Celestia had a serene smile as she returned home. Luna noticed Celestia's lifted mood. "I take it you and Burst are making up?"
"Yes. We are. I won't lie, I feel a whole lot better now that I've told him.", Celestia answered. "And he also told me to be careful of Sombra. You know how I thought he was joking about Sombra trying to take over the world?"
"It...wasn't a joke. Was it?"
"I'm afraid not. Although, what do I do now? Burst seems fine just being friends with me, but with the warning he gave me about Sombra I don't know how he'd take me breaking up with him. I'm scared to think of his face should he find out."
"Oh you needn't worry about that.", Sombra said as he materialized out of the shadows. Celestia and Luna were stunned! "It's too bad you didn't take Burst's word seriously. You've made this so much more difficult than I had originally planned." Sombra fired two blasts of dark magic! Knocking Celestia and Luna out! "I'll leave your little sister to deliver my message.", Sombra said with a wicked smile. As for you..." Sombra then slung Celestia over his shoulder. "You'll make the perfect bait. I already wounded Burst by stealing you from him. Now, you'll watch him fall." Sombra teleported himself to the location he'd set-up, and set down Celestia. Sombra then pulled out another card. "Shadow Spell." Celestia was soon in chains as she slowly regained consciousness. "Good. You're awake. Burst will come running when Luna delivers word that I've captured you. I have a few new tricks to show him." Sombra charged up his dark magic.
"That arrogance of yours is going to be your undoing.", Celestia said defiantly.
"How adorable. You have such faith in him." Sombra sat on a shadow throne, and waited for Burst to show up. Meanwhile, Luna had just regained consciousness.
"Nnnnngghh!", Luna groaned as she got to her feet. "Celestia!" Luna bolted to her phone and dialed Burst's number. "Burst! It's Luna! It's about Celestia! You were right about Sombra...."
"So he's taken her. Don't worry Luna. I'll get her back. I promise. I'll be careful." Burst hung up his phone, and texted his friends about the situation. He was almost out the door when Nightmare came up to him.
"Burst? What's wrong?"
"Celestia's been taken. I'm getting her back. And don't worry. I'll make it out okay." As Burst left, Nightmare steeled her gaze.
"I know Burst. I'll make sure you do." Nightmare turned into her mist form, and trailed Burst. At the same time, Burst picked up on Celestia's energy.
"Just hold on Celestia." Burst summoned his dragon wings, and took off for Celestia's location. He soon landed, and found Celestia chained up by the shadow spell. Sombra was waiting for him with a wicked smile.
"Now why does this feel so familiar?", Sombra asked as he summoned a duel disk from the shadows. "Last time I underestimated you. But now? I'm ready. And my new deck will teach you to oppose me!" Sombra and Burst activated their duel disks!
"We'll see about that..."
Sombra: 8000
Burst: 8000
"I'll take the first turn!" Sombra looked over the cards in his hand. "I'll set three cards and place a monster in defense mode. Your turn."
'I beat this creep before, and I'll beat him again! He'll regret using Celestia and taking her!' "I draw! I'll reveal Blue-Eyes White Dragon in my hand to special summon Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon! I'll attack your monster!"
"Just what I was hoping for! I activate all of my traps! Light-Imprisoning Mirror! This negates the effects of all LIGHT monsters on the field and graveyard! And my other trap! Royal Prison! This prevent us from special summoning monsters from the graveyard! Now for my final trap! I'll tribute the monster on my field to activate Crush Card Virus! Let's see those cards!" Burst showed Sombra the cards in his hand, and sent all monsters with 1500 or more attack, and Blue-Eyes Alternative was destroyed as the virus flooded the air. "Now you have to send three monsters with 1500 or more attack from your deck!" Burst frowned as he sent three monsters from his deck to the graveyard. "Already I've crippled you. And I haven't even made a dent in your life points!"
"I'll set two cards and end my turn." 'So he's built this deck specifically to lock-down mine. However, his spell and trap zone is still vulnerable. Not to mention I've still got a few monsters with high attack in my deck. He's gotten impatient as well as arrogant. A fatal combination.'
"My turn!" Sombra drew his next card. "Perfect! I play Terraforming! This lets me add a field spell from my deck to my hand! Now I'll activate it! Domain of the True Monarchs! Now I play Card Advance! This lets me conduct an extra tribute summon this turn in addition to my normal summon! I summon a monster, and tribute it to summon Caius the Shadow Monarch!" A massive creature formed from a pool of shadow on the floor! "Now that he's been tribute summoned, his effect activates! I can target one card on the field and banish it! I'll choose the face-down on the left!" Burst's Mirror Force card vanished in a swirl of darkness! "Now to attack you directly! Shadow of Fear!" Caius fired a blast of dark magic right into Burst's life points! "And since Caius was tribute summoned, Domain of the True Monarch's effect activates! Since I have no monsters in my extra deck, and I'm the only one who controls a tribute summoned monster, you can't special summon monsters from your extra deck! But I've tortured you enough for now. I end my turn."
Burst: 5600
Sombra: 8000
"Gotta say, I'm impressed. You made this deck with the specific purpose of crippling me. But I know your deck's weakness now too.", Burst said with a smile. "I draw! I play Trade-In to discard the level eight monster I just drew to draw two new cards! Then I'll discard a card to activate Twin Twisters! I can target and destroy up to two spell or trap cards on the field! Time to blow away Royal Prison and Light-Imprisoning Mirror!" Sombra scowled as two of his key cards were destroyed! "I end my turn with another face-down." 'Good duelists always have a back-up strategy.', Burst thought with a smile.
"I draw! I play Trade-In to discard a level eight monster in my hand! Now I can draw two new cards! Now I play Prohibition! I can declare one card name! Cards with that name, and their effects, can't be used! I declare Harmony Absolute! Let's see how you fare against me without that cursed card!" Sombra had a wicked grin. But it soon faded when Burst laughed. "What....WHAT'S SO FUNNY!??!?!"
'He really didn't think Blue-Eyes Absolute was my ONLY powerful monster did he?' "Ha ha ha ha ha! Don't you know Sombra? A good duelist always has a back-up plan! I'd be foolish if I relied on only one card to win!"
"We'll see who's laughing after this! I tribute Caius to bring out Erebus the Underworld Monarch!" A pillar of shadow engulfed Caius, and a more fearsome looking monarch stood in his place! "Teach him to fear me! Since he was tribute summoned, I can shuffle a card from your hand, graveyard, or field into your deck! I'll return the set card to your left!" Burst's card was wrapped in shadow and returned to his deck. Burst then shuffled his deck, and put it back in its slot. "I'm not finished yet! Attack him directly Erebus!" Erebus fired a blast of darkness into Burst's life points! "I end my turn. All I need is one more turn, and you're finished!"
Burst: 2800
Sombra: 8000
"Duel's not over until the last card's drawn.", Burst said calmly as he drew his next card. 'And it just ended!' "I end my turn by summoning Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands to add a ritual spell from my deck to my hand! I end my turn."
"You're right.", Sombra said with a cruel grin. "Because the last card's been drawn! Attack his monster Erebus!"
"Now! I activate my trap! Curse of Anubis! This flips all effect monsters on the field into face-up defense mode and makes their defense zero!" Both Erebus and Manju shifted into defense mode!
"Hmph. You've bought yourself one more turn. But next turn, I can switch Erebus back into his mighty attack mode!"
"No. You won't! His defense will return to normal, but you can't change his battle position!"
"I end my turn with a face-down.", Sombra growled.
"My turn!" Burst drew his next card! 'Time to de-throne this tyrant!' "I play the ritual spell Chaos Form! I'll banish White Stone of Ancients to add Blue-Eyes White Dragon to my hand! Now I play The Melody of Awakening Dragon! I'll discard a card to add two dragons with 3000 or more attack and 2500 or less defense to my hand! Then I'll activate Chaos Form! I'll tribute Blue-Eyes from my hand to bring out Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon!" Blue-Eyes flew into the swirling vortex of chaos, and transformed into Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX! "Then I'll play Return of the Dragon Lords to revive Blue-Eyes! Now I'll attack your defense mode monster!"
"I activate my trap! Mirror Force!" The Mirror Force barrier went up around Erebus, but Chaos MAX shattered it! "WHAT?! AGGHH!" Sombra cringed as Erebus was obliterated by a flurry of light beams coming from Chaos MAX's wings!
"I forgot to mention that Chaos MAX inflicts double piercing damage when he destroys a defense mode monster!" Sombra's life points took a massive hit! "But I'm not finished yet! End this Blue-Eyes! Rock the dragon!" Blue-Eyes unleashed a massive blast of white lightning! Wiping out the last of Sombra's life points! Sombra was knocked back from the force of the attack! Once the duel was over, Burst ran over to Celestia and broke her out of her chains. "You alright?"
"I am now. It's a bit odd that the dragon's coming to my rescue.", Celestia said with a small smile. Sombra slowly rose to his feet, but was knocked down by a blast of magic before Burst and Celestia could notice.
"C'mon. Let's get you home. Think you can give us a lift Blue-Eyes?", Burst asked. Blue-Eyes nodded as Burst helped Celestia on board, and took off as Burst got on. They soon landed at Celestia and Luna's house. When they landed, Luna rushed up to Celestia and pulled her into a tight hug. Celestia then broke the hug, and walked over to Burst. "You don't need to say thank you."
"I know. But there's something I want to know. Burst? Do you think we could try again?"
Burst sighed. "Celestia. You left me just a few days ago. It's a bit too soon to go that far. Right now? I think I'd better go home." Burst got back on Blue-Eyes. "But....I am glad you're safe." Celestia watched sadly as Burst left.
"And I'm glad you came for me...." Celestia let out a sigh as she joined Luna inside the house.