YuGiOh 5D's: Konami/Kazuki Takahashi
Beta Reader: Mewstar0013
After an hour came and went, Valentine came to the infirmary and informed Jason and Michelangelo that the Princess was to meet them outside the palace entrance (Demetrius made sure to leave the room before she arrived). After giving their regards to Chakra they left through the palace gates and waited at the end of the stone bridge.
"I wonder what's taking so long," Jason eventually wondered with impatience, "If Alina wants us to meet here then what's keeping her."
"First of all, her highness is the one who arranged this meeting; she will take as much time as she needed to prepare," Valentine spat, "Second, never address the Princess as you did. You men are not fit to speak her given name."
"And the last male who did wished they had rather dealt with Nila." they all turned to see Alina, with a brown sack carried over her shoulder, approaching them, mounted on her pet tiger Nila.
Jason was the first to confront her, "Alright, you have my attention. Why do we have to meet here?"
"I think it's best you didn't speak to her unless spoken to." Michelangelo whispered in the Signer's ear.
"Yes, I'd heed my servant's warning, for your sake," Alina replied, "And as to why I called your here, I want to give you one final test before I decide whether to spare you or end your worthless life. But that will take place in another location."
"Another location?"
"You will need a guide to get you there. That's why I decided to bring Valentine with us. She knows her way around the jungle better that many of the women of my kingdom. You will follow us through the jungle until we reach our destination. There your true test will begin," Alina narrowed her eyes, trying to rattle the Satellite's nerve. "Do I make myself clear?"
Jason nodded, "Understood."
"Very well," the princess then turned towards her guard, "Valentine, we should get moving."
"Very well," the warrior bowed her head slightly, and turned from the palace just before looking towards Jason, "We should get moving. The sun will set in a few hours, and some of the beasts here are most active after dark." with nothing else to speak of, Jason, Michelangelo and the Princess went off to the jungle with Valentine leading the expedition.
It has been 3 hours since Jason and Michelangelo walked into the jungle. It was becoming increasingly difficult to travel with thick tree roots under their feet and branches hitting their faces. A couple of times they found themselves lost and had to wait for Valentine and the Princess to find them, the second time the Princess threatened to leave them behind. Also the further they went they heard various chirping and croaking, giving notice from all sorts of wildlife around them.
"This jungle seems to go on forever," Jason said to particularly no one, "I'm starting to think we might never get out..."
"This jungle makes up more than 80 percent of the island," Valentine replied, "Without my help to guide you, the only help you will find here will be the big cats prowling here and there. And when night comes, you won't stand a chance."
"...Guess we got you to thank we didn't already get eaten."
SHNK! A slender metal point had Jason stopped in his tracks. Valentine stood in front of him with her sword drawn out, its blade pointed towards his taken-aback face. "Let's get one thing clear: I only agreed to come because the Princess insisted, otherwise she'd have you locked back up and be done with it. I could care less about your well-being, so I suggest you keep your words to yourself. Understand?" Jason nodded and Valentine drew her sword back in her sheath, "We're wasting daylight; we better get moving." Valentine returned to Alina's side and continued on with the two males following.
Another hour went by and there was still no sign of any landmass other than jungle wildlife. When he was out of the women's earshot, Jason took another opportunity to speak up, "I'm not liking the look of this; to think we'd be there by now, wherever we're going." he whispered.
"We've been walking for three hours." Michelangelo replied, "I don't even know where we're going. So who knows how much further we need to go."
"Right, and that's why it's suspicious," Jason said, "For all we know we might be walking into a trap... I don't know, I think we should watch our back."
"We're here," Alina said as she and Valentine stopped. Up ahead they can see an open sky past the last few branches and vines the boys were sure to see. Once they were out of the jungle the found themselves walking on a road of dust and sand. Jason looked down at the large structures of layer rock, like staircases a giant would use. Suddenly Nila's pace had quickened and soon she was running down the trail. "If you want to reach your final test in time then I suggest you catch up!"
Not wanting to get left behind, Jason and Michelangelo started running after the Princess. Nila, liking a good chase, decided to let them come close enough to catch her, only to sprint aside out of their reach. She treated this as a sort of game, each time they came close she managed to slip away. But as much as she enjoyed it she had to attend to business. Luckily she made it to a clear open area in the middle. She and Alina waited a couple minutes before Jason and Michelangelo reached them. The entire area would be known to be an open-pit mine, with all those huge bits of marble he was walking past. This must have been where building materials were mined to build the Amazons' marble palace.
"Alright, I'm guessing this is the place," Jason said, doubling over and out of breath, "So are you gonna tell us why we're here or not?"
"So impatient, are you? Very well," Alina tossed the sack she was carrying to Jason's feet, "Open it." Jason opened the sack and found a pair of duel disks; one of them was golden, presumably his, "When I watched you win your last duel earlier today, I was surprised how you managed to hold on for that long. Absolutely no one could survive long enough to battle Chakra. You looked like you had a warrior's will if you had overcame the seven-spotted serpent's venom. That is...if the venom was even in effect at all!" Jason's body stiffened as Alina growled those last words, "Yes, I shall take a wild guess and say that you managed to nullify the poison before the trials! And I supposed you had him to thank!"
The Princess turned her violent glare towards her servant, who cringed in fear of his master's gaze. "But how...how did you-"
"Did you think I'm that stupid?! Your hands reeked of Kiku berry! You were stupid enough to stand beside me in the showroom; that's how I picked up your scent! And not only that, I was fortunate enough to pick up your scent from the cards the prisoner was using!" Michelangelo's body literally shivered. He always imagined how far her master would go to punish him, and now he was about to find out just how far, "I've always had a sick feeling in my gut that you would try and pull a fast one like this. And the first thing my mother taught me was to always follow my instinct! I should've called you out and thrown you into the dungeon with your friend! But on the other hand, I think I'd rather humiliate you, the same way you humiliated my warriors!" Alina whipped out a customized duel-disk and strapped it onto herself: the main device holding her deck and graveyard slot was white with black stripes on the exterior left side with a green gem in the center and its tiger-head jaws wide open holding. The tray on the side was a pure reflective silver and was shaped like a large scimitar blade. The entire duel-disk was mounted in a silver gauntlet with red-tipped claws at the fingertips "I'll duel both of you at the same time! And don't you dare think about backing out! You'll have to deal with me personally!"
Jason groaned between his teeth. Between them and civilization was three-to-four miles of jungle, and the chances of finding someone who can help was slim to none. If they tried to escape they will just be dragged back here, or probably worse, "I guess we don't have a choice. I guess we'll have to duel our way out of this one. You ready?" Michelangelo was unable to answer; his body was paralyzed as a result of many possibilities of consequence running through his mind, "Hey, snap out of it! I'm gonna need your help on this one! Are you ready or not?!" Michelangelo managed to come out of his stupor and realized his friend was right. While he was afraid of facing his own master, just standing by the sidelines felt even worst, so he made his decision and nodded, and caught the spare duel-disk.
"You will wish you had never turned on me, Michelangelo!" Alina roared as he shoved her deck into the tiger-disk's mouth and it hummed to life. "And since it's a 2-on-1 duel, you each start with 4000 points while I get twice as much!"
Jason and Michelangelo followed and activated their duel-disks and inserted their decks inside.
"Alright, here we go." Jason muttered. Meanwhile Nila stood aside and laid on her side, making herself comfortable.
"LET'S DUEL!"
Jason: 4000
Michelangelo: 4000
Alina: 8000
"I will take the first move!" Alina announced as she drew her sixth card and looked over her hand, and scoffed, "I almost feel sorry this should end quickly. I summon the (1) Warrior Lady of the Wasteland(4/ATK: 1100/DEF: 1200) in DEF mode!" after the card was played, a young woman appeared wearing a green top with a matching miniskirt, and a tattered brown overcoat with a matching wide-rimmed hat (DEF: 1200), "Finally I place three cards face-down!" three reverses appeared, "Now show me what you got!"
"It's my turn!" Jason drew his next card, "I summon (8) Obnoxious Celtic Guard(4/ATK: 1400/DEF: 1200) in ATK mode!" an elvin warrior appeared with a sword in hand (ATK: 1400), "Attack the warrior lady with Celtic Slash!" Celtic Guardian swung his sword through the female warrior and destroyed her.
"When my Warrior Lady of the Wasteland is destroyed by battle, her special-ability activates," Alina said, "Now I can summon an Earth-Attribute Warrior-Type monster from my deck in ATK position, a monster like my (2) Amazoness Archer(4/ATK: 1400/DEF: 1000)!" she played another monster card and another female warrior appeared. She had short, dirty-blonde hair, and wore a brown halter top, jacket, and shirt. She carried a quiver of arrows on her back and held a bow. She drew an arrow and fitted it into her weapon (ATK: 1400). "And she's just what I need to decimate your life-points!"
"We'll see! I place 2 cards face-down and end my turn!" Jason set a couple of reverse-cards and the looked towards Michelangelo, "Alright, it's your turn!"
"Uh, right," Michelangelo drew his sixth card, nearly fumbling with it "I summon Skull Dog Marron(4/ATK: 1350/DEF: 2000) in DEF mode!" a skeleton dog sat on Michelangelo's field (DEF: 2000), "I'll end my turn there-"
"How many time must you be told; never speak before your master!" Alina activated one of her face-down cards and four balls of fluff suddenly appeared, each a different color (1/ATK: 0/DEF: 0x4), "When Scapegoat's activated, four Sheep Tokens are summoned to my field! However, I can't summon a monster on the turn, this card is played. That's why it was more convenient to play it on your turn. So now I start my own!" Alina drew her next card, "And as long as I have an entire field of monsters, I'll take that opportunity to play my trap card: Gift of the Mystical Elf!" her trap card flipped up and the Mystical Elf appeared over her, "I'm sure you remember what this does. The Mystical Elf gives me 300 points for each monster on my field!" the elf chanted in unknown dialect and sent a drizzle of sparkles raining down on the Princess.
Jason: 4000
Michelangelo: 4000
Alina: 9500
I activate Amazoness Archer's special-ability: by sacrificing two monsters on my field, I can deal 1200 points of damage!"
"1200..." Jason gasped, "Sounds like a lot. Now we know why she played Scapegoat last turn."
"Yes! And just like its name suggests, my tokens are useless on their own. So they must be offered to serve a greater purpose. They're disposable... Just, like, you." Alina shot another glare towards her servant, giving him a solid guess on her first target, "Amazoness Archer! I offer two of my tokens to empower your bow! Let your arrow pierce his tainted heart!" the two sheep whisped into vapors and surrounded the Archer's bow, condensing into a glowing arrow as she drew it back. The Archer then knocked the arrow and sent it flying towards Michelangelo, electing a scream from him as the arrow passed through his chest and forced on his knees as Jason cried out his name.
Jason: 4000
Michelangelo: 2800
Alina: 9500
"Don't worry, I won't leave you out. I saved my last arrow just for you!" Amazoness Archer fired another enchanted arrow through Jason. The Signer dropped to one knee, clutching his chest where the arrow fired.
Jason: 2800
Michelangelo: 2800
Alina: 9500
"Now I have room to play my more decent monsters. And I think I'll start by playing (3) Amazoness Blowpiper(3/ATK: 800/DEF: 1500) in DEF position!" a woman with long blue hair and holding a blowpipe with a small skull at the end appeared and knelt beside her ally, "Finally I will end my turn with a face-down card."
Jason stood back up to his feet, "Alright, my turn now," he then drew his next card, "I summon (9) Little Winguard(4/ATK: 1400/DEF: 1800) in DEF mode!" a small winged warrior in blue garments appeared (DEF: 1800), "Next I equip Celtic Guardian with the Fusion Sword Murasame Blade!" the sheath of a samurai sword strapped itself around the swordsman's waist, "This card gives any warrior monster 800 extra ATK points!" Celtic Guardian packed his sword and drew his new blade. The sword began to pulse strange mystical energy and seeped itself into the Celtic Guardian (ATK: 2200), "Celtic Guardian, attack the Amazon Archer! Go, Celtic Fusion Strike!" Celtic Guardian struck the archer with his new sword and destroyed her.
"I activate both of my face-down cards!" the moment after both of Alina's reverse-cards flipped up, a barrier formed around her and protected her from the flying dust and debris created by the Celtic Guardian's strike, "When you destroyed my Archer, I activated Defense Draw to protect my from battle-damage, as well allow me to draw a card from my deck. And combined with my Pride of Tribe trap, I can summon another Amazoness monster from my deck to replace the one your Celtic Guardian destroyed. And the monster I choose will be the (4) Amazoness Fighter(4/ATK: 1500/DEF: 1300)!" another female warrior then appeared on the field. She was muscular and had a teal like top with a teal loincloth. Her wild hair made her look that much more powerful. Jason took one glance at the new monster and realized that she bore a striking resemblance to Kalis the Dunamis, one of the Princess' duelists (ATK: 1500), "Does this monster look familiar? She should; and soon she will use her wrath to avenge her fallen sister!"
"We'll just have to wait and see..." Jason commented, before his legs almost gave up on him, nearly tripping on his feet. He began to lose breath as well.
"Are you alright?" Michelangelo asked, concerned; he knew his friend was losing strength from the back-to-back duels he had to endure.
"I'll be fine. Let's just focus on the duel, okay?"
"Alright," Michelangelo said and drew his next card, "I activate the spell card Polymerization! Now I combine M-Warriors 1 and 2 to form the Karbonala Knight(4/ATK: 1500/DEF: 1200)!" the Polymerization card came to life by creating a green-and-orange vortex. Then the two M-Warriors appeared and were absorbed into the portal. In their place came out a warrior in violet armor (ATK: 1500), "This new monster should go head-to-head with Amazoness Fighter."
"Ever the disappointment!" Alina scoffed as she drew her next card, "For this turn I activate Blowpiper's special-ability!" the Amazoness inhaled and blew into her blowdart, firing a needle that pierced itself against the warrior's hand.
The warrior then began to spasm slightly. He then fell over on his hands and knees (ATK: 1000), "My warrior!" Michelangelo cried.
"My Blowpiper's darts are coated with a temporary poison, that once it gets into the monster's bloodstream, it robs them of 500 ATK points. Now he's an easy target for my next monster, (5) Amazoness Sage(4/ATK: 1400/DEF: 700)!" a beautiful, dark skinned woman with ocean-blue hair appeared on the field, wearing a revealing top and skirt, but also with a leather cape and carrying a staff with animal teeth on top. Jason Recognized her as the Princess' adviser Mabelle (ATK: 1400), "attack, my Sage! Destroy Karbonala Knight!" the sage lodged her staff into the ground and chanted some unknown language. A group of vines suddenly erupted from the ground around the violet knight.
"I activate the quick-play spell card, Half Shut!" Jason's reverse-card opened and formed a protective veil around Karbonala Warrior, "By cutting the ATK points of a monster on the field in half, it can't be destroyed in battle!"
"Perhaps, but Michelangelo will still take damage!" the tentacles wrapped themselves around the knight and suspended him in the air. The pain he felt from the thorns digging in was transferred to Michelangelo. When the attack ended, the tendrils dropped the knight and disappeared.
Jason: 2800
Michelangelo: 1900
Alina: 9500
"You may have protected you precious warrior, but my Sage's effect activates when she attacks; an ability that destroys a spell-or-trap card on your field! And what better than your Murasame Blade!" another incantation later, the Amazoness Sage created another series of tendrils intended to yank the sword away from the elfin warrior.
By the Celtic Guardian sliced up the vines before they even got close. "Sorry, but my Fusion Sword can't be destroyed by card-effects!" Jason said.
"Pity! If I were to have gotten rid of that equip-card, then my Amazoness Fighter would have been able to destroy your Celtic Guardian!" Alina's gaze then became more primal, "But you just made things easier! And Because of your Half Shut spell, your partner will have to endure yet another thrashing! Attack!" the Fighter charged in and smashed her muscled fist against the knight, sending him tumbling into Michelangelo.
Jason: 2800
Michalangelo: 900
Alina: 9500
"And there's even more punishment to come!" Alina said smugly concluded her turn with a face-down and Karbonala Warrior's ATK went back to normal (ATK: 1500).
"Alright, my turn!" Jason drew his next card, "First I activate the spell Reinforcement of the Army! This allows me to add a level-4-or-lower warrior-type monster from my deck to my hand!" Jason added another card from his deck and shuffled it afterwards, "Next, I summon Marauding Captain to the field!" a war-torn knight in scarred armor appeared (ATK: 1200), "And thanks to his special-ability when he's summoned by normal means, I can summon another level-4-or-lower monster from my hand! So I'll summon another Marauding Captain!" another battle-damage warrior appeared (ATK: 1200), both captains now flanking the Celtic Guardian on either side. "Now my Celtic Guardian attacks Amazoness Sage!"
"I activate my face-down: the quick-play spell card Book of Moon!" a large blue book with egyptian symbols appeared before Amazoness Sage, "The inscriptions from within its bindings will bewitch your Celtic Guardian and force him face-down in DEF position!" the Sage opened the book and announced the symbols out loud. The Celtic Guardian felt an enormous weight crashing down on him. He went slowly sinking into the ground until a card in a sideways position was placed over him. "And with no monster to attach to, your Murasame Blade is instantly destroyed!"
"Then I'll end my turn with a face-down." Jason set a reverse-card.
"It's my turn," Michelangelo drew his next card, "I summon Wolf Axewielder in ATK mode!" the axe-wielding grey wolfman appeared (ATK: 1650), "Next I activate the spell Legendary Sword! It's an equip-spell that gives a warrior-type monster 300 ATK and DEF points!" Karbonala Warrior was given a crystalline sword with a golden hilt (ATK: 1800/DEF: 1500), "Axewielder! Attack the Amazoness Blowpiper!" the werewolf raised his axe and brought it down on the Blowpiper, destroying her in the process, "Karbonala it's your turn! Attack Amazoness Sage!" Karbonala raised his new crystal sword and destroyed the Sage with one slash.
Jason: 2800
Michelangelo: 900
Alina: 9100
"You dare strike at me!" Alina snapped, causing Michelangelo to cringe, "Such arrogance will cost you severely!"
"Don't let her get to you; just focus on the duel!" Shouted Jason, noting the servant's distress. It was hard for Michelangelo, he knew, but Jason also knew that he needed him to focus.
"Okay," the servant said, calming down, "I place 1 card face-down and end my turn."
"Then it's my draw!" Alina started her next turn, "And I summon (6) Amazoness Swords Woman(4/ATK: 1500/DEF: 1600) in ATK mode!" an Amazon with dangerously wild, burning-red hair appeared on the field wearing a dark-blue top littered with animal teeth and carrying a silver sword matching her in height (ATK: 1500), "Next I'll equip the spell Amazoness Heirloom onto my fighter!" a necklace holding a wooden fertility doll with a green gem hung itself around the Fighter's neck. "And not only does this mystic item prevent her from being destroyed once a turn, any monster it battles is automatically destroyed! Let me give you a demonstration! Attack!" the Fighter charged in to attack the Karbonala Knight, but her path was blocked by the two Marauding Captain, whose swords crossed each other.
"Sorry, but as long as I have 2 or more Marauding Captains on my field, you can't attack any warrior-type monsters!" Jason said.
"I know full well of your captains' abilities; I am a Warrior Duelist myself!" Alina replied, "That's why I'm not attacking your warriors; I'm attacking that Axewielder!" the Fighter jumped clear over the warrior army and landed right in front of the Wolf Axewielder. She dodged a couple of swings from the wolfman's weapon before finally catching it by the long staff-like handle. Tightening her fist, the Fighter launched a quick uppercut and destroyed the Wolf Axewielder. But despite their differences in power, the Princess did not lose any life-points, "The Heirloom matches perfectly with Amazoness Fighter; because I don't take any damage when she battles, making her an unstoppable force! Now for that face-down card! Go, Swords Woman!" the Swords Woman jabbed Jason's face-down and destroyed the Celtic Guardian hiding beneath. "With that I shall end my turn!"
"It's my turn!" Jason drew his next card, "And for this turn, I set a monster in DEF mode. That's it for now."0
"That's right; let your monsters hide like cowards!" Alina insulted, "There's not a single monster that can stand against my Fighter!"
"It's my turn..." Michelangelo drew his next card, "I summon Gene-Warped Warwolf in ATK mode!" the four-armed white werewolf appeared (ATK: 2000), "Karbonala Warrior, attack the Amazoness Fighter!"
"Were you not paying attention?!" Alina barked, "Amazoness Fighter can't be destroyed in battle!" Karbonala Warrior swung his sword but his attack was cut short when the Fighter grabbed his wrist. She then smashed the knight into pixels with her free hand. "Now do you see?"
"Gene-Warped Warwolf, attack!" the Warwolf charged and attacked the Fighter with a barrage of fists from all four of its arms. Amazoness Fighter crossed her arms in front of her to defend against the attack, but eventually her guard broke through and she was destroyed. "Amazoness Heirloom can protect the equipped monster from being destroyed once a turn," Michelangelo reviewed, "but once that ability gets used up them, any other monster can attack and destroy the monster...right?" He asked, looking nervously at his duel partner.
"Good call!" Jason praised, "After Amazoness Fighter's protected from one attack, another monster can move in to destroy her outright!"
"It matters not! The Heirloom's effect still activates; therefore your monster is still destroyed!" Alina spat as the Warwolf cried out before disintegrating into pixel, "And since you have nothing else to play against me I supposed I'll make my next move!" the Princess then drew her next card, "And I start this out with (7) Amazoness Paladin(4/ATK: 1700/DEF: 300)!" a woman with dangerous untamed blond hair appeared, carrying a lengthy silver sword at her side. She bared resemblance to Alina's top guardsman Valentine, "Aided by her special-ability, she gains 100 ATK points for each Amazoness on the field, including herself (ATK: 1900)! However she still isn't strong enough to destroy that grungy skeleton of yours, my Swords Woman can still slice away at your life-points!" the Amazoness Swords Woman stood her ground and held her sword with both hands. She steadily ventilated as her weapon glowed brightly, "Because whenever she attacks a stronger monster, any damage she would have taken is redirected back at you! Charge!" elicited a battlecry, Amazoness Swords Woman rushed in with her giant sword heaving beside her. When she was close enough to her target she swing with ease against the skeleton dog, her sword colliding with its hard skull. The excessive force gathered was unleashed as blades of solidified air, hitting Michelangelo home and knocked him onto his back.
Jason: 2800
Michelangelo: 400
Alina: 9100
"Michelangelo!" Jason cried, stilling as the younger boy didn't move. His breath caught up to him when the servant waved a hand weakly, telling him that he was alright.
"There's no point trying to help him!" Alina said, setting a card onto her field, "All it will take is one more hit and he will be out of my way forever! Then I will deal with you! Now make your move!"
"Fine," Jason drew his next card, "I release Big Shield Gardna to advance-summon (10) Total Defense Shogun(6/ATK: 1550/DEF: 2500)!" the revealed set monster was replaced by a bulky, dark-skinned man with wild black hair. He carried heavy steel armor with a red cape, with three large sheathed swords strapped to his back. Held out in front of him was a giant shield as high as just under his neckline (DEF: 2500), "And I'm about to go on the offensive and attack your Amazoness Swords Woman!" the Shogun drew out one of his swords.
"With what?! All of your monsters are in DEF position!" Alina argued. "You have to be in ATK position to battle a monster!"
"And that's why I brought out Total Defense Shogun! 'Cause he can use his special-ability to attack even when he's in DEF mode!" the Shogun moved in and swung his mighty blade, the Swords Woman intercepting with her own. But due to the male warrior's strength her sword soon broke and the Swords Woman was at the mercy of his blade. The broken part that was separated from the Amazon's sword was tossed over and struck Jason.
Jason: 2750
Michelangelo: 400
Alina: 9100
"That's all for me right now." Jason groaned.
"My turn," Michelangelo stood on his feet, his knees slightly buckled yet his hand able to draw his next card, "I activate The Dark Door spell card," after the card was played, everyone's respective monsters were cuffed by their wrist that were attached to a pedestal that appeared near their masters. "As long as this card is on the field-"
"I know full well what your card can do, Michelangelo!" Alina spat, "I've seen The Dark Door in play before and I know of its effect to restrict a duelist to attacking with one monster per turn! But a card like that won't be enough to protect you!" she then started her next turn, "I activate the spell card Pot of Greed! This allows me to draw two more cards from my deck!" a green clay jar appeared with a lively grin on its face. A part of hands stretched out, each holding a card. When she snatched away and looked at them, a sinister grin was spread across her face, "Perfect; just what I was hoping for! I activate the spell card (5Ds) Prideful Stand!" the card played showed Warrior Dai Grepher charging at an army of fiend-type monsters, "I can only play this card when there's only one warrior-type monster on my field! This allows that same monster to attack an additional time for each monster on my opponent's field! Of course, that monster with more than 800 ATK points can't make a direct attack! Next I equip Amazoness Paladin with Amazoness Launcher!" the Paladin was suddenly holding a large bamboo tube by a strap over her shoulder. It was inked in red and had a lion's opened may at the front of the barrel. The back had a fuse that was used on giant firecrackers, "Normally I wouldn't resort to using such crude and loud weaponry such as a cannon, but surely I can use this to set a fine example! Because I can use the power of Amazoness Launcher to attack you directly! However, doing so will force my Paladin's original ATK power to 100 times her power-level. But my Prideful Stand's effect will all but make up for it!"
"But that leaves only 400 ATK points for Amazoness Paladin, plus an extra 100 from her special-ability..." Michelangelo reviewed.
"A Paladin that can attack up to five times..." Jason said under her breath.
"That depends on whom I attack!" Alina added, "So either I can obliterate my treacherous servant with a single flare, or deliver five devastating attack towards a certain revolutionary!" she pointed her finger accusingly towards her two opponents, one after the other, "And I'm leaving that choice to the both of you; sixty seconds to decide who will take the hit!" a small smile spread across her lips as both Jason and Michelangelo looked at each other in fear and bewilderment.
'It's obvious that this tyrant here will force Michelangelo to take the fall,' Alina thought with a smirk as the seconds ticked by. 'Any male would do it, casting off the weakest link in order to save themselves. And besides, any more damage he'll take, and he will surely die from the attack. It's so perfectly predictably.' She almost crackled. 'Go on, prove me wrong, if you dare.'
"Jason," Michelangelo sighed, knowing what was best. "I-"
"You think you can shove that kind of decision on us?!" Jason growled, surprising his partner and opponent. "Are you trying to turn us against each other? No way! I wouldn't do that to Michelangelo! He's done nothing to make me think he would do something to stoop that low! And I'm sure I haven't given him reason for that either."
"Oh really?" Alina growled. "You trust some random stranger you've just met? How touching!" .
"Even if we just met, I trust him," The "revolutionist" confirmed. "He hasn't give me a reason not to."
"Yet!" Alina corrected him. "What makes you think he wouldn't betray you at this moment," She narrowed her eyes at the quivering boy. "Like he betrayed me!"
"I-I did not!" Michelangelo squeaked, jumping when another glare was shot at him. "I-I may have helped Jason by nullifying the poison, by loyalty shall always be to you, m'lady!"
"You dare to lie in front of me?!" Screeched the princess, fire in her eyes. "Such insolence! You cannot possibly say that after all that has happened!" She shook her head, her hand trembling in anger over her deck.
"I would not dare lie before my queen!" Michelangelo shouted back, a little louder. "I may have helped a friend, but that does not change the fact that I hold you in the highest respect, m'lady!" He shook his head and looked at the ground. "Even after you had forgotten the times when we were young and small, I still remember! I lived to serve you then, to be an aid and a friend to you, and I am still one now!"
Alina looked ready to snap, one word or sentence ready to make her go ballistic.
"He's telling the truth!" Jason also shouted. "Even if he helped me out and even if he's a male, you can't forget what happened in the past! Before you were stolen away from your home, you just have to remember how much Michelangelo meant to you!'
"Enough!" Alina bellowed, angered beyond own belief and casting her hand out. "I will not take this from lowly and wretched men like you! Time's up!" She drew her monsters to attention. "I'll get rid of you first, and then this liar who I should have gotten rid of years ago!" A set of chain reactions launched five consecutive orbs of blue flames. Jason was struck with the onslaught and sent hurtling back, bouncing across the dirt like a flat stone tossed across the lake.
"Jason!" Shouted Michelangelo, the signer's body slowly sliding to the ground, his head hanging. "J-Jason?" The redhead asked again, watching as Jason drearily lifted his head, blinking and wincing.
"I'm . . . I'm alright," He shouted when he tried to get up, holding his waist and taking slow, deep breaths. "o-ok, maybe not. I think one of my ribs are broken and something's wrong with my left leg…" He grunted and looked at the worried servant. "Michelangelo, you have to finish this… I can't duel…"
Jason: 300
Michelangelo: 400
Alina: 9100
"I-I need you to duel with me though!" Michelangelo trembled and bit his lip. "I can't do this without you…"
"Sure you can," Jason offered a smile through his pain. "Your deck helped me through the trails, so you have to believe its going to help you now." Jason suddenly looked serious. "Michelangelo, you're probably the only person that can get close to Alina now. You said you knew her in the past. Try to make her remember all those times you guys were together. Maybe something will happen."
"B-But-"
"Enough stalling!" Shouted Alina. "Are you going to stand there and cower or are you going to face your punishment with whatever you call your dignity!"
Gulping, the servant turned back to his mistress and hung his head.
"When we were younger, you did not use such harsh, m'lady," He said, almost inaudible.
"What did you just say?" Growled Alina, her knuckles turning white as they changed into fists.
"You did not speak that way to anyone when we were younger," Michelangelo said, louder this time. "Even when we met and we were different ages, you allowed me to be in presence," The redhead smiled faintly. "I remember when we first met. I was very young and started aiding the palace. I had lost my mother to that terrible fire months before…"
Flashback...
In the halls of the palace, a five-year-old Michelangelo knelt on the ground next to an older Demetrius, the two assigned to watch for rats that could sneak into the halls. The older boy suddenly dashed forward and struck down the dagger he had with him, slicing a rat's head clean off. The younger child nearly gagged.
"I need to get some scraps from the kitchens for bait," The elder said over his shoulder. "If you see a rat, just do what I did." With that, he left Michelangelo alone.
Sighing, the smaller servant wandered the hallway, jumping whenever he heard a small sound. He was still on edge, scared for whatever would come after him. And at every other sound, he turned and expected his mother to be behind him, smiling with open arms. No matter how much he tried, he still couldn't forget her.
"Mommy…" He would whisper. It was all he could do before his began to tear up. Even if he was forgetting how she looked or talked, the youngest of the male servants still kept her in his memory.
Another sound struck him, but it went on longer. A ticking and clicking noise he didn't understand. He turned and barely screamed when something pounced on him.
"Nila!" The small tiger cub on his chest and tilted its head, bouncing off him and scurrying to the girl that came running down the halls. Michelangelo shakily sat up as she walked over to him, long blue hair braided with a crown of gold and white lilies on her head.
"Are you alright?" She asked, dressed in fine silks. She was a few years older than him and the servant was sure he saw her somewhere before.
Michelangelo nodded shakily and the girl smiled.
"That's good. I'm sorry if Nila frightened you. She loves to come down here to find mice to eat." She held a hand out to him. "I'm Alina. Who are you?"
Squeaking, Michelangelo suddenly bowed his entire body forward at her feet, knowing his place. From what Demetrius told him, he always had to bow whenever royal company was present. He had to show respect to the princess of the Amazons.
"Raise your head," Alina said, helping the scared boy to his feet and giggling. "Mother told me about you. I'm sorry you lost your mother. But you're lucky mine found you," She spoke highly of her mother, the queen. Michelangelo knew why. No one else was a more fair ruler and warrior like the queen. "Mother says that you will stay at my side and aid me. Can I count on you for that . . ."
"M-Michelangelo," The boy stood and bowed his head. "M-My name is Michelangelo, m-m'lady."
Alina's smile widen.
"You're weird," She laughed. "Let's get along, yes?"
...End Flashback
"And I was at your side ever since." Michelangelo said thoughtfully.
"Like the annoying pest you will always be." Muttered Alina. Wistfully, her servant smiled.
"You didn't mind me at all when you wanted someone to spare time with you, while the queen was busy."
...End Flashback
Michelangelo jumped back when the spear nearly struck him, his hand tightening over the wooden shield he had.
"M-M'lady, can't we take a break, please?"
"But we just started!" Pouting, Alina pulled back the spear she had struck at her servant and sighed, propping the weapon on her shoulders and balancing it. "You're so weak, Michelangelo. How come you don't go with Demetrius and the others to hunt for snakes on your free time?" She tilted her head.
"I'd rather stay here with you, m'lady," The young boy spoke honestly, picking up the spear he dropped. "I am in debt to the queen to be by your side, and your side I shall stay." He said.
"So you only stay on my mother's wishes." Alina frowned.
"N-Not at all!" The servant shook his head. "I stay because I also wish you to be happy, m'lady! Your happiness means the world to me!" He knelt on one foot with his hand to his chest, smiling. "For as long as I shall live, I will always serve you. My only wish in life is to make sure that you are smiling and my only hope is that you shall be a great queen as her highness."
"Do you really mean that?" Asked Alina, twirling a stand of her hair with her finger.
Her aid crossed an X over his chest and beamed.
"I swear on my life!"
...End Flashback
"Swore on your life, you said," Alina spat, glaring at Michelangelo. "I'm surprised you haven't dropped dead yet." She muttered. Michelangelo held back a laugh. You almost couldn't tell if it was forced or real.
"That's because I do wish to make you happy, m'lady," He said kindly. "I have kept to that promise since the day I swore it."
"And yet you broke it," Feral eyes narrowed and finely manicured nails dug into Alina's palm. "You broke it when you helped that lousy male." Her glowering gaze turned to Jason, who watched the scene whilst trying to hold onto consciousness.
"No, I still hold it. However," The redhead sighed. "I almost did lose it. I thought I would never be able to hold onto it when that night happened." He said, almost sounding lost.
"And what night would that be?" Alina asked angrily. Green eyes flickered softly.
"The day the kingdom lost you to that organization…" He whispered, almost chocking back the pain he felt that night. "For a long time, the kingdom was in havoc. How the subjects mourned and worried. How desperately her majesty wanted to search for you."
Alina's hand visibly clenched at the mentioning of her mother.
"I wish I could have done something, to find you myself," He shook his head with a bitter smile. "If I could, I would have searched the ends of the earth. But as you said, I was weak," He laughed dryly but continued. "In any case, years had passed. I soon began to lose faith. I wondered if I would ever see you smile ever again. But then, it was when Devak bought you and the other prisoners back. It had to be one of the greatest days of my life…" Despite his happiness, Michelangelo still looked sad. "But I couldn't see you for weeks. Not while you were at the queen's side when she was ill. And when she . . . When she passed," He gulped. "I saw you after weeks of mourning and your coronation. I was very excited to see you again…"
Flashback...
Peeking into the garden of the palace, Michelangelo spotted Alina walking with Nila, his mistress dressed silks of red with the queen's tiara on her head. He smiled, happy to see her. She bared the crown like the royalty she was. He couldn't wait to see the look on her face when he saw her.
"M'lady!" He called out, padding to her with his orange hair swaying. Alina looked up, and the look on her face made Michelangelo stop in his tracks. Why was she glaring at him so wickedly.
"What business do you have with me?" She asked agitatedly, as if the very sight of him bothered her.
"I-It's me, m'lady. Michelangelo," He smiled sheepishly, taking a step closer. "You have no idea how relived I am to see you well. So long has it been. I've counted the days waiting for your return." He smiled kindly, bowing. "The queen's headdress is lovely on you, m'lady. You shall rule the kingdom as great as her. I can feel it." He said honestly. A growl was shot at him and the boy looked up in time to see Nila ready to pounce on him. But she held no playfulness like she usually did. At this point, she bared her teeth and snarled, daring him to take another step to Alina.
"M-M'lady?"
"Take heed of this, you rat," The servant gasped and stared at his princess, surprised at how angry she sounded. "You are my aid, and I will treat you as such. Speak out of term, anger me, do anything I do not see fit, and I will not be afraid to force discipline upon you." Holding her head high, the new queen walked briskly out of the garden, pausing before turning her head to the gaping male. "Get back to the servants' quarters where you belong, Michelangelo." With his name spoken in a harsh way, she left with Nila padding after her.
Michelangelo sat there, shocked and frighten, before standing up and returning to the servants' quarters. From that day on, Alina had acted that way to him and every other male. Though harsh to all of her other subjects, she was especially cruel to Michelangelo and the rest of the males.
...End Flashback
"Why?" Michelangelo looked pleadingly at his queen. "Why did it have to come to this. M'lady, if it were up to me, then I would not wish to go against you! My only wish-"
"Is to make me happy?! Well it still is," Alina smirked. "This is the day I get rid of you! All those memories you speak about are nothing more than fragments of the past! Those days shall never exist once I'm finished with you!" She threw her hands at the ready. "Now make your next move!"
DUEL-MON DATABASE
(1) Warrior Lady of the Wasteland
Stats: [Warrior/Effect] Level 4 ATK/1100 DEF/1200
Attribute: EARTH
Description: When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard: You can Special Summon 1 EARTH Warrior-Type monster with 1500 or less ATK from your Deck, in face-up Attack Position.
(2) Amazoness Archer
Stats: [Warrior/Effect] Level 4 ATK/1400 DEF/1000
Attribute: EARTH
Description: You can Tribute 2 monsters to inflict 1200 damage to your opponent.
(3) Amazoness Blowpiper
Stats: [Warrior/Effect] Level 3 ATK/800 DEF/1500
Attribute: EARTH
Description: Select 1 face-up monster your opponent controls during each of your Standby Phases. It loses 500 ATK until the end of this turn.
(4) Amazoness Fighter
Stats: [Warrior/Effect] Level 4 ATK/1500 DEF/1000
Attribute: EARTH
Description: You take no Battle Damage from battles involving this card.
(5) Amazoness Sage
Stats: [Warrior/Effect] Level 4 ATK/1400 DEF/1300
Attribute: EARTH
Description: At the end of the Damage Step, if this card attacked and is still on the field: Target 1 Spell/Trap Card your opponent controls; destroy that target.
(6) Amazoness Swords Woman
Stats: [Warrior/Effect] Level 4 ATK/1500 DEF/1600
Attribute: EARTH
Description: Your opponent takes all Battle Damage that you would have taken from a battle involving this card.
(7) Amazoness Paladin
Stats: [Warrior/Effect] Level 4 ATK/1700 DEF/300
Attribute: EARTH
Description: This card gains 100 ATK for each "Amazoness" monster you control.
(8) Obnoxious Celtic Guard
Stats: [Warrior/Effect] Level 4 ATK/1400 DEF/1200
Attribute: EARTH
Description: This card cannot be destroyed by battle with a monster that has 1900 or more ATK.
(9) Little Winguard
Stats: [Warrior/Effect] Level 4 ATK/1400 DEF/1800
Attribute: WIND
Description: You can change the battle position of this card once per turn, during your End Phase.
(10) Total Defense Shogun
Stats: [Warrior/Effect] Level 6 ATK/1550 DEF/2500
Attribute: DARK
Description: This card is changed to Defense Position when it is Normal Summoned or Flip Summoned successfully. This card can attack while it is in Defense Position. If this card attacks while in Defense Position, apply the ATK of this card for damage calculation.
DUEL-MON TRIVIA-
Hey duelists! Did you know:
The monster Amazoness Paladin bears resemblance to Mai Valentine.
Please Read and Review.