Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX.
A/N: Sorry this has taken so long to post. Uploading it was hell. Anyway, first off, I would like to thank Time Mage, who provided me with the new Slifer Red girl's dorm headmistress, along with her entire deck, although you won't see that this chapter. Second, just a small note about original cards and changed effects: I'll only put the full description of an original card or effect change in the first chapter it appears in. After that, I'll simply put the card's name and the chapter the full effect is in. Now then, on with the fic!
Yu-Gi-Oh GX - A New Duelist Legend
Chapter 5 - Maiden of the Moonlight
The free week had come and gone. Friendships had been made, rivalries formed, and all manner of people mingled in a air of (general) companionship. Except in the Slifer Red girl's dorm. No, in that dorm, then entire week has been a single, seemingly unending party. After Tsukanna defeated the headmistress of the dorm, she had apparently vanished without a trace.
However, all good things must come to an end, and an in-school vacation is certainly no exception. So, with the week gone, now begins the greatest trial Jaden Yuki will ever face...
"Yaaaawwwwnnn..."
Staying awake through class.
Jaden fought to keep his head off of his desk section as his first class of the year began. He yawned again. "Man, 7:30 in the morning is way to early to have to get up for a class."
"Just how late were you up last night, Jaden?" Bastion asked from his position immediately above and behind the Slifer Red.
"I dunno..." Jaden replied drowsily, "two, three, in the morning, maybe."
"Honestly," Bastion said, shaking his head, "What on earth kept you up that late on the night before classes start?"
"I was dueling Syrus and Chumley."
Bastion sighed. "Why am I not surprised?"
"Cheer up, Jaden." Said Tsukanna, who was sitting to Jaden's left, "At least this class won't be all that hard."
Jaden stared. "...you think 'Advanced Mathematical Duel Theory and it's Applications' isn't hard?"
Tsukanna blinked. "Yeah... why would it be?"
Jaden sweatdropped. "Never mind."
"Good morning students!" Chancellor Sheppard's voice boomed over the school's PA system. "Before you begin class, I have a couple of announcements. First, because of the recent thefts of several students' rare cards, I ask everyone to remember that, unless you have a pass, you are not allowed to be outside of the main school building during the school day, or outside of your dorm's grounds after 8:00 PM. Second is mostly only a concern of the Slifer Red girls. Due to circumstances beyond her control, Professor Crane has had to take an extended leave of absence. Therefor, I am appointing Ms. Izumi Kojima as temporary headmistress until the matter is settled. Now, everyone enjoy your first day!" With that, the PA crackled off.
All of the Slifer Red girls, with the exception of Tsukanna, had simultaneously stood up and cheered at Chancellor Sheppard's announcement of the new dorm head.
"Now, now, settle down everyone." Professor Kabayama, the headmaster of the Ra Yellow boy's dorm, said as he walked up to the podium. "I know you're all eager to learn Duel Theory, but you really must calm down."
"Hey Bastion..." Jaden said, whispering as Professor Kabayama was gearing up for his lecture. "Why are all the girls so happy about the new headmistress, anyway?"
Bastion looked around nervously, then leaned close to Jaden. "Meet me outside after class, and I'll tell you what I know."
"Alright, everyone," Professor Kabayama started, "now I'll begin your introduction into the exciting world of advanced Duel Theory! First, as you can see from these slides..."
After class, Jaden was walking next to Bastion, groaning and rubbing his head. "That guy is to... enthusiastic..."
"Perhaps so, Jaden," Bastion replied, "But I rather enjoyed his class."
Jaden groaned again. "Yeah, well I couldn't understand more then every third word he said."
"So," Jaden continued, "You were gonna tell me why everyone was so excited about that new headmistress, right?"
Bastion stopped, looked around briefly, and pulled Jaden to the side of the hall. "Well," He began, "The reason concerns the old headmistress. According to the rumors floating around school, it appears that the former headmistress, Professor Crane, was more then a little... unstable."
"Unstable? What do you mean, unstable?"
Bastion sighed. "There were... allegations that Professor Crane was physically abusing some of the girls in her dorm."
"What!" Jaden yelped.
"Calm down." Said Bastion, "From what I hear, the allegations never went anywhere. A student in Ra Yellow reported some unusual bruising on a girl in Slifer Red. The Slifer girl never made a complaint, however, so, nothing ever happened. Things like that happened several times, so, you see, Professor Crane wasn't well liked, and probably would have been fired soon anyway, even without any formal complaint." With that, Bastion turned away. "I'll see you later, Jaden. I need to get to my next class."
Jaden was silent for a moment. As he was mulling over Bastion's words, the bell rang. "Oh, man!" He yelled, "I'm gonna be late!"
At the same time Jaden was beginning his frantic dash to class, Tsukanna and Rita were changing out of their normal uniforms and into their gym clothes.
"Honesty, Rita, I don't get it." Tsukanna said as she pulled her gym shirt over her mass of braids, which shook her bells in every direction, creating a cacophony of jangling. "We've dueled, so I know you're a good duelist, but when you duel anyone else, you start making all kinds of amateur mistakes."
"I'm sorry..." Rita said, "I don't know why I do so badly most of the time..."
Tsukanna sighed as she put on her gym shoes. "Rita, I've told you before, you really should stop apologizing for everything."
"Oh! I'm sorry!" Rita said, jumping slightly.
Tsukanna smacked her forehead. "Rita, you're doing it again."
"Oops... I'm sorr-"
"Rita!"
From across the room, Alexis watched as Tsukanna vainly tried to get Rita to stop apologizing for apologizing to much.
"Is she really as good as Zane said she is?" Alexis thought.
As Alexis was lost in her thoughts a hand waved in front of her face. "Yoo-hoo! Earth to Alexis!"
Alexis turned to Mindy, one of her roommates, who was the owner of the waving hand. "Yeah?"
"You just really zoned out for a second there." Alexis's other roommate, Jasmine, said. "What's up with you?"
"Just a little worried..." Alexis responded, looking at Tsukanna and Rita again.
After the day's classes had concluded, the students all returned to their dorms to relax, hang out, and do whatever. For the Slifer Red girls, however, things were a little more exciting, as all of them had gathered in the cafeteria to meet the new headmistress.
"Hello, everyone." The new headmistress said with a small smile. Izumi Kojima was 25 years old, a little on the thin side, and just a few inches shy of six feet. She had pale blonde hair which was cut short and then pinned up in the back, and her bangs were combed so they hung just to the side of her right eye. She was wearing a uniform which was nearly identical to the normal Slifer girl's uniform, with the exception of having a longer skirt.
"As you no doubt gathered from Chancellor Sheppard's announcement earlier," Izumi continued in a kind voice, walking forward. "I am Izumi Kojima, the new headmistress for the Slifer Red girls dorm. At least until we resolve the... situation with Professor Crane."
The Slifer girls were silent.
"As for the rules," Izumi said, "There will be no additional rules beyond those stated in the school rulebook."
Now the Slifer girls cheered.
Izumi smiled again. "Now feel free to go have fun until lights-out." With that declaration, there was a small stampede to the cafeteria door. Once everyone was gone, Izumi was about to walk out to, when she noticed one student hadn't left yet. A student in a boy's uniform.
"Excuse me," Izumi began, walking over, "Are you supposed to be here?"
Tsukanna blinked and looked up from what she had been working on, which caused her bells to let out a symphony of jingling. "Yeah. Why would I be here if I wasn't supposed to be?"
"It's just..." Izumi continued, "The boy's uniform threw me off a bit."
Tsukanna shrugged, returning to her work. "Skirts don't have pockets."
"True." Izumi replied, beginning to walk away. "Oh!" She turned around. "What's your name, by the way?"
Tsukanna looked up again and smirked. "Tsukanna Kanshisha."
Izumi smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Tsukanna."
"Likewise." Tsukanna replied, getting up. "I'm gonna head up to my room. I need to get the rest of this assignment, so, goodbye."
"Goodbye."
Tsukanna walked out of the room and shut the door. Izumi just stood for a moment. "She has really weird hair."
Several hours later, in Tsukanna and Rita's dorm room, Rita was fast asleep on the top bunk. Tsukanna, however, was still awake, lying fully dressed on the bottom bunk. She sighed. "I've put if off to long already..." She said to herself.
Tsukanna got out of her bed and went to the shared closet. She took her backpack out, and removed most all of the contents. She then dug deeper in her side of the closet, eventually pulling out a dead black metal strongbox with a big padlock holding it shut. "This thing's way to risky to keep here." She put the box in her backpack.
Tsukanna shouldered her backpack, sighed again, and quietly went out the door.
Over in the Obelisk girl's dorm, Alexis couldn't sleep. She sighed. "I just can't stop thinking about that girl. Anyone who makes Zane worry has got to be bad news..." Alexis got out of her bed. "There's no point in laying here thinking in circles..." She said to herself. "Maybe a walk will clear my head."
About half an hour later, Tsukanna had walked out to the middle of the campus woods. "There's got to be a place around here somewhere..." She muttered to herself. She continued to look until she found an old, dried-up well.
"Perfect." She said to herself, grinning. "This'll be a great place to stash these things till I can send them on their way." With that, Tsukanna took the strongbox out of her backpack and dropped it in the well. She smirked. "Now that that's done, maybe I can get some sleep."
Unfortunately for her, that wasn't going to happen just yet. For Tsukanna's route back to the Slifer girl's dorm took her through the gardens of the Obelisk Blue girl's dorm, where Alexis was about to take her walk.
"Huh?" Alexis had just stepped outside when she saw a figure about seventy-five feet away, walking at a slow pace. Since the moon was fairly bright, Alexis could see the figure clearly. "I think that's that girl Tsukanna!"
Alexis' eyes widened. She had a perfect way to see if Zane was right about this girl. But first, she ran inside to grab what she needed.
"Hey!" Tsukanna had almost reached the edge of the gardens when someone shouted to her. She froze, turned around, and saw Alexis running towards her. "Crap."
She walked a few steps towards Alexis, who stopped running about twenty feet from her. "Something I can do for you?" She asked warily.
"What are you doing out so late?" Alexis asked.
"What are you doing out so late?" Tsukanna countered.
"I was taking a walk, until I saw you." Alexis replied.
"As was I." Tsukanna said.
"Maybe so, but there's a still difference between us, though." Alexis said, smirking, " You're the only one breaking the rules."
Tsukanna's eyes narrowed. "How so?"
"Simple." Alexis replied, "I'm still on the grounds of Obelisk Blue, but you're a long way away from Slifer Red."
Tsukanna frowned. "What do you want to keep quiet? Obviously something, or you wouldn't have bothered to confront me, you'd have gotten a teacher."
"Again, simple." Alexis responded, lifting up the duel disc she had gotten from inside. "To duel you!"
Tsukanna raised her eyebrow. "You want a duel? If you wanted a duel from me, why in the name of Ammut didn't you just ask?"
"Because," Alexis replied, "If you lose, I'm still going to turn you in, so you've got incentive to do your very best"
"Good thing I didn't take this out..." Tsukanna thought as she took her disc out of her backpack. "I accept. And who the heck are you, anyway?"
"I'm Alexis Rhodes! Now, show me your best, or you'll lose!" Alexis slammed her deck into her duel disc, and hit the activator. "Duel Disc on!"
Tsukanna finished attached her disk and slid her own deck in. "I don't lose! Duel Disc, on!"
As the life point counters clicked up to 8000, Alexis and Tsukanna drew their starting hands.
ALP: 8000
TLP: 8000
"I'll go first!" Alexis announced as she drew her sixth card. She smirked as she saw it. "I play Cyber Tutu in attack mode!" Alexis slid the card into her disk, and the red and blue jumpsuited cyber-ballerina appeared in front of her. (1000/1000)
"I also play a card facedown, and then I end my turn." Alexis fitted another card into her disk, and it appeared behind her ballerina.
"Alright, I draw!" Tsukanna pulled the top card off of her deck and added it to her hand.
"What to play first...?" Tsukanna fiddled with the cards in her hand for a second before deciding. "I'll summon Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier in attack mode!" Tsukanna smirked, fitted the card into her disc, and the familiar black-robed gravekeeper appeared, brandishing his spear. (1500/1000)
"Seeing as how nothing else in my hand helps at the moment," Tsukanna began, flourishing her cards in Alexis' direction, "I'll just attack! Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier, attack Cyber Tutu with Tomb Spear Strike!" At her command, the Spear Soldier charged forward and thrust his weapon at Cyber Tutu.
"Not so fast!" Alexis called, hitting an activation switch on her disc, "I activate my trap! Doble Passe!" Alexis' facedown flipped up, and Cyber Tutu did an elegant pirouette and spun out of the Spear Soldier's way. That didn't stop his charge, however, and he continued forwards, slashing Alexis with his spear before returning to Tsukanna's side.
ALP: 6500
TLP: 8000
Tsukanna smirked. "So you saved your monster by making my monster attack your life points directly? Doesn't seem to smart... but do whatever you'd like."
"That's not all my trap does!" Alexis shouted, pointing at Tsukanna, "Now Cyber Tutu gets a direct attack on your life points!"
Tsukanna's eyes widened. "What?"
"Cyber Tutu,"Alexis began, smirking, "attack Tsukanna directly with Tours en L'air!" Cyber Tutu smiled sweetly before jumping forwards and landing in front of Spear Soldier. She then jumped over the Gravekeeper's head, spun around in midair half a dozen times, and finished with an aerial kick to Tsukanna's cheek, snapping her head sharply to the side. Her routine finished, Cyber Tutu bounded back over to Alexis, landing in front of her with a spin.
Tsukanna slowly turned her head forward. "...ow. That hurt."
ALP: 6500
TLP: 7000
Tsukanna smirked, winced, and rubbed her cheek. "I guess I'm gonna have to put a little more effort into this then I thought." She slowly surveyed the cards in her hand. "However, I don't have anything helpful in my hand right now, so I'll just pass this turn to you."
Alexis grinned as she drew her card.. "This'll be useful."
"But first," Alexis called, "I'll once again have Cyber Tutu attack you directly! Go, Tours en L'air!" Cyber Tutu giggled as she darted forward, once again spinning over the surprised Gravekeeper and kicking Tsukanna in the face, this time on the other cheek.
ALP: 6500
TLP: 6000
Tsukanna furiously rubbed her face, grimacing as she did so. "Jeez, that hurts! I'm gonna have to put a stop to it."
"Go ahead and try!" Alexis retorted, slipping a card into her disc. "One card facedown, and I end my turn!"
Alexis smirked as Tsukanna drew. "Once she attacks me, my Mirror Force will destroy her monsters, leaving her completely defenseless! Maybe Zane was wrong about who she was, she doesn't seem to be that skilled..."
Tsukanna grinned at her newest card. "Time to bring out my favorite monster! I summon Gravekeeper's Assailant in attack mode!" The female Gravekeeper assassin appeared next to the Spear Soldier, and they nodded to each other before the Assailant brandished her kris. (1500/1500)
"Now that she's on the field," Tsukanna started, "I think I'll attack! Gravekeeper's Assailant, destroy Cyber Tutu! Assassin's Strike!"
As the Gravekeeper lunged forward, Alexis shouted, "That's not going to work! I activate my facedown card, Mirror Force!" As Alexis' card flipped face-up, a silvery shield appeared around her field, protecting her. "This trap-"
Tsukanna cut her off. "I know what Mirror Force does. I doubt there's a single duelist who's been playing the game for more then a week that doesn't know what that card does!"
Tsukanna smirked, choosing a card from her hand. "Besides, I thought you might do that, so I have a ready defense! I activate a Quick-Play Spell! My Body as a Shield!" A red aura appeared around Tsukanna, and her life points dropped.
ALP: 6500
TLP: 4500
"At the cost of 1500 life points," Tsukanna began, indicating the aura, "I can negate the activation of any card effect which would destroy at least one of my monsters, and destroy the card the effect came from! So, I destroy Mirror Force!" Tsukanna pointed, and the red energy around her turned into a beam, which shot across the field and into Alexis' Mirror Force, destroying it. As Mirror Force shattered, the dome around Alexis' field faded.
"Now," Tsukanna continued with a smirk, "Since I completely negated Mirror Force, my attack goes through." Alexis gasped at Gravekeeper's Assailant continued it charge, slashing at Cyber Tutu with her kris. The futuristic ballerina screamed and shattered, doing a little damage to Alexis' Life Points.
ALP: 6000
TLP: 4500
"But that's not all!" Tsukanna said with a grin, "Because your field is empty, Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier can now attack you directly!" The Gravekeeper roared a battle cry and spun his spear in the air as he charged, slashing Alexis and knocking her down before returning to Tsukanna's side. "Had enough?" Tsukanna asked with a smirk.
ALP: 4500
TLP: 4500
"I'm not done by a long shot." Alexis grimaced as she stood up. "In case you didn't notice, our life points are equal, and a field advantage is easy enough to get rid of."
"We'll see." Tsukanna replied, still smirking. "In any case, my turn's done, so make your move."
"Alright!" Alexis drew, and smirked as she looked at her card. "Perfect!" She said, placing the card in her hand, "But before I can play that, first I need to play this!" Alexis took another card from her hand and slammed it down onto her disc. "I summon Blade Skater in attack mode!" A purple and blue woman appeared on Alexis' field. She had large ice skates which seemed to be part of her feet, and identical blades on her wrists. (1400/1500)
"Nice." Said Tsukanna with a grin. "But it's still 101 attack points shy of being able to destroy my monsters... of course, since you played it in attack mode, I'm guessing you've got a way to power it up."
"Exactly." replied Alexis, sliding another card into her disc, "I'll activate an Equip Spell card: Horn of the Unicorn!" As Alexis' spell card activated, her Blade Skater doubled over, clutching her head. After a few seconds, a unicorn horn had grown out of her forehead, and she stood up, looking more intense then ever. (1400/1500)–(2100/2200)
"Nice choice." Tsukanna said, still grinning. "Raises both of your monster's stats by 700, so now my monsters are the ones short on attack points." She smirked, and looked at Alexis appraisingly. "Of course, Horn of the Unicorn's other ability, which places it on top of your deck when it's destroyed, can clog up your hand if you don't use it right." Tsukanna's grin became almost feral as she continued. "It'll be interesting to see how you handle it."
"I'll show you how!" yelled Alexis, pointing at Tsukanna, "Blade Skater, attack Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier with Accel Slicer!" Blade Skater rushed forward at Alexis' command, 'skating' on thin air. Before reaching the Gravekeeper, she broke into a spin and slashed him with all four of her blades, shattering him instantly. She then skated back in front of Alexis, and assumed a ready position.
ALP: 4500
TLP: 3900
"Nice move," Tsukanna commented, "But not a very good choice. In addition to having more defense points, Gravekeeper's Assailant lets me choose the battle position of whatever monster she attacks." Alexis recoiled as she realized her mistake. "Fortunately for you," Tsukanna continued, "She can only activate this effect when Necrovalley is on the field, so it's a moot point anyway. You done?"
Alexis nodded. Tsukanna smirked and drew a card. "Perfect." She said, looking at the cards in her hand. "Simply perfect."
"Alright!" Tsukanna called, "I'll keep this turn simple. First off..." Tsukanna selected a card in her hand, and layed it on her disc. "I'm going to play a monster facedown in defense mode." The set monster appeared next to Gravekeeper's Assailant, who didn't appear to notice it.
"Next," Tsukanna said, continuing, "I'm going to set two other cards as well." The brown-backed cards appeared behind Gravekeeper's Assailant, who didn't appear to notice those either.
"And with that," Tsukanna finished, "I'll end my turn." She smirked. "Let's see what you can do."
Alexis grimaced as she drew. "My monster has more attack points then hers, but she still seems perfectly confident. Not only that, but she even left it in attack mode... so those facedowns must be something deadly." Alexis looked at the cards in her hand and gnawed her lip. Nothing that could help me with traps... so I'll just have to set up a backup defense."
"First!" Alexis called, "I'll summon Etoile Cyber in defense mode!" Another female monster appeared, this one with blue skin and brown hair. She was wearing a sleeveless red jumpsuit and a headband which was pulled down over one eye. She crouched in defense mode. (1300/1600)
"But I'm not done yet," Alexis continued, "I'll play Double Attack! By discarding a monster card from my hand, a monster on my field with a lower level then the one I discarded can attack twice this turn!"
"Keep the discard, lose everything else." Tsukanna retorted, "I'll activate the effect of Gravekeeper's Watcher!"
None of Tuskanna's facedowns flipped. Alexis blinked. "Where is it?"
"In my hand," Tsukanna replied, "You see, I can discard Gravekeeper's Watcher from my hand whenever my opponent activates any effect which involves discarding a card to negate the effect and destroy the card it originated from!"
"Not only that," Tsukanna continued, smirking, "Since your discard was an activation cost, you don't get it back."
Alexis growled. "I'll still have Blade Skater attack Gravekeeper's Assailant! Accel Slicer!" Blade Skater once again sped through the air, this time aimed at the female Gravekeeper. Gravekeeper's Assailant blocked the first strike of Blade Skater's arm blades with her kris, but Blade Skater kicked her in the stomach with one of her bladed feet, and Gravekeeper's Assailant shattered.
ALP: 4500
TLP: 3300
Alexis blinked. "No trap?" She said questioningly.
"Nope." Tsukanna replied. "I actually don't have a single attack-blocking trap or spell in my entire deck."
"What!" Alexis exclaimed, stunned. "Why not?"
"Because," Tsukanna grinned, "It's a lot more fun to break apart my opponent's strategies so they can never effectively attack anyway."
"Is she crazy?" Alexis thought, "I don't think I've ever even heard of a duelist who didn't have a single card for stopping attacks!" Alexis stared at Tsukanna for several seconds. "Is she so confident in her ability to counter her opponent's strategies that she doesn't feel she needs cards like that?"
"Hello... Earth to Alexis..."
Alexis blinked. "What?"
"Are you gonna finish your turn or not?" Tsukanna replied.
"Oh. Right." Alexis looked over the cards in her hand. "I end."
"Sweet!" Tsukanna said, grinning as she drew.
As Tsukanna surveyed the cards in her hand, Alexis' thoughts turned again to Tsukanna's earlier statements. "She may think she can counter my deck, but I'll prove her wrong!"
"Alright!" Tsukanna shouted, "Let's get things started! First off, I'm going to Flip Summon the monster I set last turn!" Tsukanna pressed a button on her disk, and her set card flipped face up, revealing a portly Gravekeeper holding a staff. (1000/1900)
"Meet my Gravekeeper's Guard!" Tsukanna practically sang, "And when this loveable guy is flipped, I can return a monster on the field to it's owner's hand! And, because it's beginning to annoy me, I choose Blade Skater!" Gravekeeper's Guard lunged forward, smashing Blade Skater on the chin with his staff. Blade Skater flew through the air and vanished, and the card popped off Alexis' disk.
"Don't forget," Tsukanna continued, "When your Blade Skater left the field, Horn of the Unicorn was destroyed, and that means it goes on top of your deck." Alexis grimaced, and the card popped out of her Graveyard. She replaced it on the top of her deck.
"Seeing as how I haven't normal summoned yet this turn," Tsukanna said as she chose a card in her hand, "I'll do that now! Gravekeeper's Curse, in defense mode!" Tsukanna slid her card onto her Disk, and the crook-wielding gravekeeper appeared on the field, crouching in defense. (800/800)
"And Curse's effect is one of my favorites!" Tsukanna said, smirking, "When he's summoned by any means, he blasts you for 500 points of direct damage!" Gravekeeper's Curse raised his crook, and a blast of black energy shot out of it, slamming into Alexis' chest and pushing her back a foot.
ALP: 4000
TLP: 3300
Tsukanna sighed. "Seeing as how my hand's empty, I'll pass the turn to you."
Alexis re-drew her Horn of the Unicorn and placed it back in her hand. Then she selected another card, and placed it on her disc. "I activate Pot of Greed."
"Clever." Tsukanna said, "You saved your Pot of Greed to give you a draw even if Horn of the Unicorn was destroyed."
The familiar green pot appeared, and Alexis drew twice before it shattered. She looked at what she drew, and her heart leapt. "This is perfect!"
"Alright, Tsukanna," Alexis announced, "You've played a good game, but it's over."
"Really?" Tsukanna replied cheekily, "Perhaps you should prove that before declaring it."
"Fine by me!" Alexis yelled, "I activate Polymerization, fusing the Etoile Cyber on my field and Blade Skater in my hand to form one of my strongest monsters! Come on out, Cyber Blader!" The female monster that appeared looked like a mix of Etoile Cyber and Blade Skater. She had long blue hair, pale skin, and a mixed red and purple jumpsuit. Like Cyber Blader, she was wearing a pair of ice skates, although she didn't have arm blades. (2100/800)
Tsukanna smirked. "I knew you'd have that the moment I saw Blade Skater." She grinned wryly. "Probably one of the most annoying monsters in the entire game."
"Only to you!" Retorted Alexis, "She's my most valuable ally! And-"
"Because I have two monsters on the field, her attack points double." Tsukanna finished for her. "Do you think I'd recognize the monster and not know the effects? When I have one monster it can't be destroyed in battle, when I have two it's attack doubles, and when I have three it's not affected by magic, trap or monster effects. Like I said, annoying." Exactly as Tsukanna said, Blade Skater glowed red for several seconds and it's attack power skyrocketed. (2100/800)–(4200/800)
"With that attack power," Tsukanna said, "Even if you attack and destroy Gravekeeper's Guard, I'll still have 100 Life Points, which is more then enough to work with."
"Not likely!" Retorted Alexis, "Because I activate the equip spell I re-drew! Horn of the Unicorn! And because Blade Skater's effect doubles what her current attack would be before it activates, my spell boosts her attack by 1400 instead of just 700!" Alexis slammed the card into it's slot, and, as with Blade Skater, a unicorn horn grew from Cyber Blader's head, massively boosting her stats. (4200/800)–(5600/800)
"Now," Alexis yelled, "Cyber Blader attacks Gravekeeper's Guard for the win! Cyber Accel Slicer!"
As the obscenely powerful Cyber Blader charged, Tsukanna smirked. "Don't you remember what I said at the beginning? I don't LOSE! I activate my facedown card, Interdimensional Matter Transporter!" A grey metal ring with a portal in it appeared behind Gravekeeper's Guard, and, despite his bulk, he easily jumped in, the portal closing behind him.
"No!" Yelled Alexis.
"Based on that yell," Tsukanna replied with a grin,"I'm guessing you know that Interdimensional Matter Transporter removes one of my monsters from play until the end of the current turn." Tsukanna grinned even wider. "He's not here, so you can't attack him! Since my only other monster is in defense mode, that means no win for you!"
Alexis just growled.
"If you want to beat me, you gotta work at it." Tsukanna replied cheekily, "And you're not working anywhere near hard enough."
Alexis frowned. "If I can't win this turn, at least I can cut down your options! Cyber Blader, attack Gravekeeper's Curse with Cyber Accel Slicer!" Once again, Cyber Blader charged forward, breaking into a spin and slashing Gravekeeper's Curse to pieces.
Alexis sighed. "With that, my turn ends."
"Works for me. Of course, because your turn ended, now my Gravekeeper's Guard returns to play." The ring opened it's portal again, and Gravekeeper's Guard jumped out. Behind him, the portal closed and the ring shattered. (1000/1900)
"Now, I draw!" Tsukanna whipped to top card of her deck, looked at it, and immediately played it. "This works for me also! I play Graceful Charity!" An angel appeared, and handed Tsukanna the top three cards of her deck. Tsukanna took them, and immediately returned one, also giving the angel another card from her hand. The angel placed the two cards in Tsukanna's graveyard, and then faded.
"Next," Tsukanna continued, "I'm going to play my own Pot of Greed!" The green pot appeared, and Tsukanna drew two more cards. She smirked as she saw them.
"We're getting close to the endgame now." Tsukanna smirked. "I'm going to tribute Gravekeeper's Guard to summon Gravekeeper's Chief in defense mode!" The staff-wielding Gravekeeper vanished in a flash of light, and was replaced by the white-robed leader of the Gravekeepers, who crouched behind his serpent-headed staff. (1900/1200)
"And Gravekeeper's Chief is never alone for long!" Tsukanna said in a singsong voice, "Because, when he's tribute summoned, I can summon a Gravekeeper from my Graveyard! Now rise, Gravekeeper's Curse, also in defense mode!" The dreadlocked gravekeeper reappeared, and crouched behind his crook. (800/800)
"I love this part!" Tsukanna yelled, "Because he was summoned, Gravekeeper's Curse once again blasts you for 500 points of damage!" For the second time that duel, Gravekeeper's Curse raised his staff and blasted Alexis with black energy.
ALP: 3500
TLP: 3300
"But there's more!" Tsukanna continued, still almost singing.
Alexis groaned. "Does there have to be?"
Tsukanna smirked. "Yes! There does! I activate my other facedown, Rite of Spirit!" Tuskanna's card flipped up, and Gravekeeper's Assailant appeared next to Gravekeeper's Chief, also kneeling in defense. (1500/1500)
"As you might have guessed," Tsukanna continued, "Rite of Spirit allows me to summon any Gravekeeper from my graveyard. And don't forget, now that I have three monsters, your Cyber Blader's attack drops, and it becomes immune to effects, instead." A blue aura briefly pulsed around Cyber Blader, dropping its's phenomenal attack score to merely high." (5600/1500)–(2800/1500)
"And, now that that's done, I'll play the last card in my hand, a spell card by the name of Gravekeeper's Secret Stores!"
Alexis blinked. "What's that do?"
"Glad you asked," Tsukanna replied, "This card lets me tap into the emergency stashes of the Gravekeepers. It has one of two effects: either I draw one card for each Gravekeeper in play, or I gain 400 Life Points for each Gravekeeper in play."
She sighed. "Of course, if Necrovalley were on the field, I'd get both effects... But it's not, so I don't!" A small golden box appeared floating in front of Tsukanna. She opened the lid, and inside were a pile of gold coins and a strange fruit. Tsukanna picked up a handful of coins, and the box vanished.
"I obviously chose the coins," Tsukanna finished, "Which means I now draw a card for each Gravekeeper in play. There are three, so I draw three cards." Tsukanna pulled the top three cards off her deck and smiled.
"I'll play one of the cards I drew facedown, and then end my turn."
Alexis drew, and smirked at her card. "I'll start off this turn by playing Monster Reborn!" Alexis called, "And I'll use it to revive and old friend of yours! Monster Reborn summons Cyber Tutu in attack mode!" An shining ankh appeared on the field, and the jump-suited cyber-ballerina rose out of it. (1000/1000)
Tsukanna groaned and smacked her forehead. "Not again..."
Alexis smirked. "She may not be able to attack you directly with Gravekeeper's Curse on the field... but I can fix that! Cyber Blader, attack Gravekeeper's Curse! Cyber Accel Slicer!" Cyber Blader almost instantly zoomed up to Gravekeeper's Curse, and slashed his throat with one bladed skate, shattering him.
"Because you're down to two monsters," Alexis continued, "Cyber Blader's attack doubles again!" Tsukanna frowned as the red aura reappeared around Cyber Blader, boosting it's attack to it's former astronomical level. (2800/1500)–(5600/1500)
"Now, Cyber Tutu attacks you directly! Tours en L'air!" As before, Cyber Tutu jumped over Tsukanna's monsters, spun in the air, and kicked her in the face before jumping back to Alexis' side. "Gaahh!" Tsukanna yelped, rubbing her forehead. "That still hurts!"
ALP: 3500
TLP: 2300
Alexis smirked. "I'll end my turn by placing a card facedown. Your move." The brown-backed facedown appeared behind Cyber Tutu as Alexis ended her turn.
Tsukanna almost tore the top card of her deck as she glared a Cyber Tutu. "Gotta get rid of that thing..." She mumbled to herself as she looked at the card she drew. She scowled at it. "That's not much use..."
Tsukanna took a deep breath, held it for a second, then let it out. "Regardless of that, I've got most of what I need..." She took another deep breath. "I summon Gravekeeper's Vassal in defense mode." Tsukanna's latest Gravekeeper was considerably different then the others. It was a short, rat-looking Egyptian man in a brown robe, a turban and a green vest. His defensive crouch looked more like a cringe then anything. (700/500)
Alexis blinked. "That's... different."
Tsukanna shrugged. "He's useful in the right situation. Unfortunately, this isn't the right situation, so all he really does is lower your Cyber Blader's stats again." The blue aura reappeared, and Cyber Blader's eternally fluctuating attack power shot down again. (5600/1500)–(2800/1500)
"Now I'll just play another facedown and end my turn." Tsukanna's second facedown appeared next to the first and behind her crouching Gravekeepers as she ended her turn.
Alexis drew another card from her deck, looked at it, and placed on her disc. "I'll keep things moving, so first I play a facedown." The brown-backed card appeared between Alexis and her monsters as soon as she finished speaking.
"Now, Cyber Blader, attack Gravekeeper's Vassal! Cyber Accel Slicer!" Once again, Cyber Blader shot forward. She spun like a tornado, and slashed Gravekeeper's Vassal so fast he shattered before he knew he'd been hit. The red aura reappeared, once again raising Cyber Blader's attack. (5600/1500)–(2800/1500)
With a dramatic wave of her arm, Alexis yelled "Cyber Tutu now attacks you directly!"
Tsukanna flinched. "Not again." As with the previous three times, Cyber Tutu bounded across the field, jumped over Tsukanna's monsters, spun in midair, and kicked Tsukanna in the face. Or, in this instance, the nose.
ALP: 3500
TLP: 1300
"Ahhh! Crap!" Tsukanna fell back a couple of steps, holding her nose. "Owww... damn it, that hurts..."
Alexis smirked. "Had enough?"
Tsukanna frowned. "Yeah, I have. Next turn I'm gonna crush that blasted thing."
Alexis smiled. "Feel free to try, since I end my turn."
"Alright, I draw." Tsukanna pulled the top card off of her deck and smiled grimly. "I'm not just going to crush that Tutu, I'm going to crush you."
"Really," Alexis responded, consciously mimicking Tsukanna's earlier words. "Perhaps you should prove that before declaring it."
"Fine." Tsukanna replied, "First, I'll shift Gravekeeper's Chief into attack mode." Gravekeeper's Chief got up off his knee and brandished his serpent-headed staff, ready to attack.
"Second, I activate the facedown I set last turn: another Rite of Spirit." Tsukanna's familiar trap card flipped up, and Gravekeeper's Curse reappeared on the field. (800/800)
"Obviously, I chose Gravekeeper's Curse." Tsukanna smirked at Alexis. "And you know what that means..."
Alexis grimaced. "500 more direct damage."
"Exactly!" Tsukanna shouted as Gravekeeper's Curse once again blasted Alexis with black energy from his crook.
ALP: 3000
TLP: 1300
"Of course, in addition to that," Tsukanna continued, "Cyber Blader loses attack points once again." The blue aura reappeared, and Cyber Blader's obscene attack was again cut in half. (5600/1500)–(2800/2500)
"And I'm not done." Said Tsukanna, "I'll activate my second facedown, another trap called Rite of Flesh!" Tsukanna's trap flipped up, and Gravekeeper's Assailant vanished in a flash of light. "In order to activate this card, I need to tribute a Gravekeeper on my field, and I choose Gravekeeper's Assailant."
As Tsukanna continued speaking, she pulled her deck out of it's slot and fanned it out into a massive 'hand'. "In return, I now get to special summon any Gravekeeper from my deck to the field. I'll choose one of the strongest Gravekeepers, known as Gravekeeper's Swordmaster!" Another black-robed male gravekeeper appeared, this one had his entire head shaved except for a ponytail high on the back of his head. He carried a exotic kopesh sword in each hand. (1800/1400)
"It's fortunate that I could special summon him," Tsukanna said, "As he normally requires two tributes to summon."
Alexis blinked in confusion. "A two-tribute monster with only 1800 attack points?"
"His effects more then make up for it." Tsukanna replied, "He gains 200 attack points for each Gravekeeper on the field, including himself." Gravekeeper's Swordmaster bowed deeply to Gravekeeper's Chief, before brandishing his kopesh at Alexis, an intense look on his face. (1800/1400)–(2400/1400)
"And, I still haven't explained to full effects of my Rite of Flesh." Tsukanna continued.
"What do you mean?" Alexis asked. A she did, a number of intricate tattoos appeared all over the Swordmaster's body, increasing his stats. (2900/1900)
"Rite of Flesh," Tsukanna answered, "It treated as a equip card after it activates, equipping to the monster I chose to special summon, giving him a 500 point bonus to attack and defense. Also, if the monster Rite of Flesh is equipped to has an effect which requires Necrovalley to activate, I can use that effect as though Necrovalley were in play."
"Gravekeeper's Curse won't be staying long either." Tsukanna continued, "As I tribute him to summon another of the strongest Gravekeepers... and, while it's not my favorite per say, it has a more special meaning to me then any other card in this deck. Now, come, Gravekeeper's Priestess!" Gravekeeper's Curse vanished in a flash of light, and an Egyptian woman took it's place. This new monster different from the other Gravekeepers, as she was wearing pure white robes, as opposed to the black robes most Gravekeepers wear. In one hand, she brandished a short scepter shaped like an ankh. When she appeared on the field, she gave a small bow to Gravekeeper's Chief, who gave an equally small bow back. (1600/1900)
"That monster's not really all that strong..." Alexis said.
"Look again." Tsukanna replied, "Because Gravekeeper's Priestess gains 300 attack points for each Gravekeeper in my graveyard. If you've been counting, with the two I discarded for Graceful Charity, I have eight! So her attack points increase by 2400!" A white aura enveloped Gravekeeper's Priestess, and, as the ghostly forms of the fallen Gravekeepers surrounded her, her attack skyrocketed. (1600/1900)–(4000/1900)
"She also cannot be chosen as an attack target as long as there is another Gravekeeper on my field, but that effect is negligible right now."
Alexis grimaced. "That's a lot stronger then my Cyber Blader..."
Tsukanna smirked again. "This gives me two monsters which are stronger then it, actually." She glared at Cyber Tutu. "But first, I'll get rid of that annoying thing."
"Gravekeeper's Priestess!" Tsukanna roared, pointing at Cyber Tutu, "Destroy Cyber Tutu with Arcane of the Ancients!" Gravekeeper's Priestess raised her ankh scepter and fired a beam of white light at Cyber Tutu.
"I activate my trap card, Grand Jette'!" Shouted Alexis, "This trap reduces all damage from your attack to zero, and then prevents your monster from attacking or changing position for the next two turns!" Cyber Tutu jumped over both the energy beam and Gravekeeper's Priestess with a midair split, landed on the other side of her, kicked Gravekeeper's Priestess in the head, knocking her out.
Tsukanna growled. "You're going to regret that. Gravekeeper's Chief now attacks Cyber Tutu with Grave Spell!" Gravekeeper's Chief launched a beam of black energy at Cyber Tutu, and this time, Alexis didn't have a trap card. The energy struck Cyber Tutu in the chest, and the cyber-ballerina shattered, dropping Alexis' life points.
ALP: 2100
TLP: 1300
"Even if you destroy my Cyber Blader, you won't do enough damage to win." Alexis smirked. "And," she continued to herself, "I have a pair of cards in my hand that will guarantee I win next turn!"
"I already told you," Tsukanna responded, "I'm going to win this turn. You'll see that in a moment. Now, Gravekeeper's Swordmaster, attack Cyber Blader with Sandstorm Slash!" The Swordmaster rushed forward and preformed a dizzying array of cuts and slashes on Cyber Blader. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen, but after a second, Cyber Blader screamed and shattered.
ALP: 2000
TLP: 1300
"See?" Alexis said. "I've still got Life Points, so you haven't won yet!"
"I'm not done attacking yet, either." Tsukanna responded.
"What?" Alexis said, confused. "You're out of monsters!"
Tsukanna smirked. "I said Gravekeeper's Swordmaster's special abilities made up for it's low attack points. It has two." Tsukanna's smirk turned into a grin. "As long as Necrovalley is on the field, Gravekeeper's Swordmaster can attack twice during each battle phase!"
"Necrovalley isn't on the field." Alexis retorted.
Tsukanna's grin got wider. "It doesn't need to be. You forget, Rite of Flesh allows the monster it's equipped to use abilities that require Necrovalley, even if it isn't in play!"
"No!" Alexis shouted.
Tsukanna kept grinning. "Gravekeeper's Swordmaster! Finish the duel, and attack Alexis directly with Sandstorm Slash!" The gravekeeper charged forward, slashing in an 'X' on Alexis' chest, knocking her over and depleting the last of her life points.
ALP: 0
TLP: 1300
Tsukanna smirked as she deactivated her duel disc. "I win. I assume you'll keep you end of the bargain, and not tell anyone about this little 'encounter'."
Alexis nodded ruefully.
"Alright." Tsukanna replied, "In that case, I'll be going." She started to walk off, then turned around. "Oh, if you ever want another duel, could we please do it during the day next time?" Not even waiting for a response, Tsukanna ran off in the direction of the Slifer Dorms.
Alexis walked back to her room. "Well, that was a bust." She thought, "Now I'm even more worried." She sighed. "I'll have to tell Zane about this tomorrow..." She changed and got back into bed. "I wonder what she was doing out so late..." After that last thought, Alexis fell asleep.
New Cards:
Doble Passe
Normal Trap
You can activate this card when your opponent attacks a monster on you side with "Ballet" or "Ballerina" in it's card name, or is named Cyber Tutu. That attack becomes a direct attack on your life points. The monster which was the original target of the attack then attacks your opponent's life points directly.
Image: A dancer in white doing a pirouette.
(Note: This card has been used by Alexis in the anime, however, I changed it's effect slightly.)
Gravekeeper's Secret Stores
Normal Spell
Select and activate 1 of the following effects:
–Draw 1 card for each monster with "Gravekeeper's" in it's card name on your side of the field.
–Increase your Life Points by 400 for each monster with "Gravekeeper's" in it's card name on your side of the field.
If "Necrovalley" is in play, you may choose to activate both effects instead.
Image: Gravekeeper's Vassal digging up a small chest buried in the desert.
Gravekeeper's Priestess
Dark, Effect Monster - Spellcaster, Level 5, 1600/1900
The spiritual guide of the Gravekeepers, she commands authority equal to Gravekeeper's Chief. Increase the ATK of this card by 300 for each monster with "Gravekeeper's" in it's card name in the controlling player's Graveyard. If another face-up monster with "Gravekeeper's" in it's card name exists on your field, this card cannot be the target of an attack.
Image: An Egyptian woman in white robes, holding a scepter shaped like an Ankh.
(Note: This card was created by King Dragun for his fic, "YuGiOh Jr: Sister Of Anansi")
Rite of Flesh
Normal Trap
Tribute 1 monster with "Gravekeeper's" in it's card name on your side of the field to activate this card. You may then Special Summon 1 monster with "Gravekeeper's" in it's card name from your deck. After this effect activates, this card is treated as an equip card which equips to the monster you Special Summoned. Raise the equipped monster's ATK and DEF by 500 points. If the equipped monster has an effect which requires "Necrovalley" to be in play, you may activate that effect as though "Necrovalley" were in play, even if it isn't. If this card is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, destroy the equipped monster.
Image: A kneeling Egyptian man clad only in a loincloth, with Gravekeeper's Chief standing over him holding a ritual knife.
Gravekeeper's Swordmaster
Dark, Effect Monster - Spellcaster, Level 7, 1800/1400
The Gravekeeper's most loyal and skilled warrior, the rapid speed of his attacks can create small cyclones. Increase the ATK of this card by 200 for each face-up monster with "Gravekeeper's" in it's card name on your side of the field. If "Necrovalley" is in play, this monster can attack twice during the same battle phase.
Image: An Egyptian man in a black robe with a shaved head except for a ponytail, wielding a Kopesh (a kind of sword) in each hand.
Grand Jette'
Normal Trap
You can activate this card when your opponent attacks a monster on you side with "Ballet" or "Ballerina" in it's card name, or is named "Cyber Tutu". Reduce all damage from the attack to zero. The attacking monster cannot attack or change battle position for it's controller's next two turns.
Changes: None
Next Time: Jaden continues to try and talk to Chazz about their encounter with Nightshroud, and is given a perfect opportunity when he and Chazz are paired up as opponents in the year's first exam: The Improvisational Dueling Skills Test! But wait, what's this...? They have to switch decks! Don't Miss "Exchange"!