Chapter 20; the millennium duel, Tails vs Sonic(?)
Tails arrived at the duel palace. He parked the duel runner outside and headed for the arena. Every step he took made him feel like he would collapse. He knew that the last few days led to this very moment. He entered the arena under the applause of the viewers and made his way to the dueling field. Sonic was already there. Still dark. And still with that evil smile on his face.
"So…. You showed up, didn't you" he mocked Tails.
"Indeed. Let's end this!" Tails said.
"Time for the dessert! Once I defeat you and claim your power the god cards will break free of these mere vessels called cards and will do my bidding as I become the god of this puny world" Sonic declared.
"Yeah you wish! Today you meet your match!" Tails said revealing his mark.
Sonic momentarily showed some signs of shock but only momentarily.
"Heh. I know you fought your 6 friends. You blinded yourself this much then? You think that just because you beat those 6 fools and got some new tricks you will defeat me? Well let me open your eyes! No matter what you do it's no use! Our dueling energy maybe in an equal level but the gods are in a different league. You were never a match for me! And you never will be! All you can do is struggle against me then inevitably lose this fight and give me all your power. So…. Shall we begin?"
"We'll see soon enough if I am a match for you!"
"DUEL!"
"I'll start this!" Tails declared "I summon forth red resonator, then due to controlling it red warg. Red warg tune with red resonator! Isolated absolute king! Scorch the earth with your eternal flames! Synchro summon! Appear! Hot red dragon archfiend!"
"Good. I could do with an appetizer."
"I set 1 card and end my turn."
"I draw then. Perfect! Are you ready to experience god?!"
"Yes!"
"We'll see. I summon blackwing gofu the vogue shadow! Then thanks to its effect I get 2 tokens! I transform the first token to a link spider! Then the second token to another link spider under the first one! now I sacrifice all 3 of them!" His skin turned darker just like with his duel against Amy "Ancient god of war! Awaken from your eternal slumber and pulverize my opponents to dust! Arise! OBELISK THE TORMENTOR!"
The ground behind Sonic split apart and Obelisk came out and stood behind Sonic.
"Obelisk! Destroy hot red dragon archfiend! GOD HAND CRASHER!"
Obelisk attacked hot red dragon archfiend.
"I activate my trap impenetrable attack! I choose to protect my dragon from destruction!"
"But you still take damage!"
"AAAH!" (Tails LP 7000)
"I end my turn! Top this Tailsy!" Sonic mocked him.
"I will not be swayed by your words. And now I realize how wrong you are! You say our dueling energies are the same! But it's not true. You have inside of you the energy of your victims! I have the energy of my friends! And together we'll bring you down!"
"You really are a fool! Friendship is trash! The only real thing is power!"
"I draw!" Tails screamed in retaliation ""Damn" he thought "nothing I have right now can top Obelisk. But I can delay him".
"I activate the spell swords of revealing light! For 3 turns you cannot attack!"
"Heh. Temporary relief I assure you."
"I end my turn with another face down."
"I draw. Since I cannot put you to sleep yet I'll just power up my army! I activate dark world dealings. We both discard one card and then draw one card. But look. I discarded beige vanguard of the dark world! When he is discarded he returns instead. Then I activate the spell change of stance. A monster on my field has its attack and defense switched for 1 turn. I choose beige. Then I activate the spell inferno reckless summon. Because my monster has less than 1500 attack power I can summon all its copies from my deck. This card also allows you to choose a monster on our field and do the same. But since hot red dragon came from the extra deck you can't do it."
"I chain with my set card! De synchro! I split my dragon back at its fusion materials so now that I have red resonator out I can summon ALL of my red resonators!"
"WHAT?!"
"And since they were all special summoned their effects increase my LP by the attack points of one of your monsters once each! I have 3 red resonators! So I gain 3 times obelisks power! So 12000!"
"Heh. Maybe you'll actually be a match for me!" (Tails LP 19000) "But this is just the start. I now tribute all 3 of my beiges! Gates of the sky! Open up and unleash the mighty god of thunder and storms! Descend from your sky kingdom and bring terror on the lands of mortals! Come forth! SLIFER THE SKY DRAGON!"
"No way! 2 god cards?!"
"Slifer's power is determined by the number of cards in my hand multiplied by 1000. I hold 3. So he has 3000 attack points!"
"Shit!" Tails thought if I summon my dragon again it'll only have 1000 atk."
"I set a card and end my turn."
"My turn. I draw. I synchro summon once again my hot red dragon archfiend!"
"Slifer's ability activates! He decreases your dragon's attack by 2000!"
"Nothing will spare your monsters from my effect! Hot red dragon archfiend activate your effect and destroy all other attack position monsters out!"
"You're so naïve! I activate the trap card starlight road! Since you tried to take down both of my gods I summon stardust dragon and your effect is negated and your dragon is destroyed!"
"Damn. But I'm not done yet! I activate the spell return of the dragon lords to revive my dragon in defense mode. Then I double tune hot red dragon archfiend with both of my red resonators! Ultimate dragon of hot flames! Fly from the depths of hell and take all the souls of this world! Synchro summon! Appear! Hot red dragon archfiend king calamity! Defense mode! And before I end my turn I equip it with synchro shield to increase its defense by 500! Make your move!"
"Damn! It has 4000 defense power! Neither Obelisk nor Slifer can penetrate it. At least not yet!"
"I end my turn".
"Fine then. I draw. I can do nothing but switch stardust in defense mode and end my turn."
"I draw. Hot red dragon archfiend king calamity! Attack stardust dragon! And when he destroys a monster by battle you lose the original attack points of that monster from you life points!"
"HEH! You'll have to do better than that!" (Sonic LP 5500)
"I end my turn with that".
"I draw. Now I hold 5 cards in my hand. So Slifer now has 5000 attack power. This is the last turn of the swords so I have to end my turn. But in the next turn I will teach you what fear really is! And after fear pain!"
"I draw. I put my dragon in defense once again. Then I set 2 cards and finish my turn with this."
"I draw. Prepare to experience a power like no other! I summon forth Ra's disciple! Who allows me to call his other 2 friends from my deck! And now I activate the spell double summon! I sacrifice all 3 of my disciples!"
"NO! IT CAN'T BE! YOU CAN'T!"
"IT IS! AND I JUST DID! I summon the winged dragon of Ra! Sphere mode!"
"Not that!"
"And now behold the ancient chant! Great beast of the sky please hear my cry transform thyself from orb of light and bring me victory in this fight! Envelope the dessert with your glow and cast your rage upon my foe! Unlock your powers from powers from deep within so that together we may win. Appear in this shadow game as I call your name! WINGED DRAGON OF RA!"
The sphere transformed into the winged dragon of Ra. Tails looked at the enemy's field in shock. Sonic had just summoned all 3 egyptian gods at once! Was there anything he could do now to stop him?
"Now I activate Ra's effect! For 1000LP" (Sonic LP 4500) "I destroy one monster on the field! So say goodbye to your last line of defense!"
"NO!"
At that moment Sonic's body started releasing a dark aura rather than just being dark. And his eyes turned completely white.
"And to make sure nothing will stop me I activate my anti magic arrows! Lets begin the attacks! OBELISK! ATTACK TAILS DIRECTILY! GOD HAND CRASHER!"
Obelisk prepared to punch Tails. Tails tried to jump away and dodge the attack but he wasn't fast enough. He felt his whole body melt under the huge fist of Obelisk. When Obelisk's attack was over Tails was bleeding in several parts of his body.
"This was just the start! SLIFER! THUNDER FORCE!"
Tails tried to move but the blast got him this time too!
"AAAAAAAAAH!" He screamed as Slifer's thunder attack sent electricity though his body causing his body to tremble endlessly. But it wasn't over yet.
"And now for the cherry in the cake! RA! ATTACK HIM! GOD BLAZE CANNON!"
Tails was lying on the ground still trembling from the electric shock. He was once again unable to try and dodge.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" His screams now were reflecting the agony he felt inside as his body burnt by Ra's flames. When Ra stopped attacking Tails was lying on the ground still twitching from the electricity with several burns on his skin and in a pool of his own blood. (Tails LP 7000)
"See now Tails? You could never match me! You're too weak! Too pathetic! That's why you could never see the full potential of these cards! Look at you now! Lying in your own blood! If you're at least clever you will not stand up and escape the rest of the pain that awaits you if you choose to!"
Tails tried to stand up but he couldn't. The pain was too much. His skin was in pain due to the bleeding and the burns. And the pain from the inside due to the electric shock was worse. It caused him to twitch uncontrollably. He wished to die right there so his suffering would end. But if he chose the selfish coward way….. who knew how many people out there would suffer instead. He managed to stand up.
"So you are a fool after all!"
"I will never surrender! I may be a fool! But I cannot allow you to cause the same pain that I am now going through to everyone in the world! I will simply not allow you to!"
"We'll see how you're planning to do it once I have taken all your energy!"
"My turn. I draw. I activate the spell one day of peace. We both draw a card and neither of us takes damage until my next turn".
"Pointless struggling. Plus by playing this Slifer's power goes to 5000!"
"I end my turn!"
"I draw. I end my turn as well. Prepare yourself next turn for I will end you forever!"
"I draw. I end my turn."
"See? I told you that you were weak! Let's end this! GOD HAND CRASHER!"
"I special summon battle fader!"
"Such persistency! But so be it! It will be even funnier when I end your life in more desperation! I end my turn."
"I draw. I discard barrier resonator to special summon power giant. He loses one level because of discarding barrier resonator for it."
"Slifer reduces his attack by 2000!"
"He will survive. Next I activate my set tuner revival. So I can summon my barrier resonator back. Next I play the spell star changer to increase my resonator's level by 1. Then I tune all of them together. Diabolic dragon with the two heads! Assist me in this fight with your unending might! Synchro summon! Arise! Beelze of the diabolic dragons!"
"Don't you ever learn? Slifer! Reduce his attack by 2000!"
"I end my turn."
"My turn. I draw. Slifer! Attack beelze! THUNDER FORCE!"
Slifer unleashed a powerful lightning attack against beelze.
"Beelze cannot be destroyed in battle!"
"But you still take damage!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!" (Tails LP 2000) the electric attack once more hit Tails who started twitching again due to the great amounts of electricity going through his body. However he stood strong.
"Beelze gains attack points equal to the damage I took." (Beelze attack 6000)
"I expected this pathetic strategy! Nothing can be compared to the gods! I activate the spell brothers' share. When a level 8 or above of your monster gains attack power one of my level 8 or above monsters gain the same amount! Ra's attack is increased to 10000! Ra! End this! God blaze cannon!"
"Oh no!"
"So long fool!"
Ra unleashed his cannon attack. But before it could hit….
"I activate shield and sword! Our monsters' attack and defense points switch! So Ra has 4000 atk and beelze 3000!"
"I must admit that was pretty clever! But nothing will save you later! Now take this!"
"AAAAAH!" (Tails LP 1000)
"Now you are hanging from a mere thread. It is all over surrender to me!"
"Never! I will never give up to you! Cause I swore to everyone that I will save you!"
"AAAAAARGHHH! STOOOOOOPPP IIIITTT! CUT THE CRAP! I'M NO LONGER THE SAME PERSOOON! FOR ALL YOUR FOOLISHNESS! I WILL MURDER YOU THE WORST WAY POSSIBLE!"
"No! I don't believe it anymore! I don't believe you're Sonic! You are not a better version of Sonic not even dark Sonic! And even if I lose the world will never surrender to you! You will never be god!"
"AAAAAAAAAAARRGGGGHHHHH! AAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Sonic started screaming grabbing his head while several darkness auras were being released from his body.
"Are you ok?!" Tails screamed worried.
Suddenly time stopped. Everyone and everything froze. And the dark auras that were being released from Sonic's body surrounded them, creating a place of eternal darkness. As for Sonic he continued screaming until he himself was consumed by darkness.
"SONIC!"
But from the inside of the darkness in which Sonic was a voice different than Sonic's was heard. But Tails knew whose it was.
"Little fool. Now that you unleashed me you will truly feel my wrath!"
"You…. You are…!"
The darkness was lifted and the one standing in front of Tails was no longer dark Sonic.
"NAZO!"
"Indeed! It's me! I am the great and powerful Nazo! The true ruler of this world!"
"Enough with the bullshit! Where is Sonic?!"
"Oh you mean.. him?!" he said pointing on his right side above his head.
Tails looked where he was pointing and saw Sonic hanging on the air with his body resembling an X. He was unconscious.
"YOU SNAKE! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM?!"
"The moment you 3 beat me in inunaki village I lost my physical existence. But I used the dark powers of the lunar dragon to get inside Sonic's body! I unleashed the darkness in his heart and used it to camouflage myself while controlling him! But now that I have enough dueling energy I was able to gain full control of his body! And once this dark game is over he will slip into the shadows for all of eternity while I rule this pitiful world in my own great image!"
"You're sick! You killed all my friends! My girlfriend!" Tails said with tears in his eyes "You won't take my best friend too!"
"Oh yes I will! I will take all you have! And you know what the best part is?! You can't do anything about it! AAAAHAHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Tails felt rage building his body. But at the next moment….
"Don't!"
He looked at Sonic's direction. Sonic was awake. But he could merely speak.
"Don't give in to your rage Tails. You know what you have to do! Win this now. You have… all you need…" Sonic said while fainting again.
"Sonic!" Tails reached out for him but was unable to reach him.
"You guys are so funny. This is such a pleasant show too bad I will end it soon enough."
"You want show? I'll give you one then! I draw! PERFECT! I activate Synchro shift! I transform my level 8 dragon into another level 8 dragon from my extra deck! Beelze! Be gone! Appear! SCARLIGHT RED DRAGON ARCHFIEND!"
Scarlight appeared and roared against the gods. They roared back and Slifer blasted scarlight reducing his attack to a mere 1000 attack points.
"Not even the monster born from your darkness can match my power! Give up now before I lose my temper again!"
"I'm not done! I play the spell resonator alchemy! I banish 2 resonator monster from my graveyard with the same name to summon 2 resonators from my deck with 1 level lower and their effects negated. I banish 2 red resonators and summon 2 double resonators from my deck. And now I will show you my full power! I double tune my 2 double resonators with my scarlight red dragon archfiend!
"WHAT?!" Nazo and Sonic both screamed.
"Ruler and devil now become one! Call upon the soul of the dragon god and roar in the name of the creation itself! I initiate….. A FLAMES SYNCHRO!"
"FLAMES SYNCHRO?!"
Tails was engulfed into a white light and scarlight in a ball of colorful flames
"SHOW YOURSELF! ULTIMATE DRAGON OF FLAMES! TYRANT RED DRAGON ARCHFIEND!"
Tyrant showed himself by breaking out of the fire ball. And Tails appeared in his new white outfit!
"WHAT TRICKERY IS THIS BRONZE MEDAL?!" Nazo screamed.
"It is my full power! And my name is no longer the bronze medal! Now I'm known as… THE WHITE DUELIST!"
"Tails…. Do it!" Sonic screamed with all his power.
"IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU DO! SLIFER REDUCES TYRANT'S POWER BY 2000!"
"No you don't! When tyrant red dragon archfiend's stats are affected, once per turn I'm allowed to reset the change and deal it to you as damage!"
"AAAAAAAAAAH!" (Nazo LP 2500) "This changes nothing! Your dragon can't take on any of the gods! I still am going to win!"
"NO! Tyrant red dragon archfiend activate your effect! Once per turn I can destroy all other cards on the field!"
"SAY WHAT?!"
"TAKE THIS! ABSOLUTE POWER INFERNO!"
"NOOOO! THE GODS CAN'T GO DOWN!"
Tyrant unleashed scortching hot flames that destroyed everything including the so called indestructible gods.
"YOU STILL WON'T WIN BRONZE MEDAL! I ACTIVATE THE DESTROYED SPELL MONSTER CLONE! IT ENABLES ME TO BANISH ONE MONSTER AND ALL OF ITS COPIES FROM MY DECK AND GAIN ITS EFFECTS UNTIL THE END PHASE! I CHOOSE THE WINGED DRAGON OF RA IMMORTAL PHOENIX!"
"You think! Tyrant red dragon archfiend can negate the activation of a spell or trap card per turn and increase his attack by 500!"
"4000 ATTACK?! IT CAN'T BE!"
"IT IS! TYRANT RED DRAGON ARCHFIEND! ATTACK…"
"STOP!" Nazo screamed while Sonic suddenly was moved through the air and stood between tyrant and nazo.
"WHAT IS THIS?!" Tails screamed in rage.
"No sacrifice no victory bronze medal! Beat me! But I told you! I WILL take away all you have! You took away my rightful place as a member of the singed ones! And the king took the leadership which was also my rightful place! So we'll all go down together in a blaze of glory! AHAHAAHA! AHAHAHAAHA!"
"Do it Tails." Sonic ordered him.
"What?! Are you nuts? I can't kill you! Not you too! You're the last friend I have left Sonic! I can't kill you!"
"Don't save me Tails please! I caused you so much pain I deserve to go down with Nazo! Please! Destroy us! Trust me!" Sonic said.
Tails unleashed his tears again but didn't hesitate!
"TYRANT RED DRAGON ARCHFIEND! ATTACK NAZO DIRECTILY! CRIMSON HELL TIDE INFERNO!"
Tyrant unleashed a giant flame attack. But before it reached Sonic his mark started shining.
"WHAT?!" Nazo screamed.
The flame was cut in two, went around the hanging Sonic and reunited as one continuing its way towards Nazo striking him directily. (Nazo LP 0)
"What… what have you two done?!" he screamed while starting to disappear just like in inunaki village.
"You said it yourself. I am the leader of the singed ones. I have powers too. And they kept me safe from Tails' attack!"
Nazo's eyes widened.
"So…what fueled your powers… was no longer hatred or vengeance but…."
"Friendship." Tails said.
Nazo closed his eyes and smiled.
"Heh. in the end of my life the dragon god showed me what I needed instead of his powers. All I ever needed and really wanted deep down was friends just like you two are."
"It's still not over Nazo! We can still save you." Sonic said.
"No Sonic. Things like death you can't save people from. But still… thank you. At least from the thousands of years I lived on this world… at least the last seconds were not full of hate like the rest of my life. And I am grateful to you 2 for that. Now go back to your lives. Goodbye… and thank you.. my friends…" he said while disappearing once and for all.
Sonic and Tails were left standing there for several seconds looking at the spot where Nazo was standing just now. The darkness around them started lifting. They returned back to the duel palace. Time started moving again. Everyone seemed confused for a while. Then they all started cheering and calling loudly Tails' name.
"What?! why are they calling my name?" Tails said confused.
"Look at the score board dude." Sonic said smiling.
Tails looked at it. His saw the number of his life points under his name being 1000. And under Sonic's name was the number 0.
"WHAT?! They think that…"
"You beat me. You're the king once again Tails." Sonic said.
Tails for one second imagined how his life would be from now on. The endless challenges. The fans. The cheers. But he felt he couldn't do it. He saw momentarily in front of him in a vision Sonic in his black duelist uniform and the sky ruler dragon above Sonic. He realized he couldn't become the king yet. He didn't beat Sonic. Not Sonic the duel king. Until he brought the sky ruler dragon down he couldn't consider himself a king. He asked for a microphone and started a speech.
"Duel fans! I apologize but this duel did NOT count!"
They all reacted and not very pleasantly.
"I know that normally beating Sonic would make me the duel king. And I can not explain the situation right now but I and Sonic have still a score to settle and an important job to take care of. But we will settle this in a true title match! We'll let everyone know soon enough and I promise you all it will be the best title match ever!"
They all remained silent for a second and then cheered once again as Sonic and Tails left the stadium together. Once they were out Tails received a message on his cell phone and told Sonic it was from Sonic's parents to thank him for saving Sonic. Afterwards he took Sonic to his and Cosmo's secret beach where they sat on the soft sand and he narrated him all that happened ever since his disappearance in inunaki village until today. Sonic was listening to all of this in great shock. When Tails ended his narration he was almost unable to speak.
"So I…. killed… all of our friends… Amy too…. And I forced you to kill everyone remaining. Silver. Blaze. Zeena. Espio. Vector. Even Cosmo. Why? Why even after al this… you refused to kill me?"
"You're the last friend I have. I just can't lose you too."
"Tails…. Thank you.." Sonic said hugging his friend.
After some time passed so Sonic could relax and accept it all, they rode Tails' duel runner and reached Tails' home so Sonic could get back his deck and runner. But when they opened the door in Tails' apartment….
"SURPRISE!"
Sonic looked around him shocked and saw all of his friends with flesh and bones standing in the room, having jumped out of several hiding spots to surprise him. He tried to speak but was too shocked to. He tried again.
"W-w-what the. How.. how are you guys all alive? Tails.. Tails told me that either me or him killed you all."
"We though so too" Knuckles approached them "but the moment you were set free and Nazo was defeated we had our power and life energy returned. We saw everything from tv. We texted Tails in order to keep you away from here until we could prepare this surprise party. And don't think about apologizing Sonic. You're our friend to the end of time. We don't need any apology to forgive you. Especially for something you weren't responsible for in the first place".
"You guys. Thank you all." Sonic said deeply moved.
The rest of the night was an endless party. Everyone ate, drank and danced until they could no longer stand. Around 5 AM everyone except the singed ones started leaving since some of them had to return home and the others needed some serious sleep. The singed ones continued the party until 7AM when they all fell asleep and woke up in the afternoon at 4PM some under tables, Knuckles inside the bathtub and Sonic with Amy on the bed. When Sonic woke up he got up, headed for Tails' room and got his deck back. He felt such happiness when he felt the spirits of the blackwing warriors in his deck welcoming him back as if he had done nothing. And then he saw ancient Sonic's pendant. He got it hesitantly and wore it. Ancient Sonic appeared from the inside.
"Welcome back." He said.
"Hi. Well.. I'm sorry man. I got your only means of peace away from you. And used them to harm others. I…"
"You don't have to say anything. The others forgave you. So do I."
"Thank you. Here. The 3 illusionary beasts."
Ancient Sonic took them.
"Great. Now we need to go to my tomb."
"Your tomb?"
"Just because my spirit was sealed in this pendant doesn't mean my body wasn't given a proper Egyptian burial. I know where we have to go. This means that…."
"We need to make one more journey." Sonic said rushing out of the room, waking up Amy and his friends and making preparations for the final journey of this one year long adventure.
