some alone time. When Jet realized this, he didn't waste a second.
"Um… Wave?"
"Yes?"
"I wanna tell you something."
"Me too" she answered.
"Can I please say it first? I know it is ladies first but this has been eating me from the inside since London."
"Me too. Let's say it together."
"Ok. On three. One. Two. Three."
"I like you." They said at the same time. And then they blushed at the same time as well.
"Since when?" she asked.
"Since London. I know it is only a little time but it is just too strong to even control, let alone wait for some more time before telling you."
Wave's heart was beating faster than the light. At that moment the fireworks of a nearby feast were lit and the sky was filled with all kinds of colors. Under their light Jet and Wave leaned towards each other and eventually kissed calmly at first and then passionately. Sonic and Amy noticed it.
"Well baby looks like we did it." He told her while feeling happy about his friends.
After sometime they used the elevator to get back to the ground.
"So guys" Sonic asked them " do you want to roam some more or should we return to the hotel and search for a god card the next day?"
"Nah I'm beat." Tails said.
"I can barely see." Knuckles replied.
"I think I'm gonna fall asleep while standing" Silver said with one of his eyes closing from exhaust.
"We don't have any problem" Jet and Wave said.
"Then let's go back. We all need some rest." Sonic said.
But after 10 minutes of walk…
"STOP RIGHT THERE SONIC!" A voice screamed angry. A female voice.
Sonic and the crew turned around and saw a young woman coming out of an expensive car and walking with big steps towards them. She had long hair. When she got closer Sonic noticed her hair was green. He immediately knew who it was. There was only one woman with green hair who would recognize him so easily.
"YOU!" He said angry.
The woman reached them and stood in front of him so everyone could see her. Long green hair, black stitching and big pink lips.
"Zeena!" Sonic said angry.
"We meet again." She answered back.
"What do you want?!" he asked her angry. Her presence just made him mad. She was still obsessed with winning he could feel it. And they fact that she was once his friend filed him with rage.
"To settle the score with you once and for all!"
"I don't have to face you! You're not a duelist. Overcome your obsession with winning and maybe I'll think about considering to duel you!"
"I overcame my obsession. I graduated from a duelist's academy. Now I'm here to settle the score you started in the spirit world!"
Sonic's eyes widened.
"How do you know about the spirit world?!"
"I was there. The night when you killed my brother!"
Sonic's friends couldn't believe in their ears.
"Sonic is that true?!" Tails asked in an outrage.
"It is." Sonic said "but he died in a deadly game he set up himself."
"You chose to kill him rather than just ran away with your wife! You are a murderer! A monster!"
Sonic knew she was partially right. And the worst part was that he didn't regret it one bit. He would kill anyone who threatened anyone he loved.
"So what?" he asked her " who is gonna believe that I have any connection to your brother? And how did you and him get in the spirit world in the first place?!"
"Duel me and you will find out!" she said in a challenging tone.
"Sonic no" Amy tried to make him back out " you need to rest."
"No Amy. We can't let her just walk into our kingdom. We have a responsibility as king and queen. I accept your challenge!" he said while looking at Zeena angry.
"Very well. We will duel at the local duel dome. Don't be late. You have 1 hour." She said and left.
Sonic turned to his friends and saw Tails' angry face in front of him.
"Was that woman speaking the truth Sonic?!"
"Yes." He said looking down.
"I can't believe it. My best friend… the duel king whom I admire… is a monster!"
"Tails let me explain".
"No Sonic! You brought this on yourself! I am outta here!"
"Tails wait!" Amy screamed trying to prevent Tails from leaving. But he had already left.
Sonic felt terrible. And he still couldn't feel any guilt about killing zazz. He wouldn't hesitate to anything if it meant the safety of his loved ones.
"Let's get back to the hotel." He said with a weak voice "I have to get my deck and duel disc".
They returned to the hotel. Sonic wore his duel disc and then headed for Tails' room. He knocked the door. Tails opened it and once he saw it was Sonic he slammed it shut.
"Tails buddy please listen. I know that what I did makes me a monster. But I would do it again. I would do it as many times as I need to. If it means protecting everyone I love. I love Amy and that's why I chose to save her by killing him rather than just running away with her. I would kill if it meant anyone's safety. Amy's, Knuckles', Jet's, Wave's…. Yours as well. You are all irreplaceable to me. If corrupting my soul by staining my hands with blood means your safety then so be it. Please understand me buddy."
But Tails didn't respond at all.
Sonic went outside where the rest of his friends waited.
"What do you guys think of me?" he asked them before they could say anything.
"I don't know everything Sonic" Knuckles said " but I know you would never harm anyone intentionally."
"You are an example of a soul Sonic" Amy said " there's no one out there who can ever be like you."
"You are a true friend" Jet said.
"I am proof. I was all alone before I met you and you accepted me in your team immediately. I owe you a lot Sonic" Wave said.
"Tails just needs to accept this Sonic" Amy tried to make him feel better.
Sonic looked up to Tails' room one last time.
"Ok then. Let's go. I have a score to settle."
They all walked to the duel dome. They entered. Zeena was there. All alone waiting for her arch-rival.
"So.. you came."
"I did come."
"Where is your two-tailed friend? Shocked by the fact that his best friend is a monster?"
Sonic tried to not show any signs of sadness.
"I will not be affected by your words. Let's get this over with!"
"DUEL!"
"I'll start it." Zeena said" I set 3 cards and end my turn."
"Only that? My turn. I draw. I activate allure of darkness. I draw 2 cards and banish 1 dark monster like my blackwing breeze the zephyr. Now I activate blackwing gofu the vague shadow's effect in my hand. I special summon it since I control no cards and also 2 vague shadow tokens. Then I tribute 2 of them to link summon proxy dragon. And then I activate black whirlwind and normal summon blackwing shura the blue flame. Then I add oroshi the squal due to my whirlwind's effect in my hand. Now I special summon blackwings Kris the crack of dawn, gale the whirlwind and oroshi the squal. Now I activate blakcwing feathers. Since I control 4 different blackwings I draw 4 cards. Now I link summon by tributing shura and proxy dragon. Arise! Borreload dragon!"
"Impressive. The newest link monster. But I won't be enough."
"We'l see about that."
"We will. I assure you."
"Now since borreload points to 2 of my monster zones they become link zones. I tune together oroshi and Kris to synchro summon blackwing gram the shining star! gram's effect allows one blackwing in my hand to spring to the field. Come on out! blackwing kalut the moon shadow! Now I tune together gale and kalut to synchro summon blakwing evolution booster! Thanks to its effect I draw a card. And what a card! Against the wind activate! I lose gale's attack points from my life points. (Sonic LP 6700) and add it to my hand. Now I special summon gale once more. And tune it with my gram the shining start to synchro summon the one- the only- the Black-winged dragon!"
"It's coming" Knuckles said.
"Now let's do it! Black synchro!"
"Bring it! Hehehe." Zeena said inside her.
Sonic's mark started shining.
"I tune evolution booster with black-winged! Soar! Black feather sky ruler dragon!"
Sky ruler soared above Sonic.
"You're too late Zeena. I already summoned two incredibly powerful monsters. You don't stand a chance."
"Hehehe. You fell right into my trap!"
"Huh?
"I activate 2 traps in chain to your summoning! Synchro mirror and tuner capture. Tuner capture enables me to take your evolution booster and summon it to my field."
"And what do you plan on doing with it?"
"My synchro mirror's effect allows me to look in your graveyard for a synchro monster that was used as a material for a synchro summon. Then I check my extra deck. If I have a monster with the same type attribute level and stats I can special summon it ignoring its condition to my main monster zone. The only one synchro in your graveyard is your black-winged!"
"There is no synchro monster with same stats, level, type and attribute as my dragon!"
"Oh there is. And I am the only one holding it!"
"WHA-?!"
"Come forth! Black-feathered darkrage dragon!"
A dragon exactly same in shape to black-winged appeared.
"Impossible! My dragon is one of a kind!"
"He is one of a kind too!"
"So what? He fails in comparison to my sky ruler. Take him out!"
Sky ruler unleashed a blast which headed for the darkrage dragon.
"Activate trap. Negate attack!"
"Damn. I set one card and end my turn."
"My turn then. I draw. I tune together the darkrage dragon and the evolution booster!"
"WHAAAAT?!"
"You thought you were the only one gifted with the power of evolving your dragon?!"
"How do you..?!"
"I initiate.. a darkness synchro!"
The evolution booster created black rings. The darkrage dragon went through them. It was then engulfed in a black sphere. The sphere started emitting great amounts of energy. Dark energy. Sonic could feel it.
"Evolve and crash my opponent! Come forth! BLACK FEATHER TYRANT DRAGON!"
The black sphere exploded and from the inside came her new dragon. Sonic looked at it shocked. It was the dragon he saw in his dream. So his dream showed him his clash with Zeena.
"Impossible! What is this?!"
"Where there is yin there is also the yan Sonic!"
"But how?! I was gifted by the lunar dragon! He gave me this power."
"When zazz was killed in the spirit world my darkness grew inside of me. I was filled with so much hatred that this lunar dragon appeared and gifted me with this dragon."
"So you received the powers of darkness this dragon carries." Sonic concluded.
"Exactly! And now I will use them to pulverize you and prove how meaningless! You truly are against me!"
"Dude. Dark." Silver tried to make a joke. But no one laughed.
"My dragon gains 300 attack pints for every removed from play blackwing."
"But there is no removed from play blackwing."
"Not yet. First. I activate the spell card that grass looks greener. I sent cards from the top of my deck to my graveyard until we have equal cards in our decks. I have 53 and you have 29. So I send 24 cards to my graveyard! and what luck. 20 of them are blackwings."
"So what? They are in the graveyard. not banished."
"I will get to that now! go cage of oblivion!"
"What?! This card banishes every monster with a type you declare!"
"Of course and I choose winged beast!"
"You will get rid of all your cards just to further your dragon's strength?!"
"Yes!"
"How can you be so disrespectful towards your card?!"
"You're the one who uses them the wrong way. your dragon can be an unbeatable boss and instead you summon more blackwings to support it rather than strengthen it up!"
"It is called teamwork!"
"Then allow me to crahs this teamwork! My dragon gains power for the total 27 banished blackwings! So he has a grand total of 11600!
"No way!"
"Kill his dragon and defeat Sonic!"
"No I play the trap synchro deflector! It destroys a monster that attacks a synchro!"
"Hmmm you managed to get rid of my dragon. But I still have this. The continuous magic card resurrection of the tyrant! It special summons a monster at the end of the turn it was destroyed and deals you damage equal to half his original attack points! My tyrant dragon has originally 3500! So this is 1750 damage for you!"
"AAH!" (Sonic LP 4950)
"Make your move!"
"My turn. I draw. I put my dragon in defense mode and set a card. Make your move!"
"My turn. But my spell card forbids me from drawing my top card if it is a monster. Gladly it's not. Also I sent the top 3 cards of my deck to my graveyard. and among them guess what! Another blackwing. It is banished and my dragon gains 300 attack so he hass 11900! Also you forgot something! Your link monster can't be switched to defense mode!"
"Oh no!" Sonic's friends said.
"Goodbye!"
The tyrant dragon attacked borreload dragon and destroyed it.
"I have the trap card defense draw! it negates the damage and lets me draw one card."
"So what. I activate my dragon's effect. When he destroys a monster in battle it can destroy a monster on my field and deal you damage equal to half its attack points. I choose my dragon!"
"NO! AAAAH!" (Sonic LP 3200)
"And don't forget! Thanks to my spell my dragon returns and you take the same damage!"
"AAH(Sonic LP 1450)
"It's over Sonic. The next turn I will either destroy your dragon or summon the grinder golem to your field and finish you off! Surrender now! you are no match for me! It was obvious that you would lose if you act like this."
"What do you mean?!"
"I mean that your dragon as the king of blackwings utilizes his underlings the wrong way! Servants don't need brotherhood with the king! They need a leader. Someone who can step on them so they can all achieve their goal! Teamwork is for fools!"
"YOU…"
"Yes?"
"YOU…"
"Me what?"
"YOU COULDN'T BE MORE WRONG!"
"WHAT WAS THAT?!"
"A TRUE KING RESPECTS HIS SUBJECTS!"
"I don't know why I expected you to understand. You are clearly too naïve to be a king. I will rid you from your title right now! I set a card and end my turn."
Sonic wasn't talking. He was trembling from rage. His skin turned darker. Only Amy noticed it.
"You shall pay!" he said calmly but everyone could fill his rage. But the next moment he turned back to normal.
"My turn. I draw." he didn't look at the card immediately.
"Unless it is this card.. I lose. Please my deck."
He looked at it.
"HELL YEAH! I ACTIVATE COSMIC CYCLONE!"
"OH no!
"Oh yes! i paly 1000 LP (Sonic LP 450) to banish your cage of oblivion! Now all the banished blackwings return to our graveyards! Now your dragon loses all of his strength and my dragon gains strength! Sky ruler attack and end this!"
"No you won't! I activate the trap mutiny! For 2000 of my LP (Zeena LP 6000) my dragon gains 300 attack for every winged beast in your graveyard. so now they are equal once again with 5600 atk each!"
"We'll see about that!"
The dragons collided and an explosion occurred.
"You fool! Now you will lose due to my continuous spell!"
"I don't think so! Take another look at your field and your life points!"
When the smoke cleared the black feather sky ruler dragon was still standing. All the blackwings in Sonic's graveyard were around it. The tyrant dragon was gone. And Zeena's life points were…
"0! BUT HOW?! THIS ISN'T POSSIBLE! THIS WASN'T SUPPOSED TO GO LIKE THIS! Our dragons were equal! Why did it survive?! And why did I lose?!"
"Let me tell you! My dragon gains 300 attack points for every blackwing in the graveyard Zeena! Do the math!"
"But don't you see it doesn't add up? Our dragons both gained the same attack boost. I should have won!"
"Open your eyes Zeena don't you see who sided with my dragon?"
Zeena looked at the sky ruler and saw it; tons of blackwings around it. More than the ones in Sonic's graveyard. she counted them.
"These are.. the blackwings in MY graveyard! why?! why did they side with your dragon?!"
"The black feather sky ruler dragon gains attack from the fallen blackwings in BOTH graveyards!"
"NOOO!"
"You destroyed your cards and they paid you back! This is justice Zeena! You lose!"
"No.. it can't be."
"Zeena!"
Sonic raised his head and saw a man and a woman dressed in very expensive clothes approaching her.
"Mum… dad.. I'm sorry. I lost."
"You didn't just lose! You failed!" Her mother screamed in her face. Sonic felt sorry for Zeena.
"Get up! We'll go to all the duel teachers in the world! I don't care how long you'll have to train and study but you will beat him one day!"
"Hey dude!" Sonic said in a mocking tone.
"What do you want hedgehog?"
"if you want the title then fight me yourself!"
"I don't wanna beat you hedgehog! I want this failure I call my daughter to beat you! But ever since you were children she always lost to you!"
"You mean to tell me that ever since I and Zeena were in elementary you made her duel me so she would become the champion one day?!
"Yes!"
"Why you! This is too much to ask from your won child. No wait. You didn't even ask it! You demanded it!"
"Exactly. This is the only way to control the world!"
"Control the world?"
"Yes. I control most of the oil sources on the planet. So technically I control the roads. And my wife is a fashion designer controlling the world on her own part. If Zeena beats you she will become the duel queen and she will control the youngster's world! That way we will secure world domination!"
"The plan was foiled thought because this bitch lost!" Zeena's mother screamed.
"Get up Zeena! You will pay for this loss tenfold!" Her father grabbed her arm.
Zeena was shocked not so much by the demands of her parents rather than the fact that in front of them stood the murderer of their son and they only cared for world domination!
"I can't believe you! What parents are you?! Sonic killed zazz! And you only care about his title?!"
"We mourned for zazz long enough. The least we can do is honor his memory by securing world domination!"
"Police will be very interested in this!" a voice was heard.
Everyoen turned around and saw Tails with a tape recorder on his right hand.
"Tails!" Sonic said happy.
"I would never abandon you blue leader. But I couldn't believe Zeena's sayings. So I looked into the case. And what I have found is very interesting.
"What could you have possibly found bronze medal?" Zeena's father mocked him.
"I decided to search through Zeena's file to see everything about her and her deceased brother. But there was no birth certificate for zazz!"
"What?!" Zeena screamed surprised.
"It means that zazz was never part of Zeena's family." Sonic said "what else?"
"I also decided to hack through mr the Zeti's computer to find anything else and I found a paycheck with a huge amount addressed to zazz. So in the end I discovered through a letter that zazz was a homeless guy you found on the street and payed him to beat Sonic. then you had it planned for him to lose to Zeena in a public duel to complete your plan!"
"I see you've discovered everything. But who will they believe? Me or you?"
"Maybe the birth certificate of zazz's real family I found.
"What?!"
"You had it hidden very well. You paid the keeper of the certificates to burn it. But I found a copy hidden inside a secret file that you didn't know about. Now if you try to accuse Sonic we will publish those clues and believe me, scheming against society comes with a very long imprisonment. Not to mention the distrust your customers will come to bear for you and never buy from you again. In other words you accuse Sonic and you lose everything!"
"Why you little! Fine. You win this one hedgehog but Zeena will be back stronger! Come Zeena!" they turned to leave but Zeena didn't follow.
"I said come!"
"NO!"
"What was that? I order you to come now!"
"NO! I won't follow you! All my life you tortured me to be the duel champion! I lost so many years from my life thanks to you! And above that you lied to me! You said that zazz was my long lost brother when you brought him in! and now you want me to continue 'working' for you?! Hell no!"
"And what will you do? If you abandon us I will makesure you leave in total poverty! No one of our relatives will help you! You will die like a dog on the streets! You have no one to help you but us!"
"WRONG!" Sonic said.
"What?!"
"She has me!"
"Excuse me?"
"Zeena was once my best friend. We can't change the past. But now that I see what her true dueling nature is I want to help her stand up again and become the great duelist she is meant to be!"
He approached Zeena and offered to help her get up.
"What do you say?" He said with a warm smile.
She looked at him shocked. She had never received that kind of treatment from her parents. And Sonic was practically a stranger to her. And yet he wanted to help her. She smiled back and grabbed his hand. After she got up she turned to her parents.
"We're done!" she declared.
"I will destroy you! I swear it!" her father said and left.
Zeena turned to Sonic again.
"Sonic.. thank you. I have no words to thank you enough."
"Don't say anything Zeena. Now take this." He said giving her a check.
"No. I can't accept money. It's not right."
"Take them. You'll need a helping hand to start a new life."
She took the check with trembling hands.
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it. And if you need more just give me a call and I will arrange it." He said giving her his phone number.
They all left the dome. Zeena escorted them to the hotel. Tomorrow Sonic's plan was to search the city in the morning and then leave for Cologne to search there afterwards.
"Um.. Sonic?" Zeena said.
"What is it?"
"I want to ask you a favor."
"Anything."
"In Cologne is the duel academy I graduated from. There is a girl who was my roommate. She is there 5 years now and cannot ever graduate. I was hoping you could help her by teaching her some things."
"Sure. We'll do it!" Sonic said "No problem with that guys?"
"Nope. Not at all" they all said.
"So.. I guess.. this is goodbye then." Zeena said.
"For now." Sonic smiled and hugged her. She hugged him back and then left. They all went to their rooms. There they all fell asleep once they closed their eyes.
