Turn 8: Tricks of the Trees
The Cyberse Tournament continued to rage with its first round beginning to draw to a slow close. With every Duel, more and more Duellists were eliminated.
In the grasslands battlefield, Scootaloo and Wallflower's Duel had just taken a dramatic shift. Thanks to Scootaloo's Mirror Force, all of Wallflower's monsters had been destroyed. Now, she was defenceless whilst Scootaloo still had her Xyz monster.
"You may have destroyed my plant army," Wallflower stated. "But that doesn't mean I'm out of this Duel just yet."
"Maybe," Scootaloo smirked. "But with your field pulverised like that, building your forces back up isn't gonna be easy." But the look Wallflower gave her, made Scootaloo think victory wasn't gonna be as easy as she hoped.
"We'll see about that." She pointed as Scootaloo. "I activate the effect of my Florasaurus!" The ghostly image of her monster appeared. "Since she had five Solar Counters on her when she was destroyed, you now take five hundred points of damage." The ghost fired a beam from its mouth, hitting Scootaloo in the chest.
"Augh!"
Scootaloo: 2700
Wallflower: 2300
"Next, I activate the Deck Master Ability of my Mushroom Man." The monster glowed as a card slotted out of her deck. "Now I can summon a Plant-type monster from my deck, so long as its ATK points are less than the ATK of a monster that was just destroyed."
Adagio: "Scootaloo's just lucky that affect only lets her summon one monster or she would be up to her neck in monsters."
"Now," Wallflower held up a card. "Prepare to meet my Ultimate Monster." Scootaloo braced herself, as the monster suddenly appeared from a crack in the earth. And the monster that was summoned was...a football sized brown seed with eyes. (A0/D0/L1)
"What the?"
"Say hello to my Mega-Bloom Seedling. And sure, it might not look like much now. But give it a few turns and it'll become your worst nightmare." Scootaloo didn't plan on letting it stick around that long, but Wallflower activated a card. "And where better to plant my seed, then in my Titanium Plant Pot!" Suddenly, the seed leapt into the air and something appeared out of the ground.
It was a giant plant pot, big enough to fit an entire person inside and made out of gray metal. As soon as it appeared, the seed dived into it.
"Okay," Scootaloo gulped. "Wasn't expecting that. But...what the heck is it?"
"My monster's ultimate defence," Wallflower announced. "An impenetrable shield that will never be breached. So long as it remains in DEF mode, any monster inside that pot can't be destroyed by battle or the effects of cards."
"Seriously?" Scootaloo realised this situation might be a little bit harder than she thought. "Alright, I can handle that. Is that all you're doing?"
"For now," Wallflower announced. "I end my turn."
Adagio: "Despite losing her legion of monsters, Wallflower was able to summon what she calls her Ultimate Monster. But how much power can such a tiny seedling have, even when it has that plant pot to protect itself with."
"Scootaloo's in trouble," Sunset frowned.
"Is that combo really so bad?" Silverstream asked. "I mean, her monster has to stay in DEF mode. Doesn't matter how strong it is, it can't attack without losing its ultimate defence." The others nodded, thinking the same thing. But Sunset continued to look worried. "Does it have an ability that lets it attack in DEF mode?"
"No," Sunset shook her head. "You're right about it being useless to Wallflower unless she takes away its invulnerability. But if I'm right, then Wallflower has a card that might take that handicap away."
The others wondered what that card was, but decided not to ask and instead kept watching. They also watched another monitor, which was showing the other Duel currently taking place.
In the desert Duel field, Sandbar and Yona's Duel continued.
Sandbar was in a bit of a tight spot. He had been dominating for a hot minute, having both his Skill Drain and Black Luster Soldiers out and doing some serious damage. But Yona had changed all that with an amazing combo and now, Sandbar was in serious trouble.
"It's my turn," Sandbar reached for his deck. He took a deep breath, knowing this card could very well be the one that decided this Duel. "I draw!" He saw what he got and thanked whatever lucky star he had before activating it. "Go, Delivery Draw!" A portal opened up and from out of it, Alexandrite Dragon, Giant Soldier of Stone and Cyber-Tech Alligator, appeared out of it before disappearing. "This Spell lets me banish any number of Normal Monsters in my Graveyard and draw the same number of cards."
Yona hummed at this, as Sandbar drew his cards.
"Next, I'll summon Tune Warrior in attack mode." In a flash of light, a red robotic monster appeared in front of him. (A1600/D200/L3) "I'll place a card face down and end my turn."
Yona stared at him, as she drew her card and got another copy of Warhammer. "Yona remove one Overlay Unit. Use Rampage Smasher's Ability!" One of the lights around the Xyz monster flew into his non-flaming fist, causing it to light up as a circle appeared on the back of it. In said circle, a one appeared before it was replaced by a two. This kept going all the way to six, by which point it turned back to one and repeated the process.
Sonata: "Now that Yona has her monster abilities back, we get to see her Xyz monster's wild way of battling. If that number stops on a one, three or five, she can destroy one card on her opponent's field and her monster gains three hundred ATK points. But if it's a two, four or six, she has to destroy a monster on her field and she loses three hundred Life Points."
Yona stared at the glove, her entire body vibrating with excitement. "And...stop!" The number slowly stopped changing which one was in the glove. And eventually, it stopped completely on a four. "Oh..."
"Too bad," Sandbar laughed. "That's the risk you take."
Yona frowned, as Fire Fist exploded and she was burned and Rampage Smasher lost his ATK point bonus. (A2700/D2200/R4)
Yona: 1950
Sandbar: 2100
Sonata: "Yona tried to destroy Sandbar's face down, but lost her own Equip Spell instead. What will she do instead?"
"Rampage Smasher, attack Tune Warrior!" The giant of a man rushed forward, roaring as he did so and raising his fists to crush the robot. But before he could.
"Go, Justi-Break!" His Trap flipped up, unleashing a powerful blast of lightning that struck Rampage Smasher and causing him to explode. "Justi-Break can only be activated, when you attack one of my Normal Monsters. With it, I get to destroy every monster on the field that isn't an ATK position Normal Monster."
Sonata: "So that's why he placed the monster into ATK mode. I thought it was a little odd. Now Yona's field is once again empty."
"Yona thought Sandbar might have that," Yona stated with a knowing. "That why Yona not summon this. Her Berserking Warhammer!" The hammer wielding man appeared. (A1800/D1100/L4) "And when Warhammer summoned, Yona send Berserking monster to Graveyard." Her deck slotted out a card, which she sent to the grave. But as soon as she did, a portal opened up. "Now, Yona banish monster from Graveyard. Berserking Forger!"
"Ahh man," Sandbar groaned as he watched the blacksmith appear before disintegrating. "What are you gonna add to your hand. Fire Fist?"
"Not Fire Fist," Yona replied as a card slotted out of her deck. "Yona give Warhammer Berserking Snow Shield!" Ice and snow swirled around Warhammer's arm and soon took shape, forming a shield made entirely out of ice. "Yona end turn."
"Alright!" Sandbar drew his card, "it's my turn. And I summon Jerry Beans Man!" In a flash of light, a giant jelly bean appeared in front of Sandbar. It was carrying a small sword and shield, along with a cap. (A1750/D0/L3) "Now," Tune Warrior leapt into the air, "I tune Level three Tune Warrior with Level three Jerry Beans Man!" Tune Warrior exploded into a trio of lights, which formed triad of light rings for the other monster to fly into. "Even the most normal person has something worth celebrating. Now, let these two Normal Monsters unite their power!" The pair were consumed in an explosion of light. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing what appeared to be an almost robotic version of Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight. The knight had no legs, instead being connected to the horse back at his waist. "Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth!" (A2600/D800/L6)
Sonata: "Despite his Ritual Monster being lost, Sandbar was able to claw his way back and Synchro Summon. Will he be able to defeat Yona using this monster?"
"Force of the Earth, Attack Berserking Warhammer!" The robotic warrior rushed forward, raising its spear ready to attack.
"Yona activate her Snow Shield power!" She cried, as Warhammer suddenly switched to DEF mode. "Switch Warhammer's mode and negate attack!" Warhammer raised his shield and blocked the spear's attack. This caused Gaia Knight to be knocked backwards, staggering back towards Sandbar. But he was ready.
"I discard Battle Surger, to activate his ability!" Suddenly, a small knight appeared behind Gaia Knight and exploded into a bright light. That light spread around the knight's lance, the Synchro Monster raising it up. "Whenever an attack's negated, I can use him to have my monster attack again." Force of the Earth charged again. "And when it does, that monster also gained Piercing Damage!" Yona gasped, as Gaia Knight thrust his spear forward and shattered the snow shield. It also destroyed Warhammer who exploded as Yona was sent staggering back.
Yona: 450
Sandbar: 2100
As Yona regained her balance, Sandbar ended his turn as his monster galloped back over to him.
Sonata: "This may be the end, ladies and gentlemen. Yona barely has any monsters and if she's not careful, she'll be out in the next round."
Yona took a deep breath, as she reached for her deck. "Yona will not let herself be beaten so easily. She has card she can use to win Duel. Just have to draw it." She took another breath and drew her card, then looked at it and her eyes went wide. A downtrodden look then appeared on her face. "Yona...ends her turn."
Sonata: "OH! Yona couldn't get the card she wanted. I'm afraid this might be it, ladies and gentlemen."
Trixie was continuing to explore the ruin battlefield, having reached an area where the ruins were mostly sunk beneath the water.
She leapt onto the top of a stone bridge of some kind, with many columns holding it up out of the water. She walked along the stone walkway, coming to a stop and looking down at the water below. Statues of different Duel Monsters could be seen below her, such as the Mystical Elf or Red Archery Girl.
Her own reflection stared back at her and as she watched, she thought about her life leading up to this point. From the narcissistic cheat and thief, to the Dueling illusionist and then to the mind controlled apocalypse maker. She stared herself down and frowned at the memories of her previous situation. She liked to think that experience had humbled and matured her, but really it had just terrified her.
Noise made her look around and see a figure, leaping atop the rooftops sticking out of the water.
They moved with incredible speed, parkouring from one piece of the ruin to another. They even used some broken pillars as stepping stones, eventually landing on another walkway as Trixie's eyes went wide. "Tempest."
Fizzlepop Berrytwist stood tall, as she stared at Trixie. "I don't go by that name anymore," she announced. "Now, are you ready to Duel?"
"It's my turn," Sandbar drew his card, but didn't need to look at it.
Sonata: "This is it, folks. I get the feeling that this Duel is going to end. Will Sandbar come out on top, or does Yona have a miracle she's been saving up?"
Sandbar stared at Yona, who was staring at her cards trying to figure out a way to save herself. But it was clear she had nothing. "This was fun. Too bad it has to end." Yona let out a sigh, as Sandbar pointed at her. "Gaia Knight, Force of the Earth. End this Duel!" The robotic knight charged, its lances glowing as its thrust them forward. But it was in that moment, Yona smiled.
"Yes, too bad Duel have to end. Too bad for you it end with me winning." Sandbar quirked an eyebrow, as Yona discarded a card. "Yona use skill of Berserking Hunter!" Sandbar's eyes went wide.
"Not that one!"
Sonata: "NO WAY! Yona drew her Berserking Hunter. If it wasn't for her acting skills, Sandbar might not have fallen for it. If an opponent's monster attacks, Yona card discard that card and activate any Trap in her graveyard. And all it'll cost her is half her life points."
Yona: 225
Sandbar: 2100
A card slotted out of Yona's deck and she quickly played it, the Trap suddenly appearing. "Go, Magic Cylinder!" A pair of purple tubes suddenly appeared in front of her. When Gaia Knight thrust his lance forward, it went into one of the tubes. And the next thing Sandbar knew, light shaped like his knight's lance flew out the other one and shot straight towards him.
"GYAH!" He cried, as the attack pierced him in the chest. All he could do was groan, as his life points dropped to zero.
Yona: 225 (Winner)
Sandbar: 0
Sonata: "She's done it. Yona has defeated Sandbar and claimed victory in the first round. It wasn't easy, but she was able to show her true talent as a Duelist and will be moving on. Sandbar did his best and proved a worthy opponent for Yona, but in the end his own strength turned out to be his undoing."
Sandbar held his chest, almost as if he could still feel the piercing of the lance into his chest. "Ow," he stated as Yona moved over to him. "I guess you beat me."
Yona smiled, "Sandbar tough opponent. Yona not sure she would have won if Yona not get lucky." She held out a hand and Sandbar let her help him up. "This fun."
"Yeah," Sandbar nodded, "it was." He then laughed. "You know, your poker face has gotten way better. You totally had me convinced I was gonna win." Yona smiled at this, as Sandbar's body began to digitise. "Well, I guess this is it. Good luck in the rest of the Tournament." Yona nodded.
"Yona win for both of us." Sandbar nodded before he completely vanished, leaving Yona alone in the desert. Yona let out a sigh, then looked around trying to figure out where the exit to the place was. "Does Yona need to just keep walking?" She got her answer, when the ground beneath her suddenly lost all stability. "Wow!"
Everyone in the loser's room watched, as Yona began to sink into the quick sand.
"Geez," Sunset frowned, "Twilight's really going all out with these features." Yona was finally sucked beneath the surface, completely disappearing as a light appeared in the room.
Some of them thought it might have been Yona, but the shape it took was shorter and thinner. And when the light faded, Sandbar was standing there. "Aw, man!" He took his shoe off and held it upside down, sand beginning to pour out of it.
"How the heck did you get virtual sand in your virtual shoe?" Sweetie asked, as Sandbar turned to them. His eyes scanned the group and realised who must have been eliminated, his gaze landing upon Ocellus and Silverstream.
"You guys lost too, huh?" They nodded, as he put his shoe back on and moved over to sit with them. As they did, everyone turned their attention back to the monitors.
Scootaloo's Duel against Wallflower continued, the woman staring up at the metal plant pot protecting her opponent's monster.
"It's my turn." Five cards flew off the top of her deck, Scootaloo looking through her choices and selecting one. 'I gotta get rid of that thing before it does...whatever Wallflower has planned for it. But how am I supposed to do that when it's got that pot to hide in.'
"What's the matter?" Wallflower asked. "You're not scared of an itty bitty plant, are you?"
"Of course not," Scootaloo cried. 'Maybe attacking that thing will help me uncover some kind of weakness.' "Pteryx Blader, ATTACK!" The Xyz monster shot forward and swung his blades around, slashing at the pot but doing nothing to even scratch it.
"Too bad," Wallflower stated. "I told you, that pot protects my monster from absolutely everything." Scootaloo was starting to think she was right. She looked through her hand, but nothing she had could help right now.
"I end my turn."
"Then it's my turn!" Wallflower drew her card and smiled, as Mega-Bloom Seedling suddenly flew out from within the pot. "And now, my Seedling's ability activates." Suddenly, the seed began to break apart. "By tributing it whilst in DEF mode, I can summon a new monster to my field. Meet my Mega-Bloom Chick!" The seed broke in half and a new monster appeared. It was a small green lizard-like creature, with a pair of leaf buds on its back. It was hiding inside the remains of its seed, with only its head poking out of the hole and part of it on its head. (A700/D500/L2)
Scootaloo expected the Plant Pot to vanish, but realised it was still there. "I don't get it. Why's it's sticking around if the card it's equipped to..." She looked down at her Duel Disk and clicked on the card, seeing that it wasn't an Equip Spell. It was a Continuous Spell and it wasn't targeting monsters. "It's targeting a monster zone?"
"That's right," Wallflower nodded with a smirk "As long as it's in DEF mode, the monster in the selected zone is indestructible."
"I get it now. You've got a bunch of Mega-Bloom monsters in your deck and every turn, you're able to tribute it for a stronger one. And with the plant pot, it's safe so long as it's in DEF Mode."
"And they need to be in DEF mode to activate their ability," Wallflower finished. "Honestly, this is the perfect combo." Mega-Bloom Chick dived back into the pot, Scootaloo frowning Wallflower placed a card face down. "I end my turn."
Scootaloo's deck once again revealed five cards, Scootaloo looking through them but seeing nothing that might be any help to her. "Better work on a defence in case I can't stop that thing from getting too strong." She grabbed a card and placed it face down. "I end my turn!"
"And before your turn ends, I activate my face down!" Her card flipped up and revealed a Trap. "Labyrinth of Nightmares!" Scootaloo's eyes went wide.
Adagio: "Oh! That Continuous Trap's effect activates at the End Phase. It causes all the monsters on the turn player's field to swap positions!"
Scootaloo watched, as Pteryx Blader knelt down into DEF position. But at the same time, Tyranno Lancer and Tricera Guard stood up. "This is gonna make things complicated!"
"It's my turn!" Wallflower drew a card and as she did, Mega-Bloom Chick leapt out of the pot and glowed once again. "Now, I tribute Mega-Bloom Chick in order to summon Mega-Bloom Wyvern!" The light faded and a new monster was revealed, being a larger version of the last monster. It was a large green lizard, with a pair of leaves on the side of its body that were acting like a pair of wings. It didn't have any front legs, but it did have back ones and a long tail that was covered in thorns. It also had wooden horn on the back of its head and tip of its nose, though they were only little nubs at the moment. (A1400/D1000/L4)
Scootaloo frowned, as she looked down at her Duel Disk and saw Wallflower had put it in ATK position. "So that's it. She can attack with her monster and use her Labyrinth Trap to switch it back into DEF Mode."
"Mega-Bloom Wyvern, attack Dino Knight Tricera Guard!" The creature opened its mouth and unleashed a cloud of purple mist, which flew down and surrounded Tricera Guard. The knight coughed as it breathed the fumes in, then exploded whilst Scootaloo accidently breathed in the same fumes and coughed.
Scootaloo: 2100
Wallflower: 2300
"I place one card face down and end my turn." As she did, Mega-Bloom Wyvern dove into the soil. "Labyrinth of Nightmares now switches the battle positions of all my monsters."
Adagio: "Things are still looking bad for Scootaloo. Her opponent's monster keeps getting stronger and she still hasn't found a way to break through that pot. Will this turn help her find the solution she needs?"
"There it is," Sunset stated. "The three card combo Wallflower likes to use in order to make herself pretty much unbeatable."
"There has to be a flaw in it," Ocellus pointed out. "That plant pot doesn't negate any damage." She turned to Sweetie and Applebloom, "does Scootaloo have any piercing damage cards?" The pair thought about it. They didn't remember Scootaloo ever using one.
"She might have added one in for the tournament," Sweetie stated. "She added a bunch of new cards to her deck. And she might have picked some out of the database."
Sunset nodded. "If she didn't, I get the feeling Wallflower will be heading to the next round." As she said that, she turned to the monitor showing Trixie and Fizzlepop.
The two women stared one another down, Fizzlepop giving Trixie a curious look.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, Trixie slowly moving backwards as if afraid. "Hey, what's up? You look like you've just seen a ghost." Trixie stopped moving and shook her head.
"I'm fine," she told her. "Let's just get started already."
Fizzlepop shrugged, "fine with me." The two walls of cards appeared, the pair beginning to select their cards as Aria appeared on the screen.
Aria: "And there we have it, folks. The sixteen competitors have been paired off. This will be the final Duel to begin in the first round. And once they're all over, we'll be moving onto the next round. But first, we have to find out who the eight Duelists moving on will be."
The pair finished selecting their decks, Trixie and Fizzlepop taking them out and started searching for their Deck Masters. Trixie was the first to choose hers. "Performage, Hat Tricker!" In a flash of light, a collection of floating clothes appeared beside her. They consisted of a purple hat, green cape, white gloves and orange glasses.
Fizzlepop did the same and finally found the monster she wanted. "Tempest Unicorn Liberator!" Another flash revealed a purple horse monster, wearing golden armor with the remains of a horn on its head.
Aria: "Both sides have chosen their deck Masters. Now, which will be able to overcome the other in this Duel? Only one way to find out."
Both woman returned their Decks to their Duel Disk and activated them, their Life Points raising as they called out in unison. "DUEL!"
Trixie: 4000
Fizzlepop: 4000
"Trixie will take the first move!" She reached for her deck, but stopped when she felt her hand shaking. As she looked down at it, she was suddenly sent back to when she was taken over by Glorianna. The months she had spent trapped in her own body was the worst time she could possibly remember. As a creepy fusion of her spirit and the Spellcaster's spirit Duelled in an attempt to destroy her and now, she was back doing what got her into that mess in the first place.
Fizzlepop noticed Trixie's scared look. "Are you okay?" This seemed to snap Trixie out of her terrifying memory, the girl grabbing her deck before she could fall into her own memories again.
"Trixie is fine!" She drew her card and looked through her hand, eventually summoning one of her monsters. "Rise, Performage Flame Baton!" A clown carrying a flaming stick appeared, spinning it around its body with ease. (A1200/D1400/L3) "Trixie will end her turn there."
Aria: "Not much of a start for Trixie, who seems to be having trouble getting her head in the game. Could she be planning something, or is Fizzlepop going to be in for an easy win?"
"My draw!" Fizzlepop did so. "Now, I summon my Storm Guard Liberator, Spear!" In a burst of purple lightning, a giant ape-like creature appeared in golden arm. A spear was in its hand. (A1800/D800/L4) "Now, Storm Guard Spear! Attack Flame Baton!" The monster pulled its spear back before throwing it at high speed, straight towards the Performage.
Trixie gasped, fear racing through her. Then, she remembered her plan. "Trixie will discard her Mirror Juggler Performage!" Another clown appeared, juggling mirrors in its hands. "This will end your attack and deal you five hundred points of damage!" The spear flew into one of the mirrors and back out another one, where it slammed into Fizzlepop.
"Augh!" She staggered back, almost falling off one of the stone ruins.
Trixie: 4000
Fizzlepop: 3500
Fizzlepop groaned as she forced herself to stay on the stone walkway. "Guess she wasn't completely out of it after all." She quickly placed two cards face down. "I end my turn."
Trixie sighed as she realised she had almost let her issues stop her from protecting herself. She frowned, refusing to let that happen again. "Trixie draws!" She did so and nodded before grabbing another card. "Now, Trixie will tribute her Flame Baton in order to summon Performage, Misdirctor!" Flame baton exploded into light, with a new monster appearing out of it that looked like a fusion of a clown and a movie director. He was sitting on a director's stool and carrying a polka dot megaphone. (A2300/D1300/L5/P3)
Aria: "Trixie's starting to bring in the big guns. What's she got planning now?"
"Trixie will now call upon the Deck Master Ability of Hat Tricker!" The assortment of clothes started waving its gloves around like hands. "Once per turn, Trixie can declare a card type and draw. If the card she draws is the same type she announced, you take five hundred points of damage. If it's something else, then Trixie takes the damage."
"So I've got a two in one shot of you damaging yourself."
"Maybe," Trixie smirked as she reached for her deck. "Trixie believes she will draw a Trap Card!" She did so, only to frown and show Fizzlepop a Spell.
"Oh, too bad!" She watched, as Hat Tricker swung his arms around and unleashed a burst of light towards Trixie. But before it could hit, Misdirector yelled into his megaphone.
"Cut!" He cried, causing the light to disappear.
"What's going on?" Fizzlepop asked, as Misdirector turned to her and yelled action. From out of his megaphone, the light he had stopped flew out and struck Fizzlepop. "Augh!"
Trixie: 4000
Fizzlepop: 3000
Fizzlepop once again staggered around, "what was that?"
"Misdirector's skill," Trixie smiled. "Once per turn, Trixie is able to shift the damage she would have taken from a card effect onto you."
"Seriously?" Fizzlepop frowned. "Just my luck. She'll keep doing that every turn, unless I can stop it."
"Trixie will now attack your Storm Guard, Spear!" Misdirector turned to Fizzlepop's monster and unleashed a sonic blast, but Fizzlepop was ready.
"I activate my Black Lightning Spell Card!" One of her face downs flipped up, revealing a Quick-Play Spell that unleashed a bunch of black lightning into Spear and increase its power. (A2500/D800/L4) The Storm Guard then leapt up and dodged the sonic blast before throwing its spear, hitting the Performage in the chest and causing it to explode.
Trixie: 3800
Fizzlepop: 3000
"Since Spear destroyed a monster in battle, his ability lets me look at the top card of my deck." Fizzlepop did so and frowned. "It's not a Liberator monster, so it goes to the bottom of my deck."
Trixie sighed, as she recovered from the surprise counter. "Trixie will place two cards face down and end her turn."
"What's wrong with Trixie?" Silverstream asked, the others wondering the same thing.
Sunset remembered the conversation Trixie had had with her before. How the thought of Dueling had terrified Trixie for a long time. It wasn't a surprise, given what had happened to her. Many people who were Dominated took a long time to recover. Skystar and her mother had never even looked at a Dueling deck after what happened to them. Marble Pie had also taken a while to recover, her sisters being a big help with that.
Even Twilight and Starlight, who had both been freed by someone very close to them, had apparently suffered from nightmares for the longest time. But Trixie hadn't had anyone to really help her through it. Cold Steel had offered her counselling, but Trixie had refused and disappeared for a time.
A little while later, she returned to the public eye and appeared to be in a better place. And when she entered the tournament, everyone had assumed she had simply gotten over it on her own. Now, Sunset wasn't so sure. It seemed she had simply pushed her feelings about the whole ever down and now, she was being forced to deal with them.
"Trixie," she sighed, "maybe letting her compete was a bad idea."
Back with Scootaloo and Wallflower, the younger of the two found herself in a tricky situation. "It's my turn!" Scootaloo's deck showed her five cards, Scootaloo looking through them and smiling before she took one. As she did, the portal formed above her head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and two lights shot out, exploding as they hit the ground and revealing two monsters. "Rise, Dino Knight Tricera Guard!" (A800/D2000/L4/P2)
The other was a dark blue knight carrying some kind of boomerang weapon. "And Dino Knight, Spino-Rang!" (A1700/D1100/L4/P3)
"Then I switch Pteryx Blader to ATK mode." The Xyz monster stood up, as Tyranno Lancer, Tricera Guard and Spino-Rang glowed. "Now," the three leapt into the air, as a black hole appeared at Scootaloo's feet. "I use these three monsters to build the Overlay Network!" The flew into the black hole, Scootaloo started chanting. "Knights of prehistoric times, merge your might and create an even greater warrior!" The light flew into the black hole, which then exploded with light. "I XYZ SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing a gray coloured knight carrying a large bazooka over his shoulder. "Dino Knight, Pachy-Zooka!" (A1000/D3000/R4/P5)
Wallflower frowned. She hadn't seen this monster before and if Scootaloo had figured out her combo's weakness, she might be in trouble. "So, what can this thing do?"
"Let me show you!" Scootaloo cried, as one of the lights around Pachy-Zooka flew into the cannon. "I remove one Overlay Unit from this, which allows him to take aim at you directly!" He pointed the cannon towards Wallflower. "FIRE!" From out of the bazooka, a missile exploded out with a domed tip and spikes around the top.
Wallflower watched it fly over her flower pot and slam into the ground in front of her, exploding and sending her flying backwards. "AUGH!" She smashed into the ground, her life points dropping as she did so.
Scootaloo: 2100
Wallflower: 1300
"Hahaaa!" Scootaloo cried. "How'd you like that? Just two more turns and you'll be out of life points." She ended her turn and as she did, Nightmare Labyrinth activated and switched both her monsters to DEF Mode.
Wallflower moaned as she picked herself up, staggering back to her original position. "So, she can't damage my monsters so she's firing at me directly." She took a deep breath and reached for her deck. "I can handle that." She drew her card and as she did, Mega-Bloom Wyvern leapt out of the pot. "I tribute Mega-Bloom Wyvern in order to summon Mega-Bloom Drake!"
Scootaloo watched as Wyvern began to transform, growing a pair of front legs as it grew larger. Its leaf wings remained the same, causing it to no longer fly as it fell onto the top of the pot. Its horns grew longer, whilst flowers began to grow along its body. (A2100/D1500/L6)
"Now, Mega-Bloom Drake. Activate your ability!" The flightless dragon unleashed a blast of yellow pollen. The cloud struck Pachy-Zooka and caused the knight to start coughing, Scootaloo checking its points and seeing them begin to drop. (A400/D2400/R4/P5) "Now, destroy Pteryx Blader!" The plant creature's tail suddenly grew larger and extended towards the Xyz monster, wrapping around it and lifting the beast into the air before smashing it into the ground.
Scootaloo grunted as her monster exploded, glad it was in DEF mode as Pachy-Zooka watched as well. "Anything else?" Wallflower nodded and placed a card face down, ending her turn and causing Mega-Bloom Drake to hide itself in the Titanium Plant Pot.
Adagio: "Wallflower's monsters continue to grow stronger, whilst Scootaloo keeps looking for a way around Wallflower's defence."
Back with Trixie and Fizzlepop, the two women continued their battle as Fizzlepop drew her card.
She stared at it, a smile forming on her face before she activated it. "I call on the power, of Polymerisation!" The Spell card appeared behind Spear, as another Storm Guard Liberator materialised beside him. "And with it, I'll fuse Storm Guard Spear and Sword together!" The card created a vortex, which sucked the pair inside before letting out an explosion of light. "I FUSION SUMMON!"
The light faded to reveal a larger looking Storm Guard, with fancier armor and even a cape flowing down his back. In its hands was a strange sword, as both its handle and blade were curved in a weird way. "Storm Command Liberator, Panabas!" (A2500/D2000/L7)
Aria: "Fizzlepop is really shaking things up. Fusion Summoning isn't something one usually sees from her."
"I activate Panabas' special ability!" The Fusion Monster roared, as the top three cards flew off of Trixie's deck. "When he's Fusion Summoned, you have the banish three cards off the top of your deck." Two of the cards exploded into nothing, whilst one of them spun around and transformed into a Performage that looked like a cross between a clown and ninja. "Since one of them is a monster, Panabas now gets an extra three hundred ATK points."
Trixie watched her monster explode into light, which flew into Panabas' body and caused him to glow. He roared, its power increasing. (A2800/D2000/L7)
"Now, Panabas, attack Trixie directly!" The monster leapt into the air and Trixie gasped as the monster raised his curved sword.
"I activate my face down!" She cried, her card flipping up. "Shrink!"
"I don't think so!" Fizzlepop discarded a card. "I activate the Deck Master Ability of Tempest Liberator Unicorn!" Her monster's broken horn sparked before it unleashed a blast of purple lightning. "This ability lets me discard a card and negate the activation of any card effect, destroying it in the process!" The purple lightning struck the Shrink card and made it explode, allowing Panabas to fly down towards Trixie and slash his sword down her chest.
"AUGH!" She screamed, taking a but ton of damage in the process.
Trixie: 1000
Fizzlepop: 3000
Trixie staggered back, but managed to keep herself on her feet as she pointed towards her other face down. "You can only use your Deck Master Ability once, so you can't stop this!" Her face down flipped up, revealing a Trap. "Performage Miracle Box." In a puff of smoke, a box covered in stars appeared in front of her. "I can only use this Trap whenever I take Battle Damage. It lets me Special Summon a Performage from my deck, so long as its ATK is less than the damage I just took."
Fizzlepop watched as a card slotted out of her deck, as the box's front flew open and unleashed a giant cloud of smoke.
"Rise, Performage Smoke and Mirrors Magician!" A new Performage appeared from the smoke, wearing a red and black suit and bow tie combo. It also had a matching top hat and blue mask, covering his eyes. (A2600/D1900/L7) "Now, Miracle Box will give me half my Monster's ATK points as Life Points.
Trixie: 2300
Fizzlepop: 3000
Aria: "Despite the large amount of damage Trixie took this turn, she was able to use it to her advantage and reinforce her Life Points. But she's still gonna be in trouble, since Fizzlepop's Storm Command Liberator gets to keep the ATK point buff it gained."
"I end my turn," Fizzlepop stated.
"Good." Trixie reached for her deck and drew. "Now, Trixie will activate her Performance Mage Hurricane!" The spell appeared and began to unleash a powerful wind. "With this card, all your Spell and Traps will be returned to the hand."
Fizzlepop frowned and quickly discarded a card. "I activate my Deck Master Ability once again!" The Unicorn unleashed a blast of lightning, which struck Trixie's card and caused it to explode. But Trixie smirked.
"You've fallen for my trap once again. Now, I activate the skill of Smoke And Mirrors Magician!" The Monster removed his hat, as Flame Baton appeared and was sucked inside. "By banishing a Performage from my Graveyard, I can take away some of your monster's ATK points. Since Flame Baton is Level four, your Liberator loses eight hundred ATK Points."
Fizzlepop watched as smoke flew out of the hat and shot towards her Fusion Monster, getting in its eyes and making it cough. (A2000/D2000/L7)
"Now, Smoke and Mirrors Magician, attack and destroy her Storm Command Liberator!" The Performage leapt into the air and from out of his sleeves, it pulled out a bunch of mirrors and threw them towards her monster.
Fizzlepop looked down at her Face Down. It would still mean she lost her monster, but at least she'd get to keep her life points. And Trixie's monster would be weakened. "I activate my Paralysing Spark!" Her Trap flipped up, as Panabas exploded into a burst of lightning. "By tributing a Storm Guard, I can equip this card to your monster."
Aria: "Since they're basically an evolved version of them, Storm Command monsters count as Storm Guards."
The lightning struck Smoke and Mirrors Magician, making him cry out as his body jerked. "Now, your monster can't attack. And it loses ATK equal to its Level." (A1900/D1900/L7)
Trixie frowned, seeing that he hand was sorely lacking in useful cards. "Trixie will end her turn, by setting Scale two Performage Water Dancer and Scale seven Performage Lion Rider into the Pendulum Zones." The pillars of light appeared on either side of her, as a pair of monsters flew up into them.
Aria: "A smart play. Fizzlepop would have likely used her Deck Master Ability to negate one of them next turn. Now, Trixie can Pendulum Summon whenever she needs to."
"Ah, man." Sandbar frowned. "Trixie can't seem to catch a break."
"Fizzlepop's using her Deck to her full advantage," Sunset stated. "I hate to say this, but Trixie might just be out of her league. She hasn't been in a serious Duel for a long time, whilst Fizzlepop's been constantly Dueling and improving her skills." 'Not to mention, Trixie's clearly been knocked off her game because of the feelings she's having. If she wants to beat Fizzlepop, she'll need to focus.'
Whilst still focused on Trixie and Fizzlepop's Duel, Applebloom and Sweetie were more concerned for Scootaloo.
The young woman stared up at the Titanium Plant Pot, which was the only thing stopping her from actually destroying Wallflower's monster.
'I'm gonna need something big to take that thing down. if I can't stop that Mega-Bloom Monster before it reaches full power, I might never be able to beat Wallflower.' She looked down at her deck. 'I've got five chances to get a card that can save me. Come on Deck. Don't let me down.' "My turn!" Scootaloo's deck showed her five cards, one of which caught her eyes. "Yes!" She grabbed it, as the portal began to form above her head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and two lights flew out, once again revealing Scootaloo's Dino Knights. "Rise, Dino Knight Pteryx Blader!" (A2100/D1800/R3/P4)
The other was a black and gold knight, carrying a long staff that had a dinosaur head on the top and dino foot on the bottom. "And Dino Knight, Brachio Staff!" (A2600/D1900/L7/P4) "Brachio Staff's skill!" The knight then raised his staff, as an energy construct of a life sized brachiosaur appeared above them. "Whenever he's Special Summoned, I can destroy one of your Spell or Trap Cards!"
Wallflower watched as the knight slammed his staff onto the ground, causing the brachiosaur to do the same with its foot. Mega-Bloom Drake leapt out of the pot, seconds before it was smashed to pieces.
Scootaloo then switched Pachy-Zooka to ATK mode, as another light flew into its cannon. "Pachy-Zooka, fire!" The Xyz monster launched another missile and struck Wallflower again, exploding and sending her backwards as she screamed.
Scootaloo: 2100
Wallflower: 300
As she smashed into the ground, Brachio Staff charged towards Mega-Bloom Drake. "Now, Dino Knight, destroy Mega-Bloom!" But before the attack could go through, Wallflower picked herself up and activated her face down.
"Go, Trap Memory!" As soon as she activated it the robed woman from before appeared.
Adagio: "Trap Memory. This Continuous Trap allows the user to pay half their Life Points in order to activate the effect of a Trap in their graveyard. And it appears Wallflower has chosen Waboku!"
Scootaloo: 2100
Wallflower: 150
The barrier appeared around Mega-Bloom and protected it, as Brachio Staff's weapon slammed into it with no effect. And as the Pendulum Monster leapt back, Wallflower sighed.
Scootaloo's friends frowned, as Scootaloo was forced to end her turn.
"Come on!" Applebloom cried, as all of Scootaloo's monsters changed to DEF position. "She finally got rid of that pot and Wallflower still managed to save herself!"
"Wallflower's good," Sunset stated. "And now that her monster's about to reach its next level, she might not need the Titanium Plant Pot. It'll be strong enough to protect itself. And she has the Trap Memory, just in case she actually needs it."
"Scootaloo just needs to hold on another turn," Sweetie stated. "If she can keep her Pachy-Zooka on the field, it'll be able to blast away the last of Wallflower's Life Points." The others nodded, but they knew Wallflower wouldn't let that happen.
"It's my turn," Wallflower drew a card and Mega-Bloom Drake's body began to change. "And now, it's time for my monster to evolve to its next state of being.
"Oh no," Scootaloo gulped as she watched the creature transform. This time, its leaf wings grew larger whilst its neck and horns grew longer. More flowers appeared around the beast, mostly on its back and along its legs. When the transformation was complete, the beast unleashed a mighty roar and Wallflower smiled.
"Meet my Mega-Bloom Dragon!" The roar from the creature shook the ground, Scootaloo and all her monsters almost losing their balance. (A2800/D2000/L8) Scootaloo gulped, knowing that beating this thing wasn't gonna be easy.
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Well, the first round is almost wrapped up. I bet it will be finished by next chapter, or the one after that if things get stretched out.
Too bad Sandbar lost since I really liked his deck for having so many classic cards like Alexandrite Dragon and Cyber-Tech Alligator. But Yona just played a bit better.
Scootaloo is struggling against Wallflower right now, but Wallflower's life points are extremely low so Scootaloo might be able to make a comeback. Meanwhile the last Duel between Trixie and Fizzlepop has started and Trixie is struggling not only with Fizzlepop outplaying her at every move but the demons of her past too. It is cool getting to see some changes to Fizzlepop's deck since the last time we saw her Duel though.
Sounds a lot like the Black Dino Thunder Ranger, the first role I saw Tommy Oliver in when I was a kid. May Jason David Frank rest in peace.