Celestia: And another team goes through the next round. That leaves only seven slots left.
Luna: Which of the remaining teams will be able to overcome the staking odds and win their place?
Up in the VIP box, Cold Steel, Shining, Cadance, Flurry, Grand and the Crusaders continued to watch. "Oh man!" Scootaloo moaned, "what's going on? Why haven't any of our friend's teams gotten through?"
"Mostly bad luck," Cadance told her. "Whenever they get close to the next round, one of them comes up against a Duellist with a strategy that overcomes theirs."
Shining agreed. "Not to mention, many of them are well known Duellists. So their opponents have a basic idea of what to expect going up against them."
"I guess," Scootaloo said. "But still, you'd think that one of them would have gotten through by now."
"Don't worry Scoot," Applebloom told her. "They'll get through. Besides, it'd more entertaining for them to be one of the last to get through. That'd make them look like the underdogs, making it better when they win the whole thing."
"And we'll be cheering them one all the way," Sweetie agreed.
Scootaloo couldn't help but smile at this thought. "Yeah, you're right." She started punching her fists into the air, "come on guys!" The other two did the same, Flurry mimicking their movements while giggling.
Almost everyone laughed at the baby's actions, even Cold managing to crack a smile. That smile disappeared when he heard his phone go off, quickly getting it out and seeing who was calling. "Excuse me," he got up and headed outside.
Shining followed him with a raised eyebrow, Cadance noticing her husband's action. "Everything okay?"
"I'm...not sure," he replied. "Cold's been acting funny lately."
"Funny how?" Grand asked.
"Secret phone calls, going off to meetings that aren't on any schedule and I once caught the Dazzlings coming out of his office. At first I thought it was just stress from the Double X, but when I saw those girls I knew it was something more."
Grand hummed at this, turning to where Cold had left.
Out in the hallway, Cold answered his phone. "What's up."
"Trouble," Adagio's voice replied. "It's Sentry. He knows something's up."
Cold sighed. More then anyone, Flash couldn't know what was going on. "How?"
"I told you telling my sisters what we were doing was a mistake. You should have just let me handle it on my own."
"Don't rub it in," Cold said. "Alright, just try and keep your distance from him until I can figure out what to tell him."
"Got it. I'll-oh! Sorry, gotta run, My next opponent is here." With that, the call ended and Cold sighed once again.
"Sorry guys!" Flash bowed to Spike and Sunburst, the three of them being in the Meadow Field.
"It's fine," Sunburst told him. "Spike managed to win his Duel right away, so it's not like you were in there long."
"Yeah," Spike agreed, "even you have to lose every once in a while. Just try not to lose twice in a row."
"No problem," Flash said. "I'll make up for all the points I lost, with interest." They both nodded before hearing Celestia's voice ring out through the stadium.
Celestia: And with Big Mac's win, Team Applejewel is through to the second round.
The boys were amazed by this. So one of their friend's teams managed to make it through.
Luna: With that, only six spaces remain.
"No more hanging around," Spike said before rushing off. "Let's get out there."
"Right," Sunburst agreed before doing the same.
That left Flash on his own, as he looked down at his Raduel. Even if he wanted to focus on his next Duel, he couldn't stop thinking about what Sonata had said and his talk with Adagio. He had heard her ask about Tempest, but what did she and Cold want to know about her for?
Over in the Canyon Field, Marble Pie was currently Duelling against Fuschia Blush of Team Illusions. Fuschia's only monster was a woman themed after a Lion Tamer, with a purple and pink lion standing next to her. Marble's field was empty, all her monsters having been destroyed by Fuschia.
"I'll throw down a face down and end my turn," Fuschia told her.
"Then it's my turn," Marble drew her card. "I now banish Gaia-Knight Coal and Gaia-Knight Crystal Guardian!" Her knight appeared out of the ground before it was encased in rock, "in order to summon Gaia-Knight Diamond!" The moon shattered, revealing her monster. (A2800/D2600/L8) "I'll now banish Gaia-Knight Sapphire from the Graveyard, in order to give Diamond his ability."
Fuschia gasped. "That means my Trap is useless!"
"And with eight cards removed from play, my Gaia-Knight gains eight hundred ATK points." Diamond glowed as its power increased. (A3600/D2600/L8) "Now attack Fuschia Lion Tamer!" The knight rushed forwards and slashed through the lion and its tamer, destroying them both and wiping out Fuschia's Life Points.
Fuschia: 0
Marble: 2900 (Winner)
"No!" Fuschia yelled before she was pulled underground, "I'm sorry Trixie!" Once she was gone, Marble sighed in relief. Despite Duelling usually helping her keep her nerves, being around this many new people was proving strenuous.
Hopefully, their team would get through soon and she'd get a break from the tournament for some alone time.
In that moment, a gust of wind seemed to blow passed her. As it did, Marble couldn't help but hear something. A voice, being carried on the wind. "What?" She asked. Before she knew what she was doing, her body began to move on its own in the direction the wind was blowing from. She didn't know why, but she felt drawn to the voice. And as she got closer, the voice became less faint.
She eventually followed the voice to a giant rock that was as big as a building. The spot she had been lead to had a small cave, where the wind was flowing out of. The voice was clearer then ever and Marble was completely hypnotised by it, stepping into the dark cave without a second thought. She continued through it until, finally, she came to a dead end.
But this was no ordinary dead end. In front of the wall was a large red circle, glowing in the air with a surface that seemed to ripple like water.
"What is this?" She asked. The voice spoke again, telling her to touch it. She was hesitant at first, but the voice's insistence eventually peer pressured her into reach up and moving her hand toward it. And the moment a single finger touched it, the circle unleashed a brilliant burst of light that filled the entire cave. "AAAAAHHHHH!"
Tempest smiled as she sensed it, opening her eyes. "Finally," she turned back to Starlight. "Time for the next stage."
"Already on it," Starlight replied while typing away at her computer. "Once the program is launched, you'll have twenty minutes before the system reboots."
"More then enough time," Tempest walked towards the door.
"I don't care about whatever it is you have to do," Heath said while staring at the ceiling. "Just don't ruin the Double X entirely. I haven't had one moment of fun yet."
Tempest chuckled. "No problem." With that, she stepped outside while Starlight finished the program.
"Here goes," she said before hitting the enter key. Seconds later, the entire stadium blacked out while the cameras showing the Duels went offline.
Down on the field, everything came to a stand still as everything was enveloped by darkness. Seconds later, the lights came back on but were much dimmer then before.
"What the?" Rainbow asked as he tried to switch on her Raduel, but the holographic screen showed nothing but static.
Celestia: What's going on?
Luna: We appear to be having some technical difficulties. We apologies for the inconvenience and promise that our best workers are seeing to it right now.
"What's happening?" Cold asked after getting in touch with one of his maintenance staff."
"We're unsure sir. We think it's some kind of foreign program that found its way into our servers. The lights, cameras and Raduel system are completely offline. We're trying everything we can to get them back online, but it'll take time. Luckily, the emergency power kicked in so we're not in total darkness."
Cold sighed before hanging up, then turned to head out the door. Shining saw this and frowned, "where you going?"
"I'm gonna go oversee the repairs. The rest of you stay here and call me if anything happens." With that, he rushed out the door while leaving the others very confused and suspicious.
Outside, Cold rushed over to the nearest exit out onto the field. He couldn't be sure, but he was assuming that they were making their move. He had to find out for sure. If he remembered correctly, the field exit closest to Team Dominator's room lead out onto the Meadow Field.
Celestia: Due to the blackout, the organisers have decided to suspend the competition.
Luna: Until this problem is solved, all Duels are suspended and competitors are to remain where they are.
Flash sighed. So much for making up the lost points.
The sound of footsteps then caught his attention, making him turn in that direction. This would probably be the opponent he was facing once the lights came on. But Flash was in for quite a shock when he saw who it was that stepped over a nearby hill. "Tempest?"
Tempest Shadow froze when she saw him. "Oh, hello again."
"What are you doing out here? Didn't your team already make it to the next round."
"Yes," she replied nervously, "we did make it through to the next round. But," she looked around nervously, "this place has so many amazing features that I didn't get to enjoy before. I thought I might check it out while the lights were off."
"Right," Flash wasn't convinced.
"What about you?" Tempest asked, "enjoying yourself? And how's the first stage."
"Well," Flash then smiled, "it's going great. Even though we didn't manage to get through on the first day like you, we'll get there."
Tempest smiled and nodded, only to look down at her watch when Flash looked away. "Well," she said, "I'd better be off before someone catches me."
"Too late." The two spun around to see someone walking up to them, their face obscured by the light their phone was producing.
Flash looked surprised by this, while Tempest gave an almost angry look. Eventually, the figure got close enough that Flash was able to make out his face through the light. "Cold?"
"Flash?" Cold raised his eyebrow as he stepped forwards, then turned to Tempest. "What are you doing out here?"
Tempest quickly put on a smirking face, "I could ask the same about you."
"I'm surveying the area to try and determine the cause of this blackout," Cold replied.
"The head man himself getting involved," Tempest joked. "This must be serious."
Cold just frowned. "We've asked teams that have already made it through to the next stage not to enter the field."
"Sorry," Tempest said, "just curious about this place."
"Curiosity killed the cat," Cold told him. "If I wanted to, I could have your team be disqualified for breaking the rules." This caught Tempest's attention, making her frown. Flash meanwhile, jumped between them.
"Wait! If she's disqualified, I won't get to have a rematch with her."
Cold turned to him in surprise. "Rematch. What rematch. You two didn't Duel on the first day."
"No," Flash replied, "we Duelled before that. A little while before the Double X even started."
Cold took this in and turned to stare at Tempest judgingly. 'So, she's not just targeting the Double X. She specifically approached Flash.' "Well, I might be inclined to forget about this little incident." He then pulled out his Duel Disk, "with the right persuasion of course."
Tempest raised an eyebrow, "you want to Duel me?"
"Why not," Cold attached the device to his arm. "The ability you showed on the first day was impressive. I'd love to be able to see if for myself."
Tempest hummed for a moment before eventually nodding. "Alright," she pulled out her Duel Disk and put it on her arm, "you're on. I was just starting to get bored anyway."
Cold nodded. "With the lights off, an Action Duel will be dangerous. Let's stick to the standard format."
"Very well." They activated their Duel Disks and drew their cards.
"DUEL!"
Cold: 4000
Tempest: 4000
Flash just stood there, having no idea what was happening. Why did Cold want to Duel Tempest so bad? Did it have something to do with what Adagio was looking into. What was going on?
"I'll take the first move," Cold drew his card. "I'll start by summoning Frozen Heart Lancer in ATK mode." The ice armoured knight appeared before him, swinging its lance around. (A1800/D1300/L4) "I place one card face down and end my turn."
"Then it's my turn," Tempest drew her card. "And I activate the Spell card Cost Down. Now, by ditching one card from my hand, the Levels of every monster in my hand is reduced by two." A pillar of light appeared besides her. "And since the card I ditched was Spine-Hog Dominator, his ability allows me to place him in any Pendulum Zone." The hedgehog creature appeared inside the pillar. "Now I summon Storm Guard Dominator War-Hammer!" A bolt of light flew down and struck the ground, causing a bright flash of light which forced Cold and Flash to look away. When the light faded, they looked back and saw the armoured ape monster carrying a large hammer. (A2000/D1800/L5)
"So this is Tempest Shadow's Dominator," Cold said.
"I'll then activate the Spell Card, Obsidian Orb!" Flash eyes went wide hearing this, looking up to see the black orb appear in her monster's hand before it tossed it at Cold's monster. It hit the ground below Lancer's feet and shattered, releasing a green mist that covered the ice knight. "Dominate!"
"Not good," Flash said as the mist faded to reveal Lancer had been transformed into a statue.
Cold frowned. "Dominate. Ruthless."
"Thank you," Tempest said. "Now your monster can't wage an attack, switch its battle positions, activate any effect or be tributed. Basically, it's just a glorified paperweight." She then smirked, "and it won't even be that for much longer. I activate War-Hammer's ability!" The ape leapt as the fossilised monster while raising its hammer above its head, then swung it down at Lancer and shattered it.
Cold groaned as small pieces of his monster flew at him. He raised his arms to protect himself, as the rocks struck him.
Cold: 3500
Tempest: 4000
"Like it?" Tempest asked. "In place of attacking this turn, War-Hammer's ability lets him destroy one Dominated monster on the field and deal you five hundred points of damage."
"Impressive," Cold replied. "You dealt me more damage then I would have taken if you attacked and bypassed my possible Trap. You've got some skills."
"High praise coming from you," Tempest placed one card face down. "I end my turn." As Cold reached for his deck, Tempest began speaking. "I must admit, I'm enjoying this little tournament of yours." This caught Flash and Cold's attention. "So many interesting opponents to face off against. I can't wait until the next round." She turned to Flash, "don't you agree Flash?"
"Err...yeah," Flash agreed, "I guess."
Cold frowned as he drew his card "Since you have a monster on your field and I don't, I can summon Frozen Heart Knight to my field." The sword wielding version of Lancer appeared. (A1700/D1500/L4) "I then summon Frozen Heart Gardna, in DEF mode!" Another ice knight, this one carrying a large shield, appeared on the field. "I'll now use these two monsters to build the Overlay Network!" Knight and Gardna shot into the air before a black hole appeared on the field, the two transforming into lights that flew into it. "Ice is an element that symbolises both strength and fragility. And when two pieces of ice meet. they freeze together to make and even stronger piece." The black hole exploded "I XYZ SUMMON."
The light faded, revealing Cold's monster. "Frozen Heart Lord of the Hook." (A2400/D1200/R4)
As the monster landed next to Cold, Flash turned to Tempest. "I feel the same." The two looked towards him. "There are so many opportunities here, and everyone Duels so passionately." He remembered all the Duels he'd had in the tournament. How each one was so different, but so much fun. "Duel Monsters really is an awesome game. And I wanna get better at it.
"That's exactly why we're here," Cold said. "Why we do it." He placed a card into his Duel Disk, "to help connect the world through Duelling! Go, Freeze Cannon!" Lord of the Hook's right arm was replaced by a robotic arm with a gun barrel on the end of it. "We want to support everyone's desire to become stronger, and create a world where people can enjoy Duelling. That is my, no...our mission."
"Cold," Flash couldn't help but smile.
The man smiled back before refocusing on the Duel. "Lord of the Hook now attacks War-Hammer!"
Tempest watched as the Xyz Monster aimed its weapon at hers and fired several snowballs, which hit War-Hammer and froze it on impact. (A1000/1800/L5) "What?"
"When a monster equipped with Freeze Cannon attacks, the monster its attacking loses two hundred ATK points for each Level star it has." Lord of the Hook began swinging its weapon around on its chain. "I will not tolerate anyone who gets in the way of fulfilling our mission." It then threw it at War-Hammer, impaling it before pulling it up into the air. "Whoever it might be!" Once high enough, the Lord pulled it down towards the ground and it exploded upon impact.
Cold: 3500
Tempest: 2600
"You activated my Trap!" Her card flipped up, "Dominator Spark." Since a monster on my field was destroyed, I can add a Dominator from my deck to my hand." Her deck shuffled before slotting out a card, which she took and added to her hand.
"I end my turn."
As Tempest reached for her deck, she turned back to Flash. "I understand where you're coming from, since I'm also a challenger. Challenging this world of yours." The two weren't sure what she meant by that, but didn't have time to ask as Tempest drew her card. "I'm setting scale eight Tempest Unicorn Dominator, into the Pendulum Scale." The second pillar of light appeared besides her, as the horned horse flew up into it. "I want to grab hold of my own future, and grow from there." The portal began to form above her. "Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory." The portal opened above her. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
A pair of lights shot out of the portal and struck the ground, taking shape before revealing her monsters.
"Storm Guard Dominator Spear!" (A1800/D800/L4)
"Tempest Rogue Dominator Scarvolt!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4)
"In order to do that, I'm always on the look out for friends who will stand besides me." Her ace reached into her cloak and pulled out an Obsidian Orb. "Scarvolt's skill. Dominate!" Scarvolt tossed it at Lord of the Hook, the gas exploding around it and turning the Xyz Monster to stone. "But to be honest with you, I'm not feeling to hopeful. The skill level at this tournament isn't as elite as I had hoped."
Cold frowned at this, feeling slightly insulted.
"It's proof that there aren't many Duellists here that we feel comfortable enough, to entrust our future to." Tempest's mind flashed back to all the Duellists stuck in the Graveyard, having lost their Duels so easily. "I was daydreaming when I thought this world would be filled with strong opponents to face. I want to face off against Duellists with enough power to force me into giving it my all, but so far I have found nothing!"
Cold tist at this, "sorry to disappoint you."
Tempest frowned before pointing at Cold's Xyz monster. "Scarvolt will now attack you Lord of the Hook." Her monster pulled out its broken sword and charged it with energy. "Tempest Unicorn's Pendulum Ability now increases every Dominator's ATK points by two hundred for every Dominated monster on the field, times two hundred." (A2700/D2000/L7/P4) (A2000/D800/L4) "And since she was special summoned, Scarvolt can attack once for every Dominated monster on the field. Though any monster she attacks isn't destroyed and you only take half the damage." Scarvolt held up her broken sword and used her lightning to extend it, then leapt at Lord of the Hook and slashed it.
Cold: 3350
Tempest: 2600
"There seem to be a few competitors who have made their way through the tournament...more by luck, then any great skill on their part."
"That's true," Flash agreed.
"Luck can only get you so far," Cold told them. "If you want to win, you need to prove your skills."
Tempest smiled. "I'm pleased to hear that." She pointed at him, "my Spear Dominator will now attack!" The ape leapt into the air. "And since the only monsters on your field are ones that have been Dominated, I can half his ATK and let him attack you directly." It's body surged with electricity. (A1000/D800/L4) That electrical power flowed into its spear, which it then tossed towards Cold. The spear landed in front of the man before discharging the lightning, zapping him.
Cold grunted in pain as he was electrocuted.
Cold: 2350
Tempest: 2600
Tempest smiled at this, "I place one card face down and end my turn." Scarvolt and Spear's ATK returned to normal. (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) (A1800/D800/L4)
Flash looked over the field. The Duel had been pretty close up to this point. But how would Cold handle the Dominate?
"It's my turn," Cold drew his card. "I activate the spell card Ice Sculpture Carving. This card lets me return one Frozen Heart monster from my field to the deck and draw cards equal to its Level or Rank." Lord of the Hook glowed before transforming into a light that flew back into Cold's deck.
Flash smirked as he watched Cold draw his cards. He got around the Dominate and drew more cards as a result.
"Now I'll set the Pendulum Scale, with scale one Måne of the Frozen Moon and scale nine Frozen Heart Angel!" The pillars of light appeared on either side of him before the monsters flew up into them, the portal forming between them as Cold called out. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and four lights shot out, hitting the ground. They took shape before fading to reveal Cold's monsters.
The first was a blue skinned woman with white hair, wearing a flowing white kimono. She as also floating, her kimono's length making it impossible to see her hands and feet. "Frozen Heart Yuki-Onna!" (A1800/D0/L4/P10
"Frozen Heart Statue Norr!" (A200/D200/L2)
"Frozen Heart Golem!" (A2800/D1800/L7)
"And Frozen Heart Dragon!" (A3000/D2500/L8/P5)
"Impressive," Tempest said while not even looking the least bit worried about facing off against the army of monsters.
"I sacrifice Yuki-Onna and Nor in order to activate Frozen Heart Dragon's effect!" The giant ice dragon reached down and grabbed hold of the two monsters, raising them up as they became covered in ice before crushing them into nothing. "Now my dragon's ATK points will double until the End Phase." (A6000/D2500/L8/P5) "Attack!" Frozen Heart Dragon brought its claws together, as mist formed between them, before thrusting them forwards and unleashing a burst of cold air across the field towards Scarvolt.
"I activate my Trap," Tempest cried as her card flipped up. "Defence Draw!" A bubble appeared around her as Scarvolt was covered it ice, which quickly shattered with the pieces bouncing off her shield. "Still," she turned to Flash, "it's not as if there aren't options that allow me to sense what's possible for the future."
Flash just stared at her, not sure what she meant by that.
"Now, Frozen Heart Golem!" Cold announced, "attack Storm Guard Dominator Spear!" The ice giant charged forwards, raising its fist in preparation of attack. Tempest did nothing, instead she kept staring at Flash.
"I've been watching you Duel," she smirked. "You've improved a lot since we faced off last."
"Oh," Flash replied, "thanks I guess."
Golem's attack landed, crushing Tempest's monster into the ground and destroying it.
Cold: 2350
Tempest: 1600
Despite the heavy loss, she smiled at Flash. "You've changed for the better."
Flash also stared at her. "You and me, we have a lot in common. There's a passion deep inside that brings me here. Every person here is pursuing their dream with everything they've got. So I can't afford to take it easy." He raised his hand and squeezed it into a fist. "I intend to grab hold of the future. Me and my friends together."
As he said this, Cold stared at him and saw the determination in his eyes. That look, was what made Cold believe he was right in his goal. And he wouldn't let anyone stand in the way of it. "I end my turn." Frozen Heart Dragon's ATK points returned to normal. (A3000/D2500/L8/P5)
Tempest drew her card, still looking at Flash. "I'm glad you're taking part in the Double X. We need more players like you. I encourage you to keep going along that path. Believe in yourself." Flash nodded, as the portal began to form above her head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and a single light shot out of it, hitting the ground and taking shape before fading to reveal her ace. "Tempest Rogue Dominator Scarvolt!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) "Once your skills have improved to a suitable level, we'll see how you fair in battle against us." Flash and Cold raised an eyebrow, wondering what she meant when she said us. Was she referring to her monsters?
"I'll catch up to your level," Flash told her. "Just you wait."
"Good," she turned back to Cold and held up the card she'd drawn. "Good. Then let me give you a glimpse of what you'll be up against when that time comes!" Before she could do anything, the lights suddenly switched back on.
Celestia: Finally. It seems the bothans finally managed to get the lights back on.
Luna: We apologies for this inconvenience and will make sure it doesn't happen again.
Tempest sighed, "it looks like we'll have to stop." She deactivated her Duel Disk, causing the holograms to disappear. "Too bad. I was just starting to have fun."
Cold just smirked. "Yeah. Well, we'd better be getting back."
Tempest nodded before turning to Flash, "I wish you luck in your future Duels. Hopefully, you can get through to the next round and we'll be able to face off against one another."
"Yeah," Flash agreed, "same here." With that, Tempest walked off. Once she was out of sight, Flash turned to Cold. "Alright, what's going on? Why are you so focused on Tempest?" Cold just hummed while looking away, "come on. Out with it. Is she the one Adagio and her sisters are investigating?"
Cold sighed before turning back to him. "Look, we don't have proof of anything...yet. It's still vague and we're not at the stage where I can discuss details."
"But you do suspect that something's up," Flash probed. "Why not tell me?"
"After everything you were put through before, I didn't feel it was right to burden you or your friends. You should be busy focusing your energy on the Double X. I didn't want to distract you from that, when we only have suspicions." He looked up into the sky. "We've finally gotten back to a place where Duelling is something we can enjoy. If anything were to happen..."
Flash looked away, "so you intend to handle the situation on your own?"
"I'm sorry," Cold replied.
Flash just sighed, "there's no point in apologising now." He turned back to him, "so?"
"I really can't go into it here," Cold explained. "Besides, I have a tournament to run." He smiled at the teen. "Once the first round is over, we'll find time to talk about it."
Flash gave him a suspicious look, but sighed and nodded. "Alright." He turned away, "I'd better hurry up and win some matches."
"There aren't that many slots left in the next round you know," Cold said as Flash walked off.
He looked over his shoulder and smiled at Cold, "I got it. Don't worry." With that, he rushed off to find his next opponent.
Back with Tempest, she finally reached the Canyon Field and spotted the spot she had to be in. "Alright," she said into her phone, "I'm there."
"I've got the camera's on a loop," Starlight said. "But it won't be long until they notice this. You've got ten minutes at best."
Tempest smiled, "that's plenty of time." She rushed into the cave, running down the tunnel before stopping in front of the red circle. She reached out her hand and touched it, causing the tunnel to be filled with light. Once the light receded, Tempest found she was now standing in a circular room made of white stone. And she was not alone.
She stepped further inside, catching the attention of her roommate.
Marble spun around with a cry, seeing she was no longer alone in the room. She hid her face behind her hair, as she sniffed. "Please, help me. I-I-I've been trapped in here." Tempest said nothing. "Please, what's going on? I-I heard a voice calling out to me, but all I found was this funny circle and...and now I'm in here. Please let me out."
Tempest continued to remain quiet, instead reaching into her jacket pocket and pulling out four Duel Cards. She flipped through them before pulling one out and then tossing it to Marble, the girl crying out as she managed to catch it in her hand.
Marble looked down at the card and gasped seeing what it was. "But t-t-this is."
"Can you hear it?" Marble looked up at Tempest, seeing the teen woman pull off the glove on her right hand. In doing so, she reveal a glowing purple circle on the back of it, that had a series of white shapes that made a mark she recognised. The symbol for the Dark Attribute. "The voice of the one whose soul is bound to yours." Before Marble could ask what she was talking about, a blinding light filled the room.
Marble covered her eyes until the light faded, allowing her to open them and find she was now standing in space. "W-what's going on?" She looked around until she spotted Tempest, standing in front of a planet.
"Now come," she said. "One who is guided by our lord." She pointed at Marble, "accept this vessel and link thy souls!"
Marble was about to ask what she was talking about, only for a light to catch her attention. She looked down at the source, the card, as it flew out of her hand and floated in front of her before the light completely enveloped it. Before she could ask what was happening, Tempest called out a single word. "SOULINK!"
The light shot out and hit Marble.
She screamed as the sensation of being ripped in half flew through her body. She shut her eyes to try and block out the pain, which finally vanished after a few seconds. She opened her eyes, only to gasp as she saw what was going on. She was floating behind her body, now looking like a ghost that moving further and further away from it. The only thing connecting her to her body, was a single thin string like light.
"What's happening?" She asked before she felt herself float into something behind her, looking around to see it was a stone tablet with the design of a Duel Card etched into it. Before she could ask, golden chains flew out from behind it and wrapped around her body. Once everything but her head was tied to the tablet, she looked back to where her body was standing limply.
Seconds later, the card floated up besides her before a new light came out of it. This one was a brownish orange, which took the shape of a sphere before a single stream of light slithered out of it and touched the back of her body.
In another flash of light, the two were back in the circular room.
Marble fell onto her hands and knees, while Tempest put her glove back on. She looked down at the girl, waiting for a response. She looked down at Marble's right hand and noticed something slowly appearing on it. It was a circle and mark similar to hers, only the circle glowed orange and the white marks made a different shape. It was the symbol for the Earth Attribute. "Well? You in there?"
Seconds passed with no answer, until the silence was finally broken by a chuckle. "Yes," Marble said as she started to pick herself up. Once on her feet she looked up at Tempest while pushing her hair away from her face, a sinister smile now etched onto her face. "Now the fun can begin."