Yu-gi-oh/RWBY Chapter 28
Destiny's Will
Cinder couldn't contain her satisfaction. After all this time, not only did she finally have everything she needed to put her plan into action, but the signers, those oh-so-easy to manipulate fools, had eliminated the dark signers for her, getting rid of the competition. This was going to change the world.
The group gathered together, switching between confusion and panic. "But we beat them," Weiss protests. "We won! Right?" "Something tells me it's not that easy." Blake says. All of a sudden, a bright light appeared over Neo Domino City, forming a condor geoglyph. Yang recognized the house the symbol seemed to hover over. "Cinder. Somehow that doesn't surprise me." A great rumbling sound caused them to look elsewhere, towards the ruins of the old Ener-D reactor. A huge mass of some filth appears from the crater, taking the form of a skeletal dragon.
"What is that thing?" Ruby asks. Weiss clutches her signer mark in pain. It is the King of the Netherworld, The voice of White Glass Queen says in her head. It must not be allowed to reach the Condor, or the world will end. "According to White Glass Queen," Weiss says, reminding herself that she'd need to explain that later (if there is a later). "We have to stop that thing before it reaches Cinder's house." "How?" Whitley asks. "How do we possibly stop that thing?"
Before he can get an answer, they hear a call from the sky. Looking overhead, the group sees the Crimson Dragon descend and fly towards them. Before they have a chance to react, the great dragon swallows them whole, blinding them in a flash of light. Once they can see again, they find themselves just outside of Cinder's house, with Ruby, Blake, and Yang's duel runners right next to them. "Uh, thanks?" Ruby says nervously, unsure if the Crimson Dragon can even hear her, let alone understand. She turned her duel runner back on, with Blake and Yang following suit. It was time to confront Cinder Fall, both for what she had done and what she was doing.
As the three raced forward, they saw that Cinder's house was fundamentally changed. The mansion seemed to be crushed, with the hidden temple raised up above it, floating in the air. Cinder was at the top of the temple, waiting for them. "Do you like what I've done with the place?" She jokes, with an unfitting casual tone. "It felt necessary for the welcoming party." She points to the King of the Netherworld, who has begun his deathly march.
"You bastard! What have you done?" Yang demands. Cinder exhales sharply. "I've simply begun the end of my preparations, and that requires you three." As she says this, she turns around to reveal the dark signer mark of the condor on her back, confirming her status as a dark signer. "One more thing" Cinder continues as she turns around. She pulls out a briefcase and opens it, revealing Melanie's severed arm, glowing with the dragon mark of the foot suspended in a green liquid. Cinder presses a few buttons on her metal arm, detaching it, and letting it drop on the ground. She pulls out the severed arm from the tank and attaches it to her own body.
"Now," Cinder says. "Let the ritual begin." She lifts her hand, and the three duel runners the signers are riding on are lifted up onto the light of the geoglyph. "For this ritual, I will have triple the usual life points, and none of us may attack on the first turn. Other than that, it shall be a normal turbo duel." Cinder explains. She places her deck into a slot in the podium before her, causing it to be shuffled. Then, she picks up a copy of Speed World and places it in the field zone, causing the Speed World in the other three duel runners to activate as well.
"Fine by me, asshole." Blake proclaims as she speeds out in front of Ruby and Yang. "I draw! I'll set a monster and a card face-down and end my turn." As Blake pulls back, Yang comes out in front. "I draw!" (Ruby 0-1, Blake 0-1, Cinder 0-1, Yang 0-1). "I summon Burning Muscle in attack mode!" (Level 4/2000). "I'll also set a card before ending my turn." She eases back to make way for Ruby, who hesitates to advance. Ruby looks up to Cinder. "Why are you doing this? Why did you become a dark signer?"
Cinder laughs a little at the question. "I suppose that's a valid question. You see, while you three were fighting the other dark signers, I had a little reunion with my sister. I started a duel with her, saying that I wanted to stop her scheme then and there. It was only when I had lost that she realized that not only was that a lie, but that I had lost on purpose, so as to share in her power." "But why?" Ruby repeated herself. "Why do that to yourself?"
"You forget, I had to witness my sister struggle when the two marks battled over her like a piece of meat. And in the years following that fateful day, a thought occurred to me. This was not the first time this battle has taken place, and it won't be the last. In 5000 years, some five poor souls will have to carry our burden again, and again, and again! But I thought, why not break the cycle? Why not end the millennia of suffering, strife, and conflict? Of course, the only way to do that is to destroy the world and remake it anew, and the only way to do that is to become a god!"
"You're insane!" Yang exclaims. "You think a few tattoos on your body makes you a god?" "I don't have to explain myself to anyone, especially not to my puppet." Yang glares at Cinder, angry at what that statement revealed about their relationship. Ruby draws her card in thoughtful silence. (Ruby 1-2, Blake 1-2, Cinder 1-2, Yang 1-2). "I summon Petal Shooter." (Level 4/1800). "I activate its effect to deal 500 damage to you for each Fire Plant I control." The monster fires a single fiery bullet at Cinder, who blocks it with her signer arm (Cinder 12000-11500). "I set a card and end my turn."
"It's time to show you the true power of destiny. I draw!" (Ruby 2-3, Blake 2-3, Cinder 2-3, Yang 2-3). "If you control a monster while I do not, I can summon Oracle of the Sun!" A Meso-American man in robes appears (Level 5/1000). "I then summon Fire Ant Ascator!" A large red ant appears (Level 3/700). "I now tune my level 5 Oracle with my level 3 Ascator! When the Sun arises, all darkness is dispelled. Light, shine brightly! Synchro Summon! Show yourself, Sun Dragon Inti!" A large face like the sun appears, with 4 red dragon heads rising out of each of its sides (Level 8/3000).
"I'm not finished. I can banish the tuner monster Fire Ant Ascator from my graveyard to summon Weeping Idol!" The ghostly image of the red ant is removed as a stone idol takes its place (Level 2/0). "I then pay 1000 life points to summon the dark-tuner Dark Goddess Witaka!" (Cinder 11500-10500). A dark-robed witch flies in (Level 3/0). "It shall then copy the level of my Sun Dragon!" (Witaka Level 3-8). "I now dark-tune my level 8 Witaka into my level 2 Weeping Idol! When the path of darkness is opened, the voices of despair can be heard. Become death. Dark Synchro! Show yourself, Moon Dragon Quilla!" A large face like the moon appears, with 4 blue dragon heads rising out of each of its sides (Level -6/2500).
"I set two cards face-down. Now, as the sun rises, the moon sets, and so Moon Dragon Quilla destroys itself." The moon dragon lowers itself below the horizon, vanishing. The three duelists are puzzled at this. Why summon a monster just to destroy it? There had to be more to it. Blake rode forward again. "I draw!" (Ruby 3-4, Blake 3-4, Cinder 3-4, Yang 3-4). "I flip summon my Power Thief!" (Level 4/100). "Its flip effect activates, reducing your monster's attack and defense to 0 until the end of the turn." The goblin fires a black arrow, piercing the sun dragon's face (Sun Dragon Inti 3000-0). This feels too easy. I had better play it safe. "I then summon my Howling Dancer!" (Level 4/1800). "I tune my level 4 Power Thief with my level 4 Howling Dancer! Shadows dance upon the midnight plain. Rise and command them to victory! Synchro Summon! Appear, Gambol Shroud Dragon!" (Level 8/2500).
"Gambol Shroud, attack Sun Dragon Inti! Mad Shadow Dance!" The dragon flies forward, towards the sun, and breaks through it. (Cinder 10500-8000). (Cinder 4-2). Cinder retains her smug look. "It is blasphemy to oppose God. Sun Dragon Inti's effect activates! Your monster is destroyed and you take that monster's attack as damage!" The sun dragon, as it lowers, fires a beam from each of its dragon heads at Gambol Shroud Dragon. "Shadow Close!" Blake commands as the dragon disappears into the night sky, dodging the attack. "As the sun sets, the moon rises." Cinder exclaims. "When Sun Dragon Inti is destroyed, I can bring back my Moon Dragon Quilla!" The moon dragon rises up out of the ground. (2000).
So that's her play, Blake realized. "I set 2 cards face-down and end my turn, bringing Gambol Shroud back." She turns to Yang. "The moon dragon probably has some way to bring its partner back. Find a way to get rid of it before then." Yang nods. "Leave it to me. I draw!" (Ruby 4-5, Blake 4-5, Cinder 2-3, Yang 4-5). "Cinder! I'm no longer your puppet! Consider this my resignation! I summon Ember Dragon!" (Level 4/1000). "When Ember Dragon is summoned, if I have less life points than you, I can summon an Ember token." (Level 4/1000). "I tune my level 4 Ember token with my level 4 Ember Dragon! As life inches ever closer to death, the heart beats stronger and stronger. Synchro summon! Celica Burst Dragon!" (Level 8/3000). "The effect of Ember Dragon activates, giving my Celica 1000 attack, and preventing you from activating spells or traps when it attacks!" (Celica 3000-4000).
"Celica, destroy her Moon Dragon with Heartbeat Burst!" Celica flies over and punches each of the moon dragon's heads before breathing fire on it, destroying it. "And when Celica attacks a defense position monster, you take piercing damage!" (Cinder 8000-6000). (Cinder 3-1). Cinder brushes the dust from the attack off her shoulder. "When Moon Dragon Quilla is destroyed, it can bring back my Sun Dragon Inti!" As the moon dragon lowers below the horizon, the sun dragon rises out.
"Damn!" Yang curses. "I end my turn. Ruby, show no mercy!" As Ruby draws her card, (Ruby 5-6, Blake 5-6, Cinder 1-2, Yang 5-6) the King of the Netherworld draws ever closer. It opens its mouth, releasing several black birds made of the same disgusting material as itself. They fly towards the mansion, getting there in record time. Weiss and Whitley see this and ready their duel disks, Weiss summoning her White Glass Dragon and Whitley summoning his White Queen, a monster he reserved for large plays. The two fought off the birds as best they could, hoping the others can make it in time.
"I summon Wilting Willow from my hand!" A black flower that seems to beg for water and life appears (Level 3/100). "I activate the effect of my Petal shooter one last time!" (Cinder 6000-5500). "Before tuning it to my level 3 Wilting Willow! The bloom of evolution blazes forth. Grow and grow ever stronger! Synchro Summon! Appear, Crescent Rose Dragon!" (Level 7/2400). "Your Sun Dragon only punishes me if I battle. So I'll destroy it with an effect first. Rose Shot!" Crescent Rose fires a shot from one of its thorns, shattering the sun dragon.
Blake and Yang cheer her on. "I then banish Petal Shooter for Crescent Evolution!" (Crescent Rose Dragon 2400-4200). "Attack Cinder directly with Red Rose Flare!" The dragon lets out a red beam of destruction towards its intended target, but Cinder is unfazed. "I activate my face-down, Offering to the Immortals!" The beam is stopped and split into two red spheres. "If you declare an attack while I control no monsters, I can negate the attack and special summon two Ceremonial tokens." The spheres coalesce into two monuments (Level 1/0). "I can then add one Earthbound Immortal from my deck to my hand." Cinder shows her Earthbound Immortal card to the three with pride. "You thought that breaking the Sun and the Moon would give you hope, but you have only gained despair!"
Ruby looks on before saying "I end my turn." Cinder draws with unbridled passion, her dream drawing closer. (Ruby 6-7, Blake 6-7, Cinder 2-3, Yang 6-7). "I tribute my two Ceremonial tokens for the ultimate monster! Appear, Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca!" The two monuments lift into the air towards a black heart that begins to beat. The heart lowers into a flame atop the temple, revealing a giant condor (Level 10/1). The three are shocked to see that it only has one attack point.
Cinder laughs maniacally. "Behold, the greatest of the Earthbound Immortals. Thought it lacks much physical strength, it has a greater connection to the power of the gods! Allow me to demonstrate! By skipping my battle phase, one of your life points shall become one!" The three gasp in terror. "I'll start off with you, little kitty-cat who forgot her place. Polestar Obey!" The condor releases a purple beam from its beak, knocking Blake off her duel runner (Blake 4000-1). "Blake!" Yang and Ruby plead. She tries to get up, but falls back down. Her tail mark disappears from her arm.
Cinder shows that the tail mark has moved to her arm. "For each of you I sacrifice, I gain your power. One down, three to go!" She laughs again, more triumphantly and wickedly than before. "I set a card and end my turn." Blake groans in pain, unable to start her turn. "Oh, it looks like she can't go on." Cinder taunts. "Seems like we'll have to go on without her." Yang shakes her fist in protest. "You lowlife! How dare you! I draw!" (Ruby 7-8, Cinder 3-4, Yang 7-8).
"Time to get even for all the damage you've done to Satellite! Celica, attack directly! Heartbeat Burst!" The dragon flies over to Cinder and prepares to attack, but she bares her signer arm, forming a barrier that blocks the attack. (Cinder 5500-1500). (Cinder 4-0). "Futile. I activate my face-down, Will of the Earthbound! Once per turn, when I take damage from a direct attack while I control an Earthbound Immortal, I regain my life points!" (Cinder 1500-5500). "Everything I did, it was all for this moment. Rejoice, as your suffering is but a small price to pay for salvation."
Yang is visibly frustrated, but can't do anything more. "I end my turn. Ruby, teach her a lesson for me." Ruby nods before drawing. (Ruby 8-9, Cinder 0-1, Yang 8-9). "I activate my speed spell, Foolish Burial. By removing 2 speed counters," (Ruby 9-7) "I can send a monster from my deck to my graveyard." Ruby sends Tytannial to the graveyard. "I now activate Crescent Rose's effect. Crescent Evolution!" (Crescent Rose 4200-7000).
"All right!" Yang cheers. "Now her trap won't help her since she'll lose before then." Ruby points up to Cinder. "Cinder, you've done unspeakable things in your mad quest. I can't let you do that anymore. Red Rose Flare!" Crescent Rose lets out an even greater beam than before, as if to make up for the failed attack last time.
"I activate my other face-down, Unstoppable Destiny! While I control a level 7 or higher monster, all battle damage I take is reduced by that monster's level times 200!" Wiraqocha Rasca flies in and intercepts the attack. (Cinder 5500-500). (Cinder 1-0). "No!" Ruby complains. She was so close! "And now, the effect of Will of the Earthbound activates as well!" (Cinder 500-5500). "I end my turn." Ruby says, reluctantly.
As the fight on the geoglyph rages on, Weiss and Whitley continue to give it their all against the King's minions. However, one of the birds manages to sneak around their monsters and lands a solid hit against Weiss, knocking her unconscious. Whitley sees this and decides to fully test his psychic powers, summoning White King as well. Back at the temple, Cinder is proud to see another mark added to her arm.
"You seek to judge me, but I am above you. I am no longer just following destiny. I am destiny itself! I draw!" (Ruby 7-8, Cinder 0-1, Yang 9-10). "Yang, it's time to teach you the penalty for betrayal. Polestar Obey!" The condor releases another beam, knocking Yang off her duel runner as well. (Yang 4000-1). As Yang writhes on the floor in pain, Cinder laughs in delight as she gains Yang's mark. "It's funny. When we were leaving for Satellite, you mentioned the woman who attempted to build the Daedalus bridge. Well, wouldn't you like to know what became of her?"
Yang looks up at Cinder, her eyes full of defiance. "I'm sure you probably reserved a special cell in Security for her." Cinder shakes her head. "Quite the opposite, actually. You see, I am her!" Yang looks up in disbelief. "You lie!" "Do I? The legend says that the woman lost her left arm as she flew off the bridge, wanting to reach the sun rather than let Security bring her down to Earth. I managed to survive, and crawled my way up the ranks, until Neo Domino City was mine!" Yang hung her head, unable to accept what Cinder was saying. "I set a card and end my turn. Only one more to go. I offer you a choice, Ruby Rose. Give up now! Even a psychic as powerful as you can't defeat destiny. If you accept this, I will sacrifice you painlessly."
Ruby stopped her duel runner right there. "I've heard that before, from your sister. It wasn't funny then, and it isn't now. But I'm giving you a chance." Cinder turns her head up in disgust. "You want to give me a chance?" "Yes. You flew from that bridge not just to avoid capture, but to show hope to the people of Satellite. You're trying to break the cycle not to become a god, but so you can be with your sister again." Cinder shakes her head in anger. "You little brat! You dare tell me how I feel? I'll make you pay for this insult."
"Not an insult, but a promise. I'm going to beat you, and save everyone you and the other dark signers have hurt, but I'm also going to save you as well!" As Ruby says this, a roar can be heard from on high. Everyone looks up to see the Crimson Dragon descend from the heavens as it roars again. The signer marks disappear from Cinder before reappearing on Ruby's back. "I draw!" (Ruby 8-9, Cinder 1-2). "I summon Majestic Dragon!" (Level 1/0). "You dare mock me with that thing? You'll regret that. I activate my face-down, Earthbound's Punishment! When you summon a monster with a lower level than my Earthbound Immortal, you'll take damage equal to the difference times 500! Die, and herald a new world!" Wiraqocha Rasca releases another beam from its mouth towards Ruby Rose.
"Not so fast!" Yang says, having crawled back to her duel runner. "I activate my face-down, Celica's Force! Since I control Celica, the damage is negated!" Celica Burst Dragon intercepts the attack. Cinder groans in frustration. "Then I activate the other effect of Unstoppable Destiny! By sending it to the graveyard, one of my cards can't be negated!" The beam pushes through Celica, continuing its path. "My turn to step in." Blake says, having also reached her duel runner. "Since I have 1000 or less life points, I activate my own face-down, Last Gambol! By tributing my Gambol Shroud, this negates your Unstoppable Destiny's effect and destroys it!" Gambol Shroud also intercepts the attack, being destroyed in the process.
"Then, Last Gambol special summons a Shadow token." Blake continues. A scale falls off of Gambol Shroud, flying next to Ruby (Level 1/0). Ruby looks at Blake and Yang. "Thanks, you two." They both give a smile to her. Cinder bangs her hands against the podium. "NO! This isn't how it's supposed to go! This isn't destiny's will! This is not my will!" Ruby faces her and resumes her drive up. "It's time to end your destiny right here and now. I tune my level 7 Crescent Rose Dragon and my level 1 Shadow token with my level 1 Majestic Dragon! A light from heaven descends and revitalizes the flower of hope. Bloom and show that hope! Synchro Summon! Appear, Majestic Rose Dragon!" (Level 9/3700).
The light from Majestic Rose Dragon halts the King in its tracks as it was just about to reach the house. "When Majestic Rose Dragon is synchro summoned, I can destroy all other cards on the field. Rose Rebirth!" Lights from the flowers adorning Majestic Rose Dragon bombard the temple Cinder is on, destroying most of the decorations around it as well as all of Cinder's cards, causing her to panic. "I then activate its other effect. By banishing a monster from your graveyard, Majestic Rose Dragon gains that monster's attack points. Bloom Reincarnate!" The spectral image of Sun Dragon Inti appears nested in the flowers on Majestic Rose Dragon's back. (Majestic Rose Dragon 3700-6700).
"Majestic Rose Dragon, save Cinder Fall! Full Light Bloom!" The dragon flies back, piercing through the King of the Netherworld, sending it back to whence it came. Majestic Rose Dragon then circles back around and gets into position before releasing a multicolored beam onto Cinder, who quietly accepts her fate. (Cinder 5500-0). As the light envelops her, she looks around and sees Melanie, who extends her hand. Cinder takes it, and the two walk off together.
Several weeks later.
Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, and Whitley are sitting together at the dock. "Well," Blake began. "It won't solve all the problems between us, but it's a start." "What happened to the other dark signers?" Weiss pondered. "I mean, we know what happened to Cinder and Melanie, but what about the other four?" "Hazel's returning to his home to help rebuild it, Adam is with Martha, apologizing for his actions, and as for Pyrrha…" "She's helping me rebuild Arcadia, this time without Roman messing everything up." Ruby finished. "Right." Yang confirmed. "As for poor Velvet, she's frustrated that she can't remember a thing, so she has nothing for her scoop." "I'd be happy to forget that nightmare." Weiss remarks. Whitley didn't join in the conversation, simply enjoying his new signer mark. They continued on for the rest of the evening, enjoying the sight of the completed Daedalus bridge. The rebuilding of Neo Domino City and Satellite had begun.
In a field in the middle of nowhere, 3 figures in white robes, one short, one tall, and one large, observed an obelisk that had fallen to the ground. The tall one read the markings on the obelisk and turned to the other two. "I believe this one's mine." They ordered the men who came with them to start the excavation. The destruction of Neo Domino City and Satellite had begun.