This story was done in collaboration between me and Jriddle41 (Sodormatchmaker on DeviantART), and we both own the OCs that are used in the story. Everything else belongs to their respective owners:
Thomas and Friends (c) Hit Entertainment and Mattel
The Railway Series (c) Rev Wilbert Awdry
Yu-Gi-Oh! (c) Konami
WARNING: These stories are rated either T (13-plus) or M for moments of violence, bloody moments, frightening moments, and some suggestive themes. Viewer discretion may be (or strongly is) advised.
Title: The Sun Dragon, Part 1
Opening up inside Odion's room, the poor young Egyptian man had been put into bed to rest up—but he showed no signs of awakening anytime soon. Everyone had gathered around to see him.
"Is… is he going to be okay?" asked Mavis.
"The doctors said that Odion will live… but he's in a deep coma," answered Discord, as focus went towards the bedridden Odion, "And they have no clear idea when he will wake up."
"Oh man, the poor guy," sighed Percy quietly, "He wasn't a bad person, at all…"
"There's one guy I'd like to blame for all of this," said James crossly.
"Marik," whispered Thomas.
"He used his own brother to do his dirty work for him," added Toby, again before focusing entirely on Odion, "And this guy was only trying to protect Marik to the very end, and then just…abandoned him when the jig was up."
"That bastard!" cursed Michael, slamming his clenched fist on the nearby table, "He's rotten to the core!"
Everyone in the room was very upset with all that Marik had done. The Rare Hunter leader had to pay for his horrible crimes. Discord, however, knew that right now, they had another duel to prepare for…
"I'm afraid our anger towards Marik will have to wait," he spoke up, "We have another duel to go get ready for."
"Agreed," nodded Lady, "There's still me, Marik, Spencer, and the tenth finalist left."
Everyone gave a nod, but Liz only started to glare at the beautiful blonde-haired girl.
"Is something the matter, dear?" quizzed Ryan, noticing his wife's look.
"Huh?" quizzed Lady, looking a little confused, "Did I say something wrong?"
"Could the rest of you please go?" requested Liz, trying to look as calm as possible, "I would like to have a private talk with Lady."
Everyone else, feeling uneasy about what was about to happen, obeyed and left the room. Once they were alone, Liz turned to face Lady as her calm face turned into a more angry one.
"Lady, I just can't believe you!" began Liz.
"What are you talking about? I don't understand," pressed Lady.
"You're my brother's girlfriend, are you not?" Liz questioned accusingly, "Then why not show a little faith? While everyone else, myself included, showed him some encouragement during the duel, you were not being all of that very much!"
"I told you before I wanted him to win!" objected Lady, "But the situation looked very bleak."
"That's no excuse!" snapped Liz, "I want you to stop being such a pessimist towards your friends! It makes me think you don't truly care for Percy at all, otherwise you would never have doubted him!"
Lady had a look of shock and hurt on her face. Unfortunately, the young woman didn't stop there…
"If you continue to be so doubtful about Percy in his duels, then perhaps it's best that you never see him again!" The voice of Lisa raged, "Or, perhaps, you shouldn't even see everyone else here."
Outside the room, everyone else actually did not leave… They were listening to the conversation going on inside the room! When the door opened, Lady ran out sobbing down the hallway. On the other hand, Liz then came out of the room and gave a contented sigh after letting her anger and frustrations out.
"Much better," The young woman said only to herself.
"Liz?" blinked Percy, "What did you say to Lady that made her so upset?"
"She needed to learn a lesson," Liz answered simply, "I was just being a good elder sister."
"From the way Lady was crying," remarked Percy, "it seems like you really broke her heart. What was it you said to her?"
"Like I said, she needed to know to stop being such a pessimist towards you and your friends!"
"But I think you did it the wrong way!" protested Emily.
"How else was I supposed to get it through her head that she needs to be more supportive?" asked Liz harshly.
"I can't believe you!" sighed Ryan in dismay, "How could you do this?"
"It's something called 'tough love'," insisted Liz, walking away, "Once Lady has calmed down, she'll be a better person. Trust me."
No one else could believe that Elizabeth Avonside, one of the kindest, most caring, women on the whole Island of Sodor, had just shown a side no one had ever seen before in their life.
(inside…)
Inside her own room, Lady was laying on her bed crying her eyes out.
"Liz is right about me," she weeped quietly, "I'm a terrible friend… I'm honestly surprised that Percy hasn't broken up with me yet."
It took a few minutes, but once Lady had a chance to calm herself down she began to do some thinking on the matter.
"I have to make it up to my friends for being so doubtful," Lady said to herself, "But how?"
(elsewhere…)
Meanwhile… Inside his room, the new 'Dark' Marik had finished changing his clothes into something…far more sinister looking… It consisted of a long purple cape with a gold chain, a black sleeveless tank top, and beige pants. For added accessories, he wore golden earrings, neckwear, armbands, and bracelets.
"Ahhh…" Dark Marik breathed heavily, before chuckling evilly, "Nothing like a new look to make me feel like a newly reborn split personality. Now, who to kill first?"
Suddenly, he had a look of anger on his face. He (Dark Marik) could remember the time where Odion had managed to seal him (Dark Marik) away inside the weaker Marik five years ago, and the evil man would have none of that, this time around. If he wanted to stay in the body, he (Dark Marik) needed to kill Odion first. That way, that disgusting marking won't calm regular Marik.
"I must eliminate that fool, Odion, before he wakes up and tries to get rid of me once again," muttered Dark Marik, before smirking again, "Because he's unconscious, this will be an easy task."
(elsewhere…)
Later on, everyone (except for Lady and Dark Marik) was gathered in the dining room to wait for the gambling machine to select the next two duelists to duel next.
"We've got four duelists left," commented James, "Who will be next?"
"Personally, I hope either Spencer or Lady don't face off against Marik," replied Thomas, before looking nearby at Spencer, "They would be no match for him, I just know it."
"I agree," Matt nodded, "Marik's power seems unreal… and that could lead to great danger for anyone who has to duel him."
Just then, Lady walked into the room.
"Hi, Lady," greeted Percy brightly, "Are you feeling any better?"
The beautiful blonde-haired girl gazed at her boyfriend for a moment—but then just ignored him and walked over to another part of the room, leaving him confused and worried.
"Boy, she's really upset," Percy thought to himself, "Liz was harder on her than I first thought."
Meanwhile, Thomas and Emily both decided to give it a try…
"Lady, we were all worried about you," began Thomas.
"Are you feeling any better?" Emily finished with a question.
But Lady didn't seem to answer the two of them.
"Lady?" The voice of Thomas repeated
"I'm fine," Lady said quietly, closing her eyes for a moment before reopening them, "But why would you guys care?"
Thomas was surprised, "What are you-?"
"Of course, we care, Lady!" reassured Emily, "We're all your friends."
"Are you really?"
"Is this because of what Liz said?" asked Thomas.
"Maybe, maybe not," shrugged Lady uncaringly, "You can decide that for yourself."
Thomas and Emily both couldn't believe that their friend was acting like this. Deciding to just leave Lady alone for a little bit, they walked back over to their waiting friends.
"Will Lady be okay?" Molly asked.
"At this point, probably not," sighed Emily.
It was then the lead suit, Roland, began to make the announcement for the next duel of the finals.
"The next duelist to partake in the semi-finals is number 7! Lady Stone!" he called out, holding out a number ball.
"Hey, that's great!" smiled Percy, "Did you hear that, Lady?" As he cheerfully spoke, Lady just listened from her spot nearby, "You're dueling next!"
Lady just gazed at her boyfriend, yet didn't seem to say anything.
(elsewhere…)
Outside Odion's room, a doctor was just exiting the room after making sure that the unconscious young man would be okay when a new (yet familiar) voice was heard…
"Could I please go see the patient?"
Before the doctor could speak up about it, the Millennium Rod was held up by someone and began glowing all gold.
"W-Who…?" The doctor began, looking very surprised, "GAH! W-What-?"
Alas, the doctor didn't have time to finish or yell before collapsing onto the ground. The owner of the Millennium Rod was revealed to be…Dark Marik.
"That's better," sighed Dark Marik, picking up the dropped keycard and opening the door with it, "Now to go pay him a visit."
(inside…)
Now inside the room, Dark Marik suddenly pulled off the handle of the Millennium Rod…and revealed it to be half rod, half dagger.
"One-by-one… I will sacrifice them to the darkness," Dark Marik said to himself, approaching the bed and speaking to the unconscious Odion, "Hello, Odion, my old friend…" The patient had no way of responding back, so he went on, "As long as you live on with that repulsive carving on your face, there's a chance my weaker self may try to retake control of the body. So, that is why I'm here—to make sure that it never happens again!" The evil man then gently lowered the exposed dagger towards his victim's forehead, "I was trapped within the darkness for far too long… Now, it's your turn to go visit there!" The weapon was raised, "Be sure to say hello to my old man when you arrive in the underworld."
Just then, before Dark Marik could deliver the killing blow…
"Lady Stone's opponent will be duelist number 9! Marik Ishtar!" The voice of Roland bellowed from the intercom.
Dark Marik scowled a bit upon hearing his name being mentioned, and put the handle back onto the Millennium Rod before gazing at the unconscious Odion hatefully.
"Heh! You've got quite the luck, Odion… I guess you can live a little while longer," sneered Dark Marik, just before an extremely cruel smile appeared on his face as he turned and walked away, "But I can at least have some fun before I come back to finish what I was about to do."
(elsewhere…)
Meanwhile, Lady was outside on the duel platform and waiting for Dark Marik to arrive.
"Marik…" The beautiful blonde-haired girl thought to herself darkly, "He has 'The Winged Dragon of Ra', and he's put my friends through so much pain, agony, and trouble," Then she had an idea, "Wait a minute… Maybe if I defeat him, then perhaps that will help me make things right with my friends."
And that's what she decided to do. Just then, she felt a cold chill enter her body. Lady then noticed Dark Marik walking out of the staircase and onto the platform. Dark Marik was smiling sadistically upon stepping onto his side of the field and seeing who he was dueling first.
"The shadows are hungry," remarked Dark Marik, eyeing Lady, "A young girl like you will be a…most interesting appetizer."
Lady just activated her Duel Disk in response—just before getting into a dueling position.
"Spare me the small talk," she said bravely, "I know you have a 'God' Card in your Deck, and I aim to challenge and defeat it!"
Hearing that tone of voice made Dark Marik chuckle as he activated his own Duel Disk in response.
"Prepare for an experience like none you've ever experienced in your life!" warned Dark Marik.
"Oh please, you don't scare me," scoffed Lady.
"Oh?" Dark Marik uttered teasingly, glaring fiendishly, "Then why do I sense the fear in your eyes?"
Nearby, Spencer, with his arms folded, watched and waited for the duel to commence.
"I wonder just how powerful a 'Ra' Deck is?" thought Spencer, "I aim to find that out here."
Just then, Roland walked up to the center of the field in order to announce for the duel to commence.
"Lady Stone and Marik Ishtar, begin the fourth duel!" ordered Roland.
It was around then the rest of the gang arrived to watch the duel and for Lady to hopefully emerge victorious against Dark Marik.
"Did we miss anything?" asked Carlie.
"The duel is about to start!" replied Ben.
"Good luck, Lady!" called Percy.
Lady didn't reply, while Dark Marik chuckled in amusement.
"You're either very brave or very foolish to ignore your friends like that, little Lady," The evil man teased.
"Who cares what you think?! I'm going to make you pay for what you put my friends through!" threatened Lady.
The two duelists drew their opening hands and finally began the duel (LP: 4000) x2.
"The first move will go to me!" announced Lady, drawing her opening hand (and sixth card), "Draw card!"
Turn One: Lady Stone (LP: 4000)
Deck: 54
Current Hand (6): "De-Spell", "Dunames Dark Witch", "Mirror Wall", "Amazoness Swords Woman", "Fairy's Hand Mirror", and "Amazoness Chain Master"
Upon looking at her six card hand, she looked up at her opponent.
"Here I go, Marik!" continued Lady, taking a card from her hand and placing it onto her Duel Disk, "I Summon 'Dunames Dark Witch' in Attack Position!"
The red armored, white winged Fairy monster appeared on the field (Level: 4/ATK: 1800/DEF: 1050).
"I end my turn!" finished Lady.
"Hmhmhm… That's a nice rare card," Dark Marik giggled sarcastically, putting the Millennium Rod away, "Now then… I think I'll start things off with a sharp sword…" He drew a card, "It's my turn!"
Turn Two: Dark Marik (LP: 4000)
Deck: 54
Current Hand (6): "Jam Defender", "Makyura the Destructor", "Legendary Fiend", "Remove Trap", "Jam Breeding Machine", and "Revival Jam"
His drawn card was the 'Revival Jam' Monster Card. Smiling at his opening hand, he took a card and placed it sideways onto a Monster Zone on his Duel Disk.
"I Summon 'Revival Jam' in Defense Position!" The voice of Dark Marik called out, as the above scenario played out.
Appearing onto the field was the familiar blue slime Thomas had faced once before (Level: 4/ATK: 1500/DEF: 500). In fact, he had a quick flashback to his duel with Strings.
FLASHBACK
During the duel, 'Buster Blader' leaped into the sky and brought his huge sword down towards the 'Slime Token', aiming to destroy it. All of a sudden, 'Revival Jam' appeared and took the blow instead, splattering into goo before fully reforming.
END FLASHBACK
The flashback ended.
"I remember that monster," Thomas whispered, before raising his voice, "Lady, watch out! That monster-!"
But Lady suddenly held a hand basically to tell Thomas to keep quiet.
"I appreciate that you want to help, Thomas," Lady said sternly, "However, it's against the rules to take advice from the crowd during a duel," She faced her opponent with determination, "I'm sorry, but I have to face him myself."
A dismayed Thomas instantly became quiet as a result.
"Attack my monster if you dare," teased Dark Marik. He then took out another card ('Jam Breeding Machine') from his hand, "From my hand, I'll activate the Continuous Spell, 'Jam Breeding Machine'."
The mentioned Spell Card materialized face-up on the field, followed by a familiar-looking machine rising from the ground in-front of it.
"What's that supposed to do?" Lady pondered.
"During each of my Standby Phases: I must Special Summon 1 'Slime Token' in Attack Position," explained Dark Marik, going over his card's first effect before going over its second effect, "If I Normal Summon or Flip Summon any other monster (except 'Slime Tokens'), I must destroy this card," He spread his arms out in welcome, "If you don't attack me quickly, my field will become crowded with monsters…!"
Thomas also remembered this card. He also instantly recognized the strategy Dark Marik was using.
"He must be gathering enough Tributes in order to Summon his 'Egyptian God' monster!" thought Thomas.
Back atop the platform…
"It's my turn!" announced Lady, drawing her card, "Draw!"
Turn Three: Lady Stone (LP: 4000)
Deck: 53
Current Hand (6): "De-Spell", "Mirror Wall", "Amazoness Swords Woman", "Fairy's Hand Mirror", "Amazoness Chain Master", and "Amazon Brigade"(!)
Immediately, she slotted two cards into his Duel Disk. On cue, two face-down cards materialized on the field near her feet.
"I set two cards face-down," continued Lady, "And now, I'm going to attack!" From there, as she gave the order, 'Dunames Dark Witch' raised her hands and charged an attack "'Dunames Dark Witch', attack 'Revival Jam'! Angel Dust!"
'Dunames Dark Witch' obeyed, firing a blast of magic at Revival Jam. It splattered into blobs of liquid when struck, making it seem like it was beaten.
"'Revival Jam' has been destroyed!" rejoiced Lady, making Dark Marik giggle again. Just then, the liquid blobs came together and reformed 'Revival Jam', "Wait, it wasn't destroyed?!"
Dark Marik chuckled, "Don't panic," he chortled, "This was 'Revival Jam's' effect. When this card is destroyed and sent to the GY: I must Special Summon it in face-up Defense Position."
"So that's why they call it 'Revival' Jam," groaned Lady.
Below the platform…
"I know that feeling all too well," Thomas said only to himself.
Back on the platform…
"Now let's enjoy the show," whispered Dark Marik, "We have plenty of time on our hands," He drew a card, "It's my turn!"
Turn Four: Dark Marik (LP: 4000)
Deck: 53
Current Hand (5): "Jam Defender", "Legendary Fiend", "Remove Trap", "Makyura the Destructor", and "Pot of Greed"
From there…
"Now, since it's my Standby Phase," reminded Dark Marik, "'Jam Breeding Machine' will create a 'Slime Token'!"
The machine activated and out came a small 'Slime Token' (Level: 1/ATK: 500/DEF: 500).
"From there, I'll activate my drawn 'Pot of Greed'," The evil man declared, holding his drawn card ('Pot of Greed') out for two seconds before sending it to the GY, "I must draw 2 cards. And, as you know, greed is good."
Dark Marik's LP counter started flashing the word 'draw two cards' thrice, and he drew two more cards (one-at-a-time). His drawn cards were 'Melchid the Four-Face Beast' (Normal Monster Card) and 'Masked Beast Des Gardius' (Effect Monster Card).
"And finally, I'll Set one card face-down," finished Dark Marik, slotting a card into a Spell & Trap Zone on his Duel Disk. This caused a face-down card to materialize on the field, "My turn's finished."
Nearby…
"Big Brother, do you think it's that card?" wondered Skiff, while Mr. and Mrs. Gresley (Boxford) looked over.
"Yes, it's the Continuous Trap, 'Jam Defender'," confirmed Spencer, "When an opponent's monster declares an attack on a monster you control: You can target 1 'Revival Jam' you control; switch the attack target to that target."
Over with the group…
"He's right… Since Marik has 'Revival Jam' on the field, his Set card is no doubt 'Jam Defender'," thought Thomas, "'Revival Jam' revives every time it's destroyed, and combined with 'Jam Defender', Marik can never be attacked, and he will keep gaining 'Slime Tokens' until he has three of them," He tried speaking aloud, "Lady!"
"Remember what I said, Thomas," interrupted Lady firmly, cutting Thomas off once more as he was forced to listen, "I can't have any advice from the audience or it'll be a disqualification."
Again, Thomas bit his lip and stayed silent.
"Lady will be fine, Thomas," Emily reassured, "Just believe in her."
Up on the platform, Lady silently drew her next card.
Turn Five: Lady Stone (LP: 4000)
Deck: 52
Current Hand (5): "De-Spell", "Amazoness Swords Woman", "Fairy's Hand Mirror", "Amazoness Chain Master", and "Harpie's Feather Duster"
Seeing what she drew, the beautiful blonde-haired girl had a satisfied smile on her face.
"Sorry, Marik, but your face-down card, as good as it sounds, won't be of any help to you," she pointed out.
Dark Marik frowned, but said nothing. Suddenly, the 'Harpie's Feather Duster' Spell Card materialized face-up on Lady's field.
"I activate the Normal Spell, Harpie's Feather Duster!" declared Lady, "I must destroy all Spells and Traps my opponent controls!"
A tornado came out of the face-up 'Harpie's Feather Duster' Spell Card and swept across Dark Marik's field, destroying Jam Breeding Machine and his face-down card ('Jam Defender'). Dark Marik kept frowning, but quickly recovered and grinned once more, amused by how good the strategy used by Lady was.
"Your Continuous Spells and Continuous Traps won't work on me!" scolded Lady boldly.
Below the platform…
"Way to go Lady!" cheered Percy.
"Well done, Lady," thought Thomas, pleased, "You got rid of that combo that caused me a lot of trouble in a mere turn!"
Back on the platform, the Battle Phase had begun.
"Alright, 'Dunames Dark Witch', the coast is clear!" smiled Lady, "Now… destroy Marik's 'Slime Token'!"
'Dunames Dark Witch' obeyed and fired an orb of light, striking and destroying the 'Slime Token' without effort. Dark Marik merely smiled evilly as his LP took a large hit (LP: 4000 → 2700).
"Well done, Lady!" cheered Percy.
Lady overheard that comment and smiled a bit, happy to hear that her boyfriend was still willing to cheer her on. Even so, Dark Marik did not look worried.
"Rejoice…!" he thought to himself, while his face was slowly stretching out like bad animation, "Rejoice to the Heavens as you grasp on to the last ray of light and hope! That way when everything you hold dear crumbles in despair before you, the resulting shock will be ten-fold!!"
Turn Six: Dark Marik (LP: 2700)
Deck: 50
Current Hand (6): "Legendary Fiend", "Remove Trap", "Makyura the Destructor", "Melchid the Four-Face Beast", "Masked Beast Des Gardius", and "Rope of Life"
Upon seeing his drawn 'Rope of Life' Trap Card…
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, little girl," called Dark Marik, wagging his tongue around a little bit while adding his drawn card to his hand, "But I've got something far worse in store for you!"
To prove his point, he placed a card ('Melchid the Four-Face Beast') onto a Monster Zone on his Duel Disk.
"I Summon 'Melchid the Four-Face Beast'!" requested Dark Marik.
Appearing onto the field was a large creature with four faces on each side like a square (Level: 4/ATK: 1500/DEF: 1200).
"But it won't be around for much longer," continued Dark Marik, "Because I offer both it and 'Revival Jam' as a Tribute!" Both 'Revival Jam' and 'Melchid the Four-Faced Beast' faded away in streaks of blue as dark fog gathered around, "From there, I'll Special Summon 'Masked Beast Des Gardius'!"
As soon as the fog was gone, a huge creature with three masked heads suddenly appeared on the field in the place of the two monsters (Level: 8/ATK: 3300/DEF: 2500).
"Marik's Deck seems to consist of cards his previous Rare Hunters used," thought Spencer, looking rather curious and impressed, "How interesting…"
Thomas, meanwhile, was deeply worried for Lady since 'Masked Beast Des Gardius' was a very, very powerful monster with an equally troublesome effect.
"My dear, you should know all about this monster," mocked Dark Marik, "'Masked Beast Des Gardius' can only be Special Summoned by Tributing at least two monsters on my field that include either 'Grand Tiki Elder' or 'Melchid the Four-Face Beast', and that's exactly what I did!"
He began to laugh maniacally. Lady cringed a bit, but managed to regain a bit of her composure as the Battle Phase began.
"'Masked Beast Des Gardius'," ordered Dark Marik, "destroy Polly's 'Dunames Dark Witch'!"
'Masked Beast Des Gardius' obeyed and lunged forth—however, it ended up swiping its claws into a large wall of mirrored glass, much to Dark Marik's surprise.
"What's this?!" he cried out.
Lady was smirking, and also had her face-down card now face-up and activated. What was it? It was revealed to be the 'Mirror Wall' Trap card, of course.
"Continuous Trap, 'Mirror Wall'," The beautiful blonde-haired girl answered, "I must halve the ATK of my opponent's attacking monsters!"
'Masked Beast Des Gardius's' attack stat took a large drop (ATK: 3300 → 1650).
"'Dunames', strike back at the enemy!" coached Lady, while her monster eagerly waited for the attack name, "Angel Dust!"
'Dunames Dark Witch' obeyed, firing off another light orb—this time at 'Masked Beast Des Gardius', destroying it in an instant.
"So much for your all-powerful monster!" Lady called out tauntingly.
Dark Marik, despite losing a powerful monster and LP, still didn't look worried in the slightest (LP: 2700 → 2550).
"Alright, Lady!" cheered Emily.
"Way to sock it to him!" came from Ben.
Back on the platform, Dark Marik began chuckling fiendishly, causing Lady some discomfort.
"Well done," uttered Dark Marik quietly, "However-!"
Just then, a mask appeared and equipped itself to Lady's only monster, making her go to Dark Marik's side of the field.
"'Dunames'! What's happened to my monster?" yelled Lady, shocked.
"It's the result of my 'Masked Beast Des Gardius's' monster effect," explained Dark Marik, "If this card is sent from the field to my GY: I must target 1 face-up monster my opponent controls; I must equip 1 'The Mask of Remnants' from my Deck to it," He then went over what 'The Mask of Remnants' Spell Card did, as a large image of said Spell Card loomed in the background, "While this card is equipped to a monster by the effect of 'Masked Beast Des Gardius', I must take control of that monster!"
The beautiful blonde-haired girl suddenly smirked as she uttered a few simple words…
"Sorry, honey, but that won't happen," denied Lady.
"What?!" demanded Dark Marik.
"Trap Card, open!" Lady announced, as her remaining Set card flipped face-up and revealed itself, "'Amazon Brigade', activate!"
"Amazon Brigade?" quizzed Percy, "I wonder what that card does?"
"When control of a monster I control changes: I must return that monster to my hand, then Special Summon 1 'Amazoness' monster from my hand or Deck," answered Lady, "My monsters cannot attack during the next turn," She then held up her 'Dunames Dark Witch' Monster Card, "'Dunames Dark Witch' returns to my hand!"
'Dunames Dark Witch' vanished in an instant, while Lady looked at her hand, smiled, and took a card ('Amazoness Swords Woman') from said hand.
"Appear now, 'Amazoness Swords Woman'!" commanded Lady
A woman with wild, wavy hair, wearing skimpy clothing, and wielding a sword appeared on the beautiful blonde-haired girl's field (Level: 4/ATK: 1500/DEF: 1600). Dark Marik merely held out a card from his hand without showing what it was.
"Now I'll, remove your annoying 'Mirror Wall' with this!" boomed Dark Marik, turning the card ('Remove Trap') over and revealing what it was, "I activate the Spell Card, 'Remove Trap'!"
The face-up Mirror Wall Trap Card was destroyed, much to Lady's annoyance. Below the platform, James was equally annoyed at how Dark Marik easily turned the tables.
"Damn!" complained James, "It's like that guy never runs out of tricks! Lady's done some damage, but not enough to win!"
"No, it'll be fine!" reassured Percy "If things continue to go the way they've been going so far, Lady's got this duel in the bag!"
Back on the platform…
"He's right!" thought Lady, "If Marik Summons 'Ra', I have no chance of winning. I've got to finish this before that happens," She then spoke aloud, "Marik! As of now, I'm going to get serious! I'll show you the true power of my 'Amazoness' Deck!"
"Ooh… I look forward to it," snickered Dark Marik.
Below the platform…
"Man, what's up with that?" shivered James, "That Marik guy is acting creepy!"
"He makes me shudder," claimed Gordon.
"Lady had better take care," advised Zack, "If Marik is looking forward to seeing what else her Deck is capable of, he's obviously up to something."
Back on the platform…
"I end my turn!" concluded Dark Marik.
"It's my turn!" said Lady, drawing a card, "Draw!"
Turn Seven: Lady Stone (LP: 4000)
Deck: 51
Current Hand (5): "De-Spell", "Dunames Dark Witch", "Fairy's Hand Mirror", "Amazoness Chain Master", and "Amazoness Archers"
Her drawn card was a Trap Card called 'Amazoness Archers', which she added into her hand.
"Thanks to 'Amazon Brigade', I'm unable to attack this turn," Lady stated, taking another card from her hand and slotting it into her Duel Disk, "But instead I'll Set one card face-down and end my turn!"
A face-down card materialized on the field behind 'Amazoness Swords Woman'.
"Lady is doing really well against Marik. Isn't that right, Ben?" Carlie asked, looking towards Ben.
"She sure is," said Ben.
Suddenly, Dark Marik could be heard snickering… The snickering soon erupted into psychotic laughter, surprising everyone greatly.
"What is so funny?" questioned Lady hotly, "Last I checked, you're down on LP and have an empty field."
"The funny part is that you actually think you can defeat me," said Dark Marik coolly, "But I'm just getting warmed up!"
With that said, he took out the Millennium Rod from his cape as the wind blew it about fiercely.
"Playtime's over!" shouted Dark Marik, pointing the glowing Millennium Rod forth, "I'm going to sacrifice you to the darkness, Polly Stone! Let the Shadow Game begin!"
Suddenly, a large purple fog began to cover the top of the blimp.
"Purple fog?" blinked Zack.
"Oh no," whispered Discord, "It's happening again."
"The purple fog…" added Thomas, knowing what this meant
Soon, the whole top of the blimp was covered in thick, purple fog.
"Welcome to the Shadow Realm!" cackled Dark Marik, "The darkness hungers for potential sacrifices!"
"W-What is this fog?" exclaimed Lady, looking around, "I know I've seen it somewhere before, but I-!"
"You're about to experience the world's most terrifying game," Dark Marik interrupted, not letting up with his threats (promises), "There is no going back now, Polly Stone!"
"It's not the altitude that's making it hard to breathe," said Michael, still shocked by the purple fog.
"This is just like Thomas's duel with Sailor John," whispered Emily.
"Emily's correct," Thomas thought to himself, scowling, "It's a Shadow Game!"
On the platform…
"That's right, Thomas," thought Dark Marik, knowing exactly what his greatest enemy was thinking, "You know that hatred can make the night even darker."
"Marik, stop this at once!" called Thomas, "Lady is innocent…!"
"My grudge is the source of this darkness…" Dark Marik was saying, mentally, not paying any attention to the protesting, "Thomas, your death is the only thing that can clear the fog of evil, and it's hungry for innocent victims! This girl will be sacrificed to the darkness, and nothing you say or do will stop it…"
Over with Thomas and the others…
"Lady, this duel has gotten much more dangerous!" Thomas called to his friend, "You'll die if you lose to Marik!"
"Thomas?" peeped Percy, looking at his best friend.
"You have to stop dueling and escape while you still can!" argued Thomas.
"Thomas, I know that this dark fog is dangerous," replied Lady sternly, looking below the platform at her friends, "You've faced Sailor John inside of it back in San Francisco… But this here is my fight, and my fight alone! I'm not gonna give up when I've gotten this far."
"Lady!" exclaimed Thomas.
"Thomas, Percy," The beautiful blonde-haired girl went on, continuing to look at Thomas and Percy as they listened to her, "I will win! And when I do, I'll face either of you in the next round," She looked back at her opponent, "That's a promise!"
The gang was dismayed to the bone; for Lady wasn't going to give up just like that. Dark Marik, meanwhile, was very pleased and moaned in a suggestive way.
"How wonderful!" thought Dark Marik, just as his face (again) began stretching out like bad animation, "Embrace life and raise your voice, Polly Stone! Season it with the spice of pride to create the finest dish!"
Below the platform…
"We have no choice, Thomas," sighed Percy, "Lady wants to fight Marik to the finish, so we can't convince her otherwise."
"Lady…" whispered Thomas.
"I know you can win, Lady, I know it…" thought Percy, looking just as worried, "Just take care, and remember we're still by your side."
Back on the platform…
"I'm ready for your game, Marik!" declared Lady bravely.
"Heh heh heh… Then let's start the Shadow Game," chuckled Dark Marik.
And thus, the duel continued…
"Now this duel will get a few new…interesting twists," Dark Marik continued on, looking very eager to torture someone, "For example; look at your only monster."
Lady took a look at the request… There she saw a red wire being connected to the back of 'Amazoness Swords Woman' all the way towards her chest.
"What is this?!" she demanded, "This string is connected to my monster and me!"
"Heh! Since you're participating in this Shadow Game, you should know what that wire is," teased Dark Marik, "But I'll give you a hint; it's a link to your very life."
"A link…to my very life?" thought Lady, "What on Earth could that mean?"
"But instead of explaining it," Dark Marik continued, drawing a card, "you'll understand easier if you experience it first hand! After all, this is a game of fear and pain," For a third time, his face started stretching out like bad animation, "You'll experience it more greatly than in any duel you were ever in!"
He cackled madly. Lady's eyes widened as they became dull with fear.
"The madness in his eyes," The beautiful blond-haired girl thought to herself, with her eyes full with fear—although they soon returned to normal, "I won't be intimidated!"
"Now then," said Dark Marik, adding the drawn card to his hand, "You should watch as I take my turn!"
Turn Eight: Dark Marik (LP: 2550)
Deck: 49
Current Hand (4): "Legendary Fiend", "Makyura the Destructor", "Rope of Life", and "Lord Poison"
Seconds later…
"I Summon 'Makyura the Destructor' in Attack Position!" raged Dark Marik, taking and placing a new card ('Makyura the Destructor') onto his Duel Disk.
The 'Makyura the Destructor' Monster Card materialized face-up on the field, then appearing on the field was what looked like a warrior with long blades on his hands and one eye (Level: 4/ATK: 1600/DEF: 1200). A red wire appeared from the monster's back all the way to Dark Marik's chest also.
"A Shadow Game is a world of illusion and enchantment," Dark Marik thought to himself, "Only the chosen ones could truly see its effects," He then sneered at his pathetic opponent, "Battle!" 'Makyura the Destructor' lunged forth towards 'Amazoness Swords Woman', while he issued the truly terrifying command, "'Makyura the Destructor', kill 'Amazoness Swords Woman'!"
"Hold it!" snapped Lady, as she pressed a button on her Duel Disk, "Face-down card, open!" With the button pressed, her Set card flipped face-up and revealed itself, "'Amazoness Archers', activate!"
On cue, several 'Amazoness' monsters wielding bow and arrows materialized onto the field from the face-up 'Amazoness Archers' Trap Card and fired arrows. 'Makyura the Destructor' got struck by the arrows and stopped its attack.
"When an opponent's monster declares an attack, while I control an "Amazoness" monster: The attacking monster loses 500 ATK!" explained Lady.
'Makyura the Destructor's' ATK got weakened (ATK: 1600 → 1100). Even then, Dark Marik smiled like he wasn't even worried.
"Very good, my little bird," whispered Dark Marik with anticipation.
"'Amazoness Swords Woman', strike back at 'Makyura the Destructor'!" ordered Lady, just as 'Amazoness Swords Woman' slashed 'Makyura the Destructor' in half with her sword "Amazoness Slash!"
Seconds later, both halves of 'Makyura the Destructor' shattered into shards of glass.
"Take that, you creep!" cheered Lady.
Suddenly, she heard some sinister laughter coming from Dark Marik, making her confused and such. Dark Marik continued to chuckle as…blood came splurging from his neck.
"Well done," The evil man said in a creepy tone (LP: 2550 → 2050), "You took away more of my LP."
Suddenly, with little warning, Dark Marik's head…fell off his shoulders and onto the ground, leaving behind a very bloody mess coming from Dark Marik's neck (both body and head). Terrified out of her mind, Lady let out a shriek like no other.
"Y-Your head!" stammered Lady.
"That was a very nice hit, indeed," Dark Marik continued, sounding more creepy than normal while also using his headless body (the upper body was also covered in disgusting, oozing blood) to pick up his head and reattach it to his body, staining his right hand with even more blood in the process, "It was nicer for me."
Below the platform, no one could understand why Lady was freaking out. To them, Dark Marik looked completely fine.
"What's the matter with her?" asked James.
"She took out one of Marik's monsters and dealt more damage," added Gordon, "Why would Lady suddenly freak out?"
"No clue," shrugged Mavis.
Suddenly, Thomas had a look of horror on his face from a possible answer.
"An illusion!" he exclaimed.
The rest of the gang's eyes were focused on their blue-haired friend.
"Say what?!" came from James R..
"What are you talking about?" asked Matt.
"Marik must be using his Millennium Rod to create horrifying illusions to try and scare Lady," realized Thomas.
"Illusions? But if they're what you say they are, then they shouldn't be real," Toby pointed out.
"We know that, and Marik knows that, but Lady doesn't," countered Thomas, "And judging from her reaction from seeing one such illusion, she's probably too scared to even notice or care."
"If that's the case, we have to help her!" cried Percy, turning to look up at his girlfriend, "Lady! It's okay, just calm down! It's all just an illusion!"
But Lady didn't seem to hear, because, right now, she was looking positively terrified. To this point, she even began to regret ever accepting the Shadow Game challenge from Dark Marik. Unfortunately for her, the worst was yet to come…
In preparation for a short, four chapter story focused on Lady and Burnett, Aaron and I have decided to go back to Lady's initial duel with Dark Marik and make some big changes in order for the writing to match that of the much later stories. The changes will include removing certain dialogue and some usage of "Pot of Greed", adding some new scenes, new dialogue (some to better match the Japanese version of "Yu-Gi-Oh!"), you name it. At some point, we'll do this will be for the other Battle City Finals duels, except for James vs. Ryan, because that one's one of my biggest old shames of them all.
Until that happens, enjoy beginning of the "definitive" versions of these duels, and, as usual, stay safe.