D.H. A.N.: I hope you all are ready for this. I am so sorry that you will not be able to see the whole duel, but I'm replacing action with development here. You will get to see some awesome new cards, though.
Chapter Two: The Duel
Coletta was stunned. This girl was different with a duel disk on her arm and cards in her hands, cards she knew well by the look of it. She had to take her seriously; she knew that Mhera was familiar with cards, their effects, and an odd fact, their rarity. She wasn't sure though, maybe it was the color of her shirt. Coletta had seen that color before, but where? That dark flowing purple that made one attempt to associate it with something. It was familiar to her eyes, but her brain couldn't place it anywhere.
"You seem awfully quiet. Do you have a question for me?" Mhera asked, violet eyes enthralled at the sight of a duel. Dueling came second nature for her. She was taught by him, a man whom most feared when brought into his presence. However, she, one of his own bloodline, had nothing to fear from him, except failing him. He was her tutor, her master, and her father. She always felt nervous when he was watching her, though, now she had no reason to be. She knew he enjoyed a duel no matter who it was. Moreover, this was her first duel for nothing more than a somewhat friendly wager in years. Not to prove anything, rescue her mental sanity, or her soul. She couldn't let that fact make her lose sight of what would happen if she lost. That brunette would never wipe that smirk off her face when someone had the nerve to tell her that she had just defeated the daughter of one of the best, and infamous, duelists of the Battle City Tournament. Now, Mhera did qualify for the finals, but thankfully, her common sense told her that it was unwise to enter them. Had she seen what would happen during the finals beforehand, she may have been able to cope with not participating, but she had her father's habit of not resenting her choices until it was too late to change them, and then going into something without a second thought That was how she received the once painful scar on her right hand. She was well intentioned, but she didn't let herself think past that flurry of emotions that was running through her brain. Though, that undesirable trait was present in both her and her brother, Mhera seemed to be able to control it better than anyone else in her family.
"No, why would I need to ask you anything. I place two cards facedown on the field. Your turn begins now." Coletta said, with a tone as if she were speaking to a dueling novice. Why the nerve of that… Mhera mentally spat, her words laced with bitter annoyance. She had been used to that kind of tone when she really was a dueling novice, but now it just seemed to bruise her pride even more so. "Easy, Mhera, I'm sure she doesn't mean any of it." She could not tell whether it was her brother talking, for she knew he would've reacted the same way that she had, if his opponent had been male. Mhera had never dueled another female, aside from Ishizu, but that was a special circumstance, and the duel was respectful. This girl however showed no respect. Of course the others had dueled against opponents like Coletta. However, Mhera had never dueled as much of an ignorant, inconsiderate person as Coletta. " I'm waiting" Coletta insisted. Mhera drew her card. Perfect, ' Protector's Sword', now all I need is my 'Mheralo the Sword Heir', and I'll be good to go. But for now, since my opponent had no monsters to protect her Life Points with, I think I'll go with this. "I summon my Ice Sword Heir. (1800/1600) Its ability freezes all of your magic and trap cards during the turn this card is summoned, so basically, you have nothing to defend your Points from his icy assault."
" Excellent strategy my dear. You always do see more than anyone else would when put into a situation like this." Mhera's father's voice cooed pleasurably in her head. The raven-haired elf appeared from the duel disk's holographic simulator, releasing two ice spikes from his hands, and they went whizzing and pierced the images of the two face down cards. Now that those are out of the way for the turn, I think I'll attack and jolt her back to reality. " Now, my Ice Sword Heir, attack Coletta's Life Points directly!" The elf's sword glowed an icy blue, and the air became cold around Coletta. The elf spun around creating an icy blue tornado, and proceeded towards Coletta. The attack was successful without Coletta's face down cards to intervene.
(LP: M: 4000 C: 2200)
Keimo was watching Mhera duel for the first time. Now he had seen her duel but he was her opponent. The two of them were pretty equally matched in a duel, but that was how siblings were supposed to be, at least that was what he thought. He remembered an event about two weeks before.
Keimo's Flashback
Mhera entered his room with something in her hands. His door was open and that usually meant that she could come in, but he had forgotten this and tried to get her out. "Can it not wait, sister? I am very busy." Her eyes told him that it could, but she had to say it now, or it would be pointless telling him later. "Alright, what do you have there?" Keimo asked as he stepped aside to let Mhera enter. "I have, perhaps, another reason why your surgery was postponed, dear brother." "What other reason do they need? They turned me down for an operation I so desperately want. To remove these scars from my face, it would change me. These are scars that I shouldn't have to bear." He touched the right side of his tan face. All across it, there were dark lines from where a whip had struck him. Mhera's voice calmed him, saying, "I know they are, but please, think about it; would you rather have scars from a whip, or would you rather have one from being seared by a Millennium Item?" She struck her right fist against the table, showing the painful eye-shaped scar. "I know how it is to feel shot down, but all things happen for a reason." Mhera released her fist and placed her hand in her pocket. Mhera usually wore a glove with holes for the fingers to cover it up; she hated seeing that scar.
Keimo took Mhera's scarred hand out of its pocket of safety, and ran it against his own scars, wishing that it would make them both vanish. It did little, except bring some solace to them. He then released her hand turning from Mhera, asking, "You could have used the prize money to rid yourself of that scar forever, why did you want to use it to remove mine, dear sister?" Mhera turned him back to face her, and replied, "Because you never deserved those scars. You wear a mask to hide them, something that does not suit you. Removing your scars would open more doors for you than removing mine would for me. It would allow you to rid yourself of those masks forever. That is why. I also feel that I have to pay you back for rescuing me from those disgruntled old pals of mine." She smiled "They weren't pals. They were just some of Father's old goons." Keimo said, annoyed
"Anyway, what do you have in your hand, and how would it help me?" "I can't guarantee it will help you, but it could put your scars to good use." Mhera smiled. She then showed her brother the newspaper. In it was a huge ad that read:
"Attention all aspiring actors:
The Domino Theater Club will be hosting open auditions for the production of
" Andrew Lloyd Webber's ' The Phantom of the Opera'", two weeks from this Saturday from 9:30 AM to 6: 30 PM at the Domino Community Theater. Hot tea will be provided for all who audition. (You'll need it after singing, for your throat's sake.) Audition packets can be picked up through Saturday at 9:00 AM at the Community Theater Office."
"You already picked up the packets, didn't you?" Keimo asked, a huge grin forming itself across his face. "Yes, I did, but I did not get one for you, but one packet has all of the parts in it, and a little background information on each character." She thumbed through the packet until she found what she had been looking for. " This is the one that could use your scars, Keimo." Mhera implied, as she handed him the packet. Keimo read, and muttered, "The Phantom: A musical genius who is disfigured on the right side of his face, wearing a mask to hide it, takes a young opera singer as his pupil, and teaches her the beauty of the "Music of the Night." Keimo grinned, "You're going to try and be my pupil, are you not?" He handed it back to his sister, who then flipped a couple of pages to show him who she was trying out for: 'Christine Daae: A beautiful young addition to the Opera cast who claims to have an "Angel of Music" that teaches her how to sing through "The Mirror" in her room. Her tutor is the infamous "Phantom of the Opera." Christine gets caught in a love triangle with The Phantom and her childhood friend, Raoul. She is made the new "Prima Donna" after the Phantom sabotages Carlotta's performance.'
"Interesting, sister. Tell me, who is trying out for Raoul? Is it that boyfriend of yours?" He asked, already knowing the answer, but he could not help try to get a reaction from his sister. "Must you really ask that question, Keimo? Of course Sheon will be trying out for Raoul!" "Well, he certainly has the look of a French aristocrat." Keimo said as he read the description of Raoul. "Alright, I'll do it, but only because I get to get in between you two." "I know that is not the real reason that you want this part, I think it suits you very well. You have always been a recluse, except around me, and the Phantom is the same way with Christine. Please. If not for yourself, then do it for me." Mhera gave him a sincere smile that Keimo never had the heart to refuse with her request. "Alright, now go to bed. It is very late, and I am the oldest, so you have to do what I say." A pillow hit him out of nowhere. "Oh, sure I do." Mhera said sarcastically, levitating the pillow above her brother's head. "Hey, stop it!" Keimo laughed as it kept hitting him. Mhera guided the soft pillow back to the bed after swatting her brother twenty times with it. "Well, good night. I have to work in the morning, so I probably won't see you tomorrow." Mhera said, silently slipping out after that. She hadn't gotten very far when Keimo asked softly, in her mind, "What made you try to help me? I was awful to you, and yet, you stayed, you watched over me, you knew it would be hard to get to the real me, but you still tried against all odds, even after I… What I'm really asking is why did you duel me that night, when you knew that you were risking your soul?" She paused before answering, "Because I wasn't going to let you throw your life away trying to find the one responsible for your anger, and at times that person was me, because I wanted to dispel all the doubts that you were truly gone from me. Because… because I am your sister, and I had been looking for you far too long to let you slip into the shadows." There was a long pause, then, silence from them both as they pondered in their minds what the other told them. Interesting, Keimo asked me almost the same question that my father asked me after the tournament. I gave him almost the same answer. I guess I'm just that kind of person. Well, off to bed. Mhera thought as she lay on the bed. Keimo was in the same asking mood of himself. Why was I so different when I first saw my sister, after ten years? He was mentally racking his brain for the answer, but to no avail. Perhaps I need some sleep. I'll have to think about this tomorrow. After these thoughts crossed the two siblings' minds, sleep came easily to them both.
Keimo began practicing the next day for his possible role of the Phantom. His deep baritone voice could be heard throughout the house. While his sister was working at the bookstore downtown, Keimo would practice his non-singing lines. When his sister returned, they would practice their duets, chiefly "Point of No Return." Mhera would offer to practice with him often, but he would usually decline her offer. He would ask for her to listen to him as he sang the powerful solo of "Music of the Night." "Softly, deftly, music shall caress you. Hear it, feel it, secretly possess you. Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in to the power of the music that I write. The power of the music of the night." Mhera could almost feel herself slipping into the warm caresses of her brother's words. He stopped suddenly, frustration evident in his voice. "I messed up again. I keep wanting to combine the first part of the second verse with the second part of the third verse."
"Keimo, don't be so hard on yourself. I think it sounds good, even if it is wrong. There are some songs that sound beautiful, even when they are sung wrong. "Music of the Night" is one of those songs. Now the song that I intend to do for my solo is definitely one that sounds wrong when one sings it that way." "And your point is?" Keimo arched an eyebrow as he asked. "My point is that you'll get it, it just takes time to do it right. I didn't become a good duelist without realizing that…"
End of Flashback
Keimo was brought back to the present with a nudge from his father. "There is a duel going on. There will be a quiz afterwards." His father said jokingly. "Sorry, I was just thinking about what a wonderful sister I have" Keimo smiled.
As he gazed upon the dueling field, his smile changed to a look of displeasure at the odds of his sister winning the duel grew weak. She had her Mheralo the Sword Heir, (2800, 2600) and her Dagger Magician (2300, 2000) out on her field, which were two of her best monsters. They looked as though they were just there for looking pretty. How they had been immobilized, Keimo found out as Coletta spoke, "Well, is that all you have? I expected more from someone who made such a foolish wager. My Warrior Bonds have your Sword Heir helpless, and my Fusion Noose has your Dagger Magician unable to use its effect, or do anything for that matter."
"Coletta has Mhera's two best cards stopped like it was no trouble at all!" Keimo exclaimed flabbergasted. "It's far worse than that. Any warrior she summons will be affected by that 'Bonds' card." Sheon paused, "Even worse, all she has, in terms of monsters, are warriors. Unless she added a card of another type to her deck before the duel, Mhera won't win." "She has one." Kim spoke for the first time since the duel began. "She has my Wingweaver card, I lent it to her before the duel."
"I sense that she has her Mind Meld card, as well." Keimo said, "I hope it is the second one; her first one won't do her any good here. The good news is that she has her Silver Sword Dragon (2400, 2100) with all its effects in play. It's a perfect card for a predicament like this."
"So, what happens next?" Kim asked, half curiously, half nervously. "It all depends on what she draws now." Her three companions answered simultaneously, in a calm tone. They were all crossing their fingers that Mhera would draw the card that she needed. It was her turn. The card was drawn, as was the satisfied smile that crossed Mhera's face. 'She's got it' Keimo thought. He then asked, "By the way, what's the score?" "The score and field conditions support Coletta, but based on that smile your sister just gave us, the odds are in her favor now." His father responded. "The score is Coletta: 2600 Mhera: 200. I certainly hope that after this turn, it will be Coletta: 0 Mhera: 200." Kim clearly answered his question.
They got their wish. Mhera's smile faded, and was replaced by a straight face as she asked, "Coletta, would you answer one question for me?" Coletta only nodded. Mhera continued, "Where did you learn to duel so well? You've had me immobile for quite a few turns, now, yet I have had you stuck as well. Someone taught you how to do that in a duel. What I ask is who taught you?" Coletta's eyes showed a first sincere look since their duel. " My brothers taught me. One had a primarily Fusion deck, the other had a primarily Warrior deck. Either one would win when dueling me." "That explains the Noose and Bonds Cards." Mhera half smiled "Yes, you're right…Mhera." Coletta paused before saying her opponent's name. "Those cards made me feel well…like a winning duelist. You have had some tough duels yourself, anyone can see that." "You'd be surprised." Mhera said with a smile. "It is your turn." Coletta said more sincerely than the last time she had used the phrase. "Thank you, Coletta. I'll take it now." Mhera said calmly" I tribute my Silver Sword Dragon and my Mheralo the Sword Heir to summon Wingweaver." The two creatures vanished in a white light, and were replaced by a six- winged fairy. "Now I activate my Second Mind Meld card to duplicate the effect of my Dagger Magician to Wingweaver. Now let me tell you what the effect is, since you activated your Fusion Noose before I could use it. Its effect is that I can discard any card from my hand, and destroy all of your magic and trap cards. There are others, but that is the only one you have to worry about me using. Now I discard my Mind Meld card, in order to destroy all of your magic and trap cards, including your Fusion Noose. If I am correct, your Warrior Bonds disappeared when my only Warrior was used as a tribute." Mhera waited for an answer. "Yes I do believe you're right." Coletta answered
"Amazing, she had both Mind Melds in her hand." Keimo said awe-struck. "No surprise there. Mheralo has always been that kind of duelist. Every time, she's had some sort of plan waiting for the right time to be activated, usually they end the way that is expected from her." Their father responded, unsurprised, "There is only one thing that can happen now. She'll win."
"Now, that the duplication has completed itself, and I have destroyed all of your magic and trap cards, I'll attack your Life Points directly with my Dagger Magician. Now I will finish this duel with Wingweaver." Mhera said. The attacks were successful. Coletta fell to her knees in defeat. Mhera walked over, and gave her a hand to help Coletta up, saying, " I doubt that you were shown how to truly be a sincere opponent." She cracked a small smile, " But then again, what better way to learn than in a duel. It was very suspenseful match, and given the exceedingly great talent, I think I could persuade my brother to sing with you, if you're still interested" "That won't be necessary, I think I will be trying out for Carlotta instead." Coletta said with a faint smile, "Besides, we did have a wager." She then left for the stage without another word. But she shot a sincere smile at Keimo. This time he noticed, and reddened a little. "She said that you were handsome. By the way, Keimo, you left your mask backstage." Mhera said in his head. "I did? Mhera, why didn't you tell me? You know how embarrassed I get." "I thought maybe you would notice for yourself, but she saw, and she saw behind the scars, dear brother." Mhera assured him with her signature smile.
Mhera then received many congratulatory gestures for a truly memorable duel. Mhera gave Kim her card back, saying, "Thanks for the card. It really pulled me through." They then watched the rest of the auditions, but all of them knew that the roles of The Phantom, Christine, and Raoul were already decided. Just who they were would be a mystery until two days later. But there was one more audition that no one saw coming.
Hope you liked it. R&R. I can't do it without you all. Next Chapter: Another audition requires the two Ishtar Siblings to experience the pre-tryout jtters once more before they sing "Down Once More". Join them in :Chapter Three: The Music of That Night. C-Ya!