Yu-Gi-Oh E-Quest: Malefic Wars

by DakariKingMykan

Episode 36: Vengeful Conclusions

EPISODE THIRTY-SIX

Celestia leapt along the roofs, chasing Sunset everywhere.

Sunset even taunted her. “Run, catch me if you can!” She enjoyed this chase as if were like a game.

“I’ll get you yet!” thundered Celestia.

Suddenly, the Dark Trio dropped down in front of her.

“End of the line for you!” scolded Khaos.

Angrily Celestia demanded, “Get out of my way!”

“No can do.” said Sapphire “We’ve got orders from Prince Loki to bring you back.”

Violet agreed, “So either come quietly, or we do it the hard way.”

“You dare to order your queen around?” snarled Celestia. “You can tell Loki that I have something to take care of, and after which I will gladly return.”

“You will return with us now!” demanded Khaos. “The prince’s orders outrank yours.”

Celestia was losing patience. “If you three don’t get out of my way, I’ll just have to force out!”

“Fine by me.” hissed Violet “I could use a duel.”

“No!” snapped Khaos. “We were told to avoid trouble.”

“But she’s being so difficult.” protested Sapphire.

Khaos still insisted and motioned at his comrades. Rather than dueling Celestia, they used their combined Malefic powers to bind Celestia’s wrists and ankles.

“What are you doing!” she thundered “Release me!”

She tried to use her own powers to free herself, but three against one was too strong for her.

“You’re coming back with us, and that’s that.” insisted Sapphire.

Sunset peeked round from the corner of a building. “What’s this, a little mutiny among the high ranks?” she said to herself.

Then the felt, “I could duel any of the trio. They already can’t be affected by the lightning. Then again, I could have some more fun.”

She thought and then decided, “Why not?”

She snickered wickedly as she held her hands together, and the tips of her fingers began to glow, and that’s when the wind began to pick up.

“Hey! What’s going on?!” yelled Sapphire.

That’s when Sunset cast a full Malefic gust to blow all four of them across the city, completely separate from each other.

Sunset laughed with glee. “This will make the game just as fun. I can hunt them all down and duel as I please.”

Loki saw the whole thing, and he smashed the viewing magic through with his fist, dispelling it. “I knew I couldn’t trust those three fools to get her back here! I should go down there and find Celestia myself.”

“There’s no need for that.” said Rubeus. “We won’t have to go down there. We can get everyone to come to us.”

He looked up at a large green light that lay before him, and within it lay several yellow glows in the shape of cards.

Loki walked over and admired his brother’s work. “Fascinating.”

Rubeus nodded, “Centuries of waiting, planning, and preparing-- This shall be the greatest honor in our Malefic history.

With all this, there will be none to stand in our way.”

The cards then magically flew out from the light, and all stacked together on a small pedestal. When the light around them had faded, the cards had become real.

The brothers snickered wickedly upon looking at them.

“Shall we test them?” asked Rubeus.

“We shall indeed.” agreed Loki.

They started a duel, and being controllers of the Malefic Powers, they would make certain that whoever lost would not be turned into a card himself.

The brothers shared a good laugh which echoed in the shadows as their duel began…

Celestia had crashed landed outside the city boundaries.

She was hurt, but she was horribly outraged. “Curses! Curses!!” she thundered.

Now that she had been separated from the trio as well, their magic bindings around her had vanished.

“I’ll get those three for this, and Sunset especially!”

Her only problem was having to find them all over.

Meanwhile, Terra was on all fours, gazing horribly at the ground while tears of shame and misery dropped from her eyes. She was still horribly upset for Gar, finally understanding now why he was so hostile, such a jerk, and so miserable, and she only contributed to it with her selfish acts. The guilt just burned through her stomach like fire to paper.

The others were all understanding now of Gar’s anger, not that his attitude was justified, but they were also horribly outraged, not just at the Titans’ actions which led to all this, but because they never told them the truth.

Princess Twilight had never seen friendship fail someone so miserably before.

Sci-Twi still had one question on her mind. “What is this place, and why is it showing us all this?”

Just then, the fourth and final door at the end opened wide, revealing the final part of the story, and that was how Gar became the ruthless gamer he was.

Even Terra managed to find strength to get up and view everything as it happened.

*Gar’s Narration*

Out on my own, all alone, with nothing but my hate and my misery for company.

Using two special electrodes stored within my Doom Patrol belt-- one to shield from detection, and one to protect me from certain types of magic, as was standard-equipment-- There was no chance for the Titans or anyone to find me

…Just as well-- I was totally at the end of my ropes! I couldn’t stand it any longer! I never wanted to help anybody ever again! I didn’t think I even cared for other animals and gave up on being a vegan!

All my life I had robbed, abused, mistreated, neglected, and for no good reason at all. It was like the whole universe had something against me for even being born!

I could never trust anybody ever again. I’d be setting myself up for more hurt, more disappoint, and more of everything I ever suffered!

Life-- the world-- it all became one giant prison. Everywhere I went I could only be constantly reminded of my betrayals and losses. I hated the very sight of it, and all concepts like “Friendship”, “Love”, “Morals” they all meant nothing to me now! They were all lies, and setups!

And my face-- my reflection! I hated the very sight of it! All I could see was the face of a loser! An idiot!! A good-for-nothing failure whom people laughed at and abused!

I couldn’t stand to look at it anymore with my own eyes! I took to wearing a mask-- my Doom Patrol mask, and curling my turtleneck across my mouth so that not a speck of me was showing.

But what was I going to do now? I had no place to go, and hardly any money with me.

True, I could live in the wild-- drinking from rivers, eating grass or leaves, and burrowing underground, but it didn’t help me.

I missed getting into action and longed for better excitement in my life-- not hero work.

And my memories, all my hateful and miserable memories of all my pain still haunting me and with not much to take my mind off them or relieve them.

Then, one day, I got my lucky break.

I was wandering through another town. I even got rid of my Doom Patrol outfit, exchanging it for clothes I found in a clothing drive box on the street, including a sphere hood to hide my pointed ears.

People wouldn’t recognize me at all like this and wouldn’t be repulsed by the sight of my green skin.

I saw a dueling contest with a prize of one-hundred dollars. That would sure help a little.

And would you believe, people dressed up in costumes, and you could rent decks to use in the tournament.

I had just enough of my own money left to entre and rent cards, so I took my chance, and I won it all! I even got to keep the cards I won.

“What’s your name, son?” the promoter asked.

“Just call me “Masquerade!”

The crowds cheered for me, and I was being rewarded, and they didn’t bother ask who I really was.

Other duelists then challenged me, wanting a shot at “The Champ” not one of them defeated me, and people even bet more money against me, which I got to keep.

I was unstoppable… and it didn’t stop there.

In my spare time I would go to public libraries were I could read all I wanted for free. I continued my study into all kinds of games, and I watched videos of people playing over the internet. Leaning their moves and devising my own strategies against them.

I even took a little time to give myself a proper education-- math, physics, sciences. I wanted to be ready for any kind of game possible.

I would train and exercise in open fields for sports and athletics, as well to keep up my strength.

It wasn’t long before I became well-renowned…

I played chess in city-parks and defeated all my opponents...

I rocked at sports…

…And of course, I kept up with dueling. I entered more and more competitions, winning them all easily and gaining more money to buy myself better cards, better clothes, and check into motels to sleep in for the night.

I received offers to participate in gaming competitions world-wide, with generous cash offers. Some tournaments even invited me for exhibitions of bonus matches.

Game companies even invited me for Q&A testing of their video games and equipment.

I could barely find times to fill all these offers, and still find time to enter plain tournaments for the prize money, while all the while maintaining myself.

…I was just unbeatable!

I even got a world-permit from law officials, that no one was to question my identity or try to unmask me.

That suited me very well because my face, or even the color of my skin or hair, remained hidden as I wanted it to be. I couldn’t bear to look at myself and be reminded of my past.

I did my best to keep covered. The only time I ever took my mask off was in my motel bathrooms at night so I could wash up, and even then, I would turn out all the lights to make sure not to look into any mirrors.

…I could find myself and know what I was doing. I could wash, shave, brush my teeth.

I always had to stay in motels because I was always on the move-- travelling around the world--and couldn’t stay in permanent residence. Plus, despite my fortune, I did have to keep it steady to buy food.

I hadn’t seen my face in years, which helped me only a little.

Memories don’t simply vanish no matter how much you want them to. I would have constant nightmares of my past, or even envision the way people used to laugh at me, or even the Titans and how they betrayed…

Especially Raven and how she used to smack me mercilessly and I could still feel the pain!

And seeing people who were basking in the glories of friendship, love, joy, and all the things I was denied in life sure made me sick.

Beating them at the games not only made me feel strong, but it was a great chance to shoot all those concepts down and show people what it felt like to be a loser!

“Friendship is just stupid!”

“You think believing in your friends will help you win? How pathetic!”

“A person like you wouldn’t last ten seconds against me.”

I even got to put those who were already jerks in their places by beating them at the very games they swore to be champs in.

I didn’t care much if people didn’t like me or hated me. I just enjoyed all the revenge I was getting revenge on the world for all the times it denied me of happiness and robbed me of my dignity.

Happiness didn’t matter to me anymore. I didn’t need it.

Love, comfort, compassion-- all useless.

All I needed was power and glory.

Yes! That’s who I was. Beast Boy, Garfield Logan, and anything I was in the past were no more!

I was… Masquerade: Enemy of all Friendship, and World Gamer extraordinaire!

*Narration Ends*

The final scenes were of Gar crushing every opponent that came his way, winning every tournament and sporting event he entered-- practically putting himself on top of the world… laughing wickedly.

The final door had shut, and the viewers were all shocked and terrified nearly beyond all words.

“He’s become a monster.” said Spike.

“More like he was made to be one.” added Princess Twilight.

Terra was far too upset to say anything, knowing she played a huge role in Gar’s decent into madness and misery.

While Sci-Twi was shocked and astounded, she suddenly had a theory of all the images everyone had just seen. “I think I know where we are.”

Twilight and Spike looked up at her curiously, and before anything else could be said…

…The chains on the large central door began to glow, and they vanished into thin air.

The door then opened wide leading into another area.

Everyone walked in, and what they saw really sent shivers up their spine.

“…It’s a big graveyard.” murmured Spike.

There were dark and nasty clouded skies, with cold breezes.

The ground was all dark and ugly, and laden with bones and skulls, and gravestones everywhere.

Terra hated the sight of graveyards, and she used to see plenty in her travels.

“What this?” she wondered as she inspected one of the stones. It’s marking read “Happiness.”

Another read “Decency.”

Then there was “Hope.”

“Love.”

“Virtues”

“Kindness”

…All kinds of aspects of morality and humanity.

“This is getting freaky.” whimpered Spike.

In the center of the graveyard was a small mausoleum, with Gar’s face on it, and his name. “Garfield Logan/Beast Boy.”

It almost related to the story they all just heard, how Gar considered that only Masquerade existed, and any other part of him was gone-- practically dead.

“I knew it!” exclaimed Sci-Twi.

“What?” asked Spike.

“What is it?” added Twilight.

Sci-Twi explained, “Think about it: We just saw images of Gar’s history, from Past to Present, and now here we are, with all these gravestones relating to parts of the moral part of being human.”

The others all happened upon the same thing, and Terra spoke up, “…We’re inside Gar’s mind.”

“…Took you long enough!” hissed a voice from above.

Everyone looked up, and saw what appeared to be Gar himself, standing atop the mausoleum, and he leapt down onto the ground, much to everyone’s shock.

Khaos, Sapphire, and Violet each landed in a different region of the city. Each of them was equally as outraged as Celestia, and now they had to find her all over again.

“That Sunset?!” growled Violet.

“Who does she think she is?” grumbled Sapphire.

Khoas brushed himself clean and flicked the dirt off his cape. Even he couldn’t deny his own outrage with Sunset. “Whether she has the power or not, I will tolerate no interference with their majesties orders!”

His comrades all had the same idea.

“Hey!” called a voice from behind.

Khaos turned round and saw the main group of friends glaring at him.

“Well, well, fancy finding you here!” said Vic.

Pinkie cracked her knuckles, “We’ve got a few things to say to you.” then she corrected herself “Maybe a few hundred things!”

“What did you guys do to Sunset?” yelled Rainbow.

Khaos then had a mighty thought, “If I hang around with these fools, and Sunset happens to come along, I can get my chance for revenge and capture all of them at the same time.

Their majesties will be most please, and who knows… Celestia may turn up as well.”


“Answer us!” demanded Dick. “What happened to Sunset?”

Khaos only laughed, “Your friend has simply inherited powers of an ancient and powerful Malefican.”

“What do you mean?” asked Cadance.

Raven then grumbled, “I smell a story.”

*Khaos Narration*

Many centuries ago, during the great war of the Malefic World against Equestria, the battles were incredibly vile.

Many would fight, and many would fall to their dooms in service to their lands.

However, there was One Malefic warrior not like the rest. His battle skills superb beyond words, his ability to outwit the enemy was astounding, and his achievements in the faces of outstanding odds nearly made him the envy of even the princes’ personal army.

His name was “Z-Arc!”

The more enemies he slayed, the stronger and stronger he became, and this motivated him to push himself beyond even his own call of duty.

He would attack opposing soldiers so mercilessly, he would hunger for more destruction, more chaos, more power!

His attacks became more brutal and savage, which also led to him wounding his own people in the line of fire.

“Can’t you see we’re on the same side?”

“We’re all fighting for the same cause!”


Z-Arc merely laughed it off. “Do you think I really care for our cause? The only thing that thrills me is the hunt, the game, the feeling of the power I gain and the destruction I cause!

Do you want to be next?”

Z-Arc was out of control-- a complete turncoat! An agent acting on his own behalf to fulfil his own power-hungry desires. He began to willfully attack anything that came his way, Friend, or Foe.

Prince Rubeus and Prince Loki would not have it, and launched a surprise attack to apprehend Z-Arc, but Z-Arc proved to be stronger than ever to keep down too long.

“You can’t detain me! I will destroy you all!!”

Finally, after much of a hard struggle, their majesties managed to overwhelm Z-Arc using a great amount of Malefic energy, which destroyed Z-Arc and sealed his evil powers away.

Unfortunately, this action led to Equestria’s advantage.

The Malefic world had used up much of its resources in defeating Z-Arc, and without their best fighters, The Malefic World was soon sealed away.

*Narration Ends*

Safe to say the group were totally shocked by this revelation, but at least part of it was all starting to make sense.

“So, this power of Z-Arc is what’s making Sunset crazy.” deduced Vic.

“How did she even inherit it in the first place?” wondered Cadance “And why Sunset herself?”

“Tell us!” demanded Dick.

“Yeah!” agreed Rainbow.

Khaos snickered wickedly. “I have no idea.”

Rainbow’s head throbbed. “Tell us, or so help me…!”

“But I just said, I don’t know.” replied Khaos. “You see, I know this about Z-Arc for a very good reason:

…I am made from the remains of Maleficans whom were defeated by that monster in the wars!”

Everyone gawked as if they couldn’t believe him.

Back in Gar’s mind…

“Um… how can we be in Gar’s mind, and he’s actually here with us?” asked Spike.

“It’s not really him.” explained Twilight. “It’s a part of him that exists in his own mind. Sort of like having an interdimensional-double.”

Sci-Twi agreed, having an extensive knowledge on the theories of the human mind.

Even though Gar’s face was hidden by the covers, they could tell he was enraged.

“I don’t know how you all got in here, but I want you out, now!”

Spike growled at him, “Hey! We didn’t choose to be here. We couldn’t help it.”

The others didn’t balk at Gar for his rudeness, and Terra, finding courage enough tried to approach him.

“Gar, please, can’t we try and work this out?”

“I am not GAR!!!” he shouted, making her back away. He then pointed at the mausoleum, “Gar is dead, as he should be! He was a weak, worthless, and miserable loser…” he paused and then pointed at Terra “…Murdered by the people Like You!”

Terra was shaking with fear and shame, while Sci-Twi felt her anger boiling.

“I am just Masquerade.” stated Gar. “I’ve made name for myself, and a success, and it’s all I ever need.”

“Enough!” snapped Princess Twilight. “Look, I understand how you must be feeling. It’s sad what happened to you in your past, but you just can’t keep doing this to yourself. You can’t keep pushing Friendship away and always act big and tough to everyone you meet.

We want to try and help you!”

Sci-Twi couldn’t believe what she was about to say, given her history with Gar, “I know how it feels to be alone and lost like you, but I also learned that everyone deserves a fair chance, and good people to call their friends.”

Spike said nothing, he just nodded his head in assured agreement.

Terra looked at him trying to show intense honesty. “Gar, I didn’t know you had it so bad, and I am really, really sorry you went through all that.

We can’t change our pasts, and we can’t forget them, but can’t we at least try…” she paused “We can try and make things better. They don’t have to be this way.”

Gar fell silent, but he was angry rather than moved. His fists quivered by his sides.

“I seem to recall begging you the same thing five years ago, and what did you say to me?”

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


“…You told me that you wanted nothing to do with me, and you just kicked me out like a sack of garbage and demanded I just get on with my own life and leave you to yours.

That hurt, Terra; more than anything anyone ever did to me.”

Terra felt that coming a mile away, and it made her heart ache more.

“It doesn’t have to be this way.” insisted Twilight. “It’s not too late to try and make amends.”

“Yes, it is!” snapped Gar. “I already told you; I don’t need your friendship and other junk that didn’t work for me before.”

He paused, and then smirked behind his covers, “But then again, look who I’m talking to: What would you know about the hard life, the scars and burns that haunt you forever, the agonizing sting of losing things dear to you.

You don’t understand it at all, and neither do your silly Equestrian friends!

All you understand is the good life, the happy endings, and all your problems just disappear like magic.

Oh, sure, you’ve had some tastes of hardships and bad times, but how long did they last you? A few hours, a day or two at best? And yet in the end, it’s always the same—happy endings, easy goings, and not a care in the world.

Where are all your scars and burns?

Where are all your life-lasting tragedies that you can never heal?

But most of all: Where’s your heartbreak?”

A moment silence followed, and Twilight felt taken back by everything he just said, but it was pretty much all true.

“That’s what I thought!” growled Gar. “You’re all the same! Always with your heads in the clouds, and failing to realize there are just some things in the world that Friendship cannot fix, make better, or help you with…

…And that is what always will set us apart!

All my life, people have been taking from me the things I held dear, and just using me for their own convenience just to make themselves look or feel better about their own self!

Well, I’ve pulled out of that! I’m rich now. I have power, and I have a reputation. Maybe not the best kind, but it gets me along.

I’ve worked hard, and finally I have a life I’m in control of, and I’m the one doing the stomping instead of the one always being stomped.

And here you all are, telling me that I should give it all up just because YOU want me to-- just the same as always. Only thinking of yourselves and demanding how I live my life!

I was just fine out there by myself, and then you and the other Titans had the nerve to re-enter my life by showing up at the tournament, and for what? Trying to save a city that cannot be saved and doesn’t deserve it either!”

By this point, even Twilight could see Gar was truly too far gone to be reasoned with as if the name on the mausoleum was accurate and that any good hope for him was truly dead.

Then again, after all she had learned about him, she wasn’t too sure she could entirely blame him.

Gar was losing his patience. “If you won’t be persuaded by my words to leave well-enough alone, then maybe you’ll listen to me by other means!”

Sci-Twi knew where this was going. “If you’re saying you want to duel, I’m all for that.”

“No!” Terra said, snapping up right. “Please, let me.”

She stepped up closer with her duel disk and deck ready. “I’ve got to try and convince him. Maybe dueling is the best way to show him.”

Gar only snuffed. “The only thing that will happen is me being satisfied that I can finally get out of my mind and put a stop to your pathetic attempts to make up with me!”

Spike tried to protest, “Terra, don’t do this. You don’t have to duel him.” but Terra disagreed as she thought, “I must convince him I’m not heartless. Dueling may be the only way to get through to him.”

She wasn’t really worried about winning or losing, but just getting through to him, and being inside his mind, it wasn’t like losing would get her turned into a card here.

Princess Twilight agreed to this. “At this point, anything’s worth a shot.”

Sci-Twi did agree, but then she happened upon something else concerning their surrounding area.

“Terra, wait!” but it was too late.

“LET’S DUEL!!”

…The Duel was already on.

Comments

[Tower of gray]

Great chapter.