I'm super excited about this chapter! Especially since the elimination may be my most surprising yet.
Well, mostly to my competitors. You guys, maybe.
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Chris' recap: "Last time on Total Drama Everything, Nom Nom found himself in hot water with every single other competitor after Deadpool's brutal elimination. Of course, he wasn't allowed to dwell on everyone's vendettas, as he had to focus his mind for Total Drama's crazy quiz. Many people proved to be brainiacs in this show's history. Others didn't. The ultimate winner was Mandy, who really brought new meaning to the word 'genius'. And while Toph wound up knowing the least and landed in 10th place in the competition for the million dollars, the two top losers were Yusei and Lammy. Nom Nom took matters into his own hands, took the budding couple, and plucked it from the ground, roots and all. Things aren't looking good for these two, are they? Can the duelist and the lamb repair what they once had before Nom Nom takes them both out for good? We have no idea! All we know is it's time for another exciting episode of Total. Drama. Everything!"
*theme song*
Late in the night, on an island not far from where Chris McLean was torturing his latest batch of victims, someone had been watching the entire season from an old TV that washed up on the shore. This mystery person had fixed up the TV to make it work, and that was how he had kept up with the new season. He was determined to see if the new cast could truly learn from past mistakes.
And he was not liking what he was seeing.
Currently rewinding and rewatching several previous episodes, he got more irritated as he watched. People were committing a horrible atrocity known as falling in love. It was as though they were all laughing in his face. He turned to the paintball episode, where he saw two spies kissing. It made him shudder with fury. He was really starting to like those spies, too.
If that wasn't enough, he had also viewed a cute little scene from after the singing challenge. He was quite impressed by the lamb and her guitar playing, but she ruined it for him when he viewed her teaching guitar to a guy with weird hair. Ugh, hair. That anime guy had all that hair, and the mystery guy still had none of his. Something like that made him want to barf.
"Falling in love," he muttered. "It's nothing but a lie. If these people can find true love, why couldn't I?"
Then he stood up, a determined look on his face. "These people are all laughing at my face," he stated. "They don't deserve love. I think it's time they see the error of their ways."
He looked straight at his supplies that he had gathered around the island: a suit of armor and a really sharp sword.
"Those couples can be sure of that."
With those words, he hopped onto a water mobile and sped away into the night.
(The next morning….)
While our mystery person was on his way to enact his crazy plan, one of those couples he mentioned was not really feeling the joy around each other. That was shown when, during breakfast, both Yusei and Lammy sat at opposite ends of one table, looking completely miserable. They only glanced when Snake sat right between the two.
"Now this is an interesting occurrence," Snake said to both sides. "You guys have stopped sitting next to each other. I'm interested as to why. Anyone care to share the reason?"
Both remained silent.
"I guess not."
He sighed. "Look, you two have been like this for days and you still haven't told either me or Sam what's going on. I'd assume it was because of Toph leaving, but you would still be sitting together if that were the case. So what the heck is going on with you two? You can tell me."
"Uh, Snake?" Sam asked.
"Yeah?"
"Everyone's staring at you. That was a little loud of you."
Sure enough, everyone was staring right at Snake, wondering why he was suddenly raising his voice.
"Ok then," Snake stated, looking slightly embarrassed. "I think I'm done here." And he put his plate down and left.
As he walked out the door, Yusei and Lammy took a small glance at each other. With a sad look in their eyes, they sighed sadly at each other at the same time.
"I'm done too," Yusei muttered as he got up and also left the mess hall. As he left, Ash whispered to Pikachu, "Awkward."
"Pika."
Nom Nom stared at Yusei from the other side of the room, a sneer on his face. "With no Lammy to talk to," he whispered to Mandy, who was next to him, "even Snake can't keep him safe. After the next challenge, he's history."
Mandy simply rolled her eyes. Her patience was wearing thin.
Seeing Yusei walk outside, Snake walked over to his friend. "Can you please just tell me what's going on?"
"I'm fine, Snake," Yusei muttered. "You don't need to worry."
"Yes I do," Snake stated. "You and Lammy haven't spoken to each other in days. Something is clearly going on. I'm your friend, so you can tell me. You know that Sam and I can help out if you need us to, becau-"
"I said I'm fine, Snake!"
That took Snake aback. "Ok then," he said with a reproachful look. "Sorry to have bothered. I just wanted to help, you know." He walked back to the cabin.
Watching him go, Yusei wished he could take it back. First he loses Toph, then Lammy, and now he was having problems with Snake. Feeling worse than ever, he walked to the woods. Lammy watched him go from the mess hall and shook her head. This was not boding well for the alliance.
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"Something is clearly wrong," said Snake.
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(Meanwhile….)
"This is getting ridiculous," Bubblegum said to Julie. "This desire to beat Nom Nom has gone too far."
She had a point there. Over the past several days, Julie had barely slept and relaxed. Bags were forming under her eyes, but she didn't seem to want to rest. Mostly now, she was pacing. Bubblegum had found her boxing against that same tree, skipping breakfast.
"Everyone is currently just relaxing and being lazy and not having a care in the world," Julie huffed. "While they're doing that, Nom Nom may be planning their eliminations. We can't let up. We have to get him eliminated as soon as possible."
"I understand how you feel," Bubblegum added. 'Remember that I was tricked by him just like Deadpool was. But you can't work yourself to exhaustion, you know."
Julie just shook her head. "Don't worry about it. All I need to focus on is taking out Nom Nom."
At that moment, Ash ran over to the two girls. "Chris asked me to find everyone," he said. "It's time for another challenge."
"What happened to the intercom?" Bubblegum asked.
"Someone broke it yesterday."
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"Oops," Sam said mischievously (She had heard the conversation from nearby).
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As opposed to several past challenges, this one was a complete mystery. When everyone reached the woods, they were led to a large clearing obscured by a massive curtain. Chris walked out from behind the curtain as soon as everyone had arrived.
"Nine tough-as-nails competitors remaining, but only eight will move on after this challenge. We're winding down, and I hope you're all aware. Now as for the challenge, I hope this gives you the chills. Heh heh."
Everyone shivered.
"Are any of you familiar with the tale of Riftstone Manor?"
Only Bubblegum, Nom Nom, and Mandy raised their hands. Everyone else shook their heads.
"Then for those of you who don't know it, allow me to explain."
(Author's Note: The tale you are about to read is not real. It has been made up for this story. Anything found related to the story is purely coincidental.)
"In the 19th century, no family was more respected in all the universe than the Riftstones. And their family jewel was their huge Victorian mansion. Extremely opulent, five stories tall, no one had a house like that. And the entire Riftstone family enjoyed an easy life with no worries. That is, until one day, their servant woke to find the entire family had disappeared. Not even a trace."
Snake and Bubblegum glanced at each other in fear.
"To this day, no one knows what happened to the family. Some say it was ghosts. Others say they all ran off and became goat herders. The most likely reason, however, has been the most puzzling of all. Not long before the Riftstones' disappearance, several suits of armor had been placed inside the mansion. And on the morning the family had vanished, so did one of those suits of armor."
As Chris talked, the mystery guy from earlier watched from behind a tree.
"I think I know where he's going with this," he whispered. "Time to move." And he hurried behind the curtain.
"It is the belief of many that the suit of armor killed the entire family and hid the bodies away where no one could find them. And as the years passed, the mansion was ignored by everyone too scared to even be curious. As a result, the mansion has fallen into a state of disrepair. That brings us to the challenge. Chef, open the curtain."
Chef Hatchet pulled a rope down, and the curtain unveiled a massive Victorian mansion. It had several turrets, five stories, and many walls. Several gargoyles were spotted all over the building. Many of those windows were broken, and some were boarded up. Nonetheless, it looked really impressive. Everyone stood in awe.
"It's really that huge?" Ash asked.
"Absolutely," Chris continued. "We had the entire mansion brought here for the challenge. Despite it falling into ruin, you cannot deny it is still impressive to look at. And now to explain the challenge."
He then pulled out a silver crystal orb about the size of his fist. "See this? There is another orb hidden somewhere in that mansion, identical to the one I'm holding. All you have to do is search the entire building. First person to touch the orb wins invincibility."
Lammy smiled. "Easy enough."
"I'm afraid it's not that simple," Chris continued. "It's a haunted mansion for a reason. Even if you don't find ghosts, you will find fright around every corner. And remember that this orb is the needle in the Victorian haystack. So good luck with that."
This time, Lammy gulped.
"There are no lights in there, but I am required to give you each a flashlight." Chef threw a flashlight at each competitor. Everyone except Nom Nom caught theirs. Nom Nom was hit in the head by his flashlight. Everyone laughed.
"Of course, Mandy is already immune for winning the last challenge, so she doesn't have to do the challenge."
"Good," Mandy said. "I could use some time to watch you all squirm."
"Yes you could. Everyone else, in you go. And you may team up if you wish, but remember that there can only be one winner. No tie."
Silently, the other eight competitors all walked into the mansion. Once everyone was inside, Chris ran up to the door.
"Enjoy your stay," he said with a creepy smile.
Then he closed the door, and everyone heard him lock it.
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"I have handled far worse than this," said Snake. "I'm not worried."
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"No Mandy means no protection," Nom Nom sighed. "Perfect. Why didn't I win last time?"
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"Toughen up, Lammy," Lammy was whispering to herself. "You can win this. You don't need him to help you on this."
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"Julie is really worrying me," stated Bubblegum. "Maybe I should talk to her."
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"What I wouldn't give to face that suit of armor instead of go though what I'm going through right now," Yusei muttered.
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As everyone heard the lock click, they turned to face the main hall. The ceiling stretched all the way to the top of the building, and every single floor was shown. A large staircase led to the second floor, and there wasn't much light besides everyone's flashlights.
"Looks like the Riftstones really outdid themselves in interior design," said Bubblegum. "The architecture, the floor, it all takes my breath away."
Snake nodded. "I think they overdid it a little."
Nom Nom was shown with an obvious face of fear, which Yusei noticed. "Not so brave when you don't have Mandy here, are you?"
"Shut up!"
Eventually, Ash said, "Shouldn't we split up? I highly doubt Chris would make it easy and hide the orb in here.
So everyone started going different paths. As Yusei started going into one room, he caught sight of Lammy. Their eyes met for a moment before Lammy modestly lowered hers and left. Then Yusei also saw Snake, and a wave of guilt flooded him. However, he couldn't dwell on it now. SIghing, he ran down one hall, with Sam and Snake going down another, and Lammy running upstairs.
While Sam and Snake walked, Sam asked, "What's your problem with Yusei? I heard you guys had an argument this morning about his trouble with Lammy."
"He wouldn't let me help," Snake sighed. "Ever since Yusei and Lammy fell out, their problems have been out in the open. I just wish I knew what happened to them."
"Yeah, me too."
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The challenge started off with only one word: boring.
All eight competitors searched while Chris, Chef, and Mandy watched on the monitor from outside. The group searched for an hour, and no one had any luck. Boring as it was, there were still many fights to see. Ash was sure he found a shrunken head in the kitchen. Nom Nom had to keep sidestepping to make sure a certain portrait's eyes weren't following him. Julie was still so tired that she almost didn't notice a trap door opened under her, sending her sliding down to the basement. And Sam and Snake found a skeleton in a broom closet, which Snake accurately determined was fake.
Of course, being a haunted mansion, anyone could get scared enough that a single footstep could make anyone flinch. And that was what Lammy did when she heard a footstep down the hall on the second floor. Freaking out, she grabbed her guitar from behind her back (which she carried wherever she went in case she needed to whack someone with it; remember that Yusei had reinforced it) and hurried to where the footsteps were coming from. When she got to the door from behind the footsteps were, she dropped her guard, instantly realizing it must be someone good and friendly.
So she opened the door, expecting someone she could trust.
Unfortunately for both her and the person she found, the piercing electric blue eyes and yellow face marking did not belong to someone she could trust.
"Oh," she said shortly. "It's you. Hello."
Yusei nodded and said "Hello" back, just as shortly.
They both stood silent for a long time. Finally, Lammy said, "I take it you haven't found the orb yet."
The duelist shook his head. "No."
"Me neither."
More silence. This was a really awkward situation for the both of them
After several moments of them both standing there, silent, Lammy sighed. "We would have a greater chance if we worked together," she said. "If….that's ok with you. I, uh, completely understand if you don't want to."
"No, it's fine," Yusei stated. "We can work together. It's only one challenge after all."
"Yeah. Totally."
So they both continued down the hall together, although when Ash passed by right after, he could see they were staying five feet away from each other and their faces looked uneasy.
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"Again," said Ash, "awkward."
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Julie couldn't have been happier. She had found one of the bedrooms. Sure, its smell matched its age, but it was a place to relax for a few moments. Then again, she still didn't feel like she should rest. After all, if she did, Nom Nom would probably claim the orb. Ben probably wouldn't want her to let the koala win. Deadpool certainly wouldn't.
Huffing, Julie walked out of the room. Now was not the time to relax.
However, as she walked back down the hallway, she was so tired that she didn't look where she was going. Because of this, she bumped right into Bubblegum.
"What the heck?" Julie asked herself, surprised.
"I was hoping I would find you," Bubblegum said brightly.
"Why?"
"We need to talk."
(Meanwhile…..)
As he walked up the stairs to the fifth floor, Nom Nom couldn't help but feel scared. This was certainly one of the creepiest places he had ever been in. Yet he wished he wasn't so scared of this place.
After all, he was the Cutest Bear on the Internet. That title just didn't go to cowards. And there was no one who didn't deserve that title more than him. Certainly not those three losers back home. And he also had a lot of money and a huge fanbase. Really, he only entered this show for the kicks. What else could he need? Friends were only a distraction.
That was one thing he hated about Yusei. That duelist thought so differently from him. He WAS completely different. For starters, he wasn't a bear. Second off, he was raised in a sad little slum and had to resort to picking fights with the police. And the most sickening part of all, he actually believed friends were forever. Heck, he risked his own life for his friends on many occasions. And it mostly got him hurt. Nom Nom, however, had fame, fortune, and the Internet.
And he was determined to prove to Yusei that he was the better man.
"You always had to rely on friends to achieve your goals," Nom Nom muttered. "In the end, you will see that friends can only take you so far."
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"I'm going to win this entire thing," Nom Nom vowed. "And I won't need friends to do it."
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Meanwhile, the very person Nom Nom was hoping to eliminate was having a difficult time. And so was Lammy. Neither had said much to each other since they had decided to search for the orb together.
Lammy was making a few attempts though. "Do you have any ideas where the orb may be?"
"No."
Silence.
"Have we checked the dining hall?"
"No."
More silence.
"What about the third floor?"
"No."
Even more silence.
"Neither of us have anything to say, do we?"
"No."
"That's what I thought."
(In the dining hall…)
Snake was using his Solid Eye to scan the room for any signs of the orb. So far, he and Sam hadn't found much more than a few cobwebs.
"I really don't think Chris would make it that easy for us to find that orb," said Sam, who was checking under the table. More cobwebs. "Considering he gave us the flashlights, he couldn't have hidden it inside a wall."
"True," Snake replied. However, he seemed a little distanced from the game at the moment. He was still thinking about his talk with Yusei.
Then Sam looked at him. "Are you really mad at him?"
Snake sighed and said, "No. Not really. I get why he's ticked right now. I would be too if something happened to us. It's just that neither he nor Lammy have told us why they suddenly became so distanced. And it's not normal for someone like Yusei to not come to his friends when something like this comes up."
"He just needs a little time. Lammy too."
"If I'm even brave enough to hear what Yusei has to say.
(Meanwhile…)
"That pretty much covers this closet," Lammy said. She and Yusei had torn up the entire room in search of the orb, and came up short.
"I guess we move on to the next room," Yusei stated as they continued down the hallway and into the mansion library, searching through the shelves.
However, as he searched, Yusei came across a strange tiki mask on the wall that looked like a spider. The sudden sight made him jump in fear, and he bumped into the shelf between himself and Lammy. The force made the shelf fall in Lammy's direction. Startled, Lammy somehow jumped out of the way in time, but was still freaked out.
"Woah, are you ok?" Yusei asked. Lammy nodded, hyperventilating slightly.
Then a sudden thought overcame her. "Wow," she said. "You were actually genuinely concerned when I was almost hit by that thing. I thought you didn't want to help a burden on your game."
"What are you talking about?" Yusei asked. "Of course I was concerned. I-" He chose his words carefully. "-care about you a lot."
"Then why didn't you tell me that you were worried I would distract you during the competition?"
"First of all, I don't think you're a burden on me."
"What?"
Yusei nodded. "Exactly what I said. Second of all, I heard that you were already scared of holding me back. That's what I wanted to talk to you about the other night."
"Who told you that exactly?"
"Mandy."
That surprised Lammy greatly. "You were told that I was scared to be a burden," she said slowly, "by an ally of that…...oh crap."
"What?"
"Nom Nom was the one that told me that YOU were worried about me holding you back!"
"Then that means…"
That's when the rest of the puzzle pieces fell into place. It is safe to say that they came up with the right conclusion at the exact same time. Mandy wanting to talk to Yusei, Mandy currently being allied with Nom Nom, being told pretty much the same story, everything.
Then they both said to each other at the exact same time, "YOU IDIOT!"
"You listened to Nom Nom?!"
"You listened to Mandy! That's much worse!"
"Nom Nom is practically Mandy's boss!"
"Mandy is way more evil than that koala will ever be!"
"Well, Mandy's really starting to hate Nom Nom and wants to be free of him. Did you forget that?"
"Even so, listening to Nom Nom isn't as bad as listening to Mandy!"
Then they both took a sigh, and Yusei stated, "Might as well face it. We have both been duped."
"Pretty much."
They sat there for a while, until Lammy broke the silence. "We shouldn't dwell on this right now," she said. "We have a challenge to complete."
"You're right," Yusei responded. "We still have to search this glorified mansion deathtrap for that orb. There's no use just sitting here."
"Then let's go."
As they exited the library, despite the situation, they couldn't help but smile at each other.
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"I should've known we would both get played like that," said Yusei. "Still, I'm glad we straightened it out."
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However, the commotion coming from the library, both the shelf falling and the argument, alerted the mystery person to their presence. He heard it from the floor above him.
"Looks like one couple is about to find themselves in deep trouble," he said with an evil laugh as he hurried upstairs.
(Meanwhile…)
Bubblegum had taken Julie to an empty kitchen on the first floor. And it was just as gloomy as the rest of the house.
"I know what you're trying to do, Bubblegum," Julie said. "I appreciate it, but you can save it. There's nothing you can tell me that will change my mind."
"Julie, you know you'll never win this game if you don't take a breather."
"Who cares? If I rest, Nom Nom will come after me. You should know that, Bubblegum. You let your guard down!"
Bubblegum just shook her head. "I did not let myself fall for his scheme just because I let my guard down. You know as well am I do that it wasn't me who let their guard down that night."
Julie sighed and said, "Out of curiosity, has anything changed with Goku?"
"We sorted it all out, and we're friends now," Bubblegum explained. "Although he still has a little trouble with his candy urges. That's not the point, however. I just don't want you to work yourself to exhaustion."
"Why are you so worried about it?"
"Because I once almost lost everything for the same reason you have!"
That took Julie aback. "What are you talking about?"
The princess sighed, and began, "I come from the Land of Ooh, and there are many kingdoms there. I rule the Candy Kingdom. As the name implies, we're all made out of candy. At first, I didn't have a care in the world except protecting my kingdom and my friends. Then, the Lich came. It almost destroyed my entire kingdom, and I almost died as well. Probably would have, if not for a friend of mine.
"After that, the encounter with the Lich was all I thought about. I questioned my mortality, pondered my brains, even doubted the way I ruled. I started to act Machiavellian. I was becoming a dictator to the people I cared so much about. Eventually, it led me to be easily overthrown and replaced. It was only by dumb luck that I reclaimed my throne. And to this day, I still find difficulty getting over what happened against the Lich."
Julie just shook her head. "This is different. Because of Nom Nom, my best friend I had on the island is gone. I need to take that koala down, or he might win. It's my responsibility!"
"You can't do this alone!" Bubblegum exclaimed. "Nearly everyone else on this island is against Nom Nom. And for good reason. It's ok if you take a stand, but not if you take that stand alone 24/7. If you don't get a grip, you may end up like me. And you don't want to be a part of that. I let my near-death experience control me, and I don't want the same to happen to you."
"Well why are you even trying to help me in the first place?"
This time, Bubblegum smiled. "Because Deadpool wasn't the only friend you had on this island. You have many friends here. In fact, you can count me as a friend too."
With that, she made her way out the door. "Good luck with the challenge," said Bubblegum. "And to tell you the truth, my money's on you winning this competition."
And she left the room, leaving Julie to ponder what Bubblegum had said.
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"I guess I do have friends," said Julie.
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Ash was using Pikachu's electricity to clear out some of the rooms, hoping they would find the orb. All they got so far was a big mess.
"That's one bedroom down," said Ash as he looked at the scorching mess. "Let's try the next room."
"Pika Pi!"
Once they opened the door, they saw that Nom Nom was searching that same room.
"Can you guys pick another room to turn upside down?!" Nom Nom seethed. "I'm trying to search here!"
Ash then nodded at Pikachu in a curious way. Pikachu smiled and zapped Nom Nom with a Thunderbolt.
That left Nom Nom's fur covered in ash and soot. "Why me?"
Pikachu just rubbed his head in a really cute way. "Pika."
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Lammy came down the ladder from the attic, where Yusei was waiting.
"Anything?"
"Still nothing. It has to be here somewhere."
Yusei then sat down on the floor. "I need a break."
"Good idea."
So Lammy sat down as well. "You know," she said, "when we find the orb, we need to decide who will claim it. Chris said we can't have a tie."
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
As he said that, a dark shadow crept up behind him. Lammy noticed and immediately got scared.
"Y-Y-Y-Yusei," she stuttered as she tried to point.
"What is it?" Yusei asked. "Do you see anything?"
"B…..B…..B...Be…..B…."
"Don't be shy," Yusei said. "What is it?"
"Be…..Be…..BEHIND YOU!"
Slowly, Yusei turned. That was when the sword came in his direction. The duelist only just dodged it. Then he and Lammy got a better look at the attacker.
He was wearing an impressive black suit of armor, and in his hand was a steel sword, beautifully crafted and extremely sharp. Yusei and Lammy both sat in fear.
"That must be the suit of armor from Chris' story," Lammy said. "The one that killed the Riftstones."
"And what does it want with us?" Yusei asked.
"No idea, but I don't think it's good."
It certainly wasn't. The knight lunged forward again, this time being blocked by Lammy's guitar. As the knight huffed in frustration, he faced both Yusei and Lammy.
"You feeble feelings are about to be cut down. Surrender now and maybe I'll spare your lives!"
His voice confused Yusei. "Where have I heard that voice before?"
"I think I've heard it once before as well," said Lammy.
The knight seemed to look at them straight in the eyes. "It seems you don't actually know. I wasn't planning to reveal myself, but I'm about to kill you anyway, so why not?"
And he removed his helmet. Yusei and Lammy gasped. The person looked like a normal guy, but he was bald. And not only that, but now they knew where they had heard the voice. They had heard it from watching Pahkitew!
"You're that one guy from Pahkitew!" Lammy exclaimed. "You're Dave!"
(Outside….)
Chris, Chef, and Mandy were watching the events, stunned that Dave had snuck in.
"How did he get here?" Chris asked.
(Back to the challenge….)
"Bingo," Dave said. Then he lunged at her with his sword, which Lammy dodged. Yusei looked around, looking for a way to run, but couldn't find one. Then he faced Dave again. "Why are you doing this?" Yusei asked. "Why do you want to kill us?"
Dave simply smiled. "When I competed on Pahkitew, Sky was everything I had ever wanted in a girl. I was in love. And I was certain she was falling for me. But what do I find? She already has a boyfriend!"
"You still haven't gotten over that?" Lammy exclaimed. "That is just sad."
"Sad or not, it tore me apart," Dave added, getting his sword ready. "And a long time ago, I decided one thing. If I can't have true love on this show, no one can."
At that point, Yusei had readied his duel disk and was ready to summon something. He was standing in front of Lammy, hoping to protect her. However, before Yusei could bring out Stardust Dragon, Dave grabbed his wrist, pulled the duel disk out, and threw it to the side.
"Can't hide behind your friends this time," Dave seethed. "You have both made it far in this game together, but it's too bad you're about to die now. And after I kill you both, I'm going after Sam and Snake next."
Lammy stood up, guitar ready. "We're not going to let that happen," she said.
Dave shrugged, and lunged again. Lammy blocked, and also attacked with her guitar. Dave easily dodged and swung again, which Lammy also blocked. It went like that for a moment, until Dave gained the upper hand. Smiling, he kicked the guitar out of Lammy's hand and knocked her to the floor.
Yusei ran towards Dave, but was knocked back by Dave's kick. That's when Yusei noticed that he was right near another suit of armor, complete with a sword.
Dave looked back at Lammy, who was trying to get to her guitar. Unfortunately, Dave swung with his sword. Lammy dodged, but the blade caught her right shoulder. That sent Lammy spinning to the floor again.
Lammy braced herself as Dave lunged yet again.
(Meanwhile…..)
"Did you hear that?" Sam asked Snake.
Snake nodded. "That sounded like Yusei and Lammy from the fifth floor. Sounds like they found something scary."
"Wait, they're working together? I thought they weren't speaking."
"So did I."
Unfortunately, while they could hear the screams, they couldn't hear the sound of metal hitting anything.
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"That place sure is scary enough that they may have found something scary," said Sam.
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When she was brave enough to look, Lammy moved her arm to see Yusei pushing back Dave with another sword. With enough strength, Yusei pushed Dave away from Lammy and made him stagger. The duelist stood there for a second, panting.
"You had better get out of here now before I make you," Yusei seethed when Dave stood straight up again.
"How about no?"
Yusei turned to Lammy and exclaimed, "Lammy, get out of here. Go find the orb!"
Lammy shook her head. "I'm not leaving you!"
"I'm not kidding!"
"Neither am I. I'm sticking with you, no matter what!"
Dave cleared his throat to get their attention. "I'm right here, you know."
Yusei charged with the sword he was wielding. "Nobody cares, Dave," he said. "You're not harming Lammy, got that?"
That made Dave even angrier, and he charged, this time with more force. Yusei was only barely able to block. He was able to make a counterstrike, but Dave easily dodged that. And while Yusei's guard was briefly dropped, Dave kicked him through the wall (of course, that wall a kinda thin and the building was old; it wasn't enough to cause another cave in).
As the two kept fighting out of sight, Lammy realized that Yusei would have no chance of holding Dave off forever. He needed some help fast. Lammy frantically looked around for an idea, and was just about to panic when she caught sight of Yusei's duel disk on the ground, where it had been since Dave threw it.
Lammy had the idea she needed. And it was so crazy it just might work.
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"Every once in awhile," Lammy explained, "your life comes down to one crazy awesome idea. This was one of those times."
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Chris continued watching the monitor while Mandy and Chef weren't paying much attention.
"Hey guys," Chris called. "Ten bucks Dave wins."
"Yusei will find a way out of this," Chef said.
Mandy rolled her eyes. "I bet ten bucks that neither of them win, and that Lammy is the one that takes Dave down."
"Interesting bet," Chris said.
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Dave kicked Yusei through the wall again. This time, he went right to the railing. And Yusei was losing badly. Every single attack from Dave sent him taking a step backwards, right towards falling through the fifth floor. Yusei could barely keep up.
Yusei blocked again, but now he was right against the railing. Dave looked at him menacingly.
"Not much fight left in you, is there?"
"Not true," Yusei panted. "I have plenty of fight left." Even so, he looked down and knew that even with that fight, he could use some backup at that moment.
Dave swung again, but Yusei could only dodge this time. However, Dave's sword broke the railing and sent Yusei dangling from one half. And he dropped his own sword, which fell to the bottom floor.
"Where's that fight now?" Dave asked as he got ready to strike again.
However, just as he was about to break the railing again and send Yusei falling, he was suddenly blinded by a silver light. Dave looked to see a familiar dragon emerge from that light, and the dragon was sparkling with….
"Stardust?" Yusei asked in disbelief. Despite still dangling on the railing and unable to get a foothold, he was able to see it properly. Sure enough, it was his own Stardust Dragon.
"Then that means…."
And right beneath the mighty dragon, using Yusei's duel disk, was Lammy.
"Impossible!" Dave cried. He tried to come towards Lammy, but Lammy stared right at him.
"Stardust Dragon, attack!"
Stardust sent a Cosmic Flare right at Dave, who dodged it with a look of fear. Lammy still looked him dead in the eyes.
"Leave. Yusei. Alone."
Dave was so scared that every piece of his armor fell off, and he took off running. Lammy watched as he ran and put Stardust Dragon back in the deck.
"Lammy!"
The lamb turned to see Yusei's hand start to slip from the railing (that's what he gets for wearing gloves). Lammy ran to him and grabbed his hand just as he was about to fully lose his grip. Yusei was now holding on to Lammy's hand for dear life. Both stared at each other for a second.
"Hi," was all Lammy could say as she smiled.
Yusei smiled back. "Hey."
After that, Lammy began to pull Yusei up back onto the floor. "You're heavy," she groaned. "You know that?"
"Blame the eggwiches."
Finally, Yusei was fully back on solid ground. Both he and Lammy lay there, panting. Neither of them said anything for a few moments until Yusei broke the silence.
"Looks like the student has surprised the teacher," he said. "How did you even learn to use the duel disk?"
"I paid attention from the times I saw you use it," she explained.
"Alright, cool."
More silence.
"I think we still have a stupid orb to find," Lammy added.
"Good idea."
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"I think everyone heard that dragon roar," Ash said.
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Dave ran all the way outside the mansion, hoping to escape. Unfortunately for him, when he ran outside, the police were there.
"Oh perfect."
Chris shrugged. "Maybe next time you'll think twice for going crazy, disavowing love, and attempting to kill someone. Police, go ahead."
Poor Dave surrendered quietly, but he was furious.
"THIS ISN'T THE END!" Dave yelled. "I'M GOING TO GET MY REVENGE! YOU'LL ALL RUE THIS DAY! SKY, I HOPE YOU'RE WATCHING! I'M GOING TO CRUSH THIS STUPID FEELING OF LOVE ONCE AND FOR ALL! AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!"
He was still screaming when they shoved him in the police car and they drove away.
"So who won?" Chef asked.
"I did," Mandy said to him and Chris. "Pay up."
Chris and Chef begrudgingly gave Mandy ten bucks each.
(Meanwhile….)
"That dragon roar," Nom Nom muttered. "Must have been Yusei. I wonder what scared him so much." He started laughing uncontrollably.
Of course, he had no ideas what Yusei and Lammy had just been through. All that mattered was finding that orb before Yusei did. Then the duelist would be gone.
(And then…)
"Any ideas on where the orb is?" Bubblegum asked Julie. Both were now on the second floor, checking a billiard room.
"Nope," Julie replied. "Hey, what do you think that roar was that we heard?"
Bubblegum shrugged. "Might have been Yusei's Stardust Dragon. I saw him bring the duel disk in here."
"True."
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"Looks like Julie's more relaxed this time around," Bubblegum said. "That's good."
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Ash and Pikachu passed the broken railing on the fifth floor as they ran down the halls.
"Huh," Ash asked. "How did that happen?"
"Pi Pi."
(Meanwhile….)
Yusei and Lammy were now searching the first floor again, trying to double check.
"I just thought of something," Lammy said. "Wouldn't it be like Chris to make this challenge easy and hard at the same time?"
Yusei shrugged. "That's true," he said, "but how does it tie into this?"
Then they both shined their flashlights at a light fixture on the wall, low enough for even Nom Nom to reach. That's when something shiny shone through. It was round, and looked like it was made out of crystal.
"It I were a gambler," Yusei muttered, and let the sentence hang.
Even Lammy knew what it was. "This must be it," she said. "It's the orb!"
To celebrate, they high fived three times and fist bumped. Then they looked at it and knew they had a big decision to make.
"So which one gets it?" Lammy asked. "The invincibility is great, but I don't want you to get eliminated."
Before she said anymore, Yusei looked right at her, and she had a feeling that whatever he said, he wouldn't back down on it.
"Lammy," Yusei said in a low voice, "you take it."
The lamb couldn't believe it. "Why?"
Yusei sighed and said, "I'm going to tell you a secret. I'm in love with you. You're one of the most amazing people I have ever met. When we had that talk the other night, let me just say it ripped my heart out. And if getting eliminated means keeping you safe, so be it.
"Second of all, no matter which of us takes the orb, Nom Nom is most certainly going down. He's got the entire island against him, and I doubt Mandy wants to work for that guy anymore. You've seen her the past several days.
"And the third reason is the most important of all, and it stems all the way up to that broken railing on the fifth floor. You saved me back there. You and Stardust both. There is absolutely no one that deserves to win this challenge than you."
Lammy stood for a moment, but shook her head. "I can't accept it," she said. "It's too much."
"Fine," Yusei added. "I guess we'll just have to walk away and maybe let Nom Nom win this challenge, because I will absolutely not claim that orb. I appreciate trying to protect me from whatever Nom Nom can do, but there is nothing he can do to stop his elimination this time around."
His face softened, and he said, "Lammy, please. Take the orb. If you won't take it for yourself, take it for me. Better yet, take it for us." And he smiled slightly.
Close to crying, Lammy was finally swayed. So she smiled also and did what she had wanted to do for a long time.
She kissed him.
And he did so back.
It lasted for about five seconds, then they finally broke apart. Both still smiling, Lammy nodded her head. "Okay," she said.
Then she turned to the orb and breathed slowly. "Here goes nothing," she said. And she grabbed the orb and took it off the light fixture.
For about a second, nothing happened. Next, the mansion started to shake. Yusei grabbed Lammy's hand as light swarmed them both.
And it wasn't just them. Once the orb was grabbed, everyone inside the mansion felt the tremor. It knocked Nom Nom off his feet, while everyone else held on to something. Then they were all surrounded by the same light.
(And then….)
Chris, Chef, and Mandy watched as the balls of light lowered on the ground outside the mansion, which was also about to be teleported. One by one, each light ball reached the ground and disappeared, revealing the other competitors. A few were confused, like Ash and Julie. Others were just relieved to be out of that deathtrap, like Snake.
The final light ball to disappear revealed Yusei and Lammy, who were still holding hands. They looked at those hands and smiled at each other.
Everyone turned to see the mansion itself become surrounded by the same light. Then it floated up and vanished from sight.
"Where did it go?" Sam asked.
"It has been returned to where it originally was," Chris stated. "No one will have known it was even gone."
Bubblegum was surprised. "You mean you stole it?"
"Not stole. Borrowed."
Ash was still confused. "If we're all out," he asked, "who won?"
In response, Chris nodded at Lammy. The lamb grinned and held up the orb.
"Lammy has claimed the orb and won the challenge!" Chris announced.
Filled with joy, Lammy hugged Yusei out of celebration. Of course, Yusei was also happy.
Nom Nom wasn't. He was already mad about Lammy having won the challenge, but seeing her with Yusei infuriated him to the brim. He stalked to Mandy, looking for answers.
"What happened in that mansion?" Nom Nom seethed, pulsing with anger.
Mandy did a facepalm. "Your plan failed," she explained. "They figured out what happened, battled that guy from Pahkitew, and kissed right before she got the orb. So much for foolproof."
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Nom Nom was raging out like crazy. "WHAT THE *beep* *beep*! SON OF A *a reeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaallllllllly long censor*!
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"It's all true," Chris said. "Lammy is the winner of the challenge, and now she and Mandy are safe from elimination. The other seven competitors, one of you is about to leave us for good. Tonight will decide just who."
(Later….)
"You really summoned Stardust Dragon?" Sam asked Lammy.
Lammy nodded. "It was awesome. Aside from the feeling of fear when Dave attacked us, I also had a feeling of freedom and happiness when I brought out that thing. I can understand now why Yusei's world has that kind of game, and those duel disks."
"I suppose we should thank you both for taking Dave down," Sam also said, "if it's true he would have come after us. Not that he would have stood a chance. Two top agents vs. a guy with a sword? Guess who wins."
"And Lammy also said you guys finally kissed," Snake said in a teasing tone at Yusei.
"Please don't make fun of us for that," Yusei added. "Besides, you don't see me saying anything about you and Sam."
Snake just smirked.
Yusei also added, "And I'm sorry about earlier. I know you were trying to help, but I didn't want to talk about it."
"Don't worry about it," Snake said. "Everything's fixed now. And we need to focus on the celebration we'll be having after Nom Nom takes the cannon."
"Right," stated Lammy. "He's not the one that won last time or this time."
"And I am positive that he doesn't have anymore Get Out of Jail Free cards," Sam added
Yusei smiled. "This time, Nom Nom is toast."
(Meanwhile….)
"Hey, Bubblegum?" Julie said.
"Yeah?"
"You were right about earlier. If I focus on this for too long, I'm never going to succeed. Nom Nom will take me out easily if I let him, but I will let him if I keep going like this. So thanks."
Bubblegum nodded. "No problem," she said. "Now you know the benefits of listening to me."
"Oh ha ha."
"I would love to visit when this show is over," Bubblegum added. "I can't wait to meet Ben. You're lucky to have a guy like that."
That made Julie happy. "I think he is too."
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"This is finally it," Julie said. "Nom Nom is gone!"
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"No invincibility and no freebies equals nothing to hide behind," said Yusei.
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"Not only do I pretty much have a boyfriend now," Lammy stated, "but that koala is going down!"
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"I hope Maya, Mega Man, Zelda, Superman, Rarity, Shrek, and Deadpool all watch this," Bubblegum stated. "I certainly will."
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"I just wish Pikachu could vote for Nom Nom," Ash said.
"Pikachu!"
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"Goodbye, Nom Nom!" Sam exclaimed.
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"I'm voting for Nom Nom," Mandy explained. "I'm through listening to him."
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"This bonfire ceremony will certainly be a turning point in the game," said Snake.
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"I didn't want to have to do this," Nom Nom said lowly, "but you have left me with no choice."
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Absolutely no one at the bonfire ceremony looked scared. In fact, they were all expectant. Most noticed, though, that Nom Nom didn't look all that scared. Clearly, he didn't know what was coming.
"This was most certainly an interesting and scary challenge," Chris told the group. "Haunted mansions, a former competitor crashing the party, and love all around. The votes were also interesting. And now it's time to start the show.
"Lammy and Mandy, since you have invincibility, you both may go first. Congratulations, ladies."
He threw the marshmallows to Lammy and Mandy, who both caught theirs.
"Ash and Bubblegum, you two returnees are also safe."
Ash caught his marshmallow, then Pikachu zapped it to heat it up. Bubblegum just stashed hers (I doubt she eats candy, since that would be practically eating herself).
"Sam, Snake, and Julie are safe as well."
They caught their marshmallows and looked at Nom Nom, who was still without a marshmallow. They weren't even worried about Yusei being in the bottom two.
"Nom Nom and Yusei, this is the final marshmallow of the night. Both of you have been rivals with big targets on your backs for a while. Nom Nom, you've been behind many eliminations. Yusei, you're a really nice guy, but niceness can be a huge threat. No matter what, it all ends now. And it was a very interesting vote. Our first unanimous vote this season, in fact."
Neither Yusei nor Nom Nom looked scared. In fact, both were expecting something.
"The final marshmallow goes to….."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...Nom Nom."
Silence.
If Chris had said that someone like Double D had just lifted a thousand pounds, it wouldn't have generated as much surprise as this. It just couldn't be true. Everyone had voted for Nom Nom. Why would Yusei leave?
The entire group was in shock. Ash shook his head, while Lammy was absolutely caught off guard. She kept muttering, "No…..no…...this can't be…...that's impossible…..just…..no…"
And no one was more surprised than Yusei. He just sat there for the longest time, trying to comprehend what had happened.
After a few seconds of this silence, Yusei started clapping his hands right at Nom Nom.
"Well played, Nom Nom. Well played."
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Snake was checking the box where the votes were. Then he found a stack of ballots behind the toilet. The spy looked at the both back and forth. "These votes are all in Nom Nom's handwriting. The only one that isn't is Yusei's vote to Nom Nom. And here's my vote in the stack I found behind the toilet. The little jerk pulled a Harold!"
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Julie sat there, unsure of what to say.
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Lammy was still in shock. "This can't be."
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"As I have said before," Nom Nom said, "I always win."
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Before getting in the cannon, Yusei faced Nom Nom, who couldn't hide his joy, or really, his guilt.
"You're not going to win this," Yusei said. "In case you were wondering, cheaters never win. You may have taken me out of this game, but you have not taken away the fact that I have one thing that you haven't." He looked at the rest of the group. "And that's friends. Those are the most important things anyone can have. Without them, your fame and fortune mean nothing. And without friends, you're not going to win this show."
That speech unnerved Nom Nom. "Are you angry at me? Scared?"
"No," Yusei added. "I only feel pity for you. And actually, I have one other thing you don't have." He looked at Lammy and smiled.
"How about you think about that and enjoy your power while you have it," Yusei finished.
And for the third episode in a row, Nom Nom was taken down. Yusei walked to the cannon, leaving Nom Nom stunned and angry at the same time.
(Later…)
As Yusei climbed into the cannon, everyone stood to watch.
"Hey Chris," Yusei called. "I want a word with Lammy before I go."
Chris nodded. "Normally, I never do this," he told everyone. "But I was a fan of the whole 'Yusammy' thing all season, so I'll make an exception. Yusei, take all the time you need."
Chef put a ladder next to the cannon so Lammy could have her chat with Yusei. Once Lammy was eye-level with him, he began.
"I don't want you doubting yourself for even a second," Yusei said. "You're just as strong as everyone else here. Maybe even stronger."
"Maybe, but I want you to know that I never would have made it this far without you."
"Yes, you would have. The talent show, the fear challenge, the singing, those were all you. I gave advice, but that was all you."
Lammy was starting to cry, but she kept smiling.
Yusei added, "I want you to be tough. You can do this. You can win this. Win this for the both of us and for your friends. Wherever this cannon takes me, I will be rooting for you. Fight to the finish for us both."
"I will."
Then he moved his arm a little inside the cannon and pulled something out of his pocket. "I want you to hold on to this for the rest of the season," he said as he handed it to Lammy.
It was one of his cards. And not just any card. "Stardust Dragon?" Lammy asked.
"For good luck," Yusei said. "After what happened today, you can certainly make use of that."
Lammy nodded. After that, she and Yusei kissed.
When they broke apart, Yusei had one last thing to say. "And take Nom Nom down."
"I will."
Still looking at Yusei and steadily crying, Lammy climbed down the ladder.
"Goodbye, Yusei. I'll never forget everything you've done."
"We'll see each other again, at the finale. I know we will."
As Lammy dismounted, she took one last look at Yusei and waved.
Yusei waved back. Then he look at Chris, and nodded.
Chris nodded back, and, reluctantly for once, pressed the button.
BOOM!
Lammy watched as Yusei soared through the air from the cannon, soaring further and further away until he vanished from sight.
The lamb knelt on the ground, crying. Sam walked over and put a comforting arm around her.
Yusei was gone. Away from Nom Nom.
Away from the island.
Away from Lammy.
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Lammy sniffled silently in a tissue.
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"So you switched the votes?" Mandy asked Nom Nom.
The koala gave her a knowing stare. "Yusei is finally gone, and as I have been sure of for a while, I am the one that sent him packing, even if I had to cheat to make it happen. Speaking of which, I will not hold any ill will to you for trying to vote me off."
"Ok then," Mandy said, pretending to be sorry. "It won't happen again."
"Good. No you had better get to bed. We still have a lot of people to destroy, and Lammy's up next."
"What about Sam and Snake?"
Nom Nom smiled. "You can go after them now if you want, but our top priority now is Lammy."
Mandy sighed. "Ok."
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"That's it!" Mandy exclaimed. "I have had it with him! I'm done with that guy. But I'm no idiot like Deadpool was. Instead of quitting his alliance outright, I'm going to make sure Nom Nom is eliminated. The only thing with that is I'm going to need some help. And the only people that qualify as help, two of them are my own current targets."
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Lammy sat at the dock, looking at the sky, as though expecting Yusei to crash land in front of her. Of course, she knew it wouldn't happen. Still, it had only been two hours, and already Lammy was feeling lonely. She still had Sam and Snake, but even they couldn't help much.
Then Lammy remembered what Yusei had given her to hold on to for the season. She pulled Stardust Dragon out of her pocket. Despite the slightly monstrous look, looking at the card seemed to comfort her. It was as though it understood her pain. Not only that, but looking at it seemed to give her strength. This card and Yusei were alike in many ways.
And one of those ways was that neither would give up.
Neither would Lammy.
There was nothing Lammy could do to change what had happened, but that didn't mean she couldn't avenge what had happened. She knew she could win this season if she tried. And she was determined to try.
Nom Nom would eventually pay dearly for Yusei's downfall. Lammy was determined to make that happen.
"You're going to pay for this," Lammy muttered as she looked at the card.
"For you, Yusei."
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I'll be honest, this was my favorite chapter to write so far, but it was also really painful to write too.
Nom Nom pulls off his worst scheme yet: pulling a Harold and eliminating Yusei. I have given the guy a little too much favoritism. Nom Nom, you jerk!
Still, I made it up to Yusei by making sure he ruled in this chapter. He battled someone with a sword, he and Lammy are finally a thing, and he showed Nom Nom that he was better than that koala in ways Nom Nom overlooked. Yusei is certainly awesome, and he remains one of my favorite characters in the entire Yu-gi-oh universe (still might be the hair :D ).
Lammy ruled too, by summoning out Stardust Dragon to save Yusei. I trust she'll take care of that card. And don't worry about her. She may be down, but Yusei's elimination really only strengthened her. Nom Nom had better watch out.
Oh yeah, Dave crashed the show. Someone's even crazier than Izzy, if you ask me.
And Mandy had finally had enough, and is hoping for Nom Nom to go. This will be interesting.
Lastly, we got some character development for Julie, and some backstory from Bubblegum. Cool.
That should be it.
And since I'm excited about the next challenge, I'll tell you what it is right now. We're doing Super Smash Brothers! Whoo!
With that down, remember the routine. Read and review, fav and follow, send in challenge ideas, send good-luck messages, and P.M.
See you all next time!
TheMasterKat out!