Mario was stirring a spoon into a pot of hot liquid. He pulled the spoon out and poured the liquid into two mugs; he placed it back in the dark chocolatey liquid before grabbing the mugs. The boy then walked upstairs and entered Pipp's room, to which the girl just remained seated on her bed as she hugged her knees and had her head buried in them. Following the humiliating loss at the hands of Roxanne, Mario accompanied Pipp back to her dorm building. As he gave the girl some privacy, he went into her dorm kitchen to make some hot chocolate as he looked to at least lift the pop star's spirit.
Pipp's mind was focused on the defeat she suffered at the hands of Crystal Prep, as it took a toll on her mind and confidence. She was so dejected that she didn't acknowledge Mario as he sat beside her.
"Here," said the boy.
The teen offered the girl her hot chocolate mug, but she still buried her face into her knees. Mario sighed as he simply placed the mug on her nightstand. The boy just sat in silence while taking a sip from his own mug as he waited for the girl to respond on her own accord. Nothing but silence filled the area as Mario had his back to Pipp; the only sound was his blowing to cool his hot chocolate and sipping it.
"Look, chica… it's not the end of the world. So you lost, so what? There's always next time."
Pipp remained silent. The only thing that played in her mind was the duel and the comments made by Roxanne.
You may see yourself as a shining diamond, but we know better. You're a phony! You may fool your classmates, but you can't fool me or your boyfriend. He knows what I know, Pipp. I see it in your eyes. You're filled with doubt! And that's why you're the weakest of your friends. You don't belong on the dueling field, and you'll never be a true duelist.
The teen just couldn't get the comments Roxanne said out of her head. Eventually, she shifted her position to hold onto Mario's side and buried her face into his arm. The boy didn't fight it; he just let the girl do her thing and stayed by her side until she cried herself to sleep.
The following day, Mario met up with Zipp as the girl was waiting for her friend. She had heard what went down with her sister, and she wanted to teach those Crystal Prep students a lesson, but given how devastated her little sister was, she needed to be present for her younger sibling instead of trying to protect their school's pride.
"Hey."
"Hey. She any better?" asked the heiress.
"Not any better than yesterday," responded Mario as he leaned against the playground cube cage with Zipp leaning on it from the inside.
"I want to teach those stuck-up snobs a lesson for what they did to my sister," stated Zipp.
"Well, you'll get your chance in the Friendship Games. So it's best to save your anger for that."
"Yeah. Speaking of…"
"No," said Mario as he looked at the girl with a look.
"Mario… we need you and Roll to be on the team. We don't have much of a winning chance without you two."
"That's the thing. Why do you and others insist that you need my sister and me to win? There are tons of other students here who would probably want to compete!" stated the boy.
"Yeah, you're right about that. We could ask anybody else to be on the team. But we didn't. We asked you and your sister because we want you on the team. We need you!" said Zipp.
"No, you don't. I've said before: I'm not really a team player," stated Mario as he looked to leave.
"It's because of your cousin, isn't it!" shouted Zipp as she got her friend to stop. "What lies has she been whispering into your ear?!"
"Why do you care about her?" responded the boy.
"Because I don't trust that witch!" shouted the girl.
Mario glared after hearing what Zipp called Flurry as he turned around to approach her. The boy got in her face and backed her up to stare into her eyes.
"Let me make something clear, rich girl. You disrespect my cousin; you disrespect me. When you talk about her blood, you talk about my blood." said Mario as he warned Zipp that he wasn't going to tolerate one of his friends talking badmouth about his family.
"Am I… intruding on anything?"
As if on one cue, the two turned their heads, and there was none other than the person in question. Flurry Heart stood with her arms behind her back with a smile on her face. Little did they know, but the girl was listening in on their conversation and was about to come out and confront the heiress, but didn't need to as Mario stepped up for her.
"No," responded the boy, scoffing at Zipp before walking toward his cousin.
Flurry Heart smiled as Mario walked past her before looking at the heiress. The Crystal Prep girl kept her taunting smile as she walked side by side with her cousin; Zipp growled as the sight of her friend and his cousin walking together left a sour taste in her mouth. She kicked over a trashcan as it was clear she was done trying to convince Mario to join them. She couldn't care less if he sided with his cousin, as she had friends to stick by.
Mario and Flurry Heart were walking through the campus grounds as they passed by some CHS students as they got out of their way. Seeing the sight of one of their own with the top student of their rival school invoked some kind of fear in them. The girl noticed the reactions Mario's fellow students got from him by walking alongside her as she enjoyed it.
"She should consider herself lucky. 'Cause if you didn't handle it, I would've slapped the taste out of her mouth!" stated Flurry Heart as she was ready to throw hands at Zipp for what she called her. "Who the hell does that bitch think she is to disrespect our family? Our blood!"
"Don't worry. She knows her place," responded Mario.
"Exactamente, primo," responded Flurry Heart to her cousin as the pair kept on walking together.
The pair arrived at a cafe where Flurry's teammates waited for their leader to arrive. The Crystal Prep group saw the girl and didn't expect her cousin to join. Flurry could see the expressions on her teammates' faces as she approached them and pulled up a chair.
"Relax, guys. I just ran into my cousin, is all," said the girl. "He's not here to spy on us. He doesn't even care, right, primo?"
"Whatever," said Mario as he pulled up a chair and sat in backward.
"See. He's cool," smiled Flurry.
The others gave looks as they trusted their captain in what she said.
"Now then… let's discuss. First off, Roxy. Congrats on what you did." the girl applauded her friend for her duel with Pipp.
"It was easy. That little streamer doesn't stand a chance," responded Roxanne as she reclined back in the booth.
"Apologies, primo. But I'm sure you enjoyed being the shoulder for her to cry on. Consider it me helping you get you two together." said Flurry to her cousin.
"She's not my girl, prima."
"Is that so? Because from how the chemistry is between you two…"
"She's not my girl, alright!" said Mario, as he knew his cousin would make fun of him if she had that kind of ammunition. "She's just a friend. That's it."
"If you say so," smiled Flurry, as she wasn't going to stop the teasing of her family member. "Now then… how did the rest of you fair?"
"That sheriff. Please… I'm the slickest Synchro summoner, and I'll show'em how it's done," stated JD.
"I thought that Zipp girl might be cool. But if she's disrespecting our Captain, then I'll teach her a lesson," said Shirai.
"Let me ask you something, stud?" said Phin as she looked at Flurry's cousin. "How the hell do you tolerate that idiot?"
Mario knew who the Crystal Prep girl was referring to, as he was glad she wasn't afraid to label Izzy as that.
"Trust me, I'm surprised I'm not taking medication because of her. She's stupid, but she's not stupid. But she could be stupid, but she's not really stupid. If that makes sense." said Mario, as that was the best way to describe Izzy's nature. "Plus, she borrows money from me."
"Well, she must be special," said Flurry.
"Too special, if you ask me," said Mario as he grabbed a cup of water before him and took a drink. "I'll give her this. She does pick up on things faster than the others. Sometimes. But that's not saying much as well."
"Now, Athena, what have you got on Miss little Sunshine?" said Flurry to her friend.
"She's not bad. It's clear your uncle has an influence on her. It's clear why CHS chose her to be the team captain. But I'm curious about why you're not competing," said the girl as she looked at Mario.
"Because I don't want to. Clear as day," responded the boy.
"Guys, relax. My cousin is chill. You'll like him once you get to know him." said Flurry Heart as she put her arm over Mario's shoulders. "Now then…."
Mario got a text as Flurry Heart was discussing some things with her group. He looked at his phone, and it seemed Pipp needed him for another shoulder cry. The boy sighed as he began to get up, catching the eyes of the others.
"Sorry, y'all. But I got to go. Here!" said the boy as he handed Flurry some money. "It's on me. See you later, prima!"
The boy said goodbye to his cousin and her friends as he left to be a cry pillow for Pipp.
After Mario left with his cousin, Zipp stormed off as she found her friends as they were near the statue in front of the school. The girl marched toward the three as they saw the heiress and her peeved-off look.
"I'm done, Sunny!" yelled Zipp.
"W-What?" said the girl.
"I'm done trying to convince Mario to join. I don't care if he's on the team or not. Screw him!"
"Okay, just calm down, Zipp!" pleaded Sunny.
"I'm done! I don't care if it's only us five against them. I don't care if it's one-on-one, two-on-one, three-on-one, four-on-one, five-on-one, six-on-one, seven on one! I say we take the fight to them!" stated Zipp.
"Zipp, just calm down, please!"
"I don't know. I kinda agree with her."
"Izzy!" shouted Sunny as she glared at her friend for saying that.
"What? I'm just trying to help," confessed the girl.
"You know, for once, I agree with Izzy. They need to pay for what they did to my sister! If they want a war, Sunny. Let's give them a war! They wanna fight, let's freakin' fight!"
"Okay, we got it. Just settle down!" stated Hitch as he got between the girls and pushed them apart to avoid confrontation.
"I get it, Zipp. I understand you being angry. We all do. We heard what happened with Pipp. But this is the Friendship Games. We can't go around looking for revenge." stated Sunny. "We need to work together to come up with a plan to beat them."
"Sunny, I would mostly agree with you, but this situation is different. We need to fight with actions, not words!" said Zipp.
"Look, Zipp. I'm sure we could hold our own, but we do need help. Pipp will bounce back, but we need to find our last two members."
"Well, forget about Mario. That son of bitch rather side with his cousin than us! He's a traitor! And I doubt Roll will want to join since she doesn't want to hurt her family!"
"As much as I hate to say it, Sunny. She's right. Roll is not gonna want to fight her family." said Hitch.
"We're not giving up. Mario may be out of the question, but I still think we can count on Roll to come through," said the girl, as she had faith their friend would join them.
"Sunny, wake up. Face the facts! We're on our own! We need to start figuring out how to beat them and make them pay!"
The girl was being put in a tough spot as she understood Zipp's anger. But she also felt like they needed to convince both siblings to join them. Everything was unraveling before her eyes as she started questioning if she was worthy of being captain if she couldn't keep her own team together.
"Look, I'm gonna talk to Roll. And… see if I can convince her," stated the girl as she hoped she could be the one to convince her friend to help them.
The group was unaware that the girl in question was listening to their conversation from behind a wall. Roll had overheard the outburst from Zipp and all the comments she made about her brother and her. She still felt uncertain about joining Sunny as she dreaded fighting her family member.
Sometime later, the girl was in her dorm building as she was working on her schoolwork. Mario was upstairs in his room after Pipp finished her latest cry session. A knock on the door was heard, and the girl knew who it was. She approached the door and opened it as there was Sunny.
"Roll… can we just talk for a few minutes?" asked Sunny.
The girl didn't open the door anymore as Sunny took a deep breath.
"Roll… I know it must be hard to fight family. I don't want to say that I know what you're going through because I don't. And I don't want to lie, either. But… we need you! Without you… we don't stand much of a chance. Please… just… think about it." said Sunny.
The girl just hung her head low and closed the door. Sunny was left looking at it before sighing as she left. Roll leaned against the door as she took in her friend's words. The teen was at a definite crossroads regarding her friends and family. She didn't want to feel like she was picking sides, but she knew the consequences of each decision. The girl approached the couch and sat down with her head in her hands; she could feel the pressure taking its toll on her as she sighed. She looked and saw her phone; she grabbed it and made a call.
"Hello?"
"Dad…." said the girl.
"Hey, hey. What's wrong, sweetie?" asked Isaac as he could hear his daughter's tone and knew something was up.
"I… I need your help…"
"Talk to me," said the World Champion softly as he listened to his daughter's dilemma.
After a few minutes, Roll explained everything to her father.
"Well, Roll. I could tell you what to do, but ultimately, the decision is yours. Now I get it. Your friends are counting on you, but you're also hesitant about maybe fighting your cousin. Believe me… I know what it's like to be in your position."
"You do?" said the girl.
"Roll… let me tell you something… when I was your age, I fought against your mother in the Friendship Games."
"W-What?" said the teen as she was shocked to hear that.
Isaac could hear his daughter's gasps as before this moment, neither he nor Twilight actually told their kids that they were part of rival schools, and they did face each other. The situation was that he was able to save his future wife when she was corrupted with evil Shadow magic, but the pair wanted to keep that part a secret from their kids.
"Dad… you mean… Mom…"
"Yes. Please understand, sweetie, your Mom and I didn't tell you or your brother for a reason."
"Why?" asked the teen.
"Some things are best left untold. Forgive me, Roll."
"I understand."
"Yes, your mother was a Crystal Prep student, but after the Friendship Games, she transferred to CHS, and the rest is history. I know you don't want to disappoint your friends or let them down, and I know you don't want to fight your cousin. But if you look inside your heart, I'm sure you'll find the answer you seek. It may take a while, and it may not be the one everyone likes, but as long as you feel confident that it's the right thing for you, that's all that matters. Do you understand?"
"Yeah. I do. Thanks, Dad."
"I'm always here if you need me. You know that."
"Yeah, I know."
"I love you, my little cinnamon roll."
"I love you, Dad."
"Just remember. Trust and listen to your heart," said Isaac as he ended the call with his daughter.
Roll removed the phone from her ear and leaned back. After the talk with her father, it was clear she had a lot on her mind to think over. The teen then began to search inside her heart for the answer she sought.
Mario was shown exiting his latest class. He was making his way to his next class as he turned the corner of the hallway and stopped. Zipp was in his path as the girl leaned against a set of lockers as if she were waiting for the boy to pass through this way.
"What do you want, rich girl?"
Zipp got up and stood to look at the boy directly.
"It's not you that I want. It's your cousin."
"I already told you. If you disrespect her, you disrespect me."
"Yeah, well, guess what? I'm disrespecting you, then. I want you to deliver a message to your cousin. Tell her that I want a duel with her."
Mario merely laughed after hearing Zipp's request.
"I mean it. You tell her that I want to face her one on one."
"Trust me, rich girl. You don't want that."
"And why's that, lover boy?"
"You could barely hang with me. What makes you think you'll survive against her? She will eat you alive and chew you out." stated Mario.
"Look deep into my eyes, lover boy. I know you do whenever I'm around. Look into them and tell me if you see any fear. Because I promise you that if you look, you'll find that I'm not afraid. I'm here to fight." said Zipp as Mario stared into her eyes. "Tell your cousin."
"No," responded Mario with a profound response.
"I'm really questioning why I asked you out on that date. Listen to me, lover boy. I don't care if I got to go through you to get to your cousin. Because I will. One way or another, I'm getting her to duel me. I'm getting even for Pipp."
"What happened to your sister is her own accord. So I advise you… do not… I repeat… do not duel against my cousin. Because it will be the last duel you ever think of having." said Mario as he got into Zipp's face.
The two teens stared the other down as it was clear where both stood.
"Well, this just got interesting."
The two turned as behind Mario was none other than Flurry Heart as her group was flanking her. Zipp growled upon seeing the entitled princess of Crystal Prep as her smug expression ticked the heiress off.
"You!" said Zipp as she walked past Mario to approach his cousin. "I'm gonna make you pay for what you did to my little sister!"
"Zipp, hold on!" said Sunny as she and the others all appeared; they pulled her back a bit to avoid starting a fight and getting into trouble.
"Let me go, guys. I want her!" said the athlete.
"You don't get a chance to duel our captain because you haven't earned it!" said Shirai as she and the others all stood before Flurry Heart as her council.
"Well, I ain't asking you or anybody else for your opinion. I"m demanding you face me!" shouted Zipp.
"Zipp, just let it go!" said Hitch as he could tell the girl was on a mission.
Both sides looked ready for a fight as Mario was in the middle, watching it all go down. Flurry Heart held her smug expression as she saw Zipp trying to break free from her friends. It was clear the girl was deadset on challenging her, and she was looking to use that to her advantage.
"Alright, I accept."
"Huh?" said the others as they instinctively let go of Zipp after hearing that. Even Mario raised an eyebrow at his cousin's response.
"I accept your challenge… on one condition. It's not just gonna be a one-on-one duel."
"You want a small preview of what's going to happen at the Friendship Games? I'm all for it! The four of us against you all!" said Zipp.
"Don't be ridiculous," chuckled Flurry, "We want to humiliate you in front of your entire school. So, unfortunately, that'll be saved for the Friendship Games. No, what I propose is simple. Three on three."
"Three on three?" repeated Izzy.
"Exactly. Three of us against three of you."
"Um, well…"
"It's on!" said Zipp as she answered for Sunny.
"Then we'll see you all later today in the dueling arena," said Flurry as she and her comrades looked to leave. "Oh, I almost forgot. This is for yesterday, bitch!"
Flurry reached over and extended her hand so that she slapped Zipp straight in the face. Her head turned from how hard the impact was as the girl felt the stinging pain that followed. The heiress didn't take too kindly as she growled and looked to jump at the Crystal Prep student to get her hands on her, but the others all pulled her back and tried to stop her from getting in trouble. Mario, who was off to the side, watched Zipp trying to get at his cousin as Flurry approached him from behind and touched his shoulder.
"You know, primo. I didn't think you'd still be able to play the game after your last relationship. But it seems you've upped it. Getting two princesas all to yourself." smiled Flurry as Zipp still tried to get at her. "I told you I would slap the taste out of her mouth."
Zipp broke free from the others as she charged at Flurry. The girl remained still and smiled as just as the heiress looked to strangle her, Mario wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back. The boy's strength managed to single-handedly hold back the girl as she tried to reach for Flurry, who kept that smug smile while waving her fingers.
"Let me go, Mario! Let me at that bitch!" shouted Zipp, as she didn't like being humiliated by Flurry.
"Ta-ta, for now, princess. We'll see you later," said Flurry, putting on a fake innocent expression as she left with her crew, who all had smug smiles.
Zipp was still kicking and screaming as she shouted for Flurry Heart to return and face her. But the girl and her friends were long gone as Mario still kept his grip on her. Eventually, Mario released his hold of the girl, and she stumbled forward a bit before turning to look at the boy with fury in her eyes. She went to slap him, but Mario caught her wrist just before her palm could make contact with his face. The boy had a firm grip on the girl as she tried to slap him with her other hand, and he also caught it. Mario then lifted both of her arms above her head and pinned her against the lockers as he was on top of her.
"Let me go, lover boy!" shouted Zipp as she struggled to break free from his grip.
"Zipp, calm down!" said Sunny.
The heiress continued to fight as soon as she ceased her struggle as Mario let go of her wrists. She shoved the boy off of her and looked at him.
"What did you do that for?!"
"You should thank my ass, rich girl. Unless you want to get expelled by Principal Celestia before you can get your duel with my cousin."
"He's right, Zipp," said Hitch, as the situation would only worsen if she started a fight in school.
"Oh, and what about her? She just walks away scot-free because her Principal will take her side and say she didn't do anything! Bullshit!" expressed Zipp as she turned to punch the locker.
"Be grateful my cousin only slapped you. Because she could've dropped you on your ass if she wanted to," said Mario as he looked at Zipp sternly. "Remember… you fired the first shot."
"Who's side are you on?!" asked Zipp defiantly. "I'm not gonna stand here and be disrespected by your cousin! She wants a fight. I'll give her a fight. Let's see how cute and innocent she looks after I give the beating of a lifetime."
Zipp walked away as she was still pissed off. The others all had grievance expressions before going after their friend. Mario was left alone as he hoped Zipp was ready for what she was about to get herself into.
The dueling arena building was shown as empty. The only ones in there were Sunny and the others, as Pipp was still in her room and Roll was currently absent. Mario stood off to the side as he saw Zipp getting herself ready for the upcoming battle. However, Sunny, Hitch, and Izzy had worried looks on their faces as they felt Zipp's rashness in challenging Flurry Heart was a bad idea. Soon, footsteps were heard as they all turned to one of the entrances, and Flurry Heart and her crew entered. The girl held her smug smile as it ticked off Zipp even more, recalling the girl slapping her.
"How's your cheek, princess?" taunted Flurry Heart with a phony, innocent look as Zipp growled.
"Come on, get your duel disk, and let's go!" stated the heiress, not wasting any time in wanting to throw down.
"Settle down, princess. Wouldn't want any wrinkles on your face for my cousin, now, would you?" taunted Flurry as she continued to get under Zipp's skin.
"Seems being an asshole runs in the family," responded the heiress as she glanced over at Mario, addressing how both cousins were similar.
"Speaking of family… how's your sister?"
The others all lunged forward to hold back Zipp as they could see she wanted to strangle Flurry for asking that, given what her comrade did to her younger sibling. All the while, Flurry held her smug expression as her plan was working even better than she expected. She snapped her fingers at JD, who approached the girl; she whispered into his ear as the boy nodded. The Crystal Prep girl then called for Athena and Roxanne as both girls approached their leader. Once more, she whispered into their ears as they nodded before breaking and turning to look at the four CHS students who still tried to hold back Zipp to calm her down.
"Well, if everybody is so eager to start. Then let's begin," said Flurry Heart.
"Finally. So let's you and me…"
"No, no. I'm not dueling."
"Huh?" said the four as Mario raised an eyebrow after hearing his cousin's response.
"What do you mean? You accepted the challenge!"
"I accepted the challenge to have a duel. I never said I would be the one dueling," said Flurry Heart as she smiled upon Zipp's growling, knowing she outsmarted the heiress once again. "Any of you three will be taking on my comrades."
The girl snapped her fingers as all three she spoke with earlier stepped forward. The four CHS students looked at Flurry's comrades as they seemed ready to fight.
"You don't challenge the head of the table whenever you feel like it," said Flurry Heart.
"You son of a bitch," muttered Zipp as she could see Flurry Hearts cowardice by having her minions protect her.
"I already took down one of you. I have no problem doing it again," said Roxanne as she stepped forward and chose to be the first participant.
"I'm gonna make you pay for what you did to my sister," responded the heiress.
"As much as I would love to face you. Perhaps you could give me a better challenger than your weak, pathetic little sister. I have someone else in mind." said Roxanne as she tilted her head. "You!" The girl pointed as her finger was directed at Izzy.
"Izzy?" said Sunny as she looked at her friend.
"What? Am I using too many big words for you, little girl? Do you need me to speak slowly… so that… you can… comprehend… what I'm saying?" taunted Roxanne as she spoke rather slowly, mocking Izzy's intelligence.
"It's on!" said the girl as she took offense to someone making fun of her character. "The only person who I allow to make fun of me is Mario."
"Really?" said the boy as he perked up, hearing Izzy say she didn't mind his outbursts on her. The boy began to think of other things to address her stupidity.
"Then let's begin!" said Flurry Heart as she and the others got off the field and sat on one of the benches on the other, with Sunny, Hitch, and Zipp doing the same as only Izzy remained on the field.
"Give'em hell, Izzy!" said the heiress.
The girl gave a thumbs up and one of her carefree smiles to her friend before turning to look at Roxanne; her smile dropped, and she looked worried. Izzy had heard from the other students who witnessed Pipp's duel that Roxanne was a serious duelist. The girl had earned the nickname the Sitri, as it was clear she looked too shiny brightly in this duel, just as she did with Pipp. The pair strapped on their duel disks as Izzy projected a blue card tray while Roxanne's duel disk projected a darker blue.
"Opponent detected. Streaming data. Duel mode set. Initiating. Commencing duel." said their devices.
"All according to plan," said Flurry Heart with a smile.
"Let's duel!" said both girls.
Izzy's Life Points: 8000-
Roxanne's Life Points: 8000-
Turn 1: Roxanne (Hand 5)
"I'll start off. And I play this. Gem-Knight Fusion! Now I can perform a Fusion Summon!" said the girl.
"Oh, no!" said Sunny, as this was just like how Pipp's duel with Roxanne had started.
"I fuse Gem-Knight Sapphire and Gem-Knight Obsidian!" Roxanne's two monsters appeared above her, glowing blue and black, and swirled together, light shining from them. "I combine the powers of water and rock and crystallize the form of a chilling new fighter!"The girl grabbed her card and slapped it on her duel disk. "I Fusion Summon! Ready for battle, Gem-Knight Aquamarine(1400/2600), in defense mode!" A shard of ice crashed out of the fusion vortex and shattered to reveal Roxy's new knight. Clad entirely in bright blue armor with a pale brown cape and a shield encrusted with sapphires on its right arm, it knelt before the Crystal Prep girl and wrapped its arm around its knee, positioning its shield forward.
Roxanne's duel disk beeped. "Since Gem-Knight Obsidian was sent to the graveyard from my hand, I'll use its effect to revive Gem-Knight Sapphire(0/2100), also in defense mode." A spray of water from the ground next to Aquamarine heralded the revival of Roxy's monster, armored in pale blue and arms crossed over its chest. "I'll then banish Obsidian to activate the effect of Gem-Knight Fusion, returning it to my hand. Finally, I set a card and end my turn."
Turn 2: Izzy (Hand 5)
"It's my turn. First, since you control a monster and I don't, I can special summon my Scrap Breaker(2100/700)!" A hunk of rusted metal appeared, and it had tools on its arms for breaking junk down. "Next, I activate this continuous spell card, Supply Squad. Now, once per turn, I get to draw a card whenever my monster(s) are destroyed. I set a card and end my turn."
Turn 3: Roxanne (Hand 3)
"Not gonna attack? Fine," mocked Roxanne as she drew her card. "I activate Gem-Knight Fusion and use it to fuse my Gem-Knight Sapphire and Aquamarine!"
"Not again," said Hitch, as it was clear Roxanne's skills as a Fusion duelist were on another level.
Roxanne's two monsters swirled together in shades of blue. "I combine the powers of water and ice and invoke the wrath of a turbulent new monster! IFusion Summon! Ready for battle, Gem-Knight Amethyst(1950/2450)!" The girl's new monster was heralded by a blast of water from the vortex. Wearing dark purple and blue armor with a matching cape, it held its arms out. Water swirled around its left arm to form a shield, and a spout of water shot from the back of its right arm, forming a sword blade.
"Since Aquamarine was sent to the graveyard, its effect activates, returning a card on your side of the field to your hand." Roxanne pointed. "I choose your Scrap Breaker!" Aquamarine's spirit appeared above Roxy and shot a flurry of ice crystals out. Izzy's monster covered up as it dissolved.
"Not bad," said Izzy.
"Oh, I'm just getting started! I banish Gem-Knight Aquamarine from the graveyard to add Gem-Knight Fusion back to my hand. Then I summon Gem-Knight Alexandrite(1800/1200)!" A warrior in shining white armor with red gemstones materialized on the field; a clenched fist held out. "I use Alexandrite's effect and offer it as a tribute to Special Summon a Gem-Knight Normal Monster from my deck. I'll bring out Gem-Knight Garnet(1900/0)!" Alexandrite lit up in white light and changed form, the light fading to show a monster in bright red armor with a red jewel on its chest plate.
Roxxane held out another card. "I once again activate Gem-Knight Fusion and use it to fuse Garnet with Gem-Knight Lazuli in my hand." The two swirled around each other in red and blue light. "I combine the powers of fire and rock and spark the spirit of a fiery new fighter! IFusion Summon! Ready for battle, Gem-Knight Ruby(2500/1300)!" A plume of fire heralded the arrival of the girl's monster, armored in bright red with a blue cape and holding a long, red spear that was slung over its shoulders.
"Since Gem-Knight Lazuli was sent to the graveyard by a card effect, she lets me return Gem-Knight Garnet to my hand. Next, I'll use Gem-Knight Ruby's effect." Roxanne looked up at Gem-Knight Amethyst. "By offering my Amethyst as a tribute, Ruby gains its attack power until the end of the turn." Ruby pointed its spear at Amethyst, and the monster turned into water and flowed around the weapon, blue and red light shining from it (2500 → 4450).
"Now, Ruby! Attack her directly!" declared Roxanne. Ruby jumped in the air and swung its spear forward. It momentarily twirled the weapon in the air before hefting it back and hurling it to the ground. A blast of fire shot out of Ruby's spear and around Izzy, who looked away and grunted.
Izzy's Life Points: 3550-
"I end my turn, and Ruby's attack points return to normal," snickered the girl.
Turn 4: Izzy (Hand 3)
"Izzy, come on! You can take her down!" shouted Zipp, as she wanted nothing more than for the girl who broke her sister to be taken down a peg.
"If she's smart enough to make a move like that," taunted Roxanne.
"Enough!" stated the happy-go-lucky girl as she was now serious. "It's my move! So, let's try this again. Since you control a monster, I can special summon my Scrap Breaker from my hand. Then I summon Scrap Raptor(1400/1000)!" A rusted, worn-down dino appeared as it let out a screech. "I then activate Scrap Raptor's effect! I target and destroy one monster I control, so I choose my Scrap Beaker!" stated the girl as her monster exploded.
"Man, you really are stupid," responded Roxanne.
"Well, is this stupid? Remember, with my Supply Squad in effect, I get to draw a card since it was destroyed. Then I activate Raptor's other effect, which allows me an additional Normal summon this turn. So, I also summon Scrap Worm(500/100)!" A small metallic worm appeared as it slithered from underneath the ground. "Next, I reveal my facedown, Call of the Haunted, to bring back my Scrap Breaker. And with that…. I tune my Level 4 Scrap Raptor with my Level 4 Scrap Breaker!" Izzy's small dino turned into four giant green rings, circling her other monster as a yellow light surged. "I Synchro Summon! Rise, my metal beast! Scrap Dragon(2800/2000)!" From above, a shadow flashed. It soon revealed a giant mechanical monster as steam was released from the pipes. A roar was heard as Izzy's metal-winged beast appeared, releasing some steam from its nostrils.
"Yes! Take that!" shouted Zipp as she pointed at Crystal Prep.
"Foolish, princess," snickered Flurry Heart as the others all had low chuckles. Even Roxanne on the field wasn't scared or intimidated by Izzy's new beast as she welcomed it.
"Now I activate my Scrap Worm's ability. He can attack you directly!" stated the girl as her monster slithered over and crawled up the girl's jeans and blazer before biting her hand. Roxanne didn't mind it as she merely grabbed the worm and threw it back onto Izzy's field as it landed safely.
Roxanne's Life Points: 7500-
"Next, my Scrap Dragon will take out your Gem-Knight Ruby!"
The dragon opened its mouth as a fireball began to form. Within seconds, it threw the fireball as it headed toward Roxy's monster. It lit up in red before exploding and shattered upon impact.
Roxanne's Life Points: 7200-
"Thanks," chuckled the girl. "I activate my facedown, Brilliant Spark! This trap activates when you destroy a 'Gem-Knight' monster, so now you take damage equal to its attack points!" The hologram of the card flipped up, the image of Gem-Knight Ruby hovering in front of it. It soon turned red as an energy beam headed toward the girl who couldn't cover up and fell to a knee.
Izzy's Life Points: 1050-
"Oh, that's not good," said Hitch.
"That snake! She wanted her monster to be destroyed!" growled Zipp at how the Crystal Prep student stayed one step ahead of them.
"At Crystal Prep, we're taught to think twelve steps ahead and anticipate our opponent's moves. I knew you would try to summon a powerful monster to take down my Gem-Knight Ruby, so I had the perfect trap all set, lying in wait. And you triggered it just as predicted. Man… Mario wasn't kidding when he said you were stupid. I mean… what were you or your parents thinking of when they decided to send you here? I get it; it's an inferior school. It fits your level of intelligence, but are you sure your parents didn't send you here to get rid of you? To get away from your idiocy!"
Izzy's body reacted upon hearing Roxanne's comments. The girl wasn't too affected by the comments made about her intelligence; she knew she was rather slow at certain things. She knew others thought she was an idiot at times. It's how she'd lived her whole life. With Mario, whenever he called her stupid, she embraced it because she knew that the boy didn't truly mean it, as he could see she did indeed have some smartness behind her carefree attitude. But what really got to her was hearing Roxanne mention her parents, as it struck a personal core in the creative girl.
"I now tune my Level 2 Scrap Worm with my Level 8 Scrap Dragon!" shouted Izzy as she tried not to show tears to let the Crystal Prep girl continue to mock her. Her worm turned into two giant green rings circling her dragon as a yellow light surged. "Double the trouble and twice the bite. This double-headed beast will feast! I Synchro Summon, Scrap Twin-Dragon(3000/2200)!" A bigger version of her previous dragon appeared as both heads roared.
"I end my turn," said the girl as she quickly brought the sleeve of her purple shirt to wipe her eyes and straighten out her dress.
Turn 5: Roxanne (Hand 0)
"It's over!" said the girl as she drew. "I activate the spell card, Painful Decision. This lets me send a Level 4 or lower Normal monster from my deck to the graveyard; I'll discard Gem-Knight Tourmaline. Then the second effect of Painful Decision adds another copy of Tourmaline to my hand." She reached for her graveyard slot. "Next, I banish Gem-Knight Amethyst from the graveyard to return Gem-Knight Fusion to my hand, and then I activate it to fuse Gem-Knight Garnet and Tourmaline in my hand." Roxy's two monsters appeared above her and spun together, glowing orange and yellow. "I combine the powers of fire and lightning and bring into clarity the form of a shining new fighter!"Roxanne smiled as her card ejected. "I Fusion Summon! Ready for battle, Gem-Knight Prismaura(2450/1400)!" A bolt of lightning struck down from the vortex, heralding the descent of Roxy's new monster. Clad in gleaming white and gold armor with a flowing red cape, white crystals emerged from its shoulders. It raised its arm, and a lance of gleaming crystal appeared in its right hand, its left holding a round shield.
"I banish Gem-Knight Alexandrite from the graveyard to return Gem-Knight Fusion to my hand and discard it to activate Prismaura's effect – I can destroy one card on the field! And I choose your Scrap Twin Dragon!" Prismaura held its lance out and fired a shining bolt of light from the tip. The light hit Scrap Twin Dragon and shattered, dissolving as it fell toward the ground.
"And now… Prismaura, attack her directly!"
"Izzy!" shouted the other three.
Prismaura ran across the field, lance-leveled at Izzy. The lance struck the girl and knocked her down, letting out a defeated cry before crashing to the floor.
Izzy's Life Points: 0-
Winner: Roxanne
To be continued…
Author's Notes: We continue on our road to the Friendship Games. And it seems Pipp is taking her lost rather hard that her confidence has been shot. And it's becoming more and more clear that Mario wants no part of this event, while Roll is struggling to find what's the right choice. And the surprising detail she learned about her parents that neither told them about for a reason. And now, Sunny and the others find themselves in a bit of a pickle thanks to Zipp's incentiveof wanting to get back at Flurry and her friends. It's clear that Roxanne's skills of beating Pipp wasn't just a one time thing; beating Izzy in nearly the same fashion further showcased her skills. Now... it's not looking good for our main cast.