Yu-Gi-Oh! The Thousand-Year Door (Act One)

[Dark Sage]

Yeah, I know. "Pokemonese" has been going slow since its inception.

But fear not, I am working on the next chapter, and it will be up in a matter of days.

- Dark Sage

[Perfect Chaos]

That....was....AWESOME

Wow, first time I ever had a character of mine in a fanfic, and I'm really glad that he managed to put up the fight that he did (I didn't even think the deck I made would be that good). Many thanks Dark Sage

I guess the atmosphere did fit the whole deck style and also a bit of my character's personality. Everyone has mentioned pretty much what I wanted to say in the above posts so I'll leave it at that

See you for Chapter 17

[Mystic_clown]

Great Chapter dude! Although I did expect Zork to have more attack points (since he's a big deal in the series), but MAN, that effect of his kicks ass! On another note, is it okay with you if I could make some alterations to my user character? (nothing much, just altering his appearance a bit). Hmm, I wonder what monster Leapold would have. I can't think of any strong rock monsters.

[Shuppet Master]

Really awesome chapter, and the occultish deck is simply Bakura, down to the Dark Sanctuary and Destiny Board.

Mystic_Clown, I'm sure Brian will let you edit the appearance of your character a bit, as long as you turn in the revised character. I'm going to change the background and interests of my character, revamping it to something else. I can't tell you guys what it's about, though.

And Brian, when is that quiz going to be held? I don't want to end up being screwed and miss it.

(Plug: To everyone, Chapter 26 of Anansi will be up tomorrow, I promise.)

EDIT: Oops: I meant Yami Bakura, sorry. :redface:

[Pokemasterkatie]

Don't you mean Thief/Yami Bakura--We never saw Ryo's deck in the animé(well, we kinda did, but it's still pretty evil for Bakura-chan)...and he's too pure-hearted to think up a deck theme like that! But the Occult deck still rocks, cause Yami B.'s kickàss like that.:p

Just a couple of things I want to point out--The descriptions for Des Volstgaph and Tyrant Dragon should be switched(or just Andy's introductions). Also, Sixth Sense has been released in English...I think. I'll have to check the Lost Millennium list again.

[Dark Sage]

S.M. The quiz will be held once all of the user characters have appeared, which will be after Chapter 31. It's a long time from now, but be patient.

Katie: Sixth Sense was never released in the U.S. You must be thinking of Pikeru's Second Sight. And please do not call Yugi or Bakura "chan". That is a Japanese suffix used with a young child's name, NOT a teenager's. A teenager like Yugi would think you were insulting him if you called him "Yugi-Chan"

[Mystic_clown]

Katie: Sixth Sense was never released in the U.S. You must be thinking of Pikeru's Second Sight. And please do not call Yugi or Bakura "chan". That is a Japanese suffix used with a young child's name, NOT a teenager's. A teenager like Yugi would think you were insulting him if you called him "Yugi-Chan"

Well, I really can't blame you if you called Yugi (not Yami) "chan". I mean, he's so short anyone would probably mistake him for a kid!

[Dark Sage]

Funny this should be brought up.

In the Manga version of Duelist Kingdom, Mai was watching Yugi's duel with Weevil, and she called Yugi "Yugi-Chan", after saying she doubted that he could beat Weevil. Tea got incredibly upset at the remark, saying something like "Yugi's not a kid!"

We all know how stuck up Mai was at that point, so making a remark like that seemed to fit her.

[Mystic_clown]

lol. Aint it the truth?

[Dark Sage]

Well folks, it's time for a new chapter.

But before I get started, I'd like to recommend everyone to read Master of Paradox's "Shadow Realm: Fifteen"

Unlike most Yu-Gi-Oh fics, this fic takes place in the Shadow Realm itself - but in a place very far from the Temple of the Legendary Dragons where Yugi visited. This takes place in the dirtier, busier area, where monsters actually work and live. And a sinister plot threatens to tear it apart.

And the unlikely hero of this story is a monster named Fifteen, who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time:

So after you read this fic, check it out. You won't be sorry.

- Dark Sage

[Dark Sage]

[I][B]You ever notice how popular dinosaurs are these days? They’re pretty popular for animals have been extinct for eons.

Everywhere you go, you see dinosaur movies, dinosaur toys, dinosaur posters, and even little dinosaur stickers on bananas! I’ve always loved dinosaurs myself… I can’t count all the times I’ve gone to New York’s Museum of Natural History to see all the huge dinosaur skeletons and fossils.

Why then, has the Dinosaur Type been more or less neglected in Duel Monsters? The Type is very rare, and few of the Monsters are useful. The only famous duelist I heard of who used them was a former regional champion named Rex Raptor, and it all went downhill for him after he was beaten by Joey Wheeler in Duelist Kingdom. (He tried to make a comeback in Battle City, but he didn’t last one round – I forget the name of the guy who did him in.)

Maybe the flaw in Rex’s strategy was that he relied too much on brute force and didn’t pack enough Effect Monsters – he might have also done better if he had used better Trap and Magic Cards…

Right now, I’m facing a guy who probably learned from Rex’s mistakes…

He’d be the one to make Dinosaur Monsters popular – if he wasn’t as much a predator as they were...

[size=3][B]CHAPTER SEVENTEEN



Prehistoric Duelasaurus

Stan looked at the three Crystal Cards in his hand.

It was a start, but Andy and Francesca both had five apiece. He’d have to work hard if he hoped to catch up to them.

He looked at his watch – 3:55 PM.

Then he looked at what Andy and Francesca were looking at from the bench they were sitting at. Drake and Sean were facing each other.

“So Sean,” said Drake with a smile. “You sure you want to take me on? Don’t forget, I saw most of your deck, and you’ve seen none of mine…”

“You’ve seen most, but not all,” answered Sean. “And just because you know my strategy doesn’t mean you’ll win…”

Heh, heh, thought Drake. I know just how to beat this guy. I have a feeling he needs Dark Necrofear in his Graveyard to keep that Dark Sanctuary active… So… remove her from play, and BAM! No more Dark Sanctuary!

Meanwhile, Sean was thinking to himself.

What he doesn’t realize is there’s more to my deck than Dark Sanctuary and Destiny Board. And Dark Necrofear has secrets inside her that even Andy didn’t learn about. Not to mention that her usual effect is still pretty powerful.

“Okay, Sean, I accept your challenge!” exclaimed Drake.

The toll from the Creepy Steeple tolled four.

“Confounded clock,” muttered Sean.

“All right then,” exclaimed Drake.

He raised his Disk.

“Activate…”

Then lightning started to flash in the sky!

“Oh, don’t tell me it’s going to rain!” shouted Sean.

Then, sounds of the townsfolk screaming were heard!

And then, bolts of lightning hit Sean and Drake! They screamed!

“GUYS!” shouted Stan.

And then there was silence… But all was not well.

The two duelists standing before them – they had been turned to stone!

Stan, Andy, and Francesca gasped. They got up.

“Sean… Drake…” gulped Andy. “What in the name of…”

“It isn’t just them, Andy,” said a frightened Francesca.

They all looked around…

The same evil spell had afflicted the entire town! Everywhere they looked, the townsfolk had been frozen into stone statues.

“What happened to everybody?” asked Stan.

“And why weren’t we effected?” shuddered Francesca.

“I believe I can answer that question,” said a voice around them.

The ground began to tremble, and a form rose out of the earthen soil. It slowly took a man-shaped form…

They were looking at a boy who seemed to be about their age. His jeans, shirt, and jacket were all earthen brown in color, but incredibly clean (strange, seeing how he had just emerged from the ground). He had neatly cut brown hair, and chocolate brown eyes, and was wearing glasses.

“Greetings folks,” he said, calmly. “Leopold’s the name… Shadow Spawn of Earth, and the intellectual among my siblings. I’m twice as smart as any of the other Shadow Spawn!”

“I take it you did this?” snarled Stan.

“Really, Stan, I figured there was only about a one percent chance you wouldn’t figure that out. It’s only common sense…”

“Change them back, or I’ll…” growled Stan, clenching his fists.

“Please, Stan,” warned Leopold, “I’m much more refined than a thug like you, and I hate resorting to fisticuffs. If you so much as lay a finger on me, I’ll cause every statue here to shatter. I can, and I have in the past.”

Something about his tone told them that he wasn’t bluffing.

“What do you want?” muttered Stan.

“To duel you, of course,” said Leopold. “And I estimate that there’s a 95% chance that you’ll accept, because if you refuse, the population of Twilight Town will remain oversized paperweights forever.”

Stan growled.

“Of course, I have much more experience than you, so I estimate your chances of beating me are about 10%. The only duels I’ve ever lost are to my mother, who has never lost, and to my other siblings, in which cases I’ve won roughly 50% of the time.”

“Your mother lost once,” chuckled Francesca. “To the Three Heroes.”

That seemed to make Leopold angry. The earth trembled a little.

“That’s a touchy subject Francesca, and I recommend you don’t bring it up again!” he snapped.

“Okay!” squeaked Francesca in fear.

“So anyway,” continued Leopold, “if you accept my challenge, meet my in the peach orchard in fifteen minutes. Don’t be late.”

He walked off in the direction of the peach orchard.

“What are we going to do?” asked Andy, in panic.

Stan looked at Sean and Drake.

He shuffled his deck.

“I beat Kurtis,” he said, “and I can beat this guy too. I’ll give him the duel of his life…”

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

In the largest peach tree, Lord Crump was perched, watching as Leopold entered the wide open space in the center of the field.

This is perfect, he thought. If anyone can beat Stan for good, Leopold can. He’s even better than Kurtis is…

And once he manages to summon his trump card, Stan won’t stand a chance!

He plucked a peach from the tree and took a bite.

Delicious, he thought. These will be better than popcorn!

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Stan and his two friends entered the orchard to find Leopold waiting. The Shadow Spawn carried a Duel Disk that strangely seemed to be made of stone.

“I knew you’d come,” said Leopold.

“Can it, bub,” growled Stan. “You wanted a duel, you’ve got one. Just promise to release the people of this town once I’ve beaten you!”

“Of course,” agreed Leopold. “I’m a man of my word. Now why don’t your friends sit over there?”

He pointed to the huge peach tree, the one where Crump was hiding in the branches. Andy and Francesca sat by the huge trunk.

“Okay, Leo…” started Stan.

“Leopold!” corrected Leopold.

“Whatever!” snapped Stan. “I’m gonna take you out in two and two!”

“Then get ready,” dared Leopold. “I’m going to take you back to the Stone Age!”

They raised their Disks, and the holo-imagers shot out, and the sides snapped together. The Life Point counters set to 8,000, and they each drew their first hands.

“I’ll start,” said Leopold, drawing his first card. “After all, whoever goes first wins.”

“I suppose you have the numbers to back that up too?” asked Stan.

Leopold smirked, and placed a card down.

“I’ll place one card facedown on the field…” he said, fitting it into a slot.

The card materialized in front of him.

“…and then I’ll summon Mammoth Graveyard in Attack Mode!”

He threw a card down, and the huge skeleton of a mastodon reared up in front of him. (1,200/800)

“Scared yet, Stan?” he said with a grin.

Stan laughed out loud.

“Scared of THAT?” he chuckled. “Don’t make me laugh! I can take down that pile of bones without half trying.”

“Well then,” said Leopold. “It’s your move…”

Stan drew.

“Heh, heh, I’m activating my Trap!” cackled Leopold.

His card lifted.

“Fearful Earthbound!”

The ground around Stan’s feet started to stir, and then several sharp objects burst up around him!

He was standing in the middle of a giant mouth with huge fangs!

“Eek!” shrieked Francesca.

“Uh…” stammered Stan, looking at it nervously. “So what does this Fearful Earthbound do, exactly?”

“Nothing yet,” answered Leopold, “but finish your move.”

Stan nervously looked at the hologram below him.

It’s a set of jaws, he thought, so logic states that they’re going to bite when… something happens. Question is, what?

I’ll have to worry about it later…

He put a card down.

“I summon The Illusory Gentleman in Attack Mode!” he shouted.

He placed the card down, and the colorful Spellcaster with the single eye appeared, brandishing his cane. (1,500/1,600)

“Gentleman, attack his Mammoth with dark illusion!”

The Illusory Gentleman shot forth his colorful spell, blasting Mammoth Graveyard into pixels!

Leopold’s Life Points fell slightly to 7,700, but he chuckled…

The set of jaws surrounding Stan started to tremble…

And then they snapped shut around him! He screamed!

“STAN!” screamed Andy.

The jaws retracted, and Stan fell on his rump. His Life Points fell to 7,500.

“I figured there was a 90% chance you wouldn’t be able to resist attacking my weak Mammoth Graveyard,” stated Leopold, “so I set Fearful Earthbound. This Continuous Trap will chew off 500 of your Life Points each time you declare an attack!”

“Do tell,” said Stan sarcastically.

“Any other moves you’d like to make?” asked Leopold.

“No,” growled Stan. “It’s your move.”

“Fine,” said Leopold. “First I’ll summon a beast known as Two-Headed King Rex in Attack Mode!”

He placed a card down, and a huge Dinosaur with mauve scales, wings, and two heads, each one with three horns, appeared in front of him. (1,600/1,200)

“Next,” continued Leopold, putting a card down, “I’ll summon Gilasaurus, also in Attack Mode!”

A fierce looking raptor, with brown skin and claws the size of daggers appeared next to Two-Headed King Rex. (1,400/400)

“Hey, time out! No fair!” shouted Stan. “You can’t just summon two Monsters at once!”

“You dare accuse me of cheating?” sneered Leopold. “Gilasaurus can be considered a Special Summon. In order to do that, I have to give you the option of Special Summoning a Monster from your Graveyard.”

Stan gave him a look.

“I have NO Monsters in my Graveyard!” he protested.

“Then that’s too bad,” said Leopold, with a shrug. “Sorry, but those are the rules.”

He pointed.

“Two-Headed King Rex, attack his Gentleman with twin-jawed bite!”

The two-headed Dinosaur roared and lumbered over to the terrified Spellcaster and grabbed him in both of its jaws, tearing him in two!

“Gilasaurus, attack directly with raptor’s claw!”

The smaller Dinosaur charged over and swiped at Stan with its mighty claw, knocking him over.

Stan’s Life Points fell to 6,000.

Leopold chuckled.

“You don’t stand a chance Stan,” he said. “In fact, you have about as much chance for survival as the true Dinosaurs did…”

“Namely, zero percent.”

“Keep yakking, dino-boy,” growled Stan. “I’m going to make you and your Monsters just as extinct as the real dinosaurs are…”

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Meanwhile, Crump was enjoying every minute of it.

Ah, this is the life, he said, plucking another peach. A great show and fresh fruit to go with it. And the best part is, I don’t even have to waste time taking notes for this one!

All I have to do is sit back, and enjoy the show…

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Okay, thought Stan, looking at Fearful Earthbound. Attacking will just hurt me, but not attacking will be even worse. There has to be something I can do…

He drew.

Well what do you know? he thought.

“I summon Goombella the Scholar in Defense Mode!” he exclaimed, putting a card down.

“One of his Companion cards!” said Francesca, excitedly.

Goombella appeared in front of him with a laugh. (500/2,000)

“Now Goombella, use your Tattle!” shouted Stan.

Goombella hopped onto Stan’s shoulders, and the top four cards in his deck floated out. Stan and Goombella looked at them…

Goombella whispered in his ear. Stan rearranged them, and they floated back onto his deck.

Goombella hopped back down in front of Stan.

Enjoy that Monster Card now, Stan, thought Leopold, because once I defeat you, all of your special cards will be with my mother, where they belong!

“It’s your move, Leopold,” stated Stan.

Leopold drew.

“I’ll sacrifice my Gilasaurus for the stronger Sword Arm of Dragon!” he stated, switching cards on his Disk.

Gilasaurus vanished, and a large, yellow, striped Dinosaur with a tail that was topped with a blade appeared in its place. (1,750/2,030)

“That will end my turn,” he said.

“That’s weak for a Tribute Monster!” mocked Stan. “A lot of my four-stars could take it out!”

“Then why don’t you?” asked Leopold.

Stan drew, knowing exactly what he was drawing.

“I play Mystical Space Typhoon, blowing away your Trap Card!” he shouted.

He threw the card into a slot, and the cyclone ripped across the field. Fearful Earthbound was reduced to dust.

“Again, you’ve done exactly what I expected you to do,” stated Leopold, adjusting his glasses. “I calculated that there was a 95% chance you would destroy that Trap the first chance you got. And now that you’ve used up your Mystical Space Typhoon, you’ll find it harder to destroy more of my Magic and Trap Cards.”

“We’ll see,” said Stan, taking a card from his hand. “I’ll summon Mystical Elf in Defense Mode.

He put the card down, and the peaceful elf appeared, chanting her holy spell. (800/2,000)

“Make your move,” said Stan.

Leopold drew.

Hmm, not bad… he thought.

He fit a card into a slot.

“I play Nightmare Steel Cage!” he shouted.

Flames erupted around Stan, and Goombella gasped in fright. The flames transformed into iron bars that formed into a dome-like cage, studded with spikes.

“That will keep you from attacking for two of your turns,” chuckled Leopold.

“Aw, geeze,” muttered Francesca. “That’s not good…”

“Well, it’s not… bad…” answered Andy.

“Huh?” asked Francesca.

“Well, just as the Nightmare Steel Cage prevents Stan from attacking, Leopold can’t attack either. And Stan can still sacrifice his weaker Monsters for stronger ones. Of course, Leopold can do the same…”

And apparently, Leopold wasn’t done.

“I sacrifice my Two-Headed King Rex for Megazowler!” he exclaimed. “In Attack Mode!”

He put a card down, and Two-Headed King Rex was consumed. A huge Dinosaur resembling a mean-looking triceratops with orange scales and thick plates appeared. (1,800/2,000)

“It’s your move, Stan,” he stated.

And if he was smart, I already know what card he put second in his deck when he used Goombella’s ability, he thought.

Stan drew. He showed Leopold the card.

“I’m playing my Pot of Greed, Leopold,” he said, snidely.

He plugged the card into a slot, and the jar appeared, handing him two more cards.

“You know, you could use this card yourself,” chuckled Stan, adding the cards to his hand, “because you have only one card left!”

“Actually,” said Leopold, adjusting his glasses again, “thanks to you playing that card, there’s a chance I might be able to increase the size of my hand exponentially right now!”

“Say what?” asked Stan.

Leopold’s facedown Trap Card lifted.

“I activate… Gamble!”


Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


A shiny golden coin fell from the heavens, and he caught it.

“Gamble?” asked Stan. “What does that do?”

“I can only play this card when you have six or more cards in your hand, and I have two or less. I flip the Coin of Chance… if I call it right, I get to draw until I have five cards. If I call it wrong, I skip my next turn.”

“You sure that coin doesn’t have two heads?” accused Stan.

“Will you stop accusing me of cheating?” snapped Leopold.

Just to show him, he revealed the two sides of the coin. One was heads, and one was tails.

“You’re taking a big risk,” muttered Stan.

“True,” agreed Leopold. “In any coin flip, the chances of calling it correctly are always a flat 50%... but I’m feeling mighty lucky today…”

He tossed the coin.

“It’s… heads!” he shouted.

The coin flipped through the air. He let it hit the ground…

Stan looked down and groaned. It was indeed heads.

Leopold chuckled. “Lucky me,” he said.

Four cards flew out of his deck, and he caught them.

“It’s still my turn, Leopold!” shouted Stan, looking at the two cards he had just drawn. “And I’ll sacrifice Goombella to summon Chaos Command Magician!”

Goombella gave a wink, and then vanished. The mighty Spellcaster of Light appeared, brandishing his staff! (2,400/1,900)

“And that’s my move,” he said.

He’s in for a rude awakening when this Cage crumbles, he thought.

Leopold drew.

Heh, heh, he thought. Just what I needed…

He put a card on his Disk.

“I summon Balloon Lizard in Defense Mode!” he exclaimed.

A new Monster appeared, and the name “Balloon Lizard” seemed to fit it perfectly. It was a huge lizard, who’s spherical torso seemed to be bloated like a balloon. It had an alligator-like head and a long tail protruding from its sides, and it floated in the air, as if it were full of helium. (500/1,900)

Balloon Lizard thought Stan. Okay, that’s seriously weird…

“My move now,” he said.

He drew, drawing the first card he didn’t know about.

“I sacrifice Mystical Elf to summon Dark Magician Girl!” he shouted.

Mystical Elf shattered into pixels, and Dark Magician Girl appeared, trailing hearts and a beautiful music in her wake! (2,000/1,700)

“And that will end my turn,” stated Stan.

The Nightmare Steel Cage evaporated, like sugar in the rain, as Leopold drew his next card.

“I play Graceful Charity,” he announced.

He played the card, and the angel flew into his deck. It handed him three cards.

“And just because I’m such a nice guy,” added Leopold, “I’ll show you the two cards I’m discarding.”

He flashed two cards in front of him. They were Little D. and Uraby.

“Now I’ll place a card facedown, and that will be all.”

He slid a card into a slot, and it appeared.

Stan looked at the facedown card intently.

Both my Monsters are stronger than both all of his, but he didn’t even shift Sword Arm of Dragon and Megazowler into Defense Mode… something’s up…

He drew.

“I activate… Threatening Roar!” shouted Leopold, as his Trap Card lifted.

A huge beast appeared behind him, and let out an earsplitting roar! Dark Magician Girl and Chaos Command Magician cringed in fright…

“Hey, I have that card!” shouted Andy.

“You think that Dragons are the only creatures who can roar, Andy?” asked Leopold. “Some paleontologists believe that a T-Rex had a roar that could be heard for miles. Anyway, I don’t think your Monsters will be attacking this round, Stan.”

“Fine,” growled Stan. “It’s your move.”

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

From his perch on the tree, Crump almost choked on the piece of fruit he was eating.

Man, he thought. Why did I drink all that coffee? I almost had an accident there!

Ah well, Leopold still has Stan on the ropes. This won’t take much longer…

He absentmindedly took the pit out of the peach he was eating, and dropped it.

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Francesca felt a twinge of pain as something landed on her head.

She pulled it out of her hair.

A peach pit? she thought.

She slowly looked up…

She quickly looked back down.

She bent over and whispered something in Andy’s ear.

“Huh?” he said.

He slowly looked up as well. Then he quickly looked down.

“We’ll handle it later,” he whispered.

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Leopold made a draw.

He smiled inwardly.

Well, he thought, I never had much use for the Painful Choice card… and now certainly isn’t the time to start using it…

But now it’s time to give Stan a pretty Painful Choice…

He slid the card into a slot.

“I’m playing this Trap Card facedown,” he said, “and ending my turn.”

“HUH?” said Stan, shocked. “You’re actually telling me it’s a Trap? What kind of rookie does something THAT stupid?”

“First of all, I’m not stupid, Stan,” stated Leopold.

He pointed to his skull.

“I.Q. of 165, genius level…”

He paused.

“And second, I’m telling you it’s a Trap because, since you have nothing on the board that can destroy it right now, there’s no way for you to stop me from triggering it when you start your turn. It’s THAT kind of Trap.”

“You know, Leopold,” shouted Andy, “there are words for people like you… none of which I like to say in front of a lady.”

“Fine!” cursed Stan, “I’m drawing…”

He drew.

“So let’s see what your stupid Trap is already!”

“Activate… Earthshaker!” shouted Leopold, as his Trap lifted.

The ground rumbled, mostly around Dark Magician Girl and Chaos Command Magician.

“This Trap is somewhat complex, so let me explain,” started Leopold. “You have two Monsters on your side of the field, and they’re of different types. One is a creature of Darkness, and one is a creature of Light…

“My Trap will destroy one of them… The only question is… which?”

He gave an evil smile.

“The choice is yours…”

Stan looked at him with an expression of pure hate…

“You’re asking me to choose which one of my own Monsters dies?” he yelled. “That’s cruel, Leopold!”

“This duel can’t resume until you choose, Stan,” chuckled Leopold. “Sorry kid, but those are the breaks…”

Stan looked at Dark Magician Girl and Chaos Command Magician…

Then he looked at the card he had just drawn…

He turned to Chaos Command Magician…

“Forgive me…” he said.

Chaos Command Magician turned to him and nodded.

“I choose my Monster of Light!” shouted Stan.

“Earthshaker, swallow his Chaos Command Magician!” yelled Leopold.

The tremor increased to a full earthquake, and then a fissure opened up, plunging Chaos Command Magician into it.

“Uh, I don’t get it…” muttered Andy. “Stan chose Chaos Command Magician when he was clearly the stronger Monster…”

“I have to agree with your friend there Stan,” said Leopold, quizzically. “Your Chaos Command Magician was stronger, and had a better effect – I calculated that there was an 80% chance you would have chosen Dark Magician Girl.

“I have to ask… why?”

“Because of the card I just drew,” said Andy with a smile. “I needed Dark Magician Girl to activate it!”

He showed him the card.

“The Sage’s Stone?” gasped Leopold. “But… wha… HOW?”

He did a quick calculation in his head.

“Uh, round to the nearest hundredth place…”

Stan tapped his foot.

“There was only about a 3.07% chance you could have drawn that right when you needed it!” he screamed.

“When you have faith in your deck, the odds don’t matter!” exclaimed Stan.

He threw the card into a slot, and a card flew out of his deck.

He threw it on his Disk, and the mighty Dark Magician appeared! (2,500/2,100)

“Dark Magician Girl… Dark Magician…” ordered Stan. “Wipe his Sword Arm of Dragon and his Megazowler with double dark magic attack!”

The two mages put their staffs together and fired a blast of blazing blast magic! The two Dinosaurs howled, and exploded into fragments!

Leopold’s Life Points fell down to 6,750.

“Okay…” snarled Leopold. “But I’m still in the lead… And my deck has quite a few more surprises in store…”

“Bring it on…” snarled Stan.

Leopold drew.

“I’ll place a Monster facedown in Defense,” he said, placing a card on his Disk.

A hidden Monster appeared.

“And also a card facedown,” he said.

He fit a card into a slot, and it materialized.

“Make your move,” he said.

“I will,” said Stan, drawing.

He added the card to his hand.

“Dark Magician Girl destroy his Balloon Lizard!” shouted Stan.

Dark Magician Girl aimed and fired!

As the blast of dark magic shot forward, Leopold smiled.

“Gotcha,” he said with a grin.

As impact was made, a huge explosion ripped across the field! Stan was thrown backwards!

“Ugh…” he groaned.

“You really should have gone for my Balloon Lizard earlier,” laughed Leopold. “For every one of my Standby Phases that it stays on the field, you lose 400 Life Points when it’s destroyed – and it lasted three of those phases.”

Stan’s Life Points fell to 4,800.

“Yeah?” he said, getting up. “It’s still my move!”

He pointed.

“Dark Magician, destroy his last defense!”

Dark Magician fired at the facedown Monster…

A weird object appeared on the card…

It cackled before it was blown to smithereens.

“Gaak!” shouted Stan. “A Morphing Jar? Who did you have to kill to get THAT?”

Leopold grinned.

“On second thought, don’t answer that,” sighed Stan.

The two of them discarded their hands and drew five new cards.

“Well, make your move,” snarled Stan.

“I will,” said Leopold with a glare. “To summon this next Monster, I have to remove one Rock Monster from the game. And since it’s no longer useful, I’ll remove my Morphing Jar…”

His Morphing Jar slipped out of his discard slot, and he fit it into his Remove From Play slot.

“So now I summon The Rock Spirit in Attack Mode,” he stated, putting a card down.

A large, grey-skinned soldier dressed like a Spartan and carrying a rod topped with a ruby materialized on the field. (1,700/1,600)

“That’s not a Dinosaur…” muttered Francesca.

“Is there a law that says I have to play only Dinosaurs?” pouted Leopold. “Shadow Spawn of EARTH, remember?”

He sighed.

“Make your move, Stan.”

Besides, even with this Monster, Dinosaurs play a large part in my next strategic move. Stan will never see it coming!

Stan drew.

“I know your Rock Spirit’s power, Leopold,” he said. “It gains 300 Attack Points during my Battle Phase. But that still won’t make him strong enough to fend off my Dark Magician!”

No, Stan, don’t! screamed Francesca in his head. His Trap Card!

“Dark Magician…” shouted Stan, “dark magic attack!”

Dark Magician aimed…

“You should have thought of that a while longer, Stan,” chuckled Leopold. “I activate my facedown card…”

A Magic Card lifted, bearing the picture of a scattered pile of bones, over which a group of dinosaur spirits were roaring.

“Terror From The Extinct!” shouted Leopold.

The Dinosaur spirits flew out of the card and encircled Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl!

“Let me explain,” chuckled Leopold. “This Quickplay Magic card weakens all Monsters on your side of the field by 100 Attack and Defense Points for every Dinosaur in my Graveyard for the remainder of the turn. And counting the three I sent there with my Morphing Jar, there are ten.

“Certainly, Stan, you can handle math as easy as a little subtraction, hmm?”

Stan stood dumbfounded.

“Guess not,” sighed Leopold. “It reduces your Dark Magician’s Attack to 1,500, which is currently 500 lower than The Rock Spirit!

“Rock Spirit, counter attack!”

The Rock Spirit blasted a beam of energy from his rod, blowing Dark Magician away.

Stan’s Life Points fell to 4,300.

“Of course, that means your Dark Magician Girl gains 300 Attack Points, but thanks to my Magic Card, she’s still too weak this turn to take on The Rock Spirit.”

“Fine,” snarled Stan. “I end my turn…”

The Rock Spirit returned to 1,700 Attack, and Dark Magician Girl rose to 2,300 Attack.

Leopold drew.

“Now to take care of her too,” he chuckled. “I’ll sacrifice my Rock Spirit to summon Dark Driceratops!”

The Rock Spirit shattered, and a very strange Dinosaur appeared – and this was the biggest one yet. It looked like a strange cross between triceratops and bird of prey, with feathers, talons, and a hooked beak. (2,400/1,500)

“Whoever it was at Industrial Illusion who thought up this Monster,” pondered Leopold, “obviously believed in the theory that dinosaurs were more closely related to warm-blooded birds than cold-blooded reptiles!”

“Do say…” muttered Stan.

“Dark Driceratops!” shouted Leopold. “Trample his Dark Magician Girl!”

Dark Magician Girl screamed as the huge Dinosaur plowed into her, blowing her into fragments.

Stan’s Life Points fell further, to 4,200.

“Just a word of advice, Stan,” said Leopold. “Putting Monsters into Defense Mode won’t work with this creature. It has an effect just like Andy’s Spear Dragon…”

He chuckled.

“But unlike that pathetic Dragon, this creature has a Defense Score better than zero and doesn’t have to shift into Defense Mode after it attacks!”

Andy got up in a rage.

“You want to come over here and call my Monsters pathetic?” he shouted. “After Stan kicks your ass, I’m going to kick it again!”

“And then I’m going to kick it a third time!” shouted Francesca.

Leopold paused for a minute.

Heh, heh, he thought. Forget what mom said… this is too good to pass up! I’ll defeat all three of them! Then my standing in this family will increase above the others by three hundred percent!

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

In the tree, Crump was working on more of the fruit.

Crump really didn’t know the meaning of the word “moderation”.

This is great! he chuckled. Leopold’s going to blow them ALL away!

And the best part is…

All of a sudden he felt a gurgling noise in his stomach.

Ooh… he thought. I don’t feel too good…

His stomach started making funny noises…

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Stan put a card into a slot and a card on his Disk.

“I place a card facedown, and summon Gemini Elf in Attack Mode,” he stated.

The two twin elves appeared. They shuddered at the sight of the huge Dinosaur. (1,900/900)

“Heh,” chuckled Leopold. “I guess you’re smarter than I thought, Stan – you obviously realized that my Dark Driceratops would have done more damage to you if it had attacked your elves while they were in Defense Mode…”

“I learn quickly,” grumbled Stan.

“Do you now?” snickered Leopold, drawing.

He looked at the card.

“Well, not the best Monster, but this will do,” he sighed. “I summon Mad Sword Beast in Attack Mode!”

He put the card down, and a large beast that seemed to combine the worst aspects of Dinosaur and rhinoceros appeared, bearing a sharp tusk on its snout. (1,400/1,200)

Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Contined from last post:


“Dark Driceratops, attack his elves!”

The elves held each other and shrieked in fear as the Monster closed in…

“You know Leo, for a genius, you don’t have much common sense,” said Stan, with a grin.

His Trap card lifted…

It was his Spellbinding Circle!

Leopold gasped as Dark Driceratops fell to 1,700 Attack.

Leopold growled.

“Make your move…” he dared.

“As you wish,” said Stan, drawing. “Gemini Elf, attack his Dark Driceratops!”

Gemini Elf shot forth twin bolts of lightning, reducing the bird-like Dinosaur to ashes.

Leopold’s Life Points fell to 6,550.

“All right!” shouted Leopold. “It’s my move now!”

He drew.

Not bad… he thought.

“You know Stan,” he said, “I love dinosaurs, but they aren’t the only animals that interest me. All forms of prehistoric animals pique my interest…”

He switched cards on his Disk.

“Therefore, I sacrifice my Mad Sword Beast to summon my Big-Tusked Mammoth in Attack Mode!”

Mad Sword Beast shattered, and it seemed a wave of cold, followed by a light snowfall pervaded the area. A huge Beast appeared. It was a giant mastodon with purple fur, and huge tusks! (2,000/1,000)

“Mammoth, attack his Gemini Elf with blizzard blast!”

Big-Tusked Mammoth let out a trumpet, and shot a cone of frost at the two elves! They were encased in a block of ice… and then shattered!

Stan’s Life Points dipped to 4,100.

“Before you make your next move Stan, let me let you in on Big-Tusked Mammoth’s special effect,” noted Leopold. “So long as he’s on the field, your Monsters are forbidden from attacking on the round in which they are summoned!

“Now you may move.”

Stan drew.

It’s time to take a risk, he thought.

“I summon Silent Magician Lv 4, in Attack Mode,” he said.

He put a card down, and a short character appeared. It looked like a child, wearing a costume that was a combination of a sorcerer’s outfit and an alien’s outfit, colored silver and green with a strange helmet. He carried a short staff. (1,000/1,000)

Leopold laughed.

“That’s weak!” he exclaimed.

“Maybe so,” said Stan. “But he’ll get stronger. In the meantime, I’m playing Clock Out!”

Clock Out? thought Leopold. That’s another card that mom wanted me to confiscate!

“Now,” said Stan, placing it into a slot, “first I have to give up 1,000 of my Life Points…”

His Life Points fell to 3,100

The grandfather clock appeared. The spinner spun…

And this time, Stan was luckier. It landed on the four!

“Now you can’t attack for four of your turns!” exclaimed Stan.

“All right!” shouted Francesca.

“But what exactly does that Silent Magician do, anyway?” asked Andy.

“Make your move,” said Stan with a smile.

Leopold grimaced and drew…

Light flowed into Silent Magician, and his Attack Score grew to 1,500.

“Huh?” said Leopold. “How did your Silent Magician get more Attack Points?”

“Every time you draw a card,” explained Stan, “Silent Magician Lv 4 gains a spell counter, and with each one he gets, he gains 500 Attack Points!”

Leopold’s eyes narrowed. He looked at his cards.

So, that guy gets stronger with each card I draw? I thought. I can live with that…

In fact, with the cards I have now, I already have a plan that carries about an 80% chance of success!

First, I’ll summon this Monster to keep his Silent Magician from attacking…

Then I’ll draw cards until it reaches an astronomical Attack Score…

Then I’ll play this Block Attack card, and Equip it with this Nitro Unit! When I destroy it, Stan will lose a LOT of Life Points!

He switched cards on his Disk.

“I sacrifice my Mammoth to summon The Sandman, in Defense Mode!” he exclaimed.

Big-Tusked Mammoth vanished, and a new creature appeared. The name “Sandman” seemed to describe it perfectly. It was a tall man, seemingly made out of sand. (0/3,000)

“Your move, Stan,” chuckled Leopold. “Just try to get past him.”

The clock ticked down to three.

Stan drew…

Sandman pointed at Silent Magician, and the young Spellcaster bowed his head…

“What?” exclaimed Stan. “He’s asleep?”

“That’s The Sandman’s special effect,” chuckled Leopold. “During your first Main Phase, I can choose one of your Monsters, and that Monster falls asleep, unable to attack for the remainder of the turn!”

“Lovely,” said Stan, sarcastically.

He looked at his card, and smiled.

“I play… Sweat Treat!” he exclaimed.

Ugh, another one? thought Leopold.

Stan played the card, and the cute gingerbread man popped out with its pink dice. He rolled it…

And it came up a four.

“All right!” shouted Andy. “Now Stan gains 4,000 Life Points!”

Stan’s score shot up to 7,100.

“And with that, I end my turn,” said Stan, “but I just made it much harder for you, Leo…”

“It’s LEOPOLD!” shouted his opponent.

And it doesn’t matter, he thought, drawing.

He eyed another Magic Card in his hand.

Once I destroy his Silent Magician and draw my ultimate weapon, he’s finished…

Silent Magician’s Attack went up to 2,000 as Leopold eyed his card.

“I play Pot of Greed,” he stated, plugging the card into a slot.

Stan gasped in surprise as the jar handed him two cards.

“Is this some sort of joke?” he asked, as Silent Magician absorbed more energy. “You do realize that by drawing two more cards, my Silent Magician gains 1,000 more Attack Points?”

Silent Magician went up to 3,000 Attack.

“Yikes!” gasped Andy. “That little tyke is just as strong as Kaiba’s Blue-Eyes White Dragon now!”

“I’m quite aware of that,” stated Leopold, “but my Sandman will just send him to La-La Land again on your next turn. To end, I’ll place a Monster facedown in Defense.”

He set a card, and a hidden Monster appeared.

The clock ticked down to two.

Stan drew, and Silent Magician fell asleep again.

Nothing I can summon without a sacrifice, he thought.

“I’ll pass this turn,” he said.

Leopold drew. Silent Magician went up to 3,500 Attack.

Stan gave a slight smirk.

“First I’ll set a second Monster facedown in Defense Mode,” said Leopold, setting a card.

Another concealed Monster appeared.

“Now I’ll play my Premature Burial card,” he continued, “to bring my Dark Driceratops back from the grave!”

His Life Points fell to 5,750 as he played the card. The ground shook, and Dark Driceratops crawled out of the ground. (2,400/1,500)

“Make your move,” he said with a grin.

“I will,” said Stan, drawing. “Because now that Silent Magician Lv 4 has absorbed five spell counters, I can sacrifice him to summon Silent Magician Lv 8!”

A card flew out of his Disk, and Stan caught it. He switched cards.

Silent Magician Lv 4 glowed. He grew, and within seconds, he had basically transformed into an adult version of his former self.

But The Sandman pointed at him, and he fell asleep as well.

He looked at the card he had just drawn.

I’ll save this guy, he thought.

“That will be all for my turn,” he said.

Leopold drew.

He noticed that this new Silent Magician did not increase in Attack Points.

He smiled a smile that Stan did not like.

“I’ll pass this turn,” he grinned.

The clock clicked to the top, and it vanished.

Stan drew.

He chuckled.

“I summon Blast Magician in Attack Mode!” he exclaimed.

He put the card down, and the fiery Spellcaster appeared in a burst of flame. (1,400/1,700)

“Now, I play… Graceful Charity!” he shouted.

The angel flew out of his deck and handed him three cards. He choose two, and gave them to her to discard.

Blast Magician absorbed the energy from the Magic Card.

“Huh?” asked Leopold.

“Now that my Blast Magician has absorbed the power of one Magic Card,” smiled Stan, “he can now destroy a Monster with 700 Attack Points or less! And your Sandman has zero Attack Points!

“Blast Magician, blast his Sandman!”

Blast Magician shot forth a stream of fire, and The Sandman was blown into dust.

Silent Magician woke up in a start.

“Just as I’d hoped,” chuckled Stan. “With it gone, so is the sleeping spell. So, Silent Magician, destroy his Dark Driceratops with solar blast!”

Silent Magician thrust forth his staff, and shot forth a stream of burning, bright light! Dark Driceratops roared, and was reduced to ashes!

Leopold’s Life Points fell to 4,650.

“Blast Magician, attack… that Monster!”

Blast Magician shot forth a fiery spell at a facedown card, and another Two-Headed King Rex appeared. It also roared and was reduced to ashes.

“Your move, Leopold,” chuckled Stan. “And you have only one Monster left!”

“One will be more than enough!” laughed Leopold.

He drew.

Ah, my trump card! he thought, laughing inside. Think I’ll save it until after I demolish his Silent Magician.

“I reveal my facedown Monster…” said Leopold with a grin.

The card spun around.

“Reveal… The Trojan Horse!”

A huge horse made of wood appeared in front of Leopold. (1,600/1,200)

“Be very careful, Stan!” shouted Andy.

“What?” asked Francesca.

“If Leopold sacrifices The Trojan Horse for a Monster of Earth, it counts as two sacrifices!” exclaimed Andy.

Francesca shuddered.

Just like Unshaven Angler and Whirlwind Prodigy! she thought.

“Now it’s time to show you the real King of the Jungle!” shouted Leopold. “I sacrifice The Trojan Horse, to summon Black Tyranno!”

The Trojan Horse shattered, and the biggest Dinosaur of all appeared. It was beyond belief. It was a savage Tyrannosaurus Rex with huge claws, giant teeth, and black scales. It roared in pure bloodlust. (2,600/1,800)

“That’s mighty impressive, Leopold,” said Stan, with a yawn, “but in case you didn’t notice, my Magician is still stronger…”

“Maybe so,” stated Leopold, “but I was forming a strategy the second I found out about your Silent Magician’s ability, one that will make your chance of survival almost zero percent.

“See, unlike you, I don’t act on instinct! I plan ahead! I think with the skills that only a genius can call upon, I…”

“You’re going to fall flat on your face…” muttered Stan.

Leopold growled.

He took a card from his hand.

“Let me show you part one of my strategy!” he shouted. “I’m using this Magic Card on your Silent Magician… Block Attack!”

He threw it into a slot.

“Oh no!” cried Francesca.

Then Silent Magician lifted a finger to his lips, and made a motion, as if to say, “Shhh!”

And he remained in Attack Mode.

“Huh?” said Leopold, surprised. “Why didn’t he shift into Defense Mode?”

“Because he has an effect completely different from his younger counterpart, Leo,” said Stan with a grin. “The only Magic Cards that affect him… are mine!

“Remember when I just said you were going to fall flat on your face? I could see your strategy coming from a mile away – you were intending to defeat Silent Magician by using some combo with that monstrosity and a Magic Card. But you never considered the fact that Silent Magician even had an effect that could resist them.

“So what are you going to do now?”

Leopold ground his teeth.

If that creature is immune to my Magic Cards, he’s immune to Nitro Unit too. he thought. Well then, there’s no way to save Black Tyranno, so I’ll just make the most of it…

“I’m Equipping your Blast Magician with this,” he said, putting a card into a slot. “Nitro Unit!”

Blast Magician gasped, as a strange, mechanical device with wires, batteries, and a tank that said “Nitro” on it was strapped to his back.

“Let me explain,” said Leopold, with a sinister chuckle. “When my Black Tyranno destroys your Blast Magician, in addition to the normal amount of damage you’ll receive, you’ll take damage equal to Blast Magician’s Attack Score!

“Black Tyranno, attack his Blast Magician with predator roar!”

Black Tyranno let out a huge bellow, and Blast Magician staggered…

The Nitro Unit beeped wildly, and Blast Magician exploded, throwing Stan backwards!

His Life Points plummeted to 4,500.

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

In the tree where he was watching Crump was not having a very good time.

He was starting to get very bad pains in his stomach. And he was getting worried.

Ooh, he thought. If I throw up, not only will my cover be blown, but it will be…

…undignified.

I’ve got to get out of here and get some Pepto-Bismol. But how?

He sighed, and took the Duel Disk that was strapped to his back. He took out a card.

Dimensionhole.

Grodus told me to use this only in an emergency… he thought. Well this is an emergency if I ever saw one…

He placed the card in a slot, and a portal opened up beside him. He leapt through, and it closed.

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Stan got back up, and drew a card.

“Well, well,” he said.

“Ready Leopold? Time to meet and old friend of my family!”

He put a card down.

“I summon Ms. Mowz the Tease Thief in Attack Mode!”

Andy and Francesca smiled as the new Monster appeared. She was a short, semi-humanoid mouse with white fur, red shoes, and a red bandit’s mask. Her long tail was bent in the shape of a heart. (1,200/1,000)

“How adorable…” sneered Leopold, sarcastically.

“Silent Magician, wipe out his Black Tyranno!” shouted Stan.

Silent Magician shot forth his Solar Blast, and Black Tyranno was incinerated.

Leopold’s Life Points fell to 3,750.

“Ms. Mowz, attack him directly with your love slap!” ordered Stan.

“Love slap?” said a shocked Leopold.

Ms. Mowz squealed in delight, and pounced! she slapped at Leopold’s face, and he cursed…

His Life Points fell down to 2,550.

Then the unexpected happened. Ms. Mouse snatched a card out his hand with her mouth!

“HEY!” yelled Leopold. “That’s mine!”

Ms. Mowz scurried back to Stan and handed him the card. Then she gave Stan a smooch on the cheek.

“Heh, thanks Ms. Mowz,” he said, somewhat embarrassed. “Anyway, Leopold, it’s mine now, thanks to Ms. Mowz’s Kiss Thief ability. When she damages your Life Points, I get to take a card at random from your hand, and add it to my own!”

Fine, thought Leopold. So will you use that card Stan? I estimate that there’s a 60% chance you’ll do with it exactly what I planned to do with it!

Stan looked at the card that Ms. Mowz had given him.

“A Soul Release card, eh Leopold?” he laughed, “well, I can put this to good use…”

He plugged it into the slot.

“I’ll use it on your Graveyard, removing your Black Tyranno, Dark Driceratops, Megazowler, Sword Arm of Dragon, and one Two Headed King Rex! Whatever strategies you had in mind that involved using powerful Dinosaurs, I just crippled them!

“And I end my turn.”

Leopold laughed. He laughed out loud.

“Uh, maniacal laughter is never a good sign…” muttered Francesca.

Leopold drew.

“Crippled them, Andy?” he laughed. “Hardly! You did with that card exactly what I intended to do with it! So thank you so much!”


Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


“WHAT?” exclaimed Andy. “Why would you remove your own Monsters from play?”

“I needed to,” chuckled Leopold. “To play the mightiest Monster in my deck!”

He threw a card down.

“I summon the almighty TYRANNO INFINITY!”

Thunder and lightning flashed in the sky, as a Monster even bigger than Black Tyranno arose. It was twice as big, twice as mean-looking, and rainbow-colored energy radiated from its scales! (?/0)

“NOW do I scare you?” chuckled Leopold.

“Yes!” gulped Stan.

“Then allow me to explain how this earth-shattering Monster works,” he explained. “Don’t let the name fool you – any good mathematician will tell you that infinity is only a hypothetical number, and that nothing can truly be infinite. But this creature is powerful. It’s Attack Score is 1,000 for every Dinosaur Monster of mine that has been removed from play. And since you so kindly removed five of them for me…”

(5,000/0)

Andy and Francesca gasped.

“Face it, Stan,” laughed Leopold, “I’m going to bury you here! Perhaps in a million years, some future paleontologists will come across your bones!”

He laughed out loud.

“Now then,” he smiled, “which of your two Monsters should I destroy first? I could easily destroy your mouse…”

Ms. Mowz shivered in fright.

“…but that wouldn’t win me the duel,” sighed Leopold, “and I hate your Silent Magician even more!

“Tyranno Infinity, attack his Silent Magician with infinite primal rage attack!”

Tyranno Infinity blasted forth a beam of pure energy from his jaws, blasting Silent Magician away!

Stan’s Life Points fell to 2,900, and that wasn’t the only effect. He was knocked flat on his back, and had the wind knocked out of him.

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Stan heard a squeaky voice above him.

“Stan?” it said. “Stan? Get up! Get up you big piece of Roquefort!”

He felt a warm touch, like the muzzle of a friendly dog touching him, and he got up.

Ms. Mowz was standing over him.

“Huh?” he said.

“I’m sorry, Stan,” she lamented. “I stole the wrong card!”

“It wasn’t your fault,” sighed Stan. “But what are we going to do? This is like Drake all over again! He’s too powerful!”

Ms. Mowz giggled.

“It’s simple, you little piece of gorgonzola! If an enemy is stronger than you, you simply have to outsmart him! I know that well…”

“What do you mean?” asked Stan. “And do you have to compare me to cheeses?”

Ms. Mowz chuckled.

“That got on your ancestor’s nerves a lot too,” she laughed. “See, I first met the Three Heroes in Hooktail Castle. I was doing what any good thief did – looking for valuable stuff. I was immediately impressed by their powers – but I didn’t want to join them just yet.

“I snuck around, following them everywhere. I played a lot of tricks on them along the way, and eventually they got used to me…

“Eventually, I asked them to do me a favor that I told them was dangerous. It wasn’t really. I just wanted to know if they’d do something that they thought was dangerous. If they did, I intended to join up with them.

“So they did, and I joined the Companions.

“See, I outsmarted the Three Heroes, and they weren’t the only powerful beings I outsmarted. You have the skills and the cards to take down that so-called genius and his big bad dinosaur…

“Now go knock him dead, my little piece of provolone!”

She gave him a kiss on the cheek…

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Stan got up, and slowly gathered his cards.

“Make your move,” dared Leopold. “As if it will matter… By the way, your mouse is next…”

Stan looked at his cards.

Dark Magician of Chaos, Mind on Air, Monster Reborn, Pitch Black Power Stone, and…

Double Spell.

He thought for a minute.

A plan was forming. He could win this duel on this turn… if the card he drew was a Magic Card!

He deftly drew…

He looked at the card.

Sibling Rivalry!

“Question, Leopold,” he said with a grin. “Have you ever seen a mouse take down a dinosaur?”

Leopold laughed out loud.

“Stan, that is the biggest bluff I have ever heard!” he laughed.

Stan placed a card in a slot.

“I play Monster Reborn!” he shouted. “I’ll bring back a Monster that you made me discard with your Morphing Jar…”

An imposing form appeared on the card…

It was Buster Blader.

(2,600/2,300)

“Heh, heh, a fat lot of good that will do you!” laughed Leopold. “My Dinosaurs aren’t Dragons!”

Stan ignored him.

“And now I play… Double Spell!” shouted Stan.

He discarded Sibling Rivalry.

“Oh, I’m shaking!” said Leopold, sarcastically. “There’s no Magic Card in my Graveyard that can help you!”

“I beg to differ!” laughed Stan. “I’m using this card to duplicate the effects of the card you tried to use on my Silent Magician!”

Leopold paused…

And then it sank in…

“AUUGH!” he shouted. “That was my Block Attack card!”

“Bingo!” laughed Stan.

Tyranno Infinity curled up into Defense Mode.

“Your Tyranno Infinity may have an overwhelming Attack Score,” stated Stan, “but I noticed that its Defense Score is… zero.

“You know, some people say that Dinosaurs had very small brains. Apparently, this one had NO brain. It could only attack, and couldn’t defend itself at all!”

“Ms. Mowz, attack Tyranno Infinity!”

Leopold screamed as Ms. Mowz darted forward and rammed herself into the gargantuan Dinosaur. It burst into colored shards!

“My best Monster…” sobbed Leopold. “Beaten by a… a… mouse! What were the odds? What were the odds? I’ll never live this down!”

“Ahem…” said Stan, pointing at his Buster Blader.

“Oh, no…” groaned Leopold.

“Buster Blader, finish him off with blade buster attack!”

Buster Blader charged forward and struck Leopold with his mighty sword, knocking him down, and blasting away the rest of his Life Points.

Leopold got up and stared at Stan in hate.

“Curse you Stan!” he shouted. “How dare you humiliate me! I may have lost, but I’ll get even! There’s a 100% chance of that!”

And then he burst into an explosion of dust.

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Stan, Andy, and Francesca ran back into town, and to their relief, they saw that the townsfolk had recovered.

Mostly.

All of them were sitting down, rubbing their joints.

They noticed Sean and Drake sitting on a bench.

“Are you guys okay?” asked Sean.

“We’ll live,” groaned Drake. “We’re just a little… stiff.”

Sean sighed. “You saved us…” he muttered. “You won the duel…”

“You knew?” asked Stan.

“We all could hear everything,” answered Drake. “It was torture – not being able to move, and hearing that madman and his threats…”

A townsfolk came up to them.

“You saved the whole town…” he said. “How about I treat you all to a nice steak dinner at my restaurant?”

“Sure!” said Stan. “And how about some more of those famous peaches?”

“Uhm, I should warn you,” said the man. “Don’t eat too many of those. Twilight peaches are good, but if you eat to many at once, you could get real sick…”

“Really?” muttered Stan.

“Yeah,” sighed the man. “More than five in one day, and you could get nausea, upset stomach, constipation, indigestion…”

“Well Sean,” muttered Drake, “guess our duel will have to wait until we’re a bit more limber…”

“I’ve got nowhere to go,” shrugged Sean.

Francesca took her Stan aside.

“Stan, I don’t want to worry you but…”

The bell from the Creepy Steeple tolled five.

“Darn that thing,” she sighed. “Anyway, while you were dueling, there was a guy in the tree above us watching the whole thing.”

“Yeah,” said Andy. “I saw him too.”

Stan frowned.

“So, the Shadow Queen has a toady spying on us,” he sighed. “Just great.”


[B]

* * * * * * * * * *

Leopold was unceremoniously dumped in the center of a large cavern.

He looked around, and gasped as he saw Melissa, Kurtis, and Tyson held captive by magical devices.

“So, you blew it too, Mr. Smarty Pants,” sighed Melissa. “What a surprise…”

“Leopold!” shouted a voice from the shadows.

Leopold started sweating as his mother floated into view.

“Leopold, I don’t know what to say to you,” she said. “I’ve seen better strategy from a dueling monkey!”

“But mom, I couldn’t have known…” shuddered Leopold.

“Let me point some things out for you, Leopold,” explained the Shadow Queen, as she flicked her Disk into position. “You knew that your Tyranno Infinity’s greatest weakness was its nonexistent Defense Score. You also knew that Stan had a Double Spell card in his deck…

“And yet, you practically handed victory to him by playing Block Attack on a Monster that you knew nothing about.

“Leopold, you claim to be twice as smart as your siblings. You’re wrong…”

She took a card out of her dress.

“…you’re twice as stupid!”

She threw the card into a slot.

“Nightmare Wheel!” she shouted.

Leopold screamed as chains grabbed his arms and legs and racked him to a hideous metal wheel.

As she turned to leave, she said, “Next time you weigh the percentages, weigh them better!”



FEARFUL EARTHBOUND

Card Specs

Type: Trap/Continuous
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Card Description: Image of a warrior surrounded by a set of fearsome jaws. So long as this Trap remains on the field, your opponent loses 500 Life Points each time he declares an attack.

Note: “Fearful Earthbound” was used by Bakura in “Showdown in the Shadows (Part One)”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



SWORD ARM OF DRAGON

Card Specs

Type: Dinosaur
Attribute: Earth
Level: 6
ATK: 1,750
DEF: 2,030

Card Description: A dinosaur that bristles with sword-like spikes all over. It attacks by recklessly ramming foes.



MEGAZOWLER

Card Specs

Type: Dinosaur
Attribute: Earth
Level: 6
ATK: 1,800
DEF: 2,000

Card Description: A dinosaur with horns protruding from all over its body. As expected, its ramming attacks are very powerful.


Note: “Sword Arm of Dragon” and “Megazowler” were first used by Rex Raptor in “The Dueling Monkey” All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode. (Contrary to rumors, these cards do not even exist in Japan, although they have appeared in video games.)



TERROR FROM THE EXTINCT

Card Specs

Type: Magic/Quickplay
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Card Description: Image of a scattered pile of bones, over which a group of dinosaur spirits are roaring. Until the end of the current turn, all face up Monsters on your opponent's field, regardless of position, lose 100 ATK and DEF points for each DINOSAUR-type monster in your Graveyard.

Note: “Terror From The Extinct” was created by Master of Paradox as a result of winning a mini-contest. All credit goes to him.



THE SANDMAN

Card Specs

Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 6
ATK: 0
DEF: 3,000

Card Description: This vile creature lures victims into an eternal slumber from which they can never awake. When this Monster is face-up on your side of the field, you can choose one Monster on your opponent’s side of the field during each of your opponent’s first Main Phases. So long as this Monster remains on the field, the chosen Monster cannot attack for the remainder of the turn.



MS. MOWZ THE TEASE THIEF

Card Specs

Type: Beast-Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,200
DEF: 1,000

Card Description: This wily bandit stalked and teased the Three Heroes for some time before finally joining them. When this Monster damages your opponent’s Life Points, you can take one card at random from their hand and add it to yours and use it during the duel. (If cards taken in this manner are sent to the Graveyard, they go to the original owner’s Graveyard.)



[I][B]Coming up next:

Andy is lured to the spooky Creepy Steeple, where a dark assassin waits for him! (And fans of “Paper Mario”, no, it isn’t Doopliss!) Andy will have to face his fears, a deck designed to counter his, and the maddening tolling of the Steeple’s bells… But fortunately, the next Companion will be aiding him!

Don’t miss “For Whom The Bell Tolls”, coming soon.

[jkBAKURA]

One chapter too early! Oh well. I haven't seen many Dinosaur decks in the fiction world, and was probably the best written of the ones I have seen. I half expected Guardian Grarl, but that was always more for a guardian deck then Dinos.

Was also the first one I've seen without the Evolution Pill, but that just shows creativity and resourcefulness that some are too lazy to tap into.

Well done as always, and looking foreward like so many to the next chapter. I can only imagine what comes next.

[Zcade0]

Exelent chapter. Ms. Mowz seemed to not have as much empasize as the past intros to the companion monsters but still quite interesting.

[starjake]

So my guess was correct! That was a duel that Rex would be proud of (if he's even capable of feeling a positive emotion). I like Leopold's character, though we've kind of already seen it in Krump of the Big 5.

Geez, you're not gonna go easy on Andy, are you? He faces off against three Fiend users, someone with the most powerful Fire monsters ever created (heh, heh) and now against someone whose deck is especially tailored to combat Dragons? Talk about no rest for the weary! Let's see how Andy handles all this pressure.

I await the next chapter!

[opaltiger]

Aww, I was hoping Stan'd lose. I like it when things like that happen. =P

Okay, you called Stan Andy once, but otherwise it was good in that regard... Although I believe you called that Mammoth thingy a mastodon which was an extinct sloth. Or was it a beaver? One can never remember.

Lastly, I'd say this was Buster Blader/Dark Paladin, but that's too obvious imo...

[Mystic_clown]

Nice chapter dude! Man, there's a whole load of dinosaurs I didn't even know existed (if only Rex had a deck like that).

[Master of Paradox]

The following is, best as I can recall, the AIM conversation that got me the spot creating Terror From The Extinct:

(Immediately after Dark Sage posted the mini-contest)

Me: Can I just tell you the answer in IM?
Him: Ummm... okay.
Me: "Minerva".
Him: We have a winner.

As Starjake pointed out, Leopold acted a bit too much like Krump. To be honest, out of the Shadow Spawn, the only one I've liked was Kurtis - he played it cool and underemotional, whereas the others were either too hyper (Melissa), endlessly cracking horrible jokes (Tyson) or just plain unoriginal (Leopold).

Interesting, though, to see a Dinosaur/Earth deck that doesn't go crazy with made-ups, aside from the show cards and my Terror. Ms. Mowz, however, was a little too stale, both as a card and a character - and I loathe cheese puns.

To be honest, I only found this chapter to be average. The duel was decent enough, but nothing about it truely stood out - and given that Leopold was trained for this sort of thing, why didn't he know what the Silent Magician LV 4 could do? Do people in your stories never learn about any cards other than their own? That's bothered me for a while now...

Your next chapter shakes me a bit - you see... well, I don't want to spoil anything for LoD...

[Shuppet Master]

I really enjoyed this chapter. The fourth Shadow Spawn strikes! Oh, and the Crump bit was funny - that's what you get for overindulgence!

I was surprised of Leopold. For a second, I envisioned this white-haired Dante clone. (Dante is the hero of tthe Devil May Cry series.) But this was a cool character none the less. And Leopold made the same mistake Shaleen did in Mandate - she used a card which was used against her.

Ouch, Nightmare Wheel is nasty. Something tells me that the last two Spawn are going to get serious punishments if they lose. (I predict Vladimir will be killed, but only because of a plot point I can't spoil. I may be wrong.)

Keep it up, Brian. We're rooting for you!

[Mystic_clown]

[quote=Shuppet Master ]
I was surprised of Leopold. For a second, I envisioned this white-haired Dante clone. (Dante is the hero of tthe Devil May Cry series.) But this was a cool character none the less.[/quote author]

I was kind of expecting that too to be honest.

Why do I get the feeling one of the remaining two spawn is going to be honourable. In every series there's at least one honourable villian.

[Dark Sage]

Well it's time for a new chapter, and let me just say, I'm sorry if this chapter is coincdentally similar to a chapter of "Lady of Dragons" which is premiering later this week.

Everyone who plays "Paper Mario" is asked the question, "Who's your favorite sidekick?" Well, I can't really answer that - hanving to chose a favorite would be like having to chose my own child. But the guy who appears in this chapter is a guy who I took a certain shine to, mainly because of his complex backstory.

Fans of the series, you know who I'm talking about.

So, on we go...

[Dark Sage]

[B][I]Everyone has something that they’re afraid of… I’m no exception.

You heard that I’m afraid of clowns… You know, that’s sort of a common fear. Clowns can be creepy sometimes. The way they act, the way they talk. If nothing else, they’re just downright annoying…

There are tons of reasons to support a fear of clowns. Did you know that the infamous child-killer John Wayne Gacy once worked as a clown?

The media helps the image. Batman’s deadliest enemy – one of the most infamous enemies in comic book history – is a clown, and he’s not the only clown in comics who’s a villain. And strangely, clowns in comics who are heroes are very rare.

And now I’m facing my worst nightmare…

An opponent who’s not only a clown…

But one who has a clever deck that he’s prepared just for me…

[B][size=3]CHAPTER EIGHTEEN



For Whom The Bell Tolls

“Buster Blader, finish him off with blade buster attack!”

As Andy sat outside the Twilight Inn with Francesca at his side, he replayed the last moments of Stan’s duel with Leopold in his head.

He sighed.

“Francesca,” he asked. “Do you remember your first real tournament? I mean, after you first got your Disk.”

“Yeah,” sighed Francesca. “I didn’t do to well… I only got to the second round…”

Andy chuckled.

“I can one-up you on that,” he answered. “I got to the third round in mine…

“But the opponent I faced at that point was pretty good. His deck was nothing special – basic beatdown strategy…

“But boy, did he know how to build a side deck!

“You know how side decks are. If you have one, only fifteen cards are allowed, no more, no less. But his was perfect. He seemed to have stuff in it for every occasion.

“And since he had seen me duel, he rearranged his deck with cards to defeat my strategy. I didn’t stand a chance…”

The bell from the Creepy Steeple tolled seven.

“Blast that thing!” he cursed. “It’s going to be hard to sleep tonight…”

They sighed, and walked into the inn.

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

In the Palace of Shadow, its mistress rubbed her chin as she looked over a special deck.

Hmm, she thought. Not you… not you…

She came to a card.

“Yes…” she hissed. “Perfect…”

She tossed the card into the fireplace, and the violet flames blazed green.

“Arise!” she chanted.

A dark form leapt out of the fireplace, and cackled with laughter.

He took a hat off of his head, and made a polite bow.

“I am your humble servant, my Queen,” he said. “I am ready to do your every bidding…”

“Splendid,” said the Queen with a smile. “I need for you to duel for me…”

“I can duel with the best of them,” grinned the creature. “Just tell me who the victim is…”

The Queen motioned to her viewing globe, and a picture of Andy appeared.

“There,” she said. “I want you to lure him to the Creepy Steeple, and defeat him.”

“It is as good as done, my Queen,” said the creature.

“Not quite,” said the Queen, taking a few cards out of her dress.

“Andy’s deck is difficult to beat, but if you add these cards to your deck, you’ll have an advantage.”

She handed them you him, and he looked at them.

“Dragons, I assume?” he asked.

“Exactly, now get moving.”

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I know the Creepy Steeple well. I can even shake him up a bit before he reaches me!”

He vanished into a dark mist…

Out of the darkness, Sir Grodus appeared.

“Are you sure that nutjob can be trusted?” he asked.

“Not sure,” replied the Queen, sitting down. “I often use my living Duel Monsters as duelist assassins, but this one is a bit more… unstable than the rest…

“Still, given what we know of Andy, he should have a hard time with this guy, especially after the help I just gave him…”

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

A few hours later, Andy was asleep in his bed at the Twilight Inn.

Outside, the Creepy Steeple chimed eleven…

Dreaming, Andy saw it clearly…

The Creepy Steeple. A twisted bell tower dominated in the front by a spooky stained glass window.

“Andy…” said a voice. “Andy… Come here Andy…

“Or are you too scared?”

“Shut up…” mumbled Andy.

“I dare ya…” laughed the voice. “I double dare ya!”

Andy grimaced.

“Chicken…” mocked the voice. “Cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck…”

Andy woke with a start.

He angrily looked out the window.

The change came over him. The Creepy Steeple had just challenged him…

And he wasn’t going to let it go.

He got up and pulled his clothes on.

“You don’t scare me you blasted bell tower,” he cursed. “Maybe this whole town is too frightened to go near you, but I’m going to find whatever you’re hiding and root you out!”

He picked up his Duel Disk and strapped it onto his arm.

He went down to the common room of the inn, where the innkeeper was snoozing by the desk.

Andy gently shook him awake.

“Huh? Wha?” he sputtered, waking up.

“Which way is it to the Creepy Steeple?” demanded Andy.

“Take the pathway south out of town,” mumbled the man, still half asleep.

And then he woke up with a start.

“WAIT!” he cried. “You aren’t actually going there, are you?”

“In a word, yes,” growled Andy. “The chiming is one thing, but that stupid bell tower just made it personal…”

“But sir, you’ll…”

He couldn’t stop him. Andy was already out the door.

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

The woods south of Twilight Town were little different than the woods approaching Twilight Town. Andy stood ready to draw a card from his Disk should any nightmares pop up and threaten him.

None did, but it was a long walk. Eventually, the ground grew thick and foggy. The trees cast ominous shadows over him.

Eventually, the shadows parted, and he saw his goal…

The Creepy Steeple.

It was a tall, rickety-looking building, surrounded by a rusty gate. The bell tower jutted up over the main building, and a large, round, stained glass window was above the entrance. It resembled some church that had been turned evil by a wicked taint.

Andy went up to the gate and opened it. He boldly went up to the front doors…

And they swung open to greet him.

“Awfully nice of you…” he grumbled.

He walked into a spooky, dark, hallway. Dim light shone from the stained glass window, and pillars supported the ceilings. To each side was another, more colorful stained glass window, depicting a ghostly form…

Andy heard a fluttering above his head…

He looked up, and saw a group of spooky creatures with leather wings about to swoop down on him! (1,000/1,000)

“Well,” snarled Andy, drawing a card, “it seems we have a few bats in this belfry!”

He placed a card down on his Disk.

“Go, Luster Dragon!” he shouted.

The large Dragon made of sapphire appeared in a flash! (1,900/1,600)

Luster Dragon roared, and blasted forth his beam of energy, blasting away at the Dark Bats! One by one, they were vaporized.

Eventually, all of the creatures were gone.

Andy removed the card, and placed it back on his deck.

“Is that the best you can do, Shadow Queen?” he said.

He saw a stairway, and started to climb it.

At the top was a large dusty room. A bed was in one corner, a painting was on the wall, and a sword and a shield were in another corner.

A moaning pervaded the room… Three ghostly wisps started floating around Andy, and then floated into the painting, bed, and armaments…

And then they changed, turning into three ghostly shapes!

“Give me a break,” sneered Andy. “It’s going to take more than a bunch of weak ghosts to make me scared!”

He drew the card and summoned Luster Dragon again.

“Take care of those nightmares, Luster Dragon!” he shouted.

Luster Dragon shot forth its breath weapon, blasting away The Portrait’s Secret, The Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams, and Headless Knight.

A door appeared on the wall.

Luster Dragon vanished, and Andy opened it.

A long, spiral stairway led up. Andy started to climb the stairs.

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

After a long ascent, he opened a trap door, and entered the belfry itself. A huge bell was hanging overhead, and weird mirrors were all over the place, as were colored curtains. A strange orange door with a purple question mark was on the far end of the room, and an orange cube the size of a table that was covered with question marks was right under the bell.

“Whoever built this place had to have been crazy…” muttered Andy.

“That reminds me of a funny one…” said a goofy voice.

Andy looked around, but he saw no one.

“There are these two inmates in an insane asylum, see,” continued the voice, “and one day they decide they don’t like being in an asylum. So they decide that they’re going to escape!”

“Where are you?” shouted Andy.

The voice ignored him, and continued the joke.

“Anyway, they make it to the roof of the asylum, and they have to jump ten feet to the next building to complete their escape. The first guy – ah let’s call him Fred – makes the jump easily. But the second guy – let’s call him Sam – won’t jump. See, he’s afraid of falling.

“Then Fred says, ‘Say, I’ve got an idea! I have my flashlight with me! I’ll just shine the light between the building, and you can walk over it and join me!’

“But then Sam says, ‘What do you think I am, crazy?’”

The voice paused to chuckle.

“’You’d turn it off when I was halfway across!’”

“All right,” ordered Stan. “Enough with the bad jokes. Show yourself!”

“Very well…” said the voice.

A figure dropped down from the ceiling. It was a harlequin dressed in a colorful suit, blue, yellow, and green. He had a red cavalier hat with a large violet plume. His face was covered with makeup – white down the middle, and black on either side.

Andy was shocked for a minute, but he regained his composure.

“Peten the Dark Clown?” he exclaimed.

“In the flesh,” said Peten, with a grin.

He removed his hat and bowed.

“YOU’RE the big scary monster that’s been tormenting Twilight Town with the Creepy Steeple’s bells?” asked Andy, now annoyed.

“Uh, no,” said Peten. “I’m house sitting for him while he takes a break. But it is rather nice here.”

“Listen clown, I want some answers!” demanded Andy. “And unless you want me to blow you away like I did those ghosts…”

“That won’t work, Andy!” scolded Peten. “Remember The Unfriendly Amazon? I’m just like her. You can’t destroy me with your Monsters…”

Andy paused for a minute to take this in…

“So then you called me up here to duel me?” he asked.

“You read my mind,” chuckled Peten.

He gestured, and a Duel Disk appeared on his arm.

“How’d you do that?” asked Andy.

“DUH!” mocked Peten. “I’m a Spellcaster, in case you didn’t know! Now, let’s shuffle our decks and get this started.”

Peten produced a deck, and placed it on the orange cube. He started to shuffle just like Marv had before his duel with Francesca.

“I’m watching you, Peten!” warned Andy.

“Please,” protested Peten. “Card tricks are strictly for amateurs!”

“Yeah,” said Andy, suspiciously. “Just to make sure, I’ll cut your deck…”

“Go right ahead…” said Peten, taking his hands off of it. “A great duelist once said after all, ‘Always trust your opponent, but only after YOU cut their deck’!”

Andy cut the deck into thirds, and then stacked them together.

“He must have been clever,” he sneered.

They loaded their decks, and the cube sank into the floor.

“Now let’s…” started Peten.

And then, the great bell tolled again! Andy covered his ears as it rang out twelve chimes!

“As I was saying,” continued Peten, “let’s duel!”

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Twenty minutes earlier…

Francesca rushed into Stan’s room.

“Stan, wake up!” she shouted.

“Ergh, Fran…” he groaned. “You know, I once punched my mother for waking me up in the middle of the night…”

“Oh, I’m sorry!” gasped Fran. “Don’t…”

“I was kidding,” groaned Stan. “What is it?”

“Get out of bed, we have to…”

“I don’t have any pants on!” growled Stan.

“Stay in bed!” shouted Francesca.

Stan sighed.

“Anyway,” continued Fran, “about ten minutes ago I went into Andy’s room…”

“Whatever for?” mumbled Stan.

“Uhm…” muttered Francesca. “No reason…”

“Uh huh,” said Stan with a smile. “Go on…”

“And he was gone!” she exclaimed.

“Gone?” said Stan, getting up.

He hopped out of bed. Francesca covered her eyes, but he was wearing jeans.

“I was kidding about the pants, too,” he chuckled. “Where is he?”

“I asked the innkeeper, and he was scared to death!” stammered Francesca. “He said Andy had gone to the Creepy Steeple – saying that the place had made it… personal.”

“Personal?” asked Stan. “How could a building way out in the woods have insulted him?”

Francesca shook her head.

“We have to find him,” said Stan, pulling his jacket on. “Ten to one says he’s heading into another one of the Queen’s traps…”

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Peten grinned as he looked at his first hand.

There he is, just as I expected, he thought, as he saw one of the cards the Queen gave him.

Buster Blader!

That fool that Yugi Mouto dueled in Battle City who I quoted – what was his name? Arkana? – he may not have been able to duel very well and didn’t have much respect for Duel Monsters…

The bastard…

…but he did know a good way to rig a deck! Namely, trim the edges of one key card so it’s slightly smaller than all the others. And since I did that with this card, it fell right on top when he cut my deck!

So then, I’ll just wait until he’s used a lot of his Dragons, and when he’s least expecting it… BAM! My secret weapon will be released!

Andy looked at his own hand.

“You make the first move, Peten,” he sneered.

“Gladly Andy,” said Peten with a grin.

He made his first draw.

“I’ll summon Dream Clown in Attack Mode!” he exclaimed.

A tall figure appeared. It was a clown dressed in a yellow tunic, with sleeves colored red and covered with stars. He also wore a foolscap with the same red-with-stars pattern, and a blue cape. He had a big, green nose, and purple hair covering his eyes. (1,200/900)

“Ugh,” moaned Peter, sweating, “another clown…”

“And to keep him safe, I’ll Equip him with this,” said Peten, placing a card into a slot. “Heart of Clear Water!”

A pendant shaped like a crystal in the shape of a skull appeared around Dream Clown’s neck.

“Now it’s your move,” chuckled Peten.

Clever, thought Andy. That Clown can destroy one of my Monsters every time he shifts into Defense Mode… And Heart of Clear Water makes him harder to get rid of…

He drew.

He looked at the card he had just drew, and the Monster in his hand.

Heh, heh, he thought. I knew I wouldn’t regret adding this guy to my deck after I won that card from Jolene!

Andy put a card down.

“I summon Horde Wyrm in Attack Mode!” he exclaimed.

A small dragon, only slightly larger than Baby Dragon, with large wings and scaly green skin appeared in front of him. (800/1,200)

“Huh?” said Peten in surprise.

“Let me explain how this little guy works,” said Andy with a grin. “He can’t attack directly, but when he does manage to damage your Life Points, I get to see your hand, and force you to discard two cards of my choice!”

“HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!” laughed Peten. “That little runt can’t harm me! It’s far weaker than Dream Clown!”

“Not for long!” exclaimed Andy. “I play this Magic Card… Power Lift!”

He placed a card into a slot, and the card appeared. It had the image of Gearfried the Swordmaster surrounded by intense light.

“With this card, I can add any Monster’s Defense Score to its Attack Score, bringing Horde Wyrm’s Attack to 2,000!”

“HUH?” shouted Peten. “Where did you get a card that powerful?”

Andy didn’t answer.

“Horde Wrym, attack his Dream Clown with golden glow blast!”

Horde Wrym breathed out a blast of golden light! Dream Clown screamed as it hit him, and Peten’s Life Points fell to 7,200.

“Now show me your hand,” ordered Peter.

Peten hesitated.

“Show it to me, or you forfeit!” shouted Andy. “Do you want me to show you Horde Wyrm’s card so I can prove those are the rules?”

Peten cringed and turned his hand towards Andy.

“I knew it…” accused Andy. “You had a Buster Blader in your deck, and you rigged your deck so it would be in your first hand!”

“That’s a lie!” shouted Peten. “It was just a lucky draw, that’s all…”

“Well now I’m telling you to discard it and your Monster Reborn!” ordered Andy.

“Ooh,” cursed Peten, discarding them, “I’ll get you yet, Andy!”


Continued

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post


“Perhaps,” said Andy. “Because there is a drawback to Power Lift. The Monster I use it on is destroyed at the end of the turn in which I use it. So I’m ending my turn now…”

Horde Wrym shattered into pixels.

“Then it’s my turn,” cursed Peten, drawing.

He looked at the card.

“I’ll place a card facedown,” he said, fitting it into a slot.

The facedown card appeared.

“And since you have nothing to defend yourself with, Dream Clown, attack directly with drunk punch!”

Dream Clown winded up his fist and charged, hitting Andy with an uppercut! He fell over, and his Life Points fell to 6,800.

Ergh, thought Andy. Okay, maybe that wasn’t the best of ideas…

“Make your move,” demanded Peten, angrily.

“Gee,” said Andy, sarcastically, “I thought Clowns were supposed to be jolly!”

He drew.

“Time to say goodbye to your Dream Clown!” he said with a grin. “I summon Koumori Dragon!”

He placed the card down, and the fierce little Dragon with bat-like wings and purple scales appeared. (1,500/1,200)

“And now I play, Stamping Destruction!”

He played the Magic Card, and Koumori Dragon stamped its foot. Peten was thrown backwards, and the Heart of Clear Water shattered.

Peten’s Life Points fell to 6,700.

“Koumori Dragon, cream that clown!” he shouted.

The Dragon shot forth a wave of fire…

But it was halted by a vortex…

Andy looked, and saw that Peten had activated a Negate Attack Trap.

“Close, but no banana, Andy!” laughed Peten.

“Fine, it’s your move,” growled Andy.

Peten drew.

“Well, well, Pot of Greed,” he said, “this should help…”

He played the card, and the Pot handed him two more cards.

He chuckled manically.

“First I’ll shift Dream Clown into Defense Mode…” he said.

He turned his card. Dream Clown knelt.

“…which destroys your Dragon!”

Koumori Dragon burst into shards!

“Now I’ll summon… Crass Clown, in Attack Mode!”

He placed the card down, and a hideous laugh echoed through the belfry. A large ball covered with stars appeared, and a fat creature appeared balancing on it. It was the ugliest clown Andy had ever seen, wearing a green outfit with yellow polka dots, a large pink ruff, and a blue cap. He carried a long staff. (1,350/1,400)

“Crass Clown, attack directly with acrobatic daggers attack!” shouted Peten.

The Clown gave a cackling laugh… Three glowing daggers appeared in his right hand, and he did a handstand with his left hand! He hurled the daggers, striking Andy in the chest!

Andy sweated as his Life Points fell to 5,450.

“One of the many reasons I hate clowns…” he groaned.

“And I’m not done!” laughed Peten. “I’m fusing my two clowns together with Polymerization!”

He played the Magic Card, and the two clowns blurred into colored lights…

The colors formed into a large box with stars on it, and a crank on the side. The crank turned, and loony music started to play.

“Presenting,” laughed Peten, “the fabulous Fiend with the funny name… Bickuribox!”

The box popped open, and an evil looking jack-in-the-box popped out, with a beak, a long red cape, and a blue foolscap. (2,300/2,000)

“And I think I’ll end my turn there,” chuckled Peten.

Ho boy, thought Andy, shivering. Coming here was a mistake…

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Meanwhile, Stan and Francesca had reached the Creepy Steeple.

A voice howled in their heads…

”Turn back…” it moaned. “Turn back…”

“Yeah, fat chance, whoever you are!” snapped Francesca.

They walked up to the front doors…

…only to find them locked.

“We’ll never force those doors down…” muttered Stan.

“We can’t…” said Francesca.

She took some cards out of her deck.

“But if our Monsters are good are blowing away the Queen’s minions, maybe they can also help us storm the Queen’s strongholds. And my Amazons are pretty racked…

“It’s worth a shot…”

She put five cards down on her Disk…

Amazon Archer, Amazoness Fighter, Amazoness Chain Master, Amazoness Swords Woman, and Amazoness Paladin appeared.

“All right troops!” she yelled. “Break that door down!”

The five Amazons sheathed their weapons (except the Fighter, who didn’t carry one), and rammed into the door with their shoulders.

As Francesca as hoped, it started to splinter.

“Keep it up girls!” she urged. “Show that door who’s boss!”

The Warriors rammed into the door again, and it started to give…

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Andy drew and looked at his cards.

No way I can beat that Fiend-in-a-box, he thought. The only thing I can do is defend…

He put a card down.

“I summon The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave in Defense Mode!” he announced.

He put his card down, and the sleepy, rocky Dragon appeared. (1,300/2,000)

“Make your move,” he sneered.

“Your wish is my command…” chuckled Peten, drawing.

He looked at the Magic Card he had just drawn.

“And you’re gonna get a kick out of this! Bickuribox, attack that Dragon with slash-in-the-box attack!”

Bickuribox cackled! It pulled a large scythe out of its mouth, and stretched forward, slashing the Dragon in half. The two halves shattered!

“And now,” cackled Peten, “I’ll use my Quickplay Magic Card… the powerful De-Fusion!”

He threw the card he had just drawn into a slot, and Bickuribox split into two globs of light.

“This card divides my Fusion Monster into its two component Monsters!” laughed Peten, as Dream Clown and Crass Clown returned. (1,200/900), (1,350/1,400)

“Now my two clowns… get ‘im!”

Andy screamed as Dream Clown slugged him and Crass Clown impaled him with his daggers.

His Life Points fell to 2,900.

“Nyah, nyah!” laughed Peten. “I’m way ahead of you!”

“Not for long,” snarled Andy.

He drew.

“All right Peten,” he said with a smirk. “Time to turn this duel around. I play Monster Reborn, to bring back my Koumori Dragon!”

He fit the card into a slot, and Koumori Dragon reappeared. (1,500/1,200)

“I see,” muttered Peten. “Well, I’m sorry Dream Clown, but I guess this is goodbye…”

“More than you know,” said Andy, with a smirk. “It’s time you met an old family friend…”

He switched cards on his Disk.

“I sacrifice Koumori Dragon to summon Admiral Bobbery the Bomber!”

Koumori Dragon shattered, and a strange creature hopped into view. He was spherical and black with a fuse on top, resembling a cartoon bomb. He wore a sea captain’s hat that was patched on the side, and had a large, white moustache. On his back was a large steering wheel of the type used in old fashioned sailing ships. He had blue shoes. (2,200/1,000)

Like he always felt when he or his friends summoned the Companions from their cards, a great sense of love and friendship seemed to radiate from this Monster. Once again, Andy was greeting an old friend for the first time. He wished Stan and Francesca were her to see him…

But there was a duel to win.

“This little guy is a real blast if you know what I mean!” exclaimed Andy. Bobbery, attack his Dream Clown with Bomb-omb blast!”

The fuse on Bobbery’s head sparked, and the wheel on his back spun! He trotted up to Dream Clown…

And a huge explosion blew Dream Clown to bits!

Bobbery landed back on Andy’s side.

“Your Clown got blowed up!” gloated Andy.

Peten’s Life Points plummeted to 4,700.

“Wha?” gasped Peten. “I lost 2,000 Life Points? I should have only lost 1,000!”

“Thanks to Bobbery’s effect,” explained Andy, “when he damages your Life Points, he does twice the expected damage!

“So what are you going to do now?”

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

“Almost there…” urged Stan.

The Amazons gave one more shove, and the door caved in!

The Amazons stopped and caught their breath, exhausted. Francesca removed the cards, and they vanished.

“They can rest in my deck for now,” she said. “Now let’s find Andy.”

“If he got into a duel,” proposed Stan, “I’d wager that someone lured him to the top of this steeple…”

“Then let’s find some stairs,” said Francesca, determined.

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

“Your Crass Clown is next!” shouted Andy.

“We’ll see about that,” cursed Peten.

He drew.

“Ah heh, heh,” he chuckled. “Heh, heh. HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!”

“What?” asked Andy.

Peten put a card down.

“I summon Dark Rabbit in Attack Mode!” he cackled.

A goofy, cartoonish rabbit with black fur in a black outfit appeared. It looked like some evil caricature of Bugs Bunny. (1,100/1,500)

“Okay,” sighed Andy. “That is just not right…”

“And now I play… Negative Energy!” laughed Peten.

He threw a card into a slot.

“Negative Energy?” gulped Andy. “What the heck is that?”

“It doubles the Attack Score of all Dark Monsters on the field!” laughed Peten. “Too bad you didn’t keep your Koumori Dragon out!”

Andy gazed in horror as Crass Clown grew to an attack of 2,700, while Dark Rabbit grew to 2,200!

“Crass Clown, attack his…” started Peten. “Oh, I forget what he called it, just attack his Monster!”

Crass Clown threw his daggers at Bobbery, and the Bomb-omb exploded.

“Bobbery! NOOO!” shouted Andy.

He was about ready to cry. His Life Points fell to 2,400.

“Ahem…” said Peten.

Andy looked up just in time to see Dark Rabbit sock him in the face!

He fell flat on his back, and his Life Points plummeted to a mere 200.

Peten cackled.

“Don’t you get it, Andy?” laughed Peten. “You’re done! Through! Finished! Adios amigo.”

Andy got up and drew a card.

“You haven’t won yet, you, you…”

He threw a card into a slot.

“…you clown! I play Snatch Steal!”

The sinister robber appeared, and he leapt into Crass Clown! The Fiend floated over to Andy’s side.

“Crass Clown,” ordered Andy, “attack that demented Rabbit!”

Crass Clown cackled, and threw his daggers at Dark Rabbit. The deranged bunny gasped and burst.

Peten’s Life Points fell to 3,700.

“And now I’ll sacrifice your Crass Clown to summon Luster Dragon #2!” shouted Andy.

He placed a card down, and Crass Clown shattered. The huge Dragon made of emerald arose. (2,400/1,400)

“And with that, I end my turn,” said Andy. “Like I said, you haven’t won yet!”

Peten bowed his head, and drew.

“I place one card facedown,” he said, placing the card he had just drawn into a slot.

The facedown card appeared.

“And now I’ll summon Toon Alligator in Defense Mode,” he continued.

He put the card down, and a grinning, comical alligator carrying a stone axe appeared. (800/1,600)

“Humph,” said Andy, “that’s a pathetic Monster if I ever saw one!”

“I end my turn,” growled Peten.

“Fine,” said Andy, drawing.

He looked at the card and smiled.

“I summon Luster Dragon #1, in Attack Mode!” he announced.

He put the card down, and the smaller Luster Dragon appeared alongside the larger one.

“Now…” said Andy.

“I activate my Trap!” shouted Peten.

The Trap lifted.

“A Dragon Capture Jar?” exclaimed Andy.

The sinister jar appeared, and both of Andy’s Dragons shifted into Defense Mode.

“You really didn’t think that Buster Blader was the only anti-Dragon card I put in my deck, didja?” gloated Peten.

“Not really,” sighed Andy.

Actually, the truth is I did, he thought, but this guy is apparently full of tricks…

“Well, make your move, I can’t do anything else.”

Peten drew.

I play Card of Sanctity!” he shouted placing a card into a slot.

A blue flash lit up the interior of the bell.

“Pretty, isn’t it?” asked Peten.

“Why thanks,” said Andy, “I could use some more cards…”

They each drew until they had six cards.

Perfect, thought Peten. this fool’s days are numbered…

He took a card and placed it on his Disk.

“First, I’ll summon Saggi the Dark Clown in Defense Mode,” he said.

A goofy jester in a dark outfit, colorful makeup, and a wide-brimmed hat appeared. He cackled. (600/1,500)

“And now I play this Magic Card…” he stated.

He plugged a card into the slot.

“…Different Dimension Capsule!”

An eerie sarcophagus appeared behind him, floating in midair…

“What does… that do?” asked Andy.

“This Magic Card allows me to take any card from my deck, and seal it within the capsule!” exclaimed Peten.

A card floated out of his deck, and the sarcophagus opened. The card flew inside, and it snapped shut.

“And after just two short turns, I’ll be able to retrieve it, and add it to my hand!”

“What did you put in there?” asked Andy, nervously.

“A Magic Card that will seal your doom!” laughed Peten with an evil cackle.

At that point, Stan and Francesca came bounding up the stairs.

“Andy?” yelled Francesca. “ANDY!”

“You’re dueling…” gasped Stan. “Peten the Dark Clown? How?”

“I don’t know,” sighed Andy. “It just seemed to happen.”

“How the heck did you brats get in here?” demanded Peten.

“It takes more than a locked door to keep us from helping our friend!” shouted Stan.

“Uh…” stuttered Peten. “Did you pick the lock or break it down?”

“We didn’t break it down, my Amazons did,” answered Francesca. “And they’d like a word with you later, by the way…”

Peten held his forehead.

Doopliss is going to kill me when he finds his front door smashed in, he thought. And he’s probably going to expect me to pay for it! Well, maybe I can convince the Queen to fix it with a spell or something once I take care of Andy…

“Let’s get on with this duel,” he cursed. “I believe it’s Andy’s turn.”

“Stan, this is bad!” whispered Francesca. “Andy’s only got 200 Life Points left, and that clown has his Monsters pinned with a Dragon Capture Jar!”

“He still has a chance,” whispered Stan. “One good Trap removal card will take care of that thing. I just wish we knew what was in that Capsule…”

Andy drew.

The Dragon’s Bead… he thought. This can’t destroy that Jar, but I might as well put it down…

“I’ll place a card facedown, and that will end my turn,” he said.

The card appeared behind his Monsters.

Peten drew.

“I’ll pass for this turn,” he said with a grin. “Go ahead…”

Andy drew and looked at the new card.

Hmmm… he thought.

“I’ll place another card facedown,” he said.

He placed a card in a slot, and it appeared next to his other one.

“All right, that’s my turn,” he sneered. “So retrieve your big, bad Magic Card and play it already!”

“Oh, I will!” said Peten with a smile.

He drew.

The Different Dimension Capsule opened, and then vanished, leaving only the card. It floated down, and Peten snatched it.

“You may have made me discard my Buster Blader,” he laughed, “but I can easily get him back!”

“What do you mean?” snapped Andy. “I also made you discard Monster Reborn!”

“This isn’t Monster Reborn, but it’s almost as good,” laughed Peten. “Behold… Emblem of Dragon Destroyer!”

He fit the card into a slot.

“EMBLEM OF DRAGON DESTROYER?” said Stan and Francesca both at once.

“What’s that?” asked Stan.

But Andy knew what the card was only too well…



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


“This handy Magic Card lets me add one Buster Blader to my hand from my deck or Graveyard,” laughed Peten.

An orb flew out of his discard pile, and it turned into a card.

“So guess who’s back?” he laughed, showing it to him.

He chuckled as he placed it on his Disk.

“So now, I sacrifice my Toon Alligator and Saggi the Dark Clown…”

The two comical Monsters vanished…

“And… Buster Blader, come forth!”

The intimidating form of Buster Blader arose, holding aloft his mighty sword! (2,600/2,300)

“As you likely know, Andy,” chuckled Peten, “this Warrior gains 500 Attack Points for every Dragon that you have on the field and in your Graveyard! And I’ve been keeping track… you have five!”

(5,100/2,300)

“And now,” he started.

“I activate Threatening Roar!” shouted Andy.

His Trap card lifted, and the great beast roared, sending Buster Blader skidding back!

“Heh, heh,” chuckled Peten. “You’re only delaying the inevitable…”

Andy felt dizzy. He clutched his head…

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Andy was sitting on a deserted beach. An abandoned ship had been left to rot some yards away from him.

He shivered in fright. Tears fell down his face…

“Andy!” snapped a voice that was sharp, raspy, and bossy. “Get on your feet, you young whippersnapper!”

Andy spun around, and saw Admiral Bobbery staring him in the face. He looked somewhat angry.

“How the mighty have fallen,” scolded Bobbery. “The descendent of the man I used to admire more than anyone has been turned into a quivering wreck by a…. a clown!”

“What do you expect me to do?” asked Andy. “This is just like my first tournament… Peten built his deck with the express purpose to defeat mine, just like that first guy did. And now it’s going to happen all over again…”

“Poppycock!” exclaimed Bobbery. “Are you saying you’re going to let something that happened in the past influence your whole future? You’re making the same mistake I made!”

“A mistake? You?” asked Andy. “But you were one of the Companions! You were a great warrior… a…”

“I almost wasn’t,” said Bobbery. “I let a misconception turn my life to misery before your ancestor saved me!”

He paused.

“Let me tell you the whole tale, Andy. You see, in my youth, I was a sailor… I loved the sea. I went on voyages to faraway lands, seeking adventure, riches, and glory… I could never get enough of the sea spray in my face, or the crashing of waves against the hull of the ship…

“But there was one thing I loved more than the sea… and that was my darling wife Scarlette…”

A tear fell down Bobbery’s metal cheek.

“She was a lovely maiden, with hair of gold, and a voice that would make the angels envious… The songbirds would get up early in the morning to hear her greet the sunrise! And no matter how many times I went out to sea on a new adventure, she’d wait faithfully for me to return…

“But one time, when I was out on a particularly long voyage, poor Scarlette took ill. I had no idea what was happening to her. When I got back, I was told of horrible news – she had perished from her illness.”

Andy started to say something, but Bobbery went on.

“I blamed myself, Andy. From the moment I heard, I blamed myself. I thought that if only I hadn’t been away, I could have done something. I swore I would never set foot on a ship again, because now the sea… it sickened me.

“For years, I lived as a recluse in my house, wallowing in self-pity, hating myself, and thinking that wherever Scarlette was, she hated me too…

“And after what seemed like decades, your forefather found me. He needed me to come out of retirement, but I refused. And he wasn’t about to force me.

“He was a smart guy. He knew about a lot of things besides dragons, you know. He figured that Scarlette couldn’t possibly have blamed me for it – and he found a way to prove it. He searched around, and found a letter that she had written… on her deathbed. I still don’t know why it never got to me.

“But it spoke great words. It told me that she still loved me, and that when she was gone, she didn’t want me to give up everything else I loved so dear. Things like the vast sea, and all of its wonders.

“Andy, the past can’t be changed, and it can influence the future… but it can’t tell you what to do! You are in command of your own destiny. And right now, I’m telling you to pick up those cards, and knock that silly hat right off that cockamamie excuse for a duelist! Because if you give up now, your future is going to bleaker than my life was!

“Good luck…”

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

“Well, are you going to move or aren’t you?” asked Peten. “This is getting boring…”

“Well excuse me!” said Andy.

He drew.

“I just needed a little pep talk from an old friend…”

“What are you talking about?” asked Peten.

“You wouldn’t understand Peten,” snarled Andy. “I doubt a jerk like you even HAS any friends…”

He fit the card into the slot.

“I play… Reload!”

His hand of cards and his deck flew into the air, and the cards flew around in a chaotic pattern! They quickly reassembled into a deck, fitted back into the deck tray, and five cards flew out.

“All right!” shouted Andy, throwing one of them into a slot. “I play Mystical Space Typhoon!”

A whirlwind ripped across the field, and the Dragon Capture Jar blew apart!

“Humph, a lot of good THAT will do you,” mocked Peten. “You don’t have a Monster strong enough to defeat my Buster Blader… even if you summon your Red Eyes Darkness Dragon, my Monster will still be stronger!”

Andy ignored him.

“I’ll place another card facedown, and that will be my turn,” he said.

He fit the card into a slot, and it appeared behind his Monsters.

Peten drew.

“Humph, you’re up to something…” he said, suspiciously. “Very well, I’ll summon another Crass Clown in Defense Mode…”

He put the card down, and another Crass Clown appeared, shielding himself with his staff.

“Now I’ll…” started Peten.

“I activate Burst Breath!” shouted Andy, as his Trap lifted.

“Burst Breath?” stammered Peten. “What’s that?”

“To activate this card, I have to sacrifice one Dragon… and then all Monsters on the field with a Defense less than the Dragon’s Attack are destroyed!

“And in case you didn’t notice, your Buster Blader’s Defense is one hundred less than the Attack of my Luster Dragon #2!”

“This can’t be!” shouted Peten.

“It is!” laughed Andy.

Luster Dragon #2 roared, and belched a colossal wave of energy over the entire field!

When the smoke cleared, every Monster on the field had been eradicated.

“So?” asked Andy. “Now what?”

“WAY TO GO, ANDY! WHOO!” yelled Francesca.

“Eesh…” gasped Peten. “I have to end my turn…

“Good…” said Peter with a grin.

He drew.

“I summon Twin-Headed Behemoth in Attack Mode!” he shouted.

He threw the card down, and the huge, winged, two-headed Dragon appeared! (1,500/1,200)

“Now let’s see how you like it!” shouted Andy. “Behemoth, attack that clown’s Life Points directly with twin-headed flame attack!”

Twin-Headed Behemoth roared, and spit forth two streams of fire, striking the mad harlequin! He screamed, and staggered back.

His Life Points fell to 2,200.

Peten gasped for breath.

“I’m done playing, now it’s time to get serious!” he shouted. “No more clowning around!”

“Do tell,” said Andy. “Make your move…”

Peten drew.

“I’ll summon another Dark Rabbit in Defense Mode,” he cursed, placing a card down.

Another loony rabbit appeared, and shielded itself with its arms. (1,100/1,500)

“And you might notice that its Defense is equal to your Behemoth’s Attack!” scowled Peten.

“In that case,” said Andy, drawing.

“I’ll move my Behemoth to Defense Mode…”

He turned the card, and Behemoth folded its wings.

“And then I’ll summon Masked Dragon in Defense Mode.”

He placed a card down, and the metallic Dragon in a mask appeared, also folding its wings. (1,400/1,100).

Peten drew…

Aha… he thought.

I just drew Magic Cylinder! He’s already used up his Stamping Destruction and his Mystical Space Typhoon! His chances of destroying this are slim…

And his Life Points are almost gone! If he attacks with anything, I’ll win!

“I’ll place a card facedown, and that will end my turn,” he said, setting the card.

Andy drew. He added the card to his hand.

“All right!” he exclaimed. “I sacrifice my Twin-Headed Behemoth, and my Masked Dragon…”

The two Dragon’s shattered.

“To summon my Red Eyes Black Dragon!”

The huge, fiendish Dragon arose! (2,400/2,000)

“Red Eyes, attack his Dark Rabbit with inferno fire blast!”

Flames formed in Red Eyes’s jaws…

“This duel is over!” cackled Peten. “I activate Magic Cylinder!”

His Trap Card lifted… Stan and Francesca gasped.

“Aw, ain’t that too bad…” sighed Andy.

He discarded a card, and his own Trap Card lifted.

“I activate The Dragon’s Bead!”

“Huh?” said Peten, shocked.

His Magic Cylinder shattered!

“The Dragon’s Bead lets me discard one card to negate any Trap that targets a Dragon!” exclaimed Andy. “So your Magic Cylinder is destroyed…

“And so is your Dark Rabbit…”

Red Eyes blasted forth his flame, and Dark Rabbit was reduced to burnt hasenpfeffer.

“Your move…”

Peten started to sweat heavily. If he were truly wearing makeup, it would have been running at that moment…

He drew.

“I uh… I summon Clown Zombie in Defense Mode…” he stammered.

An evil looking Zombie that somewhat resembled Crass Clown – only dirtier and decayed – appeared, shielding itself with a wooden staff. (1,350/0)

“Is that your move?” asked Andy.

“YES!” shouted Peten, frustrated.

Andy drew.

“Aw geeze,” he said, “I have no Monsters to summon…”

Peten looked relieved…

“Too bad this duel has to end now…” Andy continued.

“What do you mean?” asked Peten. “My Zombie is in Defense Mode! If you can’t summon anything else, my Life Points are safe!”

“I don’t have to attack your Zombie to get rid of it,” said Andy with a smile. “I’m playing a Magic Card called Dragon’s Gunfire!”

He fit the card into a slot.

“Listen carefully,” he explained. “Dragon’s Gunfire can only be played when I have a Dragon on the field, and it gives me two options. I can strike my opponent for 800 points of direct damage…

“Or, I can destroy a Monster with a Defense Score of 800 or less.

“And your Clown Zombie has no Defense Score at all!”

“Eek!” shrieked Peten.

A blast of flame shot from Red Eyes’s maw, vaporizing Clown Zombie.

“Now, Red Eyes, attack him directly with inferno fire blast!”

Red Eyes belched its flame, and Peten screamed as his Life Points were reduced to zero…

Peten fell to the ground, and started laughing maniacally. He laughed so hard he looked like he would burst…

And then, he did seem to burst. He burst into globules of black vapor, and was gone.

“Phew!” said Andy.

“Andy!” shouted Francesca.

She ran up and hugged him.

“Nice to see you to, Fran,” he sighed.

“Why did you ever come here?” she asked.

“The Steeple,” he sighed. “It kind of sent me a challenge while I was asleep… And I wasn’t about to let any dumb bell tower make a fool of me…”

He turned to the strange orange door with the purple question mark on it.

“You know,” he said, “I think there’s something very interesting behind that door…”

He went to the door and slowly opened it…

Resting on a pedestal was a single Duel Monsters card.

It seemed to shine as he picked it up. They all looked at it in awe.

It was a Magic Card called “Sweet Feast”.

Andy sighed.

“It has to be another Enchanted Card,” he sighed.

“Take it Andy,” said Francesca, with a smile, “you’ve earned it.”

As Andy shuffled it into his deck, the bell above them tolled again, striking one. They covered their ears!

When they stopped shaking, Andy growled.

“What do you all say we do the citizens of Twilight Town a big favor and destroy this blasted bell?” he suggested.

Stan and Francesca looked at the large bell.

“I dunno,” said Francesca. “Breaking down a door is one thing, but it’s gonna take a Monster with a lot of destructive power to destroy that…”

“Well, I’ve got one…” said Andy, taking two cards from his deck.

He placed a card down on his Disk.

Troop Dragon appeared.

“Now, I’ll just sacrifice them…” he said, switching cards.

Troop Dragon vanished.

“Guys, meet Admiral Bobbery the Bomber!” he exclaimed, as Bobbery appeared. “He helped a lot before you got here.”

He pointed.

“Bobbery, blow that blasted bell to bits!”

The fuse on Bobbery’s head lit, and the wheel on his back started to spin. He leapt up into the interior of the bell…

“Guys,” said Stan, “I suggest we make a run for it…”

They fled from the room, as Bobbery’s Bomb-omb blast went off, shattering the sinister bell into shards of broken metal!

Bobbery dropped into the center of the room. He gave a wink before fading away…

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

In the Palace of Shadow, Peten the Dark Clown was on his knees before the Shadow Queen, while Sir Grodus watched from the shadows.

“So, let’s go over this,” growled the Queen. “You not only failed to defeat Andy, but you lost the Enchanted Card that Doopliss kept in the Steeple, AND you let them destroy the Steeple’s focal point of power!

“Peten, rebuilding that bell is going to be costly…”

“Milady…” begged Peten, “I tried my best… I even made sure that Buster Blader was in my first hand…”

“Well, then…” started the Queen, “at least that’s… what? How did you do THAT?”

“Well, it’s an old trick used by high rollers and card sharks,” explained Peten, “I trimmed the edges on the card to make it slightly smaller… so when Andy cut my deck, it fell on top! So I was sure…”

The Shadow Queen grabbed him by the neck and slammed him against the wall!

“I can’t breathe…” he gasped.

“That’s because I’m choking you, you moron!” she yelled.

“I thought you’d be pleased…” he gasped.

“In other words,” cursed the Queen, “you cheated!”

“Well, yeah,” gasped Peten. “So what? This isn’t the Olympics… And you said you had to have someone defeat him…”

The Queen dropped him, and he gasped for breath.

“Peten,” she said, angrily, “didn’t I tell you what the conditions were for my release from this blasted prison?”

“Yeah!” exclaimed Peten. “You or a servant working for you has to defeat those brats…”

“Someone needs to defeat them in a fair contest!” cursed the Queen. “Emphasis on the word [B]fair! If you cheat, it’s no longer fair!”

“Oh…” groaned Peten.

“So even if you had won, the challenge would have been void, and I wouldn’t have been able to claim Andy…” growled the Queen.

The Shadow Queen sat down on her throne, and her Disk flicked into position.

“Mercy, please!” shouted Peten. “I didn’t know! It was a misunderstanding!”

“Really?” said the Queen with a smile.

She placed a set of cards down on her Disk.

“In that case, Peten, you’re free to go…”

Peten smiled.

“…if you can reach the door!” exclaimed the Queen.

Peten turned around, and saw a gang of Dream Clowns, Crass Clowns, Saggi the Dark Clowns, and Clown Zombies looming in front of him. He gulped…

As sounds of pummeling and screams of pain came from in front of them, Grodus walked up to the Queen. He noticed that she was holding a Grave Arm card.

“Are you going to use that on him?” he asked.

“Eventually,” she said with a grin, “but for now, let’s just watch the fun…”



HORDE WYRM

Card Specs

Type: Dragon/Effect
Attribute: Wind
Level: 4
ATK: 800
DEF: 1,200

Card Description: This young dragon delights in stealing valuable objects. This Monster cannot attack your opponent directly. When this Monster damages your opponent’s Life Points, look at your opponent’s hand, and discard two cards from it of your choice.



NEGATIVE ENERGY

Card Specs

Type: Magic
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Card Description: Image of a green circle with an “N” in it surrounded by bolts of lightning. Double the ATK of all DARK Monsters on the field (both yours and your opponent’s).

Note: “Negative Energy” was used by Pegasus in “Champion versus Creator (Part One)” All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



DARK RABBIT

Card Specs

Type: Beast
Attribute: Dark
Level: 4
ATK: 1,100
DEF: 1,500

Card Description: A comedic rabbit from the world of American comics. It darts and dashes about very quickly.

Note: “Dark Rabbit” is a Japanese card that was never released in the United States. It was used by Pegasus in “Champion versus Creator”



POWER LIFT

Card Specs

Type: Magic/Quickplay
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Card Description: Image of Gearfried the Swordmaster surrounded by intense light. Add the DEF of one Monster on your side of the field to its ATK for the duration of the round. At the end of the round, the Monster is destroyed.



ADMIRAL BOBBERY THE BOMBER

Card Specs

Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Water
Level: 6
ATK: 2,200
DEF: 1,000

Card Description: This salty old Bomb-omb sailor had an explosive personality. When this Monster damages your opponent’s Life Points, inflict twice the amount of damage that the attack would normally do for damage calculation.



[I][B]Coming up next:

The team leaves Twilight Town behind, and Stan is challenged by the mighty Princess of Themyscira! Well, anybody who knows who that is probably realizes that it isn’t the real Princess of Themyscira, but this one is a duelist with a deck that is not to be taken lightly! Don’t miss “Heroic Surge”, coming soon.

[starjake]

Excellent! I too have always disliked clowns...silliness is one thing, but they tend to border on the linsane and bizarre. But Andy overcame his fears and walloped Peten good!

Heroic Surge...I won't say aything, but I think I can figure THAT one out pretty easily. And Stan needs another Crystal Card to catch up, so let's hope he wins this one!

I await the next chapter.

[Master of Paradox]

Okay, okay! I get the point! Cheating's bad! Sheesh... have two characters cheat in a story of 20+ chapters and you never hear the end of it...

I jest, of course.

A much better chapter than some of its predescessors, mostly due to Peten. He was a refreshing change from Leopold and the user characters - at least he had a sense of humor about all this. And clown decks always make me smile. Andy was in good form as well - I'm actually starting to like him.

And, thankfully, Andy didn't give a "What's wrong about you" speech. Which is odd, given that this opponent was "evil". (I put it in caps because that term applies to everyone who isn't either cannon fodder or working for the heroes.)

But did you have to insert that slap at Arkana near the beginning?

Other problems I had with this chapter: my calculations indicate there's one more Companion card left to go, which means we have to sit through one more speech from a Companion. I just skim over the things. And other than that... I haven't anything bad to say.

Very good chapter, indeed. And a quick Google search tells me what you meant by the "Coming next chapter" blurb - this could get weird.

[Zcade0]

Exelent chapter. I disagree with Master of Paradox, I think the companion characters need a little more time and not just get blasted off the map in a few turns. I was also wondering why none of the companions are very strong. They have very nice efects but most of them are not what one would consider strong. I really enjoyed the Arkana bashing. Keep up the good work.

[The Blue Avenger]

Wow, haven't posted here is a while.

Um, anyway, I really liked the duel with Peten. I can see why you chose to debut Bobbery in that chapter, as his story and the story behind Andy are indeed similar. It was also nice to see such an astonishing turnaround from Andy, although I think it would have been interesting to see him lose, and then the Shadow Queen wouldn't be able to leave because of the cheating thing.

Looking forward to Yoshi's appearance. Prob'ly something along the lines of 'Yoshi the Unnamed Warrior' or something.

[jkBAKURA]

Over the weekend I THOROUGHLY educated myself about the game, so hopefully I can make more informed reviews. This chapter was slightly refreshing.

Unlike some chapters of the past, this one didn't follow a steryotypical deck type. There were unexpected surprises in this one. The Power Lift to me seemed too similat to Wild Natures Release, but now that I am informed, the other attack-based cards seemed to be pulled off rather well.

In short, you have succeded in making me unable to expect anything in this story anymore.

At first I likes the reference to Arkana, but the card trimming trick went a bit too far, especially after giving MoP a hard time about his chapters. But that's beside the point.

Looking forewards as always, JKB

[Shuppet Master]

Loved the chapter. I was expecting you to sic a Buster Blader on Andy, since it seems that there is always some crazy guy which uses the Blader against a dragon duelist.

Also, I liked how they blew up the bell. Crazy bell go boom. Still haven't gotten pat Creepy Steeple in the game yet, trying to kill all those darn Amazing Dayzees, but they show up so rarely.

Anyways, keep up the good work, Brian. I really need to subscribe to this thread.

[Dark Sage]

So many options to address...

Paradox, I didn't bash Arkana, Peten did. You see, Arkana was a disrespectful duelist who abused his monsters and killed them on purpose in order to try to win. Thus, it makes sense that a living Duel Monster - like Peten - wouln't have much respect for him.

JkBakura, I had Peten cheat in order to show that the "big bad" of this fic is one who does not tolerate cheating, for the express reason that she cannot. It's a little different from the situations in your fic - your "big bad" doesn't care.

Yoshi will get some air time when he first appears, but it will be handled a little differently tan the other Companions. He'll make his first appearance in Chapter 22. Until then...

Shuppet Master, to subscribe to a thread, go to "Additional Options" and then check the box that says "Notify me of replies". That will do the trick.

And ignore the Amazing Dayzees for now. Until you get Art Attack, they're impossible to kill. They run away before you can do so.

- DS

[Zcade0]

w00t yoshi!!
And whats are "Amazing Dayzees"? I'm confused.

[ssj4supernerd]

The're from the real game,Paper Mario:The 1000 Year Door

[Pokemasterkatie]

Right; and they're the best source of Star Points in both PM games(be careful of their attack, though: 20 attack is the highest in the game!). They're pretty rare though--you have a better chance at battling them at the Pit of 100 Trials(like at stage 98...). ...And they're called Amazy Dayzees.:p I always had more trouble with the Hyper Clefts, as they're almost impossible to kill at that stage of the game unless you've saved up about 9 POW Blocks for the trip...*shudders* I wish you the best, Shuppet Master--this is most likely the hardest chapter in the game.>_<;

[Master of Paradox]

Ah, Chapter Four of PM: TYD - the walk to the castle is frustrating and annoying (and you have to do it repeatedly), the town's shop is closed for half the chapter, and halfway through, for reasons I won't spoil, you're stripped of all your partners and stranded in Twilight Town. The only saving grace is that the boss isn't very hard at all.

Yes, Chapter Four is tied with Chapter Five as the hardest in the game.

[Zcade0]

Thank you for clearing that up thanx.

[Dark Sage]

Hello everyone! Time for a new chapter!

And some words of explanation...

First, this chapter uses some cards from the upcoming "Cybernetic Revolution" set, and three from the next set, "Elemental Energy". Everyone likely knows about the first, but I've detailed the ones from "Elemental Energy" as if they were new cards.

Also, I'll admit I bended the rules in at least one ruling. The special Fusion Monsters seen here can only be Special Summoned via fusion - thus, they can't be summoned from the Graveyard. However, in this Chapter, I have the duelist do just that with Monster Reborn. In this world, things are different.

So anyway, enjoy...

And if you wanted to know who the Princess of Themyscira is, well, that's a lesser known title for a popular character, and the duelist in this character emulates her. It will all be clear in a minute.

- Dark Sage


P.S. Let's stop discussing the video game on this thread, 'kay? It's a fun game, but you can do that on other websites.

[Dark Sage]

[I][B]I don’t know about you, but I love comic books.

I’ve read a lot of them in my time… Comics featuring the exploits of such heroes as Spider-Man, Batman, the X-Men, Superman (well, Superman has gotten a little lame over the past few years, but he’s still a classic).

I must say that I never knew that the makers of Duel Monsters ever decided to create a whole line of cards with a superhero theme. (Well, I knew about Zombyra the Dark, but that was about it.) And I never thought that I’d be put up against a duelist who uses a deck full of these strange Monsters. Just by looking at her, it seems she’s even a bigger fan of comic books than I am.

And I have to wonder what surprises her deck has in store for me…

See, in the comics, the heroes always win…

And I have to try my hardest to break that tradition…

[B][size=3]CHAPTER NINETEEN



Heroic Surge

The rest of the night passed without incident, and everyone got a much better sleep – unmolested by the tolling of the bells.

Drake and Sean decided to stay in Twilight Town for a while, but Stan, Andy, and Francesca were more than eager to leave. After wishes of luck and goodbyes, they departed, taking a road east of town.

Eventually, to their delight, the eternal twilight gave way to a brisk sun, and they were walking through a much friendlier forest. Flowers bloomed, and trees full of large, green leaves loomed over the road. Francesca was reminded of the forested areas of New England in the springtime as they walked along the path.

“So where to now?” she asked.

Stan looked at the map.

“It’s odd,” he said. “This road leads to a town by the shore called Keelhaul Key…”

He paused.

“But between there and here is a small picture of a… gear, and it doesn’t have a name on it…”

“What could that be?” asked Andy.

A figure in a tree looked down at them. A smile crossed her face, as she took something off her belt.

She silently leapt off the tree behind them, and snuck up behind…

“Well, we’ll probably find out when we get there,” said Stan, “we’ll just have to… huh?”

He was startled as a lariat flew over him and fastened around his chest!

“GOTCHA!” shouted a girl’s voice. “The divine Princess Diana claims her next hapless foe!”

They turned around.

Holding onto the lariat (which had been covered with golden sparkle-paint) was a sixteen-year-old girl in a very revealing outfit. She was wearing a strapless one-piece that was red on the top, the top part stylized by a fancy golden symbol that suggested a “W”. The bottom part was blue and covered with stars, and the two halves were divided by a golden belt. She wore red boots, silver bracelets, and a golden tiara with a red star in the center.

She also wore a Duel Disk on her arm.

“Ho boy,” muttered Stan, removing the lasso.

“Okay,” he said, “who are you, and why are you dressed like Wonder Woman?”

She chuckled.

“I told you, my name’s Diana,” she said. “And I’m dressed like her because I’m a big fan of her!”

“It must get awfully chilly in that outfit…” mumbled Francesca.

“Look Diana,” sighed Stan, as she coiled up the lasso, “the proper way of making a challenge is NOT to rope a duelist with a magic lasso!”

“I got your attention, didn’t I?” asked Diana. “So Stan…”

“How’d you know my name?” he asked.

“I saw you duel Drake,” she said. “Quite a duel…”

She frowned.

“But now the Monsters in my deck want to take on yours!” she demanded. “They want to take your sorcerers of Darkness to justice!”

She held out five Crystal Cards.

“And as you can see, they’re very good at what they do…”

Stan frowned. Obviously this duelist who modeled herself after a hero saw his Spellcasters as villains…

But there was no harm in asking…

“Might I ask why your Monsters have such a grudge against mine?” he asked.

Diana chucked.

“Let me tell you a story about the creatures that live in my deck,” she started.

“Years ago, there were a group of scientists and explorers, who studied the universe in all its aspects. They sought knowledge in all its forms – some said they were obsessed, but they didn’t let naysayers stop them.

“One day, their smartest member found a way to open a portal to a strange place… a place of mystery called the Shadow Realm!”

Stan raised an eyebrow, but let her go on.

“They decided to mount an expedition to the Shadow Realm to explore it. Folks thought they were nuts, but they didn’t care. They would find the knowledge they sought.

“So they began their expedition, and only hours into their journey, they found that they had made a terrible mistake! The dark powers of the Shadow Realm were not meant to be glimpsed by mere mortals. They barely escaped with their lives…

“And when they escaped, they found that they had lost their humanity. Their bodies had been altered. They had been transformed into beings of pure elemental energy!

“Deciding to make the best of a bad situation, they decided to use their new bodies, and the powers that came with them, do good deeds. They would fight evil wherever it lurked, and make a difference…

“From that point on, they were… [I]The Elemental Heroes!”

Stan, Andy, and Francesca clapped.

“So Stan, do your dark sorcerers dare go against my Heroes?” she goaded.

“Oh, they dare all right…” said Stan, now more than a little annoyed.

“Stan!” whispered Francesca, pulling him aside.

“This gal is weird,” she warned. “And we don’t even know a thing about these ‘Elemental Heroes’…”

“Relax Fran, I can take her,” answered Stan. “And I doubt she’s working for the Shadow Queen. Would someone working for her dress like Wonder Woman?”

“Stranger things have happened…” sighed Francesca.

“Come on Stan,” said Diana with a smile. “I know the perfect place for this battle…”

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Lord Crump trudged down the pathway, still holding his gut. He had drunken a whole bottle of stomach remedy, and he was still feeling sick.

I guess the moral of this story is, he thought, too much of anything is never good.

He noticed the three teens and Diana stepping off the path.

Well, he thought, back to work…

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Diana had led them to a wide-open field, with a single tree trunk in the middle.

“My Warriors need a wide-open space to properly do their work,” commented Diana, as she shuffled. “Why don’t we cut each other’s decks just to be fair?”

“Fine,” said Stan as he placed his deck on the trunk. “But I’m not a cheater. My Monsters may be Dark, but they’re honorable.”

“A lot of villains have codes of honor,” commented Diana, snidely, as she cut her deck. “Take the Mafia…”

“All right, stop it!” shouted Stan, as he cut hers. “To prove I’m a nice guy, I’ll give you the first move.”

“Fine,” said Diana.

They backed up.

“Let the battle begin!”

The holo-imagers shot from their Disks, and they snapped into place. The scores set to 8,000 apiece.

“It’s time to duel!” they both shouted.

Diana drew her first hand.

“To start of,” she said, “I’ll place one card facedown on the field…”

She fit a card into a slot, and it appeared in front of her.

“And then,” she continued, “I’ll play this little guy in Defense Mode…”

She placed a card down.

“Meet my Winged Kuriboh!”

A small form appeared fluttering in the air. It was a Kuriboh, sure enough, but it had small, feathered wings. (300/200)

“And now my turn is complete,” she said.

Odd, thought Stan, drawing. I’d almost think she was setting up a Crush Card Trap… but for that she’d need a Monster of Darkness… and unlike a normal Kuriboh, that Winged Kuriboh is a Monster of Light…

He drew his first card.

Well, this should do, he thought.

“I summon Skilled White Magician in Attack Mode!” he shouted.

He put his card down, and the white-robed sorcerer appeared.

“Go!” he shouted. “Attack Winged Kuriboh!”

Skilled White Magician shot forth his bright spell, and Winged Kuriboh was vaporized.

“Thank you, Stan,” said Diana with a smile. “By destroying that, you activated my Trap…”

Her facedown card lifted…

“Hero Signal!”

A flash like a spotlight shone out of the card; it looked similar to the Bat-Signal, but with a different type of insignia in the center.

“What does that do?” asked Stan, confused.

“When the Hero Signal is activated, the Elemental Heroes see and respond!” exclaimed Diana.

She chuckled.

“In game terms,” she continued, “I can Special Summon any Elemental Hero of four stars or less from my deck…”

A card flew out of her deck, and she placed it down.

“So meet Elemental Hero Avian in Attack Mode!”

A tall form appeared in front of her. It was a man in a green costume with a silver chest and a crown-shaped cowl. Growing from his back were two, huge, feathered wings. (1,000/1,000)

Well that doesn’t seem very impressive, thought Stan.

“Then it’s your turn,” he said.

Diana drew a card.

“Now I’ll summon Elemental Hero Burstinatrix, also in Attack Mode!” she shouted.

She put another card down, and a new figure appeared, this time a female one. What skin was exposed was chalk-white. She wore a red leotard, boots, long gloves, and a pointed leather hat. She had flowing white hair, and fires burned from her palms. (1,200/800)

“I don’t mean to insult your Monsters,” quipped Stan, “but they’re pretty weak.”

“Perhaps,” said Diana with a smile, “but there’s something you should know about superheroes… they improvise!”

She flicked open her Field Slot and placed in a card.

“I play… Skyscraper!”

The whole field around them started to darken, and a dramatic change started to take place! Dark buildings of a grim city started to arise from nowhere, and spotlights shot up from below! They now seemed to be dueling from the roof of a building in the middle of a vast and sinister metropolis…

“No way…” gasped Stan.

“I believe the correct response is… ‘way’!” responded Diana.

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Crump shook in fear. He had been watching from behind a large stump, but the hologram from Diana’s Field Card had turned it into a ventilation duct.

Sheesh! he thought. I’ve seen some crazy holograms in my time, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen a Disk conjure up a whole city from out of nowhere!

He gasped for breath.

So what on earth does this Skyscraper card do? What benefit does it give Diana? I don’t know any more about these Elemental Heroes than Stan does!

What now…?

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

“Okay, Diana, where are we?” demanded Stan.

“Where would superheroes be without a city to protect?” asked Diana. “Let me explain how this complex Field Magic Card works…

“While this card is active, every time an Elemental Hero makes an attack against a Monster who’s Attack Score is higher than theirs, their Attack Score is boosted by 1,000 for the remainder of the round!”

Stan paled…

That would make both Avian AND Burstinatrix capable of flattening Skilled White Magician!

“Avian!” shouted Diana, “attack that mage with Featherbreak attack!”

Avian’s Attack shot up to 2,000, and he blasted forth a pair of whirlwinds from his arms mixed with feathers! Skilled White Magician groaned, and he was blown to pieces.

“And the first one tastes our wrath!” exclaimed Diana. “Time for the second…”

She pointed.

“Burstinatrix, attack Stan directly with Burstfire!”

Flames shot from Burstinatrix’s palms! Stan cringed as he was hit by them…

His Life Points fell down to 6,500.

“Well,” said Diana with a smile. “I guess it’s your turn…”

Stan frowned as he drew.

He took a card from his hand.

I can’t defeat both of them, but maybe at least I can take a chunk out of her Life Points…

He placed a card down.

“I summon Gemini Elf in Attack Mode!” he shouted.

The two twin, tattooed elves appeared, seeming very out of place in the huge metropolis. (1,900/900)

“Your Heroes might gain a boost when they attack in this burg,” exclaimed Stan. “But you never said they gained that boost when my Monsters attack! Gemini Elf, attack Burstinatrix with dual magic attack!”

The elves shot forth their bolt of lightning at the heroine! Burstinatrix screamed and was blown into shards.

Diana’s Life Points fell to 7,300… and she was furious.

“How dare you!” she shouted. “Your wicked elves will pay!”

“Boy, she’s really in character…” muttered Andy to Francesca.

“It’s your move,” sighed Stan.

He really wanted to beat this gal now – he’d never had a more annoying opponent in his Life. Maybe he’d never noticed that fact in the comic books he had read – superheroes could be annoying at times when you were on the receiving end of their aggression…

Diana drew and looked at the card.

She placed a card in the slot.

“I’m playing Premature Burial, to bring Burstinatrix back,” she said.

Her Life Points slipped to 6,500, and Burstinatrix rose out of the ground.

“And one thing you should know about superhero teams, Stan,” she continued. “All of them know how to work as a team… but of all superhero teams, only the Elemental Heroes have this kind of teamwork!”

She placed a Magic Card into a slot.

“I play Polymerization!”

Avian and Burstinatrix clasped hands… Then they flew into the sky of the dark city, and burst into a flash of light!

A much larger form crashed down onto the building! It was a tall male figure with green skin and trunks. Growing from his right shoulder was a huge wing, much like Avian’s, and his left arm was the neck and head of a fierce, red dragon!

“Using their powers to combine their bodies together,” exclaimed Diana, “they form a mighty force of Wind and Fire called Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!”

(2,100/1,200)

Stan gulped.

Okay, he thought. I’m guessing that this guy probably has some sort of effect up his sleeve…

And even if I summoned a stronger Monster, I’d have to make sure I managed to attack first… He’s still an Elemental Hero, so the effects of Skyscraper likely apply to him too.

“Since I can’t attack with him now, since he’s a Fusion Monster, I’ll end my turn,” stated Diana.

Stan drew.

“I play… Pot of Greed!” he exclaimed.

He played the card, and the Pot handed him two more cards.

Yes! he thought.

“I play Swords of Revealing Light!” he exclaimed.

The glowing swords pierced the city’s night sky, and crashed down around Diana and her hero.

“Now, I’ll summon White Magician Pikeru in Defense Mode…” he stated.

He put the card down, and the adorable child Spellcaster appeared, again looking out of place in this arena. (1,200/0)

Diana shook her head.

“Pikeru’s cute looks don’t fool me, Stan,” she accused. “The faces of villainy wear many forms…”

Stan was really getting upset. His Monsters were NOT evil!

Then a thought came to him. He smiled inside…

If Diana was going to treat his Spellcasters as villains, maybe he should start playing the villain.

“It’s going to much harder fir you to defeat me now, Princess of Themyscira!” he said with a cackle. “I’ll end my turn by playing Sweet Treat!”

He fit a card into a slot.

“What’s that?” she asked.

Stan chuckled as the gingerbread man with his dice appeared.

“The wounds your pathetic heroes inflicted on me will soon be for naught!” he laughed. “This dice will roll, multiply by 1,000, and add that total to my Life Points! Go my dice!”

The living cookie tossed the dice and it rolled…

And it landed on a five.

Stan laughed manically as his Life Points rose to 11,500.

“Well,” he said. “I end my turn, but I’m almost twice as powerful as you are, and you can’t touch me!”

“I think Stan’s going overboard…” whispered Andy to Francesca.

“I draw one card,” said Diana.

Boy, this is getting fun! she said with a smile. I’ve always wanted a duel like this…

She added the card to her hand.

“I’ll pass this turn,” she said.

“In that case,” said Stan, drawing.

Pikeru waved her scepter, and Stan’s Life Points went up to 12,700.

He switched cards on his Disk.

“I’ll sacrifice Gemini Elf for Dark Magician Girl, and place her in Defense Mode,” chuckled Stan.

A magical circle appeared on the roof of the building, and Dark Magician Girl spun out. She faced Flame Wingman, and then knelt in Defense. (2,000/1,700)

“So,” snarled Diana. “Your black sorceress finally shows herself. My Heroes will punish her severely!”

“Make your move…” dared Stan.

Diana drew.

“I play Mystical Space Typhoon!” she yelled, throwing a card into the slot, “to shatter your Swords!”

The Swords of Reveling Light were blown away.

“Now,” she said, “Flame Wingman, attack Pikeru with Flaming Wind!”

Flame Wingman stretched forth his arms. Flames flew from the dragon arm and a blast of wind gusted from the other arm. The two blasts entwined, and struck Pikeru, blowing her to bits!

As Stan watched, his Life Points fell to 11,500.

“Huh?” he said. “But she was in Defense Mode!”

“Elemental Flame Wingman has a powerful effect!” exclaimed Diana. “When he destroys a Monster, the owner loses Life Points equal to the Monster’s original Attack Score. So you lose 1,200 Life Points!

“And your witch is next! I end my turn…”


Continued...