The Rise and Fall of History II: Opposing the Present

by Medigo

The world of dueling has reached its climax. Many stories have been told through these cards, and the final story brought everyone together. People are united and yet, an unknown world suffers in their shadow. The fallen one returns in the midst of their peace, pursued and still a stranger to those around. There is not much time to save both his home and his friends.

72. Life but a Dream

Redux 19: Life is but a Dream

"Marco!?" Uno rose from the cold floor of the gate room. "Why..." The dream was over, big brother kicked him back to the real world. Everything Uno set out to do seemed to be impossible; layed to waste. But there was one planted seed that did grow.. "So.. you are awake."

A tall man with black hair and piercing eyes stood before him. "De..cember?" It was the one who led the 'calendar' duelists, the oldest pendulum wielder. "You made it? You got the portal to open?" Uno realized the room was brighter than before, thanks to the glowing energy inside the gate. "It wasn't us. The fusion guild opened it from their side. Not out of kindness, but because our new friends forced them too." Iria explained, stressing that additional point. "December? You forced them? So you found the guild? Did you see were they were in the future or something? And where's January?" A lot happened during his sleep apparently. Zach and Iria were still around, but June could not be seen. "I knew where January and I needed to be, and how to take control of their location. And I know what needs to be done now. I will concern myself with your 'brother'. You have another task.." He pointed a finger at Uno and his pendulum crystal. "Which is?" Uno blinked. "While the portal is still open, return those that do not belong here to their own timeline. Your family has done enough damage to timespace. This can be the first step towards recovery. Afterwards, we will resolve our own dispute.. son of Tempus."

"Okay.. okay I can do that." Uno sighed. "As long as it wont cause more pain, I'll do what you say."

...

"N-neter? You're.. Uno's plan worked?"

"Ssh-shh! Its January.. January yeah." The kid shushed Alice. "That ship has sailed, Neter." June shook her head. "As for Uno. He was indisposed at the time. Indisposed as in 'sleeping'. Because he asked me too. It made sense to him." The psychic shrugged. "But if you're here... is December is here too?" The 'calendar gang' being all back together, could be the best news Alice heard in days. "Of course! Dec sent us to help here while he's gonna go find the other Tempus! Marco something Nisell, right?"

"... and have you? can you find him? you never found us in the before." Their words of hope did not quite reach the sister of the Nisells. "It is much harder to predict the path of someone who controls a pendulum; your brother is constantly changing his own future, and of those around him. But December will find him. What we missed before was a sense of your identity, your past. Now that we know who you are, it is only a matter of time." June said with confidence. "... i hear no certainties, your promise is not enough." Anastasia reshuffled her deck. "No. No wait! You don't have to do any of this anymore!" Alice pleaded. "we do. they do, if they want to take my pendulum. i can't give it to them, it has to be won. and i can not stop.. i will not."

Anastasia's LP: 8000

"Is she right? Do you have to take her pendulum?" Alice questioned the travelers. "I am affraid so. Her mind is more unstable than I first thought. Without the pendulum she can do less harm to us and to herself. I know you tried, Alice. But the lady knew this was going to happen, she wanted you to duel her. The inevitability of a confrontation is all she can think of." June stared up towards the sky beyond the clouds. "There are too many satellites and too many control towers. Even if we destroy this one, she can still turn 97 % of the world population into cards. The only thing that can shut it down is that golden card in her hand." The telepath deduced, and her partner stepped forward. "Well if December and August are gonna take care of Tempus number two! We'll take care of her!" January took out his dueldisk and deck. "You do that. I'll stand by." If December came calling about Marco, June wanted to be available. And January would fare better against a duelist like Anastasia. "..." All the while Alice was asking herself whether she could truly side with January and June. Anastasia had to be stopped, but what would that mean for her future?

January's LP: 8000

"Yay! I finally get to duel a Tempus!" Neter drew five cards. "that is your right. but like alice before you, you will not find victor." Anastasia let him have the first turn. "Cool! I summon Satellarknight Vega! So I can also summon Satellarknight Rigel!" When he normal summoned the white armored golden-horned maiden(4/1200/1600) from the Lyra constellation, her effect was activated to special summon a Satellarknight from January's hand. The starknight with the silver dagger and white cape, Rigel(4/1900/700), was chosen. "XYZ-Time! XYZ-summon go!" Neter clapped his hands as he overlayed Vega with Rigel. The Satellarknights threw themselves into a cosmic whirlpool. "Tellarknight Ptolemaeus!" Together they created a white and gold knight centaur(4/550/2600), with wings that contained all the colors of the galactic nebulae. "I set it in defense mode of course. And every time a turn ends, I get to place one Tellarknight from my extra deck under my XYZ-monster!" After Neter placed two traps face-down and moved to his endphase, a Stellarknight Delteros was attached. Now three bright XYZ-materials circled around Ptolemaeus like miniature stars. "Your turn, lady Tempus!"

"you too are one who lost their world. yet you appear so filled with joy." A mildly mystified Anastasia started her turn. "Well, I could be sad about what I lost. But how would that help? I'd rather be happy about what I gained!" The kid laughed. "a strange choice." The lady shook her head. "but if that is how your soul endures, then your strength is a unique type." She activated a spell card; Card of the Soul. "i shall take one monster, whose joined attack and defense points are the same as my lifepoints." With 8000 lifepoints there was one monster she could claim; a machine with 4000 attack and defense points. "i choose.. kozmo dark planet." To summon it she banished two Kozmos from her hand; Dark Destroyer and Strawman, as their combined level stars added up to ten. "appear.." Once more the sky-filling juggernaut machine(10/4000/4000) dominated the stratosphere. Anastasia floated upwards, drawn to the Planets front ring by its gravity.

"Ooooh. Look June! It's so big! Almost as big as the Dyson Sphere!" January made an impressed noise. "Yes, I can see that." June grinned. "Ah. You have to be careful. It can stop spells!" Alice warned January, almost impulsively. "it has done more already." Anastasia continued, activating the field spell Kozmotown to add the illusory emerald space-city on the horizon. "i will take back one kozmo." Kozmotown unbanished Strawman for her, costing her 200 of her lifepoints. And Anastasia normal summoned the monster, a lanky robotic mannequin(2/500/1800), in the shadow of the planet. "the strawman will summon one kozmo that was banished, for 500 lifepoints. but its effects are negated and it will be destroyed at the end of the turn.." The man of straw placed its hand on the floor and pulled a card from the other dimension; the starship Kozmo Dark Destroyer(8/3000/3000). "the dark destroyer attacks the defending tellarknight."

Anastasia's LP: 7300

"Nuh-uh!" January responded with a flick of his finger and a flip of his trap. "Can't say 'attack' if I use Threatening Roar!" The roaring trap silenced Anastasia's attack commands. Keeping Ptolemaeus safe from the Kozmo cards. "i see.." Anastasia ended her battle phase and placed two trap cards down. "then, my turn has no further use." The endphase saw the destruction of Kozmo Dark Destroyer via Strawmans effect. However Kozmo Dark Destroyer's effects were only negated while it was on the field. With it destroyed, it could banish itself to special summon a new Kozmo monster from the deck. Anastasia special summoned Kozmo Landwalker the four-legged tank(6/2400/1200) in attack mode. "Don't feel too bad! Your little brother fell for it too!"

"uno?.. you dueled him?" Alice winced slightly. "Oh yeah I did! He got pretty mad then, because he thought I was the one who took his memories. But I'm not that mean!" The kid beamed. His Tellarknight attached another XYZ-monster from the extra deck, Stellarknight Triverr, to itself as an XYZ-material during the same endphase. "uno.. got mad?" That was a surprising bit of news for his sister. "what.. was he like?" It raised several questions, questions she threw down at Alice. "You're asking me? I... I wasn't there. But.. I heard he was really angry at Neter and mister Dom too." That was what Emily told her, and she was not in the habit of exaggerating. "Is that perhaps.. more like the person you used to know?" June turned the interrogation back towards the sister Nisell. "i.. perhaps.. but he never flew into a rage in front of me.."

"Hey Less talking, more fighting!" January drew his next card. "I... Hmm? If I wanna use this I.. awww.. I'm gonna have to wait. Meh!" January snapped his fingers. "Ah well. I can still do this first! See, Ptolemaeus has three XYZ-materials. When she has that many, she can use everything to XYZ-summon a new XYZ-guy, with a rank of five!" January took a black card from the extra deck and slammed it down hard on top of the Tellarknight. "Instant XYZ-summon! Satellarknight Constellar Diamond!" The centaur and her system of four XYZ-materials transformed. Ptolemaeus evolved into Diamond the white dragon(5/2700/2000) of the stars. "Now each time a monster with a dark element tries to use their power! I can block it with one of Diamond's materials! So.." Neter normal summoned the Satellarknight Unukalhai, the dark serpent-armor knight(4/1800/1000). Unukalhai's effect moved one Satellarknight from the deck to the graveyard. "Bye Bye Altair!" January chose that one and quickly activated a spell too at the cost of 2000 lifepoints. "Gogogo! I use the Ties of the Brethren on Unukalhai!"

January's LP: 6000

"I bring out two more guys who have Unukalhai's level, element and type; four, light and warrior!" In this case, Ties of the Brethren special summoned two more Satellarknights: Deneb the winged dancer(4/1500/1000) and Alsahm the star archer(4/1400/1800). "When I summon Satellarknight Deneb, I get another tellarknight for free! And Alsahm can shoot your lifepoints!" The kid picked Satellarknight Sirius from his deck, while Alsahm inflicted 1000 points of damage to Anastasia with an arrow that soared all the way up to where the Lady stood. "..." She took the hit in silence, smiling in her usual feint manner. "You liked that? You're a bit weird, lady Tempus!" Duelists could not special summon after Ties of the Brethren was used, nor could they attack during the same turn. Therefor January was okay with letting his turn end. "it is nothing i do not deserve." Anastasia claimed with a heavy sigh. Yet when she looked upon her next card, she breathed in again.

Anastasia's LP: 6300

"i shall revive the destroyer once more." She paid 500 lifepoints for the effect of Kozmo Strawman, and summoned Kozmo Dark Destroyer in attack position. "kozmoll dark lady." The Strawman used its other ability too. It was banished and the dark wicked witch(5/2200/1800) in her hand was special summoned in attack mode. "my four shall attack your four." The machines started the battle phase. "Is that what you want?" January spun his trap around with a big grin. "How about now? I activate Wonder XYZ, so I can XYZ-summon during your turn!" He stacked the Knights Alsahm, Deneb and Unukalhai on top of each other. "And I XYZ-summon Stellarknight Triverr!" The trio together, although not related by name, formed the stellar winter triangle and brought the winter knight Triverr(4/2100/2500) from the extra deck. "Now all your monsters are gonna go back to your deck!" Triverrs effect hit all cards at once, circumventing Kozmo Dark Planet's targeting immunity. "i do not see it, january." So Anastasia chained with another monster's effect by paying 1000 lifepoints. "the dark lady negates your monsters power, for another thousand of life." The kozmoll witch prepared a curse of dark magic in her one hand.

Anastasia's LP: 4800

"Heyhey? Did ya forget about the Constellarknight?" Naturally, the XYZ-duelist countered with his XYZ-monsters effect. Stellarknight Diamond detached one XYZ-material and fired a comet of holy light towards Kozmoll Dark Lady. "i rarely forget." Anastasia activated her face-down trap card. "every mistake i made, even corrected, will be burned into my memory. i activate the chains of the soul." a thread of spiritual energy shot out of her card, and it passed through both Constellarknight Diamond, Kozmoll Dark Lady and Stellarknight Triverr. "Ha?" Their effects were all negated. "Hmmmph!. That's cheating! You were using cool cards before, but now you're just making up stuff!" January protested. "The power to create new monsters, Uno also demonstrated such talents. Didn't he, January?" June conferred with her grumpy partner. "Yeah but he made awesome looking skeleton dragons! She's just making spells and traps now! You can do so much cooler!" He insisted. "uno.. was always better at it.. then us.. we are all special in different ways. the chains of the soul stop all effects in a single chain. we have gone back to the beginning. and.. from there i will strike." Anastasia's attacks resumed. Kozmo Dark Planet unleashed a massive death-beam into the chest of the Diamond Stellarknight.

January's LP: 4700

Chains of the Soul, Counter Trap
Activate only if your lifepoints are lower than your opponents.
Activate as chain 3 or higher. Negate the activation and effects of all other monster cards in the same Chain.

"but these kozmo cards with which i attack, were only made my human hands, for my sake, for my.. enjoyment." Now the Dark Destroyer targeted the defending Stellarknight Triverr, and destroyed it with a barrage of missiles and lasers. "I enjoy duels too! By the way, when Triverr dies. I can summon one Tellarknight from the graveyard!" Triverrs triangle shield stuck around for a bit, glowing brightly to return the angelic Satellarknight Altair(4/1700/1300) to life. "Altair can resummon one Satellarknight too!" The angel knight special summoned Satellarknight Vega in defense mode. Subsequently, Vega's effect would special summon one Tellarknight from January's hand. "Let's get, Sirius!" The white and gold knight(4/1600/900) with the wolven helm jumped out unto the tower platform. "Now I get another card! So there!" Five fallen Tellarknights (Rigel, Deneb, Alsahm, Triverr, Delteros) were shuffled into the deck by Sirius, after which January could draw one card. "so.. here." All these new monsters were summoned in defense mode, naturally. "attack." January lost no lifepoints when Kozmoll Dark Lady and Kozmo Landwalker killed Sirius and Vega with their red lightswords and cannon fire.

"..." Anastasia moved to main phase 2. "kozmotown, give me strawman." Her field spell reactivated, giving her the level 2 Kozmo monster and taking another 200 lifepoints away. Kozmotown then shuffled that card back into her deck, so she could draw one new card. Last and least, Strawmans effect on Dark Destroyer ran out during the endphase and the starship selfdestructed. "kozmo dog fighter." This time Dark Destroyer banished itself to special summon a shuttle cone(6/2000/2400) from Anastasia's deck. Kozmo DOG Fighter took off from the platform, circling around the tower.

Anastasia's LP: 4600

"Alice!" Between turns, more spectators barged unto the tower platform. "Whoa!" Stonewell immediately regretted coming up here when he saw the giant sphere up close. "You're here too now?!" Eric meanwhile recognized January immediately. "Heya!" The kid waved back giddily. "Alice, are you injured? We could see this battle from down below. Why did this happen?" Adamant demanded an explanation. "The lady of the castle has her own idea on how to solve our problems. We disagreed." June gave a succinct recount. "She's gonna put everyone inside the monument!" Alice added loudly. "What? Is she insane?" Stonewell cursed. ".i would not expect you to understand." Alice offered no excuses.

"Well, lady, maybe you're a little crazy. But you have one good point! If you can use your super-duper ultra-special cards, I can too! Right, June?" The kid looked at the psychic with big bright eyes. "Sure. At this point we can't be picky about hiding our true nature." June shrugged again. "Super ultra cards?" Alice wondered what those could even be. "Yup! You know, I guess you must be really sad that your lost your world too, Alisonny Alice!" January said out of nowhere, as he normal summoned the wheel-riding Satellarknight Capella(4/1100/2000) to the field. "What? Why would you.." She could only stammer in response. "What if I told you guys that you don't have to be sad?! I lost a lot too. My world was really really reeeeally special. We had everything perfect until Tempus put it away. But he couldn't take everything... I kept one thing.. my hope. If you want to say I have a specialty, then it is the power to always turn a bad thing into a good thing! To know that everyone will have a happy ending!" January placed Capella on top of Satellarknight Altair. "Go, King of Hope. Number 39: Utopia!" The two knights overlayed into an helmeted swordsman(4/2500/2000) in armor of gold and white.

"the...numbers.." Anastasia staggered slightly, as that ancient term was uttered. "Number?" Stonewell did not have any idea what made this XYZ-monster so unusual. Except, just standing near it filled her with a comforting warmth. "These are monsters humanity developed in January's timeline. There they encountered the Numbers, beings from another dimension who connected with humans to exchange strength and emotion. There were once billions of Numbers, based on a template of a Hundred. Now few remain, and January is the only one left who can summon them." June edified. "you are from that world, you are so young.." Anastasia knew these cards well. They were just another victim of their flight through time. "Oh yeah, I guess for you I am! I don't usually meet people older than me. But but but! I am pretty strong too! Let me show you something neat!" The kid placed another card on top of the Utopia warrior. "Shining XYZ Evolution! I can use Number 39 as an XYZ-material for Number S39 Utopia Prime!"

"Rank up? Without a spell?" Adamant saw it with his own eyes, the originator of his own XYZ-evolotion tactics. January used Utopia and its XYZ materials as the base for a new XYZ-summon. Utopia Prime the Shining Number knight(4/2510/2000) exchanged Utopia's solid wings for loosely floating blades. And its armor got lighter, with less shoulderpads and . "Oh I can do it more than once!" January took another black card from his extra deck. "Shining Force Evolution! Any Rank 4 Utopia monster can be ranked up into Number S39: Utopia the Lightning!" Utopia Prime transformed as well, merging its wingblades into two massive swords that attached to his shoulders. Spikes of gold were added to the armor and helmet, like a crown of the sun. This warrior(5/2500/2000) was the next rank for the shining hope number. "Bye bye, Kozmo Dark Planet!" January waved his hand at the skies. "?" Utopia the Lightning drew both of its swords from it back and flew towards the Kozmo planet. "If The Lightning has a Utopia monster attached, he can bring his attackpoints up all the way to 5000!" The Shining Number detached both Satellarknight XYZ-materials and doubled its(5000/2000) own attackpoints. "Ah!" Both blades plunged into the core of the machine. "my... planet.. my world." Anastasia was engulfed by a chain reaction of explosions.

Anastasia's LP: 3600

(To be Continued in Redux 018: Abandon All Hope)

New Cards used by Anastasia Nisell
Kozmo Strawman
Kozmo Dogfighter

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Card of the Soul

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Chains of the Soul

New Cards used by January/Neter
Tellarknight Ptolemaeus
Number 39: Utopia
Number S39: Utopia Prime
Number S39: Utopia the Lightning

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Ties of the Brethren