Yu-Gi-Oh E-Quest: Malefic Wars

by DakariKingMykan

Episode 27: Do you Remember?

EPISODE TWENTY-SEVEN

Everyone was so relieved to have found Princess Twilight, even if she was still trapped in a card.

As for Rainbow and Pinkie; now that the duel was over they wholeheartedly apologized to one another.

“I’m really sorry, Pinkie… for all those rotten things I said. You’re a great duelist, and I was glad to have you by my side.”

A small tear rolled down Pinkie’s eye, “And I’m sorry too, Rainbow… I didn’t mean to blame for everything that happened, or yell at you so much.”

The girls smiled lovingly, and they hugged.

Sunset felt like crying, and so did Vic.

“Man, that is… sweet.”

Dick and Kori held hands while smiling proudly, and Cadance, Shining Armor, and Sci-Twi hugged.

Why even Raven had to crack a small smile, which Terra noticed but didn’t call her out.

Easily, Twilight was very pleased to see such wonderful friendship strengthening.

…But this moment was ceased immediately by a familiar, gruff voice.

“Pathetic!”

Everyone looked ahead and saw him standing in the open.

“Garfield.” said Dick.

Terra’s features twisted into anxiety, while others twisted into mixed of anger or annoyed.

As for Gar, he corrected Dick by saying, “My name is “Masquerade!”

Everyone’s patience was already becoming lost, especially Raven’s as she glared at him with a deep scowl.

“What do you want?” asked Sunset in a gruff voice.

“How did you even find us?” asked Pinkie.

Gar didn’t bother to answer; the fact that they all screamed so loud, and the bright explosions from the duel could be seen and heard for at least a mile away, which also saved him trouble.

From out of his coat he pulled a single card, and pitched it towards Rainbow.

“Spike…!” Rainbow cried with joy. “I got Spike’s card!”

Everyone practically rushed down the hill with glee, and Spike was delighted to see them all again, and he howled in glee.

Sci-Twi was near tears as she smothered the card. “Oh, Spike… I thought I’d lost you for good.”

She couldn’t believe that Gar had found him, and actually returned him to the group-- an actual act of kindness?

She would have thanked him, but he had already turned round and began to walk away.

“Gar wait…!” called Terra, and she dashed up in front of him to block his path.

“Stop calling me that!” he growled at her. “That name and that life no longer have meaning for me, and that goes double for you and the other Titans.”

Terra felt hurt, and the other Titans felt insulted as well.

Raven’s anger was starting to boil deep down.

“Stop this!” insisted Sunset as she and the group came over. “Why are you always being so hostile to everyone?

We know you had it a little bad with the Titans before, and we know you and Terra broke up, but why are you only adding to the rifts?”

Dick spoke severely to Gar, “Gar, we know we’ve had our troubles, but we want to put them aside.”

“Can’t you at least try…” said Kori “…Try to see things differently?”

Vic nodded his head. “You were once my little bud, and I know we had some hard times, but I don’t want it that way anymore.”

Raven had nothing to say, she just glared at him with a very sour expression, which Gar could understand too well.

As for Terra, “Gar please…” she softly begged “I know what happened was wrong, and I know it hurt you…”

Before she could continue, Gar held up his hand, silencing her, and what he said to her next really hit her hard.

“…Things Change, Terra. The guy you want me to be is just a memory.”

She stood there, with wide eyes, and her head and her heart ached so much she could hardly move.

“Things Change…?” Spike muttered to himself, and he remembered what he was after in the first place.

Gar then walked right past Terra on his way out into the darkness.

“Hold it!” called Twilight. “I really don’t what your beef is with everyone, but I can’t stand the way you keep scoffing at Friendship and putting it down like it’s some kind of detriment.”

Gar stopped in his tracks.

“Whatever differences you have with Terra and the Titans… we’re willing to help you, especially seeing as how we’re all in this now.

We all have a common enemy with the Maleficans, and only working together can we get out of this and save the others.”

The others all were inclined to agreed, but Gar just snickered and laughed.

“Did I miss a joke?” Rainbow asked demanding to know why he was laughing.

Gar turned round and mocked at Princess Twilight. “Tell me, O’ Princess… don’t you think it’s time you grew up and stopped kidding yourself?”

Twilight felt shocked, and as did all the others.

“All your “Friendship is Magic” nonsense gives me is a real pain in the neck. You claim that it’s a great power that can solve all things, but that’s only because you’ve had it so easy. It only makes you look weaker and more foolish than before.”

“Hey!!” snapped Rainbow. “Don’t you go talking to the princess like that!”

“Yeah!” agreed Pinkie.

Sunset was losing her patience too, but Gar only scoffed at them as well. “And you… “Equestria Girls.” Don’t you think it’s time you gave up the act?

You act like you’re some bigshot superheroes just because you have magic and cool suits, and that you saved the world, and yet you have no idea what being a Real Hero is all about.

You’re nothing but a bunch of pretenders, which isn’t nearly as close to your incompetence in life and dueling!”

Rages were boiling, and people looked ready to rush over and teach him a good lesson.

“Stop!” shouted Sci-Twi. “If we keep losing our cools like this, the darkness will grow worse.”

“She’s right.” agreed Sunset, and she explained to Gar about the possibilities of the emotional connections to the darkness…

…To which again, he just scoffed, “Whatever.” And he turned and began to walk off again.

“…Gar, wait!” called Dick.

He stopped and looked over his shoulder, and even with his face covered, everyone could tell he was giving an extreme threatening look. “The next person who calls me by that name…” and he pointed to his duel disk “…It will not be pretty!”

Vic clenched his fists, and Kori shuddered. Easily, Raven looked ready to go ahead and go for it anyway, but she didn’t.

The Equestrians were all shocked and appalled by this behaviour, but they said nothing.

Gar snuffed. “... Later, Losers.” and he walked off into the darkness again.

“Jerk…!” Raven grumbled ever so softly.

Rainbow was trembling with rage, and would love to duel him to the ground, but remembering all the times he had crushed her, she couldn’t take the risk; not this time.

“I can’t believe him.” said Cadance. “Why can’t he just put his anger aside for just a minute?”

“It’s like everything in the world is a battle to him.” agreed Shining Armor.

Sci-Twi shook her head in dismay.

Pinkie didn’t think it was possible for even her to Gar smile.

Terra was still struck hard by what Gar had said to her. She looked as if she wanted to cry, or fall to the ground in shame, but couldn’t bring herself to do either.

Sunset and Sci-Twi quietly approached her.

“Are you okay?” Sunset asked softly.

Terra snapped out of her trance. “I’m sorry.” she peeped.

Sci-Twi had brought Spike in his card along, and he looked dead up at Terra. “What does he mean?”

Terra and the other girls looked down at him and his stern expression.

“You’re hiding something, Terra, and you’ve been hiding since we met you and the other Titans.”

“Yo’ man, not now.” said Vic.

“Yes, now!” insisted Spike.

He told everyone how Gar had dueled Violet, and how she brought up the same subject and how Gar was struggling with nightmares too; all revolving around the words “Things Change.”

Terra began to sweat nervously, indicating there was something serious.

Now that Sunset thought of it, Terra had looked this way before, and every time it seemed she was going to say it, something happened that changed the subject or made everyone forget all about it.

The other Titans were all looking a bit awkward too.

“You know something about this?” asked Shining Armor

“Terra… Tell us, now.” she said in a rather deep voice. “What is this deal with “Things Change”?”

“That’s what I’d like to know.” added Spike. “Does it have something to do with you and Gar splitting up?”

Terra was trembling with shame and fear. She almost couldn’t bring herself to say, but she knew it would only keep eating away at her soul until she let it out.

“Come on, tell us.” said Sci-Twi. “Maybe it’ll help if we know.”

Terra shut her eyes and bowed her head softly.

“I don’t know how it happened, but somehow, I was freed from my stone prison, after I saved Jump City from the underground volcano.”

Terra went on explaining…

She didn’t know how she had been freed from her stone prison—it was likely that when Raven destroyed Trigon, and reverted all the world back to normal; all those who were turned to stone by a curse were normal again, including her.

That wasn’t the point…

“If you were set free, why didn’t you try to contact the Titans?” asked Rainbow.

Still trembling, and biting the tip of her tongue inside her mouth, Terra admitted, “…I didn’t want them to find me. I didn’t want to go back to the team… ever.”

The Equestrians had expressions of deep shock.

“But they were your friends.” said Cadance. “You told us Gar was the best friend you ever had.”

Hearing and remember that brought a tear of shame to Terra’s eye. She just couldn’t go on anymore.

“I think I better explain the rest.” said Dick.

He explained his story from memory…

One day, all the Titans had returned from losing a shape-shifting monster, because Gar, known as Beast Boy then, had run off. He claimed he had seen a high school student that greatly resembled Terra.

The Titans did not believe him at the start, for they hadn’t seen him, and couldn’t figure how she escaped from stone.

They all dismissed that his obsession with the girl led him to seeing things that weren’t there, but Gar was insistent it was her.

When Gar went to confront the girl, she revealed having no memory of being Terra, or a Teen Titan, or Beast Boy and the times they shared… or anything of her past.

“She had amnesia?” asked Sci-Twi.

At this point, Terra was biting her finger trying to supress the ever-growing signs of guilt and shame.

“It seemed that way…” explained Kori.

The more Gar tried to get the girl to remember, the more insistent the girl tried to inform him that her name was not Terra, and that she was not a superhero, or the girl he knew.

“Maybe your friend is out there somewhere. I hope you find her.”

She also showed no sign of even remembering her geo-kenitc powers.

She also admitted she didn’t play card games, including Duel Monsters, and that she had no idea how the game worked.

She didn’t even know much about the Change of Heart card Gar showed her. The very one he gave to her while she was a Titan.

But her case started to weaken, for Gar had noticed the girl’s regretful expressions every time they talked, her desperation to want to leave and not be near him, and even stuttering a little when she spoke. As if she were trying to make excuses.

Not to mention, while they were having pizza, the girl clenched her fist, and the ice cubes in her drink actually clumped together in a strange way… despite them being ice and not rock-- but still solids.

Then, as the girl desperately tried to leave, the glass of drink tipped and spill over the table… without her even touching it, though it was close enough to look as she did.

When Gar was confronted alone by a robot clone of Slade, the robot taunted him further about the situation.

“Maybe she doesn’t WANT to remember.”

“If the girl does not use her powers, it is because she chooses so.”

“Don’t you see? She no longer wants to remember you.”

“You’re the one hurting her. Let her go.”

“Face it… she doesn’t want to see you anymore.”

The Equestrians began to feel sick deep down as they gawked at Terra, and her trembling, her guilt-ridden face and cringing, were already more than enough to tell them…

…But there was still more; the jackpot, ending the jig for her.

Gar desperately tried to confront the girl one last time.

“You’re my friend. You’re a Teen Titan.”

“You’re wrong!”

She demanded he stop addressing her as “Terra.”

“Why can’t things just go back to the way they were? You were so happy then.”

“Things we’re never the way you remember. Now just leave me alone!”


Still desperate, Gar attempted to give her a communicator, in case she would ever need help, but she forcefully declined, and insisted…

“Things Change, Beast Boy! The girl you want me to be is just a memory.”

Case Closed: She was indeed Terra, and she did remember, and she still had her powers, but she was basically telling him that she wanted nothing to do with him, or their past, and she didn’t want to be a superhero or anything of the sort… and just wanted to live a simple normal life in her new school, with her new friends… and that he kindly leave her in peace.

That’s when Gar sadly respected her wishes, and ran out her school, and her life.

By this time, Terra was on her knees, with her face buried in her hands, and she was still so ashamed she couldn’t break out sobbing.

As for the Equestrians, they were nothing short of appalled.

“That… is the most despicable thing I’ve ever heard!” bellowed Spike.

“I… I can’t-- I just…” Rainbow could find no words to say for such horridness.

Sunset was shaking her head in total disbelief.

“You said he was the best friend you ever had.” said Pinkie.

Even Princess Twilight herself could see no good, no justification, and no moral in such an act.

“Terra… how could you do something like that?” she asked. “…You dumped someone who really loved you, forced him to stay away… all just to gain a normal life?”

“YES!!!” Terra burst out in a scream, making everyone jump in fright.

Now she was tearfully crying as she spoke as she was down on her hands and her tears splashed onto the dark sands. “I admit it! I did that! I hurt him!!”

She hesitated a moment and finally managed to admit.

“I was ashamed, and I was miserable. All my life I lived in fear and pain as a runaway, and on top of that I kept bringing harm to those around me.

I just couldn’t do it to myself anymore, so I decided to hang it all up and try to live peacefully. Put my past behind me, and I’d never hurt anyone again.

I told Gar to stay away, because I was being constantly reminded of all my crimes, my fears, and everything else. I didn’t want to put him through all that again especially.”

“So you decided to just kick him out!” snapped Shining Armor. “Even though he was willing to overlook all the bad things, give you love, a home, and friends, a life of excitement. It wasn’t good enough for you?”

Vic would have snapped and told him to chill, but even he and the other Titans, and Terra herself knew it was justified balking.

It would never matter how Terra would try to slice or excuse or justify her actions. In the end, while living a normal life and why she wanted to was understandable… in the end, her actions and her attitude made her look totally selfish, and foolish.

She didn’t have to be a superhero. She could have stayed in school and still have a relationship with Gar instead of kicking him to the curb the way she did.

“Are you gonna keep running away from me?

“I'm not running from anything. Go home!

Sunset confronted the sobbing young woman. “Terra, you were not only running away from your past, you were trying to deny it; pretend it never happened, and you lied to people about it too.”

Sci-Twi shook her head pitifully. “It is virtually impossible to totally shut memories out of your conscience. You may try and surpass them, but they will resurface.

Our histories are part of us. They make who we are today.

If you don’t learn from your past, it’s bound to come back at you.”

Terra curled her fingers up in the sand. “Believe me, I know.”

She recalled that a few weeks passed since she and Gar parted ways-- sadly.

She tried to put it behind her, but it was no use. Her conscience was loaded up with guilt; it was hard to focus on her studies. She couldn’t sleep well.

All she could think of was Gar, and how she hurt him, and even remembered the good times they had… which she had tried to put behind as well.

A small song began to play as more images of the past flashed by…

Terra found herself growing steadily worse, and yet she still wanted to remain dedicated to her normal life.

It also didn’t help that as she passed by game shops displaying Duel Monster cards, that she could see Change of Heart in the windows, which triggered more memories.

She even ended up accidently running into Gar in the city as they both turned round the same corner.

He wouldn’t respond to her. He would just glare at her with angry, cold, hate-filled eyes, which told her he didn’t take his dumping too well, and hadn’t moved on himself.

After a while, she decided to try and talk to him again, to try and him understand she was sorry, and things could get better.

Really… it seemed more as if she just cared about was clearing her conscience for herself. All she was doing was, again, trying to insist he forget about her and move on.

He came down hard on her.

“Beast Boy, can’t you understand? I’m doing this for both of us; try and make our lives better.”

Unamused, Gar sneered at her. “I don’t think so. You were doing it for yourself, just like you are now. You hate feeling guilty for what you did to me… to yourself… to us… and now you’re in a desperate hurry to clean your mind of it.

I want to wish you a lot of luck. I hope it takes the rest of your life!”

He walked off insisting. “I left you alone. I respect your wishes… now you respect mine, and keep away from me.

…That’s what you wanted after all.”

Cadance felt sorry for Gar. “No wonder he’s so upset and rough all the time.” She felt his attitude was still inexcusable, but at least it was more explainable and understandable.

Terra’s body felt numb. All these painful memories were hurting her more and more, and yet she caused them.

“How did you guys learn about this?” Sunset asked the Titans.

“She told us all of it, when she decided to come back to us.” Raven explained. “Of course, it was too late. Gar had already left the city, and we couldn’t find him.”

“Didn’t you even try to comfort him?” Pinkie asked.

The Titans gave a stunned silence, and some rubbed their shoulders nervously, which told her enough. “I can’t believe this.”

“We never saw her.” said Dick “We still thought he was just being overly obsessed with the past, and that he needed to let go and move on.”

Kori agreed. “We hated seeing him all broody and moping all the time. He wasn’t being himself.”

“He was being a spoiled and selfish brat.” Raven murmured, but she was heard by the others, and they couldn’t believe what she had just said.

“People come, and people go. It’s part of life. I was willing to move on, and so were the others.”

Sunset detected a note of sadism in her voice, as if there was even more to this story than was told, but before she could ask.

Pinkie decided, “We’ve got to find Gar now.”

Terra looked up, and Pinkie looked down at her. “We’ll find him; try to make him understand that you’re sorry, and that you really want to have him back in your life.”

Terra wiped away the last of her tears. She did want to make it up to Gar, but after the way things were going, it was starting to feel and look totally hopeless.

“You heard him.” she said. “He wants nothing to do with me, or any of us for that matter.”

“She’s right about that.” said Vic. “The guy scoffs at anything or anyone who would offer him the least bit of friendship.”

“Well friendship is our department.” said Pinkie. “Sunset had a bad past, but we all managed to help her.”

Sunset hated being reminded her of her old evil ways, but she didn’t deny it. She faced her past and learned from it, instead of what Terra did, and she turned out fine with friends, a team.

Pinkie held out her hand to Terra, helping her onto her feet.

She managed a soft smile, but her insides were still going crazy, and so were the Titans’; there was still more that hadn’t been told.

Sci-Twi especially wondered all this as she added it all in her mind.

“So Gar was dumped, and his friends sold out Jump City causing it to fall into decline.”

She could easily deduce why Gar was pushy and angry all the time, but she still felt there was more to it. She read up psychology and found out that most people could still learn to forgive and forget, instead of wailing on innocent beings that they were in differed to… like how Gar would trash-talk herself and her friends about Friendship and all that.

“Somehow I still don’t think the Titans have told us absolutely everything.”

“Come on, let’s go find him.” said Pinkie.

“Uh… yeah… Just how are we supposed to do that?” asked Rainbow.

Pinkie pointed down at the ground where Gar left fresh footprints in the sand.

Rainbow felt silly. “…That’s one way.”

Soon, the group was on their way, feeling that Gar couldn’t have gotten too far in such a short time.

The Titans and Terra still had doubts that he would be willing to listen, given the way he behaved; and still dreading certain other facts that weren’t mentioned in Terra’s story.

…But just as they started hot on the trail.

“Stop right there!” someone shouted.

Everyone halted dead in their tracks, and then, right ahead of the group, she dropped in from above.

Though she was a Malefican, everyone recognized the voice, and the hair color.

“Celestia?” cried Sunset.

“Man, what’s happened to her?” wondered Vic.

Celestia glared at the group, and snickered wickedly. “Now we can really get down to business.”

Cadance and Shining Armor couldn’t believe their eyes.

“Aunt Celestia…?” cried Cadance.

“What’s happened to you?” added Shining Armor.

“Hey, I just said that.” remarked Vic.

Dick clenched his fists, “She’s been brainwashed; that’s what.”

“Ha! No one’s been brainwashed.” Celestia insisted. “I’ve just been reborn. I’ve seen better ways. I’ve even found… my one true soulmate.”

“Soulmate…?” asked Pinkie. “What is she talking about?”

Rainbow could tell this was the work of the Prince Brothers. “I don’t think we’ll be able to reason with her too good.”

Sunset leapt up front. “Celestia, please… let us help you.”

“The only one who needs help is you, Sunset Shimmer… because you and I are going to duel now.”

“Huh? Duel, now?” asked Sunset, but she quickly refused. “No, I won’t!” She was still haunted from when she dueled and defeated Applejack; sealing her in a card which Terra had as well as the hat.

“What’s wrong?” scoffed Celestia. “Scared you’ll lose, even though you will?”

“No, I don’t want either one of us to lose.” protested Sunset. “I don’t know what those brothers did to you, but you’ve got to snap out of it.”

Celestia suddenly began to have more blurry memories go through her mind.

She could almost see images of what looked like herself giving Sunset a boost up when Spike’s soul was captured.

…Still, it didn’t last, and she brushed it all off.

“I came here to duel you, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

“And you can understand, my answer is still “No!” insisted Sunset.

She raised her arm to remove her duel disk, when it suddenly began to glow.

“Huh?”

At the same time, the mystery card in Dick’s pocket was glowing too.

“What the…!”

“What’s going on?” asked Raven.

“It’s as if the card wants her to duel.” replied Sci-Twi.

“But she’s not even holding the card.” said Terra.

Suddenly, without warning, Sunset’s duel disk fired its own duel beam, without her telling it to, and struck Celestia’s duel disk.

The others all gasped.

“No!!” cried Sunset.

Celestia snickered, “I knew you’d see things differently.”

Sunset trembled nervously with a bit of outrage. “I don’t want to duel you!”

“Too bad…!”

Dick gazed down at the mystery card, which he and the others agreed was the cause of this mishap.

“So, what happens now?” asked Pinkie.

“What else? They duel.” answered Rainbow.

Nobody liked this one bit, because it meant that no matter who won or lost, one of them would be losing their soul for sure.