Yu-Gi-Oh E-Quest: Malefic Wars

by DakariKingMykan

Episode 43: Part 1: Slipping into Darkness

EPISODE FORTY-THREE

The scores stood…

Violet LP: 8000

Pinkie & Terra LP: 8000

All three duelists drew their first cards, and both Pinkie and Terra looked really fired up and ready to go.

“What? No witty remarks before we start?” Violet mocked, and then she gazed at Pinkie. “No circus-time? No big show? No smiles?

Perhaps you finally get the predicament that you’re both in. You’re destined to lose it all, and that goes the same for the rest of your crews… and given that you were already losers from the start, well…” she paused and snickered, which really irked the others.

“We’ll show you who the losers are!” growled Terra.

Pinkie nodded with angry fire in her eyes.

“Ah, well.” teased Violet “Guess you’ll both have to learn the hard way. So, let’s get on with it!”

She couldn’t draw any cards, but felt she didn’t have to, since not any player was allowed to attack until everyone had one turn.

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

The others were confused.

“She didn’t play a single monster.” said Terra. “That’s not like her.”

Pinkie thought carefully as she gazed at the two facedown cards. “I bet I know what she’s up to-- she loves to find ways to get her strongest Fusion Monsters out.”

She paused and felt she could see through the two cards. “Yeah, I’ll bet one of those cards is Super Polymerization, and the other is a card that helps her use our monsters to her advantage.”

Violet snickered at the way the ladies were gawking at her, which further irked Pinkie.

“I’m all for smiles, but not cheek!” growled Pinkie. “I’ll set one monster facedown in defense mode, and then I’ll set two cards facedown.”

Terra, who was also suspicious of Violet’s facedown cards, felt Pinkie playing it nice and safe, and given her recent defeat by Gar’s conscience she felt it best to do the same.

“I’ll also place one monster in defense mode, and one card facedown. That ends my turn.”

The two partners nodded at one another, feeling they had Violet outwitted.

“As long as our monsters are facedown, she can’t try any of her tricks.” thought Terra.

Pinkie softly gnashed her teeth under her shut mouth.

“Well, that was certainly a bore.” said Violet, “You really think you can hide from me? You’re cute, but foolish.”

She drew her card, and at that moment Pinkie hollered, “I activate the trap HEAVY STORM DUSTER! Now I get to destroy those two facedown cards of yours!”

Violet growled as the winds began to pick up, ruffling the leaves on the trees all around, a strong blast bolted straight for her card images.

“A bold attempt, but it won’t work!” sneered Violet “I activate my trap CEASEFIRE! Now it forces all your monsters to flip from face-down to face-up!”

Pinkie and Terra gasped, and in a magical wave, their monsters were revealed.

PERFORMAPAL CAMELUMP (Def: 1800)

GEM-KNIGHT LAPIS (Def: 100)

Suddenly, the ladies watched as Violet’s cards were still destroyed in the winds, and one of them was indeed Super Polymerization.

“Aha!” balked Pinkie “So I was right. You were planning to use our monsters against us. Too bad it won’t work anymore.”

Terra noted Pinkie behaving so uncharacteristically. The way she was snarling and glaring like a savage beast ready to attack.

Violet only laughed, “You think you outsmarted me? I’d ask you to “Think again” but we all know thinking is not something either of you do well.”

Now Terra was growing furious. “What do you mean?” she demanded to know.

Violet answered, “I know you two are well-acquainted with my dueling-style, but that only makes it easier for me, not for you. That’s why I set this whole thing with my face-downs up.”

The ladies both gasped, and Violet snickered. “Like you said: It helps to know how your opponent acts, and speaking of acts, here’s one you’re both familiar with… I summon PREDAPLANT SPINODIONAEA!”

(Atk: 1800)

The dumpy little plant sprouted up from the ground and snarled with its drooling venom.

“And now I activate its special ability which places one Predator Counter on that overgrown tortoise of yours!”

The plant shrieked as it shot a huge seed at Pinkie’s monster, poisoning it and reducing its level to 1.

“Oh, no!” cried Pinkie.

“This is not good!” murmured Terra.

Violet then entered her Battle Phase. “Spinodionaea, attack and destroy Lapis at once!”

Her monster complied and leapt right over to Terra’s field and chomped her helpless creature down.

“Lapis, No..!” cried Terra.

“Poor, thing.” Mocked Violet “But her defeat is my gain! I activate Spinodionaea’s other ability. Since it destroyed a monster with a level lower than its own, I can now call a “Predaplant” out from my deck.

I choose… PREDAPLANT FLYTRAP!”

(Atk: 400)

“Why summon that?” wondered Pinkie. “I thought for sure she’d try to Fusion Summon those big monsters of hers.”

She was about to get her answer when Violet called out “Flytrap, attack Camelump!”

“Huh?”

“But Camelump’s defense is higher than the attack.” Terra pointed out.

Violet snickered as she watched her dumpy little plant shoot its seeds at Pinkie’s monster, and then… the turtle was blown into a pile of goop!

“Hey! What happened?” cried Pinkie.

Violet answered, “What happened was Flytrap’s ability-- whenever it battles a monster with a lower level than his own, that monster is automatically destroyed, and then his own level increases by the level of the monster it battled…

So it becomes Level 5!”

Pinkie and Terra felt outraged, but Violet only snuffed, “It’s not my fault you’re both unprepared. You’ve never seen all monsters in action before because you’re too busy worrying about how and when I’ll summon my bigger monsters.”

“So then, you’re not going to Fusion Summon?” asked Terra.

Violet snickered, “You see, right there… just as I told you. So rather than pound you two into dirt so quickly, I think it’ll be far more amusing to let you worry about when and how I’ll decide to use my monsters.”

She placed two cards facedown ending her turn. “Go ahead, that is if you have the courage to face what deadliness the forest has to offer.”

Pinkie was furious as she thought “She’s just been toying with us?! I can’t believe this!”

She was slipping more and more into her own darkness than ever, which the others could see.

Terra was more nervous than angry. “If she keeps toying with us like this, we’ll probably never get out of here, which means we won’t be able to find Gar or the others.

We can’t let her hold us back!”

“Toying around with these two is working better than I hoped it would.” Violet thought “the more darkness and negativity they feel, the more power is transferred magically to their majesties, which speeds their plan along.”

Indeed, up on the main chamber, the Prince Brothers were most pleased with all the power they were absorbing.

The brothers merely stood side-by-side without saying a thing but just marveling at the brightness of the generators and the energy being absorbed.

All the while, Loki was still wondering of Celestia and where she was.

Celestia was wandering through the castle, searching for the prisoners, and anxious for a few warmup duels before confronting Sunset.

“They’ve got to be around here somewhere.” she grumbled to herself. “When I become queen, I’ll have to lessen the many halls in this place.”

Suddenly, she stopped at the sound of distant voices.

“This way!”

“Hurry up!”

She quickly ducked behind a large column as Sci-Twi, Kori, and Cadance came running in down the hall.

The three ladies stopped.

“I feel like I’ve been for a hundred years.” panted Cadance.

Sci-Twi agreed, “We’re no closer to finding the others, the Prince Brothers, or even a way out for that.”

Kori rubbed her eyes, and then she noticed a strange shadow on the floor from around one of the columns.

“We’re not alone here.” she softly warned the others and then motioned at the shadow.

The three ladies huddled together, and Sci-Twi motioned at the long carpet leading deep down the corridor-- how the end of it was within their reach and the person who was there was standing on it.

Sci-Twi grabbed the carpet and gave it a huge yank, tripping the person out into view.

Celestia landed with a huge thud out in the open. The ladies were ever surprised it was her.

“You’ll all pay for that!” she growled as she rubbed her backside.

Kori glared furiously at her, “You traitor! Maybe it’s you who should pay!”

“Ha! That’s a good one-- coming from someone who betrayed her hometown and country, and you have the nerve to call me “Traitor!”

Kori looked ready to rush her.

“Stop!” begged Cadance, and both she and Sci-Twi stepped in front of her.

“She’s still Celestia, and we have to help her remember who she is.” insisted Sci-Twi, making Kori realize she was right.

“Seriously? This again?!” groaned Celestia. “You need to get this straight-- I’m NOT one of you! I never was, and frankly, who would want to be?”

The ladies all reserved their pain from that blow.

“No! You ARE one of us.” said Sci-Twi. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a single card. “Remember this…?” she said as she tossed it to her.

Celestia caught it and gawked deeply at it.

It was the CELESTIA field spell-- Sci-Twi had found it during the many travels along the Malefic World and all the opponents beaten.

“This card…” Celestia muttered. All at once she groaned and clutched her head as more faded memories came to her…

How she discovered this card, and it inspired her to start dueling like her students did.

More images of her dueling flashed through her mind.

“No! Stop it!!” she shouted, and she angrily broke the card in half and threw it’s remains away, but she was still struggling and holding her head.

The three ladies felt they were really making a breakthrough.

Sci-Twi thought to herself, “It seems that every little memory we jog, her mind become clearer--it’s fighting off the evil.”

In all her throes and flailing, Celestia managed to activate her duel disk, and shot a duel beam at Kori.

“Oh, no!” cried Kori.

Celestia finally snapped back upright, laughing. “Nice try, but like I said, you’re going to pay for that stunt you just pulled.”

Cadance and Sci-Twi were horrified.

“And you two will be next.”

Kori knew there was no way out of it this time. She’d have to duel now that it was on, but now it was harder than ever.

“Kori, No!” begged Cadance.

“I have no choice.” but really, she already could see the full problem. Sunset wasn’t around to fix things when someone lost. Either she or Celestia’s souls were both on the line.

“You two better get out of here while you can.” said Kori.

“What? No! We’re not leaving you!” protested Sci-Twi. “We can’t leave Celestia either. We must keep trying to help her.”

Celestia snuffed, “Let’s just get on with this. Then I won’t have to listen to your whining and nonsense so much.”

Kori stood as ready as she could be.

Meanwhile, Pinkie was really getting fired up.

Violet LP: 8000

Pinkie & Terra LP: 8000

“I draw!” she roared, and she pulled out her card with such force, her hair began to lose its normal poofy state and was starting to look frizzy.

“All right, I activate the spell ROLL OF FATE!”

Her magic dice block appeared. “I roll this, and then I draw as many cards as the numbers I roll, as long as I banish the same number of cards after.”

She grabbed the die and glared at it angrily, remembering how it let her down in last duel against Sunset.

“Don’t let me down this time!” she growled at it, and she gave it a huge throw with a mighty scream.

The die bounced along and finally stopped on 5.

“Wow!! PERFECT!!” she cheered, and then laughed wickedly like an evil, angry, person, which really freaked Terra out.

Pinkie then drew five cards with a flare, and then quickly removed five more from her deck.

“That’s ten cards just like that!” thought Terra “She’s lost a great deal of her cards playing like that. This really isn’t the way Pinkie likes to duel.”

Pinkie snickered at her very full hand of seven cards.

“This is what I call a great hand to Bring Down the House!” She looked over at Violet. “Hope you’re ready for a real smackdown.

I’m setting the Pendulum Scale with Scale 4 PERFORMA PAL TRUMP WITCH and Scale 8 PERFORMAPAL ODD-EYES UNICORN!”

Her monsters took their places in the light.

“Now we’ll see who the loser is! I can summon as many monsters between Levels 5 and 7 as I need… RIGHT NOW!!”

Despite it not being her normal Pendulum Calling, she still summoned two monsters from her hand.

“PERFORMAPAL ODD-EYES LIGHT PHOENIX…” (Atk: 2000)

“PERFORMAPAL IGNITION EAGLE…” (Atk: 1000)

“And now from my hand I play PERFORMAPAL TRUMP GIRL!”

(Atk: 200)

“Perfect!” Pinkie thought. “Now I’ve got everything that I need. I can use Trump Girl’s ability to Fusion Summon, and then with my facedown, “Pendulum Reborn”, I’ll summon one monster out of my Extra Deck, and then I can use Trump Witch's Pendulum ability to Fusion Summon again.

If Violet won’t bring out her best monsters, then I’ll just bring out mine. I’ll show her I’m not chump.”

Violet burst out laughing almost like an evil hyena.

“What’s so funny?!” Pinkie asked angrily.

Violet glared at her, which sent a shiver up Terra’s spine.

“…What’s so funny is you think that by playing all those monsters, you have it made, but you don’t! I activate the continuous trap RIVALRY OF THE WARLORDS!”

The ground began to rumble, and all of Pinkie’s monsters were shrouded in a dark light.

“What’s happening?” wondered Terra.

Violet answered, “As long as this trap is in play each player can only control one Type of monster, which means you’ll have to send every other type away.”

“WHAAA-AAAAT!!” Pinkie exclaimed with her eyes bugling wide.

“No way!” cried Terra.

Violet snickered, “As you can see, my two Plant-Type monsters can remain, but all three of your circus pals aren’t the same, so you’ll have to chose one type to keep.

Make your choice!”

Pinkie couldn’t believe this. “My plan is ruined!” she groaned “Now I won’t be able to Fusion Summon anything. What can I do?”

Terra saw Pinkie struggling and was very worried for her. “Pinkie’s so lost in her darkness and hate that she’s not focusing, and now she’s played right into Violet’s hand. She can’t duel like this.”

She paused and gazed at Violet’s trap. “Worse than that, I have to figure out how I can duel against that thing.”

Meanwhile, Pinkie made her choice. “I’ll Keep Ignition Eagle and Light Phoenix, since they’re both Winged-Beast.”

Trumpgirl looked back at Pinkie nervously as she began to fade away. Even though she was a Pendulum Monster, she still was being sent to the Extra Deck.

Pinkie seemed more concerned about what to do next than notice her monster’s fearful face.

“I can still take out your monsters!” she growled. “Light Phoenix, attack Spinodionaea!”

Her mighty monster took a small bow like the performer he was, cawed loudly, and took off straight for Violet’s monster with his wings blazing.

“And while I’m at it, Odd-Eyes Unicorn will use its Pendulum Ability. Now Light Phoenix’s attack strength increases by the amount of Ignition Eagle’s attack points. That’s 1000!”

(Atk: 2000) -----> (Atk: 3000)

The Phoenix was blazing brighter than before as it swooped in.

Violet scoffed, “You never learn, do you! I activate the continuous trap DARK SEED PLANTER!”

“Dark Seed-- What?! Wailed Terra, and she and Pinkie watched as the field was shrouded in a dark fog, making the area darker and creepier than before.

“What’s going on?” asked Pinkie, but then she saw her monsters were all enveloped in a dark aura and looked rather pale.

Violet snickered and said, “As long as this handy trap is in play, all monsters the two of you control will become Dark-Attributed.”

Terra and Pinkie gawked at one another and then back. “What good does that even do you?” asked Terra.

Violet flicked her hair and held out her arm, “Because…” she paused long and hard and then shouted “…When you target one of my Dark monsters for an attack, the trap let’s me negate that attack!!”

“Ah!!” Pinkie cried, and she watched as her Phoenix slammed into a dark wall of darkness, blocking it from proceeding any further.

“No!” Pinkie shouted “What’s the matter with you monsters! WE’VE GOT TO BEAT HER SOMEHOW!!”

Her shouting shook the darkness and even made all the trees nearby shake.

“Pinkie, stop!” called Terra. “What’s happening to you?”

Pinkie growled while shaking madly, “I… refuse… to lose again!! That’s what!”

Terra whimpered softly.

“Can’t you see…?” Pinkie continued “We both lost recently, but we were lucky we didn’t get turned into cards. This time we will be! We can’t lose this! We’ve GOT to win this!”

As much as Terra knew Pinkie was right, “This isn’t the way, Pinkie, you’re not dueling like yourself. You’re letting the darkness get to you, and it makes you crazy, remember?”

Pinkie suddenly did remember the Malefic Effects, but it was hard to focus, especially remembering her duel with Sunset, and how Sunset mocked her…

“So much for your precious dueltaning! Like I said: It’s more fun to crush your enemy and see them wallow in pain and defeat!”

“My dueltaining didn’t work then, it’s hardly worked at all. I can’t let myself lose focus again.”

“But, Pinkie--” wailed Terra, but Pinkie wouldn’t listen.

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

Pinkie then gave Terra a hard stare, “Make your move, and you better not be distracted.”

Terra felt heart-struck, while Violet was amused. “Looks like your friend has completely turned over a new leaf. She’s become stricken with darkness and hate, just like I know you’ll soon be too.”

“Stop it!” snapped Terra. “I may be angry, but I’m not giving in.” she paused and remembered “I’ve done that too much in my life already…”

She referred to how she gave into her weaknesses and desperations; not trusting Gar, or the other Titans, aligning herself with Slade, and always feeling lost and alone.

The pain was starting to get to her just like it did Pinkie.

“No!” she thought as she clutched her head, “I can’t think like this. I mustn’t let the darkness get to me!”

She opened her eyes and glared at Violet and did her best to not let the evil creep get to her.

Instead, she looked down at her hand.

“I can only control one type of monster.” she said in her mind. “Well, a lot of my monsters are Rock-Type…

…But whatever I summon will become a Dark type, and it won’t be able to attack.”

She then placed her fingers over her next card hoping to get something good. “Draw!

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

She looked down at one of the new cards she drew.

“Gem-Knight Fusion…?” She pondered and then looked at Pinkie’s field. “Wait a minute! Pinkie I are dueling together, just like Dick and Kori did. That means I can use cards on her field too.”

She had a plan. “I think it’s time I took a whack at Pendulum Summoning, and here I go!”

The others were most surprised as she summoned a single monster from her hand. “I play Level 7 GEM-KNIGHT CRYSTAL!”

(Atk: 2450)

“She did it! She actually Pendulum Summoned!” murmured Pinkie, but Terra was far from finished.

“Now I activate my trap, GEM-ENHANCEMENT! So now I’ll tribute my Crystal in order to summon one “Gem-Knight” from my graveyard, and I choose LADY LAPIS.”

(Def: 100)

Violet was a bit confused. “You summon a very strong monster, and then you toss it to summon a weakling? You must really be losing it.”

Terra only smirked, “I’m not losing anything, I’m gaining…”

“Huh?”

“I activate the spell GEM-KNIGHT FUSION! Now I’ll fuse my Lady Lapis with GEM-KNIGHT OBSIDIAN in my hand!”

The two monsters began to merge, and Terra finally called up a chant for her monster…

“Forging from deep in the dark of the Earth,
This creature rises to prove her worth!

I Fusion Summon… GEM-KNIGHT LADY LAPIS LAZULI!”

(Atk: 2400)

Her monster stood with its dark robes waving in the air, much to Pinkie’s delight and Violet’s annoyance.

“And also…” Terra hollered “When Gem-Knight Obsidian is sent from my hand to the graveyard, I can special summon a Normal “Gem-Knight” from the grave…

…Return, Gem-Knight Crystal!”

In a massive burst of earth, her monster re-emerged.

(Atk: 2450)

“And now I activate Lapis Lazuli’s special ability. I send Gem-Knight Topaz from my Extra Deck to the graveyard, and now you’ll take 500 points of damage for every special summoned monster in play.”

Violet growled at what was coming her way now!

“There are currently five special-summoned monsters, which means you take 2500 points of damage!”

Her lady thrust her arms forth, sending a magical bombardment of boulders like a rock storm hurling straight at Violet pelting her violently.

Violet LP: 8000 -----> 5500

“Yeah!” cheered Pinkie. “Serves you right too.”

Then she thought quietly, “We may not be able to attack, but Terra found a way to break through the defenses and cause damage anyway.”

Terra was feeling rather pleased with herself.

“I’m still not finished. I know activate Gem-Knight Fusion’s power from the graveyard. By banishing Obsidian, I can add this spell back to my hand.

Then, from my hand I summon GEM-KNIGHT AMBER… facedown in defense-mode.”

Violet growled. Though Amber was a Pyro-Type instead of a Rock, Rivalry of the Warlords couldn’t’ affect monsters that were facedown.

“Now’s my chance.” Pinkie hollered “I’m playing a trap that’ll help us both. Reveal, GIFT OF THE MYSTICAL ELF!”

The magical mage appeared, and she cast a bright glow on Terra and Pinkie, which felt rather soothing.

“Nothing like a 300 life-point boost for every monster in play.”

Terra smiled with joy. Since there were seven monsters in play, their life points were boosted 2100.

Pinkie & Terra LP: 8000 -----> 10,100

Violet scoffed, “Am I supposed to be impressed?”

Terra then smirked and said, “You will be when I make this move…!” She pointed up at Pinkie’s Pendulum Zone. “Since we both, that means I get to use Trump Witch’s Pendulum Ability, which lets me Fusion Summon without a Fusion Spell.”

Pinkie’s monster curtsied and waved her playful wand spilling her magic on Terra’s monsters.

Crystal and Amber began to fuse together, and Terra called out to the emerging creature…

“I summon forth a warrior of might,
With Amber of Thunder, and Crystal so bright!

I Fusion Summon… GEM-KNIGHT PRISMAURA!”

(Atk: 2450)

Her monster stood with his armor and weapons sparking with electrical currents.

“Two Fusion monsters in one turn?!” exclaimed Violet. “This is insane!”

Terra put her foot down hard, “Wait until I activate Pismaura’s ability. I discard Gem-Knight Fusion. Now I get to destroy one card in your field, like your Dark Seed Planter!”

“Ah!” cried Violet, but she watched as a big bolt of lightning pierced through the darkness and struck her trap, vaporizing it.

With the trap’s downfall, the dark fog lifted, causing all the monsters to revert to their normal attributes.

“Perfect!” wailed Pinkie “That means you can’t block our attacks any longer!”

Violet was most furious, and Terra entered her battle phase.

“Prismaura, attack Predaplant Flytrap!”

Her knight raised his sword high, and with a huge swing he sent another bolt of lightning straight at the helpless plant.

(Atk: 2450) VS (Atk: 400)

The blast-waves hit Violet hard…

Violet LP: 5500 -----> 3450

Then Terra called out “Your turn Lazuli, attack Spinodionaea!”

Her lady buried the plant in an avalanche of boulders making the ground quake near Violet.

(Atk: 2400) VS (Atk: 1800)

Violet LP: 3450 -----> 2850

Violet nearly fell off her feet.

Terra sighed heavily in relief that her plan had worked. Now Violet’s field was nearly bare, and she only had one card in her hand, making her seemingly not much of a threat.

“I end with a facedown.” which was her last card.

“We’ve got you now!” bellowed Pinkie. She was huffing and puffing with seething determination, as if she were enjoying all this mindless attacking. “On our next turns we’ll finish you off, and then we’re out of here.”

Rather than balk at her, Violet burst out laughing. “Really? On your next turns? You really think you have it won just because you’ve got me backed into a corner.”

Terra didn’t like the way she sounded so confident.

Violet then motioned all around, “Like I said, those who don’t have what it takes to brave the dangers of the forest are doomed to fall!”

She quickly drew her card and snickered wickedly. “And this card is just the perfect way to show you what I mean!

I activate the spell MAGICAL SKY MIRROR!”

The opponents gasped.

“I remember thar card, Celestia had it!” said Terra.

Pinkie felt a sickening turn in her stomach, “…You didn’t?!”

Violet glared at her, “Her old deck wasn’t all-that full of bad cards, I couldn’t help but help myself, especially now that I get to activate a spell that was played on your last turn, Pinkie!”

Pinkie’s eyes widened and she exclaimed, “My Roll of Fate…!!”

“That’s right. Let’s see how it’ll do for me…!”

The die appeared and Violet gave it a huge roll. It stopped on 6. “Well, isn’t that nice. Now I get to draw six cards, and then banish another six.”

When she was done, she had seven cards in hand, and she chuckled at the sight of them.

“She’s got a full hand now!” thought Terra “I better spring my card.”

“I activate the trap TRI-AND-GUESS!”

“What?!” snapped Violet.

Pinkie had a hunch where this was going.

“Since we all have Extra Decks, I simply call out a type of Extra Deck monster,” said Terra “I choose “Fusion.”

Violet growled. Everyone had Fusion monsters in their Extra Deck, but it was Terra who had the most.

“Since I have the most… our life points now go up by another 3000.”

Pinkie & Terra LP: 10,100 -----> 13,100

The girls felt tough and rejuvenated.

“This is perfect.” thought Pinkie, “With our life points so high, there’s no way Violet can get at us so easily.”

“I hope I did the right thing.” Terra thought. “If we don’t keep our heads in this game, we may not be able to win this, and that means we’re done for!”

Violet only snuffed, “So you have a lot of life points. Don’t think for one minute this means you are unbeatable, especially when you see what devastations I am about to unleash!”

“Bring it on!” bellowed Pinkie.

“Very well. I summon PREDAPLANT OPHRYS SCORPIO!”

(Atk: 1200)

“And when it’s successfully summoned, I send one monster in my hand to the graveyard, and then I summon one “Predaplant” from my deck, and who better than…

…PREDAPLANT MORAY NEPENTHES!”

(Atk: 1600)

“She just summoned two plant monsters, just like that?!” wailed Terra.

Pinkie clenched her empty fist.

“And that’s not all…” chuckled Violet “From now on, this handy spell will also be in play. Behold the power of… IVY BIND CASTLE!”

The ground shook as strong roots burst up behind her, forming a giant structure completely made of evil-looking plants.

Once the structure was fully formed, it unleashed a barrage of vines, ensnaring all the opposing monsters, binding them tightly, and even Pinkie’s Pendulum Cards were ensnared.

“Our monsters?!” cried Pinkie “What’s this all about?”

Violet explained, “As long as my castle remains in play, all your cards lose their effects, and all monsters you control aren’t allowed to attack either.”

The girls gawked in horror at their trapped monsters.

“That means everything we have doesn’t work!” Pinkie wailed in thought. “Our Spells, our Traps, our monsters-- they’re all useless!”

“Oh, it’s such a sorry sight to see your monsters suffer, isn’t it?” mocked Violet “Well then, allow me to put them out of their misery.

Moray, attack Ignition Eagle!”

Her plant complied, and it spewed out hordes of seed-like bullets at Pinkie’s monster.

(Atk: 1600) VS (Atk: 1000)

“Ignition Eagle!” Pinkie shouted as her monster was vanquished to pieces! Then both she and Terra felt slight shocks from the burning waves with the damage they took.

Pinkie & Terra LP: 13,100 -----> 12,500

“Good thing our life points are so high.” murmured Terra.

Violet laughed at them and said, “If you thought I was through, you’ve got another thing coming!

You see, when Moray successfully destroys a monster in battle, it draws in that monster and equips it onto itself!”

The plant extended its vines, ensnaring Pinkie’s monster as promised, and dragged it over to the other side of the field.

“Why you--" Pinkie thundered, but Violet quickly interjected “Oh, don’t worry, he won’t be staying here for long, because now I’m going to destroy it, and that increases my life points by its original attack points!”

With that, Ignition Eagle was crushed under the pressure and destroyed; sent to Pinkie’s Extra Deck, while leftover spores in the air were absorbed into Violet.

Violet LP: 2850 -----> 3850

“She’s gained her points back!” cried Terra. “What are we going to do?!”

“There’s not much you can do!” sneered Violet. She ended her turn with two face-downs.

“Now, I wonder… what’s the point of even bothering to keep dueling? I have you both exactly where I want you now-- you can’t summon much, and whatever you do summon will be ensnared by my castle.

Oh, and I should mention… that at the start of your next turns, my castle will deal you 800 points of damage for every monster you control.”

The girls gasped hard!

“That’s… that’s just--” Pinkie couldn’t find the right words to say.

“We’re in big trouble now!” whimpered Terra.

Violet could only laugh at them both, like a huge overlord looming over helpless little ants.

To Be Continued…