Hey Guys! I didn't get started on this one right away because I was working on a Yusei Fudo AMV Slideshow …and rants. Also, I am also taking some time off of this to work on Yuki Shiro, my other fanfiction. So I apologize for any inconvenience. Enjoy!

Sidney didn't want to be afraid. But she couldn't help it as her hand quivered.

"…So, how does your Altar of the Bound Gods Work, Rudger?"

Rudger smiled. Yusei saw his monster starting to glow, as did Sidney's. Two torches on the Altar were suddenly ignited. The flames flickered eerily.

"At the end of each turn, my a torch is lit on the Altar for every monster in defense position. When I gain four torches lit, I can summon an Earthbound Immortal from my deck." He smiled.

"And so far you have two." Sidney stated the obvious.

"I do. I believe it's your move, however."

Sidney drew her next card and sighed. She slapped a card on her field.

"I summon Element Valkyrie in attack mode!"

A red-haired woman clad in blue armor carried a spear of ice with a flaming orb attached to the end. A tail of cloth trailed behind her in the wind.

(Element Valkyrie is a level four Light attributed Fairy type monster with 1500 attack point and 1200 defense points.)

"Next I'll play Card of Sanctity. This lets each of us draw until we have six cards residing in our hands. How do you like that?"

Everyone drew their cards. Sidney tried to hide a smile. Rudger frowned.

"I play the Spell Card, Lightwave Tuning! I select a level four Light monster, and treat it as a Tuner monster while it is face-up on the field!"

A golden circled bound itself around the Valkyrie's waist.

"I then tune my Element Valkyrie with my Elemental Mistress Doriado!"

Four white stars took the place of the Valkyrie and entangled the sorceress. Her body became transparent and a wall of green light plummeted down from above. A roar came from inside the light.

"When the moon shines in the longest night of winter, it casts the shadowy light of the sun and expels the darkness, promising the coming of the longest day of summer."

The serpentine figure took step onto the ground. Its red whiskers whipped around. Its black eyes fixated on Rudger. The jewel on its head shimmered.

"I Synchro Summon Lunar Solstice Dragon!"

(Lunar Solstice Dragon is a level seven Light attributed Dragon type monster with 2300 attack points and 2000 defense points.)

"You have no monsters on the field. My dragon will attack you directly with Daybreak Dispeller!" She declared. The dragon flew high of Rudger and shocked him with a stream of electricity from its mouth as bright as sunlight. Rudger took a hefty 2300 points of damage, leaving him with 3550 life points. He could feel the heavy loss as he hesitated. But he didn't lose his ground. He shook it off, despite some minor burns in his cape. Sidney felt relieve that they had managed to get this far. But she had one more trick up her sleeve.

"I end my turn by playing another spell card- Plague of Bloodstained!"

Each monster on her side (and Yusei's) stood up, ready to fight.

"I'm lucky I stuck this in my deck. Thank you, Shinju! Anyways, this card switches every monster on our side of the field to attack mode and they can't change position until our next turns, respectively. But in return, our current monsters can't be destroyed by any card effect or battle until then. So your altar gains no torches this round or on your next turn, either."

Laura jumped up. "Way to go, you guys! That's how to show 'em!"

"Your delay won't do you much good."

Laura turned to Akiza with a sour look on her face.

"You know what's weird about all of this?"

Akiza was somewhat confused.

"Why of all things did the Dark Signers decide to take over the world with a card game? They could have used tanks…but NO! They had to use giant creepy spiders…"

Akiza shook her head. Laura's anxiety came back quickly. Rudger drew his card. He put out his hand and revealed his second facedown card.

"I activate Offering to the Bounds Gods. By Sacrificing 2000 of my life points, I can light the last two torches and summon my Earthbound Immortal."

The torches lit up instantly. Sidney whimpered quietly, feeling at a loss. Rudger life points stood at 1550 now, but it didn't seem to matter to her.

"I failed…"

"You didn't fail. We're in this together, remember?" Yusei reassured her. The Altar began to crumble as an eerie light descended from above. A pair of red, steely eyes fixated on Sidney as the enormous creature took to the field. The spider stood as tall as the nearby buildings, with red glowing lights criss-crossing its entire body.

"I call forth my Earthbound Immortal, Uru!"

Laura felt herself becoming light-headed. Akiza held on tightly to her as sphere of red energy encircled them, protecting them from being sucked into the giant beast.

Meanwhile, Martha and Trudge had made it to the building, only to discover it had started to collapse upon the arrival of the Immortal. Rally desperately pulled the three kids and handed them over to Trudge, but he slipped and fell to the edge.

"Hold on Rally!" Trudge called to him. Yusei gazed up in horror at his friend holding on for dear life. Martha attempted to grab him, but only lost her own footing.

The two of them struggled side by side to stay.

"Trudge! Grab Rally and get out of here!"

"But Martha…what about you?"

Martha shook her head no. Trudge gasped. Rally lost his grip and started to fall. Martha tried to catch him, but it was too late. He plummeted into the roaring violet flames. He turned his head over and looked at Yusei pitifully.

"I'm sorry. I…"

"Rally!"

Rally's body turned into an orb of light and was absorbed by Uru. Martha soon fell afterwards, but as she went, she spoke to Yusei.

"You and Jack are still the ones who give us hope. If anyone can save us, it's you. And personally…I'm glad the two of you are friends again."

She too was absorbed. Rudger chuckled to himself as he saw Yusei begin to shake. Sidney tried to inch closer to comfort him, but before she could move, she saw Uru's leg coming straight at her.

"Earthbound Immortal Uru will attack the Star Princess directly for 3000 points of damage. Feel the wrath of the underworld, Sidney!"

Sidney's life points crashed to a mere 1000. She tried to dodge the attack, but the Spider's leg caught her and scraped her legs and upper chest.

Pearls of blood trickled down her body. She couldn't hold it in as she cried out from the pain. Yusei's mark glowed brightly. The blood still trickled and dried slowly, the mark she shared with him also glowed as he rushed to her side. He couldn't hide his own tears.

"Two people close to you have become energy for Uru, and I have the pleasure of tearing down a third. Sadly, I must end my turn now with a facedown and see what power you can muster from your deck…Yusei Fudo."

The sound of an engine was close by. A shout could be heard. Trudge has managed to get the kids out of the building in time as it collapsed when Jack Atlas sprung from the shadows on his Runner. His Runner banged on the ground when he landed. He quickly dismounted and came to assist Trudge and make sure the kids were ok.

Trudge looked at him, perplexed by his sudden appearance.

"You didn't think I was going to let anything happen to my little fans here, did you? I'm Jack Atlas!" Laura rolled her eyes, forgetting for a moment the seriousness of the situation. But the sight of the dry blood on Sidney caught her off guard.

She screeched. Jack tilted his head.

"Holy…! Yusei! What happened, is she alright?"

Yusei dried his tears and stared back at Jack, determined to make Rudger pay. Sidney, still in his arms, finally managed to regain her composure from the shock.

Sidney lifted up her free hand to find it sticky with her own blood. She reached for a pocket in her jacket, but Laura ran over, freeing herself from Akiza's guardianship. She pulled out a cloth and ripped Sidney away from Yusei immediately attending to her wounds.

"Yusei, take your turn. It's not over yet."

"But…" Yusei protested.

"It's ok, Yusei. I'm not ready to quit. You shouldn't be either."

Yusei put his hand over his deck, drawing his next card. He immediately played it. A small monster that looked like an animate unicycle appeared. But it wouldn't stay for long. Yusei already had the wheels turning in his mind.

"I summon Road Synchron to the field, and I'm going to tune it with my Junk Warrior to summon a new monster…Road Warrior!"

(Road Synchron is a level four Light attributed Machine type Tuner monster that has 1600 attack points and 800 defense points. *Note: in the OCG and Original Anime you also need 2 non-tuner monsters in order to summon Road Warrior. For the purpose of this fanfiction, I reduced it to 1, as is the rule with most Synchros.)

Taking the place of his two original monsters was an epic warrior clad in gold and blue. Two skulls hang from his shoulders, and he carried a massive blade. His red eyes glittered as he prepared to strike. But Rudger shook his finger and revealed a facedown trap. Three, good-sized eggs appeared on the field.

"I thought your attachments might cause you to make a foolish decision. Luckily, I have my Spider Egg Trap, which summons 3 Spider Egg Tokens to my field. If you plan to attack Uru, which wouldn't matter since it can't be for now, you must destroy these first."

"Fine. I activate my Warrior's ability to summon a level two or lower Machine or Warrior type monster from my deck. And I choose Speed Warrior!"

A flash of light brought forth a slim, agile warrior in a mechanical suit. It almost appeared as if it were wearing a gas mask. A blue light swirled around it.

(Speed Warrior is a level two Wind attributed Warrior with 900 attack and 400 defense points. On the first turn it is summoned, its attack points are double.)

Yusei declared two attacks. His monsters rapidly decapitated two of the three eggs. Rudger took no damage since they were in defense mode. Yusei had to end his turn. But he now had a strategy going for him that he thought could turn the tables.

Laura helped Sidney stand, as it was painful for her to do so from the injuries.

"I don't understand. My third power should have helped me to heal enough by now. There's something very wrong."

She drew her card. "I'm going to take my turn."

"If you really want to know, Princess… you might have incredible power, but it has many limitations. Just as when one of the Signers is injured, your powers are also weakened when an Earthbound Immortal absorbs new nearby souls. When it grows stronger, you grow weaker."

"I place one card facedown." She set down the card.

She summoned her Baby Dragon to attack the remaining egg. The orange dragon spat flames that burned it down to ashes. Now, was a chance, she thought.

"If I can't attack your Earthbound Immortal, then I will have my dragon attack you, Rudger. Prepare for a comeback."

Lunar Solstice Dragon swooped in to attack Rudger. But the Earthbound Immortal came to his defense and enveloped her dragon is an acidic web that destroyed it. Sidney was now down to her last 300 life points.

"I can choose to defend myself with my Immortal. You shouldn't have made such a hasty move. Not that it matters." Rudger smirked.

"I end my turn. It's Rudger's turn again. Make your move." She taunted him. Yusei looked over at her, worried. But a faint smile formed across her face. Whatever she had just done, it might save them.

Rudger drew a card. He placed a card facedown and one card in facedown defense position, almost copying Sidney's move. Thinking Sidney might activate her trap card to protect herself, since she had the fewest life points and a defense monster, he decided an alternative target.

"I will attack you, with Earthbound Immortal Uru, directly…Yusei Fudo!"

He put his arms over his face, facing the oncoming onslaught. But, to his surprise, nothing came just yet. He heard Sidney call out as she revealed her facedown trap.

"I thought you might attack Yusei. But it wouldn't have mattered if you attacked me. But, you fell for it. Now, I'm activating the effect of my trap- Equinox Shift!"

A transparent version of her Lunar Solstice Dragon reappeared, but quickly dissolved into glittering blue dust. A larger form was taking shape in its place.

"By removing my Lunar Solstice Dragon from play, I can Special Summon a specific monster from my hand or deck. Say hello to my secret weapon- courteous of my friends here and back in New Domino!"

A dragon about three-quarters of the size of the Earthbound Immortal soared in the air above them. Its large, muscular, body resembled that of a more traditional, European dragon, glittering with intense shine. One half of the creatures scale were black as onyx, the others were white as fresh snow. Its eyes were burning with golden fire as its wings stretched out wide.

"This is the embodiment of everything my friends and I stand for. When the sun and the moon unite and leave the earth in wonder. This is Eclipse Dragon!"

(Eclipse Dragon is a level nine Dark attributed Dragon type monster with 3000 attack and defense points. Please note it is also treated as a Light attribute monster by its own effect, in addition to its other effect.)

The glowing lines of the Immortal dulled as it roared to a halt. Rudger ground his teeth, frustrated. Why did his monster stop?

"As long as there's a field spell in play, my monster negates the card effects of all my opponent's monsters. Your Spider Web does the job. So now you have to choose an attack target if you want to attack."

"Very well. Uru attacks Speed Warrior!"

Another wave of sticky web spewed out, melting Speed Warrior. Yusei had to step back to escape the acid. He took 2100 damage leaving him with 1900 life points. Unable to make any other sudden moves, Rudger set down a card and that was the end of his turn. It was Yusei's turn again.

He noticed the blood on Sidney's wounds was finally drying up, leaving long trailing scabs. When he drew his next card, a shimmer of hope rose within him.

"First, I'll summon Hyper Synchron in attack mode, and use the power of my Road Warrior to Special Summon Tuning Supporter from my deck!"

His blue clad warrior, Hyper Synchron appeared, with a small black creature at his side. It looked like a black blob clad in a yellow scarf and a frying pan hat.

(Hyper Synchron is a level four Light attributed Machine Tuner monster with 1600 attack and 800 defense points. Tuning Supporter is a level one monster with the same type and attribute, but has 100 attack and 300 defense points.)

"However, I'm also bringing back an old friend, Speed Warrior. By activating the Sainthood Ascendance Trap Card, I can bring back a monster from my graveyard with an extra level and half the attack points."

He revealed his facedown, and Speed Warrior reemerged, with an aura of bright light around him. The three monsters he summoned merged together and formed a cluster of white stars.

"I tune Hyper Synchron with Tuning Supporter and Speed Warrior…to light the way into the night sky, with the light of the heavens. I summon my Stardust Dragon!"

The enormous dragon swooped down from the ball of light as it disappeared. It roared proudly as it bore its claws and fangs.

(Stardust Dragon's attack is currently 3300 attack points, and due to Hyper Synchron's other effect, it cannot be destroyed in battle.)

"I think you know what happens next. Without its effect, your Earthbound Immortal is going to be squished." His dragon gathered an orb of Starlight in its mouth and prepared to fire. But Rudger activated his facedown.

"I'm activating Resilience of the Bound Gods. When my Immortal's effect is negated, I can activate this card to protect it from being destroyed this turn. But I will still take 300 points of damge." A stream of cosmic ray went through the Immortal and almost knocked Rudger of his feet, leaving him now with 1250 life points.

Yusei knew he couldn't destroy Uru with Road Warrior either, so he had to end his turn, with his monsters going to defense mode and let Sidney take her turn. He guessed negating its effect was what restored her power for now. She drew a card, and when she played it, Spider's Web disappeared.

"I'm replacing Spider's Web with my Luminous Spark Field Spell. It increases the attack of Light monster by 500 points, and my Eclipse Dragons benefits from it due to its effect. Now it's at 3500 attack points. Plus, I have something else in mind, too!"

Before she could continue with her turn, Rudger started laughing.

"You think you've won? Either way, I still have someone important to you. Perhaps they have something to say before this ends!"

He turned into a black shadow and reappeared, almost floating atop the violet flames. In his place was none other than Rally, who had been absorbed by the Earthbound Immortal only a few turns prior.

"Rally!? Rudger…you…!" Yusei gritted his teeth.

"Rudger, Rally's a kid, and he's just a victim. Leave him out of this fight. This is cheating!" Sidney yelled at him. Laura murmured anxiously as Sidney pushed herself out of her friend's grasp to stand alone on her own two feet.

"All is fair in love and war…haven't you heard that old cliché, Princess?"

Sidney looked back at Rally. She didn't want to attack Yusei's friend, fearing it might hurt him. Yusei could see Rally had the Spider mark on his arm, and he seemed just as frightened as Sidney was.

"I won't duel my friends!" Rally declared.

"You will if you want to survive, child!" Rudger prodded him. Rally turned back to Yusei and Sidney. There was a moment's hesitation from all of them.

"I can't do it…I won't harm an innocent person. I won't hurt someone who shouldn't have gotten involved with this in the first place…"

Yusei understood her feelings, as his was mutual. What would become of them now that they were forced to face each other? It all seemed bleak.

"I…have no choice but to end my turn. It's your move, Rally…"

To be concluded in the next episode. Of course… there's only one turn left. But, you'll have to see the next episode anyway. Read, Review… you know the drill.