//------------------------------//
// Episode 17: Friendship Follies: Part 1 
// Story: Yu-Gi-Oh E-Quest: Malefic Wars 
// by DakariKingMykan 
//------------------------------//


EPISODE SEVENTEEN



The first cards were drawn, and the scores were set.



Karle LP: 8000


 


Fluttershy LP: 8000



“You really should have stayed out of this.” Karle called to Fluttershy “Now you’re going to pay the price for having interfered with me and my plans.”

Fluttershy cringed with her nerve-wrecking fear inside.


“Don’t listen to her, Fluttershy.” called Kori “Don’t let her throw your game off.”

The other friends all agreed, while Gar only watched quietly from where he stood far away.


“Ha!” scoffed Karle “Your game is already thrown off, especially when I play this Field Spell; FUSION RECYCLING PLANT!”

Dick gasped, and everyone watched as the power plant formed all around the duelists.

“I saw this card in my dream.” said Dick “If she Fusion Summons a monster, she’ll be able to grab one of the materials out of the graveyard and add it to her hand.”

The friends and Fluttershy all stiffened, while Karle snickered and said, “Then apparently you didn’t dream big enough, because that’s not all this card does.”

Fluttershy shuddered to ask, “…What’s that exactly?”


Karle then tossed one card out of her hand. “Simply by discarding one card, I am now able to add “Polymerization” into my hand.


Everyone felt a bit concerned.

“Why didn’t you tell us it could do that too?” Rainbow asked.

Dick shrugged, “It was just a dream, and besides… Slade didn’t use that power.”


Karle flicked her long hair. “Blah, blah, blah… if you’re done yakking over there…”

The friends took offense to that remark.

“…I now activate POLYMERIZATION, fusing LUNALIGHT BLUE CAT and LUNALIGHT BLACKSHEEP!”
 
 
“Lunalights?!” cried Fluttershy.

The monster formed and Karle called out, “…I Fusion Summon the fierceness of LUNALIGHT CAT DANCER.”
 

(Atk: 2400)


 

The friends all see clearly now, that Karle was using Sci-Twi’s, and, now that they looked more closely, “…That’s Twilight’s duel disk on her arm.” cried Pinkie.

Fluttershy gawked deeply at Karle. “Twilight… it can’t be you.”

“And it isn’t!” snapped Karle “I’m not your friend, and that’s all I’ll say about that.

But I will say… that I activate Black Sheep’s ability. Since it was used in a Fusion, I get to add my Blue Cat back to my hand. 

Then I’ll place one card facedown, and now… as your friends put it, I can use Recycling Plant’s power to regain Black Sheep into my hand as well.”

Her turn was over.

Fluttershy kept looking back and forth at the cards in play, but what really baffled her was still the fact that Karle was even here, and that she claimed she wasn’t Sci-Twi.

“I don’t understand at all.” she thought “If she’s here, and she’s using Twilight’s deck and strategy…” 
 
Suddenly, it hit her...

“Maybe that’s it! I know how Twilight duels. I’ve seen the Lunalights before and I know all their secrets.”
 
Karle was losing patience. “Will you make your move already?!”


Fluttershy snapped upright. “Okay… I draw!


“And I activate HAND DESTRUCTION. This spell makes us discard two cards, but then we each draw two cards.”

The duelists both did so, and Fluttershy liked when she had drawn.


“I now summon the tuner monster, COCKADOODLEDOO.”



(Def: 2000)


True to its name, the monster was nothing more than a mere rooster.

“I was able to special summon this beca--”

“I know how it works!” snapped Karle “You were able to special summon it as a level 4 monster because I control a monster and you have no cards in play.

You forget, your weak friend created me by infusing every possible dueling strategy there is.”


Fluttershy’s eyes blazed. “Don’t you EVER call my friend “Weak” again!”

She calmed herself and continued her move.

“Now then… since it was a special summoned, I’ll summon this monster, DANDYLION.”
 

 


(Def: 300)


Her two monsters stood together, glaring up at the large Cat Dancer that stood before them.

Fluttershy then raised her hand, “I now Tune my level 4 Cockadoodledoo with my level 3 Dandylion!”

The rooster crowed as it changed into the orbs, which floated towards the Hyena, whom formed the tuning rings.

The two light forces merged together, and in a bright flash of light, Fluttershy’s monster materialized, and she couldn’t help but call to it.

“From a sacred realm, this creature rises
Her power and wisdom will bring forth surprises!

…I Synchro Summon ANCIENT FAIRY DRAGON.”

Her dragon spread out her sparkling wings, and rather than roaring, she gave a gentle cry like a beautiful siren as she settled near Fluttershy.



(Def: 3000)


“And also, since Dandylion was sent to my graveyard, I get two Fluff Tokens on my field.”


The two little puffs popped up on her field.



(Def: 0) x2



“And now, it’s time to get even tougher. I use Fairy Dragon’s special ability.”

Karle snuffed “So you get to summon a monster form your hand. What good does that do you?”

Fluttershy narrowed her eyes and grinned wickedly, “It does me loads of good, because the monster I play is… FIRE PRINCESS.”



(Def: 1500)


Karle gasped, “No! Not Fire Princess!”


Kori gazed in astonishment. “I’ve seen that creature before. As long as she stays on the field, every time Fluttershy gains life points, Karle will lose 500 points.”

Dick smiled with hope, “And if I recall correctly, that dragon has the power to increase her life points.”


Fluttershy nodded at him from afar, “Yes, she can… and I use that power now. Now she destroys your field spell.”


The dragon flapped her wings once, sending a gale of sparkles at the Recycling Plant causing it to collapse into a mountain of rubble that faded away.

The dragon then began to glow, casting her sparkles onto Fluttershy. “Now I get to gain 1000 life points…”


Fluttershy LP: 8000 -----> 9000


 


“…And of course, now my Fire Princess uses her powers and burns 500 points off of your score.”

Karle just stood idly where she was as the princess fired a barrage of flames at her.



Karle LP: 8000 -----> 7500



Karle stood just fine, without being shocked or feeling weak from the energy drain.

Everyone, including Gar, was confused by this.

“It’s like she’s made of metal or something.” said Rainbow.

“I wish Twilight was here.” said Pinkie “Maybe she’d know what’s going on.”


Karle snickered in thought, “It sure pays to be like me. I can withstand anything these losers try to throw my way.”
 

Fluttershy snapped out of her trance and continued with her move. “Thanks to my Fairy Dragon, I now get to add a Field Spell of my own straight to my hand from the deck… and I’ll activate it right away.

Here comes ARRAY OF REVEALING LIGHT.”

The images once again warped, as a magical, glowing seal appeared on the ground covering the entire dueling field, and within the seal appeared the monster mark of the Beast-Warrior tribe, which made Karle growl in dismay.

“You understand…” said Fluttershy “As long as my field spell is active, all Beast-Warriors can’t attack on the same turn that they appear, and if I’m not mistaken… all Lunalights are Beast-Warriors, aren’t they?”

Karle growled at her cheek.

Fluttershy ended her turn with one face-down.


The friends were all chattering away at the situation.

“So far, so good.” said Rainbow “Fluttershy’s got a good lead right now.”

Pinkie tried to hold in any urges to leap out and start cheering. “…If we know Karle, and the way Twilight made her duel, she’s probably got loads of secrets in store.”

Fluttershy was feeling and thinking the exact same things herself, but she still did her best to keep calm and easy.


Karle drew her next card and then taunted, “Just as I thought, your strategy hasn’t changed a bit. You put up this passive maneuver so you can weak my life points every turn without having to engage in much battle.”

Fluttershy scowled at her.

“Let me show you how a real strategy works. I play the spell LUNALIGHT PERFUME, which lets me summon one “Lunalight” from my graveyard. I choose Blue Cat.”


 


(Def: 1200)



The second her monster appeared on the field, she yelped and wailed as electrical currents from the seal enveloped her.

“She may not be able to attack, but my Cat Dancer can, and by the way… in case you forgot, Blue Cat doubles the attack of my dancer until the end of the turn.”


(Atk: 2400) -----> (Atk: 4800)


 

Fluttershy gulped hard.


“Forty-Eight Hundred…?!” groaned Pinkie “This is crazy.”

“That’s more than nuts.” agreed Dick.

 


“Oh, and it gets even nuttier.” said Karle “I activate Cat Dancer’s ability, which… well, you remember this card and how it works.”

“I remember…” said Fluttershy “You sacrifice a Lunalight monster, and your monster gets to attack several times and deal me damage.”

“I see you are paying attention.” sneered Karle “Cat Dancer, I order you to attack Fire Princess! Go!!.”

Her dancer complied and leapt on over.

“Not going to happen!” shouted Fluttershy “Activate MAGIC CYLINDER!”

“No!!” shouted Karle.

“Oh, yes. Now your attack is canceled out, and your life points will take a hit by the total amount of your monster’s attack strength! Too bad you powered it up.”

The attack was absorbed and fired back towards Karle… whom was laughing manically. “You fool, you think it’s that simple, I have a trap too you know.

Activate NATURE’S REACTION!”

A large stone wall covered in dark thorns sprung out before her, intercepting the blast.

“What’s happening?” cried Fluttershy, but she got her answer when the blast came straight back towards her, and struck her hard, making her scream and wail as she was shocked and burned!


Fluttershy LP: 9000 -----> 4200


She fell to her knees, clutching herself in agony.

“FLUTTERSHY!!” the friends all shouted.


Karle laughed. “You should’ve seen the look on your face. Nature’s Reaction casts a curse over the entire field this turn. Any damage you try to inflict on me gets shot back to you instead.

Nice try-- Not!”

Fluttershy felt very foolish, and confused, as did her friends.


“Oh, Fluttershy!” murmured Kori.

“I don’t remember Twilight ever having that card in her deck before.” said Rainbow.


Gar could immediately figure it out as he thought to himself, “So that’s why she thinks she can beat me now. She’s been going around, defeating Malefican Soldiers and confiscating cards left behind to power up her own deck.
 
If I had dueled her, I would have had no way of knowing this. Still, it wouldn’t matter anyway. I’m usually prepared for anything that comes my way.”



While all this was going on…

As the rest of the friends continued to trek though the plains in search of the others, they were suddenly ambushed by none other than the Terrible Trio…

Each of them dropped down, and shouted their names.

“Violet…!!”

“Sapphire…!!”

“Khaos…!!”


Bloods began to turn cold instantly.

“You…!!” Sunset and Celestia yelled at the same time.

“So we meet again.” hissed Khaos. Then he noticed the others in the group, “And we see you have more allies.”

Sapphire and Violet snickered.

Spike growled at them from his card

“Who are these creeps?” asked Shining Armor.

“They’re the ones!” sneered Sunset “The ones that dueled us before, and captured Luna’s soul.”

Many faces began to scowl towards the trio.

“Then you’re the ones who also captured Rarity too.” sneered Applejack.

Violet snuffed, “She was a weakling, but that’s beside the point.”

She and her comrades then eyed at Celestia.

“We have come for you.” hissed Khaos.

Her eyes widened, and everyone felt concerned.

Vic stood in front of her, shielding her. “What do you want her for?”


“That’s our concern.” said Sapphire “Now step aside.”

The entire group huddled around Celestia. Cadance and Shining Armor stood right next to her.

“Take a good look. You three are badly outnumbered.” said Sunset.

The trio didn’t seem the least bit discouraged, and continued to creep forth.

“Stay back!” thundered Applejack.

“We’re warning you…!” added Terra.


The trio wouldn’t back down, and Sunset could only think of one way out of this.

She motioned to Applejack and Terra, and as much as the ladies felt it wasn’t safe, they felt it was the right thing to do.

Applejack and Sunset tossed Twilight and Spike's soul cards to Vic and Raven.

"Look after them for us, will you?"

The two Titans agreed.

Twilight and Spike didn't like this one bit.

The three duelists stepped forth, and fired challenge beams at each member in the trio, activating their duel disks.

Before any of the others could question, Sunset called to them, “Take Celestia and get her out of here!”

Vic quickly complied and scooped Celestia up in his arms, draping her over his massive shoulder, as he and all the others began to run for it.

“Hey!!” Celestia called.


The three duelists stood ready to face the trio down, but the trio only laughed at them.

“You really think you can slow us down like this?” asked Sapphire.

Before the girls could get another word in, the trio raised their hands and surrendered the duels because they even began, terminating the lockdown.

“Hey!!” snapped Applejack “They can’t do that!”

Sunset finally remembered, “Yes, they can. The lightning won’t strike them.”

Terra and Applejack were shocked.


The trio then called for their flying dark clouds to help them chase after Celestia.

“Quick, let’s challenge them again.” suggested Terra “It’ll slow them down at least.”

The others agreed and fired the challenge beams again, but the trio already took off up into the air.

“So long, fools!” Khaos called to them, and he and the others laughed.

“After them!” shouted Sunset.

The girls began to dash after them on foot, and they kept trying to shoot the challenge beams at them, but missed because the trio teased them by flying in circles up and down.

“You have to quick to catch us.” called Violet.

Sunset was sure she had a beam on Violet’s duel disk and couldn’t miss this time, but since she wasn’t watching where she running… she suddenly tipped on a small rock, causing her to twist around as she fell, and she shot her beam at Applejack, hitting her duel disk and activating them both.

The girls all gasped in extreme horror.

“Oh, no!!” cried Terra.

Applejack and Sunset kept gazing at each other with no words to say.

“Well, look at that…” called Sapphire “Looks like you two have to duel each other, and unlike us, you can’t forfeit without paying the price.”

“We’d love to stay and watch, but we have our mission.” said Khaos, and he and the others all zoomed off on their clouds.

Terra didn’t chase after them because she couldn’t bear to leave the others alone in this predicament.

Applejack and Sunset stood gawking at each other while shaking with such sorrow.

“Applejack…I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!” sobbed Sunset.

Much as her friend knew it was just an accident, she couldn’t stop thinking about how serious this was.

“Sunset… I… I…” Applejack clenched her fist. “… I guess we got no choice. Let’s do this!”

“What?!” cried Sunset.

Terra was most upset. “No, you can’t! There’s got to be a way out this.”

“There ain’t.” protested Applejack. “Of course I could just surrender right now. I’d be turned into a card and you two could get out of here.”

“No!” cried Sunset “Please, don’t!”

“The duel me, and get it over with. Besides, you said yourself you need to learn more about that mystery card of yours, well, here’s your chance.”

Sunset still didn’t think she could bring herself to actually do this.

She closed her eyes really tight, cringing really hard. “Alright… You got yourself a duel.”

She felt like kicking herself all over for what she had just said.

Terra felt like she was going to faint, but decided to stay and watch, not wanting to leave the winner out here all alone.

“I can’t believe this is happen!” she said to herself “I can’t believe this at all. No matter who wins, one of them is going down.”


This duel was not about to go unnoticed…

Loki had been observing the mission to ensure that the trio brought Celestia to him properly this time, but he saw the duel beginning.

“Brother, come see this.” and he showed his brother what was happening.

“My, my…” chuckled Rubeus “…Two friends having to face one another because of one, little folly. I wonder how this will play out.”


The girls drew their cards, but they were still feeling rather sick to their stomachs about this.

“Sunset… just give it all you got, because that’s what I intend to do. So don’t you go holding out on me, you hear.”

Sunset could only nod at her, unable to find words to say, until the signal…

“DUEL!!”
 


Sunset LP: 8000


 


Applejack LP: 8000



Terra kept looking back and forth between the two girls and moaned softly with worry. She couldn’t even begin to understand how the girls were feeling as they drew their first cards.

“Okay…” Sunset said trying to summon her nerves forth. “Here I come.

I set the Pendulum Scale with Scale 1 DRAGONPULSE MAGICIAN, and Scale 4 ODD-EYES PENDULUM DRAGON.”


Her two magicians rose up into the lights as the magic pendulum began to swing between them.

“Now I can summon as many level 2 to 3 monsters as I wish.”

She called out her usual chant…

“As the pendulum swings from forth to back
My monsters come forth… to launch an attack!

…Behold my monsters!”

Two shots fired down from the sky as her monsters appeared.



“NOBLEDRAGON MAGICIAN…” (Def: 1400)


 


“TIME BREAKER MAGICIAN…” (Def: 0)


 


 

Even though she Pendulum Summoned, she was not bathed in the mystical light.

She then looked up at her Odd-Eyes in the Pendulum Zone. The dragon gazed down at her, but that was about it.

“That’s it then.” she thought “The light only seems to envelope me whenever I summon my dragons. Maybe that’s what has to do with my mystery card.”
 

Nevertheless, she placed her last card facedown. “I end my turn. Go ahead.”


Applejack nodded and drew her card. She, like Sunset, still felt horrible about this, but she held her card up…

“I play the spell DOUBLE SUMMON, which means I get to play two monsters instead of just one.

So I play… BUJINGI BOAR, and BUNJINGI HARE.”
 

(Atk: 1100)

 

(Atk: 1700)



“I now overlay both these level 4 critters to build the Overlay Network!”

Her monsters vanished into the portal, and the monster leapt out in a bright flash of light.

“I Xyz Summon BUJINTEI SUSANOWO.”



(Atk: 2400)



“An Xyz Summon already?” wondered Terra “I wonder what she’s got planned now. Not that I already don’t think I know.”
 
“I told you, I’m not holding back.” Applejack called “I activate Susanowo’s ability. By using an overlay unit, I can send BUJINGI CENTIPEDE from my deck to the graveyard.

And that’s just the start of it. Now that Centipede’s in the grave, I’ll banish it and destroy that facedown of yours!”

Her Centipede’s spirit soared over towards Sunset’s field, destroying it instantly. “No! My Mirror Force…!”

Applejack flicked the rim of her hat. “So much for that… and also, I have one other ability to play, and that’s my BUJINGI IBIS.

By sending it out of my hand, if my “Bujin” monster attacks a defense monster, you still take damage.”

Sunset groaned softly. “And that monster can attack all of mine!”

“Eeyup.” replied Applejack, and she engaged her battle phase, but took a moment to reflect on her upcoming actions. “This is going to hurt me more than you.”

With a heavy heart she called her first attack, “Now Susanowo, blow off that Nobledragon Magcian!”


 

Sunset watched as the monster soared in with its bright wings sparking with electricity, and it swooped down on her magician, crushing him flat. 
 

 (Atk: 2400) VS (Def: 1400)


 

Sunset got shocked with the electrical currents…



Sunset LP: 8000 -----> 7000


Terra held her hands to her mouth.

Sunset was still standing, and Applejack was cringing hard at what she just did, and wiped a tear from her eye before her features hardened “I’m sorry, girl”

Then she ordered her monster to attack Timebreaker Magician.

“Not this time.” hollered Sunset, and she held up her hand calling to her Odd-Eyes, “…thanks to his Pendulum Ability, once per turn, I can make the damage I take from a Pendulum Monster go down to zero!”

Her dragon cast her within a magical barrier, shielding her form the shockwaves of the battle. Her magician was still destroyed and sent to the Extra Deck, leaving Sunset defenseless.

Even though she took no damage, both she and Applejack felt hurt deep down.

“Are you okay?” Sunset called.

“I’m fine.” replied Applejack “I place two cards facedown, and that’s all.”

She gazed forth at her friend, but Sunset just hesitated.

“Well, come on! Draw your card.” she demanded.

Sunset placed her finger over her deck, but couldn’t seem to find too much nerve to draw.

“I can’t!”

Applejack growled, and Terra gazed at Sunset with worry.

“Applejack… I just can’t do this. It’s too much!”

Of course Sunset knew that by stalling too long, she’d forfeit the duel herself, and she’d lose it all too.


Meanwhile…

Fluttershy was trying hard to keep strong and stand.



Fluttershy LP: 4200



Karle LP: 7500



“Poor little thing,” Karle taunted “Is it really worth all this trouble to protect someone who couldn’t care less if you survive or not?” she looked out towards Gar in the distance.

He didn’t seem to take much notice or care.

Karle then placed a card facedown, ending her turn.

“Go ahead. Make your move. See what else I can do to further humiliate you for your foolish efforts.”


The friends were all growing horribly disturbed by her taunting.

“Fluttershy, don’t let her bring you down.” called Rainbow.

“Yeah, you can show her.” added Pinkie.

The two Titans agreed as well.

“Fluttershy, everyone is worth protecting.” called Dick, and he looked over to where Gar stood, “…That means “everyone” no matter what they’ve done or behave.

It’s how a hero works.”


Gar could only sigh, “I think I’m going to be sick.”


Fluttershy stopped trembling and her features hardened at Karle. “It most certainly IS worth the effort.”

Even though Gar had been nothing but a creep and a jerk ever since she had met him, Fluttershy still believed in firm kindness like her element.

“I know there’s good in him.” she thought “And maybe my dueling for him will help him see that.”
 

It was her turn.

“Now I draw…!

And with that, I activate the effects of MARIE THE FALLEN ONE, which I discarded with Hand Destruction.

She boosts my life points by 200 whenever my turn begins.”

Fluttershy was bathed in another shower of sparkle, which boosted her score as promised.



Fluttershy LP: 4200 -----> 4400


“And since I gained life points, my Fire Princess burns another 500 of your points away!”


The flames blasted at Karle again, and still she didn’t even flinch.



Karle LP: 7500 -----> 7000


Ingoing the confusion of the mystery, Fluttershy focussed on her move.

“Now I play POT OF GREED, so I draw two more cards.

And now I’ll play one of them; TOKEN THANKSGIVING.”

The field began to quake as the two Fluff Tokens crumbled to the ground, leaving behind sparkling dust clouds which floated towards Fluttershy.

“I see!” hissed Karle “You used that spell to destroy your tokens, knowing it would grant you 800 life points for each one.”



Fluttershy LP: 4400 -----> 6000



“Yes.” replied Fluttershy “And because I just gained life points, you know what happens now.

Do it, Fire Princess. Burn another 500 of her life points.”


 


Karle LP: 7000 -----> 6500



“Wow! Fluttershy’s catching up.” said Kori. “She’s right back in this game again.”

The others agreed and were just as excited.

Gar didn’t seem too impressed though as he thought. “It’ll take a lot more than just a small boost to win this duel. She’ll have to attack eventually.”


Fluttershy wanted to attack, but the two facedown cards discouraged her, and she didn’t want to risk it too much, and she felt she didn’t have to.

“Now I’ll place two cards facedown, and that ends my turn.”

“Is that all?” asked Karle. “It’s no wonder you didn’t last very long in the tournament. Why if I had dueled you, you’d have already been eliminated in the first round.”

Fluttershy growled in anger.

Karle drew her next card. “I now activate my facedown card, SPIDER WEB!”


“Huh?”

A long spider thread shot out from the card image, striking Fluttershy’s graveyard.

“Hey!”


“What is that card?” wondered Rainbow.

“Ew… it’s gross.” gagged Pinkie.


Karle explained, “This lets me take one card that was sent to your graveyard during the last turn, and it goes straight into my hand.”

The web retracted itself dragging a card with it, straight into Karle’s grasp. “Thank you. I play your POT OF GREED, so now I may draw two cards.”

She drew and looked at her cards, “Excellent!”

Then she raised her arm up, “I now banish Lunalight Perfume from my graveyard, and I discard one card in my hand, which allows me to grab a “Lunalight” monster from my deck.”

A single card popped out from her duel disk.

“Just what I need… LUNALIGHT WOLF, which I place in my Pendulum Zone.”

Her wolf took his place in the light, and gave a loud howl, much to Fluttershy’s worry.

“Yes, I’d be worrying too.” taunted Karle. “Especially when you see what else I have in store.

I now summon LUNALIGHT PURPLE BUTTERFLY.”

 


(Atk: 1000)


“I know it may seem like nothing, but after all… once I activate this FUSION TAG spell it’ll be a different story.”

“Ah! Not Fusion Tag!” wailed Fluttershy.

Kori and Dick growled, while Gar snuffed. “She’s in for it now.”

Karle grinned. “Yes! You remember how this works. I select my Lunalight Leo Dancer in my Extra Deck, and now… the power of Fusion Tag will make Butterfly here, take on the form of a monster needed to create it… such as “Lunalight Panther Dancer!”

All at one, her Butterfly took on the fake form of said monster.

The others didn’t like where this was going one bit.

“I now activate Lunalight Wolf’s Pendulum Abbility.” called Karle. “You recall: it allows me to fusion summon by banishing my Panther Dancer with my Blue Cat on the field, and my Black Sheep in the graveyard!”

The monsters began to merge together, and the new monster appeared in a dark burst.

“Sharp as blades, and dark and deep,
I summon this beast to make you weep!

I Fusion Summon, LUNALIGHT LEO DANCER!”



(Atk: 3500)



Fluttershy gawked in horrors up at the huge creature with its sword shimmering, despite the lack of light, and she could only peep softly “Ohhhh… Nooooo….!!”

“Oh, yes…” hissed Karle “Your end is near, and your friendship has failed you. 

This duel and your soul are as good as done!!”


To Be Continued…