Halloween, a night where we all don costumes, scare ourselves silly and venture for candy like there's no tomorrow.
The time of year that many cultures use to celebrate those who have passed on, the time when summer ends and winter begins, and the time when the veil between the mortal and supernatural worlds weakens just enough for the dead to have fun.
As with any kid, I absolutely love this time of year, and the Halloween before my brothers and I moved to Domino City would be one I would never forget.
It's not just because of the sweets, the spooky fun or the crazy theme we used for the party, but also because that night, I was face to face with a being that was born from people's nightmares and fears, who couldn't wait to sink their teeth into an unsuspecting human's head and bite it clean off. There I was, trapped with this monster ready to tear me limb from limb all while people watched in horror.
Even to this day, I can hear that thing ask me if I was ready...
I wasn't, but I also wasn't one to back down from a challenge.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Roll 2
0-0-0-0-0-0
Marionettes Inc.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"This is so exciting!" Rebecca Hopkins squeals as she runs a brush through her long hair. "Tonight is Halloween and I am ready!"
In her bedroom, the young girl looks at herself in the mirror, dressed like Alice Liddell as she reaches for her headband with a lacy blue and white bow attached to it, slipping it on top of her head to complete the look. Tonight, her school, Cawthon Academy, is hosting a Halloween party at the auditorium, and she and her brothers decided to dress up as different characters from Alice in Wonderland for this occasion.
Of course, getting costumes for five people of different heights is a bit of a challenge, but a bit of spending at costume shops, thrift stores, crafting stores and searching through numerous Internet tutorials eventually has all their costumes made and ready for tonight (it also helps that one of them is an expert at sewing, making costumes for some of the school's theatrical productions).
As she is about to leave with a purse in the shape of a white rabbit strapped to her shoulder, she pauses and turns to her Deck and Duel Disk (the tray curved like a scimitar blade and the main body resembling a golden gear) resting on her bed. Dueling will be allowed at the party, but why would anyone spend time dueling when they can bob for apples, dance, eat free pizza, watch spooky videos and more?
Still, she has been recognized as a dueling prodigy, having been crowned the US Champion before her 12th birthday, and she knows that there will be plenty of people just itching to try their luck against the "Artifact Maiden" as she has been nicknamed by many online articles and her fans. It is slightly embarrassing to be called that at school, but she is awed at how younger students look up to her and have decided to research the weapons she uses in battle. Sometimes, she can spot kids pretending to be warriors, brandishing sticks as if they were Excalibur or Kusanagi during recess.
Plus, she has to admit as she stares at her reflection in the mirror, it would be lots of fun to duel as Alice in Wonderland.
With her mind made up, Rebecca slips the Duel Disk over her right arm, double checking to see that her deck is in there (she has a tendency to accidentally take one of her brothers' decks without looking) before going to the bedroom door, opening it to find Miruko waiting for her, looking as if he has seen a ghost.
"There you are!" he says. "We have to get going now!"
"What's the matter, Cheshire puss?" asks Rebecca, looking over her brother's costume: he wears a striped maroon shirt and brown pants with a cat's tail attached to it colored purple and pink. Perched on top of his head are a pair of purple and pink cat ears. He also has whiskers drawn on his face with black face paint and a purple eye mask with pink triangles around the edges.
"Amelda has been reading out loud for the past twenty minutes!" Miruko exclaims.
"That doesn't sound that bad," Rebecca notes.
"He's reading The Yellow Wallpaper!"
"...okay, that is bad."
Miruko slowly nods his head as the two walk down the hallway to find their older brothers waiting, the three also dressed as characters from Alice in Wonderland. Raphael is the White Rabbit, with a pair of rabbit ears in his spiked blond hair while he stares at a pocket watch with great intensity that it looks like it will combust with his gaze. Varon is the March Hare, with tan hare ears sticking out of his own brown spiky hair, his hands over his (human) ears as he tries to block out Amelda (dressed as the Mad Hatter with an oversized top hat on his head with a piece of paper reading "In This Style 10/6" stuck to it) and his narrations over a woman going into a mental breakdown after being trapped in a room with horrific yellow colored wallpaper.
"I don't want to go out, and I don't want to have anybody come in, till John comes," Amelda recites, reading the story on his phone. "I want to astonish him. I've got a rope up here that even Jennie did not find. If that woman does get out, and tries to get away, I can tie her! But I forgot I could not reach far without anything to stand on!
"This bed will NOT move! I tried to lift and push it until I was lame, and then I got so angry I bit off a little piece at one corner—but it hurt my teeth. Then I peeled off all the paper I could reach standing on the floor. It sticks horribly and the pattern just enjoys it! All those strangled heads and bulbous eyes and waddling fungus growths just shriek with derision!
"I am getting angry enough to do something desperate. To jump out of the window would be admirable exercise, but the bars are too strong even to try. Besides I wouldn't do it. Of course not. I know well enough that a step like that is improper and might be misconstrued. I don't like to LOOK out of the windows even—there are so many of those creeping women, and they creep so fast.
"I wonder if they all come out of that wall-paper as I did? But I am securely fastened now by my well-hidden rope—you don't get ME out in the road there! I suppose I shall have to get back behind the pattern when it comes night, and that is hard! It is so pleasant to be out in this great room and creep around as I please! I don't want to go outside. I won't, even if Jennie asks me to. For outside you have to creep on the ground, and everything is green instead of yellow. But here I can creep smoothly on the floor, and my shoulder just fits in that long smooch around the wall, so I cannot lose my way. Why there's John at the door!"
"Stop it there, please!" Varon screams as he sees Rebecca and Miruko stare at the three. "I don't wanna know how this will end."
Amelda sets his phone down and smiles. "But Varon, we have to read this for our English class on Monday and someone has to narrate it. Besides, a bit of horror on Halloween doesn't hurt anybody."
"You have been reading that story for the past twenty minutes and you're reading it as if you were narrating an episode of The Twilight Zone! Do you know how freaky you sound when you do that?"
"I thought you liked the sound of my voice…" Amelda smirks as he exposes his fangs. "Especially when it comes to…"
"Enough," Raphael interrupts, slipping the pocket watch into a pocket of his red waistcoat. His lips turn into a playful grin at his little sister. "Alice has arrived."
"And we need to hurry because this is a very important date," Rebecca notes, slipping on a pair of black dress shoes by the door. "Come on, we have to go!"
"And why the Duel Disk?" Amelda inquires, raising an eyebrow.
"Because who knows what can happen? Duels can appear at anytime and any place, so it's best to be prepared for anything!" Rebecca answers, plain and simple. "Plus, wouldn't it be cool to have me duel as Alice in Wonderland? After all, you don't see plain Alice Liddell fighting monsters, right?"
"Depends on the adaptation," Varon notes with a shrugs of his shoulders. He stands up and stretches his arms. "Well then, let's get a move on." He grins as all five siblings stare at one another. "Are we all ready…"
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"...For Freddy?" asks one of the High School seniors, dressed as a security guard, shining a flashlight underneath his face as he unleashes a sinister laugh. The Hopkins siblings laugh alongside the guard as he opens the door and ushers the five into the Cawthon Academy Auditorium. Inside, there are students milling about (some in traditional Halloween costumes, some dressed as Duel Monsters, others just wearing their everyday clothes and various High School students dressed as security guards for extra credit) eating pizza, dancing, playing Halloween games (like tossing bean bags, bobbing for apples, musical chairs) and more.
One corner of the auditorium is spruced up like a movie theater (or "Freddy Fazbear's Funtime Theater") which is playing something known as Five Nights at Freddy's: The Musical to various students of all ages watching and laughing at the night guard (played by famous YouTube Let's Player Markiplier) panicking over the killer animatronics (played by adorable puppets) singing him a song which Rebecca knows well (she has seen the musical 5 times).
"Come play with Freddy.
Play the night away.
All Freddy's friends have
Come here to say,
"We love to sing this song with you
It's our favorite thing to do.
'Cause we love you through and through!"
Yes, the theme for the Halloween party is that of Five Nights at Freddy's, the hit game that features killer animatronics, a night guard, a friendly guy on the phone who gives advice and a boatload of nightmares that make grown men cower in fright. The theme was voted on in late September and it won by a landslide due to its popularity. The weeks following the vote was spent on calculating the budget, planning out activities, asking students to pay $5 for tickets, preparing the auditorium for the party with decorations, ordering food, selecting age-appropriate videos and music (a collection of the former was hard to find so heavy censoring was used) and preparing the animatronics for what would be a party no one would forget.
Inside the auditorium, students are already lined up for games, food, getting their photos taken (by Photography Club President Todd Snap who prompts kids to smile by stating that they are "The Face of Freddy Fazbear's"), and so much more. Another attraction, directed for kids ten and under, is a scavenger hunt, where they go and find Freddy Fazbear and his pals (Bonnie, Chica and Foxy) who are hidden somewhere in the auditorium. A third one, which Rebecca is excited to try out, is an Escape Room Challenge, where up to three people have 10 minutes to find the clues to help them escape before Freddy (or one of his friends) captures them.
As all of this goes on, someone acting as "Phone Guy" gives announcements at every half-hour interval to ensure everything runs smoothly as if this auditorium really is Fazbear's Pizzeria. So far, everyone is happy with the theme and that's all that matters.
Who would have thought such a horrifying game franchise could make for a killer Halloween party?
As her brothers head off for different activities (Dancing for Varon and Amelda, the song playing is the techno heavy "Die in a Fire", bobbing for apples for Miruko, who easily bites into an apple due to his sharp fangs, and Raphael decides to help some younger kids on their scavenger hunt), Rebecca makes her way for some pizza, hoping that she at least gets a slice of pepperoni, olives and mushrooms on it.
"Rebecca!"
Rebecca turns to see her friend, Casey, dressed in a yellow and blue striped shirt, jean shorts, red sneakers and a red baseball cap with a blue bill, tackle her from behind. The girls laughed as Casey steps away.
"Isn't this so exciting?" asks Casey as she looks around. "I'm more of an OFF person myself, but this is so much fun!"
"I know!" Rebecca replies. "So, you're Ness then?"
"Yep. I mean, it's hard to find female fictional baseball players after all." Casey turns around as she poses with her baseball bat that she pulls from its case that is strapped to her back. "I am at bat and I'm surviving these Five Nights here."
"I can't wait to enter the Escape Room challenge!" Rebecca adds. "I mean, if Alice can keep her head intact against the Queen of Hearts, this should be a walk in the park!"
"Dressed as that?" asks a voice. "Becky, you have no sense of cuteness, do you?
Rebecca turns around and snarls at the girl dressed as White Magician Pikeru, who also has a Duel Disk strapped to her arm decorated with a pair of angelic wings and a tray resembling a white feather.
"Hi Marilyn," Rebecca begins, looking at the girl with disguised interest. "You're looking...okay."
"Don't you mean absolutely adorable?" Marilyn replies, spinning around before winking at Rebecca. "As president of the Cute Duelist Club, I have a right to keep an eye out on duelists who are so kawaii, as they say in Japan."
"Looks aren't everything, you know," Rebecca replies with a roll of her eyes. Marilyn is a duelist like Rebecca and Casey, but she only uses "cute" monsters and has a strict set of definitions as to what is defined as cute: the monster must be Level 4 or lower, be either a Normal or Effect Monster, have 1500 Attack Points or less and must be "absolutely cute no matter what."
Rebecca learned this first hand when Marilyn challenged her, having no regard for strategy (the closest thing was a Human Wave Tactics strategy) and playing whatever monster she sent to their dooms and kept them on the field with Gravity Bind to make the duel all the more "romantic" as her cute brigade faced off against Rebecca's atrocious and abominable "Artifact Army".
In what was supposed to be a way for Marilyn to become popular, it backfired when Rebecca used Double Cyclone to destroy said Gravity Bind and her facedown card (Artifact Moralltach) and handed Marilyn a solid defeat that had Rebecca gain more fans and Marilyn seething in rage. She has had a grudge on Rebecca ever since (in reality, the grudge had always been there, but this was the moment when Marilyn wanted her revenge).
Days before the Halloween party, Marilyn has been boasting about her new and improved cute monsters, but she never showed them, telling everyone that they were in for a "super sweet, saccharine surprise" on Halloween.
Which, given how she is here, it can only mean that Rebecca will be hearing Marilyn act all cutesy and dramatic as if she is a lady in 19th century fiction (portrayed that way due to the real life epidemic of tuberculosis back in the day, but Marilyn clearly isn't suffering through that).
"I came for a challenge," Marilyn continues. "And my cute and cuddly collection of creatures will clearly clean your clock, correct?"
"Wow," Rebecca comments, slowly clapping her hands. "Did you just make that on the spot or did you coo over yourself practicing this line until you can say it without being tongue-tied?"
"Why...you…" Marilyn pouts before storming off while Casey giggles.
"Tongue-tied and totally tripping over those terms of alliteration in order to find herself as a deliberate delicate damsel in distress is totally an act that an annoying adorable adolescent ascribes to," she recites. "Seriously, has she been eating a thesaurus these past few days?"
"Well, they can be considered brain food," Rebecca replies. The two girls share a laugh as they head off for pizza, unaware of Marilyn glaring at them before marching off.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
An hour into the party, while the Funtime Theater played animated videos of Markiplier playing the first three Five Nights at Freddy's games, five people are posing for a photo.
"Smile!" says Todd Snap, dressed as Frank West. "You are the Face of Freddy Fazbear's."
With two clicks, he takes a photo of Rebecca and her brothers. As they are head off, Rebecca lets out a sigh.
"What's up?" asks Miruko. "You seem a bit quiet."
Rebecca shakes her head. "It's nothing. But, does anyone notice something strange?"
"Aside from how children don't seem to be freaking out over Freddy and friends?" Varon jerks his thumb at two children (one dressed as a vampire, the other a cat) hugging someone wearing a Bonnie the Bunny suit. "It seems quiet."
"No, I'm talking about that Escape Room Challenge."
"We know, we know," Amelda groans. "You want to see if you can finish it in record time, you want to do it with your friends, you…."
Rebecca goes to the refreshments table and pours herself a cup of strawberry lemonade. "No, I just noticed that no one is in it right now."
"Maybe it's being fixed up for the next group," Raphael suggests. "After all, I've been hearing how the School Council made it challenging despite the budget."
Rebecca says nothing as she picks up a plate and piles it with celery stalks, broccoli florets and cherry tomatoes from a vegetable crudites platter, munching on a tomato just as the music stops playing and "Phone Guy" is heard on the speakers.
"Uh, hello? Hello hello?" says Phone Guy, getting everyone's attention. "Um, it looks like there's been an accident in the Escape Room. Someone has been taken out and has been talking about one of the animatronics being...active. But, uh, don't be afraid. We're taking care of them as we speak.
The students begin to look in curiosity, horror and confusion as Rebecca gives a look at Raphael that translates to "You were saying?" before Phone Guy speaks again.
"So, we are experiencing technical difficulties in the Escape Room. Um, we urge everyone to remain calm as we figure out the source of THE PROBLEM!"
The sound of Phone Guy screaming those last two words (followed by his scream of terror) catches everyone off guard just as there is a burst of static and the power shuts off unexpectedly. Many of the younger students scream in terror while other students pull out their cellphones to use as makeshift flashlights. The high school students dressed as security guards are already working on calming everyone down and preparing for everyone to leave through the fire exit if things get serious.
Rebecca sets the plate down on a table, pulls out her cellphone from her rabbit purse and turns the flashlight app on. She shines it all around her, but so far nothing seems out of place barring the feeling that something is off. Raphael braces himself for an intruder while Amelda, Varon and Miruko immediately bare their fangs.
"Sense anything?" she asks Miruko, his eyes glowing like fireflies in the dark.
Miruko shakes his head. "Nothing yet. But still, these monsters can show up any…"
A loud scream stops him in his tracks as he quickly turns to see something pull Rebecca into the shadows. He lunges towards the kidnapper just as the lights turn back on and collides with Casey who is about to strike at him with her bat. The two land in the floor with a groan.
"Whoa!" says Casey, noticing Miruko climbing off of her. "That was close."
"Did you see who took Rebecca?" asks Raphael, approaching Casey. "Where is she?!"
"I just saw something take her! It was too fast though!" Miruko answers. "Oh no, where could it have taken her?"
His answer comes from a groan and various students rushing over to the source of said groan. Varon and Amelda are amongst the crowded students and the source comes from a girl dressed as White Magician Pikeru.
"Marilyn?" Casey exclaims, noticing the girl sitting in a chair. "What's going on? What happened to you?"
Marilyn holds her head. "The animatronics," she says. "They're... they're alive!"
Casey snorts. "Of course they are. And next you're telling me that Rebecca has vampires for brothers."
Miruko flinches slightly at that.
"No, you don't understand!" Marilyn exclaims. "They were moving and talking and they tried to eat me! I barely managed to escape."
"Wait...you were in the Escape Room?" asks Varon.
Marilyn nods her head. Casey and Miruko look in horror as Raphael grabs one of the security guards by the sleeve and spins them around.
"Where did you rent Freddy Fazbear and Friends from?" he growls.
"F...from a shop known as Pygmalion Party Supplies," says the timid security guard. "P...please don't hurt me!"
"Pygmalion?" asks Amelda. "Isn't he the same guy from the Greek myth of him and Galatea?"
"Who and what?" asks Casey.
"Pygmalion sculpted a statue in the shape of a woman and asked Aphrodite to make said statue become a real woman," says Varon. "If that's the case, doesn't that mean…"
Suddenly, there is the sound of static as the projector shows an image of the Escape Room with Rebecca slowly waking up from whatever knocked her unconscious. At the same time, Phone Guy is back on.
"Uh hello? Hello hello? It seems as if the animatronics are up and about, gotta hand it to whomever rented them from Pygmalion and all. While the power was out, I did some research and now...well, the animatronics come alive once a year on All Hallow's Eve and won't leave unless they have a sacrifice.
"Sacrifice?!" Raphael screams.
Uh, yeah, sacrifice. But, this is the Artifact Maiden they kidnapped. We can put our faith in her in getting us out, right?
No one dares to respond.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Rebecca groans as she looks all around her. It looks like a makeshift security office with a table that is littered with papers, a laptop, and a coffee mug stuffed with pens, a wall of balloons at one corner, tacky wallpaper with a black and white triangle pattern and Freddy Fazbear staring down at her.
Rebecca blinks as she realizes that she is staring face to face with Freddy Fazbear and jumps back.
"What do you want with me?" she asks. "You don't wanna bite my head off, I tell you! My brothers are going to get me out of here and then...then you'll see!"
Freddy Fazbear remains stationary even as Rebecca slowly stands up and tries to find some sort of weapon on her (if only she can summon the Artifact monsters in real life!) or at least figure out how to escape without losing her head.
Then, to the surprise of her, and of everyone watching, Freddy begins to laugh. It looks like the animatronic is glitching as its parts shake within its body.
"Why the hostility?" he asks, his voice deep and with a tinny sound. "I only go after adults after all."
"Wh...what about the Bite of '87?" Rebecca stammers out, stepping back until she hits the wall.
"That was an accident, little girl. And a fictional one at that." Freddy straightens himself and clears his throat. "Allow me to make it easier to communicate, Miss Rebecca."
Rebecca stares as Freddy opens his mouth, curls of smoke rising from beneath the machinery before it spreads out and coalesce into a human form of a boy around her age with shaggy hair and brown eyes, wearing what looks like footie pajamas of a bear and a top hat, the animatronic shell collapsing to the side, mouth open and eyes empty. Strapped onto this "person's" arm is a Duel Disk.
"That's much better," says Freddy with sigh as he stretches his arms. "It's kinda difficult to talk when you stay in that suit all the time."
"Wh...what are you?" Rebecca stammers out.
Freddy shrugs his shoulders. "I am a spirit who works part-time at Pygmalion Party Supplies. We specialize in costumes, animatronics and all things spooky needed for Halloween parties, or any kind of scary festivities, to be more 'lively.'
"Oh don't get me wrong, many of the employees work there as a way to pay off debts from their mortal lives before ascending upstairs, but for the most part, spirits like myself take jobs as a way to help people conquer fears, spice things up, or perhaps find closure in some way. Plus, sometimes it's just fun to be scared, don't you think?"
"...You kinda lost me at the paying off debts," says Rebecca, glancing around and hoping that someone will save her. "What happened to you?"
Freddy shrugs his shoulders. "Nothing much, except that my friends and I ended up being killed in a bus crash on our way home from a party such as this a long time ago. But don't worry about me; it's actually fun and there are plenty of other children who work alongside us." (To which Rebecca flinches.) "My friends and I usually help other children accept their time when it comes, but we also like to join in on the fun and asked our superior if we could join in on the festivities this year.
"So, when your school rented suits from the company, my friends and I decided to play the night away as the lovable mascots of Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria until we have to head off. I have to hand it to that Cawthon fella; who else could make watching over animatronics so scary?"
Rebecca doesn't know whether to scream from either fear or sorrow at this spirit. Instead, she just stares at her shoes like something has caught her eye before she speaks.
"S...so," Rebecca stammers. "You're not gonna bite my head off?"
"Oh no, no, no," Freddy chuckles. "That's not allowed, else we would all have to spend time in 'The Furnace.'"
"...Do I even wanna know?"
"When you decide to work there, you'll see for yourself."
That makes Rebecca feel uncomfortable all over, having just watched Over the Garden Wall at school a few hours ago in order for the mini-series to be dissected into a paper over the weekend in regards to its Divine Comedy analogies. She just hugs herself in fear.
"But," Freddy continues. "Back to why you are here. We have become curious in this game called 'Duel Monsters' and wanted to try it out. Not to mention that we have heard a lot about you, Rebecca Hopkins."
Rebecca blinks. "You have?"
"Yes, but not for your dueling prowess. You are a lightning rod for the supernatural, and your new home ten months from now is going to drag you into something you won't be able to stop...and then some."
Rebecca freezes. She hasn't told anyone in her class that her family is moving to Domino City after the school year ends, nor has she said anything about drawing attention from strange monsters in the past. Varon, Amelda and Miruko share nervous glances at each other; Raphael cracks his knuckles.
"But back to Duel Monsters," Freddy continues. "I wanted to have a duel with you, Rebecca. I want to see how the 'Artifact Maiden' stands up against an opponent like me."
"And if I refuse?" Rebecca asks tentatively.
Freddy smirks. "Well, you do realize that there are three more animatronics out there, and they probably could cause a lot of damage and fear to strike if they so choose."
Rebecca frowns. "So, you're leaving me with no choice then, huh?"
"If you put it that way. But I will sweeten the deal for you. Should you win, you will be granted a Hallow Wish; a blessing from a spirit to mortal given on All Hallow's Eve should a mortal successfully complete a challenge given by the spirit. But should you lose…" Freddy laughs, a deep rumbling laugh that contrasts with the boy's stature. "Well, you heard what Phone Guy said, right?"
"Let me at him!" Raphael screams, with Varon and Amelda holding their brother back. "He's gonna die in a fire when I get done with him!
Rebecca just stares at Freddy and then at her Duel Disk for a few seconds before she runs a hand through her hair, adjusts her glasses and nods her head.
"You're on...um, what do I call you?"
"Just call me 'Freddy'," says the spirit. "My real name is of no importance to you. You are not a witch who can use the true name of people to take control of them after all."
"All right then...Freddie," says Rebecca, not sure what to feel about that last comment. "If you want a piece of the Artifact Maiden, then I'll give it to you! Let's go!"
"Is she crazy?" Miruko exclaims. "She's gonna die! We have to go in and…"
"No," Amelda interrupts, placing a hand on his younger brother's shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. "Let's see where this goes first."
Both duelists activate their Duel Disks as everyone in the auditorium looks on, Raphael praying that his little sister will be victorious, Miruko looking at his brother (who smiles back as if to say "Don't worry"), Varon eating a slice of pizza, Casey hoping that Rebecca knows what she's doing and Marilyn oddly staying quiet.
"Now then, let's hit the climax!" Rebecca exclaims, drawing her cards. "I'm not gonna go easy on you just because you're a ghost."
"What fun, what fun!" Freddy cackles, drawing his cards. "Now tell me, Rebecca...are you ready for Freddy?" The animatronic laughs.
(Rebecca: 8000) - - - - - - - (Freddy: 8000)
This is most...unexpected. Rebecca thinks to herself, drawing a card. I can't let him scare me though, or else I'll probably be stuffed inside a Fazbear suit after this is over!
"I'll go first, and I play one monster face-down and set two more cards with it. That's it for me."
"Rebecca's sure-fire strategy," Miruko notes as he sees the duel on the screen. "But, what type of deck would Freddy be using?"
"My move," says Freddy, drawing a card. "And I summon Fluffal Dog in Attack Mode."
With a bark, the monster appears. It is a stuffed animal in the form of a puppy with creamy fur and brown patches, black beady eyes, two lavender stripes on its back and a pair of wings that twitch slightly. (1600 ATK)
"Oh Kusanagi!" Rebecca squeals. "It's so cute!"
"I agree that it has charm, and I can imagine that the owner of this deck would also find it and the rest of the Fluffal monsters to be the cutest things ever."
"Yeah, I bet the owner of the deck also finds it...wait a minute…" Rebecca looks closer at the Duel Disk and notices the white wings that decorate it. "Isn't that Marilyn's Duel Disk?"
Freddy nods his head. "I believe that is the name of this owner's deck."
"And that monster is Level 4 and has 1600 ATK…"
"Correct."
Rebecca stares at the Duel Disk for a moment before she snarls while, back at the auditorium, Marilyn shrinks back in fear.
"That little hypocrite!" Rebecca screams. "How dare she go on and on about her commandments on cuteness when she's violated one with her own deck like this is Animal Farm or something! If it wasn't for me stuck here right now, she would have to be careful when I break my commandment of 'Thou shall not unleash your weaponed fury on those who bother you!'"
"...Are you done?" asks Freddy.
Rebecca sighs and adjusts her glasses. "Yeah, pretty much."
"Good. Next I activate the power of Fluffal Dog to allow me to take either another 'Fluffal' or 'Edge Imp' monster from my deck to my hand."
A card slips out of the deck and is then taken into his hand.
"And now, I play the Field Spell Card Future Recycling Plant."
The security room soon transforms into a darkened futuristic setting: a pile of recyclables ready for reprocessing is shown in the distance as workers carry this treasure away in large rolling carts.
"This card allows me to either take a 'Polymerization' card from my deck or graveyard at the cost of one card or let me take a Fusion Material used in a Fusion Summon this turn in my graveyard into my hand during my End Phase.
"And, just a warning, this deck is built on Fusions. Specifically, they are based on fusions between the 'Fluffal' and 'Edge Imp' monsters that are in this deck."
Rebecca gulps. She has heard of these monsters before, but has never seen them up close and personal. How the heck did Marilyn decide to make a deck based on those monsters when they clearly go against her three commandments in cuteness?
Clearly, in the world of Duel Monsters, some rules have to be broken.
"Now I play Polymerization and fuse Edge Imp Sabres and Fluffal Cat in my hand for the first Fusion Summon...in rhyme!"
Polymerization and two monsters (one a stuffed purple winged cat wearing a red bowtie and the other a fiendish thingy consisting of a series of scissors with cyan glowing blades and a crimson eye) swirl together as Freddy shouts,
"Sharpened blades and fluffy feline, it's time to show me your power combined! I Fusion Summon! Come, Frightfur Wolf!"
With a loud howl the newest monster appears: a stuffed blue and white wolf with blue eyes and two pairs of scissors whose blades act as legs that connect its feet to the body. Pins are stuck in its wagging tail and, when the wolf opens its mouth, Rebecca can see a pair of red eyes in the toy's maw surrounded by sharp pink teeth. (2000 ATK)
"It's...cute?" Rebecca says, trying her best to be nice. Marilyn just glares back, even though Rebecca can't really see the gesture.
Freddy chuckles. "Oh this wolf has a friendly side if you know where to look. Now, before I get into him, the effect of Fluffal Cat activates: if it was used as a Fusion Material for a monster, I can take one 'Polymerization' card from my graveyard into my hand."
That way he doesn't have to pay the cost for his Field Spell! Rebecca thinks. And he's probably gonna get Edge Imp Sabres back for another Fusion Monster! That's…
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Ingenious…" Casey mutters, on the same wavelength as her friend. "Marilyn, you really planned this deck out, didn't you?"
"What? Did you think I was that incompetent just because I like cute things?" Marilyn huffs. "I have been working on that deck for days now, finally getting the Field Spell Card that ties everything together so that Rebecca wouldn't be able to fight back.
"And you hate Rebecca so much that you would go against the rules you established just to get revenge?"
Marilyn turns red and she scowls. "No, it's not like that at all! I just...wanted to try out other monsters that people thought as cute."
Casey narrows her eyes and returns her gaze back at the duel.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"And now for the effect of Frightfur Wolf," Freddy continues. "When he is summoned, he is allowed to attack you for every Fusion Material used to Summon him. So now, attack that face-down card with Frightful Fury!"
Frightfur Wolf howls and then leaps towards the face-down card, an angel with orange hair, an off-white toga and feathery wings. (800 DEF) The wolf bites the angel and tears it limb from limb before trotting back to its proper place.
"When Shining Angel is destroyed in battle and sent to the graveyard," says Rebecca. "I can Special Summon a Light monster with 1500 attack points or less. So now, let me show you why I'm known as the 'Artifact Maiden!'"
Rising onto the field is a sword with a gold and black gear symbol on the hilt. Then, a warrior with shoulder-length hair composed of red light grabs onto it, a series of lines racing down the blade like blood throughout the body. (1400 ATK)
"Meet Artifact Beagalltach! And when he's Special Summoned during your turn, he can destroy up to two of my face-down cards!"
"Why would you want to destroy your own cards?" Freddy asks in a tone similar to if he wants to know why she will make a wildfire stronger.
Rebecca smiles. "Because Artifact monsters can be placed face-down like a Spell and Trap cards. And when they are destroyed during your turn, they can be Special Summoned onto the field with their effects activated"
Beagalltach's wielder turns around and slices Rebecca's two face-down cards. Then, rising to the sides of Beagalltach are a dark blue warrior with a skinny frame wielding a mechanical scythe (2200 ATK) and a violet teenage girl with her hair in a ponytail and wearing a white tunic while wielding a double-headed axe with similar violet neon lines. (2300 ATK)
"Meet my Artifact Scythe and Artifact Labrys. They're my Enforcers, in case you haven't guess yet."
"They're...pleasant looking," Freddy comments. "I won't do anything now, so I shall end the turn with one face-down card. Then, the effect of Future Recycling Plant activates, so I can take a Fusion Material into my hand from the graveyard."
"And while you do that, it's my move," says Rebecca, drawing a card. "First, I play a card face-down."
A large face-down card materializes behind the three Artifact monsters.
"Then, I place Beagalltach in Defense Mode."
The wielder of Beagalltach kneels down. (2100 DEF)
"And last, I choose to attack Fluffal Dog with Artifact Labrys! Go! Slice him with Whirlwind War Swing!"
Labrys spins round and round before flinging her axe at the poor puppy plushie, who whimpers as it is sent to the graveyard.
(Rebecca: 8000) - - - - - - - (Freddy: 7300)
"And now, Artifact Scythe, attack with Reaping Blade!"
Artifact Scythe glides toward Frightfur Wolf with blinding speeds, swinging the scythe above his head before bringing the curved blade down on the demented plushie.
Freddy chuckles. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that. I activate my face-down card...Battle Fusion!"
Freddy's face-down card flips, showing two swordsmen (one wearing a purple tunic and gripping his sword tight, the other with purple hair and a long red shawl whose weapon floats above their head while struck by lightning) about to fight in a rocky area. Frightfur Wolf howls.
"When you engaged in battle with my Frightfur Wolf, I can raise his attack by the same amount of the monster attacking him. So, your Scythe possesses 2200 attack points…"
Rebecca gulps as she watches Frightfur Wolf glow with a cerulean aura (2000 -) 4200 ATK) before the lupine toy snarls and pounces on the Artifact Monster, slicing it into pieces.
(Rebecca: 6000) - - - - - - - (Freddy: 7300)
"I have to end my turn on that," Rebecca sighs. "Make your move."
"Gladly," says Freddy. "But trust me, you wish you were surviving Five Nights after all this is said and done."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"All right, spill," says Casey, noticing how quiet Marilyn has become. "Why did you decide to make this deck anyhow?"
Marilyn pushes the tips of her pointer fingers together. "Well, you see...after my loss to Rebecca, I decided to hit the arcade and play that Taiko drum video game that I love so much. After I played a few rounds, I saw some of my friends from my old school. They were talking about me, about how I was enforcing their rules of cuteness at school with no success.
"'Of course she wouldn't be a success,' said one of them. 'With those ugly cards of hers, I wouldn't blame her.'
"It was then that I learned that I had been tricked. I wanted to fit in so badly with these girls, but I was just some joke for them." Marilyn looks at her feet. "Be angry at me if you want, but when you get laughed at because the beauty in the eye of its beholder doesn't match with the norm, what do you do about it?
"For me, I decided that enough was enough. I wanted to make a deck that was me, what I saw as cute. And I liked stuffed animals, so that inspired me to construct my deck with these cards. It took awhile for me to talk to the shop owner about them, but I wanted them more than anything."
"And what did you think of those Frightfur monsters?" asks Miruko.
Marilyn blushes. "Your sister was on my mind. She used those Artifact monsters with grace and skill, and Frightfur monsters combined cuteness and badass power all together. And, I guess it was a way for me to be strong and cute at the same time, but through what I saw as adorable, lovable and sweet. So yeah, that's my story."
"Another question though," says Amelda. "What were you doing in the Escape Room?"
"Oh, I wanted to see if I could complete it by myself. But I wasn't halfway done with my time when the animatronics arrived and I tried to escape, even tossing my Duel Disk at them." Marilyn rubs the back of her head. "I bumped into the wall and passed out when Foxy lunged at me."
"I see," says Varon. "You know, Rebecca would like to give you another duel if you let her."
"Would she?" asks Marilyn, slightly embarrassed. "Even after I called her 'Becky' and teased her for being so weapon crazy? I mean, I did say things about how 'uncute' she looked.'"
"You never know until you try," Varon replies. "Now, why don't we get back to this Duel, huh? I am curious to see how Rebecca wins this one."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Meanwhile, as Marilyn pours her heart out, Freddy is staring at the card he draws with glee, savoring Rebecca staring at him, waiting to strike when she least expects it.
"First," he says. "I play One For One so I can Special Summon a Level 1 monster from my deck, like Fluffal Mouse."
The Spell Card appears, showing Samsara Lotus floating in the air while Scarr, Scout of Dark World lays defeated. Then, the Spell Card shrinks until it takes the form of a tiny mouse. With a 'pop', a cyan mouse with a white stomach and paws, wearing a magenta shawl appears, flapping its wings and holding a chocolate donut covered in sprinkles. (100 ATK)
"Aww…" Rebecca coos. "How cute!"
"Indeed it is," Freddy chuckles. "And when one is summoned, I can Special Summon up to two more from my deck onto the field."
Two more mice with their donuts appear with some squeaks. (100 ATK x 2)
"Next," says Freddy. "I play Polymerization once again and this time fuse Edge Imp Sabres and all three of my Fluffal Mouse cards!
The four monsters fly into the air and circle one another before colliding in a flash of light.
"Edge of sharpness and mayhem of mice! When the four come together, you will pay the price! I Fusion Summon Frightfur Tiger!"
With an insane laugh, a bipedal teal and black toy tiger covered in stitches and whose body is cut in half - where a large pair of scissors rests - appears. Just like Frightfur Wolf, it too has two pins in its tail and eyes glowing from inside its mouth. (1900 ATK)
"My Frightfur Tiger has two powerful abilities. First, it gains 300 attack point for every 'Fluffal' and 'Frightfur' monster I control."
Frightfur Tiger yowls as its claws lengthen. (1900 -) 2500 ATK)
"And then he can destroy as many cards that you control equal to the number of Fusion Materials used to summon him. I used four monsters, meaning…"
Frightfur Tiger pounces on Rebecca's cards, slicing them with its claws and leaving Rebecca's field empty. But, Rebecca just smiles.
"Thanks for destroying my face-down card," she says. "Because now I can Special Summon Artifact Moralltach onto the field!"
A sword similar to that of Artifact Beagalltach appears with bright cyan lines on the blade, wielded by a cyan male warrior with short spiky hair. (2100 ATK)
"And when Moralltach is summoned during your turn, he can destroy a face-up card you control. So now it's time for your kitty cat to say bye-bye."
Frightfur Tiger looks up as Artifact Moralltach swings his sword and slices the tiger in half. Freddy frowns, but doesn't seem too upset on losing his monster.
"I shall end my turn on that," he says while a card pops out of his graveyard.
Rebecca draws a card and frowns. "I play Shard of Greed," she announces.
The Spell Card depicting a fragment of the Pot of Greed appears.
"Then I play one more cards face-down and then attack! Artifact Moralltach, skin that wolf!"
Artifact Moralltach pulls his sword back before thrusting it deep into Frightfur Wolf, the monster vanishing with a mournful howl.
(Rebecca: 6000) - - - - - - - (Freddy: 7200)
"And I believe it's my turn," says Freddy, drawing a card. He chuckles sinisterly. "It appears that I'm not done with my Fusing Fun. I play Frightfur Fusion which allows me to Fusion Summon a 'Frightfur' monster by Banishing Fusion Materials from my graveyard.
"So, I Banish Frightfur Tiger and two Fluffal Mouse to Fusion Summon again!"
As Freddy takes three cards out of his graveyard, his Spell Card activates, showing three toys (a purple winged cat, a wooden doll and a pink alligator) having orange ribbons wrapped around then while other toys pass by in a colorful vortex. Then, the newest monster emerges with a loud roar that nearly knocks Rebecca off her feet.
"Here's the wild, wicked cat that's all paws, claws and jaws! Frightfur Sabre-Tooth!"
The Fusion Monster is a purple feline with black stripes and a yellow stomach along with blue glowing curved blades sticking out of its head and a similar glowing sword with a handle acting as a tail! Its chartreuse claws and teeth enlarge as the eyes within the toy glow with madness. (2400 ATK)
"How many combinations of Frightfur monsters can this deck produce?" asks Rebecca.
"Many," Freddy answers. "But I would be more concerned on how you can get through to my lifepoints with that unorthodox deck of yours.
"Now, since I successfully summoned Frightfur Saber-Tooth using three Fusion Materials, he cannot be destroyed either by battle or by card effects. Also, he gives every 'Frightfur' monster I control an additional 400 attack points."
The purple Frightfur monster growls. (2400 -) 2800 ATK)
"And that's not all. Now I am able to Special Summon a 'Frightfur' monster from my graveyard back to the field. And I don't know about you, but I am hungry like my Frightfur Wolf here."
Rebecca doesn't know whether to state how cheesy that line is or stay silent as Frightfur Wolf leaps to the field once more, chomping its teeth at Artifact Moralltach. (2000 -) 2400 ATK)
"Now, Frightfur Saber-Tooth, attack and destroy Moralltach with Saber Fangs!"
Frightfur Saber-Tooth leaps into the air, teeth enlarging as the Fiend is about to obtain its daily source of iron. Rebecca smirks.
"I activate my Trap Card, Artifact Sanctum!" she exclaims.
The face-down card flips over, revealing many Artifact weapons in what looks like a clean and well-lit storage room. Then, a large shield with purple rings, wielded by a shaggy haired man that is the same color as the rings, emerges from the card. (2200 DEF)
"Artifact Sanctum lets me Special Summon an 'Artifact' monster from my Deck. And when Artifact Achilleshield is Special Summoned on your turn, you can't attack any of my 'Artifact' monsters I control for the rest of the turn."
Artifact Achilleshield raises his shield as Frightfur Saber-Tooth bounces harmlessly off of it and walks back toward Freddy's side of the field with a snarl.
"Hmm," Freddy notes. "That was very ingenious."
"Nah, it's one of my most basic combos," Rebecca admits, drawing a card. "That and the Shining Angel/Artifact Beagalltach one. You gotta have something familiar to you when you duel, after all."
Rebecca's Shard of Greed card gains a Greed Counter (GC: 0 -) 1) while Artifact Moralltach drops to his knees and shields himself with his weapon. (1400 DEF)
Freddy draws his card, then smirks.
"My hand is a little 'under-nourished'," he says. "I'll remedy that with my Spell Card, Akashic Records."
A Spell Card appears, depicting an archaeological dig site which shows a large dinosaur skull and a collection of bones near it.
"This card allows me to draw two cards. However, if I draw cards that I have already played during the Duel, then they are Banished instead."
Freddy draws his two cards, looks at them, then smiles.
"First, I play Burial from Different Dimension, so I can return three of my Banished Cards back to the graveyard."
That's bad. Rebecca thinks, seeing Freddy gather three cards into his hand before slipping them back to his graveyard. By doing so, he has a near limitless supply of Fusion Materials, or he can bring back a Frightfur monster to mess with me.
"Now, I play Suture Rebirth so I can Special Summon a 'Fluffal' or 'Frightfur' monster, like Frightfur Tiger, from the graveyard to the field but with its effects negated."
The Spell Card of Fluffal Leo sleeping amidst fabric squares and spools of thread while a needle and thread (outlined with a blue magical aura) floats in the air should have been cute...until Frightfur Tiger appeared with a roar. (1900 ATK)
Called it. Rebecca thinks to herself seeing the three Frightfur monsters glaring at her like she is an antelope about to be devoured by a pride of lions in the savanna.
"And now," Freddy continues. "I play Fusion Substitute and fuse all three of my Frightfur monsters to unleash the ultimate Frightfur monster!"
The Spell Card (showing the two orange monsters seen in Polymerization sucked into a nearly complete Polymerization card) plays as the three monsters and their weapons cut through each other until they are all stuff and fluff. Then, they collide and form a three part monstrosity that Rebecca can't make heads or tails of.
"Howl of the wolf, savage tiger and deadly claws! Now give my monster a round of applause! I Fusion Summon! Rise FRIGHTFUR CHIMERA!"
It is if a kid bought supplies at a hardware store to build it, rather than ask someone skilled with a needle to mend the toy with love and stitches. Starting with the middle, it depicts a pink teddy bear with additional yellow horns. The head on the right probably was once a cat of some sorts with a "mane" constructed out of tools like pliers and the like. The head on the left doesn't seem to be based out of a well known monster at all, but that is the least of Rebecca's concerns at the moment.
This three-headed monstrosity looks over Rebecca while three rockets surrounds this fiend. (2800 ATK)
"And when I decide to attack with my Chimera," says Freddy, snapping Rebecca back to reality. "I'm afraid that you'll be unable to unleash any 'Artifact' cards during that time."
"What do you mean by that?" asks Rebecca.
"Because when Frightfur Chimera attacks, you are unable to activate face-down cards or activate card effects until after the Damage Step has passed. I believe this card was specifically added to counter how Artifact monsters can be summoned on the opponent's turn."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"He's right," Marilyn groans. "In fact, that card is the reason I made that deck in the first place, because of how Rebecca likes activating face-down cards during the Battle Phase."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Now my monster," Freddy commands. "Destroy Moralltach with Chimera Crusher!"
The monster roars as three rockets fly towards the sword and shatters it in an explosion that almost knocks Rebecca off her feet.
"And one final thing. If Frightfur Chimera successfully destroys a monster you control, I can Special Summon it to my side of the field with its attack cut in half. And for every monster that you controlled that I possess while Frightfur Chimera is on the field, it will gain 300 ATK points."
Rebecca looks in horror as she sees Artifact Moralltach rise onto Freddy's side of the field (1050 ATK) while Frightfur Chimera laughs. (2800 -) 3100 ATK)
"And it appears that I must end my turn there," says Freddy. "You best make your next draw count."
"I will!" Rebecca shouts, drawing a card. "And since I successfully completed my Draw Phase, my Shard of Greed obtains its second Greed Counter, so now I can offer it for two more cards!"
Shard of Greed now shows the complete image of the grinning Pot of Greed (GC:1 -) 2) before it vanishes and Rebecca makes two more draws. Then, she looks at her hand and says,
"And now I play five cards face-down and end my turn! So do your worst! Bring out your spooks! Shoot the woods, I will not flinch!"
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"I never saw her do that before!" Casey exclaims, seeing her friend place her entire hand into the Spell/Trap zones of her Duel Disk. "How desperate is Rebecca at this point?"
Raphael's heart pounds in his chest, Miruko looks around, briefly exposing his fangs, Amelda clenches and unclenches his fists methodically, no one noticing how sharp his nails have become, Varon munches on his fourth slice of pizza, but his ears twitch as he can sense the other animatronics waiting to strike…
And Marilyn?
She just stays quiet as she watches Freddy unleash the loudest laugh he has laughed throughout the entire night. Then, she runs off.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"That's a very noble thing to say," Freddy chuckles, drawing a card. He then plays Pot of Avarice, returning five monster cards from his graveyard to his deck. As he draws two more cards, he sings, "You're a brave one, Miss Hopkins. You have such a strong appeal…"
Rebecca blinks; the last thing she expects is Freddy singing praises to her in the form of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." But then, she cracks a smile and bursts out laughing while Freddy continues with,
"You have blades within your hand as you have bravery and such zeal, Miss Hopkins~!"
Freddy clears his throat as Rebecca calms down. "See? I'm not scary all the time. But, the time to serenade one another has ended, and we must return to our duel.
"First, I play Frightfur Patchwork so I can take one 'Edge Imp' monster and 'Polymerization' card from my deck to my hand."
How many Fusion support cards are in this deck? Rebecca thinks.
The new Spell Card depicts a plushie composed of various components from other Fluffal monsters that can only be described just like the card says: a patchwork of toys that have given birth to a new Frightfur monster.
"Now, I use Polymerization to fuse Fluffal Leo and Edge Imp Saw together!"
The two monsters (an adorable winged yellow lion with linen wrapped around its legs and a malevolent buzz saw with red eyes and yellow vertical lines of light going down its body) fuse as Freddy clears his throat.
"Sharpened steel and ruler of the jungle! When the two come together, prepare to rumble! I Fusion Summon! Frightfur Leo!"
The two monsters combine into a bipedal white lion that is unlike any Rebecca has ever seen with red button eyes and claws along with a golden buzzsaw acting as a mane on the back of its head and an additional seven silver ones on the sides and top of its head. Its body is bisected vertically where another golden buzzsaw can be seen. Like Fluffal Leo, this Leo also has linen bandages around its paws although dirty and the ones on the forelegs are slightly unraveled. Last, unlike the other Frightfur monsters that have open mouths, this one has an unsettling smile on its face composed of a long red zipper. (2400 ATK)
"This monster can destroy one face-up monster you control and then inflict damage equal to the destroyed monster's original attack. However, if I choose to activate this effect, Frightfur Leo cannot attack directly this turn."
No! Rebecca thinks. I'll be defenseless against them after Achilleshield is destroyed, and I didn't have Artifact Aegis or another Artifact Sanctum in my hand when I Set all those cards!
Frightfur Leo pounces on Artifact Achilleshield, the buzzsaw on his body slicing the shield vertically through the middle before it breaks in half and shatters into pixels.
(Rebecca: 4500) - - - - - - - (Freddy: 7200)
Rebecca gulps as she finds her side of the field devoid of monsters, just as Freddy snaps his fingers and says, "Get her."
Rebecca can only shield herself with her Duel Disk as Artifact Moralltach throws his sword at her, before Frightfur Chimera fires a trio of rockets that fling her towards the balloon wall, where at least ten balloons pop from impact.
(Rebecca: 350) - - - - - - - (Freddy: 7200)
Rebecca groans as she stands up. She then smiles, despite the beating she took.
"That's it?" she asks.
"...Unfortunately," Freddy answers.
"Good, because my comeback starts now!"
Rebecca's first card flips, revealing Shock Draw. She rapidly draws four more cards before she reveals her next face-down, Call of the Haunted.
"Can you guess which Artifact Monster I'm bringing back?" she asks.
Rising from the floor is Artifact Beagalltach (1400 ATK), the red warrior slicing two cards once more, revealing a chartreuse green male warrior with short windswept hair covering the right side of his face wielding a mechanical bow and arrow (2000 ATK) and a second copy of Artifact Moralltach (2100 ATK)!
Freddy can only gulp when he sees Rebecca's Artifact Moralltach compared to the one is currently controlling, and Artifact Failnaught is already preparing to fire an arrow through his heart while a new face-down card appears (from when Rebecca takes a card from her graveyard and Sets it face-down).
"You know Moralltach, so let me talk about Artifact Failnaught," says Rebecca. "Aside from being named after the mystical weapon that never missed its target which belonged to Tristan, a Knight of the Round Table, he allows me to Set an 'Artifact' monster from my graveyard into the field, which I will destroy thanks to my last facedown card, Double Cyclone!"
The Quick-play Spell Card flips as two cyclones (one red and one yellow) destroy Rebecca's face-down card (and then Special Summoned as Artifact Scythe (2200 ATK)) and Freddy's Future Recycling Plant. The scenery changes into the security room once again.
Meanwhile the wielder of Artifact Moralltach raises the sword into the air before bringing it down and cleaving Frightfur Chimera in half, sending it to the graveyard.
Freddy looks back in shock; without Future Recycling Plant, there is no way for him to recover cards from the graveyard. And the sheer number of cards Rebecca drew gave her a chance to demolish his cards. Plus, Frightfur Leo couldn't attack that turn….
Freddy sighs. "Before you start your turn, let me ask...you have Lightning Vortex in your hand, correct?"
Rebecca stares into Freddy's eyes then pulls a card and shows it to him. Freddy mutters, "Thought so."
He says nothing as Rebecca draws a card, plays Lightning Vortex, the dreaded bolts of lightning striking his only monsters, before he finds himself face-to-face with a bow, two swords and a scythe ready to strike him down.
"So Freddy," Rebecca begins. "Are you ready?"
Artifact Failnaught fires an arrow into Freddy's shoulder, and both Artifact Beagalltach and Moralltach unleash a red and blue Arc of light with a swing if their blades. Then, Artifact Scythe steps back, the dark skeletal avatar unleashing a wicked grin.
"Reaper's got your name, Freddy!" Rebecca shouts. "Attack with Sinister Scythe Spin!"
Artifact Scythe leaps into the air, spins the scythe round and round like a helicopter blade before he brings it down on Freddy, causing the ghost to wobble slightly before he collapses to the floor.
(Rebecca: 350) - - - - - - - (Freddy: 0)
Rebecca releases a sigh as she sees the holograms disappear. She shuffles the cards back into her deck…
And suddenly finds a hand snatched by a rabbit paw.
Rebecca whips her head around and screams at what she sees: a molding, rotting yellow rabbit animatronic with a wide smile on its face, and she knows who he is.
"Springtrap!" Rebecca screams as she sees the rabbit grin at her. "Help, someone! Save…"
Before she finishes her sentence, a curved blade strikes the heart of the animatronic. Rebecca has just enough time to see that the person who saved her…
Is Artifact Scythe.
Not out that, Failnaught also stands, firing an arrow that lodges into Springtrap's cranium and causes the maniacal rabbit to unleash Rebecca, the girl scrambling to Freddy's side.
"What's going on?" she asks. "What's he doing here?"
"I...I don't know!" Freddy answers. "We're supposed to have 4 spirits out tonight!"
Springtrap growls as both children clung onto another. Then, Springtrap lunges towards them.
"Take this!"
Springtrap turns to find himself cover in fire extinguisher foam. He whips his head at the wielder of said fire extinguisher: Marilyn.
"Marilyn?" Rebecca whispers.
Marilyn sprays more foam at Springtrap as the animatronic slows down. Then, when the extinguisher is empty, Marilyn bludgeons him with all her might until, after three minutes of this, Springtrap collapses.
Marilyn pants for breath as she drops the empty fire extinguisher. Rebecca blinks.
"W...what the?" she whispers.
Then, a deep laugh emerges from Springtrap as Marilyn screams and ducks for cover. Rebecca's Artifact monsters blink, but say nothing at all.
"Springtrap!" Freddy shouts. "What are you doing here?"
Springtrap just snickers as he says, "I finished my jobs early and thought you needed something more fun for this droll party. That, and this 'Artifact Maiden' is about to have her wish granted."
"What wish?" asks Marilyn, looking up in confusion as to why her head hasn't been eaten clean off.
"Your friend wishes to be able to fight alongside her brothers," Springtrap explains. "If you heard Freddy earlier, Rebecca moves to Japan next year."
"She is?"
"It's true," Rebecca answers, watching Artifact Scythe and Failnaught vanish into the darkness. "For some reason, my grandpa suggested that we all move to this place called Domino City, and I have been hearing things about that place...strange things. And my brothers…" she pauses. "Is this being recorded?"
"After the duel finished, I 'cut' the recording off," Springtrap chuckles.
"Good." Rebecca removes her glasses and pulls out a cleaning cloth from her purse. "Marilyn, my brothers are…'unique'."
Marilyn blinks. "How so?"
Rebecca rubs the cloth against her glasses. "Well...Miruko, Amelda and Varon are part-vampire and Raphael…" Rebecca looks around. "He's part merman and maybe the reincarnation of King Arthur and all but…"
"But you're completely human, aren't you?" Marilyn finishes. Rebecca nods her head as she slips her glasses back on.
"So...I guess you can say, I found them. I just turned my head, felt something and...there they were." Rebecca looks at her hands. "Like Freddy says, I'm sort of a lightning rod for supernatural entities. So, I hoped to find a way to help them out. I mean, what do I tell other kids in Japan when I have to introduce myself to them?"
"You just say that you helped them and that's all." Marilyn suggests. "I mean...if I was in your shoes, and not this girl obsessed with cuteness, then that would be something noble to focus on."
"Well, you showed me that you weren't totally obsessed with what is cute. I mean, I wouldn't have been able to survive Springtrap without you." Rebecca steps forwards and hugs a blushing Marilyn. "So, you're much better when you don't push your ideals around so much."
"Oh, cut this sugary sweet stuff and let's get this party up and running!" Springtrap snaps. "I think that it's high time I make this party more fun…"
"After I grant that wish," says Freddy, placing a hand on Rebecca's Duel Disk.
"And?" asks Marilyn, pointing to her Duel Disk.
Freddy chuckles as he looks down on his arm. "Yes, that too."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"That was amazing!"
"You were so brave!"
"Those Frightfur monsters are so cool!"
Praise is given to Rebecca and Marilyn, the two girls looking embarrassed as kids tug on their costumes and ask for an encore duel and to explain what happened in the Escape Room. Raphael moves to Rebecca side and wraps his sister in a bone-crushing hug.
"Don't scare us like that," he says.
Rebecca giggles as she stares at her Duel Disk. "I promise."
"What happened in there?" asks Miruko.
Rebecca and Marilyn share a knowing glance at one another before Marilyn answers, "It's a long story."
"Can we see you duel someone, Marilyn?" asks a girl dressed as Little Red Riding Hood. "Those monsters looked amazing!"
Marilyn blushes as she looks down at her Duel Disk. Then, she sees a few other duelists, all in costumes (some cute, some scary, but every wearer with wide smiles on their faces) each wanting to try going after Marilyn's monstrous cards. Marilyn looks at Rebecca who smiles.
Marilyn smiles back. "Yeah! Let's duel everyone!"
Then, Phone Guy is heard on the speakers once more.
Uh hello? Hello, hello? So, uh, it looks like Freddy and his friends are gonna be playing nice and not bite someone's head. Um, with that out of the way, I guess we can get back to the party, huh? And, let this be a lesson...always do your research on suppliers before making purchases, okay? Yeah, so...
Then, music starts blaring. Rebecca sighs as she's given a pat on the shoulders by Raphael, Amelda and Varon, Miruko hugs Rebecca and Casey raises an eyebrow as she jerks a thumb towards Marilyn.
"I'll tell you tomorrow," Rebecca whispers, briefly pulling out a chain beneath her dress, where now a steampunk gear pendant rests over her heart. "Let's have some fun tonight, ok?"
Casey nods her head as she runs towards the refreshments table. Just as Rebecca is about to rush to the dance floor, she turns to the corner.
Freddy, back in his animatronic body, stands in the shadows. He nods his head and tips his hat before he fades away.
With a nod, Rebecca heads back to the dance floor and dances the night away.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Next time: Haruka is having a satisfying birthday party with her friends and family by her side...or she would be if a party crasher calling herself the "Prediction Princess" didn't arrive to ruin everyone's fun. It's up to Millefeui to settle things so that the party can get back on schedule.
"A Little Princess" coming soon.