Review of "Memories are Made of This"

While I would prefer to post this as a comment on Banshee531's Yugioh EQG: Omega Zenith, However as things currently stand, I can't. Check out my previous blog if you wish to know more and or reach out to Banshee531.
Now I can't provide sufficient context for the series here, so you should go and read his Yugioh EQG series, starting with Yugioh EQG all the way to the most recent chapter of Yugioh EQG: Omega Zenith, 'Memories are Made of This'. I will however quote the parts of the chapter I wish to respond to most directly.
But first the TL;DR of the my review/comment. This is one of most heart wrenching antagonist origins I have read, while this doesn't excuse why the focal antagonist is such, I can't say with any degree of certain that what befell her, befell me that I wouldn't have done what she has done to this point in the story. I am torn with my wager of her winning the focal clash in the chapter, with wanting the heroes to win, with so many others.

If you don't wish to be spoiled, here is where you should leave because I'll be dropping them like a flight of B-17 carpet-bombing run. You have been warned.

The chapter opens up with, of all places, where the previous chapter left off Pinkie, or rather answers the question as to what happened to her. I, and I presume others, thought she was simply knocked out, but no. She and Maud have somehow had their metaphysical selves (mind, spirit, soul, not sure which) projected into the memory of this chapter's focal antagonist, Gaia-Maiden Lady Marble (Gaia-Maiden). At first Pinkie thinks they are dead, a not unreasonable conclusion as anyone that has a sincere familiarity with Dante's Inferno would tell you, the forest can be used as a translon point from life to death. Maud however is able to get Pinkie to calm down, just in time for them to spot a younger version of Gaia-Maiden and end up bearing witness to Gaia-Maiden's past, starting with what the readers might recall from chapter (Turn) 13"Marble, Friend or Foe". This however was the first memory, as they end up being projected forward to seeing a slightly older and heavily pregnant Gaia-Maiden with her then spouse Scayer Rockwood discussing Gaia-Maiden's current state before she faints, with the implications that she is under a fever.
This is a very interesting way to convey the villain's backstory, as normally Banshee531 uses flashbacks that only the villains and we the readers are prevy to. To me this says there is something unique about Gaia-Maiden, because of how much of her life the heroes will be collectively prevy to.

The chapter then transitions to the main physical conflict of this chapter, and likely the main physical conflict for at least the next chapter, the duel of Gaia-Maiden, while processing Marble, against Applejack (AJ) and Rarity (Rares). The duel starts with Rarity striking Gaia-Maiden down from 8000 to 7000 via her card effects, not a bad start. However once Gaia-Maiden gets her turn, she brings Rarity down a 1000 life points in turn, from 4000 to 3000. While I have held for the most part in this section of the series, Gaia-Maiden is the most dangerous and competent of the Omega Zealots, this hints that the odds are more in AJ and Rares then I expected. AJ then moves and is able to attack Gaia-Maiden, while Gaia-Maiden is able to reduce the damage down to her, she is now at 6500 life points. As she prepares her next turn, AJ and Rares are resolute in the duel.
A fairly straight forward duel, but my estimates that Gaia-Maiden will win are shown to be blow out of proportion, as Rares and AJ seem to be able to chip away at Gaia-Maiden's life points, while Gaia-Maiden is forced to attack one or the other and while starting out the duel with twice as much as either, but with Rares first turn, Gaia-Maiden's lead was cut before she could even play.

The chapter then transitions to outside the Omega Field, where Sunset comes arrives and finds Pinkie and Maud's bodies unconscious but is unable to wake them, being shocked in the process. She reports back to Cadance in the control room, with little more anyone can do with regards to Pinkie and Maud.
The chapter then goes to the control room, where Sunburst and Starlight arrived with an unconscious Trixie, who is place next to Skystar. Cadance briefs the two on the second Omega Field, the minor physical conflict of the chapter, Midnight Vs. Shining.
Next we are shown that Midnight and Shining are dueling, but we only know that they each have their personal favorite duel monster on the field and it's implied to be a stalemate at this time and it's the start of Shining's next turn.
While not much is going on, Banshee531 is showing us, that no one is inactive, everyone is at least trying something. Personally I believe that we are not shown much of Shining's duel because it is a forgone conclusion that he will lose. I can be wrong.

The chapter then goes back to Pinkie and Maud, as they continue to go through Gaia-Maiden's memory. In part they are searching for Marble, and while they are hearing her loader, Maud makes an analogy of going through a building. Marble is on the other side, but to get to her they need to go through each of Gaia-Maiden's memory. (A very astute observation). The two then go into the next memory, where they find a bed-ridden Gaia-Maiden being nursed as best as Scayer could. Ultimately Scayer elects to get the fruit of a plant on a mountain that is believed to cure illnesses. Despite Gaia-Maiden's protest, he leaves. Given the name of the mountain, Pinkie concludes that Scayer was not going to make it, referencing what they were told by Amphitrite when they dueled her.
Maud makes the comment that perhaps Amphitrite was wrong.
I think most that have read my own comments would note that I have argued that Gaia-Maiden did love Scayer, abliet in a twisted way, this hints that I was wrong, she just loved him. Before we can know more Pinkie and Maud proceed from this memory.

Back in the duel Gaia-Maiden starts her second turn, Gaia-Maiden uses her cards abilities to summon a monster that able to destroy monsters and with in combination with a magic card deals 300 life points damage to Gaia-Maiden's opponent when an Earth attribute monster is destroyed. Given the nature of all three duelists' deck, this doesn't bold well for AJ and Rares, as Gaia-Maiden is able to reduce AJ's lifepoints down to 3400, thus putting Gaia-Maiden in the lead of lifepoints (by 100). Rares then starts her next turn is able summon a monster able to destroy Gaia-Maiden's monster and play a card that mimics the card Gaia-Maiden played (And everyone thinks Rares is just a pretty face, the woman has brians). While Rares is the worse for the wares, being reduced to 2700, she manages to finale land a true direct attack on Gaia-Maiden bring her down to 4250, putting the odds back in Rares and AJ's favor as they now have a total of 1850 more life points then Gaia-Maiden and AJ will soon enough be able to attack, but it's Gaia-Maiden's turn.
Again my estimates of Gaia-Maiden wining seem to be off. I am glad that like Spike, AJ realized that when Gaia-Maiden is smiling near the start of this round, something is extremely off.

However before we see Gaia-Maiden's next turn, we go back into Gaia-Maiden's mind where Pinkie and Maud go into the next memory, there they bare witness to an extremely ill Gaia-Maiden in what seems to days after the last memory. The ill Gaia-Maiden is shown to bed ridden and it seems she was starting to go into labor brought about due to the illness. Just then Scayer returns, grievously injured with the fruit. While he did success in making sure Gaia-Maiden had the fruit, only to pass out and die after the adrenaline from the fear of his wife's life wore off and the shock from his injuries. Gaia-Maiden could only cry 'NOOOOO!' as her water broke. The scene changed to hours later as she was giving birth all by herself. However after she gave out her last scream of the pain of birthing... Before I continue my review, I'm going to straight up quote from the chapter:

She fell backwards and laid on the bed, panting in exhaustion.
But something was wrong.
The room was too quiet. The sisters had expected her screams of pain to be replaced with another type of scream, from another life form. But there was nothing. "Don't tell me," Pinkie whispered in horror. She might have known about Scayer's fate, but she had been hoping the baby would survive.
Alas, Gaia-Maiden pushed herself up and looked down. And when she did, the look on her face was one that of someone whose world had completely shattered.
The memory began to reset, but not before she let out the loudest most gut wrenching cry of anguish ever.

The only inference we can make is that Gaia-Maiden's daughter was a still born.

Before I can go any farther, it should be noted that I believe that what happens to a person doesn't justify their actions.
That being said, I also believe that you can both dislike a person and still feel empathy and sympathy for that person.

I, as a man without children, can't possibly understand what a mother whos child was stillborn endures psychologically. All I know is that if I was in Gaia-Maiden's situation, turning down the deal that Draconequus and Zeronull will offer her won't be my first choice.

I can't help but cry while reading this part.

The memory then fades as Pinkie and Maud leave, only hearing Gaia-Maiden's anguish cry.

The chapter then returns to the focal duel as Gaia-Maiden is about to draw, when she pauses and surprising Rares and AJ, she sheds a tear. While it's not sure to be implied but one can easily inferred that Pinkie and Maud were not the only ones that saw the memory of that day. Gaia-Maiden then forces herself to not appear sorrowful, but this wasn't lost on AJ and Rares. Gaia-Maiden then summons herself onto the field and attacks Rares' weaker monster (the ponified version of herself), Rarity however was able to which targets and while she lost her stronger monster the damage done to her was reduced, this was followed by both Gaia-Maiden and Rarity being effected by their magic cards bring the total live points down to

Rarity: 1850
Marble (Gaia-Maiden Lady Marble) : 3950
Applejack: 3400

Which brings AJ and Rares' lead to 1300, and AJ is about to start.

We will have to see what happens next. The only prediction I can make is that Shining is going to lose to Midnight and she will take all the Zenith Dragon cards that the heroes have taken from the Omega Zealots.
Other than that, of all the Omega Zealots, Gaia-Maiden has hope as unlike all the other Omega Zealots, she played no active roll in what lead to her state before Draconequus presented her with Zeronull's offer.

Now I have a request, please send this review on to Banshee531,
I would like to know what his thoughts on it are.

Well that's it for now,
Foxhelm out