"Didn't expect a pleasant place behind this door...", Shadow said as he took in his surroundings. The door Shadow had went through had led him to a lush field. It was full of flowers, and the sun was shining clearly in the sky. "Well, I guess I lucked out when I picked this door." Shadow took a moment to breathe in the fresh air, and collapsed on his back. "Just what I needed. A nice area to clear my head." Shadow smiled as he enjoyed the peace and quiet. Listening to the calm wind blow across the field. "Yup. A few moments to just think is good. I don't think there's anyway this moment could get better. Shadow closed his eyes as he let himself rest from all the craziness that had been going on. 'I meet a girl, and it turns out that she's being controlled by an evil sorcerer who's been hunting legendary dragons. But at least its not her fault. She wasn't in control of what she did. But I guess she won't see it that way. If only Starlight could be here...'
"Looks like someone's tired.", a voice said. Shadow snapped his eyes open! He couldn't believe what he was seeing! It was Starlight! "Sorry to keep you waiting.", Starlight said with a smile.
"Starlight!?! But...how...?" Starlight giggled.
"I escaped Paradox. The legendary dragons overloaded Paradox, and destroyed him. Now I'm free. And more importantly..." Starlight leaned down so she was almost an inch away from Shadow's face. "You're here too. I knew you'd come for me."
"Well.....I couldn't leave you." Shadow blushed at how close Starlight was to him. "I....I love you Starlight."
"I know Shadow. You came all this way to find me. Now you're here, and you found me."
"I guess we can head home now. C'mon!" Shadow got up to leave, but Starlight grabbed his arm! "Star?"
"No! I mean, can't we just enjoy a moment together? The two of us alone? Let's just stay here a bit longer..."
"Starlight...if this really is over, then there's no reason to stay here. You've got people waiting for you. Let's not keep them waiting."
Starlight's grip on Shadow tightened. "Forget them! I want to stay here! Here with YOU! That's all that matters!"
"You're acting awfully clingy. I just declared my love for you earlier today. This is weird. No way you'd act this way...."
"I..I just don't want to leave you Shadow! Come...let's stay here forever. Just you and me. Forever..." Starlight tried to pull Shadow into a kiss, but Shadow blocked her!
"What's gotten into you?! This isn't right! I can't leave my family! And why are you so willing to stay here?"
Starlight frowned. "You just HAD to make it difficult didn't you? You couldn't just take the easy way!" Starlight pushed Shadow back and transformed! "I would have made your existence a happy one here. All you had to do was just leave your life behind. A pity you must now be destroyed!" Starlight transformed, and was revealed to be another one of Paradox's minions! "You are a threat to my master! And you shall not advance any further!"
'I KNEW it was too good to believe she'd escaped.', Shadow thought with a frown. 'Just means that I gotta fight harder to get Starlight back!' "Just try and stop me!" Shadow readied his duel disk.
Malefic Mage: 8000
Shadow: 8000
"I have the first move!", the Malefic Mage said. "I summon Reflect Bounder in attack mode and end my turn!"
'That monster's like a living Magic Cylinder.', Shadow thought. 'I can't get careless! Even if I destroy it, I take damage equal to my own monster's attack! Wait! There IS a way around it!' Shadow drew his card, and smiled. 'Perfect!' "I summon Masked Dragon in attack mode! Then I'll banish him to bring out Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon!" Masked Dragon faded away, and REDMD stood in its place! "Now I activate his effect! I special summon Gandora-X the Dragon of Demolition! Then I'll activate his effect! I can destroy as many monsters as possible on the field! Then I can inflict damage to you equal to the highest attack of the destroyed monsters! I choose REDMD!" Malefic Mage winced as her life points took a major hit! "Now Gandora-X gains attack equal to the damage dealt! Attack her directly! Demolition Blast!" Gandora-X fired a beam of crackling red energy! Striking Malefic Mage full force! "I'll end my turn with a face-down. Now comes the down-side. I have to pay half my life points." Shadow cringed as his life points were halved. 'Maybe that was a bit costly, but at least I still have the lead in life points for now! I'm not gonna let anything stand in my way of rescuing Starlight!'
Malefic Mage: 2400
Shadow: 4000
"Impressive. You managed to deplete half of my life points in just a single turn. And all it cost you was half of your life points. But now its my turn! I draw! Ah! Perfect! I summon a monster in defense mode and end my turn."
"My move!" Shadow drew his next card. 'Just what I needed! Now I've got a chance to neutralize her face-down!' "I summon Heliosphere Dragon! Since I control a level eight monster, I can make Heliosphere become level eight! I overlay my two monsters!" A swirling galaxy materialized on the ground! Shadow's monsters turned into purple and yellow lights and flew into the galaxy! "I xyz summon Number 46: Dragluon!" Dragluon flew out of the galaxy and stood proudly on the field! "Now I'll activate Dragluon's effect since he's the only monster on my field! I'll detach an overlay unit to special summon a dragon-type monster from my hand! I'll bring out Arkbrave Dragon!" Arkbrave Dragon let out a mighty roar as he took the field! "Attack her face-down!"
"No!", Malefic Mage screamed as her Wall of Ilusion was destroyed! Arkbrave was returned to Shadow's hand, but now she was wide open!
"You tried to trick me into giving up.", Shadow said with a scowl. "Now, you're gonna pay for trying to use Starlight's face against me! Dragluon! Attack her directly!" Dragluon fired a golden beam of energy directly at Malefic Mage! Wiping out the last of her life points and destroying her! "Starlight. Just hold of for a few more minutes!" A warp soon appeared after Malefic Mage was destroyed. "Time to end this." Shadow stepped onto the warp, and found himself back in the main hall. All the chains on the large door had disappeared. "Paradox. I'm coming for you!"