Chapter 10.5
"Party with the dead"
Off in the entertainment district of Domino City, Pinkie was happily going about her merry way, not a care in the world, happy as can be. Soon, she came across the movie theater, and one of the movies advertised was a remake of the 1960s classic zombie movie, Night of the Living Dead. But when she saw the poster, she just giggled. "I know it's supposed to be scary, but old fashioned zombies are just so funny!" she said. But that greatly upset someone that was standing next to her. "You laugh in the face of horror?" he asked. "Well, yeah! Sometimes it's fun being scared." Pinkie answered. But that response just burned the stranger up inside. "Mocking and laughing in the face of terror...that's just sickening!" he snapped. "But if you've got a case of fright depravity, allow me to help you." he calmly stated before removing his hood to reveal a dead white face and blood red eyes.
"My name, is Zonande. Fear extraordinaire of the Rare Hunters." he added. "Rare Hunter? Funny, I'm looking for people who are part of a group called the Rare Hunters. Guess I found you." Pinkie said before giggling. "It's like a gigantic citywide game of hide and seek!" she added. "Finding fun in experiencing fear is what I despise most. Making others fear you, that's what makes me smile. But you...you just make me sick. So I hereby challenge you to a duel! And if you win, you get my rarest card, the powerful and equally fast and frightening Dokurorider!" Zonande declared. "Yay! My first Battle City duel! Alright, I accept, and if you win, you get my Negate Attack trap card." Pinkie said excitedly. Soon, both players were in position and ready to start. "It's party time!" she squealed while turning her ring's dial before both players activated their Duel Disks, gave an equally hardy "Let's duel!" as their life points set to 4000 and the game began.
"I'll go first." Pinkie said before drawing. "The first thing you got to know about me is that I love surprises. So I'll set one for later." she said as she set a monster in defense mode. "Surprises are what scaring are all about, my dear." Zonande pointed out before drawing. "Another key to scaring is the right setting, so I'll start by playing the field spell known as Wasteland." he added before playing said card. Next thing Pinkie knew, the street turned into a barren landscape. "Sure, its an empty place, now, but from the underground will rise a new evil, for I summon Fear from the Dark in attack mode!" he continued before his first monster of the game came forth. "Don't be fooled by its appearance, for this zombie has more bite than anything, thanks to my Wasteland field spell increasing its attack power!" he added as Fear from the Dark's attack and defense points increased to 1900 and 1700, respectively. "Now, my undead servant, attack her facedown with Grasping Hand of Darkness!" he commanded before the monster in question was revealed to be a level four, Water attribute Aqua monster with 800 attack points and 2000 defense points called Humanoid Slime. "Surprise! Meet the Humanoid Slime! This little blob of goo has a defense power of 2000, 100 points more than your Fear from the Dark's attack power!" Pinkie declared as Fear from the Dark's attack failed, resulting in Zonande's life points lowering to 3900.
"I will admit, you're a clever girl. But the living are always outnumbered by the dead, and you'll see why soon enough. For now, I set a facedown and end my turn." Zonande said as he ended his move. "Yay! My turn again!" Pinkie said with a grin as she drew her next card. "I think it's time to invite someone new to the party, so I play Polymerization to fuse my Humanoid Slime with Worm drake here in my hand to summon Humanoid Worm Drake!" she declared as her monsters fused together to form a level seven, Water attribute aqua/fusion monster with 2200 attack points and 2000 defense points. "A lot of good that monster will do you, fusion monsters can't attack once summoned." Zonande pointed out. "Oh, I'm just getting started. I activate the special ability of my Rock Spirit, which allows me to summon him to the field by removing my Worm Drake!" Pinkie retorted before the Rock Spirit, a level level four, Earth attribute rock/effect monster with 1700 attack points and 1000 defense points, appeared. "Unfortunately, he can't stay long, because I tribute him in order to summon Millennium Golem!" she added before her new monster, a level six, Earth attribute Rock monster with 2000 attack points and 2200 defense points, appeared. "Oh, and I forgot to mention, your Wasteland gives my own monsters a boost in attack power, as well!" she added, to the chagrin of Zonande, as her golem's attack and defense points increased to 2200 and 2400, respectively.
"Okay, Millennium Golem, time to show him why no one should be scared of the dark! Attack with Ancient Stone Fist!" she commanded before Fear from the Dark was destroyed, dropping Zonande's life points to 3600. "So, not afraid of the dark, huh? Well, everyone's afraid of something." the pale Rare hunter said before drawing. "I summon the Immortal Ruler in attack mode!' he added before his monster, a level four, Earth attribute zombie/effect monster with 1800 attack points and 200 defense points, rose up from the Wasteland field. "And now I give him the Violet Crystal to raise its attack power!" he continued before Immortal Ruler's attack and defense power increased to 2300 and 700, respectively. "Now, my undead ruler, attack the Humanoid Worm Drake!" he commanded before the chrome colored creature was destroyed, lowering Pinkie's life points to 3900. But the perky party girl just giggled. "That tickled." she said childishly, to the chagrin of her opponent.
"Well, it's my turn again." she added before drawing. 'Nice, Invigoration. I can use it to increase my Millennium Golem's power.' she thought. "I play the magic card, Invigoration to give my Millennium Golem a little pep in his step!" she said aloud as she played said card. "Not so fast! I activate my trap, Riryoku Field!" Zonande declared before activating said trap. "You're not the only one with surprises, Riryoku Field allows me to negate and destroy any magic card that takes effect on one, and only one, monster on the field. So I'm afraid your Millennium Golem won't be getting any stronger than it already is." he explained as his trap affect. "Well, I guess I'll switch my golem into defense mode and end my turn." Pinkie said as her golem went on the defensive. 'Good, now she's nervous. It won't be long before it turns into terror.' Zonande thought before drawing his next card. 'Now to get her to lower her defenses by sending out a decoy.' he thought, having concocted a plan to take the lead in the duel.
"I summon the Battle Warrior in defense mode." he said at last as his monster appeared. "I'll go ahead and end my turn there." he added. 'This bait is too tempting, she just has to take it. It's part of the art of scaring, lulling your victim into a false sense of security.' he thought. But Pinkie quickly realized what was going on. "Sorry, but I already seen this sort of surprise before." she said, catching Zonande off-guard before drawing. "So I'll pass this turn." she added. 'Blast, she saw through my bluff. Guess I better try something else.' Zonande thought before drawing. "I tribute my Battle Warrior to summon the Giant Axe Mummy!" he declared as his mummy, a level five, Earth attribute zombie/effect monster with 1700 attack points and 2000 defense points, appeared. "It may not be the deserts of Egypt, but my Wasteland still gives Giant Axe Mummy more magical might!" he added as his mummy's attack and defense power increased to 1900 and 2200, respectively. "Next I play Gravekeeper's Servant." he added before activating said card. "Now, as long as this card is on the field, you have to discard one card from your deck and send it to the graveyard if you want to attack!" he concluded. "Well, that's a twist. But that just makes this duel more fun!" Pinkie said with a grin. Zonande just didn't seem to understand why Pinkie still kept her fun attitude.
"I've thrown zombies and mummies at you, but you're still not scared?" he asked in confusion. "I told you, it's fun being scared, almost as much fun as it is to scare people." Pinkie responded before drawing. "Looks like I can't do anything now, so its your turn again." she concluded. 'She's up to something, I know it. Well, I'll expose her to the dark of fear.' Zonande thought upon drawing. "I tribute Giant Axe Mummy and Immortal Ruler to summon Despair from the Dark!" he declared before his new monster, a level eight, Dark attribute zombie/effect monster with 2800 attack points and 3000 defense points, appeared. "Like before, my zombie's strength is increased by the wasteland field, making it more deadly." he added as his monster's attack and defense points increased to 3000 and 3200, respectively. "I don't know, look more like a much bigger Fear from the Dark to me." Pinkie said, but that irked Zonande. "You FOOL! Despair from the Dark may LOOK like Fear from the Dark, but they're NOTHING alike!" he snapped. "Okay, okay, jeez. No need to make the whole block hear you. I mean, we already got a whole audience watching us." Pinkie said.
(That includes you, Mr. Narrator, and your readers all over the world.)
"Go, Despair from the Dark, destroy that Millennium Golem with Crushing Clasp of Darkness!" Zonande commanded before the Millennium Golem was turned into pebbles. "I'll end my turn with a facedown." he concluded. "Keeping me guessing, huh? That's normally what my friends do when they throw a surprise party." Pinkie stated before drawing. "Well, this won't be any kind of surprise, I summon the Blindly Loyal Goblin in defense mode." she added before her monster, a level four, Earth attribute warrior/effect monster with 1800 attack points and 1500 defense points, appeared to defend her life points. But Zonande just scoffed. "One measly goblin can't stand against my superior zombie!" he stated before drawing. "And I'll demonstrate just how a zombie feeds on flesh! Despair from the Dark, destroy that goblin!" he commanded, but Pinkie had another trick up her sleeve! "I don't think so! I activate my trap, Fairy Box!" she declared as a giant box appeared in front of Despair from the Dark. "What is this?! Some kind of trick?!" Donande asked demandingly. "Don't tell me you never played Whack-a-Mole!" Pinkie said in shock. "Well, if not, let me explain how my Fairy Box works. I just have to flip a coin, and if I call it right, my monster is saved from your attack." she explained. "Well, then, my zombie, prepare to attack when that goblin pops out!" Zonande ordered before it did so, which was Pinkie's signal to flip the coin and call it.
"Heads!" she shouted before the coin landed right on her called side, prompting her Blindly Loyal Goblin to duck and avoid the attack. "Blast! I missed!" Zonande said in frustration. "Looks like its my turn again." Pinkie said with a chuckle before drawing. 'There's only one hitch, I have to pay 500 life points to keep my Fairy Box in play.' she thought as her life points dropped to 3400. "I'll set one card face down and end my turn." she concluded as she made her move. "A very subtle yet somewhat amusing move you made with that Fairy Box." Zonande admitted before drawing. "But I'm afraid that this little game of Whack-a-Goblin is going to end sooner than you think. I summon Bone Crusher in attack mode!" he continued before his next monster, a level four, Earth attribute zombie/effect monster with 1600 attack points and 200 defense points, appeared. "This bag of bones gets a little extra oomph with that hammer thanks to the Wasteland we're dueling on." he added as his monster's attack and defense points increased to 1800 and 400, respectively. "Now, my skeleton warrior, crush the Blindly Loyal Goblin with your Skeletal Mallet!" he commanded. "Sorry, but if you want my goblin, you'll have to play with my Fairy Box again!" Pinkie pointed out before she flipped the coin again. "Tails!" she shouted. And sure enough, the call was right again.
"Yay! Another attack fails and my goblin is safe!" she declared as the goblin's head ducked down into the box, just in time to avoid the mallet. "Care to go double or nothing? Despair from the Dark, take a swing and destroy the goblin!" Zonande said, prompting Pinkie to flip again. "Heads!" she called. But this time, the coin landed on tails, to her shock. "Oh, no! Now my goblin is..." she began to say before Despair from the Dark destroyed it. "Zombie food. I'll end my turn there. Tell me, are you starting to panic? Are you letting your fear sink in?" Zonande stated with a wickedly ghastly grin. But Pinkie just laughed. "WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?!" the Rare Hunter snapped. "Because this duel is so much fun!" Pinkie responded before drawing. "I think I'll send my Fairy Box to the graveyard now." she said before said box was destroyed. "Now I tribute these three fellas, Alpha, Beta and Gamma the Magnet Warriors, in order to special summon their combined form, Valkyrion the Magna Warrior!" she declared as the three monsters combined to form a level eight, Earth attribute rock/effect monster with 3500 attack points and 3850 defense points.
"Oh, and thanks to the Wasteland, his magnetic attraction and repulsion abilities are increased!" she added as her monster's attack and defense points jumped to 3700 and 4050, respectively. "Now, Valkyrion, attack Despair from the Dark with Electromagnetic Slash!" she commanded before the zombie was put down for good, dropping Zonande's life points to 2900. "Alright, now I'll REALLY give you something to be scared of. I activate my facedown, A Deal with Dark Ruler!" he declared with a mad look in his eyes. "Since you sent my Despair from the Dark to the graveyard, and since it was a level 8 monster, I can use A Deal with Dark Ruler to bring out my ultimate zombie! Behold, Berserk Dragon!" he continued before his new monster, a level eight, Dark attribute zombie/effect monster with 3500 attack points and 0 defense points, appeared in all its horrific glory. "Thanks to the Wasteland around us, my Berserk Dragon only gets more powerful!" he continued before his dragon's attack and defense power increased to 3700 and 200, respectively. "WOW..." Pinkie simply said.
"I was expecting a gulp, a shriek, or even a simple meep. But that will be what everyone around us will hear very soon." Zonande said before drawing. "In fact, I simply must hear it! Right now, even! Berserk Dragon, prepare to attack that oversized magnet!" he added. "Come on, Zonande. Everyone knows that if two monsters have the same attack power and one attacks the other, they're both destroyed. Duh!" Pinkie stated. "Who cares about what everyone knows? They're about to see you reel back in fear and terror! Berserk Dragon, attack with Decaying Blast!" Zonande responded as his dragon attacked. "Well, here's your next surprise!" Pinkie declared as she activated her facedown, which turned out to be the card she wagered against her opponent. "No! Negate Attack?!" Zonande shouted in shock. "That's right, the card you said you wanted from me if you win. Not only does it stop your attack, but it also ends your turn!" Pinkie responded as the attack entered a void and vanished.
"No! Every time my turn ends, Berserk Dragon loses 500 attack points!" Zonande said, revealing his dragon's Achilles' heel as its attack points drop to 3200. "Thanks for telling me about your dragon's weakness, now it's time to end this party with a bang!" Pinkie declared before drawing. "I play Monster Reborn to bring back my Millennium Golem!" she added with a smile before her golem returned to the field and its attack and defense power increased, as before, to 2200 and 2400, respectively. "Now, Valkyrion, attack the Berserk Dragon with Electromagnetic Slash!" she commanded before the mighty undead dragon was slashed in half and destroyed, dropping Zonande's life points to 2200. "No! This can't be happening!" he shouted before realizing he was the one who was afraid and not Pinkie. "What was it you said about wanting me to be afraid? Guess the tables have turned on that one! Now, Millennium Golem, attack Zonande directly with Ancient Stone Fist!" Pinkie declared before the attack landed on a screaming Zonande, dropping his life points to 0 and ending the game.
"It... It can't be. I lost. Worse yet, you actually had me scared. ME!" the defeated rare hunter said as he dropped to his hands and knees while Pinkie pressed the jewel on her ring. "Didn't you have any fun?" Pinkie asked. "Fun? Of all the things you say to me, you ask me if I had fun?" Zonande asked back, confused. "I told you, sometimes it's fun to scare people, but it's just as fun to be afraid." Pinkie answered. "I admit, I was a little scared of your Berserk Dragon, but it turned out to be a fun challenge to battle it." she continued, which struck a chord with Zonande. "You... You thought my dragon was scary, and the battle against it was, fun?" Zonande asked. "Yeah, don't you realize it? Scary things can be fun. Like haunted houses, scary movies, even Duel Monsters." Pinkie stated. But Zonande was just lost in thought as the police came in and cuffed him. "My deck. Your prize is inside. And to be honest, I had fun, too. Even though you scared me at the end when you played Negate Attack." he stated before being taken to a police car. "Thank you." he concluded before he was loaded in and driven off to the DCPD.
"My pleasure." Pinkie said with a smile as she collected her prize, Zonande's rarest cards, Dokurorider and Revival of Dokurorider. "Well, guess I turned his frown upside down. This calls for a donut party for one!" she said with a grin and a giggle before heading off to the donut shop.
