Yu-gi-oh/RWBY Season 2 Chapter 22
Full Bloom
Ruby rode through the hallways, trying to process what had happened to her. Penny was not only working for Zone, but then sacrificed herself to save Ruby. It all felt horrible. Who was this Zone, and why did she think she could do all these horrible things? Ruby increased her speed, determined to find out.
...
After a few minutes, Ruby finally found the fourth room, where the rest of the team was already waiting, watching Aporia duel a strange floating thing. "Is that Zone?" Ruby asked, prompting the team to turn around. "Yeah." Yang answered. "Whitley just explained to Blake and I that Aporia is on our side now, and is trying to stop Zone from crashing the temple into the city. I still don't trust Aporia, but I'll take what I can get."
Ruby walked forward, joining the rest of the group. "And Zone? What are her cards like?" "She has this nasty card called Metaion the Timelord." Blake explained. "It has zero attack and defense, but can't be destroyed by battle or card effects, and has a nasty effect that activates if you battle it, returning all your monsters to your hand and burning you for 300 damage for each one. Fortunately, I think Aporia has a plan." Indeed, he was just about to play a card to give him a chance for victory. "I activate High Rate Draw, destroying all monsters I control to draw one card for every two monsters destroyed." Skiel is destroyed and Aporia draws two cards.
He just threw away Skiel? What's his plan? Ruby wonders. "I then activate Future Destruction to send cards from the top of my deck to the graveyard equal to the number of cards in my hand. Since I have twelve cards, I send the remaining twelve cards in my deck to my graveyard." "Why is he destroying his deck?" Ruby asked Blake, confused. "Shh," Blake answered. "Just watch." "I now activate my final spell card Afterglow, which immediately shuffles itself into my deck. Now, if I draw Afterglow on my next draw phase, I can deal 4000 damage to you, and prove to you the power of Hope, my friend."
"Don't call me your friend." Zone replied. "I made you out of the real Aporia. You're nothing more than a facsimile that has gained a flaw in its programming. A flaw I shall now correct. I draw! During the standby phase, Metaion the Timelord returns to the deck." A large, red metallic figure with wings on its back and a youthful face fades away from Zone's side of the field. "I then use the effect of Nonexistence to summon Lazion the Timelord!" Zone throws a card through a metal ring. The card then transforms into another red metallic figure, this one with a beard and two sets of wings, fire shooting out of its shoulders. (Level 10/0)
Aporia and the rest are shocked to see this new card. "Oh? Did you think that there was only one Timelord?" Zone asks, amused. "The Timelords are all part of a grand design, and Metaion is but one of them. Now, Lazion, attack directly!" Lazion forms fire around its hands, then spreads the fire towards Aporia, who braces himself against the attack. "Of course, since Lazion has zero attack, you take no damage. But then his effect activates, shuffling all cards in your graveyard back into your deck." Aporia looks on as the cards in his graveyard are forced back into his duel disk.
"Further, when you draw a card during your draw phase, Lazion will deal 1000 damage to you. Since you only have 500 life points, that will cause you to lose the duel. Unless you draw Afterglow, which will deal 4000 damage to me before that happens, winning you the duel. Well then, shall we see the supposed power of Hope?"
Aporia looks down at his deck with trepidation. Now that there are 33 other cards in there, he only has a 2.9% chance of victory. Yet, he feels that he must take the chance, no matter what. "I draw!" Aporia looks over and sees...Granel. "What a shame." Zone comments. "Now, Lazion, get this malfunctioning toy out of my sight!" Lazion fires a more concentrated shot that sends Aporia flying, his robotic parts breaking apart. (Aporia 500-0) Zone turns over to Ruby, who feels a mix of fear and anger in her heart. "Ruby Rose, your efforts are in vain. You and the rest of this pathetic city shall be destroyed." With that, she flies out of an open window, leaving them to contemplate what just happened.
"Aporia!" Whitley cries out as he and Weiss run over to the broken robot. "I'm sorry. I failed to stop Zone." Aporia reaches his hand towards Ruby's duel runner and his parts start to gravitate in that direction. "But there is one last thing that I can do. Ruby, I shall give your duel runner the ability to fly, so that you may challenge Zone and bring back Hope." His parts integrate into her duel runner, causing it to hover above the ground slightly, all the while the light from his eyes fades away.
Ruby starts to walk towards the duel runner, now more ready than ever to face Zone, before Yang puts her hand on Ruby's shoulder stopping her. "Wait." Ruby turns around, and the rest of the signers approach her, their dragons in hand. "Take our dragons, and take Zone down with all the power of Team 5ds!" Ruby accepts the cards from the team and nods. "Thank you, everyone." With that, she gets onboard her duel runner and flies out the open window to chase after Zone.
It is a rather disconcerting experience for Ruby, flying through the air like this. She takes some time to practice her breathing, keeping herself from experiencing nausea. After a little while, she flies out, approaching Zone, who notices her. "Incapable of accepting the inevitable, aren't we?" "You know it." Ruby proudly declares, activating her duel disk.
"I shall teach you the same lesson that I taught Aporia. I draw! Since there are no cards on the field, I can special summon Time Maiden from my hand." A small white version of the timelords appears. (Level 1/0) "Time Maiden can be treated as two tribute for the tribute summon of a fairy. So I tribute her to summon Metaion the Timelord!" (Level 10/0) "I set a card and end my turn."
Metaion, Ruby thinks. That's the one that returns all my monsters to my hand if I battle it. Better find a work around. "I draw!" (Zone 0-1, Ruby 0-1) "I summon Red Lotus from my hand!" (Level 3/1300) "Red Lotus's effect summons a level 4 plant from my hand. I summon Revival Rose!" (Level 4/1300) "I tune my level 4 Revival Rose with my level 4 Red Lotus! Take flight, the culmination of a great family's legacy, the pride of the Schnee name! I synchro summon Twilight Dragon!" (Level 7/2300)
As the rest of the signers head out to a balcony to view the duel, Whitley's signer mark glows. "She just summoned my card. Go, Ruby!" He cheers. "With Twilight Dragon's effect, not only can I add a level 4 or lower monster from my deck to my hand once per turn, but I can also summon a level 4 or lower monster each turn, and they'll gain 500 attack and defense. I add and then summon Necro Planter!" A decaying zombie farmer appears. (Level 4/1000-1500)
"When Necro Planter is summoned, I can special summon a level 4 or lower plant from my graveyard, but it will be banished when it leaves the field. I choose Red Lotus!" Necro Planter pulls back up Red Lotus from the ground. "I tune my level 4 Necro Planter with my level 3 Red Lotus! Your perfect scales capture the light of hope. Now, descend and defend us all! Synchro summon! Appear, White Glass Dragon!" (Level 7/0) "I set two cards and end my turn."
"An impressive front. But ultimately futile. I draw!" (Zone 1-2, Ruby 1-2) "During my standby phase, Metaion returns to my deck." Metaion fades away, just as before. "I then activate my face-down, Nonexistence. Now I can normal summon level 10 or lower monsters without tribute, but in exchange, all my monsters lose their attack." Which doesn't matter since your monsters have zero attack anyway, Ruby thinks to herself.
"I summon Lazion the Timelord!" The same monster that wiped out Aporia reappears. (Level 10/0) "I won't bother attacking since your White Glass Dragon would only negate the attack. Instead, I will set a card and end my turn." Ruby draws her card without a word. (Zone 2-3, Ruby 2-3) "Since you drew a card, Lazion deals 1000 damage to you." Lazion shoots out a bolt of fire that Ruby only barely dodges. (Ruby 4000-3000)
"I activate the effect of Twilight Dragon, adding a level 4 or lower monster to my hand. I then summon Incendiary Seed." A red seed shaped like a cartoon bomb appears. (Level 4/1800-2300) "I normal summon Crimson Thorn." (Level 4/0-500) "I tune my level 4 Crimson Thorn with my level 4 Incendiary Seed! As life inches ever closer to death, the heart beats stronger and stronger. Synchro summon! Celica Burst Dragon!" (Level 8/3000-4000)
"When Incendiary Seed is used for a synchro summon, you take damage equal to the level of Celica times 200!" The seed-bomb appears in Celica's hands, who promptly throws it at Zone, breaking part of her mask. (Zone 4000-2600) Ruby congratulates herself on managing to deal damage to Zone without having to deal with Lazion, but as the dust settles, she forgets all about that. Underneath the mask, she sees what looks like an older version of herself.
"Don't be fooled." Zone clarifies. "When the machines first attacked, I had hoped that by imitating you, a great hero of the past, I could unify the people and dispel the negativity that attracted the machines. But hope is futile, and my efforts are in vain. I am the last human, unless my plans come to fruition. I draw!" (Zone 3-4, Ruby 3-4) "Lazion returns to my deck." Lazion fades away.
"Now I send Nonexistence to my graveyard to activate Endless Emptiness!" The ring on Zone's side of the field is replaces by two rings connected to each other, forming an infinity symbol. "With this card, I can summon as many timelords as I wish, ignoring their effects that only one timelord can be on the field at a time, but their attacks will still be at 0. I summon the timelords Zaphion, Sadion, and Kamion!"
Three new timelords appear through the rings, one a blue woman, the second a green man, and the third a brown man (Level 10/0) "Zaphion, attack White Glass Dragon. If Zaphion battles, it will return all your spells and traps to the deck." Zaphion gathers water around itself and starts to shoot it towards White Glass Dragon. "I activate the effect of White Glass Dragon, negating the attack and gaining Zaphion's attack. Shimmer Scale Flash!" White Glass Dragon raises a barrier which blocks the water attack.
"Sadion, attack White Glass Dragon as well." Sadion gathers wind around itself and fires at White Glass Dragon, this time the attack connecting. "After Sadion battles, my life points are restored to 4000." (Zone 2600-4000) "Now, Kamion, attack White Glass Dragon as well. When Kamion battles, all your monsters are returned to the deck, and you take 500 damage for each." Kamion starts to gather pieces of rock and dust around himself. "I activate my face-down, Solemn Strike. By paying 1500 life points," (Ruby 3000-1500) (Celica 4000-5500) "I can negate your monster's effect and destroy your card." Kamion's attack falters, but he is unaffected by the destruction. "Very well. I end my turn. Can you keep up your tempo, Ruby Rose? Can you find a way to stop Zero Reverse from happening again?"
Ruby ignored that attempt to taunt her as she drew her card. (Zone 4-5, Ruby 4-5) "I activate the effect of Twilight Dragon, adding another monster. I then summon Copy Plant!" (Level 1/0-500) "I then summon Petal Violet Witch!" (Level 4/1100-1600) "I then activate the effect of my Copy Plant, turning its level into that of Violet Witch." Copy Plant molds itself into a mulch-like double of Violet Witch. (Copy Plant Level 1-4) "I now tune my level 4 Violet Witch with my level 4 Copy Plant. Shadows dance upon the midnight plain. Rise and command them to victory! Synchro Summon! Appear, Gambol Shroud Dragon!" (Level 8/2500) "I set a card and end my turn." Just one more turn. If I can survive one more turn.
"I draw!" (Zone 5-6, Ruby 5-6) "During my standby phase, all of my timelords return to the deck." The three timelords all fade away. "However, the effect of Zaphion lets me draw until I have five cards in my hand. Did you think that I was going to run out of timelords to summon, and then I would be vulnerable? Think again. I use the effect of Endless Emptiness to summon the timelords Michion, Hailon, Raphion, Gabrion, and Sandaion!"
Five more timelords appears, another red man, a brown woman with two sets of arms, a green woman, a blue man, and a massive orange man. (Level 10/0) (Sandaion Level 10/4000-0) "Michion, attack White Glass Dragon!" Michion gathers fire around himself. Ruby was about to activate the effect of White Glass Dragon, but hesitated. Instead, she let the attack connect. "Prudent. Michion halves your life points." (Ruby 1500-750) (Celica 5500-6250) "I figured, since you took the time to study and become me, you would know my strategies, so you would probably bait me out." Ruby explained.
"Now, Hailon attacks White Glass Dragon." "Shimmer Scale Flash!" White Glass Dragon blocks the onslaught of earth and debris. "If Hailon had battled, she would have dealt damage equal to the difference in our life points, winning me the duel. Now, Raphion, attack Celica Burst Dragon. If Raphion battles a monster, she will return that monster to the hand and deal damage equal to its attack." Raphion starts gathering wind around itself, aiming for Celica.
"I activate the effect of the Mirage Decoy in my hand!" Ruby counters. "When a monster I control is targeted for an attack, I can special summon it from my hand and redirect the attack to it!" A small imp in a cloak appears in front of Celica, (Level 1/0-500) only for the winds to move it back to Ruby's hand. (Ruby 1500-1000) "Gabrion attacks White Glass Dragon." Gabrion gathers water around itself and hits White Glass Dragon. "When Gabrion battles, all cards you control are returned to the deck."
"I activate my face-down, Synchro Wave, tributing all synchro monsters I control to gain 500 life points for each." All of Ruby's monsters fade away. (Ruby 1000-2500) "What good would that do?" Zone asks. "I attack with Sandaion. After he battles, you will take 4000 damage." Sandaion generates a large boulder the size of a building, and throws it at Ruby.
"I activate the effect of Hope Seed in my hand, discarding it and another card in my hand to not only negate the damage but synchro summon Crescent Rose Dragon from my extra deck with its effects negated!" A small seed fires into the boulder, stopping it in its tracks. The boulder then disintegrates into rose petals, revealing Crescent Rose in the center. (Level 7/2400) "What a waste of time. I set a card and end my turn. Go on and show me one last futile effort before you lose."
"You know it isn't futile, Zone." Ruby remarks. "If you truly thought that destiny was immutable, that the future was set in stone, you wouldn't have gone to all this trouble to save humanity, to honor the wishes of your friends, Aporia, Penny, and Paradox. Now, I will honer the wishes of my friends, and save this city!" At this time, the signer marks from Whitley, Weiss, Blake, and Yang all disappear alongside Ruby's, before reappearing on her back.
"Hmph. The power of the Crimson Dragon? Majestic Rose Dragon cannot save you here. Nothing can." Zone says, her voice somewhat louder than before. "I send Endless Emptiness to the graveyard to activate my face-down Infinite Light!" The two rings are replaces with a trio of rings. "Now my timelords don't have to return to my deck during my standby phase, and their attacks are not reduced. You are hopeless." (Sandaion 0-4000) Ruby shakes her head. "I'm going to go beyond Majestic Dragon. I'm going to do what Penny taught me to do, and surpass my limits. I draw!" (Zone 6-7, Ruby 6-7)
"I activate the effect of Speed World 2, removing 7 speed counters," (Ruby 7-0) "to draw a card. I then activate my speed spell Zero Return. Since I have no speed counters, I can special summon as many synchro monsters from my graveyard as possible, but their effects are negated, their attack is reduced to 0, and their levels become 1." All the synchro monsters return with their colors faded out. (Level 1/0). "I then activate the effect of Harmonizing Seed in my hand, discarding it to increase Crescent Rose's level by one and make it a tuner." (Crescent Rose Level 7-8)
Ruby flies her duel runner up as high as she can, the whole time the Crimson Dragon follows, bathing her body and duel runner in a red glow. "Over Top Clear Mind! I tune my level 1 White Glass Dragon, Celica Burst Dragon, Twilight Dragon, and Gambol Shroud Dragon with my level 8 Crescent Rose Dragon! Wherever there is evil, the light of Hope will bloom to stand fast. Witness the power of the Crimson Dragon! Limit Over Accel Synchro!" The five signer dragons merge together in a blinding flash of light, all the colors of the rainbow appearing. "Appear, Full Bloom Rose Dragon!"
Once the light fades, a gigantic dragon with five rose petals all over its body descends from the heavens alongside Ruby. (Level 12/4000) "With the effect of Harmonizing Seed, since Crescent Rose was used for a synchro summon, I draw a card. Not only can Full Bloom Rose Dragon attack all monsters you control once each, and is unaffected by their effects when it does so, but it will banish those monsters afterwards. Further, while it is out, I take no damage. So attack all his monsters with Full Bloom Burst!"
Full Bloom Rose Dragon opens the five petals on its body, each firing a beam of energy that finds and destroys each timelord. Sandaion, however, manages to break through and destroy Full Bloom before being destroyed as well. "When Full Bloom is destroyed, I can summon Silver Eyes from my extra deck." As Full Bloom fades away, Silver Eyes appears in its places. (Level 10/3500) "Silver Eyes, attack Zone directly with Silver Burning!" Silver Eyes fires a black and white blast of energy directly at Zone, who is pushed back by the attack. (Zone 4000-500) "I set a card and end my turn."
"You think that amounted to anything?" Zone growls, her usual monotone broken into a growl. "This is nothing! You are nothing! Nothing but a false dream! I draw!" (Zone 7-8, Ruby 0-1) "I activate the effect of Infinite Light! Since I have summoned all 10 of the lesser Timelords, I can send Infinite Light to the graveyard to summon the Timelord above them all!" Behind Zone, a large tree appears, with each of the timelords occupying a spot on the tree.
"Within the light of freedom where the Temporal Machine Gods were born there is a hidden Da'at where only the chosen ones can venture. The source of nothingness and existence, the ultimate Temporal Machine God that was born from infinite light! I summon Sephylon the Ultimate Timelord!"
The tree dissolves, reforming into a timelord whose size easily dwarfs that of the others, his face that of an old man. (Level 12/4000) "Once per turn, Sephylon can summon any number of Timelords from my hand, deck, or graveyard with their attacks made to be 4000!" Around Ruby, Metaion, Lazion, Kamion, and Zaphion appear. (Level 10/0-4000) "Further, Sephylon gains the attack of all other timelords I control!" (Sephylon 4000-20000)
"Sephylon, attack Silver Eyes! And when it does, your monster's effects are negated, so there is no hope for escape! Akashic Storm!" The four lesser timelords raise their hands, energy gathering in their hands. Sephylon raises his hand, taking the energy and firing it at Silver Eyes. "There is always hope!" Ruby replies. "I activate my face-down, Power of the Rose Dragon! By tributing Silver Eyes, I can summon a Rose Dragon synchro monster from my extra deck!" Silver Eyes glitches out, replaced by Black Rose Dragon. Behind Black Rose, the ghostly image of all the dragons in Ruby's graveyard appear.
"Then, Black Rose gains attack equal to the combined attack of all monsters in my graveyard!" (Black Rose 2400-20100) "I then activate the effect of Power of the Rose Dragon, shuffling a dragon in my graveyard into the deck to force our monsters to attack. I choose White Glass Dragon!" Black Rose fires a shot from its mouth, the spirit of White Glass Dragon alongside it.
"I activate the effect of Sephylon, banishing another Timelord I control to negate its destruction and any damage I would take." The four timelords form a shield around Sephylon with Metaion blocking the attack, shattering in the process. (Sephylon 20000-16000) "I activate the effect of Power of the Rose Dragon again! Twilight Dragon, join the fight!" This time, Twilight Dragon joins Black Rose. (Black Rose 20100-17800) As before, Lazion takes the blow. (Sephylon 16000-12000) "Gambol Shroud Dragon, help us now!" Gambol Shroud Dragon appears alongside Black Rose, (Black Rose 17800-15300) and this time, Kamion is destroyed. (Sephylon 12000-8000) "Celica Burst Dragon, your turn!" (Black Rose Dragon 15300-12300) Zaphion is destroyed, and now Sephylon is left exposed. (Sephylon 8000-4000)
"This is the proof of our wishes, Zone! Everything that we have fought for! Silver Eyes, finish the job! Black Rose Flare!" (Black Rose 12300-8800) Black Rose and Silver Eyes both join together and wipe Sephylon to smithereens, sending Zone flying. "NOOOOOO!" (Zone 4000-0) Ruby flies over to where Zone landed, and takes off her helmet. Zone, her face now fully exposed, coughs up blood as her injuries begin to take the better of her. "This proves nothing. You're too late. The Divine Temple can't be stopped, and I will save humanity with my dying breath." Ruby looks on, wondering what could have driven Zone to this state. "I told you. There's always hope." She puts back on her helmet and gets back on her duel runner, taking off. Zone takes her final moments to ponder whether Ruby Rose is right all along.
As the rest of Team 5ds cheers Ruby on, they notice that she doesn't stop for them, only dropping their cards down as she passes by. "Where's she going?" Weiss asks, hoping she doesn't know the answer. "She's doing what needs to be done." Whitley answers, trying to put on a strong face. Yang shakes her head and grabs her helmet from her duel runner. "Ruby, what are you doing? Get back here so we can go home." "This thing isn't stopping, Yang. The only way to take it down is to destroy the core, sending it back to its own time." "But you'll never survive that! We'll find another way!" "There's no time! Yang, tell the others goodbye."
With that, Ruby takes her helmet off and throws it away. It's not as though she'll need it. She drives through the various corridors of the temple, reaching the chamber where the energy core is kept. Tears in her eyes, Ruby keeps her hand on the throttle, full speed ahead.
The signers are shaken by the resulting explosion, with Yang getting up first to run to the direction of the explosion. "RUBY!" Behind them, a helicopter flies up, with Neo opening the door. "Come on! This place is gonna blow!" The rest of the team starts to move towards the helicopter, save for Yang. Blake grabs her shoulder, pulling her back. "Come on, we gotta go." "Not without Ruby!" "Yang!" Blake slaps Yang in the face. "Please, let's go." Yang looks back one last time before joining Blake to get on the helicopter, which flies away as the temple fades away, flying out of time.
...
One month later.
"Today we honor a brave sacrifice." Pyrrha began. "Ruby Rose always thought of others before herself, and taught all of us that there is always hope, even in the darkest situations. So today, the Arcadia Academy is proud to announce that in collaboration with Security, we are opening the Fortune Research Institute, to research how to stop the incident that caused the future that Zone and her friends came from." Neo cut the ribbon, and the crowd cheered, with the staff coming in to begin their work.
Meanwhile, Yang, Blake, Weiss, and Whitley gathered on the roof, looking out to the sky. "So, what now?" Blake wondered. "After we graduate, Whitley and I are going to go take our place at Father's business." Weiss answered. "What about you, Yang?" Yang looked down from the sky towards the city. "I think I'll try and get back into turbo dueling, reclaim my title as Queen of Duels."
Blake nodded at the answer. "As for me, I think I'll try my hand at being a member of Security. Someone's gotta look out for this place." A familiar roar turned their direction behind them. The Crimson Dragon flew by, and as it did, their signer marks disappeared. "I guess we're no longer needed." Weiss commented. "Time to move on." The four of them all left, ready for what lies ahead.
The End
...
Ruby took a hand to her head, feeling a throbbing pain. The only consolation she could take was that the pain meant she was, somehow, still alive. She looked around to get a grip of her surroundings. She seemed to be in some street of a city she didn't recognize, with her duel runner having rammed into a lamp post. To her right, she saw someone running towards her, a schoolgirl with purple hair, and a peculiar necklace hanging from her neck. "Are you alright?" Ruby massaged her head again. "I think so. Where am I, and who are you?" "My name is Twilight Sparkle, and you're in Heartland City."