Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Legacy of Tarot [Chapter 20 posted -- Feb. 27, 2005] [Archive]

Ho-oh2001

9th February 2005, 04:51 PM

Well, I decided that the prologue isn't a hell of a lot to give you an idea of what this fic will be like, so I'll give you chapter 1, too. ^^ Now, keep in mind that this was written quite a while ago, and my writing style has evolved considerably since then. ^^ With that in mind, enjoy!

Of course, I'm always looking for constructive criticism. I'll probably be going through the chapters I've already written and 'updating' them if I think they need it, so of course I want your ideas still, even though these chapters (Prologue to 14 as of this post) have already been written, because I hope to improve them as well. Thanks in advance!

* * * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Legacy of Tarot

Chapter 1

Our story now takes us to an arena on the bustling island metropolis of Tare City, where the final round of the annual Tare Invitational, a world-famous Duel Monsters tournament, is about to take place. The second finalist is in the process of being chose. Two duelists stand on large podiums, one on either side of a gigantic holographic dueling field: a beautiful teenage girl with blonde hair and a shorter, heavier boy with spiky brown hair and glasses. The names “Rebecca” and “Adam” are written in lights on their podiums. From what can be seen, Rebecca has a Flame Champion (1900/1300), Deepsea Warrior (1600/1800), and an Island Turtle (1100/2000) on her side of the field, all in attack mode. She also has a face-down card in play. Adam is clearly doing much worse, with only a Psychic Kappa (400/1000) and a Red Archer Girl (1400/1500) on his field in attack mode. Rebecca is doing quite well with 6700 Life points, and Adam only has 2300.

-----------------------------------------

“Alright, folks,” a voice from the loudspeaker boomed overhead. “This battle is coming to an end, and it’s Adam’s turn. Let’s see if he can turn around Rebecca’s overwhelming stranglehold on him.”

Adam drew his card and a grin came over his face. He slapped it down on his playing field face-down. “This was a good battle, Rebecca, but I’m afraid this is where it ends. I’ll place a card face-down on the field, and place Psychic Kappa in defense mode!” he said, turning the Psychic Kappa card to the side. The creature on the larger field vanished for a moment, then reappeared inside its shell. “Red Archer Girl, attack Rebecca’s Island Turtle! That’s the end of her, Rebecc-“

“Not so fast, Adam. I played a card face-down, remember?” Rebecca taunted, picking the card up and showing it to him. He gasped as he read the word “Reinforcements” on the card’s label, and he groaned. “A trap card; Reinforcements. This card allows me to add 500 attack points to whichever card I wish for one turn, and I choose to add them to Island Turtle!”

For a moment, Island Turtle’s attack and defense of 1100/2000 were shown on screen. The attack portion increased rapidly to 1600, and the battle continued. Red Archer Girl peeked out of her shell with a bow in hand, an arrow nocked to the string. In a fluid motion, she launched the arrow at Island Turtle, who simply deflected the attack completely. Raising its foot as high as it could, the tortoise slammed down on the ground of the arena, sending a shockwave forth that destroyed Red Archer girl where she stood. Adam’s Life points dropped by 200, to 2100.

“I believe it’s my turn!” Rebecca said with a playful grin. Her slender hand reached over to her deck and she drew a card. Immediately she chuckled and looked over in Adam’s direction. “This was fun, darling, but I’m afraid it ends here. Sorry! I play a Magic card: Raigeki!”

There’s no need for an explanation here – just about every Duelist knows what Raigeki can do to an opponent’s field, and their game. Bolts of lightning flashed overhead, and in a swift, brilliant moment, Psychic Kappa was removed from the field. Rebecca laughed and continued her victory speech.

“I’m not finished yet! Flame Champion, Deepsea Warrior, attack Adam!”

On her command, the flaming warrior and the aquatic defender leapt forward in a synchronized manner, flame and water combining to slash away at Adam’s remaining Life points. His total soon dropped to 0 and his podium began to lower along with Rebecca’s. The field emptied and the players picked up their cards, moving towards each other to shake hands. While they exchanged their congratulations, the loudspeaker boomed louder than ever.

“Rebecca has won! Rebecca goes on to the Tare Invitational’s Final round to face Nick Maximus for the grand prize!”

Overhead in the finalist’s box seats, Nick sat watching the battle. He was a tall, well-built teenager, though not overly muscular, with deep brown eyes and hair that is usually spiked. He was dressed unusually fancily that day – customary for the Tare finalists, being that the city is known for its parties and balls – with a classy tuxedo and a Christmas tie that is all too corny and yet classy at the same time. He wasn’t particularly fond of himself, but in the Tare invitational, the finalists don’t get to choose their own wardrobe for the final match.

“Wow… she’s good. I’m going to have a tough time beating her, guys!”

He was, of course, talking to his two friends, labeled by the Tare Duel Council as VIPs for the time being. One was a boy with black hair and tanned skin, just a bit shorter than Nick himself. The other was about the same height, a girl with beautiful auburn hair and striking brown eyes.

“Oh come on, Nick. You’ll cream her.” Mark, the black-haired boy, exclaimed.

“Mark’s right – she’s a pushover compared to you!” Alyssa, the girl, reassured him with a smile. Nick smiled right back, though still a bit unsure of himself. He held his deck tightly in his hand, flipping through it absentmindedly, not really looking at it all that closely. “Maybe if we go over your deck again it’ll make you feel better. You know, to make sure that it’s perfect.”

“Yeah, Alyssa’s right! We’ve still got about an hour before the match.”

“Alright… alright, yeah! That sounds like a good idea.” Nick said, moving over to a couch by the coffee table. He began laying his cards down as his friends joined him.

“You’ve still got those Harpie Ladies and Harpie Lady Sisters, right?” Alyssa asked, watching as he laid down the cards. One of the cards she had mentioned, a Harpie Lady, was placed on the table and Nick nodded.

“Yeah, and the Elegant Egotists to go with them.”

“Good… if it weren’t for them, I might have beaten you in our last match!” She laughed, sifting through the visible cards.

“What about that Millenium Shield your mom bought for your birthday?” Mark wondered, not seeing the card on the table.

“Of course! That card is an invaluable defense tool. I wouldn’t leave it behind.” Nick exclaimed, beginning to sort his cards into groups to remind himself which could be used in unison, which should be used in unison, and so on.

“Don’t forget your Castle of Dark Illusions and Pumpking the King of Ghosts combination.” Alyssia reminded him, which prompted a nod from the finalist.

“I’ve also got that Change of Heart combo in here, which should help.”

“Yeah…” Mark began, soon interrupted by the voice on the loudspeaker. “Woah! You’re on, Nick! Don’t keep the fans waiting!”

Just a few minutes later, Nick was standing on his podium opposite Rebecca, who was dressed in a glittering blue dress, and she looked as though she was ready to go straight to a ball. After finishing the usual “Rock, Paper, Scissors”-like method of choosing turn order, it was decided that Rebecca would draw first while Nick would have the first attack. Both players drew their cards, and Rebecca seemed rather pleased with her hand.

“Alright, hun… I’ll play this card in defense mode, as well as this card face down.” She told him, placing the cards down in their respective positions. Nothing spectacular happens, as her side of the field is completely face down. “Your turn.”

“Hmmm… not a perfect hand, but I do have a Harpie Lady. All I need is an Elegant Egotist and I can summon the Harpie Lady Sisters!” Nick thought to himself, picking out a couple of cards from his hand. “I place Neo the Magic Swordsman in Attack mode, as well as another card, face down!” As he spoke, he placed the cards down on his field. Neo the Magic Swordsman apparated onto the larger field, facing Rebecca’s as-of-yet empty field. “Neo the Magic Swordsman, attack Rebecca’s defense card!”

The blade-wielding sorcerer ran forward as quickly as he could, and a blast of energy surrounded his sword. Rising upwards and readying himself for a vertical slash to whatever the monster might be, Neo was greeted by a small arachnid made completely of metal. The sword came down and sliced the hapless foe clean in two, which immediately prompted a thoughtful look from Nick as Neo returned to its post.

“Is that all you’ve got, Rebecca? It’s a wonder you got this far.” The finalist taunted, knowing that she boasted more talent than she was showing at the time. He had seen her in action, and he knew very well that she was an accomplished, learned Duelist.

“You forget, my darling opponent, that Steel Scorpion carries with it a very special effect!” Rebecca grinned, pulling the card out of the Graveyard for a second. “When a non-machine type monster attacks Steel Scorpion, it has 3 turns left to live. Then, on my 3rd endphase, that monster… goes bye bye!” She returned the card to the Graveyard pile and placed her elbows on the mini playing field before her, resting her head in her hands. “I think that makes it my turn, doesn’t it?”

Slipping her hand over her deck and sliding a card into her hand, Rebecca looked over the cards available to her for a brief moment. It seemed like only seconds before she was grinning again, apparently having formulated the master plan that would win her the battle.

“Ohh, this is a good one. I think you’ll like this move, Nick. I play Polymerization to combine Queen’s Double and Hibikime!” The second finalist announced, placing those cards in their respective positions on the field. Queen’s Double and Hibikime apparated where Steel Scorpion once stood, still as statues. When the spinning vortex of Polymorph appeared, however, the two creatures were sucked inside without a sound. For what seemed like minutes the two did their magical dance within the portal before, finally, a new monster erupted from within. “Meet Empress Judge. I could attack and destroy your pitiful Neo the Magic Swordsman right now, but since Steel Scorpion’s poison is doing a good enough job of that, I’ll leave Empress Judge in attack mode. Your turn, my love. Neo the Magic Swordsman has 2 End phases left.”

Reluctantly, Nick drew a card. He knew that Rebecca would never attack his Neo the Magic Swordsman as long as the face-down card, which as far as she knew could have been a trap card, was there, and as long as Steel Scorpion’s venom was working away at him. He needed something to either destroy Empress Judge completely, or something that would at least stall any further attacks. What he saw made him light up – it wouldn’t ruin her completely, but it would give him time to think up something else.

“I’ll place Harpie Lady on the field. As well, I’ll play a Magic Card, Elegant Egotist.” Nick smirked, placing the two cards in their positions on the mini-field before him. The Harpie Lady, wings and all, appeared right beside the coughing Neo the Magic Swordsman, staring only straight forward. “As you know, Elegant Egotist allows me to Special Summon a Harpie Lady Sisters card from my Hand or my Deck – I shall do so now, and play the Harpie Lady Sisters in defense mode.” Reaching into his deck, he shuffled through until he found the card he wanted. Placing the trio of Harpies on the field right beside their sister, Nick shuffled the deck just as the card specified. “Your turn, Rebecca.”

A bit curious as to what her opponent was so calm about, Rebecca drew a card. Judging by the look on her face, it wasn’t anything particularly special, or something that she needed at the time. However, she still had two other cards in her hand, and judging by her past efficiency with her cards, Nick knew that she might still have some lethal combination waiting for him.

“I’ll play a card face-down in defense mode, and I’ll play this card as well.” Rebecca noted, putting one card in the monster section and the other in the Magic and Traps section of the field. All Nick could see was still that Empress Judge, and he had know idea whether her two face down cards in the Magic/Trap area were traps that would seriously rupture his game. He did know this: one wrong move could lose him the match. “Empress Judge, use your Judgement attack on Harpie Lady!”

Without moving, a ray of light shined down upon Harpie Lady. In a brief, fluid motion, Empress Judge snapped her fingers and caused the beam of light to vanish – when it disappeared, so had Harpie Lady. Nick’s Life Total flashed on his podium, and the 8000 dropped to 7200. He was still far from out, however.

“That makes it my turn, Reb—“

Just then, before Nick even had the chance to draw a card, a great rumbling shook through the arena. Panic arose, and spectators found themselves frantically dashing for whatever exit was closest. Figuring that the island was suffering the effects of an earthquake, Nick and Rebecca prepared to pick up their cards and continue the fight later. It was then that an explosion was heard and a huge chunk of debris fell not 10 feet from Nick’s podium. Looking up, both contestants saw a strange robed man floating down through a hole in the roof, eyes fixated on the both of them.

“You… are the finalistssss…” The figure hissed, yellow eyes staring down at them.

“Yeah, and who are you?” Nick asked demandingly. He wasn’t afraid anymore – just angry that this show off had decided to ruin their battle. He wasn’t even that aware that the man was actually floating in the air, a rather abnormal feat.

“My name isss not important… We will duel…”

“What? Why should I duel you?” Nick asked, getting even angirer that he seemed to have been ORDERED to duel, not asked.

“They… are sssseeking… a masssster…”

“They? Who are ‘they?’”

“Duel… we will duel!” The robed man hissed. He was wearing flowing green clothes and looked like he was taken straight from the desert. There was barely an inch of his skin that wasn’t covered by the silky green material, save for his eyes and hands. His voice got more and more impatient as he continued speaking. Reluctant to say anything too hasty that would upset this maniac, Nick finally got up the courage to speak.

“Rebecca, leave while you can. Leave this show off to me!”

“What?” She began, seemingly perplexed. “And let you have all the fun?” A wink followed, and she pressed a few buttons on her console. Her Empress Judge vanished from her side of the board and reappeared on Nick’s, as did the two face-down cards she had placed. Nick smiled as he realized what she was doing, and he moved aside as she started running over to his podium, cards in hand.

“Alright! If you wish to duel, you’ll duel both of us! You’ll pay for interrupting our match.” Nick and Rebecca taunted in unison. Their monsters were just as brave, staring motionless towards their new enemy.

“We… shall ssssee…” The green figure barked. Waving his hand once, a multitude of cards began to fly out of his robes at blinding speeds, ripping through the air and placing themselves in a neat pile where a contestant’s deck would be. “They… will have a new masssster… before the day issss done… We duel!!”

Dark Sage

9th February 2005, 10:08 PM

Mystic_clown

9th February 2005, 11:20 PM

Hey, I remember this fic. Let's just hope you finish it this time.

Ho-oh2001

10th February 2005, 02:21 PM

This is interesting.

From what I gather, this fanfic will take the cards from the Major Arcana of a tarot deck and turn them into Duel Monster cards.

Again, interesting... Especially since not all the tarots suggest Monsters. Most of them could, but not ones like The Tower, The Wheel of Fortune, or The World.

But I'm interested to see what will happen.

Question though - I didn't quite see what was happening. Were the duelists using Disks, arena stations, or some other method?

- Venusaur

P.S. You misnamed a few Monsters. It's Castle of Dark Illusions, and Pumking the King of Ghosts.
Ah yes, right you are. Thanks for those suggestions! It turns out I did mention that the duelists are on podiums (ala Duelist Kingdom), but it was mentioned very briefly, and I should have elaborated a bit on it, which I have now corrected. Also, the names are probably a result of the silly anime... I may have heard the mistranslated names there before seeing the actual cards (i.e. they used to say "Reborn the Monster" instead of "Monster Reborn"). Anyway, I've fixed that up, and if anyone sees anything else, do let me know!

At any rate, as I promised, I'll send another chapter your way; it's another oldie, but it should move the story along a bit. Well, actually, it doesn't; it ends in a bit of a cliffhanger... So I'll post chapter 3, as well. Enjoy!

* * * * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Legacy of Tarot

Chapter 2: The Serpent’s Bite

When last I left you, our up-and-coming duelists Rebecca and Nick were gearing up to face off against a hooded intruder with a forked tongue, a violent attitude, and a short temper. The snake-like figure, whose name had not yet been given to his opponents, was quite obviously not human – far from it, at that. Perhaps he was, once. Perhaps someone or something changed him for the worse. Either way, his rash interruption of the Tare Invitational finals match had quite sparked Nick’s curiosity – and his temper.

Slowly, the figure reached over his deck with his scaly green hand, drawing the usual 5 cards that all duelists start a match with. Between them, Nick and Rebecca also had five cards, but they were at an advantage – three of their own monsters already populated the field, and they had three face-down cards ready for action at any moment. A glint of yellow was seen from under the creature’s green hood as he looked in their direction, and he placed a card face-down in defense mode, as well as another card in the Magic portion of the field. Saying nothing, he looked up at them as if daring them to attack. A bit reluctant, each of them drew their card. Nick and Rebecca whispered to each other for a few brief, fleeting moments before deciding on what to do. They were at a slight disadvantage in that they had only 1 Summon per turn, which meant that only one of them could place a monster. It took a while, but it was decided that Nick would place his monster this turn.

“I play Harpie’s Brother in attack mode, and I play Black Pendant as well!” Nick began with a chuckle, certain that he’d come up with a rock-hard monster this time. “Harpie’s Brother’s attack is now 2300.”

“I’ll start this round off with an attack! Empress Judge, use your Judgement Ray on our opponent’s face-down card!” Rebecca ordered, and just as before, a ray of light began to shine down upon the reptilian opponent’s face-down card. However, this beam of energy bounced backwards just as quickly, shining itself all over Nick’s and Rebecca’s field. This prompted a chuckle from their opponent.

“Foolsss… I played a Trap card… Mirror Forccce… It negatesss all your damage thisss round and dessstroysss all your attack posssition monssstersss on the field.”

Just as he had promised, the Empress Judge’s reflected Judgement Ray attack made quick work of their entire playing field, destroying the Harpie’s Brother, Harpie Lady Sisters, Neo the Magic Swordsman, and Empress Judge. This left their field near empty, with only a few face-down cards left to protect their life points.

“Drooling Lizard, attack!” The reptile hissed under his green hood. The image of a small lizard became visible to the combatants, and despite its petite stature, Drooling Lizard ran right towards Nick and Rebecca, prepared to attack their life points directly. It did, and their Life total dropped from 8000 to 7100. However, immediately afterwards, that same total increased above and beyond normal, to 8100! This, of course, made their opponent very angry.

“Let’s not get angry now, my nameless foe!” Nick chuckled, trying to keep his cool. He knew that wearing down your opponent’s mind was just as important as actual card strategy. “I just played a simple trap; Numinous Healer. This card allows me to increase my Life by 1000 points when I am attacked. I just chose to activate it now.”

Another hiss followed, accompanied by a furious slam of their foe’s fist on the playing field. A few of his cards shook out of place, but he returned them just as quickly. Nick and Rebecca simply laughed at his short temper.

“Very well… it isss your turn…”

The dynamic duo nodded, and each drew their card for that round. Again they conversed in no more than a whisper, formulating a plan that would deal as much damage as possible to their aggressor. Rebecca drew one card from her hand while Nick drew two, and each placed them on the field.

“I play Dark-Piercing Light!” Nick began, sliding the card into position. A bright light flooded the battlefield, even causing the snake-man to shield his eyes, and when he looked back, his face-down card was revealed to be a trap. “Waboku, eh? No matter. I’ll play this card face-down.”

“My turn! I play Gemini Elf in attack mode!” Rebecca announced, slamming the card down face-up on her field. Ripples of light coursed through the console and the twin elves appeared battle-ready on the field, arms interlocked, prepared to fight as one. “Gemini Elf, attack Drooling Lizard!”

The two elves began to dash in the hapless reptile’s direction, only to be halted for a brief moment by Waboku. The figure chuckled, knowing that he had stopped their attack… or had he?

“Ah ah ah, not so fast!” Rebecca laughed, whipping a card from the field into her hand. “We played Seven Tools of the Bandit! This card allows us to negate the effects of your own trap card. Clever, huh?”

As their antagonist hissed impatiently once more, the priestly figures that were Waboku vanished instantly into thin air, leaving Gemini Elf prepped and ready to pummel Drooling Lizard into submission. The snake-man’s Life points dropped to 7000 as a result.

“My turn…” The grim aggressor growled, drawing a card of his own. Suddenly, a deep look of victory and success came over what they could see of his face, and he hastily slapped a card down on the field. “Now you will witnessss the true power of the Tarot Beastsss! Sssorcerer of Ssserpentsss, come forth!”

Slapping the card down on his field, Nick’s opponent caused a robed snake with arms to slither onto the field, energy beams crackling at regular intervals between its hands. The two finalists looked at themselves, stunned. They, in all their dueling years, had never seen a card anything like this. Also, it was easily more powerful than any of the cards they possessed, with an attack strength of 3000!

“I also play Harpie’sss Feather Duster, to dessstroy each trap or magic card on your field.”

A grey feather began to flutter above Nick and Rebecca, and as it lowered, it opened into a merry dance that swept their two face-down cards right off the field and into their graveyard. They could have sworn the giggling of a Harpie Lady was heard afterwards, but it could have been a figment of their imagination.

“Sssorcerer Ssserpentsss, attack Gemini Elf with Lightning Volley!”

The Sorcerer of Serpents’ hands began to crackle a bright yellow-and-blue colour, pure energy roaring through its veins. In an attack powerful enough to awe even the most hardy of Duel Masters, a blast of pure energy was thrown forth, disintegrating the twin elvenkin where they stood. Our heroes’ Life total dropped to 7000, putting them even with their aggressor.

“Rebecca, what the hell is that thing?” Nick whispered frantically, bent over so that the reptilian foe could not see their words.

“I haven’t got a clue… he called it a Tarot Beast, but what does that mean?”

“All I know is that it means big trouble… look at that attack strength! I don’t think I have a single card that could take that down! And I’m all out of Trap Cards!”

“Me too… well, I guess all we can do now is prey…”

Gulping low in their throats, the duo took their cards and looked them over carefully. They knew that from this point on, any mistake would mean certain loss on their part. Anything, ANYTHING at all that could take down the Sorcerer of Serpents would be accepted. Their hearts sank; no powerful monsters, no all-encompassing magic cards. However, Rebecca did have one trick left up her sleeve.

“I’ll play this card face-down… I’m afraid that’s the best I can do!” She smirked, trying to keep her cool. She knew that her plan was a long shot, but the course of this battle depended on its success. “Your turn.”

“Very well…” Their opponent chuckled, drawing a card. He grinned even further, placing another card in Attack mode on the field. “I play Vorssse Raider in attack mode… attack their face-down card!”

The beast with the curved blade lumbered forward, much to the dismay of Rebecca and her plan. A few quick slices were all it took to dispatch of the card she had played; Dimensional Warrior. After the last swipe had found its mark, a rift seemed to open in the center of the battlefield. Dimensional Warrior simply jumped in of its own free will; Vorse Raider was sucked in afterwards, definitely NOT of its own free will. Rebecca simply sighed sadly – the best plan she had on such short notice had failed.

“Now… Sssorcerer of Ssserpentsss… attack them!”

Once again brimming with energy, the Tarot Beast lobbed forth its volley of electrical energy. Slamming hard into Nick and Rebecca’s podium, the entire stadium seemed to rumble violently, and pieces of it even fell to the ground. Their Life points fell drastically from 7000 to 4000.

To be honest, things weren’t looking too good as they drew their cards. Nick’s face lit up as he saw the Millenium Shield in his hand; however, as a Level 6 monster, it required a Tribute to be played in battle. With Sorcerer of Serpents in play, that wasn’t likely to be an option.

“I wish I had something better, Nick, but this is all I’ve got…” Rebecca whispered, playing a card face-down in Defense mode. “What about you?”

“Not much… I’ve got a trap, but I doubt it will do us much good at this point.” He replied in defeat. “Alright… your turn.” The finalist shouted at his opponent, showing as much false confidence as he could muster.

The snake-man drew his card once more, as well. Again he laughed, and Rebecca and Nick felt their hearts jump into their throats as he played his next card. Though not the most powerful card in the whole of Duel Monsters, it would certainly add to their horrid position.

“I play La Jinn the Myssstical Genie of the Lamp in attack posssition. Ussse Three Wishesss on their face-down card!”

Waving its hands in a strange fashion, La Jinn snapped its fingers and created a ball of shadowy energy in its hands. Then another. And another. These three spherical energy blasts orbited its body before, on his command, they shot directly at the face-down card, with revealed itself to be Beaver Warrior. A raising of its shield and a quick squeal were all that were heard before the poor beast was lugged off to the Graveyard pile.

“Thisss hasss been… enchanting… but I mussst end our battle here and now. First, I equip Sssorcerer of Ssserpents with Dark Pendant, increasssing itsss attack to 3500. Now, Lightning Volley!” He commanded, prompting an obedient nod from his monster. The beast charged up just as before, only the energy seeming more chaotic and destructive this time, volleying the charged beam of energy right into their Life points. After the onslaught, they were left with a shoddy 600 Life points to go by. “And it doesssn’t ssstop there. I play Final Flame, which decreassses your Life pointsss by a further 600! Hahahahaha!”

The cold realization of defeat swept over Nick and Rebecca. Not only had they been beaten by this flying show off, they had been DECIMATED by him. One thing was still on their mind, however, beyond even the fact that they had lost the match: what would happen to them now that he had beaten them?

“Now… I shall take… my prize…” The reptile growled. His cards had, at this point, vanished into his robes, and he was darting through the air in Nick’s direction, arms outstretched to snatch him right off the podium! Just as he reached a mere three feet from his target, Rebecca leapt in the reptilian aggressor’s path, she herself becoming entangled in his clutches! “Not what I had intended… but you shall do, my pretty…”

“No! Leave her alone, you bastard!” Nick roared, slamming his fist on the playing field. The snake simply chuckled and levitated upwards, finally soaring through the hole he had created earlier. His new prize was tucked firmly underneath his arm, screaming fiercely as she vanished from sight. “Dammit… you bastard…”

Ho-oh2001

10th February 2005, 02:27 PM

Wow, I didn't realize my chapters were so much shorter when these were first written. Anyway, I do hope you enjoy them!

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Legacy of Tarot

Chapter 3: The Tarot Beasts

Before Nick had even had a chance to get the facts of this little endeavour into his head, a team of men and women dressed in white lab coats burst onto the scene. They spread out and covered the ruined stadium like a swarm of bees on a field of daisies, turning over rocks, looking under chairs, examining the battlefield, and leaving no nook or cranny of the arena unchecked. An older man who wasn’t dressed like the rest of the scientists came up to Nick, not seeming to care much for his current state of grief and wonder. In fact, the old tycoon looked quite carefree. Wealth must do that to a person.

“Excuse me, are you Nick Maximus, one of the finalists in the Tare Invitational?” The man asked, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his black velvet suit. A golden monocle was placed firmly in his right eye as he looked down on Nick, and his nearly bald head showed only the slightest signs of bleach-white hair. He wasn’t particularly wrinkled, but it was obvious that he was getting on in age. Nick simply said nothing, looking upwards and glaring at the man as if both saying “What’s it to you?” and “What happened, dammit?” The man chuckled and rocked back and forth on his feet a couple of times, pressing on. “I am Lord Bertram Philps, headmaster of Muto City University. The science department – the Duel Monsters branch, in particular – has been studying the Tarot Beasts in great deal, and we beli—“

“Nick! Nick!!” A female voice interrupted, causing the man to whirl around impatiently and see what the cause of all this commotion was. He saw a boy and a girl, both about Nick’s age, running down the corridor to their vicinity. The girl was even pushing a few scientists out of the way who stood in her path, especially those that had been designated to stop bystanders from entering the examination area. She was dressed in a pair of tight blue jeans and a pretty red shirt with a midriff. Her blonde hair danced behind her as she ran alongside a boy with short black hair, dressed in rather mediocre black jeans and a white t-shirt.

“Excuse me, miss, but you are—“

“Who the hell is this guy?” She asked, finally reaching his podium and pointing at Bertram. “Did he cause all this, Nick? If he did, I’ll…” She threatened, stepping forward offensively. Bertram took a step back, waving his hands to show that he meant no harm.

“I assure you, miss, I had no part in the catastrophe that rocked this stadium just a short while ago! In fact, I—” Bertram began, only to be interrupted by Mark.

“Well what DID cause the catastrophe, then?” He inquired of Bertram, assuming that the older man was the one to ask about this topic, since he apparently knew the most about it.

“Please, follow me. I shall make all known to you in time.”

* * * * *

Minutes later, Alyssa, Mark, Nick, and Bertram were sitting in a luxuriously fashioned limousine. This thing had the works – a television, a VHS/DVD player, a mini bar, leather couches lining the walls, and even a miniature fridge full of expensive foods like caviar and shrimp. Our three heroes were quite impressed by the spectacular vehicle, but Bertram was apparently quite used to the star treatment. When their excitement finally died down, the group redoubled their questioning.

“So what the hell caused that explosion?” Alyssa fumed.

“And… what was that thing… that took Rebecca?” Nick asked, still a hint of a tear in his eye. The entire ordeal had apparently been too much for the poor boy, and such a thing was to be expected, considering he was a part of it.

“Hm? Took who, now?” Bertram asked in his thick British accent, assuming that Nick has simply gone a bit mad from the incident.

“Rebecca, the other finalist!” He growled, not in the mood for being questioned.

“You mean he… oh no! This is worse than I thought. There is very little time.” Bertram told them, knocking on the tinted window that stood between him and the driver. “Take us to the airport, quickly.” The driver nodded and turned the key, stepping on the gas to take them towards the airport.

“So what happened? I want details, and you have them!” Alyssa ordered, staring the old tycoon right in the eyes and making him feel rather uncomfortable. Chuckling nervously, Bertram began to regale them with his story.

“Alright, alright. I shall tell you what I know. The creature you saw, or so we speculate, was Xel’Zerpi, a strange magician that once lived ages and ages ago, in the times when Duel Monsters were not used as a sport, but in war. He—“

“Woah, wait up, wait up – you’re telling us that the weirdo Nick saw was a 2,000 year old wizard that’s back from the dead?” Mark asked, seriously not believing Bertram’s story. Alyssa was positively steaming, thinking that this old coot was holding back information and mocking them at that.

“Not entirely, no. Xel’Zerpi never actually died – he was granted immortality by the power of the Tarot Beasts.”

“The Tarot Beasts? This Xel’Zerpi guy mentioned them in our duel… he said ‘Now you’ll feel the true power of the Tarot Beasts’, and then he played an absurdly strong card.” Nick said quietly, staring off into space. His eyes were distant and worrisome, filled with wonder and disbelief at the words he was hearing.

“The Sorcerer of Serpents, yes. He actually used it in your duel? Then it does exist… as I feared…”

“What? What did you fear?” Alyssa asked, calming down a bit now. She still seemed absolutely unimpressed by this fairy tale that she was being fed, but she was apparently also willing to put up with it.

“A week ago, a team of scientists on a field trip in the Nevada Desert dug up a card. Even the students could tell that it was very old, and the teachers confirmed that it was from the ancient time period I told you about. This card was called the King of Fools, an extremely powerful card that was used in war. The teachers took it and immediately quarantined it in our science facility, making sure that no one could touch it until it was properly tested and examined.”

“You mean… it was a Tarot Beast, too?” Mark asked, growing much more interested in the story. He leaned forward and rested his chin in his hands, watching Bertram wide-eyed.

“Yes. The King of Fools is a Tarot Beast as well, but it has no master – err, that is, it has no host. You see, all Tarot Beasts require a host to rise to their full potential. Their host, often called their master, sometimes takes on the properties of their card – as you saw with Xel’Zerpi. We had the professors quarantine King of Fools immediately to ensure that it did not find its way into the hand of any Duelist, of which there are many in the school, and thus grow to its full power.”

“So what has this got to do with us?” Alyssa inquired. It appeared as though these recent facts had drawn her in, and she was believing Bertram’s story more and more each minute.

“Well… nothing. We simply need to take you to Muto city for an interview and a physical examination.” Bertram said very matter-of-factly, rustling around in his pocket and pulling out a stopwatch attached to a chain.

“A physical examination? Why?” Mark asked.

“You won’t need one; Nick, however, will.” The headmaster began, looking in the young finalist’s direction. “Sorcerer of Serpents attacked you, did it not?” He asked. Nick nodded slowly, his eyes narrowed deep in thought. “Then we must ensure that the attack has not had any sort of negative side effect on you. You see, the Tar—errr… ah, here we are!”

“What? What sort of negative side effects?” Nick demanded to know, his voice booming louder than it had been in a while.

“Nothing, nothing. Nothing to be concerned about. It is just a precaution. Once we’ve finished, we’ll send you on your way. Our department will take it from there.”

“No! That thing took Rebecca! I’m not leaving her in his clutches, no matter what you or your school says!” The finalist roared, only refrained from standing up by the somewhat low roof.

“Oh, I had forgotten about Rebecca…” Bertram began with a look of worry on his face. He scratched his chin, deep in thought before continuing. “No matter. We will take care of that matter. It is nothing for you to trouble yourselves over. Come, let us go. My jet is waiting for us.”

Slipping quietly out of the limousine, Nick shook his head slowly. He didn’t fully trust this Bertram Philps, and he wasn’t at all prepared to let him go after Rebecca without involving Nick at all. Things just didn’t seem to add together, and Nick intended to make them add together, with the University’s help or not. “I don’t like this, not one bit…

Dark Sage

10th February 2005, 03:53 PM

starjake

10th February 2005, 04:21 PM

Well, well. I have to admit this is original. Turning Tarot cards into Yu-Gi-Oh cards...it's simple, yet you may be the first to do it. I know Bakura turned Yu-Gi-Oh cards into Tarot Cards on the show (he did it against Pegasus), but not the other way around. Clever!

Your point of view in this story is unusual. It seems that this is being told by some kind of omniscient narrator; the line, "When last I left you,..." comes to mind. Not a bad thing; it'll just take some getting used to.

The one problem is one you've already addressed: your chapters are WAY too short. I used to (and still do, to a certain extent) have the same problem, but it's getting better. You could fix this one of two ways: either pack more information into each chapter, or simply combine two chapters. For example, I think you could've combiend your last two chapters into one without too much of a problem. Just because a place is ideal to put a cliffhanger doesn't mean it has to be one.

Anyways, keep it up! I'm interested in what happens. Also, feel free to read some of the other YuGiOh fanfics on the board; not just for fun, but for neat card ideas, as well as some card combos and deck themes you may not have realized before.

StarJake

Ho-oh2001

10th February 2005, 04:46 PM

Okay, I'm starting to get into this already.

Despite the mistake that Seven Tools of the Bandit requires you to spend 1,000 LP to play, this was good.

I have no idea what tarot card identifies with Sorcerer of Serpents (King of Fools is easy), but I figure you'll tell me soon.

Update soon! Please let Rebecca be all right!

You've got me hooked!

- Venusaur

Yeah, don't be *too* surprised if I deviate from the rules a little... just like the anime does from time to time, I may have to bend things just a tad in order to make things interesting. You may see this later on with Nick's Harpie deck; with all the kinds of Harpie Ladies out there, I find it a bit limiting to be only about to use three out of all of them, so I might bend that rule a little. Don't worry, the game will still be recognizable as Yu-Gi-Oh when I'm through with it. ;) That particular incident with the Seven Tools was probably just an oversight on my part, and I apologize for it, but I figured I should let you know about my... creative license early. ;)

Oh, and the Sorcerer of Serpents is representative of the Magician card in Tarot. You may find that some of the Tarot cards take similar deviations from their traditional interpretations (you know, as humans ;)) because... well, it has to do with their history as monsters, but that will be revealed later. And of course, it keeps things fresh and varied. ^^ I think from now on I'll post a little write-up of each Tarot card as it is introduced, for everyone's reference. Let's start with this one!

Sorcerer of Serpents
Tarot Equivalent: The Magician
Image: A scaly snake-like being with arms towering over a small child. The figure’s hands are crackling with electricity and it looks ready to cast a magical spell.
Attribute: Dark
Type: Reptile
Kind: Effect
Level: 9
Attack: 3000
Defense: 1500
Card Text: Though somewhat frail of body, this evil creature’s scales provide ample protection. It’s magical spells are absolutely lethal, and it preys on creatures of all sizes. The Sorcerer of Serpents likes to hunt in packs.
Effect: This card does not require any Tributes to be summoned into battle. For every turn this card is Face-up on the field, increase the ATK of all Spellcaster-Type and Dark-Attribute monsters on your side of the field by 300. This effect lasts for 5 turns (1500 ATK).

And yes, my chapters will invariably get longer. These ones are, in MS Word format, roughly 4-5 pages long... my latest chapters are closer to 8 pages. If you want it even longer than that, let me know, and I'll comply. ^^ I may join some chapters together as you say, we'll see. I'm glad you enjoy what you've read so far!

RaZoR LeAf

10th February 2005, 04:56 PM

I remember you starting this around the same time you were in my Tarot Card CCS RPG. I didn't read it at first as i'd never seen Yugioh before, but after I'd seen it I went back and read what you;d done of the fic. I'm glad to see you're bringing it back. I can' wait for Nick's Harpie deck to come into play again, I loved that chapter the first time around. :D

Ho-oh2001

11th February 2005, 02:46 PM

Well, as promised, here come two more chapters! I'm not going to join these ones together (it's because I'm far too lazy to go back and rename all my saved Word files, because that would mean going through 15 chapters and moving them around and renaming them to be one chapter shorter and all... but shhh about my sloth ;)), but I'll just post them both anyway. Enjoy!

* * * * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Legacy of Tarot

Chapter 4: The Beginning

Mere hours later, Bertram was leading Alyssa, Mark, and Nick into a grand facility that could obviously be nothing other than Muto University. It was a grandiose, professional facility that seemed impossibly tall and wide, with countless windows on each floor, glittering in the sunlight like crystals. Students that were around Nick’s age, though generally a few years older, were enjoying themselves on the bountiful park grounds where there were swing sets, gardens, and even a quiet little forest where they could go to sit and relax. Needless to say, the three were quite amazed at the work that must have gone into such a beautiful, awe inspiring building, and they found themselves wondering just how Mr. Philps managed to pull it all off.

Upon entering the school, they were greeted by an absolutely massive grand hall. The dome ceiling, reaching all the way up to the roof of the building, was like a skylight made of stained-glass. Pictures of all kinds of Duel Monsters could be seen on the dome, though none of them quite resembled the one Nick had seen in his duel. There were couches, chairs, tables and desks in absolutely every direction, and each one seemed to be occupied by students reading, eating, or dueling. Already they could see that the University had a strong background in Duel Monsters, and with every passing moment, they all found themselves wishing they too could come to this prestigious establishment. The thought of the enrollment prices for such an amazing place of learning, however, kept their imaginations from going too wild.

“Through here, and we’ll be to the science department, Duel Monsters branch.” Bertram announced. He reached slowly into his black velvet suit’s pocket and pulled out a keycard of some kind. One swipe of the card through the lock created a beep, a whistle, AND a flash of lights as the large, heavy metal door slid open quietly. Stepping in, they could see the most amazing facility they’d ever laid eyes upon: everywhere, absolutely everywhere, men, women and students were examining, playing with, and testing Duel Monsters cards! They could hardly help but drop their jaws in pure amazement at just how involved in Duel Monsters this school was! Bertram simply chuckled in his own mildly arrogant way as they continued. “It is impressive, isn’t it? We at MCU are very involved in the science of Duel Monsters. We examine all sorts of cards day and night, and we have even created many of our own in the past. All our cards have been approved and marketed by the IDMC (International Duel Monsters Council).”

“You mean… you… make cards here?” Mark asked in sheer amazement. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. This was too good to be true! Out of the three of them, Mark was probably the most interested in the sciences of Duel Monsters – the combinations, the strategies, the tricks. He had always aspired to create a card and get it approved by the IDMC. At this point, he had created many a card of his own, and sent prototypes to the IDMC for reviewing, but none of them had ever received their stamp of approval. “And you’ve gotten them all approved by the IDMC?”

“Yes, yes.” Bertram chuckled. It was as though he considered this an every-day activity of little consequence. He adjusted his monocle to see Mark more clearly. “It serves as a good source of monetary funds for the school. We have even been invited by the IDMC to create an entire Card Expansion for the Duel Monsters game, of 100 cards! Our scientists and students have been working hard to fill this quota, and we’re almost there. All the IDMC needs to do is give the go-ahead, and the expansion will be in full production by the end of the year. Magnificent, don’t you think?”

Nick was a bit jealous. He, too, had always wanted to create a card that he could call his own. He wasn’t as avid about it as Mark was, but he had expressed an interest in the idea in the past. Of course, none of his ideas had been approved, either. In fact, he had heard that the IDMC had some of the toughest criteria for approval in the world. According to something he’d read on the internet, only 1/200 cards actually get their approval… and yet Bertram Philps says that they’ve gotten every single card they’ve ever created approved. That simply added to the young duelist’s suspicions. He said nothing, however; the biggest thing on his mind was how to get Rebecca back from that creepy Xel’Zerpi thing.

“Now, please follow me. We are behind schedule. This way.”

*

A few fleeting moments later, Nick found himself standing in an empty cubicle-type room with only a hospital gown on. He couldn’t see through the walls around him, but he knew that there were people watching him through those same walls. This was the physical examination he had been told about, and for as long as he had been there, he hadn’t seen or heard a thing. It was like nothing was actually happening. No beeps, no clicks, no flashing lights, nothing. He had to wonder if they had put him in here, forgotten about him, and gone on to do their own things. It was a sound-proof booth, after all, and he couldn’t hear a damn thing outside the cubicle.

“Alright, sir, you may step out of the booth now.” A voice told him through a speaker overhead. A small door slid open on one side of the cubicle, leading into the dressing room where a nice new set of clothes were awaiting him. It took no more than a few minutes for Nick to change into the jeans and sweater given to him (each had the insignia of Muto City University on them, clearly as a shameless plug for the school), and he was out the door to find Alyssa and Mark.

The halls outside the dressing room were dark and quiet – unnaturally so, in fact. A few hushed voices could be heard here and there, but at first glance, things seemed to the naked eye as though they were not quite right. Nick did not feel any reluctance or hesitation as he walked through the hallways, however; Bertram had told him that they kept the lights down so that they wouldn’t waste too much energy by using the special pieces of technology kept in this department. As Nick rounded a corner, apparently the wrong corner, he saw Bertram and a female scientist talking in hushed voices. Slipping quietly behind a nearby door to listen in on their conversation – he recognized the woman’s voice as the voice that told him when he could leave the cubicle – the duelist waited silently to eavesdrop on the results of his examination.

“Well, what’s that then?” Bertram asked, pointing at something on a transparent film that was placed against a lighted screen, much like X-rays are. He scratched his chin with his other hand as the scientist responded.

“We aren’t sure. It isn’t normal, I can tell you that, but at present it doesn’t seem harmful or dangerous. I think that if we keep an eye on it, we can get more information on what it might be or how it got there.”

“I know how it got there, whatever it is. The Sorcerer of Serpents’ attack must have had some negative side effect on Nick’s body, causing that… that… whatever it is.”

“We don’t have proof of that, sir. It could just be a shadow, or a small clot of blood cells. It could be a lot of things, really. If it was caused by the Sorcerer of Serpents, there’s a good chance that this Rebecca girl has also felt some negative effects.” The female responded matter-of-factly, pacing around the room and hanging up other films like the one they had been examining.

“Well, that tablet that Professor Gardner discovered a few weeks back said—“

“I know what it said, Headmaster, but we still don’t have any evidentiary support that proves this growth’s link to the Tarot Beasts.”

“It isn’t cancer, or a tumor, is it?” Bertram asked with a hint of worry in his thick British voice.

“No, we have ruled out any possibility of this growth being cancerous in nature. In fact, the cloud doesn’t appear to be made up of cells at all, whereas a cancerous growth would be signaled by the rapid overgrowth of cells. As of yet, we have been unable to determine just what this anomaly is composed of – but it is not cancer.”

Bertram did not seem relieved; Nick was, and let out a sigh as such. This, of course, got their attention and they stopped their conversation immediately. The teenager quickly tried to make it look as though he had heard nothing and had just entered the hallway. Mr. Philps seemed to believe him, be it an act or not.

“Ah, hello Nick! Miss Franco and I have just been going over the results of your examination.”

“And? What did you find?” Nick asked, playing the part of the innocent schoolboy that knew absolutely nothing about what was going on.

“N-nothing! Nothing to be worried about at all! Miss Franco believes that it might be better if you stayed for a while longer so that she can keep an eye on you, and—“

“What?! Why? I can’t stay here any longer! I have to go find Rebecca!” Nick countered, voice roaring suddenly. It sounded as though he had increased his tone by a few decibels at least all in the course of a second, like a clap of thunder. Bertram motioned for him to calm down.

“I told you, we will handle that matter. We already have people figuring out the location of Xel’Zerpi and Rebecca as we speak. You can go see them, if you like.”

“You mean they’re still here? You’re not even out looking for them? What good are calculations and hypotheses right now? They’re just a waste of time!” He screamed, tears welling up in his eyes. The mere thought of leaving Rebecca in the hands of that reptilian beast for another moment was more than he could bear.

“I realize you’re very overwhelmed by all this, Nick, but please calm down. You’re not helping anyone by overreacting like this. I suggest you take a good, long rest; Miss Franco will show you to your room. Mark and – Alyssa, was it? – are already there waiting for you.” The headmaster told him, motioning with his hand. The female scientist nodded.

“Right this way, please…”

*

That night, Nick stood staring out the window of his ground-floor room when Mark awoke. The sleepy boy stumbled over to his friend and put an arm on his shoulder, rubbing his eyes with the other hand.

“Can’t sleep, eh?”

“No… it’s not that. I’m not going to sleep tonight, Mark.” Nick replied, a sense of determination filling his voice.

“What? What do you mean?”

“I’m getting out of here. They want to keep me here longer, to ‘keep an eye on me’. Meanwhile, they’re doing next to nothing about Rebecca’s kidnapper, and they expect me to believe that they’ve got everything under control. But I won’t believe it, I won’t! I’ll find her and that snake bastard on my own if I have to.” The boy answered, turning to look Mark right in the eyes, who simply chuckled.

“You can’t do this alone, Nick. It’s impossible.”

“Well, I’m going t—“

“Which is exactly why I’m going with you.” He laughed, patting Nick on the back. Nick looked stunned for a moment and a bit confused, but in the end he smiled.

“What the hell are you both so happy about?” A female voice groaned from behind them. Turning, they could see Alyssa standing there in the dark. She, too, had awoken to see them standing there chatting, and she wasn’t one to be left out of things. She also wasn’t one to be woken up in the middle of the night.

“Nick and I are leaving tonight. We’re going to try and find that snake-man that took Rebecca and get her back.” Mark explained, sitting down in a nearby chair.

“And I suppose you’re just going to leave me behind, right?” Alyssa questioned, suddenly losing any hint of drowsiness.

“Alyssa, it’s dangerous, and—“

“—and that’s why I should be coming along! You two couldn’t look after yourselves if you had an army to share between you. Anyway, if you want to stop me from coming, you’re going to have to wrap me in chains and hang me up on that flagpole out there. Otherwise I’ll follow you wherever you plan on going.” She laughed, playfully patting Nick’s shoulder. He smiled back, glad that they understood so well his position. “Besides, this school bores the hell out of me. I’d much rather go on a road trip!”

“Are we all ready to go then, my brave little trio?” Mark chuckled, standing up and placing his card deck in his pocket. The others did the same.

“Looks like it. I’ve got clothes and money… we’ll just have to get food when we need it, I guess.” Nick nodded, grabbing his backpack filled with the basic necessities he had taken to the Tare Invitational. He was told that he’d be staying for a few days, after all, so money and clothes were an absolute must. When Alyssa and Mark had gathered their things, Nick slid open the patio door and hopped out into the darkness.

“Well boys…” Alyssa smirked, looking out at the beautiful, moonlit scene. “Let the games begin.”

* * * * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Legacy of Tarot

Chapter 5: The Escape

As they walked through the beautiful green plains to the west of Muto City, Nick seemed a lot more cheerful. One arm was around Mark’s shoulder and the other was around Alyssa’s as he hummed a merry tune. He knew that some grim events were most indefinitely ahead of him, but being away from that shady Bertram Philps character certainly took a load off of his mind. Every now and then, he kept thinking about that “shadow” that they found during the examination. He was relieved that it wasn’t a tumor or cancer, but they certainly didn’t seem thrilled or confident about its composure. Bertram even lied about it when Nick asked what they had discovered. Something was definitely up. That, however, was priority number two: right now, they had to find Rebecca and that blasted snake-man at all costs. There was only one problem with their little plan… they had no idea in which direction he had gone!

“So… where exactly do we start, guys?” Mark asked a bit nervously, chuckling. His voice was uneasy as he looked around, suddenly realizing what a big world this was and how hard it would be to track down two people; or rather, one person and one reptile.

”Well, other than Bertram and his scientists, the only people that would possibly know anything about Xel’Zerpi’s whereabouts would be in Tare, right?” Nick pondered, trying to formulate a plan. The fact that Tare was an island made things all the more difficult. It meant that Xel’Zerpi probably left the island, flew over the ocean, and went somewhere else. That would mean they’d need to catch a boat to Tare, then find out which way the snakeman went, and then catch another boat or plane to that location. The odds weren’t in their favour.

“Yeah, but getting to Tare again will be damn near impossible.” Alyssa noted bluntly, putting her free hand on her hip.

“Well, we can’t very well count on Bertram and his private jet to help us, can we?” Mark interjected with a light laugh to brighten up the dark situation.

“I wonder… what do you think he’s doing right now?”

*

“Sir! We have a problem!” A professionally dressed man shouted as he burst into the Headmaster’s lavishly decorated office. The older gentleman looked up from his work.

“What? What’s the matter?”

“The finalist and his friends are gone! We looked everywhere, in the school, on the grounds, they’re nowhere to be found!”

“What?” Bertram growled furiously, rising from his chair at a breakneck pace. “Where the hell could they have gotten without us knowing?”

“With all due respect, Mr. Philps, they had a ground-floor room. Chances are they left during the night when you suggested they stay longer than expected.” The teacher-like man responded more calmly, closing the door behind him so as not to disturb those outside. “That Nick boy seemed very unhappy with the suggestion, as I recall.”

“But where would they have gone? They have no idea where Xel’Zerpi might be! He could be anywhere in the world! I don’t even know where he is!” Bertram flustered, his eyes frantically searching the room for an idea, a hint, a plan. Then it dawned on him. “Tare. They’ve headed west to get back to Tare. That’s where they’d find the most information about Xel’Zerpi’s whereabouts!”

“They could be miles away by now, sir.”

“A car is faster than foot. Ready my limo, Mr. Yates,” the headmaster ordered as he moved over to the coat rack, slipping into his top-hat and cloak. A bit outdated a fashion, perhaps, but he liked its elegance and refined nature. Swiftly stepping out the door, Bertram prepared to catch his quarry.

*

“Wait, what’s that?” Nick asked in a whisper a half-hour later. He stopped in his tracks and had perked up his ears as best he could, trying to hear more of the whirring sound that was closing in on them.

“Sounds like a car to me.” Mark noted swiftly, not even bothering to really examine the sound at all.

“Well what the hell would a car be doing in a damn field? There isn’t a bloody road for miles!” Alyssa fumed, crossing her arms as she turned towards the horizon. Within moments, a black speck began to grow larger and larger as it neared them. Incidentally, the sound grew louder and louder, raising the suspicion that the black speck was the car. It screeched to a halt as it pulled up beside them and one of the back windows rolled down.

“If I might ask, what are you all doing out here? It’s dangerous!” Bertram inquired, only his head showing in the blackness of the limo. “Did you not hear me? I asked you to stay with us for a while longer!”

“See that hole in your face, gramps? It keeps spewing nonsense. Shut it, will you?” Alyssa barked, leaning over to glare directly into his eyes. Oh, that menacing glare. Bertram slid one seat over to get out of her fiery gaze as best as possible. “We don’t have time to waste lounging around your boring old university. We have to find Rebecca and that snake, now!”

“And where would you go, hm? Who would you ask? Who would you trust to tell you the truth about where he went?” Bertram chuckled, which only irritated Alyssa even more. A slight growl from her shut him up instantly. “You’re asking for a flying snake-man carrying a damsel in distress. Think about it: most people would sooner send you to an Asylum than tell you where to find him.”

“It’s better than what you were planning on ‘doing’! Standing around and ‘caculating’ their position! You just wanted to cover your back. You don’t plan on doing a damn thing!” Nick snarled, glowering at the British man in the comfy limousine.

“That’s not true at all! We are very concerned for Rebecca’s well being!” Bertram retorted, sliding back so that he could see Nick more clearly. “But we are also concerned for your well-being! It’s dangerous and foolish to be wandering around out here with no idea where to go! And how do you expect to eat? Forage through the bushes for berries and bugs?”

“We have money.” Alyssa told him, a bit angered. “How dare you even think we’d be so stupid as to come unprepared.”

“And how long will it last you? A few weeks, tops? Unless you plan on winning some tournament with a grossly large sum of money for the grand prize, I suggest you accept my help.”

“Maybe we will enter a tournament.” Nick replied, crossing his arms and turning away from the vehicle. “Whatever we do, we aren’t going back to that damned school! You just want to study me like a lab rat and figure out what’s wrong with me.”

“What’s… wrong with you? But we never found anything wrong with you!” Bertram remarked nervously, shifting his eyes suspiciously. Nick simply sighed, deciding to play along with his game for now.

“Whatever. We’re still not going back to the school.” Nick’s resolve was rock-hard and he was determined not to return there under any circumstances. They probably had a whole team of scientists waiting to launch tranquilizers to high heaven so he wouldn’t escape again.

“But you—“

“NO!” The decision was confirmed by all three members of the party. None of them intended to return to Muto City University, if they even returned to Muto City at all. Bertram shifted his weight uncomfortably as he thought, stroking his bald chin generously.

“Alright, fine. We can play it your way. If you want to take a course of action against Xel’Zerpi, do so; I will do everything I can to help. Camp here for a while and await my return. I should only be an hour or two.”

“Why should we trust you? You’ll probably just bring a bunch of bodyguards to hogtie us and drag us back to the University against our will.” Mark uttered in an annoyed tone.

“I assure you I shall do nothing of the sort! I will simply bring us money for a boat to Tare, and then for a plane to wherever we are expected to go. I tell you verily, I do not think this is the correct course of action… but since you are about as stubborn as three drunken mules, I have little choice.” With that, Bertram rolled up his window and ordered his chauffeur to double-time it back to Muto City. The wheels screeched against the dewy ground as the car whirled around and darted back east. Alyssa simply sighed and crossed her arms, annoyed.

“…I hate that bastard.”

*

Two hours later, just as Bertram had predicted, the group heard a familiar whirring of an engine to the east and saw a black speck on the horizon. Yes, they had set up camp – much to the dismay of Alyssa, who didn’t trust “that bastard headmaster weasel” one little bit – and were awaiting his return. They were slightly relieved as the car pulled up beside him and Bertram opened the door, revealing no one but himself, his walking cane, and his elegant if outdated uniform.

“What, no loaded guns? No tranquilizer darts? No swarm of hulking 300-pound brutes with thick ropes?” Alyssa chuckled sarcastically, not even looking up at the old gentleman.

“I told you, I’m here to help. Now please, get in the car. We’ll reach the port much faster that way.”

Alyssa was the first to edge towards the car. She was ready to deck someone’s halls if they needed it as her head peered into the darkness. The girl had half expected to see a squadron of army men sitting right there with blowguns aimed at her forehead, but she found none. A suspicious, untrusting look was cast at Bertram as she slid into the car. Mark and Nick, relieved that Alyssa was so confident with the vehicle, packed up the few things they had set up and also climbed in. Bertram was the last and as he closed the door behind him, he simply knocked on the roof to let the driver know they were ready to continue. The car launched forward in search of a road, as the dewy grass was wreaking havoc on the limo’s wheels.

“Alright, what’s the catch?” Alyssa raised the question, sliding over beside Bertram and staring him down with a skeptical look that would spear a wild boar and stop a rampaging elephant in its tracks.

“I… beg your pardon?”

“Come on, out with it. Last night you were doing everything possible to keep us at the University. Now you’re paying to get us to Tare, and escorting us there in your limo.” Her stare remained unwavering as the car leapt and bounced over the rocky road beneath it.

“Well, if you must know, I think it’s kind of sad how you feel the need to run away without any sense of direction or food, and very little money, to search out this dangerous creature that you know nothing about.” He chortled as he looked out the window at the scenery that was whipping by them at a breakneck pace.

“It’s better than sitting around and doing nothing, like you,” Nick muttered under his breath, crossing his arms and huffing impatiently. He seemed more like an annoyed gorilla than an 18-year old, and annoyed gorillas aren’t the sort of beast you want to meet up with in a small, cramped limousine.

“Like I’ve told you, my scientists were doing their best to plot the most likely location of Xel’Zerpi before searching for him. It’s a big world out there, and they are just two people.”

“Yeah, if you can consider Xel’Zerpi a person,” Mark chuckled, shaking his head. He was thrown forward off his seat, as was Nick, as the limo came to a rather abrupt stop. Alyssa began screaming an endless stream of obscenities when Bertram, completely unphased by the event, opened the door and climbed out.

“Here we are!” He announced proudly, leaning on his walking cane and looking forward at the port. The trip clambered out after him and as they made their way towards the docks (Bertram had so graciously found it in him to bring a map with him), the poor headmaster was bombarded with a flurry of questions.

“What do we do with this Xel’Zerpi guy when we find him, eh? I mean, if he’s ‘immortal’ like you said he was,” Alyssa snorted in disbelief, “then we can’t kill him, right?”

“Not while he has the card, no,” Bertram advised her as he strolled forward at a brisk pace. “And trust me, you won’t pry that card from his hands, cold and dead or not.”

“Well, what the hell do we do, then? If we can’t take the card from him, and we can’t kill him, how do we get Rebecca back?” Alyssa fumed, doubling her speed to keep up with Mr. Philps, who simply laughed heartily. His cane clacked along the cobblestone pathway as they walked.

“You decided to go along on this little three-man voyage. You tell me!”

*

A few hours later, after a somewhat troublesome delay with the attendant loading the baggage (apparently, Alyssa’s make-up containers looked much too suspicious to be let on. She wanted to knock them all out for being morons, but Nick suggested she just let them take a look at the stuff), the group was sitting in their cabin on the boat headed for Tare. It was only about a 6 or 7 hour ride, but that was long enough to bore the hell out of Alyssa. So, in keeping with her inquisitive nature, she continued nailing Bertram down with questions. At this point, her goal was only to see just how ticked off she could make the man before he exploded.

“Alright, Philps, tell me something. You said yourself that people would sooner send us to the looney bin than tell us about a flying snake man carrying a damsel in distress. How, then, do you propose we find out information about this Xel’Zerpi freak?”

“That, my dear girl, is easier said than done. I’m sure that our brave leader has some idea of what to do, does he not?”

Nick looked up from his magazine, “Duelists Monthly”, trying to play back everything they had just said. When he finally realized what they were asking him, he looked back into the magazine for a moment and flipped back a couple of pages. Sliding the open book onto the table, the boy pointed out an advertisement which Bertram quickly skimmed through.

“Let’s see now… ‘We invite you to the anniversary of mayor Thompson and his wife Jessica at Old City Hall,’” The old gentleman began in a speedy, monotone voice, shifting his eyes upward to look at Nick suspiciously. The boy motioned for him to continue, and he did. “Hmm… ‘There will be gifts for all, and the mayor will even offer a duel to one lucky duelist who may take home a prize of… $1,000?’ Aha… I knew there had to be an ulterior motive.”

“I figured we could ask a few of the people there if they’d seen what happened – it’s probably all over the news, after all – and make a little money on the side.” Nick reasoned. His finger trailed over to something else on the page. Alyssa looked at it and nearly choked.

“There’s a dress code? You mean I have to wear a gown and everything?” She snarled, not at all pleased with the idea. Alyssa could indeed be classified a tomboy on the outside, and these sorts of formal functions were not exactly her cup of tea. “I won’t do it. Besides, we can’t afford fancy clothes like that.”

“You leave the dress code to me. Nick’s idea, dare I utter the words, is a good one. If anyone will know something about Xel’Zerpi, it will be Mayor Thompson and the dignitaries at the ball. You won’t find them giving you falsified information, and I do believe I might be able to schedule a private talk with the mayor, as well. We are rather well acquainted, if I do say so myself.”

“So it’s agreed, then?” Mark asked with a slight smile on his face. He was always an up-and-comer, and going to a ball with the intent of meeting the mayor was a grand idea in his mind. Alyssa simply sighed, snatching the advertisement for herself. Shaking her head and closing her eyes, the young maiden simply chuckled. She slapped the magazine back on the table and stood up, moving over to her bed.

“I don’t like it, but… we’re off to the ball!”

Dark Sage

11th February 2005, 06:04 PM

This is interesting...

You are writing a good plot, although it does seem to have a lack of dueling so far.

I compare this to a cross between Yu-Gi-Oh and a Final Fantasy-like quest adventure.

I look forward to when you get past the intros and into the meat of the story.

Incidently, what sort of themes do the decks of our Three Amigos have?

Until next time...

- Venusaur

Ho-oh2001

11th February 2005, 06:50 PM

Don't worry, the dueling will definitely pick up later on. In the next chapter there will be a duel, as a matter of fact (though you probably guessed that from, I dunno, the conclusion to chapter 5? ^^;;). Now, I was hoping to keep you all in suspense as per Mark's and Alyssa's decks, but I suppose they don't actually duel for quite a few chapters yet. Last warning! If you really want to know, I'll tell you, but if you think you can wait, that's okay too. ^^

Anyway, I'm itching to let you guys read the IMO better chapters of this story, so I'm going to shove another chapter or two down your throats. :jump: That way you can see some more dueling! And that's what Yu-Gi-Oh's all about, right? You'll also see something far more interesting than simple dueling... Enjoy!

* * * * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Legacy of Tarot

Chapter 6: Battle at City Hall

Fast-forward 3 days, to the night of the dress ball. Like clockwork, Nick, Mark, Alyssa, and Bertram arrived, decked in their fanciest attire—all provided by Mr. Bertram and his large wealth of cash, naturally. They were greeted, much to their surprise, by a gargantuan ball room with a dome-shaped skylight in the center and chandeliers hanging from above, everywhere. The walls were beautifully decorated with paintings and garland, while roses could be found in vases all over the ballroom. Not a single person in the room looked out of place—shimmering ball gowns, snappy tuxedos, and dazzling jewelry were abound. To be quite frank, it was almost as though one was walking into the center of a magical fairy tale, filled with dancing princesses and princes, chatting and chuckling politely, and having a jolly good time. And, indeed, everyone was—the room was filled with talking and laughter, not enough to disrupt one’s train of thought, and certainly not comparable to that of a rock concert, but it is clear that those present are having a good time.

“It doesn’t appear that the mayor has arrived yet,” Bertram noted in his thick British accent, one eye peering through his monocle and the other, unaided. His hands, covered in white gloves, held tightly a beautiful walking stick decked with diamonds and other assorted jewels and made of the finest ebony. It looked like it must have been worth an absolute fortune—hundreds of thousands, if not hundreds of millions—and even the group began to wonder just how he could afford such a thing.

“Thank you, Captain Obvi—” Alyssa began, quickly cut off by a hushing motion from Nick. He simply shook his head as if imploring her to behave nicely towards Bertram, if only for this one night. A sigh escaping from her form, she nodded reluctantly and moved into the room.

“So I guess we just wait for him to show up, then. Any ideas?” Mark began. Alas, there were no ideas to be had before an announcement was made. All heads in the room, as splendidly dressed as they were, turned to gaze at the figures standing at the top of the grand twin staircase. Mayor Thompson and his wife, apparently, dressed in clothes finer even than any single person present, if that were even thinkable. The mayor made a friendly wave with his hand and began stepping down the stairs, his wife’s arm interlocked with his.

“Good evening! I—we—thank you all for coming. Young, old, friends, foes, we thank you. I trust that, of course, some of you aspiring duelists are here to duel me for the grand prize of $1,000…”

This was accompanied, quite naturally, by a loud cheer from the apparent duelists in the crowd, and Nick was no different. The mayor merely chuckled, drawing a deck of cards from a holster about his waist. Shuffling it idly in his hands as he surveyed the crowd, the mayor randomly set his eyes on the anticipating face of Nick.

“You there!” He spoke, extending a finger towards Nick, who immediately grinned from ear to ear. “You seem awfully excited to be here. Would you like to duel me?”

Nick didn’t even need to speak; he immediately kicked forward and darted through the crowd, pushing people aside as he went (incurring the odd “What a rude little child!”), until he arrived in front of the mayor. Seemingly impressed by the young lad’s enthusiasm, Mayor Thompson patted him on the shoulder and began leading him down the stairs. A few waves of his hands cleared out a large area on the floor, to the side of which Nick was lead. In an astonishing mash of gears and flurry of sound, the floor opened its gaping maw and out crept a dueling arena! Even Nick was surprised; he had figured that dueling was the Mayor’s hobby, not his life!

“Nothing special; just a little arena I had built a few years back. I really do love dueling, you see, and I had this made to accommodate any duels that I might hold. Does it suit your tastes, lad?” He asked before moving a muscle. Nick merely nodded, merrily, at the question. “Very well. Make your way to the podium. What is your name?”

“Nick, sir!” He replied, practically running over to his stand. The thought of $1,000 was too much to ignore, and he was anxious to get this underway.

“Very well, Nick! Let’s begin!”

*

After a little preparation, everything was underway for the battle to begin. Both players had set down their decks, and they had each drawn 5 cards. Their podiums flashed with the numbers “8000,” signifying their life points—this was not to last, for they would soon be whittled away by the vigour of the duel. A coin flip had decided that the Mayor would go first. He did so.

“It’s time to get this battle under way, my worthy opponent!” He announced. Somehow, by some virtue, he sounded much more authoritative and confident, as though he had already brought this duel under his thumb and there was no way he was going to lose. “I’ll place two cards face down, and I’ll play this card: my loyal Command Knight, in Defense mode!”

The creature appeared, sword drawn, in defense mode – with 1900 defense points, it was easily more powerful, defensively, than anything Nick could pull out on his first turn…. or was it? There was one way, depending on the luck of his draw, that Nick could pull out a monster in one turn to destroy the Command Knight, and he knew it. “I’ve got to get rid of that Command Knight, and fast… because once the mayor plays another monster, I’ll have to attack it, and not the Knight! But the only monster I’d be able to play in one turn with enough strength is the Harpie Lady Sisters, and I don’t have the right cards!” Looking up, Nick could see a confident grin on the mayor’s face. He was clearly an accomplished duelist, and he didn’t exactly get filled with creeping dread at the sight of Nick. What he didn’t realize, however, was that Nick was just as accomplished.

“I’ll play Gemini Elf in attack mode, and I’ll place these two cards face down. With that, I end my turn.”

“Very well. But I’m afraid I’m going to have to put a sever hamper in your plans by playing another Command Knight in defense mode!” After a little thought, the effect of this was rather apparent: “As long as these two cards are the only ones on the field, your monsters have nothing to target: the Command Knights protect each other, and my life points! And that’s not all! Because of their effects, they boost each other’s attack scores by 400 points!”

It didn’t take a scientist to figure out what this meant. Without the proper Magic or Trap card, Nick would have to wait for an opportunity to come at him in order to destroy the Command Knights. However, the mayor’s strategy had one flaw that might work to Nick’s advantage: neither Command Knight could attack, or they would be easily defeated by Gemini Elf. That would open up the other Knight to attack, and thus leave the Mayor’s life points wide open. However, as long as the two cards made each other immune to attacks, the Mayor had all the time in the world to summon a more powerful monster. But without the necessary cards, all Nick had as an option was to build up his own defenses until another opportunity presented itself.

“I’ll play this monster card face down in Defense mode, as well as another card face down.” Nick announced assertively, the cards appearing in all their holographic glory on the field before them. The Mayor merely smirked and drew a card. His face lit up.

“Just what I needed. You know, Nick, I thought you were a more accomplished duelist than this—you’re going to have to shape up or ship out if you want to best me in a duel!” The mayor boasted, waving a card around in his hand. “This ought to be enough to take down your pitiful Gemini Elf. I’ll sacrifice my two Command Knights; their respectful tributes will allow me to call down the exceedingly more powerful Wingweaver!” A flash of light quickly spread throughout the field, and upon its dissipation, the two Command Knights were nowhere to be found; in their place, an angel of virtue hovers in the air, staring down the comparatively minuscule Gemini Elf without showing a drop of fear. And for good reason – with an attack of 2750, it was almost twice as powerful as Gemini Elf. “And now, my Wingweaver, use Roaring Trumpet on his Gemini Elf!”

“I can’t let you do that, Mayor Thompson!” Nick smirked, flipping one of his face down cards. “This is my lovely Widespread Ruin; when activated, it destroys one monster on your field with the highest attack. Since Wingweaver is the only creature you have in play, she’s about to meet a rather untimely demise.” And, indeed, she was: before the Wingweaver’s holy trumpet could be so much as lifted to her lips, a violent explosion erupted around her, blowing her, quite literally, to dust. Wingweaver wasn’t the only thing missing; the mayor’s confident expression was also well misplaced. “And I believe that makes it my turn.” His hand slid confidently over his deck and drew a card, as was customary on every player’s turn, and he grinned. “I’ll play this card, face down in defense mode. Now, Gemini Elf, attack the mayor’s life points!”

“Not so fast: I’m going to stop your Elf dead in her tracks with this card! Spellbinding Circle!” Flipping the card face up on his playing field, the twin elves were immediately plagued by moaning, haunting spirits of the dead. Frozen with fear, their attack was blocked and they returned to their original position. “Spellbinding Circle will prevent your monster from attacking or changing position for as long as it is face up on the field; as a Continuous Trap, your Gemini Elf might be immobile for a good while.”

A little disappointed but seemingly not entirely phased by the move, Nick merely motioned with a wave of his hand, signaling for the mayor to make his move. And the man didn’t need any more prompting; he was good at this, and he knew exactly what he had to do now that it was his turn. Drawing a card, he grinned.

“This little combo ought to be enough to take a good chunk out of your Life points! First, I’ll play Hayabusa Knight in attack mode!”

Even though Nick was well aware that Hayabusa Knight was weaker than Gemini Elf, and by 900 points at that; however, he wasn’t about to make any assumptions about the mayor’s dueling skills. And, of course, he was right.

“And I’ll activate my Axe of Despair, increasing Hayabusa Knight’s attack by 1000 points! Considering the fact that Hayabusa Knight can attack twice per turn, I think I can get rid of both your cards! Hayabusa Knight, destroy Nick’s Gemini Elf and his face down card!”

Leaping into action, the creature’s blade strikes twice, once into the slender bellies of the Gemini Elf, and once into the face-down card on Nick’s side of the field. This merely prompted a grin from Nick’s face, even though his life points quickly dropped from 8000 to 7900.

“Thank you for activating my monster card, Witch of the Black Forest! This allows me to summon one monster from my deck, provided it has a defense of 1500 or less – perfect for bringing out my Harpie Lady!” He announced happily, drawing the card from his deck and promptly shuffling it between his hands.

“Make your turn, then, worthy opponent.”

“Why, thank you! First I’ll play my Harpie Lady in attack mode, and I’ll place Elegant Egotist on the field! This will allow me to special summon a Harpie Lady sisters from my deck, which I’ll do now.” With four harpies on the field, Nick’s side was looking quite formidable.

“It’s still not strong enough to defeat my Hayabusa Knight!”

“No, it isn’t. Not yet, that is. I’ll activate my face-down magic card, Rising Air Current!” Flipping the card so that its painted face would be visible to all, a fierce current of wind rose up over the field. The mayor’s Hayabusa Knight struggled to keep its ground in the midst of the violent current of air, but Nick’s two cards merely rose into the sky to greet it, increasing their attack points by 500 each; the decrease of 400 to their defense was the down side, but since neither was in defense mode, it would prove to be little trouble if Nick played his cards right. “I think that means my Harpie Lady Sisters are capable of taking out your Hayabusa Knight—in fact, they’ll do so now!” Already sky-high, it was light work for the Harpie Lady sisters to dive, one after the other, talons first, into the weaker knight before them. As their claws sank into his flesh, the Hayabusa let out a cry of defeat before vanishing, taking the Axe of Despair with it. “And without any trap cards to protect your Life Points… Harpie Lady, attack the mayor’s life points directly!”

Little more explanation is needed; following in its sisters’ footsteps (pardon the pun once more), the Harpie Lady was able to quickly reduce Mayor Thompson’s life points to 6200. Thompson grumbled dejectedly, but quickly regained his composure.

“I’ve been in more dire straits than this, Nick, and I’m not about to let you overtake me this time. In fact, I hold in my hand the cards that may just bring you down here and now! Prepare to meet your doom, Nick! This duel ends here!!”

* * * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Legacy of Tarot

Chapter 7: The Ruling One

“You sure talk big for someone whose life points are a lot lower than mine are, Mayor Thompson.” Nick boasted, holding his hand of cards tightly and feeling only the deepest anxiety deep within him that the Mayor was telling the truth. Even though many have put down the Harpie Lady line, Nick had always seemed to make it work and pull it through the toughest of situations. Hopefully, if the Mayor wasn’t calling a bluff, he’d be able to do the same here.

“Ah, but that,” replied the Mayor, “is the privilege of leadership, my dear boy: I get to talk as big and as brash as I like! And, for your information, I speak the truth. Behold! First, I’ll play Giant Soldier of Stone in defense mode!” The lumbering beast of a creature, whose body was composed entirely of rocks and boulders, composed itself upon the dueling field, arms crossed over its body to signify a defense position.

“My Sisters can still destroy it easily,” Nick boasted, looking completely nonplussed.

“For now. Only that Rising Air Current stands in my way. But it won’t any longer: Mystical Space Typhoon will take care of that!” The mayor placed the card on his side of the dueling field, and suddenly a vortex of mystical energy began to roar wildly in front of Nick’s face. It was as a black hole in its nature: all the air that had been powering up his monsters was merely sucked into it, never to be seen again!

“Alright, fine. So now it has more defense than my Harpie Lady Sister has attack; it still won’t help you for long.”

“Quite the contrary, my friend. Watch as I play this magic card, Conscription!” The mayor announced and, sensing a confused look from Nick’s direction, explained the card. “This Continuous Magic card allows me to summon as many monsters onto the field as I like during my turn, at the cost of 500 life points per extra monster. And, thanks to its magical effects, I will now be able to sacrifice Giant Soldier of Stone in order to play the card that will bring about your doom… The Ruling One!”

The mention of this card didn’t strike Nick as much as it did Bertram Philps, whose eyes immediately widened as he scampered towards the dueling field to get a closer look. Could the mayor really be in possession of one of the Tarot Cards? His fears were confirmed all too soon as the green-robed, kingly figure of The Ruling One arrived on the field. Wielding the mythical Scepter of Punishment, the sovereign creature gazed upon Nick’s cards with arrogance in its eyes. Nick did not know the significance of the card immediately – he simply noticed that a powerful energy emanated outward from its form, the likes of which no normal duel monster had ever radiated before.

On his viewing screen, located on his podium, it should be noted that his opponent’s side of the field was visible, and as The Ruling One was played, something about the card’s design struck Nick as familiar—it was the same as the Sorcerer of Serpents that was played in another of his battles, against Xel’Zerpi! This was when it hit him: The Ruling One was a Tarot card! And not only that, it both was easily powerful enough to destroy both Nick’s monsters, and had an effect that would redirect those attack points in order to damage his life points!

“Now, Ruling One, destroy his Harpie Lady Sisters with your Crude Judgement!” came his order, swift and clear. The card moved in for the attack, swinging its scepter violently in its right hand at each of the harpies that made up the Harpie Lady Sisters. Just before it was able to make contact, however, a group of priests dressed in blue apparated on the field, deflecting the blows. “What?!”

“Meet Waboku; this card reduces all damage done by your monster to zero during the turn that it’s played. It should prove enough to hold you off until I can defeat your Ruling One—and I will, you can be sure of it.” Nick swanked confidently. The mayor merely laughed.

“We shall see. Make your move.”

Nick slipped his hand over the card deck and drew a card, bringing his hand size to 2. The mayor had, at present, no cards left in his hand; however, his monster would easily give him time enough to restore it to full.

“I’ll place this card face down, turn my monsters to defense mode, and end my turn.” His thick voice announced with every drop of poise he could muster; it didn’t sound like much. This only served to fuel the mayor’s confidence in turn.

“What, is that all you’ve got?” the mayor bragged with a laugh. “I thought you were a world-class duelist, Nick. It appears I was mistaken.”

Nick was silent. He was not about to be led into a mind game by his opponent, a trap that too many duelists had fallen into, much to their despair. Letting an enemy trick one’s mind meant losing one’s stability, and with it one’s focus, and thus, the duel.

“The strong, silent type. I choose not to play any cards this turn. Ruling One, attack Nick’s Harpie Lady Sisters yet again!”

“Not so fast,” began Nick with startling confidence, flipping a card face up. It was unfamiliar to Mayor Thompson, and Nick could tell. “This is a rare and powerful trap card called the Bonds of Sisterhood; it allows me to special summon all Harpie Lady Sister cards from my deck in Face-up attack position when you attack one of my harpies. All the Harpie Lady Sisters on the field then attack the threat as one monster with their combined attack points. And that’s not all: this effect lasts until the end of my next turn, too.”

A look of dread immediately came over the mayor’s face as two more Harpie Lady Sisters appeared on the field. He knew that this meant his doom; with no trap cards to prevent this, he was completely at the mercy of Bonds of Sisterhood. His overconfidence would be his downfall. And furthermore, The Ruling One’s effect could not be activated because it was not his opponent’s battle phase! The three Harpie Lady Sisters, 9 bird-women in total, surrounded and clawed at the immensely powerful Ruling One; and yet, comparatively, it was as an ant to the might of 9 hungry robins, each willing and ready to destroy and discard it. For a combined total of 5850 damage, the all-mighty Tarot Card had been reduced to pieces and was immediately obliterated. The look on the mayor’s face indicated that he was finished. He ended his turn without playing anything.

“If that’s the end of your turn…” Nick began; the mayor nodded solemnly. “Very well. Then I’ll have my combined Harpie Lady Sisters finish your life points!”

The mayor nearly collapsed at the sight of his 5700 life points being reduced to 0 for the first time in his entire career. He had never been defeated, not even once; and now this little upstart was casting him aside like so much old food. One of the mayor’s attendants walked up to him and began speaking.

“I’m sorry sir, but the rules of this gala—which you created yourself—state that the loser must hand his rarest card to the winner. That means your Ruling One now belongs to Nick.”

Now, the mayor may have been in shock and dismay at his sudden defeat, but he certainly wasn’t a bad sport. Putting the remnants of a grin on his battered old face, he lowered the podiums, moved towards Nick, and handed him The Ruling One, along with a firm handshake.

“You’re the first person to ever defeat me, lad, and my Ruling One,” he began, something of a tear in his eye. “I hope you’ll treat it well.”

Nick thought for a moment, smiled, and nodded, “I will!”

Clapping erupting from the backdrop, both duelists retreated to the VIP lounge for some much needed rest.

*

“You’re kidding us, right Bertram?” Alyssa fumed as Nick held his new card in his hand. She was in utter disbelief at what the old goofball was telling her.

“No, Alyssa—the Ruling One is a Tarot Card. Don’t you recognize the make-up of the card itself, its design?” Bertram reasoned, taking the card into his hands and showing it to her. “And also, remember that I once told you that the Tarot cards’ masters always take on the characteristics of their cards; do you not find it ironic that Mayor Thompson is, in fact, a ‘ruling one?’”

“Alright, so let’s play along with the idea that it is a Tarot Card, just for a minute,” she bristled in disbelief, “What the hell do we do with it now?”

“Nothing, yet. It isn’t going to help us find Xel’Zerpi without examining it with the proper equipment, but it will ensure that whoever he’s working for isn’t going to get them all, not so long as Nick keeps it safe in his deck.”

“I will,” the champion laughed, taking the card back and adding it to the top of his deck, “you can be sure of that.”

“Now all that needs doing is getting a hold of Mayor Thompson and asking him what he knows of Xel’Zerpi’s whereabouts,” Mark threw in, leaning back on the VIP lounge sofa.

“He should be back any minute now,” Bertram began. Within seconds, the doorknob began to turn and the familiar visage of Mayor Thompson entered.

“Hello, friends! I hope you didn’t get too bored waiting for me,” he said with a chuckle. Alyssa merely snorted, mumbling something that he either didn’t hear or chose to ignore.

“Please, dear friend, sit down,” Bertram offered, motioning towards a nearby chair positioned close to them. “We have a great many things to ask you…”

* * *

“Yes, I knew the Ruling One was a Tarot card. My wife, who always has been interested in the legendary topic, pointed that out to me. I didn’t believe her at first, but after a time, it all made sense.”

“Do you know much about them, then?” Mark asked curiously.

“Not as much as my wife, assuredly; Jessica,” he beckoned, turning his head towards his wife who was sitting off to one side, chatting with a few dignitaries. It was a large lounge, after all, and they were far enough away to be discluded from the conversation. “Would you mind telling them what they wish to know?”

“Of course, my love.” His wife began to move towards them and took a seat on the mayor’s lap, one arm strung around behind his neck as she crossed her legs. “What do you wish to know about these cards?”

“Well… do you know where they came from, by any chance?” Alyssa asked, showing a hell of a lot more compassion towards the mayor’s wife than her husband.

“All I know is legend, but… from what I have read about these cards, they were created by a group of people—mediums, fortunetellers, you know—who wanted an aide in foretelling the future—and in making a few extra dollars. These were the beginnings of the Tarot cards.”

“But these mediums weren’t magical or anything like that, were they?” asked Nick, once again taking the Ruling One in his hand.

“No,” she replied, shaking her lovely head back and forth. “That is where their hidden accomplice comes into play. Known only to the legends as the Masked Conjurer, he helped the fortune tellers by infusing his magic into them. The tarot cards, you see, were not magical in and of themselves, and had no actual ability to tell the future—the Masked Conjurer said he was able to change all that. And, perhaps foolishly, the mediums agreed to his offer, although it was as though selling their souls.”

“How so?”

“Well, as it turns out, the Masked Conjurer was simply the alter-ego of a world-renowned duelist – well, not a duelist, since they didn’t really duel in those days, but he was the equivalent of one of today’s duelists. Anyway, when he infused his magic into the cards, he did not do as the mediums bid him, but rather he turned them into horrible, powerful monsters. Worst of all, the mediums came immediately under the creatures’ spells, so they had no idea what had been pulled over their eyes. And they were the Tarot Warriors from then on, completely under the Masked Conjurer’s enchantment. Some, like a snake man named Xel’Zerpi, are still rumoured to live today, completely attached to their cards in mind, body, and soul. Others, like my husband’s grandfather, passed the cards down to family to keep their powers alive. Still others lost them in duels as they evolved over the centuries. Unfortunately, because of this, there is no way of knowing who now possesses a Tarot Card, because many of the old Tarot Warriors no longer exist and were immediately destroyed when their cards left their possession. But I suppose you can’t really believe all the legends… magic, snakemen… it all sounds rather foolish, don’t you think?”

“Not as foolish as you might think,” Bertram began with a chuckle. “Xel’Zerpi is the man we’re looking for. He has abducted one of Nick’s friends and taken her away, claiming that the Tarot Cards are looking for new masters.”

“Xel’Zerpi…? Was he the one on the news? The one who caused the explosion at that Duel Monsters tournament…? I’m so glad no one was hurt.”

At the mention of this, Nick almost scowled, but remembered that there was a reason Rebecca’s disappearance had not exactly been made public yet. The whole story sounded too fanatical to believe. It wasn’t Mrs. Thompson’s fault she didn’t know of it yet.

“Do you have any idea where he might be, then?”

“Well, I can’t be sure, but… according to the old legends, the Tarot Warriors often met in a place called Tarotenam. It doesn’t exist any more, of course, but if I were to make a guess, I would say that its ruins might still remain just east of a city called York. I believe you can catch a flight to York from the airport here in Tare, if you’re interested in that sort of dungeon-crawling stuff.”

Without wasting a moment of time, the four members of the group stood up and thanked Mrs. Thompson graciously for all her help. But one thing was on their minds: they had to get to this York and find the ruins of Tarotenam as quickly as possible. With the grand prize in hand and after thanking the mayor for his help, the group headed towards the Tare Airport.

The next chapter of their adventure was to begin.

* * * * *

Conscription
Group: Magic
Type: Continuous
Card Image: A royal officer handing out draft notices to unhappy-looking peasants.
Effect: When this card is face-up on your side of the field, you may normal summon any number of monsters per turn. Pay 500 life points for each summon after the first.
((Basically, a magic-version of Ultimate Offering))

Bonds of Sisterhood
Group: Trap
Type: Counter
Card Image: The Harpie Lady Sisters leaping down from the skies to defend a frightened Harpie Lady from an unseen agressor.
Effect: Activate this card when "Harpie Lady" or "Harpie Lady Sisters" is designated as the target of an attack. Search your deck for all "Harpie Lady Sisters" cards and special summon them to the field in face-up attack mode, then shuffle your deck. Designate a "Harpie Lady Sisters" as the new target of your opponent's attack, and make its ATK the combined total of the ATK of all "Harpie Lady Sisters" cards on the field, then remove the other "Harpie Lady Sisters" cards from play. During the end phase of your next turn, the designated card's ATK returns to normal. Then return all "Harpie Lady Sisters" cards removed from play by this card's effect to the field.

* * * * *

Whoops, almost forgot! I introducted a new Tarot card, and so here's the write-up for it.

The Ruling One
Tarot Equivalent: The Emperor
Image: Seemingly the “significant other” to Mother Empress, the Ruling One is dressed in velvety green robes and wears a golden crown adorned with emeralds. He holds a golden scepter in his right hand and looks upon his subjects with a commanding presence.
Attribute: Earth
Type: Warrior
Kind: Effect
Level: 9
Attack: 3100
Defense: 2500
Card Text: Commanding and, at times, overbearing, there are few who will defy the Ruling One’s orders. Armed with the Scepter of Punishment, all lawbreakers that come before him meet a hasty – and painful – judgement.
Effect: This card only requires 1 Tribute to be summoned into battle. Once during your opponent’s battle phase, when he or she declares an attack, you may redirect up to 500 of that monster’s damage directly to your opponent. The rest is dealt normally.

Dark Sage

11th February 2005, 07:23 PM

That was an interesting chapter.

First, a question:

What are the stats of The Ruling One, and what is its Tarot equivalent? (The Emperor, perhaps?)

Now, some complaints.

First, you should describe the Monsters better. Someone who has never seen Command Knight might have been confused.

You should also do what I do in my fanfics and list the Attack and Defense scores of a Monster after the paragraph in which you describe where it is summoned. For example, after you described the mayor summoning Command Knight, you should have written (1,200/1,900)

But otherwise, this is pretty good. So Nick now has a Tarot Monster, and the more the heroes get, the better their chances are against teh villains - I'm certain that Sorcerer of Serpents isn't the only Tarot that the bad guys have. This story might soon turn into a war of Tarots that could lead to bloodshed...

- Venusaur

Ho-oh2001

11th February 2005, 07:42 PM

Yep, the Ruling One does indeed represent The Emperor (see my little add-on blurb at the end of my last post for some more detailed info). Other than that, thanks for your suggestions! I'll definitely keep those in mind when writing future chapters, and when revising my older ones. Thanks!

Ho-oh2001

11th February 2005, 11:21 PM

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Legacy of Tarot

Chapter 8: The Secret

The place? An airplane headed from Muto city to the town of York. The time? 2 hours after Nick’s duel with mayor Muto. Alyssa and Mark dueled quietly in their respective seats; Nick couldn’t make out who was winning or losing, nor did he really care at the moment. Too much was on his mind as Bertram slept peacefully beside him. The inflight movie played on endlessly, soundlessly, without earphones in his ears; it was just a bunch of moving pictures in the foreground. York. Why did that name sound so familiar to him? Of course, it was the location of the IDMC headquarters, but there was something else about the name that struck him as frighteningly memorable. Something from his past that he couldn’t quite recall.

“Nick?” Bertram asked, awakening from his slumber and seeing his companion deep in worried thought. “What’s wrong?”

The younger duelist turned to the older British man and, after a few moments of blank staring, he smiled. “Oh, nothing. Just thinking about . . . well, everything.”

“I know how that feels,” Bertram laughed. Alyssa burst out in fury off to one side, screaming something about Mark being a cheater. Nick and Bertram paid little attention. “It’s not an easy thing, having such frightful weight on your shoulders as you have. I can only imagine what you must be going through.”

“But. . .” Nick began, cutting himself off for a moment as he probed his mind further, “It’s more than just Xel’Zerpi, or Rebecca, or the Tarot beasts. . . it’s something about the city, York, itself. The name just rings a bell in my mind for a reason that I can’t explain.”

“Oh, an even worse feeling!” Mr. Philps exclaimed, once again irritating the passengers around him who were still trying to watch the movie. He muttered something about turning up the volume if they couldn’t hear the film before turning back to Nick. “It might be nothing, you know. Sometimes the name just sounds familiar because you’ve read it in a book, or something like that.”

Nick shook his head a few times, slowly at first and then quickly as though gaining reassurance, “No, it’s not that. I feel as though. . . I don’t know, like a part of me is drawing me towards this York. Almost like. . . something terribly important is waiting for me there. And it’s not the Tarot cards, or Tarotenam. . . something else.”

Bertram nodded solemnly, opting to leave the boy with his thoughts for now. It would probably be of no use to try and probe any further; silent thought and meditation would eventually solve the puzzle that no mortal could force a solution to. Bertram only hoped that this little quest for an answer wouldn’t divert Nick from his mission; heavens only know how many Tarot cards have already been gathered together, and what the unnamed enemy plans to do with them. There was not much time left.

*

“They are coming, master,” A cloaked figure spoke into the darkness. Strangely, a voice replied, deep and solemn in its words, cruel and menacing in its tone.

“The holder of the Ruling One?”

“Yes, master,” the subservient voice confirmed assuredly, nodding his head once as a physical confirmation. “One Nick Maximus, accompanied by 3 companions.”

“Who?” The master inquired, stepping out of the shadows. He was sheathed in shadow from head to toe, and little more than his silhouette could be made out among the enveloping darkness.

“We do not know who they are, but they are of little consequence.”

“Very well. Keep your sights locked on him, and tell me when he arrives in York,” The master ordered, returning to his hidden seat and hiding himself once more from complete view. “I want to know his every move.”

*

“Wake up, Nick, wake up!” A female voice called out, arousing the boy from his deep slumber. Nick must have fallen asleep in his thoughts as they surrounded and filled his mind, strangling his every thought until only sleep could release him. “We’re here!”

“Wha. . .? Alyssa?”

“Yeah! Wake up already! Everyone else has gotten off already! Why is it that you’re always the last?” She laughed a bit, pulling him from his seat. “Mark already got the luggage, with Bertram’s help. I got stuck babysitting you. Come on, come ooooon!”

It didn’t take much more provocation to get Nick to stand up and get his things. Still in a semi-drowsed state, he followed Alyssa along the narrow airplane aisle and towards the door, where a stewardess was waiting to show them off.

”I hope you enjoyed the fli—“

“Yeah yeah, I’ve heard it before, lady.” Alyssa snorted; she was apparently very cranky from the cramped flight. Either that, or she was acting perfectly normal. Nick couldn’t tell.

When Nick and Alyssa had disembarked and boarded the shuttle bus that would take them from the plane to the airport, they were greeting by a rather unfriendly chorus of snarls and growls from the passengers who had been waiting for nearly 15 minutes to get moving. Nick, in his drowsy state, didn’t care; Alyssa, in her usual fury, flipped the bird at a few of them and cursed out the others. As impractical as it might have been, she was able to shut them all up and let the driver get moving.

“Jesus, can you sleep or what?” the girl laughed, patting Nick on the shoulder. One of the nearby passengers started grumbling, but when met with that menacing glare, he stopped.

“Yeah. . . it’s one of my fatal flaws.” Nick chuckled, rubbing his head full of bed-hair. “I’ve got a splitting head-ache.”

“No kidding!” Alyssa flatly pointed out, shaking her head as she held onto one of the handrails. “You think those seats are comfortable?”

“No, it’s not that. . . I’ve just. . . been doing a lot of thinking while they were on that plane,” Nick pointed out, shaking his head at her comment. He returned to a solemn attitude once more, looking forlornly out the window at the city dotting the horizon. “And three hours of straight thinking gives one a bad headache.”

“Thinking?” Alyssa inquired, motioning for Nick to slide over so that she could sit down, “About what?”

“Well, I don’t know. It just feels like there’s someone in York that I should be seeing, almost like I’ve known them for a really long time and that I haven’t seen them in just as long, but. . .” He shook his head. “I can’t remember who!”

Immediately, something came to mind in Alyssa’s head. She had known Nick for a really long time, and knew some of his deeper, darker secrets that he didn’t tell anyone; some of the ones, even, that he drove out of his own mind to get rid of the memories. And this one seemed startlingly familiar to her, but she chose not to say anything, because she decided that, perhaps, this would be something better left to himself. After a few moments of silence, and one of the more gentle looks Alyssa had shown during their whole adventure, the bus screeched to a halt at the airport.

“Come on,” she said softly, coaxing him to his feet and putting an arm around his shoulder. “We’re here. Bertram and Mark are waiting inside.”

As they got off the bus and entered the airport, Nick and Alyssa were greeted by the somewhat impatient faces of Mark and Bertram, who were struggling with the huge bags of luggage that they (or, more specifically, Bertram) had brought with them. The two explained that their hotel bus was waiting for them, impatiently at that, and that the driver had threatened to leave without them if they didn’t arrive double-quick. Without delay, Alyssa and Nick quickly rushed behind the other two and boarded the bus just in time.

It wasn’t long before they had checked into York Hotel, the fanciest establishment in the whole of the city. As the virtual capital of the Duel Monsters world, even a place as well-dressed as the York Hotel was a duel central. The lobby was positively filled with duelists from just about every region of the world, and not a single one of them was just trading or examining his deck. Each and every one was locked in a duel with another, almost as though they were practicing for something.

“What the heck is this?” Alyssa asked, staring blankly at her surroundings. “It’s like the village of the damned or something.”

“I think the biennial IDMC Cup is being held soon here in York,” Mark noted, nodding his head as he looked around at the innumerably duelists. “They hold it once in the fall and once in the spring, and I think this is about time for it to be starting.”

“Oh, I’ve heard of the IDMC Cup!” Nick announced, enlightened. He was a faithful subscriber to Duelists Monthly along with a slew of other duel monsters magazines, and the IDMC was frequently posting announcements in them. “That’s one of the most prestigious tournaments in the entire sport of Duel Monsters!”

“Yep. I’ve heard rumours that it’s going to be hosted by the CEO of the IDMC this year. She’s apparently really good, and really rich. In terms of the sport of Duel Monsters, she’s also the most knowledgeable person around. . . of course, I guess that’s a given, since she runs the whole thing.”

“What I’d give to be her. . .” Alyssa’s eyes lit up as she spoke. She was, herself, a rather accomplished duelist, and she vividly loved the sport. Also something of a feminist, she loved any strong female role model she could set her mind to.

“Well, you’ll be meeting her soon enough!” Bertram cut in with a chuckle, examining the lobby for a last time as they stepped into the elevator. He was immediately met by looks of surprise from the three members of their little troupe. “Don’t act so surprised. We need to know more about this Tarotenam that Mrs. Thompson told us about. And I figure that if anyone can tell us more about it, it’s the head of the IDMC.”

“Alright, you fogey, tell me this:” Alyssa snorted as the elevator began its ascent. “How are we supposed to meet with someone as amazingly prestigious as her?”

“Well, that’s simple enough. The preliminary rounds of the tournament are being held today, right? All the winners are going to speak with her at a conference—“

“Does it look like Nick, or for that matter, any of us are registered in this tournament?” Alyssa bluntly pointed out. The elevator dinged as they reached the designated floor, and the group exited.

“I pulled some strings, and you all seeded for the next round. It would have been easier to just get you all a private conference with her, but she simply insisted that you all participate. I don’t know why. . .” Bertram laughed, shaking his head. “In any case, you’ll have to be there in two hours. I trust you can make it.”

The proposal was met by an uprising of unhappy groans as Bertram retired to his room, chuckling. Left with only 2 hours to prepare their decks and get to the tournament, the tired, cranky duelists began their long, hard preparations.

*

The arena, which was actually a rather large section of the city of York, was positively filled with duelists of every kind, decks in hand, shuffling through their cards. It was practically impossible to hear your own thoughts over the screeching and bantering of the busy crowd, all waiting for the preliminary announcement to be made so that Round 1 could begin. Though Nick, Mark, and Alyssa were a little anxious to duel—they would not be competing until Round 2, after all—they were, on the whole, very happy to be there.

“Wow, I wasn’t expecting such a turnout,” Nick beamed as he sat on stage, looking at the duelists below him. “I mean, I knew the IDMCC is world-famous, but. . . wow!”

“Yeah, no kidding. Looks like we’ll be up against some fierce competition,” laughed Alyssa. She was met be a simple nod and laugh from Nick and Mark. “Oh, look! I think that announcer-type guy is gonna start the tournament officially!”

And, indeed, a very classy-looking man stepped onto the stage as Alyssa mentioned his presence, and was greeted by a hearty round of applause.

“Heeeeeeeeeeello ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Spring International Duel Monsters Committee Cup!” the announcer boomed through the microphone, followed by a howl of applause. “Please put your hands together for our special guest! She’s a classy lady; she’s a great duelist; she’s a real heartthrob! And best of all, she’s the CEO of the IDMC! Everyone give a warm welcome to our Master of Ceremonies, miss Mai Valentine!”

The beautiful blonde woman known as Mai Valentine stepped onto the stage, adorned in a short, violet, leather skirt, and a jacket of the same make over her white blouse. Similarly-coloured, high-heeled boots rose from her feet to her knees. Her presence was met with an immeasurable round of applause from everyone in the audience.

Everyone, that is, except Nick.

“MOM?!”

* * * * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Legacy of Tarot

Chapter 9: Halis and Silah

“M. . .mom?!” Nick stammered for what must have been the thirtieth time since he saw her. A part of him wanted to reach out and hug her; another, to push her away, just as she abandoned him those many years ago.

“Yes, that’s me,” Mai smiled, tilting her head to the side. “It’s good to see you, Nick.”

“I wish I could say the same for you!” Nick growled, standing up from his seat and staring her directly in the eyes. His were filled with fire and anger; hers, with confusion. She had no idea what he was talking about. “Why the hell did you just abandon me?” He never was the kind of person to just beat around the bush. ‘Get right to the point,’ that’s his motto.

“What?!” Alyssa broiled, standing up beside him. Nick was generally a timid person, so you can imagine that if his eyes were filled with fire, Alyssa’s were thrice that. “What the hell is he talking about? You abandoned him? That’s why he never talked about his mother! I knew I never liked you! Why I oughtta—”

Mai immediately rose from her seat and slammed her fist on the table; it seemed as though the entire room shook. “Sit down and let me explain, BOTH OF YOU!”

It was a frightening moment, to say the least; even Alyssa’s fiery temper seemed dowsed by Mai’s retort, and she immediately slunk back into her seat alongside Nick. The fervour of the woman’s youth, a period of time not known to most of those present, was relived in her temper. “I didn’t abandon anyone! Believe me, you don’t want to know what happened. It’s better that you don’t.”

Nick rose, shaking his head. “No, it isn’t. I have to know. I’ve gone on all these years thinking that you had abandoned me. Grandma and grandpa told me you were dead!”

“Dead?” Mai laughed for a second, quickly returning to her composed, elegant state. “Good old mom and dad. . . they’re a regular pill, those two. No one and nothing kills Mai Valentine, sweetie.”

“Alright,” Mark began, still sitting in his seat. He had remained silent and composed through all this, unlike his female counterparts. “If you’re Nick’s mom, then how come you two have different last names?” It wasn’t a particularly important question, but it would at least break the thick tension. Mai sat down and crossed one leg over the other, running a hand through her long blonde hair as she began.

“Maximus was the last name of Nick’s father; my maiden name is Valentine,” she explained. Mark opened his mouth to continue, but she cut him off instead. “Before you ask, no, I didn’t retain my maiden name when I got married. I was, for a time, Mai Maximus, though I still don’t think it really fit all that well.”

“Mom. . .” Nick started, sounding a little irritated. From what he remembered of her, he knew she had a way of going off on a tangent on some things when an opportunity presented itself, and no one really knew why.

“Nick, you have to remember that your father was, at times. . . well, let’s just say he was a beggar for the bottle,” she continued, sighing a bit. Nick thought for a moment and, in the end, nodded his head. The last time he had seen his father was at least 7 years prior, but he did remember his rather intoxicated attitude on most nights. “Well, things eventually got a little worse than the usual ‘father comes home drunk, yells at family, goes to bed’. I knew I had to get you out of that hellhole. So, I took you to my parents’ house where your father would never find you. . . they always hated him, anyway. They knew he was a drunk, and no-good liar. I knew they’d never tell him you were there. My dad had pretty high connections, anyway, being a former member of the government. He was immune from any warrants that your father could scrounge up to search their house for you.”

“So why didn’t you ever come to see me in those 7 years?” The confused boy asked, bewildered. Mai merely sighed and shook her head.

“Your father.”

“What?”

“Your father. Drunken bastard or not, he had friends in high places, too. . . somehow he twisted the divorce case into getting a restraining order to prevent me from seeing you. Something about neglecting you or being an unfit mother. . . I don’t know, I’ve driven it from my mind. Bad memories.”

“What?!” Nick and Alyssa rang out in unison. She was just as distressed about this news as he was; Alyssa was, after all, almost like a sister to Nick when he was younger. Mai merely nodded her head.

“Yeah. I don’t understand how he did it. . . but I guess money makes the world go ‘round, after all,” she sighed, shaking her head and slamming a fist on the arm of her chair. “I hope he rot—”

Just then, someone burst into the lounge. From the looks of the man, it was one of Mai’s men hired to patrol the tournament and catch any rule-breakers. The dueling police force of York, they were. “Miss Valentine, we’ve got a troublemaker. Two of them, actually. They just defeated a whole group of duelists and keep screaming something about a. . . Tarot card?”

Mai and Nick both immediately stood up, apparently out of their combined desire to allow the tournament to go along smoothly. “I’ll take care of them. . . god, I hate these things sometimes.”

*

Outside at the location of the disturbance, a pair of cloaked men stood in the center of a large clearing bordered by frustrated, confused, and angry duelists. They’d just beaten a younger pair of fighters, and cards were scattered all over the floor.

“What the hell is going on here?!” Mai exploded, stamping her foot in anger. Many of the duelists in the crowd seemed relieved to see her as she pushed her way through, and the cloaked figures were no different. “What have you done to these duelists?”

She was referring to the state of the pair he had just defeated. They were babbling like idiots, completely unaware of their surroundings, as though their minds had been completely played around with.

“They are not worthy of the title Duelist!!” one figure bellowed. Even Mai couldn’t help but feel a wave of fear wash through her body, as did Nick, when the creature spoke. He was thin and hunched over, and his body was covered completely by a billowing black cloak—only his eyes, which glimmered a violent silver, were visible from beneath its shadowy folds. The other figure looked the same, but much more submissive, as though he was perhaps the first figure’s servant or henchman.

“This is just a god damn tournament! They aren’t here to prove themselves to you!” she screeched at the figures, taking another step towards them. Nick couldn’t help but feel a little bit proud to have such a passionate, defensive mother; meanwhile, Alyssa had found that new role model. “Just get out of here now, before I have my guards drag you from the city by your heels!”

“We duel.”

“What?” she asked, momentarily stunned, her form relaxing and leaning back in the moment. Despite her rather seductive look—she was dressed in a while blouse, purple jacket with gold buttons, purple high-heels, and a purple miniskirt—she looked just as forceful as any of the pro duelists here.

“We duel. If you win, we leave the city, and your pitiful excuse for a tournament. If I win, you give me your Tarot card.”

Nick immediately stepped up beside his mother. “Why do you want my Tarot card? Who are you?!”

The figure paused for a moment, looking towards Nick. It seemed as though this wasn’t the turn of events he had expected but, as his eyes gleamed with anticipation, the situation appeared to be just as tantalizing. Mai only looked at him; she said nothing, but her eyes crinkled at the edges as though contemplating something.

“You will know me only as Halis. This is my partner, Silah. Now. . . enough talk! You and I shall duel!”

“You’re on, you caped creep! I guess it’s two on one, unless your quiet little friend there wants to join in.” Mai boasted. She knew the duel would be easier if it was just her and Nick versus Halis, but a part of her was thirsting for a real challenge. “Activate HDS – Holofield Dueling System!”

A state of the art piece of technology surpassing even Seto Kaiba’s Duel Disk device years and years earlier at the Battle City tournament, the Holofield Dueling System actually placed the duelists in a holographic rendition of the arena. Field cards changed their surroundings, and the crowd could not be seen—though the crowd could see them. Immediately, the duelists were engulfed in a shroud of darkness, and in an instant, their podiums rose before them. The vast expanse between them seemed immeasurable, the dueling field where the cards would be represented in the third dimension.

“Let us begin!”

Mai took her turn first, drawing a card from her deck. “Don’t worry, boys, this will all be over soon. I’ll play two cards face down, and play Harpie Lady in attack mode. That ends my turn.” Mai’s signature beast appeared on the field after an array of flashing lights. It was a beautiful humanoid female, excepting of course that large, feathery wings were grafted to her forearms, and she had talons instead of hands and feet. All four duelists knew that the Harpie Lady wasn’t particularly a powerful card. Nick, being a Harpie enthusiast himself, knew that there was more to her than met the eye. Halis and Silah, however, were more worried about Mai’s face-down cards than her winged-beast. ((Harpie Lady: 1300/1400))

“I will go next,” noted Halis, drawing a card from his deck. “I play Dragon Zombie in attack mode. It’s more than powerful enough to destroy your Harpie Lady; Dragon Zombie, destroy her monster with Putrid Breath!” ((Dragon Zombie: 1600/0))

The purple dragon, whose flesh looked like it was melting off its bones, was an intimidating sight. It raised its wings – little more than bony shadows of what they once were – and opened its gaping, dripping maw. A wave of rotten gas rolled across the field as the zombie merely let forth a breath. It threatened to eradicate Mai’s Harpie Lady, but the duelists didn’t exactly seem worried. “Reveal magic card, Harpie’s Mountain Kingdom!”

A field-magic card designed specifically for the harpies, the kingdom appeared all around the duelists. Harpies of all ages, sizes, and shapes sat watching the duel from within the grand hall, and it looked to be a very serene place situated at the top of a tall mountain. More importantly, however, it’s effect powered the Harpie Lady’s attack by 100 times its level—with 1700 attack, the Harpie Lady was strong enough to withstand the blast.

“Alright, Harpie Lady, counter his attack with your scratch!” Mai ordered, and the lady-shaped beast responded. It leapt forth through the grand hall and tore into the Dragon Zombie, not only vanquishing it but dropping Halis’ life points by 100, to 3900. The cloaked figure muttered, annoyed.

“Very well. I’ll place these two cards face down and end my turn.”

“Then I believe it’s my turn to go,” said Nick as he drew a card from his deck. “To protect my life points, I’ll play the magic card Falcon’s Wind. This rare card allows me to Special Summon any Harpie Card from my hand without tributing any monsters first; I choose Harpie’s Stone Sphinx in defense mode.” The card appeared on the field, with the body of a lion, the head of a female, and the wings of a Harpie. The creature was made purely of stone and didn’t look like it could attack at all -- or move, for that matter. But Nick apparently didn't intend it for attack. “Thanks to the effects of Harpie’s Mountain Kingdom, my sphinx’s defense increases by 600. It’s attack would increase by 600 also, but thanks to its effect, any attack bonuses become defense bonuses instead; that means this card’s defense is now 4200!” The stats showed up on Nick’s podium for a moment: the card had no attack points, but an immense 4200 defense points. “I’d like to see you crumble that. Just to ensure that you don’t, I’ll lay one card face down and end my turn.” ((Harpie’s Stone Sphinx: 0/3000, all attack bonuses become defense bonuses instead))

It was Silah’s turn, then, and he made it silently. His card was drawn in utter silence, and he made his move just as quietly. The figure played the card Skull Servant in attack mode, as well as laying two cards face down. The monster was a pathetic excuse for a creature, and it looked it – a mere skeletal frame draped in purple robes, the Skull Servant didn’t look capable of doing much at all. Silah merely waved his hand towards Mai to signify that his turn was over and hers had begun. She looked at him in a confused manner, and then laughed. ((Skull Servant: 300/200))

“A Skull Servant? THIS is your partner, Halis? Looks like you’d better actually teach him to duel, first,” she taunted, drawing her card. Hey, it wasn’t her fault that Silah had shoddy dueling tactics. Deep inside, however, she knew that she had to be wary; no duelist, no matter how awful, would play a card that weak without some kind of plan to back it up.

“You’d be wise not to underestimate Silah, girl.” Halis began with a chuckle.

“We’ll see about that,” replied Mai. “I play Elegant Egotist, allowing me to summon the Harpie Lady Sisters from my deck.” The Harpie Lady Sisters were in essence a trio of three Harpie Ladies, but with more flare and personality: they were coloured differently, slightly bigger, and each wore a different expression of arrogance on her face. They were a tight group indeed, never straying far from each other. “Powered up by 600 points, these little darlings are more than enough to handle whatever you might throw at us. That’s not all, though; I reveal my face-down magic card, Harpie’s Feather Duster! This rare magic card will get rid of ALL your face down magic and trap cards; that leaves your and your partner in serious trouble.” ((Harpie Lady Sisters: 1950/2100, can only be summoned with Elegant Egotist))

It didn’t look like Halis or Silah had anything that could possibly counter the attack, as they let their cards get discarded easily. Neither one seemed particularly phased, however, retaining their calm composure.

“You look awfully content considering you’re about to lose. Harpie Lady, attack Halis; Harpie Lady Sisters, get rid of Silah’s Skull Servant and a big chunk of his life points!” Halis’ life points dropped to a miniscule 2200, while Silah’s Skull Servant was vaporized, along with 2250 of his Life Points—this left him at 1750. “You know, boys, I was expecting a little more of a challenge. I haven’t seen this kind of shoddy dueling since Duelist Kingdom.”

“You won’t be so bold soon, miss Valentine,” chuckled Halis. “Our master has already told us the outcome of this duel, and you’re playing it exactly as he had predicted.”

“Oh god,” muttered Mai, shaking her head. “Not more of this ‘I can predict the future’ nonsense. The last time I heard something like that was from Yugi, who said someone tried the same tricks at Battle City! Turns out he was telling the truth. But as they say, fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. I won’t fall for your act.”

“Believe what you will, but our master’s power is real. Everything is going according to plan.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” grumbled Mai, “Just make your move already.”

“I will,” noted Halis, drawing his card. “Just as I suspected. This duel is coming to a close.”

“Yeah, for you maybe,” laughed Nick.

“We shall see. I too shall play Skull Servant, in defense mode, along with two face down cards. That ends my turn.”

“Another Skull Servant? Maybe you ought to ask your “master” for some retraining, boys,” laughed Mai, shaking her head.

“Mom, maybe we should be careful,” Nick cautioned. “They’ve only played a single monster worth attacking with, and that was their Dragon Zombie. There must be some purpose behind these Skull Servants.”

“Rule one of duel monsters, sweetie: never let the opponent know what you’re thinking, not if you want to keep them guessing,” Mai advised with a smile. “And you want to keep them guessing, trust me.”

Nick merely nodded with a smile, and drew his card. “You’re still a long way off from crumbling my Sphinx, so I see no need to summon any more monsters just yet. Instead, I’ll place one card face down and end my turn.”

“Running out of options, boy?” taunted Halis. Nick shook his head with a smirk.

“Far from it, you caped freak. Silah, I believe it’s your turn.”

The diminutive figure nodded solemnly, drawing his card for the turn. In what seemed to be another stupid move, he also played a Skull Servant, silently. He also played a card face down, and in the same silent way, motioned for Mai to take her turn.

“I don’t know what you think you’re up to, but you certainly aren’t doing it well. First, I’ll lay two cards face down. Now my Harpie Lady will destroy your monster. . .” – she pointed a manicured finger to Halis – “and her sisters will destroy yours. Ready? Go!”

All at once, both Halis and Silah shouted something, “Activate trap card, Barrier of Souls!”

This was, indeed, the first time Silah had spoken in the entire duel, and his words were like an omen; Mai and Nick both felt like, now that he was speaking, they had completed whatever plan they were hoping to achieve. A barrier of screaming spirits rose to defend their life points, but their Skull Servants received no such service.

“These trap cards will keep our life points untouched, even though our monsters still go to the graveyard,” Halis pointed out.

“Hmph,” chuckled Mai, only slightly annoyed. “Fine with me. Make your move.”

“Indeed. And I should thank you, miss Valentine. You’ve helped me more than you know.”

“Well, you’re welcome for whatever I did, but don’t count on it helping you too much.”

“I think you’re wrong. Because now that you’ve sent three of our Skull Servants to the graveyard, you’ve allowed me to play this card: Revival of Creaking Skull.”

As the card came into play on the field, the Harpie palace was suddenly filled with wild wailing and moaning, as though the souls of the dead themselves had arrived. The holographic harpies that were sitting around the grand hall covered their ears, as the wailing was too much even for them, beasts attributed with wails that could bring sailors to their deaths. It was indeed lifelike, and was a sound that even Mai and Nick couldn’t endure.

“These are the wails of the Skull Servants you destroyed; and thanks to my Magic card, I can revive their restless souls.”

“So you’re going to revive your Skull Servants? Oooh, scary,” Mai chuckled. She knew that there was something more sinister waiting for her in the bowels of the earth, however. . . she simply had no idea what it was.

“Not quite, miss Valentine. Their souls will be resurrected in the form of a great beast known as the Creaking Skull!”

He wasn’t kidding, either; a great crack in the floor of the palace tore open, and from within it clambered out a skeletal beast of gigantic proportions. Its head was clearly several times the size of its body, and cracked as though it had seen several battles and better days. Its arms had no hands where hands should be, but rather sharpened scythes of bone. Its legs were small and frail, unable to support the weight of its massive head, and so it dragged itself across the field. Its statistics flashed on Halis’ viewscreen. Its defense, like many zombies, was a frail 0; however, with an attack of 3200, it was easily strong enough to decimate both Mai’s Harpies. ((Creaking Skull: 3200/0))

“Meet the Creaking Skull, our ultimate beast and the bringer of your demise!!”

* * * * *

Falcon's Wind
Group: Magic
Type: Normal
Image: A strong gust of wind carrying a Harpie Lady to battle.
Effect: Special Summon one monster with 'Harpie' in its name to the field in face-up attack or defense position, regardless of level.

Harpie's Stone Sphinx
Group: Rock/Effect
Type: WIND
Level: 6
ATK: 0
DEF: 3000
Image: A solitary stone sphinx in the middle of the desert. It has the body of a lion, the head of a human female, and the wings of a Harpie.
Effect: If the effect of any card would increase this monster's ATK, increase its DEF by the same amount instead. This monster cannot attack.

Harpie's Mountain Kingdom
Group: Magic
Type: Field
Image: A grand courtyard in a palace on top of a mountain. Harpies are sitting everywhere, enjoying themselves.
Effect: Increase the ATK and DEF of all [Harpie] cards on the field by 100x their level. Increase the ATK and DEF of all Winged-Beast monsters that are not [Harpie] cards by 50x their level.

Barrier of Souls
Group: Trap
Type: Counter
Image: A sorcerer barely visible behind a wall of wailing souls.
Effect: For one turn, all damage to your Life Points becomes 0.

Revival of Creaking Skull
Group: Magic
Type: Normal
Image: A bony scythe emerging from a crack in the ground of a desolate wasteland.
Effect: Play this card only when you have three "Skull Servant"s in your graveyard. Special Summon "Creaking Skull" from your deck or your hand.

Creaking Skull
Group: Zombie/Effect
Type: DARK
Level: 8
ATK: 3200
DEF: 0
Image: A gigantic skeleton with an even bigger head. Instead of hands, it has scythes for arms, and its legs are far too small to support its massive body.
Effect: This card can only be Special Summoned by the effect of "Revival of Creaking Skull".

Dark Sage

12th February 2005, 06:44 AM

Uh, oh, a cliffhanger! And Mai and Nick are in trouble!

But I kind of figured Nick was a relative of Mai or something - why else would he play a Harpie deck? This is quite interesting?

And is this Creaking Skull another Tarot? I'd say it's Death, but I can't be certain...

Update soon!

- Venusaur

Ho-oh2001

12th February 2005, 09:49 AM

Hey, some people use Harpie decks just because they're cool, you know. ;_;

Anyhoo, nope, the Creaking Skull isn't a Tarot card. Just my way of making that poor, poor Skull Servant have a real purpose. ^^ For future reference, whenever I do introduce a Tarot card from now on, I'll write a little description of the card at the end of my post. That will give you some info on it, and let you know which cards are Tarots and which aren't. ^^

Anyway, since you asked for an update, it will come! We're starting to catch up with my latest episodes now... I can hardly wait. I just wrote chapter 16 last night, and chapter 15 a couple of days before that, and I think they're my favourite ones yet. ^^ Anyway, before we can get to that, our mother-son duo have a little problem to overcome. Let's see how they fare...

* * * * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Legacy of Tarot

Chapter 10: The Harpie Queen

“Face it,” laughed Halis as his great, pale, blue skeletal beast towered over them, “you can’t win now! Nothing you have in your entire decks can defeat my Creaking Skull!”

Mai and Nick were both clearly stunned at the raw power of the creature before them, but they didn’t show it. “Don’t be so sure, Halis. One strong beast won’t save you.” They were the ones who weren’t so sure.

“Oh really?” beamed Halis confidently. “I think you’re wrong; apparently, you need me to prove that! Creaking Skull, slice and dice her Harpie Lady Sisters with your Doomsickle!”

A monstrous groan was let forth from the horrendous fiend as it clambered forward slowly. Each step shook the arena violently, bringing everything but the roof down. The skeletal monstrosity then reared back its massive scythe-arm, roared once more, and tore at the three sisters on the field, slicing them promptly in two. They vanished painlessly and soundlessly, along with 650 of Mai’s life points. She merely smirked.

“Your beast is a toughie, I’ll admit that,” she acknowledged, pressing a button on her podium, “but all you’ve done is activated my trap. Reveal Numinous Healer!”

As the card flipped itself over, an angelic figure of a nurse appeared on the field, working diligently with life magic to restore Mai’s life points by 1000—this left her at 4350, even higher than she had been before. Halis growled.

“Your traps can only save you for so long, miss Valentine. I end my turn.”

“How courteous of you,” chuckled Nick, drawing his card. “You do realize that your Creaking Skull is a full 1000 attack points too weak to destroy my Sphinx, don’t you?”

“A minor inconvenience, I assure you.”

“I guess we’ll soon find out. I play Harpie Lady in defense mode, as well as one more card face down, then end my turn.”

Silah was next, and he drew his card in silence. When he finally made a move, an Armored Zombie took its place on the field, sword drawn and ready to do battle. Another rotting corpse that looked to be barely held together by whatever dark forces had resurrected it, the Armored Zombie was a rather pathetic figure. It appeared to be the corpse of some sort of shinobi warrior, dressed in the typical, albeit decaying, battle garments of the age. The card was, again, too weak to destroy any monsters on the field, leaving Mai and Nick wondering just what was happening. It wasn’t long before Silah played a magic card, however: Axe of Despair. By equipping his Zombie with this card, he was able to increase its attack by 1000, making it powerful enough to destroy either of the Harpie Ladies on the field. By pointing at Nick’s, Silah had made his choice known. The beast lunged forward, slashing fiercely with its brand new axe, making dust out of the lady-beast. Nick merely smirked. ((Armored Zombie: 1500/0))

“You seem awfully happy considering your monster was just destroyed,” laughed Halis. “You wouldn’t be trying to pull a trap on us, would you?”

Nick met the question with a silent, confident gaze. Halis merely growled, but as he began to speak, he was swiftly cut off by Mai.

“If you boys are finished, I believe it’s my turn,” she noted, drawing her card. A look of confidence didn’t exactly spring to her face.

“Don’t worry,” assured Nick, “I’ve got you covered.”

Mai nodded and regained her air of poise. “I’ll lay two cards face down and switch my Harpie Lady to defense mode. Your turn, Halis.”

“Aw, is poor miss Valentine running out of options? Such a pity. Creaking Skull, destroy her Harpie Lady with Doomsickle!”

Nick quickly pressed a button on his console. “You fell straight into our trap, Halis, and you’re going to wish you hadn’t! I activate my trap card, Bonds of Sisterhood!”

“No! Not a trap card!”

“Yes,” noted Mai. “This card will allow me to summon all my Harpie Lady Sisters from my deck when my Harpie Lady is attacked. They then attack the threat as one monster, adding their combined attack totals together. Once you factor in my field magic card, that makes the combined attack total 5100. Do you really think you can handle THAT, Halis? Sisters, give that zombie our kind of makeover, and take away most of Halis life points!”

The 6 sisters leapt into action as gracefully as though they were one monster, surrounding and tearing into the Creaking Skull. Strong as it may have been, it was no match for their combined attack strengths, and immediately found itself reduced to dust—Halis’ life points felt similarly, being reduced to a mere 300.

“And don’t forget, until the end of my next turn, these sisters will attack as one. Not so tough now, are you?”

Halis said nothing. He motioned for Nick to make his move; his surprisingly calm attitude shocked and confused his opponents. His strongest monster had been defeated, and his life points were looking rather pitiful. He must have had some plan lying in wait, and Nick was determined to find out what that plan might be. He drew his card in silence.

“This ought to slow you down!” Smirking a little, Nick drew a card from his hand and placed it on the field. The familiar hum-and-whistle of a card being rendered in 3D was heard, and a strange ring appeared around the neck of his Sphinx. “I’ve played Ring of Magnetism. Although it decreases my Sphinx’s defense by 500 points, it has one very important effect: all your monsters must attack it instead of anything else!” Although it now only had 3700 defense points, that was more than enough to keep both Halis and Silah at bay, as few monsters can attack such a formidable defensive wall and survive. “For good measure, I’ll call my Harpie’s Brother onto the field as well!” Leaping into action, the male Harpie, dressed in sleek red clothing reminiscent of a martial artist, prepared itself for battle. “It’s not strong enough to defeat your Armored Zombie, Silah, but that doesn’t matter, because I’m after your partner! Harpie’s Brother, attack Halis’ life points with your Mach Combo!”

The winged beast danced into action at the speed of sound, leaving only a sonic boom behind it as it went. As it neared every closer to the robed figure, it was slightly surprised to find a welcoming chuckle erupting from his robes.

“Activate face down card, Brain Control!” As the cloaked figure flipped over his card, a pair of ghastly hands shot forth from his life point counter.

“What good will that do you? Brain Control only lasts for one turn, and Harpie’s Brother isn’t strong enough to do you any good!” Nick pointed out, somewhat confused and bewildered by the shoddy move.

“You assume that I am targeting your Harpie,” Halis noted with a chuckle, shaking his head slowly. He merely extended a long finger towards none other than Nick’s Sphinx. Unable to do anything to prevent the attack, the Sphinx found itself dragged across the ground towards Halis’ side of the field. Harpie’s Brother found itself against a formidable opponent, and try as it may, its attacks only left it tired and hurt – and Nick’s life points, now at 2500, weren’t much better off. “May I remind you that the Sphinx is under my control until you take your next turn, and until then, Ring of Magnetism will prevent you from attacking anything else.”

“Fine,” Nick declared, apparently dismayed by the turn of events but not finished yet. Harpie’s Brother, tired and wounded, returned to his side of the field. “I guess that means it’s your turn, Silah.”

With all the articulation of a mime, Silah acknowledge this and drew his card. Making no other moves, he merely pointed a bony, pale finger in the direction of Mai’s Harpie Lady, and somehow, the zombie approved. Lumbering forward, it made to slash the beautiful beast to smithereens, but Mai waggled her finger and shook her head.

“Maybe you boys haven’t learned that you can’t screw around with my Harpies so easily.” She ran a hand through her hair and shifted her weight to her other leg as though this was merely a game that she was quickly growing tired of. “I activate Harpie’s Protective Gust!”

From seemingly out of nowhere, funnels of wind surrounded Mai’s Harpie Cards and indeed Mai herself. As per the effect of the trap, however, both Halis and Nick received the same effect: for Harpie’s Protective Gust protects ALL Harpie Cards on the field from any attacks, as well as protecting their controllers’ life points, for three turns. Mai realized, as did Halis, that his protection would only be temporary, for as soon as Nick’s turn came around and Brain Control’s effect wore off, so would Halis’ protective winds.

“You still do not surprise me. This is exactly as I have been told,” Halis remarked.

“Whatever. Save your prophecies for the drunks down at the bar.” The chairwoman chuckled a little and shook her head, partly in disbelief that someone could actually believe such foolishness. “I guess it’s my turn, then.” She smirked, drawing a card. Her eyes narrowed and she sighed a little, looking disappointed.

“Did you not get the card you needed?”

“Actually, I’m sighing because I’m sad you’ll have to leave us so soon.” Mai grinned playfully and slapped a card down on the field, revealing in perfect 3D another Harpie, this one dressed in robes and carrying a harp. “Meet Valenova, the Harpie Bard.” ((Valenova, the Harpie Bard: 1400/1600))

“What?!” Halis shouted as his silvery eyes, glowing from underneath his robe, rounded and widened. “That is not as I was told!”

“I told you your prophecies and predictions were all a bunch of BS.” Without any prompting from Mai, the new Harpie began to sing an enchanting song. Music is what Harpies are renowned for, but mostly for horrible, piercing screeches that paralyze their foes; this song was quite different. “Valenova’s enchanting melody can mesmerize one monster for a single turn when she comes into play. The monster, in its entranced state, can neither attack nor defend for a single turn. Watch!”

Indeed, the bardess’ song was working, and even though it was an inanimate object, the Sphinx under Halis’ control somehow became lulled by the tune. As its eyes slowly closed and it somehow slumped down into a deep sleep, the fierce winds surrounding it and Halis dissipated. “Because your Sphinx is out of play for one turn, your protection is gone, too. You know what that means!” Halis’ expression could only be read as one of sheer astonishment and amazement – had his master lied to him, or simply been wrong? Or had this been part of his plan all along? Either way, he knew the game was over, for him at least. “Harpie Lady, destroy the rest of Halis’ life points!”

With a fearsome screech, the ladybird tore into action, scratching and clawing at Halis like a kitten tears at furniture. When the attack was completed, there was nothing left of the robed figure’s life points but a big, flashing 0; defeated, he and his cards vanished from the three-dimensional arena, leaving a two-on-one battle in motion.

“You’re in a spot of trouble, Silah, because I’m about to wipe out what’s left of your life points, too!” Mai tossed a card onto the field, her other hand placed firmly on her hip, weight shifted to one side. “You may have a powerful monster there, but I’m about to summon the most fearsome Harpie card in existence. In order to do that, I’ll need to activate this: the Mythic Coronation!”

From somewhere in the palace, a trumpet-blast sounded. Mai’s Harpie Lady Sisters positioned themselves before the throne, carrying with them a robe, a scepter, and a bracelet, all of them regally fashioned. Once these Harpies had positioned themselves before the throne of the palace field, another appeared on the field, sitting on the throne itself. This Harpie looked no different from any other Harpie Lady – until, that is, she donned the crown, scepter, and bracelet. Once this had been completed, a harmonious screech rang out, and the crowned Harpie became transformed into an eight-winged Seraphim, while the Harpie Lady Sisters found themselves destroyed, sacrifices for the better of their queen.

“Meet the 8-Winged Harpie Queen – and with 3900 attack points, she’s about to destroy your zombie! Harpie Queen, take out the trash with your Divine Judgement!” ((8-Winged Harpie Queen: 3100/3500))

The queen extended her arms, and without so much as a word, she unleashed a blast of white energy. Completely unable to withstand the blast, even protected by its Axe of Despair, Silah’s Armored Zombie withered away to nothing, taking extra damage from the attack as a result of its holy nature. His life points dropping from 1750 to 0 in one fell swoop, Silah was also ousted from the duel, and the holographic field dissipated, leaving a victorious Mai and Nick in its wake. They grinned triumphantly, but their victory seemed to fade when they looked towards their opponents – or, at least, where their opponents used to be.

“What…? Where did they go?”

*

“You failed,” a voice called out ominously to a cowering Halis and Silah, kneeling in a dark, shadowy room.

“We did everything you told us to!” Halis’ form only seemed to quiver more, as if begging for forgiveness. “We’re sorry, Master L—”

He was interrupted by a thundering voice of anger. “Never speak my name, worm. You are unworthy.” The sound of a fist slamming on the arm of a chair punctuated the statement with resonating finality. “At any rate, this turn of events is of little consequence. It was exactly the outcome I was hoping for.”

“W—what do you mean?”

“Only holders of the mystical Tarot cards can possibly mask their fate from me as the two Valentines did. They are our next targets,” the voice bellowed, a hint of amusement showing up in its formless tones. “Now get out of my sight!” The two duelists nearly tripped over themselves and each other as they got up, dashing madly to get out of the room as quickly as possible. In the shadows, something moved: a cloaked figure standing by a dark fireplace which suddenly sparked to life.

“Prepare yourself, Valentines. I shall not rest until your Tarot cards belong to me!”

* * * * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Legacy of Tarot

Chapter 11: Round 2. . . Duel!!

“That was. . . really weird,” Mark stated back in the comfort of Mai’s VIP room, holding a cup of warm coffee in his hand. The weather outside had been rather cold, but whether this was a natural occurrence or some freaky side-effect of Halis’ and Silah’s presence was not entirely certain. A warm drink was just what the group needed to warm their bones and their souls – an analogy Nick and Mai would not have used, given the creature they had had to face.

“You can say that again,” chimed Alyssa. Nick and Mai simply nodded their heads in agreement, occasionally passing a solemn look at one another and saying nothing. The sweet taste of victory had been soured by the sudden disappearance of the two mystery duelists without so much as an explanation of their origins. There was also the mystery of the destiny that they claimed to know – if they were telling the truth, then how did Nick and his mother avoid fate as they did; if Halis and Silah were lying, then why did they seem so very confident in their abilities?

“I just want to know,” said Nick after a few moments of awkward silence, “how they knew about the Tarot cards. I mean, that Xel’Zerpi guy is bad enough as it is, but I don’t want to have to content with a bunch of black-clad cultists as well.” Mai looked at him with weak, thoughtful eyes. She looked as though she wished to say something, but resigned to silence. The woman was obviously holding back a secret, but none of the others seemed to notice.

Mark was the first to reply. “Yeah. I would have liked to find out where they came from, or who they were working for, or. . . something! Anything! But we’re back at square one.”

“Not really,” Alyssa corrected. “We’ve still got Xel’Zerpi to follow, right? And we’re hardly done here in York, so I’m sure a lead is bound to turn up somewhere.” Nick and Mark nodded, but Mai still seemed rather confused. She tilted her head and looked at each of them in turn.

“Who is this Xel’Zerpi, anyway? And what is all this about Tarot cards? You keep talking about them, but you haven’t told me anything about who he is or why you’re following him.” She sipped her mug of tea and then placed it gently on the table beside her, crossing her legs. Nick cleared his throat, resolving to answer the question first.

“Well. . . you may find this hard to believe, but bear with me.” He looked at his mother for a moment, and she nodded her head. “Alright. Xel’Zerpi is a sorcerer” – he paused to let it sink in, waiting to see how his mother would react – “and he crashed the Tare Invitational Finals, in which I was dueling a girl named Rebecca.”

“Ooh, a girl, eh? Did you get her number? Was she blonde? We have more fun, you know,” Mai interjected, apparently having temporarily lost interest in the story. She hadn’t seen her son in years, after all, and wanted to know if he was seeing anyone. Alyssa looked at her for a moment, appearing slightly offended, but remained silent. Nick merely gave his mother a stern look.

“Mom, can we please stay on topic?” Mai seemed taken aback, but nodded her head and sat silently. “Now, he crashed the tournament and challenged us to a duel of his own. Despite our combined efforts, he was still able to defeat us by summoning a powerful card known as the Sorcerer of Serpents. It was what he called a Tarot card, and had power like nothing I’d ever seen. When he won, he grabbed Rebecca and flew off, and we’ve been chasing him ever since.”

“Oh, yes,” his mother said as he finished his story, “Bertram told me a little about that. He met you shortly afterward, right?” Nick nodded his head, and Mai followed suit. She sat in silence for a moment, contemplating something rather deeply, and then returned her gaze to her son. “So, you have one of these Tarot things?”

Nick nodded his head and said, “Yeah. I won it in a duel against Mayor Thompson a while back. I guess I have to keep it from people like Halis and Silah as best I can. Don’t want them getting their hands on it.”

Mai nodded her head in agreement, but suddenly jumped up as if remembering something – or avoiding something. “Wow! Look at the time.” She glanced at her watch once more just to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating, but nodded her head and pursed her lips. “It’s time for round 2 to start. Come on, guys; I may have let you all get into this round, but you’ll have to prove you’re worthy to advance. It simply wouldn’t do to be late!”

With that, the four of them stood up; Nick, Mark, and Alyssa held on their faces looks of utter glee. They had been anticipating actually participating in the IDMC cup ever since they had been informed that they had been signed up, and whenever they had free time, they had been tirelessly tweaking their decks to what they believed was perfection. They were absolutely determined not to lose – in the back of their minds, though, they knew that only one of them could possibly come out on top. But suffice it to say that their determination was infallible: whoever did win the tournament would be one of them.

*

The stadium around which the magnificent stage was located was absolutely bustling with energy and life. There wasn’t a single seat that wasn’t filled, and a large fraction of those sitting down in the seats (and some of those standing in the aisles) were carrying dueling decks in their hands, in straps on their belts, or what-have-you. Even though everyone was individually talking in only hushed tones, the area was amazingly loud, filled with the kind of indiscernible sea of sound that, while it is overwhelming at first, is easy to drown out and ignore within a relatively short time.

Mai motioned towards a row of chairs positioned at the back of the stage. “You guys go sit down,” she said somewhat loudly, attempting to cut through the noise. “I’ll try and calm these guys down, and then we can get the round started.” The trio complied and moved towards the seats, where they found Bertram sitting down already. His fancy walking cane was held in his hand and he gripped its knobby head tightly in his folded hands, letting it rest between his legs as he sat. He nodded to them each in turn as they sat down, but said nothing, for Mai was already stepping up to the microphone.

She waved her hands in a downward motion, signaling the massive crowd to quiet down while she spoke into the microphone. “Hello, everyone!” She struck a characteristic pose, letting one hand rest on her hip, which she thrust out to one side, and raising her other hand into the air. The crowd roared excitedly at her presence, not only because she was surprisingly good looking for her age, but also because it meant Round 2 was bound to commence. In anticipation, the throng hushed itself down and waited for the words that they knew were coming.

“Well, I guess you all know what I’m about to say. . .” she spoke innocently, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. The crowd bubbled with excitement; though their words were incomprehensible, she knew that it was a sign of confirmation. Again, she hushed them with deft movements of her hands and continued. “But before we begin round 2, I’ll have to tell you about the special rules that are in place.”

Almost immediately, the crowd dropped dead with silence. All eyes were on the IDMC chairwoman; this was highly irregular. Rarely did the IDMC Cup have rules different than the normal Duel Monsters game as first laid out in Battle City years before, but their rule changes were always interesting and added spice to the competition. Some of the lesser rules were mentioned first. The first duels of the round, Mai explained, would be called the Lightning Duels – their participants would make do with 4000 life points, as in the last round. This was, of course, ‘lightning’ in reference to the fact that all other duels would have 8000. She explained that one duel with the normal number of life points would make it easier to adjust to the system that she was about to describe: “Some of you may have heard of this rule, so it won’t come as much of a change to you, but I will explain it in detail for those that haven’t. During the second round of the IDMC Cup, we will be playing via the Deck Master ruleset in which each duelist chooses one card from his or her deck to serve as the “Deck Master”. The rules are as follows. . .”

A man in a black suit stepped up to the microphone, then, and he began to recite the rules in a deep tone while Mai slipped back to speak with Mark, Nick, and Alyssa. He explained how each Deck Master had a different special ability that could help out a deck immensely, and how a Deck Master could be summoned from the Deck Master position to the field at any time, after which it could not return. The Instant Kill rule was also explained: when a duelist’s Deck Master was destroyed while on the playing field, that duelist would automatically lose the duel, regardless of life point count. While this was somewhat new to most of the duelists, they seemed to find the idea interesting and were ready to try it out. It was this kind of special rule, they knew, that separated the weak from the strong. It would test their ability to endure despite the conditions and to conform to new situations.

“Wow, great idea, mom!” Nick said as she came towards them, nodding his head with approval. Her red lips tugged into a smile and her eyes softened.

“Thanks. I’ve only dueled by this system once or twice, myself, and I’ve been itching to introduce it on the world scale ever since I first did. It’s really interesting, don’t you think?” The three of them nodded their heads; Mark and Alyssa were already searching their decks to figure out which card would serve as their Deck Masters. They were quite visibly excited about the idea. “Anyways, I just wanted to personally wish you three the best of luck.” She straightened up and looked back towards the crowd, which was already chanting excitedly for the round to officially begin. “I’d better get back there before they start eating each other.” Mai chuckled sweetly and began to move back towards the microphone, her hips swaying from side to side as she slid across the wooden stage.

“Alright!” she boomed enthusiastically, holding out her hands as if to embrace the entire crowd at once. “I guess there’s no more reason to put it off. You’ve all got one hour to prepare your decks, and then the next round officially begins! The match-ups are being randomized as we speak, as you’ll all know who you’re up against before the hour is up.” The woman paused for emphasis, and her eyes scanned the crowd. Then: “Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s duel!”

*

45 minutes later, Nick, Mark, and Alyssa were sitting in the VIP room with their decks sprawled separately across the floor. Everything needed to be perfect, and these last minute tweaks were all they needed to ensure victory.

“So who are you guys choosing as your Deck Masters?” Mark inquired to break the silence left behind by the immense amount of concentration going on in the room. “I’m choosing Machine King, obviously. It’s gonna be awesome!”

“Well, I’m going with my Amazoness Tiger,” replied Alyssa, holding the card gently in her hand and letting it shimmer in the light. “Nothing’s gonna beat this deck!” A smirk tugged at her lips and the slipped the card back into her deck with complete confidence.

“I think I’m gonna go with Harpie’s Pet Dragon.” Nick placed the card separate from the rest of his deck on the ground, mulling the decision over. Most of his Harpies would make good Deck Masters, but it seemed that their pet dragon would make the best master of all of them. It was able to power up his other Harpies just like they normally power it up – his mother was really helpful in telling him these effects, and because of that, he was almost certain that he had made the right choice. “Yep. Harpie’s Pet Dragon.”

Just then, there was a light knock on the door, and Mark jumped up to go answer it. It was one of Mai’s blacksuits, coming no doubt to give them a message directly from her in her absence. “Madam Valentine wishes you all to know that the match-ups have been generated, should you wish to see them now,” he announced gruffly before stepping out of the room. All three of them looked excited for a moment, and they gathered up their cards and quickly rushed out of the room, almost forgetting to shut the door behind them. The tournament was finally upon them.

*

When they got outside and checked the match-up board, they realized that it was Alyssa’s turn to duel first out of the three of them. They were quite lucky that none of them would be dueling at the same time (there were four main dueling arenas set up for this round of the tournament), so they would be able to watch each other duel, and hopefully win. She blushed – not with embarrassment, but with excitement – and pounded the air with her fist. “Yes!” she shouted, so loudly that she caused several heads to turn to see what was the commotion. “I’m up first!”

“But look at your opponent,” Mark subtly pointed out, thrusting a finger in the direction of her rival’s name. The last name was one they all recognized: Underwood. Rose Underwood, in fact. She was infamous for following in her uncle, Weevil Underwood’s, footsteps. Although she was more akin to using Plant-monsters than Insects, she still used the same insidious tactics as Weevil often did, and was far from above cheating to get what she wanted. This only made Alyssa even more stoked for battle.

“Alright! I can’t wait to kick that little cheater’s butt!” she announced assertively. Her eyes twinkled with delight and eagerness.

“Well, be careful,” Nick cautioned, putting a firm hand on her shoulder and trying to calm her down. “Rose is good; real good. I know you are, too, but she’s not above cheating like you are. Just keep an eye open at all times.” Alyssa nodded and smiled sincerely, her eyes softening as she looked into Nick’s. Within moments, though, she shook her head and snapped back into reality, coughing a little and pointing herself towards the dueling platform.

“Time to chop those plants down to size!”

“You’d be surprised,” a feminine voice called out formlessly, “just how easily my plants will cut you down to size, Alyssa.” The voice was a little dry and hoarse, but it was easily recognizable as belonging to Rose Underwood. A petite girl, no more than 10 years old, stepped out from behind a nearby tree. She was clothed in a green school uniform with a red, rose-shaped ribbon in her short, greenish-blue hair; of course, a dueling deck was present in her hands, and she shuffled it with skill and ease.

“Well, well, well. . . Rose Underwood.” Alyssa turned to face her, narrowing her eyes. Her opponent’s round glasses reflected the sunlight like glassy pools of water behind which her eyes were shielded. “You sure didn’t waste any time. Have you forgotten to rig your deck?”

“Tsk tsk, Alyssa. Such a lack of courtesy does not become you. I’ll have you know that neither I nor anyone else would need to cheat to beat you. You’re a lightweight.”

“Oh yeah?” Alyssa growled in response, thrusting herself right in front of Rose’s face. The smaller duelist was unflinching. “Well, why don’t we just see about that?”

“Ah, so you wish to duel, then? I figured you’d forfeit before we even got started. What a waste of five dollars.” Rose chuckled quietly, only causing Alyssa to snarl defensively. Both duelists backed away from one another and stepped towards their ends of the Holofield Duel System platform. They stared each other down for a good, long moment before shouting, in unison:

“HDS – Holofield Duel System, activate!”

Almost immediately, the duelists found themselves surrounded by a holographic field consisting of blue skies, white clouds, and rolling green plains. Alyssa grinned as she drew her hand of five cards, knowing that this choice of field would be perfect. “I’ve got the advantage of field,” she taunted; Rose remained unphased and did not even seem to notice the remark.

“Duelists,” a female, computerized voice called out, “choose your Deck Masters.”

“Alright!” boomed Alyssa enthusiastically, choosing her Deck Master. “I choose the Amazoness Tiger as my Deck Master!” The tigress appeared beside her almost instantaneously, growling fiercely at Rose while brushing up against Alyssa’s leg. She was, in most ways, a normal tiger: her fur was orange with black stripes, and she wore a jeweled, golden collar around her neck, with chained gauntlets around her forelegs.

“The Rose Spectre of Dunn shall be mine.” A beautiful female spirit appeared beside Rose. She had no legs, or at least, not visible ones; a large, beautiful rose replaced them. Thorns ran up and down her arms, and she grinned arrogantly at Alyssa and her tiger.

“I’ll go first,” Rose stated matter-of-factly, and there was nothing Alyssa could do to stop her, for Rose had started her turn before she could so much as open her mouth. “First, I’ll activate the magic of Gaia Power – say goodbye to your field bonus!” The card was placed on the dueling field, which seemed nothing more than a plate of glass hovering about them. They were not standing on a platform anymore, or so it seemed to them; they were actually standing on the grass of the plains. Alyssa could feel the cool grass brush against her legs as the wind rushed over the rolling hills. The only artificial thing in the entire scene was, as stated, the plate of marked glass hovering in front of them: their duel fields.

But, back to the effect of Gaia Power, for a moment. The cool breeze that rolled over the plains was not to last, for almost immediately, trees and bushes began to sprout up out of the ground at maddening speeds. It was like the labour of Creation gone mad – a forest was shooting up around the two duelists almost instantly, and animals that were not there before peeked their heads out from within bushes or behind trees. A land that should have taken a millennium to grow had appeared within the span of a minute!

“Things are looking bleak, aren’t they?” the young girl taunted as she pulled another card out of her hand and let it fall onto the glass plate; it stuck in place almost unnaturally, and the glass shimmered in reaction. “I’ll place a monster face-down, and I’ll lay another card face down, as well. Your turn.”

Alyssa drew her card and thought for a moment. She soon grinned after realizing the advantage of her position, and placed a monster of her own on the field. “I summon Amazoness Swords Woman in attack mode!” The female warrior shot into existence carrying a serrated, steel sword in her hand. Her golden hair was rough and tousled, and her clothes were rather scant; still, she looked highly imposing and dangerous. “You’ve forgotten that I also get a field power bonus from your Gaia Power – my Amazons are just as much in their element here as they were on the plains!” Rose let out a growl and curled her lip while the Swords Woman’s attack points shot up by 500, bringing her to 2000. “Now, Amazoness Swords Woman: attack Rose’s face-down card!” ((Amazoness Swords Woman: 1500/1600))

The amazoness darted into action, uncrossing her swords and preparing to attack. They came down in a flurry of steel, slicing the face-down card into confetti. Alyssa’s opponent simply grinned. “Say hello to Venus, The Man-Eating Plant!” A beautiful, exotic plant with sharp-looking teeth and a powerful maw sprung forth from the ground, temporarily unphased by the amazon’s attack. “Now, watch as Venus devours your silly Amazon with her Gaping Maw attack!” ((Venus, the Man-Eating Plant: 500/300))

Rose Underwood wasn’t lying, either: the plant reared back, opened its gigantic jaw, and then lashed forth. The Swords Woman could do nothing as it was caught in its victim’s grasp – the hunter had become the hunted . . . and the eaten. Within seconds, the gruesome scene had passed – Alyssa had to close her eyes to avoid getting sick, but Rose merely watched and enjoyed – and neither monster was left on the field. The man-eater had been destroyed, while the Swords Woman had been eaten. The field was cleared once more, except for Rose’s face-down card – which she promptly activated.

“Now that you’ve destroyed my monster, I’ll activate my Magic card. Witness the magic of Fertilizing Powder!” A disembodied hand sprung into existence as a result of the card, with a canister of water in held tightly. This, it sprinkled on the ground before Rose, and without so much as a second of reaction time, that very earth began to rumble with delight. “This Magic card allows me to summon one Plant monster from my hand, and I choose this: another Rose Spectre of Dunn!” ((Rose Spectre of Dunn: 2000/1800))

“Uh oh,” Alyssa whispered to herself, a bead of sweat forming on her face. Rose already had a monster on the field, while she had nothing to speak of. “I’d better think of something, fast.”

“Oh, but I’m not finished yet. Watch as I activate my Deck Master’s special ability! By paying 500 of my own life-points, I can multiply any monster on my field once per turn. Say hello to yet another Rose Spectre of Dunn!”

Rose’s life-points began to drop steadily, but the payoff seemed well worth it: another Rose Spectre, clad in her leafy tanktop and with a rose replacing her legs, appeared on the field right beside the first. Both creatures had a mighty 3000 attack points.

“Wait a minute!” Alyssa fumed, shaking her head. “Those things should only have 2500 attack points! Gaia Power only increases their strength by 500!” Rose chuckled menacingly, shaking her head and wagging a free finger.

“I guess you don’t know my Deck Master’s other special ability! It powers up all my flower-based monsters by 500 more points at the cost of 400 defense!” She let out a menacing, victorious laugh as her two specters towered over the field. Surely Alyssa would fall quickly under their might!

“Are you beginning to see just how hopeless this duel is?” she taunted, grinning malevolently. “You can’t win! Just give up now, before my specters feast on your very soul!”

* * * * *

Harpie's Protective Gust
Group: Trap
Type: Counter
Image: The Harpie Lady Sisters surrounded by a wall of rushing wind. A Giant Orc in the foreground looks frustrated and bewildered.
Effect: For 3 turns, no [Harpie] monster can be the target of an attack. Any player currently in control of a [Harpie] card cannot have his or her life points directly damaged during this time.

Valenova, the Harpie Bard
Group: Winged-Beast/Effect
Type: WIND
Image: A beautiful Harpie Lady dressed in a golden robe, holding a harp.
Effect: Once during your Main Phase, select one of your opponent's face-up monsters. Until the End Phase of your turn, remove the selected monster from play.

Harpie’s Mythic Coronation
Group: Magic Card
Type: Ritual
Artwork: Two Harpie Ladies face each other and blow long, ceremonial trumpets; the 8-Winged Harpie Queen sits on a throne in the background.
Effect: This card is used to Ritual Summon "8-Winged Harpie Queen". You must also offer monsters whose total Level Stars equal 8 or more as a Tribute from the field or your hand.

8-Winged Harpie Queen
Group: Winged-Beast/Ritual/Effect
Type: WIND
Level: 8
Atk: 3100
Def: 3500
Artwork: A tall, regal-looking Harpie with 8 wings and a billowing blue gown that appears to swallow the sky; the gown's train is held by 4 Harpie Ladies.
Effect: Can only be Special Summoned by the effect of “Harpie’s Mythic Coronation”. You must also offer monsters whose total Level Stars equal 8 or more as a Tribute from the field or your hand. For every monster on the field with “Harpie” in its name, 8-Winged Harpie Queen’s ATK and DEF increase by 100 points. When this monster does battle with a DARK-Attribute and/or Zombie-type monster, double its ATK.

Venus, the Man-Eating Plant
Group: Plant/Effect
Level: 2
ATK: 500
DEF: 300
Effect: FLIP: Destroy one monster on your opponent's side of the field, regardless of position.

Fertilizing Powder
Group: Magic
Type: Quick-Play
Image: A disembodied hand, like that on the picture of Eradicating Aerosol, holding a canister.
Effect: Activate this card when at least one Plant-type card has been sent to your Graveyard during this turn or the last turn. Special Summon one Plant-type monster from your hand.

Dark Sage

12th February 2005, 11:49 AM

First my thoughts on Chapter 10:

Yes, this is the Mai I know, tough, level, not easily intimidated. The duel was pretty good, and it was clear from the end of the chapter that she has a Tarot of her own somewhere in her deck - exactly what, I have no idea. But I can't wait to see more of what transpired.

Chapter 11:

So, Alyssa plays an Amazon deck. Since I play one myself, that's very interesting. I can't wait to see how she uses it - although she seems to be in a but of a predicament here. Anyone related to Weevil (weather she uses insects or not) is bad news, and I doubt Alyssa has any weed-killer in her deck...

Still, this duel is just starting, and I can't wait to see the rest.

One more note: Nick should think about retooling his deck. With the Rise of Destiny set, the old Harpie Lady card is obsolete, and there are three better Harpies available. He might want to look into those gals, as well as the other accessories (the Harpie Hunting Ground field card, and the Triangle Ecstasy Spark magic card).

- Venusaur

Ho-oh2001

12th February 2005, 11:03 PM

Yep, don't worry about that. Nick's deck is retooled and ready to go. ;) Remember that these chapters (anything before chapter 14) were written before RDS came out, so I was getting by with what was available at the time (and of course, what my own little brain could come up with. ;)). You'll see Harpie Lady 1 and Harpie's Hunting Grounds make an appearance in my favourite duel thus far in chapters 14-16. But my lips are otherwise zipped on that subject. ^^

Speaking of chapters 14-16, I want everyone to be able to read them ASAP. They are, IMO, better than anything I've written so far, and they'll open up a lot of plot development... maybe some more people will finally stop by and give their comments, too. Speaking of which, I'm really grateful for all your input, Venusaur. ^^ I've also been reading your fanfic, and it's pretty long so I haven't gotten too far yet, but I'm loving it so far. ^^ It's definitely a source of inspiration.

With that said, I present to you all chapters 12 and 13 -- this will conclude Alyssa's duel and present one of Mark's. Enjoy!

* * * * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Legacy of Tarot

Chapter 12: Vampire vs General!

When last we left our dear heroes, Alyssa was in what seemed to be a hopeless duel against the sinister Rose Underwood, plant-duelist extraordinaire! With no monsters on the field, how could she possibly withstand an attack from Rose’s two formidable Rose Specters of Dunn, boasting three-thousand attack points each?

“Just give up now!” squealed Rose. She was growing impatient, apparently, with Alyssa’s sheer amount of concentration in the face of such unbearable odds. “You can’t win!”

“Quite the contrary.” Alyssa placed two cards face-down on the field while speaking. “This duel has just begun, you little weed, and I’m far from losing anything. I’ve got a plan to trim those overgrown plants of yours, and it starts with these two cards.”

“Are you finished yet?” Rose’s voice didn’t lack any confidence. She was either overlooking Alyssa’s face-down cards in her mad rush for victory, or she was discounting them as no threat. Whatever the case, Alyssa nodded slowly; Rose quickly grabbed at a card. “Aha!” the little rascal squeaked excitedly as she held the card up to the light. “Just what I needed! I’m afraid this is where you bow out of the tournament, Alyssa!”

Rose’s opponent didn’t seem frightened. “You forgot my face-down cards, didn’t you? Your Specters might have more trouble facing them than you bargained for.”

“Not at all: in fact, it is precisely your face-down cards at which I aim my attack, you silly girl!” Underwood cackled with delight, slapping a card onto her glass duel board. “I play the Magic card, Heavy Storm!” Without warning, a fierce hurricane began to tear apart the stadium. Trees were shaking, bushes were flying, and animals were running in search of shelter. “This beautiful magic card wipes away all magic and trap cards on the field – I have none, but yours are your only line of defense! Say goodbye, Alyssa, to your life points and this—”

“I think you should say goodbye, Rose: to your Heavy Storm!” Alyssa’s hand reached down with catlike reflexes and flipped over one of the face-down cards. “You’ve triggered my trap: Spell Shield Type-8! Its powerful technological bonuses prevent your magic card from doing anything useful at all!” The girl chortled victoriously, watching as Spell Shield’s nullifying effects quelled the storm and brought order back to the forest. “Unless, of course, you consider falling to the graveyard useful.”

Rose growled with contempt as her Heavy Storm’s powerful effect came to naught. “You’ve reduced my barrage of wind and rain to nothing more than a light breeze! You’ll pay for that, my dear. You may have stopped my Heavy Storm, but I still have enough attack power behind me to wipe out everything you’ve got – and that’s not saying much. Rose Specters, attack Alyssa directly!”

Her opponent’s look was one of victory, mixed with a little disbelief. “Are you just slow, or did you honestly forget about my other face-down card?” With those same reflexes, Alyssa revealed her face-down card, and as predicted, it was a trap. “I activate Last Line of Defense! This trap card negates the attack of your monsters, protecting my side of the field with an impenetrable barrier of stone.” True to the girl’s words, a brick wall rose up suddenly from the ground, tossing trees and bushes aside in its wake. The Rose Specters slashed and pounded, but they were unable to pass through. “The barrier will remain in effect until the end of your next turn, so this isn’t the only time you’ll be unable to attack.”

Alyssa suddenly picked up another card and placed it on the field. It was hidden behind the brick wall so Rose was incapable of seeing it, but the flashing lights made her certain that it was a monster. Her grunt of confusion and open mouth, ready to speak, signaled that she figured Alyssa was cheating. “Did I forget to mention Last Line’s second effect? I get to summon one monster from my hand to the field when it is activated – and as an added bonus, YOU don’t get to see what it is.” Her opponent growled with distaste for this action, but she didn’t seem to mind too much.

“You must be getting desperate, hiding behind stone walls.”

“A good defense is the best offense, Rose. But I don’t expect a shrub like you to understand,” Alyssa told her opponent coolly. She drew her card, as it was now her turn. “You criticize my Last Line’s protection, but you’ll soon come to fear it. I summon yet another monster behind its stony wall, and again, you don’t get to see what it is. That will end my turn.”

“Fine, fine!” huffed Rose, drawing her card hastily. “Well, it seems I can’t attack you, so I’ll just end my turn. You’d better be ready, though, because your stone wall is crumbling, and on my next turn, I’ll tear down your monsters, too!”

As predicted, Last Line of Defense’s effect wore off, and the wall of stone that it had concocted began to sink back into the earth. Slowly, Alyssa’s two monsters were revealed: a tiger exactly like the one she had chosen for her Deck Master, and a muscular woman with black hair and skimpy, skull-adorned armor, wielding a blowpipe.
((Amazoness Tiger: 1100/1500))
((Amazoness Blowpiper: 800/1500))

“That’s all you were able to conjure up for your defense?”

“It’s more than enough to get rid of your Specters,” Alyssa smirked. She absolutely loved that Rose had no idea whatsoever what she intended to do to get rid of her two monsters. True, her opponent managed to keep a straight face and a calm composure, but she knew there was trouble afoot. “I draw!” The card she had picked up didn’t do much to excite her, but it seemed that her plan was already completed anyway. “I’ll summon yet another monster to the field: this time, I summon the Amazoness Paladin!”

With a feminine roar that exuded power and confidence, Alyssa’s Paladin sprung to life. She wielded a thin longsword in both hands and her mastery of it was evident. She was dressed simply, her blonde hair falling over little more than simple brown clothes, but she looked tasteful nevertheless.
((Amazoness Paladin: 1700/300))

“Alright, so maybe your monsters are kinda tough,” Rose admitted halfheartedly, belittling her opponent with a nonchalant wave of the hand, “but my Specters are still stronger.”

“Not for long. Watch as my plan comes into effect! Amazoness Blowpiper, weaken the Rose Specter of Dunn with your Poison Dart!”

One swift blow was all that was needed. The hollow sound of air passing rapidly through the blowpipe was heard, and a dart shot swiftly through the air. It pierced one Rose Specter right in the neck, and she hunched down slightly, weakened.

“My Blowpiper’s effect allows me to cut the attack of one of your monsters by 500 each turn. That brings one Specter down to 2500 – a mere ball of catnip for my mighty tiger! Remember that my Amazoness Tiger gains 400 attack points for every Amazoness monster on my side of the field – and that means she’s far stronger than your weakened specter! Amazoness Tiger, attack the Rose Specter of Dunn!”

The tigress’ mighty roar shattered the forest. With 400 attack points from each of the three Amazonesses on the field (including herself), plus 500 extra attack points from Rose’s Gaia Power, she was powered up to 2900 – more than enough to take care of the Specter she was attacking. With a mighty swipe of her claw, one Rose Specter shattered like glass and withered like a fallen weed – and Rose’s life point counter dropped to 3100.

Rose looked vaguely disappointed, but hardly shattered by the defeat. “You forget that my other Rose Specter is still 100 attack points stronger than even your mighty tiger! You may have weakened my first, but that Blowpiper’s effect can only be activated on your turn – so on my next turn, I’ll easily destroy your strongest monster!”

Alyssa was taken aback by this realization. Her eyes shot wide open at this oversight. Such a mistake could cost her the duel. She plainly laid a card face-down and ended her turn, preparing for the worst.

“You silly girl. A seemingly minor oversight like this will be your last. My powerful monster will devour your tiger like my Man-Eating Plant did to your Swords Woman. True, your tigress is protecting your other two Amazons from being attacked—” And indeed, the two other Amazons were standing behind the Tiger as though shielded by her – “but once she’s gone, they’ll be wide open… and so will your life points!”

Alyssa’s look of worry stayed right where it was. She knew what was coming, even before the attack. “First, I’ll use my Deck Master’s special ability yet again, and duplicate my Rose Specter of Dunn to summon another one to the field! Now, my Specter, devour the Amazoness Tiger with your Soul Steal attack!”

Rose’s monster extended her arms and prepared the onslaught, building up energy throughout her body and readying herself to drain any life-force that existed within the Amazoness Tiger. She finally unleashed the energy, and a ball of light volleyed forth. Upon contact with the Amazoness Tiger, it would drain her energy fully and cause her to vanish from the field completely. Alyssa’s last line of defense would be gone.

She didn’t seem worried anymore.

“It seems you can’t teach an old dog new tricks – or maybe you just can’t teach a new dog old ones! You completely ignored my face-down card yet again, and this time it’s one of my best: Amazoness Archers!”

Appearing from the depths of Gaia Power’s forest, there was suddenly an army of bow-wielding Amazons of various shapes and sizes, standing and crouching behind Alyssa’s own formidable force. Their leader raised an arm and then let it fall, signaling a barrage of arrows to spray forth through the air, piercing both of Rose’s Specters – and again decreasing their attack points by 500.

“The Amazoness Archers trap card is a powerful one: it switches all your monsters into attack mode and decreases their attack points by 500 each.” Alyssa grinned, saving the best for last: “Not only that, it forces them to attack this turn! And since my Tiger is protecting my other two Amazons, both of your weakened Specters have to attack her!”

Driven mad by the steady stream of arrows piercing their delicate skin, the two Specters unleashed their powerful attacks against the only viable target: Alyssa’s Amazoness Tiger. There was nothing Rose could do to stop them: the pain had caused such a rage to build up inside them that their actions were uncontrollable. Each attack bounced off the mighty tigress as though it was nothing, and she easily dispatched of her two opponents with one powerful claw each. Rose lost a meaningful 800 life points, decreasing her total to 2300.

The sneaky little girl’s head must have been reeling. She looked utterly dazed and defeated, and the monster she placed in defense mode, as well as the face-down card that accompanied it, was placed as such with very little enthusiasm. It was as though she had lost her will to duel completely.

“Don’t look so down,” Alyssa mock-comforted, drawing her card. “Losing to me won’t be that bad… even if I am a light-weight.” She grinned from ear to ear, knowing that her victory was just a step away. She only needed to get rid of Rose’s face-down monster with her Paladin and then attack her life points directly. That face-down card was probably a trap, though, and it could have caused a whole lot of trouble if left alone. “I’ll lay a card face-down as well, and attack your defense monster with my Amazoness Paladin!”

Rose suddenly sprang to life, a sinister grin of her own plastered on her face. She never looked so alive. “Ha! You say I can’t learn the old tricks, but you’ve fallen for one of your own! Reveal Trap card: Mirror Force!”

Alyssa let out an audible gasp, for she knew exactly how Mirror Force would send each attack-position monster on her side of the field directly to the graveyard by reflecting her Paladin’s attack right back at them. One by one, her Tiger, Paladin, and Blowpiper met their dooms and said hello to the discard graveyard. Rose’s monster remained completely untouched.

“You are a fool!” the girl sneered, picking a card off the top of her deck. “And now you’ll pay for it! With no monsters to protect you, I’ll cut away your life points with ease! First, I flip up my face-down monster: Vampire Orchis! Its 2700 attack points – thanks to my field bonus, of course, and my Deck Master – should do nicely to wipe you out. And thanks to its special effect, summoning Vampire Orchis allows me to Special Summon Des Dendle from my hand!” Strangely enough, only one creature appeared on the field: a walking tree with many living branches writhing around it, each one with a mouth-shaped rose at its tip – and each mouth contained a sharp looking set of fangs. ((Vampire Orchis: 1700/1000))

“Where’s your Des Dendle?” Alyssa inquired.

“Oh, don’t you worry about that: my Des Dendle is there. You just can’t see it. You see, Des Dendle is a Union monster, and that means I can join it to my Vampire Orchis.”

“Why would you do that?”

“You’ll see soon enough,” Rose assured her opponent. “But for now, Vampire Orchis will attack your life points directly with its Gingersnap attack!”

All at once, Vampire Orchis’ tendrils lashed forth and bit at Alyssa hungrily, as though each had a mind of its own. Her life points quickly dropped to 1300. One more direct attack, and she would be finished. She needed to get rid of Vampire Orchis quickly or her place in the tournament would be lost to the despicable Rose Underwood.

“Alright!” Alyssa cried, pulling a card out of her deck. “This duel’s not over yet.”

“Oh, but I beg to differ.”

Alyssa ignored the taunt. The card she had drawn was just what she needed to get out of this bind. “I play a Magic card, Pot of Greed!” When activated, a veiny green-blue pot with a grotesque smiling face appeared on the field. It chuckled menacingly and spewed forth two cards which found their way to Alyssa’s hand. “As you know, this card allows me to draw two cards automatically – no questions asked.” The girl looked down at her hand and grinned, adding: “And I’m afraid I’m a step closer to taking down your Vampire Orchis. But first I’ll play this card in defense mode and end my turn.”

Rose was clearly not intimidated. In fact, the move elicited a loud, piercing laugh from her as she drew her card. “You silly girl! Now you’re about to discover why I summoned Des Dendle to the field when I called Vampire Orchis forth. Go, my beast! Use your Gingersnap attack on her face-down card!”

One of the creature’s vampiric tendrils lashed forth and split the face down monster clean in two; it revealed itself to be a Sinister Serpent, a weak monster card. “That’s all you’ve got to defend yourself?” Rose taunted with a bellowing laugh to follow. “And you say you can defeat my vampire… hah!”

“Don’t judge a book by its cover, Rose. I take it you don’t know Sinister Serpent’s special ability: when it goes to the graveyard, it comes right back to my hand!”

Alyssa’s young opponent seemed slightly shocked by this development, but not defeated in the slightest. “Stupid girl. Your pest won’t help you now or ever!”

“What?” Alyssa inquired, slightly puzzled. She didn’t see any way that Sinister Serpent’s line of defense hadn’t helped her. Vampire Orchis could only attack once, after all, since it was just one monster.

“I told you Des Dendle had a special ability, and it’s time to unleash it! Wicked Plant Token, come forth!” Suddenly, a misshapen flower of some exotic variety sprang up from the earth, snarling menacingly at Alyssa and snapping its jaws at her. “Whenever my Vampire Orchis, equipped with Des Dendle of course, destroys one of your monsters, I get to summon one of these darlings to the field. It only has 800 attack points… but factor in my Deck Master’s special ability and the Gaia Power magic card in play, and it has a generous 1800. Now, how many Life Points do you have again? 1300, was it?”

The sinister Rose pretended to add things up on her fingers and finished with a menacing grin. “Why, I think that means you lose! Wicked Plant Token, attack her and win me this duel!”

The tiny but threatening weed reared back and, all in an instant, let forth a barrage of seed bullets. They exploded on contact with Alyssa, leaving nothing but a huge cloud of dust in their wake. A confident Rose began her victory dance immediately, while the spectators outside the arena – namely Nick and Mark – cringed to think that their friend had lost her duel. But when the smoke cleared, things didn’t look so bleak.

Alyssa’s Life Points remained untouched, the Wicked Plant token was gone, a fierce-looking warrior with long, blonde hair was on Alyssa’s side of the field, and one-thousand of Rose’s own Life Points had vanished. This, of course, elicited a horrified and bewildered response from the childish duelist.

“What?! What happened? You cheated! I won! My Wicked Plant token destroyed your life points but you took mine instead!”

“Stuff it, Underwood. That move was perfectly legal,” Alyssa retorted with a confident smirk. “And it’s all thanks to you.”

“What did you do? Tell me!!”

“It’s more what you did, Rose. Your Wicked Plant Token’s attack triggered my trap card, Battle Cry. The rare card blocked your attack by allowing me to summon any Warrior-type monster from my hand – I summoned Freed the Matchless General. Powered up by Gaia Power, it was strong enough to wipe out your Wicked Plant and one thousand of your Life Points.” The monster standing on Alyssa’s side of the field was tall and handsome. He was adorned with various pieces of platemail armour, over which his long, golden hair fell like a delicate waterfall. His gentle appearance was belayed by the menacing broadsword that rested, blade touching the ground, in his palms. ((Freed the Matchless General: 2300/1700))

Rose was furious. It was obvious that she was about two seconds from exploding completely and tossing her cards all around the arena. “Fine! We’ll see about that! I’ll just use this Magic card to destroy your Freed and get rid of it completely! I activate Dark Core! I need to discard one card from my hand, but as a result, Freed is removed from play – never to return.” A hideous cacophony of laughter followed, the kind that can split eardrums and makes cats screech in alleyways. A huge rift appeared on the field above Freed, sucking in everything around it – light included. “Say goodbye to your monster and this duel!”

“I don’t think so,” Alyssa said calmly. With an equal amount of serenity, Freed raised his thick arm to the sky. A ripple of energy emanated from the palm of his hand and the dark core imploded until it was nothing once more. Rose nearly blew her head right off.

“What are you doing this time?!” Her face was a whole new shade of red as she fumed; she had certainly gained something of a temper from her uncle.

“You didn’t bother to read into Freed’s second effect, did you? Freed automatically destroys any Magic card that targets him. Your Dark Core met just such a fate. Now if you’re doing blowing a head gasket, I think it’s my turn.” Alyssa drew her card with more confidence than she had shown in the entire duel thus far. It didn’t even really matter what it was; she had everything she needed with her already. “You’re finished, Rose. Just admit it. I summon Amazoness Swords Woman to the field! Remember her?” ((Amazoness Swords Woman: 1500/1600))

Rose didn’t say a word as the brazen vixen appeared beside Freed, wielding her menacing sword in one hand. Alyssa tilted her head at Rose and smirked. “Let’s not forget my Deck Master’s special ability. I needed an Amazon to be present on the field to activate it, but now that there is one, you’re in for some pain. I activate my Deck Master’s special ability: Maul! By offering my Amazoness Swords Woman as a tribute and sending her to the graveyard, my Tiger Deck Master can tear all the monsters on your side of the field to shreds. I also have to pay 1000 life points – but that doesn’t matter anymore.”

Vampire Orchis met a cruel fate at the receiving end of the angry beast’s sharp claws. Like a lumberjack Alyssa’s Deck Master hewed and hacked until Vampire Orchis and the Des Dendle that accompanied it were nothing more than broken twigs and splattered moss on the ground below. They soon after shattered into a million pieces and vanished into thin air.

“Now, Freed, finish her off with your Matchless Sword Strike!”

The great warrior lumbered forth with his broadsword held firmly in both hands. Alyssa merely grinned at the bewildered Rose as the final moments of the duel passed. “Gardening was never quite so fun!”

And Freed brought down his mighty blade with unparalleled precision and force, wiping clean the rest of Rose’s Life Points. The dueling holograms quickly dissipated and a computerized voice announced Alyssa’s victory over the dazed Rose Underwood. She was quickly greeted by her comrades.

“Great job, Alyssa!” Nick congratulated, patting her on the back. Mark did much the same. Mai nodded her head satisfactorily.

“You put on a great show, Alyssa. I’m glad you three aren’t making me regret reserving second-round spots for you.” The woman threw in a wink to show that she meant no harm. “But I guess you guys don’t have a lot of time to celebrate. The next duels are about to begin, and I think I saw your name on the roster, Mark.”

The boy who had until then been confident and cheery suddenly looked a little sick. Perhaps sick isn’t the right word – nervous perhaps is more fitting. Nick and Alyssa met his expression with looks of concern.

“Are you alright?” Alyssa asked, putting a hand on his back and looking him in the eyes.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little nervous. I mean, your duel was really tough, Alyssa. I haven’t dueled in a while, so I don’t know if I could pull myself out of a spot like you were in.”

Nick just chuckled a bit and shook his head. “Don’t even worry, Mark. You’re a great duelist. I’m sure you’ll win with ease.”

Although his voice said thanks, Mark’s expression didn’t seem that much more convinced. He knew he was good, but was he good enough? Reluctantly he made his way over to the viewscreen to see who he was up against. “Here we go…”

* * * * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Legacy of Tarot

Chapter 13: Checkmate

“Who’s that?” Mark asked as he looked curiously up at the semitransparent view screen displaying his name alongside that of his opponent. The name read “Jonathan King,” but it was a name with which neither Mark, Nick nor Alyssa was particularly acquainted. Mark reached out and gently poked the shoulder of a nearby duelist and inquired as to the identity of his adversary.

“Oh man!” the boy shouted with something of a laugh, “You’re up against King? Man, you’re in trouble.” He promptly turned around and seemed to relay this turn of events to his friends, who followed suit with their riotous-yet-sympathetic laughter. “Good luck, you’ll need it.”

“Wow, is he that good?” Alyssa wondered out loud, looking slightly stunned at the boy and his companions. They all nodded in unison without so much as batting an eyelash at the question.

“Oh yeah. Not only is he one of the top chess-players in the world, he’s got one of the most brilliant minds for Duel Monsters in history. They say his ability to think several moves in advance in chess is what makes him so good at dueling.”

Strangely, Mark seemed less worried that before. Rather, he seemed excited and motivated as though he could not even think of being defeated by this person. Nick sensed the invigoration and smiled, nodding fervently. “You’re one of the best strategists I know. I find it hard to believe he’s any better than you.” Mark nodded in reply, not as if saying ‘I agree’ but as if saying ‘Thanks.’

“Besides, you’ve got tough monsters in your deck,” Alyssa chimed in, “and with your choice of Deck Master, I think they’ll be even tougher. You’ll pound this King guy into the ground.”

An unseen voice chuckled from the shadows, and moments later a willowy, beautiful boy stepped out from behind the view screen. He was about the same age as they were, and had short, silvery hair that fell perfectly about his face, almost hiding his eyes, which were covered by thin, attractive glasses that glinted slightly in the sunlight. He was wearing an unusually warm-looking black coat and his hands were thrust into its pockets. The boy’s poise exuded awe and respect.

“Is that so?” He asked fluidly. His voice was just as beautiful as his figure, and he seemed to be a skilled orator just in the three words that he had spoken. “I can already tell exactly how you’re doing to play this duel, move for move. I’m afraid it would be harder to checkmate my little sister than it will be to defeat you. She’s still having trouble grasping how the ‘Knight’ moves, I’m afraid. . .”

Alyssa was practically fuming at the boy’s snide remark and she looked about to scold him, but Mark just held out his hand and quickly silenced her before the words even came to her mind. “Well, we’ll just have to see about that, won’t we?” he replied calmly, staring intently into the eyes of his opponent.

“We shall. And what better way than to get our duel underway, hm?” Jonathan turned and began to walk lithely away, hands still in his pockets. Mark followed a few steps behind, with Nick and Alyssa bringing up the rear. Suddenly he stopped and whipped around; his hands came out of his pockets, one bearing his dueling deck, the other waving magically at thin air.

“Holofield Duel System, activate!”

The same sort of thin, transparent, marked glass appeared hovering in front of Jonathan as had appeared for Rose and Alyssa in their duel. Another materialized for Mark, who also took out his deck and began to shuffle it. All the while his gaze was locked upon his opponent, who stared right back at him. It was clearly the meeting of two great minds and neither was willing to back down.

All of a sudden the plainness of the city was replaced with a giant chessboard; Mark and Jonathan each stood on one end of it. They could not see any of their spectators, but the opposite was not true – the onlookers could see every move they would make quite clearly. The battlefield was rather eerie: it looked as though the giant chessboard was in some kind of alternate dimension, for pure darkness rippled about them. They seemed to be floating in absolute blackness.

“Duelists,” a computerized voice chimed, “Choose your Deck Masters.”

No words were passed between the two competitors. Terrorking Archfiend, a demonic figure with a red cloak, black bat wings, and a hideous blue greatsword, appeared behind Jonathan. Machine King, a robot who looked more toy-like than regal, rose up from the ground behind Mark, making a series of whirrs and beeps that apparently initiated its battle protocols.

“I’ll go first,” began Jonathan after long moments of silence between the two competitors. “I shall play the Magic card Pandemonium.”

His simple words were followed by a not-so-simple effect. The darkness that surrounded them was replaced by what could only be described as chaos. The sky became red-orange and swirled unnaturally, and lightning bolts crashed furiously around them constantly. There was nothing orderly about the complete and utter bedlam that surrounded them.

“And now I play Infernalqueen Archfiend,” he continued. A red-faced monstrosity of a woman-beast appeared between them, a regal violet cape draped over her shoulders. She looked more like a vampire than a queen as she gazed hungrily at her opponent. “A card played face-down ends my turn.” ((Infernalqueen Archfiend: 900/1500))

“Very well!” Mark replied, drawing a card from his deck. “I summon—”

“Wait,” Jonathan interrupted plainly, tapping his duel screen once. “I activate Infernalqueen Archfiend’s special ability. During each of our turns, I can increase the attack of one Archfiend monster by 1000 points until the end of the turn. For now, I can only choose the queen herself, and so her attack strength increases to 1900 for the duration of your turn.”

“Fine, fine. As I was saying, I summon X-Head Cannon to the field.” The mechanical creature appeared in front of Mark, but it somehow did not seem complete: it was as though its bottom half was completely missing. Even so, the two powerful cannons on its back seemed more than capable of making up for this loss – but its 1800 attack points did not seem capable of handling the Archfiend it was up against. ((X-Head Cannon: 1800/1500))

“Your pitiful monster is but a plaything for my Infernalqueen,” Jonathan taunted with a smirk. Mark simply waggled a finger in his opponent’s direction.

“I didn’t choose Machine King as my Deck Master for nothing. His Deck Master ability increases all my Machine-type monsters’ attack points by 100 for each Machine-type monster on my side of the field – however, their defense is decreased the same way. My X-Head Cannon therefore has 1900 attack points and 1400 defense points. I’d say it’s more than a match for your queen now. Now then, I’ll also play a card face-down and end my turn.”

Jonathan said nothing as he drew his card. Immediately his queen turned around and latched onto him with her limber, graceful arms, and she seemed to want to suck out his energy. This only fueled the vampiric look she already had about her.

“What is she doing?” Mark asked, confused by this seemingly-traitorous turn of events.

“She wishes to feed,” Jonathan replied, “upon my Life Points. All Archfiend monsters require a sacrifice of Life Points each turn in order to stay on the field. Normally I would lose 500 Life Points now, but my Pandemonium Magic Card will satisfy her thirst for blood instead.”

Immediately, red droplets fell from the sky onto the Infernalqueen, and she seemed quickly sated by the refreshing shower and turned to once again face Mark and his monster. Her attack strength had fallen to 900 again, but Jonathan did not seem to want to use the ability again. At least, not on her.

“A good queen always needs servants by her side; and so I summon Vilepawn Archfiend to protect her.” A battle-clad warrior with a longsword in one hand and bony armor encasing his body appeared in front of the queen, conducting himself in a protective stance. “I shall use my queen’s ability to increase my Vilepawn’s attack strength to 2200. That should suffice to take out your X-Head Cannon – so, my Vilepawn, attack!” ((Vilepawn Archfiend: 1200/200))

The smaller demon darted forth with surprising speed, and it leaped into the air some feet in front of the X-Head Cannon with its sword held high above its head. One swing would be enough to cut the machination down to size, but Mark seemed to have other plans, as per the big smirk on his face. “I think it’s time for me to activate my face-down card. Say hello to Limiter Removal!”

All of a sudden, the X-Head Cannon went berserk. A noise could be heard from inside it as though all of its circuits were overloading and yet coursing with immense power at the same time. Each of its shoulder-cannons fired one shot at the soaring Archfiend, and it was blasted cleanly out of the sky with nary a screech to signal its passing. Jonathan looked unusually shocked. “What have you done?”

“Limiter Removal,” Mark explained, “doubles the attack points of all my Machine-monsters for one turn. That brought my X-Head Cannon to a grand total of 3800, more than enough to wipe out your Vilepawn and a hefty chunk of your Life Points. Unfortunately, the circuits inside my cannon are overloading as a result, even as we speak, and when your turn ends it will explode and be sent directly to the graveyard.”

As predicted, the tank became red and began to make hissing noises like a kettle that was ready to boil. It exploded in a bright array of reds and oranges, and when the smoke cleared it was nowhere to be seen. The odd pieces and shards of it that remained themselves shattered like glass, and dissipated into the air.

“I guess that means your turn is over,” Mark concluded. Jonathan said nothing. He merely increased his Infernalqueen’s attack points as per her effect and let his opponent continue. “Alright then. I summon Mechanicalchaser in attack mode to begin my turn!” The machine monster had a ball for a body and several sharp, weapon-wielding appendages sticking out from it at all angles. It looked more like a mobile torture chamber than a duel monster. “Thanks to Machine King’s Deck Master ability, my Mechanicalchaser gains 100 attack points, bringing its total to 1950. I think it’s time to say goodbye to your queen! Mechanicalchaser, attack!” ((Mechanicalchaser: 1850/800))

With a robotic beep that signaled affirmation, small jet thrusters on the chaser’s back launched the beast into motion. One swift slash with one of its sword-like arms was enough to shatter Infernalqueen Archfiend into a million pieces of data. Jonathan lost a mere 50 Life Points, bringing his total to 6350. He did not seem particularly worried.

“I’ll play a card face down to end my turn. Your move.”

Jonathan drew his card calmly and placed it almost apathetically into his hand. “You may think your pitiful monster is powerful, but you’re about to learn just how wrong you are,” he said very matter-of-factly. At that moment, he picked a card out of his hand and placed it on the dueling field, summoning the visage of a powerful, iron-clad knight-demon. It looked like a less-regal version of Jonathan’s Deck Master, with a katar on one hand and a serrated claw on the other. Most importantly, the beast had a full 2000 attack points. “Shadowknight Archfiend, let us show him just how worthless his tactics really are. Destroy his Mechanicalchaser now!” ((Shadowknight Archfiend: 2000/1600))

As the demonic warrior leapt into action, Mark thought quickly and activated his face-down card. “I knew you’d try something like that, and that’s why I had this little trap card ready! Activate Reconfiguration!” A control panel appeared before Mark, different than his duel field, and he input a combination of numbers. The Shadowknight’s attack seemed to be slowing down as though ready to come to an eventual stop. “This card allows me to stop your attack and take control of your monster for one turn, ensuring that it can’t do any harm to me. I think that puts a stop to your plans.”

“I don’t think it does,” Jonathan retorted without a second passing after Mark’s last words. “Shadowknight, activate your special ability, Magic Resistance!” Mark was clearly shocked, a reaction to which Jonathan simply smirked. “All my Archfiends possess the ability to potentially resist the effects of your cards. I need only roll a die, and if the outcome is a 3, your card will be nullified and destroyed.”

A horrifying black die apparated above the arena and dropped down suddenly, spinning and eventually losing momentum as it traveled across the vast chessboard. Both duelists watched intently, as did the onlookers, to see what the result would be. The die slowed down, screeched to a halt on the board, and revealed its result: a 4. Mark’s eyes lit up.

“Ha! Looks like your little magic trick didn’t work.”

“Yours is the one that will fail. Activate Dice Re-Roll!” All of a sudden, the shadowy die on the field exploded and dissipated, and another one appeared above the field. “This card allows me to negate the outcome of one dice roll and re-roll it. Let us see if fortune smiles upon me this time.” Sure enough, the die rolled again. It was as if time repeated itself, as everyone watched with bated breath for the result. It was a 3. Jonathan simply let out a short grunt of a laugh.

“Shadowknight, destroy that pitiful card and then resume your attack on his monster.” A ripple of energy burst forth from the obedient demon’s mouth, and it continued on its course towards Mechanicalchaser. With one swipe from each bladed hand, Mark’s machine found itself quickly sent to the scrap-heap. “Don’t feel too bad. Fortune’s smiling upon you, too: the damage Shadowknight Archfiend deals to your Life Points is cut in half, so you only lose twenty-five. Then again, with an empty field, you’ll soon lose more than that. But I’ll play a card face-down, just to be safe.”

Mark was a little shaken, but he drew his card confidently nevertheless. Suddenly things started to look up for him. “First I’ll summon another X-Head Cannon to the field in attack mode, and then I’ll play a Magic Card of my own: Frontline Base!” A wall suddenly appeared behind Mark, fortified with what appeared to be soldiers and provisions for war. “This magic card allows me to special summon one Union monster from my hand to the field once during my turn. I’ll use it to special summon the Y-Dragon Head!”

From over the fortified wall came a large mechanical dragon spouting electrical bolts from its mouth. It took its place beside the X-Head Cannon and roared ferociously at Jonathan and his Shadowknight; neither seemed phased. This Dragon cannon seemed to be the complement – or part of the complement – that the X-Head’s body was missing. “Even with your Deck Master ability your X-Head Cannon only just meets my monster’s attack strength, and your Y-Dragon Head pales in comparison.” ((Y-Dragon Head: 1500/1600))

“I thought you said you could read several moves in advance, King! If you could, you’d know that these two monsters are capable of joining together to form a powerful beast known as the XY-Dragon Cannon! Y-Dragon Head! X-Head Cannon! Initiate Union sequence now!”

All of a sudden, the X-Head Cannon propelled itself into the air, while the Y-Dragon Head soared along just beneath it. The two came together, X on top and Y on the bottom, in a shower of sparks, forming a new monster: The XY-Dragon Cannon. With 2300 attack points, thanks to Machine King’s Deck Master ability, the new beast could destroy the Shadowknight with attack points to spare. And it did: “XY-Dragon Cannon, take out his Shadowknight now!” ((XY-Dragon Cannon: 2200/1900))

The X-Head’s cannons shot forth and the Y-Dragon’s mouth blasted lightning in synch at the Shadowknight Archfiend, shattering it instantly. Jonathan lost a hefty 300 Life Points, to boot. Again, his composure was rock-hard. “Thank you,” he muttered. Mark was baffled.

“Why are you thanking me? I’ve got a powerful monster on the field and you don’t have a chance of beating it,” he retorted, feeling quite proud of himself. There were few monsters that could stand up to the XY-Dragon Cannon. It wasn’t his strongest, but it was a step in the right direction.

“Perhaps. But I don’t need to defeat your monster.” Jonathan drew a card and placed it in his hand as he said this, instantly picking up another one in its place. “I’ll just take it for myself, instead.” The card that he had chosen from his hand was placed firmly on the dueling field. “Before I activate this card, I’ll need to trigger my trap, first: I activate Archfiend’s Roar!”

Suddenly, a piercing screech filled the field, almost bringing the unprepared Mark to his knees in convulsions of pain. Jonathan, of course, was completely unphased. “Hear the cry of my Infernalqueen Archfiend! My Archfiend’s Roar trap card brings her back to the field for one turn. Her presence allows me to activate this card: Falling Down!”

As his chosen card found its way to the playing field, a giant hole appeared underneath the XY-Dragon Cannon and tethers of darkness began to pull it down forcefully. When it was finally swallowed up by the earth, it reappeared in its darkest form on Jonathan’s side of the field. “As you can see, Falling Down gives me control of your monster, but an Archfiend must be present on my side of the field or it will be destroyed immediately.”

Mark noticed something flawed about the strategy. Archfiend’s Roar only brought back Infernalqueen Archfiend until the end of the turn, and Falling Down required an Archfiend to be present or it would be destroyed. Therefore, at the end of Jonathan’s turn, Infernalqueen Archfiend would return to the graveyard and, as a result, Falling Down would vanish, returning control of the XY-Dragon Cannon to Mark and putting him in control once again. When he voiced this notion, however, Jonathan merely laughed.

“It appears you are the one who cannot read ahead, my silly opponent. Watch as I sacrifice your pitiful XY-Dragon Cannon for a much more powerful beast, the Skull Archfiend of Lightning!” The XY-Dragon Cannon’s form became nothing but a ball of darkness that was sucked into the chaotic heavens of the dueling arena. As if satisfied by the meal, the skies let forth a bolt of pure, black lightning that seared the ground right beside the Infernalqueen Archfiend. The blinding light faded to reveal a hideous, black, skeletal beast that grinned malevolently at its opponent. Mark realized it was akin to Summoned Skull. This opinion he also voiced. “Summoned Skull? Ha! My Skull Archfiend of Lightning is an improvement on that pitiful card. Now, watch as I take a hefty chunk of your Life Points away from you! First, Infernalqueen, power up your faithful servant!” The Skull Archfiend’s attack points instantly jumped to 3500. It let forth a torrent of lightning bolts with increasing intensity as if graciously receiving the power. “And now, my Skull Archfiend of Lightning, attack his Life Points directly!” ((Skull Archfiend of Lightning: 2500/1200))

There was nothing Mark could do. With no monsters or trap cards to protect him, 3500 Life Points were immediately taken away by his opponent’s storm of furious dark lightning. Only 4475 Life Points were left after the devastating attack, and Mark was shaking as a result of the powerful energy that ripped through his form.

“Face it, you fool: you should never have entered this tournament. With no cards in your hand and nothing on the field to protect you, you’re at the mercy of my Skull Archfiend! And let me assure you, my Archfiends know no mercy!”

Mark knew that he was very probably going to lose this duel. He had used up his entire hand in the last turn to summon his XY-Dragon Cannon, but it hadn’t been worth the use he got out of the monster. Now he had nothing. Only his next draw could save him…

“Yes!” The enthusiastic young duelist played a card on the field and shouted: “I play Pot of Greed!” A gigantic green, vein-covered pot appeared on the field and spewed out two duel monsters cards which found their way into Mark’s hand. He now had two cards where before he had none. Maybe he had a fighting chance. “First I’ll play Fissure! This Magic Card automatically destroys the monster on your side of the field with the lowest attack points. I believe that means your Skull Archfiend is about to eat dirt!”

As the crack opened beneath Jonathan’s monster, he simply laughed. “Have you forgotten the special ability of my Archfiends? Activate your Magic Resistance, Skull Archfiend!” The same die reappeared in the air above the two duelists and fell to the ground, rolling steadily along the playing field. Its result this time was neither 3 nor 4, but a 1.

“Sorry,” taunted Mark, “but you didn’t get a 3. I guess that means your Skull Archfiend is gone.”

But his prediction fell through. The Skull Archfiend remained on the field, and the crack in the earth had closed as quickly as it had appeared.

“You can guess again. My Skull Archfiend can roll a 1, 3, or 6 in order to negate effects where my Shadowknight needed a 3. He’s safe from your deplorable fissure.”

Mark looked flustered. He only had one card left in his hand, and it wasn’t anything that could save him from his opponent’s powerful monster. “I’ll play this monster in defense mode,” he said, “and end my turn.”

Jonathan didn’t even look at the card he drew. It appeared as though he already had everything he needed to win… or as if he knew he was about to have everything he needed. “I’m afraid this ends now, my dear opponent. First: remember the card you just played? I think I will, too: Pot of Greed, give me two cards!” The pot was working for Jonathan this time, and he too drew his two cards. “Next comes my Monster Reborn! I’ll revive my Infernalqueen Archfiend yet again – but permanently, this time.” Sure enough, the purple-robed demon appeared beside the Skull Archfiend and hissed at Mark ferociously. “I’m not quite finished yet. Now it’s time to summon my Darkbishop Archfiend to the field!” A weaker monster appeared beside the queen, dressed in much the same garb as her but looking supremely less regal. A smirk came to Jonathan’s face next, and he began to cackle maliciously. ((Darkbishop Archfiend: 300/1400))

“Does your head hurt yet? If not, it will in a moment. Watch as I combine the power of this Magic Card with my Deck Master’s special ability!”

Suddenly, the three Archfiends on the field leaped into the air and clawed at Mark’s Life Points, completely ignoring his defensive monster. “What? How did you do that?” The bewildered duelist cried between attacks.

“It’s Checkmate, my Magic Card. When combined with my Terrorking Archfiend’s Deck Master ability, all my Archfiends can attack your Life Points directly regardless of what you have protecting you – but I have to sacrifice an Archfiend first, and I choose my Darkbishop.” Mark quickly lost 3700 Life Points and there was nothing he could do about it. He still had a choice few left, but that was about to change. “And now as an added bonus, the king himself gets to join in the fun. Terrorking Archfiend, I call you to the field now! Attack his Life Points directly and win this duel!”

The gigantic beast brandished its great sword and swung terribly at Mark, hacking his Life Points right down to 0. The dueling holograms vanished from the field and Jonathan was left standing victorious over his fallen opponent.

“Checkmate.”

* * * * *

Last Line of Defense
Group: Trap
Type: Counter
Image: A stone wall rising from the ground. The upper half of a Marauding Captain can just be made out behind it.
Effect: Negate an attack made by an opponent's monster and special summon a Level 4 or less monster from your hand in face-down attack or defense position. Until the end of your next turn, all face-up monsters on your side of the field become face-down, regardless of position, and none of your opponent's monsters can attack. During the end phase of your next turn, flip any monsters turned face-down by this card's effect face-up.

Battle Cry
Group: Trap
Type: Counter
Image: Freed the Matchless General letting out a loud warcry and brandishing his broadsword.
Effect: Activate this card when your opponent attacks your life points directly. Special Summon one monster from your hand to the field in face-up attack position (regardless of level) and designate it as the new target of the attack.

Reconfiguration
Group: Trap
Type: Counter
Image: A scientist toying with some kind of computerized control panel.
Effect: Activate this card when a Machine-type monster on your side of the field is attacked. Negate the attack and take control of the attacking monster until the end of your next turn.

starjake

13th February 2005, 12:40 AM

Aw...Mark lost this early? dang it...

Anyways, though, I have to say I love your writing style. NOt to mention the battles. Excellent descriptions, and I am a huge fan of Deckmasters (I use them in my fic).

Keep up the great work!

Dark Sage

13th February 2005, 02:20 AM

Well, that was... interesting...

You can't win them all, I guess. But Mark may be out of this competition, but he's still in the story. Machine decks are hard to play, and they can give a guy trouble... (does he have any Machines other than the XYZ's?)

I hope Nick or Alyssa kicks Jonathan's butt in round two - that guy was such a snob.

Speaking of Alyssa, I hope we can see some other Amazon cards in her deck, like Amazon Archer, Dramatic Rescue, and Amazoness Spellcaster.

Although I'd like to point out a mistake. Infernalqueen cannot raise the ATK of any Archfiend on the round she is summoned. That ability can only be used during the standby phase. Summoning is done in the main phase, which is after the stadby phase.

But nonetheless, good job.

mr_pikachu

13th February 2005, 03:58 AM

O_O;; I thought this fic died years ago! I was an avid reader of it back then, as it was by far the best Yu-Gi-Oh fic on the forum. And then it just vanished. I've even referred to this fic a few times as being the first high-quality YGO fic here. I'm guessing you're reposting the fic, since I've already read the chapters that appear to have been posted very recently. It's been a long time! :yes:

I liked this last duel, as well as the conclusion to Alyssa's match. Alyssa played some nice tactics to get out of that dreadful situation, while Mark was utterly dominated. Planning ahead gives you some advantage, but you've also got to be ready to face the unexpected in a TCG. Let's see if Jonathon is able to adapt to the different game when he faces the rest of the group... if he faces the rest of the group, that is. It's good that the heroes don't always come out on top. Nice characterization of Jonathon, too; you really got his snooty persona across.

It would have been nice if the chapter hadn't been completely focused on the duel, though. Sometimes a few occasional comments by the spectators can be nice, and it would have been interesting to see what Alyssa and Nick had to say. Also, you may want to work on how you present your monster scores. Sometimes you announce a change in their values and then present the base scores instead of the updated ones. For instance, when X-Dragon Head's attack power was increased by 100 points by Machine King's effect, you could have shown it as ((X-Head Cannon: 1800/1500 --> 1900/1500)), or something like that. It would make the scores easier to keep track of.

But this was pretty good overall. I'm glad you're (finally) continuing this fic. It's good to see you back writing, and I look forward to seeing what your upcoming chapters have to offer. Until then! :wave:

Shuppet Master

13th February 2005, 01:51 PM

Aw,Mark lost. What a shame. Guess he needs to start fixing his deck better!

And you have a niece of Weevil who's a plant duelist? My friend created a plant duelist, and I have a niece of Weevil too, only she uses insects & plants, as well as beasts and other forest-related cards. ;) Keep up the good work.

I hope Mark gets a duel to redeem himself for his devestating loss. Could you PM me with the deckmaster abilities you have so far? I'm eager to create a deckmaster-type story myself(I love that system ever since Noah showed up,and now every author and their mom has written something similar). I might use them in a future story.

Ho-oh2001

13th February 2005, 07:13 PM

I know, it was quite a shock that Mark lost his duel -- your responses please me, for that's exactly the effect I was hoping for! Of course, if you watch the anime, you know this feeling all too well... when one of the main characters (particularly Yugi) loses a duel, it's like, "Whoa! What happened there?" and you know it happened for a reason.

Like Venusaur said, you can't win 'em all.

But Mark-fans, don't fear! He'll get a chance to redeem himself soon. I can't say how the duel will turn out or who he's dueling, cuz that will spoil the surprise, but I think you'll be pleased. ^^

I'll keep your suggestion in mind, mr_pikachu... as I was reading Venusaur's fic, that idea dawned on me, too, and I think I'm going to adapt it to future chapters for clarity's sake. Thanks for the suggestion. ^^ Also, your point about chapters being focused completely on the duel is something I was thinking about just today as I was making lunch... It's definitely something I hope to improve on in the future.

Now, this is the moment I've been waiting for for quite some time now. You see, chapters 1-13 were my "old" chapters -- written anywhere between several years and several months ago. But from here on in, my material is all new, and so chapters 14 and onward represent the resurrection of this fic. I think they're some of the best yet, so you should hopefully be pleased. The next duel in particular is one of my favourites...

Without further ado, I present to you...

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Legacy of Tarot

Chapter 14: Guardians of the Past

Several minutes later, Mark was still reeling from his loss. Not only had Jonathan King defeated him, but he had done it so easily. He knew that he was a talented duelist, though he didn’t like to admit it, at least on par with Alyssa and Nick under normal circumstances. But King had thrown him aside like he was an amateur, without batting a calculated eyelash the whole time. It was certainly an unnerving experience, and Mark’s faith in his abilities was shaken.

“Don’t beat yourself up about it,” Nick said in an attempt to comfort his friend. “You did your best.” He knew that his words would provide little comfort, considering that he, Mark, and Alyssa had promised that they would survive to face each other in the three-way battle that would determine the victor of the tournament. But he also sensed that it was much more than that.

“Yeah! Just because he beat you doesn’t mean you’re not every bit as good as he is,” Alyssa added. “Sometimes the Heart of the Cards just isn’t with you. . . you know?” She, too, knew that it was a feeble attempt at comfort, but she could not just sit idly by while Mark tore himself apart over the loss.

“Don’t tell me you buy into that nonsense.”

All three heads spun around at the sound of the unfamiliar voice. Standing behind them they saw a boy about their age; his face was mostly hidden under the dark hood he wore. Wisps of long, black hair draped out over what could be seen, obscuring any chance at describing him even further. His voice was very quiet, but it did not lack confidence. Eerie would be a more accurate descriptor.

“Excuse me?” Alyssa fumed, standing up and taking two steps toward the boy. He was easily a half-foot shorter than her, and a good deal frailer. She would use this to her advantage in an attempt to drive him off.

“I said that the Heart of the Cards is a bunch of bull,” the soft voice retorted. There was not a single hint of intimidation present, neither in his voice nor his body movements. “A fairy tale for those too weak to accept that they lack skill.” This clearly set Alyssa off – and struck a chord with Nick, too – because she looked within inches of slamming her fist down on the stranger’s head and kneeing him in the stomach. He merely grinned at the sight of this, and turned away from her with a goading chuckle. “Oh. It seems I’ve struck a nerve. I’m so terribly sorry.”

“Why, you little bas—” Alyssa nearly leapt on the boy in an animalistic fury, but it was the sight of a familiar violet-clad woman before her that stopped the rage. She straightened herself as she saw Mai Valentine’s scalding gaze, and turned and walked away, muttering something of an apology – or maybe a threat.

The regal woman cleared her throat before she spoke, and locked her gaze on the strange boy. He seemed to take the hint, however, and merely strolled off at a comfortable pace, chuckling almost inaudibly. Once more Alyssa felt the need to tear off that ugly hood and punch a new mouth in the arrogant little bastard’s face, but it seemed she had almost forgotten Mai, who once again set the fiery vixen right with a stern look.

“Don’t worry about Garet,” she advised, moving over to a seat nearby, opposite Nick and Mark, who were sitting on the ledge of the area’s central fountain. “He tried the same tactic during the last round. . . he worked his opponent into such a frenzy that they couldn’t see straight, and then mowed them down in their duel. I’m glad to see you didn’t buy too much into it, Nick. . .” The woman shot a glance at Alyssa, whose sheepish countenance was penance enough.

“You don’t believe what he said, do you, mom?” Nick questioned. He knew that she had once been a companion – and, admittedly, a rival – of Yugi Mouto, the King of Games and easily the most famous duelist in the entire world. But to this very day, he had never heard her opinion of his famed “Heart of the Cards”.

Mai was silent for a long moment, and she spoke very seriously. “There was a time when I would hate to admit it, but I do. I’ve seen it in action too much not to. Yugi and his friends have saved my life once or twice, and if they say that this Heart of the Cards helped them, then who am I to disagree?” The woman shivered slightly, apparently recollecting her most horrifying experience yet – the cold, lonely desolation of being trapped in the Shadow Realm, tricked into believing that her friends no longer cared for her existence. It was a story Nick had never been told, so he thought nothing of it.

Nick nodded, but didn’t seem wholly satisfied with the answer. “But have you ever experienced it?”

At that question, his mother’s expression became very goofy; she stood up quickly and scratched the back of her head, smiling overly much as if to avoid the question. “Let me tell you something, sweetie, Mai Valentine trusts in her abilities and nothing else!” A nervous laugh followed; Nick wondered if she actually had experienced the Heart of the Cards and didn’t want to admit it, or if she hadn’t and simply didn’t want to hurt his feelings. “Hey, kiddo. . .” – this was directed at Mark, this time – “Don’t worry about it. Take it from me, you’re a great duelist. And the stuff your friends have told me about you during these past few days hasn’t made me see otherwise, believe you me. Now, when Mai Valentine says someone is a good duelist, he’s a good duelist, got it?”

The strict words were dispelled by the light-hearted tone of her voice, and this drew a smile from the depressed duelist. “Thanks, Mrs. Valentine.”

“Miss Valentine, if you don’t mind. I don’t want that ball-and-chain weighing me down anymore.” She laughed warmly. Her long, golden hair raced behind her in the wind and the heels of her leather boots clicked along the stone pathway as she moved away from them.

Clearly taking a turn for the better, Mark said, “Hey, don’t you have a duel coming up, Nick?”

The boy nodded his head and had an expression as though he had almost forgotten. “That’s right! I don’t even know who I’m up against yet.” Standing up in unison, the trio moved over toward the duel center.

*

“Let’s see, let’s see. . .” Alyssa said, pressing her finger to the screen and staring intently at the glowing blue interface. “Oh, here it is! Nick Maximus versus. . . Garet Cinis. Hmm, that name sounds familiar. Is he famous or something?” She put the aforementioned finger to her lips and looked as though she was pondering this fact intently. It was Mark who cut the silence, and after only a moment.

“Garet was the name of the boy we encountered earlier. I can only assume that Cinis is his last name.”

Alyssa turned on her heel and looked at him with bewilderment. She wasn’t astonished that he had figured it out so quickly, but rather seemed shocked – or maybe disgusted is a better word – at the thought of the person whom Mark had mentioned. “You can’t be serious. That little snot-nosed goth punk?” she said with a tone of disbelief. Mark merely nodded his head. “Man! You’re so lucky, Nick! I wish I had the chance to beat that little brat into submission.”

Nick was silent. He was pensive, and worried about the upcoming duel. Garet had said so coolly that he didn’t believe in the Heart of the Cards . . . and yet he was good enough to make it to this prestigious tournament. That would indeed mean that he possessed great skill, so much so that his own abilities never needed to be called into question. It was a trait his mother often displayed, albeit more flamboyantly; he had always admired that fiery confidence, but now he was growing to fear it because it was to be turned against him.

“Shall we begin?”

Again, Garet had appeared as if from nowhere. He was suddenly standing behind them, looking as ominous as ever, now shuffling a dueling deck fluidly in both hands. Nick turned to face him and mimicked the movement. As if from a clichéd Old West movie, a slow wind blew between them, rustling Nick’s soft, brown hair and Garet’s billowing black robe.

“Holofield Duel System, activate!”

As had happened so often during the rounds of this tournament, Nick and Garet found themselves enveloped in a virtual world; their friends could see them, but they were completely shut off from any external distractions. The setting was dark and eerie; the duelists were each standing on top of a sand dune in the desert, surrounded by a night backdrop. Thin panes of glass materialized before them, etched with golden markings in the design of a Duel Monsters playing field.

“Duelists, please choose your Deck Masters.”

Silently the two duelists picked one card each from their decks and placed them in the designated slot on the playing field. A gigantic, chained dragon appeared in a flash of lights behind Nick; the Harpie’s Pet Dragon. Garet’s chosen master was a strange, dark-skinned man draped in white robes and with an ancient golden staff held in both hands. He radiated a dark, solemn aura. This was the Gravekeeper’s Chief.

“Let’s duel!”

Garet moved quickly, and it was soon known that he wanted to begin the duel. Nick had no trouble with this: it would allow him a turn to examine his opponent’s strategy, however briefly. The gothic-clad lad picked a card out of his hand without hesitation, and slapped it on the dueling plate.

The changes to the virtual field were subtle at first; they were still standing in a desert scene to all eyes. However, large walls of rock rose up on either side of the two duelists, sandwiching them in a narrow chasm, and a rising sun painted the sky red. A large pyramid could be seen off in the distance, behind Garet.

“I have played the Necrovalley magic card,” he said simply. “In the Necrovalley, graveyards are sacred things. They are not to be tampered with. As such, this magic card negates the effects of any cards that affect our graveyards. Of course. . .” – He motioned to his Deck Master, who stood simply by his side – “My Deck Master prevents this effect from hampering my efforts.”

Nick seemed unimpressed. He knew that cards like Monster Reborn were valuable tools in a battle, but he also knew that they were not necessary to victory. Being shut off from his graveyard was not something to worry about; he would persevere nevertheless. But Garet was not finished yet.

“I’ll place a monster face-down. Good luck on your next move. You’ll need it.”

As Nick drew his card, a familiar voice rang out from behind him, its source unseen behind the virtual shroud: “Knock that guy down a few notches for me!” It was, of course, Alyssa’s voice; Nick smiled, but did not allow her enthusiasm to distract him. He examined his hand and the situation unfolding around him, and made his move.

“He’s probably got a powerful defensive monster under there . . . it’s a pretty classic way to start a duel. I’ll need something strong enough to take it down.” Best of all, Nick had something lined up in his hand that would do the trick.

“I’ll begin by playing Cyber Harpie!” Nick announced, placing the card on his field. His beast rose up in a flash of light. She looked almost identical to the Harpie Lady, except for a few details: her hair was longer and straighter, she was clad in cybernetic armour, and she held a menacing energy whip in her hand. This new monster let out a battle cry to show her willingness to fight. Magnifying the sound, his Deck Master let out a bellow that almost caused the walls of the valley to crumble before them. Cyber Harpie seemed invigorated by this; her attack points immediately rose from 1800 to 2300. She was now a formidable beast capable of, Nick hoped, destroying whatever monster Garet could have lying in wait. “Now, Cyber Harpie, destroy his face-down monster with your energy lash attack!” ((Cyber Harpie: 1800/1300 -> 2300/1300))

With a piercing cry the beautiful beast leapt into action. She soared into the sky and leapt toward Garet’s side of the field. Suddenly, the yellow, crackling weapon shot downwards, sure to split Garet’s defensive monster clean in half and sent it straight to the graveyard. However, there was one small hitch: the whip bounced right off the card in question and narrowly missed its master’s face.

A shadowy woman was standing where the image of the card once was. She was dressed in garments typical of one who practices subterfuge – that is to say, she was clearly a spy. With ease the monster had deftly sidestepped Cyber Harpie’s attack, quickly grabbed the whip, and then in a startling display of force, she slammed the monster into the ground with its own weapon! Nick’s life points dropped by 200 and he stood by in astonishment. What monster could possibly have 2500 defense points without first offering a sacrifice?

“Meet Gravekeeper’s Spy,” Garet’s quiet voice announced. “She would normally have been destroyed by your Harpie’s attack, but Necrovalley adds 500 points to her defensive total. Did I forget to mention that little tidbit earlier? I’m terribly sorry.” He did not seem sorry. Instead, he seemed amused. Nick was not fazed by the fact that Garet was clearly goading him, trying to make him angry. “My spy has a special ability of her own, however – and you’ve activated it! She will now allow me to summon a Gravekeeper monster from my deck to the field, as long as it has 1500 attack points or less. I’ll choose this: the Gravekeeper’s Assailant!”
((Gravekeeper’s Assailant: 1500/150 -> 2000/650))
((Gravekeeper’s Spy: 1200/2000 -> 1700/2500))

This Gravekeeper was even darker-looking than the spy or their master. Its body was completely shrouded in a black cloak, and a dangerous serrated dagger could be seen poking out from within its folds. “Of course, you know very well that Necrovalley will power up my Assailant as well, bringing its attack total to 2000.”

“Fine, whatever,” Nick responded quietly. His silence masked his concern. “Why would he summon a monster that he knows is weaker than my Cyber Harpie? His spy will ward her off for a while, but that Assailant will easily be mowed down during my next turn. He must have another plan.” He placed one card face down on his side of the field and chose to end his turn.

“What, is that all? I expected more from you. Such a shame.” Garet drew his card and, without another word, placed it on the field. It was another Gravekeeper, evidently, only this one looked more suited for battle than subterfuge. It was dressed in light armor and held ready a large spear which it pointed directly at Cyber Harpie. Like the Assailant, its attack points rose to 2000 as a result of Necrovalley’s effect. “Now . . . Gravekeeper’s Assailant! Attack Cyber Harpie!” ((Gravekeeper’s Spear Soldier: 1500/1000 -> 2000/1500))

Nick could only look on in astonishment as the shadowy assassin darted forth across the sand, producing a second dagger from the folds of its cloth. They both lashed out at his armor-clad vixen. . . who parried the blow with ease. Her whip knocked aside the Assailant’s daggers and cut him painfully across the chest. Nick could scarcely believe that Garet had made such an amateur move; however, he did not look worried. It was Nick who had reason to fear when the Assailant returned to its previous position unharmed. “What? How did your Assailant survive that attack?”

Garet’s answer came in the form of a monster: what appeared to be a sarcophagus with eyes hanging off its side had appeared behind the attacking monster as he discarded something from his hand to his graveyard. “I activated the special effect of Charm of Shabti. By discarding it from my hand, I can reduce all damage to my Gravekeepers to 0 for one turn; however, I still take any battle damage as normal. But the 300 damage is nothing compared to what I have just accomplished.” ((Charm of Shabti: 100/100))

“What do you mean? All you did was attack my Harpie, and she’s still ready to go,” Nick reminded his seemingly-forgetful opponent.

Garet merely chuckled. “. . . Is she?”

Nick turned his eyes to the field, and was astonished to notice that his Cyber Harpie had somehow switched into defensive mode! She was much more vulnerable like this than she was in attack mode. But he had done nothing of the sort, especially since it wasn’t even his turn yet! “What trickery is this?”

"Woah!" Alyssa's voice called from outside the arena. "Nick didn't change his monster's battle position, did he? It's not even his turn. . ."

"No, he didn't," Mark replied, and said nothing more on the matter, for Garet made to say something.

“Gravekeeper’s Assailant has a special ability, too. You don’t think I’d attack your stupid Harpie without a good plan in mind, do you? Whenever he attacks, my assailant can switch one of your monsters from attack to defense mode, or vice-versa. I simply had him switch your Cyber Harpie to defense mode. And now, onto phase 2 of my wonderful move:”

His third Gravekeeper, the Spear Soldier, had already launched into action. It was charging toward Cyber Harpie with its weapon drawn, and with 2000 attack points to her 1300 defense, it would tear her apart with ease! As predicted, the long weapon pierced easily through her cybernetic armor, and the Harpie’s body splintered into a million pieces of data. Most strangely, however, was the fact that Nick’s life points dropped by 700!

“She was in defensive mode!” he cried, but he already knew that the Spear Soldier, too, must have had some kind of effect.

“That’s right. And if my Spear Soldier attacks a defensive monster, the battle damage is dealt to you as it normally would be. Didn’t I tell you that, either? I’m such a scatterbrain.” Garet let out a chilling laugh which, although still muffled by his great hood, was in no way less intimidating. Nick knew Garet had every right to laugh: in only one move he had been foolish enough to give his opponent three monsters and leave himself with none. This would not be an easy duel to win. “I think I’ll just put this card face-down, and end my turn.”

With resignation, Nick drew his next card. Garet had said that the Heart of the Cards was nonsense, but Nick had to believe in it now – he just had to – if he was to have any chance of winning this duel. He was in a rough spot, and skilled though he was, a little luck never hurt anyone. Looking over the contents of his hand, Nick realized that there might just be a way out of this, but his stern poker face conveyed no such recognition. This prompted Garet to believe that he had nothing worth playing, which evoked another laugh.

“I play Harpie’s Brother in attack mode,” Nick announced with confidence. The male Harpie, one of the only ones in his deck, mirrored his poise with its stance; it was perched ably on the sand, looking unafraid of any of Garet’s monsters, perfectly ready to do battle. “And as you know, he gains an extra 500 attack points from my Harpie’s Pet Dragon.” On cue, the dragon’s roar enlivened the warrior-bird, increase its readiness considerably. “I’d be willing to bet that he’ll have a similar tactic to the one he used last turn . . . if he has another Charm of Shabti in his hand, he can demolish my Brother like he did my Cyber Harpie. I can’t let that happen.” ((Harpie’s Brother: 1800/600 -> 2300/600))

Garet was silent as he saw this powerful beast rise to the field. With 2300 attack points, it could take apart his Assailant and Spear Soldier with ease; but Nick couldn’t tell from his expression whether he did have a back-up plan either in his hand or on the field. The face-down card worried him the most. He merely decided to take his chances and attack – he could not let Garet switch his monster’s battle position with Gravekeeper’s Assailant again. “Harpie’s Brother, attack his Gravekeeper’s Assailant now!”

The Harpie leapt into action without another thought; its movements were so blindingly fast that a trail of sand was cut into the ground beneath him, kicking up a gigantic storm that nearly left both duelists sightless. Despite this tour-de-force, Garet was unphased.

“Another foolish move. You’ve activated my trap card: Draining Shield! My Gravekeepers aren’t against keeping with the times, you know. This little marvel of technology will negate your Harpie’s Brother’s attack – but more importantly, it will increase my Life Points by the amount of its attack points! I should thank you, Nick, for you’ve just given me a free 2300 Life Points.”

“Not so fast!” Nick interrupted, flipping over his face-down card. “You see, not all traps are absolute: your trap has activated my own! Go, Trap Jammer!” The shield of energy that had engulfed Garet’s Assailant was now encircled by a glowing, arcane perimeter; all of a sudden, the protective barrier it afforded began to shimmer, and within moments it faded away completely. Harpie’s Brother’s attack was free to continue, and it did, with amazing speed: in the blink of an eye, the Assailant’s body had been battered beyond recognition, and it melted into the sand without a fight. Garet’s life points dropped to 7400.

“A decent move,” he admitted as he watched his monster be destroyed. “But I’m still 300 life points ahead of you . . . and I have no intention of losing this duel.”

“Nor do I,” Nick countered, his resolve strengthening immensely. He placed a card face-down and ended his turn.

“Good!” Garet drew his card. “Then I’ll expect some top-notch dueling from now on, before I take you down. If you can’t even give me a challenge, how will you ever be able to face your friends and mother?” He chuckled darkly and turned his head to examine the cards in his hand. “This will do nicely. Now, watch and be amazed as I play this: Blood Pact of Anubis!”

Suddenly a large statue grew from the sand behind Garet. It appeared to be a sarcophagus of some kind, with the effigy of a gigantic, sleek, black dog resting atop it. The hound’s eyes were blood-red and frightening, though they stared into the distance with a stony resolve. “This magic card grants all my Gravekeepers an additional 500 attack points. But don’t worry, I’m not that cruel: as payment, it reduces any damage they deal to your life points by half. Still, it will give my Spear Soldier the boost he needs to obliterate your Harpie’s Brother.”
((Gravekeeper’s Spear Soldier -> 2500/1500))
((Gravekeeper’s Spy -> 2200/2500))

"That's insane!" Mark shouted, eyes widening at Garet's raw power strategy. Never had he seen such large power-up bonuses on the field at one time! "1000 extra points of attack!!"

Nick’s eyes widened with horror as he realized the truth of Mark's words. Garet had pulled off another offensive maneuver! Now all his Gravekeeper’s had an astonishing 1000-point boost to their attacks! How could he ever be expected to keep up with that? He knew his Harpies were no pushovers, but even they couldn’t keep up with a 1000-point boost when they only had 500 of their own. Even as he realized this, the Spear Soldier leapt into action, charging with renewed vigor at Harpie’s Brother.

“The sands of Egypt are full of secrets, Nick . . . let’s hope you can unearth one soon, or else you’ll be buried with them!”

* * * * *

Blood Pact of Anubis
Group: Trap
Type: Continuous
Image: A great effigy of Anubis staring down at an army of Gravekeepers with blood-red eyes.
Effect: Increase the ATK of all monsters on your side of the field that include "Gravekeeper's" in their name by 500 points. Any damage dealt by these monsters to your opponent's Life Points is halved.

Dark Sage

13th February 2005, 07:32 PM

Well, you certainly have a keen for making interesting duelists. The addition of a duelist with a Gravekeeper deck is certainly interesting. I have a feeling Nick might be forced to use his Tarot to win this duel, which brings up the question - do Tarots have any negative effects on their owners.

A few nitpicks:

"Heart of the Cards" should be capitalized, always.

Also, your "Blood Pact of Anubis" card seems more like a Continuous Trap, not a Normal Trap. Most of the time, any card that permanently raises or lowers several Monsters' stats has to stay on the field.

But keep it up!

- Venusaur

Ho-oh2001

13th February 2005, 07:35 PM

Ah! You're absolutely right, Blood Pact is a continuous trap. That's what I like to call a "brain fart". ^^;;

Thanks for the tip about the Heart of the Cards. Having never really seen it written before, I wasn't sure about that.

mr_pikachu

13th February 2005, 10:58 PM

And Nick begins his match against the gothic skeptic! Gravekeeper's decks can be very tricky. Nick'll really be in trouble if Gravekeeper's Servant comes into play, because that will force him to toss the top card of his deck into his Graveyard every time he attacks! And don't forget that he can't access said Graveyard, either! So he'll lose a card for good with every strike... if Garet plays the rare Magic card, that is.

I liked the description in this chapter. The only monsters that weren't described well were the Harpie's Pet Dragon and Harpie's Brother, but we could still get the picture because of their common nature and the fact that the latter card isn't too much different than the original Harpie Lady. Your use of settings was nice, too. Great introduction to Garet's character, as well; he could be a difficult opponent. Way to develop Mai, Alyssa, and Nick, too.

I've found that the opponents' heroes seem to share one unusual thing: They are all treacherous in some way or another. Remember, just because they oppose the protagonists doesn't mean that they have to be cruel. There are many duelists out there who have good intentions, but may just be forced to face other good people. You may want to try to stay away from the stereotypical clashes between "good guys" and "bad guys". Some old-fashioned irony can be useful to create conflict and develop characters.

But other than the inherent "good vs. evil" trend, this is pretty good. Just vary the level of villainy of the opponents some. Anyway, I'll be looking forward to your next chapter. Keep the description up, and develop those characters even more! I'll see you then! :wave:

Dark Sage

14th February 2005, 05:39 PM

Not quite, Mr. Pikachu. The mayor was more or less a respectable duelist.

But Pik raises a point. Not every opponent has to be a sleazebag. In my fic, a lot of the opponents my heroes have faced are pretty nice guys. A lot of them ARE wicked, but not all. A few of them know the meaning of honor.

Keep that in mind. "Antagonist" doesn't always mean "villain."

- Venusaur

Ho-oh2001

14th February 2005, 08:13 PM

Well, I won't give anything away, but there is a reason why the duelists we've seen so far have been as they were. It will be revealed an undetermined amount of time in the future. ^^;; Though I should say that Jonathan wasn't really an 'evil' duelist, he was just so arrogant that his ego just spilled into evil. ;)

You should like the duelist our group faces after the next one. That battle ought to... ehm... tickle you in a way no duel has tickled you before. Maybe.

Anyway, on to one of my two favourite chapters that I've written thus far. I present to you...

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Legacy of Tarot

Chapter 15: Fire and Brimstone

“The sands of Egypt are full of secrets, Nick . . . let’s hope you can unearth one soon, or else you’ll be buried with them!”

With a raging Gravekeeper’s Spear Soldier charging his much-weaker Harpie’s Brother, Nick was almost out of options. Thanks to Necrovalley and Blood Pact of Anubis, all of his opponent’s Gravekeeper monsters got a whopping 1000-point boost! Despite the fact that his Harpies got a 500-point boost of their own, they were nowhere near equipped to handle the threat with which they were faced. “Now he can summon monsters with as many as 2500 attack points without offering any sacrifices!”

Things would not go according to plan for Garet, however. As his Spear Soldier approached Harpie’s Brother, the beast was suddenly engulfed in a wall of wind. Intimidated by this new development, the attacking monster could not find a way to damage its prey, and so it resigned to its place on Garet’s side of the field. “What have you done?” he demanded, his voice suddenly becoming angry.

“I activated Harpie’s Protective Gust. It will protect my monsters and my Life Points from all damage, as long as I have a Harpie monster on the field during the next three turns.”

Garet was obviously dismayed, but he did not seem put off overall. It was as though he figured this was just a temporary ploy, and in three turns he would resume his gratuitous bludgeoning of his opponent. Nick knew that unless he pulled something off quickly, that would indeed happen. He had three turns to work out a plan.

He drew his card and grinned. “Until now, you’ve had the advantage, Garet. Your Necrovalley has given your monsters an overwhelming power boost – but no longer! I play Harpie’s Hunting Ground!”

Almost instantly, the sandy landscape shattered like glass and rippled outwards into nothingness. It was replaced by a deep, well-lit pit – more like a chasm, really – with branches spiraling upwards along its walls. Harpies of various kinds were perched upon these branches, looking hungrily at the duelists – this was their hunting ground, and at present those duelists and their monsters were their only prey.

“The most important part of playing this card is that your Necrovalley gets sent straight to the graveyard since only one Field magic card can be in play at any one time,” Nick explained with a smile. Garet was not amused.

“I know that. And your Hunting Ground gives your monsters some kind of power boost as well, I suppose,” the goth-clad boy conjectured.

“You catch on quickly. Harpie’s Hunting Ground gives all Winged-Beast monsters a 200-point attack boost. Now that we’re clear on my magic card, it’s time to let me summon my monster. Come forth, Harpie Lady 1!”

In synch with Nick playing the card on his dueling plate, a beautiful young Harpie appeared on the field in front of him, leaping down from the unseen heights of the hunting ground. This monster looked very similar to a normal Harpie Lady, except that her coloring was different to distinguish her from the rest of the flock. She somehow seemed stronger than the rest of the Harpies, as though her aura put her a cut above them. “Harpie Lady 1 increases the attack of all Wind-based monsters by 300 points. This brings her own attack to 1600, and her brother’s attack to 2800. Of course, my Deck Master increases her attack to 2100 – and the Hunting Ground boosts that further, to 2300!” ((Harpie Lady 1: 1300/1400 -> 2300/1600))
((Harpie’s Brother -> 2800/800))

It had to be said: Nick’s field looked impressive now. He had two powerful monsters on the field, capable of tearing through either of Garet’s. However, from the look on his face, he wasn’t finished yet: “Oh, and do watch as your Blood Pact of Anubis says its final goodbye.” The idol of Anubis behind Garet – looking totally out of place with the change of scenery, by the way – was suddenly covered by Harpies. With a force unseen yet in this duel, the beautiful beasts tore it asunder until it was barely recognizable. Garet’s monsters looked appropriately weakened.

“What? How did you do that? All you did was summon a monster!” Nick’s opponent bellowed, furious.

“Oh, I’m sorry! Did I forget to mention my Hunting Ground’s other ability? I’m such a scatterbrain.” Nick chuckled dryly, but Garet was not amused by the mockery. “Whenever I summon a Harpie Lady or Harpie Lady Sisters to the field, I get to destroy one of your magic or trap cards. That ought to take care of any power boost you had.”

It was true: Gravekeeper’s Spy was back down to 2000 defense points, and Gravekeeper’s Spear Soldier had returned to his weakened, 1500-point form. They were looking more and more like worms in a nest of hungry eagles. The sharp eyes of the harpies above them were hungry, and an eerie, choral grumbling beckoned from the air above them.
((Gravekeeper’s Spy -> 1200/2000))
((Gravekeeper’s Spear Soldier -> 1500/1000))

“You’ve left yourself defenseless . . . though I admit, it wasn’t your fault. But now you’ll have to say goodbye to your monsters! Harpie’s Brother and Harpie Lady 1, attack now!” The Harpie Lady was designated as the huntress of Gravekeeper’s Spy – the female scout tried nimbly to dodge her attacker’s hungry slashes, but in the end she succumbed to the Harpie Lady 1’s graceful dances. Harpie’s Brother tore through Gravekeeper’s Spear Soldier without a thought – with the Brother moving at speeds higher than that of sound, the poor defender of the past had no idea what was upon him by the time he had been rent asunder. A hefty chunk of Garet’s life points had been taken from him, too: he quickly dropped to 6400, and seemed suitably dismayed for the first time in the duel.

“You will pay for this insolence!” he warned, drawing his next card.

Nick remained silent. He wasn’t sure whether his opponent was bluffing or actually had an ace up his sleeve. It had to be said, his lead was pretty commanding: in one move he had gotten rid of Garet’s monsters and both of his power-up cards, while replacing them with two powerful monsters and power-ups of his own. It was inconceivable that Garet could possibly summon a monster with more than 2800 attack points, which was what he needed to destroy Harpie’s Brother and take back this duel. No, he decided. It was impossible for Garet to pull himself up this time.

A chuckle from the opponent’s side of the field shattered his confidence. Three quick jolts of amusement, quiet and subdued, were all it took. Garet slowly pulled a card from his hand and held it up in the air above him. “It’s terribly unlucky that you had to cross me this way, Nick,” the young boy taunted. Only when he said this did Nick begin to feel the same feelings that he felt during his duel with Mayor Thompson.

The aura of energy that rippled from the card in Garet’s hand was unmistakable, but Nick had not sensed it before when it was held with his others. It was like the feeling one gets when a strong stereo system booms its music through the floor, making one’s heart and body vibrate uncomfortably. That was the effect these waves of energy had on Nick: each one almost made him fall to his knees. The more he became attuned to it – the more he succumbed to what he knew the card was – the more it affected him.

“You have crossed a path that no duelist has in a long time,” Garet continued. He slowly rotated the card with his index and middle fingers, allowing Nick to get a glimpse at the artwork on its surface. Then Nick’s fears were truly realized.

It was a Tarot card.

Garet’s cool voice seemed only slightly amused by Nick’s fear; it was notably more interested in the power held between his two fingers. “Prepare to feel the wrath of an ancient magic so powerful that it once threatened to destroy the entire earth!

“I summon… the Unholy Eclipse!!” ((Unholy Eclipse: 3100/3500))

The situation that unfolded can not be described fully, for the fear realized not only by Nick but also by everyone around him cannot be appropriately measured in words. It was an eerie scene at any rate, that much can be said. In the virtual world of the duel, the sky suddenly turned blood-red, a light which shone down into the depths of the hunting grounds. Looking up, Nick realized that he would never again complain about the Earth’s lovely golden sun being too hot or too bright, for it was now replaced by a gigantic ball of blackened flame so immense that it looked as though it could swallow the entire solar system, and then devour the rest of the galaxy to cleanse its palate. Most frightening, however, were the two bloody eyes etched into the face of the black – and yet somehow powerfully bright – entity. They gazed upon the earth with malice and hunger, and as its flaming rays raged forth, they seemed only to become more crazed.

The Harpies in the hunting ground could not feel the fear. There was no time for them to experience such an emotion: the raw strength of the Unholy Eclipse was incinerating them, one by one, horribly, painfully. All of a sudden, the first of the many Harpies burst into flames with a deafening screech. She attempted to fly to freedom, somewhere she could quench the unbearably hot flames, but this was impossible. There was only a moment of pain and she was gone. Instinctually the other harpies tried to flee, but one by one they too were plucked from the sky. It was like the story of Icarus was being replayed for Nick ad nauseum: each Harpie flew upwards, to freedom, only to be reduced to ashes by the flames of the black sun. Each death was painful to him, even though they were only holograms. He could feel their agony in his own heart, and nearly wept when their home, the Harpie’s Hunting Grounds, ignited in an untold number of flames. The two duelists no longer stood in an arena that could be recognized; it was merely a terrible, writhing mass of flame, destruction, death.
((Harpie’s Brother -> 2600/600))
((Harpie Lady 1 -> 2100/1400))

*

“What . . . the hell . . . is that?!” a voice screamed, its carrier pointing upwards at the sky. There was no need for Alyssa to follow the finger, for all eyes in York stood transfixed on the blackened orb that had appeared above them, glaring down on their miserable beings, wanting to engulf each one of them in its fury. This had gone far beyond anything the Holofield Dueling System could possibly create – this was something far more terrible.

“That’s . . . a Tarot card?” she gaped, looking upwards. The black light was blinding, but she could not turn away for all her usual strength and stubbornness. “Garet . . . had a . . . Tarot . . .”

But she could say no more. The sensations that ripped through her body were those of heat exhaustion in double-time. It was as though her soul was being sucked out of her body by the gaping, red, chaotic pools that were the Unholy Eclipse’s eyes. For a moment it seemed as though it was staring right at her . . . searching her soul . . . tasting it . . . longing for it. It was as engrossed with Alyssa as she was with it. Then, the only thing she could hear was the crackling of flames and the sound of her own brain shutting down.

The last thing she saw was everyone around her dropping to the ground in a similar state. Everyone except Garet and Nick – the former resilient to the eclipse because he was its master, and the latter resisting only because his life depended on it. Worst of all, however, was that Nick had no idea of the effects on the outside world. He was trapped in the realm of the duel . . . and Garet had raised the stakes considerably.

“Knock him . . . down a few . . . notches . . .”

Blackness.

*

“You have no idea what kind of power you’ve unleashed,” Nick cautioned. He could feel the pure evil stemming from the Unholy Eclipse, the malice of its soul – if it had one – and he wasn’t sure Garet was aware of it.

Garet countered, “Quite the contrary, my pitiful young foe. I know exactly what I’ve unleashed. And when I defeat you, your body and soul will be offered to the Unholy Eclipse in order to sate its hunger . . . for a time, anyway. Unless you want your friends to be devoured instead. I can understand. Fear breeds selfishness in the best of us.”

These words caused Nick’s eyes to flash open. His friends? “You can’t mean . . .”

His opponent simply nodded. “The entire world is experiencing what you are right now. At this very moment, my Unholy Eclipse is sucking the energy right out of everyone in York, and soon, everyone nearby York, and so on and so on. If you don’t stop it soon… the whole world may fall under its spell. But who am I to stop it? I am its master as much as it is mine. It may well turn on me, too . . . as it has in the past.”

“What . . . do you mean?” Nick ventured, completely exhausted. Now the Unholy Eclipse had turned its gaze on him, and he could feel his energy being drained from him, too. Had Alyssa and Mark and – and his mother!! – felt this same way? Were they gone forever, not knowing the power of this horrible beast?

In response, Garet simply pulled down his hood for the first time since anyone had seen him. Wisps of black hair barred his face even still; these he brushed away to reveal a truly frightening countenance. His face was barely recognizable as that of a human child – it had been scarred beyond any chance of recognition, and in places the flesh still boiled. “This is the result of my own weakness . . . my inability to control my pet. It burns still, but I have learned to ignore the pain . . . and turn it outward on others.”

Images of Alyssa and Mark and Mai and even Bertram flashed through Nick’s mind. Images of Rebecca, too. Was she somewhere now, in the clutches of Xel’Zerpi, even more frightened than before at the sight of this horrendous eclipse? Or was her soul ensnared as well by its hideous power? This thought merely strengthened Nick’s resolve. He stood straight, and looking up, he could see shock in the Eclipse’s eyes – this was the first mortal to resist its power. It turned away, looking for easier prey.

“I will defeat your abomination, Garet,” Nick assured his hideous opponent in a powerful, commanding tone that he had not yet known. “My Harpie’s Protective Gust will defend my monsters even from the rays of your Unholy Eclipse.”

“Will it?”

Garet had drawn another card from his hand before Nick had realized it, and he placed it on the field with confidence. “This is the magic card Spiritualism. The vengeful spirits of the damned will speed your Protective Gust back to your hand – and nothing you can do can possibly stop their wrath.”

Out from the burning, hellish ground rose a series of wispy, skull-headed spirits that cackled gleefully as their target, Harpie’s Protective Gust, came into view. These phantoms now existed only to torment the living world that had cast them aside, and they did this with delight. Rushing toward Nick’s side of the field, they entangled themselves in the tornadoes that protected him and his harpies . . . and then everything was calm. The spirits had vanished, and so had the gusts of wind, their trap card with them. It had been returned to Nick’s hand, which seemed a foolish move, since he could now play it on his next turn and thus use it for even longer.

“Now I play Card Destruction!” Garet announced, playing the last card in his hand. “Any good duelist knows what this does. We both discard our hands to the graveyard and draw an equal number of cards from our decks . . . but since I don’t have any cards in my hand, this will be a solo act.”

Nick complied quietly, discarding his three cards and drawing three new ones. He said nothing and made no telling facial expressions; Garet had no idea whether he had drawn for better or for worse. But he did know that Nick could not possibly conjure up anything to protect him from the Unholy Eclipse. “Now I think I’ll take care of the one monster that might possibly pose any threat to me. Unholy Eclipse, use your Black Flare attack on Harpie’s Brother!”

Without even turning back in its master’s direction to take an interest in its orders, the beastly sun unleashed its attack. Out of its backside shot an immeasurable shaft of black flame, aimed with startling precision at Harpie’s Brother. Even the winged beast could not react in time: it was engulfed in the dark blaze and was only able to unleash a single cry of extreme agony before becoming a pile of charred ash. Nick’s life points dropped accordingly, to 6350.

“I don’t have much of a chance of defeating this thing,” Nick realized grimly. However, he did have one advantage: his opponent had no face-down cards on the field, and nothing in his hand. That meant Nick had no need to fear an unhappy surprise – another unhappy surprise, anyway – for at least a turn or two. He drew his card and examined his options.

Harpie Lady 1 needed some serious support, and fast. Her attack points had dropped to 2100 as a result of Harpie’s Hunting Grounds being destroyed, and so she would be bowled over in short order by the Unholy Eclipse if Nick didn’t do something soon. Then he would be the one left open to attack, and faced with the behemoth that he was, he wouldn’t last very long in that condition.

“I’ll play—”

“Ah, ah, ah!” Garet interrupted, wagging a finger. “I think I forgot to mention one more thing to you. In addition to destroying any Field Magic cards in play, Unholy Eclipse drains 500 Life Points from you every turn.”

On cue, roaring pain ripped through Nick’s body, and he could see that the Eclipse had fixated upon him once again. It was grinning, as much as a thing could grin without a mouth and with a soul as black as sin itself, as it stole his essence from him. And then it turned again to seek other prey. Weakened, Nick continued his move. His body creaked with every movement; it was as though the flames around him had dried up all his inner juices, and he was now a shell barely capable of standing upright.

“I’ll lay two cards face down, and I’ll shift Harpie Lady 1 to defense mode,” Nick announced weakly. “That . . . ends my turn.”

Garet looked disappointed. It was one of the first emotions Nick could truly discern from his opponent, now that his hood had been drawn back. His horribly scarred face still made it difficult to tell anything about him, but no amount of disfigurement could hide such blatant emotions. “You’ll never defeat my Unholy Eclipse if you play defensively. The only thing my beast responds to is power. Might. Brute force. Learn this lesson well, and you may survive.”

Garet drew his card without looking. “I will once again attack with Unholy Eclipse. Destroy his pathetic Harpie Lady 1 now!” Once more, the Eclipse seemed blasé, but it obeyed its command nevertheless. Without showing a sign of interest, it let loose another stream of darkness flame toward the earth.

This was one attack, however, that would draw its attention.

Nick sprang up suddenly. “Big mistake! Your attack has triggered my most powerful trap card: the Bonds of Sisterhood!”

This card had been seen before. It was easily the rarest and most powerful trap in Nick’s repertoire, and it had the power to turn even a mediocre Harpie deck into a force with which to be reckoned. In an instant, three groups of three Harpies sprang forth from the depths of Nick’s deck – three Harpie Lady Sisters cards appeared consequently on his dueling plate. But they were arranged oddly: the three cards were placed side-by-side in front of Harpie Lady 1, and likewise were the nine Harpies linked hand-in-hand in front of their sister.

“This trap card summons all my Harpie Lady Sisters cards to the field and joins them as though they were one monster. Then, they defend against their common foe with their combined attack totals.”

The result was an impressive display of power. Combined with the attack boost they gained from the Harpie’s Pet Dragon that was Nick’s Deck Master, and Harpie Lady 1’s power boost, the three monsters had an attack total of 8250 – this would easily tear apart the Unholy Eclipse and deal a devastating blow to Garet’s life points as well. And then, during his next turn, with nothing on the field, the scarred psychopath would be decimated by the combined onslaught of his Harpie Lady Sisters.
((Harpie Lady Sisters: 2750/2300)) x 3

Things did not go as planned.

“A nice plan,” Garet complimented with a laugh, “but your Harpies are nowhere near powerful enough to destroy my Unholy Eclipse.”

It was true: although they deflected the Black Flare attack with indescribable ease, they could not possibly soar into space to do battle with the Unholy Eclipse on its own terms. And yet, because it was still a monster and the rules of duel monsters still applied to this duel, Nick could not attack Garet’s life points directly, either! He had been locked down!

“Do you understand now?” Garet questioned tauntingly, letting out an amused laugh at his opponent’s obvious dismay. “The power of this Tarot Beast can never be conquered! And soon the whole world will feel its wrath!!”

Nick knew it, too. “But how am I supposed to destroy a monster at the center of the solar system itself?!”

* * * * *

You know what that means... time to introduce another Tarot card!

Unholy Eclipse
Tarot Equivalent: The Sun
Image: A black sun shining over a troubled landscape. Terrified peasants run in all directions and crops appear to be dying at a rapid rate. Fires burn all around the village.
Attribute: Dark
Type: Pyro
Kind: Effect
Level: 10
Attack: 3100
Defense: 3500
Card Text: Poisoning the landscape with its negative energies, the Unholy Eclipse kills crops and razes all lands that fall under its dark gaze.
Effect: This card does not require a Tribute to be summoned into battle. For as long as Unholy Eclipse remains face-up on the field, no Field Magic cards may be played. Any Field Magic cards already in play are removed from the game. Decrease your opponent’s Life Points by 500 during each of their Standby phases. This monster can only be attacked by a Level 7 or higher monster.

starjake

14th February 2005, 08:31 PM

Oooo...a monster version of Burning Land.

An INCREDIBLY POWERFUL monster version of Burning Land.

How on earth did Garet gain a Tarot Card? There must be a part of his dark past that has yet to be revealed to us.

However, I can think of 1 Harpie Card that could help...whether or not Nick has it is unknown to me.

Anyways, keep up the good work! And lengthen your chapters...normally my chapters are around 10 pages in Word, and I've been criticized occassionally for chapters that are too short.

EDIT: Never mind about the Harpie Card. It wouldn't help, I forgot about the rules (stupid rules...who needs 'em!)

Dark Sage

14th February 2005, 09:04 PM

Good lord...

There's only one way I believe Nick can defeat this evil Tarot...

He must summon his own Tarot.

The Ruling One has the same ATK score as the Unholy Eclipse - if he manages to keep a Monster around long enough for a Tribute...

Heart of the Cards, please smile on Nick!

- Venusaur

opaltiger

15th February 2005, 09:45 AM

Whee, closet reader.

I've noticed so far that no Tarot cards require tributes - is this true of all of them? 'Cause if it is, those are pretty darn strong cards...

starjake

15th February 2005, 09:57 AM

Actually, Nick's Tarot Card requires 1 Tribute. But, you're right, for such high-powered monsters, have no Tribute makes them really strong...add in their effects, and you have close-to-uber cards.

Shuppet Master

15th February 2005, 11:08 AM

Oh. My. God.

That thing looks to be even more powerful than the Egyptian God Cards! And why couldn't the Eclipse be destroyed by Nick's trap? Maybe you should add in an effect like "cannot be destroyed by any card other than a Tarot card" or something like that to explain the whole situation, Ho-Oh 01.

mr_pikachu

15th February 2005, 01:51 PM

So Garet had a Tarot card? Jeez, those things are everywhere! I initially thought there might have been something different about him when you mentioned that his face could not be seen, but I then dismissed that as just being a part of his intimidation tactic. Now Nick's Tarot card will likely be forced to go toe-to-toe with that of this dark enemy...

I liked the use of setting in this chapter - or, more specifically, I liked how you used the natural weather that the Unholy Eclipse produced to create tension. Typically writers use rain, thunder, hail, and other stormy weather to intensify dangerous events, but the supremely stifling sun did that just as well here.

I did think that you kind of overlooked the severity of the risks involved in this duel in favor of showing the dueling tactics. Other than the weather, it felt like you just wanted to show Nick's fighting spirit instead of the complete domination that the Unholy Eclipse had over the city. For that matter, I was a little confused about that part - weren't they dueling inside a building? If so, how could the Tarot monster be affecting the entire town? That was a little puzzling. Finally, .hack makes a good point about the Eclipse's invulnerability. Maybe you should add something to its effect that it similar to the ability of Satellite Cannon. You know, where you need at least a seven-star monster just to attack it? That might help.

But this was pretty good overall. I'm glad to see that this fic is developing well, and I'm looking forward to further plot advancement in the future. Until then! :wave:

Ho-oh2001

15th February 2005, 07:52 PM

Yeah, I realize I did kind of skimp on the details about the Eclipse's effects in the last chapter, but maybe the intro to this one will be more what you're looking for. ^^

Also, yes, most of the Tarot Cards do not require a Tribute. Of course, they are actual beasts that far transcend the actual sport of Duel Monsters, so they're... ehm... not exactly subject to most normal rules, as you can see. ^^;; The reason a couple of them require sacrifices is because of the hierarchy of the creatures... but you'll learn more about that later, I think. Anyway, on to the chapter!

* * * * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Legacy of Tarot

Chapter 16: The Perfect Number

Meanwhile, the entire city was feeling the wrath of the Unholy Eclipse. One by one, people were dropping to the ground – albeit with less flair, pardon the pun – like the Harpies that occupied the Hunting Ground in Nick and Garet’s duel. Anyone who was outdoors – practically everyone, as all duels took place throughout a large section of the city designated specifically for the tournament – and even some people who were inside had felt the life-draining influence of this awesome creature. Most of them barely had time to scream and wonder what the hell was going on before they felt the Eclipse zone in on their life force and rip it from them within seconds.

Mai was at the top floor of the IDMC Corporate Building at the time the card was played, attending to a very important conference call with several men important in the Duel Monsters world. They were most of them very private figures, rarely showing their faces in public and only letting their names become known to the world. However, one face on Mai’s large, wall-covering view-screen was a very familiar one: Seto Kaiba.

“How is your tournament going, Mai?” he said with a hint of disdain, breaking away from the business discussion for a moment, folding his hands under his chin as he leaned forward. He was about her age, but was still startlingly attractive in his own broody kind of way. He had never been very fond of the IDMC in general even since they had been founded, because as the new executive body governing all goings-on in Duel Monsters, they rivaled Kaiba Corp evenly for influence.

Mai didn’t even have time to reply. One of the other men on the screen, an older, fatter gentlemen with great, round glasses and a nervous countenance, had started screaming. “Oh my God!!” he shouted. All the other executives looked away from Mai, and she knew that they were all looking at where he was positioned on their respective viewscreens. She looked, too. The man was turned completely away from them, and was standing at his window, pressed up against it and looking up to the sky. “What the hell is that?!”

Mai swiveled in her chair, and moved over to her own window. She pressed a button and the great, black blinds tore apart on their own, and she could suddenly see that they wouldn’t have been needed for their purpose – there was no sun in the sky, and thus no glare to speak of, except for the hideous, glaring beast that towered above them with a malicious face and hungry eyes. Without breaking into a panic like her compatriot, she turned back to her desk, pressed a button on her phone, and spoke rapidly.

“What exactly is going on here?”

“We’re not sure, Miss Valentine,” a scrawny-sounding male replied. He was one of the technicians monitoring the duels. It was a standard practice for duel tournaments everywhere nowadays, in order to discourage cheating. It hadn’t worked. “All we know for sure is that duelist 8031, a Garet Cinis, played a strange card immediately before the disruption began.”

Mai almost jumped back, and she looked off into the distance. “Garet Cinis. . . that’s Nick’s opponent.”

“This is your doing, Valentine?!” Kaiba shouted furiously, closing his blinds as quickly as she had opened hers to protect himself from the glare. “I knew you fools at the IDMC would slip up eventually.”

“Get off your high horse, Kaiba,” she countered, sitting back down after closing her shades again. “You know damn well this is in no way the doing of the IDMC.”

“A convincing argument,” he mocked, regaining his composure. Mai just smiled.

“Hm. So you’ve already forgotten the little ‘Monsters Reborn’ incident a few years back?” she retorted with a smirk, leaning back in her chair. Kaiba looked at her with an air of quiet temper. “I believe Kaiba Corp came under heavy fire when monsters started attacking Domino City. . . who’s to say you’re not to blame?”

“No one in the world would believe that my technology had anything to do with this. It came as a result of your tournament, Mai. All evidence points to your Holofield Duel System.”

“Oh, don’t make me laugh. Mr. Cheung was the first to see it and he’s based in Tokyo. I can see that Mr. Fassbender has noticed it over in Berlin. Look. New York, London, Paris, Toronto.” She pointed to each screen in turn. “Despite my wishes to the contrary, Mr. Kaiba, my holographic technology is in no way powerful enough to create a projection of that magnitude.” But there was another factor that Mai had not revealed to the rest of them: when she looked out the window, she saw that people, apparently overcome by either shock or heat or something else, had begun collapsing all over the courtyard. It was of course something that would be made public in no time at all, but it was crucial that the IDMC be the first to make any announcement about it. If Kaiba Corp heard the news and put their spin on it, things would be blown grossly out of proportion. She didn’t want anything made public until the phenomenon could be explained to the people of York, first.

Indeed, everyone was feeling the repercussions of the Unholy Eclipse’s influence. The flames and general hellish atmosphere inside Nick’s duel was somewhat exaggerated compared to what was going on outside, however. There was no fire raging across the city, and thus no structural damage to any part of York, but instead the unprepared citizens and duelists all found themselves subject to its terrible power.

There was a general panic in the streets after the first couple of minutes. When the sun first appeared in the sky, the people simply thought it was an amazing – if horrifying – projection of one of the duels by the IDMC’s HDS. However, when the first people started to feel faint, some of them started complaining that they felt the energy being sucked right out of them. Of course, it was when they started dropping to the ground that chaos ensued. The first coma was the worst – right in the center of the main courtyard, the young boy’s fall was as insignificant comparatively as a pin dropping on Wall Street during the busy part of the day, but the shockwave was felt by everyone present. There was a moment of stunned silence, and a few people ran forward to see if he was okay. Then another person, a businesswoman on her lunch break, fell faint and dropped into the fountain behind her. An old man collapsed on his stomach some distance away, and his dog nudged him with his nose for a few moments before also succumbing to the raw power of the great satellite above.

That was when the panic washed through the streets. Anyone who was still conscious was running in one direction or the other, wondering if getting inside would save them from the heat (someone falling out an open window in a large building nearby put that to rest), questioning where the Eclipse had come from, trampling each other in their bid to find safety. Some claimed that the apocalypse was nigh, and began quoting verses from Revelations.

The sounds penetrated even Mai’s high-rise office, but gradually died down – she knew it was as more and more people fell faint under the sun’s influence. “Sorry, gentlemen. I’m going to have to cut our little meeting short. Don’t forget your sunblock.”

The screen went blank and she stormed out of the office.

*

“How am I supposed to destroy a monster at the center of the solar system itself?!”

The monumentous task Nick was referring to was, of course, defeating the Unholy Eclipse, a Tarot Beast of monstrous proportions that, when summoned by his opponent, took the place of the earth’s own sun in the solar system. Ever since, it has been gradually gaining power by draining the very life-essence out of all those who look upon it – and its effects are very real, far beyond anything that a holographic dueling system could ever create, or would ever want to. The Unholy Eclipse was somehow a living, breathing, sentient, ancient being with a distaste for all living things – and yet a taste for their energy just the same.

Reluctantly, Nick drew his card. He knew that there was very little he could possibly do to defeat the Unholy Eclipse. Such a large-scale assault would require a monster capable of attacking a monster that existed in space, and according to experience – for Nick had heard that such a situation had occurred once before, when Seto Kaiba had to destroy a Satellite Cannon monster in space by using his Blue Eyes White Dragon – Nick knew that he needed something with 8 stars or greater. There was currently only one card in his deck that could possibly stand up to the Eclipse, and he needed to draw it now. Otherwise, during Garet’s next turn, he would vaporize Harpie Lady 1, and then destroy each Harpie Lady Sisters in turn once Bonds of Sisterhood wore off.

Now, more than ever, Nick needed to trust in the heart of the cards.

His fingers thumbed through the deck until they reached the top card . . . he picked up the strong piece of plastic and held it up . . . aversely, he turned the card around and added it to his hand.

Fortune had smiled upon him.

“Your beast is a blemish on the face of this universe,” Nick commenced with a renewed vigor that startled and frightened Garet, “and I'm going to stop it right now.”

“You’re bluffing,” his opponent remarked incredulously. “There are only a handful of monsters in the whole of the game that could even reach the heights to which my monster has soared . . . and even fewer that could do so and still match it in combat. Just look at it!” Garet extended his arms to the sky and cast his gaze toward the heavens. The black sphere of flame looked completely content – and completely unaware of his attention – as it no doubt gathered up souls from every corner of the planet. It was gigantic indeed; in fact, if the actual sun were so close to the earth as to be as big as the Unholy Eclipse appeared, it would probably be incinerated almost instantly. “My massive beast cannot be overcome.”

“We’ll see,” Nick challenged with confidence.”

Garet merely let out a “hmph” and pointed his finger. “But don’t forget my Unholy Eclipse’s special ability – it’s your turn, and so it gets to feast on 500 more of your Life Points.”

Once again, the beastly star had its gaze fixated upon Nick. These were the only times it was truly interested in the duel, because it had a consistent source of sustenance in the weakened duelist. There was a certain sadistic glee in its red eyes as it drained the very life force from Nick’s body, and this was only magnified as his cries of pain reached it, out there in the cold recesses of space. It was a horrible thing indeed, and relished in pain.

But it had never yet experienced pain, as it soon would.

Nick shouted, “It doesn’t matter. I’m about to topple that great black atrocity you call a servant. I will not let you harm my friends, or the people of this city, Garet. Soon you will feel a pain like you have never before imagined, and you will wish that you had not dabbled in the affairs of ancient beasts and mythical powers.”

Garet could only manage a nervous laugh. Nick had to be bluffing . . . right? There was no way he could defeat the Unholy Eclipse. But the strength of his resolve was even more frightening. It seemed as though this was no mere poker face. This was the face of someone determined to bring an end to this duel immediately. This realization frightened Garet more than anything so far.

“I activate the magic card, Elegant Illusionist!”

The three groups of Harpie Lady Sisters suddenly separated, and one of them began to act very erratically. Each Harpie that formed the trio began to perform an illusion act, and from each, three more Harpies spawned. Although one of the Harpie Lady Sisters cards was now gone from the field – thus breaking the effect of the Bonds of Sisterhood – a much more powerful monster had been set in its place.

“Meet the monster that will facilitate your demise, Garet! Meet the Harpie’s Fine Nine!!”

The nine new Harpies formed a tight circle, back to back, each one wielding various types of weaponry, from claws to daggers to whips. They looked far more battle-hardy than any of the Harpies seen thus far on the field, and their great numbers did even more to punctuate their deadliness. The Harpie’s Fine Nine were, in essence, the elite squadron of the Harpie units. ((Harpie’s Fine Nine: 2650/2800))

“Of course, my Harpie’s Fine Nine get an additional 500 attack points from my Deck Master, increasing their total attack points to 3150 – enough to destroy your Unholy Eclipse! But on top of that, they also receive 300 from Harpie Lady 1!” ((Harpie's Fine Nine -> 3450/2800))

“But they can’t possibly . . .” Garet stammered in disbelief.

Nick’s response began with a simple nod. “The Harpie’s Fine Nine is a Level 8 monster, Garet. And that means they are capable of attacking – and destroying – your Unholy Eclipse.”

Garet’s eyes widened with horror at this realization, causing his flesh to sear and tear violently. This would mark the first time anyone had ever defeated his Unholy Eclipse. But it must all have been some hallucination! A side-effect of his everlasting burns! This could not be happening – it simply could not!!

“Harpie’s Fine Nine – attack now, with Nonagram Strike!”

In an impressive light show, a nonagram – that is, a nine-pointed star – appeared in the center of the circle of Harpies. Each Harpie was a vertex of the star, and was connected to two other Harpies with a beam of energy; this in essence formed the three triangles that made up the nonagram. The Fine Nine now faced the center of their formed circle and held hands, chanting – or rather, wailing, as that is what Harpie chanting sounds like – to fuel the energy for their attack. The nonagram began to spin violently and rise up through the circle until it launched into the air with tremendous force, hurtling directly towards the – horrified? – Unholy Eclipse.

The nonagram was the perfect symbol – literally, and with regard to the situation. It was the symbol of stability and achievement. It was the number of planets in the known solar system. It was the number of deities in the Enneads of Ancient Egypt. It was the number of Taoist ‘psychic centers’ in the body. It was a perfect number, used to remove an imperfect blemish on the face of the universe. Garet could do nothing but watch in horror.

As the nonagram roared into space, it expanded, and its nonagonal center grew large enough to ensnare the Unholy Eclipse. Then, on the Fine Nine’s command, it began to contract suddenly. For the first time – ever, as far as Nick knew – the Unholy Eclipse began to display pain. Energy raced out of it as it deflated, and Nick could tell that this was the life essence of those that the Eclipse had harmed. In a matter of minutes, the gigantic ball of flame had been reduced to nothing but a pin-prick, and even that was swallowed up by the Nonagram Strike. The sky returned to normal; the flames in the arena stopped raging; and Garet lost 350 Life Points.

“You’re finished, Garet. Now you will learn that even the greatest beast can be defeated with teamwork.” He smiled at his Harpie’s Fine Nine who, though only holograms, returned the gesture towards him.

Garet made no reply. He was far too stunned – and perhaps in pain – at the fact that his greatest beast had been destroyed so easily. It had been a part of him for so long, and now that it had been ripped from him, he felt cold and lonely and afraid. But Nick was not finished with him yet – Garet would receive no mercy from him, not ever, not after what he had done, and planned to do.

“My remaining monsters will finish what is left of you,” Nick said solemnly. His remaining Harpies – 7 in total – leapt forth and clawed away at Garet’s life points, dealing him well over his remaining total. He did not put up a resistance; he merely succumbed to the pain and fell to the ground, utterly and completely defeated. “You’re pathetic.”

*

As Alyssa awoke from what felt like the worst sleep ever, she found herself looking up at the sky. It was several moments before she realized that something was strange – or rather, normal. That is to say, the sky was back to its normal colour, the sun was back in its right spot, and everyone was up and walking around. Nothing was as it was when she had fallen asleep!

“Was it just some horrible dream?” she wondered, thinking back to the visions of the black sun shining in the sky . . . fixating on her . . . examining her . . . draining her of all her happiness so that she would never feel joy or comfort again. The girl shivered at the memory. Then: “Nick!! Is he okay? Did he survive? Oh, God, please let him be okay. . .”

She sat up with a jolt, only to see Nick walking toward them with a familiar young man draped over his shoulder. He dropped Garet on the ground as he approached, and Alyssa felt herself compelled to jump up, run over to Nick, and hug him tightly as though she would never let him go again. Surprised as he was, Nick returned the hug; he was glad to see her, too. He had no idea that Alyssa’s hug was for so much more. The very thought of never seeing him again was far too unbearable for her to imagine. The sight of him locked in a deadly duel with a crazed psychopath frightened her more than anything in her past ever had. For the first time, Alyssa had felt as though she would truly never see Nick again. The pangs in her heart were new to her, but told her plainly that she would not be able to live if that had happened.

But he was here now. He was fine. He had triumphed. There was nothing to fear.

As people all over the city began to awaken, Alyssa let a single tear roll down her cheek, and tightened the embrace.

*

Nick held the Unholy Eclipse in his hand gingerly, as though worried that it would leap out and bite him at any moment. But the aura pulsing from it was different now. It was subdued, obedient. He could tell that it respected him, for he was the first person to ever quench its dark flames. Garet had only come upon it by inheritance, by the dark magic of Lucius Malgrave Tarot. . . Nick had quelled its wild and evil tendencies. It was his, now. And he would never need to fear a repercussion like that once felt by its previous owner.

“Prepare to do some talking,” Mai ordered as she paced in front of Garet, snapping Nick out of his trance. Their prisoner had been tied to a chair in her V.I.P. lounge. He was only barely conscious, but clearly lucid enough to answer their questions – and he would answer, there was no doubt about that. “You’ve threatened not only the integrity of my entire tournament, but also the life of my son, and for that matter, everyone in this city! What do you have to say for yourself?”

Garet was silent. He merely looked into Mai’s eyes with a mixture of fear, confusion, and defiance.

“Answer me!!” she demanded, slamming her foot into the ground. The fire in her eyes had never raged like this before; even Alyssa was intimidated. “Do you think you can just bring a weapon like that into this place and then get away scot-free? Nick relayed to me what you told him during that duel! You’ll be punished for your crime, never you mind that. But you’re going to talk.”

“I won’t,” Garet defied, narrowing his eyes and struggling futilely. “My orders are my own, and I don’t care if you were God Himself – I wouldn’t tell you a damn thing.”

These words threw Mai into such a fury as her son had never known. She slapped Garet hard across the face, leaving a red mark that was somehow visible over his terribly scarred flesh. “How dare you talk about God, you evil, heartless bastard!!” At this, she broke down into hysterical tears, slumping down onto the floor, burying her head in her hands. Nick rushed over to console her. “I just. . . lost you once, Nick. . . I couldn’t imagine what would happen if I lost you again.” He hugged her.

But something about his presence caused Garet to go into a frenzy of his own. He started flailing and trying to slide his chair backwards, as though the very sight of Nick was so horrifying to him that it would kill him if he didn’t get away immediately. Nick knew better, though. Leaving his mother for a moment, who had begun to recoup, he withdrew the Unholy Eclipse from his pocket and held it up in front of Garet’s face. The boy’s eyes widened with horror, and he shook his head intensely as if trying to escape from some terrible nightmare.

“No . . . no! Get it away from me, get it away from me!!!” he screamed. His terror was almost tangible, and it unnerved Bertram, Mark, and Alyssa, who were all present. Nick was stony in his composure. Mai was still weeping. “You’re a disgrace,” was the voice that echoed in Garet’s head. No one else present could hear it, but it was obvious that Garet could. It was deep and bellowed horribly in his head. It was angry. . . hungry. “A disgrace. You have failed me. You are unworthy to wield me. You are unworthy of the mercy which you have been shown. I desire your flesh. I desire your soul. I desire to feast upon you, to devour you until even your memory no longer resides in the minds of any worthless human on this earth. You are a pathetic being. . . I am ashamed to have ever served you.”

“I can hear it, too,” Nick said suddenly, which caused Garet’s head to snap up.

“W. . . what?”

“I can hear it. The voice of the Tarot Beast. I can hear what it is saying. And I have the power to give it what it desires.”

“You. . . you wouldn’t!!” Garet was suddenly horrified again. His eyes were brimming with tears this time, faced with the threat of feeling the pain he had unleashed on countless mortals throughout the centuries he had been alive. “Don’t let it take me!!”

“I won’t. If you comply with our demands.”

“Anything!! Dear God, anything!!”

“What do you know of Xel’Zerpi? Why did he take Rebecca?” Nick questioned, recoiling his hand slowly to let Garet feel a little more comfortable. The prisoner was suddenly silent, and turned his head away, as though he knew the answer but was reluctant to share his knowledge. Nick thrust the card forth again, and the jolt of fear did the trick.

“He’s one of the oldest of the Tarot warriors!” Garet admitted suddenly, turning his face away in a mixture of horror and shame. “He was ordered to capture a strong duelist by our master.”

“And who is your master?” Nick pressed. He didn’t care yet why Rebecca had been taken – he wanted to know where, and who did it, so that he could exact his revenge upon the bastard in due course.

“I—I don’t know.”

Nick forced the card further toward him. Garet could hear the growling of a hungry beast from within it. He could almost feel it leaping from the page to devour his very being.

“Tarot!!” he burst out, and then repeated, “Tarot! That’s all I know about him, I swear. . .”

Nick looked confused and bewildered. Who was “Tarot”? Presumably he was the man who created the Tarot beasts . . . but that would make him very ancient indeed. It seemed improbable that he could even still be alive, but given the life-prolonging effects of the other Tarot cards, it was not completely out of reach. Then again, perhaps he was simply someone who called himself Tarot, and was in search of these cards, a devout (or crazed) follower of their original master. At any rate, Nick knew that Garet was telling the truth – the thought of being sucked into a void that even engulfed your very memory on the earth is far too much incentive.

“What were your orders? Why were you sent here?”

“To obtain your Tarot card . . . and hers.” He cast a glance at Mai, who in turn shot a glance at Nick. Nick whipped around at this suddenly revelation, and caught eyes with her.

“Hers. . .?” Nick couldn’t believe it. Certainly his mother didn’t also have a Tarot card. . . it wasn’t possible. She didn’t even know what they were! “You have a Tarot card?”

She moved over to a dresser in the lounge, and opened the top drawer, from which she withdrew her mini-purse. This snapped open to reveal her dueling deck, from which she withdrew a single card. Almost immediately a powerful aura raced outward, filling the minds of everyone present. It was much more calming than that of the Unholy Eclipse, but it was unmistakably a Tarot card.

“This… is the Silent Sovereign, Queen of Secrets.”

The image on the card depicted a beautiful woman sitting in what could only be described as some kind of throne. The scene was difficult to put a handle on because the woman was garbed in immense silvery robes that seemed to extend infinitely in all directions, engulfing the room and almost making her one with it. Her slender finger was held up to her mouth in the universal sign of silence.

Nick could scarcely believe it; not only did his mother have a Tarot card, but she had neglected to tell him about it, and yet she said she knew nothing about what they were! Things weren’t adding up. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I don’t know,” Mai said, sounding ashamed. “For one thing, I really didn’t know what Tarot cards were until you brought them up. . . I thought this was just a really powerful Duel Monsters card. Of course, I thought it was pretty odd that it was a card I had never seen before. . . but for some reason, I couldn’t tell anyone about it. As much as I wanted to voice my concern and show it to someone for examination, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.”

Nick looked confused. Mark broke the tension. “Remember Xel’Zerpi, and Mayor Thompson, and even Garet. They all came under the influence of their Tarot cards to some degree. Think of the name of your mother’s card – the Silent Sovereign, Queen of Secrets. If Miss Valentine didn’t tell you about the card . . . it’s probably because it didn’t want her to.”

Both sets of eyes turned toward him, and Mai’s were the most understanding. “Yes. . . yes, that describes how I’ve felt. I wanted to tell someone about this card, but it was like a part of me didn’t. And that part was overwhelming. I couldn’t ignore it, I couldn’t disobey it.”

Nick nodded his head and smiled. “Don’t worry, mom. . . I’m not angry. Just a little shocked. In fact, I’m glad that we have another Tarot card on our side. Now we don’t have to worry about this “Tarot” guy getting a hold of it. Speaking of which. . .”

The boy paced toward Garet again, holding out the Unholy Eclipse card again. Garet’s momentary repose was broken by another fit of uncontrollable fear. “Speaking of which, where did Xel’Zerpi take Rebecca?”

“I. . . I can’t say—” Nick shoved the card toward him further – “I can’t say for sure! Tar—the master is very secretive. But. . . he mentioned a place called Tarotenam. . . he told me to go there when I had acquired both your Tarot cards.” The boy grimaced, apparently afraid to face his master again – if he ever got the chance.

“Where is it?”

“A few miles north of the city. . . embedded in some mountains. That’s all I know!! Please, God, take the card away . . .”

Nick did as he promised, and recoiled the card to his pocket. He wasn’t sure whether he was ready to unleash its power in a duel yet; that would be decided later. For now, he had a purpose, a direction to go in: north, to the ruins of Tarotenam, to find Rebecca and save her from the clutches of Xel’Zerpi.

But in the pit of his stomach, Nick had a feeling that defeating Xel’Zerpi was just the beginning of his journey.

* * * * *

Elegant Illusionist
Group: Magic
Type: Normal
Image: The Harpie Lady Sisters spawning illusionary copies of themselves.
Effect: When you have 1 or more "Harpie Lady Sisters" cards on the field, you can Special Summon a "Harpie Lady Sisters" or "Harpie’s Fine Nine" card from your hand or your Deck. If you choose to Special Summon “Harpie’s Fine Nine” with this card’s effect, offer one “Harpie Lady Sisters” card on the field as a tribute.

Harpie’s Fine Nine
Group: Winged-Beast/Effect
Type: WIND
Level: 8
ATK: 2650
DEF: 2800
Artwork: Much like the 'Harpie Lady Sisters' card, except that there are nine Harpies instead of three, standing in a circle with their backs turned to each other, weapons drawn.
Effect: This card may only be Special Summoned by the effect of ‘Elegant Illusionist’.

* * * * *

Gasp! Shocked that Nick didn't use his own Tarot card to defeat the Unholy Eclipse? Well, besides my wanting to surprise you, you'll find out the reason in a few chapters. There are two reasons, actually.... one Nick doesn't know about, and the other, he does. Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it!

Dark Sage

15th February 2005, 08:18 PM

Well, now Nick's collection consists of two Tarots...

But is his new one safe to use? Does he dare call upon this creature's incredibly destructive power?

I guess I should have expected that Nick wouldn't have used his own Tarot - that would have been two predictable.

But another fact of the matter...

We saw the identity of Mai's Tarot, but you didn't give stats for it. I'm guessing it's The Empress, but we can't be sure...

Anyway, I look forward to the future of this fanfic. I can't wait to see Monster versions of some of the stranger cards of the Major Arcana (like The Lovers, The Hanged Man, Justice, Temperence, and The Tower).

But a question: Will Alyssa and Mark add any of these ultra-powerful cards to their decks? Don't let Nick hog them!

Also, I would like to make a prediction...

I believe the ultimate villain in this fic has the equivalent of The Devil and/or Death.

- Venusaur

Ho-oh2001

15th February 2005, 08:25 PM

Oh, I'm sorry! I completely forgot about posting the Silent Sovereign's stats. Well, we are none of us perfect, I suppose. ^^ Here is Her Majesty's write-up:

The Silent Sovereign, Queen of Secrets
Tarot Equivalent: The High Priestess
Image: A beautiful female figure sitting on a golden throne. Her shimmering silver robes fill the entire room and seem to go on endlessly in all directions. She holds a single finger up to her mouth as if gently asking you to be silent.
Attribute: Light
Type: Fairy
Kind: Effect
Level: 9
Attack: 2900
Defense: 2400
Card Text: Armed with the powers of light, the Silent Sovereign, Queen of Secrets is a mighty foe. Beautiful and terrible, she is the guardian of secrets and delights in sealing the voices of her hapless opponents so that they cannot scream as they are banished from the world.
Effect: This card does not require any Tributes to be summoned into battle. Once during your Standby phase, you may flip a coin and call it. If you are right, your opponent cannot play any monsters during their next turn, and any magic cards must be played face-down during that time.

And to tantalize you a little more, I can say that your other questions should be answered within the next couple of chapters. Whether for positive or negative, I can't say... but you'll see. Keep reading!

starjake

15th February 2005, 10:16 PM

Interesting, these multippication effects that Harpie's seem to have. It's also interesting that they multiply by threes (a perfect number, which you cleverly mentioned). Apparently the Harpie's, as fearsome and untameable as they are, make quite literally a perfect team.

I hate to be a pest, but I'm going to keep saying this until you do it: make your chapters longer! Granted, it would have been difficult to lengthen this chapter, but it probably could have been part of the last chapter without any trouble. Don't feel like you have to post something new every few days. Heck, it's been more than a week since I last posted something on my fic (it'll be up by the weekend, I promise).

Other than that, I can't see any flaws. Congratulations on a creative and well-written fic!

mr_pikachu

15th February 2005, 10:48 PM

So Nick has obtained another of the Tarot cards... but how did the other one reach his mother? I suppose you'll say it's like the Millennium Items, that the Tarot cards choose their masters to some extent... Way to avoid a clash of Tarot cards, by the way. While that tactic is kinda overpowerful considering Nick's deckmaster, I suppose that the original Elegant Egotist would fit that description, as well. One thing's for certain: Nick will be very tough to beat if he can take down two Tarot cards without using one of his own.

I liked the part before you returned us to the duel. While the scene was a little long, it accomplished its desired effect. That beast truly is powerful. The interrogation was done well, too. Using a Tarot card to scare a captive... an odd tactic, but apparently a highly effective one as well.

I'm still a little confused about the setting, though. Did the duel take place outdoors or indoors? And if it was inside a building, how was the Tarot card - which was apparently outdoors - visible to the duelists? I still don't quite get that. Also, watch out for switching to present tense during your narration. You slipped during one sentence right as Nick's predicament was re-examined. Also, one sentence where you were (I think) explaining that the sun would destroy our planet if it was close enough to appear as large as The Unholy Eclipse was very odd; the way it was worded made it appear as if you meant that the sun itself would be incinerated for some reason.

But overall, this was pretty good. Sure, there was only one move made in the entire chapter, but the plot and character development filled in the gaps nicely. This was an enjoyable chapter. Way to make it not "just about the duel". ;) Anyway, I'll see you next chapter! :wave:

Ho-oh2001

16th February 2005, 09:46 AM

Oh, well, I guess I might not have been perfectly clear about it, but most of the duels do take place outside. I think I did mention in the chapter where the tournament was introduced that an entire section of York was designated for the duelists (ala Battle City), and so some of them might take place indoors, but most will happen outside.

I'm not quite sure what you meant about the 'sun being incinerated' thing, but I'll try to clarify what I meant. As you know, when we see the sun, it's fairly small (to us), just a ball in the sky. However, when they looked up at the Unholy Eclipse, it was gigantic (as in, practically-fills-the-sky gigantic. Maybe not quite... ever played LOZ: Majora's Mask? Think of the moon when it's really close to falling to the earth. Now think bigger). What I was trying to say was that if the sun were so close to the earth that it appeared as big, to us, as the Unholy Eclipse did, the planet would be incinerated/uninhabitable (i.e. Mercury's climate).

Anyway, I'll post my next chapter in a little while. I'm on a school computer right now and I have the chapter saved at home, so I won't be able to post it until then. I think the intro should grab your attention... ^^ Until then!

mr_pikachu

16th February 2005, 12:13 PM

Sorry; I guess I wasn't very clear in what I said about the incineration. I understood it, but it was unclear grammatically. Let me try again.

It was gigantic indeed; in fact, if the actual sun were so close to the earth as to be as big as the Unholy Eclipse appeared, it would probably be incinerated almost instantly.

Okay, here's the deal. You spent the early part of the sentence comparing the sun to the Unholy Eclipse, right? (That was when you posed the beginning of the hypothetical statement; that is, it was the part before the comma.) Then you said, "it would be destroyed almost instantly." I italicized the word "it" for a reason. Pronouns automatically refer to the last main subject that fits the description of the individual pronoun. Since you spent the beginning of the sentence discussing the sun and what would happen if it was close to us, the sun thus is the last main subject. Therefore, the pronoun describes it and your sentence states that if the sun appeared as big as the Unholy Eclipse did, the sun itself would be incinerated. I believe this is referred to as a "misplaced modifier".

That's what I meant. I eventually figured out what you were trying to say, but it was difficult due to the grammar error. If it wasn't for the fact that logic itself makes it obvious that you meant the earth would be destroyed (and not the sun), your readers may not have been able to figure it out at all. Just be careful of that in the future. :)

Shuppet Master

16th February 2005, 03:27 PM

Great duel. I was a bit surprised that there was an upgrade from Harpie Lady Sisters as Elegant Egotist upgrades Harpie Lady to the Sisters. :eek: And how the card was actually the prison of a mad monster which threatened to devour people's souls,that was classic. And the description of the Unholy Eclipse was classic.

Anyways, we see another Yu-Gi-Oh anime character, one of my favorites. :) Keep up the good work, and I can't wait to see what's next. Though I was sure that Silent Soveriegn represented the Empress, but oh well.

EDIT: I'd like to use your two cards, Elegant Illusionist and Harpie's Fine Nine, for one of my characters, who uses a Harpie Deck(with full credit, of course). If not, that's okay. :)

Ho-oh2001

16th February 2005, 07:45 PM

Certainly! I'd love to see my cards used in other fics, by all means. In fact, I'd be honoured. ^^ Feel free to use any of them as you like (with credit, if you please ^^). And if you have any questions about them, PM me. Actually, I have most of them saved in an MS Word file, which I can e-mail to you if you like.

mr_pikachu, I see what you meant now. ^^;; When I read over the passage earlier I was kind of in a rush (you see, we aren't supposed to be on... eh... 'recreational' sites at school). Still, I can't believe I missed something so obvious. >< I'll edit that one up right away. Thanks for tipping me off. ^^

Now then, I said I'd post the next chapter when I got home, and I will. Like I said, it should capture your attention... let's just say I really don't think you were expecting this. You'll know what I mean. ;)

* * * * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Legacy of Tarot

Chapter 17: Battle at the Gate

“You sure about this, mom?”

Nick was referring to the newspaper he was reading, the York Daily Times. The front page had a rather startling headline alongside a picture of Mai addressing a press conference. It read: “IDMCC POSTPONED FOR FIRST TIME IN HISTORY. CEO CLAIMS FOUL PLAY.” The article went on to tell that, after the unfortunate incident that occurred as a result of Garet’s Unholy Eclipse, IDMC CEO Mai Valentine had postponed the tournament, claiming that one duelist used “dishonest tactics jeopardizing the health and well-being of the participants.”

“Yes. It has to be done,” she replied quickly. “Some people are just now waking up from the comatose states induced by that Unholy Eclipse. There are still a bunch of citizens who haven’t awoken, and more still for whom. . .” She looked down at the ground nervously for a moment. “. . . the prospects don’t look good.”

“I notice you didn’t mention the Tarot Beast’s nature at all in here,” Nick commented.

She sighed and nodded her head. “I know. I had no other choice. I don’t even really know what the hell that thing was. The last thing this situation needs is me spreading rumours and theories and hypotheses. People want answers. . . and they deserve them. I intend to give them answers. But I don’t have them right now. My P.R. people should keep them sated until we do.”

“. . .we?” Nick questioned, looking up at her and closing the newspaper. “You don’t mean. . .”

“Of course I’m coming with you,” she replied with a laugh of disbelief. “I have a Tarot Card too, and I’ll be damned before I let you go off and learn all about them without me.”

“But mom. . . there’s more at stake here than that.”

“Yes, yes, save the damsel in distress and all that, I here you, hun.” Mai stood up and moved over to the window. She folded her hands behind her back and watched the duelists, most of them just kids, reading the news in the paper. Most of them were noticeably distressed. “But there’s business at stake, too. If I’m going to do any kind of damage control, I need to know just what we’re up against.”

Nick was a little shocked at how much of a businesswoman his mother had become. He wasn’t sure if her concern was hardened to the point where all she cared about was public image, or whether she truly cared about the public and not causing a panic.

“Come on, we’re wasting time,” she said solemnly. “My limo’s waiting outside. That Rebecca girl won’t be saving herself, you know.”

*

Some time later, several miles north of York, the roar of a motorcycle engine screeched across the open plains. Set against the night sky, its rider was almost invisible – whoever it was, she was garbed in tight black leather over her whole body, with tall, high-heeled boots to round out the outfit. A jet-black cape whisked behind her as the wind rushed past.

“Almost there,” she thought to herself.

The red, sleek motorcycle screeched to a halt in front of what appeared to be a gateway carved into the center of the base of a mountain, kicking up a storm of dust and dirt. The mysterious rider hopped off and stepped toward it, only then realizing that it was easily three times her height. If it weren’t for the fact that the door was carved into a great maw in the mountainside, into which few people ever passed, facing away from any main roads, it would be a very obvious sight.

“I have a task to complete. Nothing will stop me.”

The sound of another motor suddenly kicked up in the distance, and the woman whirled around to see a deep purple limousine tearing across the plains in the opposite direction from which she had come. Beneath her black, leathery mask, she grimaced – by some unlucky chance, she had decided to unearth the secrets of Tarotenam at the very same time as another. No one else would possibly take this detour. And that meant that the inhabitants of the limo were her competition.

But they would not stop her.

*

“I think we’re here,” Bertram said suddenly, causing everyone to snap alert and look out the window where he was sitting. They could see a massive stone door carved into the gaping maw of the mountain – the designs on it were obviously representative of the Tarot Beasts, for Nick recognized, in particular, the Unholy Eclipse crowning them all with its inky blackness. In response, the card in his pocket rumbled with an unknown energy – whether it was angry or happy or simply nostalgic, Nick could not tell with certainty.

“Well, that looks like a secret Tarot warrior hide-out to me,” Alyssa confirmed, her nose pressed to the tinted glass. “But. . . what the hell? I must be seeing things.”

Nick and Mark both moved closer, pressing themselves up against the glass, too, and nearly crushing Alyssa against it. She voiced her discontent colourfully, which prompted the two boys to back off slightly. At any rate, they could all of them see a figure standing in front of the door, gazing in their direction. It was definitely not a trick of the darkness, because they could also make out – quite clearly – a sleek red motorcycle parked not far from the individual’s position. “That’s definitely a person,” Mark confirmed. “But what is he doing out here?”

“Do you think he’s one of those Tarot warriors?” Mai ventured. “This is supposed to be their ancient meeting place, after all.”

Nick shook his head. “I don’t know. It could be. At any rate, he appears to have noticed out position. Everyone be especially careful.”

The four duelists nodded, holding out their hands to display the HDPs Mai had provided them with in case of emergency. HDP – Holoduel Portable. It was still something of a prototype, but was in essence the IDMC’s attempt to make portable its revolutionary holographic dueling system. Kaiba Corp still led the market in terms of quality Duel Monsters technology, however – that had not changed over the years in the slightest. Basically, the HDP functioned a lot like the Duel Disk introduced in Seto Kaiba’s Battle City tournament: it was strapped to the forearm and, when activated, thrust both duelists into a shockingly-realistic virtual world. Spectators were not blurred out this time, however, a feature that the programmers had not gotten around to developing yet.

The limo slowed to a halt some distance away from the shadowy onlooker, who stood with arms crossed as it approached. One by one, the four duelists exited the vehicle, followed by Bertram, and they moved toward her. It was only now that they could see their mysterious stranger was a female, based on the manner of her dress and the way she held herself. A Duel Disk was strapped to her arm – this was not surprising, however, since Duel Disks had become staggeringly popular since they were first introduced, and just about every serious duelist owned one. It had made Kaiba Corp a truly household name.

“What are you doing here?” she called out in a confident, almost arrogant tone. Nick stepped up to answer her first.

“My name is Nick Maximus. We have important business in there,” he said, pointing toward the stone doors. The figure did not turn to look; she stared unflinchingly into his eyes, and shifted her weight from one leg to the other.

“No.”

Nick was taken aback by her boldness. “. . . excuse me?” What possible reason could she have for not wanting them to go inside? Whatever she wanted in there, certainly there was room enough for all of them. At this point Nick didn’t care what she wanted – he simply wanted to get inside.

“You’re not going in,” the girl clarified with finality. She ran her left hand through her long, brown hair and tossed it back without shaking her gaze.

“We don’t want any trouble. Surely we can go in together. Whatever your goal is, you can be sure we won’t encroach,” Nick reasoned. He was trying to remain calm, but this shadowy stranger was getting on his nerves, and wasting valuable time.

She merely shook her head. “No,” she repeated. “The test of Tarotenam can only be taken by one. I shall pass, or your group shall pass. Not both.” Her Duel Disk sprang to life and, throwing back her leathery cape, the woman looked poised for battle. The Life Point counter flashed 4000 as she faced down Nick. “You’re wasting my time. If you want to get inside that badly, we’ll duel. I have a few minutes to kill if that’s what it will take.”

Nick curled his lip and activated his HDP. The playing field extended from the circular base and then extended outward from there, as opposed to snapping shut like the Duel Disk did – Mai had decided that that was too dangerous and bulky. The chairwoman was glad to see that, so far, the HDP and the Duel Disk seemed to be fully compatible with one another – that was one aspect she had been unable to test during its trial runs. Kaiba Corp and the IDMC did not always see eye-to-eye on such matters.

“Alright, fine,” he called. His Life Point counter read 4000 as well. “I didn’t want to do this, but I can’t waste any more time. Someone’s life is at stake here, and I’m not going to let you stop me from saving her.”

Alyssa seemed somehow pained as she heard these words coming from Nick’s mouth, though he couldn’t see it. He was talking about Rebecca again. She knew that the whole reason they were on this journey was to save her, but Nick had recently been more passionate about that than anything else in his entire life. Quite frankly, Alyssa was somewhat jealous, and she had grown distaste for Rebecca, even though they had never met.

“A worthy cause,” the stranger mused. “I hope you’ll fight well for it. The weak will not survive the Trial of Tarotenam.”

With determination flaring in their eyes, both duelists drew their 5 cards and made to begin the duel. The shadowy girl motioned for Nick to make the first move. He drew his card and examined his options. Since he knew absolutely nothing about his opponent, including her name, the boy decided that it would be best to play defensively for a turn or two. Once he got a feel for her strategy, he could come up with one of his own.

“I’ll place a monster in defense mode, and also one card face-down,” he announced. The cards appeared in three-dimensional rendering on his side of the field. “That ends my turn.”

It was a breath of fresh air for Nick that his opponent did not taunt him for his defensive style right off the bat. She simply drew her card and looked through the silvery orbs on her face at the contents of her hand. She appeared to be deep in thought, wondering whether to attack or defend. A careful duelist always took into account face-down cards, but simply playing defensive wouldn’t get anywhere.

“I’ll summon Twin-Headed Behemoth, in attack mode,” she announced. A ferocious looking dragon appeared as if from nowhere. Its two heads snapped hungrily at the air as if awaiting the chance to devour Nick and his face-down monster. “Twin-Headed Behemoth, attack his face-down monster now!” ((Twin-Headed Behemoth: 1500/1200))

There was no need to tell it twice. The great beast darted forth with surprising speed, and its long necks reached down to allow its heads to gobble up Nick’s face-down monster. The faint visage of Spirit of the Books, a scholarly-looking eagle clad in green robes and holding a book under its arm, could be seen briefly; it was soon devoured by the Twin-Headed Behemoth, however. This prompted Nick to press a button on the playing field of his HDP.

“By destroying my Spirit of the Books, you’ve activated my Michizure trap card!” he announced. A great fissure appeared underneath the Behemoth as it returned to its side of the field, and it seemed somehow drawn into it by some unseen force. “When you destroy one of my monsters, Michizure drags one of your monsters into the graveyard as well.”

His opponent seemed nonplussed, despite the fact that they were back where they had started. Nick soon discovered the reason for her lack of dismay: within moments, the Behemoth reappeared on her side of the field! It only had one head, this time, and thusly appeared suitably weakened, but since Nick had no monsters on his side of the field, it was no less intimidating. ((Twin-Headed Behemoth: 1000/1200))

“You look confused,” the strange girl noted, shaking her head. “How sad. Twin-Headed Behemoth can revive itself from the graveyard once during the duel, with a slightly-lowered attack total due to its lack of one head. Now that I’ve cleared up that little mystery, I’ll place one card face-down and end my turn.”

Normally Nick would not be concerned in the slightest by his opponent’s pitiful monster – with only 1000 attack points, even his weakest monsters could take it out without batting an eyelash. But two things shook his confidence: his opponent’s face-down card, and her completely stony, arrogant attitude. She was clearly a Duel Monsters veteran. “I’ll summon Harpie Lady 1 to the field in attack mode,” he announced. The colourful, powerful Harpie presented herself in a holographic light-show, brandishing her naturally-sharp claws at her only target, the mangled behemoth. “She’s more than powerful enough to destroy your behemoth for good, especially since she gives herself a 300-point attack boost.” ((Harpie Lady 1: 1300/1400 -> 1600/1400))

The stranger was not worried, but Nick didn’t seem to notice. He commanded his Harpie Lady 1 to attack, and she leapt into action with gusto. Letting out a screech that would bring an elephant to its knees, the ladybeast dived down from the sky with her claws outstretched, ready to tear the Twin-Headed Behemoth to pieces.

“You’re pathetic.”

Pressing a button on her Duel Disk, Nick’s opponent activated a trap card. A vortex of energy whirled outward from her Behemoth’s position, and try as she did, Harpie Lady 1 could not break through. The trap was plainly known to almost every duelist as Negate Attack. Harpie Lady 1 returned to her side of the field, unsuccessful in her endeavour but no less enthused.

“If you’re going to be this rash, you may as well give up right now. I don’t have time to toy with you losers.”

Nick curled his lip at the insult, but shrugged it off. He played a card face-down on his side of the field and ended his turn. He was confused, but certainly intrigued, by his opponent. How would she manage to make due with a weak monster like that? Nick bit his metaphorical tongue at thinking such a thought, however – ‘weak’ was a term often used to describe Harpies, as well.

“Now watch as I sacrifice my Twin-Headed Behemoth to summon Luster Dragon #2!” As the now single-headed beast’s form dissipated into the air, it was replaced with the simply gigantic form of a new dragon. This one was purely green, and in some places its body was covered with emeralds instead of scales. It was a beautiful sight to behold, although its ferocity was well-known to many duelists. “Your Harpie is barely even an appetizing snack for my Luster Dragon. But I won’t deprive her of a meal. Luster Dragon #2, destroy Harpie Lady 1 with Emerald Shower!” ((Luster Dragon #2: 2400/1400))

By simply beating its wings, the Luster Dragon was able to chip off several sharp emeralds from its body – which grew back almost instantly – and launch them at the Harpie Lady on Nick’s field. Completely unable to defend herself against the massive onslaught, Harpie Lady 1 was battered completely, and she burst into data and dissipated. Nick’s Life Point total dropped to 3200 as several of the emerald chips tore through his body – it was all an illusion, but it felt all too real for him.

“Nick! Are you alright?” Alyssa called out, apparently concerned by the sight of emerald beads ripping through Nick’s flesh. Mark was more worried about Nick’s Life Points – he knew that the effects were all just holographic, and could cause no real harm to Nick’s body.

“That was sad. She didn’t even go out with a bang.” His opponent set a card face-down and motioned for him to make his move.

Drawing his card, Nick knew he had to act carefully. For one thing, her face-down card could prove to be trouble – if he could even summon something powerful enough to defeat her Luster Dragon #2. He knew that he had hope yet, but he would have to draw the right cards to make it work. “This time I’ll summon a monster in defense mode, and I’ll place another card face-down as well. That ends my turn.”

The girl chuckled as she drew. So far her opponent was not turning out to be much of a challenge. She would be inside Tarotenam within minutes, and her task would soon be achieved. For now, however, she needed to bring her duel to a close, and so she called her move. “Luster Dragon #2, use Emerald Shower on his face-down monster!”

The great, lumbering beast lifted itself into the air once again, and as before, it launched a quick barrage of large crystals at Nick’s monster before alighting again. The monster flipped over to reveal a defending Cyber Harpie – she had her feathery hands crossed against her face to deflect any blow, and her cybernetic armor was ready to back her up. ((Cyber Harpie: 1800/1300))

“Another Harpie? You haven’t learned your lesson yet?”

Nick was ready this time. He pressed a button on his HDP and his second face-down card revealed itself. “Recognize this?” He, too, had activated Negate Attack – the emerald storm was sucked into the vortex, never to be seen again. Cyber Harpie was unharmed. Although annoyed, Nick’s opponent did not appear to have lost her cool.

“Good to see that you’re learning from a true duelist. You’ll need such skills if you ever come back to take the test of Tarotenam after I defeat you today.”

“Why you little bit—” Alyssa looked ready to storm across the field and tear that mask right off the girl’s pretty little head, but Mark grabbed her arms and subdued her. Mai held her mouth to restrain her colourful use of language. Nick merely chuckled.

“Don’t flatter yourself.” He drew a card, now that his opponent’s turn had ended, and added it to his hand. “What’s your name, anyway?” The figure ignored the question completely. “Fine, have it your way. I play Elegant Egotist and multiply my one Harpie into three more!”

On cue, the Harpie Lady Sisters arrived on the field. They were dressed less. . . technologically than their sister, but were stronger overall thanks to their sheer numbers. Each one of the trio held a whip in her hands, taut and ready for battle. ((Harpie Lady Sisters: 1950/2100))

“Now I’m going to activate my face-down magic card: Triangle Ecstasy Spark!” Suddenly the three Harpies leapt into the air and began to fly towards Luster Dragon in a triangular formation. Beams of energy cracked between them, forming a triangle with a symbol of power in its center. The stranger’s eyes widened as she saw this. “Triangle Ecstasy Spark increases the attack of all my Harpie Lady Sisters to 2700 for one turn. Now they’ll very easily wipe your Luster Dragon off the map! Go, my Harpies!”

His opponent seemed unfazed. “You’ll never learn, will you?” She pressed a button on her duel disk and chuckled.

Nothing happened. She pressed again. Nothing. Again, again. Nothing, nothing.

“What’s this?!” For the first time so far, Nick had flustered his opponent.

“Don’t be so quick to judge me,” he retorted as his Harpies flew across the field, charging their mystical energy. “Triangle Ecstasy Spark also prevents you from activating any Trap cards while its effect is activated – that makes your Dragon’s defeat a sure thing.” When their power had reached its maximum, the Harpie Lady Sisters let out one final screech. A thick beam of blue-green energy emerged from the cross in the center of the triangle, and it sliced through the air on its trajectory toward the Luster Dragon. This time the dragon was the one unable to defend: it was vaporized instantly. The shadowy duelist’s Life Points dropped to 3700.

“Hm. . . so you caught me off guard once,” she admitted, regaining her composure. “My Luster Dragon #2 was just a taste of my power. Ready?”

Nick nodded, and braced himself. He knew something was coming, and judging by his opponent, it would be something big. “I’ll draw, first of all,” she said, picking out a card from her deck and adding it to her hand. “Perfect. Now I’ll summon Armed Dragon, level 3!”

The mechanical dragon that appeared before her was both laughable and cute in appearance. It did not appear suited for combat at all, and flew around in a daze, apparently unaware of the group of menacing Harpies staring it down with hungry eyes. ((Armed Dragon LV3: 1200/900))

“That should do for now,” the girl concluded, motioning toward Nick. “Go ahead.”

He had seen enough of this girl to know that her strategies were not as simplistic as they seemed. Although her Armed Dragon LV3 was a weak monster – and the concept of levels was not something he had been introduced to before – she knew that it must have had some sort of secret that she was waiting to unlock. He had to stop it before that could happen. But should he dare risk an attack outright? “I’ve got to,” he resolved, “otherwise that Armed Dragon could quickly become something too powerful to stop.”

“Cyber Harpie,” he commanded, catching the femme fatale’s attention, “attack her Armed Dragon LV3 now! Energy lash attack!”

Leaping up into the sky with her powerful wings, the Cyber Harpie thrust forth with her right hand and the whip of pure energy lashed forth. It soared toward the cute little dragon with deadly accuracy. . . but met a horrifying twist instead. All of a sudden, the whip doubled back on itself and pierced the Harpie straight through her stomach, and then it arced downward and strung the three Harpie Lady Sisters together, creating a giant shish-kebab. All four bird-beasts vanished without a trace, destroyed by the Mirror Force that Nick’s opponent had activated.

“Come on, you don’t honestly think I’d summon a monster like this without a backup plan, do you?” she taunted, shaking her head at her failed opponent. “You’re underestimating me, Nick Maximus, and you’re very soon going to pay for it.”

Nick was disappointed, and his friends were, too, visibly so. He opted to play a monster in defense mode in order to prepare for the oncoming attack, and ended his turn.

“What a pity. I had hoped you’d put up more of a fight than this. Now you’ll see why I had to protect my Armed Dragon so carefully – Armed Dragon LV3, level up now!”

The Armed Dragon LV3 began to glow brightly before Nick’s very eyes until it was little more than a vivid silhouette. This silhouette then began to grow and change shape while the light eventually died down. When things had settled back to normal, a much more menacing beast was standing where the cute mechanical pup had once stood. This dragon was large, lanky, and covered in metallic armour from which serrated steel spiked jutted at odd angles. “Meet Armed Dragon LV5!” ((Armed Dragon LV5: 2400/1700))

Nick was suddenly not so disappointed that he attacked, even though his monsters had been destroyed by her Mirror Force trap card. His instincts were right in guessing that the Armed Dragon would become more dangerous if he allowed it to stay on the field.

“You’re going to regret setting that monster, too,” his opponent added plainly. “Watch this.”

The Armed Dragon reared back its head and looked as though it was preparing to cough up a hairball. It opened its mouth and a bright ball of bluish energy appeared within; it then lowered and fired a beam of crackling power right at Nick’s face-down monster. It was a Faith Bird, and its frail blue form was easily destroyed by the stream of energy.

“Now that my Dragon has destroyed a monster,” she explained, “it has fulfilled the requirements for its second and final transformation.”

“What?” Mark asked, shocked. “It can transform again?”

The woman simply nodded. “It certainly can. Just watch! Armed Dragon LV5, level up once more!”

The light show began anew, and the giant, gangly body of Armed Dragon LV5 began to morph into an entirely new shape. This one was supremely more dragon-like, and as all eyes saw when the light softened, it was supremely more menacing, too. In favour of serrated spikes, this new form of dragon had out-and-out blades on its shoulders, and what appeared to be deadly drills on its legs and hips. Its forearms ended in spiked gauntlets, while its tail was crowned by a gigantic blunt mace; the dragon’s head was covered completely in steel battle armour. It roared magnificently, and the very earth beneath shook with terror. ((Armed Dragon LV7: 2800/1000))

Nick could only watch in horror. His Life Points were wide open, and this creature looked hungry. His mind raced as the gigantic beast craned its neck down to examine him hungrily. What could he possibly do against something like this with nothing but an empty field to protect him?

Nick’s mind raced at a mile a minute, unsure of what to do. His opponent had a card on the field of immense power, capable of destroying him in only two attacks – one, if his opponent had a method of powering it up. He had to think of something quickly, or else he would very soon lose this duel. It was with extreme hesitation that he drew his card.

It all melted away as he placed it on the field. “I guess the Heart of the Cards is with me today!” he announced. “For I just drew the Card of Sanctity! As you probably know, this card allows us to both draw cards from our decks until we have 6 in our hands. . . but since I only have 2 and you have 5, this benefits me much more.” Both duelists did as the card instructed, and despite all his sudden confidence, Nick knew that he was putting a lot of this in faith’s hands. If the Card of Sanctity did not deliver him from his current predicament with the 4 cards he drew, he would definitely lose the duel.

“I summon Harpie Lady 2 to the field!” This monster was basically identical to the first Harpie Lady Nick had summoned, only it had short, beige hair instead of fiery-looking red hair. It did not have the same power-up effect as the Harpie Lady 1, and so it was notably weaker. ((Harpie Lady 2: 1300/1400))

“If that’s the best you’ve got,” the woman taunted, letting out a laugh, “you should go back home and try again.”

“If you don’t like one Harpie,” he said quietly, placing an Elegant Egotist card on the field, “then how about two?” Immediately another Harpie Lady 2 sprang forth from his deck, taking its place beside its sister and glaring intently at its foe. Nick plucked another card out of his hand. “Now I’ll activate the magic card Megamorph! This card doubles a monster’s attack points if I have fewer Life Points than you – but halves them if the opposite is true.” ((Harpie Lady 2: 1300/1400))

His opponent looked unimpressed. “Do the math. Your Harpie will still be weaker than my Armed Dragon, even if you double its attack points.”

“Who said I was targeting my Harpie?”

It was like a strong wave of water had washed forth over the crowd. Mark, Alyssa, Mai, and Bertram were notably stunned. They could scarcely believe their ears. Had Nick really said such a thing? Why would he activate Megamorph on his opponent’s dragon? “That will double its attack points!!” Mark protested, a look of sheer astonishment on his face. The rest of the group was too stunned to speak.

The strange duelist was also shocked, but this was a favourable turn of events for her. She simply let out a nervous laugh as though she was witnessing the beginning of a man’s madness. “You must be joking. Are you really that desperate to lose?” She knew the answer. Nick must have been desperate to lose. He probably wanted to let her win on his terms in order to slightly save his own ego, but she didn’t care. There was no other reason he would possibly hand her a monster with more attack points than any other card in the entire game of Duel Monsters. Nick was silent as the magic of Megamorph took effect. The arcane symbol was imprinted on the Armed Dragon’s stomach, and it growled as raw power coursed through its veins. Its body doubled in size, making it literally twice as tall as either duelist. ((Armed Dragon LV7 -> 5600/1000))

The look on Nick’s face suggested that there was a method to his madness. “I’ve had a card in my hand for some time now that I’ve been itching to use, but the circumstances haven’t been right.” He drew one card from his hand and held it aloft, apparently examining it carefully. “It was the first card I drew, but I simply couldn’t play it unless the circumstances were in my favour. Thanks to Megamorph, they now are.”

His opponent’s eyes widened as he flipped the card in his hands so she could see its face. She didn’t recognize it. The picture was that of a great flaming bird soaring against a black background, but it was unlike anything she had ever seen before. Even so, she knew that it was something terrible – it was the sole reason Nick had unleashed such a confusing series of moves. But could it really be that powerful, whatever it was? And for what reason did he increase her monster’s attack points?

“This is one of the most powerful cards a Harpie deck can possess,” Nick began, placing the card on his HDP. “It’s called the Harpie Phoenix Formation.”

Mai’s eyes shot wide open. Of course! Why hadn’t she realized it before? She had used that same card once, long ago in her past. It was a time she preferred not to remember, for when she used that card, she was under the terrible hypnotic power of a horrible beast known as the Orichalcos.

“I can only activate it when I have more than one Harpie Lady on the field, but as you can see, I have two.” His opponent still seemed nonplussed by his tactics. What could this Phoenix formation do that could possibly turn this duel around for Nick? It seemed impossible. “I think it would be better if I let my card do the talking. Harpies! Assume Phoenix formation now! Destroy Armed Dragon LV7!”

The two Harpie Ladies turned to each other and joined hands before leaping into the air. They then did something very startling: they ignited in a bright blaze of orange flames, assuming the shape of a large, powerful bird. This fiery creature flapped its wings a few times to adjust its direction, set its sights on the Armed Dragon, and dived. Upon contact, there was a blinding flash of light and a deafening explosion. Nick and his opponent were able to brace themselves – as was Mai, since she knew what the card did – but Mark, Alyssa, and Bertram were thrown backwards by the shockwave of energy.

“There’s no way he can destroy my dragon. . .”

When the smoke cleared, she was not so sure. One monster was left standing on the field: the great, scorching phoenix that had been formed from Nick’s two monsters. It dissociated into its two component Harpies, which landed and assumed their battle-ready positions. This, of course, meant that a certain other monster was not on the field: the stranger’s Armed Dragon LV7!

“Impossible!” she shouted in disbelief. “Even if you added your monsters’ attacks together and then doubled them, they wouldn’t have been strong enough to destroy my Dragon!!”

Nick chuckled and shook his head. “Now you’re the one thinking too simply. I didn’t even need to attack your Dragon to destroy it. Harpie Lady Phoenix Formation allows me to destroy one monster on your side of the field for each Harpie Lady I have in play. I needed to have two Harpies only because it’s part of the card’s requirement. Otherwise, even one would have been enough.”

“But there’s more,” Mai said under her breath. Alyssa and Mark turned to her, but she said nothing. Nick nodded; his opponent did not appear to have heard the remark. He simply pointed at her Duel Disk.

She looked down to see her Life Points steadily dropping. 3000. . . 2500. . . 1200. . . 400. . . 0! “What’s this?!”

“I guess it’s time to tell you my magic card’s second effect,” Nick began with a newfound air of confidence. “You see, every monster that is destroyed by its effect has its attack points subtracted directly from your Life Points.”

“Oh. . . I get it!” Mark said suddenly. “Armed Dragon wasn’t strong enough to reduce her Life Points to 0 on its own, so Nick activated Megamorph to power it up first!”

As Alyssa heard this, a great grin overtook her. “Yeah! Nice work, Nick! That’s the way to show that arrogant little—” Mark stopped her again by wrapping a hand around her mouth.

“Please don’t provoke her any more,” he pleaded.

“Nice work, kiddo. . .” Mai thought to herself as the duel disks deactivated and the holographic images vanished from the field. Nick’s opponent was bristling with fury as she stared him down. She looked as though she could hardly speak through her anger.

“Alright, I won the duel. Now stand aside so we can enter Tarotenam, like we agreed.”

“You’ll regret this, Nick Maximus!” the strange woman called out, furious. “Mark my words, you will one day regret ever crossing my path – if you even survive the Trial.” Turning with defiance on her black heel, she marched toward her motorcycle and climbed aboard. “Nobody – nobody – interferes with my plans and gets away with it.” With that, the engine kicked to life. She revved it a few times and slammed on the gas; her vehicle stormed out of sight in the blink of an eye, cape unfurling as she drove out of sight.

Relieved to be rid of her, Alyssa ran forward and leapt up on Nick’s back, almost throwing him to the ground. She latched her arms around his neck as she congratulated him. “Awesome work! I was really worried for a minute there, but you had that planned all along, right? Wow, you just trashed her with that Phoenix thing! I’m glad you’re on our side!”

Mai stepped forward first, planting a kiss on her son’s cheek. “That was pretty impressive. I haven’t seen that card in years. You sure have learned to use it well.”

“It really was a brilliant strategy, Nick,” Mark added, patting him on the shoulder – or what part of his shoulder he could reach that Alyssa wasn’t dangling off of. “I can certainly see how you made it to the finals of the Tare Invitational. . . not that I had forgotten, or anything.” He smiled sheepishly at his poor choice of words.

Nick smiled and nodded, easing Alyssa off his back by prying her arms apart. “Thanks, guys. But our job isn’t even close to finished yet. We’ve still got a girl to save.” Nodding in unison, the five of them marched toward the great doors with just one goal in mind. They had already passed their first obstacle, and Nick knew deep in his heart that nothing Tarotenam could throw at them would stop him from rescuing Rebecca from Xel’Zerpi’s clutches.

Dark Sage

16th February 2005, 08:47 PM

Good job Nick!

Great strategy! The Phoenix formation kicks some serious A!

But who WAS that woman? At least she didn't have a Tarot...

Anyway, maybe we can see some other of the anime cards that Mai has used recently, like "Harpie Lady - Sparrow Formation" and "Harpie Feather Storm". I trust you know how those work... Don't you?

- Venusaur`

Ho-oh2001

16th February 2005, 09:02 PM

Well, Kids WB has been a real bi-atch lately, and they've skipped AROUND the My Freaky Valentine episodes, so I've only seen the last one, and about 3 times at that. >< But yes, I know what those other two cards do (could any self-respecting Harpie lover not? ;)), and who knows, they may find their way into a duel in the future.

Also, expect the identity of our mystery duelist to be revealed in a chapter very shortly into the future! I think you'll all be pleasantly surprised. I haven't actually written it yet, but I know roughly how it will turn out, and I imagine it will happen somewhere around chapter 21-22. Keep your eyes peeled!

mr_pikachu

16th February 2005, 11:44 PM

Well, Nick found a way to overcome the mystery woman. I'm glad you kept her identity secret; that makes things much more interesting. It also gives your audience something to ponder, and that's always a good thing. Nice tactics, as well. I like how you're specifically avoiding Nick using his Tarot card. Such an overpowered monster is best to save until the opponent has something of equal (or greater) strength.

Good work with the introduction of the mystery character, and nice job in advancing the plot, as well. Great work in giving us a lot of knowledge about what's going on in one short chapter: Not only did you repeatedly remind us of Rebecca's kidnapping, but you also showed the delaying of the tournament, the site of the Trials (and perhaps the main villains to this point), as well as the previously mentioned duelist. We also got a feel for what Alyssa thinks of all this, and that characterization helps a lot.

This chapter felt a little short, probably because not only did it focus primarily on a duel, but that duel itself was extremely quick; however, you managed to pack a lot of information and action into it, so the length in and of itself isn't much of a problem. On the other hand, the setting description here was lacking. Yes, you told us that this took place at a mountain range. But what kind of mountains? Were they sandy and hot like the mesas in Nevada (I think)? Were they cool and grassy like the hills of Scotland? Or were they instead cold and snowy like the Alps? Some more detail there would have helped. And it may be worth it to spend a little more time editing; I noticed some homonym switches and a few typos scattered through this chapter.

This was very well-done overall, though. You demonstrated great technique in introducing your new character, and the duel, however brief, featured some solid tactical play. Well, I'll see you next chapter! :wave:

Shuppet Master

18th February 2005, 09:26 AM

I loved this chapter,especially since one of my own characters used the LV monsters. :) Anyways,looks like the tournamnent is postponed until later. What a shame. I wanted to see more deckmasters. :D

Ho-oh2001

18th February 2005, 03:39 PM

Alright, as you can guess, you've caught up with me. ^^;; My updates will be a little less frequent now, because I won't be able to write these ahead of time. Also, I have a lot of school-work piling up all at once recently, so it may be a while before I actually get that all done and get back to updating somewhat regularly. But don't abandon hope just yet! Stick with me. ^^

Anyway, onto chapter 18! Like I said earlier, the duelists in this chapter should... prove to be interesting, at any rate. I hope you like them! And I've also lengthened this chapter considerably, so I hope that I've reached a sufficient length now. ;) Enjoy!

* * * * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Legacy of Tarot

Chapter 18: Sibling Rivalry (The Trial of Tarotenam)

Inside the cavern, the group was surprised at how easily – and autonomously – the great stone doors had opened for them. It was almost as though they had been expected. The welcome was not a warm one, however, as the gateway shut just as quickly behind them, trapping them in complete and utter darkness. There had not even been time for the studious among them to get a good look at the design and architecture of the hallowed hall. Bertram had been particularly excited to simply gaze upon the ancestral home of the Tarot Beasts, but someone did not want to let him, apparently. Nick could feel someone grab his arm and pull tightly towards him – it was probably Alyssa, who was somewhat scared of the dark.

“I suppose that’s one way to roll out the welcome wagon,” Bertram said with a laugh.

“Whoever’s in here obviously doesn’t want us to get out,” Mai’s voice announced. The sound of pounding had been heard moments prior, and it sounded like she had knocked on the giant doors to see if they would open to allow their safe passing in the other direction. No such accommodation was made.

“I don’t care,” Nick said calmly, taking a few steps forward. His movements were impeded by the girl clutching to his arm like a frightened leech, but he did not push her away. They had to stick together now more than ever. “We’re not leaving unless Rebecca is with us.”

“Rebecca?” an unfamiliar voice called out in the darkness. It belonged to a male, and was rather unsettling in its tone – high pitched and almost. . . spidery, for lack of a better descriptor. Indeed it was a difficult voice to place, and had an almost untraceable accent. “Rebecca, Rebecca. . . hmm. . . that doesn’t ring any bells.”

“Who’s there?!” Nick called out, searching the darkness furiously. But it was no good – he couldn’t even see his own hand in front of his face, let alone whoever it was that was taunting them from the unseen depths of the cavern. It couldn’t be Xel’Zerpi, could it? The voice sounded different, but. . . in the darkness, there was no way to tell, and they were sitting ducks. The next thing he heard was not really a response to him at all.

“No, it doesn’t,” another voice cried. This one was very similar to the first except that it was decidedly female, characterized by the higher pitch. “I can’t say I’ve ever heard that name before in my life. Have you?”

“No, of course not, or I wouldn’t have said it doesn’t ring any bells.”

“Yes, true, of course.”

“Who’s there?” Nick’s repeated, furious this time. “Show yourselves!” He took another few steps forward, and Alyssa followed suit, as she had to – she really had no desire to go anywhere near them, however, or anywhere but back the way they had come. The others tried to keep up, but of course they were blinded, and had little idea if they were even moving in the right direction, because the sound of his footsteps echoed in the greatness of the cave – and this was in fact the only clue they had that the cavern was large at all.

Suddenly, a great many lights illuminated the room all at once. They lined the walls and ceilings, and most of them were so out of reach that it seemed impossible that anyone could light even one of them without a cherry picker or crane, let alone all of them at once. The group was astonished by what they saw first: the entire cavern, which had a domed ceiling, was decorated in the most arcane, pagan fashion they had ever seen. Images of the Tarot Beasts had been carved everywhere, in all sorts of hideous poses, devouring humans, razing villages, and generally terrorizing everything they saw. It was frightening and repugnant.

More hideous, however, were the sources of the voices. It was a gruesome picture, for the two duelists were frighteningly attired in some form of gothic, pagan clothing. Their forms were so twisted that they were barely even recognizable as humans. The two of them were standing across a great pit that looked like an ancient dueling ring.

The female, who stood on the right side of the male, was dressed in what could only be described as a dominatrix outfit. It was (unfortunately) quite revealing, and fashioned entirely of purely black leather, except that it was torn in several places – not cut artistically, but actually battle-torn – as was her skin. She had long, greasy black hair that fell flat against her body. The male’s outfit was more difficult to put a direct label on. He was dressed in leather also, but it was hard to tell if the look was that of a male dominatrix, a slave, something in between, or something else completely. Nevertheless, his body was as equally scarred and mangled as his partner’s. Contrary to the woman, the male was completely bald. For what could be seen of it, the skin of both duelists was completely albino-white – the rest was red and scarred.

Most frightening, however, was the fact that these two were joined at the elbow. The right arm of one began where the left arm of the other ended. It was not frightening in and of itself, except when combined with their otherwise hideous visages, but rather it was simply jarring to see, for even the few conjoined twins in the news were not joined in such a way. It didn’t seem natural.

“Who. . . or what are you?” Alyssa called, completely shocked and looking a little disgusted.

“Who are we?” the male asked, turning his head to the right. “What an odd question. I haven’t heard that in over a hundred years, have you, Sister?”

“Why, no, Brother, I haven’t,” the female replied, turning her head to the left to meet the other’s gaze.

“So, what, you don’t even know your own names?” Alyssa questioned, somehow finding this little act hard to believe. This was getting just a little too strange for the realm of reality. Freaky-looking conjoined twins dressed like the king and queen of S&M, but who could not even remember their own names and who had apparently lived for over a century?

“Let’s see. . .” the male began, putting his left hand – his only hand – up to his chin and looking pensive. “Not two days ago I said. . . ‘Sister, did you enjoy that man-flesh?’”

“Yes, yes!” the sister responded, looking as though she was playing some kind of delightful game. “And I replied, ‘No, Brother, it was rather tough. The Master does not feed us well these days.’”

“I suppose those are our names, then!” the brother concluded with finality. “They must be, for that is what we call each other.”

“Sister. . . and Brother?” Mark looked nonplussed. “You’ve got to be joking.”

Nick was slightly more worried, and apparently not at their hideously simple choice of names. It was something they had said, something so subtle that no one had noticed it. “Did you say. . . man-flesh?” Getting past his initial revolt, he was beginning to come to the startling realization that perhaps they were talking about Rebecca. Surely she had been the only human, besides them, to have come into Tarotenam over the last few days. Had Xel’Zerpi simply brought her here to sate their hunger?

“Oh, yes,” Brother said, licking his lips. “The master brings us some tender, juicy man-flesh from time to time. Failed experiments, he calls them.”

“Delightful, usually!” Sister continued, rubbing her stomach with her good hand. “The tests char them nicely inside, I think. Brings the juices to the surface.”

Alyssa looked ready to retch, and had to clutch her stomach as she made to fall to the ground. Nick caught her quickly and helped her to her feet. “You two are. . . disgusting! You eat humans? You’re monsters!!”

Sister’s head darted in Alyssa’s direction and she had a genuinely wounded look on her face. Brother patted her on her shoulder, reaching across with his left hand. “But what does the dumpling expect us to do?” she protested, rubbing her nose and sniffling. “The master says to us, ‘You must never leave this place or I shall exact such a vengeance upon you as you have never known.’ Big words, scary. So we stays here, and he feeds us when someone fails his tests.”

“Yes, the ones before us tried to escape, remember, Sister?” Brother reminded her, looking in her direction. Again they were lost in their own little world, a side-effect of apparently spending centuries as the only persons to whom they could talk.

“Oh yes! I remember. He fed them to his pet when he found out. I can still hear the screaming,” she reminisced.

“Blood-curdling, it was,” Brother recalled. “Oh, to hear a scream like that again, eh?”

“Quite, indeed. Yes, right you are, Brother. Those were the days.” The both of them nodded and began babbling in this sort of incomprehensible tone, and this so annoyed Nick that he slammed his foot against the ground. The sudden noise shocked Brother and Sister so fully that they nearly jumped a foot backwards. Clamor was apparently not something they were used to – understandably, of course, given their lodgings.

“Is Xel’Zerpi here or not?” he demanded, taking a threatening step forward. The two siblings looked at each other and muttered quietly as though they weren’t sure what he was talking about.

“Xella-who?” Sister inquired to Brother, who scratched his head a little.

“The snake-man, I think. Isn’t that his name?” he replied.

“Oh, I don’t know. He never talks to us. Anyway I don’t like him, Brother.”

“Quite, yes. But I think that’s what they call him.” Brother turned his head to Nick and nodded it, yellow eyes gleaming in the torchlight. “Yes, he came in here a few days ago. Had a pretty little vixen under his arm, didn’t he?”

“Oh, yes, Brother! Juicy little morsel.”

“A little scrawny, says I,” Brother protested.

“Yes, but tender, I’m sure. Much better than the last failed experiment.”

“Oh, no doubt about that.”

Nick was so angry by now that he let out a horrible scream. Brother and Sister snapped out of their own little world again and looked at him as though they were witnessing an unstable little boy with a few screws loose. They both tilted their heads in the same direction as though silently inquiring exactly what was the matter.

“This little escapade has been amusing, really, but if Xel’Zerpi is in there, I’m going through. He and I have a little score to settle.”

Nick began to walk determinedly around the ring, but this caused an unusual change in Brother and Sister. They ceased their banter immediately, and in a startling display of acrobatics, the two of them leapt into the air, and in perfect synch, they flipped twice with a ninja’s agility before landing firmly on the ground in front of Nick.

“That’s where I draw the line, morsel,” Brother said, holding his arm out to the left.

“We aren’t allowed to let anyone through without passing the test,” Sister continued, holding hers to the right.

“Test?” Bertram said quietly to himself. “I suppose. . . Nick, these must be the gatekeepers of Tarotenam. They must be one of the Trials about which that strange girl spoke to us. Remember? I suppose two of you will need to face them together.”

“Oh, no!” Brother protested suddenly, regaining his psychotically-jovial attitude. “Sister and I fights as a team.” He held up his left arm, and she held up her right, and they flailed them around obviously. “Only one set of arms, you see.” They laughed idiotically for quite some time, as though this was the most amusing thing they had heard in ages, but they eventually stopped, fearing another crazed outburst from the young, testy boy.

Nick nodded his head, and began to step towards the dueling arena. He removed his deck from his HDP, ready to pass any test he needed to in order to save Rebecca. But he was stopped by a firm hand pressed against his chest. It had darted out with startling speed, and before he could even protest, its bearer had already made her way up to the stage. It was Alyssa.

“But. . . Alyssa! You can’t!” he protested.

“Nick, let me handle this one,” she reasoned. “You obviously still need to rest up after your duel with what’s-her-name outside, and I think much worse tests await you further in.” The boy was silent for a moment, but then made to protest once more; Alyssa silenced it before it began by thrusting out her arm and closing her eyes, and that was the end of it. “Leave it to me. Look at these clowns! You’ll be pummeling that snake-man before you even know it.”

By this time, the two siblings had pulled another aerobatic feat and leaped back to their side of the field, where they had a deck laid out, ready for battle. They both grinned hungrily and evilly at their opponent, showing a side that they had not yet demonstrated fully during the evening. Alyssa was not intimidated. “The stakes of this duel,” Brother explained, “will be the same as every one of our tests.”

“Yes,” Sister continued, nodding her head seriously. “It is quite routine, I think. We will wager our lives. . . against yours.”

This notion sent a shockwave through the group, and each one of them could only stand wide-eyed at Brother and Sister as though they couldn’t possibly believe what they were hearing. A duel to the death? This was far more than any of them had bargained for on this trip to save Rebecca – and it was certainly more than Alyssa had expected when she volunteered to take this fight herself!

But Bertram, it seemed, had noted the one complication this twist brought with it. He gulped and stepped forward, speaking in a serious tone to the girl. “Alyssa. . . I don’t think you realize what this means.”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it, old man. I’m risking my life. . . and yours.” She swallowed hard.

“No, it’s not just that,” he explained. “Look carefully at them.”

Alyssa did as he asked for a few moments, but then turned around and looked quizzically at him, as though she had no idea what he was talking about. No one else seemed to know, either. Their ignorance shocked him, but then again, the point he was trying to convey was so subtle that it was understandable that they would not have picked up on it.

“They said they always duel to the death,” he elaborated slowly as if explaining to a child. Still, it was obvious that he was afraid now, because he was shaking slightly, and his palms were sweaty, as evidenced by his difficulty holding onto his walking cane. His voice quivered slightly, too. “. . . And they’re still alive.”

Alyssa’s eyes suddenly went wide with craven terror. They had also said that the last time they were asked who they were was over 100 years ago. . . that meant that in over a century as gatekeepers of Tarotenam, they had never lost a single duel, and had taken many lives as a result. She turned to them with unabashed fear painted all over her face, and she was met with the most sinister grins she ever did see.

Brother and Sister broke into an awkward, yet surprisingly synchronized clap, her right hand meeting with his left. “The old man is a smart one,” Sister remarked, nodding her head vigorously.”

“Oh yes, Sister. Most duelists hear our terms and then get cocky and accept, and then they don’t realize the horror they’ve entered into until it’s too late.”

“But that works out for us, doesn’t it, Brother?” Sister reminded him, looking evil and menacing. “Their death provides us with lovely morsels of food from time to time. And now we’ve got 5 meals lined up for our victory banquet! Why, I’ve got goosebumps!”

“Alright, alright,” Alyssa interjected, trying to mask her fear as skillfully as possible. It barely worked. “Just how do you two think you can overpower all 5 of us? Even if I lose the duel, I highly doubt my friends would just abandon me.” She turned her head slightly as if half-worried that her companions would back away in fear. They all stood strong; Nick even took a step forward. This strengthened her resolve somewhat.

Sister giggled slightly and said, “You see, cupcake, we doesn’t need to do the killing.”

Brother nodded. “Our monsters does it for us, didn’t you know?”

“What?” Mark questioned, looking confused. “How can holograms hurt people?”

Mai stepped forward and shook her head. Her arms were crossed and she had a look of stone determination – or worry – on her face. “There are no holograms here. I haven’t looked at that arena in detail, but there don’t seem to be any holographic projectors of any kind here. Apparently their monsters are real. And anyway, this place seems far too ancient for such technology.”

“Oh, pretty and smart!” Brother commented, nodding his head. Sister slapped him firmly across the cheek. The action could be – disgustingly – compared to a girlfriend chastising her partner for ogling another woman. Based on the fact that they were siblings, this was a revolting thought. “Ow! But it’s true, Sister. . .”

“Yes, yes. Anyway, old hag is right,” Sister confirmed. Mai looked offended, and stepped forward with her fist drawn.

“What did you just call me, freak?”

Sister ignored her. “We doesn’t know what these ‘holograms’ are that you talk about, but this dueling ring summons the monsters right out of their dimension. You mean that’s not how it always works?”

“No,” Alyssa replied incredulously, “no, it’s not. The monsters in most duels. . . well, most normal-people duels, something I’m sure you’d know nothing about. . . are holograms. Images. You mean yours are. . . real?”

“Oh, yes,” continued Brother, nodding his head. “They’re all real. We been scarred a lot over the years, haven’t we, Sister?”

“Oh, yes, it hurts when they attack, it does,” Sister affirmed, nodding her head and looking serious. “Especially the ones with claws and teeth. But we always win in the end, and the meal afterwards makes it all worth it.”

Alyssa looked like she had had enough. She drew her deck from her HDP and slapped it down on the dueling arena. Somehow sensing its presence, the great ring sparked to life. Lines of arcane energy flared up all around them, tracing strange symbols within the ring and around its perimeter. A great barrier formed around the two duelists, and when Nick tried to run forward to interject, he slammed into the immense, translucent wall; he was thrown backwards several feet as a result.

“Another safety measure!” Brother exclaimed. “So terribly sorry. You see we can’t have anyone interfering with our meals. They takes so long to tenderize, they does. And of course the prey sometimes likes to run away when the going gets tough. But running only makes them muscley and tough. We doesn’t like that.”

Nick ran forward, as far as the boundary of the magic circle would let him, and Mark followed suit. They both banged on it with their fists, but had about as much influence as someone attacking a thick pane of plexiglass. “Alyssa!” Nick cried. She could hear him perfectly despite how thick the wall seemed. She turned back and smiled solemnly at him.

“Don’t worry, Nick.” She was very serious now, looking a mixture of mournful and afraid. “I won’t let you guys down.” Then, turning around and staring down her opponents with a look of determination, she drew her five cards. “Alright, you freaks of nature. Let’s duel.”

“Shall we let our dinner go first, Sister?” Brother inquired as he drew his cards and fanned out the hand with surprising dexterity.

“I suppose so. She doesn’t look very good. May as well give her a fighting chance.” Sister grinned maliciously as she looked Alyssa up and down, nodding her head. “And besides, we haven’t had any good dinner entertainment in ages. She ought to be better than nothing.”

This comment seemed to infuriate Alyssa, and she drew her card angrily. “I’ll show you how good I am!”

“Alyssa!” Mark commented from the sidelines, “Don’t let them get to you! This is probably one of their dueling tactics! Just keep a level head and you’ll do fine!”

She nodded intently and examined her hand. She wondered whether to start off with a defensive play or an offensive one. The opponent’s style would determine that entirely – and it was probably why they had let her go first. “Hmph,” she thought to herself, drawing a card out of her hand. “Fine. I’ll do both.”

Suddenly, a butch-looking female warrior appeared on the field, dressed in plain, battle-torn clothes. She did not appear to be wielding any weapons except her fists, which were wrapped in some kind of gauze – probably for its protective purposes more than its medical ones. “I summon Amazoness Fighter to the field!” she announced. “I’ll also play a card face-down, and end my turn.” ((Amazoness Fighter: 1500/1500))

“Shall we play that one, Brother dear?” Sister inquired, prompting a quick nod from her partner. He was holding the cards, apparently, while she played them. It was awkward, but seemed to suit their purposes well enough. “We play Roboyarou in attack mode!” The choice evoked a strange look from Alyssa as the metal-clad warrior appeared on the field. He looked menacing and poised for battle, dressed from head to toe in spiked armour – his stats did not. ((Roboyarou: 900/450))

“We’ll also play two cards face down,” Brother added. Sister played the according cards as though they were thinking with the same mind. “Your turn, dumpling.”

“What are these guys trying to pull? Roboyarou?” she wondered as she drew her card. Theirs was a pathetic monster, even by pathetic monster standards.

“I don’t like this,” Nick said quietly as he watched the duel. “Roboyarou is a weak monster, but remember that Brother and Sister are undefeated. I’m worried about those face-down cards.” Mark and Mai nodded in unison, agreeing with him.

“Alright! I’ll attack with Amazoness Fighter – pummel their Roboyarou now!” she ordered. With a battle-cry, the female soldier leapt forward, fists flying. She had barely begun her attack, however, when a strange metallic contraption appeared beneath her feet.

“We activate Compulsory Evacuation Device!” Brother and Sister announced in unison. The machine beneath Amazoness Fighter looked ready to explode, but Alyssa didn’t look worried. Suddenly a task force of amazons appeared on her side of the field, rushing towards her startled monster with amazing speed and precision. They grabbed her tightly and vanished in a flash of light. The Evacuation Device ejected, but its platform simply crashed into the roof of the stadium and then it vanished. The Demented Duo was stunned. “What did you do?”

“I activated my trap card, Dramatic Rescue. Whenever you target my monster with an effect like that, I can return it to my hand – and replace it with something even more powerful. Meet Penumbral Soldier Lady!” The same task force reappeared on the field, this time bearing a black-clad warrior in their grasp. They placed her in the Fighter’s spot and she poised herself for battle. Her armour was crafted from obsidian, with glittering yellow crescent moon designs on it in various places. Her black mini-skirt did not look very protective, but afforded great freedom of movement. ((Penumbral Soldier Lady: 2100/1400))

“I’ll also place two cards face-down, and end my turn.”

“Oh, very fine, very fine,” Brother commented, drawing his card. He and Sister leaned over to examine the hand intently and then looked at each other quickly. Alyssa was still having trouble coping with their grotesque appearance – everything they did was so awkward, but they did it so fluidly that it was obvious they had been like this for ages.

“We play Robolady!” Sister announced. The monster in question was basically a feminine version of the monster already in play, and she appeared to be its perfect compliment – her stats were the same, only completely reversed. “You can go now, love.” ((Robolady: 450/900))

Alyssa picked up her card and looked questioningly at the field. Why would Brother and Sister summon such weak monsters? The mysterious duelist outside Tarotenam had done the same thing. . . she had played Armed Dragon LV3, but there was a powerful strategy behind it. That strategy had led to her defeat, as well – maybe theirs would do the same for them. “I don’t know what you’re up to, but I’ll attack with Penumbral Soldier Lady! Destroy Robolady, now!”

A short cry of acknowledgement was all the warrior-woman gave before charging into battle. She brandished her long, black sword as she leapt high into the air, and it was almost as though she floated for several moments before coming down hard on the terribly-weak robot. Brother and Sister did not look frightened.

“Zero Gravity!” they called in unison. The entire arena underwent a very dramatic change. Lights flashed – apparently the ancient magic’s way of recognizing and activating the card that had been played – and then suddenly. . . everything began to float. Alyssa, Brother and Sister, their monsters, and even their decks all began to rise up into the air. “There is ancient power here you couldn’t understand on your best day, poppet.”

Suddenly, the Penumbral Soldier Lady found herself forced into defensive position on Alyssa’s side of the field, while Roboyarou and Robolady had also taken defending stances. The duelists returned safely to the ground, as did their dueling decks, which were somehow in perfect order when the effect of the trap wore off.

“I suppose that ends your turn,” Brother commented, and he drew his card. “Oh, just the one we were looking for, Sister!”

“Yes, Brother, let’s play it.” She plucked the card out of his hand and laid it on the field. Suddenly Robolady and Roboyarou began to fuse together, and it was obvious to everyone present what card had been played, even though Alyssa’s opponents did not announce it: Polymerization. “Now we’ll summon Super Roboyarou to the field!”

This version of the card was indeed an improvement on its predecessor: it now held an electrified, double-bladed sword in its hand and its armor was generally more powerful and more menacing than before. Its stats were a decent improvement, as well, but it was nowhere near as strong as Alyssa’s monster, in attack or in defense. ((Super Roboyarou: 1200/500))

“Super Roboyarou,” Brother commanded, extending his hand, “attack Penumbral Soldier Lady now!”

Alyssa looked stunned. “What? Your monster is two-hundred points too weak to destroy my Soldier Lady!”

Brother and Sister were not concerned. Their monster ran forth with a battle-ready grunt and tore its blade through the defending monster with surprising ease. The bright blue energy crackled through the black-clad warrior lady and she let out a scream of very tangible pain before vanishing through what could only be described as a gateway to another realm. Alyssa’s fury only grew as she watched this happen.

“You did not know our monster’s special ability?” Sister inquired, looking ashamed. “Oh, we are sorry! You see, it gains power when it battles one of your monsters.” She let out a giggle that suggested she was not, in fact, apologetic. They were apparently ready to win this duel by any means necessary – even leaving their opponent in the dark.

Alyssa was decidedly worried now. Her monsters would find it a difficult task to defeat Super Roboyarou – even though it only technically had 1200 attack points, it really increased to 2200 whenever it did battle with one of her monsters. That meant she had to have something with over 2200 attack points in order to destroy it – but that would be a difficult task with nothing on the field to offer as a Tribute.

“That will be a tough monster to defeat,” Nick commented worriedly. “There are plenty of monsters strong enough to overcome its power boost, but very few of them can be summoned without a sacrifice. . .”

“That’s it!” she thought to herself. “I don’t need to destroy their monster just yet. . . I’ll use its effect to my advantage!” She drew her card and nodded. She had exactly what she needed to give herself an edge against their self-powering monster. “I summon Amazoness Swords Woman to the field, now!” This was the same cloth-clad woman she had used in her duel against Rose Underwood. The warrior wielded a great bronze sword in her hand, but was still able to move with unparalleled grace. Her dirty brown hair looked tousled by the forest in which she lived. “Now I’ll play two magic cards: Ring of Magnetism, and Heart of Clear Water!” ((Amazoness Swords Woman: 1500/1600))

First, a large ring appeared on the Swords Woman’s hand, and everything in the arena somehow gravitated towards her. Her attack points dropped to 1000 as a result of the card’s effect, but no monster would be able to resist attacking her. After this magic card had taken effect, a large drop of water fell out of the sky and bathed the Swords Woman in its otherworldiness. She looked rejuvenated, and even more ready for battle than before. ((Amazoness Swords Woman -> 1000/1100))

“If you thought your last attack was a surprise. . . just watch this. Amazoness Swords Woman, attack now!”

The lithe warrior darted into battle, brandishing her gigantic sword. Her opponent, Super Roboyarou, looked ready: it grunted powerfully and looked stronger as it stared her down. The Amazoness let out a series of skillful cuts and swipes, but she was completely overwhelmed by her foe’s skill. However, she was not destroyed, and somehow her attacks found their way through – two great shockwaves, the aftereffects of her powerful attacks, cut at Brother and Sister’s skin; they howled painfully in shock and dismay. Moreover, the Amazoness was not destroyed by the attack.

“How did you do that?” they demanded in unison. Alyssa merely chuckled.

“Heart of Clear Water prevents my monster from being destroyed in battle – however, it needs a monster with 1300 attack points or less to activate, and that’s where my Ring of Magnetism came in. My Swords Woman also redirects all damage that I would have taken to you, instead – and so you took 1200 damage thanks to your monster’s own power-up effect.”

Indeed, Brother and Sister’s life points had dropped a great deal. The number could not be seen anywhere on the field, however – their great wounds seemed to be the only designator of the damage. That was when Alyssa remembered that this was a duel to the death – presumably, when one duelist’s life points reached 0, they would die. Still, that meant that, with 2800 life points left, Brother and Sister were not far from being defeated. They each had a large gash across their bellies, which looked ready to spew blood at any moment, but thankfully for Alyssa’s already-weakened stomach, the gash was not gory just yet.

“A clever strategy, cupcake!” Brother complimented as he drew his card. “Perhaps you’re better than we gave you credit for, yes?”

“But,” Sister interjected offhandedly as she examined the contents of their hand, “we’re much better still. Watch as this card wipes your strategy right off the field!”

Suddenly a great typhoon of energy roared up in the center of the field, and it slid along towards Alyssa’s Swords Woman. Within moments the beautiful amazon was swept up in its furious gale, and although she was not hurt by it, it was obvious when she returned to the ground that the battle-confidence given to her by the Heart of Clear Water had vanished completely. The magic card Brother and Sister had used, Alyssa knew clearly, was Mystical Space Typhoon.

“That’s odd,” Mai said from the sidelines. “Heart of Clear Water requires a monster to have less than 1300 attack points. . . why didn’t they just use their Typhoon on Ring of Magnetism? They’d kill two birds with one stone.” The euphemism was an unusual choice for her, given that her favourite monsters were Harpies – birds.

Alyssa was wondering the same thing. It did not seem to be an intelligent strategy at all. Now her Amazoness Swords Woman would remain at 1000 attack points, and when they attacked her with Super Roboyarou, they would lose another 1200 Life Points instead of simply 700 as they would if they had allowed her attack to return to normal. She would not be kept in suspense for long, however, as Brother and Sister called out again in unison.

“Now we activate Super Roboyarou’s special ability! Summon Super Robolady!”

The great blue machination on their field performed a backwards leap, vanishing in a flash of light into their Fusion deck. Another monster ejected itself from the deck in the same fashion, and when the light died down, all could see that the new creature was almost a spitting image of the one they had just returned. This one was clearly an upgraded version of the Robolady they had played earlier: its armor was pink and, in general, more feminine than Super Roboyarou’s, though she still wielded a similar double-bladed sword which cracked with energy. Her face was almost completely masked behind a spiked helmet and a red visor. ((Super Robolady: 1200/500))

“Destroy her Swords Woman, our dumpling!” Sister commanded, and the female warrior leapt into battle.

Alyssa was notably confused. “What purpose does that serve? Your power-up effect will still cause you to lose more life points!”

Brother shook his head and made a ‘tch’ sound. “No, poppet. . . our Robolady and Roboyarou may look similar, but they’re very different. Super Robolady doesn’t get stronger when she attacks a monster!”

Suddenly, the genius of their plan was revealed. By attacking with Super Robolady, they would only lose 200 life points, but if they had destroyed Ring of Magnetism, their monster wouldn’t have been strong enough to destroy Alyssa’s Amazoness Swords Woman. Everything went according to plan: the Robolady’s charged blade sliced through the opposing warrior, who was able to bounce back any possible damage before vanishing completely. Brother and Sister were cut yet again, less painfully this time, and Alyssa knew that they were down to 2600 life points.

Despite the fact that she was in the lead by 1400 points, Alyssa was running out of options. With only one card in her hand and no monsters on the field, she needed to conjure something up quickly, or else Brother and Sister’s monsters would run over her with little trouble. She drew her card, but was suddenly stricken with an immense cramping pain in her wrist, causing her to drop it – right into the graveyard.

“Alyssa!” Nick called out, wondering what was wrong. She apparently didn’t hear him, trying to nurse the pain.

“Don’t worry about the little darling,” Sister reassured in her spidery, unassuring voice. “We only activated a little trap card called Drop Off.”

That explained it. Drop Off forced a duelist to immediately send whatever card they just drew to the graveyard, and so it could be used to render their Draw Phase useless. In this case, the pain was much more tangible, however, in more ways than one: the pain surging through Alyssa’s hand was real, and she had just been deprived of a Pot of Greed magic card. “Dammit!” she thought as she watched the card fall to uselessness. “I needed that now more than ever!”

The only card she had in her hand was, unfortunately, just an Amazoness Fighter – it was strong enough to deal with Super Robolady, but as soon as they activated her special ability, they would be able to summon Super Roboyarou in her place, and that would easily trample her fighter. She wouldn’t lose any life points, thanks to its ability, but it wouldn’t get her anywhere.

[i]“Wait a minute. . . maybe I can destroy their monster before they get a chance to use the effect again!”

She immediately played the card, knowing it was her last chance. The butch-looking Fighter woman appeared on the field, brandishing her fists in a threatening stance. She apparently knew that she was much stronger than her target, and would pummel it instantly. “Amazoness Fighter, attack Super Robolady now!” ((Amazoness Fighter: 1500/1500))

The fighter attacked again, with a good degree of confidence this time. It was as though she was certain of her victory, and with fists drawn, she would bring pain to her opponent. Apparently, Alyssa’s plan had worked: her monster tore through Robolady, evoking a cry of pain from the weaker monster, and diminishing her opponent’s life points to 2300. Little by little they were losing this duel – although Alyssa could not bring herself to realize that she was, little by little, killing them. They were apparently used to the pain, however, and the bruises that appeared on their bodies were hardly visible among the cornucopia of gashes and scrapes they had accumulated over the centuries. They even seemed to relish in the pain.

“Oh, that was a good one, wasn’t it, Brother?” Sister commented with a grin.

“Yes, yes! I haven’t felt an attack like that in years,” he agreed. “But things are getting a little risky. Should we kill her now?”

“I think so,” his companion ventured, and Brother drew his card in acknowledgement.

“This has been a wonderful little game, dumpling, but I’m afraid Sister and I are hungry and bored,” Brother warned in a half-playful, half-ominous tone. “Don’t take it personally when we beat you to death with your own monster and then eat your friends alive. It’s just business.”

Alyssa took a step back, shocked at how forward – and gruesome – they were being. Her friends were noticeably shocked as well. Things looked to be in Alyssa’s favour. How could Brother and Sister possibly be in a position to be making threats? She had a monster on the field, where they did not, and they were a full 1700 life points behind her – and their bodies were that much worse for the wear as a result.

“Time to summon the monster that made us what we are, Brother,” Sister said solemnly, plucking a card from his hand and holding it aloft. They both gazed at it with veneration, adoration, and horror, if such a mixture was indeed possible.

“Our gift. . . and our curse,” Brother added with a curt nod of his head. He turned his gaze towards Alyssa and looked mournful. “It’s a pity you have to die this way, but thanks for a wonderful bit of pre-supper entertainment. Do have the pleasure of knowing that you’re our favourite five-course meal.”

“Here we go, Brother! Are you ready?”

The question was directed more at Alyssa than anyone else, but as Sister played the card on the field, Alyssa could only look on in horror and wonder – were they bluffing? They had to be! What could they possibly have that could turn this duel around for them now?

Dark Sage

18th February 2005, 04:00 PM

An interesting chapter to say the least, although the idea of primitive creatures using Machine Monsters is a little strange...

I'm going to make a prediction if I may...

Brother and Sister have the Tarot Beast based on the tarot The Lovers, and it has a special effect similar to Change of Heart.

I even think I know the way Alyssa will defeat the Beast, but I won't give that part away.

Anyway, I await the next chapter. Can Alyssa beat these duelists with their perfect record?

Well, she'd better...

- Venusaur

Ho-oh2001

18th February 2005, 04:15 PM

I won't say too much, since I'll delve more into Brother and Sister's true identities in the next chapter, but suffice to say they're not quite what you think them to be (or what they would have you think they are), and thus there's a reason they use machines.

That, and Roboyarou and Robolady are a perfect match for twin-duelists like them. ;)

Shuppet Master

18th February 2005, 04:43 PM

Wow,really great chapter,Ho-Oh! Those two twisted creatures conjoined at the elbow and dueling Alyssa like that. Luckily, Alyssa wiped out Super Robolady before they could use its effect to power her up by 1000 when it makes a direct attack, or she would have been bleeding herself. :disgust:

mr_pikachu

19th February 2005, 01:01 AM

So the first of the Trials has appeared, and the strange twins are facing... Alyssa? Well, let's hope she can take them down, or her life will be forfeit! Interesting how Mai was able to figure out how the arena worked (or how it didn't work, as it were) so quickly. It's almost as if she knew what was coming...

I liked the dynamic use of setting in this chapter. The echoing sounds, floating decks, duelists and monsters, flashing energy, and many other effects gave this chapter a very nice and ancient feel. You did an excellent job with the arena, and the opposing duelist(s?) was very... original, too.

Some things, though, could have been a little better, methinks. For one thing, the las tattack by Amazoness Swordswoman seemed weird. I mean, why wouldn't they have switched monsters so as to destroy Alyssa's amazon? It doesn't add up, unless the next card required that destruction. And if it required the destroyed monster, maybe it would have been better to have included its summoning/effect in this chapter, rather than to wait until the next one to unleash it. Also, the speech by the twins seemed a little too Gollum-like, if you get my drift. Not that I'm necessarily saying it's a ripoff, but it did seem a little overused. (I remember the same technique used in the Eoin Colfer novel, "The Wish List", as well.)

All in all, though, this was good. Very unique character(s), and nice arena. Alyssa's defense of Nick was good, too, as was the continued issue of whether Nick feels more romantically for Alyssa or Rebecca. C'mon, you know the question's there! ;) Anyway, I'll see you next chapter! :wave:

Ho-oh2001

19th February 2005, 10:41 PM

Well, I've finally finished chapter 19, at some personal expense, I might add. ;) But I'm happy to do it. ^^ We'll learn a little bit about who Brother and Sister really are, and find out just what that card is that they were about to summon at the end of the last chapter (as if you didn't already know ;)). Enjoy!

* * * * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Legacy of Tarot

Chapter 19: The Test of Tarotenam (Part 2)

Nick was apparently the only one to realize what horror Brother and Sister were about to unleash, for as they held the card in their hand, he could feel its energy calling out to him. His own two Tarot cards responded in full – The Ruling One and the Unholy Eclipse longed for freedom. Perhaps they were warning him about the immense power their sibling wielded and the horror that was about to be unleashed upon his friend.

Mai’s card was reacting, too, but she was scarcely aware of it. She was not as keen to its wishes and feelings as Nick was, because she had never used it, or even seen it in battle – and anyway, it was the Queen of Secrets, and thus not a terribly vocal card in and of itself. But nevertheless, it, too, was calling out to her, warning her – the alert fell on deaf ears.

Either way, Alyssa had no way of knowing – or at the very least, no way of avoiding – the terrible power that was about to befall her. Even if Nick and Mai could warn her about the Tarot card’s power, she would have to face it on her own, and trust in her own abilities. As Sister brought the card down on the field, the world seemed to grind to a stop. Alyssa could almost feel the reverberating heart-beat of the card as it struggled to free itself from its bindings.

“We summon the Dark Desire Twins!!”

Suddenly the magical arena began emitting large clouds of smoke, which was barred in by the barrier surrounding the Siblings and Alyssa. Although Nick, Mark, and the others were shielded from the gas, they could hear the familiar sound of Alyssa’s coughing on the inside. It sounded as though she was suffocating, and it served as a painful reminder that this was not a typical clash between holograms – that was real smoke, and she was in real danger.

“Alyssa! Hold on!” Mark cried, pounding on the thick wall of energy separating them. He knew that telling her to get out of there would be pointless, because it was impossible. The only thing she could do was hold strong and face this with every ounce of her strength.

Soon the cloud of inky blackness began to die down, and when it faded away, the source of the commotion could be seen. Standing in front of Brother and Sister, facing each other and locked in a warm embrace, two strange creatures stared at Alyssa with dark eyes and a seductive gaze. One was a male and the other a female, just like their master. The female was what mythology would call a succubus – she was a beautiful, seductive demon with small bat-wings sprouting through her red hair at the top of her head. Her amazingly perfect body was almost naked, except for the few patches of leathery skin that created makeshift clothes covering her more provocative bits.

Her companion was the male counterpart to a succubus – he was an incubus. Alyssa was almost smitten with his sheer handsomeness, until she realized that he was a demonic figure that could easily crush her and end her life right there. His muscles were rippling and he looked like an attractive body-builder. His hair was also red, but shorter and messier than his lover’s, and he also had bat-wings sprouting out of the top of his head. He wore tight leathery pants formed from his own skin. ((Dark Desire Twins: 2900/2800))

“. . . oh my. . .” Mai stuttered. She seemed flustered, and played with her hair as if completely seduced by the incubus. It was an irrational reaction, because she knew exactly what kind of beast it was and what power it held, but it seemed to have some kind of power over her, and all her morals couldn’t resist it.

Nick and Mark were similarly entranced by the succubus. Each seemed to think that she was staring directly at him, and it took every shred of their restraint to keep them from trying futilely to break through the barrier that separated them from the duel.

“Men,” Alyssa muttered under her breath. She had almost fallen under the spell of the Dark Desire Twins, too, but remembering that her life was on the line in this duel was sufficient fuel for her desire to win at any cost.

“Now, we must show you our monster’s special ability!” Brother announced, and he extended his hand authoritatively. The wings on both the Dark Desire Twins’ heads fluttered, and somehow produced enough lift to allow them to rise into the air. They hovered over to Alyssa’s side of the field and encircled her Amazoness Fighter, holding her in their embrace. The incubus nuzzled the Fighter’s cheek with his hand and she was immediately smitten – she showed no resistance as they took her over to their side of the field.

“What did you do to my monster?!” Alyssa fumed, eyes wide with shock.

“Every turn, our Dark Desire Twins can seduce one of your monsters,” Sister explained with a giggle. “Of course, we can only take one at a time. . . but since you only have one monster, it wasn’t a difficult choice.”

“But it gets better,” Brother continued with a malicious grin. “Our two monsters have 4400 attack points, you see. . . that’s more than enough to tenderize our prey with just one blow!”

“Oh, my heart’s all a-flutter, Brother! Don’t keep me in suspense!”

“Alright, Sister. . . shall we do the honours?”

Brother and Sister grinned and pointed to Alyssa with a hungry countenance. They shouted in unison, “Dark Desire Twins, attack our supper now! Blackheart attack!”

Standing back to back, both of the Dark Desire Twins blew a seductive kiss in Alyssa’s direction. This was no mere symbol of affection, however: instantly, a gigantic black heart fashioned of shadowy energy appeared in front of them, hovering on its own in the air. When they extended their hands in unison, their weapon took its cue, and launched forth.

Alyssa was prepared, and she flipped over one of her two face-down cards to deflect the attack. “This should stop you: I activate Waboku!”

Before the Blackheart attack could reach its intended target, three blue-robed priests appeared on the field to protect her. The immense power of the attack obliterated them, but Alyssa’s life points were untouched. Brother and Sister looked disappointed, but hardly defeated. Their monster was still powerful, and they could take control of whatever creature Alyssa might summon to defend herself. That meant that anything she used could very easily be turned against her.

“Alyssa!” Nick called, breaking her trance. “You can beat this! It’s just like a monster version of Change of Heart! You hate that card, remember?”

Alyssa’s eyes snapped open. Of course! Change of Heart was her least favourite card, at least when used against her, and she knew that it could very easily turn a duel around in her opponent’s favour – if she let it. So she had placed a method of defeating it in her deck. Now she only needed to draw it. . . but with nothing in her hand, she had very few options until then.

Unfortunately, she didn’t have the rare Card of Sanctity like Nick did, so she couldn’t count on drawing it to get her out of this situation. She drew her card hesitantly and prayed that it would be enough to save her.

“I play Swords of Revealing Light!” she announced proudly. Suddenly a shower of bright energy swords rained down from the sky, encasing Brother and Sister’s monsters in a cage. None of them could even move, let alone attack – and Alyssa knew it would stay this way for three turns, giving her a chance to think up a strategy. However, her opponents would be afforded the same protection, more or less, since Alyssa had nothing on her field that could threaten them.

“Oh, poo!” Sister said, very dismayed. “Why is she stopping us, Brother? I’m so hungry!”

“Maybe that’s why she’s stopping you, freak!” Mai called furiously. “Believe it or not, most people don’t like the idea of getting killed by Duel Monsters.”

“Well, like it or not, it’s going to happen,” Brother said in a perturbed voice. “You can’t avoid our Dark Desire Twins forever.”

“I don’t need to avoid them forever,” Alyssa countered. “Just long enough to draw the card that will render them completely useless. Now make your move before I get really mad.”

Brother snarled and drew his card. “We can’t do much, so we’ll end our turn.”

It was music to Alyssa’s ears. No cards played on the field meant that she didn’t have to rack her brain worrying about even more surprises. The Dark Desire Twins had been enough for an entire year’s worth of dueling. “I’ll draw, then.”

Finally, the deck was showing her a little love! “Now I play Double Spell! By discarding another magic card from my hand, I can play one from my graveyard: and I choose Pot of Greed! Of course you know that this magic card lets me draw two cards from my deck.” Things were starting to look up. She had turned her hand into something more useful, and she still had two more turns to work out a strategy. Looking through her hand, the plan was starting to come together. She placed a card face-down and ended her turn.

“We’ll forfeit our turn once again,” Sister announced as Brother drew a card. This was highly unorthodox. With 6 cards in their hand, how could they not have something to play while they waited for Swords of Revealing Light to wear off? Either way, it still meant that Alyssa had one turn more that she wouldn’t have to worry about her opponent’s tricks.

“Alright, but you still won’t be able to attack on your next turn.” She drew her card, making her hand size 2, and examined her prospects. “This time I’ll play a monster face-down. Your move.” The image of a face-down card appeared on her side of the field, rising up out of the ground.

“Very well,” Brother said, and he picked up his seventh card. Alyssa knew they had to play something now, or else they would have to discard one card to the graveyard. Much to her surprise, they did nothing of the sort. As they ended their turn, Brother dropped one card to the graveyard, but Alyssa couldn’t see what it was.

“What are they doing?” Mark questioned, looking pensive. “Surely they must have something worth playing in their hand. Why would they discard a card to the graveyard instead?”

“I don’t know,” Nick said gravely, “but I don’t like it. It’s too simple. Alyssa, be careful!”

She nodded. Now she was worried. Despite the fact that her strategy was coming together nicely, her opponents seemed to have one of their own. They were talented; she knew that – there was therefore no way that they simply didn’t have anything good in their hand. There must have been some reason they just threw away that card. . . but what was it? “I’ll just end my turn,” she said calmly. Brother and Sister grinned.

“Very well, dumpling,” Sister said. Brother drew a card quickly. They made no mention of why they had discarded a card earlier instead of playing something, and the strategy was made all the more confusing by the fact that they began their turn by placing two cards face-down. “Now, as we promised, we’ll beat you with your own monster. Amazoness Fighter, destroy dumpling’s face-down card!”

The entranced warrior could not resist her new masters, and the command seemed to come from Brother and Sister but through their Dark Desire Twins. Although the Amazoness Fighter bore no loyalty to the former, she was enthralled by the latter, and immediately darted forth to attack her prey.

A blinding fist of fury was unleashed upon Alyssa’s face-down monster, but things did not go exactly as planned. “Meet the Amazoness Priestess!” Now a robed woman with strawberry-blonde hair was kneeling where the face-down card once sat, crossing her glimmering opal staff across her body. The Fighter punched and punched, but to no avail – the target’s defense was too strong. “With 2000 defense points, your Fighter – my Fighter – can’t defeat my Priestess. Unfortunately, you don’t lose any Life Points thanks to Amazoness Fighter’s special ability. . . But there’s one more thing you should know.” ((Amazoness Priestess: 800/2000))

The Priestess suddenly stood up and extended her staff in the Fighter’s direction. The stadium was bathed in an iridescent glow, and when this died down, the entranced monster was nowhere to be seen. Only the Amazoness Priestess knelt on the field, faced with the Dark Desire Twins who beckoned to her. “Whenever my Amazoness Priestess is attacked,” Alyssa explained, “the attacking monster is returned to your hand – but since the Amazoness Fighter was my monster, she comes back to me, instead.”

Brother and Sister merely laughed. “As much as we’ll miss your dear Amazoness Fighter,” Brother said mockingly, extending his hand, “I think we’ll get over it!”

Once again the incubus worked his magic and blew a kiss in the Amazoness Priestess’ direction. She was completely drawn in by his charms, and came without a fight to the opposing side of the field. Brother and Sister looked completely delighted.

“Damn. . .” Alyssa thought to herself as she drew her card. “Now I’ll have to destroy her Dark Desire Twins, because anything I use to attack Amazoness Priestess will get returned to my hand.” But with 2900 attack points, the Dark Desire Twins seemed unbeatable – and it was protected by two face-down cards, as well. It was highly unlikely that she’d draw anything that could take it down, especially without any monsters on the field.

As she looked at her card, her fortunes changed.

“I’ll lay a card face-down,” she said, bringing her trap-count to three. “I’ll also summon Amazoness Fighter back to the field.” The familiar face was once again ready for battle, certainly needing no more introductions. ((Amazoness Fighter: 1500/1500))

“What, is that all?” Sister mused. “I think she needs another demonstration, Brother.”

“Yes, Sister. Dark Desire Twins, attack her Amazoness Fighter now!”

“Do whatever you like,” Alyssa cut in, “but first let me show you something. It’s time to bring my monster back where it belongs. Activate Remove Brainwashing!”

Nick smiled and nodded his head. This was the card he had been referring to before. Remove Brainwashing was the card Alyssa had added to her deck to keep herself safe from the multiple control-switching cards that she hated so much.

The lights surrounding the arena hummed to life again, and suddenly the Amazoness Priestess looked energized and refreshed. The spell over her had been broken, and she quickly returned to Alyssa’s side of the field. The Blackheart attack could not be stopped by this turn of events, however, and so Amazoness Fighter was still destroyed by the blast. However, thanks to its effect, Alyssa didn’t lose any Life Points – and more importantly, she had neutralized the charming effect her opponent’s monster had on hers.

“What did you do? Dark Desire Twins, enrapture that Priestess now!” Sister ordered. As much as the demon-twins tried, their best efforts could not lull the priestess again. Brother and Sister were notably furious.

“My Remove Brainwashing trap card returns control of every monster on the field to their original owners – and it will stay that way as long as the trap remains on the field. Your Dark Desire Twins are nothing but a fancy beat-stick now.” Alyssa drew her card and placed it on the field. “If you’re quite finished, I’ll summon Amazoness Paladin to the field. I’ll also reveal my face-down card: Amazoness Spellcaster!”

The blonde-haired paladin wielded a thin, steel longsword. She was dressed in simple brown clothes that bore more of a resemblance to rags than anything else. Suddenly, however, as she was surrounded by the magic of the spellcaster behind her, the Amazoness Paladin looked suddenly beefed up – and the Dark Desire Twins looked much weaker. ((Amazoness Paladin: 1700/300 -> 2900/300))
((Dark Desire Twins: 2900/2600 -> 1700/2600))

“The Amazoness Spellcaster allows me to switch the attack points of one of your monsters with those of one of my amazons – that means your Dark Desire Twins lose almost half of their attack points, whereas my Paladin becomes almost twice as strong!” Alyssa smirked and extended her hand, ready to attack. “But there’s one more thing: my Paladin also gains 100 extra attack points for every Amazoness monster on my side of the field – there are two, so her attack increases to 3100! Now, Amazoness Paladin, destroy the Dark Desire Twins with your Justice Blade strike!”

The Amazoness Paladin let out a quick cheer and leapt into battle, bringing her sword down on the incubus first, and then arcing it to the side to slice the succubus in half as well. Brother and Sister had other plans. “Not so fast! We can’t let our monster be destroyed like that! Activate Mirror Force!”

The great barrier of glass appeared in front of the Dark Desire Twins, ready to protect them from the oncoming attack – but Alyssa was ready. “Don’t insult me! Do you think I wouldn’t expect a trap like that when you had two on the field? Activate Royal Decree!”

Just as quickly as it had been erected the barrier shattered into a million pieces which fell helplessly to the floor at the feet of the Dark Desire Twins. The Paladin’s attack went through with ease, and both monsters met their fate by her powerful blade. Brother and Sister felt the amazing shockwave of the attack, and lost 1400 life points as a result. They now stood at only 1200, and were just inches from death.

“Yeah!” Nick called, jumping up in the air. He looked genuinely happy for the first time in days. “You did it! You beat their Tarot monster!”

“Awesome work, Alyssa!” Mark added with a grin. “Now that their best monster is out of the way, you’ll be able to waltz over them in no time!”

Brother snarled and turned furiously to Sister. “What did you do? How did she defeat our Tarot beast?”

“What did I do?!” she fired back, thrusting herself in his face. “Don’t you dare blame me! Blame the master! He said the Dark Desire Twins were unbeatable!”

As she said this, Brother took a deep breath and nodded, regaining his composure. “You are right, Sister. Anyway. . . we’re not beaten yet. Our Tarot card may have been a powerful beast, but we were powerful even before Lord Tarot gave it to us. . .”

“Yes. . . we should summon our true monster now, Brother.”

He nodded his head and picked up a card. “If you thought our Dark Desire Twins were bad. . . just wait until we bring out our next monster.” His voice was decidedly more serious now, losing any of the psychotically-joyous qualities it once had. His true battle-spirit was showing through now.

“We play Monster Reborn!” A strange-looking sorcerer appeared on the field. He was dressed in shimmering green robes and was hunched over a gnarled wooden staff. “This is Fusionist Sage! When this monster is summoned, we can summon one Fusion monster from our deck for one turn. . . however, if we special summon it instead, we can bring two Fusion monsters out,” Sister explained.

It was at this point that their plan became somewhat clearer. Alyssa realized that Fusionist Sage must have been the card they discarded several turns ago – they had purposely allowed their hand to fill up so that they could discard it and return it to the field later. She also knew what cards they would summon with its effect – Super Roboyarou and Super Robolady reappeared on the field, one standing on each side of the wizard who summoned them

“Going back to your roots, I see,” Alyssa commented confidently. “But I defeated those monsters once. And this time they’ll return to the Fusion deck at the end of turn.”

“It won’t even take that long,” Sister retorted with a laugh. She picked another card out of her brother’s hand and played it on the field. “We play Rise of the Machines!”

Suddenly the two super-robots were encased in raging auras of electricity, so shockingly white that they threatened to permanently blind everyone who gazed upon them. Although no one could actually see it, the two monsters were again fusing together and growing in size, forming a beast so large that it almost reached the very top of the grand cavern. As the light dimmed, Alyssa let out a scream of shock and nearly toppled backwards down the stairs – a gigantic spider-man was staring down at her with red, steely eyes. It looked a lot like Super Roboyarou, except improved in every way: its armor was thicker, its spikes were deadlier, it had four spidery robot legs instead of two humanoid ones, and in each of its two hands it held the same manner of double-bladed sword that its predecessor wielded – only each was easily bigger than the Super Roboyarou itself. “Now you’ll face one of our ultimate creatures – Roboyarou: Epsilon!” ((Roboyarou: Epsilon: 3300/2500))

“What the hell is that thing?” Mai shouted, craning her neck to see just how high up the beast stood. “It’s enormous!”

Bertram did not look as amazed or frightened. Rather, he seemed confused. “That’s odd. . .”

“What is it, Bertram?” Nick asked, turning around.

“Brother and Sister claim to be centuries old, but most of their monsters are technological marvels of the Duel Monsters world. It seems out of place.”

“Roboyarou: Epsilon,” Brother explained solemnly, “is one of the reasons we became gatekeepers in the first place. . . Do you remember, Sister?”

“I. . . think I do, Brother. Just barely. It was so long ago. . .”

*

“Roboyarou: Epsilon, attack his Red-Eyes Black Dragon now!” a male voice called. He was standing side-by-side with a female of about the same age as his lumbering beast went into action, crushing the comparatively-minuscule dragon under one of its many feet. Their opponent, a young boy of nondescript features, looked dismayed as his Life Points dropped to 0.

“Wow! What a display of power, ladies and gentlemen!” an announcer called out over the loudspeaker. “What a fitting end to the first-ever international Duel Monsters tournament! Please give a hand for our new world champions!”

*

“We were champions,” Brother said quietly, looking distracted, “of the first tournament ever held in the sport of Duel Monsters. . . we crushed the competition and made history with our powerful tactics.”

“Brother and I got into Duel Monsters as a way of strengthening out bond, but when we realized how amazingly talented we were, we couldn’t stop,” Sister continued. “We knew that we were destined for greatness.”

“Yes, and so we entered the first Duel Monsters tournament, sponsored by the president of Industrial Illusions, the company responsible for globalizing the sport. . . it was no surprise that we rose instantly to the top.”

Mark had been looking pensive during their reminiscing, but now he suddenly spoke up, a look of understanding on his face. “Oh! I know you! There was an article in the newspaper celebrating the first centennial anniversary of Duel Monsters, and it mentioned you two! You’re Robert and Jenna Jameson!”

Alyssa turned to face him and tilted her head to the side, looking confused. “What? But how is that possible? They’re. . . hardly even human! And how would the first world champions wind up here in Tarotenam?”

“Well,” Mark continued, “no one knows what happened to them. Shortly after their first global victory, Jenna and Robert Jameson disappeared. It was speculated that they wanted to live out their married life in seclusion, away from the prying eyes of the media, who were crazed over the new sport.”

“. . . did you say married life?” Mai interjected quickly, looking shocked. “But they’re siblings!”

“No. . .” Sister – or Jenna? – said, looking as though she was fighting hard with her memories. “No, we’re not. . . we are the people he says we are. We were. . . married. Weren’t we, Brother?”

“Yes, I believe we were. . .” Brother replied. It was hard for anyone to know by what name he should be addressed, since he was technically Robert Jameson, but had been under the impression for so long that his name was Brother.

“Alright,” Alyssa began, “so if you’re really the first two world champions, then what did happen to you? How did you get here?”

*

“We were great, Robert!” Jenna said excitedly, planting a kiss on her husband’s cheek.

“Of course we were,” he replied with a smile, returning the kiss. “Now aren’t you glad I entered us?”

“Of course! It was so exhilarating! I’ve never been so happy,” she answered.

“And why shouldn’t you be?” a voice spoke from behind them, unfamiliar to either of them. “You were the best.”

Robert and Jenna whipped around and demanded to know who he was. Considering the fact that they were now in their private hotel suite, it was highly disturbing that anyone could get in without their knowledge of it. “What are you doing here? How did you get in?”

“My name is unimportant,” he said, rising from a chair in the corner of the room. Most of his figure was blackened out by the blinding sunlight shining through the window behind him. “And you needn’t concern yourself with how I got in.” His voice was calming and melodic, somehow, and even though he was breaking and entering, the married couple found themselves caring less and less.

“The hell we don’t,” Robert said in a lackluster tone. It was obvious that he was falling more and more under the mysterious stranger’s trance. The strange man merely held out a card, a Duel Monsters card, so that both of them could see it.

“I am here to give you power greater than you could ever imagine,” he said in his deep voice. “This tournament is not deserving of you. . . don’t you agree?”

By now they were in a trance, both under his words and the hypnotic power of the card in his hand. Its name read “Dark Desire Twins”, and as they gazed upon its surface they found that they could not look away. It occurred to them that they would do whatever they could to get that card in their grasp.

“You can have this card,” the cloaked figure said smoothly. He took a step toward them. “You need only join me in my endeavour. Become my soldiers and I will give you all the power in the world.”

They were hardly listening by this point. They simply nodded in unison, willing to do whatever this glorious stranger asked. Somehow they knew he had smiled underneath his dark hood, and he looked like an angel bathed in a halo of sunlight as he stepped forth once more and gave them their card. As their hands extended and they grabbed it together, Robert and Jenna Jameson somehow knew that their lives would never be the same.

*

“The Master brought us here and said that we would guard his sanctuary from intruders. . . intruders who, he said, would try to steal our power. Of course we believed him. He was an angel,” Sister said, looking forlorn.

“But our lives were forever changed,” Brother said solemnly. “We were forbidden to ever leave this place, to ever have any contact with the outside world. . . we had to fight at our maximum strength or else we would lose all the power he had promised us.”

“So. . . you really haven’t been here for as long as you say you have,” Alyssa said. It was hard to tell whether she looked relieved.

“Well, it’s understandable,” Mai interjected. “With no contact with the outside world. . . they would have a completely distorted perception of time. A day could very well seem like an eternity to them.”

“Alright,” Nick commented, “then how did they. . . you know. . . get joined together like that?”

“It’s not too hard to imagine,” Bertram answered. “We already know that the masters of Tarot beasts take on the properties of their cards. . . this was simply a side-effect of being under the Dark Desire Twins’ influence for so long.”

“That’s. . . awful. . .” Alyssa said sadly, thinking of how it must be to lose one’s freedom like that.

Brother and Sister nodded in unison. They looked lost in memories that no one had drudged up in so long, and none of them seemed happy. It must have been a terrible life – having no freedom from one another, having no contact with the outside world, forced to live a life of constant dueling, knowing that they could never even die to escape from the torture unless they lost – but Tarot would not allow them to lose.

“But you don’t have to live like this any more,” she pleaded, stepping forward. “Just end this madness and let us through! Nobody has to die here!”

Brother merely chuckled. “We started thinking like that. . . then the master told us that he would subject us to a fate worse than death if we ever disobeyed him again. He said that not even dying would protect us from him then.”

Sister nodded her head and started to regain her usual psychotic composure. “No! We must defeat you! We must kill you or the master will punish us! Roboyarou: Epsilon, destroy her Amazoness Paladin immediately!!”

The great beast didn’t even need to move its legs – it merely swung one of its gigantic arms, and the blade sliced through the air easily. The Paladin barely even resisted the mammoth strike, and she was obliterated instantly. “Roboyarou: Epsilon has a special ability,” Brother explained. “Whenever it attacks one of your monsters, its attack points increase by half of the difference between its score and yours. That means Roboyarou: Epsilon has 4000 attack points for this attack!” ((Roboyarou: Epsilon -> 4000/2500))

Alyssa felt excruciating pain tear through her body as the attack vanquished her monster. The 2100 points of damage she received felt like as many small knives cutting up her body. Indeed, scrapes and cuts appeared all over her as her skin broke in several places, unable to withstand the pressure. She let out a cry that seemed to echo for hours in the dark cavern, prompting Nick and Mark to pound furiously and futilely on the energy barrier.

“Alyssa!” Nick called with worry in his eyes. “Are you okay?!”

“I’m fine,” she reassured, pushing aside the pain. “That may be a tough monster, but I think I have a way of toppling it.”

Sister merely laughed. “You can’t fool us, little darling! Our monster will only get stronger, no matter what you throw at it.”

“Will it?”

Brother and Sister looked taken aback by her stone determination. What could she be talking about? Every time a monster did battle with their Roboyarou: Epsilon, its attack points would increase by half the difference of their attack scores. . . certainly there was no way she could topple it!

“What?” Brother hissed in shock. “You’re bluffing!”

Alyssa chuckled through her suffering and shook her head. “You’re so. . . forgetful,” she grunted, plucking a card out of her hand. “You’ve completely forgotten the strategy I used against your first Roboyarou. . .”

As her monster appeared on the field, Brother and Sister looked completely flabbergasted. “The Amazoness Swords Woman? Not her! Not again!!”

The familiar visage of the Swords Woman was once again on the field, and Brother and Sister knew that it would be the harbinger of their demise. The last time Alyssa had summoned her to the field, their Amazoness Swords Woman had taken advantage of Super Roboyarou’s power-up effect to deal a large amount of damage to Brother and Sister’s Life Points. Now their monster was even more powerful, and its effect was just as potent.

“Don’t take this personally,” Alyssa warned, straightening herself. “But this is the only way to save myself and my friends – and you.” Brother and Sister looked aghast as she said these words, and apparently had no idea what she was talking about. “It’s the only way. Amazoness Swords Woman. . . attack Roboyarou: Epsilon now.”

There was no energy in her command, but that was not a prerequisite for the Swords Woman’s obedience. She leapt into battle with a furious rage, and was unflinching even faced with a monster several times her size. As fast as she was, her opponent was faster and stronger. It brought both of its energy blades down on her with crushing ferocity, and the Swords Woman was only able to lash out with an attack of her own before being completely devastated by the attack. ((Roboyarou: Epsilon -> 4200/2500))

But Brother and Sister knew that it was already too late. They couldn’t activate their only trap card, thanks to Royal Decree, and Amazoness Swords Woman’s effect would cause them to take all the battle damage instead of their opponent. The waves of energy sent forth by the Swords Woman’s deft abilities tore through their body, causing pain that even they had never known before. The only thing they could feel was the torment of having their very lives sucked out of them.

But it was not all bad. The embrace of death was something almost. . . welcoming to Brother and Sister. They knew that now they could die in peace – they had done everything they could, fought their absolute best, to stop the intruders, and they had been defeated at their own game. The final wave of energy ripped vertically between them, slicing their conjoined arms apart, and for the first time in one hundred years, Brother and Sister were two separate beings again.

The minute their life forces were extracted from their bodies, the magical barrier surrounding the duel faded, and they flew backwards to the ground. Alyssa’s friends rushed up to congratulate her, but she pushed past them and dashed around the arena, trying madly to reach Brother and Sister – Robert and Jenna, now – in time. She quickly dropped to their side and looked mournful as they gazed up at her.

“Do not feel burdened,” Jenna began, looking up with a sweet, weak smile at Alyssa’s tearful form.

“You have saved us from a fate worse than this,” Robert comforted. “You have saved us from the choice between life eternal – a curse in itself – or feeling a pain worse than death at the hands of our master.”

Alyssa could not bring herself to speak, but she simply smiled through her tears and nodded down at them, caressing their faces. Despite their scars and bruises, and the tortures they had endured at the hands of their master, she could finally see how beautiful these two people once were, before they were twisted by Tarot’s magic.

Robert and Jenna rolled towards each other until they were resting on their stomachs, and then they extended and held each other’s hands, looking softly into each other’s eyes. “Thank you, Alyssa. . .” they said quietly in unison.

“Shall we take our next step. . . Jenna?” Robert asked with a weak smile. His wife nodded at him and forced a feeble laugh.

“Yes, of course. . .”

And then they were gone. Their bodies lay limp against the cold, stony ground of the immense cavern, and Alyssa knew that for the first time in a century they were truly at peace. She stood up and brushed the tears off her cheek as the rest of the group came up to console her. They knew this was a very trying time for her – she had just taken two lives, and no matter the motive, it was a difficult thing to go through.

“Alyssa. . .” Nick began, stepping closer to her. She could say nothing, but merely threw herself towards him and buried herself in his arms. He was shocked, but said nothing, and comforted her in silence.

It was an awkward moment for everyone. They knew they had to press on if they wanted any chance of saving Rebecca, but saying so at a time like this would be considered cold-hearted. Thankfully for them, none would have to speak up – the corpses of Robert and Jenna broke the tension for them.

Suddenly the two bodies were bathed in a soft, iridescent glow, and as everyone in the group turned to look, they could swear they saw the forms of the two lovers stand up and walk again. Alyssa, confused and hopeful, took a step forward, praying that maybe everything would work out alright without her having to kill anyone. But as the light dimmed, she realized that the two forms were not Robert and Jenna at all – in fact, their corpses had disappeared completely, and were replaced by the humanoid forms of the Dark Desire Twins.

“You have shown us the power of true love,” the succubus said sweetly, her dark, sultry voice filling the air like strong perfume.

“We have not felt it in a century, not since our masters were first introduced to us,” the incubus continued. “They were deeply in love then, but it faded over the years as they rotted away here and as their madness grew.”

“You have demonstrated the true limits of the human heart,” said the succubus. “You put yourself at risk for another, and found a way to save a tortured, pitiable couple from a fate worse than death.”

“You are a testament to the human race. You have renewed our faith in you. We grant you our power and our loyalty – may the power of your love never fade,” the incubus whispered with finality. Then both forms began to glow again, and they compressed themselves into the form of their card, which hovered into Alyssa’s grasp.

She smiled as she looked down upon it. They looked happier now. . . perhaps they had been twisted by madness as much as Robert and Jenna had. “Do not fear, Alyssa,” their voices called out in unison, inside her mind. “We will always be with you. Take the trials. Let love guide your hand always.”

She nodded and placed the card in her deck, where she knew it would have a permanent home. Then, turning to the group with a smile, she said, “Alright, let’s get this show on the road. Rebecca clearly isn’t saving herself!”

They all nodded in unison, and as they moved towards the grand, stone double-doors in the rear of the room, they found that they, too, opened easily and autonomously, expecting them to pass. They all stepped through together, ready to face whatever other trials the ancient sanctuary of the Tarot beasts could possibly throw at them. And Alyssa knew that no matter what tribulation she would have to face, Robert and Jenna would be watching over her.

* * * * *

Amazoness Priestess
Group: Warrior/Effect
Type: EARTH
Level: 4
ATK: 800
DEF: 2000
Artwork: A solemn-looking woman in shimmering robes. She wields a staff crafted from opal.
Effect: A monster that attacks this card is returned to its owner's hand after damage calculation.

Fusionist Sage
Group: Spellcaster/Effect
Type: DARK
Level: 2
ATK: 600
DEF: 300
Artwork: An old man dressed in green robes, hunched over a gnarled wooden staff.
Effect: If this monster is successfully normal summoned, special summon one monster from your Fusion deck. If this monster is special summoned, special summon two monsters from your Fusion deck. At the end of the turn in which this card is summoned, return the selected monsters to the Fusion deck.

Rise of the Machines
Group: Magic
Type: NORMAL
Artwork: A robotic hand wielding a double-bladed sword, rising from a pile of rubble.
Effect: Activate this card only when "Super Robolady" and "Super Roboyarou" are on your side of the field. Send "Super Robolady" and "Super Roboyarou" to the Fusion deck and special summon "Roboyarou: Epsilon" or "Robolady: Sigma" from the hand or deck in face-up Attack or Defense position.

Roboyarou: Epsilon
Group: Machine/Effect
Type: Earth
Level: 8
ATK: 3300
DEF: 2500
Artwork: A gigantic version of Roboyarou. He wields a double-bladed weapon in each of his massive hands, and has four mechanical, spidery legs instead of humanoid ones.
Effect: This card can only be summoned by the effect of "Rise of the Machines". During your turn, you may send this monster to the graveyard in order to Special Summon "Robolady: Sigma" from the hand, deck, or graveyard. When this monster does battle with an opponent's monster, increase its ATK by half of the difference between its original ATK and the ATK of the opposing monster.

* * * * *

And of course, the Tarot card!

Dark Desire Twins
Tarot Equivalent: The Lovers
Image: A succubus and an incubus locked in a passionate embrace. Their wings are wrapped around each other as they kiss, and a black heart floats through the background.
Attribute: Dark
Type: Fiend
Kind: Effect
Level: 9
Attack: 2900
Defense: 2800
Card Text: Lovers that act together as one, the Dark Desire Twins are passionate lovers and fierce fighters. It is often better to leave them to their embrace than to disturb them, as they will protect each other until the end.
Effect: This card does not require a Tribute to be summoned into battle. Once during your turn, you may select a monster on your opponent’s side of the field. Take control of the selected monster. If you use this effect to take control of another monster, return control of the first monster to your opponent. As long as you have control of one of your opponent’s monsters by this card’s effect, Dark Desire Twins cannot be designated as the target of an attack.

[EDIT] Forgot the write-up for Amazoness Priestess. Oops!

Dark Sage

19th February 2005, 11:05 PM

I was right!

The Tarot Beast was The Lovers! I was also right in my hunch that Alyssa would use Amazoness Spellcaster to defeat it.

I'd also like to pose a theory.

Given what we've seen so far, it at first seems that the Tarots are evil. But I think, rather, the Tarot Beasts cannot distiguish between Good and Evil, at least in basic form. When one philosophy proves itself to be superior over teh other in their presence, they learn, and adjust.

Thus, the Dark Desire Twins began as evil. But when they saw that good was a much more desirable force, they lost their evil nature and turned to good.

At any rate, Alyssa now has her first Tarot - now the only member of the group missing one is Mark, but I'm certain he'll obtain one soon.

Oh, and I'm glad that there was at least a happy ending for Robert and Jenna. It seems the evil behind them is one that will commit any attrocity to reach its goal. I can only wait to see what happens next...

- Venusaur

Ho-oh2001

19th February 2005, 11:36 PM

You're on the right track with your theory, Venusaur. Again I don't want to say too much, because the Tarot cards should be as much of a mystery to you all as they are to our group. But yes, your theory is a valid one -- we have already seen the Unholy Eclipse defect to the heroes' side because it, as an embodiment of raw power, was impressed by Nick. The Dark Desire Twins, therefore, as an embodiment of love in its many forms, joined Alyssa as they were impressed by her passion.

But were all the Tarot beasts initially evil? I wonder...

At any rate, stay tuned as our heroes bravely battle through the Trials of Tarotenam -- secrets will be revealed and history will be unearthed as the fight to save Rebecca continues!

Shuppet Master

20th February 2005, 01:08 PM

I really enjoyed this chapter. So, so far we've seen The Magician, The Fool, The Emperor, The Sun, The High Priestess, and The Lovers. That just leaves The Empress, The Moon, The Tower, The World, The Judgement...bah, I don't remember all the cards. :(

I was thinking of writing a similar fic, where the heroes have to go find twelve cards related to the symbols of the Chinese Zodiac. :) Anyways,I'll see you next chappie. :wave:

mr_pikachu

20th February 2005, 11:09 PM

So the battle has been decided. Interesting that "Brother" and "Sister" were actually modern-day duelists, and champions at that. I wondered about their futuristic monsters as well, but I merely attributed it to my assumption that even truly ancient duelists could summon modernized creatures from the alternate dimension of Duel Monsters. I guess the Tarot card they possessed really did hold great power over them. Just like all the other Tarot cards...

I thought the descriptions in this chapter were very well done and highly detailed. While the Dark Desire Twins went well beyond the... "rating" that you typically see in a fanfic here, they were still well-described. The other monsters were done well, too; I liked the job you did on Roboyarou: Epsilon and Amazoness Priestess. The character background was nice, as well, even though I personally dislike outright flashbacks.

However, there were a few things that could have been better, I think. First of all, keep putting more and more time into your editing each chapter. I noticed a few errors in this chapter, ranging from incorrect punctuation to missing words. Also, try to work on keeping your characters' dialect fairly constant. I noticed that during this chapter, Brother and Sister lost the "primitive" word usage and ignorance that they had in the last chapter, and that was even before their Tarot card was remotely threatened. Finally, I was a bit confused by the fact that, even after the backstory was given, you referred to the couple in saying that "for the first time in one hundred years, Brother and Sister were two separate beings again." I thought we determined that their perspective of time had been twisted? That was a bit confusing.

Overall, though, this was good. You did well with description here, and the hidden backstory was understandable (except for the aforementioned slip-up in narration). I thought you did nicely with this chapter. Anyway, I'll see you when the next one comes out! Until then! :wave:

Ho-oh2001

21st February 2005, 02:45 PM

Finally, I was a bit confused by the fact that, even after the backstory was given, you referred to the couple in saying that "for the first time in one hundred years, Brother and Sister were two separate beings again." I thought we determined that their perspective of time had been twisted? That was a bit confusing.
As always, thanks a million for your suggestions, mr_pikachu. ^^ But I think I can clear this little bit of confusion up for you. Now, I took a little bit of creative liberty with the age of Duel Monsters, since I don't think its origins as a sport are ever really mentioned in the show. You'll notice that Mark said he had read about the two duelists in an article celebrating the centennial anniversary of duel monsters. ;) So it was more-or-less correct to say that for the first time in one hundred years, they were two separate beings (I suppose I didn't really go into how LONG it took for them to become molded into one being by the Tarot card, but roughly that is the time frame.)

When I said that their perception of time was distorted, I was referring to that they made it SEEM like they had been here for more than one hundred years, and they had only been asked their name 100 years ago. And remember that Brother and Sister didn't say that their perception of time was distorted... it was a theory put forth by the group. After all, how would they or Brother and Sister know if their perception of time was right or wrong? ^^

Anyway, I'm working on chapter 20, but as I may have told you this week is, like, essay-mania, so I *might* not have it ready until about Thursday or Friday. (Friday's my birthday at any rate, so I think I'll post it then, and with a little extra present for you all at that ^^) See you all then!

Ho-oh2001

27th February 2005, 12:10 AM

Well, I may be a little late in presenting this new chapter to you, but it took longer to write than I expected. I'm quite pleased with it... the style of the duel is something I haven't had the chance to write before, so hopefully you'll find it fresh and new. ^^

Also, I should note that you probably won't see chapter 21 until well into next week. It's not that I don't want to write it... circumstances are simply piling up against my writing it. On Monday my computer's getting taken in to have a new video card installed (I got a Radeon 9800 Pro for my birthday :D ), and so I probably won't have it back until Tuesday. Then, on top of that, I have a big essay due Friday, which may take up most of my week. Don't worry, I'll get chapter 21 written and posted as soon as possible. ^^

Oh, and as I promised, I have a little present for you in the form of a trivia contest. I hope Venusaur doesn't mind, but I got the idea from his fanfic's trivia contests... I won't try to encroach on your territory, of course, Venusaur... just thought it would be a nice present for you all, for my birthday. ^^ Details will follow after the chapter.

Enjoy!

* * * * *

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Legacy of Tarot

Chapter 20: The Trial of Trust

When Nick emerged from the other side of the gateway, he was shocked to learn after several seconds that he was completely alone. He turned back and waited for quite a few moments, certain that the rest of the group had simply lagged behind. When the door slammed shut in his face, however, he knew that they weren’t coming.

“What the. . .?”

Where could they possibly be? He had been in the middle of the group when they stepped through the door. . . but it had been unusually bright on the other side, so for some time he didn’t know where they were. Still, it just didn’t make any sense that he could walk through the door as part of a group and then come out alone on the other side. Then again, this was an ancient sanctuary of pagan magic where anything was possible. Somehow it didn’t seem too far a stretch of the imagination that something like this could happen.

“Perhaps this is another of Tarotenam’s tests,” he conjectured silently, beginning to move forward again. The room was a long, thin tunnel, so he only had one direction in which he could possibly go – given that the door behind him was closed, he didn’t need to think twice about it.

Groping in the darkness, the walk was long and difficult. Nick never really was sure that the tunnel was straight, and so he had to move slowly as he clutched the walls in order to make sure he didn’t accidentally slam into a corner. It wasn’t long before he was beginning to feel like Robert and Jenna must have in their years in Tarotenam: he wasn’t sure how far he had come or how long he had been walking, and he had much less of an idea how much further he needed to go before reaching the end. As if that wasn’t enough, he also had no idea what kind of trial this was, and why it involved him being separated from his friends.

The questions spinning in his head were dispelled by a dark, familiar voice calling out in the blackness. “You have finally come.”

Torches began to light the hallway starting from behind him and quickly progressing to the other end. These were much lower on the wall, and Nick could see that the tunnel was actually not very tall – perhaps eight or nine feet high, a modest height, given the grandeur of the previous room. When all the torches were lit, he could see that he had only come about half-way, and the other door looked exactly the same as the one through which he had entered. The fact that it was locked and completely solid was not his biggest obstacle; the familiar visage standing in his way was more pressing.

The figure was moderately tall, and he was barely visible underneath his dark, flowing robes. The only things that could be seen were the wisps of black hair rolling in front of the shimmering, silvery eyes that glowed underneath the black hood. Despite the individual’s shadowy, unrecognizable features, Nick somehow knew exactly who he was the moment he laid eyes on him. His aura, his voice, his wardrobe. . . they all rang back to the unfriendly villain known as Halis.

“I didn’t expect to see you ever again,” Nick admitted. “After we defeated you, you and your partner turned and ran with your tails between your legs. You were gone before we even noticed it, as I recall.”

Halis merely chuckled underneath his dark cloak. His voice somehow echoed throughout the cavern; he was much more menacing now than he ever had been, as though his maliciousness had grown by leaps and bounds in the days since his duel with Nick and Mai. There was also something more confident about his countenance, something that Nick could not quite place. . . but he didn’t like it at all.

“Our master beckoned us to him,” Halis said quietly. His voice was barely above a whisper but Nick could hear it perfectly – loudly, even. “And he has sent me here to strip you of your power, Valentine.”

“My power?” Nick questioned, looking confused. He immediately reached for his deck. “You mean. . . my Tarot cards?” Halis simply nodded his head, and another grim laugh emanated from his eerie form. “Look, I defeated these two Tarot cards with my own monsters. I haven’t even unleashed their power yet. How do you expect to defeat me if I have two of them?”

Halis chuckled again, and he extended his hand from the long sleeve of his robe. It was pale and bony, but strapped to the wrist was some form of a Duel Disk, probably created by his master for dueling purposes. In every respect it looked like a gothic rip-off of Seto Kaiba’s marvelous invention. “I have my ways.”

“Fine,” challenged Nick, readying his own HDP. “But I just wish you and your little friend were here, so I could trounce you both at once. Where is he, anyway?”

Halis said nothing, but the laugh that erupted from his mouth was the loudest and most frightening yet.

*

“Hello?” Alyssa called into the darkness, groping for Nick’s arm to hold onto. She didn’t like the dark. . . but her knight in shining armour was nowhere to be found. “Where are you, guys?”

Her voice echoed emptily in the long, dark tunnel. There was no hint of a response – not even their breaths. Alyssa knew that, somehow, they were nowhere around. They wouldn’t be playing a prank like this on her, not at this point in the game. They were gone. . . but where? And why?

Alyssa decided that she would probably find out if she just kept moving. Perhaps they had simply gotten separated in the darkness and would meet up again later on. For all she knew she was wandering through some kind of labyrinth, and everyone else may just have been lost in another section. They would find one another eventually. . . right?

“I guess the best thing to do is just keep going,” she resolved, and she pressed her hand to the wall and forced herself to move forward. She could tell after some time that the hall was perfectly straight, for she had been moving for several minutes and there had not been a single curve or turn in the architecture at all. The walls were moderately smooth: she knew that she was not in some dirty, rat-infested tunnel, but rather another hallway of the ancient sanctuary. She did not know, however, where the exit was – and she greatly wished she could find a light switch somewhere.

As if by the magic of a genie, her wishes were granted: lights flickered to life all around her, illuminating the dank tunnel. Contrary to what Alyssa had thought, the addition of light did not make her situation any more comforting – and she could see that the figure that had turned on the lights was no genie.

He stood silently some distance down the tunnel. His piercing gaze was locked onto her and though he did not move she found herself fearing him. Something looked familiar about him, however. . . the black cloak, the hidden face, the silent expression. If Alyssa hadn’t suspected he was dead, she could have sworn the shadowy figure was a perfect facsimile of Silah.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded, stopping as soon as she laid eyes upon him. After Nick and Mai had defeated Halis and Silah early on during the tournament, they had vanished abruptly. Alyssa had thought they had melted into the ground like the wicked witch from the Wizard of Oz, or some such thing. At any rate she had hoped that she would never see them again. That was one wish that was not granted.

“Duel . . .” Silah responded quietly. Alyssa was shocked to hear him speak at all. He had only said one thing during the last duel. Then again, not much would get accomplished if, between the two of them, only one ever spoke. “The master wants your Tarot card. . .”

Alyssa looked taken aback. “My Tarot card?” she inquired. “How did your ‘master’ find out that I have a Tarot card? I only just acquired it, like, what, 5 minutes ago?”

Silah did not respond except by pulling out his dark Duel Disk and engaging it. It looked fueled by some kind of dark magic rather than electronics and technology, and it frightened Alyssa just to look at it. But she knew that she would have to duel again if she was ever going to pass through the doors behind Silah and see her friends. She activated her HDP and prepared for battle.

*

“I will begin,” Halis hissed, “by placing one monster and one card face-down.” The cards were rendered in perfect 3D, and it was hardly apparent that Halis’ Duel Disk was any different from any others in the world.

“I’ll play Harpie Lady 1, then,” Nick announced. The beautiful red-haired Harpie appeared on the field, brandishing her claws in Halis’ direction. “Her special ability increases her attack points by 300. Harpie Lady 1, attack his face-down monster!” ((Harpie Lady 1: 1300/1400 -> 1600/1400))

The ladybird leapt into action without hesitation. Her claws tore down in a savage fury and the face-down card was shredded instantly. The faint visage of a turtle with a great pyramid on its back could be seen briefly before it shattered and dissipated.

“You’ve activated Pyramid Turtle’s special ability,” Halis said with a cold laugh. “Now I can summon a zombie-type monster from my deck to the field immediately. I choose Patrician of Darkness.”

The monster that rose from the dark, stony earth looked like Dracula-reincarnated: his face was pale, blue, and menacing, yet somehow alluring; silvery-white hair cascaded down his back and over his shoulders. The rest of his body, except for his blue, bony hands, was cloaked within a massive black cape. ((Patrician of Darkness: 2000/1400))

“Are you finished?” Halis queried quietly.

“I am,” Nick admitted. “I’ll lay one card face-down and end my turn.”

As Halis drew his card, Nick wondered what was so special about his monster. He was not very familiar with Zombie-cards, admittedly, and so many of their effects were unknown to him. But he could tell that the Patrician of Darkness was no ordinary monster, and he would have to be especially careful if he planned to defeat it.

“I’ll play Decayed Commander,” the shadowy duelist announced. A grotesque, rotting shadow of what was once an army commander appeared on the field, brandishing a sword. He was soon accompanied by a similarly-hideous mummified tiger that appeared to be rotting from the inside. “Decayed Commander’s ability allows me to summon Zombie Tiger from my hand when I play him. Zombie Tiger’s special ability allows it to merge with my Decayed Commander.” The commander mounted the tiger like a horse, and together they appeared quite the formidable team.
((Decayed Commander: 1000/1500 -> 1500/2000))
((Zombie Tiger: 1400/1600 -> equip to Decayed Commander))

“I’ll also play a magic card called Wasteland.” Suddenly Nick and Halis were engulfed in a decaying, desolate wilderness with nary a sign of life to be seen for miles around. Although Nick was notably unnerved by this change of scenery, Halis and his monsters seemed energized – they each received 200 attack points.
((Decayed Commander -> 1700/2200))
((Patrician of Darkness -> 2200/1600))

“Now I’ll demonstrate my monster’s power ability. Decayed Commander, destroy his Harpie Lady 1!”

The Zombie Tiger roared into action with surprising speed, and even the Harpie Lady was unable to keep up: she was cleaved cleanly in two by the commander’s longsword, and vanished into thin air without so much as a scream to signal her passing. There was one thing that marked her death, however: a grotesque, rotting hand erupted from the ground beneath Nick and reached for his hand. One card was tugged neatly from his grasp and discarded to the graveyard.

“What was that?”

“When my Decayed Commander destroys a monster while joined with Zombie Tiger,” Halis explained, “you discard one card at random from your hand.”

Things were certainly not looking up for Nick. He needed to summon something strong enough to destroy that Decayed Commander, or else he would lose one card from his hand every time he lost a monster to Halis’ monster. As he drew his card, however, Nick’s prospects were looking up.

“I play Cyber Harpie in attack mode!” he announced. The high-tech version of his signature monster appeared on the field, brandishing her energy whip and fanning out her arm-wings proudly. “Cyber Harpie, attack Decayed Commander now!” ((Cyber Harpie: 1800/1300))

Flapping her wings, the Cyber Harpie took flight. She appeared to calculate her attack angle carefully before lashing out with her whip, but Halis had other plans. He shook his head solemnly, and on cue his Patrician of Darkness extended his hand. The energy whip froze in mid-air and somehow pulled itself away from Cyber Harpie. Animated completely by the Patrician’s energy, it doubled back on itself and obliterated the beautiful ladybird. Nick lost 400 Life Points and looked flabbergasted.

“What? My Cyber Harpie was more than strong enough to destroy your Decayed Commander!”

“True,” Halis admitted. “But my Patrician of Darkness affords me the ability to choose your attack targets for you. I simply forced your Harpie to attack him instead.”

Nick grimaced. This was a detail he wished he had been informed of earlier, but clearly all his opponents were scheming cheats. Now he was down two monsters to none, and with only 3600 Life Points, his opponent would defeat him during his next turn. Worse than that, he would lose both of his Tarot cards to someone as vile and conniving as Halis. “I’ve got to figure out a way to get back in the game!”

*

Silah resumed his silent stature as the duel began. He started by playing a strange-looking monster that Alyssa had never seen before. The rotting, putrid zombie was dressed in a torn uniform that appeared to be akin to what an orchestra conductor would wear. Completing the image, it held a thin, somewhat-gnarled baton in its left hand. Silah also placed a card face-down, which appeared behind the conductor. ((Orchestral Conductor of the Undead: 1400/1600))

“You know,” Alyssa said, “it’s generally customary to announce your moves as you make them, at least once in a while. . .”

Silah did not respond. He simply stared quietly in her direction. Alyssa knew he was not a person to waste his breath. If he said anything, it would be something worth saying. With a sigh, she drew her card and examined her hand. “I’ll play Amazoness Swords Woman,” Alyssa announced. The warrior appeared before her, wielding her menacing broadsword skillfully in one hand. “Attack his monster!” ((Amazoness Swords Woman: 1500/1600))

As the monster charged into battle with the Orchestral Conductor, something very odd happened. Two large, rotting, bony hands erupted from the earth and grasped onto the Swords Woman’s arms, while two smaller ones held her legs fast. She struggled valiantly but could not overcome their undead strength. When she resigned to return to her side of the field, the hands let go and sank back into the ground.

“I have activated Hands From Beyond the Grave,” Silah said simply, accommodating Alyssa’s wishes. It didn’t take any more explanation for Alyssa to realize what the card did – it would prevent her monsters from attacking his. “Now you cannot attack my zombies or my life points for two turns . . .” Alyssa realized that his card worked a lot like the Harpie’s Protective Gust that Nick used: his card protected all Harpies and anyone controlling a Harpie monster from damage for three turns.

“Fine,” she said. “I’ll place a card face-down, then, and end my turn.”

Suddenly, a screaming phantom of a monster appeared beside the conductor. Its horrible screech was almost too much to bear, and the Amazoness Swords Woman could only cover her ears to drone it out. “Each turn,” Silah explained quietly, “my Conductor will summon a Screaming Banshee to the field.” He placed a card face-down and ended his turn, which left Alyssa wondering why he hadn’t summoned a monster. ((Screaming Banshee token: 200/200))

She didn’t take her time, however, and drew a card. During this turn she would still be unable to attack his monster, much to her dismay. The Orchestral Conductor would only summon another Screaming Banshee during Silah’s next turn – and although they only had 200 attack points, Alyssa knew that they must have had some other, special purpose. “I’ll summon Amazoness Tiger to the field,” she announced. The striped, feral beast took a protective stance in front of the Swords Woman and looked invigorated by her presence. “Since I can’t attack, I’ll just end my turn.” ((Amazoness Tiger: 1100/1500 -> 1900/1500))

Another Screaming Banshee token roared into existence. Both of them circled around their master, who conducted their movements perfectly with his gnarled baton. The trap card that had been protecting his monsters vanished from existence, but he still had one face-down, and Alyssa knew that it could mean trouble. “I will also end my turn,” Silah whispered.

By this time, Alyssa was certainly wondering what her opponent was up to. He had only played one monster, and was in the process of letting it fill up his field with weaker creatures. Did he intend to use them as sacrifices for stronger monsters, or did they have some other ability she was not aware of? “At any rate, I’ll just summon another monster and destroy all three of his at once.”

Suddenly a tall, thin Amazoness Paladin appeared on her side of the field, brandishing a long sword with skill and ease. She, too, looked invigorated by the presence of the other amazons on the field, and her attack increased by 100 points for each one. ((Amazoness Paladin: 1700/300 -> 2000/300))
((Amazoness Tiger: 2300/1500))

“Amazoness Tiger,” Alyssa ordered, “attack his Orchestral Conductor now!”

With an untamed growl the great beast leapt into action. Its claws tore down on the Orchestral Conductor of the Undead – but were blocked by the interference of one of the Screaming Banshee tokens. “My Screaming Banshee tokens protect my monster,” Silah explained. This was obvious enough, but more confusing was the fact that the token remained on the field even after being attacked. “And they cannot be destroyed by any monster with 1500 attack points or more. . .”

Alyssa’s eyes widened. That meant that none of her monsters would be able to destroy the tokens, and without destroying the tokens, they would be unable to attack his Orchestral Conductor as well. She was effectively locked down until a better opportunity presented itself.

As Silah’s turn began anew, another Screaming Banshee appeared on his side of the field, bringing his total to three. “I will offer two of my tokens,” he said quietly, “to summon my Dark Necromancer.” The two screaming ghosts vanished into thin air and were soon replaced by a large, frightful, bony figure. It held a dark, gnarled, ebony staff in its skeletal hand. The rest of its body was covered in a thick black robe. ((Dark Necromancer: 2300/2000))

“I will also play Necropolis,” Silah said quietly. The two duelists were no longer in a dark cavern, but now seemed to be standing on a large platform. The ground beneath them was made from pure obsidian, and if Alyssa took a few steps back and looked out over the balcony, she could see a sprawling, rotting metropolis of the undead. The sky above her was completely black – not even the moon or the stars could be seen. The stench of death permeated the air like a strong, putrid perfume. ((Dark Necromancer -> 2800/2500))
((Orchestral Conductor of the Undead -> 1900/2100))
((Screaming Banshee tokens -> 700/700))

“Now, Dark Necromancer, destroy Amazoness Tiger.”

The terrible beast raised its hand and extended the ebony staff. A wave of tangible, black energy rolled across the field, and the Amazoness Tiger was vaporized as soon as it came into contact with the wave. Alyssa’s Life Points dropped to 3500, and her Paladin looked weakened as the tiger left the field. ((Amazoness Paladin -> 1900/300))

“Orchestral Conductor, attack Amazoness Swords Woman.”

With a wave of its baton, the conductor commanded a small army of spirits to hurl forth. They encircled and haunted the Swords Woman, who unleashed a protective barrage of energy before vanishing to the graveyard. Because of her effect, Silah lost the 400 Life Points instead of Alyssa, but he had achieve the effect of removing another of her monsters – and further weakening her Paladin. ((Amazoness Paladin -> 1800/300))

“I’ll also activate my Necromancer’s special ability. . .” The Dark Necromancer grasped its ebony staff with both hands and lifted it high in the air. The creature began to pulsate with dark energy, and suddenly the earth rumbled beside it. The familiar visage of the Amazoness Swords Woman clambered up, only she now looked decayed and undead. “By paying 1000 Life Points and discarding a card from my hand, my necromancer can revive any monster,” Silah whispered in explanation. “But Necropolis allows me to ignore these costs. And since your Amazoness is revived as a zombie, she receives an attack bonus, too.” ((Amazoness Swords Woman: 1500/1600 -> 2000/2100))

“That’s great,” Alyssa said briefly. “Necropolis will help me, too. I activate Undying Spirit!” Suddenly, the Amazoness Tiger leapt out of her graveyard and onto the field, standing in front of the Amazoness Paladin protectively. “This card allows me to revive any Amazoness card from my graveyard – and draw two cards, as well. I would normally have to pay 500 Life Points to activate it, but thanks to your magic card, I don’t have to.” ((Amazoness Tiger: 1100/1500 -> 1900/1500))
((Amazoness Paladin -> 1900/300))

Silah showed no reaction, so it was impossible to tell whether he was dismayed or apathetic toward this turn of events. Then again, considering that his strongest monster was 900 attack points stronger than hers, and that it could revive any of them from the graveyard after destroying them, Alyssa knew that he had little reason to worry. She was in a very tough spot, and it would take every bit of her cunning to get her out of it. She dearly wished her friends were there to cheer her on. . .

*

Nick’s turn was rapidly drawing to a close, and his mind raced as he tried to get himself out of this situation. If he let Halis attack without protecting himself first, he would lose the duel, along with both his Tarot cards and any chance he had of seeing his friends – or Rebecca – ever again. He simply had to pull through at any cost. “I’ll lay another card face-down for now. That will end my turn.”

“Then it’s time for you to feel the wrath of Decayed Commander’s other effect – he can take a card from your hand when he attacks your Life Points directly, too!”

The Zombie Tiger dashed, carrying the Decayed Commander with it, but before they could reach half-way across the desolate wasteland, a large, fierce lion appeared on Nick’s side of the field and roared terribly at them. Even though they were undead, they seemed truly frightened by this, and cowered back to their side of the field. “I’ve activated Threatening Roar,” he announced. “This prevents you from declaring any attacks this turn.”

Halis grumbled, and merely motioned for Nick to make his move. The card Nick drew forced him to grin, and he played it quickly. “Now I activate Swords of Concealing Light!”

In what appeared to be some kind of Twilight Zone, a barrage of energy swords rained down from the sky onto Halis’ monsters. They looked like the Swords of Revealing Light, except that they were completely black and infected his field with darkness. “The Swords of Concealing Light force all your monsters into face-down defense mode, and prevent you from changing their battle positions for two turns. And since your Decayed Commander is no longer technically on the field, your Zombie Tiger is destroyed.” Indeed, the decayed, mummified tiger sank back into the earth as Halis’ two monsters flipped face down. “Flipping your monsters into defense mode gives me one more advantage, too. Watch as I summon Harpie’s Brother, in attack mode!”

The male Harpie which appeared on the field looked like a martial artist. It was clothed in light, breathable battle garb and looked like its fists and claws were its only needed weapons. ((Harpie’s Brother: 1800/600))

“Harpie’s Brother, attack the face-down monster on my left, now!” The aggressive bird danced into action, and within a second it was pummeling and raking the face-down Patrician of Darkness with blinding speed. “See, since your Patrician of Darkness is now face-down, you can’t use its effect to control my monsters’ attacks – and since it only has 1600 defense points, my Harpie will easily destroy it.” The visage of the vampiric creature could be seen briefly before exploding in a storm of data. The satisfied Harpie’s Brother returned to his side of the field.

Halis chuckled. “An interesting move,” he admitted, drawing his card. “But your Swords of Concealing Light really are inferior to their predecessor. . .”

Nick looked briefly stunned. “What do you mean?”

“Well,” began Halis, summoning a monster, “they may change my monsters into defense mode when you play it. . . but they don’t do anything about monsters I summon later. And they certainly don’t prevent me from attacking! I sacrifice Decayed Commander to summon my Great Dezard to the field!”

The monster that took the face-down card’s place looked like an old man dressed in ancient Egyptian clothing. He was very solemn in appearance, and looked like some sort of ancient priest. “Great Dezard, destroy Harpie’s Brother now!” ((Great Dezard: 1900/2300))

The ancient priest merely extended his hands and that was the end of it. Invisible ripples of energy tore through the air and the Harpie’s Brother was unable to withstand them. Great Dezard’s attack was wholly successful, and its target fell to the graveyard without even a fight. Nick also lost 100 Life Points, adding insult to injury.

“Now that my Great Dezard has defeated one of your monsters, he is unaffected by your Trap and Magic cards. Good luck destroying him now!” Halis let out a cold, hard laugh that pierced Nick right to his bones. “Go ahead; make your move. Nothing you can do will save you.”

Nick drew his card and deeply hoped that Halis was wrong. “First I’ll play Pot of Greed!” he announced, and he drew two cards as per the magic card’s effect. Now he had three cards in his hand, which gave him some chance of formulating a strategy. “From the looks of things, that Great Dezard gets stronger with each monster it destroys. . . but I don’t think I want to know what will happen if it attacks another one of mine! I have to get rid of it somehow, but it’s not even affected by my traps or magic!”

He placed a monster face-down on the field. He knew that it would probably power up his Great Dezard even more if he allowed it to be destroyed, but he simply could not let his Life Points come under attack any more. “That will end my turn,” he said simply. “I don’t know what you’re up to with that monster, but you won’t get away with it. I’m going to win this duel. . . to see my friends again.”

“Your friends?” Halis questioned. He let out a crude, horrid laugh. “I suppose you mean your little girlfriend. Alyssa, wasn’t it? You needn’t bother looking for her.”

“Wh. . . what do you mean?” Nick said, stepping back. “What have you done with her?”

“What have I done with her? Nothing, of course. . .” He chuckled quietly. “I’ve been here the whole time. My partner, however . . .”

Nick gasped with sudden realization. “Silah! What are you and your little friend planning, Halis?! What has he done to her?”

Halis laughed coldly and shook his head. “I really don’t know. But I imagine by now he has completely destroyed her and offered her up to our master, as he had bidden us to do. . . don’t worry, you’ll join her soon enough, when I get through with you.”

As Halis drew his card he didn’t even look at it. “I’ll play Armored Zombie in attack mode to accompany my Great Dezard.” The battle-garbed zombie warrior appeared on the field, brandishing its sword dangerously in Nick’s direction. ((Armored Zombie: 1500/0))

“Not so fast!” Nick announced. “I activate Trap Hole! This will destroy your Armored Zombie before it even gets a chance to attack.” A gaping fissure appeared beneath the newly summoned monster and sucked it back into the bowels of the earth from which it came.

Halis merely laughed. “That’s all you had protecting you? Such a shame. You should have worked to stop my Great Dezard. Now, attack his face-down monster!”

Again the ancient priest lifted his arms, and energy rippled through space and time in Nick’s monster’s direction. It shattered like a pane of glass, but not without one last hurrah: “You’ve activated Birdface’s special ability! Now I can add one Harpie Lady card to my hand from my deck.” The card appeared like magic and entered his hand, but Halis did not seem worried.

“And you’ve activated my Great Dezard’s special ability. Great Dezard, offer yourself up to the gods and become Nosferatu Lich!”

The great priest’s eyes turned skyward, and suddenly he began to pray. With each word he uttered, his skin began to decay and melt from his bones. His robes stained red with blood instead of their originally-pure white, and he gained a gnarled wooden staff that looked like a scythe. In fact, it may not have been appropriate to call the Nosferatu Lich a “he” anymore – it was simply an “it”. ((Nosferatu Lich: 2600/2900 -> 2800/3100))
((Author’s Note: Nosferatu Lich was actually translated as “Fushioh Richie” in the TCG, but. . . let’s face it, that translation sucks, so I’m using the real name.))

“Now, Nosferatu Lich: you’ve given him a glimpse of your power! Sink back into the sands to let his fear grow!”

The horrifying specter sank back into the ground, and a face-down card’s image took its place. Nick looked on in shock and fear, wondering what was going on. “What did you do?”

“Every turn,” Halis explained, “I can flip my Nosferatu Lich face-down. And when I unearth my great beast again, prepare to watch your last Life Points take his place in the valley of the dead when his great army rises with him!”

*

“You may be in the lead right now,” Alyssa challenged confidently, “but I’m going to find a way to beat you. Nick and the rest of my friends are waiting for me.”

Silah hissed out something of a laugh, which echoed across the necropolis. “They. . . have forsaken you. . .”

Alyssa looked baffled. “What are you talking about? Forsaken me?”

Silah nodded. “They do not. . . care about you anymore. If they did. . . they would be here supporting you. . . correct?”

Alyssa shook her head, resolved not to believe him. “No! We all got separated! It’s the magic of this stupid, god-damn sanctuary!”

Her opponent merely let out a dark, quiet chuckle and shook his head. “The magic of Tarotenam. . . grants the wishes of those worthy. . .” he explained with a hint of dark amusement dripping from his voice. “They must have wished to leave you. . . or they would still be here.”

Suddenly her rebellious attitude calmed down, and she looked forlornly in his direction. It somehow made sense. . . they must have wanted to leave her alone, alone to die in this god-forsaken hellhole. If they really wanted to help her, they’d still be here. . . comforting her. . . cheering her on. But they were nowhere to be found. “It can’t be. . . they wouldn’t do that. . . would you? Nick?”

Silah hissed with amusement. “Do not fight it. . . they are gone. . . but if you forfeit this duel now, my master will grant you the power to take your revenge. . .”

Alyssa had to admit that the offer was tempting for a moment. If they really had forsaken her, she wanted to exact revenge on each and every one of them, and make sure they would regret ever leaving her side. Suddenly, she shook her head fervently. “No! I can’t think like that! I can’t just suddenly trust this guy! There has to be more to this than what he says. . .” She looked fiercely in Silah’s direction. “I won’t. We’re going to finish this duel, Silah.”

The shadowy man hissed again, but this one was decidedly angrier. “You’ll regret this, girl.”

Alyssa scanned the field as her turn continued. She needed to pull something out of thin air if she was to stand any chance of defeating Silah now. She drew her card with apprehension – but it all faded away when she looked at it. “Perfect! First I’ll play Mystical Space Typhoon, and eradicate your face-down card!” The card was sucked up inside the mythical energy vortex and it vanished to the graveyard. “Now that your field is empty, I’ll play this: Amazoness Spellcaster!”

An old, wrinkled woman appeared behind the Amazoness Tiger and began chanting some arcane verse. Energy surrounded the tiger and the Dark Necromancer, and their souls seemed to exchange between them. The Dark Necromancer’s attack dropped to 1100, while the Amazoness Tiger’s increased to 2300 – then the respective power-ups were applied. “This magic card switches the original attack scores of my monster and yours.”
((Amazoness Tiger -> 3100/1500))
((Dark Necromancer -> 1600/2500))

“I think I may just have a few more cards that will help me out here. First, I’ll activate Fissure! This will destroy your monster with the lowest attack on the field – so say goodbye to your last Screaming Banshee token!” A gaping crack opened up beneath the banshee, and even though it was a spirit, it was sucked in just the same. This freed up the Orchestral Conductor of the Undead for attack. “Now I’ll activate Kishido Spirit! This magic card prevents my monsters from being destroyed in battle with monsters that have the same number of attack points. Now, Amazoness Tiger, destroy Dark Necromancer; and Amazoness Paladin, attack Orchestral Conductor of the Undead!”

The two monsters charged into battle, baring claw, tooth, and sword and their opponents. The Dark Necromancer was clearly no match for the Tiger anymore – one mighty swipe of the beast’s claw was all that was needed, and the skeletal, robed figure shattered and fell lifelessly to the ground. Silah lost an amazing 1500 Life Points, reducing his total to 2100. Meanwhile, the Amazoness Paladin and the Orchestral Conductor looked equally matched – they met each others attacks evenly, but the Paladin won out in the end, and her fierce longsword cleaved the conductor in two.

“And I don’t think I like your use of my monster,” Alyssa said confidently, “so I’ll activate Smashing Ground to send her back to my graveyard!” Suddenly a gigantic fist appeared out of nowhere and crushed the zombie Swords Woman into the ground. She could not even let out a scream – perhaps she was happy to be returned to the graveyard. It must have been nicer there than walking the earth as a corpse. “Your turn. Let’s see you come back now.”

Silah drew his card and added it to his hand with stoicism. He placed two cards face-down alongside a monster in defense mode, and motioned for Alyssa to make her move. “Wow, you must be running out of options,” Alyssa said bluntly. She drew her card. “Well, I guess I’ll just attack you. Amazoness Paladin, destroy his face-down monster with Silver Sword Strike!” The beautiful warrior maiden moved forth and brought her gleaming blade down on the face-down card protecting Silah’s Life Points. It shattered easily, and the faint silhouette of a ninja-like mummy could be seen briefly.

“I activate the First Sarcophagus,” Silah whispered. A large casket, ancient Egyptian in its design, appeared behind him, easily twice his size. It didn’t appear to do anything besides stand ominously over the battlefield. Alyssa waited for a few moments in the event that the huge sarcophagus might actually do something; it didn’t. She merely gave the order for her Tiger to attack. “Now I activate Legion of Doom.”

Suddenly three monsters appeared on the field in front of him, in defense mode: one was identical to the monster sent to the graveyard previously, a Pharaonic Protector. The second was more warrior-like, and wielded a brutal fighting staff in both hands. The third was a strange-looking horse; its body appeared to be wrapped in bandages, and yet it was made completely of blue flame. The Amazoness Tiger arbitrarily took a swipe at the Pharaonic Protector and sent it to the graveyard to join its companion. Silah lost no Life Points because the beast was in defense mode. He was also suitably protected against Alyssa’s next wave of attacks.
((Pharaonic Protector: 900/0 -> 1400/500))
((Pharaoh’s Servant: 900/0 -> 1400/500))
((Nightmare Horse: 500/400 -> 1000/900))

“Fine then,” Alyssa said disappointedly. “I’ll end my turn.”

With those words, a second sarcophagus appeared on Silah’s side of the field: the aptly named Second Sarcophagus. This one stood right beside the first one and similarly did absolutely nothing, leaving Alyssa to wonder why Silah was summoning them at all. Still, she was not foolish enough to believe that they were completely worthless. It would probably be safest to destroy them now, but she had nothing in her hand that could do so.

When Silah drew his card, he quickly summoned a monster face-down and ended his turn. Now, even if Alyssa summoned a third monster, she would be unable to damage his Life Points until the next turn – but would it be too late by then? “I summon Amazoness Fighter to the field!” The amazon was clad in light clothes and a battle-harness. She pounded her fists together and readied herself for battle. “Next I’ll place a card face-down. . . now, all of you, attack Silah’s monsters!” ((Amazoness Fighter: 1500/1300))

Silah did not make any motion to defend his monsters, and so they all fell to the graveyard as a result of Alyssa’s brutal attacks. But he did not seem worried: as her turn ended, a third sarcophagus – suitably named the Third Sarcophagus – appeared behind him, alongside the first two. Still they did nothing, but somehow Alyssa knew by her opponent’s stony countenance that his plan had come to fruition.

“Now I will activate. . . the special ability of my sarcophagi,” Silah announced quietly. The three caskets swung open with a creak, and some sort of vile energy poured out from them. It was like a black mist creeping along the floor of the dead citadel, and this mist suddenly rose up and formed the figure of a man – or what once was a man, anyway. It was a regal-looking zombie, dressed in the clothes of a pharaoh of Egypt. ((Spirit of the Pharaoh: 2500/2000 -> 3000/2500))

“My Spirit of the Pharaoh,” Silah hissed, “has a special ability as well.” Suddenly four monsters rose up, two on either side of the great, dead king, and they looked startlingly familiar: one was a Nightmare Horse, two were Pharaonic Protectors, and the fourth was a Pharaoh’s Servant. “He can revive four weaker zombies from my graveyard,” Alyssa’s opponent continued.
((Nightmare Horse: 500/400 -> 1000/900))
((Pharaonic Protector: 900/0 -> 1400/500)) x2
((Pharaoh’s Servant: 900/0 -> 1400/500))

“There is. . . one more ingredient to my plan,” Silah whispered. “I activate Thousand Energy.” Suddenly the monsters that the Spirit of the Pharaoh had revived looked stronger, crackling with some sort of negative electrical energy. Although they were only level 2 monsters, they looked somehow remarkably powerful, and even Alyssa’s powerful monsters cowered in fear.
((Nightmare Horse -> 2000/1900))
((Pharaonic Protector -> 2400/1500)) x2
((Pharaoh’s Servant -> 2400/1500))

“You are foolish. . .” Silah chastised, shaking his head. “Your friends have forsaken you. . . I offered you the chance to come willingly. . . but you resisted. Now you will come to regret your mistake. . .”

* * * * *

Dark Necromancer
Group: Zombie/Effect
Type: DARK
Level: 6
Atk: 2300
Def: 2000
Pay 1000 Life Points and discard one card from your hand in order to Special Summon any monster from either graveyard in face-up attack or defense position. The selected monster is now considered to be a Zombie-type as long as it remains face-up on the field. This effect can only be activated once per turn.

Necropolis
Group: Magic Card
Type: FIELD
Increases the ATK and DEF of all Zombie-Type monsters by 500 points. If the effect of any card requires a cost to access the graveyard, ignore that cost.

Undying Spirit
Group: Trap Card
Type: Normal
Pat 500 Life Points to special summon a monster that includes "Amazoness" in its name or is named "Amazon Archer" that was sent to the graveyard this turn to the field in face-up attack position. Draw 2 cards.

FET-EN052
Threatening Roar
TRAP
Normal
Your opponent cannot declare an attack during this turn.
((Author's Note: This is an actual card to be released in the upcoming "Flaming Eternity" TCG set))

FET-EN042
Swords of Concealing Light
SPELL
Continuous
When you activate this card, change all monsters on your opponent's side of the field to face-down Defense Position. As long as this card remains face-up on the field, monsters on your opponent's side of the field cannot change their Battle Positions. Destroy this card during your 2nd Standby Phase after activation.
Rare/Ultimate Rare
((Author's Note: This is an actual card to be released in the upcoming "Flaming Eternity" TCG set))

* * * * *

Now, as I promised, I have a little trivia contest for you all. If you like, PM me the answers -- the first person to send me the most correct answers will get to have a say in a duel to take place two or three chapters hence. Enjoy!

1) In Mai's duel with Marik during the Battle City finals, she used one of her own cards which she thought would win her the duel; it ended up helping Marik, instead. Which card was it?

2) How many Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards exist? (In the anime)

3) In the "Mime Control" episodes, when Yugi duels Strings the Puppet and his Slifer the Sky Dragon, the anime takes some creative licensing with the rules. Several rules were 'altered' in such a way that, if the normal rules had been followed, Yugi would have won more quickly than he did. Name one such instance.

4) Whosaidit: "So do you sit around and work up these lame cheers or do they just come to you?" (Bonus points if you can tell me what episode this line was spoken in)

Have fun with it! PM me your answers, and I'll reply to the first person who gets the most correct answers. I look forward to your PMs. ^^