A Sea of Troubles! Ocean Terror Deck!
Author's Note
Note: Character names are based on the original Japanese, card names are based on the English TCG. The story occurs after Rainbow Rocks and between episodes 26 and 27 of Arc V. As for the skin color thing I’m treating it as a non-issue.
A Sea of Troubles! Ocean Terror Deck!
“Hello Maiami City!” Pinkie Pie yelled out to the sky while standing on top of a picnic table. “We like to say hello after coming all the way from Canterlot High!”
“Settle down Pinkie,” said Applejack pulling the blue eyed curly pink haired girl back into her seat. “After all we’ve already been here three days and we’re leaving tomorrow.”
Pinkie pouted to the blue eyed blonde wearing a cowboy hat. “But this is the only day we get to see the sights! We should do something fun!”
“Normally I would agree,” said Rarity as she brushed her long purple hair. “But it seems we came at the wrong time. Everyone here seems to be so focused on this major tournament we won’t sticking around for.”
“I thought you wanted to come,” said Sunset who had her back to the table in a relaxed manner. She blew a strand of her long red and yellow hair away from her blue eyes.
Rarity rolled her blue eyes. “That was when I thought we coming to Miami, you know cruise ships, beaches, museums and Cuban festivals. Instead we end up being Principal Celestia’s Guinea Pigs taking our classes under cram school teachers who normally teach Duel Monsters after school.”
“Would you please not mention that game?” said Rainbow Dash. “I’m still trying to forget that Sawatari creep.” She had red eyes short hair in a rainbow of colors.
“The one that had big crush on you?” asked Pinkie.
Flashback
Shingo Sawatari a blond young man was kneeling next to a disinterested Rainbow Dash. “Oh what light through yonder window there? It is Dash with the Rainbow Hair!”
“Let meh guess, that was when the soccer ball ended up in his face?” asked Applejack.
“The guy wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer!” said Rainbow Dash. “Just seeing a Duel Monsters card makes me see that jerk’s smarmy face!”
“Eep!” Fluttershy squeaked her long pink hair gently blowing in the breeze.
Sunset groaned. “Let me guess Fluttershy. You got yourself some cards.”
Fluttershy blushed her reddening face contrasting with her blue eyes. “I don’t want to play the game and make someone feel bad for losing, but a lot of the cards had such cute little critters on them! I just had to have them!”
“Just as long as you don’t show me your collection I think I’ll be fine,” said Rainbow Dash.
“Hey, we’re wasting daylight just sitting around here chatting!” yelled Pinkie Pie. “How about we split up into pairs and if anybody finds something interesting call the rest of us and we’ll check it out together!”
“Alright,” said Dash. “We’ll meet back at the hotel in an few hours.”
Rarity and Fluttershy went off to find a spa, Applejack and Rainbow Dash decided to look for a sports field for some friendly competition so Sunset Shimmer and Pinkie Pie wandered through the streets.
“So want to go shoe shopping or maybe hit the arcade, oh or get some ice cream?!” Pinkie asked.
“Whatever you want,” said Sunset uninterested.
Pinkie slowed down to walk at pace with Sunset. “What’s wrong Sunset?”
“It’s just I’ve been thinking about the Dazzlings a lot lately. I mean I was allowed to make up for what I did but they ran off before they were even given the chance. Who knows what could be happening to them or what they could be up to? I mean Twilight…”
Just then as she approached a corner she was run into by a young teenage boy and fell along with him to the ground.
“Sunset you Ok?!” yelled Pinkie Pie.
“I’m fine Pinkie,” Sunset said. A she got up she had a better look at her accidental assailant. He had crimson eyes, and dual-colored green and crimson hair of average length sticking out in downwards pointing spikes all around his head with the exception of one short-upwards pointing spike of green hair. He wore a crystal pendant with crossed metallic wings on a simple string around his neck and a pair of golden goggles with orange lenses on his forehead that had a blue star painted over the right lens. The boy was also wearing a simple red t-shirt, green pants and a gold and red lined white jacket over his shoulders like a cape.
“How about you?” Pinkie asked the boy.
“I haven’t dropped any cards so I’m ok,” the boy said as he got up and dusted off his pants.
“You aren’t hurt?” said Sunset. “I’d be more worried about bruises than cards.
“With what I do, I’ve learned how to take a fall. Let me introduce myself my name is Yuya Sakaki.”
Pinkie cut in between Yuya and Sunset. “Hi my name is Pinkamena Diane Pie, everybody calls me Pinkie Pie and this is my friend Sunset Shimmer!”
“A pleasure to meet you, if you don’t count the collision,” said Sunset. “Funny your name seems familiar to me.”
Yuya crossed his arms behind his head. “You aren’t from around here are you? Lately the folks around town have been asking for autographs or want to see me duel, especially since I just qualified for the Maiami Championship tournament.”
“Yeah,” said Pinkie. “Everyone we met seems to be talking about it, too bad we won’t be sticking around that long, sounds exciting.”
Sunset smiled. “Well good luck with the tournament.”
Sunset moved up to shake Yuya’s hand. Just then Yuya’s pendant started glowing and swinging back and forth, in response Sunset’s magic made pony ears and a tail appear on her.
“What’s going on!?” yelled Yuya.
“You tell me!” Sunset replied while Pinkie stared while covering her mouth.
Soon a small ball of light emerged from Sunset’s chest and hovered just in front of her. Sunset’s ears and tail had vanished once more as Yuya’s pendent stopped glowing and became still. The ball of light had now taken the shape of a card. It was unlike the ones Flutershy had collected, orange on the top and green on the bottom. The image on the card was of a white pony with a blonde mane, it wore a small conical clown’s hat at an angle suggestive of a horn and a ruffled collar with two larger than normal ruffles that were reminiscent of wings and on its flank a single yellow star. The card fell gently into Sunset’s hand.
“What was that?” asked a shocked Yuya.
Pinkie blushed furiously. “It’s a long story, for now let’s just say we’re magic.”
Sunset handed the card to Yuya. “What do you make of this?”
Yuya grabbed the card and took a close look at it. “Performapal Trick Pony? A new Pendulum Monster?”
“Pendulum?” asked Pinkie.
Yuya took out a deck of cards and produced three of them. The first one showed a masked wizard dressed in white, the second was another masked wizard in black and the third was a red wingless bipedal dragon with a red right eye and a green left eye. All three like the card that came from Sunset were the same mix of colors. “These are Pendulum Monsters,” said Yuya. “My pendant created them a little while ago and they’re half of the reason I’m famous. Strange, Trick Pony is a Performapal like most of the monsters in my deck.”
“But why did this appear now?” Sunset said as she took the card back. “Yuya we better stick close, I think something big is about to happen.”
In another part of the city Yuzu Hiragi was bringing along the kids from the You Show Duel School through a shopping pavilion. She had blue eyes and dark pink hair tied up in pigtails clipped down by blue, spherical hair clips with two lighter pink bangs that fall to the side of her face. Yuzu wore a sleeveless light-blue and white shirt with a musical note on the right collar, a red tie a dark red skirt and dark stockings.
“Hey Yuzu!” cried a red headed little girl. “Haven’t you been listening?”
“Oh, sorry Aya, you too Tatsuya, Futoshi,” said Yuzu. “I’ve just had a lot of things on my mind lately.”
“I’ll say,” said Futoshi a chubby boy with sandy blonde hair. “Your mood lately sometimes gives me the chills, and not the good kind like I get from dueling.”
“You can tell us Yuzu,” said blue haired Tatsuya. “I mean we are friends aren’t we?”
Yuzu looked at the metallic double diagonal banded bracelet on her wrist. It had two pink stones set on either side of the bracelet where the bands intersect, framed by a simple rose design. “What can I tell them?” she thought. That there’s a guy with Yuya’s face named Yuto out there whose friend is the one attacking all the LDS elites because they think they are involved in the capture of their friends? And that whenever Yuya gets close my bracelet sends Yuto away to who knows where? Still, they’re worried so maybe just a little…”
“I’ve been wondering a lot about my bracelet,” Yuzu told the kids. “I’ve had it ever since I was a baby but even my dad can’t seem to tell me where it came from. I know that shouldn’t bother me…”
“I got it!” said Tetsuya. "We’ll ask Dazzler the Appraiser!"
“Dazzler who?”
“The Appraiser,” said Aya. “Her flyers are all over town.”
“They say she has the gift of Psychometry!” said Futoshi. “That just by holding an object she can find out everything about it! Its worth, its owner, its past, even its future!”
“Sounds like another fortune teller like that Meiru girl,” Yuzu said skeptically. “But I guess it’s the only shot I have right now.”
A bit later they came to a tent set up in an alley. A young woman was sitting in front of it behind a cloth covered table wearing a cloak and a surgical mask. “Forgive me,” she said. “I have come down with a cold but it shouldn’t hinder my powers.”
“Right,” said Yuzu. “I need a reading off this bracelet, so how much?”
“I feel a very powerful aura coming from it, for an object this unusual there is no charge. Would you mind taking it off for a moment? I wouldn’t wish to confuse your auras.”
Yuzu hesitated then folded the bracelet’s rings in to remove it from her wrist. “Ok, but be careful. Do you see a young man in your vision?”
“The aura is clearing… I sense an event, something important in this object’s timeline. I can it see it, it is a theft!”
“A theft?!” Yuzu said shocked. “Is this in the past or the future?”
Dazzler got a wicked look in her eyes. “Neither, it’s in the present!”
At that moment a smoke bomb went off under the table. Yuzu and the kids were knocked down as the appraiser ran by with the bracelet.
“Stop, thief!” Yuzu cried.
“Stop, thief!”
Applejack and Rainbow Dash turned around to see a cloaked figure running from an alley with a bracelet in hand. The two made a grab for the young woman getting a hold of the cloak and surgical mask. As both pieces of the disguise fell away they saw a familiar lavender eyed curly blonde figure was the culprit.
“Adagio Dazzle,” said Applejack gritting her teeth.
Adagio threw the bracelet up in the air towards a second story balcony. “Sonata, catch!”
The bracelet was caught by a girl with lavender eyes and light blue hair with dark blue stripes done up in a ponytail. “Got it!”
“Find Aria!”
“Right!”
“Who are these people?” Yuzu said as she and the kids ran up.
“More trouble than a rattlesnake at a rodeo!” said Applejack.
Rainbow Dash got on her cell phone while running after the thieves. “Girls we got trouble! The Dazzlings are here and they’ve resorted to petty theft. We’re chasing Adagio through the shopping pavilion but Sonata’s turning to Tenth now! We need someone to head them off at the pass!”
“This is Fluttershy,” Rainbow heard over the phone. “Rarity and I are at a spa on Tenth, we’ll catch her…I hope.”
“Sunset here,” Sunset came over another line. “Chase them to the You Show Duel School by the waterfront. Pinkie and I have new friend and we’ll set a trap for them here.”
“Got it, good luck everyone!” said Rainbow before she hung up. “Any of you guys know where the You Show Duel School is?”
“My dad runs it,” said Yuzu. “If we’re forcing them there it shouldn’t be a problem!”
“Then let’s round the varmits up!” said Applejack.
Sonata had come down to street level when it looked like no one was chasing her. She started laughing until she found that Fluttershy and Rarity stepped in front of her, Rarity still had a green compound on her face.
“You interrupted my facial!” Rarity said. “Now you’re going to pay!”
“WAAAAAAH!” Sonata screamed as she was frightened by the angry girl in the face mask.
“Sonata I’m open!” said Aria Blaze. She had violet eyes and purple hair with light blue stripes done into two long pig tail with star shaped clips.
Sonata regained her composure and tossed the bracelet over the heads of the two girls and into Aria’s waiting hand.
“Go back to Adagio! I’ll catch up to you two later!”
“We got to get that thing back!” yelled Rarity after wiped the face mask off.
“Right,” said Fluttershy as they started chasing Aria.
Adagio was still being chased as Sonata joined her. “Where’s Aria?!” she said.
“Trying to give the slip to two more Rainbooms,” Sonata said. “It’s like a Battle of the Bands reunion.”
“Forget them, they’re not who we’re really after. Follow me to the rendezvous point.”
“The what?”
Aria groaned. “If your brains were dynamite you wouldn’t have enough to blow your nose.”
“Why would I blow my nose with dynamite when a tissue would work better?”
“Just follow me!”
They made another turn and ended up in front of a river. Shortly after that Aria caught up with them.
“The other two are close behind,” she said. “We can’t outrun them all forever.”
“We’re almost there,” said Adagio. “Soon my plan will come together.”
Just as they were about to reach an artistically designed building with the words “You Show Duel School” on it Sunset, Pinkie and Yuya blocked their path. With the eight pursuers almost on top of them they came to a halt and raised their hands in surrender.
“End of line Dazzlings!” said Rainbow. “Are going to give that thing back the easy way or the hard way? Here’s a hint, the hard way’s not fun.”
“Yuzu trusted you to read it and you just took it!” said Aya.
“You meanies!” said Pinkie.
“Unforgiveable!” said Futoshi.
“Sorry for the ruse,” said Adagio. “But it was the only way to get want I really want.”
“You aren’t in any position to make demands partner!” said Applejack.
“But what I want is oh so simple and you have nothing to lose by giving it. I’ll give the girl her bracelet back…” Adagio then suddenly pointed at Yuya. “If you agree to duel me Yuya Sakaki!”
“A duel?” asked Tetsuya.
“You went to all this trouble over a card game?” Rarity said with a twitching eye.
“Well after we lost our singing we started looking for a different way to become famous,” said Sonata.
“We went bust with most of them,” said Aria. “But Adagio came up with a plan to break into Entertainment Dueling if she could beat Yuya there in a live match we’d broadcast over the web. So we looked into his friends and spread flyers about a phony appraiser to bait the trap.”
“Enough talk!” said Adagio. “Agree to the duel or this hunk of metal goes into the sea and you’ll never find it again!”
“You wouldn’t!” said Fluttershy.
“We won’t just give into you!” said Sunset. “If you try to throw it one of us is bound catch it before…”
Sunset stopped as Yuya stepped up to Adagio. “I’ll accept your challenge.”
“WHAT?!” was the collective response by almost everyone else.
“I just have one question first…” Yuya then rubbed the back of his head. “Why didn’t you just ask me in the first place?”
All of his friends sweatdropped.
“You wouldn’t have agreed to it otherwise,” said Adagio. “You’ve just got a 60% win rate a week before the Maiami Championship. One loss and you’d be disqualified from competing.”
“Uh, no he wouldn’t,” said Yuzu.
“Huh?”
“Once you’ve won 60% of at least fifty duels or get six consecutive wins your qualification is locked in. Otherwise those who qualify earlier could get rusty waiting for the tournament.”
Adagio turned to her cohorts. “I thought you two checked the rulebook!”
Sonata was using a tablet. “Oh here it is, I just forgot to scroll down!”
“Hey at least we all got our cardio in for the day,” Aria said nonchalantly.
Aria gave the bracelet back to Yuzu. “Just get in their school and set up our match.”
While Aria and Sonata were setting up in the room that held the controls for the school’s solid vision system the two groups of friends started to get to know each other. However Sunset took Yuya to the side for a moment.
“Yuya the Dazzlings and I are more alike than my friends would want to admit. Like them I’ve made mistakes, big ones, but while those girls forgave me and gave me a place to belong, the Dazzlings ran before we could even give them a chance. We let them go thinking they couldn’t hurt anyone anymore but maybe I was wrong and my magic worked with your pendent to make it right.”
“You mean the Pendulum Monster that was created?”
Sunset took the card with the pony on it out and held it out to Yuya. “When you face Adagio I want you to use it, I know it sounds crazy but maybe it could tell them what I want to say better than just words.”
Yuya smiled as he accepted the card. “It’s not crazy at all, Duelists communicate to each other through their cards. As an Entertainment Duelist I’d be honored if I could use this card to make you and your friends smile.” He placed the card on top of his deck in a device with a large screen and two large slots to hold cards. The device then shuffled the deck.
Adagio came into the room. “Aria and Sonata are just about finished. If you want to watch you better get moving.”
+++
Yuya and Adagio were standing in a large enclosure with a roof made of chain link grating open to the sky. While Aria and Sonata were in a control room above the black glass like field the others were in an adjacent hallway peering through a window.
“Those two had better not be using your system to help Adagio cheat,” said Rainbow.
Yuzu shook her head. “This is the latest system from Leo Corp. It’d be almost impossible for a novice to break in.”
On the court Adagio put a device similar to Yuya’s on her left arm. A platform materialized out of energy from the device. “You might as well not waste time putting on your Duel Disk. I’ve studied every duel you’ve had from Strong Ishijima to your last duel with Gongenzaka, so I know what to expect from you.”
Yuya smiled. “If you really studied me you should know the only thing you can expect from me is the unexpected.”
Up in the control room Sonata had finished typing on a computer. “Ok the feed is live. Next stop, duel stardom.”
Aria was standing in front of a console beside the window to the duel field. “Cheating would just ruin our reputation with the audience but nothing says we can’t give Adagio an edge by letting her fight where she’s at her best.” Aria then pushed a button on the console. “Action Field on! Field Magic: Shipwreck Reef!”
The formerly plain enclosure then changed into an atoll of sharp rocks out in the middle of the ocean surrounded by a boundless blue sky. The wrecks of several wooden sailing ships could be seen both above and below the water. Yuya and Adagio stood on two surface wrecks with the open water separating them. Above them a large orb of moving cards was hovering in the air.
“Wow!” said Pinkie. “This looks so real! I think I can even smell salt water!”
“I’m getting the chills just from the anticipation!” said Futoshi.
“Come on everyone!” said Aya. “Let’s cheer for Yuya!”
On the reef the two duelists started with a performance of their own.
"Duelists locked in Battle!" said Adagio.
“Kicking against the earth and dancing in the air alongside their monsters!” said Yuya.
“They storm through the field!”
“Behold the latest and greatest evolution in dueling!”
Together they finished. “Action…Duel!”
Game Start!
Yuya LP: 4000
Adagio LP: 4000
The orb of cards burst out spreading cards to several locations on the field.
“The first move is mine,” said Yuya. He took five cards from his deck as Adagio did the same and placed one of them on the energy platform. “I summon Performapal Skeeter Skimmer!”
A mosquito like monster appeared with glasses, a top hat and a blue bowtie with white polka dots. It stood on top of the water on six gloved hands and behind shield like wings there was a hollow space like the inside of a rowboat.
Performapal Skeeter Skimmer
Level 4
ATK 500
Yuya leapt into the boat portion of Skeeter Skimmer. “With that I’ll end my turn.”
“Huh, I guess he couldn’t do all that much right now,” said Sunset.
“More than you think,” said Yuzu. “Skeeter Skimmer is the best monster in his deck to help him look for action cards at a water based field.”
“Action cards?” Applejack asked.
“In an action duel special cards are spread around that often have game changing effects. Yuya is using Skimmer’s high speed over water to find where all the action cards are now so he can quickly get to them later.”
“You mean there’s an athletic component to this?!” said Rainbow Dash. “I wish I’d known that sooner!”
“My turn,” said Adagio as she took another card from her deck. “Draw! So you managed to get a good monster for a water action duel. But no one can beat me when it comes to fighting on the sea! I summon Ocean Terror Siren!”
A mermaid like creature completely covered in silver scales with a large fin on its back appeared.
Ocean Terror Siren
Level 3
ATK 1400
“Figures she’d use a Siren,” said Applejack.
“And the thing is ugly,” said Rarity.
“Not to mention scary strong,” said Fluttershy. “The poor little water bug is going to hurt!”
“Yuya won’t let that happen,” said Tatsuya. “Skeeter Skimmer has an effect that allows him to negate one attack by switching to defense mode. She won’t be touching him this turn.”
Adagio leapt on the Siren’s back holding onto the fin with one hand as it jetted across the water.
“You’re putting on a good show so far,” said Yuya.
“It’s what I do,” said Adagio. “But remember I studied you so I know how to get past your bug’s defenses. I activate Ocean Terror Siren’s monster effect!”
The siren started singing causing Skitter Skimmer to get hearts in its eyes.
“Once per turn I can take control of one of your monsters until the end phase by reducing its attack points to zero.”
Skeeter Skimmer
ATK 0
“Battle Phase! Ocean Terror Siren, direct attack! Dirge of the Depths!”
The controlled Skeeter Skimmer took Yuya right next to the siren. Adagio’s monster opened its mouth revealing a row of needle like teeth as it made a powerful shriek. The force of the sound launched Yuya off of Skeeter Skimmer and into the air.
“AAAHHH!”
Yuya had just enough time to pull his goggles over his eyes before he hit the water.
Yuya LP: 2600
Hand: 4
Adagio got off Siren as she circled back to her wreck. “I play one card face down and end my turn. Now Siren’s effect ends and Skeeter Skimmer returns to your control with its attack points back to normal.”
Skeeter Skimmer pulled up to Yuya as it shook the hearts from its eyes.
Skeeter Skimmer
ATK 500
“She was able to attack Yuya so easily,” said Aya.
“Don’t sweat it Aya!” said Pinkie. “I mean we just got started right?”
Aya seemed to cheer right up. “Yeah!”
Yuya clung to Skeeter Skimmer as it pulled him back to his wreck.
“I hope I don’t beat you too quickly,” said Adagio. “I studied your famous Pendulum Summoning and I’d like to experience it firsthand before crushing you.”
“Don’t worry,” said Yuya as he put his goggles back on his forehead. “The fun has just begun! Draw!”
Yuya took a close look at his hand. "I just drew Odd-Eyes, not bad but I still need one more card before I can Pendulum Summon. Still I can defeat her Siren and prevent her from taking more of my monsters.”
“I summon Performapal Silver Claw!”
Yuya summoned a grey wolf with long claws, a red bowtie with yellow polka dots and an orange star on its left cheek and a purple star on its right.
Performapal Silver Claw
Level 4
ATK 1800
“Oh what a cute puppy!” said Fluttershy. “Hi puppy!”
“And it’s stronger than Siren!” said Futoshi. “Oh, the chills!”
Yuya jumped onto Silver Claw’s back. “Battle phase! Performapal Silver Claw attack Ocean Terror Siren!” Silver Claw started running over the side of the atoll towards Adagio’s monster. “I activate Silver Claw’s monster effect! When Silver Claw declares an attack all Performapals I control gain 300 attack points until the end of the battle phase!” A silvery glow washed over Yuya’s monsters.
Silver Claw
ATK 2100
Skeeter Skimmer
ATK 800
“If this attack hits Yuya will not only be able destroy her Siren but Claw and Skimmer will be able to take a big chunk out of her life points,” said Yuzu.
“Go Yuya!” said Rainbow Dash. “Turn that Siren into sushi!”
“Did you think I’d be that easy?” said Adagio. “I activate the trap Proteus Veil!”
A creature appeared that looked like a humanoid from the waist up made of water.
“What’s with that strange monster?” said Tetsuya.
“Proteus Veil summons a Proteus Token with the same Attack and Defense points as the monster you targeted for an attack and makes it that attack’s new target!”
The water creature took the same shape as Siren.
Proteus Token
ATK 1400
“You’re still going to take damage!” said Yuya.
Silver Claw sliced the watery copy in half before it exploded.
Adagio LP: 3300
Hand: 4
Adagio shielded herself from the blast. “When Proteus Token is destroyed in battle it brings an immediate end to the battle phase returning your monsters’ attack to normal.”
Silver Claw
ATK 1800
Skeeter Skimmer
ATK 500
Silver Claw leapt back to Yuya’s wreck. “I play one card face down and end my turn.”
“You’ve got him on the defensive now Adagio!” said Aria. “Keep it up!”
“Yeah!” said Sonata. “Just a little more and we’re on our way to fame and fortune!”
Adagio then gave a simple cold smile.
“HeheheheheheHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
Pinkie pouted. “If they told a joke it wasn’t all that funny,”
But the look on Adagio’s eyes were no joke. “Fame, fortune, stardom? You two still believe that’s why I planned all of this?”
“But Adagio…” Sonata said looking hurt. Aria was gritting her teeth.
“I suppose I should be thanking those girls who stopped us the last time. Because of them I realized what really mattered.”
“Friendship?” said Pinkie Pie.
“Nothing, absolutely nothing matters. And I will show the entire world.”
“We were just stopping you from hurting people,” said Sunset. “What you were doing was wrong!”
“But after that I realized how fleeting and meaningless all of it was and that no matter what anyone does in the end it’s all meaningless.”
“But why duel Yuya?” asked Yuzu. “What does he have to do with this?”
“The pioneer of Pendulum Summoning and the son of great action duelist Yuusho Sakaki? The eyes of the world are on him right now, one of the biggest rising stars out there carrying the hopes of so many. If he loses to some nobody in front of the entire World Wide Web those hopes will be crushed and they will learn the truth as I have!”
“I know a lot about truth!” said Applejack. “That hogwash you said ain’t it! Not even close!”
Adagio just shrugged the comment off. “Looks like I’ll have to prove it all to of you as well. My turn, Draw! I once again activate Ocean Terror Siren’s effect, by reducing Skeeter Skimmer’s attack to zero I can control it until the end of the turn!”
The once again love struck insect went over to the siren’s side.
Skeeter Skimmer
ATK 0
“My monster!” yelled Yuya.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get him back, in your graveyard! I release Performapal Skeeter Skimmer to advance summon Ocean Terror Scylla!”
Skeeter Skimmer vanished and was replaced bronze scale covered hag, where she would have had legs were six tentacles that ended with the heads of snakes.
Ocean Terror Scylla
Level 6
ATK 2400
“The Siren was ugly but that thing is downright hideous!” said Rarity.
“Battle phase! Ocean Terror Scylla attack Performapal Silver Claw! Snake Fang Strike!”
“No! Puppy!” yelled Fluttershy.
Scylla’s snakes dove under the surface of the water and speed along only to emerge right in front of Silver Claw. Yuya lowered his goggles again just before the wolf broke apart as the snakes tore through it. Yuya was sent flying towards the open water and landed with a splash.
Yuya LP: 2000
Hand: 4
Yuya picked up the defeated card. “Since Performapal Silver Claw is a Pendulum Monster instead of the graveyard it is sent face up to my extra deck.”
“Extra Deck, Graveyard, like everything else it doesn’t matter,” said Adagio. “Your monster can no longer protect you. Ocean Terror Siren, direct attack!”
Siren bared its needle like teeth as it jetted toward Yuya while he swam back toward the wreck.
“Yuya, when this attack hits it will not only will it take most of your remaining life points. It will begin to drag you, your friends and everyone watching this duel into a whirlpool of despair!”
To be continued…
Cards made for this story:
Action Field: Shipwreck Reef
Ocean Terror Siren
Ocean Terror Scylla
Proteus Veil
Next chapter: Friendship’s Ambassador! Performapal Trick Pony!
The fun has just begun!
Friendship's Ambassador! Performapal Trick Pony!
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Friendship's Ambassador! Performapal Trick Pony!
Author's Note
Duel Recap:
Yuya LP: 2000
Hand: 4
Field: One set card
Adagio LP: 3300
Hand: 4
Field: Ocean Terror Scylla ATK 2400
Ocean Terror Siren ATK 1400 (In mid attack)
Friendship's Ambassador! Performapal Trick Pony!
“That Siren is about to take a huge bite out of Yuya’s lifepoints!” said Yuzu.
“This all my fault!” said Sunset. “If only I could have got to them after that first time!”
“They have no one to blame but themselves,” said Applejack. “Adagio choose to drag Yuya and the others into it.”
“Question is,” said Yuzu. “Can Yuya drag himself out of it?”
Yuya just managed to swim up to the wreck before Siren caught up to him. “Dry land won’t save you Sakaki,” said Adagio.
Yuya quickly turned around while tapping the screen of his duel disk just as Siren reached him. “I activate my Performapal Call trap card negating your monster’s attack!” Siren launched its sound attack only to hit an invisible wall. “Not only that I can take two Performapal monsters from my deck whose combined defense points equals the attack points of the monster whose attack I negated and add them to my hand! Ocean Terror Siren has 1400 attack points so I add the 600 defense Performapal Sword Fish and the 800 defense pendulum monster Performapal Turn Toad to my hand!”
“That was too close,” said Rainbow. “But at least he’s still in the game.”
“Not only that he was able to add more monsters to his hand,” said Tetsuya. “He can’t summon from the extra deck the same turn he uses them but he’s in good shape for a pendulum summon!”
Yuya took his googles off his eyes and onto his forehead. “My turn, Draw!” The card he drew had the image of a black masked wizard. “Alright!”
“That look!” said Aya.
“He’s going to Pendulum Summon!” said Tetsuya.
Yuya held up the black masked wizard card he drew along with one of a white masked wizard. “I play scale 1 Stargazer Magician and scale 8 Timegazer Magician! With these two monsters I set the pendulum scale!” He placed the two monsters at the very edge of his duel disk, the word “pendulum” then appeared in between the two cards in rainbow lettering.
The two magicians the appeared in the air in columns of light, beneath the white mage Stargazer was a stylized number 1 and beneath the black mage Timegazer was a stylized number 8. Above them a giant version of Yuya’s pendant swung in a circular pattern leaving an intricate pattern of light in the path of its tip.
“Pretty,” said Pinkie.
“Not just pretty,” said Rarity. “Beautiful.”
“Now I am able to summon level two to seven monsters simultaneously!” said Yuya as the pendant picked up speed. “Sway, pendulum of the soul! Draw an arc of light across the heavens! Pendulum Summon! Come forth my monsters!”
A portal opened in the middle of the design shooting out three beams of colored light.
“Level 2, Performapal Sword Fish!”
A barracuda like fish with sunglasses, a red bowtie with yellow polka-dots and a big pompadour ending in a spike appeared. The fins along its back and stomach looked razor sharp and instead of a tail fin it had a hilt.
Performapal Sword Fish
Level 2
DEF 600
“Level 2, Performapal Turn Toad!”
Next appeared a frog with a top hat, blue vest and a red bow tie with yellow polka-dots. It had a pink star in its right cheek and an orange on in its left.
Performapal Turn Toad
Level 2
DEF 800
“Level 7, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!”
Finally there was a large red bipedal dragon with a pair of white horns on its head and an asymmetrical pair on its back. The large right back horn had two green orbs while the smaller left horn had a single red orb. Its dichromatic eyes were red on the left and green one right. Odd-eyes then gave a powerful roar.
Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon
Level 7
ATK 2500
Adagio started a slow clap. “The display was impressive, but in the end what did get you? Two weak monsters as wall and an admittedly powerful dragon. But it’s all flash and no substance.”
“Are you sure?” said Yuya confidently. “I activate Sword Fish’s effect targeting Ocean Terror Scylla! Once per turn Sword Fish can reduce a face up monster’s attack points by 600!”
Sword Fish had made six copies of itself that launched themselves towards Scylla. Each Sword Fish copy had pinned all six snake tentacles to the deck of the wreck causing Scylla to scream in pain.
Scylla
ATK 1800
Yuya then leapt onto Odd-Eyes’ back holding the horns on its head like handle bars. “Battle phase! Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon attack Ocean Terror Scylla with Spiral Flame Burst!” Odd-eyes began leaping from stone to stone to get a closer shot at Scylla. “I activate Odd-Eyes ability! When Odd-Eyes attacks a level five or higher monster all battle damage my opponent takes is doubled! Go Reaction Force!”
“So that’s why he didn’t go after Siren with Sword Fish and attack it,” said Rainbow. “To get rid of her strongest monster while still dealing big damage!”
“Once this attack hits she’ll only have 600 life points left!” said Yuzu.
“I’m getting chills all over!” said Futoshi.
Adagio leapt onto Siren’s back whose swam away at high speed.
“She’s just abandoning her monster?” asked Fluttershy.
Adagio swung near a card with a star pattern and a large letter A on the back and grabbed it immediately using it. “Action Spell: Miracle! This Action Card prevents my Scylla from being destroyed and cuts the damage I take in half, effectively nullifying your monster’s ability!”
Odd-eyes shot a spiraling jet of flame at Scylla. Scylla however was covered in a rainbow of energy and seemed to shrug the hit off.
Adagio LP: 2600
Hand: 4
Odd-eyes dropped Yuya back off at his wreck. “I end my turn and Ocean Terror Scylla’s attack points reduced by Sword Fish’s effect return to normal.”
Scylla
ATK 2400
Adagio also leapt back up off her Siren. “Perhaps now you’ll all see the futility in everything.”
“Adagio stop it!” Sonata yelled with tears streaming down her face. “Why are you acting like this?! Why didn’t you tell us you felt this way?!”
“We’re sisters!” said Aria her fist shaking in rage. “We shared everything! Our ambitions, our plans…”
Adagio turned to the direction of the operating booth. “Tell me sisters do you even remember the plan?”
Sonata answered first. “We were going get fame and power…”
“And return home in triumph.” Adagio finished. “But haven’t you both realized how much time has passed there? I’m not stupid, when I saw Sunset and Twilight back at Canterlot High I realized that no one is waiting for us back home, not anymore. It wasn’t until after we lost our singing, our hearts that I stopped living in denial. We have nothing but I realized that the same is true for all friendships.”
“You’re wrong!” said Sunset. “Our friendship is not meaningless!”
“It may seem like that now but what about fifty years from now? Or a hundred? Or a thousand?! Do you think the friendship between a group of people has meaning once they are all dead and the civilization they belonged to had since crumbled into dust and been forgotten?!”
No one seemed to have an answer for some time, then one came.
“Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!”
At first no one was sure what was going on until they realized it was Yuya who laughing.
“Is something about futility funny?” asked Adagio.
“No, it’s not funny at all,” said Yuya. “In fact knowing that’s what you believe makes me want to cry.” However Yuya didn’t seem to have single tear shed as he held up his pendant. “But there is something my father taught me long ago. Life is like a pendulum, when you push it always comes back. So when you feel like crying laugh instead, because when you push happiness it swings right back at you.”
“Temporary happiness?!” Adagio growled. “That’s your answer?! The drivel left behind by a man who ran away not only from a title match, but his wife and child and hadn’t returned for three years?”
“He didn’t run away!” said Yuya. “He must have had his reasons for disappearing!”
“Not that it matters. If you won’t listen to the truth from me looks like you need another lesson, a lesson in true despair! My turn, draw! I summon Abyss Moray!”
A monster appeared that looked like a cross between an eel and an anglerfish.
Abyss Moray
Level 4
ATK 1400
“If anything ever needed a facial it’s that thing!” said Rarity.
“I activate Abyss Moray’s first effect! Once per turn I can raise its level by the level of another sea serpent monster on the field! I choose to raise Moray by Siren’s level three for a total of seven!”
Abyss Moray
Level 7
“Now for Moray’s second effect allowing me to take a Ritual Spell card from my deck and add it to my hand! Then I activate the ritual spell Silent Abyss Offering and release the level seven Abyss Moray!”
Moray burst into seven blue flames that formed a circle around the open water before plunging into the sea. Storm clouds quickly gathered overcasting the whole area.
“Hunter of the deep black sea, offer yourself to revive the deity of ocean storms! Ritual Summon!”
Something was swimming deep below that was quickly surfacing.
“Ancient ruler of the lightless depths, emerge from the silent abyss and cover the world in a flood of despair! Ocean Terror King Cetus!”
An extremely large black sea serpent with the head of a whale burst through the water, it had four red eyes and a trident shaped horn. On surfacing it gave a low thrumming roar.
Ocean Terror King Cetus
Level 7
ATK 2500
“It’s huge!” said Pinkie. “No, bigger than huge it gigantacolossal!”
“That ain’t even a word and I agree with ya!” said Applejack.
Adagio's eyes stared at Yuya coldly. “Next I activate the spell Maw of Charybdis and equip it to Cetus!”
The lagoon in the middle of the atoll formed into a giant whirlpool emerging at the center was an enormous mouth ringed with needle like teeth.
“That’s scary!” cried Aya.
“I’m getting the chills just looking at that thing!” said Futoshi.
“Now I activate Ocean Terror Siren’s monster effect! I reduce Odd-Eyes attack points to zero to gain control of it!”
The eyes of Yuya’s dragon became hearts as it leapt toward Siren.
“No, Odd-Eyes!” yelled Yuya.
Odd-Eyes
ATK 0
“Next Ocean Terror Scylla’s effect activates! When one of my opponent’s monsters falls under my control it is immediately destroyed and for every monster destroyed by this effect you take 200 points of damage!”
Four of Scylla’s snakes coiled around Odd-Eyes crushing it, then the other two shot small fireballs at Yuya. Yuya shielded himself from the impact.
Yuya LP: 1800
Hand: 2
“Now the effect of Maw Charybdis activates! While it remains on the field every time a monster is destroyed the equipped monster gains 300 attack and defense points!”
A crimson glow washed over Cetus.
Cetus
ATK 2800
Cetus lowered itself enough to let Adagio leap on top of it. “Battle phase! Ocean Terror Siren attack Performapal Turn Toad!”
“Not froggy!” yelled Fluttershy.
After Scylla destroyed Turn Toad the bits of light that would usually fade away instead flew into giant mouth in the middle of the whirlpool.
“This activates Maw of Charybdis’ effect once again!"
Cetus
ATK 3100
“As along as Cetus is on the field all other sea serpent type monsters cannot be destroyed by card effects. Furthermore since Cetus was Ritual Summoned while a sea serpent monster was released it can inflict piercing damage! Which means this duel is over as soon as Cetus attacks your Sword Fish!”
Yuya turned and ran, soon however he began climbing the wreck’s rigging. “Hoping an Action Card can save you? Thanks to Scylla’s earlier attack the odds of that card reducing Cetus’ attack points by enough are now very low. Ocean Terror King Cetus attack Perfromapal Sword Fish with Thunder Javelin!”
Cetus’ horn charged with electricity which was then shot at Sword Fish. Yuya ran along a boom and picked up an Action Card. “Action Spell: Evasion! This card allows me to negate the attack of one monster!”
Sword Fish jumped out of the lightning’s path which sent a large plume of water into the air. “I might not have been able to finish you off,” said Adagio. “But I can at least make Cetus stronger! Ocean Terror Siren attack Performapal Sword Fish!”
Siren’s screech had shattered Sword Fish, the pieces sent to Charybdis’ waiting maw.
Cetus
ATK 3400
“I play two cards face down and end my turn!” said Adagio. “I’m sure you figured how my whirlpool of despair is the perfect counter to your Pendulum Summoning.”
“What is she talking about?” asked Rarity.
“Adagio has played a chain of cards that works against Yuya’s strongest moves,” said Yuzu. “First Siren can take control of the monsters Yuya summons which Scylla then destroys damaging Yuya. That activates Maw of Charybdis increasing the attack points of Cetus, who can keep Yuya from using effects to destroy the other Ocean Terrors AND it can damage Yuya even if he still has monsters in defense mode.”
“When you put it that way, it sounds like she’s already won,” said Rainbow.
“Don’t you say that!” said Tetsuya. “Yuya will win, he just has to keep trying!”
“So has happiness swung back yet?” asked Adagio. “Or are you ready to surrender?”
The look in Yuya’s eyes was not fearful or angry, instead there was a sense of resolve. “No, I made a promise.”
“A promise? To who?”
“Sunset wanted to reach you, she wanted to give you the same chance at friendship she had. We all make mistakes but in spite of what you did she wants to be your friend. Maybe that friendship is the meaning you’ve been looking for.”
Adagio actually looked like she was holding back tears. “I want what I learned to not be true, but all the evidence tells me otherwise.”
“In the future who knows what will happen but what we do have are our friends, this day and for right now this duel. The duel I will use to keep my promise! My turn, draw!” Yuya saw that the card he drew had the image of a magician in a top hat, for a moment he could imagine that it was his father. “You always had a way of showing up when I need confidence”.
“Once again I’ll use Stargazer Magician and Timegazer Magician to Pendulum Summon!”
The portal appeared again and four light shot out.
“From my hand I summon level 2 Performapal Cheermole!”
A little pink mole appeared wearing a mint green cheerleader’s dress with a yellow star on it, a small brown ponytail held in place by a green bow with light green polka-dots and a pair of blue pom-poms. The mole shyly hid behind the pom-poms.
Performapal Cheermole
Level 2
DEF 1000
“Level 4 Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer!”
Up next was a man dressed up in a red stage magician’s outfit with a red top hat with a yellow star near the brim. In his right hand he held a large pendulum.
Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer
Level 4
ATK 1500
“And from the extra deck I summon back level 4 Performapal Silver Claw and level 7 Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!”
The wolf and dragon reappeared with a roar.
Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon
Level 7
ATK 2500
Performapal Silver Claw
Level 4
ATK 1800
“Oh puppy’s back!” squealed Fluttershy. “And he brought a cute little mole friend!”
“It actually reminds a little of you Fluttershy,” said Rarity.
Adagio however was not so impressed. “I activate the continuous trap Call of the Sirens! This trap allows me to use Ocean Terror Siren’s effect during your turn when you summon a monster! So I’ll be taking your Odd-Eyes back!”
“Not this again!” said Yuya.
The Dragon’s eyes became hearts once more.
Odd-Eyes
ATK 0
“Of course this activates the whirlpool of despair! Scylla’s effect activates destroying your monster and dealing you 200 points of damage!”
Scylla’s snakes crushed the hapless dragon and shot two small fire balls at Yuya.
Yuya LP: 1600
Hand: 1
“Finally Odd-Eyes destruction triggers the effect of Maw of Charybdis, making Cetus even more powerful!”
Cetus
ATK 3700
“That’s actually fine by me!” said Yuya. “Because I got just the cards I need to break up your whirlpool!”
“Break the whirlpool?!” asked Aya.
“Alright!” said Rainbow. “Time for a counter attack!”
“Battle Phase! Performapal Silver Claw attack Ocean Terror Scylla!”
“Scylla?!” asked Sonata.
“What is he nuts?” said Aria.
“Silver Claw’s effect activates increasing the attack of all Performapals on the field by 300!”
Silver Claw
ATK 2100
Pendulum Sorcerer
ATK 1800
“Your wolf is still too weak!” said Adagio.
“Not with his friends he isn’t!” said Yuya. “I activate Cheermole’s effect! Once per turn if the attack of a monster increases Cheermole can boost its attack by an additional 1000 points!”
Cheermole began a cheerleading routine shaking stars out of its pom-poms.
“It’s even more adorable!” said Fluttershy.
The stars flew into Silver Claw.
Silver Claw
ATK 3100
"Yeehaw! Rope that steer!” said Applejack.
Silver Claw leapt at Scylla ready to strike. Cetus used its long body to bring Adagio next to a large rock outcropping where she picked up an action card. “Action Spell: Crashing Wave! This card allows me to change the battle mode of one of my monsters, I choose to switch Scylla into defense mode!”
A wave washed over Scylla whose tentacles now were crossed in front of her.
Scylla
DEF 1200
Silver Claw sliced right through the monster sending glowing sparkles into the air. “Now Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer attack Ocean Terror Siren! Prism Pulse!”
The Sorcerer thrust his pendulum forward, from a large jewel in the center a beam of rainbow light burst forth blasting a huge hole in Siren who then burst into sparkles.
Adagio LP: 2200
Hand: 0
“You think you’re so clever!” yelled Adagio. “Don’t forget for every monster destroyed Maw of Charybdis increases Cetus’ attack and defense by 300. You destroyed two monsters boosting him to over 4000!”
Cetus
ATK 4000 > 4300
“You’ve used up both of your attacks so go ahead and let me finish your useless struggles!”
“But my turn isn’t over yet! For now I end the battle phase ending Silver Claw’s effect.”
Silver Claw
ATK 2800
Pendulum Sorcerer
ATK 1500
"Next I activate Pendulum’s Sorcerer’s effect! When this monster is special summoned I can destroy two cards I control then get two different Performapals from my deck! I destroy Pendulum Sorcerer and Stargazer Magician!”
The two spellcasters broke apart. “You’re just increasing Cetus’ power even more!”
“Not by as much as you’d think. When a pendulum monster is in one of the two pendulum zones it counts as spell card not a monster so Cetus only goes up by 300.”
Cetus
ATK 4600
“But he just sealed his Pendulum summoning!” said Futoshi.
“The Performapals I add to my hand are Trump Witch and Trick Pony. Now I play one card face down and end my turn!”
“With Trump Witch there’s only one move he’s planning now!” said Aya.
“Pendulum Fusion!” said Tetsuya.
“What’s Pendulum Fusion?” asked Pinkie.
“It’s the newest weapon is Yuya’s arsenal,” said Yuzu. “Using Trump Witch’s effect he can transition from a Pendulum Summon into a Fusion Summon and bring out one of two really powerful monsters.”
“Sounds like just the thing we need right now,” said Rarity.
“No, their own neither monster would be strong enough to beat a 4600 attack point monster.”
Sunset however didn’t seem to hear anyone. “Trick…Pony…that’s the card we made together.”
“I gave that card to Yuya so that it’d reach Adagio, did my magic somehow know this was going to happen? Is that why it used his pendant to make that card? It had to! Magic happens for a reason and friendship is magic! You can reach her Yuya, her and her sisters! Just hold out for one more turn!”
“Well this has been an interesting diversion,” said Adagio. “But it’s about time we ended this little farce. My turn, draw! I activate the trap card Maelstrom!”
The whirlpool began to churn faster.
“If I had taken battle damage last turn Maelstrom destroys all monsters on the field that are not water attribute and the only one that is right now is Cetus!”
Silver Claw and Cheermole were swept into the vortex. “Leave the critters alone!” cried Fluttershy.
The two monsters vanished into Charybdis’ mouth. “Now Cetus gains another 600 points!”
Cetus
ATK 4900 > 5200
“Now with over 5000 attack points the only thing Cetus has to worry about is your face down card, something I’m going to rectify.” Cetus took Adagio near another wreck that had a treasure chest in a pile of gold. Adagio leapt next to the chest and opened it revealing more gold with an action card wedged in. “Action Spell: Gold Coin! This lets me draw another card!” Adagio looked at what she drew. “Just what I needed, I activate the spell card Salvage! This lets me add two water attribute monsters from my graveyard to my hand! I add Abyss Moray and Ocean Terror Siren!”
“Not those guys again!” said Futoshi. “After all the trouble Yuya went through to get rid of them!”
“I summon Ocean Terror Siren back to the field!” Siren reappeared.
Ocean Terror Siren
ATK 1400
Adagio leapt back onto Cetus. “This allows me to activate the Rise from the Depths spell card! I can special summon an Ocean Terror monster from the graveyard if I normal summoned a sea serpent monster whose level is half the level of that monster. So return now Ocean Terror Scylla!”
Scylla leapt up from the churning sea.
Ocean Terror Scylla
ATK 2400
“Your face down might be able to protect you from one attack but how about three? Battle Phase! Ocean Terror Scylla, direct attack!”
Yuya lowered his goggles. “I activate Performapal Pinch Helper! This continuous trap negates one direct attack when activated!” Scylla’s snakes bounced off an invisible wall. “Then Pinch Helper allows me to summon a Performapal from my deck whose attack is 800 or less by negating its effects. Come now Performapal Kaleidoscorp!”
A red scorpion with star emblazoned shields instead of pincers and a kaleidoscope instead of a stinger appeared. It wore a blue top hat a blue bowtie with pink polka-dots and an identical tie on its tail.
Perfromapal Kaleidoscorp
Level 5
DEF 2300
“Normally that would be an impressive defense,” said Adagio. “But Cetus can inflict piercing damage and his 5200 attack points make your defense a joke. Ocean Terror King Cetus attack Perfromapal Keleidoscorp, Thunder Javelin!”
“I activate Pinch Helper’s second effect! When a monster I control does battle I can send this trap to the graveyard to reduce the damage from that battle by half!”
The lightning bolt destroyed the scorpion and the shockwave sent Yuya into the lagoon.
Yuya LP: 150
Hand: 2
Cetus
ATK 5500
Yuya was swept up by Charybdis’ vortex. Everyone watching from the hallway cried out. “Yuya!”
“You have no more cards on the field and both of the cards in your hand are monsters,” said Adagio. “In the end your resistance was pointless. Ocean Terror Siren end this, direct attack.”
Siren swam with the current then launched a sonic attack at Yuya. The blast knocked him out of the water and back onto the deck of the wreck.
“Yuya!!” shouted Sunset.
“In the end all things are meaningless,” said Adagio.
Yuya LP: 150
Hand: 2
“What?!”
“Huh?!”
“Impossible!”
Yuya got up on his feet and pulled his goggles up.
“But how did…an Action Card,” said Adagio. “You managed to grab one while swept up in the whirlpool.”
Yuya nodded. “Action Spell: Encore. This card can copy the effect of an Action Card in the graveyard. The card I selected was Action Spell: Evasion negating Siren’s attack.”
“Three attacks that should have wiped him out instantly and he still managed to survive?!” said Aria.
“I knew Yuya could do it!” said Tetsuya.
“Oh the chills!” said Futoshi.
“Yuya,” said Adagio. “You are unlike anyone I ever met. You cling to the barest thread of possibility to try to overcome incredible odds, all to keep a promise made to a girl you barely know. For the first time in so very long I think I can see a ray of light reaching into the depths of my heart. I’ll give you a chance, I’m ending my turn now come at me with everything you got! If you can turn this around then maybe my life isn’t as hopeless as I thought it was.”
“Yuya,” said Sunset. “I know you can do it.”
Yuya readied himself for his move. “I know it’s possible, but it will be far from easy. Trump Witch and Trick Pony can turn this around but the moment I summon a monster the combination of Siren and Scylla’s effects will wipe out what little life points I have left. It all comes down to the next card…”
“My turn, draw!” The motion of his arms seemed to create a rainbow of sparkles as he drew.
For a moment it seemed as if the whole field faded to black, then a as if a spotlight had been turned on Yuya as standing on the crow’s nest of his wreck.
“Ladies and Gentlemen!”
“This is…” said Aya.
“Yuya’s Entertainment Duel!” said Tetsuya.
“The chills!” said Futoshi.
“At this moment,” said Yuya. “I appear to be in a desperate situation, but through the power of friendship the whole scenario will turned around in a Magical Reversal!”
“Magical?” said the Rainbooms.
“Reversal?” said the other two Dazzlings.
“To begin with I play the spell card Axe of Fools and equip it to Ocean Terror Siren!”
A large silver axe with a smiling gold face appeared in Siren’s hand. The monster started smiling a genuine smile.
“See a smile makes everyone look better!” said Pinkie.
Siren
ATK 2400
“Why would you play a card that would make mine stronger?” asked Adagio.
“Because all the effects of any monster equipped with Axe of Fools are negated. That means you can no longer activate Call of the Sirens.”
“All right! He broke her combo!” said Rainbow.
“Next I play scale 4 Performapal Trump Witch! Along with scale 8 Timegazer Magician I set the Pendulum Scale!”
A blonde masked witch appeared wearing a raggedy dress and carrying a staff topped with a skull and crossbones. A stylized number 4 appeared beneath her.
“Now I am able summon level 5 to 7 monsters simultaneously! Sway, pendulum of the soul! Draw an arc of light across the heavens! Pendulum Summon! Come forth my monsters!”
The portal reappeared sending four beams of light.
“From the extra deck Level 5 Stargazer Magician!”
Stargazer Magician
Level 5
ATK 1200
“Level 5 Performapal Kaleidoscorp!”
Kaleidoscorp
ATK 100
“Level 7 Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!”
Odd-Eyes
ATK 2500
“And from my hand level 6 Performapal Trick Pony!”
A white pony with a blonde mane appeared wearing a small conical clown’s hat at an angle suggestive of a horn, a ruffled collar with two larger than normal ruffles that were reminiscent of wings, a blue tail bow with pink polka-dots and a single yellow star on its flank. It reared back on two legs and neighed.
Performapal Trick Pony
Level 6
ATK 1900
“That’s the card made by my magic,” said Sunset. “The symbol of our friendship.”
“I activate Trump Witch’s pendulum effect! Once per turn I can Fusion Summon using monsters I control as fusion material! I fuse Stargazer Magician and Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!”
Trump Witch shot symbols like those of card suits at Stargazer and Odd-Eyes. The two then became beams of light that swirled into an orb.
“Bearer of mysterious powers, become a bright light in the eye of the Dragon! Fusion Summon!”
The orb of light became a bipedal red dragon with gold rings on its head and back, it had a green left eye while its right was covered by a runic symbol.
“Come forth arcane dragon, wielder of ancient magics! Rune-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!”
Rune-Eyes gave off a big roar.
Rune-Eyes Pendulum Dragon
Level 8
ATK 3000
“Rune-Eyes monster effect, if he was fusion summoned using a spellcaster type monster on the field it allows him to attack my opponent’s monsters multiple times depending on that monster’s level. Stargazer is a level 5 so Rune-Eyes can attack three times.” Electricity formed a triangle pattern on the indents on the larger back ring.
“So that one critter can take out the two that’ve been giving him so much trouble!” said Applejack.
Yuya leapt form the crow’s nest onto Rune-Eyes’ back. “Battle Phase! Rune-Eyes Pendulum Dragon attack Ocean Terror Siren, Shinning Burst!”
Rune-Eyes sent a stream of light from the lower left corner of the triangle towards Siren before destroying it.
Adagio LP: 1600
Hand: 1
“The effect of Maw of Charybdis activates increasing Cetus’ attack by 300,” said Adagio.
Cetus
ATK 5800
“Second attack!” said Yuya. “Rune-Eyes attack Ocean Terror Scylla!”
The beam this time came from the lower right corner.
Adagio LP: 1000
Cetus
ATK 6100
“Impressive,” said Adagio. “But my monster now has over 6000 attack points.”
“And that is the moment I’ve been waiting for,” said Yuya. “It’s time for Magical Reversal’s star to come out! I activate Trick Pony’s monster effect! Once per turn I can target a monster I special summoned from the extra deck and the monster on your field with the lowest attack points. I select Rune-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and Ocean Terror King Cetus!”
Trick Pony leapt onto Rune Eyes’ neck then once again into the air. As it leapt sunlight peaked through the storm clouds, as Trick Pony disturbed the rain the combined effect left a rainbow in its wake.
“How pretty,” said Fluttershy.
“Not to mention graceful,” said Rarity.
Trick pony landed on Cetus’ head in front of Adagio and gave a short wink before leaping back to beside Rune-Eyes. “Now for the rest of the turn the targeted monsters actually exchange their attack and defense points!”
“It could do something like that?!” said Sunset. “Talk about a reversal!”
Rune-Eyes
ATK 6100
Cetus
ATK 3000
“Yuya attacked Siren and Scylla first all in preparation for this one effect!” said Yuzu. “With their attacks swapped Adagio will take 3100 points of damage but with only 1000 life points left…”
“Yuya’s gonna win!” said Tetsuya.
“And now for the grand finale!” said Yuya. “Rune-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, attack Ocean Terror King Cetus! Endless Shinning Burst!”
The final light beam came from the top corner of the triangle and went straight down Cetus’ mouth. Both he and Charybdis exploded from the attack as Adagio was thrown clear off.
“Incredible,” Adagio thought. “He actually did it…”
Adagio landed in the now calm lagoon with an enormous splash.
Adagio LP: 0
Winner: Yuya Sakaki
Yuya and his monsters had taken a bow as the field returned to the normal enclosure it was before. Adagio was sitting a short distance from him. Yuya came over to her and offered his hand. “Thank you for helping me put on a good show.”
Adagio took it and got up. “I should be the one thanking you. After I lost my singing I thought my life was more or less over, but now it feels like I can see daylight after a long time in the dark.”
“Thank Sunset, she was the one who never gave up on you, I just gave her wishes a voice through my dueling.”
“Yuya!” called out all of the students of the You Show Duel School as they ran out to congratulate Yuya.
The Rainbooms came out afterward along with the other two Dazzlings.
“Sis are you ok?!” asked Sonata.
“I’m fine,” said Adagio. “But I think we better go back with these girls. We have a lot to make up for.”
“But you’ll have some friends with you when you do,” said Sunset.
As the others were talking and laughing Yuya held up his pendant and began to swing it admiring the sunlight glinting off the crystal. “It’s like my dad always said ‘life is like a pendulum’. If you push with friendship then friendship will swing back your way.”
The End
Cards made for this story
Action Field: Shipwreck Reef
Action Spell: Crashing Wave
Action Spell: Gold Coin
Ocean Terror Siren
Ocean Terror Scylla
Abyss Moray
Silent Abyss Offerings
Rise from the Depths
Ocean Terror King Cetus
Call of the Sirens
Performapal Trick Pony
